Topic Brainstorm

Topic Brainstorm

Karma

I took Intro to Buddhism last fall, so I am somewhat familiar with the concept of Karma as it applies to Buddhism. I think it is interesting that the idea of Karma is widely known in popular culture and can influence people's actions. I would like to learn more about the concept of Karma in Hinduism. I am curious about what counts as good or bad karma, the weight giving to certain actions in these categories, and who decides these criteria. I recently watched a TV series called "The Good Place" which proposes a point system of action on earth that determines if you go to the "good place" or the "bad place" in the afterlife, which reminded me a lot of the concept of Karma, which is also action based merit on Earth that determines one's fate in the afterlife. I could use the outline of "The Good Place" in my project by rewriting the stories from the perspective of different characters from the show and using a similar point system of the good place but with karma and using these karma points to determine rebirth scenario instead of the good or bad place. 

(The Good Place Point System, Source: Hollywood Reporter)

Creation Stories
In my capstone, we just learned about the Kumbha Mela pilgrimage, and we only very briefly discussed the theology behind the pilgrimage, so I would like to learn more about the connection between the Sumadra Manthan and the Kumbha Mela. Reading about Hindu Cosmology led me to do some research about the golden egg story, which I was unfamiliar with before. Hindu eschatology mentions that we are in Kali Yuga, the last of four Yugas, ruled by the demon Kali. It is interesting that the legend of Manu is comparable to the legend of Noah's Ark from Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.

Supernatural Characters
A horror story with rakshasas and the demon characters could be fun if written with the twine technology to create suspense and excitement. My favorite storybook was "I've Got a Job For You", and I think a horror story with a similar plot line in second person could be interesting. I'm not very familiar with the supernatural creatures but I am interested to learn about them and the role they play in society. "On Wicked Wings" has some good spooky stories. "Player 1 vs Maya" has nice and simple choice technology. "The Deaths of Demons in the Ramayana" also includes a good description of demons that could be used in a horror themed story.

Death Stories
I thought the style of "CSI: Indian Epics" was neat since it takes an investigative perspective on death. There was death in a few of the stories we have read, so the stories could be from the perspective of an investigative team questioning other characters of the story as suspects. Death stories could also include Yama, like "Yama's Souls".