Good to be reminded of Hesse, one of my life's earliest and best guides, thank you. I have not read Demian, but it sounds from this like I should. My favorite of his is Narcissus & Goldmund, which also makes the point you make here: the journey of someone we love and revere is not necessarily our journey. The road they traveled may not be the one we need to travel to get to what we will recognize as our own home, our own destination.
I just watched the Japanese film Departures. It makes some of these same, and other valuable, points. In times of disorienting distress I find it helps to zoom in or out in order to reorient myself, to get my feet under me again, to find the right – or at least a good – direction in which to aim my energies. Highly recommended to you and your readers.
DB: Love this (what else is new!). What a wonderful course you are teaching. These are lucky students to have you in such an intimate setting, although I wish all 4,000 could attend at least one of your classes during their 4 years. Choice, journey, conversation, light, shadow, love, grief, all such beautifully linked through Siddartha to our present circumstance and peril. "We learn that meaning, like the river itself, is neither stillness nor resolution." I am so grateful that the Rajanaka community is the" raft" for our journey and conversation. Many thanks, Douglas!
(Interestingly, in the last year I have reread Steppenwolf, Demian, Peter Camenzind, The Journey to the East, and Magister Ludi (Glass Bead Game). I especially love the liminal quality of the worlds Hesse creates in all of his novels. I too began the Hesse journey a long time ago (1970), and Siddhartha is the most influential book of my youth...by far. I am currently preparing a course for my students on novellas with rivers as central "characters," Siddhartha and Heart of Darkness.)
5 out of 400...I struggle to understand what's happened to our society? Venality, unmediated and mitigated pursuit of mere happiness, algorithms and the commodification of personhood. Capitalism unrestrained. An yet, the hummingbird on my patio and the smile I shared with an unknown soul this morning in line for coffee tell me there's still beauty and meaning. Still a world of care worth reaching for.
"We are not powerless but we must garner our resources." "...but for ourselves, as souls engaged, we must try to make a life more meaningful that mere survival, worth the living when our worth is being denied or dismissed."
It's pre-Covid years since I sat on the floor surrounded by friends, drinking up your words like a soothing elixir. I miss those days. Yet, this post comes pretty damn close. A balm to my weary soul. Thank you, Douglas.
Amazing piece of writing. I'll need to read and re-read. It's also inspired me to read Hesse's works.
It's interesting to me that Govinda, (Krishna), Siddhartha's shadow-self goes to the Buddha while Vāsudeva (or is it Krishna's father Vasudeva?) is Siddhartha's mentor, ferrying him across to...what? Samsara...to more samsara? To 'liberation'? If Krishna is all about active engagement in the field of Dharma, I find it interesting that he is also the Ferryman...and not the charioteer in the battle of life/samsara.
Just skimming through this now, but saving it to read in much more depth. This looks like an amazing piece of work, thank you. We need perspectives like this right now.
yes, the constant cascading of emergencies and threats to a sane world is exhausting at times.... and emotionally daunting..... we all just have to follow our intuition as to when to 'stand our ground' for life, not death.
Good to be reminded of Hesse, one of my life's earliest and best guides, thank you. I have not read Demian, but it sounds from this like I should. My favorite of his is Narcissus & Goldmund, which also makes the point you make here: the journey of someone we love and revere is not necessarily our journey. The road they traveled may not be the one we need to travel to get to what we will recognize as our own home, our own destination.
I just watched the Japanese film Departures. It makes some of these same, and other valuable, points. In times of disorienting distress I find it helps to zoom in or out in order to reorient myself, to get my feet under me again, to find the right – or at least a good – direction in which to aim my energies. Highly recommended to you and your readers.
John...thanks for the tip on "Departures." My wife and I watched it and were both amazed by what a wonderful film this is!
Just bought my copy of Demian. Queued up for tomorrow.
DB: Love this (what else is new!). What a wonderful course you are teaching. These are lucky students to have you in such an intimate setting, although I wish all 4,000 could attend at least one of your classes during their 4 years. Choice, journey, conversation, light, shadow, love, grief, all such beautifully linked through Siddartha to our present circumstance and peril. "We learn that meaning, like the river itself, is neither stillness nor resolution." I am so grateful that the Rajanaka community is the" raft" for our journey and conversation. Many thanks, Douglas!
(Interestingly, in the last year I have reread Steppenwolf, Demian, Peter Camenzind, The Journey to the East, and Magister Ludi (Glass Bead Game). I especially love the liminal quality of the worlds Hesse creates in all of his novels. I too began the Hesse journey a long time ago (1970), and Siddhartha is the most influential book of my youth...by far. I am currently preparing a course for my students on novellas with rivers as central "characters," Siddhartha and Heart of Darkness.)
5 out of 400...I struggle to understand what's happened to our society? Venality, unmediated and mitigated pursuit of mere happiness, algorithms and the commodification of personhood. Capitalism unrestrained. An yet, the hummingbird on my patio and the smile I shared with an unknown soul this morning in line for coffee tell me there's still beauty and meaning. Still a world of care worth reaching for.
yes, absolutely!
"We are not powerless but we must garner our resources." "...but for ourselves, as souls engaged, we must try to make a life more meaningful that mere survival, worth the living when our worth is being denied or dismissed."
It's pre-Covid years since I sat on the floor surrounded by friends, drinking up your words like a soothing elixir. I miss those days. Yet, this post comes pretty damn close. A balm to my weary soul. Thank you, Douglas.
Amazing piece of writing. I'll need to read and re-read. It's also inspired me to read Hesse's works.
It's interesting to me that Govinda, (Krishna), Siddhartha's shadow-self goes to the Buddha while Vāsudeva (or is it Krishna's father Vasudeva?) is Siddhartha's mentor, ferrying him across to...what? Samsara...to more samsara? To 'liberation'? If Krishna is all about active engagement in the field of Dharma, I find it interesting that he is also the Ferryman...and not the charioteer in the battle of life/samsara.
Just skimming through this now, but saving it to read in much more depth. This looks like an amazing piece of work, thank you. We need perspectives like this right now.
Your writing, Douglas, is so helpful to me. I gratefully continue to look to you for wise context. It helps to know that we have not all disappeared.
yes, the constant cascading of emergencies and threats to a sane world is exhausting at times.... and emotionally daunting..... we all just have to follow our intuition as to when to 'stand our ground' for life, not death.
Thank you Douglas. My older brother Introduced me to Hesse when I was 17. It was such a great gift then, as your remembering is now.
Thank you, thank you for your steadfastness. And Hesse, Didion, Ryokan, yes.