Siddhartha goes through different phases on his spiritual journey: as a Brahmin seeking purification, as a Samana seeking emptiness of self, leaving the Samanas to live with Kamala and Kamaswami where he learns worldly pleasures, then leaving that behind to live by the river where he gradually reaches enlightenment through listening to the river and practicing Om. He realizes that it is not what you experience, but having experienced it that matters.