Part 2: "Om" Summary

Siddhartha begins to envy the people around him, who seem so happy. After talking with his dear friend Vasudeva, Siddhartha begins to see the unity or interconnections among all things. Standing at the river, he hears the word Om.

Part 2: "Om" Analysis

This chapter reinforces Vasudeva's role as a wise teacher to Siddhartha who, although he had reached a stage of great self-discipline and knowledge, did not recognize the unity of all things. This is a basic Buddhist belief, the idea that all events and all people are interconnected, all like small drops in an ocean or river. The word Om, which Siddhartha hears by the river, conveys this sense of unity, or perfection, of all things.