Deep River by Shusaku Endo takes us on a journey with several people that are looking for inner peace, which they have struggled to find throughout their lives. During this journey Shusaku Endo explored a number of different themes. Some of those themes include love, suffering, and rebirth, these themes can be seen across many different religions. In Hinduism love and desire is represented by the god Kama, one must give up selfishness in love and should not expect anything in return. Love in Christianity can be looked at the same way. For example 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NIV) says:
"Love is patient; love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."
In both religions you should love others regardless of their religion and it should not be a selfish act. In the novel there are several characters that are plagued by suffering. For example, Isobe is dealing with …show more content…
Reincarnation is the process of birth, death and rebirth. Hindus believe that death destroys the physical body of an individual, but not their soul or jiva. The jiva goes through a series of births and deaths, it is also considered eternal. Each birth is different as a result of karma, each good, or wrong doing is to be experienced in the current or future life. Because of this there is no ultimate resting place in Hinduism. However, reincarnation is often rejected by many Christian denominations, but there are some that believe. In Deep River this is a major theme. Isobe’s wife is one character that strongly believed in rebirth. While on her death be her last words to her husband were, “I know for sure… I’ll be reborn somewhere in this world. Look for me… find me… promise… promise!” (Endo,
"Love is patient; love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."
In both religions you should love others regardless of their religion and it should not be a selfish act. In the novel there are several characters that are plagued by suffering. For example, Isobe is dealing with …show more content…
Reincarnation is the process of birth, death and rebirth. Hindus believe that death destroys the physical body of an individual, but not their soul or jiva. The jiva goes through a series of births and deaths, it is also considered eternal. Each birth is different as a result of karma, each good, or wrong doing is to be experienced in the current or future life. Because of this there is no ultimate resting place in Hinduism. However, reincarnation is often rejected by many Christian denominations, but there are some that believe. In Deep River this is a major theme. Isobe’s wife is one character that strongly believed in rebirth. While on her death be her last words to her husband were, “I know for sure… I’ll be reborn somewhere in this world. Look for me… find me… promise… promise!” (Endo,