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Storybook Coverpage Introduction Story 1: Ahadyla Story 2: Kakooni Story 3: Poweranan Story 4: Makara |
"What a foolish story this Karaman told us," thought Kakooni. "This unfaithful woman, Ahalya, should have been punished, not rewarded. Well, she found a dumb enough husband to put up with her." (Kakooni still had her virginity and she was very jealous that Ahalya was so beautiful and that she already had had two lovers; however, Kakooni did not think very much about the bad things that she had done in her life. For example she had pretended that she was collecting money for the poor, but then she used the money for this cruise instead. Also, she had just wrecked a happy marriage by spreading rumors about the infidelity of the partners to each other.) "Why can I not find a lover? Life was never fair." Her thoughts were interrupted by Powerana's request. "Please tell us another story, Karaman," he said, looking towards him. "It makes me forget that we are out here on the ocean." "Very well," said Karaman and he began:
"Once there was a woman by the
name of
Kooni. She always felt cheated in life
and thought that life was very unfair to her. For that reason she was
very jealous of anyone who seemed to her to have gotten a better deal
in life than she had. Kooni also felt that it was not fair that she was
rather ugly, that her
skin wrinkled so easily and that her hair already started to turn gray
when she was only twenty-five years old - not to mention all the bad
luck she had already had in her life! What she
didn't know was that in her past lives, she had done some horrible
things and now her Karma was creating unfortunate circumstances for
her."
"What does Karma mean?" Powerana interrupted.
"Very good question! Well, Karma simply means that every deed and every thought of a person has an effect. Good ones have good effects and bad ones have bad effects. These effects may show up in the person's current lifetime, or in a future lifetime. Sometimes, a negative effect may be canceled, as was the case with Ahalya, because she recognized that she had done something wrong and was willing to accept her lesson. Does that make sense? Shall I continue with the story?" "Yes, please," said three persons on the boat. (That is, everyone except Kooni. Karaman continues with his story).
"Now, Kooni had an extremely bad Karma, because in her previous life, she had fooled the queen Kaikeyi to exile her son Rama for fourteen years in the wilderness, although he was just about to be crowned king. Kooni was very cunning and she knew how to trick Kaikeyi by feeding her with lies about the terrible consequences, if she didn't intervene in Rama's coronation. In reality, Kooni just couldn't bear to see Rama, who was the embodiment of love and virtue, on the throne. She did not change her character in her future lives and she always made it her business to destroy other people's happy lives the best she could. One of her worst weapons was that of spreading rumors. She would invent lies that had no foundation at all, yet by the time people realized the rumors were groundless, the damage had often already been done.
Maya had found a good tool in Kooni. The sad or we may call it the happy thing about this whole story is that, deep inside, hidden beneath many layers, Kooni was actually just as beautiful and pure as Ahalya." (These words brought a tear from Kakooni's eyes, but invisible Maya quickly whispered into her ears: "Don't listen to such foolish talk. A clever and cunning woman like you must not be fooled by this kind of nonsensical tattle." Kakooni quickly regained her usual self.) "Yet, because she was very far from recognizing her own beauty," Karaman confirmed, "she continued to bring misery to others and most of all to herself." (Kakooni sat there with a real sour face. It was becoming unbearable for her to be on this boat. She wished that they would be either rescued now or drown. Her patience had run out.)
"I wish I could help Kooni," said Ahadyla.
"Oh, get on with a new story," said Kakooni grumpily. "This other one was no good."
"Just one more question, please!" said Ahadyla. "Will Kooni ever become enlightened?" "Oh, yes, that is for sure," said Karaman, "but it will take many, many lifetimes."
"What does Karma mean?" Powerana interrupted.
"Very good question! Well, Karma simply means that every deed and every thought of a person has an effect. Good ones have good effects and bad ones have bad effects. These effects may show up in the person's current lifetime, or in a future lifetime. Sometimes, a negative effect may be canceled, as was the case with Ahalya, because she recognized that she had done something wrong and was willing to accept her lesson. Does that make sense? Shall I continue with the story?" "Yes, please," said three persons on the boat. (That is, everyone except Kooni. Karaman continues with his story).
"Now, Kooni had an extremely bad Karma, because in her previous life, she had fooled the queen Kaikeyi to exile her son Rama for fourteen years in the wilderness, although he was just about to be crowned king. Kooni was very cunning and she knew how to trick Kaikeyi by feeding her with lies about the terrible consequences, if she didn't intervene in Rama's coronation. In reality, Kooni just couldn't bear to see Rama, who was the embodiment of love and virtue, on the throne. She did not change her character in her future lives and she always made it her business to destroy other people's happy lives the best she could. One of her worst weapons was that of spreading rumors. She would invent lies that had no foundation at all, yet by the time people realized the rumors were groundless, the damage had often already been done.
Maya had found a good tool in Kooni. The sad or we may call it the happy thing about this whole story is that, deep inside, hidden beneath many layers, Kooni was actually just as beautiful and pure as Ahalya." (These words brought a tear from Kakooni's eyes, but invisible Maya quickly whispered into her ears: "Don't listen to such foolish talk. A clever and cunning woman like you must not be fooled by this kind of nonsensical tattle." Kakooni quickly regained her usual self.) "Yet, because she was very far from recognizing her own beauty," Karaman confirmed, "she continued to bring misery to others and most of all to herself." (Kakooni sat there with a real sour face. It was becoming unbearable for her to be on this boat. She wished that they would be either rescued now or drown. Her patience had run out.)
"I wish I could help Kooni," said Ahadyla.
"Oh, get on with a new story," said Kakooni grumpily. "This other one was no good."
"Just one more question, please!" said Ahadyla. "Will Kooni ever become enlightened?" "Oh, yes, that is for sure," said Karaman, "but it will take many, many lifetimes."
Author's
note:
I use this story to introduce the concept of Karma. Karma is quite an important part of everything that happens in the Ramayana, but you will not find an explicit definition in the Ramayana as to what it means. So, in my story, I had Karaman give a definition of Karma, so that the people in the lifeboat could clearly understand what it means. I think that my second story fits perfectly after my first one which ended all happy and where the characters (Ahalya and Ahadyla) were so open to learn. Kooni brings a stark contrast to that and she also evaluates the first story. Maybe some readers will evaluate the story in a similar way?
I only refer very briefly to the original story about Kooni and it is also a very short part in the Ramayana by Buck, but I leave the content unchanged: Rama was exiled for fourteen years because of the wish of Kaikeyi who was in return influenced by Kooni. In this story, Kaikeyi requests Dasaratha to fulfill her wish and he does.
In my version, I provide new information about Kooni's background and her motives. This is not mentioned in Buck's Ramayana, but after Sita is free, he tells us that Kooni asks Sita for forgiveness and promises to be her servant. Also at this point, he calls her by the name of Manthara, but we do not get any information besides that about her. In my version Kooni does not repent what she has done and no change of heart occurs. While Ahadyla provided a positive example, Kooni is a negative one: the example of what not do. I think that the picture represents Kooni's confusion and her longing to be beautiful and loved, but her thoughts on that subject are out of touch with reality.
I use this story to introduce the concept of Karma. Karma is quite an important part of everything that happens in the Ramayana, but you will not find an explicit definition in the Ramayana as to what it means. So, in my story, I had Karaman give a definition of Karma, so that the people in the lifeboat could clearly understand what it means. I think that my second story fits perfectly after my first one which ended all happy and where the characters (Ahalya and Ahadyla) were so open to learn. Kooni brings a stark contrast to that and she also evaluates the first story. Maybe some readers will evaluate the story in a similar way?
I only refer very briefly to the original story about Kooni and it is also a very short part in the Ramayana by Buck, but I leave the content unchanged: Rama was exiled for fourteen years because of the wish of Kaikeyi who was in return influenced by Kooni. In this story, Kaikeyi requests Dasaratha to fulfill her wish and he does.
In my version, I provide new information about Kooni's background and her motives. This is not mentioned in Buck's Ramayana, but after Sita is free, he tells us that Kooni asks Sita for forgiveness and promises to be her servant. Also at this point, he calls her by the name of Manthara, but we do not get any information besides that about her. In my version Kooni does not repent what she has done and no change of heart occurs. While Ahadyla provided a positive example, Kooni is a negative one: the example of what not do. I think that the picture represents Kooni's confusion and her longing to be beautiful and loved, but her thoughts on that subject are out of touch with reality.