Written in 1919, Siddhartha tells the story of a young boy who leaves his family on the journey of enlightenment. He finds himself as a student, monk, a rich man, a ferryman, a father, a lover, and more. The story chronicles the life lessons Siddhartha encounters along the way to his own enlightenment.

Often I say my personality is an amalgamation of Doug Funny, Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes, Shel Silverstein, Xanatos from Gargoyles and Siddhartha. One day I will explain that with great detail. For today, let me share with you lessons from the spiritual journey that is Siddhartha by Herman Hesse.

#1 The Leader’s Path Is Not Always Your Path

While speaking to the Buddha, Siddhartha explains why he is leaving the Buddha’s teachings:

>“[Enlightenment] It came to you from your own seeking, on your own path, through thinking, through meditation, through knowledge, through illumination. It did not come through a teaching!”

What Siddhartha is saying here is illumination, or self-peace, came to the Buddha from the Buddha’s own path, so what waits ahead for Siddhartha? You see, Siddhartha realizes the path he is on is the Buddha’s path and not his own. He must take the lessons he chooses to keep and find his own way.

Modern Interpretation

Take notice where you are not being your authentic self. Are you living your life in a copy of somewhere else? When you want to relax, do you drink a glass of red wine and turn on Netflix (No judgement, sounds delightful to me) or, do you really think what do I need right now for me?

Take some time to examine your life and find places where you can be more authentic. How you hold a meeting, how you greet your co-workers every morning, how you kiss your partner when you get home, are all opportunities to be authentic. Find your path, use others as lessons but not road maps. Your road to enlightenment is different from your teachers, it’s important you know that. Teachers can help you get you there but ultimately it has to be your path that leads to an authentic, fulfilled life.

#2 We Judge Others By Their Actions But We Judge Ourselves By Our Intentions

After losing his son to a world of riches and modern amenities Siddhartha realizes he had done something very similar to his own father when he left to become a Brahman:

>Siddhartha stared into the water, and images appeared to him in the flow: his father appeared, lonely, mourning his son; he himself, Siddhartha, appeared, lonely, he too bound with the bonds of yearning for his faraway son; his son appeared, lonely he too, the boy, greedily charging along on the burning path of his young wishes: each person focusing on his goal, each one obsessed with his goal, each one suffering.

What Siddhartha realized is his pain was not different from his father’s pain many years ago. He was on his own path of enlightenment and he made the choice to leave. When his son leaves him to go back to modern society, he judges him as selfish and childish. In this moment, staring into the river, he realizes each person is seeking their own goals.

Modern Interpretation

In our lives we look at other people’s action by what they did and our own actions on why we did it. This leads to a false understanding of intention in others. When someone makes a mistake, take time to understand why they made that mistake.

Next time you get frustrated, take a moment to separate what happened with the meaning you are putting into it. This is an extremely powerful practice. Being able to see people’s intentions make you realize that most people aren’t trying to be frustrating, they are trying their best. To make errors is to be human and it’s important we allow that grace for ourselves and for others.

#3 Define Success, Define Yourself

When Siddhartha finds the love of his life he learns she is used to being a rich woman. He seeks to get rich for her so that he can taste her lips. While searching for a job he has this exchange with a merchant:

>“If you come from the samanas, how could you not be experiencing hard times? Are not the samanas completely without property?”
>
>“I own no property”, said Siddhartha, “if that is what you mean. True, I possess nothing. But that is voluntary, so I am not experiencing hard times.”

What Siddhartha means is he has chosen the level of comfort for his own life. He doesn’t define a good life by the standards of the merchant, he can fast, he can wait, he can meditate and as long as he can do that — he has a good life. The riches he seeks are not necessary for his life, they are simply extras.

Modern Interpretation

Define what it means to be successful in your life. It might mean having a studio apartment and one cat. It might mean a speedboat or a private jet. Let it mean whatever you want it to mean for you. When you leave this Earth, only your story remains. What you do on this Earth means much more than what you have. Define a life for yourselves that reaches for your happiness.

In our careers, we have to set goals that work for us. Don’t let other’s path define yours. You can be perfectly content in a situation someone else would never be content in. Life has no real winning mission. It is simply existing — Define what that means to you.

--

I hope you can take away something from this article into your own life. There really is no roadmap here. We are meant to explore, to be alive, and nothing more. Seek out your destiny.