An image of the Buddha.Respond to one or two of these three prompts please (not three) and then, in addition, only if you want to, respond to number 4. But do number 4 only after you've done or or two of the previous questions.
1. Does the development in Siddhartha's life described in this chapter seem different from the earlier developments, or does it seem to be just another phase? Explain.
AND/OR
2. Discuss the role of the river in this chapter.
AND/OR
3. Siddhartha's long sleep played a role in his development, and earlier, he had, in his sleep, dreamed about the dead bird. Why might sleep play an important role in Siddhartha's spiritual journey?
4. Does sleep play an important role in your own spiritual/psychological/artistic journey?
29 comments:
I'll discuss prompts 2 and 3:
The role and imagery of the river in this chapter is very interesting. His interpretation of it somewhat resembles Taoism; going downhill and "wandering," but "remaining cheerful." The water seems to yield to this cycle of downhill wandering movement, and because of this is cheerful. I think the river and Siddhartha are letting go of desire here, through losing resistance.
The night when Siddhatha has his dream about the dead bird, he has just gotten to sleep, because he has been tormented by thoughts and worries. Sleep generally equates peace and calmness, while dreaming during sleep can disturb this. Now, this might be a leap, but is dreaming a form of subconscious desire? Siddhartha notes that he slept "free of dreams." I think the difference in his two narrated experiences sleeping, characterizes the change in Siddartha.
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. also, 2 and 3!!!!!
I agree with Jake...also, i think the river might represent something like escape and getting away from it all.....maybe rebirth??? I kind of felt like Siddhartha as going to jump into the river to kill himself until "om". I think he felt so incredibly disgusted with himself, simply utter disgust with him adn the worl, he wanted to jump in this river to wash it all away!!!!!!!!!!!
I again, agree with Jake....also, i think sleep for Siddhartha is (like the river in a way) a rebirth, a sancuary, a place and time to rest and reorganize yourself (brain, thoughts, body, physical, etc...) which is really actuall what sleep does (in today world)....sleep in INCREDIBLY important to us humans!!!!!! I think during Sidhartha's spiritual journey sleep is important because he is on a SPIRTUAL JOURNEY.....meaning that he is continuously thinking, ideas, thoughts, about religion, life and humans. Sleep is important in this becuase it can offer an escape from this intense physical and psychological journey....but also can fuel it.....he can contiinue the journey in his sleep (dreams, thoughts, etc..)
I seriously almost just broke my computer. The blog deleted my blog post and it was like the most creative and thoughtful thing I've ever done. I think I'm going to commit suicide now. I hope the blog is happy.
Rosamund please don't!!!!!!!!! we will set aside a very special time in class so you can say what you want say!!!! xoxoxox
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Doing number three
Siddahtha dream may have been what his thoughts were. The fact that he was thinking about were his stress and horrible tormented worries(sorry jake i liked the way you phrased). When people have bad day's a lot of the time dreams are efftected by it.
The fact that he saw a dead bird its not that supprizing because horrible days can lead to horrible dreams.
And of corse my suicide ploy posts fine^
Ok trying again.. (althoug it will never be as good as the last one.*sniffle*)
prompt 3.
One of the reasons sleep is such an important role in Siddartha's spiritual is because sleep is the only comfort he gets. When he is awake, Siddartha is often starving, and never stops thinking. Everyone needs a time when they can relax. When he sleeps his mind is at rest, and when he wakes he sees in a new way.
An interesting metaphor/example of this:
My painting teacher always used to tell me that it was important to have a break from painting after a while. If I painted for two hours or more, she told me to leave my painting an walk around outside for a while or something, and when I came back I would notice many more mistakes which I hadn't seen before. She was right. When we are constantly concentrating on one thing for a long period of time, we don't notice the mistakes that are obvious, as we've gotten used to them. If we take a break and come back, they will be obvious to us again, and we will be able to correct them in a productive way.
Just thought I'd share that as it is kindof like Siddartha's spiritual journey...not really, but kindof.
Prompt 3.
Yes.
This is Rosamund
P.S. Turner- I'm so touched that you actually cared about my vanquish in my last blog post, that I think I won't kill myself now. <3 ;)
oo i ment to write "prompt 4" over "yes" and i wrote "promt 3" by accident. wupsies. also i wrote "this is rosamund" and it looked really stupid, cuz it says rosamund at the top now. Oh well, I'm done.
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I LOVE you Rosamund!!! And I very much agree with your statement!!!!
I didn't know you had some painting and visual art experience!!! interesting!!!!
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3. Sleep is an important part of Siddhartha's progression because as it has been mentioned previously gives him a chance to start out on a new slate. It brings him renewal and peace. Which causes him to be able to think better, and naturally be able to listen more attentively to his inner voice. Sleep is important to Siddhartha's spiritual journey in life because without it he wouldn't be able to see life in the right light. He would be too frustrated and tired out. He would have no chance for renewal. With sleep Siddhartha is able to see his life in the right light, therefore being able to follow his inner voice onward on his path to finding the ultimate truth.
4. Sleep is VERY important to my progression in life. When I do not meet my body's physical needs, (for sleep, food and exercise) I am basically a WRECK. I always find when I have had a very stressful and perhaps "bad" week it is often because I am not meeting my physical needs. After renewing my spirit and mind by getting enough sleep, eating a good meal, and going for a walk, running or dancing I always feel much better!!
I agree with Rachael.
Without sleep, Siddhartha loses his chance for renewal and "freshness." He can start over and I think we can all agree that to some degree he needed a fresh start. It is an important part in allowing him to regain what was, to get back on track. It's interesting to learn how sleep effects him.
I'd also agree that sleep is an important part of our lives and our progress. Unfortunately, I am a victim of sleeping disorders, so it doesnt benefit me too much. But I definitely notice that when I DO get a ton of sleep, I am a much happier person and a better writer (partly because dreams are good things to write about and partly because it is refreshing).
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It's Hunter!
1. I feel like the development in Siddhartha's life which occurs in this chapter seems different than the others. I think this because he is regretting all of the wealthy, luxurious, and lavish life he has just come from when it says, "Siddhartha was profoundly frightened. So this was the state he was in: he was so lost, so forlorn, so forsaken by all wisdom that he had sought death, the this wish, this childish wish had grown in him, to find peace by snuffing his body!" I feel like he's regretting, and confused about what to do next, but I definitely feel that this is different from all of the other phases that have occured previously.
4. Sleep most definitely plays an important role for me in my artistic journey. If I'm in a show, or rehearsing for a scene or something, I usually will recite my lines to myself in my head. I then sometimes have a dream about the show or scene and it completely solidifies it in my head so that I never mess up. Also, I can't focus on my art when I don't get enough sleep. I LOVE SLEEPING SO MUCH! It really rejuvinates you. Sleep makes me relax and not stress out too much so that when it gets nearer to a show, I can focus on the show and not how tired I am.
#4
sleep is what basically drives my human body. I never get enough though wwhich really throws you off your mental game. As well as arts classes it can really throw you off. So philisophicaly it helps because a lot of recolection of my thought are in my dreams and can help me really understand a really tough situation im in. Although when i get to much it's can be a scary overload of information.....(that i already know)
I can't function very well without sleep. It plays a huge part in my spiritual/artistic journey. Lack of sleep also changes my artistic journey because once I get past a certain point of tired-ness I can keep continuing on a sort of natural "high" as I would call it where my mind feels very awake and I am much more createive as an artist.
In Siddhartha, I think his long sleep played a huge rold in his developement.
Favorite sleep quote in chapter:
From page 79:
Deep was his sleep and free of dreams: he had not known such a sleep in a long time.
Sleep in this chapter changes Siddhartha. He awakes and it feels like it had been ten years and all is the same but it is a new Siddhartha as the book said on page 80: he was awake, cheerful and curious.
Thanks!
-Rocco
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i think that this change is in the same group as siddharthas other phases. it seems like he goes through phases of happiness and understanding and sadness and confusion and they alternate. if this is the pattern then his new phase fits in. something different about this phase is that is more basic and more important than some of his other phases. sleep is a very basic need, especailly when compared to gambling. it is important because his happiness is stemmed from simply being alive. he remembers thing that he used to know, like the om and being a brahmin
Alison's blog isnt working so this is danny posting for alison...this is acting as a blog for her...
2. The role of the river in this chapter take a big role in Siddhartha's life here because at first he looked in as it to be a way of killing himself but then he saw it as a track of his life in a good way and were it is going.
4. Sleep impacts me in a spiritual way because without it i cant do my studies and read the bible. I also need it for my brain. And for my artistic reason is so that my injuries can heal and become better...
I would like to comment on the river.
When I first started reading this section, "Siddartha leaned his shoulder against it, put his arms around the trunk, and gazed down into the green water, which kept flowing and flowing beneath him" (pg.78) It reminded me of the quote that we talked about before. "You never step into the same river twice." (Sorry I dont remember the exact quote..) and since he especially put the part saying that the river kept on flowing, I thought it might represent something like this quote. But after reading the whole chapter.... not really... After all I think that the river represents Siddartha's past going away and his new life coming toward him just like in his dream. I was not quite sure if this was like the quote or not....
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Prompt #2:
I think, most importantly is that the river is what reflects Siddhartha (I know it does literally, but here I mean figuratively). That is, the murky, green calm waters reflect Siddhartha's feelings of emptiness on the inside, but also, after Siddhartha had slept and was beginning to change for the better by starting out life as a child-person, he reflected that the river was just like him in that, yes, it was always flowing downstream, but it remained cheerful.
I think that the river definitely plays a big role in this chapter. I thought it was interesting that it was the very same river that Siddhartha had ferried across with the ferryman awhile back. I thought back to that part of the book and really realized how Siddhartha had changed this then. When Siddhartha had thanked the ferryman for his help, the ferryman responded with, "...I expected no dare from you and no gift. You will give my the gift another time...I have learned that too from the river: everything comes again! You, too, samana, will come again." Indeed Siddhartha did return to the river. I wonder if he'll meet up with the ferryman again later?
austin: do you have a non-human body?
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Prompts 2 and 3:
The river is, as Siddartha describes it, an ephemeral being, a transient being. It is constantly changing, constantly shifting. The river exists as a single entity, yet is never the same, always morphing and flowing. In this way, Siddartha compares himself to the river, puts himself next to it. Part of his realization, his cleansing is this fact. Life is simply transient; it is necessary not to consider shade-like worldy "illusions", necessary not to think, to desire knowledge. And this insight is gained only after Siddartha's long, purifying sleep. Notice, too, that only after Siddartha nearly throws himself into the river in utter disgust does he fall asleep. This sleep purges Siddartha's soul, as the river water does for one in a physical sense. Maybe his sleep is analogous to the water, clear and "cheerful", yet always shifting, moving, wandering.
The river in this chapter has definite significance with Siddhartha's inability to make some sort of progress mentally. In the previous chapter he describes himself as waking each day older and darker and larger, but he is distracted by Samana still. Even when the river is described it is described as "stale wine" something old similar to Siddhartha's state of physical unrest. He is growing wearier and wearier by the day, such that the river flows and goes on and on. The idea of moving on could contradict this downward state, but is moving on in this case something bad?
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