JuliaCSB

=Julia's Self-Realization Digital 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. = With The Samanas =

=The Assignment= 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 Netflix, which was difficult for me because my family doesn't have access to cable, so basically, I was giving up all of my T.V. and media privileges.

= =

=__In the Beginning__= The first few days of my mental starvation, I felt more stressed than usual because I felt I needed Netflix at the end of the day to wind down and relax. I originally thought there was nothing else in my house that was fun or entertaining to do. I felt as if I was being starved of my regular routine, and I didn't know if I could make it until the end of the week. As Siddhartha said: "It just does not seem so to me, my friend. What I have learned from the samanas up to this day, O Govinda, I could have learned more quickly and more simply." (pg. 9) Siddhartha had his own ideas of life, and was trying to reach enlightenment by learning from the samanas. =__Towards the Middle...__= To avoid my temptation, I asked my mom to go on the computer and change the Netflix account password, so even if I felt tempted, I knew there was no way I could give in to my temptation. This then became a little easier to live my life Netflix-free. I started to accept that I wasn't allowed or able to watch the new episodes of "The Walking Dead". I had also started realizing how media and television was around me wherever I go. Around every corner, people were discussing the "Grey's Anatomy" season premier, or the last episode of "How I Met Your Mother". I also noticed how much I depend on visual entertainment, and how it hadn't really helped my lifestyle at all, but made me only temporarily happy. "What is concentration? What is the ability to leave one's body? What is fasting? What is the retention of breath? It is a flight from the self, it is a brief escape from the torment of being 'I'." (pg. 9) Siddhartha is contemplating on the difference of pain and actually experiencing life and finding religious happiness. =__The End!__= Throughout the entire five days free of Netflix, I found at first I was cranky and entertainment deprived. Then it soon dawned upon me that I did not need Netflix for entertainment, and found other ways to amuse myself and become calm after school. For me yoga came to mind. At the end of the week I also became more in touch with my surroundings, and started reacting more with people around me. I became a lot happier. I am sure I will go back to Netflix eventually, but I may start rationing it out and limiting it from time to time so I do not miss out on some of the more important things in life. It may be easy to sit down at the end of the day and watch "Bones", but you can certainly survive and thrive without it! Siddhartha also exclaims on page 14: "I do not desire to walk on water. Let old samanas content themselves with arts of that kind." Siddhartha decides sometimes at the end that he is not reaching enlightenment fully from learning from the samanas. This is also how I felt at times.

[[image:driddle10h/Julia Cooper snapshot.jpg width="512" height="384"]]
__**Analysis:**__ I drew my picture like this because I wanted to show how far you could look beyond the river and see the small trees in the distance. It looks peaceful and serene. I also wanted to capture the essence of a child-like drawing, with bright colors, simple sketches, and slight scribbles. The outdoors of where Siddhartha was may be different, but every interpretation is different where Siddhartha met the Samanas. To me, this picture describes simplicity and beauty of the outdoors and the feeling of the sunrise, peace, and enlightenment.

=Kamala=

**About Me:** I have a "bright, fair face" with a "bright red mouth like a freshly cut fig"(51) **Hobbies / Profession:** I am a "well-known courtesan" (51) I "placed [my] left foot on his right and moved [my] body like a woman inviting a man to the style of lovemaking that the manuals call 'climbing a tree'." (28)
 * Name:** Kamala
 * Location**: I live in a beautiful village in India
 * Eyes**: My eyes are "dark, clever and observant" (51)
 * Hair ** : My hair is "black and heaped-up" (51)

**Looking For:** "young men...in fine clothes, in fine shoes" They must have "clothes, fine clothes, and shoes, fine shoes, and plenty of money in his purse and presents for [me]" (54)

=__Samsara__=

My Daily Life:
1. Wake up 2. Eat breakfast after getting ready and dressed 3. Ride bus to school 4. 8 hours of school 5. Go to dance 6. Go home 7. Do homework 8. Eat dinner 9. Go to bed

=__Analysis:__=

Each day I have certain routines to follow to help me survive the day. I wake up at around 7:00, and start getting ready for the day by taking a warm shower. Then, I eat a small breakfast after getting dressed for school. At about 8:15, my brother and I walk through the woods on a trail from my house to the bus stop, and board the bus for school. I study hard at school for about 8 hours, then get picked up at the end of the day to go to the ballet studio for dance. After that I travel home with my dad and do homework for the next school day. Most nights I make myself dinner, then relax until it is time for bed. I go to sleep and the whole thing starts over again the next day. I can relate to Siddhartha in the way that "the years [pass] by...[and I] hardly [noticed] their passing..." (pg.75) Most of the time the routines are so basic and boring, I never realize how much time has passed until a holiday or birthday comes up. Sometimes the season changes, and I didn't notice that one has even come until it is gone.

=__The River:__=

media type="custom" key="24685202" Oh, Shenandoah, I long to see you, and hear your rolling river. Oh, shenandoah, I long to see you, 'way, were bound away, across the wide Missouri
 * Lyrics**:
 * Quote from the text:**
 * Analysis:** In this song, it talks about missing the wide river where you used to call home, and how peaceful and the serenity of the river and all of its memories that it carries. This beauty of the river gives you peace in life, and I believe this is what siddhartha was feeling and speaking of when he sees and feels the river.

media type="custom" key="24685498"
 * Lyrics:** That night we went down to the river, and into the river we'd dive. On down to the river.
 * Quote from the text:**
 * Analysis:** Bruce Springsteen is talking about how he married when he was young, and how he always went down to the river with his wife. It shows memories and symbolism, how the river symbolizes their marriage, Siddhartha probably thought a lot about nature and the river, and how his life had so much to do with memories and symbolism.

media type="custom" key="24685682" They're putting up reindeer And singing songs of joy and peace Oh I wish I had a river I could skate away on **Analysis:** the song writer of this is really expressing her feelings when, during Christmas time, she wish she could escape and have a river she could leave and skate away on. All of the other river songs I have used as an example have lyrics that have to do with symbolism, memory and happiness. This one has to do with the fact that she wishes to escape the world, and the river is used as a symbolism expressing her wanting to escape and run away from life, like and escape path where nothing would matter anymore.
 * Lyrics:**
 * Quote from the text: **