英文摘要 |
Siddhartha is a 1922 novelette by Hermann Hesse, a German-Swiss poet and novelist awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1946. It explores the spiritual quest of an Indian young man named Siddhartha during the time of the Gautama Buddha. Lyrical and philosophical, this novelette highlights Oriental wisdom as a remedy for human sufferings. The purpose of this study is to explore the harmonious coexistence of Buddhism and postmodernism in Siddhartha. The ancient Eastern religion resonates with modern Western critique on language and subjectivity. Both view language as an incomplete and subjective means of communication incapable of conveying Truth, if not distorting it to a certain degree. Human subjectivity has no inherent essence or autonomy. Postmodern discourses view subjectivity as an unfixed entity, while in Buddhism, it is not only unfixed but also empty. To explore the unstable subjectivity, Buddhist philosophy of emptiness, karma and cosmic consciousness is elaborated. The contents of this paper are divided into two parts. The first part illustrates postmodern and Buddhist views on language. The second part analyzes human subjectivity. The discourse encounter of the East and West in Siddhartha highlights the construction of language and subjectivity. Sharing with postmodernism the deconstructive feature, Buddhism clears the illusion of individuality and further promotes compassion toward other beings. This study infuses Siddhartha with postmodern vigor and Buddhist wisdom, showing the path to living a meaningful life. |