Hermann Hesse's Siddhartha: An Open Source Reader
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Chapter 9. The Ferryman

Table of Contents
Ideas of Interest from "The Ferryman"
The Reading Selection from "The Ferryman"
Topics Worth Investigating

Eddies (detail), NOAA

From the reading…

"But isn't every life, isn't every work beautiful?"

Ideas of Interest from "The Ferryman"

  1. Siddhartha somewhat awkwardly offers the reason "I must learn to handle the boat" as a motive for being Vasudeva's assistant. Since the reason offered is tautologous, what, in all probability, does Siddhartha genuinely seek?

  2. Vasudeva intimates that he is holy. Interpret Vasudeva's metaphor of the river with respect to holiness. When does a life become sacred?

  3. Account for Vasudeva's acceptance of Siddhartha as an assistant.

  4. In what manner would the river not be an obstacle to travelers?

  5. Explain the idea that there is no suffering without time.

  6. Can you interpret the metaphor of the river with respect to the aphorism, "The more things change, the more things stay the same"?

  7. Why was Kamala's seeing Siddhartha just as sacred a pilgrimage as seeing Gotama, the perfected one?

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Topics Worth InvestigatingUpThe Reading Selection from "The Ferryman"