Week 13, Famous Last Words

Alright so this week I decided that since my other teachers gave me the week off from school that I would really push to get this class done completely for the semester. So I spent all of today, Tuesday, working on homework for this class so that I could at least get ahead so I'm not struggling to get everything done for this class plus the finals for my other two classes.

I think the one thing that I'm really sad about with the readings is that I wish there was more information about other characters instead of a whole lot of information just on the heroes of the stories. I know a whole lot about Rama and Arjuna and Yudhishthira but not a whole lot about Draupadi, Sita, or say all of the evil people. :(

So I don't think I really did any great writing this week. I feel like my brain is sort of burnt out and that its difficult to get even the most simplest forms of writing out. So I wen to the bookstore today to get inspired and ended up fumbling through the fantasy and fiction areas, where have all the good writers gone?!

I have noticed that due to this class I do find that I'm a lot more interested in the Indian culture now that I know some of their epics. I'm really interested in how the epics relate to modern life in India and if it's something that everyone seems to know or it is something that even they have to study.
Also I’m starting to really see why women in other parts of the world have such a hard time actually getting equal human rights. The inequality is basically ingrained in their culture and history. Women are taught from childhood storybooks that being a great wife is the most important thing in life.

frozen

Week 13, Growth Mindset

So one of the challenges is to choose a meme and write a blog about it.  I chose this meme.

Laura Gibbs

I really liked this meme, not necessarily because of the picture, but I liked what was said in the blog with the picture.

"In our minds, the first bit of information we take in does hold special sway. The Anchoring cognitive bias is our tendency to rely heavily on our first impressions (or ‘anchor’ information) when making a decision. Once the anchor has been set, other judgments are made by adjusting away from that anchor without taking into consideration other viewpoints."

This really hit me because with my major I have learned a lot about the Middle East, specifically Islam and Judaism.  I think one of the worst things is to have to sit in public spaces and listen to people talk about either of those subjects when they are completely ignorant of how either of these religions work. A lot of people in the United States have a big problem with Islam because the only thing that most americans know about the religion is that extremist from the religion flew a plane into the twin towers and killed hundreds of people.  Now there is Paris added into the mix and it just gets worse.  My whole Facebook feed is full of people saying "no" to Syrian refugees simply because of their religious affiliation.  However I think that I once felt the same, before I came to college and started learning.  I was once that ignorant person, that awful person who spoke about things that she had no idea about.  I think the real difficulty is forgetting what you've already learned to learn the correct information.  

Week 13, Reading Feedback

I think the main reason I chose the readings that I did this week is because they were free and I would not be going to campus in time to read the comics that I originally wanted to read.  I actually did like the readings that I chose because I don't remember having seen the Neogi selection when I went through to make my reading guide in week 8.  

I think what is continuing to make the biggest impression on me is the focus of women on being a good wife.  Like Savitri actually is worshiped for being such a good wife that she would follow her husband into death.  I think the implication here is that there is no life after your husband dies, as if your husband is your only life and without him or children, then there is nothing for you.  I think that's crazy!

This reading did not come with a reading guide, but it didn't really need it. The readings were fairly short and easy to read.  I spent about four hours on the reading this time because I actually had the time. I read the online version of a print book which I tend to like better because the print is easy to read, you can zoom in and out, and the screen isn't quite so bright because it's paper color.  

Dr. Evil :)

Week 13, Storytelling, Sons of Padma

This is the story of Skye Hallaby. 

Skye was born in a small town just north of Nowhere, somewhere in the farmlands of what use to be a piece of someplace called the United States or something.  She was a young woman of sixteen years and lived with seven other young women on a small farm, cared for by a farmer and his wife.  Skye had no family, she had no brothers, no sisters, and her parents had died when she was very young.  Everyone knew this.

One day when she was out walking with the other girls they came across a small pond that contained two koi fish. In this time, where Skye lived, times were hard and she thought these fish would be great to bring home to the farmers that cared for her.  So she grabbed up the fish and took them back home with her.  Unfortunately after she stashed them in a pot they somehow turned into snakes.  However, Skye was not a girl who scared easily and in fact she began to care for the snakes. 

She moved the snakes and their pot from the kitchen into the barn, but when they were found she moved them again and again trying to find a spot for them.  She continued to care for these snakes, feeding them and giving them milk.  Even when the farmer and his wife begged her to let them go she continued to care for them.

Then one day, a messenger arrived with a letter for Skye. The letter read like this:

“Dear Skye,

You do not know us because we left before you were born, but we are your bothers.  Our names are Jonas and James and we have searched for a long time for you.  We are writing to you to invite you to come and live with us in our home and become one as a family again.  I realize this is a lot to ask since you have no knowledge of us, but should you wish to do so we will be arriving in a couple of days to escort you to our home.  If you do not wish to do so that is your prerogative, but we hope that you should like to get to know us and us know you.

Sincerely,

Jonas and James Hallaby.”

Skye read this and became very excited, she didn’t hate her life here with the farmers, but this was a real family, her flesh and blood!  So she waited impatiently for the day when they would arrive and finally the day came when two men and an escort of guards approached.  Skye quickly packed her few possessions and went to grab her pot that contained the snakes, but when she looked inside, they had vanished.  She wondered at this and realized suddenly who they were; they were children of Padma, the great mother of snakes.  With this realization Skye grew very humble and thanked Padma for granting her the family she had always dreamed of.

She left with her brothers that day and lived a long and happy life with many fruitful meals and a roof always over her head.

Snake Brothers

Author's note:

I adapted this story from the story of Padma's ceremony tale from Neogi's Sacred Tales of India.  The original story has this girl Lahana who is married to one of the seven sons of a farmer.  She finds the koi fish and wants to cook them but they turn into snakes.  She cares for the snakes who are actually the sons of Padma, who is considered the mother of snakes.  The two snakes then return to Padma and ask her to make Lahana their sister. Now this is where I stopped my story, but in the original story it continues to where the snake brothers influence a king to make Lahana a royal family member.

Week 13, Reading Diary B

So for my second reading I"m actually reading Neogi's "Sacred Tales", which are really quite interesting!!

The first tale is about the Manasa ceremony where the goddess Padma and her reptilian brood, as all her children are snakes.  A young wife of a farmer is sad because she has no family to return to for holidays.  She finds some young koi fish in a small puddle and pick them up and take them home. These fish turn into snakes and she takes care of them.  For this care they take care of her and in the end earn a place for her in the kings castle as an almost royal family member.

The second is the Savitri Ceremony in which a married woman places an earthen jar at the foot of a banyan tree and Savitri is suppose to animate it.  If the woman does the ceremony right, she will never lose her husband much like Savitri when she followed death when he tried to take her husband away.

The third is the Itu Ceremony.  The tale associated with this showed how by worshipping Itu he could provide wealth and happiness, but if they forgot to worship him they would hit rock bottom and be back right where they started before worshipping him.

Manasa

Week 13, Reading Diary A

So originally I was going to read some of the comics for this week's readings and next weeks, but unfortunately I think I won't be able to go to campus so I'm doing some free online readings instead.  This reading diary is continuing my last reading diary about the gods and goddesses.

Surya.

The lord of light, born of Dyaus and Prithwi, marries Sangna.  She tries to leave him because he is too bright, so he vows to never show his full brightness to her again.

Waruna.

A king asks for a son from Waruna, and promises the sons life as a sacrifice to him.  The son instead finds a Brahmins son who sings praises of the gods and then Waruna grants them all a long happy life.

Ushas.

This is the wife of Agni, she drives her chariot and brings light and good thoughts to all of men.  She loves to wander and to bring her light everywhere.

Indra.

Story of the fight between Indra and Ahi. Ahi is jealous of Indra and creates a citadel and spells that Indra’s rain will not leave the clouds.  Ahi is no match for Indra and Indra crushes him and brings back the rain.

Soma.

Creates a great draught of liquid that is loved by all gods and the children of men.  Was taken from Indra and put on Earth but he grew evil and caused men to do mad things and tried to take someones wife.

Brahma.

In this story Brahma is trying to make a sacrifice but can’t without his wife. SO he sends Indra to get him another wife causing his first wifes anger and curses.

Wishnu.

Wishnu marries Laxmi after she brought forth the gods physician from the milky sea to save the gods from the Asuras.  Wishnu was seen as the greatest because he was the best to greet the son of Brahma when he came to decide which god was the greatest.

Siwa.

The god of light, one of the three creators and destroyers. However this is more about Uma, his wife.  She died once, then went through challenges to marry him again, then she gained the name of Durga after defeating the Asura named Durg.

Ganesh.

Sprang from Siwa as the god of wisdom.  However as a babe his head was sliced off so Siwa replaced it with an elephant’s head an he had an elephants head the rest of his life.

Laxmi