Goal

‘My dear Kamala,’ said Siddhartha,’ When I came to you in your grove I made the very first step. It was my intention to learn about love from the most beautiful woman. From the moment I made that resolution I knew that I would execute it. I knew that you would help me; I knew it from your first glance at the entrance to the grove.’
‘And what if I had not wanted?’

‘But you did want. Listen, Kamala, When you throw the stone into the water, it finds the quickest way to the bottom of the water. It is the same way when Siddhartha has an aim, a goal. Siddhartha does nothing; he waits, he thinks, he fasts, but he goes through the affairs of the world like the stone through the water, without doing anything, without bestirring himself; he is drawn and let himself fall. He is drawn by his goal, for he does not allow anything to enter his mind which opposes his goal. That is what Siddhartha learned from the Samanas. It is what fools call magic and what they think is caused by demons. Everyone can perform magic, everyone can reach his goal, if he can think, wait and fast.’

Siddhartha, Hermann Hesse