Siddhartha (novel)
Siddhartha is an allegorical novel by Hermann Hesse which deals with the spiritual journey of an Indian man called Siddhartha during the time of the Buddha.
The book was written in German, in a simple, powerful and lyrical language. It was first published in 1922, after Hesse had spent some time in India in the 1910s. It was first published in the U.S. in 1951, and became influential during the 1960s.
"Siddhartha" means "he who has attained his goals." The full name of the Buddha was Siddhartha Gautama.
Summary
When Siddhartha, the gifted and popular son of a Brahmin, gets weary of the formal and strict ways of Hindu praying and sacrificing, he leaves home together with Govinda, his admiring friend. (Govinda is also one of the names of Krishna. Translated literally, it means "the protector of the cows") They join a group of samanas, wandering monks living in the woods who try to conquer the inner self by fasting and living like ascetics. After three years of this life, the boys hear about the Buddha and they leave the samanas to listen to his teachings. Govinda joins the Buddhist monks. Siddhartha however, is convinced that only personal experience and not external teachings can lead to true knowledge and salvation. From there he decides to "find himself" and re-enters the world.
He wanders on and reaches the house of a rich courtesan, Kamala, who begins to take a liking to the young man. She tells him to find a job and return with gifts, so that she can teach him the art of love. Siddhartha becomes assistant to a merchant, Kamaswami, and turns out to be quite successful. At first he remains detached and rather amused about how seriously the "child people" take everyday matters, but gradually he immerses himself into a life of gambling and greed. Eventually, unhappy and tired of playing life like an empty game, he leaves again.
After a spell of depression, he feels the joy of new-found freedom, happy to have had the past experiences. At a river, he meets for the second time in his life, the contented ferryman, Vasudeva, and decides to stay with him. (Vasudeva is also the name of an important figure in Hinduism.) The two share a deep love for the river and work together as ferrymen. Meanwhile, Kamala, unbeknownst to Siddhartha, had given birth to his son. When she and her son go on a pilgrimage to see the Buddha, Kamala is bitten by a snake near the river. Before she dies, she recognizes Siddhartha and tells him the boy is his son. Siddhartha takes care of his discontented son and tries to instill appreciation of the simple life and virtue into him. Ultimately, he fails and his son leaves the river to return to the city and live his own life.
It is after his son leaves him that Siddhartha recognizes the essence of all wisdom is the oneness of all. Together with Vasudeva, he listens to the many voices of the river which come to represent the oneness of all the people, plants and animals. The noise of the mingled voices of the river melds into the sacred syllable, "Om." After the realization, the old ferryman, Vasudeva leaves for the forest to die. Siddhartha's friend of his youth, Govinda, comes by the river, still a Buddhist monk and still searching. When he asks about the teaching that has brought Siddhartha peace, Siddhartha replies that too much searching can get in the way of finding, that time is an illusion and all is one. Everything deserves love, except words: true wisdom cannot be conveyed with words or thoughts.
References and external links
- Siddhartha, An Indian tale, Hermann Hesse, Bantam Books, 1981, mass market paperback, 160 pages, ISBN 0553208845
- Siddhartha at Project Gutenberg in German
- Siddhartha at Project Gutenberg in English
- Free eBook of Siddhartha at Read Print in English
- IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070689
See also
Slovenian rock band Siddharta is named after the book. The members say that they "liked the sound of the title."
Musical reference
The 1972 Yes album Close to The Edge was inspired by the book.
Radiohead's 2001 album Amnesiac contains themes and lyrics inspired by the book.