Topic Brainstorm

The first topic I found interesting was Dharma. I have already learned about Dharma in the context of Buddhism and am curious about its application in other cultural contexts. Thus far, I have considered Dharma to be wisdom from the Buddha and the truth about how to decrease your suffering and that of others. It seems in Buddhism, Dharma is a natural result of experience, which is similar to Hinduism, in which dharma corresponds to their natural order, Rita. I would like to learn more about the similar uses of Dharma in various cultures and write stories about how these different cultures become unified under the similar goal of reducing suffering. I would also like to rewrite part of stories like Bhagavad Gita to show the characters establishing Dharma through nonviolence.

Yoga also seemed like a useful topic. Meditation and mindful movement in yoga are very closely linked. I have practiced both before and learning the cultural background of both through stories would contribute to a deeper understanding of them and their meaning. Also, retelling stories through poses and the peace they are intended to bring like this writer did would enlighten my yoga practice.

Birth and death are so intimately linked they cancel each other out. Neither exists because the other is in constant motion. For this reason, telling birth stories as a continuation of death and in the context of impermanence would encourage me to practice considering birth and death in this way. Also, birth stories have always intrigued me. I watched my mother give birth to my little brother and it was one of the most beautiful moments I've ever witnessed. The intimate connection between a mother and child is a beautiful subject for a story. I think telling the story through an objective source like a midwife in this project is a good idea. I would also like to retell stories through the lens of reincarnation and the cyclical nature of birth. 
An OpenClipart image on Pixabay

Loving couples are a wonderful example of the human capacity for loving kindness! Retelling their stories, which seem full of revenge, like the story of Tadaka and Sunda, with kindness and goodwill can be a powerful tool for finding truth in their story. This does not mean washing their story of all difficulty. Suffering is important in a story because it can be transformed into wisdom by the characters. I would like to retell the stories with true love, or love that is wise and reduces the suffering of the two people and everyone around them.


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