Siddhartha is the story of a man from the Indian Subcontinent who sets out on a spiritual quest of discovery. Rejecting conventional spiritual practices and teachings, he attempts to find his own path to enlightenment. In his travels he encounters the Buddha, becomes engulfed in the worldly illusions of Sansara, and eventually finds peace in the oneness of all existence. Through Herman Hesse's simple prose, he elucidates many Buddhist and Hindu ideas on the stages and meaning of life.