68 killed in terrorist attack on train

[Barnabas]

Hinduism is like the thundercats

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by aneeshm
One thing I noticed when reading the Old Testament's most famous mythical and semi-historical portions is that the characters are rather lifeless, not really fleshed out as human beings. Their character, their emotions and motivations, is not really portrayed in any depth. It's like a very dry narrative, almost as if someone was trying to make it sound boring. They have tremendous epic potential, but somewhere someone seems to have said, screw it, let's just write plot summaries.

Why is that? This is a question that just popped into my mind while thinking about this thread, nothing much to do with the original topic.

Cause its so terse. Probably due to only a limited amount of oral material being written down, and of that, only a limited amount surviving. For a fuller set of legendary material, you could read Ginzburg's Legends of the Jews which is based on Midrash, material written down from 100CE to 600 CE or so, but of uncertain origin, which Ginzburg takes to be the full oral legends of the people. It fills out the biblical characters.

For a more modern filling out, read Peter Pitzele (im not sure of the spelling) on "The dysfunctional family of Genesis" (I think thats what its called) where takes a pyschological approach to the family relationships among the patriarchs, their wives and children, as a guide to filling out the characters.

Exploring the characters of the patriarchs, of David, of Moses and Aaron, is one of the more literarilly interesting things Jewish bible commentators, artists, poets, etc, have done over the centuries.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by aneeshm

Not really. There's also the entire theology behind them, which makes them more than just myths. They're the intellectual commons of an entire culture. The human story, the drama, the power, the beauty, and the grandeur of the epics is something I find near impossible to convey. If you're really interested, you can PM me, and I'll give you the details of what to read as an introduction.

It's difficult to make you understand, but there is a way in which Indians (irrespective of religion) just grok the epics, and anything explained in their terms. The bond is so close that it could be compared to something genetic. We can immediately identify with them in a very fundamental way, as if they were members of our family.

I certainly understand what youre saying, I think. Its a civilization with a set of narratives at its core, and the narratives are meaningful as the core referands of much of the civilization even if you dont beleive in the religion explicated in them, while, OTOH, you can believe in the religion even if you dont believe in the literal truth of the texts. It makes COMPLETE sense to me.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by DaShi
But really, the more aneeshm explains Hinduism, the more it sounds like a form of early Scientology that just managed to grab a lot more people. Maybe it's just him.

Nah, scientology is used as a weapon against Christianity and Judaism as well. Now I cant speak to Islam and Christianity so much, which do seem to be the creations of Mohammed and St Paul respectively, but I would say that religions that developed over centuries, with imperceptible changes and additions, probably with no individual conscious at any moment of "making something up" (even as they WERE creative, in the spirit of their civilization) is hardly comparable to one guy sitting down and making stuff up, like Hubbard did.

[Arrian]

Originally posted by Brachy-Pride
Hinduism is like the thundercats

...

Aneeshm, you have no particular explanation for the bars on the windows? Really? They're on all the trains, because... ??

-Arrian

[aneeshm]

Originally posted by Arrian

Aneeshm, you have no particular explanation for the bars on the windows? Really? They're on all the trains, because... ??

-Arrian

No, I don't. As I said, they're there on all trains in India. I never really thought about why they're there, until now, actually.

[OzzyKP]

Ya know, if 67 people died in London or New York from a terrorist attack the response in this thread would be drastically different, people would offer condolances and change their flag and all that. Yet when people die in India everyone just teases aneeshm. What gives?

[Arrian]

Actually, I saw the news story for this and almost posted a thread titled "If 66 people die in India, does anyone on 'poly care?" but decided that would be too sanctimonious.

It is sad, but it goes without saying really. I focused on the bars b/c if that was a contributing factor in 67 deaths here in the USA, the public outcry would be huge.

-Arrian

[MRT144]

Originally posted by OzzyKP
Ya know, if 67 people died in London or New York from a terrorist attack the response in this thread would be drastically different, people would offer condolances and change their flag and all that. Yet when people die in India everyone just teases aneeshm. What gives?

percentages my boy, percentages!

[Wycoff]

Originally posted by MRT144
Those illustrations are ridiculous.

They're awesome. Marvel should co-opt the Hindu pantheon. It would be fun to see Thor throw down with the lion headed God.

[DaShi]

Originally posted by aneeshm


Really? You're a Rajayogin? I find it impossible to believe that you could ever be a Bhakta, either.

Well, you sir are a shigamuffin. See, I can make up words too.

Anyway, I am. Although my reincarnation thread seems to be gone. But I'm sure it will be back in some form or another.

[DaShi]

Originally posted by aneeshm
One thing I noticed when reading the Old Testament's most famous mythical and semi-historical portions is that the characters are rather lifeless, not really fleshed out as human beings. Their character, their emotions and motivations, is not really portrayed in any depth. It's like a very dry narrative, almost as if someone was trying to make it sound boring. They have tremendous epic potential, but somewhere someone seems to have said, screw it, let's just write plot summaries.

Why is that? This is a question that just popped into my mind while thinking about this thread, nothing much to do with the original topic.

Could be translation. Could also just be cultural differences at the time. I, personally, can't get through any part of the Bible without looking at the walls.

[LordShiva]

Originally posted by DaShi
Although my reincarnation thread seems to be gone. But I'm sure it will be back in some form or another.