Exploring themes in Siddartha
...ne day, saying "Nothing is caused by demons; there are no demons. Everyone can perform magic, everyone can reach his goal, if he can think, wait and fast." . Siddhartha demonstrates how knowledge, wisdom, and controlling of one’s Self can benefit one in the future. The second concept in Siddhartha is the idea that knowledge can be communicated and taught, but not wisdom. Siddhartha has strong beliefs in this notion, and feels it is only right that one must gain wisdom for himself. When he and Govinda arrive at the garden of the Buddha and listen to Gotoma's words, Govinda is immediately drawn to the Buddha’s teachings and converts without hesitation. Siddhartha, however, does not choose to convert. He respects Gotoma and believes that he has found the way to reach Nirvana, but Siddhartha does not believe that Gotoma can teach and instruct another how to achieve the ultimate goal. Therefore, Siddhartha feels that committing himself to someone else’s teachings on how to obtain the wisdom to reach Nirvana will not be helpful in his personal journey to reach this heavenly state. Afterward, having run away from his riches, Siddhartha finds himself at a river where he meets the wise man Vasudeva. Siddhartha stays with Vasudeva as an apprentice and throughout the many years they spend together Siddhartha acquires much wisdom as a result of Vasudeva’s teachings. When he again meets his friend Govinda, Siddhartha tells him of the wisdom that he has found. "Knowledge can be communicated, but not wisdom. One can find it, live it, be fortified by it, do wonders through it, but one cannot communicate and teach it." He then tells Govinda about Vasudeva, "For example, there was a man at this ferry who was my predecessor and teacher. He was a holy man who for many years believed only in the river and nothing else. He noticed that the river's voice spoke to him. He learned from it; it educated and taught him. The river seemed like a god to him and for many years he did not know that every wind, every cloud, every bird, every beetle is equally divine and knows and can teach just as well as the esteemed river." Through this passage, one can learn about the immense amount of knowledge that Vasudeva has learned from nature and passed onto his follower, Siddhartha. The third key concept in Siddhartha is two very closely related ideas that stem from the symbolism of the river; the idea that time is not real and the “oneness of all experience”. Oneness of all experience can be defined as all experiences happening at every moment. Everything exists all at once, and the only thing separating these existences is the illusion of time. When Siddhartha is sitting by the river, Vasudeva comes up to him and asks what he has learned from the river. Siddhartha responds by telling him that he has learned time is nonexistent. Later, Siddhartha meets with Govinda and tells him of the new knowledge he has acquired. He first shows Govinda a rock, and explains how the rock is not just a rock now and maybe something else later, but that it is all things now; that it is everything it will ever be at this moment, because these different forms are only separated by time, which is an illusion. When he finishes telling Govinda about what he has learned, he asks Govinda to kiss...