Class 12 English Guide Half-Closed Eyes of Lord Buddha and Sinking sun By- Shankar Lamichhane Exercise Question Answer With Solution

 Class 12 English Guide   Half-Closed Eyes of Lord Buddha and Sinking sun By- Shankar Lamichhane Exercise Question Answer With Solution

6. Half-Closed Eyes of Lord Buddha and Sinking sun             By- Shankar Lamichhane

Main Summary

The story entitled ' The Half-closed Eyes of the Buddha and the Slowly Sinking Sun' deals with the monologues of two characters a tourist guide in Kathmandu valley and a foreign tourist. 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. The two major characters of this story are a western tourist and a Nepali tourist guide.

The tourist is a confident woman, who claims to be an expert in knowing Nepal thoroughly, even more than the guide. She is well-versed in Nepalese history, having read many books about it. There is an opening scene in which a tourist describes the view of a green valley in Kathmandu. Having grown up surrounded by plains, mountains, and the sea, she enjoys this place for its natural scent and peacefulness.

The Buddha's half-closed eyes of Swoyabhu Temple make her feel at ease. She also states the East's various contributions, such as valueable tools and writings written on palm leaves or on copperplate inscriptions from the ancient time. Then, the guide tells her how people were able to settle in Kathmandu Valley as a result of Manjushri's sword blow at Chobhar. As well, she discusses different types of food, such as momo. She recalls a grandmother telling her grandson the story of Brikuti while smoking hookah. 

The second part of the story is about the guide's feelings. On Chobhar Hill, Manjushri cut it open with his sword to let the water out, he tells the story of Chobhar Hill's history. 

On their way back, they stop in front of a house to show her the condition of a paralyzed child  what life is really like. She'd never seen anything like it, and he wanted to show it to her. Polio had completely paralyzed the body of that child. No physical activity is possible for him. The child's looking is compared to the samyak gaze(A position of lord Buddha). According to him, it's a trend only found in Easterners: the ability to remain silent and immobile for long periods of time without complaining. 

The guide tells the child's parents that she is a doctor, which she tells a lie for the psychological treatment. As a result, they view her as their eldest child who has come to seek the brother's help. As a result, they become joyful. Their eyes are filled with intimacy, kindness, and gratitude. In addition, he shows the child's healthy sister. She could do all of her Age-appropriate activities. 

They can see the shinning in the child's eyes as his mother punishes his sister. He certainly wishes he could say that dirty acts are pleasant, but he cannot. The guide thinks that the tourist's eyes welcome her and hide the end of life. They are every bit as beautiful as the setting sun's reflection in the Buddha's eyes.

Answer the following questions.

a. How does the tourist describe his initial impression of the Kathmandu valley?

➜ The tourist describes his initial impression of the Kathmandu valley as green, with geometric fields, earthen buildings in red, yellow, and white, and the beautiful soil and mountains in the air.

b. According to the tourist, why is the West indebted to the East?      ( VVI)

➜ According to the tourist, the West is indebted to the East for the pleasant atmosphere, religious and cultural sculptures(मुर्ति), the Purans, ivory ornaments, manuscripts (hand written) of palm leaves, inscriptions (wtiting)on copperplate old tools, and many other things.

c. How does the tourist interpret the gaze of the monks and nuns?

➜ The tourist interprets the gaze of the monks and nuns as 'the samyak gaze,' which denotes pure perception; a sight that detects everything in its genuine(original) form.

d. Why do the tourists think Nepali people are wonderful and exceptional?

➜ The tourists think Nepali people are wonderful and exceptional because of their ability to create exceptional wooden images, as well as numerous ornamentations and beautiful images of gods, enchanting music from traditional musical instruments, and hospitable behaviour through diverse cultural and religious ceremonies.

e. What are the different kinds of communities in the Kathmandu valley and how do they co-exist with each other?

➜ 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?

➜ 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?

➜ The guide takes the tourist to a remote village to show the tourist the pulse of reality through the eyes of a farmer's family, their hard labour, clean environment, and miserable living.

h. What does the innocent village couple think of the doctor?

➜ The innocent village couple thinks of the doctor as the rays of hope for life.

i. What are the differences between the paralyzed child and his sister?

➜ The difference between the paralyzed child and his sister is that the paralyzed child's entire body is worthless; he can't speak or crawl, and just his eyes are living parts of his body, but the sister's entire body operates normally. She can speak, crawl, and move her body freely.

j. Why does the guide show the instances of poverty to the tourist?

➜ The guide shows the instances of poverty to the tourist so that he understands the really terrible poverty of people living in remote locations, as well as their lack of security and modern conveniences despite their hospitable behaviour.