Rapping the story.

In Baucis and Philemon I saw a contradiction. In the story of Midas, it teaches that we shouldn’t be greedy and that money and the materials around us do not lead to happiness. We can see that through what happened with Midas. He gained the ability to turn anything into gold, which represents the greediness of people. As a payment for that ability, he lost his daughter, which represents relationships between people, the heart of the people. However, in the story of Baucis and Philemon, Baucis and Philemon gained a better life in a sense that there are better quality materials around them, for sharing what they have with people who don’t have. The idea of bigger house and perfection is stuck to our minds like oil. Even the gods offered such materialistic things.

Let's be original.

Poem inspired by Metamorphoses, Phaeton



The lack of friends, support, belief, and love.

Has made a big distress to son of sun.

This lead to cause the life on earth, like dove,

Completely vanish just like eating bun.

Love. Is the theme

Phaeton

This scene of Phaeton, the one when his friend didn’t believe that the sun was the father of Phaeton, reminded me of the question that has also been in my mind but couldn’t answer. I always thought, how do people figure out what the others are saying is true? I mean we decide to think that “it is not true” when what the others are saying is not what you wanted or when it doesn’t sound reasonable to you. Just like how Epaphus couldn’t believe what Phaeton was saying. If I was in his position, I would also doubt if what Phaeton was saying is true. But when I think about the question I mentioned previously, I end up feeling quite sad, or maybe lonely is a better word to describe that feeling. What if what the others were saying was actually true and I couldn’t believe them just because of my ignorance? How sad would it be that no one can believe you? So, I always end up concluding that I should try my best to believe whatever thing someone important to me is saying, without being a fool that believes lies. Which will be quite a mess.

Eros and Psyche

I like the idea of Eros being blind. Love makes you lose your self-control, distracts you from being objective, and makes you be greedier. Or at least that what I think it causes you to be, probably because I am still a child.
Anyways, in the story it shows how the people for immortality. They see eternal as happiness. We can clearly see this from page 75, “Yes, And further, he gives Psyche a special potion and she becomes immortal. Then he declares that their marriage will last forever.” (Metamorphoses, Eros and Psyche) and later A says, “It has a very happy ending.” (p.76 Metamorphoses, Eros and Psyche)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85Luny2ei7o

*Please watch or listen to this music as a background music.



There were quite a lot of messages in these two stories, Myrrha and Pomona & Vertumnus. One was the beauty and importance to be you. We can see that from the story of Pomona & Vertumnus, “When at last the god revealed himself just as he was, much to his surprise, he had no need of words, Little Pomona was happy with what she saw, unadorned and undisguised. Soon enough, the vine was clinging to the tree.” (Metamorphoses, Pomona & Vertumnus, p.62) This message of “be yourself” is ironic since the society of civilization sometimes requires being someone else, it requires the necessity of hiding some of your characters or desire to fit in to the society.
Another message is that some unavoidable and impossible to solve thing or situation exists. The whole love problem of Myrrha is so. She falls in love with the person she most shouldn’t. Sadly, it was her father who caused this. He was the one who “seized Myrrha for a passion.” And this is also another message, “think well before you act.” In this case it’s wish, rather than act.
Finally, one of the last messages is that love is something you can’t control. Out of this message, I think it will depend on the audience to decide whether that love is a good or bad thing. One might think, “oh then love should definitely be something I should avoid,” or “I knew that! Love is like energy. It makes people move and take an action.” Or maybe other more things.

Erysichthon and Orphes & Eurydice

Erysichthon

So after all there is a reason for why people began to believe in gods. Not only to explain the things we can’t explain with our knowledge, but to make some order in their country or nation, to teach some moral lessons to the people. The line that made me think of this is the following,

Erysichthon: cut it down
Narrator: Sir, that tree is centuries old-
Erysichthon: We need the wood, cut it down.
Narrator: Sir, this is a sacred grove; and this tree is beloved by Ceres.

Metamorphoses, Erysichthon, p.33

Well, I hypothesize that the author of this story wanted to teach a lesson to the audiences, through a fiction story.

However, it was surprising to hear a lesson, “do not cut down a tree”, from a culture that was more a conqueror and agriculturist. For me, it sounded ironic to hear such things from someone that was actually part of a community in which no longer lives with the nature in harmony. Or maybe it was that the author tried to make a change on the way his society lived.



Orpheus and Eurydice

Maybe life is just like Orpheus and Eurydice. Or better say our goal of life, our desire. Our goal in our lives is more or less the reason or the purpose to live. It’s so hard to accomplish and maybe its existence is something like a ghost that we never notice it. Just like Eurydice couldn’t recognize Orpheus at the end.

Alcyone and Ceyx

One of the things we, the humans, most fear is death, or the insecurity after death. And people have come up with many ideas or beliefs to overcome this horror. The story of Alcyone and Ceyx is indeed one of the ideas to shoo away the anxiety we feel. The story about two lovers who unite together even after death.
One of the great roles that this story plays is not only a function as a broom to sweep away the anxiety towards death. It not only sweeps away, but it makes you accept it as part of the life-cycle on earth. We can see that from, “For the dead body was changing, restored to life, and renewed as another seabird.” (Alcyone and Ceyx, p.32) We can see it tries to bring in peace among the audiences who reads the stories.

comparison of the interpretations of Metamorphosis

“How was life born on earth?”
This is a popular but yet to be answered questions, that is my theme for this blog today. Many theories are out there, including scientific and religious, but none of them are proven right neither wrong. But people continue discussing about it and believing it. Today I would like to compare the two interpretation of Metamorphosis written by Ovid that explains the origin of Earth, one by Mary Zimmerman and the other by Mary M. Innes and Frank Justus Miller.
First of all, Zimmerman writes in the form of a play. She wrote two possible ways to explain the origin of life. One that says, at the beginning there was only one whole thing, and it began to separate, creating the world we know now. The other one goes the opposite way. It says that the world started as blank and things began to just pop out. Either way, Zimmerman explains it through a conversation with many people, including a scientist. On the other hand, the one translated by Mary M. and Frank J., sounded more religious and absolute.

Creation

Before listening to this exercise that explains about the born of earth, I thought the slower the conversation is spoken, the easier it will be to understand. But, thanks to this listening exercise, I discovered that it is not. I discovered that the balance between slow and fast is the best. Well, so when I was thinking about the techniques for a speech, I remembered about my Spanish class. About the five minute speech we needed to do as a final project. So, for that project I searched how a “speech” should be, and I remember it was something like,

-Good volume, tone, speed.
-Know well about the subject you are talking.
-Be confident.

And more things. After hearing the speech about the “creation of Earth”, I now have a better understanding on what a good speech means.

Now, I think I should better be talking about the text. It was interesting to hear an answer that was a mixture of science and religion for the question, "How was Earth born?" Ovin, the author, talked about atoms and mass, when he talked about the existence of god. Specifically, he used the term god for things that is not discovered yet with our technology. However, it was still a surprise to see the coexisting of religion and science.

Conclusion....for Bhagavad-Gita.

Bhagavad-Gita mainly explained about how we should seek for Krishna, the “god of the gods”, and the different types of people on earth. I must not say my personal opinion about the observation that the author does about the world and god, but must objectively evaluate how this text can affect the audiences.

I would like to mention several of the possible effects this story can give. One of the most main influences it would give, is that people will be more businesslike, or at least try to be like that. Or a better of way of saying it, more objective I guess. Since they are “Freed from attachment,” (The Third Teaching, p.44) as described in the book. My personal opinion about this is that maybe the world would be more peaceful, but also probably more boring. But maybe not. I mean who knows? Maybe it’s worth trying, if possible.

Anyways, another consequence it might lead to is the increase in number of the people that will participate in violence under the belief of salvation or god. Actually, we discussed this in class, therefore might not count as one. However, it is one of the influences that we should keep in mind. Well, I think this might happen because the book says killing the physical body is not something you should hesitate to do if you are a warrior since the embodied self will never be destroyed.

Another outcome might a temporary confusion. The book frequently classifies people into three types and be offensive to the people who don’t have the “knowledge” and “understanding” about Krishna. For example, “When a fool cannot escape dreaming, fear, grief, depression, and intoxication, courage is darkly inert” (The Eighteenth Teaching, p.140). Being accused for what has been your life and yourself will surely bring confusion. Even if what Krishna is saying is true. It will be a hard time when one begins to question if what you have done was all wrong and this might lead to doubtfulness about yourself, which surely is a moment of uncertainty and anxiety.

I would like to actually see how readers have reacted to this text.

Drawing for teachings 17 & 18, The Bhagavad-Gita

Teachings 11 & 15 The Bhagavad-Gita

For these teachings, I will write down the question I came up with while reading and try to answer it as I keep on reading.

-Why is Lord Krishna keep on persuading Arjuna to kill? Or does killing have some kind of other meaning?

What I think, is that Krishna is telling Arjuna to kill all his doubts, his sense. Since war represents life, the enemy or the “cousin” probably represents the feelings.

-Why was Arjuna chosen to get the privilege of seeing the initiate form of Lord Krishna?

It is probably because Arjuna has the heart to care for others, the love towards others before thinking about himself.

“Your mind full of love,” (p.107) “Not through sacred lore, penances, charity, or sacrificial rites can I be seen in for that you saw me.” (p.108)

-What does the tree mentioned in teaching 15 represent?

The tree represents the desire that exists in our heart, I think. It talked about how the roots are deep in, which might mean that desire is something that is hard to get rid of.

“Nourished by nature’s qualities, budding with sense objects;…..Cut down this tree that has such deep roots with the sharp ax of detachment.” (p.123)

-What duality is Krishna talking about?

I couldn’t find the precise text that indicated the answer to this question. However, I believe the duality Krishna is talking about, is the two sides all people have. The bad and the good side of one.

-Why does the Lord go to the living world.

In order to teach about the true insight and how he is the supreme good.

“Lord of All, I see no end, or middle or beginning to your totality.” (p.99) “Arjuna, thus I have taught this most secret tradition; realizing it, one has understanding and his purpose is fulfilled.” (p.126)

Teachings 7-9 The Bhagavad-Gita

This is a song called reincarnation, and I thought it would be great if this can serve as the BGM of this response.



Okay, for this response, I decided to list the things that I was surprised about or noticed, and the key points that attract the audiences to believe what Lord Krishna says.

The things that I was surprised about were,

-Krishna saw life or reincarnation as some kind of punishment. This was rather shocking than surprising though. If I don’t have the memories of my past life, I will be glad to have a new life and be able to experience more.
“Reaching me, men of great spirit do not undergo rebirth, the ephemeral realm of suffering; they attain absolute perfection.” (p.81)

-Science already knew what we were made of during the time when the book was written.
“…smaller than an atom,..” (p.80)

-Maybe, this might be the origin of Buddhism or the origin of this philosophy might have been Buddhism. Honestly, I don’t know so much about Buddhism, but I have heard of the belief that after death one goes to the place where you think you are going to.
“Votaries of the gods go to the gods, ancestor-worshippers go to the ancestors, those who propitiate ghosts go to them, and my worshippers go to me.” (p.89)

-I think this is the image that most religions have towards gods. It is so mysterious.
“I know all creatures that have been, that now exist, and that are yet to be; but, Arjuna, no one knows me.” (p.76)


Now, the possible key terms that motivates the readers to believe in Lord Krishna.

-“Men who know me as its inner being inner divinity, and inner sacrifice have disciplined their reason; they know me at the time of death.” (p.77)

This motivates the audiences to not be afraid of death. It also attracts people because it says that one can only find him at the end of your life. Since it doesn’t give concrete promise that will come true until death, there is less possibility for the chance of a follower of this philosophy to disobey it.

- “You will be freed form the bonds of action, from the fruit of fortune and misfortune”(p.89)

This line definitely persuades others. I think many people are afraid from things that they know they have no control at all, because we, the humans, tend to want to control everything. So, one of the things people are scared of is things that they know they can’t do anything about it; the fortune and misfortune.

-“Arjuna, know that no one devoted to me is lost." (p.89)

By saying this, this philosophy achieves to widen its audience. And widening its audience means increasing the amount of followers.

The Bhagavad-Gita Teachings 3-5

Well, Lord Krishna continues to explain about “disciplined knowledge” leading to “inner joy”. The author is succeeding in explaining how “supreme good”(p.45) is suppose to be by making one of the characters question it and doubt it. “If you think understanding I more powerful than action, why, Krishna, do you urge me to this horrific act? You confuse my understanding with a maze of words; speak one certain truth so I may achieve what is good.” (p.43) By making a character ask something that the reader might ask, the author is accomplishing to stand in a position as a teacher and “explain” what the “truth” is. “So sever the ignorant doubt in your heart with the sword of self-knowledge, Arjuna! Observe your discipline! Arise!”(p.57) Also by having another character, he is giving a pause and rest to the readers during his explanation, so that the audiences wouldn’t get tired.

Another thing that I noticed is the tendency of people’s thoughts. The teachings in The Bhagavad-Gita continuously repeated the word, “good”, “higher good” and “supreme good”. This reminded me of what Daniel Quinn said in Ishmael; that the civilized people ate the fruit that gave us the knowledge of good and bad, but that we don’t know how to use them correctly.

Well, this is all I want to write for now, and I hope Arjuna goes against what Lord Krishna says. I would like to know the consequence for being “ignorant” and having “attachments”.