To Have or Not To Have?

As I sat listening to my dog snore, while the rain was pouring outside, I read the chapter Amongst Other People from the book Siddhartha.
I found this particular chapter to be very fascinating, because it had two great quotes:

"'I posses nothing,' said Siddhartha, 'if that is what you mean. I am certainly without possesions, but of my own free will, so I am not in need.'" (Pg. 52)

"'Ah, but if you are without possesions, how can you give?'

"Everyone gives what he has. The soldier gives strength, the merchant goods, the teacher instruction, the farmer rice, and the fisherman fish.'"  (Pg. 52) 

 After reading these two,  I though for a while.
...
Then I got distracted.
Concentrated again.
....
Thought a little bit more.
Finally I realized how truly wise Siddhartha was.
For a big part of the book, I though his knowledge consisted more of sounding very wise, that he was all talk.
In the first quote, what he is saying is that yes, he has nothing, but since he doesn't care and is happy that way then he isn't missing out on anything. One is on,y in need when you want and desire more, probably what you can't have. In my experience that can put a bug weight in your shoulders.
In the second quote,  Siddhartha makes it clear that one can give, not only material things, but their talents. If you are an artist, you may not be able to give much, but you can give your art. In the end, it's not what you can give, but what you can offer.
After all this... What is to give? What is to have?


I thought back to when I started the book. Then I went through everything that happened since then, and I made a connection with the song "White Shadows" by Coldplay .
To be entirely honest, I am not one hundred percent sure what the song is about, but thinking about it in a very literal state of mind, they reminded me of Siddhartha.

                                    When I was a young boy I tried to listen

And I wanna feel like that

Little white shadows, blink and miss them

Part of a system I am

Is it just me or does it sound like something Siddhatha could connect to? Growing up somewhere where his father chose what he was going to become since the beginning, and little Siddhartha tried to listen, but he decided to become a Samana instead. He chose to make his own way instead of following the road designed for him.

                                            Maybe you get what you wanted

Maybe you stumbled upon it

Everything you ever wanted

In a permanent state

Maybe you'll know when you see it

Maybe if you say it, you'll mean it

And when you find it, you keep it

In a permanent state

A permanent state

 This made me think about Siddhartha because in this chapter he has everything he could ask for. He has Kamala, his job, Kamaswami, food, a home... And it all seems—so far— as if it would last.

There is only one thing bothering me...
What does Siddhartha mean when he says: "I am like you. You cannot love me either, otherwise how could you practice love as an art? People like us canmot love. Ordinary people can—that is their secret." ?

Well,
I hope I left you all thinking and mind-fudged.
I also hope you enjoyed the song— it's one of my favorites.
Until next time!