FAR EAST AND THEPACIFIC ISLANDS

India, China, Japan, Polynesia Hawaii

Myths of India

Myths of India

• VISHNU-associated with the sun

Many images of Vishnu exist

Myths of India

• Rudra is associated with storms

Many images of Rudra also

HINDU= REINCARNATION

• VISHNU IS IN THREE FORMS:– AS BRAHMA,THE CREATOR OF LIFE ON EARTH– AS VISHNU, THE PRESERVER OF LIFE ON EARTH– AS SHIVA-RUDRA –THE DESTROYER OF LIFE ON

EARTH

Reincarnation

VISHNU

• Vishnu often descends to earth and becomes reincarnated as a human hero to protect gods and mortals against the forces of evil beings (demons)

Hindu= reincarnation

birth

maturity

death

Rebirth

4 stages of life on earth

Krita Uga-virtue and

moral perfection

Treta Uga-virtue and

moral perfection declined

Dvapara Uga-disease and

death

Kali Uga-wealth and

sex

First stage

• Krita Yuga• Age of virtue, moral perfection• Dharma walks steadily on all 4 feet• Everyone is good and lives happy, contented,

unselfish, and beautiful life

Krita Yuga

Second Stage

• Moral perfection still exists but walks less steadily

• Dharma is only on 3 legs• People are devoted to the pursuit of

knowledge

Treta Yuga

Third stage

• Dvapara Uga-eternal dharma totters unsteadily on 2 feet

• Virtue and moral perfection have declined• People devote themselves to sacrifice-which

they consider to be the highest virtue• People have become more passionate and

greedy and war is common

Dvapara Yuga

Fourth Stage

• Kali Yuga-people achieve rank in society based on money and property and not on moral virtue

• Virtue is measured by material wealth• Sexual passion alone binds husband and wife• People become successful by lies• Their only enjoyment is sex• There is hunger, disease, death

Kali Yuga

At the end of stage 4

• Vishnu will end all 3 worlds:– heaven, – Earth– Underworld

Only the great god Vishnu will remain

After Vishnu destroys all

• First with fire, then with floods, all is destroyed.

• Then a large golden egg will appear• Vishnu will awaken• A large lotus flower comes out of his navel in

the form of Brahma-creator of life on earth• He will break open the egg to initiate the

rebirth process

3 stages

Brahma creator of the world

Vishnu protector

of humans

Shiva Rudra-

destroyer of life

CHINESE MYTHS

• NOT AS OLD AS OTHERS BECAUSE THE EMPORER IN 213 BC BURNED ALL BOOKS

• FROM ABOUT 200 BC TO 200 AD THE EMPORERS INSTITUTED CONFUCIANISM AS THE STATE RELIGION.

• CONFUCIANISM RELIES MORE ON THOUGHT AND PHILOSOPHY

Yin Yang symbol

• The circle represents Tao - the undifferentiated Unity out of which all of existence arises. The black and white halves within the circle represent Yin-qi and Yang-qi - the primordial feminine and masculine energies whose interplay gives birth to the manifest world: to the Five Elements and Ten-Thousand Things.

Yin Yang

In Chinese Myth, the universe is two parts only

• The creation myth of Pangu shows creation out of chaos

• It shows that order is preserved• This order comes from yin/yang (sunlit vs

shaded) • Yin/yang also represent heaven and earth

Creation of earth

• Story of Pangu• Pangu was formed from within the dark mass

of an egg• He decided to bring order into the universe• Yang rose and yin sank• Pangu decided he had to hold up the heavens

or life would not be able to exist on earth

Story of Pangu

When Pangu laid down to sleep..

• The earth formed from Pangu– Head and feet-mountains– Hair on his head and eyebrows-planets and stars– Left eye-the sun– Right eye-the moon– Flesh-soil– Blood-oceans and rivers

Also…

– His teeth and bones-rocks. Minerals,gems– Breath-clouds and wind– Voice-lightning and thunder– Perspiration-rain and dew– Hair on his body-trees, plants and flowers– Parasites on his skin-animals and fish

Mother Goddess Nugua

• She created the first people• She herself looked human except that she had

the tail of a dragon• Note: she made two different kind of people-

some more superior than others. (those she made one at a time were richer and more intellectual)

Mother Goddess-Nugua

Quest for the Sunhero: Bao Chu

• Like other heroes, he:• Has unusual birth• His growth is unusual• He has a huge task (to cover the sun)• His task will lead to fertility of the earth• He is willing to sacrifice himself for society

Quest for the sun

Bao Chu also

• Has a number of trials• These trials show his remarkable strength• Also his creative intelligence• He achieves great fame• He is mortal, so he does die;, but not until he

saves the world• His mother, Hui Niang is also a heroine

JAPANESE MYTH

• Similar to the Chinese Yin/Yang, the Japanese myth tells us that, in the beginning, the world was like a shapeless egg.

• The lighter part remained above and became heaven

• The denser part sank below and became earth• From a floating object came the first god-the

two youngest: Iznagi and iznami\

Japanese Creation story

Izanagi and Izanami

• Married each other• Had a horrible child they set loose in a boat• Learned from the gods, Izanami’s proper place• Then they had 8 lovely children that made up

the land we know as Japan• They also created the wind, the beautiful

mountains, brooks, and streams

Izanami and Izanagi

Amaterasu

• Together they created the goddess of the sun, Amaratsu Omikami

• She was so beautiful that she went to heaven• Then they created the god of the moon and he

would become Amaterasu’s husband• Unfortunately they created some more

children who were not so pleasant and became rulers of the underworld and of fire

Amaterasu

Myths of Polynesia and Maori

• To be continued