Siddhartha's Journey In Siddhartha

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Finding who you are will not happen overnight it takes time, energy and an abundance of effort, just like Siddhartha, in Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse. He realizes that he has to find his own enlightenment because the enlightenment people around him are looking for could not be taught. As Siddhartha goes on in his journey in life looking for his enlightenment, he encounters many paths; Brahmins, Samanas, and Buddhists. Of all the things he encounters, nothing gave him the feeling of Om he is looking for. Siddhartha grew up near a river as a Brahmin, though he gives his offerings spiritually, he becomes unsatisfied with the life that he is living. His life is too simple for him. “He brought joy to all,...But Siddhartha did not bring joy to himself.” …show more content…

“Siddhartha had a goal, a single one: to become empty--empty of thirst, empty of desire, empty of dreams, empty of joy and sorrow. To die away from himself, no longer be self, to find peace with an emptied heart, to be open to miracles in unselfed thinking: that was his goal.” (13) Siddhartha thought that completely losing everything would help him find his enlightenment. He thought following what the Samanas believed would give him the journey to his soul that he was looking for. After fasting for weeks and learning all he could from the the eldest Samanas Siddhartha realized that “he has turned sixty years old and has not reached Nirvana.” (17) The Samanas does not give him the Om he is in search for. Siddhartha says, “I do not desire to walk on water,” and with realizing this he continues on to find the Sublime …show more content…

On his journey far away from the town, he feels as if the only way he’ll find true peace is if he is dead. While attempting to end his life in the river he once crossed, he finally hears the Om. All of his hard work and searching lead to this very moment. If he would not have taken his time to leave the Brahmins, the Samanas, the Buddhist, and even Kamala, he would have not found his Om. Soon after finding his Om, he has an idea to go find the Ferryman that once helped him out. He goes to find this Ferryman and after telling him his story the man realizes that the river has “spoken” to Siddhartha. Vasudeva says, “You will learn it, but not from me. It was the river that taught me how to listen; you too will learn how from the river.” The river is given life like qualities as if it would be a person, too. To think that the whole time he ventured and tried to listen to all of these powerful people, he just had to stop and listen to one unnoticed, inanimate object that gave life

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