Student Question

In A River Sutra, which character experiences the most complex example of love?

Quick answer:

In "A River Sutra," the character who experiences the most complex love is Master Mohan. His deep affection for his blind pupil Imrat's voice illustrates a self-sacrificial love for art. Master Mohan's refusal to exploit Imrat's talent for financial gain highlights the purity of his emotions. The culmination of this complex love is seen in Master Mohan's suicide, as he cannot bear to live without the divine beauty of Imrat's music.

Expert Answers

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This is a great question to consider, and it would be interesting for you to answer this question for yourself. In many ways, the various stories that are told are meant to challenge and broaden the perspective of the listener. For me, it is the teacher that experiences the most complex form of love. This is another story that is used to demonstrate the secrets of the human heart and how the emotion of love can be experienced and expressed in so many different ways.

Master Mohan, in his love for the sound of his blind pupil's voice shows how he loves art over all else. This love is of course highly self-sacrificial, as he refuses to allow his wife to exploit his pupil's voice for their own benefit or to earn money. In particular, this story shows the way in which his pupil's music becomes something of a paradise for Master Mohan's voice after all the disappointment and suffering that he himself experiences in life. His adoption of Imrat and how he carefully works with him to nurture Imrat's gift in singing shows the complexity of his emotions.

However, what cements this story as being a perfect example of the complex emotions of love is when Master Mohan kills himself rather than face life without Imrat's voice and this key relationship. Having tasted something of the divine through hearing and nurturing Imrat's voice, Master Mohan finds himself unable to continue with life. His love towards Imrat is therefore expressed in his act of committing suicide.

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