Enlightenment In Hermann Hesse's Siddhartha

In Hermann Hesse’s most famous novel Siddhartha, the main character, Siddhartha goes on a quest to find enlightenment. Throughout his journey, Siddhartha encounters many people who are considered teachers, but did Siddhartha really learn anything from these teachers? It takes many years for Siddhartha to think he has reached happiness and enlightenment from the teachings of: the Samanas, Gotama, Kamala, Kamaswami, and Vasudeva. I think Siddhartha needed to live his own life, rather than living how people tried teaching him to. I do not believe he needed to leave his old life behind to reach enlightenment.
The Samanas are in the early life of Siddhartha, and they are the first teachers to him and Govinda. Govinda is Siddhartha’s best friend

Kamaswami questions what Siddhartha needs; Siddhartha says he is not in need of anything, though he does not possess anything. Kamaswami offers Siddhartha a job and shelter. Kamaswami respects Siddhartha from his quick learning skills, however Siddhartha could care less about the job, his real interests lie with Kamala. “His heart was not indeed in business. It was useful in order to bring him money for Kamala” (69). Kamaswami tries getting Siddhartha more interested and passionate about his work but is apathetic. Siddhartha visits Kamala daily and eventually feels understood and satisfied only with Kamala. Kamala tells Siddhartha that she wants to have a child with him.
Lastly, Siddhartha returns to the ferryman and wishes to cross the river again. Vasudeva, the ferryman asks him what he has learned in all his time on this side of the river. Siddhartha doesn’t really know what he has learned or what he has become. He can’t remember when he felt true joy, and concludes that nothing in his life has meaning to him. Vasudeva tells Siddhartha to listen to the river. One of the most important lessons that the river teaches Siddhartha is that time does not exist; the present is all that

Govinda is Siddhartha’s best friend from their village, they decide to leave the village to find enlightenment together, and they both devote their lives to this journey. Siddhartha felt unfulfilled, so he decided to seek enlightenment from the Samanas. The Samanas are a group of traveling hermits that believe in a life of poverty, hardship, and wandering is the path to self-actualization. Siddhartha gives away his clothes, he only ate once a day and never cooked food. “Siddhartha had one single goal—to become empty, to become empty of thirst, desire, dreams, pleasure and sorrow—to let the Self die. No longer to be Self, to experience the peace of an emptied heart, to experience pure thought—that was his goal”(14). Siddhartha learned a great deal from the Samanas but it was more of loosing oneself, rather than finding. Siddhartha and Govinda spend three years with the Samanas, and learn the name of a man, Gotama Buddha whom has achieved enlightenment. Govinda thinks that they should leave the Samanas to go hear the Buddha’s