Top Grammar Reminders - Spring 2010

1. Know the difference between their, they’re, and there  
2. Eliminate your contractions (including they’re) – there are NO contractions in scholarly writing. 
3. Check your comma usage around quotation marks.    
4. Do not use single quotation marks as you would with your fingers in general speech.  Technically, the single quotation mark does not exist in scholarly writing.  
5. Possessive apostrophe usage: Ben’s sitar, Akbar’s tomb, Chelsea’s elephant.  The most common mistake this semester has been writing, “It’s,” when you mean, “Its.”
6. Proper colon and semicolon usage. 
7. Proper usage of italics - words in another language. 
8. SPELLING – especially names and places. 

Looking for a comic/graphic novel version of the Buddha's life story

Here are some good finds, but not exactly what I am looking for.  My target audiences are high school, gap year, and university students who are hearing about/learning about the story of the Buddha's life for the first time.  The aim is to help the students understand from an historical/mythological perspective who the Buddha was and why he is so important to the structure of South Asian history.

As Mary said today, "He must have been a cool dude if we are still talking about him 2600 years after he died."  The same could be said for all the prophets of all religions.  It is the same myth that is perpetuated, though Buddhists differentiate by clarifying the Buddha's teachings did not have the same focus of eternalism that the messianic religions had, or developed.  Nor did the complete opposite nihilistic view encompass what the Buddha said he discovered.  But the myth remains - the story of a prince who gives it all up to find a way out of suffering.

I asked a good buddy who knows comics to help me find what I am looking for.  These were some sites he found:

www.buddhanet.net has great teaching tools for primary and secondary students - I need to do some more digging to find out who these guys are and from where they are pulling their information.  This coloring book of the life story of the Buddha is quite detailed and cleared up a few of my questions and confused other facts I thought I knew e.g. in this book, it says that the first person to give the Buddha food after he fainted during his six years living and practicing as an aesthetic was a young nameless boy.  I had understood that Sudhana gave him rice and milk and this was enough to realize that the way of denial of physical needs was the opposite spectrum and there needed to be a balance to that.  Hm.

Deepak Chopra also has an illustrated book of the life of the Buddha - here's the cover.  I am not sure about this one.  I didn't know that Deepak Chopra was a Buddhist ? ?

Then, there is a famous Japanese graphic novel called Buddha by Osamu Tezuka in eight volumes.  People I talked with seem to know this one best.  I endeavor to read this as soon as possible.  Here's a review of the series.

Other suggestions are most welcome.  I leave you with this found here.

Hegemony

Italian activist/thinker Antonio Gramsci (1891 - 1937) introduced concept of cultural hegemony.  He was one of the most important Marxist thinkers of the 20th century.  He died at age 46 after being released from a prison sentence in conjunction with the accusation of an attempted assassination of Mussolini.
Gramsci expanded upon Lenin's ideals about hegemony with a thorough analysis of why the Marxist revolution of the proletariat had not yet happened despite the prediction of it

Need to read more about this.  Read Prison Notebooks. 

Relevance to FSS - Edward Said quotes Gramsci extensively in his introduction to Orientalism (1978).  Here, Said discusses Gramsci's theory of cultural hegemony (a process of moral and intellectual leadership through which both dominant and subordinate classes consent to their respective roles as opposed to being forced or coerced into that role) as a way to discuss the structure of the West's need to understand/dominate that which they view as Oriental. 

Seems to me that Said's use of Gramsci is a bit radical.  Especially because he is speaking about Orientalism as a construct of the West, and western thought/literature/imagery, that continues to perpetuate and inform the West's understanding of the Orient.  This relationship does not seem to be one where both parties are informed about their role and consenting.  In fact, Said expounds that this is not the case at all - that the occupants of the Orient in the eyes of the West fully created and controlled by Western observations as a fulfillment of some fantasy that defines the West as significant and powerful. 

Need to read more.

Sita Sings the Blues - "American" take on Ramayana

Attended a lecture today at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) that was part of a course taught by Drs. Robert and Sally Goldman of UC Berkeley's South Asian Studies Department.  They are here in Delhi working on their epic one-of-a-kind translation of the epic narrative The Ramayana composed by the poet Valmiki, which is an integral part of India's (and many other cultures') heritage. 

Today's course was framed from last week's (which I did not attend) where Sally focused on ideas of appropriation.  This carries a negative connotation for me as in 'cultural appropriation' of that which we perceive as exotic or different, holding some level of fantasy for us, be it savage, spiritually fulfilling, aggressive, or transgressive of our own cultural boundaries.  We identify this thing, e.g. Buddhist prayer beads, and we develop our own way of relating to it in the context of our own culture.  Appropriation means taking something which is not yours and owning or authoring meaning and significance to that thing outside of its original cultural context. 

We started watching Sita Sings the Blues under this premise - The Ramayana is an epic that 'belongs' to India (i actually don't know enough about the history yet to say this - I know it has traveled to many places and been retold in the contexts of many cultures, and today there was some reference to it being part of an extensive folk tradition in many countries as well).  Nina Paley used the story of Ramayana as a way to work through some bad things that happened in her own life.  She took this epic story, the basis of understanding of cultural structures for India, and looked at it not only through her US American lens, but the lens of a first time viewer of the epic.  We discussed many aspects of this after viewing including Nina's motive and her ability to capture what our audience thought were the true meanings/themes of the stories. 

What did I see while we watched?

What were the reactions to the viewing? (who made up the audience)

What did Sally and Bob want to talk about? (globalization and relevance of epic stories)

How is this relevant to my work as a cross cultural bridge for Americans in India?  I did speak up at the end - actually, I was put on the spot as one of the only two foreigners in the room other than the lecturers, and a US American as well.  People were interested in how someone would react to seeing this version as the first version of the Ramayana in their lives.  What an interesting question, especially in light of working with young US Americans who decide they would like to spend three or four months in India with the organization I work for.  I have often searched for accessible ways to introduce my students to Culture in a sensitive, non-overassuming way - a way in which I feel opens an ethical dialogue and creates understanding, relation, and curiosity about the experience the students might have. 

8-Fold Path

A result of Buddha Sakyamuni's first turning of the wheel of Dharma at Sarnath were the four noble truths.  Many have expoused, interpreted, explained, described, meditated upon and put into action these truths.

1. Suffering exits
2. Suffering is caused by desire and attachment
3. Release from suffering is possible
4. The 8-fold path is the way to work to be released from suffering

The 8-Fold Path is the main focus of the Hinayana or Theravada tradition of Buddhism, but the foundation for all other schools and practices.  Here is are two schematics from different schools (not sure which ones yet) that describe and try to quantify the 8-fold path -

This first one I like because its visual shows interaction between the steps on the path that seems to help the viewer understand the progress they might want to take.  I don't yet understand the sanskrit translations of the words, and why it is the format it is in. 

This second one from a transcendental awareness (what?) news journal gives a practical explanation of the path breaking down what I know to be the different categories of practice within each step of the path (from various Tibetan Buddhist sources).

The Path breaks down into three sections (as depicted above in the spiral) as practices of body, speech, and mind.  These aims are to then cleanse, over many many lifetimes, the negative karmic habitual tendencies each human being carries from lifetime to lifetime.

Understanding Tantra

The students this semester have found it difficult to come to an understanding of Tantra - rituals, practice, history, context, meaning - and of course, where it fits in relevantly to their academic study, as well as their developing spiritual lives and belief systems. 

I have been reading from different sources attempting to clarify definitions and construct my own understandings of these traditions from Indian Hindu and Buddhist and Tibetan Buddhist sources.  My knowledge remains limited to my small experience and tiny capacity for understanding, but maybe I can make some sense of these things in order to be a better guide for the students. 
 
What is Tantra?
Today from the Tibetan Buddhist Gelug perspective, there are two - First from Alexander Berzin, who has worked extensively with HH the 14th Dalai Lama on Kalachakra initiation.  Berzin also hosts an opensource website with layers of resources for those looking to study more deeply.  These quotes are from his book, Taking the Kalachakra Initiation, which is written to help the aspirant prepare for receiving the initiation. (1997, Snow Lion Publications: Ithaca, New York)

"Some people have odd notions about tantra and imagine, with great anticipation, that an initiation is an entranceway into a magic world of exotic sex and superpowers.  When they learn that this is not the case, but rather that tantric practice is complex, advanced, and requires seious committment and the keeping of many vows, they become frightened and are put off.  Neither of these reactions, of excitement of fear is appropriate."  (p.17)

"The word tantra means an everlasting stream of continuity... the everlasting stream is our mind - specifically its subtlest level know as primordial clear light - which provides continuity throughout all our lifetimes.  Like a pure laser beam of mere clarity and awareness, unadulterated by the gross oscillations of conceptual thought of disturbing emotions, it underlies each moment of experience, whether we are awake or asleep." (p.18)

Berzin goes on to describe the continuity like a radio that remains on through the process of finding the station to tune in to.  Through the station playing the music, the static between the stations, or how loud the radio is playing, the radio is still a radio - an open receiver for broadcast.  Tapping in to this continuity is the point of the practice - recognizing that it is there within each of us (each a different radio) and we all can recognize this potential. 

Lama Thubten Yeshe, one of the first visitors and teachers to the United State and the "West" from the Tibetan Buddhist Gelug tradition in the 1970s and 1980s, often gave teachings on the meanings and definitions of tantra in order to benefit his students.  He often said that the western mind was ripe for receiving and understanding these teachings and that, "The practice of tantra is so suitable for the modern West because it is 'scientific.'"  (p. xii)

Here are some quotes from his book Introduction to Tantra: The Transformation of Desire. Compiled by Jonathan Landow.  2001: Wisdom Publications, Sommerville, MA. 

(quotes below from Jonathan Landow's preface)

"Tantra, far from being a system of dogma to be accepted on faith or authority, is in fact a practical, step-by-step exploration of the human condition leading to self-discovery, and its results are verifiable through our own observations and experiences." (p. xii)

"The practice of tantra, which is designed to take advantage of this hidden inner resource and utilize it to the maximum extent, offers us the best opportunity to overcome these presures and transform our lives into the meaningful, integrated whole that we desire." (p. xii)

"Tantra is a path of joy and affirmation, qualities so sadly lacking in many of the currently depleted forms of what were once powerful spiritual traditions."  (p. xii)

"According to the Buddhist teachings, no matter how confused or deluded we may be at the moment, the underlying and essential nature of our being is clear and pure.  In the same way that clouds can temporarily obscure but cannot damage the light-giving power of the sun, so too the temporary afflictions of body and mind - our confusion, anxiety, and the suffering they cause - can temporarily obscure but cannot destroy or even tough the fundamentally clear nature of our consciousness." (p. 2)

"And the ultimate purpose of all spiritual practices, whether they are called Buddhist or not, is to uncover and make contact with this essential pure nature." (p. 2)

"When we have developed our own inner purity, inner compassion, and inner love, we can then see the reflection of this purity and loving-kindness in others.  But if we have not contacted these qualities within ourselves, we will see everyone as ugly and limited.  For whatever we see every day in our outer reality is actually nothing more than a projection of our own inner reality." (p. 2)

Lama Yeshe goes on to describe the difference between the two main approaches of Tibetan Buddhism - according to the sutrayana and tantrayana.  Sutrayana refers to the gradual causal path of purifying and cleansing the mind of its faults and limitations and replacing them with beneficial qualities of love and wisdom.  "This path consists of creating specific causes - behaving ethically, developing our powers of concentration, training in meditative insight, and so forth - for the future attainment of full awakening."  (p. 3)

Tantrayana is the faster method because one is trained to utilize the subtle energy of desire and negative emotions in order to more quickly and efficiently cleanse the mind of its faults.  "Although tantric practitioners do not neglect creating the same causes as the followers of sutra, they take the future result of full spiritual evolution as the very starting point in their path.  To put this in other words, the tantric yogi or yogini - as these supremely skillful practitioners are called in Sanskrit - learns to think, speak, and act now as if he or she were already a fully enlightened buddha." (p. 3)

"Speaking generally we can say that all the many practices of tantra involve the principle of transformation.  As modern science has demonstrated, the physical universe with its infinite variety of phenomena - from the smallest subatomic particle to the largest galaxy - is in an unceasing state of transformation and evolution from one form of energy to another.  Our own body and mind are also energy, and whether we are healthy or ill, mentally balanced or berserk, depends on whether our mental and physical energies are harmonious or not.  Through the proper practice of tantra all of our energies, including the subtle yet very powerful energies we are not ordinarily aware of, are harnessed to accomplish the greatest of all transformations.  This is our evolution from an ordinary, limited and deluded person trapped within the shell of a petty ego into a fully evolved, totally conscious being of unlimited compassion and insight." (p.5)

From these quotes we can understand - tantra is about transformation of our deluded mind into the inherent clear and luminous lazer beam that is our primordial nature.  Methods and techniques of tantric practice are of a resultant nature, taking this truth to be, philosophically, all one needs to accomplish enlightenment. 

"Instead of viewing pleasure and desire as something to be avoided at all costs, tantra recognizes the powerful energy aroused by our desires to be an indispensable resource for the spiritual path.  Because the goal is nothing less than the realization of our highest human potential, tantra seeks to transform every experience - no matter how 'unreligious' it may appear - into the path of fulfillment."  (p. 9)

A major feature about the rise of tantrism in India (Hindu and Buddhist) was its reactionary nature to the social taboos of the time - Buddhist tantra emerged from the Hindu tradition being practiced at the time of Sakyamuni, but its base is deep in the Hindu system of religious practice.  We cannot take this out of its context.  Brahmanical Hinduism 2500 years ago (this information needs more understanding.... ) set up a social caste system which supported the civility of the time.  Social taboos such as eating meat, drinking alcohol, and having sex were embraced by tantric practitioners not necessarily in order to transgress social boundaries, but rather to liberate themselves from the social structure.  Social taboos being forbidden became the cause of desire for many.  Using the energy of desire in a proper way was thought to facilitate spiritual enlightenment.

The historical Buddha Sakyamuni took this a step further by developing a philosophy of finding a balance between desire and aversion.  He denied his desires for six years to the extent that toward the end of this time he was not much more than a skeleton. "Instead of bringing him closer to his goal of transcendence, it was only making him too weak to think and meditate clearly." (p.12) 

Lama Yeshe continues to explain the first teaching on tantra by Sakyamuni Buddha was given to a king who requested such a teaching that would allow the king himself to take care of his subjects properly but he would not be able to do as Sakyamuni himself had done and renounce his worldly existence to find spiritual enlightenment.  The Buddha gave the Kalachakra Tantra to the king as a way to balance the responsibilities of a ruler, but also offer the potential of realization on the spiritual level.  This is seen as a noble act; the king is able to fulfill his responsibilities as a ruler but also accomplish personal realization. (p. 13)

Questions remaining: 
Where did the Buddha come up with Kalachakra teachings?  How did they fit into the Hindu context at the time?  How old are Hindu tantra teachings and how are they different than the tantra teachings of Sakyamuni Buddha?  How did Hindu yogis view Siddhartha and his path?  How different are Buddhism and Hinduism, actually?  What is the difference?  How did the teachings at the time of the Buddha change or develop into the teaching we are able to find from different Buddhist traditions today?  Example: Tibetan and Japanese Buddhism.  If Sakyamuni taught different tantric practices during his lifetime, how have they all been preserved and disseminated - who understands these things and how are they taught?  How does one explain all of this subtlety to university students who have misconceptions about tantra based on flashy cultural images of sex and candy?

Outline Maps

Outline maps of different regions of the world - good for teaching, training, testing knowledge.

I'll use this in the fall to help students understand the context of south asia and central asia - we all need to understanding the interconnectedness of the region in order to see from where the influences have emerged.  For example, the silk road involved trade on myriad levels and involved invaders and cultural appropriators from all sides.  To start to understand and unpack motivations of these merchants, we need to know what understanding they function under.

This site is the best one I've found for blank maps for testing current political boundary knowledge.