The Broom Tree

Within the story of “The Tale of Genji” in chapter two titled “The Broom Tree” the focus of discussion weighs heavily on women from Genji’s, Chujo’s, a guard’s officer, and a functionary in the ministry of rites point of view. They mention everything from what they personally look for in a wife from rank, beauty, behavior and even qualifications they should have.

The humorous part of the story to me is that it reminded me of a bunch of women talking about men. Trying to see if there was a specific way to tell if a man would make a great husband, father and provider or not.  Yet as men they seemed more concerned about the qualifications of running their home, as mentioned, “But when it comes to choosing the woman who is to be in charge of your house, the qualifications are altogether too many.” This idea of a woman running a home is mentioned several times in the story.

Furthermore they all go back and forth on which rank of women is better than another, from high to low class. Yet they all seem to desire a few things in common a “beautiful and charming woman, one that does not require shaping or training, yet soft and feminine with this combination all tied into one person.” That seemed a little unrealistic to desire such a combination in one woman but not impossible to find. However, I believe the chances of finding such a woman are entirely narrowed down to slim pickings. There is another part of their discussion that really bothered me, it focused on what they believed to be ideals of how a woman should behave to keep a man interested so he would stay around or stay “faithful” meaning that he would return more frequently with visits than not.

Some of their perspective are mentioned such as, “If she is a jealous type you may remember her or may lose interest over time, if is she is skilled but not skilled enough she may not be of good use, if she lacks jealousy she may have another man on the side which over time one would lose interest in her, if she’s stubborn, she may keep one’s interest for a while but if too stubborn one may go the other way.” It’s amazing to me that even over time men truly still think this way. They may not actually come out and say it but they definitely think it.

It reminds of playing the “field” in today’s dating world. Through the crazy dance of dating many people at the same time, to then only narrow it down to “THE ONE.” Searching for that one fictitious person that you created in your mind possibly from the time you were a young child, the so called “perfect person.” This man or woman that has all of the qualities that one might be looking for intertwined with other ideas that seem to be perfect for you. However there is a problem with this idealistic search for “perfection” in one person, it doesn’t exist except for in movies. Unfortunately when this “perfect” mate/companion doesn’t come along, there is great sadness and remorse and then the idea of “settling” crosses one’s mind. This is what I call more realistic. It’s not a matter really settling, it’s more of a matter of not putting unrealistic expectation on just one person. Not expecting “perfection” but learning to accept flaws for what they are and learning to appreciate them. Not criticize them. This is part of the beauty of being human. There are no two souls alike.

As I mention this realistic and nonrealistic point of view it brings me back to the end of the chapter where Genji gets tired of “playing” the game and chasing this ideal woman. During his pursuit he used this woman’s younger brother as a messenger boy. He would run back and forth as they would exchange words with each other. Yet, over time Genji became found of this young boy (Her brother)and grew to know and like him. Once Genji got tired of the constant rejection, stubbornness and "chase", Genji ended up settling for her younger brother. (“Well, you at least must not abandon me.” Genji pulled the boy down beside him. The boy was delighted; such were Genji’s youthful charms. Genji, for his part or so one is informed, found the boy more attractive than his chilling sister.”)

Maybe this is why many men from that error had many mistresses. They kept looking for the "one" woman, however, could not find complete happiness with just one, so instead of learning to love just one and be with one person, they tried to fulfill their voids with multiple women, maybe hoping this would create wholeness within their self.

Bhagavad-Gita

“Bhagavad-Gita (Song of the Lord) is considered the great scriptures of the Hindus and the Indian text most familiar to the west.”  The Bible is considered the great scriptures of many religions. The Christians use the Old and New Testament. Jews use the Old Testament and Muslims use the Old Testament with some consideration of the New Testament in their religion.

After reading parts of the Bhagavad-Gita I find some similarities to the Bible with more specifics in the Old Testament in the book of Proverbs. I’m not saying they are exact but similar in the sense of wisdom, discipline and knowledge.

Here are a few that I found very interesting in the Bhagavad-Gita that I will not be pairing with the bible but I will be sharing as to allow one’s own intellect to interpret their own thoughts and feelings on the verses.

“Be intent on action, not on the fruits of action; avoid attraction to the fruits and attachment to inaction! Perform actions, firm in discipline, relinquishing attachment; be impartial to failure and success- this equanimity is called discipline.” (Bhagavad-Gita: From the second teaching: line 47-48)

“When he gives up desires in his mind, is content with the self within himself, then he is said to be a man whose insight is sure, Arjuna.” (Bhagavad-Gita: From the second teaching: line 56)

“Gluttons have no discipline, nor the man who starves himself nor he who sleeps excessively or suffers wakefulness.” When a man disciplines his diet and diversions, his physical actions, his sleeping and waking, discipline destroys his sorrow.” (Bhagavad-Gita: From the sixth teaching: line 16-17)

“He who sees me everywhere and see everything in me will not be lost to me, and I will not be lost to him. I exist in all creatures, so the disciplined man devoted to me grasps the oneness of life; wherever he is, he is in me.” (Bhagavad-Gita: From the sixth teaching: line 30-31)

I find that there are many versus that I love from the bible and find it extremely complicated to narrow down my selection so I found more that I felt were very similar to the Bhagavad-Gita’s sayings.

Laziness brings on deep sleep, and the shiftless man goes hungry. (Proverbs 19:15 NIV.)

Do not love sleep or you will grow poor; stay awake and you will have food to spare. (Proverbs 20:13 NIV.)

He who pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor. (Proverbs 21:21 NIV.)

Pay attention and listen to the sayings of the wise; apply your heart to what I teach, for it is pleasing when you keep them in your heart and have all of them ready on your lips. So that your trust may be in the Lord, I teach you today, even you. Have I not written thirty sayings for you, sayings of counsel and knowledge, teaching you true and reliable words, so that you can give sound answers to him who sent you? (Proverbs 22:17-21 NIV.)

The word “Religion”, I find rather interesting because it’s the one word that seems to divide all, yet when you look at the core of it all, we seem to desire similar things. To know our God, to seek him and to learn and become more like him!

Thoughts

There are many factors in my life that I consider important and that I know I take major advantage of, one of them is being able to love my God the way I desire. I am not forced to become nor partake in specific religions because of the country that I live in. I am able to love and proudly proclaim my love for Jesus Christ and to tell the world what he means to me without persecution from the government.

Many other factors that are important to me and that I know I take for granted is that I’m a woman that lives in the United States of America; with that comes freedom of speech, the ability to work if I desire, bare arms, I can further my education if desired, I can own property, I can vote, I can marry if decide to, I can be independent without depending on others if I want to, I can own my own company, I have the freedom to express my sexuality however I choose. Of course with all of these freedoms there are some consequences that may come into play. However, they are still my decisions and I’m not being told what to do.

Many of the stories that I’ve read for my world literature class are from the beginning of time. It’s rather obvious that the women back then did not have the same freedoms that I do today. With that said, I can only say, I’m extremely thankful to be a woman of the present and not of the past. I fear that if I ever were forced to go back in time, I would be beheaded for my stubborn, independent, strong willed ways!!!

"Sakuntala and The Ring of Recollection"

Many stories are surrounded by betrayal, hurt; pain, trials, triumphs, wars, passion, forgiveness, commitment, romance, lust and love.

The word “Love” has many different meanings. According to the Ancient Greek there is “philia” or “xenia” a friendship or brotherly kind of love, “storage” parent/child love, “agape” God’s love and “eros” a romantic love.

In the story of “Sakuntala and The Ring of Recollection” this is a perfect example of what seems to be a more dramatic courtship of the “eros” kind of love. This love is filled with passion, desire, yearning to be with the each other, where two bodies become one soul. If one feels pain so does the other, if one feels joy, so does the other.

In the story of “Sakuntala” the feelings expressed between the King Dusyanta and Sakuntala are so strong for each other that their desire for one another becomes almost unbearable in a “love sick” kind of way. So much so that all of their attention is fixated on the other person were one might even forget to do their job.

 Sakuntala was told to greet all the newcomers that arrive at the hermitage. Well she was so consumed with the king and the fact that she just secretly became his wife she didn’t greet the “Great Sage Durvasas.”  This did not sit well with him at all. So he ranted off a curse, “Since you blindly ignore a great sage like me, the lover you worship with mindless devotion will not remember you, even when awakened-like a drunkard who forgets a story he just composed!” (Norton Anthology of World Literature p.1295)

Priyamvada heard this curse and went to Durvasas to plea and ask for forgiveness stating that Sakuntala “didn’t understand the power of his austerity.” He wasn’t too eager to change his mind about the curse but he did say this, “when the king sees the ring of collection, the curse will end.”

Later in the story Sakuntala was sent by Father Kanva to be with her husband the king, especially since she was pregnant with his child. Sakuntala wasn’t aware of the curse that Durvasas put on her, so when she went before her husband he didn’t recognize her especially not as his wife. “Must I judge whether I ever married the flawless beauty they offer me now? I cannot love her or leave her, like a bee near a jasmine filled with frost dawn.” “I don’t remember marrying the lady. How can I accept a woman who is visibly pregnant when I doubt that I am the cause?”

Oh the devastation Sakuntala felt, the man she loved didn’t recognize her, the one that’s carrying his child. The only way she could prove that they married secretly was the engraved ring the king gave her, which she lost when she was, “bathing in the holy water at the shrine of the goddess near Indra’s grove.” (p.1308)

Where does one go now, full of tears, feeling rejected even from her own family she cries out to the heavens, “mother earth, open to receive me!” Over by the “nymphs shrine a ray of light in the shape of a woman” carries her away!

The king seemed a little relieved now that Sakuntala was gone. Shortly after she left a fisherman found a ring in the belly of a red carp. Unaware that it belonged to the king he unknowingly tried to sell it, yet the policemen stopped that from happening. They accused the man of stealing the king’s ring. Once the fisherman was allowed to tell his story and the ring was returned. The king gave the fisherman some reward money because he was pleased by the site of his ring. Then it hit him, like a sack of bricks, his memory came back. Then he realized the way he treated the woman he loved and by then it was to late.

Seasons passed and the king’s sorrow grew grimmer. All he could think about was what he had done and said to Sakuntala. The way he treated his wife, his love, he was so devastated. He lived in this sorrow for years and didn’t seem to get any better.

After time passed the king had an opportunity to travel to Maricas hermitage where he would be pleasantly surprised by what he saw, a little boy that looked like him, but he didn’t really think it was his son until, The Amulet-box fell off the boy’s wrist. The king picked it up and then the women (caretakers) responded in amazement. The king asked why and they said, “No one but the boy’s parents or himself could pick it up. If anyone else did so it would turn into a snake and strike.” After that they all knew the truth. The king was the father of the little boy, named Sarvadamana “Tamer-of-everything.” He then knew he would reunite with the boy’s mother, his wife Sakuntala. At first it seemed awkward for them both but after hearing the explanation from Marcia and that the memory loss was actually a curse. All was forgiven and they “lived happily ever after!”

How many love stories do we hear with a happy endings? There are only a few that I can think of, yet many that end in devastation such as Romeo and Juliet, Cleopatra and Mark Antony, Orpheus and Eurydice, Pyramus and Thisbe. The few that end in happy endings almost seem like fairytales such as Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White. There are a few like Sir Lancelot and Guinevere or Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal (who built the Taj Mahal).

Why do we have such a strong desire for love, even when it can make you feel insane at times? Is that what life is about, Love?

Lysistrata

Lysistrata, Crazy or Brilliant?

The way that I would describe Lysistrata is that she is intelligent, strategic, bold, firm, confident, witty and full of sass. What a beautiful combination. Only this kind of personality could actually follow through with such an idea, “ending war by abstaining from sex.”

The only problem with this idea is that Lysistrata has to get all the women to agree with her and follow through with the plan. One might say, “Good luck on that one!”

The thinker that she is, she went to the women and said, “It concerns the fathers of your children- your husbands. Absent on active service. I know you all have men abroad. – Wouldn’t you like to have them home?” After letting them think and reply she then says, “If I can devise a scheme for ending the war, I gather I have your support?”

What a beautiful layup, She sets the stage with getting the women to start thinking about their men, then she figures out where they stand and what they would do to get their significant others home. After which she then nails them with this idea of abstaining from sex and by doing so it will end the war and they can have peace once again. HA!

The response that the women gave was expected they hated the idea but they did miss their husbands so they were more willing to listen to Lysistrata and her plan to end the war and to create peace. Once they all agreed to follow through with her plan they all took an oath together. (One that was much needed to give up something they all loved so much, sex.)

As the story developed there was an unspoken bond that brought significant strength and confidence within the community of women. Some were not as strong or as outspoken as the others but as time passed there was a great change. I thoroughly loved reading this story and enjoyed the sarcasm that came with it!!

Lysistrata: Brilliant!!!

Antigone

Right versus wrong…

A story of a prideful king by the name of Creon that becomes so caught up in his emotions and self righteousness that his own sense of realty becomes blurred; which causes him to ignore the advice of many wise people around him, including his own son (Haemon). The king made a law that stated that if anyone died without honor then they shall not be buried and left for the wild animals to feed off of them. If anyone were to bury a person without rightful reason according to the new law, that person would be sentenced to death. The king never thought about how the people would really respond to his new law nor did he act like he cared about their feelings on the matter.

This news upset his niece Antigone greatly. She just lost her two brothers to war. One died with honor (Eteocles) and the other (Polynices) did not. She could not bear the thought of her brother Polynices not receiving a rightful burial and being left for the animals. So she buried him herself. The king was NOT happy with her defying the laws of the land so he sentenced her to death. Even though the people of the city believed she did nothing wrong.

Thoughts of the people: “No woman,” they say, “ever deserved death less, and such a brutal death for such a glorious action. She with her own dear brother lying in his blood-she couldn’t bear to leave him dead, unburied, food for the wild dogs or wheeling vultures. Death? She deserves a glowing crown of gold!”

Even the wise Tiresias came to Creon with a warning, “Take these things to heart, my son, I warn you. All men make mistakes, it is only human. But once the wrong is done, a man can turn his back on folly, misfortune too, if he tries to make amends, however low he’s fallen, and stops his bullnecked ways. Stubbornness brands you for stupidity-pride is a crime.”  

With great frustration Tiresias told Creon his prophecy hoping that it would change his mind about killing Antigone, “The chariot of the sun will not race through so many circuits more, before you have surrendered on born of your own loins, your own flesh and blood a corpse for corpses given in return, since you have thrust to the world below a child sprung for the world above, ruthlessly lodged a living soul within the grave- then you’ve robbed the gods below the earth, keeping a dead body here in the bright air, unburied, unsung, unhallowed by the rites. You, you have no business with the dead, nor do the gods above-this is violence you have forced upon the heavens. And so the avengers, the dark destroyers late but true to the mark, now lie in wait for you, the Furies sent by the gods and the god of death to strike you down with the pains that you perfected!”

It wasn’t until Creon heard Tiresias words that he seemed to change his mind about killing Antigone. However, by then it was too late.

The prophecy became true; death began to surround Creon, Antigone his niece, Haemon his son and Eurydice his wife all died within an hour or so. Creon felt deeply pained and full of guilt because he knew that all of their blood was on his hands. He alone made the decisions and went against all wise council, and to think it all could have been avoided if he would have stepped back and listened. Yet, he was to prideful and arrogant to hear truth. Such a catastrophe yet in my opinion deserved.

Why do we ask for advice from others, yet rarely listen to what they have to say? Is it because their opinions don’t match our own belief on the subject at hand?

 This again should be a lesson learned by others mistakes. Seek wise council, avoid pride and never disregard warnings from others.

"The Ramayana of Valmiki" -Hanuman-

If you were the only person in the world that could rescue someone or even do something for another without anything in return. Would you do it?

That seems to be the case with Hanuman in the story of “The Ramayana of Valmiki.” 

In the story it is told that Hanuman is the only one that can rescue Sita from Ravana because of the distance that is required to travel to Lanka. Over 800 miles of pure ocean requires strength and longevity that no human or anyone else can do alone. It is only Hanuman as the book states, “There is no one equal to you in strength or in the ability to cross this ocean, nay, an ocean far wider than this. All others are discouraged; the mission surely depends upon you.” How is possible for this specific “vanara” to accomplish such a task, when others like him can’t do it or is he like the other vanara’s?

The history of Hanuman is that he is the son of the wind-god and his mother is part nymph and vanara, which is half human half monkey. His first gift was recognized as a baby when he sought after the sun, thinking it was a piece of fruit and tried to pluck it out of the sky. However, Indra the god of all gods was so angry with Hanuman for trying to grab the sun that he threw a thunderbolt at him. The thunderbolt was so powerful that it knocked Hanuman down and broke his left chin, yet he didn’t die. The wind-god, Hanumans father, was so mad at Indra for what I call “giving another man’s child a spanking” that out of retaliation for Indra’s behavior he stopped the wind from moving throughout the entire world.  This frightened all of the other Gods. So Brahma (the creator) gave Hanuman the gift of “invincibility in battle.” When Indra found out that Hanuman didn’t die from the thunderbolt he also gifted and confirmed that Hanuman “will die only when he wishes to.”

Because Hanuman is the only one that can rescue Sita, he decides to go. Throughout his journey Hanuman faces many trials. Some of the trials seemed more like tests from the Gods, as if they were testing his character. Once he triumphed over the demoness “the gods applauded this feat and said: ‘He in whom are found (as in you) these four virtues (firmness, vision, wisdom, and dexterity) does not despair in any undertaking.’”

Once Hanuman arrives to Lanka he sees Ravana but not Sita and becomes discouraged. Thoughts run across his mind, “Whether she is lost, or she has perished or has died, how can I inform Rama about it?”   His thoughts become overwhelming because he starts to doubt his ability of finding Sita and the feelings of disappointment start to show because he begins to think about what will happen if he doesn’t follow through with his promise to Rama and the others.  “If I do not find Sita there, I shall with the same speed go to the heaven to search for her. And, if I do not see her even there, I shall get hold of Ravana, bind him and bring him over to the presence of Rama. I shall definitely return with success.”

 (“I shall not yield to despair. For, it has been well said that perseverance alone is the secret of prosperity and great happiness; perseverance a lone keeps all things going, and crowns all activities with success.”)

And so he continues his search for Sita. What is the real drive for his perseverance? Is it honor or something greater?

 “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness” (2 Peter 1:5-7 NIV)

How often do you make a promise to do something and not follow through with it? For example work commitments, plans with friends, or any other obligation. Yet, you may have been too selfish to stop and think about the domino effect it has on everyone else or even yourself. Time and time again I’ve learned the hard way (in my younger years of course) that overall everything I do or say does affect someone.

Although it’s just in the story but you can see the similarities with Hanuman and his promise to Rama.