Insightful Siddhartha Quotes: Wisdom from Hermann Hesse’s Classic
Wisdom cannot be imparted. Wisdom that a wise man attempts to impart always sounds like foolishness to someone else. Knowledge can be communicated, but not wisdom.
Knowledge can be communicated, but not wisdom.
The world, Govinda, is not imperfect or slowly evolving along a long path to perfection. No, it is perfect at every moment.
What could I say to you that would be of value, except that perhaps you seek too much, that as a result of your seeking you cannot find.
So she thoroughly taught him that one cannot take pleasure without giving pleasure, and that every gesture, every caress, every touch, every glance, every last bit of the body has its secret, which brings happiness to the person who knows how to wake it.
He who is resolute in his decisions can make stones melt.
One must find the source within one’s own self, one must possess it.
Such is the nature of man, that for your first gift he proclaims you a wonderful man and your next benefaction, your canonization.
It may be important to great thinkers to examine the world, to explain and despise it. But I think it is only important to love the world, not to despise it, not for us to hate each other, but to be able to regard the world and ourselves and all beings with love, admiration and respect.
We are vain and arrogant, the most exquisite women, the most learned men. We all believe ourselves to be something extraordinary.
My real self wanders elsewhere, far away, wanders on and on invisibly and has nothing to do with my life.
Only the ideas that we really live have any value.
Words do not express thoughts very well. They always become a little different immediately they are expressed, a little distorted, a little foolish.
Seeking means: to have a goal; but finding means: to be free, to be receptive, to have no goal.
Siddhartha learned something new on every step of his path, for the world was transformed, and his heart was enchanted.
When someone seeks, then it easily happens that his eyes see only the thing that he seeks, and he is able to find nothing, to take in nothing because he always thinks only about the thing he is seeking, because he has one goal, because he is obsessed with his goal.
Wisdom cannot be imparted. Wisdom that a wise man attempts to impart always sounds like foolishness to someone else. Knowledge can be communicated, but not wisdom. One can find it, live it, do wonders through it, but one cannot communicate and teach it.
I have always thirsted for knowledge, I have always been full of questions.
Searching means: having a goal. But finding means: being free, being open, having no goal.
One must find the source within one’s own Self, one must possess it.
I can think, I can wait, I can fast.
To nobody but you, do I give a kiss.
I have learned that every man has the right to live for his own sake.
One can beg, buy, be presented with and find love in the streets, but it can never be stolen.
Let any man be asked if he would like to be changed into one of the wise men or philosophers of old, and he will answer no.
The world is not imperfect or slowly evolving along a path to perfection. No, it is perfect at every moment, every sin already carries grace within it.
Every sin already carries its savior with it, every stupid person already carries his wisdom with him.
Many a doctrine is like a window pane. We see truth through it but it divides us from truth.
I shall no longer be instructed by the Yoga Veda or the Aharva Veda, or the ascetics, or any other doctrine whatsoever.
Opinions mean nothing; they may be beautiful or ugly, clever or foolish, anyone can embrace or reject them.
I can think. I can wait. I can fast. That’s all I have to learn.
It may be important to great thinkers to examine the world, to explain and despise it. But I think it is only important to love the world, not to despise it, not for us to hate each other, but to be able to regard the world and ourselves and all beings with love, awe and reverence.
You will be a river, someday, my boy. And on that day, you will understand.
My thoughts…are like the stars I cannot fathom into constellations.
There is, so I believe, in the essence of everything, something that we cannot call learning. There is, my friend, only a knowledge – that is everywhere, that is Atman, that is in me and you and in every creature, and I am beginning to believe that this knowledge has no worse enemy than the man of knowledge, than learning.
When someone is seeking…it happens quite easily that he only sees the thing that he is seeking; that he is unable to find anything, unable to absorb anything…because he is only thinking of the thing he is seeking, because he has a goal, because he is obsessed with his goal.
Words do not express thoughts very well; everything immediately becomes a little different, a little distorted, a little foolish. And yet it also pleases me and seems right that what is of value and wisdom of one man seems nonsense to another.
Wisdom cannot be imparted. Wisdom that a wise man attempts to impart always sounds like foolishness to someone else. Knowledge can be communicated, but not wisdom.
I have always thirsted for knowledge, I have always been full of questions.
So she thoroughly taught him that one cannot take pleasure without giving pleasure, and that every gesture, every caress, every touch, every look, every last bit of the body has its secret, which brings happiness to the person who knows how to wake it.
Your soul is the whole world.
Within you, there is a stillness and a sanctuary to which you can retreat at anytime and be yourself.
We are not going in circles, we are going upwards. The path is a spiral; we have already climbed many steps.
In all other things I can bring will to bear – I can kill my hunger, endure cold, suppress any wish – but she goes her own way in my heart, and I must follow.
I have always believed, and I still believe, that whatever good or bad fortune may come our way we can always give it meaning and transform it into something of value.
I can think. I can wait. I can fast.
There is no reality except the one contained within us. That’s why so many people live such an unreal life. They take the images outside them for reality and never allow the world within to assert itself.
We are not going towards death, we are returning to the root.
What could I say to you that would be of value, except that perhaps you seek too much, that as a result of your seeking you cannot find.
One must find the source within one’s own Self, one must possess it.
You are like a river. You come from afar and flow ever forward. I am like a lake. I stay in one place and wait for you.
You will not be able to see it, until it is very close.