Gossip Buddha

In the 21^st century, the world is ruled by gossip. No matter how good or bad it is, people can’t live without it. You see everyday, at every moment, someone gossiping about some one or something that may or may not be true. Apparently in Siddhartha the same thing happens. Do wise people gossip? Some may and some may not, but this is something that has been going on for centuries and it can determine the future of a person.

This happens when Siddhartha and Govinda start hearing rumors about an enlightened one that has achieved nirvana. He is a monk called Gotama that has been teaching and gaining followers from town to town. He is someone who has left self and doesn’t need to return to do the cycle again. "Once, when both youths had lived with the Samanas about three years and shared their practices, they heard from many sources a rumor, a report." Siddhartha pg.16. When Siddhartha heard about this man, he could not wait to hear his teachings so he and Govinda decided to leave the Samanas.

 I think that in this part, gossip is a really present topic because Siddhartha and Govinda keep hearing all sort of stuff about him. Some people say he is a truly blessed person, while others state that he is nothing but a fake that now lives in luxury. So this is gossip because it is passed from person to person and they can’t be sure if it is real until they hear his teachings. This is because from one mouth to another things might become distorted and changing reality. Is the illustrious one real? Are the two friends going to follow him? These are some questions that came to my mind as I analyzed the story.