“Wisdom can not be communicated”

Throughout the course of Religions of the World we have explored and discussed many different religions. We have learned about various types of Gods and worship within that. Siddhartha claims that “Wisdom can not be communicated” but I feel like after taking this course I have definitely learned a lot about different religions not only through texts I have read but also through other students opinions in class. Themes that are conveyed through Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse and The Chosen by Chaim Potok are very different but they have both taught me a lesson that has helped strengthened my faith as a Catholic. Siddhartha is a very unique character and a main theme that is presented throughout the text is spirituality and enlightenment can only be found within yourself. When Siddhartha is having a conversation with Govinda and Govinda believes Siddhartha is “jesting” and wants to know more about Siddhartha’s independent ways. Govinda doesn’t really understand the fundamentals of Siddhartha’s past and how he has achieved his faith. Siddhartha powerfully responds, “I have had many thoughts but it would be difficult for me to tell you about them. But this one has impressed me, Govinda. Wisdom is not communicable…I am telling you what I have discovered. Knowledge can be communicated, but not wisdom. One can find it, live it, be fortified by it, do wonders through it, but one cannot communicate and teach it” (Hesse, 142). What he means by this is that you cannot search for spirituality and faith within other people; it has to come from somewhere deep in yourself. He is trying to get across that even with the best teacher, a student will not learn wisdom; they will learn wisdom from their own experience. When the book starts out Siddhartha only seeks external guidance through his Buddhist religion. This religion is a very organized form of worship that includes Brahmins and Samanas. Siddhartha finds himself dissatisfied because he feels like he isn’t getting the guidance he needs from these sources. At this point he tries the Kamala and Kamaswami, which again end up disappointing him. He finally realizes he needs to leave the material world and stop seeking external sources to achieve enlightenment. He gets this idea from himself, not from any other source that is coercing him. Siddhartha reaches his enlightenment through the internal connection he has with the river. It is the source of Nirvana and his attainment to full enlightenment. Siddhartha’s journey has taught me a lot about spirituality and meditation. I find it so fascinating that someone is able to find himself or herself a way that works for them that seems so different from the norms of society. As someone of the catholic faith I was brought up being taught through CCD, going to church every Sunday and on holidays. At CCD we learned about Jesus and his journey and read texts from the bible to give us wisdom about how we should go about our faith. My religion is very different from how Siddhartha leads his religion. I am taught lessons through homily’s and through gospel readings in which we decipher important messages about life. I have learned that I can be more independent in my religion and pray on my own or even read the bible at home. I have learned from Siddhartha not to rely on external sources like teachers or priests that really dominate the catholic religion. A main theme in The Chosen by Chaim Potok is compassion shown through silence. Reb Saunders uses silence as a method to develop compassion in his son because that is how he was brought up. Reb Saunders is also a unique character that I don’t find myself really leveling with. Reb Saunders is so strict and firm with this religion that he does not make any deviations from what he was taught. He explains his reasoning for bringing up his child so coldly, “A man is born into this world with only a tiny spark of goodness in him. The spark is God, it is the soul; the rest is ugliness and evil, a shell” (Potok, 282). This gave me a good idea of how Reb Saunders mind works when it comes to religion. His strict Hasidic beliefs prohibit him from showing empathy and love for his son. He stresses throughout the book that we are born evil and we must overcome obstacles by taking every bit of strength within ourselves to develop compassion. Reb Saunders only communicates with his son Danny when discussing matters of religion. He refuses to act like an affectionate parent and discuss other matters of life; he only talks about religion because he thinks this is the only way to develop compassion in his son. He exclaims his doubts about the world, “ ‘the world kills us! The world flays our skin from our bodies and throws us into the flames! The world laughs at the Torah! And if it does not kill us it tempts us! It misleads us! It contaminates them! It asks us to join in its ugliness, its impurities, its abominations!’” (Potok, 133). The way Reb Saunders preaches about how terrible the world is shows his fears about the evils in the world getting to his son. He has very narrow-minded beliefs that ultimately compromise his relationship with his son. Throughout the story, although Reb Saunders is doing what he thinks is right; his religion really clashes with mine. I am someone who was brought up in the catholic faith and my family seemed to do the opposite of what Reb Saunders did. My parents showed me affection and love, they tried talking to me about everything they could, not just religion. This helped me learn a lot about different ways of life and how other families react to religion. My father has always encouraged me to go to church with him and get my communion and confirmation. My parents encouraged me a lot but they still were involved in other aspects of my life and they were not only focused on my spiritual life. This helped me understand the intensities of other religions and how it affects people’s family lives. Altogether, Siddhartha and The Chosen present two very different themes. Siddhartha ultimately suggests that finding it within yourself can only attain wisdom and not using external sources help you achieve that enlightenment. On the contrary Reb Saunders thinks that studying the Torah and showing compassion through silence is the only way to practice the Jewish religion. Although both points of views differ from my specific Catholic religion I was able to learn a lot about other people and become more open-minded to other religions. It has shown me that there are contrasts between different religions but a lot of the fundamentals are the same. The main goal is to reach that source of happiness within yourself, and whichever way you choose to do that is up to you. This class has helped me through reading texts that I have exemplified and learning about other students’ opinions.

Works Cited:
Hesse, Hermann. Siddhartha. New York: New Directions, 1951. Print.
Potok, Chaim. The Chosen. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1967. Print.