- As he walks away from Govinda, Siddhartha realizes that he is embarking on a new stage of life. He has walked away from all his teachers, even Buddha, because they cannot teach the nature of the self.
- Siddhartha decides to learn from himself alone.
- As he walks, Siddhartha sees his surroundings as real and beautiful, rather than an illusion that causes suffering.
- For the first time, Siddhartha is experiencing the world on its own terms, rather than scorning what it has to teach him. This is his awakening.
- Siddhartha decides he has to start anew on his quest for enlightenment. Concurrent to this decision is the realization that he is completely alone. He has left his father, he has left the Samanas, and he has left Govinda with the Yellow-Robed Men. He can no longer define himself in relation to other men because he has no community.