This quick little read of only 150 pages or so, packs quite a lot of punch into a small space. Siddartha, tells the story of the life of a man seeking truth and enlightenment in the India of yesteryear. As a young Brahmin’s son Siddartha, following what I understand to be traditional Buddhist doctrine, tries to eliminate the conscious Self to attune himself with Atman, thereby finding inner peace. But Siddartha is inquisitive and voracious in his appetites for experience and knowledge. Leaving his father and home, Siddartha joins a group of travelling monks. They have given up all worldly possessions, and roam the wilds of India finding peace through suffering. Very tricky stuff this inner peace thing. After a time Siddartha leaves the monks to meet the holy man that has been gaining fame around the country, Gotama, a new Budda. Siddarha explores a number of different lifestyles seeking enlightenment. He lives in many varied ways from revelling in the opulence of the material world to, the simple pleasures of being a river ferryman. But in the end does he manage to do it? As an old man, we are left with the question of did his life have that meaning? That spark Siddartha was really searching for? At least for him; yes it did. And that is the underlying message, the truth that Siddartha has learned giving him enlightenment. The truth is that enlightenment cannot be taught by anyone, there is no one right way to achieve peace. In the final analysis we may have many teachers, but the journey is ours. The path is up to us. Nirvana may well be within reach, but it can only come with an understanding and an acceptance of both the Self and the world around us. This truth is not black and white, it is textures and shades, it is complex and simple at the same time. Life is yours to shape as you wish. Enjoy life but always stay aware. And maybe, we too can find that personal peace Siddartha experiences.
At least that’s what I got out of the book… Siddartha is about a philosophy. It is about a way of life that I suspect very few will ever really understand. It has an amazingly unique cultural insight, that I don’t think I’ll ever truly understand. But I do comprehend why this novel has become as revered as it is. Everyone wants peace in their life, peace in their soul. Maybe that’s all we’ve ever wanted. The challenge, is to discover the how and the why we can achieve that. Siddartha provokes, it makes you think, and it even gives you some help along the way. But if there really is one thing I learned from reading this book, it’s that this book does not have any real answers. This book is the story of one man’s journey. Every one of us has to follow our own hearts and minds. This is such a strong book because it, makes me care about that process, that journey. And actually moving your reader is a pretty rare and special quality in literature. Read this book if you haven’t yet. It was a spiritual experience for me, maybe it will be for you.
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