Latest / Sacred Texts Archive / 06 - With The Childlike People - Siddhartha - Hermann Hesse

Transcript

06 - With The Childlike People - Siddhartha - Hermann Hesse · Sacred Texts Archive

0:00
Chapter six, with the childlike people, said Arthur. Went to Kamaswami,
0:06
the merchant. He was directed into a rich house. Servants led him between
0:12
precious carpets into a chamber where he awaited the master of the house. Kamiswami
0:19
entered, a swiftly, smoothly moving man with very gray hair, with very
0:25
intelligent, cautious eyes, with a greedy mouth. Politely, the host and
0:32
the guest greeted one another. I have been told, the merchant began,
0:38
that you were a Brahmin, a learned man, but that you seek to
0:43
be in the service of a merchant. Might you have become destitute Brahman,
0:48
so that you seek to serve No, said sad Arthur. I have not
0:55
become destitute, and have never been destitute. You should know that I am
0:59
coming from the Somanas, with whom I have lived for a long time.
1:04
If you're coming from the Somanas, how could you be anything but destitute.
1:11
Aren't the Somanas entirely without possessions? I am without possessions, said said Arthur.
1:18
If this is what you mean, surely I am without possessions. But
1:23
I am so voluntarily, and therefore I am not destitute, but what are
1:29
you planning to live of being without possessions? I haven't thought of this yet,
1:34
sir. For more than three years I have been without possessions and have
1:40
never thought of what I should live. So you've lived of the possessions of
1:46
others. Presumably this is how it is. After all, a merchant also
1:53
lives of what other people own. Well said, But he wouldn't take anything
1:59
from another the person for nothing. He would give his merchandise in return.
2:05
So it seems to be indeed, everyone takes, everyone gives. Such is
2:12
life. But if you don't mind me asking, being without possessions, what
2:19
would you like to give? Everyone gives what he has. A warrior gives
2:25
strength, the merchant gives merchandise, the teacher teachings, the farmer rice,
2:32
the fisher fish. Yes, indeed, and what is it now that you've
2:38
got to give? What is it that you've learned? What you're able to
2:45
do? I can think, I can wait, I can fast. That's
2:53
everything. I believe that's everything. And what's the use of that? For
3:00
example? The fasting? What is it good for? It is very good,
3:06
sir. When a person has nothing to eat, fasting is the smartest
3:10
thing he could do when, for example, said Arthur hadn't learned to fast,
3:15
he would have to accept any kind of service before this day is up,
3:20
whether it may be with you or wherever, because hunger would force him
3:23
to do so. But like this, said Arthur, can wait calmly.
3:30
He knows no impatience, He knows no emergency for a long time. He
3:36
can allow hunger to besiege him and can laugh about it. This, sir,
3:40
is what fasting is good for. You're right, Samana, wait for
3:46
a moment. Kameswami left the room and returned with a scroll, which he
3:51
handed to his guest while asking can you read this? Sad Arthur looked at
3:57
the scroll on which a sails can tract had been written down, and began
4:01
to read out its contents. Excellent, said Kamaswami, and would you write
4:08
something for me on this piece of paper. He handed him a piece of
4:13
paper and a pen, and Saddartha wrote and returned the paper. Kamaswami read,
4:19
writing is good. Thinking is better, Being smart is good, Being
4:25
patient is better. It is excellent how you're able to write. The merchant
4:31
praised him. Many a thing we will still have to discuss with one another
4:36
for to day, I'm asking you to be my guest and to live in
4:41
this house. Sadd Arthur thanked and accepted, and lived in the dealer's house.
4:46
From now on. Clothes were brought to him and shoes, and every
4:53
day a servant prepared a bath for him. Twice a day a plentiful meal
4:58
was served, but Saddartha only ate once a day, and ate neither meat,
5:03
nor did he drink wine. Kamaswami told him about his trade, showed
5:10
him the merchandise and storage rooms, showed him calculations. Saddartha got to know
5:16
many new things. He heard a lot and spoke little, and, thinking
5:21
of Kamala's words, he was never subservient to the merchant, forced him to
5:28
treat him as an equal, yes, even more than an equal. Kamaswami
5:32
conducted his business with care and often with passion, but Saddarthur looked upon all
5:40
this as if it were a game, the rules of which he tried hard
5:44
to learn precisely, but the contents of which did not touch his heart.
5:50
He was not in Kamaswami's house for long, when he already took part in
5:55
his landlord's business, but daily at the hour appointed by her he visited beautiful
6:00
Kamala wearing pretty clothes, fine shoes, and soon he brought her gifts as
6:08
well. Much he learned from her red a smart mouth. Much he learned
6:14
from her tender supple hand, him who was regarding love still a boy,
6:19
and had a tendency to plunge blindly and insatiably into lust, like into a
6:26
bottomless pit. Him. She taught thoroughly, starting from the basics, about
6:31
that school of thought which teaches that pleasure cannot be taken without giving pleasure,
6:39
and that every gesture, every caress, every touch, every look, every
6:44
spot of the body, however small it was, had its secret which would
6:48
bring happiness to those who knew about it and unleash it. She taught him
6:55
that lovers must not part from one another after celebrating love without wine, admiring
7:00
the other, without being just as defeated as they have been victorious, so
7:05
that with none of them should start feeling fed up or bored, or get
7:11
that evil feeling of having abused or having been abused. Wonderful hours he spent
7:16
with the beautiful and smart artist became her student, her lover, her friend.
7:24
Here with Kamala was the worth and purpose of his present life. Knit
7:29
with the business of Kamaswami, the merchant passed to duties of writing important letters
7:35
and contracts on to him, and got into the habit of discussing all important
7:41
affairs with him. He soon saw that Siddartha knew little about rice and wool
7:46
shipping and trade, but that he acted in a fortunate manner, and that
7:53
Siddartha surpassed him the merchant in calmness and equanimity, and in the art of
7:59
listening and deeply understanding previously unknown people. This Brahman, he said to a
8:05
friend, is no proper merchant, and will never be one. There is
8:11
never any passion in his soul when he conducts our business. But he has
8:16
that mysterious quality of those people to whom success comes all by itself. Whether
8:24
this may be a good star of his birth, magic, or something he
8:28
has learned amongst some manas he always seems to be merely playing with our business
8:35
affairs. They never fully become a part of him, They never rule over
8:41
him. He is never afraid of failure, He is never upset by a
8:46
loss. The friend advised the merchant give him from the business he conducts for
8:52
you, a third of the profits, but let him also be liable for
8:56
the same amount of the losses. When there is loss, then he'll become
9:01
more zealous. Kamaswami followed the advice, but Saddartha cared little about this.
9:09
When he made a profit, he accepted it with equanimity. When he made
9:15
losses, he laughed and said, well, look at this, So this
9:18
one turned out badly. It seemed, indeed, as if he did not
9:24
care about the business. At one time, he traveled to a village to
9:28
buy a large harvest of rice there, but when he got there, the
9:33
rice had already been sold to another merchant. Nevertheless, Siddartha stayed for several
9:37
days in that village, treated the farmers for a drink, gave copper coins
9:43
to their children, joined in the celebration of a wedding, and returned extremely
9:48
satisfied from his trip. Kamaswami held against him that he had not turned back
9:54
right away, that he had wasted time and money. Saddartha answered, stop
10:01
scolding, dear friend. Nothing was ever achieved by scolding. If a loss
10:07
has occurred, let me bear that loss. I am very satisfied with this
10:11
trip. I have gotten to know many kinds of people. A Brahmin has
10:16
become my friend. Children have sat on my knees, Farmers have shown me
10:22
their fields. Nobody knew that I was a merchant. That's all very nice,
10:28
exclaimed Kamaswami indignantly. But in fact you are a merchant, after all,
10:33
one ought to think. Ah, might you have only traveled for your
10:37
amusement? Surely, said Arthur laughed. Surely I have traveled for my amusement.
10:45
For what else? I have gotten to known people and places. I
10:48
have received kindness and trust. I have found friendship. Look, my dear,
10:54
if I had been Comeswami, I would have traveled back, been annoyed
11:00
and in a hurry as soon as I had seen that my purchase had been
11:03
rendered impossible, and time and money would indeed have been lost. But like
11:09
this, I've had a few good days. I've learned, had joy.
11:15
I've neither harmed myself nor others by annoyance and hastiness. And if I'll ever
11:20
return there again, perhaps to buy an upcoming harvest, or for whatever purpose
11:26
it might be, friendly people will receive me in a friendly and happy manner,
11:31
and I will praise myself for not showing any hurry and displeasure at that
11:35
time, So leave it as it is, my friend, and don't harm
11:41
yourself by scolding. If the day will come when you will see this sir
11:46
Darthur is harming me, then speak a word and Saddarthur will go on his
11:52
own path. But until then let's be satisfied with one another. Futile were
12:00
also the merchant's attempts to convince Saddartha that he should eat his bread. Saddartha
12:05
ate his own bread, or rather they both ate other people's bread, all
12:11
people's bread. Saddartha never listened to Kamaswami's wiries, and Kamaswami had many wiries,
12:18
whether there was a business deal going on which was in danger of failing,
12:24
or whether a shipment of merchandise seemed to have been lost or a debtor
12:28
seemed to be unable to pay. Kamaswami could never convince his partner that it
12:33
would be useful to utter a few words of wiry or anger, to have
12:37
wrinkles on the forehead to sleep badly. When one day Kamaswami held against him
12:45
that he had learned everything he knew from him, he replied, would you
12:50
please not kidney with such jokes. What I've learned from you is how much
12:54
a basket of fish costs and how much interests can be charged on loaned money.
13:01
These are your areas of expertise. I haven't learned to think from you,
13:07
My dear Kamswami, you ought to be the one seeking to learn from
13:11
me. Indeed, his soul was not with the trade. The business was
13:16
good enough to provide him with the money for Kamala, and it earned him
13:20
much more than he needed. Besides from this, Sir Arthur's interest and curiosity
13:28
was only concerned with the people whose businesses, crafts, worries, pleasures,
13:33
and acts of foolishness used to be as alien and distant to him as the
13:37
moon. However, easily he succeeded in talking to all of them, in
13:43
living with all of them, in learning from all of them. He was
13:48
still aware that there was something which separated him from them, and this separating
13:52
factor was him being a Samana. He saw mankind going through life in a
14:00
childlike or animal like manner, which he loved and also despised. At the
14:07
same time, he saw them toiling, saw them suffering and becoming gray for
14:13
the sake of things which seemed to him entirely unworthy of this price. For
14:18
money, for little pleasures, for being slightly honored. He saw them scolding
14:24
and insulting each other. He saw them complaining about a pain at which a
14:30
samana would only smile, and suffering because of deprivations which a samana would not
14:35
feel. He was open to everything these people brought his way. Welcome was
14:43
the merchant who offered him linen for sale. Welcome was the debtor who sought
14:48
another loan. Welcome was the beggar who told him for one hour the story
14:54
of his poverty, and who was not half as poor as any given Somana.
15:01
He did not treat the rich foreign merchant any different than the servant who
15:05
shaved him, and the street vendor whom he let cheat him out of some
15:09
small change when buying bananas. When Kamaswami came to him to complain about his
15:16
worries or to reproach him concerning his business, he listened curiously and happily was
15:22
puzzled by him, tried to understand him, consented that he was a little
15:28
bit right, only as much as he considered indispensable, and turned away from
15:35
him towards the next person who would ask for him, And there were many
15:39
who came to him, many to do business with him, many to cheat
15:43
him, many to draw some secret out of him, many to appeal to
15:48
his sympathy, many to get his advice. He gave advice, he pitied,
15:56
he made gifts, He let them cheat him a bit, And this
16:00
entire game, and the passion with which all people played this game, occupied
16:06
his thoughts just as much as the gods and Brahmans used to occupy them.
16:11
At times, he felt deep in his chest a dying, quiet voice which
16:18
admonished him quietly, lamented quietly, he hardly perceived it, And then for
16:25
an hour he became aware of the strange life he was leading, of him,
16:30
doing lots of things which were only a game of though being happy and
16:34
feeling joy at times, real life still passing him by and not touching him.
16:41
As a ballplayer plays with his balls. He played with his business,
16:47
deals with the people around him, watched them, found amusement in them,
16:52
with his heart, with the source of his being. He was not with
16:57
them. The somewhere far away from him ran and ran invisibly, had nothing
17:06
to do with his life anymore, And at several times He suddenly became scared
17:11
on account of such thoughts, and wished that he would also be gifted with
17:15
the ability to participate in all of this childlike naive occupations of the daytime,
17:22
with passion and with his heart really to live, really, to act,
17:27
really, to enjoy, and to live instead of just standing by as a
17:33
spectator. But again and again he came back to beautiful Kamala learned the art
17:40
of love, practiced the cult of lust, in which more than anything else,
17:45
giving and taking becomes one. Chatted with her, learned from her,
17:52
gave her advice, received advice. She understood him better than Govinda used to
17:59
understand him. She was more similar to him. Once he said to her,
18:06
you are like me. You are different from most people. You are
18:11
Kamala, nothing else, and inside you there is a peace and refuge to
18:17
which you can go at every hour of the day and be at home at
18:21
yourself as I can also do. Few people have this, and yet all
18:27
could have it. Not all people are smart, said Kamala. No said,
18:34
said Arthur. That's not the reason why Kamaswami is just as smart as
18:41
I and still has no refuge in himself. Others have it? Who are
18:45
small children with respect to their mind. Most people, Kamala, are like
18:52
a falling leaf which is blown and is turning around through the air and wavers
18:57
and tumbles to the ground. But others a few are like stars. They
19:03
go on a fixed course. No wind reaches them. In themselves. They
19:08
have their law and their course. Among all the learned men and samanas of
19:15
which I knew many, there was one of this kind, a perfected one.
19:21
I'll never be able to forget him. It is that Gautama, the
19:25
exalted one, who is spreading that teachings. Thousands of followers are listening to
19:30
his teachings every day, follow his instructions every hour. But they are all
19:37
falling leaves, not in themselves. They have teachings and a law. Kamana
19:45
looked at him with a smile. Again, you're talking about him, she
19:49
said. Again, you're having a samana's thoughts. Saddarthur said nothing, and
19:56
they played the game of love, one of the thirds to your forty different
20:00
games. Kamala knew her body was flexible like that of a jaguar, and
20:07
like the beau of a hunter. He who had learned from her how to
20:11
make love, was knowledgeable of many forms of lust, many secrets. For
20:18
a long time, she played with said Arthur, enticed him, rejected him,
20:23
forced him, embraced him, enjoyed his masterful skills until he was defeated
20:30
and rested, exhausted by her side the Courtizan bent over him, took a
20:37
long look at his face, at his eyes, which had grown tired.
20:44
You are the best lover, she said thoughtfully. I ever saw You're stronger
20:51
than others, more supple, more willing. You've learned my art well,
20:55
said Arthur. At some time, when I'll be older, I'll want to
21:00
bear your child. And yet, my dear, you've remained a samana.
21:04
And yet you do not love me. You love nobody, isn't it so?
21:11
It might very well be so, said Arthur, said tiredly, I
21:15
am like you. You also do not love. How else could you practice
21:22
love as a craft. Perhaps people of our kind can't love the childlike people
21:29
can. That's their secret. End of chapter six