CHAPTER I. THE SUN OF A BRAHMAN In the shade of the house, in the sunshine of the riverbank near the boats, in the shade of the saw -wood forest, in the shade of the fig trees where Siddhartha grew up, the handsome son of the Brahman, the young falcon, together with his friend Govinda, son of a Brahman, the sun tanned his light shoulders by the banks of the river when bathing, performing the sacred ablutions, the sacred offerings. In the mango grove, shade poured into his black eyes when playing as a boy, when his mother sang, when the sacred offerings were made, when his father, the scholar, taught him, when the wise men talked. For a long time, Siddhartha had been partaking in the discussions of the wise men, practicing debate with Govinda, practicing with Govinda the art of reflection, the service of meditation. He already knew how to speak the Aum silently, the word of words, to speak it silently into himself while inhaling, to speak it silently out of himself while exhaling. With all the concentration of his soul, the forehead surrounded by the glow of the clear spirit, he already knew to feel Atman in the depths of his being, indestructible, one with the universe. Joy leapt into his father's heart for his son who was quick to learn, thirsty for knowledge. He saw him growing up to become great wise man and priest, a prince among the Brahmans. Bliss leapt into his mother's breast when she saw him, when she saw him walking, when she saw him sit down and get up. Siddhartha, strong, handsome, he who was walking on slender legs, greeting her with perfect respect. Love touched the hearts of the Brahmin's young daughters when Siddhartha walked through the lanes of the town with the luminous forehead, with the eye of a king, with his slim hips. But more than all the others he was loved by Govinda, his friend, the son of a Brahmin. He loved Siddhartha's eye and sweet voice. He loved his walk and the perfect decency of his movements. He loved everything Siddhartha did and said, and what he loved most was his spirit, his transcendent fiery thoughts, his ardent will, his high column. Govinda knew he would not become a common Brahmin, not a lazy official in charge of offerings, not a greedy merchant with magic spells, not a vain, vacuous speaker, not a mean, deceitful priest, and also not a decent, stupid sheep in the herd of the many. No, and he, Govinda, as well, did not want to become one of those, not one of those tens of thousands of Brahmins. He wanted to follow Siddhartha, the beloved, the splendid. And in days to come, when Siddhartha would become a god, when he would join the glorious, then Govinda wanted to follow him as his friend, his companion, his servant, his spear carrier, his shadow. Siddhartha was thus loved by everyone. He was a