He then moves to the other extreme and lives as a materialist by having a well-paid job, being with a woman, and indulging in consumerism, good food, as well as bodily pleasures. However, he finds this lifestyle lacks spirituality so he decides that there must be an equilibrium between the two.

Siddharta finds balance where spirituality meets the materialistic world from a fisherman who tells him that the river holds all secrets. The river is coming and moving into the oceans, which is a great representation of how everything in the universe interconnects, including these two worlds.