What's good, y'all!
This week we wising up with Siddhartha, by Herman Hesse.
Stoner Siddhartha got one thing on his mind, getting so turned up on spiritual enlightenment, that he find legit peace by getting rid of his self.
Sid been keeping it church as a Brahmin for years, but he just ain't jiving with it.
I mean if them Brahmins really know it all, why ain't any of them enlightened?
So Siddhartha and his back-wind brother Govinda decide to join up with a group of Semanas, rolling through the hood.
These cats get they sacred on by denying themselves food, swag, and even poontang, all so they can empty themselves from everything, thirst, sadness, even joy.
But after a while, Siddhartha and Govinda realize that Samana grind ain't giving them the spiritual juice they jonesin for.
So when he and Govinda get word that there be some bruh named Buddha, who got the enlightenment game sowed up, they decide to slide over to his spot.
Govinda really diggin' his Buddhism swagga,
but Siddhartha start thinkin' dat ain't nobody can teach a brutha enlightenment
no mata' how much street cred yo' teacha get.
It's a personal thang, naw I mean?
Govinda stayed, but Siddhartha hop up on a ferry
to experience a new side of life up in the city.
Sid ain't got the ends to pay this ferryman,
but brotha say, "No problem, blood.
You'll hook me up anotha' way."
When Sid hits the mean streets of the city,
he peep game at a dime named Kamala(?).
She teach 'im how to love
but only after he get rich, of course. New money!
but nonna tha' booze, booty, and dice of da world
can give a brotha da answers he itchin' fo'.
Matta' fact, it only make it worse!
[It's] so bad, that Sid thinkin' of snuffin' it.
So Siddhartha go back to the ferryman, [who's named] Vasudeva,
seekin' sum legit wisdom.
Fool say he found inner peace not from religion,
not from banging honeys and sipping Henney,
but from da river.
Then one day that dame Kamala up and died,
leavin' her little sh*t son with her baby daddy,
who turn out ta be Siddhartha!
Gotta wrap it up, Sid!
Any enlightened brutha' knows that.
Siddhartha tried to look after him,
but this kid such a hater,
that he eventually boosts all dat cash,
and bounces out of the city!
Siddhartha tried to catch him, but then he realized,
"Sh*t, I gotta let him go so he can figure out life fo' himself."
Afta studyin' da river for years,
Siddhartha finally recognize da oneness and timelessness of the universe.
All things and all people are all connected,
like part of one big-*ss river!
There ain't no past, present, or future neither,
'cause time is just manmade.
Straight-up enlightened, yo.
Then Vasudeva goes to the forest
where he gonna chill for the rest of his days,
and Siddhartha start rockin' the ferryman game solo.
Years later, homeboy Govinda comes to the river.
He don't recognize Siddhartha at first,
but he all like,
Siddhartha like,
"Look playa, I can give ya knowledge, but true-blue wisdom can't be said."
At first, Govinda like, "You holdin' out on me, dawg?"
When Sid realizes that words ain't cuttin' it,
he gotta move to the language of the universe:
love.
So he tellin' Govinda to give him a kiss on the forehead.
BAM! Instant enlightenment, man.
Peeps were all about this book in the late 1950s,
'specially American kids lookin' for meaning.
they were all up on Hesse's junk sayin' this book got da answers to life's craziness.
Now, don't pay no mind to the book being split into two parts.
It's better to look at it like it's divided into three.
In the first section,
Old Siddy try to get wise by living the life of the mind.
When dat don't work, he moved on to the life of the flesh.
On sipping drank, blowing dank, blowing cash fast,
and gettin' BOOTAY!
And neither one gettin' him legit wisdom.
Only by bringing all dat life's suffering together
is he able to reach enlightenment by listenin' to da river.
And that's Hesse's main jam.
Like Siddhartha say, "Wisdom can't be passed on, playa!"
Enlightenment ain't about listenin' to da right teacher or reading the right book.
Even if it's a book as dank as this one,
ya gotta figure it out for yourself.
Ya gotta live it.
Like my brother from another mother Nietzsche said,
So stop listening to me!
Get yo *ss outta yo chair, and go find yourself.
But make sure you hit dat Subscribe button first
and cop some of my sweet Thug Notes swag.
Catch ya later, my ballas! Peace.
Hey guys, thanks for watching.
If you like this episode, you gon' love our take on
A Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man.
It's also a book about self-discovery
and it's Joyce, so you know it took forever to make,
and we worked really hard on this episode so
take a couple of minutes,
and click the link below,
and... check us out as we break down some old Jimmy Joyce.
Peace y'all!