Week 15 Journal
11.18
He goes back to the bakery to ask the baker questions on the religion and is led to the mosque where he participates in the bowing and prayers with the other Muslims
11.19
Pi relays that the baker is also named Satish Kumar, the same as his biology teacher and is a Sufi or Muslim mystic. He begins to see Kumar’s home as a holy place and after praying with him for a while feels the profundity of those prayers and relays that he currently practices all three religions every day. He even describes an instance in which he witnessed the Virgin Mary in Canada
11.20
Pi thinks on how an atheist might experience death, upon that final revelation. He once again brings up his unhappiness with agnosticism and how an agnostic in death might cling to “dry, yeastless factuality” and miss the “better story” as mentioned by the author in Chapter 21. He does not appreciate their lack of imagination and faith
11.21
A couple of years have passed since Pi’s last relation of events in his life and he’s been practicing his religions in triplicate for a couple of years, now 16. While at the beach, all three of the religious leaders Pi studies with appear and meet his family. He knows his choice of religious multiplicity will not be accepted and when the priest says Pi is a good Christian, the others react confusedly. They argue for a bit, declaring Pi as their own until they agree that it is okay for him to be so religious and a seeker of God. However, they end up deciding that he cannot be of all three religions and must choose one. His reply, “I just want to love God” quiets them all and they walk away. The family walks on with some ice cream and the matter is left alone
11.22
Ravi goes on to tease Pi about the encounter and his multiplicity. He jokes about religious holidays and how Pi more or less gets every day as a holiday by recognizing three religions