Siddhartha [Hardcover]

Hermann Hesse (Author), Sherab Chodin Kohn (Translator)

Book Description

Series: Shambhala Library | Publication Date: September 17, 2002

A classic of twentieth-century literature chronicles the spiritual evolution of a man living in India at the time of the Buddha—a spiritual journey that has inspired generations of readers. We are invited along on Siddhartha's journey experiencing his highs, lows, loves, and disappointments along the way. Always insightful and inspiring, Hesse begins the novel by showing us the life of a brahmin's son. Handsome, well-loved, and growing increasingly dissatisfied with the life expected of him, Siddhartha sets out on his journey, not realizing that he is fulfilling the prophesies proclaimed at his birth.

Siddhartha blends in with the world, showing the reader the beauty and intricacies of the mind, nature, and his experience on the path to enlightenment. Sherab Chödzin Kohn's flowing, poetic translation conveys the philosophical and spiritual nuances of Hesse's text, paying special attention to the qualities of meditative experience.

The Shambhala Library is a series of exquisitely designed and produced cloth editions of the world's spiritual and literary classics, both ancient and modern. Perfect for collecting or as gifts, each volume features a sewn binding, decorative endsheets, and a ribbon marker—in a delightful-to-hold 4 ¼ x 6 ¾ trim size.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

In the shade of a banyan tree, a grizzled ferryman sits listening to the river. Some say he's a sage. He was once a wandering shramana and, briefly, like thousands of others, he followed Gotama the Buddha, enraptured by his sermons. But this man, Siddhartha, was not a follower of any but his own soul. Born the son of a Brahmin, Siddhartha was blessed in appearance, intelligence, and charisma. In order to find meaning in life, he discarded his promising future for the life of a wandering ascetic. Still, true happiness evaded him. Then a life of pleasure and titillation merely eroded away his spiritual gains until he was just like all the other "child people," dragged around by his desires. Like Hermann Hesse's other creations of struggling young men, Siddhartha has a good dose of European angst and stubborn individualism. His final epiphany challenges both the Buddhist and the Hindu ideals of enlightenment. Neither a practitioner nor a devotee, neither meditating nor reciting, Siddhartha comes to blend in with the world, resonating with the rhythms of nature, bending the reader's ear down to hear answers from the river. In this translation Sherab Chodzin Kohn captures the slow, spare lyricism of Siddhartha's search, putting her version on par with Hilda Rosner's standard edition. --Brian Bruya --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Review

"Filled with timeless truths and told so beautifully with images that burn deep into your being, Hesse's novel speaks powerfully to every generation of spiritual seekers. . . . A fresh translation of Siddhartha that offers greater authenticity than any other translation—while still preserving the unique beauty of the original prose."— Branches of Light --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Shambhala (September 17, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570629706
• ISBN-13: 978-1570629709
• Product Dimensions: 4.5 x 0.7 x 7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (48 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #390,379 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Hermann Hesse (1877-1962) was born in Germany and later became a citizen of Switzerland. As a Western man profoundly affected by the mysticism of Eastern thought, he wrote many novels, stories, and essays that bear a vital spiritual force that has captured the imagination and loyalty of many generations of readers. In 1946, he won the Nobel Prize for Literature for The Glass Bead Game.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must Re-read as I Grow, February 15, 2003

By 

paisleymonsoon (Tulsa, Oklahoma) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Siddhartha (Hardcover)

As a young man, Siddhartha tells his father that he wants to go live among the samanas (wandering ascetics) to learn from them. His father objects, but Siddhartha refuses to move from the spot he is standing on until his father allows him to go or he dies (whichever comes first). With a sad heart, his father, seeing Siddhartha's determination, allows him to go. Siddhartha's friend and "disciple", Govinda, follows him to live with the samanas in the forest, fasting or begging for alms from the people. From the samanas, Siddhartha learns how to empty himself of worldly desires and to lose himself to become one with the world around him. However, this does not satisfy him.

When the Buddha comes to their area, Govinda convinces Siddhartha to go hear what he has to say. Although, the Buddha speaks truth, Siddhartha says, "'But one thing this doctrine, so clear, so venerable, does not contain: it does not contain the secret of what the Sublime One himself experienced, he alone among the hundreds of thousands.'" Siddhartha says that "'This is why I am continuing my wanderings -- not to seek another, better doctrine, because I know there is none, but to leave behind all teachings & all teachers, and either to attain my goal alone or to die.'"

Govinda stays to become a disciple of the Buddha while Siddhartha sets out to attain enlightenment on his own terms. Finally, he comes to the realization that he has spent his life trying to escape the world and himself. Now, he seeks to find himself. He says, "'I shall no longer be instructed by the YOGA VEDA or the ATHARVA VEDA, or the ascetics, or any other doctrine whatsoever. I shall learn from myself, be a pupil of myself, the mystery of Siddhartha.'" At this point "[h]e look[s] around as if he [is] seeing the world for the first time." And, although, he leaves all formal teachings & teachers behind, the people and experiences he encounters on his journey through life continue to teach him.

The story of Siddhartha is the story that many of us live. We follow after various teachings and doctrines. And, eventually, we open our mind to "see the world for the first time" through our own eyes. I could relate to Siddhartha's spiritual journey up to a certain point; this could be the story of my own spiritual journey. But I'd like to read it again and again as the years progress to see just how much more of it I'm able to relate to as I mature. So much of it seems to be the type of wisdom I'll have to learn for myself and can't quite yet absorb. As the aging Siddhartha says upon becoming reacquainted with Govinda, "'Wisdom cannot be imparted. Wisdom that a wise man attempts to impart always sounds like foolishness.'"

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A re-reading after 35 years, July 5, 2005

By 

David E. Levine (Peekskill , NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Siddhartha (Shambhala Classics) (Mass Market Paperback)

When I was about to start college, a friend who had just finished his freshman year came home for the summer raving about Hermann Hesse. I had not heard of Hesse but, I later learned that he was a writer who was particularly relevent to college students of that era who were questioning the status quo and seeking spiritual growth.

On my friend's recommendation, I read Siddhartha. In my recent re-reading of this 20th century classic, I read this edition which is a new translation. Since my memories of 35 years ago are dim, I have no basis to compare the translation with earlier ones but, I will say that this edition was readable and poetically written.

Siddhartha is a Brahmin youth who has a close friend in Govinda. Upon Siddartha's urging, the two leave their families and comfortable surroundings in a search for spirituality. They join a group of ascetics and numb themselves to the world around them. Siddhatha is seeking to subjugate his ego. After years of this existence, they go to hear the Buddah speak. Govinda becomes a follower but, Siddhartha believes that he has to discover truth for himself and that as great as the Buddah's teachings are, he must nonetheless strike out on his own.

He goes from his ascetic lifestyle to an oppulent one in which he enjoys pleasures of the flesh. But even then, he ultimately feels the need to move on in his spiritual journey. He joins a ferryman along the river and becomes the ferryman's assistant. He lives in the ferryman's hut and discovers that he can learn much by listening to the river talk. He also discovers that he has a son who he happens upon. However, just as Siddhartha left his father, his own son does not remain with him. His son leaves for a very different reason, however. Siddartha's son had been raised in the opulent style that Siddartha had abandoned and rather than seeking spirituality, the son is seeking to maintain his comfortable lifestyle.

In this novel, Siddhartha goes from a very young man to an old man. His journey to discover truth is a lifelong one and the stages he goes through ultimately leads to inner peace. This is a book to be read carefully and savored. Of course, it's a translation, not the original German but, assuming a faithful translation, the words are to be carefully considered. Perhaps the stages in Siddhartha's life mirror the stages in our own as we seek spiritual growth.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book you must experience..., September 23, 2005

By 

Jason S. Webb "Recalcitrantsob" (Melbourne, FL.) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Siddhartha (Hardcover)

I admit that it has been several years since I read this book. I also admit that as it is one of my favorite novels I am not an unbiased source (but who is). With that grain of salt having been swallowed this book is foremost a tale about the birth of a new kind of spirituality. Siddhartha is about the process experienced on the road to enlightenment. I feel that some other reviewers who were perhaps not at the right point in their lives to appreciate that this is a story of the process rather than a how to. It is not a self help book or a short-cut guide to enlightenment. The novel tells with simple prose which is different from any of Hesse's other work in its simplicity. It tells of the human frailty and failings of a being that leads to the discovery of the Buddhist philosophy. The story pushes for you to think about what Siddhartha discovers, especially in the scene by the river, and to understand how this revelation relates to your world view. I found this book at a time in my life when I needed to, and I hope it finds you at the right point in your life as well. The fewer expectations you have the better. A very short novel, nothing more. If you have ever been curious to know more about Buddhist thought this book encapsulates the most intrinsic tenets of the religion. I hope you experience this book. It is just a story, don't miss the forrest for the trees. I hope any of this helps you to chose to read or to know it is not for you.