Mythology & HP Exam #2 - Lecture notes 12-18 PDF

Preview

Summary

Sandy...

Description

EXAM #2 The Hero’s Quest: Study Guide

THIS EXAM REQUIRES DIRECT QUOTES ORDER & MEANING ●

some people believe religion is the recognition that there is ultimate order & meaning within our lives while some believe religion is the human impulse to create order & meaning

●

stevens “we create or assert order; from the chaos and mystery of our lives we shape worlds of meaning”

●

performance of rituals at certain points in the year and at certain points in life facilitates carrying out of that responsibility ○

●

ex: sun dance, reading of the qur’an

in creating order in our lives, we produce networks of relationships that connect us to the world, to our fellow human beings, and to whatever we consider to have greatest value

●

rage for order = a desire to establish conditions in which we can live fully and authentically

●

sometimes we accept an order (school, religious organization, club)

●

a life giving, satisfying order is a harmonious network of connections to environment and people

MORALITY ●

Concepts of morality – how do hero stories teach us what’s “right” and what’s “wrong?” ○

gives idea about what is right or wrong

○

you can see how heroes act in certain situations… lots of heroes are just “good” in nature and their actions show us what is right

●

Wrinkle in Time ○

good = meg, chris wallace, mrs. whatsit/who/which, christian god, aunt

beast ○ ●

evil = the dark thing, IT

Good V Evil

TIME 1. Eliade a. We all can be experiencing the same time but from different points or places (we are all observers) i.

For some, sacred time is happening and for others, it is profane.

b. Differentiation between SACRED and PROFANE

Sacred ● ● ● ● ●

●

profane Indefinitely recoverable Repeatable Fluid Cyclical Starts things anew ○ New years time (the past is wiped away) Re Experiencing something over and over again ○ Easter sunday = jesus birth ○ Does Not pass the same way profane time does bcs their is an ETERNAL return

● ● ● ●

Set, can't go back Linear time ----x----x→----->

2. L’Engle a. A “wrinkle” in time means someone can travel. It is a fold in time and space b. Idea of linear time on earth does not exist in the rest of the universe. For example, in a wrinkle in time, when Meg is concerned about how they left their mother at home, Mrs. What It tells them that they will return home “5 minutes before they left” (chapter 5). i.

This displays that time in the universe is circular, much like sacred time is.

3. Campbell APOTHEOSIS

1

a. GOT THIS FROM WIKIPEDIA i.

This is the point of realization in which a greater understanding is achieved. Armed with this new knowledge and perception, the hero is resolved and ready for the more difficult part of the adventure.

ii.

“Those who know, not only that the Everlasting lies in them, but that what they, and all things, really are is the Everlasting, dwell in the groves of the wish-fulfilling trees, drink the brew of immortality, and listen everywhere to the unheard music of eternal concord” (142)

iii.

When you recognize the divine within himself

iv.

When a hero can do something OTHERS can not

b. APOTHEOSIS IN A WRINKLE IN TIME i.

When Meg realizes her ability to LOVE, something that IT can not understand. The “Everlasting” lies within herself, which is love...love is infinite.

ii.

Her love for Charles Wallace is more powerful than anyones, making her the only one who can save him. 1. “Love. That was what she had that IT did not have.” (L’Engle page 100) 2. Refers to yin and yang…. Good becomes bad

c. APOTHEOSIS IN ARJUNA 4. Sacred v Profane a. eliade believes we live in a desacralized world vs homoreligiosos (religious humans) b. living in desacralized = where religion isn’t as important, less religion in public life c. existence of the sacred = eliade believes it is real and there are remnants in the regular world (certain experiences) d. sacred space = power, feeling of awe, feels like what’s really real (reality) e. Church = center of town to establish order and meaning f. profane = the opposite of sacred space g. For religious people, church on monday morning may be profane, but on sunday it is sacred because it is 1) tradition and 2) the mood is more holy

DIVINITY Divinity in Wrinkle in Time? 2

●

Concept of Christian God

● The triumph of love is one of several allusions in the novel to Christian theology. Jesus is the first figure cited by Mrs. Whatsit as a fighter against the Dark Thing. Indeed, the whole imagery of light vs. darkness is traced back to the New Testament by Mrs. Who in her fondness for quotation: "And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not." (62). In addition, Mrs. Whatsit translates the musical dance of the creatures on Uriel into the Biblical words of the prophet Isaiah, and Mrs. Who's second gift to Meg is an excerpt from St. Paul's Epistle to the Corinthians. Yet the characters are never identified as Christians, nor do they engage in any ritualistic religious behavior. Rather, the book refers to Christianity only at the theological or philosophical level; and while the struggle between good and evil forces in the world is a central aspect of Christian theology, it is also universal in its scope. Thus while L'Engle makes explicit references to the New Testament, she uses these references merely as a jumping-off point to explore larger, more universal themes.

Is there a divinity in Groundhog Day? ●

Multiple arguments. Some believed there is a divinity, and that it is the Groundhog. Can be a divinity even if it is not explicitly mentioned. ○

Evidence backing divinity: There is some higher power controlling the weather, forcing Phil to stay in Punxsutawney. Forecast showed that there was no evidence of a snowstorm previous to his arrival, but after some divine being controlled the inability for his departure.

●

Some argue PHIL is a divine being. ○

He states, “I am God” but he also cannot remove himself from the situation he is in, showing that he is not All Powerful.

●

Some argue Rita is a divine being. ○

More of a guide, like in the MONOMYTH ■

Meeting with the GODDESS

■

“This is the point when the person experiences a love that has the power and significance of the all-powerful, all encompassing, unconditional love that a fortunate infant may experience with his or her mother”

■

Rita is “the love of his life” and he realizes his true happiness with her. Even though she helps him realize that he can be happy with

3

her, he learns he needs to give her up, and stop trying to change his situation in order for him to escape. ■

IMPORTANT NOTE: PHIL ESCAPES THIS TIME LOOP BY DECIDING TO NOT ESCAPE THE TIME LOOP.

MONOMYTH

HEROES

4

ARJUNA Beginning of story: He is stubborn and stays true to his own personal code of conduct. (Has some apprehension about killing family members. Believes that killing his family is a big sin, but actually disobeying Krisha who is all powerful, all knowing is a bigger sin)

Characteristics

QUOTATION: “I have passed through many births and so have you; I know them all, but you do not Arjuna” (The fourth teaching 5). Sometimes small minded (does not understand that if he kills his family members now, they will still die later (time is relative, and a construct of our senses). End of Story: Krishna unyields knowledge onto Arjuna. “When a man is unattached and

5

PHIL CONNORS

MEG MURRY stubborn, angry, homely, loathes herself

Beginning of movie: Apathetic, lazy, no drive, only wants to pleasure himself. End of Movie: Intrinsic growth, natural goodness, innate goodness that heroes have (doing good deeds).

“Go back to sleep,” Meg said. “Just be glad you’re a kitten and not a monster like me” (5). ● Meg feels like a monster, ugly and unloved. ● Shows how something can shift from unlovable to feeling loved. Or from doubting oneself to being confident. ● “Now instead of reaching out to Calvin for safety, Meg took his hand in hers, not saying anything in words but trying to ell him by the pressure of her fingers what she felt, If anyone had told her only he day before she, Meg, the snaggle-toothed, the myopic, the clumsy, would be taking a boy’s hand to offer him comfort and strength, particularly a popular and important boy like Calvin, the

free, his reason deep in knowledge, acting only in sacrifice, his action is wholly dissolved” (Fourth teaching 24). Wisdom occurs through the right action, which Krishna is urging Arjuna to make.

idea would have been beyond her comprehension. But now it seemed as natural to want to help and protect Calvin as it did Charles Wallace.” (83) western traditions = - love conquering evil - strong attachments helps her defeat IT & save her brother

Krishna listens and takes advice given.

Applications to Monomyth

6

Call to adventure: Not in a mundane situation because he is on a battlefield. Spiritual transformation occurs on the battlefield.

Call to adventure:

Refusal of call: Is persistent in NOT killing his family.

is leaving, he

Crossing the first threshold: The unknown battlefield is a meeting of both Krishna and Arjuna. Time slows as they meet, and Arjuna grows spiritually.

has no uniqueness

Leaves his town to go cover story in Punxsutawney PA This situation is NORMAL at the moment because he believes he is just covering a story that

The day begins to repeat Refusal of call: Pleasures himself, sleeps w women, robs banks, binge

refusal of call: doesn’t think she can do it (confidence issues) call to adventure: whatsit coming to her house crossing the threshold: leaving the world she knows; sucked out of the world (physical sense) // first tesseract defeats IT road of trials = she realizes she has to be the one to defeat the monster alone belly of the whale = aunt beast, being wrapped up by this warm presence, goes into a womblike situation and comes out

eats. Refusing to take the problem seriously and has a

it with a new resolution/determinatio n on her quest

sense of inadequacy.

return threshold = tesser back home

Meeting with the

https://prezi.com/p/hrn myikmtybm/the-heros-j ourney-a-wrinkle-in-ti me/

Goddess: Rita is the goddess. She has the ability to make Phil think differently. Think of the time loop as a blessing instead of a curse.

Use this as a reference and fill in

Crossing First Threshold = Once he notices he is reliving his day Refusal of Call = When he stays in his old ways Acceptance of Call = Beginning to change, strives to deserve Rita’s love

QUESTIONS REVIEWED IN CLASS ABOUT GROUNDHOG DAY: Did Phil Connors meet Moksha? ●

No/Maybe

●

Argument for Maybe, he did reach Moksha ○

Rita has an integral role in Phil’s story. His objective is that he wants to sleep with her (this displays PLEASURE). However, she never would sleep with him. Once he got rid of this goal, and stopped trying to sleep with her,

7

he succeeded in wooing her. The important part is that he did not have an internal drive that focused on a certain outcome, and did not have an end goal in mind. He simply acted on good intentions. This is a big part of Hinduism. ○

Moksha means no longer caring about: SUCCESS, PLEASURE, and reaching a point where you do acts of service to be rebirthed.

○

Begins to do acts of service (fixes someone's tires) (stops being an asshole to women) (learns how to play piano and ice sculpt for HIMSELF)

Application of sacred/profane time ●

Like a personal clean slate everyday for Phil. can renew his intentions everyday and strive for greatness because he keeps his consciousness. Can understand his mistakes. For him, time is SACRED, and for others it is PROFANE. He is re-experiencing a phenomenon over and over again.

TRADITIONS 1. Hinduism ○

○

The hindu religion: ■

does not claim any one prophet

■

does not worship any one god

■

does not subscribe to any one dogma

■

does not believe in any one philosophical content

■

does not follow any one set of religious rites

it does not appear to satisfy the narrow traditional features of any religion or creed

8

○

it may broadly be described as a way of life and nothing more

○

sat = being/existing

○

chit = knowledge

○

ananda = joy/bliss/true being

○

moksha - infinitely

○

dust = limitations on joy/frustration

○

limitations on our beings ■

spatially

■

temporally

○

finite will never satisfy you - only the infinite will satisfy you

○

pleasure is limited to the self, success is limited to the self and are exclusive

○

service will never perfect the world, and history, too, dies

○

spiritual maturity = 1st life, 2nd (pleasure seeking), 3rd (success), 4th (service) → moksha ■

“yoke” = to unite & place under disciplined training

■

reflective (jnana) through knowledge 1. “this is my book” 2. “i changed my mind”

○ ○

■

emotional (bhakti) through love

■

active (karma) through work

■

experimentally inclined (raja) through psychophysical experiments

atman ■

the thing that outlasts this particular body

■

underlying the human self and animating it is a reservoir of being that never dies, is never exhausted

■

this infinite center of every life, this hidden self or atman

2. Flood: ○

Defining hinduism is difficult to define, much like religion is.

○

No founder, or set of commands

○

Sacred vs profane ■

“The distinction between the sacred and the everyday overlaps with the important distinctions between the pure and the impure, and the auspicious: distinctions which have been emphasized in the recent studies in Hinduism” (Flood 15) 1.

3. Easwaran ○

Main idea: desires run out ■

Idea that “knowing one piece of gold...all things made out of gold are known: they differ only in name and form, while the stuff of which are all made is gold” (26)

9

■

Dreams are passing from lower reality to a higher one

■

BASICALLY BE INDEPENDENT OF YOUR DESIRES… THEN YOU WILL BE FREE AND HAPPY FULLY

■ ○

“There is no joy in the finite; there is joy only in the infinite” (40)

BRAHMAN AND ATMAN ■

BRAHMAN PAGE 38 1. Pure being 2. The essence of everything

●

ATMAN 3. All about “the self” (38) 4. Nothing is separate… it is all essence in multiplicity

4. Lectures: ○

Hinduism does not claim a: PROPHET, GOD, DOGMA, CONCEPT, and is not similar to practices in other religions.

○

○

○

○

Hinduism is an UMBRELLA ■

You can take what you want from hinduism

■

Desires propel us through life

Three major things ■

Samsara

■

Moksha -----> release from rebirth

■

Dharma ----> laws of how hinduism operates

Desires ■

PATH OF DESIRE IS: PLEASURE AND SUCCESS (NOT GOOD)

■

PATH OF RENUNCIATION: SERVICE AND LIBERATION

■

Pleasure ---> beauty, sensual delights, indulgence

■

As people grow, pleasures cease to satisfy for long

■

Pleasures lose their luster after a while (finite).

Success ■

Wealth

■

Fame

■

Power 1. This is attainable as long as you do not satisfy for long.

■

CONS TO SUCCESS 1. Wealth, fame and power are exclusive 2. Drive for success is insatiable… the more we get the more we want 3. Centered in the self (in it for yourself)

10

4. Success is ephemeral...you can’t take it with you to the next life. ○

What do we really want? ■

Being 1. Limits: temporal and spatial boundaries on our existence

■

Knowledge 1. Limits: ignorance

■

Joy ----> campbell bliss, eliade’s real/being 1. Limits on joy but you can overcome these

○

What is a person made of? ■

Body

■

Mind

■

atman - brahman 1. Never runs out of consciousness and bliss 2. Atman = singular, base of every individual purpose 3. Brahman = universal essence 4. WE COVER THE ATMAN BRAHMAN W DUST

○

Yoga (four paths) ■

Reflective (jhana) thru knowledge

■

Emotional (bhakti) thru love

■

Active (kharma) thru work

■

Experimentally inclined (raja) thru psychophysical experiments

TAOISM 1. Tao te Ching ●

Product of many scholars putting this together

●

Has 3 aspects: Philosophical, Vitality, Religious Philosophical ● ● ●

11

Reflective Knowledge seeking Practice of “wu wei” ○ Conserves chi ○ The less you

Vitality ●

●

Actively performing rituals to increase energy through manipulation of matter, movement and mind. Tai chi, acupuncture

Religious

struggle, the more energy you conserve ●

there are no absolutes “when some people see things as beautiful, other things become ugly”

●

“do not blame”

●

“The tao doesn’t take sides; it gives birth to good and evil”

2. Stoller Miller a. Daoist identity in three main ways i.

The indigenous religion of China

ii.

A lineage of transmission

iii.

A universal path

b. order & meaning i.

“thus the notion of a yellow race reinforced the idea of cultural superiority over and against peripheral races, whether white, brown or black” (23)

c. Daoism + hinduism = universal paths d. Daoism was universal but historians limited it to China e. Assumed all Chinese people followed same religion….more unity but allows for no ethnicity = none f. chinese time is traditionally marked by reference to a sixty year cycle based originally on the twelve years that it takes planet Jupiter to circle the night sky g. Idea of cosmos: festival (jiao) represents the” rebirth of the cosmos and the renewal of life” (Miller 28) h. dao...