Spring 2018 Indian Epics

So far, I have not had serious difficulty with completing core assignments each week. However, I work every weekend (usually doubles), and I would very much like to get more done earlier so that I don't come home exhausted to remember my project assignment is unfinished. I get my best work done after school is finished Tuesday and Wednesday (my off days at work), and find I enjoy this class much more when I am not rushing to meet a word count at the last minute.  I have chosen to use some of the audible choices instead of the reading options simply because I do spend about 1.5 hours in the car each day I drive to school (MWF), and that time sure does add up! As it stands now, I am 64 points from completing the course with an A, and I am resolved that I will finish early. I am also planning on completing one comment (blog or project) each weekday, leaving me with only one or two leftover to process during the weekend. If I feel ambitious, I might do two each day and use that EC M...

Krishna I used Epified - The Krishna Story this week for my reading assignment, and was rather surprised to note some of the similarities between Krishna's birth and childhood and that of the story of Jesus. This prompted me to do a little digging to figure out who today worships Krishna, and what the differences were between the two men. Vaishnavism As Krishna is the avatar of Vishnu, those who worship him are referred to as Vaishnavas, and believe in numerous human incarnations, including Rama, Govinda, and Jagannath alongside Krishna. The parallels in Krishna's life to that of the biblical story of Jesus brought me to Kersey Graves' book, The World's Sixteen Crucified Saviors, boasting of no less than 346 parallels between the life of Jesus and Krishna. The World's Sixteen Crucified Saviors Messiah-types from Egypt, India, Nepal, Syria, Persia, and Rome are just a few of the locations. The biggest takeaway from this book (without reading it, mind you) is t...

There seem to be numerous similarities with the story of Krishna and the story of Jesus, which is impressive considering the serious contrast of Hindu faith with Christianity / Judaism. However, just as many great epic stories have roots in cultures around the world, this is perhaps not as surprising after all. Beginning with events prior to their births, both King Herod and King Kans were warned of the birth of a boy child who would destroy them. No virgin birth happens in the Hindu Krishna tale, but the killings of thousands of baby boys following or preceding the birth of baby occurs. They are both reared among the common people, and multiple tales of miracles accompany each throughout their journey to adulthood. The story of the elderly and disabled woman of faith is very nearly identical to both, as her healing occurs as a byproduct of her faith in their power. Neither marry, as Krishna's realization of his true nature (and responsibilities to the people of this age) preve...

I haven't done this yet on Blogger, and I did have a little fun seeing what the actual html looks like for each of these pages. So, here's a video from the activity stream this week: How did English evolve?

Mathura's king, Kamsa, was cruel, and his people longed for change and peace. The marriage of king Kamsa's cousin to Vasudev brought a heavenly announcement of his doom. The voice explained that the eighth child born to the couple would kill Kamsa, so he threw them into prison and killed six of their kids over many years by dashing them to the walls of the prison cell after their birth. Seventh child was miraculously transported out of the mother's womb to another woman's, and when the eighth child, Krishna, was born, the guards and Kamsa all fell asleep and the prison doors unlocked. Vasudev took the child, leaving his wife behind, and arrived at the Yamuna. Asking the mighty river for help, a beautiful serpent appeared, and protected the father and son through the river. They found a pack of gypsies, the Nana people of cowherds, dwelling on the other side (this was far from Kamsa's kingdom). Listening to an unnamed voice in his head, he found Yashoda and her ne...