Death to the Ego

Siddhartha had too much knowledge to get rid of his ego. He fight to get rid of it was futile at first. He thought he was getting old and would die, but then he thinks of himself as young and like a child. Siddhartha died and a new Siddhartha was born. He tried to get rid of it by fasting and austerities. He joined a world of pleasures. The shramana and priest within him died off. He went through these years of despair because he lost his inner self. This means that Siddhartha has gotten back in touch with himself and is leaving the life of desires and pleasures that he lost himself in. The path to enlightenment does not include pleasures but it has peace and getting in touch with their inner self. They have to go through this stuff to get in touch with their inner self to see what matters most.