This week, I found this cool video about sacred trees in India in the stream. It talks about all kinds of different tress and their place in the culture. As someone who really likes plants, this was just neat to watch.
Wow I love the idea of sacred trees! There's a book series I love by the author, Libba Bray. In that story, there is a tree from which all the power emanates for this magical land. However, someone must live in/give their life up to the tree and control its power. So if a good person in the tree, the tree's power will be used for good. This has really gotten my creative gears turning thinking about how I could use the concept of mystical/sacred trees in my own writing for the course!
Arjuna The main focus of this reading was a large gambling match. It was actually awful to read how carried away they got with the betting. Yudhistira bet away their entire kingdom and even his brothers and wife. Then, the old king took pity and gave it all back, but what did Yudhistira do? He bet again and he and his four brothers were exiled. While exiled, Arjuna acquires a bunch of divine weapons, but also becomes a eunuch. Bibliography: Title: The Mahabharata: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic Author: R. K. Narayan Year: 1978 Link
The first reading this week pulled me much deeper into the Ramayana, and I particularly enjoyed the story of Sampathi. As the great army searching for Sita came to an ocean after their one moth deadline had passed, they felt defeated. Hearing the people mention his brother, Jatayu, Sampathi appears to the men. They have come to the place where he fell after being burned by the sun god. Upon hearing Rama's name, the great bird is restored to his former glory and tells the men that he saw Ravana carry Sita to Lanka, across the sea before them. Sampathi Title : The Ramayana: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic Author : Kamban / R. K. Narayan Year : 1972
King Sakara sat atop his throne, surveying the lofty view of his kingdom. At the top of the palace, one could see the horizon curve and the land give way to the sky, yet the edges of Sakara's domain were further still. Sitting now in quiet contemplation, he had a pleasant view of the sun setting over his lands. While the last rays of light were fading, Sakara wished for them to stay, and keep his kingdom shining so beautifully. Suddenly the king sat upright, a smile on his face. The light would always shine on his kingdom if only the whole earth were his. Calling his many sons together, King Sakara set forth a plan to complete the ritual of aswamedha. Sakara would then become the true king of all the lands. Hearing this, the gods grew fearful of one man ruling all of earth, no matter his purpose. When the ritual commenced, the great god Indra descended from heaven and stole the sacrificial horse. He descended deep into the underworld and released the beast. Outr...
Wow I love the idea of sacred trees! There's a book series I love by the author, Libba Bray. In that story, there is a tree from which all the power emanates for this magical land. However, someone must live in/give their life up to the tree and control its power. So if a good person in the tree, the tree's power will be used for good. This has really gotten my creative gears turning thinking about how I could use the concept of mystical/sacred trees in my own writing for the course!
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