Life with the Samanas

Siddhartha and Govinda are accepted by the Samanas and adopt their austere lifestyle. They give away their garments, fast for long periods, and practice self-denial through pain and meditation. Siddhartha learns to empty his mind and escape his self, but he realizes that these practices only offer temporary numbness, not true enlightenment. He becomes disillusioned with the Samanas' methods, feeling that they are no better than the escapes of a drunkard.