Ferryman's Virtue

Ferryman’s virtue (82-83)

This chapter is a pivotal point in the book; it is kind of a reawakening for Siddhartha Gotama. The old Siddhartha returns to the ferryman, to where his journey to the child people started. He lives and learns by the river along with Vasudeva who teaches him one of the greatest virtues; to listen. At first Siddhartha is astonished with this skill that Vasudeva has mastered. “Look, you have already learned from the riveer that is good to aim low, to sink, to seek the bottom” Then he himself finds this talent along with the realization that there is no time. As the ferryman put it “…the river is everywhere at once-at its source, at its mouth…everywhere at the same time…there is only the present, and not the shadow we called the future.” Siddhartha is learning about listening from his newest teacher the river. It’s important because this is his reawakening. He learns from Vasudeva as well as the river, in the small amount of time he was with Vasudeva he learned some deep things. Siddhartha learns that he has reached enlightenment and side by side with the happy Vasudeva. The ferryman’s virtue is one of the most important thing that Siddhartha will learn in his life. It’s an important for him to learn this because some people just talk and talk with no meaning, but the Ferryman can listen, his special important virtue.