“Knowledge can be conveyed, but not wisdom. It can be found, it can be lived, it is possible to be carried by it, miracles can be performed with it, but it cannot be expressed in words and taught”
- Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha (1922)
Among the cosmic entities, the moon casts the most mystique and intrigue.
Buddha Purnima, celebrated on the full moon day in the month of Vaisakha, holds an ethereal significance for Buddhists. It is not merely a commemoration; it is an invocation of the sublime teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha.
Imbued with sacred reverence, it marks the threefold mirabilis: the birth, enlightenment, and parinirvana of the Buddha, casting an incandescent glow on the eternal quest for truth and enlightenment.
Many years ago as a sophomore when I was struggling through a very troubled phase in life, a teacher of mine, who eventually became a dear friend, gave me a list of books to read – to help me through the woes and hone my aspirations of becoming a wordsmith someday.
One of the books he had suggested was German-Swiss writer Hermann Hesse’s 1922 novella Siddhartha.
The book parallels Prince Siddhartha’s spiritual journey of becoming the Buddha with a poetic narrative that explores the complexities of seeking and finding one's own path to enlightenment.
Hesse's Siddhartha, much like the historical Buddha, embarks on a quest that takes him through the vicissitudes of worldly existence—asceticism, sensuality, and commerce—only to find the ultimate truth in the simplicity of the present moment and the unity of all existence.
It is an exploration of the inner landscapes of the soul, a journey that mirrors the moonlit path of the Buddha's own life through prose, rich with lyrical beauty and philosophical depth, captures the essence of what it means to seek truth beyond the confines of dogma and doctrine.
Narrating the arduous journey of self-discovery and the ultimate realisation of oneness with the universe, there is a parallel luminescence in the tale of the protagonist and the one who has found the path.
Buddha Purnima is the celebration of the Buddha’s renunciation of princely comforts in search of the ultimate truth. His enlightenment under the Bodhi tree is a testament to the profound transformation that can occur through persistent and focused introspection.
Similarly, Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha abandons his Brahminical heritage and plunges into the river of life, seeking the essence that lies beneath the surface of human experience.
His wanderings symbolise the universal search for meaning, a quest that resonates with anyone who has ever felt the stirrings of a deeper purpose.
Buddha’s recognition of the Four Noble Truths begins with the acknowledgement of suffering. It is through understanding suffering that one can transcend it.
In Siddhartha, the protagonist’s life is also a journey through pain and disillusionment—experiences that ultimately lead to his awakening - realisations come not from avoiding suffering but from immersing himself fully in it, understanding it, and thereby transcending it.
Siddhartha, a young Brahmin, feels a disquietude amidst the comfort of his privileged life. Like the restless prince Siddhartha Gautama, he seeks answers beyond the confines of rituals and scriptures. He embarks on a quest for enlightenment, echoing the Buddha's renunciation of his royal life.
Both Siddhartha and the historical Buddha explore the extremes of asceticism. They push themselves to the limit, seeking enlightenment through self-denial and physical hardship.
However, both journeys reach a turning point. Siddhartha, like the Buddha, realises that true liberation requires embracing the totality of human experience – joy and sorrow, pleasure and pain.
Anecdotal encounter with the historical Buddha in the novel is particularly poignant. Siddhartha recognises the serenity radiating from the Enlightened One, yet chooses not to follow his teachings.
This divergence highlights the individual nature of the spiritual path. Buddha Purnima celebrates the Buddha's awakening, but it also a reminder that each person must walk their own path to liberation.
Both the book and the Buddha are reminders that the path to enlightenment lies not in grand gestures or distant dreams but in the simple, profound act of being present—fully and compassionately—in the here and now.
