PALON, JOLINA A.

ENG114

1. THE GREAT RACE REFELCTION

* This is an extravagant recounting of one of the traditions about how

the Chinese zodiac's twelve animals came to be and in the order we
know them, the animal race ordered by the Jade Emperor, the King of
Heaven. There are 12 Chinese zodiac signs, in the following order: Rat,
Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog,
and Pig. Each sign is named after an animal, and each animal has its
own unique characteristics. The story is told skilfully. If I had to choose
from 12 animals, my choice would be the goat. The goat is
kindhearted. After all, its not about who wins but its about helping.

2. THE INCIDENT REFLECTION

* It's a magnificent work of art in certain ways. It's a quick read, but it
covers a lot of ground, from internal conflict to social issues. The  story
would be that kindness resides in everyone's heart. It's only a matter
of reawakening it. In the story it can be conclude that rich and elite
people still need the manpower of the masses to make a living. This is
a short narrative with a lot of meaning, not just about elegance but
also about the truth regarding people's social rank within a country.

3. EXCERPTS FROM THE ANALECTS OF CONFUCIUS ANALYSIS IN

CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER

* Book I – Designed as an overview introduction for disciple-readers

Book II – General issues of governance
Book VIII – Miscellaneous, embedding a “core” of quotes from a
disciple, Master Zeng, a diverse set of passages with some indications
of common origins with
Book XVII, and an outer text “shell” of historical commentary
Book IX – Perhaps a variant version of
Book VII, from a different school branch
Book X – A portrait of ritualized perfection, cast as a description of
Confucius
> The Analects of Confucius is a collection of short passages that
present Confucius' and his followers' remarks, define Confucius as a
man, and tell some of his life's events.The Analects, which is composed
of about five hundred independent passages, is divided into twenty
“books.” Some of these books seem to have originated as strips
authored, over a period of years, by a single group, and separated into
bundles according to dominant themes. This is inconvenient for
readers who want to comprehend the message.It has been very good
news for scholarly textual analysts who have been studying the
Analects. Protracted process of attempting to disentangle the text and
comprehend how it came to be written in the way it was. Book IV is
the most stable in structure and appears to be the least changed in
form of all the books. In some of these cases (II and IX), the core theme
seems to be present in a relatively small number of passages, and the
books seem particularly heterogeneous. Examining that book reveals
some quite obvious concepts about what the original editing goals
were, as well as what regular methods of change were used later on.

4. Haiku
*A poem written in the haiku form or a modification of it in a language
other than Japanese is also called a haiku. It is originated in thirteenth-
century Japan as the first line of a renga, a syllabically produced
spoken poetry of about a hundred stanzas.. As we look for the perfect
word to "fit" in haiku, we expand our vocabulary through this. We are
learning to be more succinct as writers, as haiku poetry does not allow
for excessive wordiness. Students are putting their critical thinking
skills to the test. Haiku is about simplicity, which is a belief shared by
Japanese Zen Buddhism, tea rituals, and gastronomy. In Japanese
culture and in the beauty of life, simplicity is a significant virtue. Haiku
stresses simplicity, intensity, and directness of expression, frequently
centering on pictures from nature.

5. In a Grove
* Throughout "In a Grove," Kanazawa no Takehiko's inner life remains
a mystery. The Old Woman, Tajomaru, Masago, and the spiritual
Medium provide readers with everything they need to know about his
personality.Regardless of the repeated refutations, even in seemingly
minor elements like the Kyto-style headgear and the colors of the
kimonos.  One would question how such disparate stories of the same
incident - an occasion in which the very real evidence of a killed man
cannot be explained - are feasible.  It simply presents four stories that
contradict each other. There is not enough evidence in the story to
suggest a simple meaning such as "there is no truth about what
happened.In this story is that it presents not only a murder but many
other morally dubious actions from the other characters. In fact, these
other actions are so deplorable to the characters who commit them
that they are willing to accept guilt. We should always tell the truth
because there is no secret that will not exposed.

6. -10. THE RAMAYANA REFLECTION

* The Ramayana is a Sanskrit epic about Prince Rama's attempt to save
his beloved wife Sita from Ravana's grasp with the help of an army of
monkeys. Rama is considered a reincarnation of divinity and a man of
solemn duty; Sita is the symbol of obedience and chastity. The moral
elements of each character are presented through many difficult
challenges that test both Rama and Sita. The actions and decisions of
both characters through the text show how Indian culture described. In
the story Ramayana of Valmiki is a story that has often been passed
down from generations from the original version of the story.
Ramayana is that evil, no matter how powerful, will always be
vanquished by Good. Even a bitter truth drips with optimism, and the
sweetest falsehood has the darkest intent behind it, thus truth always
wins, no matter how cruel or toxic the lie is. The triumph of good over
evil is an unavoidable outcome.

11. THE MIDDLE EAST

* Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are all monotheistic religions that
arose from the same tradition in the Middle East. Because each religion
relied on prior groups' writings, they share many of the same laws and
beliefs. Middle East is not fond of our culture and ideas, it is simple to
criticize and despise the region; yet, I believe that all Americans should
study the Middle Eastern region. Most Americans don't know nearly as
much as they appear to; they simply know that the Middle East is
home to the Islamic state, which is regrettably invariably associated
with violent groups like Isis, and that the region is primarily desert. I've
spent time in the past researching the Middle East and discovered that,
while their ideas and values are diametrically opposed to ours, we
share one major resemblance. Having a huge number of sons is
necessary for survival and protection of one's land, which is likely to
involve water. We learned the rules of the regions tribes, which are the
main components of the many diverse areas of a country, as we delved
deeper into them. One that struck out to me was the term "Tashmis,"
which means "death sentence" for anyone who abandons their clan.
This kept coming up in my head because most American parents would
adore the concept of their child expanding their wings and flying off
into the world on their own; yet, in the Middle East, if you leave, you
will be chased down and killed. To add to the discussion, it
demonstrates how modernism has had a significant impact.
12. The Beginning of the World (Egypt) *A creation myth is a symbolic
narrative of how the world began and how people first came to inhabit
it." – According to 'Wikipedia'. And like other creation mythologies,
Egypt is complex and offers several versions of how the world
unfolded. The ancient Egyptians believed that the basic principles of
life, nature and society were determined by the gods at the creation of
the world. It all began with the first stirring of the High God in the
primeval waters. The creation of the universe took place over a long
period of time when the gods lived on earth and established kingdoms
based on the principles of justice. When the gods left the earth to
reside in the sky world, the pharaohs inherited the right to rule. At first
there was nothing but Nun, the primal ocean of chaos which contained
the seeds of everything to come. In this jumble of waters the sun god
reposed. Finally, by an exertion of will, he emerged from chaos as Ra
and gave birth to Shu and Tefnut by himself. In turn Shu, the god of air,
and Tefnut, the goddess of moisture, gave birth to Geb and Nut, the
earth god and sky goddess. Thus the physical universe was created.
Men were created from Ra's tears. Eons passed and Ra grew decrepit,
so the ungrateful race of men plotted against Ra. When Ra learned of
these plots he angrily called a council of the gods. The gods decided
that mankind must be destroyed, and Ra despatched the goddess
Hathor to wipe out humankind. Hathor did an effective job of it, killing
men by the tens of thousands until only a tiny remnant was left. Then
Ra relented, and men were spared. But Ra was thoroughly sick of the
world and retreated into the heavens, leaving Shu to reign in his place.
At that time the present world was established. Against the orders of
Ra, Geb, the earth god, and Nut, the sky goddess, married. Then Ra in
his wrath ordered Shu, the air god, to separate them. Shu defeated
Geb and raised Nut aloft, separating them permanently. However, Nut
was pregnant, and Ra had decreed that she could not give birth in any
month of any year. Seeing her plight, the god of learning, Thoth,
gambled with the moon for extra light and thus was able to add five
extra days to the official Egyptian calendar of 360 days. On those five
days Nut gave birth to Osiris, Horus the Elder, Set, Isis, and Nepthys,
successively. Osiris became the incarnation of good, while Set became
the embodiment of evil. In this manner the two poles of morality were
fixed once and for all. However, history shows that even the mightiest
empires can fall and Gods that bless upon them as well. For no being
nor eternity can avoid the inevitability that was set upon to put
balance unto the universe. Furthermore, there would also be an end of
time when they would permanently vanish from existence. And with
that said, Egypt and other Major Gods went into decline. Suffered
death and were resurrected into the spiritual world. However, within
that spiritual world, Re and other Gods continued to suffer a cycle of
birth and death due to the cyclical basis. In fact, the principle of divine
demise applies to all Egyptian deities. For all living subject to creation
and death.
13. The Arabian Nights

*It is a collection of mostly Middle Eastern and Indian stories of

unknown authorship and age. Its tales of Aladdin, Ali Baba, and
Sindbad the Sailor have practically become part of Western legend,
despite the fact that they were only introduced to the collection in
European versions in the 18th century. Perhaps one of the greatest
Arabic, Middle Eastern, and Islamic contributions to world literature, the
many stories of the Arabian Nights, (or Alf Laylah wa-Laylah as it is
known in Arabic) in their various forms and genres, have influenced
literature, music, art, and cinema, and continue to do so until our
present day. The concept of faithfulness is one of the most fundamental
moral concepts in The Arabian Nights. Fidelity is the driving force that
connects the brothers together and provides the backdrop for the
recounting of the tales from the very beginning of the work.

14. Excerpt from the Rubaiyat

      1

Wake! For the Sun, who scattered into flight

The Stars before him from the Field of Night,
    Drives Night along with them from Heav'n and strikes
The Sultán's Turret with a Shaft of Light.

                 2

Before the phantom of False morning died,

Methought a Voice within the Tavern cried,
    "When all the Temple is prepared within,
Why nods the drowsy Worshiper outside?"

                 3

And, as the Cock crew, those who stood before

The Tavern shouted--"Open, then, the Door!
    You know how little while we have to stay,
And, once departed, may return no more."
            

* Omar Khayyám's Rubáiyát is a quatrain-based lyric poetry (four-line

stanzas). A lyric poetry, rather than conveying a plot with characters,
expresses the poet's inner ideas and emotions on topics such as life,
death, love, and religion. It encourages people to enjoy the present
moment and make good use of the little time available in life. Omar
Khayyam's damaged heart would not have been healed by my
understanding. If most of us harbor a secret hedonist, every hedonist
harbors a disgruntled zealot for whom only cosmic reasons will suffice.
That was certainly helpful in the poet's hunt for inspiration. What the
rest of us who live in the mundane world of family need is direction,
not theories or explanations.

15. The lady and her five suitors

* The lady and her five suitors narrative revolved around a woman
whose husband went on a business trip and never returned. The lady
then decides to fall in love with someone new. Unfortunately, his lover
was arrested and sentenced to prison. She went to four of the most
powerful persons in the nation to get her sweetheart released. In
general, what makes these ladies admirable is their ability to be
aggressive when they are upset. Assertiveness entails studying a
variety of approaches to dealing with each scenario so that a person
can select the approach that appears most appropriate for them on
any given occasion. Men, on the other hand, are easily enticed by a
woman's physical attractiveness. It was represented in a scenario from
the story when powerful men were easily enticed by the merchant's
wife's attractiveness, unaware that she was merely acting as a bait for
them. The narrative implies that being misled by a woman's
attractiveness has occurred in the past and continues to do so today. It
is widespread in a society dominated by masculine chauvinism.The
women in the story then had to make decisions about how to deal with
the problem. Both women are encouraged to notice and accept their
feelings, which requires emotional intelligence.

16. Excerpts from the prophet

*Giving, eating and drinking, clothes, buying and selling, crime and
punishment, laws, teaching, time, pleasure, religion, death, beauty,
and friendship are only a few of the topics covered by the Prophet.
God in The Prophet is a personal, willing and compassionate being. In
the heart of God, love most perfectly resides. Marriage is eternal in
God's mind, and he intends it not to be controlling. God smiles when
people give unreservedly and with interest in reward. People should
silently meditate on God both as resting in reason and moving in
passion. Unseen, God guides the physician's hand and weeps over
whatever heavy treatments are required to heal disease. God knows
each person individually and must be known by each individual. God is
man's winged self, willing in each person what he or she should will
and desiring in each person what he or she should desire. Everything
belongs to God, and he knows each individual's needs before he or she
becomes aware of them. God is both everyone's Need and the Giver of
all. Kahlil Gibran delves into the essence of spiritual love and how to
cultivate it in the human heart in order to be a part of the divine. This
poem is about what the prophet Al Mustafa said in response to
Almitra, the prophetess.

17. Arabic literature

* Between the 4th and 7th centuries, the medieval golden age of lyric
poetry created the first important Arabic literature. They deal with
tribal life as well as themes like love, battling, courage, and chasing.
Allah picked Arabic, and the Muslim sacred scripture is totally written
in Arabic. As a result, every Muslim must learn to read and speak
Arabic, the prophet's native tongue, in order to comprehend and
interpret Allah's words through prayer and the Quran. Many ideas,
allusions, and phrases come from it, and its moral message is reflected
in many works. Aside from the Qur'an, the hadith, or tradition, of what
Muhammed is claimed to have said and done is valuable literature.

18. The koran

* The Quran is the main book of reference to Allah and his teachings
among the Muslims. It is remarkably influential among Muslims and
non-Muslims. It is also an impressive piece of literature that utilizes the
Arabic language (Allen, 2000). It has several interconnected verses
(ayat), which bring out 114 chapters (suras). It has gained acceptance
all over the globe due to its uniqueness. It addresses the messages
given to people by Mohammed with a lot of reference to Allah.
Because of its acceptance, some Christians continue to use it in the
disciplines of comparative religion, as well as theology. Thus, the
influence of the Quran and its unique style cannot be underrated. Holy
Quran is the foundation of Islam, and its teachings are critical to
comprehending Islam. God, prophets, man, divine scriptures, and sin
are among the major topics of the Holy Quran, according to the essay.
God is gracious and forgiving, and he reigns supreme over everything
on earth and in heaven. Monotheism is the core idea of the Quran.
God is shown as being alive, eternal, powerful, and omniscient. od's
omnipotence is manifested most visibly in his ability to create. Social
justice and obedient worship are demanded of every human.