Reading Notes: Dharma Mahabarata (Part E) - Extra credit reading

Mahabharata: The Greatest Spiritual Epic of All Time. by Krishna Dharma, 2008 (source)

Arjuna is headed to heaven! But he's just visiting because he needs to borrow some weapons. 

First there is a journey! But Arjuna has mountains to climb and people to see so he travels quickly. 

The mountain top is for fasting and meditating and balancing on one leg to get the attention of the gods. 

Eventually the gods start to show up! Arjuna gets one weapon from Indra, who promises him more if he meets and makes nice with Shiva. 

Shiva shows up as a hunter - They both shoot at the same animal and then they fight! They fight with so many arrows it's amazing there are any trees left anywhere. (Even though the quivers Arjuna had were never ending... where did the arrows/wood/etc come from????)

Shiva eventually wins when Arjuna figures him out and stops fighting. So he gets another weapon from Shiva and then more from Indra. He ends up with so many weapons. Visiting heaven: Success!

Arjuna gains Pashupastra By Mahavir Prasad Mishra -  source

Reading Notes: Dharma Mahabhrata (Part C)

Mahabharata: The Greatest Spiritual Epic of All Time. by Krishna Dharma, 2008 (source)

I chose to begin this multi week reading on part C which begins with the Pandavas wedding to Draupadi

Arjuna goes into exile and collects wives like other people collect baseball cards or action figures!
Wife 1 - You'll basically be Aquaman

Wife 2 - I need to  continue my line so we may not have to keep up with our kid. 

Wife 3 - Maybe going to marry someone else - KIDNAP HER!!

Introduce original wife to wife 3, but where are 1 and 2??? 

Who knows, now it's time to burn down the forest!

"My Iron Man Collection" by heath_bar is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Reading: Rama's Quest Part B

 

The Indian Story Book: Rama's Quest by Richard Wilson, 1914 (source)

Illustrated by: Frank Pape

The ending of this one with the description of the reunification of Rama and Sita is the best

It ends up feeling a bit short because of the way the story is written, but it does really well at showing how Sita is just like yes, this is done, I get to see my husband! And she shows up and Rama is basically like "Why don't you look worse, clearly you don't love me." Which is totally logical and makes complete sense!

Also completely logically, Sita is like well, everything is now 100% awful so let's go jump in a fire!

Thank goodness for divine intervention. 

"Ball of Fire" by SimonWhitaker is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

Reading: Rama's Quest Part A

The Indian Story Book: Rama's Quest by Richard Wilson, 1914 (source)

Illustrated by: Frank Pape


Quick retelling of the Ramayana - much less focus on gods and 'supernatural' type events and more focus on adventure and human feats of greatness!

The adventures are just as exciting and do seem more real without the added details of godlike powers or abilities. We have monsters and heroes instead of gods and demons! A really powerful archer against multitudes

"Green Arrow" by 1upLego is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Reading Notes: Kali the Mother (Part B)

 Kali the Mother (source) by Sister Nivedita, 1900

Notes on the voice of the mother - this sucker is intense. While it's still a mother's voice, this does not feel like that westernized, defied holy feminine up on a pedestal mother. This is raw real mother stuff. Which - not to discount any other experience - as someone who is a mom, who has done that whole labor and childbirth thing, the scary kid stuff and all of that - this feels real. Like mom stuff is not all sweetness and light and running through a meadow with your perfectly groomed child and I have thoughts on all of that. This brings up again kind of the thoughts that this is just more real. Moms are in the trenches with you either fighting your bullies or sometimes yelling at you because maybe you are the bully. 

Image source here - by Tapas Kumar Halder

Reading Notes: Kali the Mother Part A

Kali the Mother (source) by Sister Nivedita, 1900

 

I LOVE the comparisons in this between eastern and western theology. In the past that has kind of been my jam. :)

So text wise this is kind of dense and not the easiest/quickest read but I do like the constant call back to Kali's form. It's referred to several times as how it should be perceived as so great and horrible but it's Kali the mother and she's a great divine being. It's the perception challenging call out - I feel like there's a story idea there, I'm just not sure what it is yet. But that's the bit that's sticking out to me from these readings - perception, perception, perception. 

 

 "The Doors of Perception" by koen_jacobs is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0

Reading Notes: The Giant Crab & Other Tales from Old India (Extra Credit Reading)

Bibliography: The Giant Crab, and Other Tales from Old India by W. H. D. Rouse, 1897
Illustrator: W. Robinson  Source

So I specifically took note of the story of the goblin and the sneeze because I LOVE that it is a tale that gives us a reason for saying bless you after someone sneezes. Yes it's reflex and polite but also the goblin in the attic beams may eat you!

Extra special bonus points for being nice to the goblin once they found him out. So many stories would have father and son trying to chase the goblin out of the house (that he'd been in for years!) or even trying to kill him. Instead they had a chat. A very persuasive chat, since the goblin became a vegetarian and no longer tried to eat sneezing people. 

A happy goblin illustrated in the book itself! Illustrator - W. Robinson Source

Reading Notes: Mahabharata Part D (extra credit reading notes)

 Bibliography: Tiny Tales from the Mahabharata by Laura Gibbs

What a long strange trip it's been!

Despite it covering a lot of the section, since this battle has been coming for the whole story, it feels like it happened so fast! Still many bad things happening to the Pandavas, but if they didn't happen we wouldn't have a story. 

The ending is kind of wild - climbing mountains and descending to hell. I'm not sure if it's a happy ending, or just an ending. The tale of the Pandavas just stops and then we have a bit about someone else and a sacrifice. I may be confused though because there were so many names in this story that I am not 100% sure who or how this relates. Some googling may be in my future!

"End" by mrjoro is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Reading Notes: Mahabharata Part C

 Bibliography: Tiny Tales from the Mahabharata by Laura Gibbs

The brothers get weapons! Attack! Wait don't. Do....and get captured. Sadness

Don't drink the water. No really. Everyone dies, but riddles! Make good choices and get revived. Plus a bonus boon/blessing to make that year in hiding, post exile, easier. 

Exile over - battle again! Because if it didn't work the first time, trying again should make it so much better. 

More offers of marriage - this wife gets pawned off on a son. 

Army maneuvering, alliance forming, pledges of help. So many moving parts in such a long running conflict. Some people want to be Switzerland. 

One last peace talk attempt! Send the god in - but alas it fails and the other side even tries to kidnap him. Krishna goes full god form and says nope. War is coming

"Repetition" by alanwordguy is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Reading Notes: Mahabharata Part B (extra credit reading)

Bibliography: Tiny Tales from the Mahabharata by Laura Gibbs

More flowcharts! I'm glad we read this one second - there are so many names. 

Draupadi has a LOT going on. Someone buy this lady a planner! (Also side story about dogs in public...)

Arjuna gets sent off to exile again because his brother's shoes were missing. He has many adventures. Exile = Adventure?? Like running away to join the circus.

Don't play dice with your enemies, dang it.

EXILE again. Wander, wander, adventure, adventure. Ooh, foreshadowing - go collect weapons for war.

Draupaidi painting - By Raja Ravi Varma - Original source not stated by uploader, however a source available here.

Reading Notes: Mahabharata Part A

 Bibliography: Tiny Tales from the Mahabharata by Laura Gibbs

Holy family tree flow chart batman!

Satyavati has a lot going on - being born from a fish, secret kids. I'm getting a very drama/reality TV vibe from this so far and it's amazing. From Satyavati in a way we actually get the Mahabharata because of Vyasa. Vyasa has a lot going on too - the making kids out of lumps in pots in also amazing and I love it. 

Focus may be on Vyasa coming from Satyavati - could do a brief intro on her as well since she has great backstory - and then things about Vyasa. The kids, the composing of the Mahabharata and the visiting the widows. Snippets to make up a fun tale of Vyasa. :)

Image source: Mahabharata. Published by Geeta Press in Gorakhpur . Written in Hindi.

 

Reading Notes: Ramayana Part D

 Title: The Ramayana: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic
Author: Kamban / R. K. Narayan
Year: 1972   (Kindle edition) 

 

More listening time!! I feel like that has been a theme I keep picking up on in this second half. People try to tell folks hey, watch out for this or don't do that. They don't listen. Not great things happen.  

After the not great things? Folks are like "Oh crap, I should have listened!" 

Now granted. If they had listened....there wouldn't be a story. If Ravana had listened to Vibhishana. If yesterday Vali had listened to Tara. For the most part Rama is the only one who asks other people for advice and considers it. Even that is an issue sometimes. Whole theme of everything needs to be what happens when you stop and listen. Consider the advice, take note of the warnings. Make a plan.

"LISTEN" by elycefeliz is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Reading Notes: Ramayana Part C

Title: The Ramayana: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic
Author: Kamban / R. K. Narayan
Year: 1972   (Kindle edition) 

I am affectionately calling the part of this reading that stood out to me "LISTEN TO WOMEN"

Like look buddy. She told you. She told you multiple times. You basically head patted her and went silly lady, you don't know about fighting! Then you died. 

You didn't listen. You should have listened. Now you are dead and she is sad. Although it took you FOREVER to die. Maybe someone could have fetched a doctor but they were like "Nah. He wouldn't listen to the doctor either." 

The story doesn't give us much about Tara but once she got done being sad I bet she was super angry. I would have been. I was angry just reading it. 

"The Death of Marat" by Kecko is licensed under CC BY 2.0 

DEATH - DRAMATIC DEATH

Extra credit reading week 3: Ramayana part B

Title: The Ramayana: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic
Author: Kamban / R. K. Narayan
Year: 1972   (Kindle edition) 

 

Poor Soorpanaka! She's got a bad case of wanting Jessie's girl, except it is Sita's man. She just will NOT give it up and gets mutilated when she tries to take Sita out of the picture. She basically promises Rama the moon and then some and he's just like nope. So she leaves, but is going to come back with some friends to show him who the boss is - still don't think he's going to ask her out though.

Soorpanka's first friend (Her brother Kara) is not successful - rocks fall, everyone dies. Tragedy! Horror! Time to try another brother!

She's off to see Ravana now. This brother she tells all about how awesome Sita is. So now Ravana is full on Jessie's girl about Sita and Soorpanaka is still having Sita's man feelings about Rama. It would be easier if this wasn't an epic with heroes and villains. They could go on that wife swap show, everyone would probably hate each other by the end and there would be less tragedy. 

Also less kidnapping but if there was less kidnapping the story might be over. 

 Apparently there is/was an 80s cover band called Jessie's Girl. I kept thinking of the song lyrics about someone wishing they had another person's girl/guy and this photo came up. And it's just so dramatic looking like "Oh my gosh, I'm in the floor and I'm PINING"

 

"Jessie's Girl - The World's Hottest 80s Tribute Band" by danperezfilms is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

Reading Notes: Ramayana Part A

Title: The Ramayana: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic
Author: Kamban / R. K. Narayan
Year: 1972   (Kindle edition) 

Tales within tales not of Canterbury but still taking a trip. Journey in the desert, story of how the desert because so....desert-y. Very parable feel towards the end of the tale within tale.

Rama begins building his legend - killing demon who made desert. Weapons bonus!

But vengeance was sworn by the sons of the demon Rama killed. That comes back into play rapidly but again victory! Legend building continues.

Legendary wedding! SO many guests. All the guests. All the elephants. (Mental picture of live action aladdin parade scene...)

Good news! You're gonna be a king! Bad news - I made some promises a couple (hundred? thousand?) years ago and now you're not going to be king AND you have to move out. In modern times we'd say you should definitely get a therapist that's a lot to handle. Rama is just like *shrug* It's cool - time to make new friends!

A slightly less epic wedding.

"Confetti" by SteveR- is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Week 2 Reading Anthology - Unruly Monks Reading Notes

I am taking notes on the story/parables around the Unruly Monks

Source: The Jataka: Volume 1 translated by Robert Chalmers.

First note - parables - compare disciples to other disciples (Thich Nhat Hanh)

2 stories told about a brother/monk who is unruly and loud/speaking out of turn/time.  Stories relate similar actions in other lives/reincarnations leading to a bad end - deer caught in trap, strangled rooster. 

In both stories, the person meeting the bad end was unteachable, not willing to be taught or had not been taught. No learning, no awareness of time/place/surroundings/others. 

Probably endless stories could be told of same unruly person reincarnating and not learning - what does it take, how many lives, does the person ever come to learn or begin to learn? What's the moment of understanding or is there one or do they repeat being the cautionary tale in the fable for many more reincarnations? That may be a direction to think about writing in - is there an 'aha' moment to break out of the cycle or not.

 

 This 100% looks like the type of rooster that would wake you up at midnight. Rock and roll rooster. 

"Rooster Romeo" by goingslo is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0  

Week 2 Reading Overview

 I think I'm going to read the Narayan version of the Ramayana beginning next week. My one of my main factors here is the ease of having one book on my kindle app. Yes I did have to buy it, but I also bought Laura's tiny tales books in case I change my mind and read those! Reading on my kindle/kindle app is great - it's portable and there are no links to keep track of or page numbers or places to keep. 

One of the videos that caught my eye was Enemy of the Reich: The Noor Inayat Khan Story.

At that point I went down a YouTube rabbit hole and found several more videos Noor Inayat Khan including Noor Inayat Khan: Britain's first Muslim female agent and Noor Inayat Khan -- A Life of Bravery. 

 Some photos I found that I enjoyed are here!
 

Image source: Lakshmi

I selected this first image because it feels pretty serene and I like the elephants. As you can see below, my second image is very, very similar - there is a theme here!

Image source: Gajalakshmi
 

This image specifically states that Laskhmi flanked by two elephants is known as Gajalakshmi. And in this photo she is pictured with Sarasvati and her peacock. I am apparently really liking somewhat serene or peaceful images of goddesses hanging out with their animal companions. 

The comic books are a little harder for me to pick since they are not digitized. I may see if some are available for digital purchase somewhere but I am never in Norman anymore to read what Bizzell has! So I'm picking somewhat on topic but I have to say the artwork for this first one, Ganga: The Divine Beauty, amused me to no end. One of the faces looks like "Folks. Really? Again??" Just slightly perturbed, I love it. I do love this concept of drinking the sea though, what a thought. 

My second comic choice was Sukanya. The whole idea of picking the correct choice from multiple identical choices is a theme that shows up in stories all over the place and I love when you get to read some of the older/source type myths that spawned a thousand other tales!