Reading: Reading Notes: Reading B (Week 3)

Bharata finds Rama at Chitrakuta. (from blog, link in bibliography)

Reading B Notes:

Bharata is seeking Rama and tries to get him back to the city (he is in the forest at this point). These brothers hugged each other when they met up and the next morning, Bharata explained to Rama that he was asking for forgiveness for his own mother's sin. Rama exclaimed, "Please, be forgiven. There will be no more thought of this."

Jabali is the counselor of Dasharatha and asked Rama why was his understanding small and why he would proclaim his allegience to a dead person. He spoke of the joys being cast away from his life and wasting would play a huge part in his life.

Rama became angry. "Okay Jabali, I get you but your teachings are false. A good man does good deeds, unlike a bad man. So how could I ever do bad? I do good things."

Bharata said if it pleased Rama, then he should stay in the jungle for another fourteen years. 

Rama said he did not remember the commands of Dasharatha shifting.

Bibliography:

Indian Epics: Images and PDE Epics, Laura Gibbs, http://ouocblog.blogspot.com/2011/02/pde-ramayana-rama-and-bharata.html

Reading Notes

"Shiva catches Ganga as she descends." (taken from the blog on Ramayana Story of Ganga, see in bibliography)

Thoughts/notes on text:

The King is Sagara. I think it's interesting they don't give a reason for his lack of offspring, but I assume the issue is infertility. And the fact that his consorts also longed for offspring, so they all traveled together to find austerities. The mother would after a hundred year give birth to a son (Asamanja) and the other wife would have 60,000 sons. Wow.

The story goes on to tell about a horse sacrifice and a horse rescue of some sort for the sons. The horse is stolen so the sons go to find it. Kapila was in the horse and destroyed them all when they found the horse. The sons are dead so the king sends his grandson after them. Of course, he find their ashes. Sagara ended up dying after 30,000 years of reigning. Ganga ended up dying and entering the underworld where the sons dwelled. They were lifted up toward heaven.


Bibliography:

Gibbs, L. (1970, January 01). Indian Epics: Images and PDE Epics. Retrieved January 31, 2018, from http://ouocblog.blogspot.com/2011/06/pde-ramayana-story-of-ganga.html

Feedback Thoughts

Deconstructing Constructive Feedback

https://www.inc.com/amy-morin/6-bad-mental-habits-that-sabotage-your-success.html

1) 6 Bad Mental Habits That Sabotage Your Success
The bad habits for this article were making excuses, catastrophes the future, seeks audience approval, believes self-doubts, puts oneself down and second-guesses oneself. I think for this one I most tend to struggle with seeking audience approval. I tend to be a people-pleaser, which slides right into my need for perfection. This can create a disaster for comparison, essentially robbing me of my joy that was there for success in the first place. My need for approval has been something I have recently discovered in my life, and I'm excited to use these tactics to ultimately get it out and fill it will the opposite--not needing the approval of others. 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/meganbruneau/2016/07/15/5-tips-for-receiving-feedback-like-a-champ/#74c8df6c1899

2) 5 Tips for Taking Feedback Like a Champ
"Realize that feeling uncomfortable is healthy, normal, and part of the growth process — this includes the discomfort we feel when we receive feedback:" For me, this speaks volumes. I think my whole life has been a series of "how comfortable can I get?" Once I reached out of that, I embraced uncomfortableness and went after  it. I can definitely say now when I receive feedback, I am more willing to stand firm and receive if it is beneficial. Whether it may be hard or not, I want to be able to filter rather than choosing flight and running away.

"Remind yourself that having growth areas is a good thing— it means you haven't maxed out on your potential: " Growth, growth, growth. It is one of my favorite things and choices about life. We get to CHOOSE to grow. I am pumped about this ability and how growing enables a healthy feedback intake. 

"Keep in mind 'state" vs. "trait:'" They could not have said it better. I want to be able to say "Okay, this is for right now" rather than "this statement defines who I am". 

"Find the positive intentions behind your deficiency, and notice where it's a strength:" I enjoy seeing the positive. Obviously, it is not always possible but I want to believe there is a positive in most situations and criticism. I want to also take it an extra step and see if the constructive feedback is true of my strengths, and if it is, press into that.

"Use mindfulness and self-compassion to react in a productive way:" I believe it begins with a choice, will I choose to react productively or not? I get to choose. I believe being aware of my own needs and passions is important when receiving feedback.

Review

http://nextadagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/male-hair-loss-treatment-reviews.jpg

My favorite video this week was Carol Dweck's "Mindset". This inspired me to really debrief my idea of perfectionism in my life and how that affects my ability to function. I feel like a lot of stress comes from my struggle against perfectionism (this struggle began a couple of years ago when I realized I was caught up in it). I am encouraged to spread this idea and allow others to be freed from the "straight A's only" mentality and looking forward to the "not yet".

My favorite graphic was from the "Crocodile in the River".

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/36/Marsh_cocodile_india.JPG

Week #02 Storytelling

Author's Note: I started with the story "The Crocodile in the River" https://sites.google.com/view/marlasportfolio/stories/the-crocodile-in-the-river, originally taken from Vanarinda Jataka, in The Jataka: Volume 1 translated by Robert Chalmers.

The Crocodile in the River

The Crocodile

The Master was sitting at the grove, reminiscing on the days when Devadatta sought out to take his life. He declared, "Devadatta has tried many times to kill me, but has failed to succeed. He will not win the battle then, now and ever again." He then continued with the story.

Once when Brahmadatta ruled over Benares, the Bodhisatta rose to life and became a monkey. When he grew, he was bigger than a baby cow! He was unusually strong. He lived on an island, mostly isolated and barren, so he ate. He ate a lot. This happened to be his very life.

In the same river nearby the island, a crocodile couple did life together. They were expecting newborns very soon. The mother saw the Bodhisatta going back and forth and immediately wanted to feast on his heart. Seeing that the mother was hungry, the father crocodile went after it.

In the meantime, the Bodhisatta is pondering at life across the deep waters. He is wondering about the rock sticking up so high out of the water. When this happens, he strongly suspects crocodiles, for they are known to make this happening occur. He, in a manner of urgency and fear, calls out to the rock three times with a "Hi, Rock!". There are no words. No echo. "Why do you not answer me today?"

The crocodile smiles. He has a plan. He must be the rock's voice in order to allure the Bodhisatta. "Monkey, what must you say to me today?"

"Who goes there?" Bodhisatta says.

"I am a crocodile."

"Well, what are you sitting there for?"

"To eat you and bring your heart to my wife."

Outwitting was the Bodhisatta's game and this croc was no match. So suddenly the Bodhisatta yelled, "I must surrender! You are no match for me my crocodile. Have all of me!"

So the crocodile opened his mouth and ready to munch. Little did the crocodile know, when his mouth opens, his eyes shut, blocking him from seeing the Bodhisatta.

The monkey suddenly bounced off the crocodile's head and headed for the bank.

The monkey was obviously proud of this trickery towards the crocodile. He proclaimed, "This monkey has four great virtues that enable him to overcome his enemies and attackers! I think I bear each and every one."

And, so saying, he repeated this stanza:

Who can be so great?

None, I say. Courage, relentlessness, sovereignty and peace.

He shall examine the fleet of his foe

The crocodile then went back.

_____________________________

The Master said, "Again, Devagatta tried to kill me multiple times before and after this incident." Seeing the Birth, the Master declared freedom over himself.

Bibliography:

1. The Crocodile in the River. (n.d.). Retrieved January 25, 2018, from https://sites.google.com/view/jatakas/crocodile

Reading Notes

1) The Foolish, Timid Rabbit
https://sites.google.com/view/jatakas/rabbit

Thoughts: I read Henny-Penny as a child and this story brings me back to that time. I love the twist made in the story and how relevant it is to every day life!

2) Two Turtle Jatakas
https://sites.google.com/view/jatakas/turtle

Thoughts: I enjoyed the lesson taught here. I also appreciate the sassiness associated with the coals and with the water.

3) The Crocodile in the River
https://sites.google.com/view/jatakas/crocodile

Thoughts: I like the contrast between the past and present and how real this story is to lessons that can be learned today in life.

Jatakas

Reading Options

The Avatars of Vishnu

1. 17 Fascinating Women from the Mahabharata
    http://iereadingguides.blogspot.com/search/label/Overviews
I want to learn more on women in India and what life there looks like for them.

2. Krishna Dharma. Two Vedic Tales
http://iereadingguides.blogspot.com/2017/11/overview-krishna-dharma-two-vedic-tales.html
These are the stories between The Mahabharata and the Puranas.

3. Krishna Dharma. The Panchatantra
http://iereadingguides.blogspot.com/2017/11/overview-krishna-dharma-panchatantra.html
The translation of an ancient story collection. 

Technology

The technology tools have been a great way to express opinions, accomplish tasks, and write out and show the meaning behind the text. I believe blogging has great power when expressing ideas and is useful in the organizational aspect. I enjoy how this class is developing and how the webpage encourages us on a daily basis. I think much work has been put into the technological side of things and I am excited to see where it takes us.

Time Strategies

After reviewing my schedule, I felt very confident about my decision to make this class assignments' due each day. I think if I were to put multiple assignments on one day, I would be setting myself up for failure. My days tend to stay busy until late at night, so I thought it wise to expect just one hour a day on these assignments because that is doable. If there does come a weekend or a day when I can catch up and spend more than one hour, I will indeed do so.

Overall, I think it will be a very organized semester. I've learned that pursuing perfection never ends well, but I can aim for excellence and succeed in that way.

Assignments

I have thoroughly enjoyed these assignments during week one. I enjoyed starting out with a bit of processing through my life and reading through the topic of growth mindset, as well as starting the story book favorites assignments and see others' past assignments in order to get a glimpse of what this class will entail. Our professor has done a wonderful job commenting and making sure what we post is heard and listened to. I appreciate that.

I am excited to continue diving into growth mindset throughout my semester and hopefully for the rest of my life. I really believe that strategy can do so much good in our personal lives, in education and in daily life.

Growth Mindset

Growth Mindset vs. Fixed Mindset,

I have not heard of Carol Dweck or the growth mindset before, although her voice surely sounds familiar. I learned about it for the first time in this class. I see myself growing in the face of "get the best grade" or "get an A or you're not smart". I have learned to let go of that, especially now going into a field that is less based of grades and more based off of who I am connected with and how well I can express my opinion or perspective on a topic. I do, however, still tend to look at anything not an "A" as a negative thing. I associate "A" with "good, perfect, excellent" and "B" or "C", etc with "failure, not good enough, lacking". I can definitely relate to the aspect of my life in traveling. When I spent time in Haiti, I noticed the more released I was from this idea of perfection in performance. Of course I still learned and grew in discipline, but it was for a greater purpose rather than to just be perfect for some far off reason. I definitely will be interested in the growth mindset and will be consciously thinking of how I can better grasp this idea of being a praiser in a healthy way. I definitely want to walk more in grace and excellence, because of my love for the Lord and for people. I've noticed I tend to seek after perfectionism when I live for myself solely. 

Introduction

My friends Malise, Sonson and Huguens in Tilagonove

Introduction

My name is Marla Duvall. I am a senior at the University of Oklahoma. I am studying Human Relations and will graduate this May. Currently, I am a normal college student who is crazy passionate about a lot of things. I love the country of Haiti and have been multiple times, long-term and short-term. I also love Oklahoma (this one didn't happen until this year). I hate injustice and have already dedicated my life to fighting injustice at all costs. Specifically, I have begun fighting human trafficking here in OKC/Norman area. I want go into the non-profit sector and be an advocate for human trafficking victims and survivors and see them freed from this modern-day slavery. I also am huge on fighting for minority's rights. Oppression is something I have hated hearing about and it grieves my heart daily to hear this happens to so many people. I used to fight the grief, but now I use grief as a force to push back the darkness I see in my community and around the world. I am a Christian, and because of the Lord's love in my life, I have been called to fight injustice, even on the hard days. I am never perfect at what I do and by no means could ever do it alone, but I am confident that every second of effort is worth it. 

I love yoga, hiking, reading, hanging out in coffee shops and bookstores, supporting local businesses, and eating plant-based. My love language is quality time so just any time with friends and family fills my heart. I love spending time in Downtown OKC and in the Wichita mountains. Outside of Oklahoma, I love skiing in New Mexico and Colorado. I have a lot of friends in different states and they graciously have let me come see them and showed me their home states. I have a love to travel and taste new food, have new experiences.

Currently I work on curbside at a restaurant and have since I started college. I am about to start an internship at a local non-profit. I help out with the 1st and 2nd graders at my church and it is actually the joy of my week. They are so much fun. I also am apart of an awesome community group here in Norman that is linked to my church.

Storybook Favorites

Week 1

1) Voldemort's Reincarnation: https://sites.google.com/view/reincarnations/home

Voldemort's Reincarnation is set on Christmas Eve at Hogwarts. This blog discusses how Voldemort came to be as well as how Harry Potter grew up and came to dwell at Hogwarts. The author actually places himself in the story with his sister. Together, they take on Voldemort and plan ways to defeat him.

2) Yama's Hair Salon: https://sites.google.com/site/influentialwomencarriegraham/

Yama's Hair Salon/Influential Women is based on Yama, the god of death. She is the one who decides when and where someone dies and enters into the afterlife. Women are only allowed to cut their hair at 11 months old in the earthly life, but after they enter the afterlife they are no longer bound to that rule. Yama is the one who allows the haircuts to happen.

3)Tragic Stories featuring Yaksha's: https://sites.google.com/view/tragicstories/home

Tragic Stories featuring Yaksha's is based off the gods Yaksha and Yakshinis, which are proud beings. They desire to only bring good fortune to the world, but their lives remain a tragedy because they are never able to fully restore peace and happiness to those they try to help.

Yakshi

Favorite Place

Week 1

My favorite place is Titanyen, Haiti (or really just Haiti in general). I first visited here on a mission trip in August of 2015. I instantly knew I had to spend more time here. I came back in May of 2016 for three months and served as an intern at Mission of Hope in Titanyen. I came back in March of 2017 for a week and back again to intern this past May for three months again. I am super passionate about showing people outside of this country the hope and beauty that grows daily in Haiti. I think people tend to look at Haiti as just a poor, helpless country. I would disagree. Haiti is rich in more than money. I actually feel more joy and contentment there than I do back in the US at times. Haitians are incredible people. They have the biggest smiles, the most giving spirits and have the hardest work ethic you could find. Some of my best friends are Haitians and I love them dearly, but honestly they love me way better. I actually had a friend name his daughter after me and that was the highlight of my life.

I could go on forever, but Haiti is amazing. Everyone should experience it. Here are some of my favorite pics of my favorite people.

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