“ It has not come to you by means of teachings! And—thus is my thought, oh exalted one,—nobody will obtain salvation by means of teachings! ”
Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha (1922). copy citation
| Author | Hermann Hesse |
|---|---|
| Source | Siddhartha |
| Topic | thought salvation teaching |
| Date | 1922 |
| Language | English |
| Reference | |
| Note | Translated by Gunther Olesch, Anke Dreher, Amy Coulter, Stefan Langer and Semyon Chaichenets |
| Weblink | http://www.gutenberg.org/files/2500/2500-h/2500-h.htm |
Context
“I have not doubted for a single moment that you are Buddha, that you have reached the goal, the highest goal towards which so many thousands of Brahmans and sons of Brahmans are on their way. You have found salvation from death. It has come to you in the course of your own search, on your own path, through thoughts, through meditation, through realizations, through enlightenment. It has not come to you by means of teachings! And—thus is my thought, oh exalted one,—nobody will obtain salvation by means of teachings! You will not be able to convey and say to anybody, oh venerable one, in words and through teachings what has happened to you in the hour of enlightenment! The teachings of the enlightened Buddha contain much, it teaches many to live righteously, to avoid evil.”
source
Meaning and analysis
