Siddharta

[subterranean]

This book is wonderful, depicting the true search of a hungry soul for the ultimate truth and peace. In a way, I find the character is an ambitiuos individual. In terms of spiritual fulfilness that is. But on the other hand, I can see that the journey to find the "all that is" is indeed an endless one. Hesse wrote in a simple yet with a deep meaning. It takes more than one time to really understand the whole message.

[Miss Darcy]

Yeah, it is a really good book; I only read the first few chapters, as an example, but they were excellent. :thumbs_up

[Sitaram]

I searched in google.com just now to find the message of Hesse' Siddhartha, and I came up with a link to some peculiar website, but I visited anyway, and here are some good excerpts on "The Message of Siddhartha"

http://www.online-literature.com/hesse/siddhartha/

A simple book to read, but the message it has to offer is profound. Everytime I read the story of Siddhartha - his arduous journey towards self realization, not in conformace or blind devotion to any of the religions of his time-Buddhism, Hinduism or for that matter Jainism (which he follows with the samanas), it offers me with a new perspective at looking life.

Herman Hesse has put forward in 'Siddhartha' some questions for every traveller on the path of spirtuality, on the path of self-realization : " Can one reach the goal by just following the footsteps of those who've reached there, like the Buddha? Can one reach there by blindly following the religious traditions or by becoming disciples of saints and listening to their discourses and teachings?" These are questions that haunted Siddhartha for a long time and finally it was the river that provided him the answers.

As long as the deeper meaning of 'Siddhartha' is understood and is used by people in their life, I think it does not matter whether the translation measures up to the original work in German: it would be naive of us to debate over whether the translation is better or the original.

Siddhartha is a book with deep themes, such as self-awareness and individualism. Siddhartha sacrificed normal life to join the samanas, become a rich noble, a poor ferryman, and most importantly to become one with Atman. His self-awreness led him to try to discover himself, and be the true individual he really is... the bhuddah perhaps? Read the book it's great. At times it gets a little boring, but once you've finished you will have much more insight consisting of a new religion, country, and indiviual choice.

There is no Good and Evil.The Good is as 'bad' as the Evil and the Evil is as 'good' as the Good.Everything is worthy of love and should be accepted.In other words,if u meet a psycho,forgive him and embrace him...for there is Buddha in him and also Jesus Christ.Read this book if you can digest this idea.

After reading this book,I wondered what Siddartha would have done had he(after his 'realization') somehow travelled back in time and found himself in front of kamala's grove once again,dressed in nothing but a loin cloth.Would his journey,from that point, be any different?Would he give in to lust?Would he gamble once again?Would he lose himself in Samsara once again?'Sin', after all, is no different from 'Holiness'.

Is one able to be enlightened in this day and age in the same way Siddhartha was enlightened?

Siddharta says that each moment, the present is complete and perfect and in harmony, which reminds me of zen-buddism. For example, Charlotte Joko Beck treats this aspect in her book "Everyday Zen". It is really astonishing how Hesse produced this transformation, or interpretation of Indian buddism (in 1922 - before New Age!).

This is one of the greatest books I have ever read. It is hard to believe that a German author understood 80 years ago the essence of Indian path for enlightenment. It is a waste of time to search for the origin of the river when one can quench the thrust by drinking its water by homeside. Wisdom is incommunicable. One has to go through all the experiences before one can realise self. Even seeking creates two ! Look for "one" and that is Siddhartha for you. Hess understood the essentials of bliss. Timelessness, unity or Advaita and ....words fail when one tries to descirbe the eternal. Words are for the sansara.

[subterranean]

Thank you for your post Sitaram.
And FYI, this link : http://www.online-literature.com/hesse/siddhartha/ is actually a part of our great forum, The Online Literature ;)

[Sitaram]

err... uhhh... Sub... that was part of my sly, sardonic humor.... I feel over when I clicked on the URL and saw where it really was... and I thought about saying how it seems like this really weird site, with some weird person who calls himself Subterranean... but I refrained...

thats why I said:


and I came up with a link to some peculiar website, but I visited anyway

[subterranean]

Ok...the joke's on me..I'm the one with the bad sense of humour ;)

[Koa]

I really didn't like Siddharta... Enlightment stuff is not for me :D