Week 4, Post A

VOCAB:

seva (191): the Sanskrit term for the spiritual practice of selfless service
transcendence (194): a state of being or existence above and beyond the limits of material experience

APPEALS:

1. "It's over 100 degrees already at 10:00 AM, and most of these people have been flying all night in coach. Some of them walk into this Ashram looking like they jsut woke up in the trunk of a car-like they have no idea at all what they're doing here" (194). This is a logical appeal that refers to Liz's first time running a retreat for visitors to the Ashram at which she is living. It is logical because the temperature and time are clearly stated facts about the weather in India.

2. "Then she told me that my work detail had been changed. Due to a special request from mangement, I was no longer to be part of the floor-scrubbing team. They had a new position in mind for me at the Ashram. And the title of my new job was-if you will kindly dig this-'Key Hostess'" (191). This is an emotional appeal referring to the moment Liz hears of her new job at the Ashram. She had recently resolved to be less social and avoid monopolizing conversations, when she finds out her new job involves hosting people-a very socially oriented job! After this funny coincidence the reader is eager to hear more about the details of this new job.

3. "They're all afraid. They're all going into silence, deep into their own minds and souls. Even for an experienced meditator, nothing is more unknown than this territory. Anything can happen in there" (195). This is another emotional appeal as Liz is describing the intense fears of the people on her retreat about meditating. These fears make sense because one's mind and soul can definitely be scary places. I, the reader, agree with Liz on this point and it makes me think about how scared I would be to meditate for hours on end.

QUOTE:

"We search for happiness everywhere, but we are like Tolstoy's fabled beggar who spent his life sitting on a pot of gold, begging for pennies from every passerby, unaware that his fortune was right under him the whole time. Your treasure-your perfection-is within you already. But to claim it, you must leave the busy commotion of the mind and abandon the desires of the ego and enter into the silence of the heart" (197). I love this quote because I think it describes such a beautiful belief-that everyone can reach a state of blissful perfection. It's very intriguing that Liz believes this can be achieved simply by forgetting about material goods and human wants. She believes that if one can reach the "silence of the heart" bliss can be reached. This is such a refreshing opinion about the purpose of human life, for so many of us seem to have forgotten that money, success, and power do not necessarily equate to happiness.

THEME:

At this moment, as the book is centered in India and on Liz's spiritual development, the theme seems to be more focused on letting go of the day to day wants, worries, and grievances of life and focusing instead on finding happiness within oneself.