Herman Hesse's Siddhartha

[IceM]

Siddhartha tells the story of the character Siddhartha's quest for spiritual understanding*.Along the path, he engages in myriads of activities; he begins as a young Brahmin, leaves that to become a forest ascetic, abandons that to find his own path--which leads him to engage in love games with Kamala--then becomes a merchant for Kamaswami, and eventually begins his own path as a pseudo-pupil of a ferryman.

Perhaps the most significant aspects of this novella are the simplicity of the prose and the relevance of Hesse's ideas. For a novella most would consider a classic, the prose is simple and the plot is linear. It starts at Brahmin and progresses in a straightforward manner. The recurrence of symbols is obvious and interpretation is relatively easy, making this book a simple read. Yet it is a profound one nonetheless. Hesse's style is similar to that of the American Romantics, in that it features a heavy emphasis on Nature and it's impact on characters, and also speaks heavily about the importance of Nature. Siddhartha finds enlightenment through it and considers it his biggest teacher. It acts as an objective mirror with which he can reflect. But, importantly, it refines Siddhartha as a person.

Hesse's ideas are perhaps the most relevant piece of this novella, however. The novel teaches the reader to be patient. Siddhartha, while seemingly aimless for his entire life, doesn't chase after enlightenment, he lets it come to him. Instead of pursuing a mentor (as Govinda does) or following ritual (as the Brahmins do), Siddhartha learns from nature. It is a slow and tedious path, but one that eventually ends. For a Western society hellbent on satisfying ambition (and disregarding much of the surroundings on the path to doing so, as Thoreau comments in Walden), Siddhartha's slow, successful crawl towards enlightenment feels like a cool drink of water. Perhaps patience is a better alternative to unbridled ambition if both reach their destination. Perhaps unbridled ambition is an indication of an ignorant mind.

Perhaps Siddhartha is a book more Westerners should read and discuss.

The asterisk: Siddhartha is a variation of the name Siddartha, the Bhudda. Hesse's choice of name is symbolic of discovering a different guide of Enlightenment, just as Siddartha Gautama had done when venturing on his Bhuddist path.

[Jassy Melson]

I read Siddhartha about forty years ago, and the book still has an effect on me, in that someone can mention the name Siddhartha or I can see it in print and it will bring the book back to me.
Siddhartha was one of those books adopted by the New Age people of the 1960s and '70s and held up as some kind of great enlightening work of literature. Siddhartha is not a great work of literature. It is a good work and an interesting read. It is on my list of books I want to reread. Of Hesse's work, Siddhartha is probably the weakest. But it's still good.

[libernaut]

Siddhartha is one of those books that gives me hope. Although it has many sad parts it is the character's endurance and ability to seek answers from the pain that I find a lot of inspiration. All of Hesse's books are brilliant that I have read, which is well over 15 of them. And I would definitely recommend reading any number of his novels to just about anyone. My favorite is Demian, which I am currently reading in Spanish for the 2nd time. I've read it in English more time than I know, but have yet to read it in German. I'd give Siddhartha as high of a rating as any book I've read. Doesn't get much better than Hermann Hesse in my opinion.

[Buh4Bee]

I also thought it was a spectacular book with a great message about loving and self acceptance. I agree that it can be thought as simplistic, but it is the kind of book you can reread and still get something new out of it.

[Big Dante]

As we were learning Buddhism in religion studies I thought I may as well read this to help gain a further understanding. What I got from it was Siddhartha finding enlightment through a different path than the Buddha but it was the way this happened that stuck to me. It was as if Siddhartha lived the life of a Westerner, enduring being poor and homeless to experience extreme wealth and the luxury of women. It really does give perspective into different cultures and the fulfilment of one's own life.

[blazeofglory]

Siddhartha is of course one of my favorites, and of course as a book literature it is not that grand and it goes linearly and structurally very simple and that does not confuse the reader. I never had to stop to think and reread the text the way I had to when I read the Brothers Karamazov of Dostoevsky. Since I am an easterner the read flowed smoothly and I could understand the background and descriptions the author has put forth.

He has magnificently presented how a person staging through different phases of life and evolving, growing and ascending higher and higher at every point finally evolves into an enlightened one. One by abandoning worldly affairs and relations cannot attain Nirvana.

Anybody is capable of ascending spiritually and yet there are no shortcuts, one has to suffer and learn to qualify for something one dreams of.
I have read it a couple of times and I enjoyed it. It is not always fat and voluminous books that can gratify you intellectually, a novella like Siddhartha an teach us deeply and intensely.

[Paulclem]

As we were learning Buddhism in religion studies I thought I may as well read this to help gain a further understanding. What I got from it was Siddhartha finding enlightment through a different path than the Buddha but it was the way this happened that stuck to me. It was as if Siddhartha lived the life of a Westerner, enduring being poor and homeless to experience extreme wealth and the luxury of women. It really does give perspective into different cultures and the fulfilment of one's own life.

Hesse was interested in Buddhism and Hinduism, but i think Siddhartha is an amalgam that really owes more to Hinduism. I'm not sure how much it would have helped you with your study of Buddhism.

[Big Dante]

Hesse was interested in Buddhism and Hinduism, but i think Siddhartha is an amalgam that really owes more to Hinduism. I'm not sure how much it would have helped you with your study of Buddhism.

Found that out after reading it haha, it gave me a better understanding of where Buddhism came from. So all in all I gained a little religious knowledge and had an enjoyable read. No complaints here.

[Paulclem]

Found that out after reading it haha, it gave me a better understanding of where Buddhism came from. So all in all I gained a little religious knowledge and had an enjoyable read. No complaints here.

No complaints here either. It's a good read. I also read it under a misconception as I was studying Buddhism, but it was still worth it. :lol:

[Maren123]

Siddhartha is that most unusual of all stories -- one that follows a character throughout most of his life . . . and describes that life in terms of a spiritual journey. For those who are ready to think about what their spiritual journey can be, Siddhartha will be a revelation. For those who are not yet looking for "enlightenment," the book will seem pecular, odd, and out-of-joint. That's because Hesse was presenting a mystery story, also, for each reader to solve for herself or himself. The mystery is simply to unravel the meaning of life.
As the son of a Brahmin, Siddhartha would naturally have enjoyed access to all of the finest lessons and things of life. Knowing of his natural superiority in many ways, he becomes disenchanted with teachers and his companions. In a burst of independence, he insists on being allowed to leave home to become a wandering Shramana (or Samana, depending on which translation you read). After three years or so, he tires of this as well. Near the end of that part of his life, Siddharta meets Gotama, the Buddha, and admires him greatly. But Siddharta continues to feel that teachers cannot convey the wisdom of what they know. Words are too fragile a vessel for that purpose. He sees a beautiful courtesan and asks her to teach him about love. Thus, Siddhartha begins his third quest for meaning by embracing the ordinary life that most people experience. Eventually, disgusted by this (and he does behave disgustingly), he tires of life. Then, he suddenly reconnects with the Universe, and decides to become a ferryman and learn from the river. In this fourth stage of his life, he comes to develop the wisdom to match the knowledge that direct experiences of the "good" and the "sensual" life have provided to him.

Few will find Siddhartha to be an attractive character until near the end of the book. Hesse is trying to portray his path towards balance and understanding by emphasizing Siddhartha's weaknesses and errors. But, these are mostly errors that all people fall into. Hesse wants us to see that we make too much of any given moment or event. The "all" in a timeless sense is what we should seek for.

There is a wonderful description of what a rock is near the end of the book that is well worth reading, even if you get nothing out of the rest of the story. The "mystery" of what Gotima experiences when he kisses Siddhartha's forehead will provide many interesting questions for each reader to consider.

I recommend that you both listen to this book on tape and read it. Hesse's approach to learning is for us to observe and feel. You will do more of that while listening than by simply reading. I was able to find an unabridged audio tape in our library for my listening. I encourage you to go with an unabridged tape as well. You will get more out of Siddhartha that way. I read the Hilda Rosner translation, and liked it very much.

After you finish listening to and reading the book, I suggest that you think about what you have not yet experienced that would help you get a better sense of life. If you have tried to be a secular person, you could try being a spiritual one. If you have focused on being a parent, you could focus on being a sibling. If you have focused on making money, you could pay attention to giving away your time. And so on. But in each case, give yourself more opportunities to experience and learn from nature. That is Hesse's real message here.

Ommmm

[Freudian Monkey]

I read Siddhartha almost immediately after finishing Nietzsche's Thus Spake Zarathustra, so my reading experience had a little nietzschean savor. But still, Siddhartha has a magnetic power that's typical for many of Hesse's novels. A magnificent book by all accounts.

[sadhana]

Siddharta is a book worth reading many times over. It is not a religious text. It is fiction with psychological truths thrown in. The central character is one we can identify with because he stands for freedom of knowledge. hHe would rather be a discoverer than a follower of paths to truth laid down by others. Hesse proves that there can never be only one path to truth, nor can there be only one truth. Indiiduals must strike out on their own to find the truth closest to their hearts. The river teaches him that : truth exists at the core of our hearts. The journey of the river is not really a journey out wards, but a journey inwards. The river at the same spot is never the same . there is progression emanating from its connection to its own source. Man must keep that connection, not run away.

[Paulclem]

To be honest, though the message that he has from the river may be interesting, surprising and radical to westerners, it's not so radical a thought for Asian thought.

[cafolini]

"You cannot enter the same river twice." I got news. You cannot enter it even once.

[LitNetIsGreat]

It sounds an interesting book. I 've downloaded it to my kindle it from Project Gutenberg (tip - free there, £6.99 on Amazon).

[WICKES]

Such a beautiful novel and one of my favourites. There is real wisdom to be found in this book.


Sadly it seems almost old-fashioned and irrelevant in today's world. I live in the south east of England, which is unbearably overcrowded. Since there are so many people crammed into such a small area people have to work hard to pay for ridiculously high mortgages on their often tiny homes. There isn't the time or the space to reach this kind of inner peace. There are so many people living on this small island that it is also virtually impossible ever to be alone with nature.

[cafolini]

Such a beautiful novel and one of my favourites. There is real wisdom to be found in this book.


Sadly it seems almost old-fashioned and irrelevant in today's world. I live in the south east of England, which is unbearably overcrowded. Since there are so many people crammed into such a small area people have to work hard to pay for ridiculously high mortgages on their often tiny homes. There isn't the time or the space to reach this kind of inner peace. There are so many people living on this small island that it is also virtually impossible ever to be alone with nature.

Maybe people are also nature. What do you think or rethink?

[Jack of Hearts]

Thought this book was an absolute stinker. Steppenwolf was a lot better.









J

[Paulclem]

I thought Steppenwolf was better too, though I liked Siddartha. I'm into The Glass Bead Game at the moment which seems to be about a society that has an elite class of academics who live very much lke monastics, except that they recognise and teach meditation as an aid to understanding and exploring.

Hesse's vision was one which tried to amalgamate western academia with the monastic practices in Buddhism.

[LitNetIsGreat]

I thought Steppenwolf was better too, though I liked Siddartha. I'm into The Glass Bead Game at the moment which seems to be about a society that has an elite class of academics who live very much lke monastics, except that they recognise and teach meditation as an aid to understanding and exploring.

Hesse's vision was one which tried to amalgamate western academia with the monastic practices in Buddhism.

This sounds interesting as well.

I've only read a few pages of Siddhartha but it seems promising.

[Jack of Hearts]

I thought Steppenwolf was better too, though I liked Siddartha. I'm into The Glass Bead Game at the moment which seems to be about a society that has an elite class of academics who live very much lke monastics, except that they recognise and teach meditation as an aid to understanding and exploring.

Hesse's vision was one which tried to amalgamate western academia with the monastic practices in Buddhism.

See, that's why he's one of the greats. It would take a lot of creativity to fit academia together with anything related to 'lack of ego' or 'inner peace.'





J

[Paulclem]

See, that's why he's one of the greats. It would take a lot of creativity to fit academia together with anything related to 'lack of ego' or 'inner peace.'


J

:D

Yes. There seems to be an element of isolation in the book that seems necessary in order for the model he's describing to work - that is virtually no women, and no women characters to speak of so far. I don't know how the book will progress, but I find this element so far to be conveniant for him in his writing focus rather than in any way realistic.

[LitNetIsGreat]

I've just finished it and I was a little disappointed with it. I felt it started OK but then trailed off somewhat. It could be more to do with me than the book, as I'm generally only reading short stories at the moment having little patience for anything much longer.