Siddartha

Siddartha

  • Submitted By: psycho101
  • Date Submitted: 12/17/2008 11:23 PM
  • Category: English
  • Words: 668
  • Page: 3
  • Views: 482

Steven Gargiulo
Period 5
10/14/08
Siddhartha

The soft, gentle sounds of the water flow down from the mountains and into the valley. If one listens patiently in silence, one may hear the voice of the river. The “Om” of the river may be the key to enlightenment for some as it was the key for me and the ferrymen before me; others will have to find there own path to enlightenment. To achieve this enlightenment one must set out on a long three step journey. The first step of the journey is to set out far away from home while giving up all desires of the body. The second step is to become part of life in a big city. And the final step is to set out on a quest to find ones own path to enlightenment.
Long ago I set out with my friend Govinda and a group of Samanas to seek further knowledge of life. The Samanas are a religious group that gives up all desires of the body in order to focus on the path to enlightenment. “Siddhartha learned a great deal from the Samanas; he learned many ways of losing the Self. He traveled along the path of self-denial through pain, through voluntary suffering and conquering of pain, through hunger, thirst and fatigue.” (Siddhartha). This is an example of a necessary step on must make in order to become enlighten. One must leave home to learn about another type of culture, way of thinking, and teaching. It is important to understand that one may not reach the path of enlightenment but one will become closer to the path then he or she has ever been. The teachings of the new culture will allow one to think in ways one has never thought in before. I personally studied with two cultures (the Samanas and the Buddhists) and still decided that these paths weren’t right for me.
City life involves work, money, friends, family, and love. In order to learn about life, on must experience life. This involves getting a job, making money, making friends, starting a family, and learning to love. As I soon learned from the city, it is important to...