Samsara is nirvana

There are some books everyone talks about but nobody reads. And then, there are books everyone reads but nobody understands. "Siddhartha" by Hermann Hesse seems to be one of those. I didn't expect much from this book after reading about it on the web. I expected it to be a really bad hippie book about some libertine who callously abandons his wife and kid, and then expects to "learn from the river", or whatever. I definitely didn't expect it to be Buddhist. Actually reading the book was therefore a pleasant surprise. Apparently, force-feeding high school students with "Siddhartha" is a really bad idea, LOL.

Hermann Hesse's novel, first published in 1922, is obviously based on a close study of different Hindu and Buddhist traditions. Perhaps the author also studied Tantrism. The book is very clever, and contains allusions to both the Bhagavad Gita and the legend of the Buddha. "Learning from the river" turns out to be another allusion. Note also the deliberate confusion in naming the main character Siddhartha, while referring to the real Buddha as Gotama. According to Buddhist tradition, the Buddha's full name was Siddhartha Gotama!

Whether the book is "Buddhist" or not is mostly a matter of definition. While Siddhartha rejects the Buddha, he eventually becomes enlightened himself by a path that could be accepted by some Hindu and Buddhist traditions. In the last chapter, Siddhartha realizes that samsara is nirvana, and grasps the concept of shunyata, fundamental tenets of Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism. More controversial are Siddhartha's libertine escapades. I think it all hinges on how you interpret his words that the libertinism was "inevitable". Was it inevitable in the sense that the path to enlightenment goes through rank antinomianism? Outside "left-hand" Tantrism, that would be a very controversial statement. Or was it inevitable in the sense of being fated and karmic? If so, I think most Buddhists would agree with Hesse. Some people just don't get it in the present lifetime... What the correct interpretation is, I honestly don't know.

Siddhartha seems to reject four purported paths to salvation. First, he rejects the empty ritualism of the Brahmins. Then, he rejects the extreme asceticism of the Samanas. His reaction to the Buddha is more complex. On the one hand, Siddhartha admires the Buddha, who is clearly an enlightened being. On the other hand, Siddhartha feels that one cannot become enlightened by a strictly logical philosophy, or by reliance on a teacher. He senses a dualism in the Buddha's teaching, a dualism between False and True he somehow suspects doesn't exist in reality. Also, he believes that the strict logic of Buddhist metaphysics cannot explain the existence of the Buddha himself! Enlightenment looks "illogical" in a self-contained, purely philosophical system. Interestingly, the Buddha seems to tacitly accept Siddhartha's criticism, as if a secret understanding existed between them. Exoteric versus esoteric teaching?

More difficult to fathom is Siddhartha's entanglement with Kamala and Kamaswami. To some extent, it sounds Tantric. Siddhartha indulges himself in sex, gambling and money without being affected by it, like an antinomian sage. And yet, in the end he *does* become affected, sinking deeper and deeper. My personal take on this, is that our hero rejects the Tantric path as well. Eventually, Siddhartha becomes a ferryman and "learns from the river". He realizes the essential emptiness and non-duality of all things, and finally reaches salvation. His friend, the Buddhist monk Govinda, experiences a mystical vision in Siddhartha's presence, similar to Arjuna's theophany in the presence of Krishna as recorded in the Bhagavad Gita. (Note the weird fact that the monk's name is Govinda, another name for Krishna!) Govinda reaches the conclusion that although Siddhartha's words are incomprehensible and doesn't sound Buddhist, he has nevertheless attained the same state as the Buddha. Govinda throws himself at Siddhartha's feet, and there, the story ends.

Perhaps I should point out that I'm not a Buddhist by any standard. Still, I found the book to be extremely cleverly written, and it's now one of my favourites. Five stars!