Chapter 10: Chapter 10: The SonThe SonFeracoFeraco

Search for Human PotentialSearch for Human Potential19 October 201119 October 2011

““The Son” poses Siddhartha with his The Son” poses Siddhartha with his greatest challenge yet: how to raise greatest challenge yet: how to raise a preadolescent who isn’t beholden a preadolescent who isn’t beholden to him in any wayto him in any way

He realizes (consciously, at least) He realizes (consciously, at least) that the boy has no connection to that the boy has no connection to him, and therefore no reason to love him, and therefore no reason to love himhim

He also realizes that his son will not He also realizes that his son will not be happy living with him and be happy living with him and VasudevaVasudeva

SiddharthaSiddhartha

SiddharthaSiddhartha Yet he keeps him there anyway Yet he keeps him there anyway His desire to save his foolish son His desire to save his foolish son

from suffering is so great that it from suffering is so great that it causes him to repeat the mistakes of causes him to repeat the mistakes of the past – indeed, the same ones his the past – indeed, the same ones his father made with himfather made with him

Many months pass, and Siddhartha Many months pass, and Siddhartha has made no progresshas made no progress

Once again, he has taken an Once again, he has taken an obsessive interest in something, and obsessive interest in something, and once again, he’s stagnatingonce again, he’s stagnating

Vasudeva recognizes this and gently Vasudeva recognizes this and gently nudges him through debate, trying to get nudges him through debate, trying to get Siddhartha to see that even actions taken Siddhartha to see that even actions taken with the best of intentions can be harmfulwith the best of intentions can be harmful

When Siddhartha asks him what When Siddhartha asks him what hehe would would do, the ferryman advocates returning the do, the ferryman advocates returning the boy to his old life, where he can continue boy to his old life, where he can continue developing as he once haddeveloping as he once had

It may not be the best choice if you’re It may not be the best choice if you’re trying to protect him, but it’s the logical trying to protect him, but it’s the logical choice if you don’t want to trap him in the choice if you don’t want to trap him in the samsara cyle foreversamsara cyle forever

SiddharthaSiddhartha

Do you really think you have committed your follies Do you really think you have committed your follies in order to spare your son them? Can you then in order to spare your son them? Can you then protect your son from Samsara? How? Through protect your son from Samsara? How? Through instruction, through prayers, through instruction, through prayers, through exhortation? My dear friend, have you forgotten exhortation? My dear friend, have you forgotten that instructive story about Siddhartha, the that instructive story about Siddhartha, the Brahmin’s son, which you once told me here? Brahmin’s son, which you once told me here? Who protected Siddhartha the Samana from Who protected Siddhartha the Samana from Samsara, from sin, greed, and folly? Could his Samsara, from sin, greed, and folly? Could his father’s piety, his teacher’s exhortations, his own father’s piety, his teacher’s exhortations, his own knowledge, his own seeking, protect him? Which knowledge, his own seeking, protect him? Which father, which teacher, could prevent him from father, which teacher, could prevent him from living his own life, from soiling himself with life, living his own life, from soiling himself with life, from loading himself with sin, from swallowing from loading himself with sin, from swallowing the bitter drink himself, from finding his own the bitter drink himself, from finding his own path? Do you think, my dear friend, that anybody path? Do you think, my dear friend, that anybody is spared this path? Perhaps your little son, is spared this path? Perhaps your little son, because you would like to see him spared sorrow because you would like to see him spared sorrow and pain and disillusionment? But if you were to and pain and disillusionment? But if you were to die ten times for him, you would not alter his die ten times for him, you would not alter his destiny in the slightest.destiny in the slightest.

It’s a testament to how badly It’s a testament to how badly Siddhartha wants to protect the boy Siddhartha wants to protect the boy that he still disregards Vasudeva’s that he still disregards Vasudeva’s advice even though he knows it’s advice even though he knows it’s solidsolid

He reflects back on the conversation He reflects back on the conversation he had with Kamala about love and he had with Kamala about love and stars and falling leaves, and realizes stars and falling leaves, and realizes that he can’t help himselfthat he can’t help himself

SiddharthaSiddhartha

As it so happens, Siddhartha was wrong in As it so happens, Siddhartha was wrong in Chapter 6 (about oh so many things, Chapter 6 (about oh so many things, actually): he actually): he cancan love, but he doesn’t love, but he doesn’t know how to love appropriatelyknow how to love appropriately

He only knows how to throw his entire He only knows how to throw his entire existence at a person, and he’s just going existence at a person, and he’s just going to hopelessly follow this courseto hopelessly follow this course

He’s determined to leave his heart open He’s determined to leave his heart open because he feels like this sort of desire is because he feels like this sort of desire is necessary… which is why it hurts so badly necessary… which is why it hurts so badly when he finally gets punchedwhen he finally gets punched

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If anything, his son wants his father If anything, his son wants his father to discipline him, to force him to do to discipline him, to force him to do things, to fill in the blanks for himthings, to fill in the blanks for him

Siddhartha may not have wanted Siddhartha may not have wanted strict guidance and doctrine when he strict guidance and doctrine when he was younger, but his son needs itwas younger, but his son needs it

Instead, by constantly Instead, by constantly accommodating his son’s worst accommodating his son’s worst behavior, Siddhartha dooms any behavior, Siddhartha dooms any chance he has of connecting with the chance he has of connecting with the boyboy

SiddharthaSiddhartha

When push comes to shove, his son stands When push comes to shove, his son stands before him, just as Siddhartha once stood before him, just as Siddhartha once stood before the Brahmin…but he’s before the Brahmin…but he’s openlyopenly defiant, willing to leave without his defiant, willing to leave without his parent’s consent, while Siddhartha wasn’tparent’s consent, while Siddhartha wasn’t

The Brahmin says no without saying no, so The Brahmin says no without saying no, so Siddhartha refuses his wish without Siddhartha refuses his wish without refusing it; in the end, the Brahmin says refusing it; in the end, the Brahmin says yes without really acknowledging that yes without really acknowledging that Siddhartha requested to leaveSiddhartha requested to leave

Here, the boy shouts that he wants to Here, the boy shouts that he wants to leave…and Siddhartha, true to (cyclical) leave…and Siddhartha, true to (cyclical) form, doesn’t acknowledge itform, doesn’t acknowledge it

SiddharthaSiddhartha

The next day, he’s stolen the ferryman’s The next day, he’s stolen the ferryman’s money and stolen across the river in their money and stolen across the river in their boatboat

Vasudeva calmly makes a new boat to use Vasudeva calmly makes a new boat to use to retrieve the old one (rolling with life’s to retrieve the old one (rolling with life’s punches!), and urges Siddhartha to just punches!), and urges Siddhartha to just let the boy golet the boy go

Siddhartha won’t listen, but everything Siddhartha won’t listen, but everything Vasudeva says – everything he Vasudeva says – everything he thinksthinks – is – is true, down to the missing oar true, down to the missing oar It’s never explicitly stated, but the implication It’s never explicitly stated, but the implication

is that the boy broke the oar and tossed it in is that the boy broke the oar and tossed it in the riverthe river

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He pursues his son, but it’s futile…He pursues his son, but it’s futile…and when his search is over, only and when his search is over, only Vasudeva remains by his sideVasudeva remains by his side

Siddhartha was sad to lose Kamala, Siddhartha was sad to lose Kamala, but this is different: but this is different: thisthis is is devastatingdevastating

After the life he’s led, and the After the life he’s led, and the lessons he lessons he hasn’t hasn’t learned, he kind of learned, he kind of deserves what happens here…but we deserves what happens here…but we still feel bad for himstill feel bad for him

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