Is Siddhartha advocating a kind of escapism from the world?

 Is Siddhartha advocating a kind of escapism from the world? Refer to the podcast on Theravada Buddhism for some background on the issues involved here.All life is suffering and dis-ease (dukkha).The cause of suffering is desire and clinging or grasping (tanha).Desires/Coveting can and should be overcome.The way to end desires and grasping is to follow the eightfold path.