A Paper
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the RequirementsTo Obtain the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree
English Language Education Study Program Department of Language and Arts Education Faculty of Teacher Training and Education Sanata Dharma University Yogyakarta 2008
ABSTRACT
Angkasa, Nugroho T. (2008). The Study of Anand Krishna’s Effort in Dealing withthe Crucial Moment in His Life as Seen in His Soul Quest — Journey from Death toImmortality. Yogyakarta: English Language Education Study Program, Faculty ofTeachers Training and Education, Sanata Dharma University.
The subject of this paper is Anand Krishna, the main character of Soul Ouest - Journey from Death to Immortality. I am interested in analyzing this novel because it talked about the crucial moment of one’s life and how he or he dealt with that ultimate moment in his or her life.In order to do so, there are two questions to answer, namely, how Anand is portrayed and what kind of effort he has conducted in facing Leukemia.
I apply theory of Characterization, Psychotherapy, Psychoanalysis and Post colonialism, especially, Katresnanism. The novel is the primary source of the study. The secondary sources are taken from some references such as papers, textbooks and websites.
The findings of the study are as follows: First, as a Director and Shareholder of a Garment Factory in Jakarta Anand had almost everything. However, he still felt empty inside. Furthermore, in 1991, at 35, he was afraid and dying of cancer, the medical diagnosis showed Leukemia in critical stage. Then, Anand kept on running away from the fact; he was confused not knowing what he was looking for. It may be said that the effort he has conducted is actually the compensation of his lack of confidence. However, after a meeting with a Lama in Leh Himalaya India, he realized that birth and death were two sides of one single coin. This total acceptance brought realness and recovery from within.
Finally, this paper recommends the future researchers to examine the fighting spirit of Anand. This study also proposes to make use of the work as one of the materials in Reading class especially that of Intensive Reading.
I. INTRODUCTION
Spirituality is essentially a journey within. In Anand Krishna’s opinion it needs no preparations, no luggage to carry - nothing absolutely. What we need is just: LOVE And this Love, can only come as an after effect of self-actualization achieved through the practice of meditative way of life.
Anand Krishna was a young man whom eager to gain wealth, possession and prestige. As a success businessman - Director and Shareholder of a Garment Factory in Jakarta - Anand had almost everything. However, he still felt empty inside. Then, he suffered from Leukemia in critical stage and faced a certain death.
Soul Ouest - Journey from Death to Immortality is Anand’ s first autobiographical novel. I choose this novel as the primary data of my paper because I am very interested in talking about the crucial moment of one’s life, in this case, Anand Krishna’s life.
The aim of this study is to see one’s efforts in dealing with his or her ultimate moment in his or her life as seen in Anand Krishna, the main character of Soul Ouest - Journey from Death to Immortality.
In order to do so, there are two questions to answer, namely, how Anand is portrayed and what kind of effort he has conducted in facing Leukemia.
The theories used in this study are Characterization, Psychotherapy, Psychoanalysis and Post-colonialism. The former one is to discuss the main character’s psychic actions while the later is to discuss the ideological, philosophical and cultural actions triggering his actions.
Since the main character discussed in this study has the Asian cultural background, it is only natural that the theory applied under Post-Colonialism is one of those dealing with it, namely, Theory of Katresnanism.
In his Empire Writes Back, Bill Ashcroft says that, “... wishing to reconstitute experience through an act of writing which uses the tools of one culture or society and yet seeks to remain faithful to he experience of another ...“ (60-6 1). He also writes, “Postcolonial theories of literature emerge from a view of language grounded in assertion of the importance of practice over the code, the important of the ‘variant’ over the standard” 181).
II. DISCUSSION
This paper discusses two major problems, namely, the portrayal of Anand and what kind of effort he has conducted in facing Leukemia.
2.1. The Portrayal of Anand In theory of Characterization Understanding Unseen: An Introduction to English Poetry and English Novel for Overseas Students, Murphy says that we can get a clear image of one’s character from: 1. His or her personal description, 2. Character as seen by others, 3. Speech, 4. Past life, 5. Conversation of others, 6. Reactions, 7. Direct comment, 8. Thought and 9. Mannerism. By using those angles, Anand’s character can be analyzed in details.
From the personal description we can see that Anand is an Indonesian national of Indian descent who was born in 1956 in Central Java — Surakarta (2). He has a spiritual minded because Anand has studied the universality of Sufi teaching from his first spiritual mentor, Sheikh Baba.
Beauty is my sweetheart. And I can see my sweetheart’s face everywhere. It is in the sky above and on the earth below. In the east and west and south and the north. Beauty is everywhere…(38)
Anand also a scholar, he finished his early education in Lucknow, North India. Thanhad Master’s degree from a reputed university (232). At age 35 he was a success .businessman - Director and Shareholder of a Garment Factory in Jakarta (149). He was living a simple, and yet very dynamic life. There was a balance between mundane and spiritual activities (103).
From character as seen by others we can see that Anand is acclaimed as Phenomenon” by both, his critics and sympathizers. His critics wonder, “What makes him popular? There is nothing extraordinary about him.” His sympathizers appreciate his passion for promoting peace among different sections of society and exclaim: “He comes from The Source of All Wisdom” (231).
From his speech we can see that Anand trusted Love. He did have faith and relieved in it (185).
Love will color your journey with confidence. With Love, you are more comfortable. Now you can enjoy, celebrate, dance, sing and laugh your way through life! (1)
Anand was also a humble person. He admitted that he did not know the true meaning of love.
I tried to define the word ‘Love’ and I failed to do so. Love was a mystery to me. The more I tried to understand it the more mysterious it became. And then I realized it was as mysterious as God was, for I could neither define God. (95)
From his past life we can see that he has already familiar with Sufi poetry and teachings of Shah Abdul Latief of Sindh, through his beloved father, Tolaram (3).
I remembered my childhood. I remembered my father singing the Sufi Kallams, devotional songs of Sindhi Mystic Shah Abdul Latief. The Great Soul whom he admired saw no difference between one path and another path, for all paths lead to One and same Goal, one and the same Reality. (16)
In his early childhood, Anand learned to love his indigenous Indonesian friends and those of Indian, Chinese and Arab. He appreciated them all. In 1985 Anand lost his mother, and he could feel part of him dying with her (103).
From his conversation with others we can see that Anand was lack of confident. In contrary, his wife had in abundance. There was an interesting dialogue between he and Rani. He told her that it was a flight of no return. However, Rani said, “No you will be alright. I have full faith in God” (151).
I wonder what faith in God had to do with death. Didn’t I have faith? There are so many people dying every day, don’t they have faith? But I realized that was not the time for discussion. Philosophy would make no sense to her. So I left her with what she termed as her “full faith”. (151)
From his reactions we can see that Anand was an ordinary man that afraid of death.
…it was not an ordinary thunderstorm that finally woke me up... I still remember the afternoon his doctor told me that I was dying of cancer. Actually, he did not mention the word “dying”. He simply said that his diagnosis indicated Acute Leukemia — positive. My mind concluded that I was dying of blood cancer. (1)
From his direct comment we can see that he did not have fighting spirit, he did not try to cure himself. He was easily given up.
However, my immediate reaction to what he said was; “How much time do I have?” And that was spontaneous. In an instant, the mind made its own conclusion and came with such reaction. (1)
From his thought we can see that he is a humanist. Anand learned to love his indigenous Indonesian friends and those of Indian, Chinese and Arab origin without any discrimination (27).
Anand also attached to his business. When Anand’s banker who had supported him in garment investment suggested him to sell his factory. Anand agreed it because he to pay the medical bills. Selling his factory was like selling his dream.
Istill remember the day I had to sign documents handing over “my” new factory. The “ceremony” was held in the conference room of the bank. I had a mask covering half of my face, for my immune system was no longer working. Someone coughing in the room could damage it further, perhaps irreparably. (149)
From his mannerism we can see that Anand felt so desperate in dealing with Leukemia. He looked at the sky above and raised both his hands and cried for help. “But skies were silent. And so was my Angel (150).
Anand said:
I had taken money from another bank against the house I lived in. That money was also invested in the factory, and now gone. I did not have cash in hand to clear the mortgage. I got worried, really worried. (150)
2.2. Anand’s Effort in Dealing with the Crucial Moment in His Life
In The Psychotherapy of the Deepest Self, Paul Vereshack M.D says, “...all knowledge above the abyss is the knowledge of avoidance (1).
The brain hates pain. The only thing it hates more than pain knows exactly where the pain is coming from. The brain hates connecting with the details of why and how we were originally hurt. It will do anything to keep from the direct experience of this knowledge. The brain blocks knowledge to preserve itself from being overwhelmed. It is not capable of remembering and reliving, all at once, the hundreds of thousands of large and small assaults that it has sustained and defended itself against through its lifetime. The ever-watchful unconscious will only let you in when it finally perceives that you have taken up the sword of inwardness and that you will not be turned aside. Then, and only then, will it begin to yield its ground to you. It tests you with serious discomfort. If, in spite of this, you remain implacably oriented toward it, it will fill your mind with its awesome and bittersweet treasures. (Chapter 19)
Furthermore, in modem psychology there are two kinds of one’s attitude in dealing with his or he crucial moment in his or her life, namely, “fight” or “flight”.
The expressing and healing of psychological pain depend upon the following truths of brain function:
1. The brain hates pain.
2. The brain hates knowing precisely how its pain arose in the first place. 3. When faced with either pain itself or knowledge of how that pain was created, the brain will try to bury it completely by pushing both the pain and the knowledge connected to it down and away from conscious awareness. Feeling discomforted and not wanting to know directly why, the brain struggles to solve the problem in a disguised and unfruitful way in later life. It will reorder the past and the present, changing the meaning of anything inside or outside itself in order to keep itself safe, and to attempt to solve its problems. It has been pointed out to me by Dr. Aletha Solter that when babies and young children are permitted to feel their feelings, they do not avoid pain. Please see both her book “Tears and Tantrums”, and her website: Aware Parenting Institute (http://www.awareyarenting.com]).
I categorized Anand in the second type of defend mechanism. Why? Because in dealing with Leukemia, he was confused and running here and there, not knowing what he was looking for. He avoided facing the reality.
2.2.1. Running Away to His Master
On September 1991, Anand had been in Sai Baba’s ashram at Prashanti Nilayam India for almost one full month. However, his beloved living Master never came close to him. Not even once did he look at him. He was still sitting in the grounds outside his Master’s quarters (87). In Anand’ s heart he could feel that actually the Master was avoiding him (153).
In the past he used to lecture on the flimsy nature of the human body and the immortality of All-Abiding Spirit. However, all his knowledge is meaningless when he stood in front of the death door. He asked to himself if such was not the case with everyone. And it was certainly not the first time that he would experience death. Anand was really afraid — afraid of death (153).
He also directly admitted it:
….when death stares at you, your body may or may not be in pain, but your mind surely trembles. The poor thing is afraid of losing its means of expression, the physical body with its sense organs, And the more “stuff’ of memories, obsessions and desires it has, the more afraid it gets. I could see myself apart from my mind. My body was in great pain, my mind was afraid, but I was neither of them. First I felt their pain and fear, later I could watch them. (154)
2.2.2. Running Away to Yoga Centre and Shuka Nadi
Anand decided to leave the threshold of his beloved living Master. First, he went to the city of Bangalore visiting Yoga Centre on the outskirt where he spent four weeks here. He got some friends to have blood transfusion.
His doctor in Indonesia had warned him that any virus or deficiency in the blood of the donor could be fatal for him. In India the risk was much higher, for many hospitals still used bottles to store in. Disposable bags were very expensive. Those bottles were used and re-used until they broke. Only God knows how they cleaned those bottles and ensured their sterility.
The people at Yoga Centre were very helpful and sweet. Anand’s heart was touched, but his body would not respond. “He spent most of the time in bed” (154).
A friend arranged a meeting with a certain Shastri (dukun), an authority on Shuka Nadi. It meant the gospel of life according to Shuka.
Shukadeva is believed to have lived 300’years before this present era. He had a father named Veda Vyasa, was well-known author of the great epic Mahabharata and editor of the Vedas.
After working with Anand’s date and time birth, he came up with the code number of his book of life according to Shuka. “Today, as you hear this line being read for you, your body is in great pain. You suffer disease connected with planet Rohini...” (157)
The Shuka Nadi said that nobody could cure him from the disease. Yet it is curable. Anand can cure himself and he should not hope from external help. The help must come from within.
It is mentioned in the novel,”…if you must seek medical assistance, seek it from the doctor who treated you last. But even the doctor cannot heal you. Heal yourself— you can!” (157).
The messages that he has to turn into within him are also repeatedly mentioned in the novel, such as:
Go back... Do your work and do not expect understanding or help from people around you. Do not expect encouragement or assistance even from your own family members. They are evolving at their natural speed. Do not blame them. Do not be angry with them. Your spiritual growth is faster than theirs; it is not their mistake. Do not expect people to change for you. Do not expect any transformation from them, in them. You, who are changed and transformed already, must have compassion towards them. They do not have to understand you. You have to understand them. They are not changed yet; they have not been transformed yet. You have changed. You are transformed. (158-159)
The book is ended up with the blessings of Sage Shuka:
Go in peace. Fulfill your duties lovingly. Accomplish the Divine Task, which you are entrusted with and which is the very cause of this Last Sojourn of yours. Live consciously and nothing can ever distract you from the path. Shadow will not affect you. (159)
The impact of this meeting was really amazing. Anand was in blissful state for days after that. The body was deteriorating but his awareness was not affected at all. Shuka Nadi helped him regain his faith to himself.
2.2.3. Running Away to Buddhist Monastery
One day Anand visited a Buddhist Monastery to attend the Sunday evening services. The monk began to lead the visitors into meditation. In an instance, Anand forgot Sage Shake and his Nadi.
Thought of death came back to him again. His rendezvous with high state of consciousness, bliss, etc was over. His vision was one again blurred and life looked gloomy.
Anand began to ask himself, “Was I still afraid of death? Was there anything unknown about death that made me afraid of it?” (161). Questions like these would appear and disappear without any satisfactory answers.
Fortunately the monk began to lead them into meditation: “Watch your thoughts Do not react, do not judge ... Just watch them as they appear and disappear ... “(161).
Suddenly one thought was replaced by another. Anand was not reacting. He was not to judge. He was in fact not to make anything of those thoughts. They were just thoughts.
The monk kept reminding him:
…do not judge your thought... do not choose between what you consider good and what consider bad... thoughts are just thoughts, the have no substance.. .neither good nor bad..., just watch them. (162)
Anand tried to be non judgmental. He tried not to choose. He fried to watch. Then he realized that “being non judgmental” was also a thought. “Not choosing” was also a choice. And by thinking of thoughts as having no substance, neither good nor bad, was in fact affirming their substances. Thoughts were just thought, all right- but they did have substance. Such denial, though, made no difference to thought was just another thought.
…Death, Unfulfilled Life, Death, Unfulfilled Life, Death, Unfulfilled Life, Death, Unfulfilled Life, Death, Unfulfilled Life, Death, Unfulfilled Life, Death Unfulfilled life... Death, Unfulfilled Life... Those two were different yet the same thought. (162)
The monk came toward him and said, “Relax now…And very slowly open your eyes...” (162).
Anand opened his eyes and found the monk looking straight at him. Their eyesmet and the monk nodded his head in what he felt was “silent recognition”. Anand recognized him too. A friend, a co-traveler from another period of time-then, too, he had been a monk.
Chai, traditional Indian tea with milk and cardamon was served after meditation. The monk came towards him. Anand told the monk that he came from Indonesia and also about his sickness. The monk listened to it attentively. Anand found tenderness and compassion in abundance from this monk.
2.2.4. Accepting Death
In theory of Psychoanalysis, there are terms used by Freud: id, ego, and superego. Rohrberger and Woods in their Reading and Writing about Literature say that, the modem psychological movement received its greatest impetus from Freud” (13- 14).
According to them, Freud explores that, “...the unconscious area of human mind is the area of man’s rich imagination, his capacity for creation, the complexity of his thought and behavior” (13).
In the case of Theories of Personality, they quoted Hall and Lindzey as saying, a person’s personality is made up three major systems, the Id, the, and the super ego” (22-26).
The Id is the original system of personality. It is the matrix that differentiates the ego and the superego. The Id consists of everything psychological that is present of birth. Id also experiences the increases of energy or uncomfortable states of tension; it will discharge the tension immediately and return the organism’s low energy level. The Id is considered as the unconscious part of person’s personality.
In the case of Anand, he seems to be unconsciously scared of his death. On page 153, for example, he writes, “The walk to death has always been a solitary one.” The word “solitary” suggests the situation that he does not want to experience.
Earlier he decided to go to India (Prashanti Nilayam) to meet Sri Sathya Sai Baba to consult his health (153). This also shows that he was worried about his health (death).
Rohrberger and Woods in their Reading and Writing about Literature also say that the ego is formed as the result of the organism needs for appropriate transactions with the objective world of reality and known as the conscious part of a person’s personality.
It distinguishes between things in the mind and things in the external world. The ego itself the organized portion of the Id and it exist to forward the aims of the Id. As for Watson and Lingren, the s aim is the gratification of its impulses with no sense of morality, logic or unity of purpose.
The major function of the Id is to provide free uninhibited discharge of energy. The ego never becomes completely independent of the Id (46).
As for the ego, we can see how he pretends to be a brave and high spirited man by deciding to travel to a far away place such as India. This gives the impression that he is not afraid of death:
And once again I turned to Sri Sathya Sai Baba ... I sold my car, settled some of my pending bills and with a few hundred dollars left, I took the first available flight to India. (150)
The superego is the moral part of personality, which represents the ideal that strives for perfection rather than the real. It is interpreted to he child by his parents that are enforced by means of the system of rewards and punishment which final purpose is to meet the ideals of society.
The three main functions of the superego are to inhibit the impulses of the Id, to persuade moralistic goals for realistic ones and to strive for perfection. The personality normally functions as a whole rather than as three separate segments. The readers may consider the Id as the biological component of personality, the ego as the psychological component and the superego as the social component as below.
You have a task to accomplish, a mission to fulfill, a long cherish dream to realize…Many centers dedicated to the study, promotion and propagation of ancient sciences will develop around you...And you will serve that reason, that cause, successfully. You shall succeed. (157-158)
Vereshack also said in The Psychotherapy of the Deepest Self that near-death experience could shatter people arrogance and endow them with deep wisdom. This clenched attitude closes, rather than opens, the doors of the mind; only a very few things can change it. Some of them are:
First, when we are absolutely successful in a life-pursuit which comes naturally to us, and then discover emptiness instead of fulfillment, this can cause us to embark upon a new level of search.
Second, when we face absolute failure in our lives and find every single thing crashing down around us, we may finally admit that we have never really been in control of anything, and thus come to approach our growth work with the appropriate set of keys.
Third, a near-death experience can shatter our arrogance and endow us with deep wisdom.
Fourth,in their lifetime some people will have the good fortune to receive from nature a gradual awakening to wisdom without having to do a great deal of specific growth work.
Fifth, some people will have the good fortune to be granted a major SATORI experience (Sudden Illumination) without any conscious preparation at all.
Sixth,for most of us the long, slow work of growth will be necessary before we can achieve real wisdom. (Chapter 25)
Moreover, based on the Katresnanism theory proposed by Drs. Antonius Herujiyanto, M.A., Ph.D from Sanata Dharma University Yogyakarta Indonesia, facing death the person would be more Sumarah (trusting and surrendering) to the Divine Plan in his or her life.
I found that Anand had experienced this state of awareness when he made arrangement to fly to Leh Himalaya.
He had many beautiful memories from the distant past, memories of days and nights spent there with the Savior. However, he tried to be rational. He had just had a blood transfusion, and his Hb level had gone up to 4.7.
The ride from Leh’s airports to the Himis Monastry left him exhausted. He began to doubt his sanity in taking the trip. Because of early snow that year, the road was very bad.
Finally when Anand got there, he found the Lama waiting at the main entrance: “So finally you are here. Welcome!” (174).
The Lama showed him his room; Anand was exhausted, dizzy, and found it difficult to stand anymore. Later he woke up, just two hour passed. But he felt as if he had been sleeping for a long time. His body felt better.
Anand saw some cookies and traditional Indian Chai, tea, on the table. The Lama was standing right before him and said:
…You have chosen a right place to die. Look at the Himalayans with their eternal snow. And there is the Majestic Sindhu with its graceful flow. This is a beautiful place. Where on earth can you find another place like this? You have done well by coming here. Right place to die...
At that time, Anand heart was already accepting death. “This indeed is a right place to die”. Then, Anand said to himself. “Immortal Himalayas, Eternal Sindhu — the setting was perfect, death, here I am... “(174).
The Lama suggested Anand to accept death because perhaps death is more beautiful than life. People never know — for we have not experienced the death yet in this life - death was not opposed to life anyway: “... just like eating, drinking, walking, sleeping, making love, brushing teeth and washing ourselves. Life did not end with death (175).
The Lama continued (176):
…don’t fly, and don’t run away — face the challenges of life with smile on our lips. We tend to forget that we are one hundred percent responsible for whatever happens to us. We create our problems; so we have to face them... solve them ourselves. In Leh, Anand realized that fear stopped his soul from growing. Actually there is nothing new in what Lama said. Anand had read them in books. And yet they sounded so “fresh”. Then he realized that it was the “man behind the gun” who made the difference.
It is only when words are ‘not used’ but emerge from our heart, from our soul that they made a difference. And those words at that time were coming from the deep recesses of the Lama’s heart, from his very being, his soul. The words came from that point of his being which was always at onement with Existence. It was as Existence spoke to Anand Krishna.
Fear not... .Listen carefully we have a mission for you... .Carry it out, go in peace with our blessings.’ I was puzzled: ‘what mission?’ ‘Spread love, compassion. Enlighten each and every heart with the flame of love. Bring love to each and everyone’s life. You will accomplish this task. You will succeed in it. Have faith, trust, for our will shall prevail over every obstacle that may come in your way.’ ‘But you will be back with us.. .when your work on earth is over. (101)
Death is fictions right here right now. There is such thing as death. “Death loses its meaning for the person who has transcended fear of it” (202). After that meeting, the Soul Quest - Journey from Death to Immortality has ended. It begins with Love and ends with Love.
…Immense indeed is life. Endless is this journey you are undertaking. You need travel luggage, which is strong, durable and does not get worn with time. “Love” is the only brand you can count on. Do not settle for anything of lower quality and value. Do not bargain. Buy it at any price. It is still worth whatever you must pay. Love will color your journey with confidence. With love, you are more comfortable. Now you can enjoy, celebrate, dance, sing and laugh your way through life! (iv)
In Katresnanism Criticism: The Nature and Who Does it, Antonius Herujiyanto says that one’s sickness is also a blessing. We are Binerkahan (being blessed) not only in our healthy life, but also in the purifying process which is commonly called disease.
Anand also experienced this deep insight in Leh Himalaya India when his heart was already accepting death. “This indeed is a right place to die” (174). At that time, there was no conflict with the death. He totally accepted both sides of Life.
This positive thinking gave an opportunity for him to know his true self and began to celebrate life.
In Katresnanism Criticism: The Nature and Who Does it, Antonius Herujiyanto says that in Javanese native wisdom there was an aos, namely, Tuhu (celebrating faithfulness).
Anand was accepting death and able to live life fully in Love. Living to celebrate.. .Unaffected by anything, a realized soul celebrates life in its fullness, in its entirety. Such a soul becomes one with life, with existence, with what you have been calling God. Sometimes Realization was something that you did have to work for. It was there; you just have to realize it. At other time, Realization was the end of the soul’s quest. (108)
II. CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTION
This session deals with the conclusions as well as suggestion of the study. The conclusions deal with the analysis of the previous chapter, whereas the suggestion is intended to the future researchers. The last part is the implementation of teaching learning activities.
3.1 Conclusions
After analyzing the character of Anand Krishna, I have some findings.
As a young businessman he was eager to gain wealth, possession and prestige. However, Leukemia burned out all those obsessions. It made him stressed flail.
Anand actually lacked of confidence and felt very desperate in facing the death. Therefore, he was running away from that fact of life. Furthermore, he has not known what he was looking for yet.
First, Anand flight away to India, to consult his health with his beloved living Master. He stayed in Sai Baba’s ashram at Prashanti Nilayam for one hill month. However, his master kept on avoiding him. After that, he came to a Shuka Nadi dukun. It said that no one can cure him. He himself should overcome this disease. Anand also came to Buddhist Monastry, through meditation practices he could see his sickness from a different point of view. Finally, in Leh he met with a Lama who suggested him to accept death and live hilly in love.
This total acceptance or Sumarah (trusting and surrendering) brought realness and recovery from within. He realized that his sickness was also a blessing or Binerkahan. Then, he began to Tuhu or celebrate life in faithfulness (Love, Peace and Harmony).
3.2 Suggestion
Soul Quest - Journey from Death to Immortality is like a diamond, which has multi facets. It gives us insight to develop the quality of our life.
Reading this novel intensively, we can get some valuable information about human character, interest, feeling, thought, and last but not least, experience!
Besides talking about Anand’s “flight” away effort I have discussed in this study, I recommended for future researchers to examine the “fight” against effort in dealing with his sickness. That will contribute to see the holistic picture of this autobiographical novel.
As the implementation of English learning, I recommended that this novel could be used as the material for English teaching, especially for Intensive Reading.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bill Ashcroft, et. al. The Empire Writes Back. London: Routledge (1991)
Herujiyanto, Antonius. Katresnanism Criticism: The Nature and Who Does it. Indonesia;
Sanata Dharma University (2003)
Krishna, Anand. Soul Ouest — Journey from Death to Immortality. Indonesia: PT.
Gramedia Pustaka Utama (2003)
Murphy, M.J. Understanding Unseen; An Introduction to English Poetry and English
Novel for Overseas Students. London: George Allen and Unwin Ltd (1972)
Rohrgberger, Mary and Samule H. Woods, Jr. Reading and Writing About Literature.
New York: Random House (1971)
Vereshack, Paul. The Psychotherapy of the Deepest Self. Canada (1991)
(http://www.paulvereschack.com, accessed on Jan 15, 2008)
The Biography of Anand Krishna (tp://www.anandkrishna.org accessed on Jan 15, 2008) The Excerpt of Soul Quest (httv://www,aumkar.org accessed on Jan 15, 2008)
Appendix 1
The Excerpt of Soul Ouest- Journey from Death to Immortality
Written by Mona Darwish
The Angelic voice reminded me, “Wake up, wake up to your destiny.., wake up to your conscience, to The Consciousness... “( 13). “Birth and Death are just like waves of the Great Oceanic River of Life - the Sindhu of Existence” (7). “Birth was not my beginning. And therefore death could not end me” (15). “I must rid myself of these thoughts about my past.”
It corrects me:
Not rid, but transcend them. By separating your ‘self from your thoughts. Just watch those changing scenes without getting emotionally involved. Watch them falling again... Just like waves, they once again become part of the river. (38) I heard the Angel whisper, “Creation is nothing special. Man is as much a creator as Brahma is (42). My parents had given me freedom to learn and read about any religion. They in fact encouraged me to study all religions... Families broke down just because of religion, because of their inability to appreciate and accept differences.
My Angel had explained,
…Existence is like a huge radio station, and then you are tuned to your mind. And the mind speaks from its memory. It has its own vocabulary. Its own language, rather languages, and patterns... There were uncountable frequencies, so a person claiming to hear the Voice of God may have been tuned to any of those frequencies... One may even be prompted to kill and get killed in the name of religion. Tuned to another frequency, one may hear the messages of love, peace, harmony and sacrifice. (5253)
It continued,
...God is happening in your life. It is happening in Soul’s journey from death to immortality, from dust consciousness to divine consciousness. God is happening all the time. The journey you undertake makes you aware of the happening. (59)
Then I asked, ‘Is there any place, anything where God is not?
It answered,
…yes and the place is the man’s mind. Mind can accept God. Can reject It. Can place It at a distance. Mind is part of God’s power that keeps you static on ‘one plane of consciousnesses. And that plane can be earthly, can be godly, can be angelic and can be animalistic. Mind is a hindrance to journey. Mind settles you in one place. (59)
Accept death as you have been accepting other things in life. But why am I telling you all this? You are knowledgeable. “Knowledge is far cry from awareness. All my knowledge has not made me a bit aware,” I confessed (169).
….yes you do have. You have Love. And nothing is more worthy than Love. You have experienced Love in all its forms... Share your love. For all that humankind needs is Love... Love supports life. Love is at the base of the entire creation. Without Love there is neither existence, nor Non-Existence. Universes come and go; Love remains. (185)
God is the energy that flows through creation. Both the movable and the immovable bear witness to the Supreme Energy. Indeed loving yourself is to love God. Discovery of love energy within is discovery of God. A master does not even claim to teach anything. He is just sharing what he has, that is ‘mastership’... Masters are amidst us to share all that they have. They are trying to reach out and touch each and every heart. But our hearts are often not ready. We are still vibrating on a very low frequency. Masters are full of compassion; we are not done with our passion.
....you can have access to the minds of the Buddhas, the Awakened Ones, the Jivan Muktas - those who have attained to freedom from psychic and physical laws while still retaining their physical bodies. Easiest of all would be to identify a Living Master who is on the last leg of his or her journey. (190)
Such a master is on his or her way to Immortality, where death is no more- all is life, life and life... Give yourself up to such a master. Love him or her deeply, with all your heart and soul. Think of the master all the while... A Satguru is indeed the Living Manifestation of the Unmanisfestable. Such a Master represents the Great Void- and by attaching yourself to the Void, you become the Void too. Attachment to the Void, in fact, cannot be called attachment. It is love-pure and transcendental Love. “Loving the Void, you become one with the Void. You become the Void” (192).
The Soul Quest is a roadmap to the Soul, teaching us the Art of Dying and Living consciously. The Soul Quest begins with Love and ends with love. If you ask me what is the soul quest?
1. Freedom: from anxieties & worries, from disappointments & fears, attachments & pain, freedom from shame, dogmas & rituals, freedom from the ego.
2. To fall and remain in love: for one has to embrace life with its totality because love is the only truth at the heart of creation. Therefore the ultimate quest is to share this love with humanity. 3. To die in Love. How to achieve it? Simple! Maintain your awareness and remain in Love! (Source: http://www. aumkar.org/)