Shabbos Table

A favorite uncle and spiritual guide of mine recently said, “girl, you were always stubborn but you knew what you wanted. We were scared for you because we didn’t want you to get hurt. But I guess you saw something we didn’t. So, good for you.”

I questioned structures and rules as far back as I can remember. How does wealth equate to happiness and peace? Why am I anxious about math classes at age 10 when I love English and science. Why should I force myself to play in sports when I would rather read, write or play the piano. Who am I living for? Asking those questions eventually led me to the big one – what is my purpose on earth? A similar question Siddhartha had many centuries ago in the land of my ancestors.

Life is what we will design it to be and we can decide something without building a blue print first. Three things we need – imagination, creativity and energy. When imagination is sparked, it propels us into wanting to make something happen and the more we believe in that thing we want to create, the more energy we have to make it happen.

The spark in Siddhartha woke him up to questioning the meaning of life and attachments to things that were not emotionally or spiritually fulfilling. So started to build a blue print to find what might be fulfilling, and he found the energy to seek it out.

This chapter is the self-discovery about Siddhartha as he leaves behind his spiritual path of luxury to embark on a new path in life. Siddhartha, who has dedicated his entire life to finding enlightenment, is not satisfied with the slow process of his spiritual journey, so he sets out to seeks out to understand the ways of the world.

Siddhartha also decides to leave Govinda with Gautama when he realizes that self-discovery is a one mans journey. He and Govinda were close friends from childhood. They grew up together, shared their dreams and aspirations, laughed and cried together. Their bond was unbreakable until Siddhartha decided to leave their town and go on a journey to seek spiritual enlightenment. Govinda was devastated but understood Siddhartha’s need to pursue a higher purpose in life.

As Siddhartha traveled from place to place, meeting wise men and learning different philosophies, Govinda followed him, eager to learn from his friend’s experiences. However, Siddhartha eventually realized that the only way to achieve enlightenment was to let go of everything, including his friend Govinda. Siddhartha knew that Govinda’s attachment to him would prevent him from finding his own path, and so he convinced him to leave and continue his own quest for understanding. The moral lesson here is that sometimes we have to leave behind people, things, and even parts of ourselves to achieve our highest potential. It is an important lesson on the path to personal growth and spiritual enlightenment.

Siddhartha’s decision to leave the traditions of his religion and join forces with a wealthy merchant is spontaneous but not out of character. He does it with the same commitment to his former way of life—going all out to live and understand the world on new terms. The opening of the chapter describes a restless Siddhartha, who finally becomes disillusioned with thelife he once knew as he followed the Shamanas and walks away.

Siddhartha meets with Kamaswami, a wealthy merchant whom Siddhartha is convinced will teach him worldly wealth and success. Siddhartha becomes very successful and brilliant in his trading career. He is captivated by the luxurious and enjoyable way of living so much that he forgets about his spiritual journey, which was once his top priority.

Siddhartha acquires significant things in the worldly sense during this phase of his life, like wealth, material possessions, and respect; however, his heart is empty. Siddhartha’s new lifestyle feels like a constant sham as he becomes more and more anxious.

Chapter 3 of Siddhartha teaches us an essential life lesson that spirituality and material success cannot be sacrificed for each other. As Hesse shows through Siddhartha’s search for enlightenment, it is valuable to look for balance in all areas of our lives.

When we become too caught up in accruing physical possessions or spiritual enlightenment, we risk neglecting other significant aspects of our well-being. Therefore, it is important to maintain a balance between material and spiritual pursuits to achieve personal fulfillment.