Hamilton and Philosophy by Aaron Rabinowitz Robert Arp

Hamilton and Philosophy by Aaron Rabinowitz Robert Arp

Author:Aaron Rabinowitz,Robert Arp [Неизв.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780812699661
Publisher: Perseus Books, LLC
Published: 2017-04-28T20:00:00+00:00


12

Eliza Hamilton, Buddhist Master

BENJAMIN ROSS

What is a question you want answered? Is it buried deep or right on the tip of your tongue? Like the characters in Hamilton, we are defined by the questions whose answers seem just out of reach.

For the Buddha-like Eliza, her defining question is about suffering. Why does her beloved Alexander suffer from constant dissatisfaction, while she is always satisfied? Eliza desperately wants to grant Alexander her own peace of mind and help him to say, “That would be enough.” This kind of equanimity in the midst of suffering exemplifies Buddhist philosophy. It was also a question of suffering that drove the historical Buddha, Siddartha Gautama, on his philosophical quest to find serenity amidst chaotic times. He encountered the realities of life and death first-hand, and was inspired to find an answer to his question, to discover a sense of peace despite adversity, just like Alexander and Eliza.

However, Alexander stands in stark contrast to Eliza’s equanimity. He suffers constantly from his desire to somehow set himself apart from the world, and “build something that’s gonna outlive me.” After all, his name is Alexander Hamilton and there’s a million things he hasn’t done. His primary question, then, can be put like this: How can I ensure that I do not throw away my shot? How can I ensure that my ego, my name, A-L-E-X-A-N-D-E-R, becomes a legacy that lives beyond me?



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