Daily Times

Siddhartha by poet and novelist Herman Hesse is one of the most heart-touching books that discuss different topics like enlightenment, journey, love, wisdom and knowledge that enables one to learn great skills.

The book has been translated German to English by Hilda Rosner.

The journey of Siddhartha starts as a Brahmin. He decides to leave his family to become a Samana. He learns three different skills like to think, wait and fast but still he was in thrust of seeking knowledge and learns the complete world by travelling. His ongoing journey has met him with different people like Buddha from him he gets that nothing can be taught without leaning and seeking by yourself. Still he was not satisfied then he met a beautiful woman namely Kamala. She was traveller and he learns from her the art of love.

Life is meaningless without love and attraction. As Siddhartha was loved by his family, friends and society but he still thought that something was missing around him. The first love of Siddhartha was his father but later he clashes with him because of Samana. He runs here and there in search of enlightenment, he learns many things and ultimately he discovers the law of attraction where he meets a beautiful girl Kamala who teaches him about love. Most interestingly he got many things in shape earning money, wearing clothes so that he should get love. He spent his complete life for trying to find the route to happiness and get money. The golden words of Siddhartha inspires everyone about the love attraction, “when I came to you in your grove I made the first step. I was my intention to learn about from the most beautiful woman from would moment. I made that resolution I aslo know that I would execute it. I knew that you would help; I knew it from your first glance of the entrance to the grove.”

Wisdom is one of the greatest abilities to judge which parts of the knowledge is true, right and beneficial for your life. It empowers one to use your knowledge an amazing manner which shapes your complete life peace and prosperous. Knowledge comes when someone wants to understand the complete and experience everything that you want. As Siddhartha was in thrust of seeking and gaining knowledge, he wanted to learn from different people and societies. “Wisdom is the fitting application of knowledge. Knowledge understands the light has turned red; wisdom applies the brakes, knowledge sees the quick sand; wisdom walks around it. Knowledge memorises the ten commandments. Wisdom obeys them. Knowledge learns of God; wisdom loves him.” Wisdom comes from experiences of life not from teaching. He believed that enlightenment can only come from experiences if someone sacrifices his/her in finding ways to get enlightenment then he can achieve it at any circumstances. Siddhartha said, knowledge is communicable but not wisdom. There is not a particular person to tell you where it comes rather you have to work very to find ways to receive it. “Knowledge can be communicated, but not wisdom. One can find it, live it, be fortified by it, do wonders through it, but one cannot communicate and teach it.”

“But do you not mean that the river is everywhere at once, at its origin and at its mouth, at the waterfall, at the ferry, at the rapids, in the sea, in the mountains, everywhere at the same time, and for it only the present exists, no shadow of the past, no shadow of the future?”

Siddhartha is a masterpiece. It is the liver of wisdom. It teaches you many things and you will love reading this book as much as I did. The one who is a seeker and reader should read this book as it helps to understand the quest for wisdom and enlightenment that everybody runs to get.

The writer is a teacher at I-Well Academy and can be reached at humblejan9@gmail.com. He Tweets at @DilwashAlijan