Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Reading Diary: Life of Buddha Week 11

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  • Nothing like a nice Spring night dream about six-tusked elephants coming down from the sky.
  • Disquietude sounds like it's either not a real word, or that it is contemporary slang.
  • I don't know about Maya, but I would probably seek another sort of help if I were continually having nightmares about flying elephants.
  • Palanquins are the things that they carry around royalty in. They have at four people to put the wooden planks on their shoulders.
  • Baby Siddhartha is greeted by the world in absolute blissfulness.
  • The brahman;s sang, which I felt was not something common to many brahmans.
  • Asita is apparently a person of many austerities, which is pleasing to the gods. The only reason I know the word Austere is because of the Series of Unfortunate Events books. So the gods find the hermit Asita appealing because of his stern demeanor. He's not one of those hippie hermits
  • Siddhartha is seen by the King as an award for his deeds. However, I think the king misunderstands this in that Siddhartha is clearly a gift for all of the world.
  • I think it's interesting that Buddha is incorporated into Hinduism in some cultures. He is incorporated as an avatar of Vishnu.
  • I think it's strange that Siddhartha's presence caused so many prosperous things to happen to the king so directly. I never interpreted Buddha as a lucky charm as person, although I know many people use icons and statuettes of him to wish good luck.
  • That is such a cop out ending to Maya's life. The joy of childbirth was "too sweet" for Maya. I don't think that has been said by anyone ever. Maya only met the gleeful reaction of baby Buddha, but never (on earth, at least) saw what he would become.
  •  If there was ever any doubt, Siddhartha's life has definite divine important after seeing holy statues come to life to kneel at his feet. The song they sang is interesting because it implies that Siddhartha is greater than the gods that have fallen before him. That would be a lot to swallow as a young man.
  • What a cool tie-in to the Ramayana.. Visvamitra, the original mentor to Rama was also the same to young Siddhartha. I don't know the supposed tim-line, but I wonder if one knew about the other?
  • The four sights mark an important time where young Buddha is finally able to go out unto the world.
  • I can already tell what I would like to write about in my short story: The Four Sights that inspired Buddha to go on his divine journey.
  • I think it's interesting that Siddhartha had a wife. I didn't know much of this story before, but I totally expected him to have been a hermit without any interest in marriage or intimate relationships.
  • I think one of the most interesting things about this passage is how Siddhartha never settles for the spiritual explanations of his elders. He uses the weaknesses of their points to seek enlightenment.
  • The Siddhartha the Hermit chapter answered most of my previous questions. I had totally forgotten that he does not go on his hermitage until later in life. He has all of the reasons that a normal hermit would for going on such a quest, but he seems like he is being truthful to it.
  • I know that Siddhartha is important to the royal family, but they must know he has much more important things to do to the world than just stay there with them. One should have offered to go with them like Rama's brother.
  • Ascetic: characterized by practice of severe discipline to self and abstention from all forms of indulgence
  • I was fairly convinced that I would write about the Four Sights, but Buddha's thooughts while sitting underneath the Bodhi Tree could be really fun to do as well. AND finally I actually know of one scene from this story -- sitting down under the Bodhi tree with the legs being crossed is so iconic.

  • I thought to include more note, but honestly I had already written so much that I felt the notes would be too tasking to read anyway. I wish I better utillized the brevity of some of the Reading Diaries done earlier.

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