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When Siddhartha is a Brahmin, he believes in the existance of many gods,
and performs sacrifices to them. However, he starts to question the
meaning and importance of the sacrifices. He realizes that they serve
no purpose and that his religion is not meaningful to him. He decides to
leave his family and community and become a Samana.
| As a Samana, Siddhartha tries to destroy his Self. One
way he attempts this is by entering other animals, like jackals and
becoming them temporarily. Siddhartha learns many methods of
self-denial. He thinks that if he kills his Self, with its passions
and emotions, he will find the great secret.
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Siddhartha does not spend much time with Buddha. He does however,
have an important revalation. He realizes that he cannot find peace
by learning from a master. He discovers that the only way to come to
peace with the world, is by finding it for himself.
In Samsara
| By the River
| With Vasudeva
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| After leaving Buddha, Siddhartha is enthralled with the
world around him. He has realized that he must gain experience for himself,
and so pays increasing attention to the world around him. As he is walking he
comes to a town. He stays in this town and becomes a merchant. At the
beginning Siddhartha considers most of his actions like a game. However
as time goes on, Siddhartha takes his life more and more seriously. He
starts to drink and gamble and becomes lazy. Siddhartha realizes how
despicable he has become and leaves the town.
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Siddhartha leaves the town and wanders through a forest. He comes to a
river and is about to kill himself, when he hears Om. He then
realizes that there is a lot to live for, and he shouldn't kill
himself. He treats this experience as a rebirth, and decides to
begin his life anew.
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Siddhartha decides to stay near the river and seeks out a ferryman that
he met many years ago. The man's name is Vasudeva, and he, like Buddha
has found peace with himself. Siddhartha stays with Vasudeva and listen
to the river like he has done. Siddhartha finds peace with the world.
He learns that he must love everything, since everything has some good in
it. He also realizes that the distinction between the past, present and
future is merely a myth.
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