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06 - With The Childlike People - Siddhartha - Hermann Hesse · Philosophy and Faith

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  Speaker 1: Chapter six, with the childlike people, said Arthur. Went to Kamaswami,
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  Speaker 1: the merchant. He was directed into a rich house. Servants
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  Speaker 1: led him between precious carpets into a chamber where he
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  Speaker 1: awaited the master of the house. Kamiswami entered, a swiftly,
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  Speaker 1: smoothly moving man with very gray hair, with very intelligent,
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  Speaker 1: cautious eyes, with a greedy mouth. Politely, the host and
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  Speaker 1: the guest greeted one another. I have been told, the
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  Speaker 1: merchant began, that you were a Brahmin, a learned man,
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  Speaker 1: but that you seek to be in the service of
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  Speaker 1: a merchant. Might you have become destitute Brahman, so that
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  Speaker 1: you seek to serve No, said sad Arthur. I have
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  Speaker 1: not become destitute, and have never been destitute. You should
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  Speaker 1: know that I am coming from the Somanas, with whom
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  Speaker 1: I have lived for a long time. If you're coming
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  Speaker 1: from the Somanas, how could you be anything but destitute.
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  Speaker 1: Aren't the Somanas entirely without possessions? I am without possessions,
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  Speaker 1: said said Arthur. If this is what you mean, surely
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  Speaker 1: I am without possessions. But I am so voluntarily, and
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  Speaker 1: therefore I am not destitute, but what are you planning
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  Speaker 1: to live of being without possessions? I haven't thought of
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  Speaker 1: this yet, sir. For more than three years I have
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  Speaker 1: been without possessions and have never thought of what I
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  Speaker 1: should live. So you've lived of the possessions of others.
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  Speaker 1: Presumably this is how it is. After all, a merchant
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  Speaker 1: also lives of what other people own. Well said, But
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  Speaker 1: he wouldn't take anything from another the person for nothing.
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  Speaker 1: He would give his merchandise in return. So it seems
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  Speaker 1: to be indeed, everyone takes, everyone gives. Such is life.
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  Speaker 1: But if you don't mind me asking, being without possessions,
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  Speaker 1: what would you like to give? Everyone gives what he has.
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  Speaker 1: A warrior gives strength, the merchant gives merchandise, the teacher teachings,
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  Speaker 1: the farmer rice, the fisher fish. Yes, indeed, and what
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  Speaker 1: is it now that you've got to give? What is
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  Speaker 1: it that you've learned? What you're able to do? I
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  Speaker 1: can think, I can wait, I can fast. That's everything.
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  Speaker 1: I believe that's everything. And what's the use of that?
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  Speaker 1: For example? The fasting? What is it good for? It
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  Speaker 1: is very good, sir. When a person has nothing to eat,
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  Speaker 1: fasting is the smartest thing he could do when, for example,
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  Speaker 1: said Arthur hadn't learned to fast, he would have to
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  Speaker 1: accept any kind of service before this day is up,
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  Speaker 1: whether it may be with you or wherever, because hunger
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  Speaker 1: would force him to do so. But like this, said Arthur,
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  Speaker 1: can wait calmly. He knows no impatience, He knows no
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  Speaker 1: emergency for a long time. He can allow hunger to
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  Speaker 1: besiege him and can laugh about it. This, sir, is
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  Speaker 1: what fasting is good for. You're right, Samana, wait for
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  Speaker 1: a moment. Kameswami left the room and returned with a scroll,
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  Speaker 1: which he handed to his guest while asking can you
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  Speaker 1: read this? Sad Arthur looked at the scroll on which
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  Speaker 1: a sails can tract had been written down, and began
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  Speaker 1: to read out its contents. Excellent, said Kamaswami, and would
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  Speaker 1: you write something for me on this piece of paper.
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  Speaker 1: He handed him a piece of paper and a pen,
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  Speaker 1: and Saddartha wrote and returned the paper. Kamaswami read, writing
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  Speaker 1: is good. Thinking is better, Being smart is good, Being
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  Speaker 1: patient is better. It is excellent how you're able to write.
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  Speaker 1: The merchant praised him. Many a thing we will still
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  Speaker 1: have to discuss with one another for to day, I'm
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  Speaker 1: asking you to be my guest and to live in
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  Speaker 1: this house. Sadd Arthur thanked and accepted, and lived in
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  Speaker 1: the dealer's house. From now on. Clothes were brought to
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  Speaker 1: him and shoes, and every day a servant prepared a
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  Speaker 1: bath for him. Twice a day a plentiful meal was served,
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  Speaker 1: but Saddartha only ate once a day, and ate neither meat,
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  Speaker 1: nor did he drink wine. Kamaswami told him about his trade,
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  Speaker 1: showed him the merchandise and storage rooms, showed him calculations.
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  Speaker 1: Saddartha got to know many new things. He heard a
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  Speaker 1: lot and spoke little, and, thinking of Kamala's words, he
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  Speaker 1: was never subservient to the merchant, forced him to treat
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  Speaker 1: him as an equal, yes, even more than an equal.
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  Speaker 1: Kamaswami conducted his business with care and often with passion,
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  Speaker 1: but Saddarthur looked upon all this as if it were
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  Speaker 1: a game, the rules of which he tried hard to
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  Speaker 1: learn precisely, but the contents of which did not touch
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  Speaker 1: his heart. He was not in Kamaswami's house for long,
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  Speaker 1: when he already took part in his landlord's business, but
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  Speaker 1: daily at the hour appointed by her he visited beautiful
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  Speaker 1: Kamala wearing pretty clothes, fine shoes, and soon he brought
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  Speaker 1: her gifts as well. Much he learned from her red
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  Speaker 1: a smart mouth. Much he learned from her tender supple hand,
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  Speaker 1: him who was regarding love still a boy, and had
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  Speaker 1: a tendency to plunge blindly and insatiably into lust, like
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  Speaker 1: into a bottomless pit. Him. She taught thoroughly, starting from
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  Speaker 1: the basics, about that school of thought which teaches that
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  Speaker 1: pleasure cannot be taken without giving pleasure, and that every gesture,
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  Speaker 1: every caress, every touch, every look, every spot of the body,
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  Speaker 1: however small it was, had its secret which would bring
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  Speaker 1: happiness to those who knew about it and unleash it.
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  Speaker 1: She taught him that lovers must not part from one
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  Speaker 1: another after celebrating love without wine, admiring the other, without
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  Speaker 1: being just as defeated as they have been victorious, so
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  Speaker 1: that with none of them should start feeling fed up
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  Speaker 1: or bored, or get that evil feeling of having abused
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  Speaker 1: or having been abused. Wonderful hours he spent with the
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  Speaker 1: beautiful and smart artist became her student, her lover, her friend.
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  Speaker 1: Here with Kamala was the worth and purpose of his
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  Speaker 1: present life. Knit with the business of Kamaswami, the merchant
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  Speaker 1: passed to duties of writing important letters and contracts on
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  Speaker 1: to him, and got into the habit of discussing all
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  Speaker 1: important affairs with him. He soon saw that Siddartha knew
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  Speaker 1: little about rice and wool shipping and trade, but that
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  Speaker 1: he acted in a fortunate manner, and that Siddartha surpassed
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  Speaker 1: him the merchant in calmness and equanimity, and in the
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  Speaker 1: art of listening and deeply understanding previously unknown people. This Brahman,
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  Speaker 1: he said to a friend, is no proper merchant, and
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  Speaker 1: will never be one. There is never any passion in
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  Speaker 1: his soul when he conducts our business. But he has
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  Speaker 1: that mysterious quality of those people to whom success comes
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  Speaker 1: all by itself. Whether this may be a good star
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  Speaker 1: of his birth, magic, or something he has learned amongst
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  Speaker 1: some manas he always seems to be merely playing with
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  Speaker 1: our business affairs. They never fully become a part of him,
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  Speaker 1: They never rule over him. He is never afraid of failure,
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  Speaker 1: He is never upset by a loss. The friend advised
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  Speaker 1: the merchant give him from the business he conducts for you,
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  Speaker 1: a third of the profits, but let him also be
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  Speaker 1: liable for the same amount of the losses. When there
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  Speaker 1: is loss, then he'll become more zealous. Kamaswami followed the advice,
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  Speaker 1: but Saddartha cared little about this. When he made a profit,
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  Speaker 1: he accepted it with equanimity. When he made losses, he
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  Speaker 1: laughed and said, well, look at this, So this one
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  Speaker 1: turned out badly. It seemed, indeed, as if he did
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  Speaker 1: not care about the business. At one time, he traveled
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  Speaker 1: to a village to buy a large harvest of rice there,
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  Speaker 1: but when he got there, the rice had already been
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  Speaker 1: sold to another merchant. Nevertheless, Siddartha stayed for several days
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  Speaker 1: in that village, treated the farmers for a drink, gave
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  Speaker 1: copper coins to their children, joined in the celebration of
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  Speaker 1: a wedding, and returned extremely satisfied from his trip. Kamaswami
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  Speaker 1: held against him that he had not turned back right away,
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  Speaker 1: that he had wasted time and money. Saddartha answered, stop scolding,
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  Speaker 1: dear friend. Nothing was ever achieved by scolding. If a
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  Speaker 1: loss has occurred, let me bear that loss. I am
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  Speaker 1: very satisfied with this trip. I have gotten to know
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  Speaker 1: many kinds of people. A Brahmin has become my friend.
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  Speaker 1: Children have sat on my knees, Farmers have shown me
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  Speaker 1: their fields. Nobody knew that I was a merchant. That's
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  Speaker 1: all very nice, exclaimed Kamaswami indignantly. But in fact you
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  Speaker 1: are a merchant, after all, one ought to think. Ah,
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  Speaker 1: might you have only traveled for your amusement? Surely, said
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  Speaker 1: Arthur laughed. Surely I have traveled for my amusement. For
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  Speaker 1: what else? I have gotten to known people and places.
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  Speaker 1: I have received kindness and trust. I have found friendship. Look,
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  Speaker 1: my dear, if I had been Comeswami, I would have
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  Speaker 1: traveled back, been annoyed and in a hurry as soon
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  Speaker 1: as I had seen that my purchase had been rendered impossible,
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  Speaker 1: and time and money would indeed have been lost. But
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  Speaker 1: like this, I've had a few good days. I've learned,
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  Speaker 1: had joy. I've neither harmed myself nor others by annoyance
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  Speaker 1: and hastiness. And if I'll ever return there again, perhaps
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  Speaker 1: to buy an upcoming harvest, or for whatever purpose it
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  Speaker 1: might be, friendly people will receive me in a friendly
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  Speaker 1: and happy manner, and I will praise myself for not
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  Speaker 1: showing any hurry and displeasure at that time, So leave
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  Speaker 1: it as it is, my friend, and don't harm yourself
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  Speaker 1: by scolding. If the day will come when you will
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  Speaker 1: see this sir Darthur is harming me, then speak a
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  Speaker 1: word and Saddarthur will go on his own path. But
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  Speaker 1: until then let's be satisfied with one another. Futile were
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  Speaker 1: also the merchant's attempts to convince Saddartha that he should
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  Speaker 1: eat his bread. Saddartha ate his own bread, or rather
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  Speaker 1: they both ate other people's bread, all people's bread. Saddartha
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  Speaker 1: never listened to Kamaswami's wiries, and Kamaswami had many wiries,
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  Speaker 1: whether there was a business deal going on which was
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  Speaker 1: in danger of failing, or whether a shipment of merchandise
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  Speaker 1: seemed to have been lost or a debtor seemed to
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  Speaker 1: be unable to pay. Kamaswami could never convince his partner
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  Speaker 1: that it would be useful to utter a few words
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  Speaker 1: of wiry or anger, to have wrinkles on the forehead
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  Speaker 1: to sleep badly. When one day Kamaswami held against him
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  Speaker 1: that he had learned everything he knew from him, he replied,
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  Speaker 1: would you please not kidney with such jokes. What I've
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  Speaker 1: learned from you is how much a basket of fish
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  Speaker 1: costs and how much interests can be charged on loaned money.
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  Speaker 1: These are your areas of expertise. I haven't learned to
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  Speaker 1: think from you, My dear Kamswami, you ought to be
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  Speaker 1: the one seeking to learn from me. Indeed, his soul
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  Speaker 1: was not with the trade. The business was good enough
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  Speaker 1: to provide him with the money for Kamala, and it
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  Speaker 1: earned him much more than he needed. Besides from this,
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  Speaker 1: Sir Arthur's interest and curiosity was only concerned with the
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  Speaker 1: people whose businesses, crafts, worries, pleasures, and acts of foolishness
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  Speaker 1: used to be as alien and distant to him as
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  Speaker 1: the moon. However, easily he succeeded in talking to all
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  Speaker 1: of them, in living with all of them, in learning
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  Speaker 1: from all of them. He was still aware that there
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  Speaker 1: was something which separated him from them, and this separating
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  Speaker 1: factor was him being a Samana. He saw mankind going
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  Speaker 1: through life in a childlike or animal like manner, which
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  Speaker 1: he loved and also despised. At the same time, he
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  Speaker 1: saw them toiling, saw them suffering and becoming gray for
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  Speaker 1: the sake of things which seemed to him entirely unworthy
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  Speaker 1: of this price. For money, for little pleasures, for being
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  Speaker 1: slightly honored. He saw them scolding and insulting each other.
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  Speaker 1: He saw them complaining about a pain at which a
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  Speaker 1: samana would only smile, and suffering because of deprivations which
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  Speaker 1: a samana would not feel. He was open to everything
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  Speaker 1: these people brought his way. Welcome was the merchant who
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  Speaker 1: offered him linen for sale. Welcome was the debtor who
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  Speaker 1: sought another loan. Welcome was the beggar who told him
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  Speaker 1: for one hour the story of his poverty, and who
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  Speaker 1: was not half as poor as any given Somana. He
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  Speaker 1: did not treat the rich foreign merchant any different than
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  Speaker 1: the servant who shaved him, and the street vendor whom
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  Speaker 1: he let cheat him out of some small change when
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  Speaker 1: buying bananas. When Kamaswami came to him to complain about
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  Speaker 1: his worries or to reproach him concerning his business, he
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  Speaker 1: listened curiously and happily was puzzled by him, tried to
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  Speaker 1: understand him, consented that he was a little bit right,
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  Speaker 1: only as much as he considered indispensable, and turned away
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  Speaker 1: from him towards the next person who would ask for him,
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  Speaker 1: And there were many who came to him, many to
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  Speaker 1: do business with him, many to cheat him, many to
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  Speaker 1: draw some secret out of him, many to appeal to
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  Speaker 1: his sympathy, many to get his advice. He gave advice,
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  Speaker 1: he pitied, he made gifts, He let them cheat him
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  Speaker 1: a bit, And this entire game, and the passion with
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  Speaker 1: which all people played this game, occupied his thoughts just
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  Speaker 1: as much as the gods and Brahmans used to occupy them.
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  Speaker 1: At times, he felt deep in his chest a dying,
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  Speaker 1: quiet voice which admonished him quietly, lamented quietly, he hardly
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  Speaker 1: perceived it, And then for an hour he became aware
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  Speaker 1: of the strange life he was leading, of him, doing
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  Speaker 1: lots of things which were only a game of though
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  Speaker 1: being happy and feeling joy at times, real life still
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  Speaker 1: passing him by and not touching him. As a ballplayer
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  Speaker 1: plays with his balls. He played with his business, deals
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  Speaker 1: with the people around him, watched them, found amusement in them,
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  Speaker 1: with his heart, with the source of his being. He
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  Speaker 1: was not with them. The somewhere far away from him
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  Speaker 1: ran and ran invisibly, had nothing to do with his
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  Speaker 1: life anymore, And at several times He suddenly became scared
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  Speaker 1: on account of such thoughts, and wished that he would
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  Speaker 1: also be gifted with the ability to participate in all
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  Speaker 1: of this childlike naive occupations of the daytime, with passion
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  Speaker 1: and with his heart really to live, really, to act, really,
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  Speaker 1: to enjoy, and to live instead of just standing by
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  Speaker 1: as a spectator. But again and again he came back
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  Speaker 1: to beautiful Kamala learned the art of love, practiced the
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  Speaker 1: cult of lust, in which more than anything else, giving
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  Speaker 1: and taking becomes one. Chatted with her, learned from her,
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  Speaker 1: gave her advice, received advice. She understood him better than
• 17:58
  Speaker 1: Govinda used to understand him. She was more similar to him.
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  Speaker 1: Once he said to her, you are like me. You
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  Speaker 1: are different from most people. You are Kamala, nothing else,
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  Speaker 1: and inside you there is a peace and refuge to
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  Speaker 1: which you can go at every hour of the day
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  Speaker 1: and be at home at yourself as I can also do.
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  Speaker 1: Few people have this, and yet all could have it.
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  Speaker 1: Not all people are smart, said Kamala. No said, said Arthur.
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  Speaker 1: That's not the reason why Kamaswami is just as smart
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  Speaker 1: as I and still has no refuge in himself. Others
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  Speaker 1: have it? Who are small children with respect to their mind.
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  Speaker 1: Most people, Kamala, are like a falling leaf which is
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  Speaker 1: blown and is turning around through the air and wavers
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  Speaker 1: and tumbles to the ground. But others a few are
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  Speaker 1: like stars. They go on a fixed course. No wind
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  Speaker 1: reaches them. In themselves. They have their law and their course.
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  Speaker 1: Among all the learned men and samanas of which I
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  Speaker 1: knew many, there was one of this kind, a perfected one.
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  Speaker 1: I'll never be able to forget him. It is that Gautama,
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  Speaker 1: the exalted one, who is spreading that teachings. Thousands of
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  Speaker 1: followers are listening to his teachings every day, follow his
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  Speaker 1: instructions every hour. But they are all falling leaves, not
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  Speaker 1: in themselves. They have teachings and a law. Kamana looked
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  Speaker 1: at him with a smile. Again, you're talking about him,
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  Speaker 1: she said. Again, you're having a samana's thoughts. Saddarthur said nothing,
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  Speaker 1: and they played the game of love, one of the
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  Speaker 1: thirds to your forty different games. Kamala knew her body
• 20:04
  Speaker 1: was flexible like that of a jaguar, and like the
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  Speaker 1: beau of a hunter. He who had learned from her
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  Speaker 1: how to make love, was knowledgeable of many forms of lust,
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  Speaker 1: many secrets. For a long time, she played with said Arthur,
• 20:21
  Speaker 1: enticed him, rejected him, forced him, embraced him, enjoyed his
• 20:27
  Speaker 1: masterful skills until he was defeated and rested, exhausted by
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  Speaker 1: her side the Courtizan bent over him, took a long
• 20:38
  Speaker 1: look at his face, at his eyes, which had grown tired.
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  Speaker 1: You are the best lover, she said thoughtfully. I ever
• 20:48
  Speaker 1: saw You're stronger than others, more supple, more willing. You've
• 20:54
  Speaker 1: learned my art well, said Arthur. At some time, when
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  Speaker 1: I'll be older, I'll want to bear your child. And yet,
• 21:02
  Speaker 1: my dear, you've remained a samana. And yet you do
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  Speaker 1: not love me. You love nobody, isn't it so? It
• 21:12
  Speaker 1: might very well be so, said Arthur, said tiredly, I
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  Speaker 1: am like you. You also do not love. How else
• 21:21
  Speaker 1: could you practice love as a craft. Perhaps people of
• 21:25
  Speaker 1: our kind can't love the childlike people can. That's their secret.
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  Speaker 1: End of chapter six