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The Half-Closed Eyes of the Buddha and the Slowly Sinking Sun Class 12 Summary | Questions & Answers | Neb Compulsory English | Shankar Lamichhane | Neb English Notes
The Half-Closed Eyes of the Buddha and the Slowly Sinking Sun by Shankar Lamichhane
MAIN SUMMARY
The Half-Closed Eyes of the Buddha and the Slowly Sinking Sun by Shankar Lamichhane
"The Half-Closed Eyes of the Buddha and the Slowly Sinking Sun" is a short story written by Shankar Lamichhane, a writer from Nepal.
This story has been extracted from Himalayan Voices: An Introduction to Nepali Literature, which was published in 1991. It was translated and edited by Michael Hutt, a Nepali professor.
This story is about our beautiful country, Nepal, and its various aspects regarding its history, culture, religion, people, and survival.
This story has been presented using the unique style of the Stream of Consciousness technique. The story has been presented in narrative form, which is quite different from other forms of storytelling.
In the story, we find the main characters as a Nepali guide and a foreign tourist. They are also the main narrators, who keep on talking about various aspects of the beautiful country of Nepal. The story is set in the Kathmandu Valley and its different places.
When the story begins, we find a tourist expressing his happiness. He expresses his initial impression of the Kathmandu valley in a very joyful mood. He describes the aesthetic beauty of the green Kathmandu valley with its geometric fields, different colours of ouses, and the scent of soil and mountains in the air. He feels an age-old peacefulness in the surrounding atmosphere of Kathmandu Valley.
He thinks that the East has contributed many things to the West, such as the Purans, images of brass and ornaments of ivory, palm leaf manuscripts, and copperplate's inscriptions.
The tourist seems well-versed in Nepali culture and its history and claims from his experience that he has spent many years reading books regarding Nepal and its history. He requests the guide to lead him in the present situation, and he will also take the guide in the ancient ways. He tells about Manjushri, a person who stroked the hills of Chobhar with his sword to let the water of the Kathmandu valley out and the land to the Nepalese people to settle there.
He even informs the guide about the monks and nuns receiving alms and spreading the laws in the nooks and crannies of the Kasthamandap. For the tourist, the gaze of shaven-headed monks is called the samyak gaze, which is perception, so pure and without contamination; a sight that perceives everything in its true form.
Next, he also relates the creativity of the Nepalese people. According to him, Nepalese people are quite wonderful and exceptional. For him, Nepalese people are quite hard-working. They are so creative through their creative abilities. He sees different artistic wooden images, ornamentation, and beautiful images of deities in different places. He finds different communities living together in Kathmandu, such as Aryans, non-Aryans, Hindus, and Buddhists. According to him, people of different communities have co-existed with each other for ages in peace and harmony in Nepalese societies.
He expresses his extreme gratitude to the guide for Nepali and Newari food items, especially momos (dumplings). He tells the guide a past story about an old man in the house who tells the history of Princess Bhirkuti and King Amshuvarma to his grandson. He relates the fine relationship of the King of Nepal with the neighbouring country of Tibet.
Later, the tourist expresses his joy through the concept of the various kinds of smiles that he receives wherever he goes in Nepalese society. He finds Nepalese smiles everywhere. He assumes and places himself in various relationships as the eldest son of a farmer, landowner, husband, and sister's husband's friend. He states that the smile of Nepalese people is from the soul and full of wisdom.
Next, he talks about different eyes in Nepalese societies. He finds so many eyes everywhere, such as eyes on carved lattice windows, door panels, the stupas, the eyes of the people, the eyes of the Himalayas, and the half-closed eyes of the Lord Buddha. The tourist prefers to go to lonely places to see the stupa's clear eyes, where he wants to see the pleasant light of sunset reflected in the eyes of the Buddha. He requests his guide to show him beautiful, full eyes—eyes without equals—whose memory will make his journey quite unforgettable.
Later on, the guide takes the tourist to Chobar to show him some eyes. He shows the tourist the actual cleft that was made by Manjushri and even the main outflow of the Bagmati River. He shows him the temple of Adinath, which is located in the middle of the village. After watching the temple so closely, the tourist feels that the temple of Adinath is a living example of Nepalese tolerance and coexistence.
Finally, the guide takes the tourist to a very remote village to show him the pulse of reality. The guide takes him to a poor farmer's house. In the very house, the tourist discovers the pulse of reality. The tourist finds a polio-affected small boy in the house whose whole body is useless. The boy's condition is quite miserable. He is not able to speak, move his hands, chew his food, or even spit. The only living parts of his body are his eyes.
The guide introduces his guest (the tourist) as a doctor to the parents of the boy. The parents of the boy become too happy after meeting the tourist, who is a doctor. The guide also shows the boy's sister to the tourist. The boy's sister is quite a fine girl whose body functions properly. The boy's sister can speak, crawl, and move her body freely.
Lastly, the Nepali guide explains various things regarding feelings, desires, language, etc. For the guide, the natural beauty of the land of Nepal, people's lives and their survival, their long-term harmonious relationships with each other, their hardships and sorrows, religions, end of life, etc. have their meanings and importance. He says that all these aspects are as beautiful as the sinking sun's reflection in the half-closed eyes of the Buddha.
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SHORT STORIES IMPORTANT QUESTIONS' SOLUTION PACK
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
The Half-Closed Eyes of the Buddha and the Slowly Sinking Sun
Discuss the following questions.
a. What does a Nepali tourist guide think about foreign tourists?
Answer:
A Nepali tourist guide thinks well of foreign tourists. He or she welcomes foreign tourists warmly because he or she knows the value of foreign tourists in our country. He or she treats them in very splendid ways.
b. What do common Nepali people think of a fair-skinned foreigner?
Answer:
Common Nepali people also think well of a fair-skinned foreigner. They try their best to welcome him or her with their welcoming smiles and proper hospitality. They treat fair-skinned foreigners not only as guests but also as gods.
c. Why do you think foreign tourists visit Nepal?
Answer:
I think foreign tourists visit Nepal because they have known about the popularity of this country through various means. Foreign tourists like places of cultural heritage and different geographical locations. They want to spend their time learning and enjoying the aesthetics of ancient as well as peaceful places. In Nepal, they can get a chance to visit their favourite places.
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 in a very joyful mood. He describes the aesthetic beauty of the green valley with its geometric fields, the different colours of the houses, and the scent of soil and mountains in the air. He feels an age-old peacefulness in the atmosphere of Kathmandu Valley. He enjoys the tranquil environment a lot.
b. According to the tourist, why is the West indebted to the East?
Answer:
According to the tourist, the West is indebted to the East because the East has contributed a lot to the West. He says that the East has provided the West with many wonderful things, such as the Purans, civilization, images of brass and ornaments of ivory, palm leaf manuscripts, copperplate's inscriptions etc.
c. How does the tourist interpret the gaze of the monks and nuns?
Answer:
The tourist interprets the gaze of the monks and nuns through his experiences of learning. He refers to the gaze of the monks and nuns as the "samyak gaze," a gaze of purity that perceives everything in its true form.
d. Why do the tourists think Nepali people are wonderful and exceptional?
Answer:
The tourists think Nepali people are wonderful and exceptional because they have found manners as well as creative abilities within them. They feel happy to find Nepalese creativity in the different temples—like houses, wooden images, ornamentation, beautiful images of deities, traditional musical instruments, etc. Apart from all these, they prefer Nepalese people's hospitality.
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 in the Kathmandu valley are Aryans, non-Aryans, Hindus, and Buddhists, and they co-exist with each other, living a peaceful, harmonious life for ages.
f. What does the tourist feel about the temple of Adinath?
Answer:
The tourist feels great about the temple of Adinath. He believes that the temple of Adinath is a living example of Nepalese people's tolerance and coexistence.
g. Why does the guide take the tourist to the remote village?
Answer:
The guide takes the tourist to a remote village to show him the pulse of reality. He wants to show him poverty, hard labour, a miserable lifestyle, and the reality behind the eyes of the poor.
h. What does the innocent village couple think of the doctor?
Answer:
The innocent village couple thinks of the doctor as a ray of hope for their miserable state. Their eyes seemed quite optimistic after meeting him. There is intimacy, kindness, and gratitude on their faces towards him.
i. What are the differences between the paralyzed child and his sister?
Answer:
The differences between the paralysed child and his sister are as follows:
▪︎ The paralysed child is affected by polio, whereas his sister is living a disease-free life.
▪︎ The paralysed child has a useless body. He is unable to speak, move his hands, chew his food, or even spit. Among his other body parts, his eyes are the only living parts of his body. But his sister is a fine girl whose body functions properly. She can speak, crawl, and move her body freely.
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 make him realise the pulse of reality behind poor people's eyes. He wants to show him poverty, hard labour, a miserable lifestyle, and the reality behind the eyes of the poor. The guide wants him to know the bitter reality of people in remote areas.
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:
To tell the story, the stream-of-consciousness technique is used by the author. The use of the stream-of-consciousness technique itself has made this story different from other stories I have read.
Stream of consciousness is a style or technique of writing that tries to capture the natural flow of a character's extended thought process, often by including sensory impressions, incomplete ideas, unusual syntax, and rough grammar.
The other stories that I have read have simple narrative forms. They are quite easy to understand. Most of the stories are guided by the first-person narrator. The narrators narrate the stories in a very easy way, describing the expositions, rising actions, falling actions, or the climax of the stories. It is easy to grasp the meanings of the stories along with different events and thematic concerns.
But this story is told using the monologues of two different characters from two different places. This story is different from the conventional form because the stream-of-consciousness technique of the story has provided us with the flow of different feelings of the characters, which has created difficulties in grasping the meaning of the story. These characters keep on expressing their views through their dialogues rather than presenting their actions or events. Both characters in the story keep on expressing their feelings in a stream-of-consciousness way. As a reader, it is difficult to grasp the proper idea of the particular character. The story moves along with the flow of speeches by the characters, using a variety of topics. Here in this story, we find the use of sensory impressions, incomplete ideas of the characters, their unusual syntax, and rough grammar many times.
b. How is the author able to integrate two fragments of the narration into a unified whole?
Answer:
The author is able to integrate two fragments of the narration into a unified whole by trying to connect the different examples regarding the term "eyes" and relating it to the different aspects of this world.
The author has tried his best to present a unified whole by presenting instances of events that usually happen in communities, activities that people from different places do, hardships that people face, diseases that people suffer from, etc. He associates all these examples with a whole concept to present different meanings regarding life on this planet.
The author has perfectly used the technique of stream of consciousness to present his main message to all. For him, it is necessary to know deeply about all these different kinds of eyes and their different looks' meanings. He has combined the meanings of different places, presenting the situations of the particular place.
c. The author brings some historical and legendary references in the story. Collect these references and show their significance in the story.
Answer:
The author brings some historical and legendary references to the story. Following are some of these references and their significance in the story:
Manjushri and his deeds:
The text has presented the contribution of Manjushri to all the people. He had made a cleft in Chobhar with his sword to let out the water of the Bagmati River from Kathmandu Valley and create a fine environment for the people to start their settlement over there.
Rich culture, tradition and art crafts:
The text has mentioned various important things from the East regarding the Puranas, depictions of brass and ivory ornaments, palm-leaf manuscripts and copperplate inscriptions, and traditional musical instruments. All these things demonstrate that the Nepalese people are rich in culture, traditions, religions, and art crafts.
The eyes and gaze of the shaven-headed monks and nuns:
These shaven-headed monks and nuns have been mentioned with their eyes and their gaze. Their gaze has been referred to as 'the samyak gaze'. This gaze has been presented as a gaze of purity that perceives everything in its true form.
Historical relationships:
The text has mentioned the history of King Amshuvarma and Princess Bhirkuti. Princess Bhirkuti in the neighbouring country of Tibet shows the fine historical relationships of our royal people.
The temple of Adinath:
The text has mentioned the historical as well as the religious temple of Adinath. This temple has represented the concept of a living example of Nepalese people's tolerance and coexistence.
Half-closed eyes of the Buddha and the reflection of the sunset in the Buddha's eyes:
The concept of the half-closed eyes of the Buddha and the sinking sun's reflection in the Buddha's eyes have presented various concepts regarding Nepal and its people. They represent hope, security, peace, harmony, beauty, sentiments etc.
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 this story, the author talks about the eyes in many places. He has mentioned the eyes of the shaven-headed monks and nuns in the text and referred to them as "samyak gaze," which means a gaze of purity that perceives everything in its true form. Next, he has mentioned the eyes in the window and door panels, the eyes of the Himalayas, the eyes of the paralysed boy, the eyes of the welcoming villagers, and most importantly, the half-closed eyes of the Buddha.
Here, all the instances of eyes contribute to the overall unity of the story. These instances of eyes represent the whole country of Nepal as a land of eyes that has been guarded by the half-closed eyes of the Buddha. These eyes always display a new culture, civilization, religion, natural beauty, and the land of Buddha. These eyes display the immense feelings of the people. Both characters of the story also find the meaning of the concepts of eyes through their eyes' discussion.
REFERENCE BEYOND THE TEXT
a. Write an essay on Living Proximity to Nature.
Answer:
Living Proximity to Nature
Living in proximity to nature refers to living a life close to nature. Nature is one of the most vital aspects of human life. Nature is so great and beyond human imagination. There is nothing more powerful than nature. It is the main source of human beings' survival. Nature should be respected all the time because life on this planet is possible due to this incredible nature. Nature never demands anything from humans. It only knows how to provide different things to others. Nature nourishes life from all sides.
We are always close to nature. Our whole life depends on living in proximity to nature. It allows us to do various important things for our survival. For all of us, nature is the main source from which we get various essential things. It provides us with the resources to live here. Nature provides us with water to drink, pure oxygen to breathe, food to eat, land to live on, etc. Furthermore, all kinds of animals, plants, birds, etc. depend on this nature.
Being close to nature is beneficial for a good life. Nature must be fully enjoyed by all living creatures without disturbing its ecological balance. Nature must be taken care of properly and prevented from destruction so that we can enjoy it forever.
Nature is a most precious gift provided by God to us to enjoy but not to harm. Nature is the most beautiful part of our lives, which has made us happy and allowed our natural environment to live healthily. Living in proximity to nature allows us to live a long and healthy life. We should always try to conserve this beautiful nature for our healthy future.
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 communal harmony for ages. In your view, how have the Nepali people been able to live in such harmony?
Answer:
In my view, Nepali people have been able to live in such communal harmony for ages with the help of various factors. Among these factors, the long-term harmonious relationship between the people is the prime one. Nepali people are connected due to their long-time fine relationships. The other factors are the history of the country and the feeling of patriotism among Nepali people, their connection to their culture and tradition, their religious and ritual bonding, and so on. Nepal is a small and beautiful country where we can find the concept of Nepali identity among people. People have been living peacefully and harmoniously with the feelings of brotherhood for ages. They always try to involve themselves in each other's joys and sorrows. They are seen in each other's celebrations. We can find fine cooperation among Nepali people. They are deeply connected, both culturally and traditionally. From ancient times up until now, Nepali people have been known for their unity and harmony. They are considered for their peaceful existence.
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