Explain how you see discourse (specifically, talk, words, language) as having an influence or impact on one's culture and/or identity.

Discourse, which has to do with talk, words, language, etc have a very huge impact on a person's culture and identity.

First of all, what is culture?  Culture can be described as the way of life of a group of people

Identity is the totality of a person's being or it can also be defined as the qualities or beliefs that make a group.

Therefore, the way a person talks and the language he uses (discourse) influences his identity and culture because it is a major tool for communication and it is a unifying factor.

what does the author mean by "many journeys" in this excerpt?

government intervention

multiple truths

individual stories

historical monuments

he agrees with the monk's positions.