Assignment: Legends of barren and fruitful wife

Assignment: Legends of barren and fruitful wife

Permalink: 

2 pages

For this assignment, we will be discussing pages 146 to 175 Buddhist Legends in class.  You may read the story “Why Cry For the Moon,” on pages 159-166 if you like, but it is not part of the assigned reading (although it’s a very interesting story.)

As you read those pages, see if you can find the answers to these questions.

You must include direct quotations from the Buddhist Legends in your answers in order to earn full points.

1.  What does this reading say about what lay people do for Buddhist monks?

2.  Did you find what Molloy calls “The Three Marks of Reality”  in this reading? If so, what are they and where did you find them?

3.  What does the Elder (also called Maha Pala and Palita) refuse to do (hint: it is related to the “Four Postures,” which Molloy doesn’t cover-Google it!), and what are the negative and positive consequences of that?

4.  What is the relationship of Maha Pala to his brother?

5.  Why did Maha Pala become blind (hint: there are two answers)?

6.  What does Tissa (called “Tissa the Fat” in the heading of this section) do wrong in this life? And what did he do wrong in his past life?

7.  What do the barren wife and the fruitful wife do wrong?

What does this reading say about what lay people do for Buddhist monks?

2.  Did you find what Molloy calls “The Three Marks of Reality”  in this reading? If so, what are they and where did you find them?

3.  What does the Elder (also called Maha Pala and Palita) refuse to do (hint: it is related to the “Four Postures,” which Molloy doesn’t cover-Go