MalcomScrapbook3

= Malcolm Ritchie's Self-Realization Digital Scrapbook =

On this page I am writing of my journey to self realization. My goal is to reach enlightenment and gain wisdom. I will be following the path of Siddhartha, the main character of Hermann Hesse. = =

= With The Samanas =



The Assignment
In order to find out what it is like for Indian ascetics that are trying to reach enlightenment in the novel //Siddhartha,// we had to give up something that we enjoy to have daily. My choice was dessert because I have it daily but its not a good part of my diet.

Getting Started
The first part of the week was easy but I still was unable to keep the thought out of my mind. I would try my best to put it out of my mind but it would always come back. Similar to Siddhartha, whenever he would put himself away, "The hour was inevitable when he would again find himself" (Hesse 16).

Mid-Week
At certain points during the week especially in the middle of the week I thought why are we doing this? What is the point if in a couple of days we are just going to be doing this thing we gave up again. This is similar to how Siddhartha felt when he was with the Samanas. He said, “We shall grow old as he, and do exercises and fast and meditate, but we will no obtain Nirvana.”

By The End
At this point whenever I wanted desert I would just remind myself that I only had a couple more days. If I held through it would be a lot better than if I ate some now. And If I did eat it would it be worth it in the end. I might as well make the last days good because I, like Siddhartha, "I will not travel the path of the Samanas much longer." (22)

Awakening
Siddhartha reached awakening after walking through a forest by a river with many colors. My picture shows these different parts. According to Siddhartha in the book //Siddhartha// "Here was blue, here was yellow, here was green, sky and river, woods and mountains," (39). My picture shows Siddhartha's body slowly forming as he goes on his journey from right to left as "he felt that he had also left his former life behind in the grove" (37). His body fully formed after he walked through the woods and colors because at that point "he was more firmly himself than ever" (41).




 * Name ** : Kamala


 * Location ** : Grove (52)


 * Eyes ** : Dark Brown


 * Hair ** : Dark Brown

I have been told by people that i can be a great teacher in the ways of love. Some people even beg me asking me "to learn the pleasures of love from"(54) me. Some people also call "so beautiful". I own a very nice grove and i also own "a house in the town"(52). Some people have said that I "observed well"(53) when I first met them
 * About Me...**

**Hobbies / Profession...** I am a "well-known courtesan"(52). I really like to sit in my "sedan chair"(52).

I want a nice man "in fine clothes, in fine shoes; there is a scent in their hair and money in their purses."(54)
 * Looking For** ...

media type="custom" key="21297954" My life is based around school. 5 days a week I go to school and learn. Out of school I am having to do homework regularly I wake up, eat breakfast, go to school, learn at school, go home and do homework, and then go to bed, on a normal day. I tend to pay attention to school and not as much to friends or other people. I'm too worried about doing good in school to have a lot of time to do other things. My only goal is to do good in school and sometimes I feel like Siddhartha and "How many long years he had spent without any lofty goal," (83). My only goal has been school since kindergarten.

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**Song:** "Smoke on the Water" by Deep Purple
"But some stupid with a flare gun, Burned the place to the ground. Smoke on the water and fire in the sky. Smoke on the water... They burned down the gambling house, It died with an awful sound." "There was only emptiness. sadly, he sat down. He felt something die in his heart; he saw no more happiness." (127 Hesse) Both in the book in the book and in the song something sad happens. In the song "some stupid with a flare gun, burned the place to the ground" (Deep Purple). In the story Siddhartha's son runs away. In the song the singer was sad that it happened singing "it died with an awful sound." (Deep Purple). Siddhartha is also very sad that his sun ran away. He felt that "there was only emptiness"(127 Hess) and "he saw no more happiness"(127).
 * Lyrics:**
 * Quote from the text:**
 * Analysis:**

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**Song:** "Take Me To The River" by Talking Heads
"Take me to the river, drop me in the water Take me to the river, drop me in the water, water I don't know why I love her like I do All the trouble that you put me through" "He saw his face reflected, and spat at it;he took his arm away from the tree trunk and turned a little, so that he could fall headlong and finally go under. He bent, with closed eyes--towards death." (89) In this song the singer is tiered of a relationship going back and forth. He wants someone to "Take me(him) to the river, drop me(him) in the water." (Talking Heads). He doesn't know why he "love(s) her like I(he) do(es)" because of "all the trouble that you(she) put(s) me(him) through." This is similar to how Siddhartha feels when he is about to kill himself. He doesn't know why he did all of the things he did during that cycle of his life but he doesn't want it anymore. So he got ready to "fall headlong and finally go under" (89 Hesse) and "he bent, with closed eyes--towards death."
 * Lyrics:**
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 * Analysis:**

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**Song:** "Down by the Riverside" by Louis Armstrong
"Down by the riverside I'm gonna lay down my sword and shield  Down by the riverside  I'm gonna study, study, war no more  I ain't gonna study war no more" "So please do it today also and take my clothes instead."..."I should prefer not to go further. I should prefer it if you would give me some old clothes and keep me here as your assistant..."(103 Hesse) In this song the singer is tired of what is happening in his life and is making a change. He is giving up by going "down to the riverside, I'm(He's) gonna lay down my(his) sword and shield"(Armstrong). This is similar to how Siddhartha says to the ferry man "take my clothes" (103 Hesse). Louis Armstrong also says that he "ain't(isn't) going to study war no more"(Armstrong), this is similar to how Siddhartha wants to change his profession when he asks the to "keep me(him) here as your(his) assistant" (103 Hesse).
 * Lyrics:**
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 * Analysis:**

Om Project

"Dad you have to let me go," Josh said to his father. "I don't have to do anything. I'm your father and what I say goes," replied Josh's father. As a child or even a teenager Josh was never allowed to leave town, even though the big city was only 30 miles away. "If you don't let me go I will stand here until you finally change your mind." "Try your best son, I'm not going to let you go." Josh always wondered what was in the city. He had only knew rumors that his friends told him. Yet it seemed that Josh was the only one that actually wanted to go to the city. All of his friends only went just to say they did but Josh wanted to go to stay. When Josh was growing up he never felt he belonged on a farm. He was always good at it but he didn't feel like that was what he wanted to do with his life. So he thought up a plan. When he turned 18 he and his best friend, Govi, were going to move to the city and start new lives and learn the ways of living in the city. He would've gone through with this plan if it wasn't for the new program at Josh's school. In this program teenagers from the city moved to Josh's little town for a week and learn to live on a farm and learn responsibilities. When Josh met them he couldn't believe some of the stories he heard about what the city was like and he couldn't take living on a farm any longer. "Are you really going to stand here all night?" Josh's father asked. "I will stay here until you let me leave." "Well goodnight," and with that Josh's father went to bed. Throughout the night Josh's father checked in on Josh. "As another hour passed... he rose again, walked up and down, left the house and saw the moon had risen. He looked through the window. Siddhartha (Josh) stood there unmoving, his arms folded"(11). Every hour or so Josh's father watched Josh stand in the kitchen and wondered how long he would stand there. Finally as the sun was about to start rising Josh's father approached him. "You can go." "What? Really? Thanks dad!" And with that Josh took off to his room and grabbed his bag that he had already packed and took off for his truck. "A crouching shadow emerged from the last hut and joined the pilgrim(Josh). It was Govinda(Govi)"(12). ”My dad finally let me go! Let's roll!" said Josh. "Ok let me just go and grab my stuff," said Govi. Then they were off. Off to the big city for the first time in both of their lives. When then finally arrived in the big city the stopped in a restaurant for breakfast. "Let's stop here Govi, //The Grove//." When they were on their way to leave they over heard an argument from a different table. "What do you mean $10 for eggs? This is way overpriced who actually pays for this crap?" With that the man got up to leave. "Excuse me sir but how do you know that the eggs are overpriced?' Josh asked the man. "How do I know? The better question is how do you not know?" You must not be from around here. You go eat anywhere else in the city and eggs will be half that, trust me," replied the man. "You seem to know a lot about dinning in the city. Do you think you could teach some of these things to me and my friend Govi?" "Don't see why not." For the better part of that day Josh and Govi went around with the man and learned ways to find a good restaurant. "Now one trick is just to look inside and see how crowded it is. If it is too crowded you probably don't want to go there because it is probably overpriced. But if it was too little people in it then it must not have very good food. You have too look for one that has just the right amount of people inside," the man said. The man gave many pieces of advice and before Josh and Govi knew it they were able to find good restaurants no problem through the things "instructed by the eldest of the Samanas(the man)"(14). "Thank you sir, for teaching us the ways of finding good restaurants." "It was my pleasure."

To be continued.