“Western Introduction to Eastern Philosophy” Although I can understand the longing to separate oneself from the frustrations and hypocrisy of human life, it does seem like an abandonment rather than an accomplishment to me. Maybe because of this, and because I had been exposed to the tenets of both Buddhism and Hinduism prior to reading this novel, I didn’t find it as life-altering and uplifting as many others find it. If you’re new to eastern philosophy, this could be a good general introduction.
Product Description In the shade of a banyan tree, a grizzled ferryman sits listening to the river. Some say he’s a sage. He was once a wandering shramana and, briefly, like thousands of others, he followed Gotama the Buddha, enraptured by his sermons. But this man, Siddhartha, was not a follower of any but his own soul. Born the son of a Brahmin, Siddhartha was blessed in appearance, intelligence, and charisma. In order to find meaning in life, he discarded his promising future for the life of a wandering ascetic. Still, true happiness evaded him. Then a life of pleasure and titillation merely eroded away his spiritual gains until he was just like all the other “child people,” dragged around by his desires. Like Hermann Hesse’s other creations of struggling young men, Siddhartha has a good dose of European angst and stubborn individualism. His final epiphany challenges both the Buddhist and the Hindu ideals of enlightenment. Neither a practitioner nor a devotee, neither meditating nor reciting, Siddhartha comes to blend in with the world, resonating with the rhythms of nature, bending the reader’s ear down to hear answers from the river. In this translation Sherab Chodzin Kohn captures the slow, spare lyricism of Siddhartha’s search, putting her version on par with Hilda Rosner’s standard edition. –Brian Bruya This classic novel of self-discovery has inspired generations of seekers. With parallels to the enlightenment of the Buddha, Hesse’s Siddhartha is the story of a young Brahmn’s quest for the ultimate reality. His quest takes him from the extremes of indulgent sensuality to the rigors of ascetism and self-denial. At last he learns that wisdom cannot be taught–it must come from one’s own experience and inner struggle. Steeped in the tenets of both psychoanalysis and Eastern mysticism, Siddhartha presents a strikingly original view of man and culture, and the arduous process of self-discovery that leads to reconciliation, harmony and peace. |
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A must read for any spiritual seeker  A journey through the life of a man with a single purpose: to find his own truth. Knowing that the only way to discover life’s greatest mysteries is to go through the heart of them alone, he finds himself living one extreme after another until he finally rests in the balance. The ending will either leave you glowing or pondering, but either way you will not regret taking the time to read this remarkable tale…. !Awesome! A rambling spiritual adventure… I was a little put off initially with the way Hesse wrote, kind of flighty with nothing too concrete or definite. Is it a spiritual quest, a personal quest and so on. Then as Siddhartha grows older within the book we begin to see the natural progression from one mental/spiritual situation to the next. We see him go from spiritual, to rich, gambling, to being poor to a heightened spiritual state and so on. All in all, after I worked my way into the flesh of Hesse’s writing, I began to enjoy Siddhartha. You feel as though you are on the spiritual voyage with him and can understand where he is coming from. I am glad that there were only 150 pages and it was a fast read, because I most certainly would not want to read this style of writing for very long. I would recommend. 4 stars…. |
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3 Comments until now
A life changing masterpiece, one cannot read this book without reflecting on ones own life
The first time i read siddartha i thought to myself , “how do i acquire such tranquility of mind, and soul?” I have studied martial arts most of my life and i have been in the ring many times before, even though there is a great deal of discipline that is acquired along with the teaching of the martial arts, one also acquires a sense of instinct, and instinct drives even the most disciplined martial artist to act brash and hot tempered, and through my hot bloodedness i found this book. It is strange to think that such a simple act as reading the pages off of a book can instill such a serene sense in a person. When ever i read this book no matter how angry i’am at the time, i can’t help but smile peacefully at the perplexeties of everyday life and the meaningless of anger and agitation, this book truly is a spiritual journey all of its own. This novel contains, what is in my opiinion, one of the most profound messeges ever written, and that messege is that no life style is wrong or right, it is the beauty of the buhddist teaching, it does not discriminate nor show contempt, for your life style, no matter how vague, or exciting, or misled, is not an evil but a step towards knowledge and spiritual enlightment, every action in your life shaping the kind of person your going to become and some how shaping the people around you as well. The path to true enlightment isn’t leading the perfect life, its making mistakes, being human, and learning from ones transgressions. I recommend this book to anyone who has ever fealt the call of the self, the yearning of the spirit, and the release of the mind.
A great bookgroup pick!
I read this book for book group. Prior to reading Siddartha, I had not read any Herman Hesse books so I was intrigued to read it, especially with all the great reviews.
It is a short book – only about 118 pages – one that you want to take your time with if you can.
The book is about Siddartha, as a boy he longs to learn, discover and find “the path of the paths”. His philosphy is that he has to learn it on his own, it is not something that can be taught. We watch as Siddartha comes to this conculsion after years of teaching, we see him set out on his own, stumble, rediscover what is important to him, and then eventually find what he is looking for.
Since it is only my first time having read this book I feel as if I only brushed the surface. I would say that the lessons learned are basic lessons that most people realize but it’s good to be reminded of them. I’m sure if I continue to re-read this book over the course of my life I’ll take different lessons from it each time that I read it. I found it to be a very peaceful read.
in “ALL”
It took few hours to finish the novel. As someone has said in the review, an audio version would be better i think. Overall, the writing is clear.
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