Temporary Satisfaction.

-Allie Claire

Walter Benjamin characterized that happiness is only temporary in a certain time and place. People are obsessed with moment to moment fixes. In today's technologically advanced society our attention span is comparable to that of a mosquito*. Siddhartha compares the practice of meditation to a night of indulgence such as drinking, drugs, or sex, both temporary fixes. Do these habits lead to an awakening of the ethereal self or do they distance you from reality? These are questions that Siddhartha asks himself. I think that spiritual escape can be achieved in many forms and will differ from person to person. The practice that takes me to an alternate state of mind, or as Siddhartha puts it “loss of ego”, will be completely different to yours. Meditation and self indulging activities are both great examples of temporary escapes or fixes from reality to reach “nothingness”. Meditation teaches loss of ego, drinking offers an alternate ego. Spiritual awakening on the other hand is where one has the possibility of reaching total peace in mind, body, and soul. In my experience with meditation and in turn, drinking, I have been seeking an alternate place of nothingness, but once I return to the real world nothing has changed. Siddhartha says “Seeking means: to have a goal; but finding means: to be free, to be receptive, to have no goal. You, O worthy one, are perhaps indeed a seeker, for in striving towards your goal, you do not see many things that are under your nose.” In conclusion, I agree with Siddhartha that meditation is on the same level as self indulgence to a certain extent. Enlightenment to human consciousness is where the most profound shift will take place, that in my opinion, can last a lifetime.

*Thank you Rowan Jones Pardy for that wonderful metaphor.