Siddhartha

Author(s): Hermann Hesse, Hilda Rosner
Publisher: Macmillan India

Page 15

The young men thanked him for his good wishes, returned his bow, and departed.
On the way, Govinda said: "Siddhartha, you have learned more from the Samanas than I was aware. It is difficult, very difficult to hypnotize an old Samana. In truth, if you had stayed there, you would have soon learned how to walk on water.'
'I have no desire to walk on water,' said Siddhartha. 'Let the old Samanas satisfy themselves with such arts.'
Gotama
In the town of Savathi every child knew the name of the Illustrious Buddha and every house was ready to fill the alms-bowls of Gotama's silently begging disciples. Near the town was Gotama's favourite abode, the Jetavana grove, which the rich merchant Anathapindika, a great devotee of the Illustrious One, had presented to him and his followers.
The two young ascetics, in their search for Gotama's abode, had been referred to this district by tales and answers to their questions, and on their arrival at Savathi, food was offered to them immediately at the first house in front of whose door they stood silently begging. They partook of food and Siddhartha asked the lady who handed him the food:
'Good lady, we should very much like to know where the Buddha, the Illustrious One, dwells, for we are two Samanas from the forest and have come to see the Perfect One and hear his teachings from his own lips.
The woman said: 'You have come to the right place, O Samanas from the forest. The Illustrious One sojourns in Jetavana, in the garden of Anathapindika. You may spend