Indian Epics Journal

Why rejection hurts so much — and what to do about it link The title of this article really caught my eye because this topic is something interesting to ponder upon. Most everyone can agree that any type of rejection hurts or at least, does not feel good. Having a lot of self-confidence is one way to combat rejection because if one can be reminded about the all the good accomplished or what he/she can offer to the world. A strong social connection, whether thats through social media or just taking to your coworkers affects everyone's self-worth and the higher this is, the less rejection negatively affects one. Reminiscing my early days as a college student, I used to react very poorly to negative feedback or criticism of any sort. This may have been due to not feeling confident enough or since college was such a new venture for me, I was afraid. Now, I have learned that any feedback helps you grow and develop not only as a student, but as a person in general. Feedback has allowed...

Below are the project topics I am interested in exploring. 1. The Goddess Parvati From the list of goddesses, I began exploring Parvati who represents fertility, love, and devotion. I think this is such an empowering role that happens to be feminine. I would like to be more educated upon the power and strength of the goddesses as opposed to the gods. Was there any patriarchal domination? I am also interested in researching about this goddess because I watched the Bollywood movie, Devdas, and I greatly admire the major leading female character named Parvati. When I noticed Parvati on the list of goddesses, it reminded me of one of my favorite movies and thus, sparked my interest. I am unsure of whether or not this movie is related to the goddess but I definitely want to research more about this topic as well. Online source link 2. Reincarnation: Moksha The idea of reincarnation is fascinating. For this assignment, I learned of Moksha, which is 'liberation from rebirth'...

There was once an evil master with an obedient, yet miserable slave, Androcles, who endured torturous working conditions in hopes to be returned with freedom someday. One morning, as the master strolled around his enormous and opulent castle, he pondered upon the thought of having a slave animal to guard his premises. Androcles was instructed to go on the search for such a request. He wandered into the woods and soon began hearing melancholy cries of pain. He then encountered a terrified Lion, whose paw was unfortunately pierced by a thorn. Androcles meticulously tended to the wound, which the Lion reacted to admirably, licking the slave's hand. After caring for him, a bright idea lit his mind: this was the prime opportunity to escape from the master with his new friend, the Lion. The two of them hurriedly began their venture when suddenly, the master appeared and exclaimed, "How dare you attempt to flee from my reign?! Now, you will never be granted your freedom and every wi...

The Man in the Moon by W.A. Briggs link   The blacksmith pushed the wise man to his limit-which I initially thought was nonexistent since he transformed him into anything he wished to be: stone on the mountain, stone-cutter, sun, and finally, the moon. And ever since, the ungrateful man has been on the moon. The Hare that Was not Afraid to Die by Marie L. Shedlock link This reading tells the story of the Buddha born as a hare, who sacrificed his own flesh when told of the assignment of Holy Day: no lives can be taken and you must feed the beggars. Hare's actions was to be self-sacrificed to please the Brahmin. Surprisingly, when the hare was thrown into the fire, the flames were "icy cold" and the Brahmin (Sakka) revealed he was there to put his virtue to test.  The Eight-Forked Serpent of Koshi by E.W. Champney and F. Champney link This is the Japanese story of the god of the seas and storms, Susanoo, and his opponent, Orochi, the eight-forked serpent. Super...

Throughout this semester, I hope to be educated upon the many Hindu gods and goddesses, along with the great epics of India. Rama: Retold from the Ramayana  link I am already familiar with the famous series of comics known as ACK. Although I have not yet read through the stories in the link above, I am interested in exploring. I admire the idea of learning the Indian story traditions through short stories as in these comics.  Monkey Stories: Jataka Tales of Wile and Wisdom link This is another comic from ACK that grabbed my attention due with the allusion to Buddha storytelling. The Mahabharata by C. A. Kincaid  link   This story was intriguing just based on the description: the story of the Mahabharata, but with an especial focus on the Pandavas. Also, there is an illustration on each page, which makes the story so much more visual. A moment of action in the Ramayana story. Source: Wikimedia Commons