Storybook research

So I decided to look further into Nala Damayanti. It is related to the Hindu story of Nal and Damayanti, so I looked further into it. It is very close to Nala Damayanti.They both contain themes of love, deceit, and war. Nal and Damayanti were destined to struggle as a couple. While Nal was a great ruler and a high intellect, their kingdom was attacked by four planets and destroyed their wealth. They fought for happiness and their kingdom.

Their story is also related to Odysseus and Penelope's relationship. It is a subsection of Homer's Odyssey. Penelope waited 20 years for her husband's return, despite 108 possible suitors. She is a symbol of fidelity because of this long Chasity.

These two stories relate to Nala Damayanti. I wonder how their love despite the circumstances would interact with a family of lesser circumstances. I like how it has been redone and influenced other stories I am familiar with so I could place it in another region of the world. Also, King Nala lost everything in a gambling match. I could use this failure and transform it into a more modern turn and talk about their struggles they overcome. Addiction is a struggle millions struggle with and this story captures it.

Nala Damayanti

Feedback Strategies: growing with criticism

Growing with Criticism

Why Do So Many Managers Avoid Giving Praise? 

This was an interesting article. The managers they interviewed hated giving positive criticism or praise. They only wanted to do their job and make sure everything was right. I understand that. Every job I have had, I have sat in a limbo where I have not been told I am not doing anything terrible, but I don't know if its exceptional. Its so sad that people are scared to be nice because they don't to single someone out or make the relationship between manager and subordinate different. I hold an office on campus and after reading this, I will work hard to give praise because what we do is volunteer and I might as well boost people for doing something they don't even have to. I don't know if I have done this, because I have never consciously felt the fear some managers described, but I hope I have not. Praise makes everyone feel better, even you.

Five Reasons to Stop Saying "Good Job!

So, I didn't like this article. I know people worked hard to find this information, but it goes against what is taught in almost any psychology class. Also, it is so pessimistic of the world. We should tell good job for the little victories, so the giant failures do not seem as harsh. Also, not every parenting trick is going to screw a child up when they are a toddler. Is the later emotional development that really is make or break. Also, their citations are questionable. In academia, the University of Northern Iowa is not held in high esteem, and they only had one other citation. Thus, I'm going to continue saying good job to children when they learn something new in a scary world where they are trying new things they don't know how to do when they do them right. 

How I feel about the articles

Topic Research:

The Avatars of Vishnu

So Rama, who I have been reading about is a avatar of Vishnu, so that is interesting. Then there are also other avatars. Vishnu descends to restore cosmic order. I looked to see the first 10 avatars, Dashavatara. It is interesting to me that Rama is the 7th. Also, the different forms he takes are interesting. His first avatar is a fish, and the second is a tortoise. I love how other animals can save the world and the focus is not only on humans, but on every living thing. This balance would interesting to write about with how there are so many endangered animals today. I could rewrite the story of an avatar in modern times with modern themes.

Vishnu and his Avatars

Women of the Ramayana

There are many women with many degrees of involvement in the Ramayana, from Sita to her sister in- law Urmila, and even women in the monkey world. Their involvement is vital to the story, and sometimes they do the pivotal acts. I am very interest in Sita's story since i have read so much about her thus far. She is a very powerful woman, and I wonder how her story would be like if she had more focus as an individual, not a wife. She has a very sad story because she was sent away for becoming pregnant. Her purity was question, despite holding true to Rama many times. I would like to explore this more. 

Sage and Gurus

The sages and Gurus are interesting. They are very influential to any story they are in because the power they hold. They are more than teachers, they mold everyone they interact with into better people, unlike the "gurus" of modern life. Vishvamitra is a very interesting one. His interactions in Ramayana are wise, and he allows him to succeed.  There are so many stories I could write about a sage, specifically Vsihvamitra. He is not only involved in Ramayana, but other epics as well. I like the idea of him guiding and avatar, but I want to know more about other sages first.

Week 3 Story: Monarch Butterflies

The Monarch Butterflies and the Caterpillar

Every year monarch butterflies fly south to Mexico to escape the cold. Hundreds of thousands of orange butterflies fly together. It is an event people come and watch every year. Two of them wanted to bring one of their friends, the caterpillar, along because he could not fly yet. They were scared he would not survive the winter because he could not fly away.

They called to the caterpillar asking him to come along. They devised a plan that the caterpillar could hold onto a leaf as the butterflies carried them to Mexico. So they asked, "Hello Caterpillar, do you want to come back to us to Mexico? It is beautiful and warm there. You will definitely survive the winter there."

"How can you bring me along,? I cannot fly" the caterpillar asked.

The butterflies replied, "You will hold onto a leaf we will carry all the way there, but you cannot let go to wave to the children who wave to butterflies."

So when it was time to leave, the butterflies started to carry the caterpillar to Mexico. The journey was long, so the caterpillar had to hold on for a long time. Eventually, they passed a group of tourists who were watching the butterflies make their travels to Mexico. A young girl decided to wave at the butterflies, and the caterpillar saw, got excited, and let go and waved back. He then fell off the leaf down to the ground.

The butterflies flew on sad because their friend could just not wave.

Monarch Butterfly

Author's Note

The story, The Turtle Who Couldn't Stop Talking, is a very sad story. The original story is about a two geese who befriended a turtle and wanted to bring him home, but turtles cant fly. So to get around this, the turtle had to close his mouth around a stick while the geese carried him. But, the turtle opened his mouth to talk, so he fell. I changed the story to different animals and a different event. It made the story more happy, while retaining the moral of the story. 

Bibliography:

The Turtle Who Couldn't Stop Talking Jataka Tales, Ellen C. Babbit 1912

Ramanaya Part B

Ramanaya

Rama's brother, Bharata, was away from home when his brother was exiled and his brother died. He was supposed to be King, but vowed to not take the throne and to look for his brother, so he could return. However, first he had to tend to his dad's funeral. Then, he went into the forest and found his brother, begging him to return. He even offered to switch places for the 14 years and gave him sandals that were symbols of royal authority.  

While Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana met many sages when they were in the forest. Sita shared the story of her birth to the wife of the sage Atri, Anasuya. Her dad found her when her was ploughing, on the ground. The next time they meet a sage, Agastya, he receives weapons from him. 

Sita was abducted by the demon, Viradha. He cannot be wounded by a sharp weapon so it is hard to kill him. Rama and Lakshmana battled him to save Sita. Rama and Viradha's story had been connected since Viradha was cursed.

A rakshasa woman, Shurpanakha, and the sister of Ravana wanted to seduce Rama. She tried to persuade Rama to leave Sita, but Rama suggested she pursue Lakshmana because he was single. She then went to Lakshmana, but he jested with her. However, she did not like being rejected, and attacked Sita. Lakshmana protect Sita and cut off Shurpanakha's nose and ears.  She went home and told her brother about what happened. This interaction led to another fight between Khara and Rama. Khara wanted to fight for his sister and avenge his brother's death. Rama won when he drew his bow and shot a blazing arrow. Shurpanakha then went to her other brother, Ravana, the King of Lanka. 

He sought help to take on Rama by asking Maricha's help. They enchant Sita with by Maricha disguising himself as a golden deer. She asks Rama to get the deer for her. Rama shot the deer, killing it, but realized it was Maricha after he called out in an imitation of his voice. Lakshmana and Sita heard the imitation of Rama and thought he might have been slain. Ravana changed his shape to a sage of the forest to get close to Sita. Lakshmana had left the hermitage they were staying at. He changed into the shape of a demon and stole Sita. The bird Jatayu tried desperately to stop Ravana from taking Sita. She dropped her jewelry as a path for Rama to find her. However, Brahma was happy because he foresaw Ravana's death. Ravana brought Sita back with him to Lanka. He tried to seduce her because he wanted her as a wife, but she refused. 

Lakshmana found Rama and they rushed back to their hut, but returned to find Sita was gone. They learned from Jatayu that they had headed south. Rama and Lakshmana head towards Lanka and meet another rakshasa, Kabandha. He bade them burn his body so he could leave his rakshasa form. He promised information regarding Sita. He told them where she was and that Ravana held her. On their way there, they found a hermitage and a woman named Shabari who was waiting for their arrival. It was part of her destiny that he was coming and she asked him to perform her funeral rites. 

The Shri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Temple

Bibliography

Ramayana Online: Public Domain Edition 

Ramayana part A

Ramayana part A

King Dasharatha was the King of the Solar Dynasty and lived in Ayodhya. He had a brother who was the king of the Videha Kingdom and lived in Mithila. Dasharatha was of the solar race and lived in a stronghold with 1,000 soldiers. He also had eight sage counselors and two family priests. He had a great life, except that none of his wives had given birth to son. He has a horse sacrifice to have a a son and the gods promised him four sons: Sumitra had twins, Kaushalya had Rama, and Kaikeyi had Bharata. 

There was drama in Dasharatha's kingdom and in the heavens. The God Vishni came to Earth as Rama, Dasharatha's son, to defeat Ravana because he could not be killed by man or monkey. 

When the Princes grow up a great sage visits them. He asks them to take on demons in battle who are disrupting the sages's and the priests. Rama battles for the first time with the heavens on his side. He fought Thatanka, the mother of Maricha, He was hesitant to defeat her but when she became invisible, he struck her with an arrow, killing her. He then used his celestial weapons to defeat Maricha. 

Rama asked about an abandoned hermitage and he was told a story about Ahalya and the sage Gautama. Their stories are connected to his own. The God Indra fell in love with Ahalya and dress as her husband so he could sleep with her. When her husband found out, he cursed her to become invisible. When Rama shows up, Ahalya is freed from the curse. 

Rama falls in love with the avatar of the God Lakshmi, Sita. Rama and his brother left the without the hermits consent to see the city of Vishvamitra, and met the kings daughter, Sita. They saw each other and immediately connected. Her dad set out a challenge to any man who wanted to marry his daughter--the potential suitor had to bend the bow of the god Shiva. Rama was able to bend  the bow (breaking it)and was then able to marry Sita. A hermit was suspicious of Rama and had him draw the bow of Vishnu. The strings were loose before, but when Rama held them they became taught.  

Because they had proved themselves, Rama and his brothers all had a wedding to their respective brides. 

Dasharatha needed a son to carry on the Solar race, but now he had four and he had to choose from them. Rama was the obvious choice because he was so qualified. But, Kaikeyi, the King's youngest wife despised Rama because of the influence of Manthara. She demanded that her husband exiled Rama and made her son, Bharata, king. Dasharatha agreed reluctantly. 

Rama followed his father's orders to be exiled for 14 years. He tries to go alone, but his wife and brother, Lakshamana, go too. They leave their home and go to the forest. 

While Rama was in exile, his father dies. He remembers long ago he was cursed to lose a son in an accident. None of his sons are there when he dies.

Raymayana and his wives

Bibliography: 

Public Domain Edition 

Week three Reading Extra Credit: The Sons of Rama

The Sons of Rama

So Rama forces his brother to take Sita away, even though she is pregnant. She is scared of being left alone, and that is completely understandable. Her husband sent her away, and she is about to have twins. She is taken in by the Sage,Valmiki, who educates her twin sons, Luv and Kush, of their father and his accomplishments. As the boys grow up, it is not revealed to them that Rama is their biological dad.

Meanwhile, Rama is back in Ayodhya, and prepares the Royal sacrifice of the Horse-Sacrifice. He uses a golden statue to take the place of his wife. The horse escapes and Luv and Kush capture it. They defeat their uncle, the same man who sent their mother away and some of his other supporters.

After the boys prove themselves, their true identity is revealed to Rama, and he faints when he realizes that their mother is Sita, so he is their father. Valmiki explains the situation to the two parties, but Sita refuses to return and seeks refuge with her mother, Bhumi, the Earth Goddess.

This story is interesting because the amount of twists in the story. Also, I would like to know about the background because every person involved has their own story separate to this one.

The Sons of Rama

Bibliography
The Sons of Rama by Anant Pai