1- Creation myths (Samudra Manthan)
Creation myths fascinate me, because I think it's one of the fundamental questions humanity will always wonder about and try to answer. My experience with creation myths comes from a very Christian slant, so I'm curious to learn more about the Hindu perspective, but I'm not really building off any prior knowledge. I chose this story because I read a storybook earlier about the Golden Egg, and wanted to read a different one. This legend at first read-through doesn't make a ton of sense, but I am intrigued to read a more in-depth version than the Wikipedia summary, and I do think delving more into Creation stories would be really interesting.
2- Reincarnation (Nalayani, the past life of Draupadi)
The concept of reincarnation I find really interesting to think about-- I don't believe in it, but it is fun to explore the "what ifs" associated with it, and I think the perspective of a culture that does actively believe in it would be fun to immerse myself in. The Reincarnation story I read about Nalayani was interesting, because it seemed at first to be very hedonistic, but then she ended up rejecting the wordly pleasures, and yet was repeatedly given them in different lives. It was also interesting how the Great Lord Rudra seemed so insistent that she have 5 husbands, because he posed it as a reward, providing her with beauty, fortune, and pleasure, but also as a punishment for her asking for a husband so many times. I would definitely be interested in reading more stories with reincarnation featured in them, but also in getting more detail as to what the actual beliefs surrounding how it works are, such as with Nirvana.
3- Dharma (Sita, the ideal mother)
Dharma is something I've already noticed as a recurring concept in the readings I've done for this class so far. It further piqued my interest when I read more about what it was-- I hadn't realized it was such a difficult concept to translate and still capture it in its entirety. The fact that it also has an antonym, adharma, is interesting as well, and not something I've come across so far. The story I read personified Dharma, and now I'm curious as to if this personification was just the portrayal in this story, or if Dharma can be spoken about like one of the gods, or how it fits into the other definition of Dharma I read. I also enjoyed the story as learning more about Sita from her perspective, but the concept of Dharma is what I'd like to read more about.
4- Jataka Tales (Jatakas, Panchatantra, and Other Fables)
At first I thought this would be the topic I was least interested in of the four, but after reading more about what the Tales do I was a lot more intrigued. I think it's interesting how the Buddha is present in some way in each one, and I feel like it's an interesting exploration into virtues. It's a cool way to present different virtues, and I feel as though I would learn a lot about what Hindu values and teaches through that exploration. I'm not sure what I would want to do for a retelling of them, but they are interesting to think about.
Creation myths fascinate me, because I think it's one of the fundamental questions humanity will always wonder about and try to answer. My experience with creation myths comes from a very Christian slant, so I'm curious to learn more about the Hindu perspective, but I'm not really building off any prior knowledge. I chose this story because I read a storybook earlier about the Golden Egg, and wanted to read a different one. This legend at first read-through doesn't make a ton of sense, but I am intrigued to read a more in-depth version than the Wikipedia summary, and I do think delving more into Creation stories would be really interesting.
2- Reincarnation (Nalayani, the past life of Draupadi)
The concept of reincarnation I find really interesting to think about-- I don't believe in it, but it is fun to explore the "what ifs" associated with it, and I think the perspective of a culture that does actively believe in it would be fun to immerse myself in. The Reincarnation story I read about Nalayani was interesting, because it seemed at first to be very hedonistic, but then she ended up rejecting the wordly pleasures, and yet was repeatedly given them in different lives. It was also interesting how the Great Lord Rudra seemed so insistent that she have 5 husbands, because he posed it as a reward, providing her with beauty, fortune, and pleasure, but also as a punishment for her asking for a husband so many times. I would definitely be interested in reading more stories with reincarnation featured in them, but also in getting more detail as to what the actual beliefs surrounding how it works are, such as with Nirvana.
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| Reincarnation (Source) |
3- Dharma (Sita, the ideal mother)
Dharma is something I've already noticed as a recurring concept in the readings I've done for this class so far. It further piqued my interest when I read more about what it was-- I hadn't realized it was such a difficult concept to translate and still capture it in its entirety. The fact that it also has an antonym, adharma, is interesting as well, and not something I've come across so far. The story I read personified Dharma, and now I'm curious as to if this personification was just the portrayal in this story, or if Dharma can be spoken about like one of the gods, or how it fits into the other definition of Dharma I read. I also enjoyed the story as learning more about Sita from her perspective, but the concept of Dharma is what I'd like to read more about.
4- Jataka Tales (Jatakas, Panchatantra, and Other Fables)
At first I thought this would be the topic I was least interested in of the four, but after reading more about what the Tales do I was a lot more intrigued. I think it's interesting how the Buddha is present in some way in each one, and I feel like it's an interesting exploration into virtues. It's a cool way to present different virtues, and I feel as though I would learn a lot about what Hindu values and teaches through that exploration. I'm not sure what I would want to do for a retelling of them, but they are interesting to think about.
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