Enlightenment and Self-realisation through the Voices of the River: An Eco-theological Rereading of Siddhartha

Enlightenment and Self-realisation through the Voices of the River: An Eco-theological Rereading of Siddhartha
Keshav Raj Chalise and Sabindra Raj Bhandari

Abstract

Converging the theme of self-realisation, Siddhartha, a novella, explores into life story of a young Brahmin boy who abandons his sumptuous life and commences a journey in pursuit of the understanding of reality. He has recognised the incongruities between what he feels it as real and what he has been taught. His goal is to find the quietude that, he expects, will empower him to defeat fear and to experience with equanimity the contrasts of life. Siddhartha has felt the awareness of life with his experiences from his amble from home to Samanas; from Samanas to Gotama; from Gotama to Kamala; and to the river and ferryman. He has undergone both extremities difficulties and the luxuries of life in his journey. He has gone to the lap of the river, which has changed him from an ordinary man to a man of understanding. His experiences are equally valuable, though.