Siddhartha: Uncover the Path to Enlightenment - A Journey Beyond the Ordinary

By Hermann Hesse and Bluefire Books

Embark on a transformative journey of self-discovery with the captivating eBook, "Siddhartha: Uncover the Path to Enlightenment." Delve into a spiritual adventure, rich with ancient wisdom and stirring insight.
Authored by Hermann Hesse, this philosophical novel has touched and transformed countless lives, painting a timeless narrative of self-exploration and spiritual quest. 'Siddhartha' is not just a story; it's a profound philosophical journey that explores the very essence of life, love, and enlightenment.
"A beacon of wisdom and enlightenment in the realm of literature." - (Prominent Reviewer's Name)
In this masterpiece, you will:

- Discover the enigmatic world of Siddhartha, a man in pursuit of spiritual truth and self-realization.
- Experience a rich tapestry of wisdom and introspection, shedding light on life's most profound questions.
- Uncover insights into the core tenets of Buddhism and spirituality.Millions have walked with Siddhartha on his path to enlightenment. Now, it's your turn.
Embark on the path today. Download "Siddhartha: Uncover the Path to Enlightenment" and step into a world of profound wisdom and enlightening discovery. Click "Buy Now" to start your journey."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bluefire Books
• Release date: Jul 16, 2023
• ISBN: 9782380377545

Hermann Hesse

Hermann Hesse was a highly acclaimed German author. He was known most famously for his novels Steppenwolfand Siddhartha and his novel The Glass Bead Game earned Hesse a Nobel prize in Literature in 1946. Many of his works explore topics pertaining to self-prescribed societal ostracization. Hesse was fascinated with ways in which one could break the molds of traditional society in an effort to dig deeper into the conventions of selfhood. His fascination with personal awareness earned himself something of a following in the later part of his career. Perceived thus as a sort of “cult-figure” for many young English readers, Hesse’s works were a gateway into their expanding understanding of eastern mysticism and spirituality. Despite Hesse’s personal fame, Siddhartha, was not an immediate success. It was only later that his works received noticeable recognition, largely with audiences internationally. The Glass Bead Game was Hermann Hesse’s final novel, though he continued to express his beliefs through varying forms of art including essays, poems, and even watercolor paintings.

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Hermann Hesse

Published: 1922

Categorie(s): Fiction, Non-Fiction, Human Science, Philosophy

About Hesse:

Hermann Hesse (2 July 1877—9 August 1962) was a German-Swiss poet, novelist, and painter. In 1946, he received the Nobel Prize in Literature. His best-known works include Steppenwolf, Siddhartha, and The Glass Bead Game (also known as Magister Ludi) which explore an individual's search for spirituality outside society.

Part 1

To Romain Rolland, my dear friend

THE SON OF THE BRAHMAN

In the shade of the house, in the sunshine of the riverbank near the boats, in the shade of the Sal-wood forest, in the shade of the fig tree is where Siddhartha grew up, the handsome son of the Brahman, the young falcon, together with his friend Govinda, son of a Brahman. The sun tanned his light shoulders by the banks of the river when bathing, performing the sacred ablutions, the sacred offerings. In the mango grove, shade poured into his black eyes, when playing as a boy, when his mother sang, when the sacred offerings were made, when his father, the scholar, taught him, when the wise men talked. For a long time, Siddhartha had been partaking in the discussions of the wise men, practising debate with Govinda, practising with Govinda the art of reflection, the service of meditation. He already knew how to speak the Om silently, the word of words, to speak it silently into himself while inhaling, to speak it silently out of himself while exhaling, with all the concentration of his soul, the forehead surrounded by the glow of the clear-thinking spirit. He already knew to feel Atman in the depths of his being, indestructible, one with the universe.

Joy leapt in his father's heart for his son who was quick to learn, thirsty for knowledge; he saw him growing up to become great wise man and priest, a prince among the Brahmans.

Bliss leapt in his mother's breast when she saw him, when she saw him walking, when she saw him sit down and get up, Siddhartha, strong, handsome, he who was walking on slender legs, greeting her with perfect respect.

Love touched the hearts of the Brahmans' young daughters when Siddhartha walked through the lanes of the town with the luminous forehead, with the eye of a king, with his slim hips.

But more than all the others he was loved by Govinda, his friend, the son of a Brahman. He loved Siddhartha's eye and sweet voice, he loved his walk and the perfect decency of his movements, he loved everything Siddhartha did and said and what he loved most was his spirit, his transcendent, fiery thoughts, his ardent will, his high calling. Govinda knew: he would not become a common Brahman, not a lazy official in charge of offerings; not a greedy merchant with magic spells; not a vain, vacuous speaker; not a mean, deceitful priest; and also not a decent, stupid sheep in the herd of the many. No, and he, Govinda, as well did not want to become one of those, not one of those tens of thousands of Brahmans. He wanted to follow Siddhartha, the beloved, the splendid. And in days to come, when Siddhartha would become a god, when he would join the glorious, then Govinda wanted to follow him as his friend, his companion, his servant, his spear-carrier, his shadow.

Siddhartha was thus loved by everyone. He was a source of joy for everybody, he was a delight for them all.

But he, Siddhartha, was not a source of joy for himself, he found no delight in himself. Walking the rosy paths of the fig tree garden, sitting in the bluish shade of the grove of contemplation, washing his limbs daily in the bath of repentance, sacrificing in the dim shade of the mango forest, his gestures of perfect decency, everyone's love and joy, he still lacked all joy in his heart. Dreams and restless thoughts came into his mind, flowing from the water of the river, sparkling from the stars of the night, melting from the beams of the sun, dreams came to him and a restlessness of the soul, fuming from the sacrifices, breathing forth from the verses of the Rig-Veda, being infused into him, drop by drop, from the teachings of the old Brahmans.

Siddhartha had started to nurse discontent in himself, he had started to feel that the love of his father and the love of his mother, and also the love of his friend, Govinda, would not bring him joy for ever and ever, would not nurse him, feed him, satisfy him. He had started to suspect that his venerable father and his other teachers, that the wise Brahmans had already revealed to him the most and best of their wisdom, that they had already filled his expecting vessel with their richness, and the vessel was not full, the spirit was not content, the soul was not calm, the heart was not satisfied. The ablutions were good, but they were water, they did not wash off the sin, they did not heal the spirit's thirst, they did not relieve the fear in his heart. The sacrifices and the invocation of the gods were excellent—but was that all? Did the sacrifices give a happy fortune? And what about the gods? Was it really Prajapati who had created the world? Was it not the Atman, He, the only one, the singular one? Were the gods not creations, created like me and you, subject to time, mortal? Was it therefore good, was it right, was it meaningful and the highest occupation to make offerings to the gods? For whom else were offerings to be made, who else was to be worshipped but Him, the only one, the Atman? And where was Atman to be found, where did He reside, where did his eternal heart beat, where else but in one's own self, in its innermost part, in its indestructible part, which everyone had in himself? But where, where was this self, this innermost part, this ultimate part? It was not flesh and bone, it was neither thought nor consciousness, thus the wisest ones taught. So, where, where was it? To reach this place, the self, myself, the Atman, there was another way, which was worthwhile looking for? Alas, and nobody showed this way, nobody knew it, not the father, and not the teachers and wise men, not the holy sacrificial songs! They knew everything, the Brahmans and their holy books, they knew everything, they had taken care of everything and of more than everything, the creation of the world, the origin of speech, of food, of inhaling, of exhaling, the arrangement of the senses, the acts of the gods, they knew infinitely much—but was it valuable to know all of this, not knowing that one and only thing, the most important thing, the solely important thing?

Surely, many verses of the holy books, particularly in the Upanishades of Samaveda, spoke of this innermost and ultimate thing, wonderful verses. Your soul is the whole world, was written there, and it was written that man in his sleep, in his deep sleep, would meet with his innermost part and would reside in the Atman. Marvellous wisdom was in these verses, all knowledge of the wisest ones had been collected here in magic words, pure as honey collected by bees. No, not to be looked down upon was the tremendous amount of enlightenment which lay here collected and preserved by innumerable generations of wise Brahmans.— But where were the Brahmans, where the priests, where the wise men or penitents, who had succeeded in not just knowing this deepest of all knowledge but also to live it? Where was the knowledgeable one who wove his spell to bring his familiarity with the Atman out of the sleep into the state of being awake, into the life, into every step of the way, into word and deed? Siddhartha knew many venerable Brahmans, chiefly his father, the pure one, the scholar, the most venerable one. His father was to be admired, quiet and noble were his manners, pure his life, wise his words, delicate and noble thoughts lived behind its brow —but even he, who knew so much, did he live in blissfulness, did he have peace, was he not also just a searching man, a thirsty man? Did he not, again and again, have to drink from holy sources, as a thirsty man, from the offerings, from the books, from the disputes of the Brahmans? Why did he, the irreproachable one, have to wash off sins every day, strive for a cleansing every day, over and over every day? Was not Atman in him, did not the pristine source spring from his heart? It had to be found, the pristine source in one's own self, it had to be possessed! Everything else was searching, was a detour, was getting lost.

Thus were Siddhartha's thoughts, this was his thirst, this was his suffering.

Often he spoke to himself from a Chandogya-Upanishad the words: Truly, the name of the Brahman is satyam—verily, he who knows such a thing, will enter the heavenly world every day. Often, it seemed near, the heavenly world, but never he had reached it completely, never he had quenched the ultimate thirst. And among all the wise and wisest men, he knew and whose instructions he had received, among all of them there was no one, who had reached it completely, the heavenly world, who had quenched it completely, the eternal thirst.

Govinda, Siddhartha spoke to his friend, Govinda, my dear, come with me under the Banyan tree, let's practise meditation.

They went to the Banyan tree, they sat down, Siddhartha right here, Govinda twenty paces away. While putting himself down, ready to speak the Om, Siddhartha repeated murmuring the verse:

Om is the bow, the arrow is soul, The Brahman is the arrow's target, That one should incessantly hit.

After the usual time of the exercise in meditation had passed, Govinda rose. The evening had come, it was time to perform the evening's ablution. He called Siddhartha's name. Siddhartha did not answer. Siddhartha sat there lost in thought, his eyes were rigidly focused towards a very distant target, the tip of his tongue was protruding a little between the teeth, he seemed not to breathe. Thus sat he, wrapped up in contemplation, thinking Om, his soul sent after the Brahman as an arrow.

Once, Samanas had travelled through Siddhartha's town, ascetics on a pilgrimage, three skinny, withered men, neither old nor young, with dusty and bloody shoulders, almost naked, scorched by the sun, surrounded by loneliness, strangers and enemies to the world, strangers and lank jackals in the realm of humans. Behind them blew a hot scent of quiet passion, of destructive service, of merciless self-denial.

In the evening, after the hour of contemplation, Siddhartha spoke to Govinda: Early tomorrow morning, my friend, Siddhartha will go to the Samanas. He will become a Samana.

Govinda turned pale, when he heard these words and read the decision in the motionless face of his friend, unstoppable like the arrow shot from the bow. Soon and with the first glance, Govinda realized: Now it is beginning, now Siddhartha is taking his own way, now his fate is beginning to sprout, and with his, my own. And he turned pale like a dry banana-skin.

O Siddhartha, he exclaimed, will your father permit you to do that?

Siddhartha looked over as if he was just waking up. Arrow-fast he read in Govinda's soul, read the fear, read the submission.

O Govinda, he spoke quietly, let's not waste words. Tomorrow, at daybreak I will begin the life of the Samanas. Speak no more of it.

Siddhartha entered the chamber, where his father

Reviews for Siddhartha

[kslade-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

OK novel based on life of Buddha

[zoes_human · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I'm terribly disappointed.The prose is lovely, but I was expecting more. If I didn’t have a rudimentary understanding of the most basic tenets of Hinduism and Buddhism, I might feel differently. However I do, and the book strikes me mostly as a European rehash of ancient Vedic ideas. I also derive little pleasure from quest for enlightenment stories. I expect that’s partly because I neither need nor desire an outside meaning for life. I make my own purpose. Being is enough for me, so I struggle to relate to people whose sole source of unhappiness is not knowing the ultimate truth of life. Also I must say, the lead character is utterly unappealing. He's miserable and superior pretty much up until the last ten pages or so. Everything is made so easy for him, yet he suffers. I just don't have much in the way of patience for that sort of person.

[cecrow · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This might have influenced me when I was younger, as it has many others. While Hesse is again exploring his theme of the intellectual's place in society, this famous novel of course is also strongly centered on Eastern religion. But it follows a character arc I never saw coming. The opening chapters lulled me with their expected tone, filled with contemplative and indulgent overlapping sentences. I had falsely assumed this was a fictionalized biography of the Buddha, but in an early chapter Siddhartha actually meets the Buddha (Gotama), and from that point on I had no idea where this was going. Siddhartha steps away from the Buddha's teaching - from all teaching - in the belief that he cannot find true peace of soul through following anyone else's path, only through pursuing his own to self-discovery. He begins to indulge in the world, to experiment with the senses, beginning with sexual pleasure and then proceeding to capitalism and riches. This proves to be a dead end that I felt was an unfair analysis, but Siddhartha has more stones to turn over before his journey is complete and these bring missing shades of meaning to his experience. The lesson about fathers allowing sons to make their own errors and follow their own paths was well portrayed. There are many paths up the spiritual mountain and all may arrive at inner peace. We must allow for this in witnessing the journeys of others, and in looking back on our own.

[squeakychu · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

As a preface to my reaction to this book, I must say that the choice of this book was not my own, but rather the choice of my book club. I personally do not care for books I feel are allegorical. I find them too simplistic with philosophical thought cast at the reader and carefully delineated rather than allowing the reader freedom of thought about what was just read.After reading half of the book, I found Siddhartha truly annoying and would have bailed, had I not agreed to read this book for someone other than myself. I hated that he left his father and then left his friend Govinda, first to seek the life of an ascetic and then to simply pursue riches...which was also accompanied by greed, lust and other vices. Nothing against those last three things other than they had no antithesis in Siddhartha's life at that time. There was later a character I liked very much...a ferryman by the name of Vasudeva. He was a hard-working, thoughtful, kind and caring man. He certainly seemed more well rounded than Siddhartha. At the end of the book, as I suspected, we the readers were told what we should have gotten out of this story. I read it. Yeah. Yeah. Beautiful and all that...but very abstract. I like more literal story-telling.I am glad I read this book, though, as I had never before read a book by Herman Hesse, and this author was one of my dear late aunt Emma's favorite writers. I might later explore more of his works to see if there are other books of his I might like better.

[deltaqueen50 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Although Siddhartha by Herman Hesse was originally published in 1922, I remember that it was very influential during the 1960s and was touted as a book to help lead one to a higher level of enlightenment and towards learning the meaning of life. I was able to avoid the book back then but picked it up recently as it fit both the challenge of reading 1,001 Books and the topic of Eastern Philosophies for another challenge. I found the book was easily read, but this type of internal belly-button gazing really isn’t my cup of tea.The book details the life of Siddhartha, a son of a prominent Brahmin in ancient India. Although born to a life of privilege, he turns his back on home and family and chooses instead to join a group of Samanas, who live as hermits, giving up all possessions in the hope of finding himself and reaching a higher level of self awareness. After a number of years he felt he had learned all that he could from the hermits and chose to continue his journey of self-discovery in a different direction, including the embracing of an excess of material goods. He experiments with different teachers and methods but finds no satisfaction. Eventually he turns to a simple life and this helps him as he strives to approach Nirvana.This allegorical tale was written by a westerner for a western audience and as such barely skims the surface of Indian philosophy. I think this could be a good place to start one’s journey to understanding karma but most likely lacks the depth that one would need in order to fully grasp the wisdom and ascetics of eastern spirituality. Personally I never felt that this book resonated with me or offered me any type of revelation so it was a book of interest but not one of learning.

[mbmackay · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Last read in the 1970s when Hesse was very trendy. Re-reading in 2020s has been an experience. The book doesn't quite hold up to my memories. Rather than being deep and very meaningful, I found it to be a simple short saga of the stages of life. The oriental mysticism no longer seems deep, but the book is not without wisdom. So, a nice read, but not the answer to question of the meaning of life!

[nosborm · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A bit short but I was told to pause at the end of every chapter (which I did) to fully absorb the work. I appreciated it but I think I would have liked it more had I "studied" it. A pretty good read.

[kcshankd · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I read this early, I think in high school. Re-reading as a father with three sons nearing launch (18, 17, 13) it still slaps, though now it stings... Should call dad

[angelajmaher · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A very interesting read that addresses the idea of meaning in life, and which might perhaps incite some deeper thinking in the reader. This is not a difficult book to read, but it is a worthwhile read.

[hippielunatic · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I cannot fully comprehend this book, and yet it clearly states all of my intrinsic beliefs.

[seriousgrace · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

How do I describe Siddhartha? In simple terms I would say it’s one man’s journey to find his identity. In the end he finds peace in listening to a river and hearing his heart. In listening, he learns. In hearing, he loves. There is a great deal that happens in between, of course. The proudest and more profound moment was when Siddhartha recognized the pain he currently experiences as the exact same pain he inflicted on his father so long ago. What goes around comes around, as they say.

[schneider_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Not a bad short philosophical read. Gave me a few moments of reflection, which I felt was a good thing...a book that makes one think. Novel concept.

[evelyn.b · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My brother let me borrow his copy that he has had for years. This book was a beautiful, thought-provoking prose that got me asking myself some really good questions. We see the stages of life that Siddhartha goes through, the people he meets along the way, the scenery that is so beautifully captured by Hesse. This book is a quick read, but definitely a must read for anyone who wants to read a beautiful story and look in to themselves just as Siddhartha does on his journey through life.

[avengingexile · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The story of a pretentious twat and his inability to take responsibility for his actions.

[bhiggs-822148 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I don't remember enjoying this much. Yet, I also don't have any memory of hating it. Maybe one day I'll revisit it.

[technodiabla · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I found this little tome to be packed with messages I'll likely ponder for some time. This quick easy read (often assigned in high school) has layers of meaning that warrant revisiting later in life. It is the story of Siddhartha-- the youth, then man, as he wanders through life searching for meaning and Nirvana.

[eldang-1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I first read this book half a lifetime ago, and loved it. Siddharta's searching spoke to 16-year-old me, and the simplicity of the prose struck me as beautiful and appropriate. So re-reading it was very disappointing - this time around the skeleton of the story still speaks to me, but the prose just feels unfinished, more like reading a storyboard than a completed work. And the westerner's-eye-view of India and Buddhism just feels painfully naive and reifying: odd, given that Hesse actually did know what he was talking about, but all the same it was painful enough that I didn't finish the book the second time around.

[stevenjohntait · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very good book. Gives everything apart from actual enlightenment.

[amerynth · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Having only read one novel by Hesse before ("The Glass Bead Game,") this slim little volume wasn't what I expected when I requested "Siddhartha" from the library. Although this is a rather simple story, I found it to be a pretty enjoyable read.Siddhartha is a young Brahmin who goes through a number of phases in his lifetime, which contribute to his ultimate understanding of the universe. Hesse's simple style in this novel works well for the story, which was a fun read.

[oacevedo-792047 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed Siddhartha. It was a beautiful, inspiring read. Highly recommend it!

[datrappert · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This review is specifically for the audio version read by Geoffrey Giuliano. This is a pretty suitable book for audio. It is only about five hours long and the story is straightforward. The narrator does a good job, but whoever records the intro and outro sections sounds like a maniac. I almost stopped listening after a few seconds.As for the book, it is one I've had on my shelf for decades but never read. I read Hesse's Steppenwolf, when I was a teen or maybe in my early twenties; I remember liking it but don't remember anything else about it. I thought Siddhartha was about the Buddha, but in fact, it is about someone who meets the Buddha but, while appreciating his teachings, realizes that you cannot achieve nirvana through teachings. One line I particularly remember is that knowledge can be taught, but wisdom cannot. During the course of the story, Siddhartha tries out many lifestyles and can be said to succeed in all of them, but he is still finding. Which relates to another great quote, which is that those who seek cannot find, because they are too focused on what they are seeking. Meaning they miss out on all the other things around them. By the end of the book, Siddhartha seems to have found what he needs to find. Whether or not you as a reader can embrace his ultimate philosophy is up to you. The contradictory nature of the book is that Siddhartha would probably tell you not to--you have to find your own.

[carmenere_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

If you've come to this novella, you, like Siddhartha, may be a seeker. You, like Siddhartha, may be struggling to discover the meaning of life, looking for enlightenment. Perhaps, you may be required to read it, surely, there is a reason this story is assigned reading, right? Well, truthfully, you may not find all the answers here but consider Hesse's poetic prose as a continuation of your personal journey.Like Odysseus, there is much to lure Siddhartha off his path and which deter him from achieving his goal. Still, his associations with Kamala, Kamaswami and Govinda are not wasted moments in Siddhartha's life, rather they are a piece of his learning experience. Surprisingly, it is when Siddhartha struggles the most, when he is at his lowest, the moment he finds his love is not reciprocated that he finds the answer. This is a book to be read and reread and although each read may be different than the last it will surely leave its impression upon your journey.

[ecataldi-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I wasn't really sure what to expect, being nearly 100 years old and translated to English (as well as nearly every other language in the world), but the narration was wonderful and sucked me right in. Siddhartha tells the story of a young Indian man who has decided to reject his comfortable lifestyle to seek enlightenment. At first this journey begins with self denial to find higher fulfillment, but as Siddhartha ages so do his opinions and worldviews. His journey takes him through luxury, love, hatred, desire, denial, and acceptance. Told with wonderful prose, many consider this novel to be the finest moral allegory ever written. Only by failure, does Siddhartha find what he is looking for. Readers will find some aspect of Siddhartha's journey to relate to. “Wisdom cannot be imparted. Wisdom that a wise man attempts to impart always sounds like foolishness to someone else ... Knowledge can be communicated, but not wisdom. One can find it, live it, do wonders through it, but one cannot communicate and teach it.”

[justagirlwithabook · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I read this in high school as required reading for an AP Lit class. I actually found this one more interesting and enjoyed it at the time. If I were to read it now, as an adult, I don't know if I would enjoy it quite as much, but that's okay. I do recommend this one for those interested in philosophical reads.

[jphamilton-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Back when I was in college in the 1970s, I went on a serious, and predictable, Hermann Hesse reading jag ... and SIDDHARTHA was among those many, many titles. I have reread it many times in the years since then.. Presently, having just finished the book, I'm still glowing from the book's conclusion. Feeling a light and warm breeze, in a garden buzzing with bees, it was my favorite experience with a book in quite some time. These feelings are why I read.

[montzaleew · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

SiddharthaBy: Hermann HesseNarrated by: Christopher PreeceThis is an audible book I requested and the review is voluntary. This is the first time I actually understand this book. I have read this book before a few times but it is a difficult book to read. For me, it is hard to stay focused and follow what is going on at times. With this audible book, with this narrator, I finally got the flow of the book! That's a big plus. Once I understood the basics of what was going on, I understood more. Do I understand all? No, but I get it a lot more. The narrator was wonderful with a clear, soothing voice that was perfect!

[mamzel_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A short book, this story relates how a young man leaves his home to try and find his place in the world, to find a place of peace. Along the way he learns how to control his body, he meets the Buddha, separates from his childhood friend, learns about physical love from a courtesan, about business, and how to listen to the river from a ferryman. He encounters his friend several times and compares how his search with help from the Buddha has compared to his own.This book is full of peace and I think I will reread it again and again for its gentle wisdom.

[greeniezona · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book has been on my shelves for quite some time, but I became even more interested in it when I learned that it is one of the few books Andrew has read that I have not! So it was an easy inclusion for my TBR pile challenge, and to be the first I read from that list.

My livejournal friends predicted I would like this book, and they were right. Really, what I knew about Buddhism is mostly limited to what I read in a year's subscription to Tricycle magazine, and reading the first two books in Osamu Tezuka's Buddha series. (I really need to get the next one!) That is to say -- not much.

Siddhartha is a very enjoyable, fairly quick read. Like the title character, I've come from an intellectual background and would like to believe that the secret of life could be taught by book or by some great teacher, but suspect also that it must be lived. Though as a mother, I am frustrated by the repeated teachings of detachment by Western Buddhist men. Perhaps I should seek out a Buddhist mother as an example. Or I could simply acknowledge that I am not Buddhist and move on. Or perhaps, like Siddhartha, I need to live in the muck of attachment a while longer, and hope that lesson is realized in my life at a later date.

It is a beautiful book with lovely ideas. I will definitely keep it on my shelf to reread at a later date.

[dr_cicle · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book is very enlightening! I really liked the plot but the way the author wrote bothered me so much. That is why I rated this as a 3

[dreesie-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I liked this much more than I expected to. As a young man the Brahmin Siddhartha leaves his father to be a samana, a monk of sorts, searching for truth and enlightenment. He then begins to follow one man known as a Buddha. After much time with him, he decides he is ready for something else, knowing nothing of women or the ways of the world. He becomes a successful businessman and a lover--and years later realizes how much of his wisdom and skill has been lost (how to wait, how to fast...). He leaves his lover and business and becomes a ferryman, with the man who ferried him years before. There he gains happiness and wisdom, and knowledge of the cycle and sameness of all life and time.