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Koans

• Koans are paradoxical statements that promote intuition and challenge assumptions.
• These emphasize meditation, cultivate awareness, and provoke insight beyond rational thought.
• Zen tradition: Gautama Buddha's smile upon holding up a flower to Mahākāśyapa signified enlightenment.
• The dharma was transmitted to Mahākāśyapa, the second patriarch of Zen.
• Zen originates in India but was formalized in China, called Chan.
• Chan was transmitted to Japan, taking root in the thirteenth century.

Cliffhanger

• A man fleeing a tiger in the wilderness climbed down a vine over a cliff to escape.
• Two mice began gnawing at the vine.
• The man plucked and ate a wild strawberry on the vine, finding it delicious.

The Gates of Paradise

• Soldier Nobushige asked Hakuin about the existence of paradise and hell.
• Hakuin questioned Nobushige's identity and appearance, provoking the samurai.
• As Nobushige drew his sword, Hakuin said: “Here open the gates of hell!"
• Nobushige sheathed his sword and bowed after perceiving the master's discipline.
• Hakuin then said: “Here open the gates of paradise."

Obedience

• Master Bankei's talks were widely attended and focused on direct, heartfelt words.
• Bankei did not quote sutras or engage in scholarly dissertations.
• A self-centered Nichiren priest challenged Bankei, seeking to make him obey.
• Bankei invited the priest to his left side, then to his right, which the priest followed proudly, twice.
• Bankei pointed out: "You see, you are obeying me and I think you are a very gentle person. Now sit down and listen."

How Mushrooms First Grew

• West African folk tale depicts the transfer of a debt from one entity to another.
• Two brothers fell into debt, became highway robbers, then decided to farm.
• A bushfowl ate their planted seeds, so the brothers transferred their debts to the bird.
• The bird's eggs were destroyed by a hurricane forcing debt transfer to the silk-cotton tree.
• An elephant damaged the tree, unknowingly inheriting the debt.
• A hunter killed the elephant and acquired the debt.
• The hunter broke his leg and passed the debt to a tree-stump.
• White ants consumed the stump and took on the debt.
• With earnings from woven linen thread, they created "mushrooms" on ant-hills to pay the debts.

Leela's Friend

• R.K. Narayan (1906-2001) was an Indian writer known for portraying Indian society and daily life in Malgudi.
• A young girl, Leela, befriends the family's new servant, Sidda.
• Sidda was falsely accused of stealing Leela’s gold necklace which Leela misplaced.
• Sidda was hanging around the gate, and Mr. Sivasanker asked if he want to be a servant and Mr Sivasanker subject him to his scrutiny.
• Mr. Sivasanker hired him upon five-year old Leela's approval " I like him. Don't send him away. Let us keep him in our house”.
• Sidda’s tasks involved washing clothes, tending to garden, running errands and looking after Leela and was paid of four rupees a month
• One evening Leela went with Sidda to buy sugar and upon arriving Leela’s mother that a gold chain that Leela had been weating was missing.
• After questioned Sidda had vanished into the night.
• Four days later, a police inspector and a constable brought in Sidda. And he spoke with a words that would be treachery.
• Leela's mother picked up the chain of Leela in kitchen, in the tamarind pot and she was asked to her, ‘How did it get into the tamarind pot?'

Let the Poem Wish Well for All

• Dr. Mekhala Venkatesh is an Associate Professor, Research Guide, and Head of the English Department at Jain Deemed-to-be University, Bengaluru, and a co-translator.
• The poem focuses on universal goodwill, positivity, kindness, hope, and harmony.
• The poem encourages compassion and suggests that poetry can reach out and heal, fostering unity.

The Mountain Lion

• D.H. Lawrence born in Eastwood, Nottinghamshire in 1885 wrote poetry, novels, short stories, plays, essays, and criticism.
• His work reflects his autobiographical and the Nottinghamshire experiences.
• Melancholic poem about the death of a mountain lioness killed by two men in Lobo Canyon.
• The naive lioness trusts the humans.
• The speaker conveys grief and humanity toward inhumanity.

Chaturvarnya Is Irrational and Impracticable

• Dr. B.R. Ambedkar known for his views on discrimination, and caste politics.
• His thoughts are relevant even today are reflected in his writings.
• The speech on Chaturvarnya challenges the caste hierarchy in Hindu society.
• Key categories: Brahmins (priests/scholars), Kshatriyas (warriors/rulers), Vaishyas (merchants/traders), Shudras (laborers/service providers).
• Dalists: A section of "Untouchables" were considered outside the varna system, face the severe discrimination and exclusion.

Homesickness

• Roald Dahl (1916) was a British novelist, short story writer, poet, screenwriter, and wartime fighter pilot.
• "Homesickness" is an excerpt from Roald Dahl’s autobiography, "Boy: Tales of Childhood,' which he wrote in first person.
• The story was about he feels so homesick at nine, when dahl was sent to St.Peters a boarding school called St.Peters
• His plan to develop an attack of acute appendicitis to get out of school.
• He lied there trying to look very ill and on a paddle-steamer to the doctor after Matron call it.

The Face on the Wall

• Edward Verral Lucas (1868 born) English humorist, essayist, playwright, biographer, publisher, novelist, short story writer and editor.
• Story: A group of friends discuss the supernatural, and a pale man tells of a face on his bedroom wall.
• The face, found him and the man is a millionaire from United State, became and obsession, in his own reflection.
• After went back to look and the face began to get a firmer hold of me when the night.
• "I got up dazed and dejected and went out. The early editions of the newspapers were already out, and on the headlines I saw 'American millionaire's Motor Accident'.

Reading Comprehension: Unseen Poetry/Prose

• To make meaning during reading, also involves understanding the author's intent, interpreting the words.
• To become an effective reader, one must develop the following skills, as; vocabulary, inferring and interpretative
• Steps for Effective Reading Comprehension is, skim the text or summarize it.
• While you are reading a poem on your own and solving also, observe literary devices used.

Vocabulary Building

• Vocabulary is important in understanding the meaning of what we read
• A synonym is a word having the same or nearly the same meaning as another word in certain contexts.
• An antonym is a word that has the opposite meaning of another word.
• The prefixes mis-, dis-, in-, ir- and im- and il- are used instead of un- with some words to create antonyms.
• A homophone is a word that is pronounced the same as another word but differs in meaning.
• A collocation is made up of two or more words that are commonly used together in English.

Reported Speech

• When what the speaker says it either quoted - direct speech or reworded - reported speech.
• Direct Speech: exact words spoken
• Reported Speech: used when we report without using exact word
• Report sentences contains 3 parts; reporting verb, reporting clause and conjuction.

Dialogue Writing

• Is basically a conversation between two or more people, know an another name Self-talking
• For English to gain command over the language, Is and important discourse for second language learnes
• Must be the situations and context with conversational, spontaneous. Impromptu
• In the form of questions answered or asked. It should bring the conclusion of questions.
• Keep the conservation as realistic as possible

Verbal Communication and Non Verbal Communication

• Verbal communication is the clear known mode of sharing of information between two or more individuals.
• But with different types in two like; Oral and written communications
• Nonverbal communication communicates without spoken or written word in another way. Also known the “silent language”.
• The types of Non-verbal communication; Kinesics, haptic, vocalic.

Speech Writing

• Sharing of thoughts through words to one with audience is what can be described as Speech writing
• The format of speech writing must be that of; intruction, body and conclusion.
• Also that of good or prior preparations such as; having a structure with language is kept so simple.
• A welcom speech is an expression delivered at the start of any event
• An aunagril speech is made at inaugurating a company, cultural or social event.
• Whereas the vote of thanks the thanks is prepared with for the host and organisers for the presences
• A farewell is always made/given by a gestures you may deliver to your colleagues that are retiring or leavings off.