This a simple line, straight, solid, and true. As much as I would like to say that my time, so far, at Baruch is nothing but extraordinary it is instead something that has yet to really change anything for me. Over these past three monthes I’ve yet again began the arduous process of completeing school. To me, the time seemed both long and short. Days flew past and due to their swift going I cannot say I have anything that truly resonated with me. I am not saying that these three monthes were regrettable. I have met new people, and made some new friends, but on a true personal level Baruch has yet to reveal anything to me. I would say it is still too early for me to dictate my impressions and ‘experiences’ and so I chose a line as the best depiction of my experience. Yes, the line at its basic form is just a boring drawing that continues on and on, but to me this line is yet to finish its course. At the will of the drawer the line can become erratic, exciting, terrifying and beautiful. That is how I would like to describe my Baruch experience. Boring at first, but still too early to truly set my opinion in stone.

Life as it is can be considered short. However, time is really just relative to any one person, and as a result our lives can be seen to be short or long but what really matters are the moments that are spent in every waking moment. During, the workshop the group was introduced to Buddhist religion, and its everlasting cycle of birth and rebirth. Each birth could either bring one closer to Nirvana or push one even further away from obtaining everlasting peace from the suffering that accompanies life. The workshop has taught me that Buddhism is filled with culture and that the religion really is a reflection of how humans should treat one another. As explained by our guide, Namit, Buddha saw the suffering that all of us go through and decided to put matters into his own hands. Thus, Buddha began to meditate and from his meditations he achieved enlightment. From then on Buddha realized that for one to leave these suffereings one must leave all wordly possessions behind and only then could Nirvana be achieved. But, accompanying these teacings Buddha has given more insight to how humans can come closer to Nirvana through mere action. By continuously helping the poor or the misfortunate one can come that much closer to true peace.  This workshop resonated with me in a such way that helping others could in fact bring some kind of peace to the one performing the deed. Although this workshop did not inspire me, it did “enlighten” me to some aspects of our own culture.