Siddhartha is one of the books that were highly recommended to me by a friend. I had no idea what it had in store for me. It was very different from the ones I had read before and it took over about 1.5 readings to finally register the essence of this book.
Hermann Hesse explains his philosophy to the readers in the form of a story. Much like the alchemist , this story is also based on a single individual and his quest for the final answers. It is a story about a boy named Siddhartha, the brahmin who goes on to experience life as it is and without judgements and with the objective of finding salvation, just to learn and then unlearn the ways of human life.
What keeps the reader excited is the evasiveness of Siddhartha and his ability to make very absurd but wise decisions.What makes Hesse different from other writers is his ability to allow the reader to choose out of the many paths and learnings of Siddhartha,which one is correct or adjusted for him.Hesse does not show you a different door of answers, but showcases different prospectives of life and their importance in identifying the right one for oneself.
The story that starts of as a quest for answer, goes through a lot of emotional and environmental impacts and experiences, only in the end to showcase the relevance of each and their role in the fulfillment of one's life purpose.Not only for Siddhartha , but for everyone he has interacted with in his life and how they find true purpose, is the essence of the book.I would like to sum by my review of the book , by saying that only by experiencing the book, would you be able to judge if it works for you, not by reading its teaching.
This is in sync with one special interaction of Siddhartha to Buddha," Dear exalted one, you have found salvation from death.It has come to you , in your own search,on your own path,through thoughts ,through meditation , through realizations, through enlightenment. It has not come to you by means of teaching!And, thus is my thought,O exalted one ,nobody will obtain salvation by means of teachings! you will not be able to convey to anybody,in words and through teachings,what has happened to you in the hour of enlightenment."
Hermann Hesse explains his philosophy to the readers in the form of a story. Much like the alchemist , this story is also based on a single individual and his quest for the final answers. It is a story about a boy named Siddhartha, the brahmin who goes on to experience life as it is and without judgements and with the objective of finding salvation, just to learn and then unlearn the ways of human life.
What keeps the reader excited is the evasiveness of Siddhartha and his ability to make very absurd but wise decisions.What makes Hesse different from other writers is his ability to allow the reader to choose out of the many paths and learnings of Siddhartha,which one is correct or adjusted for him.Hesse does not show you a different door of answers, but showcases different prospectives of life and their importance in identifying the right one for oneself.
The story that starts of as a quest for answer, goes through a lot of emotional and environmental impacts and experiences, only in the end to showcase the relevance of each and their role in the fulfillment of one's life purpose.Not only for Siddhartha , but for everyone he has interacted with in his life and how they find true purpose, is the essence of the book.I would like to sum by my review of the book , by saying that only by experiencing the book, would you be able to judge if it works for you, not by reading its teaching.
This is in sync with one special interaction of Siddhartha to Buddha," Dear exalted one, you have found salvation from death.It has come to you , in your own search,on your own path,through thoughts ,through meditation , through realizations, through enlightenment. It has not come to you by means of teaching!And, thus is my thought,O exalted one ,nobody will obtain salvation by means of teachings! you will not be able to convey to anybody,in words and through teachings,what has happened to you in the hour of enlightenment."
