Siddhartha's path to enlightenment led him through many trials and tribulations. Yet at the end, when he had achieved nirvana, he had experienced three distinct journeys throughout his life. The first dealt with his time with the traveling Samanas. The second journey dealt with Siddhartha's lessons with the Buddha and his band of followers. Finally, the third journey covers the time period in which Siddhartha abandons the Buddha to embark on his own quest for enlightenment on his own terms. .
Siddhartha's first journey was forced upon him by his own boredom. He was terribly bored of life with his father and mother, and felt it necessary to escape the tedious life he was living in search of change and further learning opportunities. When the Samanas came to the town or village in which Siddhartha lived, he immediately joined their ranks with some resistance by his father. On this journey, Siddhartha fasts for days on end, wears nothing but a loincloth and learns from the wandering ascetics. Soon, however, Siddhartha feels that he has learned all he can from the Samanas, and quickly grows bored of them. He decides to leave upon hearing word of Gotama Buddha. While his decision to depart angers the Samanas, Siddhartha leaves them, still with his dear friend Govinda in tow.
When Siddhartha and Govinda finally meet Gotama Buddha in the town of Savathi they are overcome by his radiance of peacefulness and acceptance for everything around him. Hearing the Buddha's word, Govinda swears allegiance to the man, thus departing with Siddhartha. Siddhartha prefers to seek his own path rather than follow the Buddha. Before leaving, Siddhartha is warned to be careful of his own cleverness and wit, for it may come back around to harm him. After hearing what the Buddha had to say, he took leave of him, his followers and Govinda in search of his own life.
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After leaving Savathi and the grove of Jetavana, Siddhartha proceeds into the wilderness, alone, and bound to no one.