Is religion necessary for discovering a life of fulfillment? Are humans responsible for interreligious animosity?
Isobe attempts to drown his misery and sense of insignificance with alcoholic drinks. Every sip slowly brings him closer and closer to some sad realization of his wife’s passing and of his sense of being alone in a world that he no longer understands. Isobe “pour[s] the hot liquor down his throat , trying to drown his wife’s voice… intoxication loop[s] through his body, and he stare[s] at the white afternoon sunlight trickling on to the floor” (Endo 174). The sunlight here symbolizes a universal truth, a truth that is ubiquitous. From the jungles of Brazil to the rivers of India, there is an overarching truth evident “in Hinduism,” Christianity, “and Buddhism as well… it’s a way of life” (184). Otsu claims that not one religion monopolizes the truth, “but every religion is imperfect. This is because they have all been transmitted to us by imperfect human beings” (191). He relates humanity and religion is a way that appears to obliterate any one religion’s authenticity on the basis of humanity. Truth is perfect; humans are imperfect. Humans’ humanity forbids the formation of a perfect religion, one that encompasses all truths in all aspects of life. There is an indirect suggestion of a world religion, one that encompasses all truths, however, whether or not Otsu agrees with such a claim is unclear. Isobe searches desperately to justify his wife’s death, and until this time in his life, nothing moves him. Nothing causes him to remove the blinding effects of social mandates, of having to be a “Japanese man.” Antagonism “and religion characterize not just the relation between one and another; they persist between one religion and another. . . it is not love but the formation of mutual enemies that has made bonding between human beings possible” (195). To escape this system, one must listen to not necessarily a God, but to truth. Words fail people, but truth is unspoken and everlasting.
#15 Deep River In setting the bird free, is Numada setting himself free at last? Will Isobe find what he is looking for and be able to get over his loss? At this point in the story, it seems that Numada is finally almost finding what he has been searching for. He buys his myna bird and goes to set it free. As he sets it free, he “[feels] as though a heavy burden he had carried on his back for many years had been removed” (Deep River 204). He is finally on his way to finding his solace, but on the brink of this breakthrough, he “suddenly [takes] note of his own foolishness” and realizes that “the feelings he had just absorbed were of no marketable value in the world of human affairs” (204). As much of a relief as he feels, he also knows it doesn’t matter. This relief makes no difference to anyone else in the world. Society focuses on the individual in the sense of everyone looks after themselves and not anyone else. Mitsuko notes that the unifying factor of everyone is that “each of the people who came to the river had a past like the goddess Chamunda, and each had been stung by scorpions and bitten by cobras” (197). I think she is saying that each one of them that finds comfort in the river, or goes to visit the river has lived through a painful past that burdens them today and each are trying to find their way through it. Otsu brings up an idea that we have discussed in class before. That “there are many different religions, but they are merely various paths leading to the same place. What difference does it make which of those separate paths we walk, so long as they all arrive at the identical destination” (191). Otsu lives by these words and although he has been kicked out of the catholic priesthoods for believing the way he does, he still worships his God and helps out the underprivileged and poor. Word Count: 315
What was each of these characters trying to get away from? How are each of these characters intertwined with each other?
Isobe, Mitsuko, and Numada each had different problems in their lives that they were coming to India to find an answer to. Isobe is trying to find where his wife may have been reincarnated. It is as if he is on the never-ending journey because he is never once given a straight answer. “Where? Which house?’ Isobe asked… Only the name of the road had been written on the coarse paper” Isobe was sent, by a fortune teller, to a road but was not given a definitive answer to where he might find his wife (Endo 176). It was as if he was being told that he should have paid more attention to her when she was alive, and then he would have known where she would go when she was reincarnated. I think the same was being said to Mitsuko when she was trying to find her husband. Searching for him became difficult because people she would have never suspected had taken him in. “Otsu sat on the bench, his legs deferentially pressed together. His diffident posture reminded Mitsuko of the way he had sat on the campus bench many years ago, putting up with her taunts” it was as if Otsu was putting up with the fact that Mitsuko had finally found him, yet he really did not want to be around her (182). It was as if he had come to India in hopes that they would grow apart and he could go on and become who he wanted to be. According to Otsu, he had become a lot like a modern day Christ. He took the burdens of others upon himself. “Yes. If the Onion came to this city, he of all people would carry the fallen on his back. Just as he bore the cross on his back while he was alive” (184). Mitsuko was finally faced with the reality that the man she had been with was no longer the same man, and that she was going to have to come to terms with this realization and move on. Numada was the hardest character to figure out. While he was in India he wanted to go and buy a myna and set it free. He was doing this to “pay him back. A pretty sentimental thing to do when you think about it…” (178). I think that Numada’s trip to India was so he could give back in a way to those that gave to him.
Religion plays a major role in Shusaku Endo’s novel Deep River. Whether it be the search for an understanding of religion, as in the case of Otsu. It seems that for many of the European based churches, religion has taken precedence over spirituality. The churches are so closed-minded that the cannot believe that other religions can be correct. When Otsu brings these ideas to the table, he is immediately reprimanded. He says, “My whole life I’ve been reprimanded by the Church” (Endo 183). The church has considered him an outcast, rebel, and a heretic for his take on Christianity. During one of the arguments Otsu had with his fellow clergyman, Otsu said, “there are many different religions, but they are merely various paths leading to the same place” (191). His co-worker responded, “If that’s how you feel, then why do you remain in our community?” (191). Otsu’s beliefs are very inclusive. He wants to show others the European Church that there are multiple ways to obtain salvation. Even more, Otsu wants to assert to himself that his beliefs are correct, even though he is rejected by the same religion that he was raised upon. Ironically, this inclusive perspective is a main part of Buddhist religion. This ties in with Thich Nhat Hanh’s ideas of “interbeing”, which describes how everything is interrelated with one another. Hanh also discusses how religions can communicate with one another. He says, “For dialogue to be fruitful, we need to live deeply our own tradition and, at the same time, listen deeply to others. Through practice of deep looking and deep listening, we become free, able to see the beauty and values in our own and others’ tradition” (Hanh 364). Otsu has learned how to value and trust in his own European Christian religion, but he also has learned how to value and appreciate other religions, but his fellow clergyman cannot accept this. Why are they so determined to call Otsu a heretic? Which is a stronger force, spirituality or religion?
Out of all the characters, does anybody fulfill their goal by coming to India?
What is the significance of the Ganges River and how does it relate to some of the characters?
Though each character came to India for different reasons, not all of them fully accomplish their goal. For example is Isobe, the man who came to the country to try to “find” his wife. Once there, he eventually makes his way to the Ganges River, and calls out to it, asking where his wife has gone (Endo 188). However, the river simply continues to flow, not giving an answer to his question (Endo 189). Then, he finally learns that his wife truly dead and that there isn’t any possible way of getting her back (Endo 189). This, in turn, prevents Isobe from accomplishing his goal for coming to India. Many of the characters in the book come to the Ganges and undergo some sort of spiritual transformation, whether it is related to their reason for coming to the country or not. Mitsuko also undergoes a revelation upon the banks of the river; that she no longer has a reason for trying to seek out Otsu (Endo 185). She learns that Otsu is completely infatuated with his work, and most likely doesn’t even think about her (Endo 186). Otsu inadvertently tells her this by comparing his Onion that of the Ganges; that the Ganges accepts everybody, regardless if they are beautiful or ugly (Endo 185). Comparing something to something so powerful and awe-inspiring, like the river, puts the impression in Mitsuko’s mind that Otsu will never change his ways, regardless of her actions to try and stop him. In this sense, since Mitsuko’s true reason for coming to India is somewhat confusing, Mitsuko does not exactly accomplish her goal. She failed in trying to make Otsu give up what he truly believes in, so she most likely feels like her reason for coming to India was not justified. Numada also doesn’t quite accomplish what he wanted to either. By coming to India, he sought to reconcile with the bird that brought him back from death. Though he purchases and sets a bird free into the wilderness, he realizes that his reason for doing this was not worth his time, and that life will simply go on (Endo 203). Numada realizes that the bird had nothing to do with him living; that life simply chose the best option for him. (Word Count 410).
What does the river and its meaning do for the tourists? Does Mitsuko feel comfort after seeing Otsu?
In the novel Deep River by Shusaku Endo the river Ganges represents renewal for the Hindu people because it is “’the river of rebirth’” (Endo 200). Just as the river represents this renewal, the trip to the river and the city around it is the renewal that is needed for those who have come to India. The main characters have come to India in search of refuge from their past. Mitsuko felt the need to follow Otsu to India in order to find comfort in her own life. She wanted to badly to torment him more, but in reality she was the one in torment. Otsu was able to find personal comfort in a religion that accepted not only his belief in Jesus as well his need to accept all the hurt and suffering that he found in India. Mitsuko realized that he never really let her torment sink in enough for him to abandon his faith. This is not to say that Mitsuko felt relief that she did not ruin Otsu, but there was some renewal that came from finding him and seeing what he had made of his life. Similarly Numada was able to repay his debt to the myna bird that he believed was the reason he was still alive. He was able to thank the bird for sacrificing his life for him in his moment of the most need. Isobe also was able to let go of some of the torment searching for his wife had created deep in his soul. His need to find his wife was the one way for him to repay her for all that she did for him without the gratitude in return. In that moment of true understanding he was able to “finally come to understand that there is a fundamental difference between being alive and truly living” and with this understanding he is truly free (189). Word Count: 317
Much like Thich Nhat Hanh’s Buddhist principles, seen in his idea of “Interbeing,” the relationships between the travelers and many people in their lives show the importance and necessity for people to understand one another on a closer level to avoid conflicts and violence. Interbeing is a relational understanding between people where part of one’s self becomes like another to fully understand the emotions and feelings of others. In cases where there is no sense of Interbeing, like the Sanjos, people do not understand one another which causes misunderstanding and separation among people leading to feelings of anger and resentment. When Indira Gandhi, the Indian Prime Minister, is assassinated, Mr. Sanjos states “I can’t waste this whole trip just because something stupid has happened. My wife’s had enough of visiting old relics, but she’s all for shopping for silks and rugs” (Endo 173). I’m not Indian or Hindu, but even I was angered by the sentiments of Mr. Sanjos. The same idea of an Interbeing absence is what caused the murder of Indira Gandhi. The prime minister “had been shot by some Sikhs who were part of her security force” because of the separation between the Sikhs and the Hindus (Endo 173). The religious differences and hatreds between the two groups resulted in violence leading to more violence as angered Hindus and Indians riot the streets. Between all groups and people formed in the world, there will be others to “emerge with oppositions” and try to “belittle their opponents” and so long as this split between people exists there will continue to be pain and suffering among people as well as murders and violence will continue to grow (Endo 188). From the larger cases like the angst between the Hindus and Sikhs to the small understandings between Mr. Sanjos and the rest of the world, people must try to become part of each other, like Otsu, so that one day the blessings and strength of all people will flow together like the Ganges. word count:333 1. Why does Mitsuko believe Christianity is pulling Otsu away from her and not Otsu and his own unique beliefs or desires? 2. Does Isobe grow stronger to try and believe his wife's reincarnation the more he tries to deny it?
If what Gandhi is quoted saying in Shusaku Endo’s “Deep River” is in fact accurate, that “there are varying degrees of truth in all religions. All religions spring forth from the same God. But every religion is imperfect. That is because they have all been transmitted to us by imperfect human beings” (Deep River 191), then is a loss or absence of faith of an individual the result of an individual’s sin or is it the product of negligent and narrow-minded religious sects? In chapters nine through twelve of Endo’s “Deep River”, the connection between faith and religion is deeply explored, in part through the life of Otsu. Some of the primary examples of an existing disconnect between the traditions of faith and the people of faith appear with regard to Otsu. Otsu is interrogated by the European Christian church to which he belonged about his feelings on God. The church demands of him “if you dislike the Europe so much, why don’t you leave the Church immediately? It is the Christian Church in the Christian world that we are set to defend” (Endo 191). The tunnel-vision that the Church Otsu encounters is apparent when they claim that there is a Christian world that the Christian Church can only reside in. There is no distinct Christian world, but instead the one world all inhabitants of the earth share, Buddhists, Christians, and atheists alike. If a group sets out to defend themselves from the doubt of the world, their true aim is merely to isolate them in order to protect a false sense of dominance. When Otsu wishes he could reply by saying that “I can’t leave the Church…Jesus has me in his grasp” (Endo 191), he is more closely embodying the intentions of Christ than the so-called Christians. Otsu is all too aware of the flaws of any particular church, but he fights to be a force of goodness in the world on behalf of God, whether He is the God of Hindus, Muslims, or Christians. Otsu does not wish to conform to the limited existence of one denomination’s focus. He will serve God, even if it leads him only to his death. He is a man of faith, not a man of faith traditions. [375] Does Mitsuko find peace within faith? Can Isobe move on? Has he realized the existence of his wife within his own heart?
Darlene Moua Can one’s faith help cure lost hopes? In “Deep River,” the character Isobe finally realized his mistake for not loving his wife to his full potential. As he puts it, his wife and he did not enjoy each other’s company, but they didn’t hate each other’s company as well. Isobe lived his life through guilt and pain by pouring numerous shots of liquor and other alcoholic beverages every day and every night to numb his mind. On this trip to India, Isobe decided to search for his wife. Along the way, he became hopeless until he met a fortune teller, but not long after he found the fortune teller he began to realize something. “The fortune-teller was merely one more of their number,” or the people that he had “witnessed the poverty of” and that they were “simply beggars, but that they had learned to earn their daily bread” because of their deformity (Endo 186). Similar to Isobe’s story, other characters such as Otsu is also following his religious faith to find the perfect lifestyle. Along the way, he stopped in India and decided to adapt to the traditions of the Hindus in India. As Otsu puts it, all of the religions will tie back into one belief. All religions are connected in a way through ideas, faith, or hopes. All of the characters came to India as a journey or a trip, but fully discovered what they have been searching for. The guilt and emptiness that the characters felt were no longer inside of them. The character Kiguchi finally felt free after many years of punishing his inner self for eating a human being during the war. Although it was his last resort or else he would’ve died in starvation, Kiguchi finally felt free at the end when he bathed in the river of Ganges. Overall, it is possible to cure one’s lost hope after several years of attempt. Although everyone has guilt inside of them, there is a way to redeem yourself and make yourself a better person. All of the characters in “Deep River” now feel free and guiltless.
Robert Akers I felt a parallel develop between Mitsuko in Shusaku Endo's Deep River and the main character in Raymond Carver's Cathedral. Mitsuko begins entering the Ganges slowly, and "like death itself, she hesitated just before taking the leap, but once her entire body was submerged, the unpleasant feeling disappeared" (Endo 210). She begins to feel a connection between herself and that of humanity altogether in a place where death and life are in constant contact. The main character in Cathedral, too, begins to feel a connection with humanity as he begins to see without his eyes. He lets Robert move his fingers across the drawing he just completed for him, only to find that "it was nothing else in my life up to now....I had my eyes closed. I thought I'd keep them closed a little longer. I thought it was something I ought not to forget....I was in my house and I know that. But I didn't feel inside anything" (Mercer Reader 125-126). Where the character of this story can only find his true self through the closing of his eyes, Mitsuko has to be, quite literally, immersed in the situation to begin understanding it. Watching those around her bathe in the waters where, on the opposite bank, ashes of the recently cremated are combined with the river's waters, where corpses float downstream without any consideration being paid (Endo 210), Mitsuko was unable to inhibit her mind as she took the first step toward understanding the power of the place, an area that can coexist with nature and humanity, where humanity's inner being can flourish, and where nature's indifference to humanity can be addressed with the constant life and death presented before it. Hopefully this new found insight will lead to a solid foundation in Mitsuko's life when she begins to deal with Otsu's critical condition in the hospital. {311}
When the tourists are waiting in the terminal, why did not anyone take Mr. Sanjo's camera and smash it to bits in front of him?
How are the nuns in the terminal different from the sisters in Esack's On Being A Muslim?
What are Mitsuko’s true feelings toward Otsu? Although it seems that Mitsuko lacks any kind of respect for Otsu, as seen in the way she repeatedly compares him to a dog, she is clearly drawn to him by some hidden desire. Her desire is not physical, or sexual, but more spiritual. Otsu has a confidence and has found assurance in his beliefs. Although he does not fully agree with the ideas of religion and Christianity, he is a firm believer in a higher power and his own purpose. Otsu is much more secure in his view of the word and God. Mitsuko on the other hand is living aimlessly, wandering around from one futile endeavor to the next, all the while always finding herself in the wake of Otsu. No matter where she goes, it seems that she cannot escape him. She often finds herself thinking about him and his unwavering faith. I think she envies the fact that he knows what he wants to do with his life, that he is working toward a sense of fulfillment, and she isn’t. She is constantly asking herself, “Just what is it you’re searching for?” (57). She knows that there is something missing from her life, but she doesn’t know what that something is. She is trapped by the darkness that is inside her. Her ever-present need to be rude, perverse, or curt keeps her from addressing the deeper issue inside her. She seems to want to find fulfillment, but she has a habit of sabotaging her own efforts. Anytime someone opens up to her she turns the other cheek,both literally and figuratively. She closes her mind and heart to feelings, whether be the feelings of the people around her, or her own. Mitsuko rejected all religion and spirituality because it requires her to let down her guard and open up, to a fellow believer, religious leader, or deity. Does Numada find what he was searching for in traveling to India? (329)
What are the feelings of Isobe on the Hindu concept of reincarnation, and how do they relate to the death of his wife?
In this particular section of the book “The Deep River”, Isobe seems to reveal his true feeling about the Hindu religion, and that it was an idea that made absolutely no sense to him. He came to realize that he was ridiculous for even thinking that a concept of reincarnation could even be possible. This is evident when he states, “I don’t even believe that business in the letter about my wife being reborn” (Endo 170). Isobe chooses not to believe in the concept of rebirth even though his wife had been a believer and supporter of the concept of reincarnation. He also chose not to look for his wife in her “new form” after he had promised her on her deathbed that he would do so. Isobe also comes to the realization that it was a mistake for him to even have faith in a concept like reincarnation. This is evident when he states, “To hope for something like rebirth… something that cannot be… it was a bad mistake” (Endo 171). This quote conveys the sense of regret that he had for even believing in this concept of rebirth. However, he leaves the dining-room with a teary smile which reveals that he is somewhat upset in his realization about reincarnation, but also that he is upset about his rejection of a concept that was so important to his wife. Although Isobe came to a realization about the impossibility of the concept of reincarnation, he was never able to rid himself of the memory of his wife’s death or the fact that she held reincarnation as such a highly important concept. He tried to rid himself of his problems by drinking them away, but in actually this caused him to come to a realization about the concept of reincarnation, and brought out his true feelings about the beliefs of those around him.
Again, what is the uniting feeling that the tourists “left behind” are feeling?
What underlying theme (about religions in particular) is Endo trying to convey to his audience?
This section near the end reveals many twists in the plot, as the tourists are in hot pursuit of their goals for coming to India. Both Mitsuko and Isobe continue to “chase phantoms”—Mitsuko searching for Otsu and some fulfillment in her life, something to love, and Isobe searching for his reincarnated wife to express her true value, which he only realized after losing her, to her (Endo171). Numada finds his bird to set free; the young Sanjo couple continue to be ignorant and foolish, which the assassination of Indira Gandhi accentuated. Numada comments about the birds that “have all had their tails cut…[he] want[s] to get [his] hands on a myna from the wild,” which Endo poses as a symbol for the people in the story. In some way—a wife dying, a comrade dying, a beloved pet dying—each of the tourists, including the Sanjos in their cultural blindness, has had their tails cut so they cannot fly on their own and be free. They are trapped spiritually and emotionally “from behind the bars…like animal cages” (179). Disabled, they realize they are missing something, although not sure what, they go in search of it. They just need some helping hand, like Numada for his myna bird, or some catalyst to provide the momentum to remember how to fly again, or, in some cases, to teach them how to fly because they never quite learned how in the beginning.
Also, they all, including Otsu, find comfort in the River Ganges in some way. Mitsuko makes a profound discovery: that the European Christian figure of Jesus has a biblical image similar to the distraught, suffering, yet still nurturing image of the Hindu goddess Chamunda, that also overlaps the image she carries of Otsu in her mind (175). Otsu expounds on this idea as his way of life now, that God “doesn’t live only with European Christianity. He can be found in Hinduism and in Buddhism as well” (185). The same ideas and images of a supernatural entity are universal throughout many diverse religions and cultures. Spirituality and faith, like the Ganges, “accept[s] all, rejecting neither the ugliest of men nor the filthiest” (185). Yet, the Church or structured religion with political power, can corrupt and reject the outcasts, like Otsu. Endo says, “the bottom line is that, even in religions, people hate one another…and kill one another….[because] each party believes themselves in the right” (187-188). The problem is that people all too often forget to listen. They do not fully understand their own tradition, as Hanh explains, and open their heart to fully listen to another’s tradition to realize the fundamental similarities as well as appreciate the beauty of the differences. As Otsu reflects, “all religions spring forth from the same God, but every religion is imperfect. That is because they have all been transmitted to us by imperfect human beings,” thus, people should always listen, respect, and see the beauty in the aspects of another religion that might be closer to perfection than in one’s own tradition. Although it may not being carrying the destitute and dying to the River Ganges to slip into its unjudging banks, we must take up our cross with God and carry it on the path to justice, righteousness, and fulfillment of life, for that defines the “fundamental difference between being alive and truly living” (189). For what you did for these, you did for Me (Matthew 25:40).
Did Isobe accomplish his goal? Was Isobe satisfied with the result of his journey? In Deep River, Isobe has a goal to find out where his wife is, even though she has died. He believes that she may have been reincarnated, so he has been searching for a little girl. I myself do not believe in reincarnation, unless being “born again” is considered reincarnation. Assuming that reincarnation does happen, Isobe knew that the odds of him finding his wife as a new being were very slim. In my opinion, I believe that Isobe has nearly given up hope, because he always seems to be drinking quite a bit after he goes back to the hotel from searching. He eventually goes to a fortuneteller, which he is very skeptical about. He even says, “My last resort is that phoney fortune-teller” (174). Unfortunately for Isobe, he does not find his wife; instead he finds little girls begging for money and food on the streets (186). Isobe was not satisfied with the result he has gotten thus far. Otherwise, he would not have shouted out to her toward the river (189). He may have kept trying to find her afterward, but I do not believe that he was completely set on it. He failed to find her to the point where he may just begin looking if his curiosity is piqued. By that, I mean to say it would be an action that some may take just because they are in a specific place; for example, I visited my grandparents over vacation in a place I used to live, so I tried to find a few friends from elementary school while I was there. I do have to commend Isobe on his searching. He kept looking for a while, even if he may have felt it was hopeless, and it takes a lot of willpower for a person to chase his phantoms.
What transitions of spirituality does the main character Mitsuko go through from the time spent at the Ganges River? How does Endo define Love as displayed in the novel? Mitsuko undergoes a change of her perceptions as a result of the trip. The first is a spiritual transition; Mitsuko comes to realize that she is missing something in her life. She is missing a spiritual side of herself from her hatred of religion. Her correspondence with Otsu, brought her in contact with a person of extreme amounts of spirituality. It is hard for her to understand how religion has any place in the world as she says “I just don’t get it. It all sounds like a story from another planet.”(Endo 185) She realizes however that she needs something in her life when seeing Otsu “was still obstinately living for the sake of his onion” (Endo 154) and that “Mitsuko had been unable to find in her own life.” (Endo 154) She comes to see how love is actually shown through spirituality and how it is imitated through sympathy. She “ no longer wanted imitations of love” (Endo 164) she is now searching for real love to be shown. My opinion of Endos idea of love is that real love is not a perfect thing. It is completely imperfect just like the virgin Mary wasn’t perfect person even though we construct things in her likeness that are. Love is the sacrificing of one’s comfort to help those who are in need regardless of who they are. Like Otsu “The river of love that is my Onion flows past, accepting all, rejecting neither the ugliest of men nor the filthiest.” (Endo 185) Displaying love however has a price of its own. It is not an comfortable thing to do to sacrifice yourself for the greater good. Words 305
Is religion necessary for discovering a life of fulfillment?
ReplyDeleteAre humans responsible for interreligious animosity?
Isobe attempts to drown his misery and sense of insignificance with alcoholic drinks. Every sip slowly brings him closer and closer to some sad realization of his wife’s passing and of his sense of being alone in a world that he no longer understands. Isobe “pour[s] the hot liquor down his throat , trying to drown his wife’s voice… intoxication loop[s] through his body, and he stare[s] at the white afternoon sunlight trickling on to the floor” (Endo 174). The sunlight here symbolizes a universal truth, a truth that is ubiquitous. From the jungles of Brazil to the rivers of India, there is an overarching truth evident “in Hinduism,” Christianity, “and Buddhism as well… it’s a way of life” (184). Otsu claims that not one religion monopolizes the truth, “but every religion is imperfect. This is because they have all been transmitted to us by imperfect human beings” (191). He relates humanity and religion is a way that appears to obliterate any one religion’s authenticity on the basis of humanity. Truth is perfect; humans are imperfect. Humans’ humanity forbids the formation of a perfect religion, one that encompasses all truths in all aspects of life. There is an indirect suggestion of a world religion, one that encompasses all truths, however, whether or not Otsu agrees with such a claim is unclear. Isobe searches desperately to justify his wife’s death, and until this time in his life, nothing moves him. Nothing causes him to remove the blinding effects of social mandates, of having to be a “Japanese man.” Antagonism “and religion characterize not just the relation between one and another; they persist between one religion and another. . . it is not love but the formation of mutual enemies that has made bonding between human beings possible” (195). To escape this system, one must listen to not necessarily a God, but to truth. Words fail people, but truth is unspoken and everlasting.
Word Count: 321
#15 Deep River
ReplyDeleteIn setting the bird free, is Numada setting himself free at last?
Will Isobe find what he is looking for and be able to get over his loss?
At this point in the story, it seems that Numada is finally almost finding what he has been searching for. He buys his myna bird and goes to set it free. As he sets it free, he “[feels] as though a heavy burden he had carried on his back for many years had been removed” (Deep River 204). He is finally on his way to finding his solace, but on the brink of this breakthrough, he “suddenly [takes] note of his own foolishness” and realizes that “the feelings he had just absorbed were of no marketable value in the world of human affairs” (204). As much of a relief as he feels, he also knows it doesn’t matter. This relief makes no difference to anyone else in the world. Society focuses on the individual in the sense of everyone looks after themselves and not anyone else. Mitsuko notes that the unifying factor of everyone is that “each of the people who came to the river had a past like the goddess Chamunda, and each had been stung by scorpions and bitten by cobras” (197). I think she is saying that each one of them that finds comfort in the river, or goes to visit the river has lived through a painful past that burdens them today and each are trying to find their way through it. Otsu brings up an idea that we have discussed in class before. That “there are many different religions, but they are merely various paths leading to the same place. What difference does it make which of those separate paths we walk, so long as they all arrive at the identical destination” (191). Otsu lives by these words and although he has been kicked out of the catholic priesthoods for believing the way he does, he still worships his God and helps out the underprivileged and poor.
Word Count: 315
What was each of these characters trying to get away from?
ReplyDeleteHow are each of these characters intertwined with each other?
Isobe, Mitsuko, and Numada each had different problems in their lives that they were coming to India to find an answer to. Isobe is trying to find where his wife may have been reincarnated. It is as if he is on the never-ending journey because he is never once given a straight answer. “Where? Which house?’ Isobe asked… Only the name of the road had been written on the coarse paper” Isobe was sent, by a fortune teller, to a road but was not given a definitive answer to where he might find his wife (Endo 176). It was as if he was being told that he should have paid more attention to her when she was alive, and then he would have known where she would go when she was reincarnated. I think the same was being said to Mitsuko when she was trying to find her husband. Searching for him became difficult because people she would have never suspected had taken him in. “Otsu sat on the bench, his legs deferentially pressed together. His diffident posture reminded Mitsuko of the way he had sat on the campus bench many years ago, putting up with her taunts” it was as if Otsu was putting up with the fact that Mitsuko had finally found him, yet he really did not want to be around her (182). It was as if he had come to India in hopes that they would grow apart and he could go on and become who he wanted to be. According to Otsu, he had become a lot like a modern day Christ. He took the burdens of others upon himself. “Yes. If the Onion came to this city, he of all people would carry the fallen on his back. Just as he bore the cross on his back while he was alive” (184). Mitsuko was finally faced with the reality that the man she had been with was no longer the same man, and that she was going to have to come to terms with this realization and move on. Numada was the hardest character to figure out. While he was in India he wanted to go and buy a myna and set it free. He was doing this to “pay him back. A pretty sentimental thing to do when you think about it…” (178). I think that Numada’s trip to India was so he could give back in a way to those that gave to him.
Word Count 412
Religion plays a major role in Shusaku Endo’s novel Deep River. Whether it be the search for an understanding of religion, as in the case of Otsu. It seems that for many of the European based churches, religion has taken precedence over spirituality. The churches are so closed-minded that the cannot believe that other religions can be correct. When Otsu brings these ideas to the table, he is immediately reprimanded. He says, “My whole life I’ve been reprimanded by the Church” (Endo 183). The church has considered him an outcast, rebel, and a heretic for his take on Christianity. During one of the arguments Otsu had with his fellow clergyman, Otsu said, “there are many different religions, but they are merely various paths leading to the same place” (191). His co-worker responded, “If that’s how you feel, then why do you remain in our community?” (191). Otsu’s beliefs are very inclusive. He wants to show others the European Church that there are multiple ways to obtain salvation. Even more, Otsu wants to assert to himself that his beliefs are correct, even though he is rejected by the same religion that he was raised upon. Ironically, this inclusive perspective is a main part of Buddhist religion. This ties in with Thich Nhat Hanh’s ideas of “interbeing”, which describes how everything is interrelated with one another. Hanh also discusses how religions can communicate with one another. He says, “For dialogue to be fruitful, we need to live deeply our own tradition and, at the same time, listen deeply to others. Through practice of deep looking and deep listening, we become free, able to see the beauty and values in our own and others’ tradition” (Hanh 364). Otsu has learned how to value and trust in his own European Christian religion, but he also has learned how to value and appreciate other religions, but his fellow clergyman cannot accept this. Why are they so determined to call Otsu a heretic? Which is a stronger force, spirituality or religion?
ReplyDeleteWord Count: 335
Out of all the characters, does anybody fulfill their goal by coming to India?
ReplyDeleteWhat is the significance of the Ganges River and how does it relate to some of the characters?
Though each character came to India for different reasons, not all of them fully accomplish their goal. For example is Isobe, the man who came to the country to try to “find” his wife. Once there, he eventually makes his way to the Ganges River, and calls out to it, asking where his wife has gone (Endo 188). However, the river simply continues to flow, not giving an answer to his question (Endo 189). Then, he finally learns that his wife truly dead and that there isn’t any possible way of getting her back (Endo 189). This, in turn, prevents Isobe from accomplishing his goal for coming to India. Many of the characters in the book come to the Ganges and undergo some sort of spiritual transformation, whether it is related to their reason for coming to the country or not. Mitsuko also undergoes a revelation upon the banks of the river; that she no longer has a reason for trying to seek out Otsu (Endo 185). She learns that Otsu is completely infatuated with his work, and most likely doesn’t even think about her (Endo 186). Otsu inadvertently tells her this by comparing his Onion that of the Ganges; that the Ganges accepts everybody, regardless if they are beautiful or ugly (Endo 185). Comparing something to something so powerful and awe-inspiring, like the river, puts the impression in Mitsuko’s mind that Otsu will never change his ways, regardless of her actions to try and stop him. In this sense, since Mitsuko’s true reason for coming to India is somewhat confusing, Mitsuko does not exactly accomplish her goal. She failed in trying to make Otsu give up what he truly believes in, so she most likely feels like her reason for coming to India was not justified. Numada also doesn’t quite accomplish what he wanted to either. By coming to India, he sought to reconcile with the bird that brought him back from death. Though he purchases and sets a bird free into the wilderness, he realizes that his reason for doing this was not worth his time, and that life will simply go on (Endo 203). Numada realizes that the bird had nothing to do with him living; that life simply chose the best option for him. (Word Count 410).
What does the river and its meaning do for the tourists?
ReplyDeleteDoes Mitsuko feel comfort after seeing Otsu?
In the novel Deep River by Shusaku Endo the river Ganges represents renewal for the Hindu people because it is “’the river of rebirth’” (Endo 200). Just as the river represents this renewal, the trip to the river and the city around it is the renewal that is needed for those who have come to India. The main characters have come to India in search of refuge from their past. Mitsuko felt the need to follow Otsu to India in order to find comfort in her own life. She wanted to badly to torment him more, but in reality she was the one in torment. Otsu was able to find personal comfort in a religion that accepted not only his belief in Jesus as well his need to accept all the hurt and suffering that he found in India. Mitsuko realized that he never really let her torment sink in enough for him to abandon his faith. This is not to say that Mitsuko felt relief that she did not ruin Otsu, but there was some renewal that came from finding him and seeing what he had made of his life. Similarly Numada was able to repay his debt to the myna bird that he believed was the reason he was still alive. He was able to thank the bird for sacrificing his life for him in his moment of the most need. Isobe also was able to let go of some of the torment searching for his wife had created deep in his soul. His need to find his wife was the one way for him to repay her for all that she did for him without the gratitude in return. In that moment of true understanding he was able to “finally come to understand that there is a fundamental difference between being alive and truly living” and with this understanding he is truly free (189).
Word Count: 317
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteMuch like Thich Nhat Hanh’s Buddhist principles, seen in his idea of “Interbeing,” the relationships between the travelers and many people in their lives show the importance and necessity for people to understand one another on a closer level to avoid conflicts and violence. Interbeing is a relational understanding between people where part of one’s self becomes like another to fully understand the emotions and feelings of others. In cases where there is no sense of Interbeing, like the Sanjos, people do not understand one another which causes misunderstanding and separation among people leading to feelings of anger and resentment. When Indira Gandhi, the Indian Prime Minister, is assassinated, Mr. Sanjos states “I can’t waste this whole trip just because something stupid has happened. My wife’s had enough of visiting old relics, but she’s all for shopping for silks and rugs” (Endo 173). I’m not Indian or Hindu, but even I was angered by the sentiments of Mr. Sanjos. The same idea of an Interbeing absence is what caused the murder of Indira Gandhi. The prime minister “had been shot by some Sikhs who were part of her security force” because of the separation between the Sikhs and the Hindus (Endo 173). The religious differences and hatreds between the two groups resulted in violence leading to more violence as angered Hindus and Indians riot the streets. Between all groups and people formed in the world, there will be others to “emerge with oppositions” and try to “belittle their opponents” and so long as this split between people exists there will continue to be pain and suffering among people as well as murders and violence will continue to grow (Endo 188). From the larger cases like the angst between the Hindus and Sikhs to the small understandings between Mr. Sanjos and the rest of the world, people must try to become part of each other, like Otsu, so that one day the blessings and strength of all people will flow together like the Ganges. word count:333
ReplyDelete1. Why does Mitsuko believe Christianity is pulling Otsu away from her and not Otsu and his own unique beliefs or desires?
2. Does Isobe grow stronger to try and believe his wife's reincarnation the more he tries to deny it?
If what Gandhi is quoted saying in Shusaku Endo’s “Deep River” is in fact accurate, that “there are varying degrees of truth in all religions. All religions spring forth from the same God. But every religion is imperfect. That is because they have all been transmitted to us by imperfect human beings” (Deep River 191), then is a loss or absence of faith of an individual the result of an individual’s sin or is it the product of negligent and narrow-minded religious sects? In chapters nine through twelve of Endo’s “Deep River”, the connection between faith and religion is deeply explored, in part through the life of Otsu. Some of the primary examples of an existing disconnect between the traditions of faith and the people of faith appear with regard to Otsu. Otsu is interrogated by the European Christian church to which he belonged about his feelings on God. The church demands of him “if you dislike the Europe so much, why don’t you leave the Church immediately? It is the Christian Church in the Christian world that we are set to defend” (Endo 191). The tunnel-vision that the Church Otsu encounters is apparent when they claim that there is a Christian world that the Christian Church can only reside in. There is no distinct Christian world, but instead the one world all inhabitants of the earth share, Buddhists, Christians, and atheists alike. If a group sets out to defend themselves from the doubt of the world, their true aim is merely to isolate them in order to protect a false sense of dominance. When Otsu wishes he could reply by saying that “I can’t leave the Church…Jesus has me in his grasp” (Endo 191), he is more closely embodying the intentions of Christ than the so-called Christians. Otsu is all too aware of the flaws of any particular church, but he fights to be a force of goodness in the world on behalf of God, whether He is the God of Hindus, Muslims, or Christians. Otsu does not wish to conform to the limited existence of one denomination’s focus. He will serve God, even if it leads him only to his death. He is a man of faith, not a man of faith traditions.
ReplyDelete[375]
Does Mitsuko find peace within faith?
Can Isobe move on? Has he realized the existence of his wife within his own heart?
Darlene Moua
ReplyDeleteCan one’s faith help cure lost hopes?
In “Deep River,” the character Isobe finally realized his mistake for not loving his wife to his full potential. As he puts it, his wife and he did not enjoy each other’s company, but they didn’t hate each other’s company as well. Isobe lived his life through guilt and pain by pouring numerous shots of liquor and other alcoholic beverages every day and every night to numb his mind. On this trip to India, Isobe decided to search for his wife. Along the way, he became hopeless until he met a fortune teller, but not long after he found the fortune teller he began to realize something. “The fortune-teller was merely one more of their number,” or the people that he had “witnessed the poverty of” and that they were “simply beggars, but that they had learned to earn their daily bread” because of their deformity (Endo 186). Similar to Isobe’s story, other characters such as Otsu is also following his religious faith to find the perfect lifestyle. Along the way, he stopped in India and decided to adapt to the traditions of the Hindus in India. As Otsu puts it, all of the religions will tie back into one belief. All religions are connected in a way through ideas, faith, or hopes. All of the characters came to India as a journey or a trip, but fully discovered what they have been searching for. The guilt and emptiness that the characters felt were no longer inside of them. The character Kiguchi finally felt free after many years of punishing his inner self for eating a human being during the war. Although it was his last resort or else he would’ve died in starvation, Kiguchi finally felt free at the end when he bathed in the river of Ganges.
Overall, it is possible to cure one’s lost hope after several years of attempt. Although everyone has guilt inside of them, there is a way to redeem yourself and make yourself a better person. All of the characters in “Deep River” now feel free and guiltless.
(word count: 352.
Robert Akers
ReplyDeleteI felt a parallel develop between Mitsuko in Shusaku Endo's Deep River and the main character in Raymond Carver's Cathedral. Mitsuko begins entering the Ganges slowly, and "like death itself, she hesitated just before taking the leap, but once her entire body was submerged, the unpleasant feeling disappeared" (Endo 210). She begins to feel a connection between herself and that of humanity altogether in a place where death and life are in constant contact. The main character in Cathedral, too, begins to feel a connection with humanity as he begins to see without his eyes. He lets Robert move his fingers across the drawing he just completed for him, only to find that "it was nothing else in my life up to now....I had my eyes closed. I thought I'd keep them closed a little longer. I thought it was something I ought not to forget....I was in my house and I know that. But I didn't feel inside anything" (Mercer Reader 125-126). Where the character of this story can only find his true self through the closing of his eyes, Mitsuko has to be, quite literally, immersed in the situation to begin understanding it. Watching those around her bathe in the waters where, on the opposite bank, ashes of the recently cremated are combined with the river's waters, where corpses float downstream without any consideration being paid (Endo 210), Mitsuko was unable to inhibit her mind as she took the first step toward understanding the power of the place, an area that can coexist with nature and humanity, where humanity's inner being can flourish, and where nature's indifference to humanity can be addressed with the constant life and death presented before it. Hopefully this new found insight will lead to a solid foundation in Mitsuko's life when she begins to deal with Otsu's critical condition in the hospital.
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When the tourists are waiting in the terminal, why did not anyone take Mr. Sanjo's camera and smash it to bits in front of him?
How are the nuns in the terminal different from the sisters in Esack's On Being A Muslim?
What are Mitsuko’s true feelings toward Otsu?
ReplyDeleteAlthough it seems that Mitsuko lacks any kind of respect for Otsu, as seen in the way she repeatedly compares him to a dog, she is clearly drawn to him by some hidden desire. Her desire is not physical, or sexual, but more spiritual. Otsu has a confidence and has found assurance in his beliefs. Although he does not fully agree with the ideas of religion and Christianity, he is a firm believer in a higher power and his own purpose. Otsu is much more secure in his view of the word and God.
Mitsuko on the other hand is living aimlessly, wandering around from one futile endeavor to the next, all the while always finding herself in the wake of Otsu. No matter where she goes, it seems that she cannot escape him. She often finds herself thinking about him and his unwavering faith. I think she envies the fact that he knows what he wants to do with his life, that he is working toward a sense of fulfillment, and she isn’t. She is constantly asking herself, “Just what is it you’re searching for?” (57). She knows that there is something missing from her life, but she doesn’t know what that something is. She is trapped by the darkness that is inside her. Her ever-present need to be rude, perverse, or curt keeps her from addressing the deeper issue inside her. She seems to want to find fulfillment, but she has a habit of sabotaging her own efforts. Anytime someone opens up to her she turns the other cheek,both literally and figuratively. She closes her mind and heart to feelings, whether be the feelings of the people around her, or her own. Mitsuko rejected all religion and spirituality because it requires her to let down her guard and open up, to a fellow believer, religious leader, or deity.
Does Numada find what he was searching for in traveling to India?
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What are the feelings of Isobe on the Hindu concept of reincarnation, and how do they relate to the death of his wife?
ReplyDeleteIn this particular section of the book “The Deep River”, Isobe seems to reveal his true feeling about the Hindu religion, and that it was an idea that made absolutely no sense to him. He came to realize that he was ridiculous for even thinking that a concept of reincarnation could even be possible. This is evident when he states, “I don’t even believe that business in the letter about my wife being reborn” (Endo 170). Isobe chooses not to believe in the concept of rebirth even though his wife had been a believer and supporter of the concept of reincarnation. He also chose not to look for his wife in her “new form” after he had promised her on her deathbed that he would do so. Isobe also comes to the realization that it was a mistake for him to even have faith in a concept like reincarnation. This is evident when he states, “To hope for something like rebirth… something that cannot be… it was a bad mistake” (Endo 171). This quote conveys the sense of regret that he had for even believing in this concept of rebirth. However, he leaves the dining-room with a teary smile which reveals that he is somewhat upset in his realization about reincarnation, but also that he is upset about his rejection of a concept that was so important to his wife. Although Isobe came to a realization about the impossibility of the concept of reincarnation, he was never able to rid himself of the memory of his wife’s death or the fact that she held reincarnation as such a highly important concept. He tried to rid himself of his problems by drinking them away, but in actually this caused him to come to a realization about the concept of reincarnation, and brought out his true feelings about the beliefs of those around him.
Word Count: 313
Again, what is the uniting feeling that the tourists “left behind” are feeling?
ReplyDeleteWhat underlying theme (about religions in particular) is Endo trying to convey to his audience?
This section near the end reveals many twists in the plot, as the tourists are in hot pursuit of their goals for coming to India. Both Mitsuko and Isobe continue to “chase phantoms”—Mitsuko searching for Otsu and some fulfillment in her life, something to love, and Isobe searching for his reincarnated wife to express her true value, which he only realized after losing her, to her (Endo171). Numada finds his bird to set free; the young Sanjo couple continue to be ignorant and foolish, which the assassination of Indira Gandhi accentuated. Numada comments about the birds that “have all had their tails cut…[he] want[s] to get [his] hands on a myna from the wild,” which Endo poses as a symbol for the people in the story. In some way—a wife dying, a comrade dying, a beloved pet dying—each of the tourists, including the Sanjos in their cultural blindness, has had their tails cut so they cannot fly on their own and be free. They are trapped spiritually and emotionally “from behind the bars…like animal cages” (179). Disabled, they realize they are missing something, although not sure what, they go in search of it. They just need some helping hand, like Numada for his myna bird, or some catalyst to provide the momentum to remember how to fly again, or, in some cases, to teach them how to fly because they never quite learned how in the beginning.
Also, they all, including Otsu, find comfort in the River Ganges in some way. Mitsuko makes a profound discovery: that the European Christian figure of Jesus has a biblical image similar to the distraught, suffering, yet still nurturing image of the Hindu goddess Chamunda, that also overlaps the image she carries of Otsu in her mind (175). Otsu expounds on this idea as his way of life now, that God “doesn’t live only with European Christianity. He can be found in Hinduism and in Buddhism as well” (185). The same ideas and images of a supernatural entity are universal throughout many diverse religions and cultures. Spirituality and faith, like the Ganges, “accept[s] all, rejecting neither the ugliest of men nor the filthiest” (185). Yet, the Church or structured religion with political power, can corrupt and reject the outcasts, like Otsu. Endo says, “the bottom line is that, even in religions, people hate one another…and kill one another….[because] each party believes themselves in the right” (187-188). The problem is that people all too often forget to listen. They do not fully understand their own tradition, as Hanh explains, and open their heart to fully listen to another’s tradition to realize the fundamental similarities as well as appreciate the beauty of the differences. As Otsu reflects, “all religions spring forth from the same God, but every religion is imperfect. That is because they have all been transmitted to us by imperfect human beings,” thus, people should always listen, respect, and see the beauty in the aspects of another religion that might be closer to perfection than in one’s own tradition. Although it may not being carrying the destitute and dying to the River Ganges to slip into its unjudging banks, we must take up our cross with God and carry it on the path to justice, righteousness, and fulfillment of life, for that defines the “fundamental difference between being alive and truly living” (189). For what you did for these, you did for Me (Matthew 25:40).
Word Count: 572
Did Isobe accomplish his goal?
ReplyDeleteWas Isobe satisfied with the result of his journey?
In Deep River, Isobe has a goal to find out where his wife is, even though she has died. He believes that she may have been reincarnated, so he has been searching for a little girl. I myself do not believe in reincarnation, unless being “born again” is considered reincarnation. Assuming that reincarnation does happen, Isobe knew that the odds of him finding his wife as a new being were very slim. In my opinion, I believe that Isobe has nearly given up hope, because he always seems to be drinking quite a bit after he goes back to the hotel from searching. He eventually goes to a fortuneteller, which he is very skeptical about. He even says, “My last resort is that phoney fortune-teller” (174). Unfortunately for Isobe, he does not find his wife; instead he finds little girls begging for money and food on the streets (186).
Isobe was not satisfied with the result he has gotten thus far. Otherwise, he would not have shouted out to her toward the river (189). He may have kept trying to find her afterward, but I do not believe that he was completely set on it. He failed to find her to the point where he may just begin looking if his curiosity is piqued. By that, I mean to say it would be an action that some may take just because they are in a specific place; for example, I visited my grandparents over vacation in a place I used to live, so I tried to find a few friends from elementary school while I was there. I do have to commend Isobe on his searching. He kept looking for a while, even if he may have felt it was hopeless, and it takes a lot of willpower for a person to chase his phantoms.
What transitions of spirituality does the main character Mitsuko go through from the time spent at the Ganges River? How does Endo define Love as displayed in the novel?
ReplyDeleteMitsuko undergoes a change of her perceptions as a result of the trip. The first is a spiritual transition; Mitsuko comes to realize that she is missing something in her life. She is missing a spiritual side of herself from her hatred of religion. Her correspondence with Otsu, brought her in contact with a person of extreme amounts of spirituality. It is hard for her to understand how religion has any place in the world as she says “I just don’t get it. It all sounds like a story from another planet.”(Endo 185) She realizes however that she needs something in her life when seeing Otsu “was still obstinately living for the sake of his onion” (Endo 154) and that “Mitsuko had been unable to find in her own life.” (Endo 154) She comes to see how love is actually shown through spirituality and how it is imitated through sympathy. She “ no longer wanted imitations of love” (Endo 164) she is now searching for real love to be shown.
My opinion of Endos idea of love is that real love is not a perfect thing. It is completely imperfect just like the virgin Mary wasn’t perfect person even though we construct things in her likeness that are. Love is the sacrificing of one’s comfort to help those who are in need regardless of who they are. Like Otsu “The river of love that is my Onion flows past, accepting all, rejecting neither the ugliest of men nor the filthiest.” (Endo 185) Displaying love however has a price of its own. It is not an comfortable thing to do to sacrifice yourself for the greater good.
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