Book review — Siddhartha by Herman Hesse.

After dabbling in the stoic philosophy of Marcus Aurelius, co-incidentally, my next book was also philosophical in nature. But Siddhartha is not your typical philosophy book. And while the name might make you think this is a book about Buddha, it actually is about the life of another man during the times of Buddha.

The book is essentially this man's journey of self discovery. And unlike the traditional philosophical teachings that claim to give you answers and ask you to renounce the material world, this book encourages everyone to arrive at their own answers by living through the full spectrum of human condition, both material and spiritual.

In short, this is a book that emphasizes experience over study and a spiritual way of life rather than spiritual teachings.

In the struggle, defeats, temptations, triumphs of this man through all the cycles of this samsara, we can all find a way to make sense of the material while attaining the spiritual.

My only complaint would be that this is not as practical as Meditations by Marcus Aurelius is and is often limited to being a narrative of consolation to those who have lived a diverse and long life and dealt with marriage, kids and old age. Maybe once I have gone through all these phases, I'll be able to relate to this more.

Recommended for those who are interested in Buddhist ideas and are in general looking for the tale of a man's life through various phases.