Siddhartha Abridge

   Chapter One: The Brahmin's Son 

"Siddhartha grew up-the beautiful son of the Brahmin…with Govinda, his friend, the son of the Brahmin"(3).[However] "Siddhartha did not bring joy to himself"(4). "He started feeling his father's love, and his mother's love, and also his friend Govinda's love…his mind was not contended, his soul was not tranquil, his heart not sated"(5). "Siddhartha spoke: With your permission father. I have come to say that I long to leave your house tomorrow to join the ascetics. My longing is to become a samana" (9).

   Chapter Two: Among the Samanas 

"Siddhartha had a goal…to become empty"(13).[Siddhartha]"I suffer from thirst…my thirst has not lessened on this long samana path"(18).[Rumors about]"The Budda…supposedly overcome the sorrow of the world in himself"(19)."The rumors reached...the samanas in the forest too and Siddhartha too"(20). "That same day,Siddhartha informed the eldest of the samanas about his decision to leave him"(22).

   Chapter Three:Gautama 

"heading toward the Jetavana…The two samanas,accustomed to living in the forest, quickly and soundlessly found a refuge"(26)."Attentively Govinda peered at the monk in the yellow cowl…This is he"(26).[Gautama]"You have listened to the Teaching, it is well proclaimed.Please join us…Govinda also stepped forward"(28)."At that instant , Govinda realized that his friend was leaving him"(29).[Later]"Siddhartha…encountered Gautama"(30).[Gautama]"You have heard the Teaching…You have found a gap in it, a failing"(32)."The Budda has robbed me…But he has given me Siddhartha,has given me my self.(34).

   Chapter Four:Awakening 

"I will learn from me,from myself, I will be my own pupil: I will get to know myself, the secret that is Siddhartha"(36)."I am no longer who I was, I am longer an ascetic, I am no longer a priest, I am no longer a Brahmin"(38)."Now he was only Siddhartha, the awakened, and nothing more"(38).

  Chapter Five:Kamala

"At the start of the day,Siddhartha asked…the ferryman, to ferry him across the river"(46)."That day he reached a large town before evening"(48)."Siddharta halted at the entrance…he saw a very clear,very clever,very delicate face"(48)."He stopped the very next person he met,inquired…and asked for that woman's name, and he learned that this was the grove of Kamala"(49).[In the grove]"the servant…led him silently to a pavilion, where Kamala lay"(49)."No longer was he a samana, no longer was it seemly for him to beg…need clothes and money,nothing else"(54).[Kamala]"You are expected at the home of Kamaswami…you are to become his peer"(55).

   Chapter Six:Among the Child People 

"Not long after settling in Kamaswami's home Siddhartha was already taking part in his host's transactions…he visited beautiful Kamala:he wore lovely clothes, fine shoes"(59)."Here, with Kamala lay the value and purpose of his current life, and not with Kamaswami's business"(60)."This Brahmin…is not a real merchant and will never become one, his soul is never passionate about business"(60)."And indeed his soul was not with business. Business was good enough to bring him money for Kamala"(62)."She played with Siddhartha for a long time, lured him…until he was vanquished, and rested,exhausted,at her side"(65).[Kamala]"my dear, you have remained a samana. You do not love me, you love no one…I am like you I do not love either"(65).

   Chapter Seven:Samsara

"Kamala kept a small, rare songbird in a gold cage. He dreamed about this bird…The little bird was dead,lying stiff on the bottom"(73)."Jumping up from his dream…it seemed to him,been leading a worthless life"(73)."That same hour of night Siddhartha left his garden, left the town and never came back"(75).[Kamala]"she…steeped over to the window,where she kept a rare songbird in a gold cage.She opened the door of the cage,took out the bird and let it fly"(76)."After a time she realized that she was pregnant"(76).

   Chapter Eight:By the River 

"Siddhartha reached the large river in the forest…He now halted at this river, stood hesitantly on the bank"(77)."Closing his eyes, he leaned toward death…a sound came flashing"(78)."The instant om touched Siddhartha's ears, his slumbering spirit…recognized the folly of his action"(78).[Next Day]"Siddhartha sat up; and now he saw someone sitting across from him…it was Govinda"(80).[Siddhartha]"I went and learned the pleasure of love…learned business from Kamaswami"(85)."How I hated that world…I hated myself for lingering so long in that terrible world!"(86).

   Chapter Nine:The Ferryman 

"When he reached the ferry…the same ferryman who had once ferried the young samana across the river standing in the boat"(90)."Siddhartha remained with the ferryman"(93)."more than Vasudeva could teach him, the river taught him"(93).[Siddhartha]"Did the river…teach you this secret that time does not exist"(94)."news was spreading that the Sublime One was mortally ill"(96)."The pilgrims were not far from Vasudeva's ferry…and from under her dress slipped a black snake that had bitten Kamala"(98).[Vasudeva]"Your son is welcome to me too…there is a lot to do.Kamala had died"(101).

   Chapter Ten:The Son

"Siddhartha understood that his son…could not love him as a father"(103)."Siddhartha waited for his son…to love him back"(104)."But the next morning…The boy had runaway"(108)."deep down he knew his son neither had perished nor was menaced by any danger…he only desired to see him"(110)."He felt deep love in his heart for the runaway, it was like a wound…it must become a  blossom and shine" (111).

   Chapter Eleven:Om

"Hw now saw people in a different light…more sympathetically"(113)."Slowly blossomed, slowly ripened in Siddhartha the insight, the knowledge of what wisdom actually is"(114)."At that moment Siddhartha stopped fighting with destiny,stopped suffering"(119)."Vasudeva…looked into Siddhartha's eyes and saw the radiant serenity of knowledge"(119).[Vasudeva]"Now it has come; let me go…Siddhartha bowed low to the departing man"(119).

   Chapter Twelve:Govinda 

"An old ferryman who lived on the river…was viewed by many as a sage"(121).[Govinda]"the monk looked into the ferryman's eyes.Are you Siddhartha…You've changed greatly my friend"(122)."Govinda spent the night in the hut…Siddhartha had to tell him a lot about his life"(122)."Listen my Govinda,this is one of my thoughts that I have found:Wisdom cannot be communicated…Knowledge can be communicated"(123)."Give me, my honored friend, another word…that I can grasp that I can understand"(129)."Lean toward me!he whispered in Govinda's ear"(130)."He no longer saw his friend…Govinda had seen it with awe a hundred times.This,Govinda knew ,was how the Perfect One smiled"(130).