Hindu

Creation Myths of South Asia : The Hindu Creation Myth. By Kevin W.

Dear reader, Hello and welcome to my Wikispace on the Hindu creation myth! When I was first given the task of investigating a creation myth from South Asia, I instantly thought of the Hindu religion. Hinduism is the dominant religion in India and I have always respected their beliefs in karma, reincarnation and their respect for all living things. I've always wanted to explore how or what influenced them to have such beliefs. I thought that the story that started it all would be a good place to start. So, without further ado, I present to you the Hindu creation myth and how it has influenced contemporary culture and society.



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**What Influence Did the Hindu Creation Myth Have On Culture and Society? **

Creation myths, although they may be deemed to be spurious by the general public, have had a tremendous influence on our culture and society. They are prevalent throughout the world and have shaped the societies and worlds we live in. The ancient religion of Hinduism, originated from South Asia, was especially influenced by their creation myth. Consequently, the impact it has had on Hindu societies is easily discernible. To begin, the Hindu creation myth encompasses many aspects and ideas of contemporary Hinduism. The symbolic objects and ideas in the myth have been developed to an extent where they’re considered to be sacred. The Hindu belief in Karma and reincarnation are also vividly shown in the creation myth. ( Jayram V., The Law of Karma in Hinduism [|www.living.oneindia.com] ) According to the creation myth of Hinduism, the world is destroyed and created every time Brahma, the creation deity, sleeps. The concept of something coming into life, eventually being destroyed and then being born again shows a very close resemblance to the ideologies of Hinduism. The norms of the Hindu culture show that the contents of the creation myth are directly incorporated into their culture. The myth’s influence on society is also apparent when analyzing Hindu societies. The lotus bud that Lord Vishnu sat upon when creating the world is now incorporated in the everyday lives of Hindus ( Anil K. Goel Lucknow, [|www.hinduismtoday.com], God’s favorite Flower ). They are used in prayers, and are correlated with beauty, prosperity etc. The creation myth’s portrayal of the flower as holy and fit for a Lord generated the Hindu’s reverence towards it. Not only that, but the Hindu creation myth has also had a considerable impact on the society on the global level as well. As Hinduism is the oldest religion still in existence today, it has influenced many aspects of its subsequent societies and religions. For example, Buddhist believe that the Buddha was the 13th reincarnation of Vishnu ( A.Seshan, The Buddha as an Avatar of Vishnu, [|http://www.hvk.org], ). Due to Vishnu’s essential role in the creation myth, Buddhism’s ideas and beliefs have a significant resemblance to those in Hinduism. Although creation myths of the world are considered by some to be impractical and unrealistic, we can see from actual examples from the Hindu creation myth and how they influenced not only the Hindu culture and society, but also those outside of the Hindu environment as well.

Identified Motif in Creation Myth

Like the majority of other creation myths, the Hindu creation myth likewise follows certain motifs. Of the most prevalent and widespread motifs in existence, I believe that the Hindu creation myth is correlated most with the idea of separation and division. According to the Hindu creation myth, the world was created by Vishnu and his servant Brahma (the god of creation) when Brahma split the lotus flower that Vishnu sat upon into three pieces. Each one of these pieces became the heavens, the Earth and the skies. The idea of the petals of the flower dividing into the most essential parts of the world and creating the world we know, it follows the motif of Division and separation. Not only that but, the Hindus also believe that the world is created, sustained and destroyed by three deities; Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. The world is destroyed every time the lord Brahama sleeps and is created once again when he awakes. The distinct categorization of creation, sustainment, and destruction is can also be seen as following the motif of division and separation. All in all, whether it may be the division of the lotus flower to create the world or the distinction of creation, sustainment, and destruction, we can perceive from the Hindu creation myth that division and separation is an integral concept incorporated into it.

**Cultural and/or Popular References**

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Of the many symbolic objects mentioned in the hindu creation myth, the most revered and refer to would be the lotus flower. According to the Hindu myth, when Vishnu awoke from his sleep a lotus flower sprang up beneath him and it was this same flower that was divided into the heavens, Earth and the skies. Thousands of years later, in present time, the lotus flower is considered a sacred symbol given only to the most respected gods and goddesses. It symbolizes beauty, prosperity and consciousness. It has not only been a sacred symbol in the Hinduism, it is also considered sacred in Buddhism, Muslim, Egypt, many parts of Asia, etc. ( Anil K. Goel Lucknow, [|www.hinduismtoday.com] , God’s favorite Flower ) Some cultural and popular reference to this flower include

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Annotations

__//V, Jayaram “Hinduisma and the Law of Karma” Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, Zoroastrianism, and other resources. Hindu website Web 10 Dec. 2010 []//__

A: The concept of karma in relation to the Hindu creation myth is explained. The content was written by a practicing Hindu in a widely known Hindu website

B. This source was especially helpful when I was researching the concept of Karma/reincarnation. The information was trustworthy when compared to other sources because it is on a renowned Hindu website that is updated frequently and because it was written by an actual practicing Hindu. The source is a little bit biased, but not enough that it modifies the information.

C. My essay included a section explaining how the creation myth depicted the concept of karma and reincarnation. This source explained the relationship in detail and also explained how it affected other religions as well. This source supported my original argument, however it also showed me to what extent these concepts affected other religions and their concepts.

__//Gaikwad, Mukta. “Hindu Creation Myths” Buzzle Web portal : Intelligent Life on the web.Buzzle.Web 29 Nov. 2010 []//__

A: The creation myth of Hinduism is explained. The content, where it was derived etc. is explained as well. Some cultural influence on Hindu society is explained.

<span style="font-family: 맑은 고딕; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">B. This was a relatively reliable and useful source in order to answer my questions. The source was written by a credited writer who had been writing about Hindu culture for a long time and was fairly objective and respectful. This source gave me background information on the myth0-culture relationship.

<span style="font-family: 맑은 고딕; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">C: My research question was based on how the myth affected the society and the culture. This source gave me insight into the story and where it was derived from. From this, I can easily deduce the effects that it had on the Hindu society. The information I gained from this point further corroborated my point of how the creation myth did and still does affect everyday life and culture. I will use this source for my own reference for the story as well as the impacts on society for my short essay.

Bibliography

<span style="-moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; background: white none repeat scroll 0% 0%; color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 110%; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: -36pt;">Devi, Pyria R. "Lotus Flower | Spiritual Significance | Hindu Tradition | Hindu Rituals - Oneindia Living." Beauty Tips | Cosmopolitan Living | Photo Gallery | Yoga & Spirituality | Men | Kamasutra -Oneindia Living. One India Living, 15 May 2009. Web. 10 Dec. 2010. <http://living.oneindia.in/yoga-spirituality/faith-mysticism/2009/lotus-flower-hindu-tradition-150509.html>.

V, Jayaram. "Hinduism And The Law of Karma." Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Zoroastrianism and Other Resources. Hindu Website. Web. 10 Dec. 2010. <http://www.hinduwebsite.com/hinduism/h_karma.asp>.

Lucknow, Anil K. Goel. "God's Favorite Flower." Hinduism Today. Hinduism Today, 1999. Web. 10 Dec. 2010. <http://www.hinduismtoday.com/modules/smartsection/item.php?itemid=4411>.

A, Seshan. "The Buddha as an Avatar of Vishnu." Hindu Vivek Kendra. The Times of India, 7 May 2001. Web. 10 Dec. 2010. <http://www.hvk.org/articles/0501/22.html>.

Gaikwad, Mukta. "Hindu Creation Myths." Buzzle Web Portal: Intelligent Life on the Web. Buzzle. Web. 10 Dec. 2010. <http://www.buzzle.com/articles/hindu-creation-myths.html>.

Ygo Hinduism. "Hindu Culture, Culture in Hinduism, Hindus Traditional and Culture, Hinduism Culture." Hinduism, Hindus Ideology, History of Hinduism, Hindus Culture, Hindu Festivals & Gods, Hindu Weddings. Ygo Hinduism. Web. 10 Dec. 2010. <http://hinduism.ygoy.com/hindu-culture/index.php>.

Innovations Team. "Hindu Creation Story." Innovations Learning - Welcome to Innovations Learning. Innovations Learning. Web. 10 Dec. 2010. <http://www.innovationslearning.co.uk/subjects/re/information/creation/hindu_creation.htm>.