Siddhartha Enlightenment Essay

For any individual to find enlightenment, they must be willing to go above and beyond in order to search for it. For certain people their search is caused by the willingness to seek peace. In Siddhartha, Siddhartha is on the quest for enlightenment which is the discovery of the truth about who we are and our role in the universe. For Siddhartha, he is able to reach Nirvana because he didn’t limit himself with what teachings he had. He was able to go out on his own and experience it himself on his own terms. Siddhartha was brought up to be like his father who was a respected Brahmin. His father tried to teach him the ways to find enlightenment, but it wasn’t good enough for Siddhartha. He couldn't seem to find pleasure in any of it. Siddhartha felt there was more that could be learned elsewhere. He would always ask
questions which his father sometimes couldn't answer because he just didn't know the answer. Siddhartha then felt like he needed to move on in order to find truth enlightenment in his life. When a group called the shramanas are going through his town, Siddhartha thinks that with them he might find some of the answers he is looking for. When he tells his father the idea, his father does not allow him to join the group. Siddhartha then has a conservation with his father telling him that he will not go until his father approves of him leaving. After realizing that Siddhartha had his mind set his father says “You will go into the forrest and become a shramana. Having found bliss in the forrest come and teach me bliss.” Siddhartha father knows that there are different ways of finding enlightenment and believes that Siddhartha can find it. Siddhartha then decides he wants to join the group with his good friend Govinda. Together they both go out in order to comprehend their lives on a divine level. After spending some time with the shramanas, Siddhartha realizes that he wants to find enlightenment in a different way. He then goes out in search of it, and enters a town and meets a girl named Kamala. Kamala then introduces Siddhartha to one of her friends, Kamaswami who teachs Siddharta how to trade. After some time, Siddhartha becomes a rich man and starts to use his money to just satisfy himself. After he realizes this is he then leaves and goes back to the river. When at the river Siddhartha meets with Govinda who is now a monk. Siddhartha recognizes Govinda but Govinda doesn’t know that the man who he is speaking to is Siddhartha. After time apart Siddhartha had changed in such a way, even his best friend couldn’t recognize him. Siddhartha then finds the ferryman who he met with before entering the town.
The ferryman identifies himself as Vasudeva and tells Siddhartha that he has been studying the river for many years now. After talking with Siddhartha, Vasudeva lets him study the ways of the river with him. Siddhartha soon finds new types of enlightenment he has never experienced before. The new Siddhartha felt a deep love for the flowing water. Siddhartha continues to study the river for many more years and eventually learns the ways of the river. He learns key elements that he was in search for. When Siddhartha meets back up with Govinda near the river, Siddhartha tells Govinda that he can’t teach him the ways of wisdom but instead to kiss him on the forehead. After kissing Siddhartha on forehead, Govinda no longer sees Siddhartha the same way. After this point Siddhartha finally accomplishes what he set out to do, he reaches Nirvana. Siddhartha reaches the path to the cessation of suffering. In order to find Nirvana, you must be able to come into wordless unity with the world. Siddhartha found that relationship with the world with the help of learning the
river.