Right now I am reading Saltwater Buddha. It is a very interesting book and different than any book I have ever read. A quote in it is:
"I vowed to myself, 'I will not move from this spot until I have ended suffering.' I sat very upright and waited. But after about thirty minutes, my left knee felt like it would go up in flames. Continuing to sit seemed like it would only create more suffering, at least for my knee, so I reneged on my vow." ( Yogis,41)
This is a very interesting quote because if someone who hasn't read this book read this quote they would already know some of the personality of the character Jaimal. Jaimal makes a lot of big promises but never seems to be able to finish what he first set out to do. And usually he doesn't make it very far.
"At one point, I ran up to my room with the statue and closed the door and tried to mimic the Buddha's posture and expression. I figured his mind was somewhere very nice and I tried to picture that place: waterfalls, green grass, white birds. After about three minutes, my dad burst into my room, "Hey, are you meditating in here?" He wasn't upset. But I was embarrassed that I'd stolen away with the Buddha." (Yogis, 40)
This quote also shows Jaimal's character. Here you can tell that he is lost and that he is trying to be like something else. I find this interesting because everybody goes through this sometime in their life when they are searching to be like something. This whole book is about Jaimal searching for who he is and what he believes. This book is about his life journey. When we go through trying to figure things out like this, it always seemed like we were also embarrassed about it. I find this quote just very interesting because he does a good job of making you connect and having the feeling that you are there. Perhaps that it is even you.
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Hi, again, Annie. I've heard this is a good book. I'll be in Portland next weekend and will try to pick it up at Powell's. I have a long list! :) Nancy
ReplyDeleteThat does sound like a good book Annie. I am always looking for another good book to read. I am attracted to interesting characters that present a contradiction in their very being. Those were very interesting quotes as well.
ReplyDeleteEven though I haven't read the book I find your choice of quotes and analysis interesting. The things this child does sound a lot like a lot of children. I think a lot of us try to look at others lives and art as an example for either emulation or avoidance.
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