This week we studied creation myths specifically relating to Hindu, Buddhist, Shinto, and Sikh religions. My group’s discussion focused on the social impacts and the worldviews that these myths produced.
In terms of social impact, we thought that the cyclical concept of life and rebirth in the Sikh, Buddhist, and Hindu religions caused followers to concentrate their lives on obtaining good karma or atoning for prior sins. This is because they want to achieve Mukti/Moksha in the Buddhist religion or Nirvana in the Hindu religion. Today, a great example of this is seen in Buddhist monasteries commonly found in South and East Asia. Monks will live at these monasteries completely removed from society and commit to a life of moderation to obtain spiritual enlightenment. Pictured below is a Buddhist temple in Cambodia.
Connor Bros./Shutterstock.com. “Bayon Temple.” Encyclopaedia Britannica, Encyclopaedia Britannica, n.d., www.britannica.com/topic/Buddhism/images-videos#/media/1/83184/137762.
One of the members of our group is from South Korea. He helped me to understand that the cycle of rebirth is based on our karma (the sum of our actions). The idea is that we will be reborn in one of the six different realms depending on our karma in this life. Therefore, in order to reincarnate into a better position, we must be selfless and perform good deeds. Belief in this cycle could have a positive and healthy impact on society as people are trying to obtain good karma. The illustration of the six realms is shown below.
“The Wheel of Life Representing All the Six Realms of Samsaric Existence.” AMIDAJI INTERNATIONAL TEMPLE, 2017, http://amida-ji-retreat-temple-romania.blogspot.com/2015/06/the-six-realms-of-samsaric-existence.html.
If we look at these religions from a secular point of view, the morals they teach can still have an impact on the population. For example, one of the members in our group grew up in a Buddhist household, and although he is not religious, he says that the values learned through Buddhist teachings were instilled in him.
Another main topic our group focused on was how origin myths often form worldviews. Specifically, we looked at the misogyny in these myths. In the Japanese Shinto myth, “The Origin of Japanese Islands”, two gods; Izanagi and Izanami were tasked with creating the world. However, the woman (Izanami) couldn’t talk first, or else they wouldn’t have “good children”. In the Hindu myth, “Brahma creates the World” we also see sexism when Vishnu the Provider’s wife Lakshmi is depicted massaging his feet (as seen below) and is said to represent the “feminine principle”. We think that these portrayals of women were indicative of the belief at that time that women were inferior. Creation stories are often central to many religions and given the importance of these myths, it is easy to see how this could have a lasting impact on the follower’s worldview. If the myths of their religion teach sexism and misogyny, it is likely what the followers will believe.
Bretz, Sukadev. “Lakshmi Massaging Vishnu’s Feet.” Yoga Vidya, 2010, https://my.yoga-vidya.org/photo/lakshmi-massaging-vishnus-feet?overrideMobileRedirect=1.
We also discussed how these myths teach respect for ancestors. We thought that the East Asian populations specifically are taught to have great respect for their ancestors, for example, the Shinto myth “ The Triumph of Amaterasu” states that the emperor of Japan is a descendent of Amaterasu.
The Hindu myth “Brahma Creates the World” also teaches respect for ancestors by stating the ancestors were born from Brahma when the “root of goodness ” was dominant, compared to the humans who were born from and are ruled by passion. A member of our group further researched the Hindu worship of ancestors and found that it stems from respect to their elders as well as the fear that the ancestors will punish them if they aren’t worshipped. It is easy to see how having respect for ancestors could shape someone’s perspective on the elderly, and how it could modify their behavior towards them as well.
For a more current example of how creation myths can help us understand worldviews, we can look at the nation of Tibet. Tibet is a region in Asia that developed its own language, form of Buddhism (Tibetan Buddhism), and has its own spiritual leader; the Dalai Lama. In the 1950’s Tibet was controversially incorporated into the People’s Republic of China. It is partly because of its religion that many Tibetans view their nation as independent. For a more in-depth look at Tibet, this link provides a good summary of the culture (this website is that of an organization that believes Tibet should be autonomous).
Our group also discussed how best to analyze the myths from this week. Overall, we thought that the Structuralist Theory of Levi Strauss was likely the best way to interpret the creation stories because we can look at the myth as a whole and not focus on the symbols or individual elements. This allows us to compare the worldviews more easily to another culture with different customs and practices. The Structuralist theory also allows us to look at the overarching concepts in the myths, such as the cycle of rebirth and how each component interacts with each other. As well, we are able to examine what the myth meant for the society at the time and we can situate the myth in known culture. This is seen in our group’s analysis of misogyny in creation myths.
Overall, this week’s discussion helped me to understand multiple worldviews and lifestyles and the factors that affect them. In today’s society, I feel that it is very important to understand the perspective of others. Studying major religions of different populations allows a deeper insight into their culture and ideology.
References:
Free Tibet. “Tibet’s History and Culture.” Tibet’s History and Culture, 16 July 2020, https://freetibet.org/about/history-religion-culture.
Kale, Durga. “Hindu: Brahma Creates the World.” Central Authentication Service, 2020, https://d2l.ucalgary.ca/d2l/le/content/309867/viewContent/4061531/View.
Kale, Durga. “Origin of the Japanese Islands and the Legend of Amaterasu.” Central Authentication Service, 2020, https://www.easybib.com/project/style/mla8?id=1595359610_5f17417a012bf9.07975688.
SHARMA, ANIMA. “CONTINUITY AND CHANGE IN THE PRACTICE OF ANCESTOR WORSHIP AMONG THE THAKUR GONDS.” Indian Anthropologist, vol. 24, no. 1, 1994, pp. 17–24. JSTOR https://www.jstor.org/stable/41921756. Accessed 21 July 2020.
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