Religion and Myth

Paper Summary:

The paper examines how myths, legends, and folk tales have been a main force in nearly all religious doctrines throughout history, including those of Eastern religions such as Sikhism, Buddhism, Shinto, and others. The paper discusses how these stories, often passed down through the generations, both verbally and in written doctrines, serve to help practitioners cope with the complex world in which they live. This paper focuses on how these types of stories affect the lives of followers, and how those followers use the lessons within these myths to teach others about their values and religious practices.

From the Paper:

"Hindu myths also teach the values of society, which allow the followers to understand how and why their teachings operate within their world. For example, the myth of Mrigari, a non-violent hero, focuses on the relationship between non-violent actions and concepts of Hinduism such as reincarnation and positive karma. In Hindu societies, actions are to be viewed through consciousness, rather than through the physical world (Narayan, 1989). By combining the myth of Mrigari, who is changed in life through his spiritual teacher, with the concepts of the myth, such as the transformation from a violent individual to that of an extreme peacekeeper, the myth serves to explain how non-violent actions can lead the follower of Hinduism to compassion and empathy."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Banks, M. (1992). Organizing Jainism in India and England. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Retrieved March 31, 2006, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=23282960
• Becker, C. B. (1993). Breaking the Circle Death and the Afterlife in Buddhism. Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University Press. Retrieved March 31, 2006, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=97526888
• Jensen, L. M. (1997). Manufacturing Confucianism: Chinese Traditions & Universal Civilization. Durham, NC: Duke University Press. Retrieved March 31, 2006, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=65778101
• Mann, G. S. (2001). The Making of Sikh Scripture. New York: Oxford University Press. Retrieved March 31, 2006, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=105094563
• Narayan, K. (1989). Storytellers, Saints, and Scoundrels: Folk Narrative in Hindu Religious Teaching. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. Retrieved March 31, 2006, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5733263

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