Siddhartha

“Your soul is the whole world”

A lot of people for the longest time recommended me this book. I have to say I’m slightly disappointed with the experience of reading it, maybe because my expectations were so high, as all of the wise and profound people I know seem to admire it. When I was younger (high school) I’ve read Steppenwolf and I was in complete awe of Hesse’s writing, and I regarded him as one of most sagacious writers I’ve ever come across. Later on (in college) I attempted to read The Glass Bead Game, equally adored it but haven’t had enough time to finish it.
Theme-wise this book is right up my alley - combining psychological development with spiritual path of Buddhism - sign me up.
However, I wasn’t as enchanted with Hesse’s writing in this one, I found it to be less profound than in his other books, even though it is thematic in a similar niche of self-discovery. Maybe that’s due to my evolution as a reader as I have already read a number of books exploring the same matter or Hesse's writing really is a bit uneven. I would like to attempt some of his other books again to test those theories.

This book has high quality ideas but for some reason they didn’t sit with me as well. I think the main reson is I couldn’t connect to the main character and found him self-conceived, arrogant, almost without ability to love, and hugely disliked the underlying storyline of his predetermined extra ordinance and specialty, as his superiority to the other ‘’ordinary’’ men is established early on. In my opinion, the division between preordained chosen ones and regular people is malignant (any separation that makes us think there are inherently two kinds of people), and can cause inferiority complex in common people that don’t view themselves in that way, and grandiosity in others that think to be special means not being a true self but establishing difference (basically meaning superiority) to others.

''But still he had felt different from and superior to the others; always he had watched them with some mockery, some mocking disdain, with the same disdain which a Samana constantly feels for the people of the world.''

It’s of great importance to establish that there are no two kinds of people, and every person in the core self is special, chosen to be alive, and called to the path of maturation and individuation. In some way, Siddartha comes to shift of perspective as he learns to appreciate ‘’common’’ people, but for me, it was too little too late, as he already displayed too much annoying narcissism, maybe characteristic to everybody who perceives themselves as woken.
Especially Siddartha's relationship with Govinda displayed inequality, as Govinda always was a subordinate, bland, and unspecial character. I, in contrast to Govinda, didn't project numinous characteristics onto Siddharta, my feelings were more similar to this statement: But he, Siddhartha, was not a source of joy for himself, he found no delight in himself.
Glad we agree on this Siddharta. I really haven’t found any delight in him as a character, no matter how hard I tried to, but maybe that was Hesse’s intention to invoke in a reader similar feelings and perception as Siddhartha had of himself? I know that in the storyline he reached his true inner self, but for me, that wasn’t the most convincing process even though there were real moments of transcendence. Maybe that is also the point, that the meaning of life is reachable not in the continuity but only in small fragments of time, as these moments are worth being alive for. I would say I like the whole narrative if all of the other characters are regarded as symbolic, representing inner archetypes in Siddhartha. I highly appreciate and agree with the main idea - that one can’t regain true wisdom and authenticity just through following spiritual teaching and religious practices.

''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!''

Siddartha comes to this realization early on, as he observes that a lot of people follow Buddha, comprehend and adhere to his teaching, but the end result of their path differs greatly, as they don’t have the equal charisma, influence or awakeness.

''Thousands of followers are listening to his teachings every day, follow his instructions every hour, but they are all falling leaves, not in themselves they have teachings and a law.''

Ideas of Buddhism are intelligently incorporated but also blended with Jungian individuation and excerpts of Nietzschean philosophy. Different concepts are not pushed into the character (or readers), as Siddartha discovers them from his own experience rather than an understanding of others. So the path that we follow should always be just ours, personal, individual, as there is no teaching in this world that can give us true wisdom without authentic intrapersonal transformational process. Subjective truth acquainted by experience is valued more than memorized knowledge containing the insight of others.

''Look, my dear Govinda, this is one of my thoughts, which I have found: wisdom cannot be passed on. Wisdom which a wise man tries to pass on to someone always sounds like foolishness.''

''Knowledge can be conveyed, but not wisdom. It can be found, it can be lived, it is possible to be carried by it, miracles can be performed with it, but it cannot be expressed in words and taught.''

In the beginning, Siddharta through his dissatisfaction both with himself and his environment comes to the realization that the world is a mere stage, theatre of masks, full of personas living a false, inauthentic life, even the wisest and spiritual people are no strangers to this kind of deceit. He experiences an existential crisis facing the reality of life that returns to him in circles. His crises are a good example of painful events that are an inherent part of psychological maturation, as deeply questioning one’s life leads to freedom. Buddist path to eliminate suffering, that has some elements which I don’t agree on, leads the main character to the exploration of oneself and having a more balanced perspective that transcends the limits of thinking in black and white colors. Traditionally Buddhist attempt to eliminate ego and desire is transformed in acceptance and integration of wholeness of oneself, as all parts have an important role in attaining self-knowledge and wisdom, more of a Jungian and Nietzschean viewpoint. Siddartha’s process of engagement goes through different phases - hedonistic, nihilistic, mystic, rational, relational and meaningful ones. In every stage, he explores an archetype/complex that is part of himself - Brahman, Shaman, rich man, gambler, ferryman. I like that Siddartha’s spiritual revelations were not ground-breaking, as he often struggled after them as before. I am also fond of the fact he explored vastly different aspects of himself - dark, vein, lustful sides, in order to reach his ultimate, true Self. The good and bad experiences, progression and regression both play an immense part in enlightenment and the big cycle of life. No stage in life is futile or isolated, and no person is merely evil or virtuous. This book can be a good example for both individuation and spiritual journey but I would recommend it to people who are beginners in the exploration of psychology or/and spiritually as I see it as a more of an introduction, maybe not for someone deeply engaged in the topics. I can see myself reading this book 10 years ago and being completely fascinated with it, and I would say then the book would have a much greater impact on me. But in this day and age, I already read a lot of material of this kind so the ideas are not new to me. But I will humble myself and admit this book is still a great accomplishment and a lot of people would benefit from it greatly! Always look inward as nor Hesse, nor Budda/Jung/Nietzsche can give you enlightenment, only point in the direction of it.

“You know how to talk wisely, my friend. Be aware of too much wisdom!”

Hermann Hesse writes as though his words are god's perspective, but I don't believe in god... And, for the most part, I think god is boring. I believe most people like this book because they think they will look dumb if they don't.

A leitura desta obra aconteceu devido a um daqueles episódios que, por vezes, me acometem e que consistem em retirar da estante para ler o primeiro livro para o qual olho. E, para grande surpresa minha, este nem sequer estava na minha lista de livros que tenho em casa (sou um pouco obsessiva na manutenção dessa lista, daí o meu espanto).
Bom, acabei por iniciar a leitura; devo ter lido cerca de dez páginas quando percebi, finalmente, que estava a iniciar a leitura de um romance filosófico. Como nunca tinha lido nada acerca desta obra fiquei um pouco confusa... Afinal, eu estava a ler acerca do quê? Lá fui lendo aos poucos, quando tal me era permitido. Foi apenas hoje, quando retomei a leitura, que percebi sobre o que estava a ler e, não sei bem como, acabei por ficar completamente agarrada às páginas. Queria saber no que tanta reflexão daria e não fiquei desiludida. Concordava com umas coisas, não tanto com outras, mas a minha conclusão é esta: estava a precisar de ler este livro, pois deu-me muito em que pensar e isso é algo que, hoje em dia, valorizo bastante!

«Καλά δεν έχεις διαβάσει Έσσε;», με ρώτησε η φίλη μου, λέμε τώρα, καρακάξα και με κοίταξε μ’ένα βλέμμα γεμάτο απαξίωση.
Έτοιμο ήμουν να βγάλω τη γλώσσα μου, να συρίξω και να χώσω τα δόντια μου και να την δαγκώσω, να το βουλώσει μια και καλή, έλα όμως που δεν είχα διαβάσει Έσσε και δεν ήξερα πως έπρεπε να συμπεριφερθώ.
«Όχι, δεν έχω διαβάσει. Δεν το ‘χω με τους Γερμανούς. Ένα ολοκαύτωμα, δυο παγκόσμιοι πόλεμοι, τρία μνημόνια δεν…», μουρμούρισα μετά βίας μέσα από τα δόντια μου και σύρθηκα πάραυτα στο κοντινότερο βιβλιοπωλείο να βρω τον πρώτο Έσσε που θα ‘πεφτε στο κεφάλι μου.
«Σιντάρτα», λοιπόν… Ένα ινδικό παραμύθι ως υπότιτλος. Ξεκινώ λοιπόν, με βαριά καρδιά και άκρως προκατειλημμένο. Όχι, αποκλείεται ένας Γερμανός να έχει πνεύμα. Τι κι αν πήρε το Νόμπελ; Μήπως δεν ξέρουμε τις κλίκες και τα μέσα που δίνονται όλα τα βραβεία; Σ’εμάς τώρα;
Διαβάζω την πρώτη σελίδα, εντάξει λέω… «σιγά τα ωά». Μεγάλες προτάσεις, κάτι λυρικές περιγραφές, μπερδεμένο λεξιλόγιο… Εντάξει ρε μεγάλε, καταλάβαμε… Και συνεχίζω γιατί εκτός από φίδι φαρμακόγλωσσο, είμαι και φίδι καταναγκαστικόν. Δεν αφήνω βιβλίο στη μέση.
Τι κόλλημα έπαθα φίλε μου; Πόσα νοήματα ζωής μέσα σε τόσες λίγες σελίδες; Μετά από αυτό το βιβλίο, σίγουρα δεν είμαι το ίδιο φίδι. Άλλαξα φιδοπουκάμισο, φοβάμαι πως έγινα καλύτερο φίδι, πιο ανεκτικό, πιο αγαπησιάρικο, πιο σοφό… Θε Μου, πώς θα δαγκώνω τώρα;
Ο νεαρός Σιντάρτα, παρέα με το φίλο του, τον Γκοβίντα, εγκαταλείπει πατέρα, φυλή, πατρίδα σε αναζήτηση της υπέρτατης αλήθειας. Από γιος βραχμάνου, γίνεται σαμάνος, γνωρίζει την ηδονή με την Καμάλα την εταίρα, παρατάει τα πλούτη για να γίνει περαματάρης, γνωρίζει τον άγνωστο γιο του για να τον χάσει… Ω! είναι από τα βιβλία που δεν έχει καμία απολύτως σημασία η υπόθεση. Η ιστορία είναι μόνο το προκάλυμμα για να σου πει όλα όσα έχει να σου πει.
Συμβουλή… Να είστε έτοιμοι για ένα ταξίδι φιλοσοφίας, αναζήτησης, αναγνώρισης του εαυτού σας… Δεν είναι εύκολο πράγμα τούτο… Μόνο αν είστε έτοιμοι να βουτήξετε στα βαθιά, να το διαβάσετε… αλλιώς είναι κρίμα να το κάψετε. Δεν είναι «βαρύ» με την κλασική έννοια του όρου… Πιστεύω, θέλω να πιστεύω, πως μπορεί να διαβαστεί σχεδόν από όλους, αρκεί να είναι έτοιμοι, με ανοιχτό μυαλό και ακόμα περισσότερο, ανοιχτή καρδιά. Και να έχετε δίπλα σας ένα φωσφορούχο μαρκαδόρο… για να υπογραμμίζετε… ξανά και ξανά…
Δες λοιπόν, που κι οι Γερμανοί βγάζουν μυαλά… και τι μυαλά!!! Μετά απ’όλα αυτά αντιλαμβάνεστε, πως είναι ένα βιβλίο που πέρα από συγκρίσεις και από βαθμολογία.

- "سدهارتا" انسان متعطش للمعرفة، يبحث عن الحقيقة المطلقة، او الحقيقة التي تجعله متناغماً مع الكون من اجل الوصول الى السكينة التامة او النيرفانا.

- تبدأ الرحلة مع "سدهارتا" الشاب البرهمي (والبراهمة هم طبقة الكهنوت عند الهندوس، وهذه اطبقة من الطبقات العليا) الذي يحس ان الجواب والحقيقة في مكان آخر، بعيداً عن التراتيل والأضحية والمعتقدات الهندوسية، فيتجه الى "السامانية" ويعيش مرتحلاً معهم ويكتسب خبراتهم لكنه لا يلبث ان يتركهم ويتجه نحو "جوتاما" والتعاليم البوذية، الا ان هذه لم تقنعه ايضاً فيعود لسبيله وبحثه من جديد. تنتهي المرحلة الروحية هنا ومع التقائه ب "كامله" (كان يجب ان تترجم كاميلا لعدم الخلط اللفظي) يبدأ الخط المادي من البحث، حيث تذيقه "كامله" الحب الجسدي بأنواعه (وعلى ما يبدو فهي خبيرة كاماسوترا) وتعرفه الى التاجر الذي يأخذه معه ليعلمه تجارته. المرحلة المادية تنقسم الى قسمين: المرحلة الأولى آثار الروحانية تتحكم بالمادي (لا يعنيه مال وجاه ونساء وخسارة وربح وتجارة) ثم المادة تسيطر وتخنق الروحانية (فيتحول الى سكير لئيم مادي..) تنتهي هذه المرحلة بإستيقاظه اثر رؤية تنبع من ذاته التي بقيت صافية في كمونها. ينتهي الخط المادي ههنا ويعود الى الطبيعة بشكل انطباعي ثم يتعرف الى الملّاح الذي يرشده (ولا يعلّمه) الى الطريق الصحيح للتنوير والوصول الى النيرفانا.

- هذه الرحلة من البحث تعجّ بالمتناقضات لكنها تشكل وحدة تامة بمجملها، فكان لا بد من التدرّج في كل هذه التجارب للوصول الى النيرفانا وبذلك يضع "هيسة" المفهوم الإيجابي للتدين بالبحث الشخصي عن الحقيقة ( ص167:"الحكمة لا تقبل التوصيل، والحكمة التي يحاول الرجل العظيم توصيلها الى الآخرين، تبدو دائماً حمقاء!")، بينما يعطي المثل الآخر - اي التدين السلبي او التلقيني - من خلال "جوفيندا" صديق ومرافق "سيدهاترا".

- القصة الفلسفية تحمل رمزيات عديدة، اهمها "النهر" الذي يرمز الى الحياة ذاتها او الصوت الكوني بتعبير آخر، وحيث ان ماءه هم البشر الذين يتعاقبون والصور المتغيرة (الماء ذاته وليس نفسه الذي يجري مراراً وتكراراً) ( ص56:"ان المعنى والحقيقة لا يحتجبان في مكان ما وراء الأشياء... وانما هما في الأشياء، فيها جميعاً")، الملّاح الذي يتراوح دوره بين المعلم والمتنور فهو لا ينقل الحكمة بل يدعو اليها فقط (بدعوه للإستماع الى النهر).

- استطراداً فإن القصة ذكرتني بالرحلة التي قام بها سلمان الفارسي من بلاد فارس الى العراق والشام ثم الى الجزيرة العربية واعتقد انها افضل واعمق بكثير من هذه القصة المتخيلة.

- الترجمة كانت جافة جداً واغلب الظن انها سيئة ولم تستطع نقل لغة "هيرمان هيسة" (لأن هناك فرق هائل بين هذه الرواية ونرسيس على سبيل المثال) ويا ليت يقوم اسامة منزلجي بترجمة هذه القصة!

ريڤيو الصديقة هدى، أكثر من ممتاز:

https://goo.gl/Jj9cb9

أما الرواية، فهي رائعة للغاية
رحلة قصيرة تلخص حياة الإنسان ومساره في هذا العالم
صراعه مع الزمن، والخيبات، والهزائم، مسيرته من الشباب للكهولة، حياته الملأى بالشهوات، والنزوات، والصراعات، والحروب، الفكرية منها والغير ذلك
رواية صغيرة مليئة بما يكتنف الحياة من غموض وأسرار، من آلام وآمال، وأحلام وخيبات، وانهزامات وانكسارات، ولحظات قليلة من الفرح
العود الأبدي؟
هل هذا هو ما يدور حوله الأمر، كما قال العزيز نيتشه؟
أم أننا لا زلنا لا نعرف شيئًا عن هذا العالم؟ وأنّه، على ما ندعّي نحن من معرفة ودراية بخباياه، ما زال قادرًا على إدهاشنا بمزيد من الوقائع؟
اقرأ، تعرف. وابحث، تجد
كماوقال زيزيتو
رواية جميلة، معبقة برائحة الزمن، والماضي، والهالة المليحة، بهية الطلة، لفترة أوائل القرن العشرين
بكل ما تحتويها من صراعات فكرية، ما بين الروح، والجسد، والمادة، والفكر، والمذاهب العديدة المتصارعة
صوفية، مادية، إلحادية، لاهوتية، علمانية، دينية
رواية، تتوفر فيها كل ما احتوته هه الفترة من صراعات، لكنها، مع ذلك، كليئة بالسلام النفسي، والأمل في الوصول
رواية تجعلك تشعر، بعد قراءتها، بمدى سخافة عالمنا وطبيعتنا - نحن - الإنسانية، بكل ما تحويه من خوف وألم وطمع وشهوة وعذاب ومحاولات - يائسة - نحو الكمال
بوذا، سدهارتا، جوفيندا، وكماله
هم نحن، جميعًا، كبشر، في أبهى حللنا، لكن على مر الزمن، في أشكال وتحققات مختلفة ومراحل عمرية متصارعة، كل منها يحاول القضاء على الآخر والصعود إلى السطح
رواية كما قلت، مليئة بالصراعات، ولكنها، كما قال سدهارتا في الأخير، هي الحياة بشكل أو بآخر
"وحدة متناغمة ولكنها متصارعة"
رواية مذهلة، وفقط
قرأتها مع هدى، ومراجعتها تستحق، ولا شك، كل الإعجاب

When I edited my high school newspaper, we produced a popular feature called “Phot-O-pinion” where we asked a question about a (sometimes) pressing topic, quoted the student or teacher and snapped their pic. For one issue, at the suggestion of my journalism teacher, I asked teachers to name a book that changed their lives. I can’t remember all the responses, but without hesitation, one teacher told me, “Siddhartha, because it showed me a completely different perspective on life.”

A few months later, one of my favorite teachers passed out a few books for everyone on the last day of English class. “You should read these books at least once in your life,” she said. She passed out Confessions of An English Opium-Eater by Thomas DeQuincey, The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass, Civil War Poetry and Prose by Walt Whitman, Beyond Good and Evil by Friedrich Nietzsche and Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse.

I’m embarrassed to say I haven’t read all of them just yet, but I finally got around to picking up Siddhartha and, well, it ended up changing my life. I think if I read this after my high school graduation I would have stopped after a certain page. I think if I read this on some breaks from college I would have tired of some of its overwrought philosophical pretenses. But for various reasons, now was the right time for me to read it. I don’t want to go into detail why it changed my life because the beauty of the book is that you can take what you want from it. I wouldn’t have learned anything from the book if I tell you exactly why it changed my life. I won’t be giving up every single material possession I own after reading this book, but I will be thinking differently about what really matters in life and how to deal with (and ultimately transcend/learn from) disappointment, rejection, and anything else that makes life suck sometimes.

A quote from one of my favorite passages:

“At times he heard within him a soft, gentle voice, which reminded him quietly, complained quietly, so that he could hardly hear it. Then he suddenly saw clearly that he was leading a strange life, that he was doing many things that were only a game, that he was quite cheerful and sometimes experienced pleasure, but that real life was flowing past him and did not touch him.”

In life we all look for meaning, we all look for something to give us a purpose and, in essence, a reason to actually be alive. Nobody wants to get to the end of their journey and realise it was all for nothing, and that their days were utterly wasted. So how do we find this meaning?

n  “One must find the source within one's own Self, one must possess it. Everything else was seeking -- a detour, an error.”n

We must find our own peace. Siddhartha followed the teachings of others and it granted him very little happiness. He meets Buddha, or a Buddha, and he realises that the only way he can achieve the same degree of serenity is to find it himself. The words of the man, as wise as they may be, are just air; they are not experience: they are not one’s own wisdom granted through trial. So he takes his own path, albeit an indirect one, and finally awakens his mind into a sense of enlightenment.

But, in order to do so, he must first realise the true state of emptiness. And, of course, to understand emptiness one must first experience temporary fullness; thus, he walks into the world of the everyday man. He indulges in their pleasure, gains possessions and takes a lover. He forms attachments and begets a household of servants and wealth. Through experiencimg such things, he learns that they are shallow and transitory; they will never create the feeling of lasting happiness within his soul, so he walks out once more with the full realisation that peace can only come from one place: himself.

“I have had to experience so much stupidity, so many vices, so much error, so much nausea, disillusionment and sorrow, just in order to become a child again and begin anew. I had to experience despair, I had to sink to the greatest mental depths, to thoughts of suicide, in order to experience grace.”

He experiences oneness with his own thoughts, with everyone else and anything that resides in nature: he becomes enlightened, though only through returning from the darkest of times. Suffering exists, suffering will always exist, and it is how we deal with this suffering that defines us: it is how we pick ourselves up afterwards not letting it ruin our lives, and those around us, that makes us stronger. In this Hesse capture something extremely difficult to put into words, which is something the novel frequently recognises.



How does one accurately define these vague concepts of belief? He doesn’t. So we rely on allegories to teach us these ideals, to make us understand that happiness is not equitable with materialism, and to make us realise that seeking something too ardently may mean we miss it altogether. Seeking the meaning of life is not the answer, living life, the life of peace and compassion, is. Siddhartha follows the vibrations of his soul, the sound of the river, and it takes him exactly where he needs to go.

As a student of Buddhism, as a struggling practitioner, I found this book extremely helpful. It cuts through all the rhetoric, the arguments and debates, and gets to the very heart of the matter itself. This is a book I will carry with me through life; this is a book that has so much wisdom to impart, and now the third book to truly impact me individually.

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