Siddhartha 2023 Day 5 Chapter 5 "Kamala"

This year I'm reading the Dover Thrift Editions translated by Stanley Appelbaum, but most of my quotes are copied and pasted from the Standard Ebook, click here to read it free online.

Kama

Kama often refers to as sexual desire. Traditionally, Kama refers to any sensory enjoyment, emotional attraction and aesthetic pleasure. Additionally, Kama may refer to desires, wishes, or longing. (Wiki)(Meaning of Characters' Names)

Forsaken

“Siddhartha had a dream: Govinda was standing in front of him, dressed in the yellow robe of an ascetic. Govinda looked sad, and sadly he asked: Why have you forsaken me?”

Another nod to Jesus. This time Govinda is playing the role of Jesus. In Mathew 27:46, Jesus calls out to God from the cross and says, 

“Eli! Eli! L’mah sh’vaktani? (My God! My God! Why have you forsaken me?).” 

This line has varying interpretations. Here are a few: Jesus identifying with humanity and human suffering; Jesus fulfilling the prophecy from Psalm 22, speaking of the suffering and anguish of the righteous person; Jesus experiencing a separation from God and bearing the sin’s of humanity; Leo Tolstoy, one of my favorite authors, interpreted the call to God as a symbolic expression of despair at humanity’s inability to understand the teachings of Jesus.

Back to Govinda and Siddhartha’s dream? What is Govinda forsaking? Does it connect back to Govinda being Siddhartha's shadow? See Day 3 "Gotama" and Day 4 "Awakening." Is the shadow forsaken? Could Siddhartha be forsaking humanity and or an ability to understand? I’d love to hear other’s ideas on this line and dream.

I'll acknowledge the bizarre turn the dream took, but pass for now. Leave a comment to open up the dream discussion.

The Voice

Gotama "had obeyed the voice. To obey like this, not to an external command, only to the voice, to be ready like this, this was good, this was necessary, nothing else was necessary."

Nietzsche would agree. Evolutionary psychology theories might align.

How do others value their inner voice? Is the inner voice a calling to follow?

Being Good Looking

All else considered, life is better good looking. It reminds me of a Ted Talk, “Looks aren't everything. Believe me, I'm a model.” by Cameron Russell. In the opening sentence of the novel, we learned Siddhartha was handsome. 

“Siddhartha was thus loved by everyone. He was a source of joy for everybody, he was a delight for them all” (chapter one). 

Good fortune follow Siddhartha. For the first time Siddhartha seems happy. He acknowledges his likability.

Smiling, Siddhartha was happy about the friendship and the kindness of the ferryman. “He is like Govinda,” he thought with a smile, “all I meet on my path are like Govinda. All are thankful, though they are the ones who would have a right to receive thanks. All are submissive, all would like to be friends, like to obey, think little. Like children are all people.”

Kamala likes Siddhartha and provides crucial help for his new journey and goal.

Kamala listened to him. She loved his voice, she loved the look from his eyes.

“Perhaps it is so,” she said quietly, “as you say, friend. But perhaps it is also like this: that Siddhartha is a handsome man, that his glance pleases the women, that therefore good fortune is coming towards him.”

Miscellaneous

The ferryman said, “everything returns.” Keep this idea in mind for Part II.

“... to think, to wait, and to fast…” I love this idea. It is something I always take away from the story.

                         Part I
Day   1,  20 Dec-  Chapter 1: "The Son of the Brahmin"
Day   2,  21 Dec-  Chapter 2: "With the Samanas"
Day   3,  22 Dec-  Chapter 3: "Gotama"
Day   4,  23 Dec-  Chapter 4: "Awakening"
                        Part II
Day   5,   24 Dec- Chapter 5:  "Kamala"
Day   6,   25 Dec- Chapter 6:  "With the Childlike People"
Day   7,   26 Dec- Chapter 7:  "Sansara"
Day   8,   27 Dec- Chapter 8:  "By the River"
Day   9,   28 Dec- Chapter 9:  "The Ferryman"
Day   10, 29 Dec- Chapter 10: "The Son"
Day   11, 30 Dec- Chapter 11: "Om"
Day   12, 31 Dec- Chapter 12: "Govinda"