Sunday, August 5, 2012

"THINK, WAIT AND FAST"

Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha, translated from the German by Sherab Chodzin Kohn, with an introduction by Paul W. Morris (Shambhala Classics) (Boston & London: Shambhala, 2000) ("'... See here, Kamala: When you throw a stone into water, it falls quickly by the fastest route to the bottom of the pond. This is the way it is when Siddhartha has an aim, an intention. Siddhartha does nothing--he waits, he thinks, he fasts--but he passes through the things of the world like the stone through the water, without bestirring himself. He is drawn forward and he lets himself fall. His goal draws him to it, for he lets nothing enter his mind that interferes with the goal. This is what Siddhartha learned from the shramanas. This is what fools call magic, thinking that it is brought about by demons. Nothing is brought about by demons; demons do not exist. Anyone can do magic, anyone can reach his goals if he can think, wait and fast.'" Id. at 49.).