Famous Last Words: Planning a trip (hopefully)

I'm still not the biggest fan of The Mahabharata, but watching the Karmic Revolution version on YouTube is helping a lot. It makes it easier to be able to see illustrations about what is happening. Also, it is a ton easier to follow along when they are using plain english to tell about the events that are happening and not trying to make it super fancy language to the point where it is hard to understand the basics of what is happening in each scene. The Mahabharata is so detailed and intricate that hearing the story twice is solidifying it a lot for me.

I didn't write a story this week because I got busy and I am not very motivated to write anything about the Mahabharata, like I said, since it is not as interesting to me. The Ramayana gave me a ton of ideas to write stories over but I am just not getting those creative vibes from the Mahabharata. Hopefully after watching part c and d, I'll come up with an idea.

I had that quiz in my capstone class, I don't think it went very well (I think I say that every time and end up doing alright). It's not because I know the information (because I don't) but I am pretty good at quiz and test taking in general. 

This last week or two I have been pretty stressed about planning my college graduation trip. I am paying for all of it on my own, with a little help from my boyfriend (that I'm taking). We had originally planned going to Lake Tahoe, but they have got 500+ inches of snow!!! How crazy is that?? I really don't want to go somewhere with snow for my trip. I'm trying to find somewhere that isn't too hot or too cold (which is proving to be difficult for mid-May for some reason). My mom is really good at trip planning so this weekend we are going to sit down and try to plan something out and book a few things (since I'm starting to run out of time, you have to book stuff super early now-a-days). Hopefully next week I'll have a plan!

Planning, Pexels.

Review: Google like a boss

I never knew any of these tricks existed. I thought you just typed whatever in the search bar, and it gave you whatever it could find. This is going to be so helpful especially searching for things that might have multiple meanings but you want a certain thing, obviously, so using, like the example, jaguar -animal to find stuff about the animal and not the car. I will probably save this picture to my computer forever so I know how to do stuff like this.

Google like a Boss

Learning Challenge: Procrastination

This video really shed light on why we (or mostly just I) procrastinate. When we do things that are more enjoyable, like Facebook, video games, snacking, Netflix, our brain gets dopamine because we are being rewarded. So we chose to do those things instead of the work we need to do, because we are getting more rewarded. Like for example, searching through Facebook, we feel we are rewarded for every small thing we read or watch, but that paper or lab report you've been putting off is only one reward (finishing and turning it in) and its not immediate, its later in the future. It is not as satisfying. I always say "future me is going to hate past me" because it is true 99% of the time. I hardly ever do things early. 

I think they key to not procrastinating is to reward yourself (with Facebook, video games, etc.) only after you have done the tasks you need to do. Also, have positive thoughts about what you are doing. "This paper is going to be so great and I'm getting it done" and not "ugh do I have to write this?" Feel accomplished and rewarded when you are being productive.

Procrastination, Wikimedia Commons.

I watched the video "The Science of Procrastination" on Youtube by AsapScience.

Growth Mindset: The Sleeper

The video talked about how a teacher, Michael Wesch, was getting extremely frustrated with a kid sleeping in his class everyday. I finally had enough and asked him why he always slept in his class. The teacher learned something surprising; they kid was actually working on a very important project at night.
I think this video really shows for one not to judge someone because you have no idea what they are going through. Also, that just because someone isn't good at one thing, like a particular class, that doesn't mean that they aren't amazing at other things. I think when teachers and the school system put restraints on students, it limits their creativity and growth. Being forced to take a class that isn't interesting at all of helpful for that particular person, will not help them grow into the person they want to become.

Sleeping in Class, Wikimedia Commons

I watched The Sleeper on Youtube by Michael Wesch.

Reading Notes: The Mahabharata: Karmic Revolution, Part B

• Kunti's secret: Sage Durwasa was frightening and would curse people for small things, Kunti wasn't afraid, they became friends and he whispered a mantra in her ear, she could summon any god she wanted
• She summoned the son god Suryadev, and when they embraced, he left and she had a child in her arms, she couldn't keep him thought because she was unmarried, put him in a basket in the river
• Pandu and his wives decided to spend some quiet time in the forest, Pandu hunted in the woods
• One day he accidently shot a hermit couple while they were making love, the man cursed him that the moment he would become intimate with a women, he would die
• They did not return to Hastinpura
• Kunti told Pandu her gift, and he wanted to use it now to get new kings for Hastinapura
• She called against Yama, the god of truth and death, gave her a son- virtue and patience, named him Yudhishthir
• She called upon the wind god, fast- Bhima
• Indra gave her another son, archer's eyes, Arjun
• She would not mother any more children
• Madri still did not have any childre, Kunti summoned ashwin twins, Madri had 2 beautiful sons
• Pandu now has 5 sons
• Kunti came back and found that Pandu had lost control and forced himself on Madri, he died, and while they were burning him, Madri joined him in the fire
• After a few months, she left the forest with the 5 sons back to Hastinapur
• Gandhari had a really bad pregnancy, she gave birth to a lump of flesh, she was sad because she was promised 100 sons
• Vyasa divided the lump into 100 pieces, got vats of oil, put all the pieces in the vats
• Vats broke, Gandhari beheld her eldest-born son- Duryodhana, since she was blindfolded she couldn't see they were all evil
• Kunti and 5 sons, Pandavas, returned
• Duryodhana was jealous of Bhima because he was so admired
• Shakuni gave Duryodhana advice to destroy the Pandavas, gave them delicious food but it had sleep inducing herbs, Bhima ate A LOT, he fell deeply asleep by the lake, Duryodhana tied him up and pushed him in
• Poisonous snakes in the lake bit him a lot, he woke up and broke from the ropes, he started killing them off, he killed them all but he was very deep in the lake, in a different world- Naag Lok
• Vasuki was the king, he found out they were related, he gifted Bhima a magic drink that would give him the strength of 1000 elephants and make him a hero, he came back ready to face the threats against him and his family
• He returned home, Duryodhana was unhappy and confused
• Bhima didn't know what had happened to him
• Grandfather Bhishma decided they needed a teacher of being a warrior
• Drona came, grand archer
• He taught them the way of war
• Yudhisthira- excellent charioteer
• Nakul and Sahadev (Madri's sons)- swordsmen
• Bhima- mace, weapon of choice, he had incredible strength
• Arjuna- could use any weapon with ease, but liked archery best
• Ashwatthama (Arjuna's son?)- could use the divine weapons, could control the elements
• Drona wanted vengeance from a kingdom, thats why he was training them
• When the boys were out in the forest, they came across Ekalavya which was an amazing archer, he shot many arrows in the boys mouth but did not harm him, Arjuna was sad because he realized he wasn't the best archer in the world, a nishaad boy
• Arjuna wanted to know who he learned archery from, he said Drona
• accused Drona of betraying him, but Drona didn't know him
• The boy said that Drona had refused him saying he only taught Kshatriyas, he practiced in front of a hand crafted image of Drona
• Drona demanded he cut off his right thumb, he did it with no hesitation, ruined him and his archery skills

Still From The Mahabharata: Karmic Revolution, Episode 17- Ekalavya's Story

Bibliography

The Mahabharata: Karmic Revolution, Epified TV, Youtube.

Reading Notes: The Mahabharata: Karmic Revolution, Part A

• Shantanu married Ganga, as long as he didn't question her
• Queen Ganga drowned their first child through 7 children, but he kept silent
• He finally asked why she was doing that as she was about to drown their 8th child, she said 8 vasus that were cursed to live human lives, she gave birth the the reincarnated celestials
• She left with the 8th son
• Shantanu returned to the river many years later because he missed her, he saw a young man fighting the river with arrows and won
• Ganga appeared to Shantanu and revealed that the young man was their son, Devavrat
• Devavrat was trained by powerful people
• Shantanu brought him back to be the prince
• Shantanu fell in love again with a fisherman's daughter, Satyavati, but she refused him because her dad said her children would never be kings because of Devavrat
• He stopped doing his kingly duties because he was so upset
• Devavrat went to the fisherman and Satyavati, Devavrat gave up his thrown and vowed that he would never marry or father any children
• Devavrat --> Bhishma (he of the terrible oath)
• He brought her back, the king was actually upset but he saw his sons sacrifice and granted him one boon, that he could choose the moment of his death
• After king Shantanu passed, Bhishma watched over his 2 half brothers: Chitrangad and Vichitraveerya, he taught them
• Chitrangad died
• Vichitraveerya, that wasn't in good health, became king of Hastinapur
• He was worried about know one being in line for the thrown so he went and stole 3 princesses from Kashi for Vichitraveerya to marry, Amba, Amika, and Ambalika
• The eldest, Amba, pleaded to leave to go to a king she loved, Shalva, so she left
• He would not accept her because she had been taken by another man
• Amba returned to Hastinapur and begged to Bhishma to marry her, but he couldn't
• She was upset because now she belongs to no one
• No one would challenge Bhishma for Amba
• Amba wanted revenge on Bhishma
• Vichitraveerya died, no king and no prince
• He did not have any children
• He refused to break his vow so Satyavati told him a secret, that he had a brother, she had a child, Vyas, when she was very young, but sent him away (he became a man in minutes) and he promised to show up when she needed him
• Sage Vyas- son, asked to father the future king, he was hard to look at, because Ambika was scared of him and closed her eyes, their child would be blind
• Ambalika kept her eyes open but became pale with fear, so her child was going to be pale and sickly
• Satvyavati asked Vyas to pay Ambalika a second visit, but she sent a servant girl instead, she was not frightened
• Ambika gave birth to Dhritarashtra- blind, but was strong and kind
• Ambalika gave birth to Pandu- pale and weak but great archer and the people loved him
• Servant girl gave birth to Vidura, most learned man in the land, even considered to be avatar of Yama the god of truth and death
• Bhishma taught them as they grew
• Unspoken rivalry between Dhritarashtra and Pandu, too many contenders for the thrown
• Dhritarashtra became king (oldest), but Pandu really ran the kingdom
• Bhishma talked with the king of Gandhar about Dhritarashtra marrying princess Gandhari
• King of Gandhar and her brother Shakuni were worried because he was blind, she said she knew her husband would be blind, she gave up her gift of sight (blind folder herself for life) 
• Shakuni was mad, wanted to avenge his sister
• Pandu married later as well, Kunti and Madri
• Kunti had a secret

Dhritarashtra Marrying Princess Gandhari
Still from The Mahabharata: Karmic Revolution, Episode 8, Youtube.

Bibliography

The Mahabharata: Karmic Revolution, Epified TV, Youtube.

Wikipedia Trail: From Parvati to Terma Tradition

Parvati

She was Shiva's wife in the Mahabharata and I wanted to know more about her. She is the Hindu goddess of love, devotion, and fertility. I like the idea of female deities, since I feel like I mostly hear about male deities.

Mount Kailash

This is where Parvati abides and I wanted to know where this was located and look at some pictures. It is a peak in the Kailash mountain range in Tibet. It is also near some of the longest rivers in Asia. 

Mount Kailash, Wikipedia.

Bon

Mount Kailash is considered sacred in a few religions and this is one of them. I had never heard of this religion so I wanted to know a little more about it. It is a Tibetan religion and arose in the 11th century. 

Terma

The Bon religion gets a lot of its scripture from the Terma tradition. I have also never heard of this and wanted to know more about it too. It believes that a text or ritual implement is hidden in things like rocks, herbs, trees, lakes, and etc.

Tech Tip: Blogger Template

A chose a new design for my blog. The first one I picked, I had picked it in a rush at the beginning of the class. It was a little too silly with all the birds. I really liked the new design I picked! I love water color/marks.