Love the River

Siddhartha has made it clear that he hates the way of life he chose. While living with Kamala and the merchant, he just forgot what he wanted and was looking for. "Maybe, but I envy yours." Siddhartha says this to the ferryman on page 83, when they talk about the ferryman's life. Why does Siddhartha has this sudden regret? It's as if he realized everything was wrong, and that he had to make things right. And that's exactly what he did by clearing his mind, and going to the "meditation tree".

It's as if the river called him. It "looked at him with a thousand eyes", and reflected who Siddhartha really was. He was nothing but simple and calm. All the clothes and materialistic things that he didn't really need, he threw them away. That's why he asked the ferryman to give him the clothes he had on. People judge too much, and Siddhartha learned that. The ferryman did it when Siddhartha started talking to him. The ferryman said it himself, why would Siddhartha envy his life if he has it all. "Oh, you would soon lose your taste for it. It is not for people in fine clothes." The ferryman is telling Siddhartha that people like him don't last long in those conditions of living.

What I really liked about this chapter, was the way it ended. It kind of says in a way how important family is. Even though Kamara dies, little Siddhartha finds his father. Siddhartha chose a different path than Kamara. Somehow someway, they joined paths together again. I don't really believe in destiny and that God has a plan for all of us, but this chapter made me look at this differently. I know this sounds cheesy and everything, but things do happen for a reason. There's a cause and a consequence to everything, and we choose things without really knowing what we chose. One thing may lead to another and so on, but that's life. Kamala was meant to die in Siddhartha's eyes. I'm pretty sure that if I read the next chapter, I'll find that Siddhartha learned or will do something because of Kamala's death.