What I learned reading the story of Siddhartha

     The copy of a book of the story of Siddhartha I read began with the background of the Buddhist practices. It explained how spirits were tired of the cycle of karma and were seeking for ways to escape it for the pain was so great. Associating suffering with conscious existence; incarnation, even as purely spirit, they sought their own non-existence/extinction/suicide that they might return to Source, become unborn again. So, while so many practices lead to an enlightened life, overall, adherence to them brings us ever closer to death. When one seeks the ultimate Buddhist experience, one is seeking death. That is why all "enlightened masters" die, their bodies continuing to age and expire despite their healing abilities.
    The second thing I learned was toward the end of the story of Siddhartha's life. When it was realized Siddhartha's son was acting out and unhappy because Siddhartha offered no resistance, Siddhartha sent him away. "Are we so insecure about our "enlightenment" that we ourselves can not offer the resistance our children need to themselves expand their own consciousness?!"- was my response to that action. As an emotionally abandoned child,I know the pain of an absent parent experience, abandonment, a lack of priority. I treated myself the same way: I didn't appreciate myself, settled for and even sought out poor treatment.
   "And who says 'enlightenment' it's self does not inspire the offering of resistance?"- I now know to ask. We are so conditioned to expect only certain behaviors as kind, loving and thus marks of wisdom and "enlightenment". Well, you know what? An enlightened state of being might inspire a proverbial ass-wooping. Maybe we are inspired to say no when a child crosses boundaries, not only so we are respecting ourselves but that a child might learn from the example that they can and should have boundaries of their own. From a state of'enlightenment', our inspired responses will be just the right level of intensity, the right degree of response. Whereas, if left to an 'unenlightened' world, the responses might be over or under reacting. Who better to deliver appropriate resistance than an 'enlightened' being?
   If one is more from a self-sacrificing, "we must serve others above ourselves" perception: should we not sacrifice our own (idea of) state of "enlightenment" for our children? ;)