AN INTERPRETATION OF SIDDHARTHA’S SALVATION CONCEPT IN HESSE’S SIDDHARTHA
A thesis presented as partial fulfillment of requirements to obtain the Sarjana Sastra Degree in English Letters Study Programme
By: Donatus Lado
04.80.0041
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME FACULTY OF LETTERS
SOEGIJAPRANATA CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY SEMARANG
A Thesis Approval
AN INTERPERTATION OF SIDDHARTHA’S SALVATION CONCEPT IN HESSE’S SIDDHARTHA
By: Donatus Lado
04.80.0041
Approved by,
GM. Adhyanggono, SS., MA July 28, 2008 Major Sponsor
A Thesis defended in front of the Board of Examiners On July 17, 2008 and declared acceptable
Board of Examiners
Chair Person : GM. Adhyanggono, SS., MA ………..
Secretary : Heny Hartono, SS., M.Pd ………..
Member : B. Retang Wohangara, SS., M.Hum ………..
Semarang, July 28, 2008 Faculty of Letters
Soegijapranata Catholic University Dean,
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
On this occasion, I would like to express my gratitude to all of people who always support, advice, and criticize me. Here they are
1. My gratitude goes to Mr. Adhy and Mrs. Heny who are always patient in correcting my thesis proposal, and then my thesis. Mr. Retang who always supports me in anytime, I want to talk to him. Then, my gratitude also goes to my other lectures, Mrs. Ike, Mrs. Rosa, Mrs. Ninik, Mrs. Wuryani, Mr. Budi, and Mr. Anton who always advise me to do the best. Thank you for your dedication.
2. My deepest gratitude goes to my great teacher, Suhu Xian Xing, who has given me a chance to continue my study at university. Although we have never met again since early 2004, your trust leads me to study hard. I realize that my undergraduate study is not the end of the journey, but a new start instead.
3. My gratitude also goes to my parents who always support me in their never ending prayer. Thank you father and mother. I always try to do the best. Then, to my brother, Kornelis who is always around when I am in my downs.
things. I will never forget the goodness of heart. My gratitude also goes to the members of 2004 community and BBC; Seto, Agung, Yudha, Avu, Andrie, Sasti, Yuli, Muthia, Indah, Grace, Sherly, Veby, and so on. Please remember guys, keep the memory that we have made and shared! Keep your heads up!
I realize that my thesis still bears mistakes and weakness; therefore criticisms are highly appreciated to make it better. This thesis I dedicate to all of you, especially my relatives who live in a small village, Desa Tenawahang, East Flores.
When beauty is abstracted
Then ugliness has been implied;
When good is abstracted
Then evil has been implied...
The sage experiences without abstraction,
And accomplishes without action;
He accepts the ebb and flow of things,
Nurtures them, but does not own them,
And lives, but does not dwell.
TABLE OF CONTENT
PAGE OF TITLE ... i
PAGE OF APPROVAL ... ii
BOARD OF EXAMINERS ... iii
ACKNOWLEDGMENT ... iv
TABLE OF CONTENT ... vii
2.2. Understanding Concept of Salvation in Brahmanism, Jainism and Buddhism ... 15
2.2.1. The Concept of Salvation in Brahmanism ... 17
2.3.3. The Concept of Salvation in Buddhism ... 21 CHAPTER III: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ... 23 CHAPTER IV: DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION ... 25
4.1. The Process of Siddhartha to Reach His Spiritual
Goal ... 25 4.1.1. The Process of Siddhartha’s Life ... 25 4.1.2. Siddhartha’s Process of Thought ... 45 4.2. The Concept of Salvation finally understood by
LIST OF TABLE
ABSTRACT
Siddhartha is a novel written by a Germany author, Hermann Hesse. It was written when the author had inward struggle about spiritual searching. The main character of this novel is Siddhartha, someone who decides to leave everything to find out the highest truth. The way to gain it is complicated. The turbulence in his mind appears on his way such as loneliness, emptiness, and committing to suicide. The moment of meeting Buddha Gotama becomes a starting point for his journey. He transforms from a person that is full of ambition for gaining Nirvana to a total surrendered person. Step by step he follows his destiny. As a hermit, he does self-torturing, and then he becomes a rich merchant whose wife belongs to high class courtesan. Afterward, he leaves behind all of them and prefers to stay in a hut near a river bank. Finally, Siddhartha gains the highest happiness that cannot be depicted, called salvation.
This thesis discuses about the process of Siddhartha’s life relating to his spiritual journey and interpretation about Siddhartha’s final spiritual goal. Through a philosophical approach in the frame of mysticism, the writer analyses those problems. The process of Siddhartha’s life is unique. He is a Brahmin son who used to hold tightly the religious rituals of Brahmanism Teachings. Then he moves to self-torturing based on Jainism Teaching. However he never reaches his spiritual goal. Then, he meets Buddha Gotama. Their conversation makes Siddhartha leave all the spiritual teachings and become a rich merchant who always satisfies his lust. Siddhartha decides to be a merchant because he is aware that in a long time he never “knows” who Siddhartha is. There are two patterns of Siddhartha’s thought; the dialectic and total surrender. The second pattern leads Siddhartha to mystical experience. He tries to combine his experience with intuitive understanding and he reaches his spiritual goal that is salvation. The idea of salvation here is free from suffering. Basically, human beings have three mental characters such as greedy, hatred, and illusion. Those characters make human being fall in unsatisfied life. To make free from them, human beings need to have salvation. The process to reach it is various. It depends on the experience and self-understanding of the practitioner, because every human being is different and unique.
ABSTRAK
Siddhartha merupakan sebuah novel yang ditulis oleh Hermann Hesse di saat di mengalami pergolakan batin tentang pencarian spiritualnya. Cerita dalam novel ini memiliki satu karakter utama yaitu: Siddhartha. Sosok yang memutuskan untuk meninggalkan semua yang dimiliki agar menemukan kebenaran tertinggi. Jalan yang ditempu tidak semulus yang dibayangkan. Berberbagai pergolakan batin dia alami sampai kehampaan hidup. Perasaan untuk bunuh diri menghampirinya, namun kekuatan jiwanya memaksanya untuk terus berjalan. Pertemuan dengan Buddha Gautama telah menjadi titik balik untuk membawa dia pada kepasrahan hidup. Sosok yang berambisi untuk menggapai Nirvana, berubah menjadi pribadi yang penuh dengan kepasrahan. Tahap demi tahap dari pengalaman hidup dia lewati. Menjadi pertapa yang bergulat dengan penyiksaan diri, hidup sebagai seorang saudagar kaya raya, memiliki kekasih seorang pelacur kelas atas. Semua ditinggalkan, dia memutuskan untuk tinggal di tepi sungai. Pada akhirnya Siddhartha berhasil mencapai pembebasan spiritual.
