Siddhartha, Hermann Hesse (8/10)

Rating: 8/10
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⛰ What It's About

The book's set in Ancient India and is about Siddhartha, the young son of a Brahmin (elite group). At the beginning of the story, Siddhartha is discontent and decides to leave his father and his future to seek spiritual enlightenment. Along with his lifelong friend Govinda, he sets out on a journey to find life's meaning.

1. He first meets a group of ascetics and lives a bit of a hippie life - shun personal possessions and view the physical world as the source of all pain.
2. He then falls in love with a woman and becomes rich - learning about money, and other superfluous stuff
3. He experiences hedonistic excess - eats, drinks, gambles and indulges in many sexual conquests
4. Back to ascetic-hippie life, but one that embraces the world and everything in it as special and unique

At each stage, he finds something of value in everyone and gets closer to his ultimate goal.

🔍 How I Discovered It

Tim Ferris Podcast and Tools of Titans etc.

🧠 Thoughts

I really liked the author's deep and evocative writing - it captured my attention and helped me resonate to the overarching narrative about the fundamental value of each and every person on Earth and that everyone has something special to contribute to the universe.

It's a cool read that I think almost everyone would benefit from and enjoy reading in many different way. There's a beautiful universal nature to the story that kind of transcends the individual's story which I liked.

🥰 Favourite Quotes

Quoth Siddhartha: "What should I possibly have to tell you, oh venerable one? Perhaps that you're searching far too much? That in all that searching, you don't find the time for finding?"

"How come?" asked Govinda.

"When someone is searching," said Siddhartha, "then it might easily happen that the only thing his eyes still see is that what he searches for, that he is unable to find anything, to let anything enter his mind, because he always thinks of nothing but the object of his search, because he has a goal, because he is obsessed by the goal. Searching means: having a goal. But finding means: being free, being open, having no goal. You, oh venerable one, are perhaps indeed a searcher, because, striving for your goal, there are many things you don't see, which are directly in front of your eyes.”