Is suffering the key to enlightenment?

[Mary]

Through out Siddhartha’s story, he has experienced a lot of anxiety regarding questions about himself and enlightenment, as well as loss when his son left. Siddhartha constantly wrestles with himself over the guilt and pain he feels regarding his child, mentioning ,"he allowed the pain to gnaw at him; he committed the follies of love"(70). He also touches on how ," he sensed how his pains and anxieties flowed across [...], and returned to him from the other side”(71). My question is that, with Siddhartha having such a low point in his life, is that how he was able to reach enlightenment? Was he just finally open to true change or is it something else?

[Charles]

I understand what you (Mary) say. And largely, I do agree that suffering played a role in Siddhartha's ability to reach enlightenment. However, I think there was a more important “key” to reach enlightenment. In order to reach an inner wholeness, and a profound disconnect with the physical world while still embracing its journey, Siddhartha relies on Govinda for his companionship. In the final scene where Govinda kisses Siddhartha’s forehead, there is a noticeable shift in the characterization: “No longer knowing whether time existed, whether that vision had lasted a second or a hundred years; no longer knowing whether a Siddhartha, a Gotama, an ‘I’ or a ‘you’ existed; wounded in his inmost recesses as if by a divine arrow, the wound from which tastes sweet; enchanted and dissolved in his inmost being, Govina stood there a little while longer, leaning over Siddhartha’s quiet face, which he had just kissed, which had just been the theater of all formations, of all becoming, of all being,” (Hesse 81). This enlightenment, therefore, only could happen with the help of Govinda-- similar to a bodhisattva of Buddhism-- who helped Siddhartha on his journey to reach enlightenment. More largely, however, Govinda had traveled along with Siddhartha for the entirety of his travels, and so, I think the role of the bodhisattva played the most seminal in allowing Siddhartha to reach enlightenment. In other words, I disagree with the contention that the suffering was the turning point, or that the suffering was the sole key requirement.

[Angie]

I wouldn't say the key to enlightenment is suffering. Adding to on to Charles, there were many other factors on why Siddhartha reached his enlightenment, especially with his trial and errors of discovering his enlightenment. However, looking at Govinda, he didn't suffer as much as Siddhartha did. Govinda received his enlightenment by Siddhartha and all he was asked was to "Lean over to me [Siddhartha]! Kiss me on the forehead, Govinda"(Hesse 80). Govinda saw Siddhartha's enlightenment by being confused and Siddhartha showing him, showing that suffering wasn't the key to enlightenment in Govinda's case.