I am German, living in Berlin, and just finished Hesse's Siddhartha. How did I reach this site? By Google. <br>I appreciate very much Lisa Huffaker's remarks and would draw the attention to Hesse's - let's say - interpretation of buddism. 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!).