A Discussion of Metaphysics in Eastern Religion as Evidenced by Herman Hesse

The novel Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse is made up of twelve different sections, each of these sections involves a spiritual awakening that is catalyzed by metaphysical realizations. Because of the grounding of the eastern religious groups of the story in classical metaphysical concepts, I believe that Hesse’s novel is fully dictated and outlined by the subconscious meditation (and “implementation”) of these principles by a dynamic protagonist. Furthermore, the essential concepts of the examination of mind and the manipulation of space and time (reality) in a religious sense are evidenced by the author to subvert traditional literary and cultural ideals involving “enlightenment” and create an ambiguous narrative and equally dissatisfying conclusion.

The character of Siddhartha experiences various moments of realization throughout the novel, each resulting in a state of increased awareness and reality as the journey of the story continues. These separate awakenings that take place act as catalysts for the plot of the novel, and each of these moments of self-reflection and introspection offer to the reader more metaphysical qualities than other parts of the text. Clearly, this literary theme is made possible by the inherent metaphysical qualities of the three eastern religions that are alluded to/referenced in the story: Buddhism, Daoism, and Hinduism. The first “awakening” that influences Siddhartha's movement to a pseudo-enlightenment appears after he leaves the Samanas and the Buddha, as he comes to his first sense of the Self and the importance of the individual. The statement that Hesse uses to describe Siddhartha’s emotional state brings forth decidedly metaphysical images and alludes to the disappearance of reality in moments of spiritual tension.

At that moment, when the world around him melted away, when he stood alone like a star in the heavens, he was overwhelmed by a feeling of icy despair, but he was more firmly himself than ever. That was the last shudder of his awakening, the last pains of birth. (Hesse 41-42)

This statement evidences the fact that Siddhartha as a part of eastern religious canon is almost completely dictated by metaphysicality, due to the inherent nature of Buddhist spirituality. The desire for an understanding of the self and the examination of one’s existence lies at the center of classical metaphysical study, and Siddhartha’s wish to end his self-denial and indulge in introspection about his own personal reality alters the story critically: he is able to accept his uniqueness and loneliness in the universe. This evidence easily places Hesse’s novel in an genre or area of philosophical study, instead of characterizing it as a specifically religious text, a topic that calls for further argument and evidence outside the scope of this discourse.

The study of reality (or a lack thereof) also serves to characterize classical metaphysics and philosophical inquiry. In his search for companionship during the period after his “awakening,” Siddhartha meditates on his previous mental states and his current transformative status. On page 46, he states: “The sun and the moon had always shone...but in previous times all this had been nothing to Siddhartha but a fleeting and illusive veil before his eyes...because it was not reality, because reality lay on the other side of the visible.” This (quite intangible) discussion of “reality” by our protagonist displays the inherent turning points of the novel that are catalyzed by the discussion of this metaphysical spirituality, provoking countless questions from the audience along with the inquisitive transformation of the main character: What demarcates the metaphorical “visible” or “veil” as a boundary? What is the purpose of the corporealization of “reality”? What is reality, anyways? Through the manipulation of the metaphysics of eastern religion, Hesse transforms a highly secular topic of western controversy to create a unanimously curious story of wonder involving a simpler idea of philosophy.

The concept of “Om” is central to the practices of Hinduism (and other religions centered in India, including Buddhism and Daoism) and can be thought of as the word of “God,” a symbol that encompasses all things, describing and representing duality and unity of the universe and telling of divinity. The Om is first described thoroughly in the section of transitional depression and crisis of Siddhartha as he lays by the river, tired and miserable after his materialistic and glutinous lifestyle.

Then from a remote part of his soul, from the past of his tired life, he heard a sound. It was one word, one syllable, which without thinking he spoke indistinctly, the ancient beginning and ending of all Brahmin prayers, the holy Om...At that moment, when the sound of Om reached Siddhartha’s ears, his slumbering soul suddenly awakened and he recognized the folly of his action. (Hesse 89)

This all-encompassing and all-defining sound of the universe plays upon the metaphysical need for human beings to understand where they come from, and in citing this sound and meditation in Siddhartha’s desperate moment by the river, Hesse creates a scene that is fully motivated and dictated by the most basic concept of unity. This cohesion of the universe is mentioned in the first chapter of John in the new testament:

“In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God” (Christian Standard Bible, John 1).

This metaphysical statement describing the “word” of God (possibly: Om?) also references the panentheistic nature of the Hindu religion, that “God” penetrates and intermingles with all in the universe. In this way, Hesse successfully creates a novel that fully represents the combination of the ideas of religion and metaphysical philosophy, creating a text that could not possibly exist without the inclusion of principles of the study of metaphysics and physics itself.

Furthermore, this central idea of Om reappears at the ambiguous ending of the novel. The panentheism of the meditation appears in Govinda’s description of Siddhartha, fully representing the union with the divine, a “being” that created a universe from nothing and exists everywhere and always.

No longer knowing whether time existed, whether this display had lasted a second or a hundred years...Govinda stood yet a while bending over Siddhartha’s peaceful face which he had just kissed, which had just been the stage of all present and future forms. His countenance was unchanged after the mirror of the thousand-fold forms had disappeared from the surface. (Hesse 151)

Hesse carefully weaves the concept of reincarnation and repeated existence into a veiled discourse that focuses upon the metaphysical controversy of creation, writing that Siddhartha’s appearance cycled through various forms of life before coming to rest as his current Self. The quotations: “No longer knowing whether time existed” and “stage of all present and future forms” balance these last words of the text on a precipice supported solely by a reference to metaphysics as it relates to eastern religious study: the protagonist of the story symbolizes this turn to scientific inquiry and theoretical physics in religion. This definite and evidenced critical relationship between the aforementioned fields brings us to a final point of this discussion: the question of “whether or not Siddhartha achieved nirvana at the end of the novel.” Based upon the basic definitions of religious enlightenment taught in grade school, one could easily argue for the case that Siddhartha achieved enlightenment, transcending physical form in his transformation witnessed by Govinda. Of course, one could also make the case that this was not a Buddhist moment of “enlightenment,” as the novel does not strictly deal with the concepts of Buddhism as a central theme, but incorporates other religious ideals. Perhaps take a leaf out of Hesse’s metaphysical canon and consider: in the grand scheme of things, does it make a difference?

Works Cited

Hesse, Hermann. Siddhartha. New Directions Publishing Corporation, 1951.

Christian Standard Bible, B&H Publishing Group, 2017.