Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha is a philosophical novel set in ancient India that follows the spiritual journey of its titular character, Siddhartha, a young Brahmin who seeks enlightenment beyond the teachings of his upbringing. Dissatisfied with ritualistic religion, Siddhartha leaves home with his friend Govinda to join a group of ascetics. However, even extreme self-denial fails to bring him peace. When they encounter Gautama Buddha, Govinda becomes a disciple, but Siddhartha chooses a different path, believing that true wisdom cannot be taught—it must be personally experienced.
Siddhartha’s path leads him through contrasting worlds—asceticism and indulgence, solitude and companionship—as he searches for meaning beyond doctrine. Rather than following a single teacher or tradition, he immerses himself in life’s experiences, hoping that wisdom will emerge from direct engagement with the world. Along the way, he encounters love, loss, and the temptations of material success, each offering insight but never quite delivering the peace he seeks. Nature, especially the river, becomes a quiet companion and guide, reflecting the cyclical and interconnected nature of existence.
Through lyrical prose and symbolic imagery, Hesse explores the tension between knowledge and wisdom, time and timelessness, self and unity. Siddhartha invites readers to reflect on their own journeys, asking whether truth is something taught—or something lived.
This book is a short read, barely 100 pages.
See you at the Meetup for a fun and interesting discussion.

Chris

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Siddhartha by Hermann Hess

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