Getting Advice for Siddhartha
Dear Ann Landers (advice columnist): I have a friend named Siddhartha, I have known him all his life, and he is very near and dear to my heart. He recently decided that he need to find himself in life, and left his parents (his dad is a Bramin), friends, house, and everything else behind. Siddhartha is the type of person who knows what he wants, and will do whatever he can to get there.
I am very worried about Siddhartha, because his goal is to become a samana. I know that this is very hard to achieve, but I have confidence that he will somehow get there. My problem is that Siddhartha has encountered a little bit of trouble recently. He has come accross a lot temptation. Some of the temptations include women, wealth, food, etc. He is also feeling a little worthless, and can't do anything abou it, he says "Like a veil, like a thin mist, a weariness settled on Siddhartha, slowly, every day a little thicker, every month a little darker, every year a little heavier." (p. 78) Do you have any advice that I could tell him to get his spirits up?
-Abhi
Dear Abhi: I think it's great that you care so much about your friend, Siddhartha. It seems like he is going through a bit of a rough patch in his life right now. My best advice for you would be to tell him to really think about what he want's to achieve in life. You mentioned that he wants to become a samana, if he does, tell him to think about what he needs to do in order to become a samana. I would also try to distract him from his temptations, just be a good friend, and tell him that he is going to get through this, and that everything will be just fine in the end. Hope my advice works for you and him. Good luck!
-Ann Landers
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Kari, what type of assignment was this? Did you write the entire piece here (both inquiry and reply)?
If so, that is some pretty astute advice that you gave Abhi.
In Ann Lander's reply (what I'm thinking you wrote as well, correct me if I'm wrong), you give the piece of advice:
"...just be a good friend, and tell him that he is going to get through this, and that everything will be just fine in the end."
Although this bit of advice may sound, and indeed be, super simple and even at times sound like a "cop-out," I feel that it is completely true. After all, sometimes when loved ones are going through some kind of crisis the only thing we can do, and perhaps best thing we should do, is just be there for them.
Having a friend myself that is going through a bit of a rough patch in his life, your advice got me thinking: when we notice a loved one in trouble, perhaps going down a potentially destructive path, what exactly is our role in helping them? Does this role change based on our relationship to them? For example, my friend is my dearest friend in the world, but he is that; a friend. Am I supposed to take on the task and energy to help him, or is this up to his parents and immediately family? Or himself?
How about Siddhartha? What, specifically, is your role in helping him? (Again, I'm not totally sure, but I understand that this might be a fictitious person, but it might not :)) Do you take on the role of "intervener" in his life to help him? Or just be there for him? Be his friend?
Post a Comment