PUBLISHED: 1922
PAGES: 108
Siddhartha, born into a Brahman family in ancient India, enjoys a life of privilege and admiration. However, he is driven from a young age to seek enlightenment. Initially, he embarks on this quest with his father and the elders of their religious community. However, Siddhartha becomes disillusioned when he realizes that none of them have truly attained enlightenment and profound happiness. Alongside his closest companion, Govinda, Siddhartha sets out into the world to find inner peace and fulfillment.
The two friends initially joined a group of ascetics called the Samanas, who strive for enlightenment through self-inflicted suffering and the renunciation of worldly desires such as love, money, joy, and other material pursuits. The Samanas aim to become empty vessels in their pursuit of enlightenment. Despite following their practices and way of life, Siddhartha still feels unfulfilled in his search for inner peace and happiness. They lived with the Samanas for almost three years until they heard about Gotama the Buddha, a revered holy man who claims to have achieved Nirvana and the pure bliss of enlightenment. Siddhartha convinces Govinda that it is time to leave the Samanas and seek out Gotama. When they inform the leader of the Samanas about their decision, he tries to dissuade them, just as Siddhartha's father had done before. However, Siddhartha uses his unusually hypnotic gaze to calm the leader and bid farewell to the group peacefully as they embark on their journey.
In the presence of Gotama, Siddhartha and Govinda acquire knowledge about Buddhism and become disciples of the Buddha's powerful teachings. They realize that their ultimate aim is to attain salvation from suffering. Siddhartha's association with Buddha makes him feel mature and his mind is receptive to new ideas, yet he is still plagued with unanswered questions. Despite being in the company of like-minded seekers of enlightenment, Siddhartha remains unenlightened and decides to part ways with his friend Govinda. He also abandons the life of spiritual and religious rituals to explore the pleasures of the world. While crossing a river, Siddhartha meets Vasudeva, a ferryman who is content with his simple life and has learned valuable lessons from the river. Vasudeva imparts these simple truths to Siddhartha, who then leaves the ferry and enters the world without any spiritual pursuits. In the city on the other side of the river, Siddhartha meets Kamala, a beautiful woman who advises him to become successful in business before pursuing a relationship with her. Following her advice, Siddhartha meets Kamaswami, a prosperous merchant who provides him with the means to achieve material success.
Kamala and Siddhartha's relationship is filled with love and passion, and Siddhartha revels in his wealth and the luxuries it affords him. However, after years of success and fortune, he becomes disillusioned and feels the need to move on from this phase of his life. In a dream, he realizes the true meaning of his inner desire for peace and decides to leave his lavish lifestyle behind. He walks back to the river where he had once ferried across and contemplates suicide before being saved by his old friend Govinda, who is now a Buddhist monk. Siddhartha decides to live by the river, where he hopes to find inner peace and happiness.
The memory of the ferry that had transported him across the river resurfaces as he walks along, leading him to encounter the same ferryman he had met almost twenty years ago. Vasudeva reintroduces himself to Siddhartha, marking the beginning of another student-teacher relationship. With great enthusiasm and instructiveness, Vasudeva expounds on the profound wisdom the river imparts, revealing that he has dedicated a significant portion of his life to studying the lessons it offers. Siddhartha observes Vasudeva's exceptional gift of listening, a quality possessed by only a few. Recalling the sacred Om he once uttered in his youth, Siddhartha realizes that he has heard the voice of the river. Both Siddhartha and Vasudeva agree that Siddhartha should remain and work alongside his friend and mentor, the ferryman. Continuously learning from both his companion and the river, Siddhartha acquires extensive knowledge and embarks on the initial stages of his enlightenment through attentive listening.
During their pilgrimage to find the dying Gotama, Kamala and her teenage son unexpectedly come across Siddhartha. Interestingly, Kamala has named her son Siddhartha. Tragically, as they sit near the river, Kamala is bitten by a snake. Before Kamala succumbs to the venom, Siddhartha discovers that he is the father of her son. Siddhartha endeavors to raise his son by the river, but the young boy rejects this way of life, longing to return to the city where he had grown accustomed to a luxurious and self-centered existence. In a complete cycle, Siddhartha implores his son not to depart, just as his own father had left him long ago. Eventually, the boy flees, taking all of Siddhartha's and Vasudeva's money with him. Siddhartha embarks on a quest to find his son in the city, but his efforts prove futile. Heartbroken, Siddhartha returns to the river in the company of his friend Vasudeva.
Siddhartha, deeply saddened by the loss of his son, continues to learn from the river alongside his aging friend Vasudeva. In their final conversation, Siddhartha realizes the interconnectedness of all things and releases his suffering and struggle for control over his fate. Through this transformation, Siddhartha achieves pure enlightenment. Later, Govinda seeks out the wise ferryman and, after Siddhartha's teachings, finally understands the true path to enlightenment. Siddhartha then guides Govinda to his own personal enlightenment through a simple gesture.
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