WHAT?!...Interdisciplinary Essays?!

To be honest, when I read the blog prompt I felt a little intimidated, and before attending class on Friday I had no idea what to write about. I was especially intimidated by the idea of writing two interdisciplinary essays for our midterm. However, I feel that I now have better grasp on what is expect. So in order to discuss the themes of obligation, suffering, and judgment, I am going to related theme to the cultures we have studied thus far.

Obligation is theme that I feel is very prominent in Hinduism. It relates directly to their idea of dharma, or duty.  In order to break the cycle of samsara, and overcome human ignorance, you must become aware of your dharma.  Becoming aware of your dharma, and essentially yourself is not a necessarily an easy task.  However, when one discovers their dharma they must fulfill it in order to better their karma and better serve Brahma.  In Hinduism, having good karma is the key to escaping samsara, the cycle of rebirth and suffering.

When it comes to Archaic Greece I believe that the theme of suffering was a very notable aspect of their culture.  The thing that was most desired by Greek men was honor, or timê.  In order to gain honor men would have to defend and fight for their community, which would most likely involve a lot of suffering.  Achilles and Odysseus both suffered a great deal during and after the Trojan War; however this suffering, although it may have caused them a great deal of pain, paid off in the end because it resulted in honor.

Judgment is an important theme in both Hinduism and Ancient Greece.  As previously stated, in order to break the cycle of samsara Hindus must have good karma, and if their karma is bad they are forced back into the cycle.  In Archaic Greece the afterlife is the same for everyone, which means that unlike the Hindus, they are exclusively judged while they are on earth. 

Word count: 335

Ancient India...The Movie

                Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the class visit to the Hindu temple. I instead had to resort to the second best option, watching a movie titled Ancient India.  I have a feeling that in many cases the perplexing title of the movie may have lead some students to wonder, “Now just what is this Ancient India movie about?” That was not the case for me. Being the bright young lady that I am, I gathered that, although the title seemed a little ambiguous, the movie was going to be about ancient India.  I was right.

                Ancient India was a relatively interesting movie that traced India’s history all the way back to the earliest excavated Indian city Harappan, which dates back to 3,500 BCE.  Like many cultures, Indian culture has evolved substantially over time due to a variety of reasons. I find it fascinating how ancient Indian traditions have been maintained for over 5,000 years.  Footage of the ruins of ancient civilizations such as Harappan and Mojenjo Daro helped to better display the longevity of Indian culture.  Almost all of the religious imagery that the modern world relates with Hinduism can be found amongst these ancient ruins.

                This movie, along with what we have been studying in class has really heightened my interest in Hinduism.   I find the emphasis on sexuality in Hinduism very intriguing.  I like the fact that unlike many religions that shun sexuality, the Hindus embrace it, and they especially embrace female sexuality.  I feel that sexuality with love is a part of life that should be celebrated and not scored.  The Hindus take this to another level by believing that sexuality amongst a married man and woman can actually bring them closer to Brahma. 

                I do not consider myself a religious person; however I also do not consider myself an atheist. For many years I have struggled with Christianity.  I believe that there is a higher power in the cosmos, but I do not believe that it is necessarily the Christian God.  I feel like there is a force that is greater than man, like an energy that is all around us.  I was pleased to learn that this is how the Hindus describe Brahma. Believing that Brahma is everything makes a lot more sense to me than saying that God is the creator that sits up in the heavens and watches over us.

                Overall, I feel that I have gained a lot from studying India and Hinduism.

Word count: 432