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Last resort: Exam on Buddhism in an hour, I need COR help...
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| DJ RJT |
Ok, so I realize this may be a terrible idea, but I'm at a loss right for what to do, and since this is a moderately broad/general subject I'm sure that maybe a few of you are familiar with, I'll give it a shot...
One of the questions on my "study guide:"
9) Explain “cat hold” and “monkey hold” and give one example each of Buddhist traditions where they get played out.
I can't find any examples in my readings or notes (though i'm near 100% sure this was explained on a day I missed class), so if anyone has ANY idea on what this means in regards to either Theravada, Mahayana, or Vajrayana Buddhism, let me know... I'm sure it's only going to be one, maybe two questions on the exam, so even if I get em wrong it's probably not a big deal, I guess I'm more intrigued to see if the COR can be of any real use in my academic/professional life... :p
Oh, and I do realize I could probably google/wiki this, which I'll probably do anyway (I'd just rather spend the time going over my notes), but meh, this could be fun for the COR for a minute or two... who knows... ? |
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| Floorfiller |
| Vedantacharya, a follower of Ramanuja, made some reform in the Vaishnava faith. This gave rise to the formation of two antagonistic parties of Ramanujas, one called the Northern School (Vadagalai) and the other the Southern School (Tengalai). The Tengalais regard Prapatti or self-surrender as the only way to salvation. The Vadagalais think that it is only one of the ways. According to them, the Bhakta or the devotee is like the young one of a monkey which has to exert itself and cling to its mother (Markata-Nyaya or Monkey Theory); whereas, according to the Southern School, the Bhakta or the devotee is like the kitten which is carried about by the cat without any effort on its own part (Marjala-Nyaya or Cathold Theory). The Northern School accept the Sanskrit texts, the Vedas. The Southerners have compiled a Veda of their own called ‘Nalayira Prabandha’ or ‘Four Thousand Verses’, in Tamil, and hold it to be older than the Sanskrit Vedas. Really, their four thousand verses are based on the Upanishad portion of the Vedas. In all their worship, they repeat sections from their Tamil verses. |
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| DJ RJT |
Hehehehehe... yeah, while I appreciate your posting those links, unfortunately, there's nothing on those pages that has the information I need... It's kind of a specific, and I don't think a lot of summaries of Buddhism are going to have it in it... I was banking on someone with either personal experience or who'd been through a course like this before might remember, but if not, I can always ask the dude who sits next to me in class prior to the exam...
But come on COR, show me you can be an asset, and not always a detriment to my studies!
:p |
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| DJ RJT |
| quote: | Originally posted by Floorfiller
Vedantacharya, a follower of Ramanuja, made some reform in the Vaishnava faith. This gave rise to the formation of two antagonistic parties of Ramanujas, one called the Northern School (Vadagalai) and the other the Southern School (Tengalai). The Tengalais regard Prapatti or self-surrender as the only way to salvation. The Vadagalais think that it is only one of the ways. According to them, the Bhakta or the devotee is like the young one of a monkey which has to exert itself and cling to its mother (Markata-Nyaya or Monkey Theory); whereas, according to the Southern School, the Bhakta or the devotee is like the kitten which is carried about by the cat without any effort on its own part (Marjala-Nyaya or Cathold Theory). The Northern School accept the Sanskrit texts, the Vedas. The Southerners have compiled a Veda of their own called ‘Nalayira Prabandha’ or ‘Four Thousand Verses’, in Tamil, and hold it to be older than the Sanskrit Vedas. Really, their four thousand verses are based on the Upanishad portion of the Vedas. In all their worship, they repeat sections from their Tamil verses. |
Wow... Jason you rule... 
Of course, there's the possibility that you're just moderately familiar with Buddhism and just trying to fool me by using proper terminology, but you wouldn't do that to me, now would you Jason...?
;)
Thanks for the help... |
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| Renegade |
It's been a while since I've studied the religion, but the "cat hold" pertains to the southern tradition of Theravada, I believe. It's a method of medatation in which one tries to hold onto a more "cat-like" state throughout the process: still, yet alert; unmoving yet ready to pounce. The idea is that you should be tranquil enough to allow yourself to be more responsive to your being and oneness with the world, but ready to suddenly leap forward and "hold" onto any realisations that you make.
The "monkey hold" I'm not too sure about, but I'm pretty sure it's a Theravada tradition as well (cats and monkeys held a special significance in southern societies at the time, it must be remembered). Essentially, if you can imagine a monkey ascending a tree, slowly going from branch to branch and dangling (i.e. "holding") at each one briefly, try to apply that to medatative techniques. The idea is to slowly progress into the meditation, stalling - allowing yourself to "dangle" - at each stage of the process until you reach the top (i.e. enlightenment). By adopting this technique, theoretically anyway, you should have a greater appreciation for each stage of the medatitive process, even if it does take longer to "hold" onto enlightement in the long run. |
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| Floorfiller |
| quote: | Originally posted by DJ RJT
Wow... Jason you rule...
Of course, there's the possibility that you're just moderately familiar with Buddhism and just trying to fool me by using proper terminology, but you wouldn't do that to me, now would you Jason...?
;)
Thanks for the help... |
i took a course on buddhism, but i just copied and pasted that from google hahaha...:p |
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| dj_bas |
Ahh yes "monkey hold" or what the Buddhists refer to as "monkey hold". Where do I start?
It's a belief that monkeys are better at "holding" things than humans. You see Rob, monkeys have thumbs on their feet...that's something we as people don't have. In the wild, when monkeys play football (American football for you Europeans) they tend to use all their limbs. Hands, tails, feet, mouths...so the term "monkey hold" is actually a monkey football reference.
"Hut, Hut, Hold!" is the common term spoken by the monkeys, oft times they will just replace it with grunts and throwing of feces...but it all means the same thing. Once the "hike" is called the monkeys snap into action.
Ok, i'm done I got nothing...I hope this was funny because it took about 10 mins to write it all.
Good luck Rob! I'm sure Wikkipedia is a much better source than I am :( |
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| Renegade |
| quote: | Originally posted by Floorfiller
Vedantacharya, a follower of Ramanuja, made some reform in the Vaishnava faith. This gave rise to the formation of two antagonistic parties of Ramanujas, one called the Northern School (Vadagalai) and the other the Southern School (Tengalai). The Tengalais regard Prapatti or self-surrender as the only way to salvation. The Vadagalais think that it is only one of the ways. According to them, the Bhakta or the devotee is like the young one of a monkey which has to exert itself and cling to its mother (Markata-Nyaya or Monkey Theory); whereas, according to the Southern School, the Bhakta or the devotee is like the kitten which is carried about by the cat without any effort on its own part (Marjala-Nyaya or Cathold Theory). The Northern School accept the Sanskrit texts, the Vedas. The Southerners have compiled a Veda of their own called ‘Nalayira Prabandha’ or ‘Four Thousand Verses’, in Tamil, and hold it to be older than the Sanskrit Vedas. Really, their four thousand verses are based on the Upanishad portion of the Vedas. In all their worship, they repeat sections from their Tamil verses. |
This was from an earlier tradition and pertains to societal - rather than religious - roles. In the meditative doctrine of the Theravada tradition, the cat hold and monkey hold have a much more specific application and I believe that it is this application that your exam will ask you to explore. |
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| DJ RJT |
| quote: | Originally posted by dj_bas
Ahh yes "monkey hold" or what the Buddhists refer to as "monkey hold". Where do I start?
It's a belief that monkeys are better at "holding" things than humans. You see Rob, monkeys have thumbs on their feet...that's something we as people don't have. In the wild, when monkeys play football (American football for you Europeans) they tend to use all their limbs. Hands, tails, feet, mouths...so the term "monkey hold" is actually a monkey football reference.
"Hut, Hut, Hold!" is the common term spoken by the monkeys, oft times they will just replace it with grunts and throwing of feces...but it all means the same thing. Once the "hike" is called the monkeys snap into action.
Ok, i'm done I got nothing...I hope this was funny because it took about 10 mins to write it all.
Good luck Rob! I'm sure Wikkipedia is a much better source than I am :( |
I just forwarded this post to my professor... and lol'd my ass off when I read it the first time... :haha: |
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| Floorfiller |
| quote: | Originally posted by Renegade
This was from an earlier tradition and pertains to societal - rather than religious - roles. In the meditative doctrine of the Theravada tradition, the cat hold and monkey hold have a much more specific application and I believe that it is this application that your exam will ask you to explore. |
well i hope i'm not giving Rob all the wrong info hahah...
here is another something i found...
The concept of God's grace as sahetuka krpa (produced grace) or nirhetuka krpa (causeless grace). This is exemplified by the example of mother and baby monkey (markata nyaya) and mother and baby cat (marjala nyaya). Basically it is a dispute over works and faith just as in the Catholic/Protestant traditions. |
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| dinoXpress |
| quote: | Originally posted by dj_bas
Ahh yes "monkey hold" or what the Buddhists refer to as "monkey hold". Where do I start?
It's a belief that monkeys are better at "holding" things than humans. You see Rob, monkeys have thumbs on their feet...that's something we as people don't have. In the wild, when monkeys play football (American football for you Europeans) they tend to use all their limbs. Hands, tails, feet, mouths...so the term "monkey hold" is actually a monkey football reference.
"Hut, Hut, Hold!" is the common term spoken by the monkeys, oft times they will just replace it with grunts and throwing of feces...but it all means the same thing. Once the "hike" is called the monkeys snap into action.
Ok, i'm done I got nothing...I hope this was funny because it took about 10 mins to write it all.
Good luck Rob! I'm sure Wikkipedia is a much better source than I am :( |
:stongue: :haha: :stongue: :haha: :stongue: :haha: :stongue: |
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