How Did The River Influence Siddhartha

In Siddhartha, Hermann Hesse wonderfully encapsulates the effort and determination put forth during the spiritual quest of a young man. At the beginning of the novel, Siddhartha yearns to reach nirvana and be at peace with himself as well as his soul. Siddhartha’s encounters with his mentors, Gotama Buddha and the river, ultimately lead to his final destination- enlightenment. Hermann Hesse illustrates the influence Siddhartha’s mentors had on his path to enlightenment through their teachings and ideas.

One of Siddhartha’s first teachers on his quest to enlightenment was the one and only Gotama Buddha. Having reached enlightenment himself, Gotama travels around to share knowledge of Buddhist doctrines such as, “the four main points...

the Eightfold Path” (29). Here, Gotama displays his knowledge of Buddhism through teaching other people with speeches, thus exhibiting his ideas. Although Gotama can successfully entice large crowds of people with his teachings, Siddhartha questions the helpfulness of his doctrines, to which Gotama replies, “it’s goal is salvation from suffering. That is what Gotama teaches, nothing else” (33). This statement reveals the intent of Gotama’s teachings, hence his knowledgeable speeches. Gotama teaches his ideas and the experience of his enlightenment by making pilgrimages to towns and “patiently... [covering] the usual method of teaching with examples and repetition” (29). Here, Gotama demonstrates his effectual methods of teaching large groups of people his knowledge of enlightenment, thus displaying his means of spreading Buddhist knowledge. Although Gotama, is an effective teacher to those who seek knowledge instead of wisdom, Siddhartha is not convinced that he will find enlightenment through Buddha.
Siddhartha’s second, and most influencing teacher was the river on which Vasudeva operates his ferryboat.

The river teaches Siddhartha to look at the unity of all things, and to listen closely to all of its voices. When Siddhartha meditates by the river, he thinks “he learned more from the river than Vasudeva could teach him. Above all, he learned from it how to listen” (106). Here, Siddhartha proves that the river teaches him to listen to everything, thus describing the river’s competent ability to aid Siddhartha on his path to enlightenment. Later on, Siddhartha spends the day listening and meditating near the river, when finally, “there shone in his face the serenity of knowledge, of one... who has found salvation... surrendering himself to the stream, belonging to the unity of all things” (136). By allowing himself to listen, Siddhartha finally learns from the river what he had yearned to find since the day he left his father- enlightenment. Therefore, the river has successfully expressed its teachings to Siddhartha. The river teaches Siddhartha by allowing him to find enlightenment through wisdom. This wisdom is absorbed “when Siddhartha listened attentively to this river... then the great song of a thousand voices consisted of one word: Om - perfection” (136). Here, Siddhartha finds enlightenment through the sound produced by the river- Om. Thus, Siddhartha uses this holy sound to communicate with his soul, or Self. Through its abstract teachings, the

river is able to steer Siddhartha to enlightenment.
Of the two mentors, Gotama Buddha and the river, the river has established its success in driving Siddhartha towards his lifelong goal.

After a long time spent with the river, Siddhartha finally reaches enlightenment by listening to the river: “Om hovered over all the voices of the river... his Self had merged into unity” (136). Here, the holy sound Om, produced by the river, meshes Siddhartha’s soul into the flow of unity, thus displaying the river’s effect on Siddhartha’s quest to enlightenment. Since Siddhartha does not agree that enlightenment can be communicated through knowledge, the river only allows him to obtain wisdom, instead of words or teachings. When Siddhartha sits by the river just for the sake of listening, “the river’s voice was sorrowful. It sang with yearning and sadness, flowing towards its goal” (134). Here, the river does not bestow enlightenment- it directs the thoughts of someone who is ready to listen, thus proving that it only aids Siddhartha in finding wisdom, instead of trying to teach enlightenment through knowledge, like Gotama does. When Siddhartha talks to Buddha after his speech in the town, he says “I think, O Illustrious One, that no one finds salvation through teachings” (34). Siddhartha is indeed correct because he does not find enlightenment through Buddha’s teachings, but rather through the river’s voice that directs him towards wisdom. As a result of the river’s teachings, Siddhartha’s quest to enlightenment has finally ended

and his soul is finally as peace.
Siddhartha’s mentors indeed has impacts on his quest to enlightenment, whether it be his realization that salvation cannot be taught, or the finding of his salvation. Although many people are enticed by Gotama Buddha’s teachings, thinking that knowledge will carry them to enlightenment, Siddhartha realizes that not all things can be communicated. This ultimately leads to his encounter with the river and the finding of his wisdom by listening to Om and the many voices of the river. Hermann Hesse provides many mentors throughout the book, demonstrating the effectiveness of certain teaching methods. Overall, Siddhartha helps people understand that the unrelenting search for wisdom, not knowledge, is essential in achieving any goal.