"In Siddhartha," by Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha searches for the meaning of life and his enlightenment. Siddhartha is a Brahmin born Hindu but does not find what he is looking for as a Hindu priest and follows many different paths during his journey to find what he is seeking in life. He is willing to do almost anything if it means getting closer to understand himself and his enlightenment. Govinda is Siddhartha's childhood friend and loyal follower. He follows Siddhartha in his quest until he meets the Buddha. Govinda believes enlightenment can be taught, unlike Siddhartha who believes you must find it on your own, and follows the Buddha until his death when he reunites with Siddhartha. Siddhartha and Govinda both search for essentially the same goal, enlightenment and the meaning of life, but differ in what they are willing to do to find what that is.
During his quest, Siddhartha searches for the meaning of life and enlightenment and is willing to do whatever it takes to discover what that is. Siddhartha seeks more than what the Brahmins could teach him about the meaning of life and how to reach enlightenment. Leaving his father and becoming a Samana to living with these holy men was Siddhartha's first attempt at finding his goal. Siddhartha's father agrees to let Siddhartha join the samanas after the realises how bad he must achieve his goal, "You will go into the forest and become a Samana. If you find bliss in the forest, come back and teach it to me. If you find disillusionment, come back, and we shall again offer sacrifice to the gods together"(12). After realising he could not find what he was seeking for with the Brahmins, Siddhartha hoped the holy Samanas could teach him the meaning of life and enlightenment. After leaving the Samanas, Siddhartha wants to live in samsara like the common people who he envies. Siddhartha noticed how the common people lived and "He envied them [for].