Yogi Book of June 2023: Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse
“I can think, I can wait, I can fast.”
— Siddhartha
Why Yogi Book of the Month?
Yogi Book of the Month was born in the hopes of making Jnana Yoga (the Path of Knowledge) more accessible.
Few of us have the luxury of access to living gurus or the attention span/ability to unpack the dense yogic scriptures on our own. Thankfully, gurus are many, gurus do not have to (necessarily) be alive, and knowledge that leads to sincere contemplation and self-realization can be found in stories and books imbued with profound meanings. Here at 7YGH, we endeavor to present you with various sources of such knowledge on a monthly basis.
To provide some instruction on how to best digest this source of knowledge, you will find a general explanation of Jnana Yoga in Jnana Yoga 101 followed by tips on how to apply Jnana Yoga while you read in How to Read This Book. If you are informed and/or would like to skip to the meat of the book review itself, use the Table of Contents below to navigate to your desired section.
Table of Contents
i. Jnana Yoga 101
ii. How to Read This Book
iii. About This Book
iv. Why You Should Read This Book
v. 3 Powerful Excerpts
The Path of Knowledge
Traditionally, the path of Jnana Yoga refers to 3 processes. The main goal of these 3 processes is to answer the Big Question: Who Am I? By answering this question, smaller critical questions such as “Why Am I Here?” and “What Do I Do With What I Have Been Given?” are automatically answered.
These 3 processes are as follows:
(1) Sravana, or wholeheartedly (open mind, open heart) listening to yogic scriptures (Sruti) from the mouth of a verifiable source (Guru)
(2) Manana, or constant reflection upon what was heard, application of that which was heard to one’s own life and lived experiences, as well as the integration of that knowledge into daily action
(3) Nididhyasana, otherwise known as the culmination of sravana and manana, is a type of meditative and transcendent awareness that happens spontaneously on its own accord. It is a deep understanding and subsequent embodiment of the Truth gleaned from the process of listening deeply with one’s heart, contemplating, and living the knowledge.
Why Should You Practice Jnana Yoga?
The systematic processes of Jnana Yoga should be undertaken frequently to nurture the soul, put things in perspective, and loosen the bonds of strong attachments. Jnana Yoga directly nourishes our inner world by teaching us the skill of maintaining distance, of separating the “I am” from what follows. At its subtlest levels, the practice of Jnana Yoga allows us to mold reality with our right perception.
By regularly analyzing the nature of life, existence and the identity of the “I am” through the practice of Jnana Yoga, we are able to maintain peace of mind and more quickly come back to a place of balance during emotional upheaval, crisis, and the inevitable stresses of the world.
In its early stages, the practice helps us build endurance to the pain of opposites—heat, cold, love, loss, thirst, hunger, desire, repulsion, etc.
In later stages, the practice culminates in a transcendence of the pain of opposites, a state wherein we are able to truly bear witness to our bodies and minds, as well as the bodies and minds of others, without attachment or judgment. In so doing, Jnana Yoga allows us to live our lives to the utmost; by helping us understand the true nature of reality, Jnana Yoga results in the loss of attachments, and in the loss of attachments we are relieved of expectations. Freed of the bondage of expectations, we can truly and fully enjoy the world.
Treat this book as you would a more traditional transmission of knowledge (i.e. a living Guru or Teacher). Treat the book with reverence and respect; this is the first step to taking the knowledge contained within seriously, and the most important step to opening up your heart to receive and understand this knowledge.
If you aren’t open to learning, if you aren’t striving for betterment, and if you aren’t willing to be wrong (!), even the highest knowledge won’t be effective/can’t help you. Half the work of self-realization comes from effort on our parts to retain open minds and open hearts with a complete awareness of our nature’s tendency to do the opposite (to judge, close off, guard). The goal is not to stop these processes of judgment, etc., but to always be aware of them and to persevere to push past them when they flare up.
Do not rush through the book as you would a piece of purely sensual entertainment; savor the passages for their poetic and philosophical values. The point is not to drown yourself but to submerge yourself (!); you are not escaping nor chasing but running towards (!).
Take time after each reading to ponder implied meanings, reflecting on how lessons of characters/narrators/etc. can be applied to your own life—past and present. And, most importantly, start applying the lessons you learn, becoming a living embodiment of the knowledge you are gaining.
Title
Siddhartha
Author
Hermann Hesse
Genre
Philosophical fiction
Language
Originally in German; translated to English
Length
174 pages—the story ends on page 122. The book continues with the Dhammapada, a collection of sayings of the Buddha in verse form.
Publisher
The cover above is from the version published by Amaryllis (An Imprint of Manjul Publishing House). The version I am referencing throughout this review is published by New Directions Books. (If you’re wondering why I didn’t use the cover of the translation I’m referencing, it’s because the New Directions Books version doesn’t have the title and author printed on the cover.)
Summary
💡 Siddhartha is a portrait of the life of a spiritual aspirant in all of its glory, misery, and incomprehensible lovability.
Siddhartha details the life of the titular Siddhartha, a young boy born to a Brahmin (priest) family in the ancient Nepalese kingdom of Kapilavastu. Siddhartha’s unquenchable thirst for real knowledge through experience leads him to leave home in search of the Atman (the Self). What follows is a life-long quest to gain spiritual enlightenment along the many roads of the world, including those of a severe ascetic, wealthy merchant, and humble ferryman. Along his path Siddhartha meets, rejects, and learns from many teachers, including the great Gautama Buddha himself.
It’s a fast read; in 122 pages, Hermann Hesse packs the punch of many lives. (The actual story ends on page 122; the pages afterwards are dedicated to the Dhammapada, a collection of sayings of the Buddha in verse form).
The book draws heavily from Vedantic concepts and parallels the life of the Buddha, making this an excellent introduction to aspects of Hinduism, yogic philosophy, and Buddhism. For those well-versed in any of these concepts, the book will feel like a comforting lullaby, warm and soft, while still having a fresh take that keeps things interesting.
The re-readibility of this book is high. It’s the sort of book that will follow you along in life, giving your different lessons to focus on at different points in your spiritual evolution.
A yogi’s path is highly experiential. In this regard, Siddhartha’s life is a shining example of what it means to be a yogi. Siddhartha’s story will feel at times tragic and hilarious, but never infuriating; in the sorest moments and if you allow it to, this book will hit home.
Siddhartha is a fellow seeker, a fellow spiritual aspirant, and much of his journey parallels our own. Even if you cannot relate to the totality of his path, there is sure to be one or two aspects that seem eerily similar to your own. The ease with which we can relate to Siddhartha makes it that much easier to absorb the book’s lessons and apply them to our own lives.
The book is full of practical and accessible yogic tools. The moving descriptions of these tools really plants them deep in the mind. Depictions of the use of the word Om and reflections from studying nature are particular stand-outs.
The book will reassure you about the path, aid you in learning from failures and successes, and humble you back to a place of childish awe of the utter, total grandness and divinely perfect incomprehensibility of the human experience.
#1
“Siddhartha,” he said, “why are you waiting?”
“You know why.”
“Will you go on standing and waiting until it is day, noon, evening?”
“I will stand and wait.”
“You will grow tired, Siddhartha.”
“I will grow tired.”
“You will fall asleep, Siddhartha.”
“I will not fall asleep.”
“You will die, Siddhartha.”
“I will die.”
#2
“I believe you, Govinda. But today you have met such a pilgrim in such shoes and dress. Remember, my dear Govinda, the world of appearances is transitory, the style of our clothes and hair is extremely transitory. Our hair and our bodies are themselves transitory. You have observed correctly. I am wearing the clothes of a rich man, I am wearing them because I have been a rich man, and I am wearing my hair like men of the world and fashion because I have been one of them.”
“And what are you now, Siddhartha?”
“I do not know; I know as little as you. I am on the way. I was a rich man, but I am no longer and what I will be tomorrow I do not know.”
“Have you lost your riches?”
“I have lost them, or they have lost me—I am not sure. The wheel of appearances revolves quickly, Govinda. Where is Siddhartha the Brahmin, where is Siddhartha the Samana, where is Siddhartha the rich man? The transitory soon changes, Govinda. You know that.”
#3
Siddhartha listened. He was now listening intently, completely absorbed, quite empty, taking in everything. He felt that he had now completely learned the art of listening. He had often heard all this before, all these numerous voices in the river, but today they sounded different. He could no longer distinguish the different voices—the merry voice from the weeping voice, the childish voice from the manly voice. They all belonged to each other: the lament of those who yearn, the laughter of the wise, the cry of indignation and the groan of the dying. They were all interwoven and interlocked, entwined in a thousand ways. And all the voices, all the goals, all the yearnings, all the sorrows, all the pleasures, all the good and evil, all of them together was the world. All of them together was the stream of events, the music of life. When Siddhartha listened attentively to this river, to this song of a thousand voices; when he did not listen to the sorrow or laughter, when he did not bind his soul to any one particular voice and absorb it in his Self, but heard them all, the whole, the unity; then the great song of a thousand voices consisted of one word: Om—perfection.