What was the message that Siddhartha discovered in Siddhartha, by Hermann Hesse, directed towards life? Siddhartha left home as a young man with his best friend, Govinda, and searched for himSelf with the Samanas. He travels with the Samanas for years, until he and Govinda meet the Buddha. Govinda stays to follow the Buddha, but Siddhartha does not join the monks. He tries to continue on his journey, but experiences many obstacles along the way. Eventually, he reaches Enlightenment through an unlikely character. Throughout the novel, Siddhartha is constantly taking a direct and indirect path towards his Enlightenment; these changes teach him many important lessons in his life. One example of an indirect path would be when Siddhartha first meets the Buddha with Govinda. They have been traveling with the Samanas for a long time, but have not yet reached Enlightenment. Govinda chooses to stay with the monks, but Siddhartha departs. He comes across the Buddha, and says, “You have done so by your own seeking, in your own way, through thought, through meditation, through knowledge, through Enlightenment. You have learned nothing through teachings, and so I think, O Illustrious One, that nobody finds salvation through teachings.” (Hesse, 27). He does not believe that he can be taught Enlightenment through a teacher. Rather than be taught …show more content…
He washed his hair and put on robes to look presentable in front of her. He asks her if she can teach him the art of love. She decides to teach him, but he must first find a way to pay her. She helps him get a job with a merchant named Kamaswami. Siddhartha tells her, “It was my intention to learn about love from the most beautiful woman. From the moment I made that resolution I also knew that I would execute it.” (Hesse, 50). This will cause Siddhartha to live in Kamala’s town for many years, and make it harder for him to reach