Siddhartha

[Val_tina2005]

What is SIddhartha's relationship to the river?

[Turk]

It's something about Buddhist belief. It's symbol of endless life chain, a Buddhist's goal is breaking that chain, Siddhartha learns the essence of life from that river. If you read carefullly that part again, you will get enough knowledge already, Hesse explained what's river as far as he can do.

[mdfbc]

don't forget that when siddartha looks into the river he sees a reflection of himelf. It can also be seen as a metaphor for looking within ourselves for the answers we seek.

[rizagirl]

his relationship to the river is that it is on going and it stops soem where just like his life will stop at an end. :yawnb:

[Timur]

To Siddhartha the river seems to symbolize life itself.Like the river life seems to flow, but is also at several places at one time. To me this is the extension of Hess's idea that time is unreal.If time does not exist then our past lives and future lives are not seperate.The river is a metaphor for realizing this.The river helps Siddharthe realize that the present is everything. All sorrow and suffering is essentially related to time...hope that helps

[KidTruth]

Indeed, the river symbolizes the passage of time as well. To paraphrase, as it has been a while since I read it - It's always the same, but you can never step into the same river twice.

To add to what the others have said (which is correct) it also echoes Hesse's belief that all things are interconnected and that by studying any one natural thing you can learn everything.

[slaje]

the river is both time and the journey we must make in life.
it is a strange thing time, no one on earth can escape or stop time.
this is what the river symbolizes, we can not stop the river and we can not escape its current. we must all make a journey and the river symbolizes how the journey weaves and varies.

brought to you by slaje, thinking about life.