twenty-seven -- harry potter and vedanta

I will be the first to admit that I was an awkward child growing up. I hit puberty in about fifth grade - it sucked - and was taller and chubbier than everyone else until I was shorter and chubbier than everyone else. This was through middle school; in high school I became a more active dancer, joined marching band, slimmed up. In middle school, I had terrible self-esteem, was painfully self-conscious, and felt like I couldn't make friends in large groups. Sometimes, I feel like those things linger, but we won't dwell on that! Anyway, books were and always will be my solace when times get rough.

The most formative of the books I read in middle school and early high school was, of course, Harry Potter. People have ranted and raved about the series left and right - a money ploy! stupid plot! pagan worship! and thus. Harry Potter, of the many books I've read, was the series I could escape in. Each time I re-read a book, I'd find more and more little details - it was fascinating. Everyone who knows me well realizes I enjoy the movies as well. We each can have our minor quibbles about what the directors left in and left out, but I thoroughly enjoyed Half-Blood Prince last night. It was a fabulous movie, not necessarily 100% at all on the basis of the book. Acting has improved significantly and it was also a pretty funny movie, too! I laughed a majority of the time.

Re-reading HBP, I definitely saw its connection to Vedanta, as geeky as I am. Promptly emailed into the CHYK group... They probably think I'm weird, but.. sigh.

Let me take an example.. page 384,, Apparition class:

• To Apparate, or to basically teleport from one spot to another for those unfamiliar with the series, the students must master Destination, Determination, and Deliberation.
• "Step one: fix your mind firmly upon the desired destination," said Twycross. "Step two, focus your determination to occupy the visualized space! Let your yearning to enter it flood from your mind to every particle of your body!"
  
• "Splinching, or the separation of random body parts," said Wilkie Twycross dispassionately, "occurs when the mind is insufficiently determined. You must concentrate continuously upon your destination, and move, without haste, but with deliberation, thus."

When I read that again, looking at it differently, it reminded me a little of mumukshutvam, or the "burning desire for liberation," as our acharyas put it. Limitations from what? Limitations from the body, in the case of Harry and his friends, but the limitations on happiness for us.

Chapter Twenty-Six (The Cave), where Harry and Dumbledore go after a Horcrux is also a good illustration of the Guru-shishya relationship and how they support each other. Also Chapter Twenty-Three (Horcruxes) does a great job presenting Voldemort's fear of death (release from the physical form) and Dumbledore's patient explanation on the power of Love.... All very relevent topics, I think! It's pretty awesome what you can see in books and it continues to baffle me why groups ban such books which actually have a great message.

Cool.

There is so much I would like to or could write... but maybe another time.

twenty-five -- observations

It's funny how surprised we are at the little things, like holding open a door for someone. The couple I opened the door for almost looked shocked. What? A Liberal, Self-Absorbed (or absorbed in the Self, haha, get it?), College Student taking the time to open a door? Wow. It's almost a sad commentary on American society. Imagine how much we can surprise people only if we did something like hold open a door... an act which only takes a few minutes.

As usual, since returning from CHYK camp, I've had plenty of time to reflect on certain things. After all, there is only two weeks remaining until we leave to India... nothing much can be done in terms of a job, so on. But as I may have mentioned before, I'm trying to be diligent about meditation, reading, journaling, and cleaning. And, of course, longlong walks and listening to my iPod. I feel it's easier to unclear the clutter of thoughts that way.

Today, I'm in Ann Arbor and living in the Fishbowl (computer lab) until it's time to go... See, I had an advising appointment and an internship interview. Yeah, the advising appointment was to make sure I'm on track for my basic requirements and to see if yeah, I could really take Indonesian and Hindi both. Turns out I can, and that's a big relief. The interview... well, I think it went well, but I don't want to say anything before they let us know.

I really love this campus... it feels nice and I really do not regret coming here, though I do sometimes regret not applying to some other schools. But, oh well, right? I am content where I am. I hit up one of the contacts for the UM chapter of CHYK... so I hope they are active this coming year, because I'd love to help make this a great discussion group -- a consistent, insightful, and enthusiastic chapter.

anyway, that's all I have to say for now... time to go back to playing ridiculous typing games..!