Quotations

Extracts from Siddharta, by Herman Hesse

“Men are like a dry leaf, that flies and swirls in the air and come down slowly to the ground. But others, a few, are like fixed stars, that follow a precise path, e there is no wind that can move them, they have within themselves their own law and their own path.”

“First of all, he learnt from the river to listen, to lend his ear with a calm soul, with an open mind, waiting, without passion, without desire, without judging, without opinions…”

“When somebody is searching, then it happens easily that his ear will lose the ability to see anything else beyond what he is looking for, and that he will not find anything, not absorb anything inside him, because he is thinking always solely to what he is searching, because he has an aim, because he is possed by his aim. Searching means: having an aim. But finding means: being free, being open, not having an aim. Pursuing your own aim, looking for something, you miss out on a lot of other things which are right in front of your eyes.”

“Wisdom cannot be communicated. The wisdom that a learned man tried to communicate to others, always sounds like madness.”

“Maybe this is what prevents us from finding peace: too many words.”

Arthur Schopenhauer

“Those who are friends of everyone, in truth are friends of no one.”