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History through Literature

Eastern religion is a way of life in Asian cultures. In this section we will look into two pieces of literature that will help us understand how traditional story telling through generation reinforces Hinduism and Buddhism way of life.

This lesson will use the jigsaw method to read the excerpts. Following the jigsaw, students return to their home group and they will illustrate on a large newsprint the message relayed from the reading. Each group may illustrate and present different points that stood out from the reading. A class discussion should address the questions to consider

The Jakata Tales is a collection of 500 stories of the previous lives of Buddha. “The Glorious Deeds of Purna” is a story which encompasses many of the

Questions to consider:

1. Why did Purna stand apart from the rest of the family?

2. What caste did Bhava the householder belong to?

3. How important was family relations and family economic status?

4.What role do women play in the family? Why did they distrust Purna?

5 How did Purna become a successful merchant and why did he give it up?

6. How does Karma fit into the story?

Excerpts from the Bhagavad Gita is a short poetic work that illustrates the expectation that Hinduism made of individuals and the promise of salvation it held out to them.

Questions to Consider:

1. What is the setting to the story?

2. Who is Arjuna and what were his duties as a member of the Kshatriya caste?

3. What is the relationship between Lord Krsna and human?

4. How does your reading touch on the issue on the caste system?