Final Analysis of The Abode of the Beloved

When Ms. Cawlfield first introduced this assignment, I was very excited to start looking for the perfect poem that would fit my personality to a tee. I thought that finding a poem would be the easy part, though I was wrong. Looking for a poem was difficult because it was crucial that I had a connection with the poem right away. I found the author Kabir when I was looking for poets based in the middle east and Asia. I saw a connection with Kabir when I began to read his bio. The thing that stood out to me the most was that he is a Indian saint, and he also has his own religion based around his own belief system. As I began to read more fascinating things about Kabir I knew I had to choose one of his poems for my final project, this is when I came across Abode of the Beloved, which really spoke to me on a spiritual level. When I read the poem for the first time I didn't really understand the deeper meaning right away, though I could hear Kabir's voice speaking to me throughout the entire poem. The poem has Sikh and Buddhist influences which I was also drawn to from the start. Now that I found my poem, I was excited to get started in the first stages of research.

Al-Kabir was a very spiritual man whose teachings appealed to the poor and less privileged. He often opposed the traditional Vedas and the Qur'an, and advocated for a simpler path to oneness in God. He wrote what he experienced and was strongly worded in order to grab the attention of the audience. In Kabir's poem Abode of the Beloved he talks about how people are too wound up in their material lives that they cannot stop and enjoy what they have or what they are capable of having if they connected with their spirituality. "Neither speech coming from vedas or books. Doing, not-doing, holding, leaving all these are all lost too in this place" (Kabir 10-13). Here Kabir is asking his audience to let go of what is familiar to them and experience life without unnecessary material objects. At first I thought the poem only related to ancient spiritual rituals though after my interview I realized that it can relate to the modern world as well. "No home, no homeless, neither outside or inside, Micro and macrocosm are non- exsistant"(Kabir 13-14). When Kabir says that there are no homes or homeless, he means that there are no bills to pay and no debt to tend to. Everyone's struggles are demolished and there are no expectations any more for anyone.

From the Abode of the Beloved I have learned that in the end when you are coming close to your death bed, it is not the material things that mater, but the spiritual connections that you have made throughout your life time. "No root or flower, neither branch or seed, without a tree fruit are adroning" (Kabir 17-18). Kabir is saying that without a seed (religion) you can still produce fruit (spirituality). That a person doesn't need organized religion to be liberalized. That in the end it isn't the books that a person has read that has makes them into the person that they are. If a person can find liberation within themselves without material things that is within their own duty. "There is radiance without light" (Kabir 7). I took this line of the poem to symbolize the fact that even if a person does not posses godly qualities they are still capable of producing their own unique spirituality means within themselves. I thought that this was an interesting idea considering that in the beginning of analysing the poem I wasn't completely sure what he was talking about when he mentioned there being a certain radiance without light. Many things were clarified during the interview portion of my project because it was helpful to hear from someone more mature than me, because they have experienced more than I have in my lifetime.

Kabir taught me many things about life that I took for granted before. Like to let the little things go and live more simplistically with out set rules and guidelines. "Whoever sees my indicative sign will accomplish the goal of liberation" (Kabir 25-26). I do believe this statement to be true. I think that once a person finally finds their key to spiritual happiness and satisfaction they will be liberalized. This will take a huge weight off of their shoulders and they will finally be able to live in peace. "Where the beloved is there is utterly nothing says Kabir I have come to realize"(Kabir 14-15). I have come to the realization that things don't make people happy, people make people happy. Maybe people are caught up in the material side of the world and are brain washed into believing that wealth and books and knowledge will bring prosperity and happiness where as only a persons soul can create complete spiritual oneness within themselves. This is how teachings of Buddhism ties into the poem. Kabir takes religion and twists the basic meaning around his own believe system. Not everyone has to follow him though everyone must find their own spiritual being.

Throughout the year I have really found myself as a writer. I think that I have written more in this year than I have in all of my Language Arts classes combined. That might be a bit of an overstatement but it is partially true. I really enjoy witting, it forces me to think and pour all of my thoughts out onto a page. I especially enjoyed reading the Lord of the Flies and the Metamorphosis. It was interesting how in depth and deep are conversations were as a class. I don't think I had ever  experienced such conversations. In years past we had just talked about plot in a story, but never as much in depth symbolic meaning as we did this year. It was very refreshing to say the least. In all honesty this class was the only class I didn't dread going to all year. We always were doing something and talking as a class. I think I have definitely grown intellectually, and I am excited for next years English class. Hopefully it will be just as great.

Interview with my mother

As I walked into the beige and cozy living room, I saw my mom lounging on the couch reading the Denver Post with her limp reading glasses. The room itself brings back so many memories of my childhood and times past I couldn't help but to reminisce. The air was humid do to resent rain storm that had just passed through, the mood was calm and relaxed. Candles flickered on the mantle surrounding thoughtfully framed pictures of my family and friends. As my mom picked up the poem, she struggled to decipher the unfamiliar words, I could see the wrinkles around her eyes condense as her eyes scanned the poem line by line. I could tell that she didn't understand the poem  at first, just by the way her lips pursed in slight frustration. Though I suggested that she read it again. The second time she read the poem, I could see the relief in her face when she finally began to understand the complexity of the poem.

After reading through the poem twice my mom looked up at me in curiosity. Initially I asked her of the first thing that came to her mind. She responded with hesitation, she knew the poem was about the characters companion but she wasn't sure if the companion had another underlying meaning. Though when looking through the poem she picked out a few lines that suck out to her.

"Oh Companion That Abode Is Unmatched,

Where My Complete Beloved Is.

In that Place There Is No Happiness or Unhappiness,
No Truth or UntruthNeither Sin Nor Virtue" (Kabir 1-5). 

In this moment she realizes that this place where his companion resides is so peaceful and serene. It is a comfortable place where the character can go to without hesitation or judgement. My mom relates this back to how she tries to create a home or an abode of love and support for her family. I then went on to ask my mom if she thought this abode was a physical place, and her answer was that it was not a physical place but more of a state of mind and being where a person can go to be free. When I asked my mom to place an emotion with the poem, I was very surprised at her answer. She thought the poem was sad and depressing, where I had not picked up on any of that until now. "Where the Beloved Is There is Utterly Nothing" (Kabir 21). He is basically saying that because he has no physical things to be love there is no pressure on him to love anything and this is liberating. 

When I asked my mom "Why is this place so peaceful?" she responded "It is because he doesn't have any requirements, he doesn't have a mortgage, he doesn't have expectations, he can just simply exist and that is enough for him." I thought this was a very interesting perspective. It is amazing how much maturity can play into understanding. Because I, being a teenager am not surrounded by the struggles of the adult world therefore I wouldn't completely understand why having absolutely nothing would be so liberating. This brought me to the topic of materialism. It is his state of mind and not the physical state of things that make him happy. People do not need luxurious things to be happy. This then brought me to question who the beloved is in the poem. At first my mom thought that it might be a girlfriend of his, where as I thought that his own companion was his spirituality. This was the only part of the poem that my mom was slightly confused about, 

because it is not clear who/ what his companion is. 

The interview was now finished and I had touched on the majority of the questions that I had, the room was still very peaceful and the sun had just dipped down below the mountains when I looked out the picture window to my right. Birds were chirping and a cool spring breeze travelled through the cracked window. As I began to pack up my things and wrap up the interview, I contemplated the impact that age has on a persons understanding. Though some younger people are very mature for their age, wisdom in my opinion really does come with age, with more experiences people become more educated of the world. My mom pointed out many things in my poem of choice that I don't think I would have picked up on otherwise. She really opened up my mind to a different side of the poem, so I am very glad I got the chance to talk to her.  

Poem Research

Biography
Kabir Das was born in India in 1440, he eventually died in 1518. His family life was some what unknown, though legend entails that he was born into a Muslim family. He was best known as a mystic poet and a saint of India. Kabir is remembered by his religious group called the Kabir Panth, which is centered around him and his beliefs. This religious group recognizes Kabir as it's founder. There are approximately 9 million members of the Kabir Panth. Kabir's legends include spiritual messages and especially messages that apply to the poor. His poems encompass many Hindu believes systems. Over time he had a extreme impact on Indian philosophy and Hindu poetry. He is still known today as one of the great poets of his time.
Analysis
In Kabir's poem Abode of the Beloved there is simply no happiness or unhappiness. The radiance that Kabir discusses is the light coming from his own being. Having emptiness of knowledge allows us to see how others are making the wrong decisions, and how it will effect them. Our duty is to practice peaceful mindfulness and allow others to reach the path of liberation. Kabir basically says that life is an allusion. Therefore we must use our mindfulness to observe the causes and effects of peoples actions. These actions will either cause inspiration or downfall, therefore it is important to understand what the causes and effects are. Kabir is saying that even with out material objects pure spirituality will speak one its own. Everyone is equal and people are to be treated that way. He is saying that where one finds spirituality there is virtually no outside influences. Kabir inspires people too look for a sign that will guide them to their path to liberation.

Works cited:
"Abode of the Beloved." ZenofWatercom. N.p., 10 Sept. 2012. Web. 13 May 2014.
"Kabir." Kabir. N.p., 03 Mar. 2009. Web. 13 May 2014.

"Kabir." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 05 Dec. 2013. Web. 13 May 2014.

Abode of the Beloved

Oh companion that adobe is unmatched,
Where my complete beloved is.
In that place there is no happiness nor unhappiness,
No truth or untruth
Neither sin or virtue.
There is no day or night, no moon or sun
There is radiance without light.

There is no knowledge or meditation
No repetition of mantra or austerities,
Neither speech coming from vedas or books.
Doing, not- doing, holding, leaving
All these are all lost too in this place.

No home, no homeless, neither outside or inside,
Micro and macrocosm are non- existent.
Five elemental constituents and the trinity are both not there
Witnessing un-struck shabad sound is also not there.

No root or flower, neither branch or seed,
Without a tree fruit are adorning,
Primordial om sound, breath- synchronized soham,
This and that- all are absent, the breath too unknown

Where the beloved is  there is utterly nothing
Says Kabir I have come to realize.
Whoever sees my indicative sign
Will accomplish the goal of liberation.

Siddhartha Essay (Spirituality vs. Materialism)

            Spirituality and materialism both have two major things in common, they both seek after happiness. Material happiness is temporary. Whereas spiritual happiness is something that a person seeks after their entire life.  This is a lifestyle that promotes selfless people that love their surroundings, materialism promotes just the opposite. People who lead materialistic lives are constantly comparing themselves to others, in hopes of becoming someone that they are not. People who live truly spiritual lives, consider themselves an independent apart from all desire and greed. They are no longer effected by others influence on their own lives. Materialistic people tend to lose sight of their dreams and aspirations and drift off into a distant never ending cycle of comparison and regret.

            Siddhartha shows signs of both spirituality and materialism throughout the book. In the beginning of the book Siddhartha has one goal.  He is unnerved by temptations and only wants to immerse himself in his spirituality. "Before him, Siddhartha saw a single goal: to become empty, empty of thirst, empty of want, empty of dream, empty of joy and sorrow. To let the ego perish, to be "I" no longer, to find peace with an empty heart and await the miraculous with thoughts free of self. This was his goal" (Hesse 13). Siddhartha realizes in this moment that spirituality is what truly satisfies him. He is more content when he empties himself of all things materialistic. When people realize how confident Siddhartha is with his spirituality they will want to follow him in his ways. "He was journeying through the countryside as an itinerant teacher, surrounded by disciples, without possessions, without a home, without woman folk, dressed in a yellow cloak of an ascetic but with joyful brow, a Blessed One, and Brahmins and princes bowed down before him and became his pupils" (Hesse 18). When someone is truly content with their own state of mind, others will want to be spiritually calm as well. Though being a Samana isn't giving Siddhartha spiritual fulfillment. When Siddhartha realizes that venturing away from the everyday life of a Samana will give him the most spiritual fulfillment he finally awakens for the first time as if seeing everything as new. Everything was beautiful, everything mysterious and magical, and in the mist of all of this was he, Siddhartha, in the moment of his awakening, on the path to himself" (Hesse 35). Everyone's needs to fulfill their spiritually in a different way, some find it minimally, others find it within the materialistic world. Others need to experiment just like Siddhartha did to find the most fulfilling lifestyle that will bring him peace and contempt.  

           

            Towards the middle of the novel Siddhartha begins to question which is more important to him, his spirituality or having wealth. His "voice" is his spirituality speaking. "He would aspire to nothing but what this voice commanded him, occupy himself with nothing but what the voice advised" (Hesse 43). Even though spirituality and materialism are both seeking after happiness, materialism will never bring permanent happiness. This is because a person of wealth is constantly comparing themselves with others of similar wealth, desire is never out of the realm of possibility. "Thus did Gautama stroll toward the town to collect alms, and the two Samanas recognized him solely by his perfect calm, the stillness of his figure, in which there was no searching, no desire, no imitation, no effort to be discerned, only light and peace" (Hesse 25). A spiritual person does not aspire to have something that isn't practical. They do not compare themselves to anyone, they are their own person. "Often I have thought, Will not Govinda one day take a step on his own without me, as his own soul commands? And behold, now you have become a man and are choosing your own path. May you follow it to its end, O my friend! May you find redemption!" (Hesse 27). Once Govinda stopped following others, and started to listen to the voice in his head conveying spirituality he finally found himself. He was constantly comparing himself to others just like how people with money constantly compare themselves to others with wealth. Govinda realizes that he is his own person and he controls his own destiny. Most people need to locate the voice, that is so important, this voice may be found at an early stage or later on. Either way a person finds themselves in the end.

           

            Materialism teaches a person to love their wealth, and not those around them. It teaches to find pleasure in all things that will better a person financially, and not in things that will better a person spiritually. Materialism brings temporary happiness, in things that are only temporary. "The world had captured him: voluptuousness, lust, lethargy, and in the end even greed, the vice he'd always thought the most foolish and had despised and scorned above all others. Property, ownership and riches had captured him in the end. No longer were they just games to him, trifles; they had become chains and burdens" (Hesse 67). After a while of living a materialistic life, a person's vision becomes blurred and they begin to lose sight of who they truly are. Goals that were previously high priorities now slip away in the distance. Some people are attracted to material wealth because they are not satisfied with their previous actions. "He played this game out of his hearts distress. Losing and squandering the wretched money was an angry pleasure, in no other way could he have shown his contempt for wealth, the idol of the merchants, more clearly and with more pronounced scorn. And so he bet high and mercilessly" (Hesse 67). Money became Siddhartha's escape, now his current life style was a burden to him spiritually. He could not completely devote himself to his own spiritual needs if he was not content with his current life style. But sooner or later, a person will come to some sort of a realization of what their life has turned into. "He felt nausea at his perfumed hair, the smell of wine on his breath, the weary slackness and reluctance of his skin. Just as someone who has eaten or drunk too much  vomits it up again in agony and yet is glad for the relief, sleepless Siddhartha yearned for a monstrous wave of nausea that would rid him of these pleasures, these habits, this whole meaningless existence and himself along with it" (Hesse 70). Siddhartha needed a sign to awaken him from this dark streak of selfishness he was currently absorbed in. He never truly wanted to be this greedy. He never aspired to be a selfish person that is always taking for himself. One thing lead to another and all of a sudden Siddhartha was in this hole that was a struggle to get out off. Though he is the only person that can truly cure himself of his greedy habits. And eventually Siddhartha managed to emerge from the hole a new person, with a completely different outlook on life.

            Spiritual and material ideas are both roads to happiness. Materialism has different drastic effects than spirituality. Spirituality tries to live in the present, whereas materialism constantly lives in the future, in tomorrow, and in dissatisfaction with forms of material wealth. Siddhartha learns through experience that the materialistic life only temporarily satisfies his spiritual and mental needs. Later on he then again realizes that spirituality is the only thing that will bring him true happiness. Most people need to experience both forms in order to understand why one or the other is better, or which is more suited for their life. Experience is the only thing that will  tell which one is best suited. Some people who have completely devoted themselves to spirituality, need to experience material life in order to understand why spirituality gives them more satisfaction. Spirituality is really the only thing that will keep a person true to themselves and the people around them.

Reflections on Siddhartha Chapters 5-12

In all honesty I typically do not enjoy reading as much as I probably should. And from hearing from my peers that had already read Siddhartha, I thought it reading the novel would be dreadful. Though surprisingly I felt just the opposite about the book. I really got into it more than any other book I had read in the past, it all made sense to me.

One of the greatest life lessons that Siddhartha learned throughout his journey was that making mistakes only makes a stronger person. Siddhartha has made numerous mistakes throughout his journey, and with those mistakes he gained wisdom. Those who do not make mistakes don't learn through experience, and are usually not as strong as those who have learned through experience. "I went off and learned the pleasures of love from Kamala, learned to conduct business from Kamaswami, accumulated money, squandered money, learned to love my stomach, learned to indulge my sense. I had to spend many years losing my spirit, unlearning how to think, forgetting the great Oneness" (Siddhartha 81). Even though Siddhartha didn't take the most conventional path in life he sure learned a lot from it through his various experiences. Siddhartha also learns from the world surrounding him. The river plays a very large part in the novel, in a way it symbolizes life. "Isn't it true my friend, that the river has many voices, very many voices? Does it not have the voice of a king, and of a warrior, and of a bull, and of a nocturnal bird, and of a woman giving birth, and of a man heaving a sigh, and a thousand voices more? (Siddhartha 91). Water is soft though it can corrode large things over time, like the Grand Canyon. In many ways soft is greater than hard. Just like the soft bond of love can break large obstacles over time.

Following your inner voice is one of the major points in the novel. Some people are never satisfied because they don't follow their inner voice. Just how Siddhartha is never satisfied until he finds his voice and inner being. Govinda is never truly happy either because he never steps out of his box and follows his voice, just like Siddhartha had done. "And in this moment  he heard something that made him tremble. It was his inner voice, and the voice said no" (Siddhartha 45). Siddhartha is always fairly true to his inner voice even though he makes some mistakes along the way. He does what feels right to him, something that Govinda never really did until later in the novel. "Where else may my path by taking me? How stupid it is, this path of mine; it goes in loops. For all I know it's going in a circle. Let it lead where it will, I shall follow it. (Siddhartha 81). At this point Siddhartha has found his voice, he can recognize it, and he has learned to follow it. You have to be first willing, and able to follow the inner voice, and resist temptation by avoiding outside influences. "In his heart he heard the voice that was awakening once more, and it said to him, Love this water! Remain beside it! Learn from it!Oh, yes he wanted to learn from it; he wanted to listen to it. One who understood this water and its secrets, it seemed to him, would understand many other things as well, many secrets, all secrets." (Siddhartha 85). Siddhartha understands the world and embraces it, in its fullest. This is why Siddhartha reaches enlightenment.

 

Reflection on Siddhartha Chapters 1-6

As I first began to read Siddhartha I was intrigued by the willpower of Siddhartha, and how he refused to follow popular doctrines, and focus his energy on connecting with his inner self. Siddhartha was born a Brahmins's son, and had many expectations to follow. "Joy leaped into his father's heart at the thought of his son, this studious boy with his thirst for knowledge; he envisioned him growing up to be a great wise man and priest, a prince among Brahmins" (Hesse 3-4). Siddhartha's father's wish was that he will be successful, though Siddhartha still feels as though he is missing something. He is not reaching full potential with the current instruction his has been given. He believes that he can teach himself. He already knows how influential he can be from his experiences with Govinda, who practically worships him. "His mind was not content, his soul not at peace, his heart restless" (Hesse 5). Siddhartha began to realize that knowledge isn't everything, books are great but they did nothing in finding peace within yourself. "...but was there value in knowing all these things without knowing the One, the Only thing, that which was important above all else, that was indeed, the sole matter of importance" (Hesse 6). This "One and only thing" was inner self and essence that could radiate off of someone.

            One of the biggest struggles in this novel is the mistake of constant soul searching. Govinda feels that he always needs to follow the best doctrine, and do everything "by the book". Siddhartha has to let Govinda go to find himself in the teachings of Buddha, instead of following him. This was a very selfless move because Govinda loved Siddhartha so much that it would be more of a loss to him because he is losing his lifelong companion. "Be satisfied, Govinfa! The teachings of the Sublime One are excellent; how could I find an error in them?" (Hesse 28). In this line Siddhartha is basically saying that one person can find Buddha's teachings great and others may not have the same reaction. He wants him to go because it will benefit Govinda, and lead him closer to reaching nirvana. "I won't let my life and my thought begin with Atman and the world's sorrows. No more killing myself, no more chopping myself into bits in the hope of finding a secret hidden among the debris. I will no longer follow Yoga- Veda, or Atharva- Veda, or the ascetics, or any other doctrine. I'll be my own teacher, my own pupil. I'll study myself, learn the secret that is Siddhartha" (Hesse 35). Once Siddhartha will find this secret to himself, it will open up more doors and allow himself to see the world with fresh eyes. Siddhartha has much more self discovering to come though, for now he is on the right track.