Siddhartha

I fell in love with the characters, their foibles, and their search for answers. I feel lost at times, not seeing the forest for the trees, but this book showed the path of the protagonist who goes through many phases in his life, coming out the other end renewed, content, and with a revealing of his own spirit and accumulation of experience and knowledge which I found to be profound.

He deals with contemporary issues in a myth-like setting. I do not know much about Buddhism, but this book has those elements. It’s a wonderful read. Something I would pick… show more.

Siddhartha is a profound exploration of spirituality, self-discovery, and the pursuit of meaning in life.

It encourages readers to seek their own paths, embrace the present moment, and develop a deep sense of interconnectedness with the world around them. The books protagonist Siddhartha encounters various forms of suffering throughout his journey, and he comes to recognize the necessity and inevitability of pain and hardship in life.

The novel teaches that true wisdom and growth can arise from embracing and accepting suffering rather than trying to escape or avoid it.

One of the first books I had ever read in both English and the original language, this book can best be described by a comment I received from a fellow passenger when reading it; “That is the type of book which you read once and shouldn’t keep, pass it on to someone else.”

That is because this story has so much to teach any and everyone uniquely and individually. The story of the eponymously named Siddhartha who mirrors the life of the ancient Indian prince turned spiritual leader. This is an exploration into the meaning of every facet of life,… show more.

This narrative approach took me on a profound exploration of the human experience that offers valuable insights into the nature of wisdom, self-discovery, and the balance between worldly pleasures and spiritual fulfillment.

It helps remind me that wisdom and enlightenment can only be found within ourselves, and that the personal journey of self-discovery/connection is crucial to living a fulfilling life. I thoroughly enjoyed the poetic and philosophical style of Hesse’ writing and would consider this book a timeless classic that continues to inspire. 

Herman Hesse’s Indian tale follows the ancient journey of Siddhartha, a fictional character on a spiritual path to find meaning in a world full of suffering and greed by renouncing his family and all worldly possessions to become a wandering holy man (Samana).

Along his journey he discovers and meets the actual Buddha (Gautama Buddha), and although he was deeply impressed with the Buddha’s honorable teachings, Siddhartha, disappointed, chose instead to follow his own path believing that one cannot find enlightenment by only following the words of a teacher but instead by experiencing and embracing all aspects of life personally… show more.

Herman Hesse’s Siddhartha is the story of a young Brahmin boy who abandons the comfort of his wealthy family to seek illumination. Written in rich, seductive prose, it helps the reader to understand that the spiritual journey doesn’t prevent the seeker from living. Siddhartha lives fully—which allows him to release the things of this world and find salvation. One of the greatest lessons of the novel is that there are no shortcuts on the spiritual path. You will lose and find your way many times. What matters is that you don’t give up.

Siddhartha was my introduction to Buddhism back in the early 60s. I had to read it a few pages at a time then put it down while I digested what I was reading. As I got deeper in knowledge about Buddhism, I refused to read it again because I was afraid it would seem simplistic after Alan Watts and all those experts. I read it again finally last year and it seemed even richer as I felt I was experiencing Buddhism rather than reading about it. But that’s what a great writer like Hesse does with all his books.

I was sixteen when I first read Siddhartha and knew little to nothing about Eastern mysticism, but I was immediately enchanted by Hesse’s classic tale of a spiritual seeker in the days of the Buddha. By the time I was done, I felt like Siddhartha himself, sitting by the river, my soul quickened, my heart widened, as I connected to Something Bigger and Wiser than my limited self. I’ve returned to this book multiple times over the years and it never fails to elicit the same response. 

Considered one of the most impactful books in literature, Hesse’s story of the Buddha helped him win a Nobel Prize. It chronicles his vision of the Great Master as he goes through the cycles of life (friendship, love, entrepreneurship, etc) only to lose everything in an effort to finally gain his true self. This story paints the ultimate journey of the individual as all the trials of life unfold, but what makes this special is not the triumph of the protagonist, but the acceptance of defeat. Only in defeat can there be any victory.

As someone who was raised in the “religion of atheism” by two cynical parents, I was at first resistant to reading this book that was so popular with the spiritual crowd. However, after reading Siddhartha, I changed my mind entirely. Here was someone who walked the walk with very little talk, forsaking a privileged lifestyle to take a journey into the unknown on a quest to find life’s meaning. There were no easy answers or formulas given and after reading the book twice it dawned on me that the search itself might be the answer. What better lesson could… show more.