Flowing Knowledge

In "Siddhartha" the river is a recurring motif that represents knowledge. The first time that Siddhartha went to the river he was a young Samana and had talked to the Buddha about life. He had just been awakened but was unsure where he should go next. The ferryman had told Siddhartha "One can learn much from the river"(49) and then told him "I have learned that from the river too; everything comes back. You, too, Samana will come back."(49) Siddhartha at this time realised he would learn much from the river and the first thing was that he will come back around. Siddhartha did come back around to the river just as the ferryman had said. The second time he came to the river he had just realised he turned into something that he did not like and was contemplating suicide when the river caused him to have an epiphany and change his mind."At that moment when the sound of Om reached Siddhartha's ears, his slumbering soul suddenly awakened and he recognized the folly of his actions." (89) In this moment the river helped save Siddhartha's life and he learned that he needs to be more open to listening and he needs to move forward with his life in a new state of mind. Then he moves forward and meets the ferryman again. Siddharhta asks, "Has it (the river) not the voice of a king, of a warrior, of a bull,of a night bird, of a pregnant women and a sighing man, and a thousand other voices?" (107) and the ferryman replies " The voices of all living creatures are in its voice." (108) This conversation proves that river has vast knowledge to share with all those who will stop and listen because it has so many perspectives.