Essay The Ban-Yatra Pilgrimage

Endo gives the River Ganges different metaphorical significances which we understand through the “cases” of the five tourists; it is a balm for haunting memories, a remedy for loneliness, and a cure for feelings of emptiness and worthlessness.

The two boys leave the town to join the Samanas, a group of people who believe that spiritual enlightenment comes with the rejection of body and all other needs. The boys quickly realize that their ideas of the group are very different, Govinda loves the way that improvements that he has gained spiritually and morally. While Siddhartha has yet to reach the spiritual enlightenment that he wishes to achieve. “Siddhartha learned a great deal from the Samanas; he learned many ways of losing the Self. He traveled along the path of self-denial through pain, through voluntary suffering and conquering of pain, through hunger, thirst and fatigue. He traveled the way of self-denial through meditation, through the emptying of the mind through all images. Along these and other paths did he learn to travel. He lost his Self a thousand

This essay will focus on analyzing the ultimate truth while seeing how it coexists with the study and practice of Jhana Yoga. Each of the principles presented in this essay will have an in depth examination. The philosophical and religious as well as human natures are some of the most important themes that will be displayed in this essay. The idea of the materialistic values that is present in everyday life serve as the reason to why one cannot know the ultimate truth and how one can overcome this in order to find supreme peace. Karma yoga will be studied as Lord Krishna tells its importance to Arjuna, so he can follow the path of divine fulfillment. The universality of religion and selflessness serve as the two strengths one can achieve to be capable to have and live by the ultimate truth. The aspect of tradition and the origins of

Buddhist theories of the self and personal identity must be studied in relation to their background in early Indian thought. (Kapstein, 2010)

The plot in the short story “Hindus” demonstrates how a certain sequence of events can help people better understand themselves. Leela meets many different and unique people on her journey throughout

A journey means traveling to the unknown and benefiting from it. When obstacles are faced and conquered during the travel, both strength and wisdom will be gained. There are countless of voyages that follow this pattern, one in particular told by Kira Salak. The message conveyed through an excerpt from Salak’s book, The Cruelest Journey, is agreeable, as she explains how her journey had changed her and the role it plays in her life.

In Shankara’s Crest-Jewel of Discrimination, many themes of liberation are illustrated to show and expose the different aspects of liberation. Shankara was an incredible Hindu philosopher from the 7th century who wrote about his beliefs and liberation. Through this book, Shankara connects many themes and ideas to show the power of liberation and what it means to an individual.

Werner seeks to change his destiny while Siddhartha searches for himself. Werner from All the Light We Cannot See and Siddhartha from Siddhartha set out on journeys to change the inevitable. Although Werner and Siddhartha’s journey’s on searching and seeking are very different due to the time periods, they can be compared by using Joseph Campbell’s monomyth theory, most prominently separation and initiation. Both journeys tell an exquisite story, by starting with leaving their normal world.

For thousands of years, humans have travelled all across the world in search of enlightenment and spiritual improvement. These journeys are seen in every major religion; from the Islamic pilgrimage of Mecca to the Hindu pilgrimage of the Himalayan Char Dham. The act of embarking on a pilgrimage is never an easy undertaking; particularly when that includes the reliance on relationships that have not yet been forged. This connection with culturally different individuals develop an unequivocal sense of belonging while on these journeys. Yet, one could say that college itself is a pilgrimage, with the relationships we create being the mechanism that solidifies our 'belongingness '. In retrospect, it is my experiences throughout this ‘college pilgrimage’ that has brought forth my interest in how the formation of relationships and the role of fictive kin influence major pilgrimages.

* How does the ritual seek to change the participants? –Protect them from future sufferings, provides more insight into meditation

Ascetic practices in the Hindu religion lead to the path of liberation. Achieving liberation is through practicing asceticism. It is believed that asceticism was the root of what started the Hindu tradition. This developed the spiritual teachers to run tests on themselves in order to achieve that philosophical doctrine and teaching of the Upanishads. Going back to the Vedic traditions, they practiced rituals which dealt with the life and everyday problems they had to conquer. Being ascetic meant not having many things in their lives, in which aided them in order to be satisfied. Between the Vedas and the Upanishads, they concentrated on more of inner meditation such as the control of mind and body by diminishing their senses in order to achieve liberation (Jayram).

From “Kumare” we have seen how a religion or a set of beliefs can be created and maintained from scratch. The person, Kumare, produced a set of ritual practices that included meditation (blue-light meditation) and yoga that he taught to his followers. He made himself into a clear symbol for his little group. Form the film we learn that he made up or used previously created rituals to synthesis his very own brand of religion. Using externalization, objectivation, and internalization as a basis into the “Kumare” film, we see how his own religion was constructed socially by himself and more importantly his disciples.

While people around me were dancing and chanting the name of their lord Krishna, I sat there listening to music or reading a book or watching something. The bus ride was about eight hours long but the quotation stuck with me through the entire ride. I began to contemplate on my religious beliefs.

At the corner of a busy intersection stands a masterpiece of architecture made of white marble: Mandir. My temple. My lifeline. However, this was not always the case. While living a life influenced by western culture, I often found myself struggling to maintain my Hindu identity. I felt as though I was bound by rules that anchored my feet to the ground. I was not allowed to eat out, yet I was expected to network. I was to perform morning rituals, yet not look like a creep to everyone. I often found myself living two lives: religious and social. Indulged by my ignorant state of being, little did I know that Mandir would soon become my motivation to soar in the sky.

An insatiable thirst of identity, knowledge, love and wealth is central to the major characters of Guru Dutt’s ‘Pyaasa’. This thirst leads to an intertwining network of their fates where the characters’ interactions on several intersections complements their development.