SIDDHARTHA

National Museum of Asian Art

The Buddha Calling the Earth to Witness

Siddhartha by Herman Hesse

"No, I am telling you what I have discovered. Knowledge can be communicated, 
but not wisdom. One can find it, live it, be fortified by it, do wonders through it, 
but one cannot communicate and teach it
________________
It seems to me, Govinda, that love is the most important thing in the world. 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."
____________

 I know that I am at one with Gotama. How, indeed, could he not know
love, he who has recognized all humanity's vanity and transitoriness, yet loves 
humanity so much that he has devoted a long life solely to help and teach people? Also
with this great teacher, the thing to me is of greater importance than the words; his 
deeds and life are more important to me than his talk, the gesture of his hand is more
important to me than his opinions. Not in speech or thought do I regard him as a great
man, but in his deeds and life."
_____________

Siddhartha was silent and looked at him with his calm, peaceful smile. Govinda looked 
steadily in his face, with anxiety, with longing. Suffering, continual seeking and 
continual failure were written in his look. Siddhartha saw it and smiled. "Bend near 
to me!" he whispered in Govinda's ear. "Come, still nearer, quite close! Kiss me on 
the forehead, Govinda." Although surprised, Govinda was compelled by a great love and 
presentiment to obey him; he leaned close to him and touched his forehead with his 
lips. As he did this, something wonderful happened to him. While he was still 
dwelling on Siddhartha's strange words, while he strove in vain to dispel the 
conception of time, to imagine Nirvana and Samsara as one, while even a certain 
contempt for his friend's words conflicted with a tremendous love and esteem for him, 
this happened to him.
_________________
Govinda bowed low. Incontrollable tears trickled down his old face. He was overwhelmed 
by a feeling of great love, of the most humble veneration. He bowed low, right down 
to the ground, in front of the man sitting there motionless, whose smile reminded him 
of everything that he had ever loved in his life, of everything that had ever been of 
value and holy in his life.
 
****