The Half-closed Eyes of the Buddha and the Slowly Sinking Sun Exercise
Class 12 English Short Stories Section Chapter 6: The Half-closed Eyes of the Buddha and the Slowly Sinking Sun Exercise, Question Answer Solution note.
Understanding the text
Answer the following questions.
A. How does the tourist describe his initial impression of the Kathmandu valley?
Answer➜ The tourist describes his initial impression of the Kathmandu valley as green, with geometric fields, earthen buildings in red, yellow, and white, and the aroma of soil and mountains in the air.
B. According to the tourist, why is the West indebted to the East?
Answer➜ The West is indebted to the East as the East has given the West the Puranas, images of brass and ornaments of ivory, manuscripts of palm leaves, and inscriptions on copperplate as well as a civilization.
C. How does the tourist interpret the gaze of the monks and nuns?
Answer➜ The tourist calls it the samyak gaze that we cannot see. It is perception, pure and without contamination; sight that perceives everything in its true form.
D. Why do the tourists think Nepali people are wonderful and exceptional?
Answer➜ The tourists believe Nepali people are wonderful and exceptional because of their welcoming smiles, peaceful and co-existent lives, their skillful arts of ornamentations and styles in the wooden pictures, their belief in deities, traditional and unique musics and ornaments etc.
E. What are the different kinds of communities in the Kathmandu valley and how do they co-exist with each other?
Answer➜ The different kinds of communities found in the Kathmandu valley are Aryans, non-Aryans, Hindus, and Buddhists and they co-exist with each other in harmony.
F. What does the tourist feel about the temple of Adinath?
Answer➜ The tourist feels the Adinath temple is a live example of Nepalese tolerance and coexistence.
G. Why does the guide take the tourist to the remote village?
Answer➜ The guide takes the tourist to the remote village to find the harsh reality of people living beyond the scenario. He wants to see her the poverty and sympathetic elements of the beautiful country which was never talking in any novels or books nor seen by other tourists and neither captured by their cameras.
H. What does the innocent village couple think of the doctor?
Answer➜ The innocent village couple accepts her as the eldest son who has brought a life-restoring treatment across the seven seas for his brother.
I. What are the differences between the paralyzed child and his sister?
Answer➜ The differences between the paralyzed child and his sister are that the child is unable to move or communicate, but is able to see and understand the world around him, while his sister is able to move and play. The child's sister's activity reflects the child's ambition to emulate her, but is absorbed into the same old indifference.
J. Why does the guide show the instances of poverty to the tourist?
Answer➜ The guide shows the instances of poverty to the tourist to show him the pulse of our reality and to show the complete beauty without any expression of the poverty.
Reference to the Context
A. Which narrative technique is used by the author to tell the story? How is this story different from other stories you have read?
Answer➜
Stream of consciousness is a narrative technique that is used by the author, Shankar Lamichhane to tell the story “The Half-closed Eyes of the Buddha and the Slowly Sinking Sun". This story is different from other stories I have read as most of the other stories are depicted from the first person point of view where the narrator or the persona describes the instances in his own way but this story is presented through the monologues of two characters a tourist guide in Kathmandu valley and a foreign tourist.
Furthermore, the story is different from conventional stories and instead of showing actions and events, the story records what the two characters think in a stream of consciousness technique. Here, Stream of consciousness is a style or narrative technique of writing that captures the natural flow of a character's extended thought process, often by incorporating sensory impressions, memories, incomplete ideas, unusual syntax, and rough grammar. On the other hand, this technique of stream of consciousness is not found in other previous stories I have read.
B. How is the author able to integrate two fragments of the narration into a unified whole?
Answer➜
The author of the short story "The Half-closed Eyes of the Buddha and the Slowly Sinking Sun" aims to weave together two separate narratives by linking them to each other via the use of eyes. The tourist only knows the brighter and happier side of the country but the tourist knows both / miserable side of the nation as well. It's clear from this passage that the author is talking about what's going on in his or her town and what people do to make money. Using farmers as an analogy, he points out that farmers are often ignorant of the world around them, because they are busy in their own struggle-full world.
As a result, he conveys a message about the need of seeing things from a different perspective in order to grasp the whole scope of the issue. A stream of consciousness storytelling method and the use of his eyes to describe the importance of the sights and activities are used by him to connect the guide's trip with the tourist's observation of the object.
C. The author brings some historical and legendary references to the story. Collect these references and show their significance in the story.
Answer➜
In the story ‘The Half-closed Eyes of the Buddha and the Slowly Sinking Sun’, the author brings some historical and legendary references in the story. They are:
Manjushri and his deed: It is believed that Kathmandu was once a lake and Manjushri cut a gorge at a place called Chobhar Gorge, near Chobhar Ancient Hill Village, and drained away the waters to establish a habitable land and that’s where the Kathmandu valley was formed.
Cultural, tradition, and art crafts: it is mentioned in the story that easterner had given many things to Westerners; Puranas, images of brass and ornaments of ivory, manuscripts of palm leaves and inscriptions on copperplate and also civilization and many musical instruments. If we destroy all the history books then these are things which would again create a new tradition, religion, and culture and made us rich in culture, tradition, religion, and air crafts.
The gaze of monks and nuns: The story shows the gaze of monks and nuns who received alms and spread the law in the nooks and fissures of the Kasthamandap with ‘the samyak gaze’. This is a sight that perceives everything in its purest form.
Historical Relationship: The close relationship of Nepal and Tibet at the time of the licchavi dynasty is mentioned in the story.
Half closed eyes of buddha and setting sun reflected in the eyes of the Buddha: The Half closed eyes of buddha and the setting sun reflected in the eyes of the Buddha represents peacefulness and harmony in the country by which people feel the love and peace.
d.The author talks about the eyes in many places: the eyes of the shaven monks and nuns, eyes in the window and door panels, the eyes of the Himalayas,the eyes of the paralyzed boy, the eyes of the welcoming villagers and above all the half-closed eyes of the Buddha. Explain how all the instances of eyes contribute to the overall unity of the story.
Answer➜
In the story, the author talks about the eyes in many places such as the eyes of shaven monks and nuns indicating 'the samba gaze' which means the sight that perceives everything and its true form. The eyes of the carried lattice windows,the eyes painted on the door panels, the eyes on the stupas, the eyes of the people, the eyes of the Himalayas, the eyes of the paralyzed boy, the eyes of the welcoming villagers and above all the half-closed eyes of the Buddha; these all instances of eyes indicate that it is a land of eyes, a land guarded by the half-closed eyes of the lord Buddha. Even if all of the world's history books were destroyed today, but these eyes which display a new culture, civilization, religion, natural beauty and the land of Buddha. The journey becomes meaningful by the memories obtained by the eyes.
In this way, the author connects various instances of eyes to memories that people acquire and peoples appetites that nover come true as they imagine something with their inner eyes and hearts, and therefore, unites the story as a whole.
Reference beyond the Context
A. Write an essay on Living Proximity to Nature.
Answer➜
Living Proximity to Nature
Ans: Nature is a breathtaking masterpiece that envelops us with its splendor. It is a harmonious symphony of vibrant colors, captivating our senses and making the Earth a truly enchanting place. It provides the food and shelter for different variety of creatures.
Nature has given all the things for living for humans and other creatures. It provides food, water, oxygen and other things for living. Without the Nature, we can’t imagine to survive. It is a generous benefactor, offering us not only sustenance but also an abundance of medicinal plants and materials to create clothing. With every breath we take, nature reminds us of its profound significance. It encompasses the entire tapestry of life, teeming with both living beings and non-living elements.
As inhabitants of this awe-inspiring world, we humans share an inseparable bond with nature. It is our sanctuary, the ultimate dwelling place that provides us with shelter, nourishment, and a profound sense of belonging.
In this interconnections, it becomes our responsibility to be caretakers of our environment. Nature is an exquisite masterpiece, deserving of our admiration, respect, and protection. Let us cherish its magnificence and embark on a journey to safeguard its precious treasures for generations to come. Together, we can ensure that the bond between humanity and nature remains harmonious, nurturing, and everlasting.
B. The story talks about ethnic/religious co-existence of different communities in Nepal, where the Buddhists and the Hindus and the Aryans and non-Aryans have lived in communal harmony for ages. In your view, how have the Nepali people been able to live in such harmony?
Answer➜
Many ethnic and religious groups in Nepal have coexisted peacefully for a long time, according to the story "The Half-closed Eyes of the Buddha and the Slowly Sinking Sun." This is for a variety of reasons, the most significant of which are historical, cultural, political, and geographical. Individuals of different ethnic and religious origins, in my view, have been able to cohabit peacefully in Nepal because they all adore the same deities. People from different origins all over the world have settled in Nepal, bringing their religious traditions and practices with them. People were more receptive to embracing the gods and practices of other civilizations since the constitution also proclaimed the country to be secular, granting religious freedom to the people.
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