悉达多讲的什么 名著精读:《悉达多》-和儿童般的俗人在一起(2)

名著精读:《悉达多》-和儿童般的俗人在一起(2)  

"It is excellent how you're able to write
" the merchant praised him. "Many a thing we will still have to discuss with one another. For today
I'm asking you to be my guest and to live in this house."
Siddhartha thanked and accepted
and lived in the dealers house from now on. Clothes were brought to him
and shoes
and every day
a servant prepared a bath for him. Twice a day
a plentiful meal was served
but Siddhartha only ate once a day
and ate neither meat nor did he drink wine. Kamaswami told him about his trade
showed him the merchandise and storage-rooms
showed him calculations. Siddhartha got to know many new things
he heard a lot and spoke little. And thinking of Kamala's words
he was never subservient to the merchant
forced him to treat him as an equal
yes even more than an equal. Kamaswami conducted his business with care and often with passion
but Siddhartha looked upon all of this as if it was a game
the rules of which he tried hard to learn precisely
but the contents of which did not touch his heart.
He was not in Kamaswami's house for long
when he already took part in his landlords business. But daily
at the hour appointed by her
he visited beautiful Kamala
wearing pretty clothes
fine shoes
and soon he brought her gifts as well. Much he learned from her red
smart mouth. Much he learned from her tender
supple hand. Him
who was
regarding love
still a boy and had a tendency to plunge blindly and insatiably into lust like into a bottomless pit
him she taught
thoroughly starting with the basics
about that school of thought which teaches that pleasure cannot be be taken without giving pleasure
and that every gesture
every caress
every touch
every look
every spot of the body
however small it was
had its secret
which would bring happiness to those who know about it and unleash it. She taught him
that lovers must not part from one another after celebrating love
without one admiring the other
without being just as defeated as they have been victorious
so that with none of them should start feeling fed up or bored and get that evil feeling of having abused or having been abused. Wonderful hours he spent with the beautiful and smart artist
became her student
her lover
her friend. Here with Kamala was the worth and purpose of his present life
nit with the business of Kamaswami.
The merchant passed to duties of writing important letters and contracts on to him and got into the habit of discussing all important affairs with him. He soon saw that Siddhartha knew little about rice and wool
shipping and trade
but that he acted in a fortunate manner
and that Siddhartha surpassed him
the merchant
in calmness and equanimity
and in the art of listening and deeply understanding previously unknown people. "This Brahman
" he said to a friend
"is no proper merchant and will never be one
there is never any passion in his soul when he conducts our business. But he has that mysterious quality of those people to whom success es all by itself
whether this may be a good star of his birth
magic
or something he has learned among Samanas. He always seems to be merely playing with out business-affairs
they never fully bee a part of him
they never rule over him
he is never afraid of failure
he is never upset by a loss."
The friend advised the merchant: "Give him from the business he conducts for you a third of the profits
but let him also be liable for the same amount of the losses
when there is a loss. Then
he'll bee more zealous."
Kamaswami followed the advice. But Siddhartha cared little about this. When he made a profit
he accepted it with equanimity; when he made losses
he laughed and said: "Well
look at this
so this one turned out badly!"
It seemed indeed
as if he did not care about the business. At one time
he travelled to a village to buy a large harvest of rice there. But when he got there
the rice had already been sold to another merchant. Nevertheless
Siddhartha stayed for several days in that village
treated the farmers for a drink
gave copper-coins to their children
joined in the celebration of a wedding
and returned extremely satisfied from his trip. Kamaswami held against him that he had not turned back right away
that he had wasted time and money. Siddhartha answered: "Stop scolding
dear friend! Nothing was ever achieved by scolding. If a loss has occurred
let me bear that loss. I am very satisfied with this trip. I have gotten to know many kinds of people
a Brahman has bee my friend
children have sat on my knees
farmers have shown me their fields
nobody knew that I was a merchant."
"That's all very nice
" exclaimed Kamaswami indignantly
"but in fact
you are a merchant after all
one ought to think! Or might you have only travelled for your amusement?"