River

Rivers flow for a reason. In Hermann Hesse’s __Siddhartha__, the river acts as both a physical and spiritual boundary for Siddhartha’s journey. Physically, Siddhartha crosses the river to go from being an ascetic, to being a profligate. Spiritually, the river splits the two mindsets he holds towards his surroundings, one being the pursuit of spiritual enlightenment through the rejection of this world, the other being the chase for physical indulgences. The river acts as a spiritual guide, through which Siddhartha discovers wisdom in his own interpretations, but also embodies the balance between the physical and spiritual worlds, ultimately representing his idea that life is present, and unconstrained by time.

Unlike human teachers, the river never explicitly instructs Siddhartha with its wisdom, but provides ordinary sights, through which he achieves his own interpretation and enlightenment. As Siddhartha toys with the idea of suicide, disappointed with the torment and despair he faces in his past lives, he suddenly realizes that “he had come to himself by a river, under a cocoanut tree, with the holy word Om on his lips” (73). While the river has no apparent contributions to solving his mental tribulations, it is seamlessly incorporated into his realization. It is only next to the river, that he frees himself from his past, becoming “refreshed, renewed, rejuvenated” (73). Later, he notes that “the river look[s] at him with a thousand eyes” (82). The personification of the river into a supernatural deity depicts the incredible nature of the river, but also illustrates the guider-guided interaction. The river flows as always, but for the ferryman and Siddhartha, it “knows everything” (86). It is then through this unobtrusive teaching that Siddhartha receives enlightenment in his meditation by the river, hence the personification of the river as a wise man, but not aggressively instilling its teachings to others.

As Siddhartha’s guide, the river embodies the balance between physical and spiritual pursuits, which becomes his conclusion on the purpose of life. He is introduced as growing up “in the shade of the house, in the sunshine on the river bank […] in the shade of the sallow wood and the fig tree” (1). The river is sandwiched between the house, representing his pursuit of physical satisfaction, and the fig tree, symbolizing his quest for spiritual enlightenment. The position of the river between the two extremes illustrates its incorporation of both sides. Moreover, although the house and trees are “in the shade”, the river is “in the sunshine”. The sunshine foreshadows Siddhartha’s enlightenment through the river, and not the two predecessors. Physically, before crossing the river, Siddhartha lives as an ascetic, rejecting the physical world. When he crosses the river, he becomes a profligate, indulging in worldly pleasures. Finally, when he decides to return, and “stay with the ferryman… [and] learn more from the river” (87), it indicates a life between the physical and spiritual, a balance, not fully devoting himself to either side.

Finally, the river parallels Siddhartha’s life, and his perception of it being present, independent, and free of time. It starts by empathizing with him, its “chilly emptiness in the water [reflecting] the terrible emptiness in his soul” (71). Just as water cannot be empty, or there would be no water, Siddhartha is not exactly empty, as he exists. However, water itself contains nothing, transparent, like Siddhartha actually feeling empty inside. The repetition of emptiness further establishes their spiritual connection. His attachment is emphasized as he “[feels] a deep love for this flowing water and [decides] that he would not leave it again so quickly” (81). Even with Kamala, he never expresses a “deep love”, yet in the presence of the river, Siddhartha is irresistibly drawn to it, suggesting a parallel between them. He then reaches the notion that “the water continually flowed and flowed and yet it was always there” (83). This epiphany marks his first step towards the idea that life is eternal. As the water is everlasting, he concludes that his life is similarly permanent. The past is no longer existent, like the flowing river has no ties to its source. The future is not here, just like from where Siddhartha is standing, he only sees the river flowing away, but does not know what will happen afterwards. Thus life is determined by the present, like the river’s presence defined by the point it flows through. Finally, he states that he “reviewed [his] life and it was also a river, and Siddhartha the boy, Siddhartha the mature man and Siddhartha the old man, were only separated by the shadows, not through reality” (87). He abandons the notion of stages and divisions in life, claiming life is essentially one piece, undivided by reality.

Consequently, the river in __Siddhartha__ acts as a guide for Siddhartha towards his final enlightenment, embodying the balance between the physical and spiritual worlds. Moreover, it parallels his life, representing his perception of it as a matter of existence, unrestricted by time. As Siddhartha speculated, true wisdom cannot be taught by one person to another, but it is up to nature and surroundings to steer a person to enlightenment.