Siddhartha: Part 2, Chapter 5 Summary & Analysis

Now Siddhartha sees the beauty of the natural world all around him. It had always been there but its image had been labeled as a deception, a kind of veil, before. Without seeking reality, the world becomes simple and beautiful as if seen by a child. Siddhartha’s days pass quickly like this, each sight of a monkey or fish delighting him. He feels that he is finally present in the world, that he belongs to and becomes it.

Along this path, Siddhartha remembers everything about his journey so far, and every word he spoke to the Buddha about his dissatisfaction, about the unteachable thing. The unteachable is now his aim. He now knows that he is Atman, the essential self. The self is neither thoughts nor the body, but a whole summation of everything. Everything has to be listened to. He must listen to his own inner voice. That is how, he thinks, Gautama had gained his enlightenment too.

Siddhartha sleeps along the way in a ferryman’s hut by the river and has a dream about Govinda. In the dream, Govinda is in the ascetic’s yellow robe and is sad that Siddhartha has left him. Siddhartha embraces Govinda, but as he touches him, Govinda becomes a woman, and Siddhartha lies on the woman’s breast and drinks her milk, which tastes of every natural thing and puts Siddhartha into a daze.

The next day, Siddhartha gets a ride with the ferryman across the river and the ferryman tells him about his love for the river, how he listens to it and learns from it. Siddhartha thanks him and apologizes that he hasn’t got any gift to thank him with. The ferryman understands, and thinks that Siddhartha will one day repay him. He believes that everything comes around again, just like the river. Siddhartha leaves the ferryman, grateful for his friendship. The ferryman reminds him of Govinda, simple and obedient, like a child.

Next Siddhartha comes to a village, where a group of children run shyly from him. And outside the village, he encounters a young woman, washing laundry at a brook. The pair smiles at each other. Siddhartha politely asks her how to get to town. She comes over, young and healthy looking, and they get to talking, about the samana way of life. Both of them start lusting for each other. Siddhartha longs to touch her but he has never touched a woman before. His inner voice calls out to him to stop. The girl now appears to him like an animal, and he strokes her face as you might a deer, and moves on.

Siddhartha approaches the town, longing to be around people. He sees a trail of men and women following a sedan, in which is seated a beautiful woman with a clever, delicate face, a mouth bright like a fig, and jewels on her wrists. This beauty makes Siddhartha laugh with joy. The trail is going into a pleasure grove, and as it goes, he meets the eyes of this woman. He wants to follow her into the grove at once, but remembers how he still appears as a homeless beggar to them. Instead, he goes into the town and learns the name of the woman. She is Kamala, a courtesan. Siddhartha has a new goal.

In the town, Siddhartha sleeps in the streets and on the riverbank. He befriends a barber, and has his hair and beard cut, then washes in the river. That day, he goes to Kamala’s sedan again, and asks one of the servants to tell Kamala that he wishes to speak to her. He is led to her. She has remembered him from the previous day. Siddhartha explains that he had been a samana and he has never spoken to a woman without lowering his eyes before. He thanks her for her beauty, and he asks her if she will be his teacher and guide him in the art of love.

Kamala laughs. She has never had a samana come to her before, though she has received many sons of Brahmins. Siddhartha says that he learns quickly and has gone through many trials. Kamala tells him that he needs to be well dressed, perfumed, and bring her gifts to earn her attention. Siddhartha expected as much. He agrees to the condition, saying that he will agree to anything uttered by those fig-colored lips.

Siddhartha next asks Kamala why she is not afraid of a rough samana entering her house. She says she cannot be afraid of a foolish man who does not know about women. But, surely a samana could overpower her and take advantage of her, thinks Siddhartha. But this is not how Kamala sees her body. She compares it to the “piety and profundity” of the samana, which can’t be taken by force, but is owned by the samana. Siddhartha knows she is right and promises that he will take no sweetness from her lips by force.

Siddhartha also promises to come back with the rich clothes that Kamala requested, but doesn’t know how to obtain them. Kamala suggests using his skills and receiving money for them and asks what his skills are. Siddhartha says he can think, wait, and fast. Those are his three skills. Then he remembers he can also write poetry, and creates one on the spot about Kamala, about how sacrificing to her is lovelier than sacrificing to the gods. Kamala is impressed and agrees to give Siddhartha a kiss for his skill. The kiss is long and expert, and gives Siddhartha the image of thousands more kisses awaiting him.

Siddhartha praises Kamala for her kissing and she explains that her knowledge of love has gotten her many riches and nice things. But how will Siddhartha manage to afford these gifts with only thoughts and poetry? Siddhartha begins to explain that he knows hymns and has read scriptures, and at this Kamala interrupts. She is surprised and pleased that Siddhartha can write. Most can’t, she says. Kamala’s maid disturbs them to let Kamala know she has a visitor. Kamala tells Siddhartha to leave immediately but to see her again tomorrow, and gives him a white cloak. When he is safely outside the grove and back in the town, Siddhartha goes to an inn and begs for a piece of rice cake. He is proud when he imagines not begging for food anymore. Life in the town seems simple and easy, like Kamala’s kissing lesson, a world away from the samana hardships.

The next day, Siddhartha visits Kamala in her town house and she informs him that things are already looking up for him. She tells him he has been invited to visit the merchant, Kamaswami. She tells him not to be too modest, and if Kamaswami likes him, he will invite him into his service. Kamala wants to know how Siddhartha has all these doors opening for him already, and Siddhartha reminds her that his skills of waiting and thinking and fasting have served him well - samanas can learn very quickly.

Kamala reminds Siddhartha that he has her to thank for his good fortune too. Siddhartha replies that he entered the pleasure grove knowing that she would help him. He describes what happens when he makes a goal – through waiting and fasting, he goes quietly towards his goal, and lets nothing in that would disturb his clear path to the goal. This is why he knew that he would be friends with Kamala when he saw her smile at him the first day in the grove. Kamala is enchanted by Siddhartha’s voice. She suggests that the real power might lay in Siddhartha’s charms, and the effect his glance has on a woman. Siddhartha is humbly glad at this idea and grateful for it.