This book is a simply written, on-the-surface tale of the search for enlightenment. Its primary theme is that “nobody will obtain salvation by means of teachings,” a theme I respect. Even when Siddhartha meets Gautama Buddha, he walks away, choosing instead to follow his own soul as it leads him away from traditional spiritual practices and into the world where:

“…that supple willingness to listen to the divine voice in his own heart, had slowly become a memory.”

“…the world, and sloth had entered Siddhartha’s soul, slowly it filled his soul, made it heavy, made it tired, put it to sleep.”

But Siddhartha’s journey was not over. All was unfolding perfectly for him, for the removal of his greatest obstacle—spiritual arrogance. In that way, Hesse’s story is an excellent craft.

My favorite chapter was the last one. It’s worth reading the entire book just to get to the last chapter. I’m told Hesse wrote the first part of the novel but could not finish it until he had his own transformational experience. He immersed himself in the contemplation of eastern scripture, meditated for long periods of time, and lived in seclusion. Only after reaching his own sense of oneness and acceptance did he finally finish the novel. That shows in the last chapter.

In my opinion, a key take away from Siddhartha is this: 

Trust your own inner guidance, even when it is different from everyone else’s, and pay attention to the way your life unfolds, even when it’s painful. Together, these are your best teachers.

Siddhartha is reminiscent of the old Zen saying: If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him.