TaylorBScrapbook2


 * Taylor'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 I don't need it to survive.



**Beginning of the week:**
At the start of the week I was sure I could accomplish this task. Not eating chocolate consumed my thouhgts, but I was able to not eat any. It is hard to not want something when all you do is think about it. Siddhartha also feels this way, "Truly, nothing in the world has occupied my thoughts as much as this self of mine" (Hesse 21). He is also constantly thinking about himself, and that becomes what he wants the most because it is constantly on his mind. This is true for me also, I was constantly thinking about how I couldn't eat chocolate, so chocolate became what I wanted the most during my day. I found myself constantly thinking about how nice a piece of chocolate would taste, or how good it sounded. I became tempted all the time to just have a small taste of chocolate, but I told myself, no, you can't eat any. I was constatnly having to cheer myself on to not eat chocolate.

**Middle of the week:**
Towards the middle of the week, I felt like I saw chocolate everywhere. It seemed like everywhere looked someone was eating chocolate that I couldn't have. It felt like it was following me, and would ot leave me alone. I also began to get small headaches from what I thought was my lack of chocolate,it could have also been my lack of sleep, or stress. But of course, I assumed that my lack of sugar was causing me to have headaches. I found some other candy to snack on to give me a sugar boost. This was a small boost for alittle while, but of course sugar also causes you to crash, so that just made me crave chocolate more. Siddhartha also, had similar tempations throughout this journey, " His gaze became icy when he met women; his mouth twitched in contempt when he passed through a town with well dressed people" (7). Siddhartha was giving up so much, and when he saw other people with the things he had given up, it reminded him of what he had given up, and tempted him. This is how I felt when I saw other people eating chocolate, it was so tempting.

**End of the week:**
Towards the end of the week I was so tempted by the chocolate surrounding me that I gave in and ate some. It was the best tasting chocolate I ha d ever tasted. I had given up on eating other sugars, all I wanted was some chocolate and it was fabulous. I really appreciate chocolate now, and I'm going to try and eat less of it, but not give it up completely, because I love it so much. I think that if I had to give it up for life or death I could. Siddhartha also had people give up while on his journey. "O Govinda, I had always thought that Govinda would stay with the samanas" (13). This is similar to me because Siddhartha's friend Govinda has given up, and that is what I had to do. It doesn't make you a bad person, it just means that for the moment you need a break. Maybe during your break you'll realize everything and come back to your journey.

**Awakening:**
Siddhartha reached awakening after he left Govinda, and after he talked to The Buddha. To him awakening looked like, " Here was blue, here was yellow, here was green; the sky and the river flowed, the forest and the mountains were fixed in their places" (22) I tired to incorporate these colors into my drawing because that was what Siddhartha was seeing. Awakening also looked like "So it was divinity's way and purpose for there to be here yellow, here blue, there forest, and here Siddhartha" (22) I also drew trees because Siddhartha was seeing a forest, so it was only right to incorporate trees into my drawing also. Finally, awakening also looked like "When he stood alone like a star in the sky" (23). I drew a star in the left right hand corner because it talks about how Siddhartha was done awakening he was a star, therefore I drew a star.
 * Anaylsis:**

**Kamala:**
**Name:** Kamala


 * Location:** The Pleasure Grove


 * Eyes:** Dark Brown


 * Hair:** Black Hair


 * About Me:** I am beautiful, with perfect eyebrows and luscious red lips. I have a delicious smell that surrounds me. I am also very experienced with my job, and know what I'm doing. I know I'm beautiful and I'm not afraid to show it, I may come off a bit cocky, and that I think I'm better than everyone else, but deep down I'm a down to earth person.


 * Hobbies/Profession:** For a living I sell my body for money. And in my free time, I enjoy laying on my day bed, and tempting boys. I also enjoy just resting in my Pleasure Garden. I enjoy "playing with my peacock-feather fan" (30), and flirting with boys.
 * Looking For in a Man:** My man needs to have, "handsome clothes, and shoes and a lot of money in his purse, and gifts for myself" (30). He also needs to smell good, and have "combed hair with oil" (30). He also needs to have a shaved beard.

**Samsara:**
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 * Quote from the Book:** "The years sped by; cushioned by prosperity,Siddhartha barely felt their passing. He had become wealthy; for some time he had had a house of his own, his own servants, and a garden in the suburbs by the river." (40)


 * Analysis:** I have become very comfortable in my routine, and I can do it almost without thinking. I wake up in the morning, eat breakfast, then get ready for school. I can do this almost without blinking, or having to think about what to do next. Next, I go to school, where I get caught up waiting for the next class, or just waiting for something to happen. After school, I go to volleyball practice where I stop thinking about what has happened during the day, and just let go and focus on volleyball. This really helps me relax. And after that I just head home, and start my homework. I feel the same as Siddhartha when he talks about, "The years sped by.......barely felt their passing" (40). I feel like this because I get so caught up in my routines,and waiting for the next big thing; because of this time seems to fly, and I spend so much of my time wasting it in the same old routines.

**By the River:**
media type="youtube" key="HwSyR1ibhRA" height="315" width="420" " When I dive right down To the undertow Well, the deeper I drown Lord, the higher I'll go"
 * Lyrics:**

"In profound weariness he detached his arm from the tree trunk and turned his body slightly so that he would fall verically, and finally perish. His eyes closed, he was dropping to his death." (47) "...and yet this Siddhartha was transformed, he was renewed, he was remarkably rested, remarkably awake, joyful and inquisitive." (48)
 * Quote from the text:**

Siddhartha is thinking that "he was dropping to his death" (47), this is the same as the song, which says that "Well, the deeper I drown." Both are giving up and giving into the river. But both also gain from giving up to the river, they both are able to start over and rise higher. The narrator in Hesse's novel say "he was renewed, he was remarkably rested" (48). This is the same as what the song says, " Lord, the higher I'll go." So, both authors both took a fall before they could rise. Which symbolizes that sometimes you can't reach what you want, before you take a few falls. But with those falls you can't give up, you have to keep fighting.
 * Anaylsis:**

media type="youtube" key="g0Wws2MMJj8" height="315" width="420" "There's a great awakening and a new morning And your spirit's pounding loud and clear"
 * Lyrics:**

"And at the moment that the sound om touched Siddhartha's ears, his intellect, which had fallen asleep, suddenly awakened and realized the folly of what he was doing" (47).
 * Quote from the Book:**

Siddhartha is talking about how he has become awakened again, "..suddenly awakened" (47), and so are the song lyrics, "There's a great awakening." So, both symbolize and describe different awakenings. They both have be awakened by a river, and feel refreshed and awake. Therefore, another similarity is that both authors are awakened by the river.
 * Analysis:**

media type="youtube" key="iQZA9Dq-O00" height="315" width="420"

"Lost On The River, Dark Is The Night"
 * Lyrics:**

"So, then, things were so bad for him, he was so lost, so far astray and abandoned by all knowledge, that he had been able to seek death..." (47-48).
 * Quote from the Book:**

Siddhartha states that "he was so lost" (47), as does the author of this song, "Lost on the River." Both authors, are lost on the river, because both come to the river for something because they are lost. They both want help, and want to be "found." No human has the desire to be lost, everyone wants to be found and loved, which is what both of these people want. The song helps but Siddhartha's feelings of being lost into music, and sharing his feelings.
 * Analysis:**