When confronted with a new obstacle, many will have never encountered that situation before because it is something that they might not have prepared themselves for. That is what exposes the true human response to weakness and vulnerability. The result will be a desire for change, a willingness to become better than you were before. However, it is not guaranteed that one will grow after undergoing a tragic moment. But this strive towards a higher sense of being at the expense of failure makes all hardships worth it.

Progress doesn’t come easy, especially when things don’t turn out in your favor. Embarking on his journey as a “knowledgeable” man, Siddhartha seemed to know less than he truly thought. Particularly, the death of his lover forced him into a state of peace where he learns that he is the one who can help her into the next phase of her life. As he moved on, the deep love that he developed for his son revealed to be one that he never had for anyone else before, allowing him to perceive grief from a new perspective. Being unrestrictive makes way for his son to be able to adapt to life in his individual way rather than being bound to Siddhartha’s ideals, just like how his own father took the decision to let him go.

This same scenario could be seen in another piece of work in which one became desperate to acquire the desired outcome, even if it meant doing reckless actions.

“He who knows when to stop does not find himself in trouble.”

-Laozi (Tao Te Ching)

Whether it was the samurai who chased his wife into the burning barn or Siddartha who decided to stop himself from running after his son, they both did what they believed was best despite the consequences. Nevertheless, it will start to appear clearer to them that the safer approach might always be the best option, though some situations could call for a high-risk-high-reward choice, such as the realization that the sacrifice of a few people for the rest would win them the battle.

There was one difference between the seekers and the finders when in this case, it came down to a life-or-death situation: the finders were more prepared. But in order for the finders to be able to get where they are, they would have to live through the adversities and accept their experiences, no matter what happened. For instance, play is necessary for kids to thrive because it pushes them to interact with the world around them and it is that open-minded interaction that encourages them to seek knowledge in all sorts of forms. Through experience, it is how we can learn that focusing so much on something could possibly take away the real wisdom that comes with it. Perhaps, the message that Siddhartha had been trying to put his finger on was that—experience can’t be taught.