Chapters 7-8-9

I would like to think I have very good karma. I try to treat everybody with respect, and hope that I get the same respect in return. I like to compliment different people everyday. I think that if I am nice to somebody, they will be nice to other people as well, and there will be good karma all around. If I ever am rude to anybody, I usually realize it right away and try to correct it. Not just because I want good karma, but because I automatically feel bad about it. In general, I like to believe that I have very good karma.

If I had to re-do one day thus far in my life, it would be Sunday March 29, 2011. I wasn't feeling very well this day and was trying very hard to work up the energy to go to work. I was scheduled at 5:30. I was on my way when I started to feel very 'out of it.' I was driving on Belleview, headed east. Right as I was passing under I-25, I was confused as to why there were cars turning off the highway. I didn't once look up to see if the light gave me the right away, or them. Suddenly, I felt weird about something. Once a big white Chrysler 300 slammed into the passenger side of my car, I knew I had run the red light. I was in shock. Screaming "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god," over and over again. I stayed in my car for a minute, sobbing. Luckily, I was not knocked out and nobody was hurt. 911 was called by witnesses and soon enough, paramedics arrived. I had called my parents and they were on their way. I couldn't believe that this was all my fault. Still, months after the accident, I have to take my car in for little touch-ups just to make sure everything is still ok. Today would be different because I wouldn't have had to spend so much money to get my car back  to how it was before the accident. Also, I would have avoided the scare to my parents and myself. Everytime I leave to go to work, or just anywhere random, my mom doesn't feel as comfortable as she did before.

Is Rama unfairly sexist? Why or why not?
Even though Rama is in love with Sita, it still appears that he believes that women cause trouble. He isn't super friendly towards women. He misses Sita dearly though, and really wants her to come back to him.

Journal #3

Why is Rama so inclined to sympathize with Sugreeva?  Citing several examples from the latter part of the chapter, defend Rama's and Vali's argument, using your own moral reasoning, then in another paragraph, compare the situation to modern international politics and conflicts.

I think Rama is inclined to sympathize with Sugreeva because Sugreeva's wife Tara was taken by Vali. Surgreeva and Vali had a vicious sibling argument which resulted in Vali wanting to kill Surgreeva if he ever saw him again. Vali eventually took Tara from Sugreeva to keep as his own wife. Rama can sympathize with Sugreeva because Ravana kidnapped Rama's wife, Sita. Rama is devastated, as is Sugreeva.

Pg. 104. ""You will now go forward alone and call out Vali for a fight. I will stand aside unseen and shoot my arrow into him at the right moment." Sugreeva had now full trust in Rama. He marched to the hilltop and shouted, "Oh, my brother Vali, come on, face me now in battle if you dare." -Rama, Sugreeva
I don't think Rama should be involved in this argument because it's between siblings. Also, he is trying to protect Sugreeva. Did Sugreeva really want to kill his own brother, Vali? Or did Rama pressure him into it because he feels the same way towards Ravana, as Sugreeva does to Vali?

Pg. 105. "He would not ordinarily dare to come your way but I fear now he must be having some mighty support, which encourages him to challenge you now. So be careful." -Tara talking about Sugreeva
Has Tara been brainwashed by Vali? She seems to be supporting Vali and have no compasion for Sugreeva. This is weird to me. Just because Sugreeva accidently left him in a cave and he couldn't get out, Vali stole Sugreeva's wife and made her his. This isn't common in the real world, but can happen. What would have Vali thought if he was married and Sugreeva took his wife from him?

Pg. 105. "I have my own sources of knowledge about what goes on in the world outside. I have heard of Rama as being one possessing integrity and a sense of justice; one who could never take a wrong step. How could you ever imagine that such a person would ever take sides in a quarrel between brothers?" -Vali
I don't know if it's Rama's place to be stepping in on these brothers argument. To go as far as shooting an arrow into Vali's chest seems crazy to me. I know that Sugreeva and Rama share the same feelings at the moment, but I don't think that he should be helping Sugreeva fight a battle against Vali.

Pg. 106. "I am not certain whether Sugreeva is trying to involve you in anything more than an ordinary combat between mere monkeys. I do not know if we should participate in this struggle at all. How can you trust as an ally one who has not hesitated to intrigue fatally against a brother?" -Lakshmana to Rama
I agree with Lakshmana in this statement he says because I don't think Rama should be that much involved in Sugreeva and Vali's argument.

In modern day, this topic applies to many people. Many individuals find the need to get in other people's business and try to solve their problems for them. This is not a correct way to handle situations. Also, I think in war and battle it is harder because people think the way to handle situations is to face the other party face to face without weapons or any threats and address the problem correctly. When we are in war and battle with other countries, we don't address the situation face to face, but rather we try to iliminate the other party with weapons and other threats.

Ramayana

Bharatha's mother's initial reaction to Rama becoming king is that she is really happy. After Bharatha's mother talked to the nurse, she was afraid of how Rama would treat her. Dasaratha should go against Bharatha's mother's beliefs and allow Rama to be King because Rama is reincarnated from Vishnu.

Oct 4.

ILLUSORY

• Pg. 24- Rama and Sita basically experience love at ‘first’ sight. They don’t realize that they were married in their past lives. They think it is fate. Rama is the God Vishnu and Sita is the Goddess Lakshima. When they see each other, they realize that something is familiar.

• Pg. 30- As some Priests are arriving to the wedding, many are walking on their toes so they don’t step on insects and small animals.
• Pg. 33-34- Kamban describes the wedding of Rama and Sita in minute detail, running to several thousand lines of poetry.

IMMANENT

• Pg. 23- "She paused to watch Rama slowly pass out of view, along with his sage-master and brother. The moment he vanished, her mind became uncontrollably agitated. The eye had admitted a slender shaft of love, which later expanded and spread into her whole being. She felt ill." Rama felt like Sita got into his mind.