SelamGSB

Selam's Scrapbook

This is the place where I will write about the journey I follow to self-realization. My goal is to gain wisdom and takes steps towards enlightening myself. I will be following the journey of Siddhartha, the title character of Herman Hesse's Siddhartha, as a model for my own journey. The steps I have taken follow.

To get a feeling for how the Samanas, Indian ascetics that are found in the novel Siddhartha, try to reach enlightenment, we gave up something we enjoy for a week. I chose to give up bread, because it's technically not something I need. Technically.
 * With The Samanas **
 * The Assignment **

=Beginning of the Week:= It was a little strange not taking a bite of my favorite type of bread; hoagies. It was the hardest thing I ever had to endure... Okay, maybe I'm overreacting, but it was still pretty difficult going without something that you've been so accustomed to having in your diet. The first day without bread was actually easy. I had gone without eating bread for a day before, so it was a peace of cake for me. But on the second day I almost relapsed. One day, I can handle. But two? I don't think so. I almost eat everything with bread, so it was very tempting to just go grab a hoagie and eat it without anyone knowing, but I forced my self not to. You could say I have an unhealthy addiction to bread. =Middle Of Week:= Going days without bread was actully okay. Instead of eating bread with every meal, I was able to actually taste the food's flavor. Everyday though, I still wanted to grab a hoagie from my fridge, and just eat it all up, but I stopped myself from relapsing. I thought about all the bread that I was missing, and feeling of it being in my mouth. I always thought about how I was doing with not eating bread and how I would be able to reach my goal of goin a week without bread. "What do you think? Have we made any progress? Have we reached any goals?" (Pg.9). = End Of The Week:= It happened. I finally gave up. I relapsed. I failed. I had to go and eat bread. I couldn't take it anymore. Honestly, it wasn't my doing, my mom had cooked her famous Lasanga, and you can't eat lasanga without bread. Ecspically if she just cooked it that day. I know I could've stopped myslef. Honestly, I missed bread and wanted to feel I was going to relapse sooner or later. I almost went a whole week without eating bread and would have been fine. I guess by choosing to give up something you don't think you really need, you do need. Even if it's the smallest thing in your life like eating bread. You need to do it. One, just to switch up your routine everyday. Second, just be able to do something for yourself and not worry about everything and anybody else. Just relax and focus on you. Even Siddhartha in his book asks, "Are we gaining knowledge? Are we approaching salvation?" (Pg.17). You can't eat a meal without bread all of the time. You kind of need it in your daily diet anyways. You never know how something so small can have a big impact on you and your life. I think I could try and do this again but, then again, it would be very tempting not to eat bread. I learned I can overcome things but, you just have to be willing to try and overcome them and ignore the things tempting and you telling you to do the opposite of what you need to do or what you want to do.

Awakening //Analysis:// I drew this scene this way because, this is how Siddhartha saw the world. The eye is like a symbolic archetype to show and represent how Siddhartha viewed the world. Then, the colors, blue, and green also represent symbolic archetypes. Blue represents the waters and skies. While green represents the trees and grass.

=Kamala=

Hair: High-Piled Black
===About me (looks): I have a very fair, very soft, very clever face. I also have bright red lips. My eyebrows are well tended and painted in the form high arcs. Many people find me beautiful and are willing to change their personality for me. "I am still a samana," he said to himself, " still an ascetic and medicant. I cannot remain this way, this way, this way I shall be unable to enter the grove" (29).=== ===Hobbies/Profession(actions): I practice the art of love. I spend my time teaching men what I am an expert at. A man came to me asking me for my assitance. He said to me, " And, if it does not displease you, Kamala, I would like to ask you to be my friend and instructress, for I still know nothing of the art in which you are an expert" (30). In order for a man to please me, he has to meet all my requirements, no matter how hard it is to accomplish them.=== ===Looking for: I am looking for a man with nice clothes and shoes and tons of money. If a man asks me if he satisfys me, I will laugh and say, "No, my good man, he still does not satisfy me! He must have clothes, handsome clothes, and shoes, good-looking shoes, and a lot of money in his purse, and gifts for me" (30).===