Hometown

Physically: Physically, Siddhartha was in his hometown where everyone was the son of Brahmins. He ranked very highly among the people in his community and he was moving around from place to place learning new and different things about religion and what he really wanted to do with his life. He goes and visits the banyan tree several times with Govinda. He would often times travel through the city and meet new people, like those people of the shramanas. 


Mentally: Mentally, Siddhartha is still a child but he feels that he is mentally stronger and more capable than the things that he has been taught. He is not intellectually fulfilled by what he has learned and he wants to expand upon it. He felt that the love of his family and friends would not forever delight him, satisfy him and suffice him. Siddhartha's mind was not satisfied and he wanted to move on to better things and learn new. He wanted to look deeper within himself and learn that way. He had endless questions about the things around him and about things that his teachers had never fully been able to expand upon and answer, he wanted to find out for himself.


Spiritually: Spiritually Siddhartha was able to learn and speak the Om very quickly, and he was able to confide in his soul and he was surrounded by radiance. He was beginning to recognize his internal being, and Atman. He was growing to become a great sage priest and a prince to the Brahmins in his father's eyes. He practiced meditation under the banyan tree with his good friend Govinda, and they spoke in the Om and repeated verses. 

Socially: Socially Siddhartha was known and very well loved around his hometown. He always brought delight to everyone that he encountered, and all of the young daughters of Brahmins loved him. They fell in love with his radiance and his looks. More than anyone though, his friend Govinda adored him the most. He loved his gracious voice, his perfect decorum of all his movements, and he loved everything that Siddhartha did. If one day Siddhartha became a god he wanted to follow him as a companion and shadow. He also had his two parents to follow and love.

Quote: "Tomorrow morning, my friend, Sidhartha will go to the shramans. He will become a shramana"(9). This quote said by Siddhartha's friend Govinda means that he has had the realization that Siddhartha is no longer happy where he is and he has made the decision to move on to become a shramana. This is a group of wild ascetics, or professional seekers who have left all normal living ideas behind them in order to search for their inner quest and meaning.