Spirituality
and materialism both have two major things in common, they both seek after
happiness. Material happiness is temporary. Whereas spiritual happiness is
something that a person seeks after their entire life. This is a lifestyle that promotes selfless
people that love their surroundings, materialism promotes just the opposite. People
who lead materialistic lives are constantly comparing themselves to others, in
hopes of becoming someone that they are not. People who live truly spiritual
lives, consider themselves an independent apart from all desire and greed. They
are no longer effected by others influence on their own lives. Materialistic
people tend to lose sight of their dreams and aspirations and drift off into a
distant never ending cycle of comparison and regret.
Siddhartha
shows signs of both spirituality and materialism throughout the book. In the
beginning of the book Siddhartha has one goal.
He is unnerved by temptations and only wants to immerse himself in his
spirituality. "Before him, Siddhartha saw a single goal: to become empty,
empty of thirst, empty of want, empty of dream, empty of joy and sorrow. To let
the ego perish, to be "I" no longer, to find peace with an empty
heart and await the miraculous with thoughts free of self. This was his goal"
(Hesse 13). Siddhartha realizes in this moment that spirituality is what truly
satisfies him. He is more content when he empties himself of all things
materialistic. When people realize how confident Siddhartha is with his
spirituality they will want to follow him in his ways. "He was journeying
through the countryside as an itinerant teacher, surrounded by disciples,
without possessions, without a home, without woman folk, dressed in a yellow
cloak of an ascetic but with joyful brow, a Blessed One, and Brahmins and
princes bowed down before him and became his pupils" (Hesse 18). When
someone is truly content with their own state of mind, others will want to be spiritually
calm as well. Though being a Samana isn't giving Siddhartha spiritual fulfillment.
When Siddhartha realizes that venturing away from the everyday life of a Samana
will give him the most spiritual fulfillment he finally awakens for the first
time as if seeing everything as new. Everything was beautiful, everything
mysterious and magical, and in the mist of all of this was he, Siddhartha, in
the moment of his awakening, on the path to himself" (Hesse 35).
Everyone's needs to fulfill their spiritually in a different way, some find it
minimally, others find it within the materialistic world. Others need to experiment
just like Siddhartha did to find the most fulfilling lifestyle that will bring
him peace and contempt.
Towards
the middle of the novel Siddhartha begins to question which is more important
to him, his spirituality or having wealth. His "voice" is his
spirituality speaking. "He would aspire to nothing but what this voice
commanded him, occupy himself with nothing but what the voice advised" (Hesse
43). Even though spirituality and materialism are both seeking after happiness,
materialism will never bring permanent happiness. This is because a person of
wealth is constantly comparing themselves with others of similar wealth, desire
is never out of the realm of possibility. "Thus did Gautama stroll toward
the town to collect alms, and the two Samanas recognized him solely by his
perfect calm, the stillness of his figure, in which there was no searching, no
desire, no imitation, no effort to be discerned, only light and peace"
(Hesse 25). A spiritual person does not aspire to have something that isn't
practical. They do not compare themselves to anyone, they are their own person.
"Often I have thought, Will not Govinda one day take a step on his own
without me, as his own soul commands? And behold, now you have become a man and
are choosing your own path. May you follow it to its end, O my friend! May you
find redemption!" (Hesse 27). Once Govinda stopped following others, and
started to listen to the voice in his head conveying spirituality he finally
found himself. He was constantly comparing himself to others just like how
people with money constantly compare themselves to others with wealth. Govinda
realizes that he is his own person and he controls his own destiny. Most people
need to locate the voice, that is so important, this voice may be found at an
early stage or later on. Either way a person finds themselves in the end.
Materialism
teaches a person to love their wealth, and not those around them. It teaches to
find pleasure in all things that will better a person financially, and not in
things that will better a person spiritually. Materialism brings temporary
happiness, in things that are only temporary. "The world had captured him:
voluptuousness, lust, lethargy, and in the end even greed, the vice he'd always
thought the most foolish and had despised and scorned above all others.
Property, ownership and riches had captured him in the end. No longer were they
just games to him, trifles; they had become chains and burdens" (Hesse 67).
After a while of living a materialistic life, a person's vision becomes blurred
and they begin to lose sight of who they truly are. Goals that were previously
high priorities now slip away in the distance. Some people are attracted to
material wealth because they are not satisfied with their previous actions.
"He played this game out of his hearts distress. Losing and squandering
the wretched money was an angry pleasure, in no other way could he have shown
his contempt for wealth, the idol of the merchants, more clearly and with more
pronounced scorn. And so he bet high and mercilessly" (Hesse 67). Money
became Siddhartha's escape, now his current life style was a burden to him
spiritually. He could not completely devote himself to his own spiritual needs
if he was not content with his current life style. But sooner or later, a
person will come to some sort of a realization of what their life has turned
into. "He felt nausea at his perfumed hair, the smell of wine on his
breath, the weary slackness and reluctance of his skin. Just as someone who has
eaten or drunk too much vomits it up
again in agony and yet is glad for the relief, sleepless Siddhartha yearned for
a monstrous wave of nausea that would rid him of these pleasures, these habits,
this whole meaningless existence and himself along with it" (Hesse 70). Siddhartha
needed a sign to awaken him from this dark streak of selfishness he was currently
absorbed in. He never truly wanted to be this greedy. He never aspired to be a
selfish person that is always taking for himself. One thing lead to another and
all of a sudden Siddhartha was in this hole that was a struggle to get out off.
Though he is the only person that can truly cure himself of his greedy habits. And
eventually Siddhartha managed to emerge from the hole a new person, with a
completely different outlook on life.
Spiritual
and material ideas are both roads to happiness. Materialism has different
drastic effects than spirituality. Spirituality tries to live in the present,
whereas materialism constantly lives in the future, in tomorrow, and in
dissatisfaction with forms of material wealth. Siddhartha learns through
experience that the materialistic life only temporarily satisfies his spiritual
and mental needs. Later on he then again realizes that spirituality is the only
thing that will bring him true happiness. Most people need to experience both
forms in order to understand why one or the other is better, or which is more
suited for their life. Experience is the only thing that will tell which one is best suited. Some people who
have completely devoted themselves to spirituality, need to experience material
life in order to understand why spirituality gives them more satisfaction. Spirituality
is really the only thing that will keep a person true to themselves and the
people around them.
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