Title : SiddharthaAuthor : Herman Hesse
Published : Penguin Books Canada Limited
* can also be find in Bahasa, published by Gramedia *
I read “Siddhartha” at 2002, and really gave a great impact in opening my spiritual mind. This is one (for me) is the best fiction novel that everyone should have in their bookshelf. ^^
Heman Hesse, is my favorite author in Germany literature, he just amazing genius writer because in “Siddhartha” he didn’t tried to describe the thought of Siddhartha as a Buddha, but Siddhartha as just a Siddhartha. Aims in contrasting the traditional legendary figure with his own conception, as a person, of a spiritual explorer. East and west met in a novel that enfigures deed human wisdom with a rich and colorful imagination.
Written in a prose of almost biblical simplicity and beauty, it is a story of a soul’s long quest in search of the ultimate answer to the enigma of man’s role on this earth.
One of my favorite parts is in page 118-119;
Govinda said: “Nirvana is not only a word, my friend; it is a thought.”A VERY MUST READ BOOK ^^ Enjoy...
Siddhartha continue: “……, but I must confess, my friend, that I do not differentiate very much between thoughts and words. Quite frankly, I do not attach great importance to thoughts either. I attach more importance to things …..
……. His deeds and life are more important to me than his talk, the gesture of his hand is more important to me than his opinions. Not in speech or thought do I regard him as a great man, but in his deeds and life “
