Siddhartha: An Indian Tale

“You have done so by your own seeking in your own way, through thought, through meditation, through knowledge, through enlightenment. You have learned nothing through teachings, and so I think, O Illustrious One, that nobody finds salvation through teachings. To nobody, O Illustrious One, can you communicate in words and teachings, what happened to you in the hour of your enlightenment. The teachings of the enlightened Buddha embrace much, they teach much—how to live righteously, how to avoid evil. But there is one thing that this clear, worthy instruction does not contain; it does not contain the secret of what the Illustrious One himself experienced—he alone among hundreds of thousands.” Hermann Hesse, one of the literary stalwarts of the 20th century, was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature in 1946. Hesse wanted to be a poet from the early age of 12, and a slim volume of his poems was published in 1899. Unfortunately, it did not create a significant stir in the literary world. In 1904, Peter Camenzind, Hesse’s debut novel, received tremendous critical acclaim, and it is considered one of the finest works in literature even today. Hesse’s visit to India in 1911 inspired him to delve into the finer details of Eastern religions, and a little over a decade later, Siddhartha (1922) was published. Hermann Hesse received the Goethe Prize of Frankfurt in 1946. In 1955, he received the Peace Prize of the German Booksellers. Steppenwolf and The Glass Bead Game are some of his other seminal works. He died in Montagnola, Switzerland in 1962. Talking Points - This is the ninth novel by Nobel Prize-winning German author Hermann Hesse - Regarded a masterpiece, a cult book in the 1960s - One of the most popular novels set in India and translated into many languages including film adaptations - Explores the quest for enlightenment through the spiritual journey of Siddhartha Worldwide readership/market Students specialising in Buddhist religion and spirituality; philosophers, biographers, readers of classics, literature students, historians, academicians, professors, educational institutes, libraries, film-makers, general trade