The river flowed on, and still Siddhartha was there, watching it. He had learned from it, and from it he had received his instruction. He had seen the river's face, and this face had taught him. He had seen that the water continually flowed and flowed and yet it was always there; it was always the same and yet every moment it was new.

"When someone seeks," said Siddhartha, "then it easily happens that his eyes see only the thing that he seeks, and he is unable to find anything, unable to absorb anything, because he is only thinking of the thing he is seeking, because he has a goal, because he is obsessed with his goal. Seeking means: to have a goal; but finding means: to be free, to be receptive, to have no goal."

"Wisdom cannot be imparted. Wisdom that a wise man attempts to impart always sounds like foolishness to someone else. Knowledge can be communicated, but not wisdom. One can find it, live it, do wonders through it, but one cannot communicate and teach it."

"I have always believed, and I still believe, that whatever good or bad fortune may come our way we can always give it meaning and transform it into something of value."

"The opposite of every truth is just as true! That's like this: any truth can only be expressed and enveloped in words if it is one-sided. Everything that is thought and expressed in words is one-sided, only half the truth; it all lacks totality, completeness, unity."