Reading Notes Week 12: Sacred Tales of India, Part A

Image of snake
Source: Pinterest

In the story of Lahana and her interaction with the deities disguised as fish and then in the form of snakes, I think it is amazing how she recognizes the magic and is then unafraid of snakes. I think it is pretty normal to be afraid of snakes, and yet she is rewarded for this and becomes a princess all because she was willing to feed these random snakes that she believed to be magic. I think it would be funny if she went to all this trouble only for these snakes to be normal snakes after all!

Sacred Tales of India. Dwijendra Nath Neogi (1916)

Review Week 11

My Senior year of high school we had one week devoted to studying the history of the english language and it was one of my favorite weeks of school. I love learning about the history behind all languages and I think the history of English is just such a clear representation of conquering and mixing. The version I heard was slightly different, but the same basic history. 

(TheUnNovelist.com)

I love this graphic because it truly makes me imagine a writer with a brush, making broad strokes across the page and the words appearing. When I think about a writer using all the colors, I think that a writer must go beyond what is comfortable. Perhaps what is comfortable are the blues. But one must explore different stories, different characters, different places, genres, and styles of writing! Only when one has experimented with a variety of factors is a writers using all the colors! 

Famous Last Words: Rest and Recovery

Monday morning I wrote about how I was diagnosed with strep as a continuation of my health woes of this semester. Well, the doctor said some strain of strep, even though the test was negative. He was sure of it. Come Wednesday morning I was feeling even worse, even though the doctor at urgent care had said that I should be good to return to work and school. I knew something had to be wrong when I couldn't swallow, my temperature was getting higher, and I was supposed to be good to return to school while taking the antibiotics. So I went to Goddard and I have to say I had a great experience at our university health clinic! I have never bothered going but now I wish I had utilized their services since Freshman year. The nurse and nurse practitioner were so kind, especially since I was so frustrated with not knowing what was going on with my body!

Turns out I had mono! Apparently some people react to mono with symptoms that so mirror strep, the only way to know is taking a blood sample. But they also tested for other strains of strep and guess what! I also have a strain of strep! But the antibiotics I was on react poorly with mono, hence why I was getting worse.

So Monday through Saturday, I haven't gone to any of my three jobs or class. I finally feel like I have recovered from both strep and mono. Perhaps this is TMI, but y'all, this has been my whole week. This is all I have been thinking about. Today I was finally feeling energized enough to do some assignments.

Chart of mono symptoms
Source: Wikipedia

But I would just like to say to TAKE YOUR HEALTH CONCERNS SERIOUSLY. For over a month I have been going to doctors and counselors telling them how I have been falling asleep while trying to do readings for class, zero energy for fun and hobbies, extreme loss of appetite, and just a general lackluster motivation. None took me seriously, just saying that I need more sleep and I have senioritis. I was so frustrated with myself. Well, it turns out mono doesn't start showing symptoms for 4-7 weeks, meaning I have probably had mono for over two months. My body has been fighting off this horrible virus. No wonder I've been tired!! So I am going to talk to my professors and hopefully they will be understanding about my situation and why I have fallen behind academically.

Wikipedia Trails: Lakshmi to Simeon Stylites

Lakshmi: I chose to start with Lakshmi because I noticed that for two separate stories for two separate reasons, I had used Lakshmi as my image. Her images always show such a beautiful elegant goddess and so I wanted to read a summary of why she is important as a Hindu deity.

Jainism: Lakshmi's article said that she is also an important goddess in Jainism. While I had heard of Jainism during my Intro to Asian Philosophy religion, I can't remember much about it now three years later. The article says that the main difference between Hinduism and Jainism is that the self is finite in Jainism.

Asceticism: Jainism has a strong ascetic tradition, and I wanted to learn more about this lifestyle. This means abstaining from material or physical pleasure. This can be either natural or unnatural asceticism. I thought it was interesting that unnatural asceticism includes self-harm and physical pain.

Icon of Simeon Stylites
Source: Wikipedia

Simeon Stylites: I wanted to learn more about those who practiced unnatural asceticism which included self-inflicted pain to understand why they would do this. The article only specified one person who used self-inflicted pain and it was the Christian monk Simeon Stylites. He deprived himself of food and water often, and when he was sought out by so many for counsel, he sat a top a pillar so as not to be bothered and have time for devotion.

Famous Last Words: Health Stuff

Source: Wikimedia

Today is a great lesson in why I should never procrastinate. There were so many academic projects I needed to be working on today and be finishing up very soon. Unfortunately I woke up at 2 am unable to swallow. I'd been having a sore throat, but while I was sleeping it had gotten so much worse! So I got to the Urgent Care as soon as it opened to find out that I have strep throat. My body aches, I have no energy for anything, and so now I'm just sitting and stressing in pain. 

Thankfully, I am not as behind in this class as I thought I was, so I am still doing well and aiming for an A by the end of the semester. I got my project assignment in and I an get away with putting off some assignments while I'm "resting". However, in my other classes, I can't afford to miss more lectures and I was supposed to be doing research all day. But the thought of reading dense academic papers sounds like the worst thing right now. 

I'm also running low on funds since I went out of town for spring break and now I'm missing a whole day at two of my jobs. Being sick was bad enough when I was a kid, but then I got to miss school with no consequences and just watch America's Next Top Model in peace. Now I'm working on assignments and stressfully watching 30 Rock. 

All I can say you guys is don't go get sick from whatever strain of strep this is that's going around. Drink some Emergen-C, eat your vegetables, and wash your hands as much as possible! I'll be over here struggling to swallow water and forcing myself to stay within the recommended doe of ibuprofen. 

Week 10 Story: To Save a Prince

There once was a good, strong king who loved his people more than himself. He spent every waking moment trying to protect and improve the lives of his subjects, and even in his sleep he was tormented by images of the poor and forgotten. 

The king had two sons. He assumed that they would follow the example he had set before them to become good, strong leaders. However, as the two grew older, the king feared he should have been more direct with his sons rather than merely hoping they would follow in his footsteps. 

Instead, his oldest, Louis, cared for nothing except women, hunting, and himself. His younger son, Francis, was perhaps less selfish and did care for the kingdom's people, but he was still more concerned with being king than helping them as someone with a lesser title. 

One day when the king was in his office, looking over agricultural reports, a messenger ran into the office unannounced. 

"Your Highness, the princes have been abducted! They are being held hostage by a water-sprite who will negotiate with no one but you."

Without hesitation, the king sprang into action. After saddling his horse and riding off, it wasn't long until he had followed the river to a cave with a beautiful water-sprite standing guard.

Lakshmi, Goddess of Wealth
Source: Wikimedia

"Welcome, king. Please, join me for a cup of the freshest, cleanest water you have ever tasted. There is no need to rush. Your sons are safe."

Once the king descended from his steed, the water sprite sprinkled water around the beast so that he could freely graze, but could not cross the barrier she had marked. The water-sprite then motioned for the king to sit on a smoothed rock, weathered to take the shape of a chair. She handed him a cup of water and the king was amazed by its crisp, clear taste, more delicious than the finest wine. 

"King, I have happily watched your reign from afar. You are kind and just. But your sons have failed you. I caught them near my river dueling. It turns out the youngest lured his older brother out here so that he could kill him and be king. I do not understand how a brother could take the life of another, but these two are the future of the kingdom."

"Yes, while the oldest is owed the kingship by his birthright, the other claims it by his talent and wit."

"King, you are wise and fair. Therefore, I will give you a gift: the gift of opportunity. You know, birthright or no, who should be king. So, you may choose who to save. Whoever is left, I will wash away his memories and he will be free to start a new life."

How could the king choose a son to save? How could he lose a son, even if it was best for the nation?

"May I have time to think about it?" he asked. 

"It is decision time, king. You must choose now."

Louis was chosen due the kingship by his privilege of being born first, but cursed with a selfishness beyond the good king's understanding. Francis was blessed with kindness towards the kingdom's subjects, but he was willing to kill his own brother merely for the title of king. Was either of them truly deserving of being granted great power?

"I have always acted in the best interests of my people and I will not stop now because my sons have chosen a life of violence and evil. I will find a king who is worthy of such power."

"You wish both of your sons to be sent out into the world without any memory of their past lives?"

The king knew he could not keep his sons and do right by the kingdom, but he still loved his children. "Yes, but could you grant me one request?"

The water-sprite nodded solemnly. 

"Can you allow them to remember they are brothers and their happiest moments together?"

"For you king, I shall."

And so the king took his horse and began his ride back to the castle. It was time to find a new king. 

Author's Note: This is based off the story of the Princes and the Water-Spite. However, instead of the eldest brother choosing between his middle or youngest brother to save from the water-sprite, the king must choose who he wants to succeed him. In the original story, the oldest bother chooses to save the youngest even though he was trying to kill his older brothers and the water-sprite says that was the kind choice. In my story, he chooses neither because he knows neither would be a good king. 

Jataka Tales by Ellen Babbitt. (1912)

Reading Notes: Jatakas Tales, Part B

I liked the story of the Princes and the Water-Sprite, but I also had to reread it several times and still didn't understand it.

Image of cave.
Source: flickr

When asked which brother the eldest wants to save, he says the younger one because it's due to him their father sent them away, he couldn't go with the middle brother and leave the youngest. What?? The middle brother is innocent and was forced to leave his home because the king feared for his life because of his own mother! Why should he be left to die in that cave? And the water-sprite says that's the kind, good answer? How does that make any sense? Maybe I'm just missing something obvious, but I don't believe that this answer was good at all. I think an equally bizarre answer but more kind would be to say he won't take either so that they can keep each other company and neither has to be alone. While an equally terrible situation, this at least doesn't punish innocent people in the same way. Although I think the best answer is to save the middle brother since he did nothing wrong.

Jataka Tales by Ellen Babbitt. (1912)