LeahLSB

= Leah's Scrapbook =

This is the place where I will write about the journey I follow to self-realization. My goal is to gain wisdom 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
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**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 watching my favorite tv series, Weeds, because it's technically not something I need. Technically.



Beginning of the Week
The first day of giving up Weeds was not a challenge, because I was busy that night. After the first day though, things started getting hard. I didn't realize how Weeds had become such a big part of my daily routine. My nights were boring, I sat around aimlessly, not doing anything. I was bored out of my mind, "Life was torment"(7).

Middle of the Week
Other than the fact that I was completely bored after school, all my friends were talking about it at school. The topic of //Weeds// was becoming, "unavoidable and inescapable" (9). It seemed like everyone was talking about the new episodes. I had to steer clear of my friends so they wouldn't spoil the show for me. I feel like an out cast not being able to participate in the conversation.

End of the Week
I have now given up Weeds for 6 days. I come home and wait to do my work late because I think I will have time to do things since I'm not watching Weeds, but I don't. I feel like I have accomplished nothing I needed to do since I was off of my regular, Weeds watching schedule,"I am just as far removed from wisdom and salvation as a child in the womb" (10). I have achieved nothing this week. Thank goodness the week is coming to an end. This weekend I know what I'm going to be doing, catching up on my tv show and getting my life back on track.

The Quote
What does Siddhartha's "Awakening" look like? Is this the same thing as reaching Enlightenment? In the text, Siddhartha becomes awakened to the world around him after leaving the Samanas and Gotama (the Buddha). He sees "the world for the first time. The world was beautiful strange and mysterious. Here was blue, here was yellow, here was green, sky and river, woods and mountains, all beautiful, all mysterious and enchanting, and in the midst of it, he, Siddhartha, the awakened one, on the way to himself. All this, all this yellow and blue, river and wood, passed for the first time across Siddhartha's eyes. It was no longer the magic of Mara, it was no more the veil of Maya, it was no longer meaningless and the chance diversities of the appearances of the world, despised by deep-thinking Brahmins, who scorned diversity, who sought unity. River was river, and if the One and Divine in Siddhartha secretly lived in blue and river, it was just the divine art and intention that there should be yellow and blue, there sky and wood -- and here Siddhartha. Meaning and reality were not hidden somewhere behind things, they were in them, in all of them" (39).

Analysis
I decided to incorporate mountains, trees and a river in my drawing because Siddhartha sees, "blue...yellow...sky and river... and mountains"(39), while awakening. The setting sets a scene of peace and harmony. Yellow is used in a way to show new ideas or wisdom. Yellow also represent enlightenment. The color blue represents water, calm and refreshing. While the river creates a sense of pureness. I drew the sky because air represents a journey. The mountains in the background are used to represent earth, which is usually an archetype for grounded or a mentor figure. This scene has a very relaxed, joyous feel to it. Hesse intended for that to happen. He choose to create the scene like that because Siddhartha has finally reached enlightenment. He is viewing the world clearly, now as something that is refreshing and full of pureness.


 * Name ** : Kamala


 * Location ** : I live in a town


 * Eyes ** : My eyes are "dark" and "alert" (28).


 * Hair ** : My hair is "black" and "high-piled" (28). atop of my head.

**About Me (looks):** I am very alluring with my brains and beauty. People have said I have lips as red as "a newly opened fig"(28). I have "well tended"(28), high arched eyebrows upon my "very fair...clever face"(28) I also wear, "wide gold bracelets"(28) on my wrist. I could tell when I met the Samana, Siddhartha, "his heart rejoiced"(29) when he "saw how beautiful"(29) I was. He seeks "to learn the joys of love"(30) with my help. I seduce men with my beauty.

I spend my time teaching men "the joys of love" (30). I am a very sufficient love maker and very good at what I do. I will fulfill your needs.
 * Hobbies / Profession (actions): **

**Looking For (speech, effect on others) :** My man "must have handsome clothes,...good-looking shoes and a lot of money in his purse, and gifts for Kamala"(30). As you can see I am very persuasive. Siddhartha gave up his teachings to get these things to try and please my expectations. I have high standards.

= Samsara =

My Daily Life
Write down a list of things you do every day or every week. What are your routines? What does a day in your life look like? Be sure to include at least 6 things. 1. Wake up. 2. Get dressed. 3. Eat breakfast. 4. Catch a ride to school with my neighbor. 5. Go to school for 7 hours. 6. Go to behind the wheel and scare the driving instructor for 2 hours 7. Go home 8. Eat dinner 9. Do homework 10. Sleep



// Analysis //
After you have your routines and your comic strips, explain your comic strip here. Compare your life and routines to those of Siddhartha. Do you think your routines have a positive or negative effect on your life?

I do the same thing every day. I turn my alarm off at 7:11 every morning, but then actually fall back asleep until 7:30. Then I finally get up and pick out my outfit for the day and go down stair to eat breakfast. My neighbor drives me to school everyday. After I sit through seven hours of torture. I go to behind the wheel where I learn how to drive. After my mom picks me up from that I go home, eat dinner, do my homework then fall asleep and wake up to do it all again the next day. I hardly notice day turn to night. I feel as Siddhartha had felt, "The years sped by... barely felt their passing" (40). My life can get a little boring, but every now and then something interesting pops up in my plans and gives me some change and excitement in my life.

The River
media type="custom" key="24662162"

**Lyrics:**
"As I went down in the river to pray"

**Quote from text:**
" The river had something special to tell him, something he did not yet know but was still awaiting him" (54).

**Analysis:**
In the song "Down to the River," the people are going down to the river to pray and search for life answers in the water. Siddhartha had the same idea, "The river had something special to tell him, something he did not yet know but was still awaiting him" (54).

media type="custom" key="24662178"

**Lyrics:**
"Who is that girl I see staring straight back at me? When will my reflection show who I am inside?"

**Quote from text:**
"He stared into the water; seeing the reflection of his face, he spat at it" (47)

**Analysis:**
Siddharth had "stared into the water; seeing the reflection of his face, he spat at it" (47). He didn't recognize the person staring back at him. He had hated what he had become. It didn't reflect the person Siddhartha really was. Mulan had the same problem, the person looking back at her from the water was not who she actually was. It was a stranger with the same face. They both Did not approve of the reflections they saw in the river.

media type="custom" key="24662192"

**Lyrics:**
" Girl I refuse, you must have me confused With some other guy Your bridges were burned, and now it's your turn, cry me a river Cry me a river-er"

**Quote from text:**
"Had wanted to drown; in it the old, tired, despairing Siddhartha" (54).

Analysis: Justin Timberlake was singing about his pain and wanted his girlfriend to feel suffering. He wanted her to be so hurt by him leaving that she would cry so much he tears would create a flowing river of sadness. Siddhartha "had wanted to drown; in it the old, tired, despairing Siddhartha" (54), in the river because of all of his sadness and despair brought upon him. Both rivers are representing depression of what had happened to both Siddhartha and the girl Justin Timberlake is singing about.