Siddhartha - p. 131

"Within Siddhartha there slowly grew and ripened the knowledge of what wisdom really was and the goal of his long seeking.  It was nothing but a preparation of the soul, a capacity, a secret art of thinking, feeling and breathing thoughts of unity at every moment of life.  This thought matured in him slowly, and it was reflected in Vasudeva's old childlike face: harmony, knowledge of the eternal perfection of the world, and unity."

I felt a strong inclination to publish this quote from Hermann Hesse's Siddhartha.  Despite being a very short novel, I found myself gripped by the spiritual journey that the title character takes over the course of his life.  It is at times humorous, moving, suspenseful, and exciting.  I can't remember the last time a book took hold of me in such a way.  The subtleties with which Hesse describes each new environment makes the experience incredibly immersive.  To my eyes, it reads more like a fable being passed down from an elder than anything else.

This post wasn't intended to be a book review, but rather an exploration of the idea that we are all unified in some way.  Despite the divisive nature of many elements of today's society - ranging from socio-economic factors beyond anyone's control to citizenship to what sort of clothes we wear - when we get down to the bottom line, we are all sharing the same planet.  We are all made of the same basic materials and have the same needs and desires as everyone else.  Our lives are not just isolated streams going in one direction.  We belong to one ocean, with currents going every which way.  Each new event is an opportunity for us to have a meaningful interaction with another stream, if you will.

My grandfather turned 90 yesterday, and I was struck by the outpouring of well-wishes and support from friends and family alike to celebrate this occasion.  Not that I was surprised by any of it - my grandfather is a wonderful man who has touched innumerable lives for the better - but it occurred to me that we all have these opportunities to build connections across the country or the world.  Some of us may be in better positions than others to do so, based on any number of factors, but unless we are incredibly reclusive, we all interact with a number of people every day.  Why not take the time to begin depositing into those every-day relationships to create something meaningful?

And here's some Bach.

Be well!

~Mike