Spring 2018 Indian Epics

I chose this reading to learn a little more about Pujahs, rituals of India, and their origins.  Satya Naranaya Puja, religious worship of Vishnu Image Source: Wikimedia Commons The Manasa or Naga-Panchami Ceremony (performed July) Firstly, learning where Nagini's name came from was really cool, as this ceremony features the worship of snakes (Naga... Nagini!). The dry season historically can bring illness and intestinal epidemics to regions lacking sanitary restroom facilities, and this ritual was viewed as a way to honor the deities responsible for such illnesses, and I'm guessing to alleviate in advance their most painful and potentially life-threatening repercussions. Briefly featured in The Divine Brothers, Manasa briefly leaves her divine home to enjoy the Pujah of the ceremony devoted to her. A human girl staying in Manasa's house at the behest of Manasa's two divine sons wreaks havoc galore when asked to keep the baby snakes fed, other children of Manas

Suvannamaccha I started here because I am working on a story for my project dealing with Suvannamaccha and Hanuman, who became an item during the bridge construction in the Ramayana according to Thai folklore. Mermaids and Suvannamaccha in particular are strongly associated with luck in Thai culture, and banners of her can be found in many public places in older towns. Macchanu Macchanu is the son Suvannamaccha had without Hanuman's knowledge. Many years after their dalliance, Hanuman and Macchanu are fighting on opposite sides of a battle and see and recognize each other even without having met. Macchanu is described as a half-fish, half-monkey with serious battle skills. Here's an image of what he supposedly looks like. Macchanu Image Source: Detechter Matchanu-class Submarine The Thai Navy actually used Matchanu (an alternative form of Macchanu) as the name for a submarine, and there were a whole category of mythical-name vessels used way back in the late

Flow is defined as a state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter. Absolute attention leaves no leftover worry space, and knowing you're accomplishing something eats up all those little doubts and nagging voices in the back of your head. A FLOW balance chart, between challenge and skill, allows for maximum immersion in the FLOW state. Anything too challenging will cause anxiety, and anything too skilled will cause boredom if the skill is undeveloped. Image Source: Youtube I remember taking my very first art class and feeling completely absorbed in tracing out every tiny vein and crinkle of an autumn oak leaf; three hours went by and and I realized the room was empty and I was alone. That's probably my best ever FLOW memory, and I have cultivated many hobbies over the years which yield that same feeling of total immersion. I have never before considered the balance between challenge and skill providing the FLOW "sweet s

Image Source: User Generated Education I can definitely confirm from personal experience that I remember summer camp vividly and learned so much more about myself than ever in a standard classroom scenario. I loved having the option to choose which activities I would do, and I felt much closer relationships forming between the other children and myself than in a quiet classroom. Direct instruction suffers proportionately with the size of the group the teacher is handling, in my opinion, and I never considered how much movement is helpful in being able to focus on a task or a topic... I hate sitting still, and all too easily still zone out without meaning to. However, if I have something in front of me to interact with, or am in a group tasked with solving questions together, I never suffer from a lack of interest. It's only when I sit still for greater than 20 minutes that I start to slip away from the lecture, so I bring snacks to stay awake for the drier professors. I woul

This is such a neat idea! I wish I'd seen this earlier in the semester, but I think I will definitely keep this extension on. I've never been very knowledgeable in the art world, and I will enjoy learning about new pieces every day. I love museums but never seem to make time to visit them, and this is a great way to see something new without it becoming a chore.

Matsya's Secret: Only humans can empathize, and exploit Part 1 Manas give humans the ability to imagine, and therefore humans are called Manavas. Manu, the first man, was engaged by Vishnu in fish form. This is a reference to jungle law (the big fish eating smaller fish eating smaller fish mentality). The entire natural world lives by this creed, save humanity. Might is not always right, so we judge. Manu saves a small fish from a larger predator, and in doing so transforms nature. The pot he keeps the fish in represents culture, that which we have changed and created from what would have been only nature. Dharma represents the thought that creates the secure world, and is an artificial construct. Adherence to jungle law brands us or animals as pashu, while rising above, and living beyond the "might is right" mentality brands us purusha, or humans. Pashu could be a potent insult. The pot the fish is stored within brings the concept of property, namely Man