Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse
Tamara Ben-Halim has worked in non-profit and civil society for over six years. She co-founded Cycling4Gaza and led various communication and outreach efforts while working with venture philanthropy organisation Alfanar.
The Palestinian quest for equality has been misconstrued and misunderstood for too long. I believe that by educating people on the issue from a rights perspective, we will get one step closer to achieving equality and a life of dignity for Palestinians, and for Israelis.
“But today he only saw one of the river’s secrets, one that gripped his soul. He saw that the water continually flowed and flowed and yet it was always there; it was always the same and yet every moment it was new.”
Siddhartha was, and remains, important to me both because of its ideas and because of the time during which it entered my life. I had just suffered a deep and sudden loss of a loved one, and two or three special books helped keep me afloat. Siddhartha was one of them.
The story is of a young man searching for his life’s purpose, and the challenges and temptations that befall him along his path towards enlightenment.
The insight that remains with me from the story of Siddhartha, the protagonist, is that everything in life is impermanent. All that lies in front of us, all that we experience, is ever-changing, never to be the same again.
It reminds me that I have to learn to live in constant uncertainty, and to do so with peace of mind. It reminds me also, in times of difficulty, that even the darkest moments will pass.
