Civilizations from the Beginning of Time @worldciv111-blog - Tumblr Blog

Image from: http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/149088?search_no=10&index=70

This artifact, Lion-Headed Demon (Kala), is from Indonesia, Central Java, from the 9th century.

While browsing through the artifacts for the various countries, I have noticed that Indonesia has relatively quite a number of animal-related artifacts as compared to the other countries. Most artifacts were religion-related, like figures of Vishnu, Bodhisattva, and other deities related to Buddhism or Hinduism. As such, I had found this lion-headed demon, Kala, to be interesting because it seems to be a mixture of a description of an animal and a religious mythical creature. In addition, I feel like I have seen similar lion-like statues at the gates of temples in Singapore as well. According to some research done, the creature is without a lower jaw because, in the legend, it stole the immortality medicine and Vishnu cut his head off above the lower jaw. Despite being a “demon”, people still use the image of this mythical creature at the gates of their temples as they believe that it can ward off evil or symbolize immortality beyond the gates as they enter into the temples.

Additional Infomation from: http://www.asiasworld.net/religion-in-asia/hinduism/kala/index.cfm and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C4%81la_(time)

#pre-class response

Qusantinah (Constantine)

I was initially sort of confused if Qusantinah was an Islamic province at that time due to the additional name in parenthesis “Constantine”. I’ve googled and clarified with Prof Bennett in class as well and we have concluded that Islam was the main religion during that time - not to be confused with Constantinople.

To extract out relevant (additional) information from Wikipedia,

Qusantinah (Constantine) - Modern day Algeria

Information from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantine_(Algeria)

Medieval Muslim Algeria was a period of Muslim dominance in Algeria during the Middle Ages, roughly spanning the millennium from the 7th century to the 17th century.

...the Islamization and Arabization of the region were complicated and lengthy processes. Whereas nomadic Berbers were quick to convert and assist the Arab invaders, not until the 12th century under the Almohad Dynasty did the Christian and Jewish communities become totally marginalized.

Information from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medieval_Muslim_Algeria

Notes for Islam

My notes are typically a compilation of discussions from class debriefs. The notes for Islam is more complete(?), so I chose this topic to share my notes on tumblr.

Punishment

Earthly and societal punishment and divine punishment in the mix

o 4.15

- Adultery is punishable

- Punishment is fairer

- Punishes both men and women

o 4.10 (mistreatment of orphans)

- They leave the punishment to God

o 4.22

- Incest

§ Concession to those before conversion to Islam

o 4.23

- If you have the means, you should be generous and forgiving

- Implied that Allah will punish you

- But if committed before you converted to Islam, then Allah will forgive

Expectations for Men

n 4.4

n 4.7 men have to treat women with respect

o Have to respect each other’s inheritance

o Heritance – control lust/desire

n 4.5

n 4.6

o Care for the poor and needy/orphans

§ Francis – giving away material goods

n 4.29

o Take care of wealth, women

Corrective Measures

Ø 4.19

o Not treating women with harshness

o Give them inheritance when it’s due

Ø 4.11

o How inheritance should work for the all levels of the family

o Women can own and inherit properties and portion of it

Ø 4.7

o Acceptance

o Be it less or more, they have to accept what they receive

Ø 4.14

o Whoever disobeys the God’s command, they will be punished for their misbehavior

o Rules aren’t taken lightly

Ø 4.20

o Level of commitment from the men

o They get to keep their dowries

Allah

4.14

- asks/requires complete devotion

4.16 and 4.17

- if they repent and amend, mercy will be given

Repentance and forgiveness

In line with Hebrew Scriptures and Christianity

How are the less privileged treated?

Ø 4.15

o If women are obscene, they need reliable 4 witnesses

o Huge piece of protection for the society

§ 4.25

o Concession made to the society

o Recognize there is unfairness but have some leeway for them

§ 4.10

o A threat for the mistreatment of orphans

*Economic power and legal protection

#ugcnotes

Pre-Class Response IX

Quote

The variety and expenditure of the religious endowments at Damascus are beyond computation. There are endowments in aid of persons who cannot undertake the pilgrimage to Mecca, out of which are paid the expenses of those who go in their stead. There are other endowments for supplying wedding outfits to girls whose families are unable to provide them, and others for the freeing of prisoners. There are endowments for travellers, out of the revenues of which they are given food, clothing, and the expenses of conveyance to their countries. Then there are endowments for the improvement and paving of the streets, because all the lanes in Damascus have pavements on either side, on which the foot passengers walk, while those who ride use the roadway in the centre.

Response

Ibn Battuta appears to be really amazed at how Damascus seemed to have a system that carries out one of the five pillars of Islam, zakat (almsgiving as mentioned in the crash course). From the text, it sounded as if they have established a system to consolidate the alms, as the alms are given to various less privileged people who might be in need of them. It can be seen from the quote, "persons who cannot undertake the pilgrimage to Mecca”, “girls whose families are unable to provide them” for their wedding, and “freeing of prisoners”. This spirit of caring for the community is also emphasized in Sura 4, where the less fortunate is highlighted and economic equity is stressed. Furthermore, besides caring for the poor, needy, and slaves, the zakat even extends out to the community as a whole, in which pedestrian pathways and roads were built using these alms contributions.

#pre-class response

Pre-Class Response VIII

Quote

But in order that this richest of poor men, led by his great feeling of tenderness, might (in whatsoever way) help the poor, he would in very cold weather ask the rich of this world to lend him a mantle of furs. When in their devotion they complied with his request even more readily than he had made it, he would say to them, "I will take this from you on the understanding that you do not expect to have it back anymore," and then with joy and exultation he would clothe the first poor man he met with whatever had been given him.

Response

From this quote, it is evident that Francis is following the teachings of Christianity, "if there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother." Deuteronomy 15:7 (Old Testament Passage)

Although this was perhaps meant for someone who has more than the poor, Francis, who has already given away all his material possessions and became poor himself, still puts the poor before himself. His actions, going out in the “very cold weather” and “clothe the first poor man he met with whatever had been given him”, exemplify his strength of faith, as mentioned in “Letter to the Newly Baptized”, which fundamentally has the same religious teachings, which is to “let everything you do be done for God, both deeds and words; and refer all that is yours to Christ”. Francis illustrates through his actions, how he has stopped being mindful of his own human body, and serve God by taking care of His people. I think it is important to note how Thomas has also added Francis’s state of emotion, which is “joy and exultation” to further showcase Francis’s selflessness, but this could also be a case of biasness because of the accounts from the followers or people who knew Francis.

#pre-class response

Pre-Class Response VII

Quote

LETTERS FROM PLINY AND TRAJAN

I interrogated these as to whether they were Christians; those who confessed I interrogated a second and a third time, threatening them with punishment; those who persisted I ordered executed. For I had no doubt that, whatever the nature of their creed, stubbornness and inflexible obstinacy surely deserve to be punished.

LETTER TO THE NEWLY BAPTIZED

Let everything you do be done for God, both deeds and words; and refer all that is yours to Christ; and constantly turn your soul to God; and lean your thought on the power of Christ, as if in some harbour by the divine light of the Saviour it were resting from all talk and action.

Response

Clement’s letter brought about waves of deja vu as I read about his advice/teachings for the newly baptized. His advice, perhaps due to the modern day translations, is worded similarly to how pastors today give their sermons, asking followers to stay faithful to God, accredit all words and actions to Him, and always rely on Him in whatever you do or whatever trouble you face. However, living in a supposedly relatively religious tolerant society yet unaccepting of Christianity is far more difficult as their faith is put to test. In the “Letters from Pliny and Trajan”, Christians who do not yield from their religious identity were seen as “stubborn” and “inflexible obstinate”, despite the fact that the Christians were merely following their faith. From their point of view, it might have seemed like the Christians was disrespectful to their gods (Emperor in particular), therefore they ‘deserve’ punishment or execution. Even though Clement knew of Romans’ more than mere rejecting attitude towards Christians and the kind of circumstances that they were in, he did not stray from the root of the teachings (evident in how the teachings stayed the same even after almost 2000 years).

Pre-Class Response VI

Quote

44 Those whose minds are swept away by the pursuit of pleasure and power are incapable of following the supreme goal and will not attain samadhi.

49 Seek refuge in the attitude of detachment and you will amass the wealth of spiritual awareness. Those who are motivated only by desire for the fruits of action are miserable, for they are constantly anxious about the results of what they do.

Response

While reading the section on “Self-Realization”, there seem to be many similarities to both sources from the Hellenistic world and Daodejing, which I will only briefly mention due to space constraints.

In vs. 44 and 49, the ideas overlap with all 3 sources where desires, power, and pleasure are heavily discussed. Daodejing advocated non-action/non-interference, where one does not go out of their way to obtain their desires for power or pleasure because you will never be satisfied with the endless pursuit of these desires. Similarly, Epictetus and Epicurus too talked about chasing after pleasure, power, and desire as things which we do not have and seek to own, thereby making ourselves uncontented. As such, it can be seen how these sources coincide with Krishna’s advice on the principles of yoga.

Krishna also advised Arjuna to “seek refuge in the attitude of detachment” which I would interpret it as either a similarity to Epictetus, where he talked about not holding onto earthly sentiments too tightly so you would not feel sad for things not within your control, or to Daodejing, where you do not concern yourself with things that is out of your capabilities or perhaps even duty (slight similarity to dharma).

#pre-class response

Pre-Class Response V

Quote

Giving birth and nourishing, having without possessing, acting with no expectations, leading and not trying to control: this is the supreme virtue.

Response

Daodejing is difficult to understand because it is written in a philosophical and abstract manner. Similarly to the Analects, it too teaches about virtue, with regards to how one should conduct themselves. However, the Analects focuses more on the social relations issues, where virtue within oneself would determine the quality and direction of relationships between people, thereby affecting the society. On the other hand, Daodejing scrutinizes and reveals the “Way” to its core, teaching people to not concern themselves with the earthly desires, as seen in “acting with no expectations, leading and not trying to control”, and materialistic or tangible possessions, as seen in “having without possessing”. Think of it as freeing yourself from the 7 deadly sins (especially greed) and once you are free from those desires, you will be satisfied and be at peace with yourself.

#pre-class response

Pre-Class Response IV

Quote

“The Enchiridion”

Men are disturbed, not by things, but by the principles and notions which they form concerning things. Death, for instance, is not terrible, else it would have appeared so to Socrates. But the terror consists in our notion of death that it is terrible. When therefore we are hindered, or disturbed, or grieved, let us never attribute it to others, but to ourselves; that is, to our own principles. An uninstructed person will lay the fault of his own bad condition upon others. Someone just starting instruction will lay the fault on himself. Some who is perfectly instructed will place blame neither on others nor on himself.

“Letter to Menoeceus”

Next, accustom yourself to think that death is a matter with which we are not at all concerned. This is because all good and all evil come to us through sensation, and death brings the end of all our sensations. The correct understanding that death is no concern of ours allows us to take pleasure in our mortal lives, not because it adds to life an infinite span of time, but because it relieves us of the longing for immortality as a refuge from the fear of death. For there can be nothing terrible in living for a man who rightly comprehends that there is nothing terrible in ceasing to live.

Response

Similarity

Both Epictetus and Epicurus acknowledged that men fear death and addressed it in a way that encouraged people to desensitize themselves to the notion of “death”. The idea that death is something not in our control is strongly conveyed in both readings as seen in “some who is perfectly instructed will place blame neither on others nor on himself” and “the correct understanding that death is no concern of ours” from Epictetus and Epicurus respectively.

Difference

The way Epictetus and Epicurus detach fear of death in men in their text may look similar at a glance, but in fact, there may be some slight differences. Epictetus stated that men are afraid of death because of the conception that they have made in their minds about death, which they then attempt to attach blames to the unknown (death). However, if men could come to understand how death is not within the control of anyone or anything, then he or she will not blame anything for death. On the other hand, perhaps it was because Epicurus had lived through numerous wars, he seems to see death as a natural occurrence and if it happens, it happens, which in other words, take things as it comes, no use worrying about it now.

#pre-class response

Pre-Class Response III

Quote

LYSISTRATA We must refrain from the male altogether…. Nay, why do you turn your backs on me? Where are you going? So, you bite your lips, and shake your heads, eh? Why these pale, sad looks? why these tears? Come, will you do it-yes or no? Do you hesitate?

CLEONICE I will not do it, let the war go on.

MYRRHINE Nor will I; let the war go on.

LYSISTRATA (to MYRRHINE) And you say this, my pretty flat-fish, who declared just now they might split you in two?

CLEONICE Anything, anything but that! Bid me go through the fire, if you will,-but to rob us of the sweetest thing in all the world, Lysistrata darling!

LYSISTRATA (to MYRRHINE) And you?

MYRRHINE Yes, I agree with the others; I too would sooner go through the fire.

LYSISTRATA Oh, wanton, vicious sex! the poets have done well to make tragedies upon us; we are good for nothing then but love and lewdness! But you, my dear, you from hardy Sparta, if you join me, all may yet be well; help me, second me, I beg you.

LAMPITO ‘Tis a hard thing, by the two goddesses it is! for a woman to sleep alone without ever a strong male in her bed. But there, peace must come first.

Response

Aside from the crude comedy in this play, there are two interesting ideas from the above quotation.

Firstly, the reactions to Lysistrata’s suggestion of a sex strike was amusing due to the fact at how similar their responses were. They would rather have war than to stop having sex, which suggested that women might have been obsessed with sex. The value the women placed on sex showed that, to them, the pleasure that they get from sex is far greater than having peace, as seen from how Cleonice described sex as the “sweetest thing in all the world”. Although in the play, they eventually swore to the oath of abstaining from sex, their first judgment to Lysistrata’s idea was true to their self-desire.

Secondly, from class, we have learnt that men seek out other men for companionship and sexual pleasure (particularly Athenian males), so it was rather puzzling how Lysistrata, a woman assumingly from Athens, was able to come up with the idea of a ‘sex strike’ since it would not be effective, at least for Athenians men.

#pre-class response

Pre-Class Response II

Quote

“She spread out her robe and he lay upon her, she performed for the primitive the task of womankind. His lust groaned over her; for six days and seven nights Enkidu stayed aroused, and had intercourse with the harlot until he was sated with her charms.”

Response

At first glance, it might seem like Shamhat was being used as if she was an offering to satisfy the lust of Enkidu, who was then primitive and animalistic. It could have been the crude translation, in which sex was described to be the primary role of women, making women seem like a tool for sex. However, Shamhat was a key character in the text in taming Enkidu, turning him into a man who was capable of articulating his thoughts. Perhaps, it could be said that Shamhat was, in fact, using sex as her weapon, to first bring Enkidu under control, who would then fulfill his purpose. Sex was merely a bodily ritual without emotions involved.

#pre-class response

Pre-Class Response I

Quote:

Then Amun, the lord of the throne of the Two Lands spoke to her, "Hatshepsut is thus the name of this your daughter whom I have laid in your body, according to the speech of your mouth. She will exercise the splendid kingship in the whole land. My glory will belong to her, my authority will belong to her, and my crown will belong to her. She will rule the Two Lands (Egypt) . . . I will surround her every day with my protection in common with the god of the respective day."

Response:

It is interesting to note how the sex of the baby has already been set in stone after intercourse. Queen Iahmes could have been blessed with a baby boy, but Amun has claimed it to be a daughter.

Although uncommon, it was not totally impossible for a female to be a pharaoh. However, despite Amun’s “words”, why is Hatshepsut not considered the rightful owner to the throne, especially when she has the blessings and protection from a highly revered god? If this was written by herself or to justify her rule, why did she have to claim power as merely a co-king? A high god’s prophecy should and would have been held high in regards, regardless of the sex of the pharaoh.

#pre-class response

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