Arjuna

Our World Lit class just started watching the Bhagavad-Gita because we are now studying Hindi/Sanskrit Literature. We were watching the part where Arjuna is refusing to fight in a battle. The Gita is a conversation between Arjuna and Krishna. Arjuna is the hero, the divine avatar Krishna is the charioteer. Krishna is an avatar of the supreme Brahman. The story begins with Arjuna's kinsmen and friends about to go to war over ownership of the kingdom. The kingdom was passed to Arjuna's cousin. Though Arjuna is the rightful king he is reluctant to fight. He doesn't necessarily want the kingdom and he does not want to shed the blood of his family over the crown. He thinks killing is evil especially in his own family. He tells Krishna he will not fight and throws down his weapons. While trying to convince Arjuna, Krishna tells Arjuna of dharma karma. Krishna explains Arjuna's dharma, or duty. As a member of the warrior caste Arjuna is born to fight and he must fight in order to keep the right balance of karma. Karma is the effect our actions have on our life cycle, or samsara. Krishna tells Arjuna that he would not be killing his family because there is no true death of the soul, just a shedding of the earthly body between life cycles. Arjuna then decides to fight in this battle.

Spring

Winter and the cold weather are almost done now and I cannot wait for springtime. Spring is so much warmer and that means playing basketball outside every day, wearing shorts, driving with the windows down, and I am just lucky enough to not have allergies! Spring is my favorite season as you can probably notice, but don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with the other seasons. In winter, you get snow which means sledding, snowball fights and days off of school. Fall is still warm and all the leaves cover ground, and school is just starting, not to mention my birthday and Halloween are in fall. Summer is also incredible because of the beach, boardwalk, warmest weather, no school, and vacations. But for me, there is just nothing with spring. We are almost on Spring break and after that our final year of high school will be done with. We will have graduation then senior week, and then onto summer. Now that seems like a great time to me! Spring just puts me in the best mood because I know I’m in the homestretch. I am almost done the school year and am preparing for relaxation. I’ve already starting applying all around in search for a part-time job (unsuccessfully so far) so I can make some spending money down at the beach. I just can’t wait!

Life of Pi

About a month ago, my World Literature teacher instructed us to read the book Life of Pi, and after reading it and being tested on it, the movie was released for view on “On Demand”. I figured that since I enjoyed reading the book, and seeing that the preview of the movie looked appealing, I decided to watch it. I wanted to watch it not only because it was a movie, but also so I could relate the similarities and differences between the two. The movie turned out to be amazing, as I anticipated, and stuck with the majority of the how the book described the story. The film was not only entertaining but illuminating beyond my expectations. It takes the viewer on a fantastical journey but also leaves us with profound and lasting impressions about our place in the universe. The ending may also leave you with more questions than answers, but sometimes that is infinitely more satisfying than the majority of predictable movies out there. The story is told in flashback by the adult Pi who relates the tale to a Canadian writer who wants to use Pi’s tale for a book. Pi is very philosophical about his experience, and he tells the writer that if he listens to the story he will “believe in God.” I would highly recommend anyone to either read the book or watch the movie, or both.