Song of Siddhartha

Siddhartha lives a sheltered life on his wealthy father's estate. One day he is accidentally exposed to the harsh reality of life outside the estate. He feels the pain of humanity deeply and sets off with his friend Govinda on a spiritual quest to understand human suffering.

Siddhartha and Govinda join a band of itinerant renunciates who wander the forests and villages of India, chanting their mantras and begging for alms. In this piece you will hear the ascending fifths motif representing Siddhartha.

Siddhartha and Govinda encounter the new teaching of the Gautama Buddha under a large Banyan tree. The piece opens with the mixed motifs of Siddhartha and Govinda on their shared journey. This is followed by open chord blocks representing the power and wholeness of the Buddha's teaching. Both Siddhartha and Govinda experience the Buddha's state of Oneness with all things. Govinda stays and becomes a disciple of the Buddha. Siddhartha leaves, knowing each must pursue his own path to wherever it leads. The piece ends with the motifs of Govinda and Siddhartha separating and going their own ways.

Siddhartha encounters the beautiful courtesan, Kamala. He is drawn to her beauty, eroticism and feminine energies. He stays with Kamala and becomes her disciple in the ways of sensual love.

Siddhartha remains with Kamala for many years, and they have a son together. Siddhartha also becomes involved in the city's life and commerce, becoming a powerful, wealthy merchant. He has forgotten his journey and sinks deeper into the secular activities of ordinary life. Eventually, he hits rock bottom and realizes he has abandoned his spiritual path, so he leaves Kamala and merchant life behind to continue his journey. In this piece, you will hear the intense drive of life ending with a discord in Siddhartha's ascending fifths.

Siddhartha's journey brings him to a river where a ferryman, Vasudeva, takes him across to the other side. Vasudeva is old and wise in both the outer and inner ways of life. He has learned much from his simple life on the river, and he recognizes that Siddhartha is seeking something. Siddhartha also recognizes that Vasudeva has the inner peace he seeks. Siddhartha becomes Vasudeva's disciple and learns the way of service, the river and the simple life. In this piece, we are introduced to the motif of the ferryman and the river's gentle movement.

After a number of years, the ferryman dies, and Siddhartha takes on the role of the ferryman, taking travelers across the wide river. He has learned the ways of the river from his mentor. One day, he takes a group of pilgrims going to hear the Buddha teach. Amongst the pilgrims are Kamala and their son. Upon arriving at the other shore, Kamala dies from a snakebite, and Siddhartha takes over the raising of their son. One day the son runs away to the nearby village. Siddhartha lets him go, knowing that he too had once left his father's house. In this piece, we hear the steady flow of the river and a simple melody representing Siddhartha's life on the river.

Siddhartha lives the life of a ferryman, taking people across the river for many years. He becomes wise through what he has learned from the river and the countless people that he ferries across. One day, a lone pilgrim arrives to be taken across. Siddhartha recognizes his old friend Govinda. Govinda is overwhelmed to see Siddhartha as the ferryman and recognizes that Siddhartha has reached a state of inner peace, compassion and oneness with all things and that he has not obtained this for himself. Siddhartha instructs Govinda in the wisdom of the river, which is in constant motion but everywhere at the same time. He tells of the river as a metaphor for the ever-changing aspect of human existence - the cycles of birth and death, love and hate, joy and sorrow, pain and redemption. Siddhartha and Govinda are joined once again in a deep love and compassion for all beings - OM.