k" (Dickey 109). The sahib violates this principal, because he does not act, he only views experiences from the outside.
             Not too deep into A River Sutra, the narrator meets a Jain ascetic who tells of his quest in becoming a monk and how he had to sacrifice the love of his father to pursue his beliefs. The monk had led a very superficial life in which his father had encouraged. The monk disappoints his father when he decides to pursue a more meaningful life: "The inhuman nature of his philanthropy had frightened me. Part of me still wished to become like him"(25). The monk, in losing his father, loses his father's superficial and hypocritical lifestyle. In losing these elements the monk is able to pursue his quest for knowledge and therefore grows because of his loss.
             The sahib is told about another story of love involving a father-son relationship. Master Mohan, a music teacher, and his beloved student, Imrat, grow together through Imrat's singing success. Mohan's passion for music is reawakened by the talent of Imrat: "He was convinced God was giving him a second voice, greater than he had ever heard, greater than his own could ever have been" (72). Through Imrat's singing, Mohan believes that he can redeem his childhood and ardor for music. Mohan's life and family was prearranged and did not satisfy his desires. However, he did not understand his lack of satisfaction until he met the one who fulfilled his wishes, Imrat. His family recognizes their abandonment and
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