There is nothing softer and weaker than water in the whole world. And yet, in the way it affects the hard, nothing compares to it (Tao Te Ching). Hermann Hesse and Bertolt Brecht are both world-famous German-speaking poets of the 20th century, and despite the differences in their lives and works, they share an interest in the spiritual worlds of India, China, and Japan. A dialogue with the great figures from the Asian world, such as Buddha and Laozi, has found expression in both of their works. Both master, although the results differ, the special art of transforming the foreign into the familiar. The engaging study by the Tübingen literature expert offers surprising insights into the cultural and literary history of the 20th century. It also presents the reception of Asia in the works of both voices in German world literature.