LauraMScrapbook4

=Laura's Scrapbook =

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 chocolate, because it is not something I truly need

Begining of the Week
Chocolate has always been an enjoyment of mine, a special after-dinner treat. I found myself looking forward to having some the first day, but reminding myself I couldn't, I was sad, but able to continue my night without much disturbance. The second day I still wanted chocolate, however it was not a strong enough desire to eat chocolate. Godiva tells Siddhartha "We have learned, and we'll continue learning" (ch.2), I am learning to not eat chocolate this week, and i will continue to learn until the week is over.

Middle of the Week
By day 3 of my self-deprivation I still have not had any chocolate. My desire is still not stronger than my will power, and I am learning to not expect some after dinner. I "learned to get along with only few breathes" (ch.2) if my desire for chocolate was symbolized as breathing. By day 4 my will power was still strong, however my sister surprised me with a chocolate milkshake, I am the only one who enjoys chocolate milkshakes and, of course, did not want to waste it... If there was not a milkshake I would still be able to not have chocolate.



End of the Week
By the final days of my deprivation of the sweets i found myself getting used to not having chocolate, my desire was hardly exsistant anymore. I was able to not expect chocolate after dinner and I found myself finding other enjoyable sweets such as sugar bread, or cookies. I believe that it's not chocolate specifically that I desire but sweets. If we were to have another assignment of self-deprivation I believe I'd be able to give up chocolate for longer, but I would give up sweets. This challenge would be "glowing with pain, glowing with thirst" (ch. 2) if thirst represented my desire for sweets and pain representing my loss of the treats.

Awakening
Siddhartha reached awakening after he met and spoke with the Buddha. To him, awakening was "...beautiful, all of it was mysterious and magical."(22) I drew a question mark over Siddhartha's head because he is realizing that this world is simply what the eyes see, it does not have a deeper meaning or connection to suffering. I choose to draw a forest with a river and sun beams because according to Siddhartha "here was blue, here was yellow, here was green."(22).

Kamala
**About Me:** Kamala is a very pretty woman with a high status in the town, she has a lot of luxuries because of this, such as "her peacock-feather fan"(28) and "golden arm rings"(28) and is very clever with her words, as she asks Siddhartha "And Siddhartha has visited me merely to tell me that?"(30) She also enjoys "gifts for Kamala" (30) from other wealthy men. Her job/hobby give her an advantage when it comes to love because she knows a lot about it.
 * Name ** : Kamala
 * Location ** : The grove of a town
 * Eyes ** : Dark
 * Hair ** : Black

**Hobbies / Profession**: Kamala is a prostitute, she describes her profession to siddhartha: "Many young men visit me, and there are Brahmans' sons among them too."(30) Her job as being a prostitute makes her very wise in the field of love. She knows what it's like and is a good teacher for Siddhartha to learn how to love.

**Looking For :** Kamala likes men who "can read? can write?....It is very good that you can read and write, very good."(32) Kamala also beliefs that a good man "must have clothes, handsome clothes, and shoes, good-looking shoes, and a lot of money in his purse."(30) Kamala likes men who are wealthy because she likes to buy gifts and nice clothing from the market in her village.

= Samsara =

A Day in The life....
1.Wake up 2. eat breakfast 3. go to school 4. return home 5. ride horses 6. do homework 7. eat dinner 8. go to sleep

Quote:
"a few times he was alarmed by these thoughts and wished that it might be vouchsafed to him, as well, to take part in all the childlike activity of each day pasionately and whole heartedly... but he went on visiting the beautiful Kamala." (39)

Analysis:
My day starts almost the same way each morning. I wake up around 7:20 and get breakfast, like coffee to most people, I can't function until I've eaten. Afterwards I return to my room and make myself presentable for the day. I go to school around 8:00, by sister insists we get there early. I'm usually not very happy about it, I'd rather sleep in. After a long, and not usually fun, day of school I go home, and, finally getting to have fun, I ride horses on trails. Sometimes we get a little crazy, as seen in the comic above, but either way it is the highlight of my day. Sadly all fun must end and I return home and get my work done. Around 6:00 or 7:00 we eat dinner, if its some sort of pasta, I enjoy it. I'm not normally a picky eater, but that's irrelevent. I sometimes feel as if i'm not going anywhere in my life, or living to my maximum joy, I don't often regret my activities thoughout the day, but sometimes I wish I will go live-on-the-edge.

=The River=

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**Lyrics:**
"Don't go play by the water they say you won't come back...don't go looking for answers, they say you won't come back."

**Quote:**
"Siddhartha had drowned that day. But the new Siddhartha... resolved in his mind not to leave it behind for quite sometime." (54)

**Analysis:**
Breathe Carolina is one of my favourite bands, most people know them for their song "Blackout" but I like nearly all of their songs. This one came to mind because I saw it as the voice inside of Siddhartha that wanted him to go back to being a merchant however he quickly over powers the thought. The lyrics forshadowing that Siddhartha will be going through another change in his life, telling him not to go to the river because will not be returning to the city or to his Kamala.

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**Lyrics:**
I look once more Just around the riverbend Beyond the shore Somewhere past the sea Don't know what for ...

Quote
"Siddhartha was thoroughly frightened. So, then, things were so bad for him, he was so lost, so far astray"(47)

Analysis:
Pocahontas is eager to see what's "around the riverbend" and anxious to change her life. Siddhartha however fears change, he doesn't know what he will become next and fears it will be worse than before. I side with Siddhartha in this state, I too would fear what I would soon become if I was in his shoes. Disney often uses river to symbolize change, the author of Siddhartha, Herm Ann Hesse.

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Lyrics:
No matter what we get out of this, I know we'll never forget, smoke on the water a fire in the sky

Quote:
"...and what I shall be tomorrow I do not know."(50)

Analysis:
Smoke on The Water is a song about people trying to find themselves, Siddhartha is also searching for himself when he goes down to the river. The singers don't know what will come of them after they "go to the river," but as the lyrics state, they will not forget. Siddhartha is going to the river, also not knowing what he will become, but he knows that what ever he does become he also will not forget the merchant he used to be, nor the man he becomes. Siddhartha ends up finding enlightenment at the river, and decides to stay there.