Storybook Plan

For this project I'm hoping to adapt the following stories into a more accessible format. I likely won't lean very hard on era change, but rather just make the whole world of the story a bit more palpable. I intend to do this by way of screenplay, as I have with the writing assignments until now. In these retellings I'm trying to study the depiction of monkeys in a few key Jataka tales. The stories I plan on using are TAYODHAMMA-JĀTAKA, VĀNARINDA-JĀTAKA, ĀRĀMADŪSAKA-JĀTAKA, NAḶAPĀNA-JĀTAKA, and SUṀSUMĀRA-JĀTAKA.

I'm thinking this will be a bit more of a thematic link anthology, rather than linked as a singular story or narrator. I'm hoping to focus on the tendency of the monkeys to rely on wisdom and cunning to make the best of their situation. However, one of the stories portrays them as much more simple minded - which will be an interesting case study as it breaks from the norm.








Bibliography:
Jakata Tales

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Site:
https://sites.google.com/view/jatakamonkeys
Photo Credit:
Mahakapi Jataka in Sanchi | 1st Century BCE

Microfiction: Ice

Hint Fiction: Lubricus

One step further than the right amount, confidence of the most detrimental degree. One moment of peace, before all falls out; the feet once trusted fail the owner, as the ground becomes all too familiar.


Dribbles: Rickety

The ankle always trusted is now compromised; interest leads to downfall. As the body once strong falls to the earth, strength was the demise. We see pride leading into failure, but rarely do we see motivation touting surrender.


Author's Note:

This is my attempt at being somewhat succinct in writing; this is no small task for me as I tend to be somewhat flowery in writing. Both of these little 'stories' are centered in reality, as making my way to class today was somewhat terrifying. I currently don't have any stability in my left ankle as I tore the ligaments extensively in a climbing accident, so even the slightest slip on the sidewalk ice was problematic as I can't catch myself or balance effectively whatsoever. These stories use my current lack of faith in my body and more importantly the reason for this issue to explore the lack of confidence brought about by the loss of stability in walking. The stories vary in that the first is focused more on the walking material, hence the use of Lubricus, and explores a bit more the emotion of slipping and falling not due to the owner, but due to the lack of sureness in footing. However, the second story focuses more on the failure of the owner to handle the walking well, and as such is more self-deprecating and defeated in tone.


Photo Credit:
Grey Patch | Kurt Bauschardt

Reading Notes: Ramayana D

This final episode in the Ramayana focuses on closing what has been opened in the previous entries. We open with Rama and his army closing on Lanka and needing to get across to the kingdom. Garuda comes to heal the army of Rama - who've been injured by Ravana's son Indrajit. There are numerous attempts at psychological warfare by both Ravana and Indrajit, but ultimately Lakshmana kills Indrajit, causing Ravana to ride to battle to slay Lakshmana. Rama uses his brahma-weapon and kills Ravana. Mandodari mourns the loss of her husband Ravana. We then turn to Rama and Sita, whose story doesn't come to a head as we've expected. Rama comes to Sita and puts her down, saying that since she's been living with another man for too long, and as the king of Ayodhya he can't take someone who's been loose as his bride. Sita, upon hearing this, insists of her purity and requests a funeral pyre to prove her faith - calling Agni to hear her. We see Sita enter the fire and hear her torment, the gods come down and speak to Rama clarifying his position. Rama takes Sita back to Ayodhya in Ravana's chariot. Rama returns just in time to prevent Bharata's suicide. Rama is coronated. Some time passes, then Sita goes into exile, Lakshmana fades into Heaven, and Rama decides his time is past as well - returning to heaven as Vishnu.


There's less of an emphasis on cosmic balance or weird theoretical extensions, rather we see more about resolution. This entry is centered on closing what's been opened, and the filling of the prophesied arcs. 





Photo Credit:
Rama and Lakshmana fight Ravana | Augustus Franks

Reading Notes: Ramayana Part C

In this week's first reading we see a lot of continuity in terms of motivation. Rama & Lakshmana are pursuing Sita, but first must find Sugriva, who initially is threatened by them. Sugriva explains his fear, and then requests Rama's aid. We then see Vali, Sugriva's brother, warned not to fight as Tara, his wife, has learned of Rama's involvement. We see Rama help Sugriva, but by assassinating Vali - this is troublesome as Rama has conducted himself extremely honorably until this point, it seems like an unjustified character break. All the monkeys grieve Vali, even Sugriva, who is now king. Sugriva agrees to aid Rama and Lakshmana on their way to Sita, but states he cannot during the rainy season. As the rainy season closes, Sugriva sends armies of monkeys in all compass directions to gather information on Sita. The southern marching army is met by Sampati, Jatayu's brother, who informs them that Ravana has taken Sita to Lanka. We hear a brief tale from Sampati mirroring Daedalus and Icarus. Ultimately, Hanuman (monkey god) is sent into Ravana to scour for Sita - upon leaping he does battle with a powerful Rakshasi. Hanuman finally makes his way into Ravana's palace, searching through he finds Ravana asleep, but doesn't find Sita until he begins his way outside - where he spies Sita in a grove of Ashoka Trees. We see Ravana attempt to persuade Sita to marry him, failing. Indrajit, Ravana's son, captures Hanuman and brings him to the court of Ravana. Ravana starts a fire, there's panic, Hanuman escapes, but not before verifying Sita's safety. We meet two of Ravana's generals, who appear eager for war as debate over such a topic continues. Finally we see Vibhishana, Ravana's younger brother, abandon Ravana for Rama as he believes his brother is making a mistake in keeping Sita and causing war.







Bibliography:
Public Domain Edition | Valmiki | Ramayana
Photo Credit:
Sampati | Balasaheb Pandit Pant Pratinidhi

Feedback Strategies

Five Reasons to Stop Saying "Good Job!" by Alfie Kohn

This is an interesting article for sure and a lot of it does resonate with me personally; I feel we're setting a tone for kids and because of this we grow up with an incessant need to please others. When we're going through a critical process, the focus of input shouldn't be reward or attack - it should be constructive insight. The goal of editing is improving the body of work, which oftentimes requires the tearing down and altering of what's written, which can't be done if we're so focused on congratulatory writing.



Why Do So Many Managers Avoid Giving Praise? by Jack Zenker and Joseph Folkman

It's reassuring to me to see that 52% of workers polled rated their managers as effective when they gave negative and positive feedback. I'm my time spent working as an economic researcher or as a bicycle mechanic I've dealt with numerous types of managers, and I feel I've learned more from negative feedback than positive. One of my first managers gave no positive feedback and gave an absurd amount of negative feedback (believe it or not I was a good mechanic so this criticism wasn't needed) and the end result of this was that his comments were ultimately ignored because we all knew he wasn't saying anything necessary. The ability of a manager to give criticism and balance this with affirmation is crucial; you can't constantly belittle employees and expect good work, nor can you shower them with congratulations and expect them to improve.



Photo Credit:
Negative Feedback Loop | Source

Topic Research: Jataka Monkeys

Tayodhamma-Jataka:
Devadatta is formed as the lord of a tribe of monkeys, Bodhisatta is born deeper in the woods, fathered by Devadatta. Bodhisatta returns to the tribe. Devadatta, afraid of having his seat usurped by his son, sends Bodhisatta to harvest lilies from an Ogre-possessed lake. Bodhisatta outsmarts this Ogre, returns home, and Devadatta upon witnessing Bodhisatta's return falls dead.



Vanarinda-Jataka:
Devadatta, formed as a crocodile, is urged by his wife into tricking and killing Bodhisatta, formed as a monkey, in hopes of stealing away his heart to eat. Devadatta lies in wait as a rock, ultimately Bodhisatta recognizes this and tricks him multiple times - getting his goal fruit and keeping his life.



Aramadusaka-Jataka:
When Brahmadatta was king in the Benares, he proclaimed a large festival - the king's gardener asked nearby monkeys to water his trees so that he could enjoy the festival. The monkeys agreed, but in carrying out their duties they destroyed the garden. As they watered, they pulled each tree from the soil to check root size to prioritize water usage. A wise man comes by and tells them the folly of their ways - they don't heed this warning and ultimately kill out the garden.



Nalapana-Jataka:
Bodhisatta is formed as a king of monkeys- he leads his followers to a lake to drink. In this lake lives a water ogre, the current form of Devadatta, the ogre promises to eat any and all who drink from his domain. Bodhisatta has a workaround, he hollows out a long cane, and many more, and all his followers are able to drink from a safe distance. Devadatta, defeated, returns to the depth of his domain.


Sumsumara-Jataka:
Bodhisatta again is formed as a king of monkeys and in his comings and goings he's spotted by a pair of crocodiles. The wife reptile asks her husband to lie in wait to capture this king of monkeys. Devadatta is the male crocodile, he offers to carry Bodhisatta to the foreign fruit across the ganges, then begins to sink midway across. Bodhisatta convinces Devadatta his heart lays outside his body, in the fig trees back across the ganges; when they're close enough to the shore of origin bodhisatta leaps from the crocodile's back. Bodhisatta leaves him with a few harsh words explaining the error of his thinking.



Essentially it seems the common thread here is that the monkeys are either portrayed as wily and resilient or good-intentioned and bumbling. We consistently see monkeys as the thematic underdog contextually, able to outsmart the stronger beast(s) to still achieve their goals. The outlier to this trend is the third listed story, wherein the monkeys kindly agree to perform a task for the gardner, but are concerned with being wasteful and so they do their due diligence to be sure water is used efficiently. However, this effort ultimately is their undoing, as in checking root depth they ~uproot~ the trees, ensuring the death of the garden. I believe an analytical retelling of these stories with focus on the conceptual strength of the monkeys could be a fun storybook project and is currently my plan for the semester.


Bibliography:
Jataka Tales 

Photo Credit:
Jatakamala Manuscripts | Daderot