Answer TWO of
the following:
Q1: What makes
Rama a unique hero, even more so than Gilgamesh? Both are somewhat divine, but
how does Rama’s origin make him unique among Western heroes—and difficult to
translate into our world/stories? Is it even fair to call him a hero given his
unusual pedigree?
Q2: On page 16,
Ganga explains to Rama that “Even after the participants have vanished, every
inch of earth still retains the impress of all that has gone before. We attain
a full understanding only when we are aware of the divine and other
associations of every piece of ground we tread on.” Why is this quote
significant in this work—and for what you might know of Indian/Hindu culture in
general?
Q3: The Ramayana places a strong emphasis on
duty or dharma, which can be
translated as “the essential order of things, an integrity and harmony in the
universe and in the affairs of life that cannot be disturbed without courting
chaos. Thus it means rightness, justice, goodness, purpose” (Easwaran). Part of
dharma is doing one’s duty and keeping’s one word at all costs. How does the
story (so far) dramatize the struggle of doing one’s duty and obeying one’s
station in life, even when to do so might otherwise seem ‘wrong’? Why is this
notion of duty particularly tricky for Western readers?
Q4: Another
often-translated Hindu concept is that of karma,
which “can be translated as deed or action. The law of karma states that every
event it both a cause and an effect. Every act has consequences…and every act,
every karma, is also the consequence of some previous karma” (Easwaran).
Related to question 3, how does the work dramatize the concept of karma in
action? What characters are punished or rewarded according to their karma? Why
might this, too, be a difficult concept for Western readers to grasp or
appreciate?
Q1: Rama is a unique hero because he is just learning how to be a hero. He is learning as he goes along this journey. He also does not have any real experience. Rama comes from, more or less, two human parents. He only learns how to become a warrior and fighter through lessons and training. He was not born with the nature and ability to fight. Rama is different from all the other heroes because of his relation to humans. He has no natural born ability, so he must work hard to be a warrior. I believe Rama must earn his label as a hero. Once he has proven he is worthy, which he does, then he can be called a true hero.
ReplyDeleteQ2: This quote explains the Indian cultures connection with the environment around them. It is saying, even after all the humans have left, the world and environment is still there, impressive as ever. They trust in the divine nature of the earth and atmosphere more than they trust in the gods. They turn to meditating within oneself, rather then turning to asking the gods for help, like in Gilgamesh. Meditation and the earth is extremely important to this Indian Epic.
Q1: Rama is a unique hero because he is potrayed as perfect in all ways. Most heroes have a weakness or faults that make them somewhat human-like and relatable to us, but in the intro it says he is the perfect man, "posessing strength, aware of obligations, truthful in an absolute way, firm in the execution of vows, compassionate, learned, attractive, self-posessed, powerful, free from anger and envy but terror-striking when roused..." His actions are clear- cut unlike Gilgamesh (could most likely be from things being lost in translation...) but nonetheless he seems much more perfect than usual heroes. I think it's fair to call him a hero even though he's a really a god reincarnate, because he's pretty much mortal now.
ReplyDeleteQ3: The story dramatizes dharma when Sita threatens to immolate herself if Rama failed his "impossible" archery test her father set for him in order to win her hand in marriage. It also makes sure to note that after he lets go of the arrow that the gods showered down flowers and blessings, that clouds parted and rained, and that oceans tossed into the air. She keeps threatening to kill herself if things don't go her way, which as readers we know, are actually the way it is supposed to be.
Q1: Rama is a unique hero in that he is devoted to doing good. He absolutely has no naturally character flaws as we have noticed so far, and I believe this is because he is an incarnation of Vishnu. Rama is a hero that wants nothing more than for people to be good, and for the world to be rid of evil, and I think that is something that we didn’t see in Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh fought for glory and honor and power, but Rama seems to fight for the good of the world, even hesitating to fight a monster because she was once a woman.
ReplyDeleteQ2: This quote is significant because it helps solidify the concept of reincarnation. Everything that you do leaves an impression on the earth, and everything that everybody has ever done does the same. No matter what you do, the world won’t forget it, and I think that is something that was meant to be remembered and kept in mind whenever somebody was making decisions and trying to move up through Karma.
Q1: While Gilgamesh and Rama are both divine beings to some degree, the difference between them is that Rama is both fully god and fully human. Although this is not an entirely new concept to Western culture (Jesus is described to exist in a similar state of being), Westerners might find Rama's apparent perfection a bit strange. While most heroes are flawed in some form, Rama evidently lacks these flaws. This almost makes Rama transcend hero status as a godly figure. The main thing that keeps him grounded, however, is a very human sense of morality. He doesn't fight for the thrill of the hunt or the honor it might bring him, as Gilgamesh did.
ReplyDeleteQ2: I think that Ganga's point is that Rama (and people in general) need to respect the history of a place, because wisdom can be found in understanding that every corner of the earth has been blessed with a rich history. The perception of one person is very limited due to the short and fleeting nature of life, so we look to the past to help define the nature of life and the universe.
Q1 Rama is still a child, so it makes the stories quite different. Whereas Rama is still learning how to experience life as he grows, Gilgamesh is already at the age of a man and has experienced these things. Gilgamesh has gone to war before Rama. Another difference is their heritage, Rama being fully God and fully human whereas Gilgamesh is not. That is what makes it harder for us to consider him a hero. He isn't a demigod, so he wont make as many mistakes. He's fully God, but also fully Human.
ReplyDeleteQ2: I find this quote significant because the history of a place means a lot. It helps people to understand different things. Such as, if someone was Jewish and lived through the Holocaust, they don't want really want to go back to Germany. If we didn't know our history, we wouldn't be able to help people. Nor would we understand the land on which we stand. As for how this quote pertains to the book, it helps to show wisdom to know the history of a place. I don't really know much about Hindu/Buddist culture but I think it would help so that way the Hindu/Buddists look past their own selfishness need of creating their own history, to see the history around them and the impact your actions make.