Self-discovery

Last updated

A "journey of self-discovery" refers to a travel, pilgrimage, [1] or series of events whereby a person attempts to determine how they feel, personally, about spiritual issues [2] or priorities, [3] [4] rather than following the opinions of family, friends, neighborhood [5] or peer pressure. The topic of self-discovery has been associated with Zen. [6]

Contents

A related term is "finding oneself". There are different stages of finding oneself. Cultures from around the world have developed an array of modalities in the journey to discover oneself. In modern times practitioners and scientists have come together to create a map that brings clarity to the process of self-discovery. This is referred to as the levels of consciousness.

A journey of self-discovery is a popular theme in literature. It is sometimes used to drive the plot of a novel, play or film. [3] [7]

Fiction

A journey of self-discovery is a popular theme in fiction. [3] [7] Some films use similar phrases, such as in the film Petals: Journey Into Self Discovery (2008). [8] [ better source needed ] The drama films Eat Pray Love (2010) and Life of Pi (2012) are also associated with the idea of a journey of self-discovery. [9] [10]

Literature

Film

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hermann Hesse</span> German writer (1877–1962)

Hermann Karl Hesse was a German-Swiss poet, novelist, and painter. His best-known works include Demian, Steppenwolf, Siddhartha, and The Glass Bead Game, each of which explores an individual's search for authenticity, self-knowledge and spirituality. In 1946, he received the Nobel Prize in Literature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert M. Pirsig</span> American writer and philosopher (1928–2017)

Robert Maynard Pirsig was an American writer and philosopher. He was the author of the philosophical novels Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values (1974) and Lila: An Inquiry into Morals (1991), and he co-authored On Quality: An Inquiry Into Excellence: Selected and Unpublished Writings (2022) along with his wife and editor, Wendy Pirsig.

<i>Siddhartha</i> (novel) 1922 novel by Hermann Hesse

Siddhartha: An Indian novel is a 1922 novel by Hermann Hesse that deals with the spiritual journey of self-discovery of a man named Siddhartha during the time of the Gautama Buddha. The book, Hesse's ninth novel, was written in German, in a simple, lyrical style. It was published in the United States in 1951 and became influential during the 1960s. Hesse dedicated the first part of it to the French writer Romain Rolland and the second part to Wilhelm Gundert, his cousin.

In the psychology of self, one's self-concept is a collection of beliefs about oneself. Generally, self-concept embodies the answer to the question "Who am I?".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Will Estes</span> American actor (born 1978)

William Estes is an American actor known for his role on CBS police drama Blue Bloods as Jameson "Jamie" Reagan, a New York City Police Department officer and the youngest son of the police commissioner, played by Tom Selleck. Prior to that role, he starred as J.J. Pryor, on the NBC drama American Dreams.

<i>Peter Camenzind</i> 1904 novel by Hermann Hesse

Peter Camenzind, published in 1904, was the first novel by Hermann Hesse. It contains a number of themes that were to preoccupy the author in many of his later works, most notably the individual's search for a unique spiritual and physical identity amidst the backdrops of nature and modern civilization, and the role of art in the formation of personal identity.

<i>Their Eyes Were Watching God</i> (film) 2005 American TV series or program

Their Eyes Were Watching God is a 2005 American television drama film based upon Zora Neale Hurston's 1937 novel of the same name. The film was directed by Darnell Martin, written by Suzan-Lori Parks, Misan Sagay, and Bobby Smith Jr., and produced by Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Productions. It stars Halle Berry, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, and Michael Ealy, and aired on ABC on March 6, 2005.

A spiritual practice or spiritual discipline is the regular or full-time performance of actions and activities undertaken for the purpose of inducing spiritual experiences and cultivating spiritual development. A common metaphor used in the spiritual traditions of the world's great religions is that of walking a path. Therefore, a spiritual practice moves a person along a path towards a goal. The goal is variously referred to as salvation, liberation or union. A person who walks such a path is sometimes referred to as a wayfarer or a pilgrim.

<i>Pray TV</i> (1980 film) 1981 comedy film directed by Rick Friedberg

Pray TV is a 1981 American comedy film spoofing televangelism, directed and co-written by Rick Friedberg.

<i>Siddhartha</i> (1972 film) 1972 film based on the novel of the same name by Hermann Hesse

Siddhartha is a 1972 Indo-American drama mystery film based on the 1922 novel of the same name by Hermann Hesse, directed by Conrad Rooks. It was shot on location in Northern India, and features work by noted cinematographer Sven Nykvist. The locations used for the film were the holy city of Rishikesh and the private estates and palaces of the Maharajah of Bharatpur.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bodhi Day</span> Buddhist holiday

Bodhi Day is the Buddhist holiday that commemorates the day that Gautama Buddha (Shakyamuni) is said to have attained enlightenment, also known as bodhi in Sanskrit and Pali. According to tradition, Siddhartha had recently forsaken years of extreme ascetic practices and resolved to sit under a peepal tree, also known as a Bodhi tree, and simply meditate until he found the root of suffering, and how to liberate oneself from it.

<i>Demonic Toys</i> 1992 American film

Demonic Toys is a 1992 American direct-to-video horror comedy film produced by Charles Band's Full Moon Entertainment and directed by Peter Manoogian. The film centers on a police officer who is terrorized by the title characters after a botched arrest. Like many other Full Moon releases, Demonic Toys never had a theatrical release and went straight-to-video in 1992. In the United States, the film was given an "R" rating for violence, language, and brief nudity. The franchise was created by Charles Band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Religious tourism</span> Travel to religious sites, whether spiritual or sightseeing

Religious tourism, spiritual tourism, sacred tourism, or faith tourism, is a type of tourism with two main subtypes: pilgrimage, meaning travel for religious or spiritual purposes, and the viewing of religious monuments and artefacts, a branch of sightseeing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">She's a River</span> 1995 single by Simple Minds

"She's a River" is the first single released from Scottish rock band Simple Minds' 11th studio album, Good News from the Next World. Written by band members Charlie Burchill and Jim Kerr, the song was inspired by Herman Hesse's novel Siddhartha, a book about self-discovery. Released on 11 January 1995, "She's a River" reached number three in Canada and Italy, number seven in the Flanders region of Belgium, and number nine on the UK Singles Chart. In the United States, it peaked at number six on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart.

Devotion, a central practice in Buddhism, refers to commitment to religious observances or to an object or person, and may be translated with Sanskrit or Pāli terms like saddhā, gārava or pūjā. Central to Buddhist devotion is the practice of Buddhānussati, the recollection of the inspiring qualities of the Buddha. Although buddhānussati was an important aspect of practice since Buddhism's early period, its importance was amplified with the arising of Mahāyāna Buddhism. Specifically, with Pure Land Buddhism, many forms of devotion were developed to recollect and connect with the celestial Buddhas, especially Amitābha.

<i>Life of Pi</i> (film) 2012 film by Ang Lee

Life of Pi is a 2012 adventure-drama film directed and produced by Ang Lee and written by David Magee. Based on Yann Martel's 2001 novel of the same name, it stars Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Tabu, Rafe Spall, Gérard Depardieu and Adil Hussain in lead roles. The storyline revolves around two survivors of a shipwreck who are on a lifeboat stranded in the Pacific Ocean for 227 days. One is a sixteen-year-old Indian boy named Pi Patel and the other is a ferocious Bengal tiger named Richard Parker.

Conrad Rooks was an American writer, director and producer most well known for his 1972 filmed adaptation of Hermann Hesse's novel Siddhartha.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gagan Malik</span> Indian actor

Gagan Malik is an Indian actor and Buddhist activist. He won the Best Actor Award in the World Buddhist Film Festival organised by the United Nations for his role as The Buddha in Sri Siddhartha Gauthama. Malik is known for his leading role as lord Rama in Ramayan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Renunciation</span> Event in the life of Gautama Buddha

The Great Renunciation or Great Departure is the traditional term for the departure of Gautama Buddha from his palace at Kapilavastu to live a life as an ascetic. It is called the Great Renunciation because it is regarded as a great sacrifice. Most accounts of this event can be found in post-canonical Buddhist texts from several Buddhist traditions, which are the most complete. These are, however, of a more mythological nature than the early texts. They exist in Pāli, Sanskrit and Chinese language.

References

  1. "Pilgrimage takes anthropologist on journey of self-discovery", Princeton.edu, February 7, 2006
  2. "Yeshiva University News - A Journey of Self-Discovery", Yeshiva University, February 12, 2010
  3. 1 2 3 "Film-inspired holidays: The Journey of self-discovery",The Guardian, 9 October 2010
  4. "http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/Journey-of-self-discovery/articleshow/7451701.cms Journey of self-discovery]", Times of India, 18 April 2011, webpage: TOI-18.
  5. "'Elegy' journey of self-discovery", Chicago Tribune , 5 February 2002
  6. "Surfer and Zen Master Discusses Journey of Self Discovery", KPBS.org, August 11, 2009
  7. 1 2 "The Pride" a 50-year journey of self-discovery" The Denver Post , May 12, 2011
  8. "Petals: Journey Into Self Discovery (2008) - IMDb", IMDb.com, 2008, webpage: IMDb-1850.
  9. Tomar, Sahil (27 July 2023). "Top 10 Inspiring Films to Rediscover Yourself and Find Clarity". Medium. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  10. Wagner, Rachel (August 2016). "Screening Belief: The Life of Pi, Computer Generated Imagery, and Religious Imagination". Religions. 7 (8): 96. doi:10.3390/rel7080096.
  11. 1 2 McNenny, Gerri; Fitzgerald, Sallyanne H. (June 2001). Mainstreaming Basic Writers: Politics and Pedagogies of Access. Routledge. ISBN   9781135658656 . Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  12. Lamb, James M. (November 2013). BLACK. Author House. ISBN   9781491823774 . Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  13. Learning, Gale, Cengage (12 July 2016). A Study Guide for Hermann Hesse's "Siddhartha". Gale Cengage Learning. ISBN   9781410357915 . Retrieved 15 January 2017.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  14. "Billy Corgan is going to perform an eight-hour concert about Siddhartha". The A.V. Club . 18 February 2014. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  15. Hughes, Jon. "Hermann Hesse was one of the most iconoclastic of European authors". The Conversation. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  16. "Lessons from Literature: Siddhartha". The Georgetown Voice. 13 October 2016. Retrieved 15 January 2017.