Reading Diary (Khasi Folktales Unit): Week 13

I chose to read from the Khasi Folktales Unit by Mrs. K. U. Rafy this week. Accessed here.

'The Tiger and the Monkeys' told the story about how the tiger became ultimately scared of the monkeys after a misunderstanding on the tiger's part. I found it quite a funny story since the tiger is made ruler of the animals based on his strength instead of his knowledge and he ends up being quite gullible. After the tiger heard the insect making the beautiful music he wanted to know who it came from and a monkey tricked the tiger and said it was his sister. The monkey clan could either go along with this lie or tell the tiger of this trickery since he clearly believed it and wanted to marry 'her'. The monkeys gained a lot from this debacle I think because in the end, the tiger thought he killed their sister even though it was a fake sculpture made by the monkeys to trick the tiger and had her head fall off easily. The tiger avoids the monkeys and the monkeys like the power this gives them. So it goes to show that sometimes it is better to have more brain than brawn.

'The Legend of the lei Tree' was interesting to me because it included a tree like the story before it (where the tiger rested under and heard the beautiful music made by the insect) and it also included a tiger, which was in the first story as well. So these two stories could easily be blended together I think and make up a cool storytelling post. The tree is thought to have magical powers that make everything around it dead (but this is from its great height and the shade cast rejects light from the undergrowth) and so men are sent to chop it down but every night the tree seems to be un swathed from the chop marks from the day before. The secret is told (from a small bird) that it is from a tiger that comes every night and licks the place where the tree is cut and heals it. After the men know this, the tiger's tongue is cut after licking it the next night and so he doesn't come back. The men then are able to cut the tree down and return sunshine.

'Hunting the Stag Lapalang' is one of my favorite folktales so far. It hits close to home since I am a mother myself and this story is centered on the power of a mother's love/heartache. Quick synopsis: A young deer is so loved by his mother that she shelters him from the world so long that he wants more freedom and so he ventures and is seen by men and after many start to try and hunt him, he is arrowhead down and killed. The mother wonders why her son is taking so long on his voyage to get food and she asks around and learns of his death. Her heartbreak is so powerful and sad it causes the whole city to feel her pain and realize they do not mourn for their own loved ones enough like this so that is why we mourn the loss of our loved ones today with a funeral and ceremonies alike. A mother's love is very great and I could feel her loss through the story, it made me think of the film Bambi in reverse and I realize that movie is sad but it could be sadder like this.

'U Biskurom'. I had read a storytelling post that was related to this story and I am glad I got to read it myself this time. The name is quite odd in my opinion, I'm not sure if the U is included as a first name or his whole first name is U Biskurom. I guess this goes to show the different culture I am used to. Relating to the actual story, it is quite the eye opener for how human nature is and this story tries to explain why we have death and no bringing the dead back to life. The persistent nagging and ill will towards U Biskurom after he would not tell them the secret of life. He was sent there to teach them to use tools and he left because they were much more crazy than the gods thought. The contrast between Gods and Humans is seen in this story I think, at least a glimpse.

Reading Diary (Indian Fairy Tales Unit): Week 12

I chose to read from the Indian Fairy Tales Unit by Joseph Jacobs this week. Accessed here.

The fairy tale 'The Broken Pot' was quite interesting. I thought that the young boy had a great imagination going from a pot of rice to thinking up to kicking his wife and thus kicking the rice bowl. At first, his intentions of saving the rice in the pot made sense in terms of saving and trading up. Much like how adults try to sell commodities for other commodities of more value leading to a goal of gaining something worth a lot more than they start with. The boy lost me when he started thinking of how the rice would ultimately lead to gaining a wife then a child and then one day he would get the child to run to him and the kid would get too close to a horse and then he would kick his wife for allowing this, and this made him mad enough to actually kick the bowl of rice that got him started on this fixation to begin with. So now no rice, no goats, no cows, no bison, no horses, no house with wings, no daughter to marry, no son to be had, no kicking to be done to wife. I thought this was interesting and has a greater meaning that would be cool to bring out in a possible storytelling post this week.

The fairy tale 'The Cruel Crane Outwitted' had a surprising ending with a twist. At first, it is the crane that is the evil-doer and outwits the fish -even though the fish are suspecting at first-. Then he goes back for more, making him greedy after eating all those fish upon taking them to the other pond. Greed gets the best of him I think since the crab ultimately leads to the cranes death. I do not think the crane was too smart when he agreed to have the crab hold onto his neck to get to the pond, maybe he was too entranced with the possibility of eating him and was not thinking clearly. The crab was smart and had a backup plan in case the crane double crossed him but he kills the crane anyways after the crane surrenders so he doesn't have much character. The bystander watching all this go down is titled 'genius' in the tree, maybe because he is set away from this madness?

In the fairy tale 'The Tiger, The Brahman, and the Jackal' the jackal comes to the Brahmans rescue by acting too stupid to understand the situation he was put in and the tiger is stupid enough to get back in the cage. So perhaps it was the Tigers stupidity and the jackals cleverness that helped the Brahman out of being tiger good. I think the stupidest one here though is the Brahman because he went on this journey and CAME BACK to the tiger even though he knew the tiger planned on eating him after he let him out the cage.

-I like how each fairy tale has an animal incorporated into it somehow. Some fairy tales from this unit are centered around talking animals, some only have animals in the background, but it is cool to see how there is a theme of animals that show up regardless such as goats or snakes.

Reading Diary (The Life of Buddha Unit): Week 11

From The Life of Buddha Unit

Maya's Dream:
-do all dreams mean something?
-what a cool way to find out you will have a child, a special one
-king was intuitive to his emotions
-Brahmins description of Buddha is angelic and perfect
-The king began to do what Buddha would as he gave food to hungry etc. (shielding him from bad in the world and leading to his ultimate monk hood)
Birth of Siddhartha:
-Maya was not scared of childbirth, only remembering what would come from it
-Birth in such a beautiful environment
-how easy a birth like that would be! I wish I could smile and pop out this baby...
-songs of merriment, praise to his future
Asita's Prediction:
-Son bore marks of omnipotence?
-All bad things will come to an end basically and Asita is overwhelmed with joy and sorrow as he won't be alive to witness this era of greatness
Siddhartha at the Temple:
-is royalty more important to the king than the greater good?
-Maya's death with Siddhartha being a week old is sad because everything was so perfect at his birth
-Even jewels were outshined by his presence
-Arrival at the temple--> reminded me of Hercules movie
Siddhartha's First Meditation:
-Was he in a trance, not aware of the people passing by and saying things about him?
-the shade did not move, time stood still in his area of meditation
-Stop working in the fields? This is the message he was pondering on??
First Encounter:
-Why would the Gods want to trouble his mind?
-Oh, the old withered man is used as a humbling truth to Siddhartha to make him see the real world
-scared of old age destroys his peace in the presence
Two More Encounters:
-sees sickness, but used to perfection so this troubles him more
-the gods are playing with his mind
-has only half an image of the world
The Fair Maidens:
-are they trying to seduce him?
-but he ignores them because he is fixated on death
-does not see the beauty in life it seems
-Gopa's dream is interpreted by the prince instead of a dream interpreter like Siddhartha's mothers dream was
-scary dream= pleasant response and smile out of prince...
The Great Truths:
-Monk from Gods led prince to true purpose and what he was seeking
-the promises his father must make for him to stay and not leave kingdom: his life won't end in death, won't get sick, won't get old, and won't become misfortunate
-world is a prison
-were they really asleep or dead? (Gopa's companions)
-------------------------
Siddhartha leaves:
-Kanthaka understood the princes need to leave
-Chandaka is conflicted with loyalty to king and universal urge to let prince leave
-the prince is a great orator, persuasive
Siddhartha the hermit:
-Chandra does not want to be the bearer of such bad news, he facilitated this as well
-shedding of his robe is symbolic, finalizing his departure
-he is stubborn and determined to conquer death and sickness
Gopa and Suddhodana grieve:
-Gopa really loved Siddhartha, I wonder how deep his love for her went
-What a bad wake up call
-the king (his father) is also super upset, he shuts down the city even though he knew this day was to come
-the death of the horse is equivalent to the death of Maya for me, he had to take the prince to his destination and come back to face the sad kingdom that is empty from Siddhartha
Arata Kalama:
-Arata's teachings were hermit like but he did not have a purpose or a mission to their suffering
Siddhartha and King Vimbasara:
-I wonder if he was actually begging in the streets
-the king Vimbasara saw the hermits light that shone, and wanted him a part of his kingdom
-like a trophy? Companion? What is his strategy to get him to his kingdom and adorn him with earthly things he obviously had no intentions of delving in?
-so his presence and meeting of this king results in a friendship (peace) between that kingdom and his fathers kingdom
-Rudraka, son of Rama is in this story, has followers but five start to follow Siddhartha
Siddhartha deserted by his first disciples:
-seems dead because of such fasting and malnourishment
-Maya comes to see her son, suggests that no one really 'dies' in a concrete way but Siddhartha thinks of the circle of life as being an awful cycle when he thinks of this later on.... logical?
-his followers are not as patient, do not see the good in his nourishment that he is being given, and leave
The tree of knowledge:
-gets clothes from dead slave, washes with help of a god
-Mara attempts to kill him with rising water... must be close to his awakening as a Buddha and defeat of Mara since he sees him as a threat
-five dreams. Whole body laying on top of earth, reed growing from belly button to sky, worms covering legs, birds flying from all directions toward head and appeared gold as they got closer, covered in filth and ascended mountain but filth did not defile him
-Realized from dreams that he would become a Buddha
-given bowl with food, throws bowl into river from knowledge of other Buddha doing same thing
-Grass obtained and made into a seat under tree, bowed to tree before sat
-bowing is a major sign of respect in this time
Mara's defeat:
-Mara's dream in relation to Buddha's transitioning phase
-his son urges him not to fight this, see the good in Siddhartha's transition
-the army he got looked like a Halloween costume party that was gruesome
-trying to frighten Siddhartha but end up frightening army because nothing is working to change his state of mind or surroundings
Siddhartha becomes the Buddha:
-three phases of enlightenment / realization
-death-birth-existence-ties-desire-sensation-contact-six senses-name/form-perception-impression-ignorance.
-ignorance
-realization, 12 times the earth shook and ends in song

Reading Diary B: Week 9

-          Why stress over power if no plans to do anything with it? At least Pandu’s sons are going on conquests and expanding their knowledge of the land

-          This book has a different tone than the Ramayana, lying is more common with ordinary characters not just demons, moral standards are different

-          The brothers are kind of bad if willing to set up a fire to kill innocent people in order to fake own death, but may have saved their own lives as well

-          Their host family is fighting over who will get to sacrifice their life for the town? Why? Honor?

-          Bhima = courageous

-          Bhima reminds me of Rama and Hercules when he taunts the demon and defeats him

-          The swayamwara of Drupadas’ daughter reminds me of the ball in Cinderella but reversed in gender and not a ball but an exercise of skill to win her hand in marriage

-          Draupadi doesn’t seem to like this act being done for her hand in marriage, I guess she would rather get to choose her suitor herself which is reasonable, and more independent in thinking, less submissive

-          Karna was sweet to not go through with launching the bow after hearing of the princesses discomfort with him

-          She watched with apprehension when watching Karna and watched anxiously when watching Arjuna

-          She has to be shared even though the mother of the brothers had no idea what she was ordering them to share? Why is Arjuna insisting his bride be shared with his brothers? Does he really feel this way or is it because of the past life described to be causing of her getting five husbands?

-          The past lives of your children in these times could be useful to know when you got the child or at least early on in their life so you can know what to expect from their  future

-          Women empowerment shown in Draupadi knowing what she wants and having five husbands

-          “The kauravas are evil incarnate” pg.58

-          Bhishma is wise in advising Dhritarashtra to restore to Yudhistira what is his and stop the fighting, I wonder how much is absorbed by him

-          I think these men in this book are just too scared of what COULD happen due to skills and connections of other men

-          Karna says the wisest course is to destroy Pandavas and their father in law and no other course is open to them?? DISAGREE, listen to Bhishma

-          Ownership taken of people and name sake is important in this book

-          Glad they could divide the land and build a beautiful city ‘indraprastha’

-          Arjuna exiled for 12 years, this is very Rama-esque. He married different women while exiled, sad for him since he was exiled for walking in on his own wife he won first

-          Duryodhana is jealous of the Pandavas, and feels they should have something degrading happen to them and they are worthless….what makes them so worthless?

-          King Dhritarashtra has come to his senses, but is still persuaded by his son against the Pandavas in some way

-          Is this just a battle of who has more splendor? More skill? Is more adored? Gets the most gifts? The pandavas don’t seem to mind nor want to wreck havoc on their cousins

-          Yudhistira should have stuck to his first feelings about going to the crystal palace

-----stopped at page 72

 

Reading Diary A: Week 9

·       The intro does a good job of letting the reader know this epic is originally very very very long and he has simplified the version. Also, the story of the real author is cool since he indicates he is just a translator not the author of the original text

·       Drowning babies = satisfaction for mother?? ….Later realize the mother is justified in her actions according to this world’s terms

·       Devavratha raised in the river without his father for some of his life then handed to him to live with after raised by mother and having to part with his mother is weird

·       The king could accept the first wifes conditions of no questions asked but wont for this wife as her fathers request of their son be successor? Eventually he gets his way due to his river sons actions and praises

·       Firm vow of devavratha to celibacy causes vow to the girls father of her children being successor to his fathers throne

·       Bhishma = Devavratha

·       “issue” term is used as children or child in this book

·       Why would Vichitravirya (son to satyavathi) be married so long to his wives (7 years before dying ill) and not try to bare children if this seems to be very important in this story?

·       When was this son of Satyavathi born? Before she met her husband (Santanu)? Vyasa

·       Ambika forced herself to lay with her dead husbands eldest brother for what? She seemed to be in a trap to me which is sad

·       Stealing a cow led to celibacy vow as well as killing a mating deer, I wonder if celibacy is related to the maltreatment of animals in a way?

·        Satyavathi is acting like a female pimp(what is that word again?) to her son’s widows for her eldest son born without a father in order to retain the family name. his seems like a character trait that makes her selfish

·       Vidura born without purpose of his conception between parents, not forced, since the maiden was the one who Vsaya found in the bed of the woman he was supposed to be mating with (again)

·       Hard to tell which characters in this epic are central to the rest of the story and who to focus on because with so many names it is difficult to follow the connections between characters

·       Women are having a lot of boy babies and with gods?

·       The blind king had a lot of sons – setting up family/cousin conflict

·       Passionate death to Pandu and Madri, each separately with different actions but for eachother

·       They seemed to live well together as a family after madri and pandu die but then they get annoyed with eachother and one side tries to kill the other? To think if families were like that nowadays instead of having to accept who your family members were lol

·       The ceremony to show off skills of weaponry and fight remind me of roman times with the coliseum

·        Arjuna vs karna -----brothers, but they don’t know this, hardly anyone does but their mother does

·       Duryodhana made karna a king of anga so that there could be an equal fight?

·       “…time changes everything” –what king drupada says to Drona when drone comes to him to ask for milk for his son since his mother had died and they used to be friends… pg.38-39

Reading Diary Assesment

I have used numerous methods of composing my reading diaries. There was focus on characters, comments on major events with respect to the reading guide, note as I go along with the reading, go back in the book and write what I remember thinking in bullet points, paragraphs about the entirety of the reading assignment, thoughts separated by plot and characters/beginning and end of assigned reading pages... there's a lot. I think that I started to use the bullet point method a lot though and it was helpful to just write my thoughts in this way without having to adhere to a certain topic or constraint such as character or event. This next part of the course I think it would be beneficial to write in the actual book or underline things I felt were worth going over in my notes AS I read. When I tried to read the book and type up my notes as I went along, this took a longer amount of time, interrupted my thoughts, and was less accessible to do because of technology (having my phone out at work with a book was difficult, or having my tablet at home while reading was more difficult than simply the book and pen/pencil). Also, typing my notes after I read the passage would allow me to understand things or connect things that happen in succession of each other and then note that connection in my reading diary.
I would say I have been doing a sufficient job at keeping up with the readings, but it is harder to do when there are things due everyday so I focus on those things first instead of alleviating the reading assignment on Mondays and Tuesdays. For example, if I could read a little everyday instead of 50 pages all in one night plus making a reading diary for it, I would probably be more likely to get the whole reading assignment finished with little stress. There have been a couple times I was not able to finish the whole reading assignment but thought that since I read most of the pages that I could make a sufficient reading diary post based on what I did read then go back and review the reading guide so I know what happened for the rest of the section of reading. I like the reading guides in this respect. Managing my reading throughout the week would be a better bet of me finishing and not just rushing through though, which causes me to lose a lot of important detail and essence of the whole book.
All in all, I use the reading diaries to set up my storytelling posts but do not go back and look at them otherwise. Since there are a lot of assignments during the week that pertain to the book, it is easier to remember the content in the book than it would be by just reading it and making notes and being done with.

Reading Diary B: Week 7

-          Rama and Sita are reunited and it is so sweet of Rama to point out all that he encountered on the land while they were away from one another

-          I wonder just how many nights Rama had to live off the land on his own and did not indulge on the gifts of others who adored him for food

-          Hanuman meeting Bharata was weird, since they both loved Rama I am glad they can connect and be friends

-          The front cover of the animals and Rama sitting around in a circle makes more sense at this point, I can point out who everyone is !

-          Is this point of view where things are “I” in the eyes of the Revel master? It’s a weird transition from the rest of the book

-          Ayodhya seems to be blossoming and coming to life at the return of Rama

-          Reunion time, it is mentioned that Queen Kaikeyi made the right decision to exile Rama because it led to the defeat of the demons  and a better world
-      It is nice that Manthara apologizes to Sita and acknowledges it is partly her fault that they were sent away in the first place

-          The different kings, animal and demon alike, get along now and it is nice to see harmony

-          Awful that Rama wants to abandon Sita because of what some low life people think, after all he has been through in order to get her love back Rama cares what SOME people may think even though everyone follows him and adores him and the city is fine and dandy, he has no reason to send her away into the forest for this reason. The fire even told of her true heart and thoughts !

-          Finally the story in full of Dasartha and Kaikeyi and the two wishes that set all this in motion
-      The curse makes the separation of Rama and Sita more understandable, and goes to show that not even a god like Rama is safe from karma

-          I like how the story continues with Sita in the forest and does not immediately follow Lakshmana back to the city, this means she is still a major character and important to the story

-          Ugh ! and I forgot sita was pregnant and Rama knew this , what a jerk.

-          Rama didn’t even check on Sita????

-          So many festivals..
-      it is odd that king janaka wants Rama to step down from his throne
-      Sita was obviously innocent if taken by the earth, and Lakshmana's death is horrible :(
-      Having Hanuman there at the end of Rama's story makes him a very loyal friend and even though he cannot die, he does not seek power or wealth

Reading Diary B: Week 6

-Jambavan sounds like a good warrior and I am glad he pumps Rama up to go into battle and try to get Sita back

-Jambavan also sounds like he knows all the demons they have to face that are ahead, he is a good asset to have in battle

-it is sad that so many lives are being put on the line just for Rama and Sita and Rama ends up not even with Sita

-It is very convenient that Nala has the power to float stones in the ocean, making the bridge to cross to Lanka possible for the troops of Rama

-I think this time apart from Sita has changed Rama’s character somehow, he seems less compassionate and more stone cold in his emotions and actions

-Vibhishana is one of many people who warn try and warn Ravana and tell him to give back Sita, but Ravana does not listen and he is idiotic in this so it is his own fault that his family members die

-welcoming Vibhishana shows more of the Rama I had known throughout this story and not killing him or deeming him untrustworthy right off the bat like Sugriva had

-it is weird how Sita is fooled by the fake head of Rama on an arrow in this version and she cries and wants to die instead of showing little emotion then brushing it off as surely an illusion, this further makes me feel like Sita in this version is kind of a ditz or at least has less composure to stand tall

-Trijata is a good person, demon, woman, friend, whatever she is to Sita I think that her presence in this epic is great

-“Someone said that already” – Ravana to Anagada when he is giving him advice like many before him have, I found this quote humorous

-The mentioning of Dharma by both the armies of Rama and Ravana make them seem like similar people under the same rules and ethics but they are too prideful to come to an agreement, mainly due to Ravanas stubborn ways

-Prahasta seemed like a pretty mighty warrior

-Kumbhakarma also warns Ravana he is making a mistake but agrees to fight for him anyways, it is clear there are very loyal family members of Ravana to fight for him against Rama for a reason they themselves do not see as right. “He put sympathy aside and put his heart into the stone age” then he fought, its interesting how feelings can be manipulated easily when done by own self

- Indrajit, in my opinion was good then he seems horribly bad. His ability to kill almost all the warriors including Rama was awful and I was really surprised at the sadness that was in this part of the story. I could see how Hanuman’s inability to die comes in handy for the lives of everyone when he goes to the mountain and is able to bring their lives back to health.

- at first I thought Sita was really killed, if I had not known the outcome already then I would be really biting my nails at this point

Reading Diary A: Week 6

-Sampati appeared and his story was easier to understand, it made me happy that he could regrow wings after eating and was able to tell Hanuman where to find Sita
-Hanuman's great leap across the ocean was a great example of his 'power' and the story with the mountain coming up from the sea and he would not stop to rest shows his loyalty and determination
-Defeating Sinhika by changing his size and forcing his body down her throat was interesting, I did not know he could change his size or his form as we see him do with the cat in Lanka
-Lanka as a woman caught me off guard, I guess really anything can happen in this epic! Not sure if Lanka as a woman was just in Hanuman's mind as a metaphor or if she was an actual woman to be defeated
-Pushpaka had a lot of detail, must be a very important chariot since it was so ornate and decorative made by the architect god who makes a lot of things
-The amount of women in that room with Ravana is quite impressive, especially since he has that curse with him, they must really not have respect for themselves if they are always naked and chasing after the same man drinking all the time, they could learn from Sita yet they think she is the crazy one not taking Ravana's offer of love for her
- The demon women who arise in the morning were horrendous in detail, I wonder if that is how the normal woman looks in that city if they are not beautiful and taken by Ravana
- The woman who tells Sita of the dream she had seems to be a nicer lady in this city and hopefully she is shown mercy later on, it would be very scary in Sita's position with women all around her threatening to kill and eat her closing in with weapons...I don't know how she held up and did not go crazy
- Sita seemed a little too friendly with Hanuman than I believe she would have if she had not been away from Rama or a caring person so long, asking him to stay the night with her was kind of out of character in my opinion when Hanuman calls her beautiful she says "Oh Hanuman" like she was swoon or something and when her shoulder is exposed it was an awkward atmosphere that was kind of sexualized I think
-Hanuman I think has feelings for Sita, based on his decision to stay and unleash fury and cause chaos on the city which gets him ultimately caught by Indrajit when he comes out of meditation
- This city seems to bring out the worst in people somehow so it makes sense why Indrajit would be secluded in silence from the rest of the people and have a clear mind on what to do as far as fast and intelligent decision making goes with the capture of Hanuman since he knows he can not be killed
- Vibhishana still saves Hanuman, or at least defies Ravana enough to get exiled
- Flames taking the city is a perfect death I feel since it is the city of the demons
- does everyone including animals drink ??
-Hanuman's description of Sita to Rama is very detailed and gives me a better vision of her as well after this whole book I feel like I know what she looks like in a better way
- Hanuman is a great monkey/man for sticking up for Sita to Rama, it is weird that Rama is so weird toward Sita now though ... I guess time made his love fade which is sad but at least Hanuman convinces him to go kill Ravana!

Reading Diary B: Week 5

The golden deer---
I thought that the description of the deer that Maricha turns into is beautiful but I can see why Lakshmana would insist it was a demon. They are in demon territory after all. It is weird how Rama is so quickly determined to capture the deer since Sita wants it, it is kind of her own fault she was left alone and abducted anyways since she wanted the deer and she insisted that the voice of Rama saying help me was actually his own

The abduction of Sita---
I thought the appearance of Ravana as an old hermit man should have not been so accepting by Sita, but she was so accommodating. Sita is not the smartest woman in this book. Jatayu's death was still sad to me this time reading it and I am glad that he mentions his friendship to Dasartha before his death. The jewelry that Sita manages to throw down to show her path makes more sense to me now since she has been given these items as gifts throughout the story and now that has significance in the journey to find her

Sita in Lanka---
I think that the story of Ravana and his curse is more pronounced this book and easier to understand. I also thought it was interesting that actual rape was mentioned and not just forcing love, the pictures are also more revealing. It is crazy that so many women allow Ravana to have them, they make Sita not look so dumb

Savari---
This story of Savari made me realize that every character in this story has a background or story to tell and all is told even if it is a small story, making every character have a significant role in the world of this story. I thought it was sad she died right after she told them of the monkeys though, but maybe it is because she finally served her purpose in life

Hanuman---
I really liked the story of the monkeys origin being included. Hanuman started his life in a harsh way where he was abandoned and then helped by many so I think he has earned his spot as leader alongside Sugriva, and having eternal life. This was the first animal/human story and I think it was really different than stories of human beginnings in how there is so many magical things happening

Vali---
Vali is depicted in a harsher way this time with a quicker death and I think I like that better because I am not left feeling sorry for him, it says his soul is dark so I am confident in Rama's decision to kill him so quickly rather than waiting ...also the backstory of Vali creates this unpleasant picture of him as well

The expeditions---

Reading Diary A: Week 5

• I found it interesting the different future lives of Kaikeyi were horrible in description and finally after a few, Bharata forgives her in order to save her soul from these fates, a sons love for his mother holds true for him
• Rama trusts Bharata at once when he sees him, and does not suspect him of any ill will or purpose
• Bharata's journey to find Rama is filled with different stories and characters but my favorite is the hermit Bharadwaja because he is so nice to each queen and makes them feel at home, there are many forest people who are so accommodating to outsiders they feel they can trust
• It is interesting that so many people follow Bharata into the forest, this time with smiles as they rested though which is much needed I think after so much sorrow from losing their king and Rama
• The journey described as Rama and Sita are in the forest is kind of honeymoon-esque even thought they have been married for a while it is nice that they are able to enjoy each others love in exile without the safety and luxury of a palace
• Seems like there are a lot of creatures in the forest that like to mess with Sitar, like the crow and the monkey
• Anasuya seems like a good friend to Sita at this time, sharing her wisdom -that sita will need in the future when she is exiled- and making Sita feel beautiful
• The stories in the Dandaka forest are very confusing and this part of the book is long it seems leading up to Sita's capture. This part will take some more focused reading with notes and character outlines to understand it better in terms of storyline. My favorite story though is the one about the demons who killed 9,000 people by making their victims eat a monster which was one of them and destroyed their victims body when they were coaxed out by the other brother on the outside..very creepy and awful
• The story with the tiny people is interesting, I wonder if there is a deeper meaning that I am missing, seems like every story has a purpose to this story but it was easier to understand and see in the first version of the Ramayana
• Garuda shows up both when watching Bharata pass by with his followers and now we get to know his story, he is a character worth researching. Especially since there is an airline in India named after him
• Finally the story with Surpanakha. I found this part to be less drawn out than the first version we read but I like how she does not change form, and is ugly to begin with. I thought it was interesting how her brother had a priest restore her parts cut by Lakshmana..shows a more caring side to Ravana, also less emphasis to Sita's beauty but he is intrigued nonetheless
  
  

Reading Diary B: Week 4

·       I don’t remember twelve years of marriage passing in the first version, maybe it mentioned it and maybe not but this book made it more interesting  I guess if I was surprised by this time lapse

·       Manthara is given more detail to her character as well as her image, which is apparently not so desirable. I thought it was interesting that Kaikeyi remembered a time when Rama was a child and accidentally hitting a play arrow at Manthara’s hump and contributed this to her ill will towards the crowning of Rama instead of the reasons Manthara gave at first

·       It still irks me that Kaikeyi thinks it is Dasartha that is trying to trap her into something awful and really she is being deceived with Manthara’s crazy talk

·       Dasartha seems so calm and easy going when he says to Kaikeyi he will grant her wishes – even after they are proclaimed only to get totally distraught later on – maybe because he did not actually think she would follow through with wanting those demands to be her wishes?

·       I found it interesting that more emphasis was put on Sumanthra’s sorrow for Rama’s exile and his declaration of hatred for Kaikeyi, and less emphasis on the king’s state of mind at this time

·       Where were the rains that came with Rama’s sadness?

·       The new character that is introduced to this epic, Guha, I found to be different. He told more of how death works and the process with the death god and dying through the retelling of his story, also we get to find out about the Kings gift of interpreting animal talk that Kaikeyi wanted to know the wisdom about and thus sent the king on a war within himself since he would die if he told a soul. (Also, we learn more of Jatayu and his friendship since he is the one who gave him this knowledge) I think Kaikeyi is the most selfish and deceiving of the queens and spoiled

·       The description of Chitrakuta Hill is very beautiful and made me think that I would choose living there instead of Ayodhya anyways, however I think anywhere that Rama is to stay is beautiful and equipped with all his needs..perhaps since he is a god? Also it is interesting that the city is barren of life and its splendor that it had once had when Rama was a resident as well

·       Sumanthra returns to the city and it has only been THREE days since Rama’s departure?? Seems like so much longer to me, time is really complicated in this story

·       I found it interesting that the king has gone blind after Rama left, and the parents of the boy he killed long ago were blind as well and the king contributes this incident as the reason for this crazy occurrence with Rama being taken from him.

·       I like it how Rama’s mother is still the true love of the king and he turns to her in counsel in his last night, instead of with another wife – mainly kaikeyi

·       Yama the death lord is a scary character, so sly and quick

Reading Diary A: Week 4

• I thought the beginning of this version of the Ramayana was more drawn out but it built a backstory of how the story even began as a story which is neat.
• I like how we read the Narayan version of the Ramayana first since it is shorter send includes the basics of the story, I think if we had to read this one first we would not be gaining any new information on the Ramayana story as we are now that we know the basics
• I realized that the title "Ramayana" is a play on Vishnu's other name "Narayana" and then his earthly name reincarnated as Dasartha's son "Raman" ---> Ramayana
• The description of the city of Ayodhya is quite intricate and expands how I see the city than I had before
• I thought it was cool how this version starts where the first story left off then leading into the first version from the beginning retold by what we now know to be Rama's sons, why he could not know of their identity I do not know but I find it crazy that he can have children since he is Vishnu reincarnated... does this make his children demigods as well??
• It was nice to read that Lakshmana was the other piece of Raman, their bond makes more sense beyond brotherly love - dharma
• Ravana's story was a little hard to follow or all the demons for that matter... maybe because it was so detailed but this shouldn't a flaw to the story just my own sleepiness ;)
• Narayana defeating the demons he did made me see Rama as the warrior he is inside, with more respect that is well deserved by all that cross him
• Loving the pictures throughout the story! They help facilitate the picture being drawn in my mind. They are also more war-like and less cartoonish than the illustrations we are used to seeing on this courses image section for 'The Ramayana'
• At first I was confused as to why Ravana was even granted any power over the gods but reading the backstory on this incident where Brahma grants him his wish, I understand more
• LOVING the backstories on more characters I already recognized from the other version of the story, this version is fully equipped overall with imagery and detail I think will come in handy during our storybook projects
• In the first book I was SO confused as to why the king just let Viswamitra take his sons with him on this journey. With Viswamitra telling of Ravana's destruction and need to be conquered I think this is a major part of the story I wish was included in the first version, every version for that matter
• The mentioning of hermits in this story is something ill have to get used to not imagining like hermit crabs -since that is obviously not what they are
• I was happy when the part came where Rama and Sita meet and are drawn together came up, it feels like a half story without her since they are such a dynamic couple with much of the rest of their story surrounding this love

Reading Diary B: Week 3

I think that all the tricks Ravana has tried to use on Sita are incredibly torturous. First off he tricks her with sending a beautiful deer knowing it would spike her interest and she would send Rama after it, then he took advantage of her nice character by posing as a beggar in need of help, then when he took her as prisoner he sought her love and to try to persuade her to love him he sends all these women to whisper horrible things in her ear about herself to make her go crazy, then he tries to trick her by staging a head looking like her beloved's in order to get her to think him as dead and she does buy into this for a second and a lot of these times she contemplates suicide. Ravana is an awful person and he does not deserve Rama's mercy when they are face to face in battle and he is given one more day to recollect himself and gather weapons. Rama could have killed him right then and there. Rama has a character that is very kind and logical, careful as to not cause ill karma on himself or his family and is thoughtful in everything he does. A big funeral for Ravana is very honorable and he does not deserve this but this shows a lot about Rama's character since Ravana was a king to many. I was surprised that Sitar had to go through a test to indicate she is truthful in her words of not being touched by Ravana but I am glad they are finally reunited and are able to return to their kingdom. Happy endings are always good to read and I did not know what to expect from a story like this but was pleasantly surprised at the ending. Also, I thought Hanuman or Sugriva were sure to die in the battle but it is nice they got to come back to the city with Raman and attend his coronation in human form--not sure why they had to be in human form and not their monkey selves but either way is cool.

Reading Diary A: Week 3

Vali- brother of Sugreeva, challenged by Mayavi (a demon with fangs and was difficult to defeat), makes hasty decisions such as attacking sugreeva after his entrapment in the cave, blessed by the grace of Shiva, possesses unlimited strength, churned the ocean to create nectar when the gods could not, whoever approached him for a fight lost half their strength to Vali, fast, animals trembled and storms quieted by his presence, defeated finally by Rama’s arrow, took death respectfully after explanations from Rama and understanding his own mishaps

Sugreeva- brother to Vali, ruler of Kiskinda (monkey kingdom) after Vali had not returned to the throne while away defeating demon, was forced to the mountains where Vali could not touch when Vali returned angry at him, is easily bullied, wife taken from him by Vali, honorable by vowing to help Rama, easily intoxicated by worldly pleasures

Hanuman- very knowledgeable, sugreeva’s right hand, was only one who encouraged Rama to trust and protect Vibishana when he fled Ravana’s kingdom (bullied away by Ravana), monkey, really important to plot advancement

Vibishana- younger brother to Ravana, advises Ravana to return Sita and seek pardoning from Rama to make things better, is threatened with his life at this point and decides to seek refuge in Rama’s camp and army

THOUGHTS ON PLOT

During the rainy season it seemed that Rama’s grieving and the rain fed off of one another. It is very kind and smart of Sugreeva’s wife to try and change Vishmanas mood before he sees Sugreeva in his drunken state of mind not caring of his pledge he had made to Rama also Angada (vali’s son) is prompt to try to warn Sugreeva. When Angada and Hanuman are trapped in the darkness for past the time they allotted for finding Sita, it is crazy that yet another outcast (this time a woman who was once a goddess) had their fate in the hands of Rama’s actions (specifically Hanuman who got them out of the chamber). The story with Jatayu’s brother Sampathi saving him and then having his wings restored when an army came by and spoke of Rama is really touching and shows the awesome bonds that are consistent throughout this story, becoming a prime reason for the location of Sita being realized it is a cool thing that everything seems to be connected and work out in weird and unexpected ways. Then the path to Lanka is then brought about with the path known as ‘adam’s bridge’ in todays geography and is pretty awesome to look at. It is even involved in controversies over being man made or not, how cool!

Seen from space on Wikimedia commons

Reading Diary B: Week 2

I was surprised at how the town was so loyal and willing to follow Rama on his way to his 'exile'. He had not even been their king but they loved him a lot. This gesture asserts that he had a good character to everyone around him. It would be interesting to try and do a storytelling post from his perspective. Even his brother that was supposed to be given the crown due to his mother's wishes thought this was an absurd action, that there was nobody more suited to rule than Rama was. I wonder how much can change after fourteen years of life in this story since the life spans are long long long. I wonder why the queen banished Rama for this short time then if there was so much time left in their lives... maybe thought this was how long the kind had left but sadly, his life was to end even sooner than that. I am glad that Rama saw his brother's innocence of his mothers plan because I as a reader knew his innocence and had one of those biting my nails, hitting myself on the head moments when Lakshmana thought he had put on battle garments and came to defeat Rama with an army.
It was nice to see Lakshmana shine in this chapter with his ability to build such intricate houses out of the materials found around them. Rama is a great warrior against evil and a good person overall but I was wondering how he would fare living off the land. It is lucky that his brother insisted on coming with him, both to look after Sita when Rama was busy and to provide makeshift homes that they could take shelter in.
It was hard to keep up with characters and their relations in the next chapter but the main ones I think are pertinent to the storyline are Soorpanaka and Ravana.
Soorpanaka: beautiful(or so it seemed) woman, catches the eye of Raman though temporarily, offers her hand in marriage to him but he refuses politely and then she gets overly jealous upon seeing Sita's beauty. Her family line is that of the evil class and it is Rama's life mission to take them all out in these lands, yet she is still so infatuated with him that she pursues his love and goes as far as to hatch a plan to divide him from his wife so that he will fall in love with her (seems totally naïve), shown her true colors after her wrath is set free and she is no longer of beauty when Lakshmana cuts off several body parts of hers when she tries to snatch Sita
Ravana: The brother to Soorpanaka, it is hard to believe he has so many followers in his palace under his influence to wait on his every need since he is supposedly evil. I think he is also kind of a coward because he does not go after Rama himself after hearing from his sister what Rama is capable of but still sends someone else to even fetch Sita for himself after hearing of her outstanding beauty. I wonder why these two siblings are so enveloped in love for Rama and Sita after simply looking at them (or in Ravana's case hearing about Sita). I wonder if it is due to their past lives as Gods that intoxicates those around them to love them and adore them so much, this seems to be a pro and a con in their case. Also, the one that Vishnu reincarnated as Rama had set to destroy in the first place. Has ten heads.
The instance with the adorned deer that Sita asks Rama to fetch for her is precarious because it shows a lack in Rama's judgment and further shows how useful Lakshmana actually is. I am not sure if there are errors in Rama's judgment or if this is due to the powers possessed by Mareecha (who has failed in killing Rama twice already but lived to see another day so he tried to live a better life when he is pulled in by his nephew Ravana to lure Sita away from Rama) it is weird to think of how there are certain characters in this story who have superpowers and others who do not but all the same talk to everyone as if they are equal. I am also impressed by the honesty between some characters when the evil doers are not trying to deceive.

Reading Diary A: Week 2

King Dasaratha: beloved king of Kosala, wants a child and at the same time the gods need a human to defeat the evil demons (especially Ravana) so they reincarnate Vishnu as one of his four sons he is able to have because of special rice told to be fed to his wives after a ritual. Seems to be a loving father, very fond of Rama and the well being of his people, kills an innocent boy in his younger years on accident and this curses him when he is trying to have Rama as his successor to the throne because of his old age. Seems to have Alzheimer's disease because of repeating things during preparation for ceremony of crowning Rama
Kausalya: Rama's mother, loving
Kaikeyi: Bharatha's mother, persuaded by her servant to redeem her two promised wishes of King Dasaratha because her fate when Rama becomes king is in question, stubborn, WAS King's favorite wife, after she made her request of Rama's banishment to the forest for 14 years and her son's crowning as king she was seen as a demon in the eyes of the courts and the people for forcing Dasaratha to fulfill these promises because she saved his life one time, his honor is at stake if he does not comply
Sumithra: King's other wife, mother of Lakshmana and Sathrugna
Lakshmana: goes with Rama on voyage with Viswamithra, loyal brother to Rama, outraged when heard of Kaikeyi's demands and dresses to go with Rama into the forest.
Viswamithra: used to be a king, persists that Rama go with him on voyage, (I think he knows of Shiva's existence inside Rama), teaches him to fight with weapons and such, tells stories of areas and things along their journey.
King Janaka: King of Mithila, father to Sita, said no man was worthy of his daughters hand in marriage unless they could string Shiva's bow, becomes Rama's father-in-law.
Sita: really Vishnu's wife in reincarnated form, this explains her urgent attraction upon laying eyes on Rama, very beautiful and loyal as a wife to Rama, princess of Mithila, she insists on coming with him as well into the forest since life's would be meaningless without him by her side.


--everything seems to have a purpose
--Vishnu's existence in Rama as a human is proving to show itself
--prophecies stay to be true
--very sad that the king asked for a son and has to risk his life when he leaves with viswamithra and then again because he is compelled to keep a promise to his queen in which his life is in debt to
--Can't tell if Rama is actually easy going and humble like he seems to be or if this is the God in him accepting how things are, either way he is better suited to fit the throne because he does not wish to take the throne (In sociological theory class remember that one of the classical theorists-update name later- asserted that the ones who are best fit to 'rule' society are those who do not wish to)