Siddhartha

I first read it as a college in the 60s, when my age group was first exploring Eastern philosophy. Next, I read it as a householder and parent. It seemed like a different book. Reading it again as a senior, it has a whole different meaning. As the boatman told Siddhartha, The river is always the same, yet it is different each time we experience it.

Yes, the Kindle edition has some typos and translation issues, but these are the sorts of issues that are par for the course reading translated texts, you can certainly get the overall gist of the story. Its an acceptable edition. Siddhartha is beautifully written, and worth reading. Its essentially a collection of essays, each trying to explain and illustrate concepts of Buddhist thought. The first story stands alone, and is as close to perfectas literature gets. The short version of the story is that a young boy named Siddhartha is trying to learn to lead a more perfect life, and after many trials and tribulations he comes to meet a mystic by the name of Gautama. For anyone who doesnt know, Siddhartha Gautama is the full name of the Buddha. This story serves as a biography for how the young Siddhartha came to be the Buddha, while at the same time serving as a metaphor for how people of the time- or indeed you as the reader- can come to understand the Buddha and his teachings. From that description alone you should be able to see all the layers in this book, its wonderful. The book does everything right. Its a good story on its own, but its also written in the style of Buddhist literature. There is a lot of repetition, as were present in the Buddhas own words, without getting annoying. There is adventure, metaphor, allusion, and biography. Its food for thought. Anyone worried about this sounding overly religious or hokey need not worry- the stories here are just as powerful if you read them in a perfectly secular way where the Buddha was just a wise man and not any kind of deity. As someone whos advanced in Buddhist/Zen thought myself, the message of the opening chapter is absolutely perfect. This continues through the book. If you want a play-by-play for exactly what Englightenment is supposed to be, how to attain it and how to live with it, the first story is one of the best examples Ive ever read. Id almost go so far as to say that you cant read the first chapter without getting it- its just too perfect of a description of what Enlightenment is- but human beings have an amazing ability to miss the point. So this book is great prose in and of itself, read as pure fiction its lovely. As a biography of the Buddha and his travels, its light on detail but rich in imagery. As a how-to manual for meditation and better living, its similarly amazing. An all-around class act, I wish this text- in a better translation- would be mandatory reading for anyone who wants to consider themselves learn-ed.

The book is an amazing manifestation of what it means to really enjoy life. Siddharthas journey of life is a lesson that teaches all of us to enjoy every moment in life. Sometimes its good to go downwards, to sink and seek the depth. Live and love life!

Siddhartha remains one of the most essential books to explore. Though it is written by one of Germanys leading authors, Herman Hesse, the book takes the reader back to ancient times in the East. This is a spiritually fulfilling book that helps raise consciousness to a higher level. A MUST read for those who want to be knowledgeable. It is one of the great books of modern times. I read it in my youth, and now I have read it again in my later years. It comes to life and has so much more meaning the second time around. It is a beautiful book.

This is not my first time reading Siddharta. I was in my late teens when I read it first and it had a great influence on me at the time. Ive read it several times since then and I find it amazing that every time something new comes up for me. And the new Im referring to is not in the text itself, since the book continues to be the same as the first time I read it. That new Im talking about is something within myself that I hadnt noticed before. Its like peeling an onion, you take a layer off and there is another and another and another...

I read this book as a young man and it touched me. I am rereading this now some 25 years later and it is touching me in a whole new way. Its lessons are beautiful and simple at the same time. They feel like they come from a very wise and benevolent soul. I feel very fortunate to have found this beautiful book.

Very powerful and efficient prose. I will read this book over and over again to remind me of the universes balance and connections.

What did I just read? Frankly, I am not quite sure. Was it a religious treatise? Was it a journey of enlightenment? It will no doubt take some time to process my feelings about this book. It is truly a journey of discovery, but Siddhartha,s journey became much more than he ever expected it to be. From a point of sacrifice and inner peace, he found himself in the very place from which he was trying to escape. When the reality of his life overwhelmed him, he disappeared into a place of poverty, solitude, and sacrifice that finally brought to him the reward that he had sought for so many years--until he found and then lost a familial love that he had never thought that he would have. If you go into this book expecting Siddhartha to climb the highest mountain to ask his mentor the true meaning of life, you will be wrong. What Siddhartha ultimately finds will be for the reader to decide.

An extremely inspirational book. Truly loved how this book broke down the concept of Oneness at the end. The author’s bio at the end was just as interesting:)

Great book, but the audio and text are out of sync. This needs to be corrected.