Daniel Labyrinth reflections

"It has come to you in the course of your own search, on your own path, through thoughts, through meditation, through realizations, through enlightenment. It has not come to you by means of teachings! And—thus is my thought, oh exalted one, —nobody will obtain salvation by means of teachings! You will not be able to convey and say to anybody, oh venerable one, in words and through teachings what has happened to you in the hour of enlightenment!"
-Siddhartha

This quote and the symbol of the Labyrinth show that you must go on your pilgrimage journey on your own volition, it cannot be don’t for any other reason.  The maze is only a meditative experience if you allow it to be one.  If you are not meaningfully participating in your pilgrimage the maze mean nothing.  If someone was just telling you to walk the labyrinth, you could just speed through it and it would mean very little to you.  If you care enough to spend the time to slowly walk through the labyrinth, you will have an experience that is meaningful and meditative.  This genuine care was something I struggled with earlier in the year.  At first I was not really invested in the idea of a pilgrimage and I was just going through the motions.  My indifference led to some disingenuous writing and reflecting.  I was having a hard time with the writing because I was not actually reflecting.  When I made the decision to start really being honest, the class became so much easier for me.  I did not have to force my reflecting, I could just write what I felt.  I had to make that decision on my own.  No one could teach me how to get to that mental state, and if someone tried to force me there, it would have been counterintuitive.  This quote just shows me that the pilgrimage is a journey that can really only be started on your own.

“The journey is a virtual space that finishes when it finishes, and there are as many means as there are different way of “finishing.”  That is to say, the means are endless.”

-Motorcycle Diaries

This quote was one that stood out to me specifically because of the weather problems we faced while trying to complete the labyrinth.  Looking at our progress on the maze from the outside, it could be seen as a failure.  Our class was not able to complete our task and if you were just judging our success based on our endpoint it would have to be viewed as a failure.  When you judge our project based on the journey it is a success.  We as a class had no control over the rain and would have easily completed the maze if we had not been prevented by the rain.  The fact that we were able to accomplish what we did in such a short period of time is a real achievement.  For me the process of making the labyrinth was far more impactful than walking it would be.  Working with my classmates and just watching that area on Arden transform from an empty spot to a full labyrinth was inspiring.  That transformation was what the Che’s quote means to me.  We did not need to finish to accomplish our goal.  Our goal was accomplished when we made a real and honest effort to make that labyrinth.  We will finish it, but that doesn’t matter because we already went on a journey together. 

1.     How did the labyrinth project help you approach or understand your personal pilgrimage in a new light?
2.     What insights can you share about your own process, discovery, challenge, or success in connection to the symbol of the labyrinth?
3.     What did you learn in the process? 
4.     What ideas in the course were most meaningful? 
5.     What will you take forward from here?

What quotations, images, or examples can you share to symbolize your greatest insights?

I think my personal pilgrimage mirrors the idea of the labyrinth really well.  The labyrinth is all about the journey and not the destination and that is the core idea of my pilgrimage.  My pilgrimage was to read more in my free time.  I did not set out to read a certain number of books; my goal was to reinvest myself into a hobby that I no longer participated in.  The way I set up my pilgrimage will make me more likely to continue this journey even after I finish the course.  If my goal was just to read a certain number of books, I would achieve that goal and then I would probably stop.  In the wording of my project, I have made it so there is really no endpoint.  So I will not achieve a “goal” but the project will be far more lasting and impactful.  That idea of the journey was what I am going to take away from this course the most.  I used to be very results driven and I had a really hard appreciating anything if it did not end the way I wanted it too.  This course has shown me that the process of getting something done is just as important and powerful as the final goal.  My newfound respect for the journey is something that I will be able to carry with me for the rest of my life and apply it in other ways.

Planning What is the “sword”/ reward of your pilgrimage
To read more books for my own enjoyment.

What are you going to write
I am going to write short reflections every time i notice that reading has changed an aspect of my life

What are you going to read
I am going to read game of thrones and if i finish that book i am going to read any other book that peaks my interest.

What are you going to make
a custom bookmark

What will you research/ View
There is not much research i can do and i will not be watching anything. Those two activities are not conducive to my project.

Final project

Reflection 1:  First week of the second semester

This past weekend I fully began work on my pilgrimage project.  Over the last couple of months I have not been fully committed to my pilgrimage, but over the weekend I began really working on it.  Since the beginning of the year I have read a little bit, but it has not been with much consistency.  Over the weekend I read both days, which was something I have not done in a long time.  The problem I had during the first quarter was that I was not finding any routine for my reading.  I was also busy with other things so if I were not doing it at the same time, I would usually end up not doing it.  Now that I have established my routine I will be able to have a schedule that I can follow.  The reading I did this weekend was something that I was really glad I did because it really made my weekend more enjoyable.  On Saturday night I decided to read before I went to bed.  Normally I watch Netflix before I go to bed, which is something completely unproductive, but I really felt like I accomplished something when I finished my reading.  On Sunday I used my reading time as a way to mentally take a break.  I was studying for a physics test all day Sunday and by the middle of the afternoon I was feeling really worn out and I did not want to keep studying.  I took a break and left my study area and went outside to read my book.  That time I took to read really helped me focus and take a break from straining my brain with physics.  I am excited to continue to go further with my pilgrimage and see what other impacts such a small task will have on my life.

Reflection 2: Over thanksgiving break

My Pilgrimage project has been going well.  The class period we were given on Friday really helped me launch myself into my reading.  Having that time to myself to read is was really calming and I really became engrossed in the book.  The time just flew by and by the end of class I wished there was more class time for me to read.  Over the weekend I faced my first setback when I did not read at all.  After the football loss on Friday I was really disappointed and that feeling carried through the weekend so I had no motivation to read.  This was unfortunate because looking back on the weekend I think that reading would have been good for me.  I think I would have taken my mind off our loss and helped me move on.  I think I have recovered from my stumble and have responded with more vigor than ever.  I had a plane flight on Monday night and I spent the entire flight reading my book instead of watching movies.  I also plan on reading every day during the thanksgiving break.  I have not yet finalized my ideas for how I am going to make a project out of my reading so I will continue to brainstorm about my final project.

Reflection 3: End of winter break

It has been a while since I last reflected on my pilgrimage project.  My ideas on what my final presentation will include are starting to take shape.  Additionally, my reading has been going very well.  In the time between Thanksgiving and Winter break I was keeping to a very strict routine.  I was reading at the same times and I had just worked my time to read into my daily schedule.  After my winter break started, my reading became less frequent.  My progress did not slow because I did not enjoy my time; I just had a hard time finding opportunities to read.  My time I set aside to read has become some of my most cherished time during my week.  I always have a lot of family in town over winter break and spending time with them, coupled with preparing for Christmas and New Years really made it hard for me to read.  Things have started to calm down over the last couple of days, so I have been able to pick up my book again.  I have not been perfect in my journey, I have had a couple of missteps, but I want to continue progressing towards my goal.  One thing that I am a little frustrated with is the lack of progress that I am experiencing on my book.  Game of Thrones is a really long and dense book so I am not getting through it as fast as I expected to.  At the beginning of my project, I thought I would be able to read multiple books this semester, but at this point that looks pretty unlikely.

Final Reflection: Day before the Final

My pilgrimage project comes to an end tomorrow, but that is just the first step in my pilgrimage.  I was thinking about my project and I realized that the end of the semester does not mean I have to stop my journey.  At the beginning of this journey I had an idea to read more books.  I never would have challenged myself to do this if I had not taken this class.  The pilgrimage project was a catalyst for my journey; it was a launching off point.  I used the structure of the project to get me going and to keep me on track for the first couple of weeks.  Now that the class is over, I will have to abandon that structure and continue my journey on my own.  I am excited to try and continue my progress without a goal to keep me on track.  When the metaphorical training wheels come off I will be able to see how committed I am to continuing my pilgrimage.  I believe that this class has equipped me with the tools to successfully carry on.  Just since my last reflection I have changed my opinion on a specific topic.  I am no longer upset or frustrated at my reading pace.  I realized that being upset about only reading one book completely undermines the idea of a pilgrimage.  I was viewing the end of the semester as a stopping point, so my logic was that by the finish line I wanted to read a certain number of books.  This line of thinking only focused on the goal, not the journey.  I should have been viewing the end of the semester as a benchmark and been fine with however many books or pages I had read.  It does not matter how many books I read, all that really matters is that I have rediscovered my passion for reading.  I made this realization while thinking about the labyrinth.  The more our class talked about making the labyrinth, the more I thought about how it related to my project.  I have just reached the first turn in my journey and I am excited to continue my pilgrimage journey outside the confines of a classroom.