Category Archives: Folk Beliefs

Monisha Mantras (3)

Nationality: Indian
Age: 38
Occupation: Alternative Medicine
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: 4/16/17
Primary Language: English

“I choose my thoughts.”

Monisha is my older cousin who has taken a longer route to find what she ultimately wants to do, and that ended up being alternative medicine, so she does acupuncture and provides herbal remedies for people seeking less traditional forms of healing. She’s also very into yoga, hiking, and finding oneself, and as a result, she has lots of mantras that she shared with me after she asked me how college was and I told her I was a little stressed. I decided to write them down, because she’s heard these mantras from backpacking trips through Asia, Europe, and California when she goes with groups of other people for meditation trips. She said that she didn’t know what she wanted to do for a long time, but now she does. I asked her to tell me some of the mantras that helped her at our annual Easter party, and she immediately had some to lend out. She said she uses this one a lot.

Monisha Mantras (4)

Nationality: Indian
Age: 38
Occupation: Alternative Medicine
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: 4/16/17
Primary Language: English

“I am perfectly on time.”

Monisha is my older cousin who has taken a longer route to find what she ultimately wants to do, and that ended up being alternative medicine, so she does acupuncture and provides herbal remedies for people seeking less traditional forms of healing. She’s also very into yoga, hiking, and finding oneself, and as a result, she has lots of mantras that she shared with me after she asked me how college was and I told her I was a little stressed. I decided to write them down, because she’s heard these mantras from backpacking trips through Asia, Europe, and California when she goes with groups of other people for meditation trips. She said that she didn’t know what she wanted to do for a long time, but now she does. I asked her to tell me some of the mantras that helped her at our annual Easter party, and she immediately had some to lend out. She said she uses this one a lot.

Om Jai Jagadish Hare

Nationality: Indian
Age: 52
Occupation: CPA
Residence: Glendale, CA
Performance Date: 4/25/17
Primary Language: English
Language: Hindi

Om Jaye Jagdish Hare,

Swami Jaye Jagdish Hare

Bhagt Jano Ke Sankat,

Khshan Mein Dur Kare

Jo Dhaywe Phal Pave,

Dukh Vinshe Man Ka Sukh Sampati Ghar Aave,

Kasht Mite Tan Ka

Maat-Pita Tum Mere,

Sharan Gahun Kiskee Tum Bin Aur Na Duja,

Aas Karun Jiskee

Tum Puran Parmatma,

Tum Antaryami Par-Brahm Parmeshwar,

Tum Sabke Swami

Tum Karuna Ke Saagar,

Tum Palankarta Mein Moorakh Khal Kami,

Mein Sewak Tum Swami,

Kripa Karo Bharta

Tum Ho Ek Agochar,

Sabke Pran Pati Kis Vidhi Milun Dayamay,

Tumko Mein Kumti

Deenbandhu Dukh Harta,

Thakur Tum Mere Apne Hath Badao,

Apni Sharan Lagao,

Dwar Para Tere

Vishay Vikaar Mitao,

Paap Haro Deva Shradha Bhakti Barao,

Santan Ki Sewa

Tan Man Dhan,

Sab Hai Tera Tera Tujhko Arpan,

Kya Lage Mera

 

“Om Jai Jagadish Hare” is a well-known prayer in Indian culture. It is sung often, and most often on celebratory events, like Diwali. My maternal grandmother introduced my brothers and I to this prayer when we were very young. She gave us bells to sing, and it essentially translates to listing god’s praises, asking god to bless us, and offering god foods and gifts. It’s supposed to be a happy prayer, though. Both my maternal and paternal grandmother, however, enforced the idea that this prayer was important for us to learn, and it was interesting to see that this is a prayer that breaches most of the cultures within India. My maternal grandmother speaks Sindhi, and my paternal grandmother speaks Punjabi, which are different dialects in India, but both of them sing the “Om Jai Jagadish Hare” prayer in Hindi, the overarching language, as a unifying prayer. My dad and I were talking about the prayer recently, and he was testing me to see if I remembered the lyrics from my childhood, but I didn’t. It made me upset, because it’s a large part of my childhood, but not something my family personally practices often. He then tried to remember all of it, but it’s a long prayer/song, and he couldn’t either, so we looked up the words together.

Leyenda de la Pata Sola

Nationality: Dual Citizen: Colombia and United States
Age: 48
Occupation: Internal Medicine
Residence: Tampa, Florida
Performance Date: April, 19th 2017
Primary Language: Spanish
Language: English

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A Latin American Legend of the Single-Footed Woman as told by a Colombian Immigrant from the city of Bogotá. 

“La Pata Sola era una mujer hermosa que jugaba con los hombres y su esposo le corto una pierna.  Ella escapó a la selva y la mujer juro vengarse de los hombres. Aparece en las noches cantando una voz celestial  que cautiva a los hombres jóvenes y viejos.  A veces grita pidiendo ayuda para que vengar a salvarla y los atrapa. Les saca la sangre y se esconde en la selva. Atrapa a los hombres y los desaparecen.”

 

The Single Footed woman was beautiful and she cheated on her husband, so he cut her leg off. She escaped into the jungle and swore revenge against all men. She appears in the nighttime, singing with a celestial timbre that captivates men, old and young alike. Sometimes, she screams for help so they come to save her. That’s when she traps them. She sucks out their blood and then she heads back into the jungle too hide. She traps men and they disappear.

-told by Ines Elvira Ortiz, during a meal.

Ines grew up hearing stories about la Pata Sola in Colombia. The above story is the version she remembers most clearly.

My thoughts: I find it interesting that Latin American legends often involve scorned women with vengeful and succubus like tendencies. I guess it could be viewed as a misogynistic trope but I could be wrong and it could be out of reverence for the powerful alpha female.

 

The Buddhist Shrine

Nationality: Chinese
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
Residence: USC Campus
Performance Date: April 19th, 2017
Primary Language: Chinese
Language: English

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-As told by of an immigrant from Hong Kong, China

 “This specific type of shrine is to make offerings to the god of the land. 
I was taught that if I accidentally kick it or in any way mess with it, it will be really bad for me. 
 A story I heard was, someone was peeing next to one, and he accidentally pissed a little onto the shrine and for months he couldn’t sleep,  his face becoming more pale by the day.
In the end, he had to go to that specific shrine on the street with a priest and apologize to be cured. 
I was told this by a teacher of mine when I was in 6th grade in Hong Kong.” 
-Ivan Tsang, in person, walking to class.