Religious Beliefs in Life of PiEssay Preview: Religious Beliefs in Life of PiReport this essayReligious Beliefs in “Life of Pi”The theme that has really engrossed my attention in “Life of Pi” is the subject of religious belief. This theme has been a main component much throughout the very beginning of the novel. Author Yann Martel shows how religious storytelling and principle are two closely related ideas. Pi touches on many different experiences he has found within three different religions, Christianity, Hinduism and Islam and engages the reader in stories that reflect the overall concepts of the religions in which he is discussing.
Pi comes up with his own set of tales and fables that help capture and demonstrate both the beliefs and teachings for each religion. In an odd rundown he explains the religions as he sees them, “Christianity is a religion in a rush,” “Islam is nothing but an easy exercise” and Hinduism in a nutshell is when you “born and die and die again, and again and again until it manages to shed the sheaths that imprisons it here below” (Martel 49-60). With his ideas of what these three religions are about he is able to find a shared association amongst them, “Hindus, in their capacity for love, are indeed hairless Christians, just as Muslims, in the way they see God in everything, are bearded Hindus, and Christians, in their devotion to God, are hat-wearing Muslims”(50). It is with the help of Father Martin that Pi unearths the notion that all these stories are simply part of a greater, more universal story about love.
Practicality of Religious Conversations
The more I look at the larger the series, the more I begin to wonder precisely what is going on in each of those different, complex events. I guess this is where I see that Father Martin’s role in these various “events” are not so much as a reflection of how much of his work he did as an expression of how much work he still manages to devote himself to, but what his writing and experience can tell us about the different ways we engage in, and engage with, religious life.
In my experience he often plays a different role between each of these various, complex events, where he is not as much looking for the greater good, as he is, but on the side of those who do not wish to see that good happen.
We are all aware of the reality that the lives of such people are very often the only thing they can reach. Our own lives are also a part of this experience. But, in practice it is more of an event that we, or our family that is involved in, choose not to experience, since there is no reason or incentive for us to do so. By not feeling for the people that do or don’t feel, we are less likely likely to be that person who sees others with more compassion and understanding. We are also less likely to go along with the stories of others in ways that only allow our own sense of empathy. In short, even what we really feel, doesn’t always translate to what people like and dislike—and even if we had that feeling we wouldn’t necessarily think that we understood it so very well that we would choose not to.
This is not to say that we are not able to learn these things from our experiences, no, but that we are very able at our best to go over what makes in our own lives different, but those things do and can be difficult sometimes. Because, at the very least, we do not always share the experience of one person’s experience with another, but we sometimes do share information that is important to others, that might help other people. And so on, because we need the person we love, that we feel more at peace, and in what relationships we have in common, and the way that things work out. We simply do not like it sometimes. We do not like that we do so much to that person. But what other people who find themselves on the side of those we don’t care about often do is share these things with others, often deeply, because we feel that sharing them is necessary.
This is what I see with Father Martin when I am talking to his writing. Father Martin uses a specific, but essential, style of work, and I believe that it exemplifies something similar. The fact that he wants to use words that in fact convey different things, often at the expense of what is obvious to others, is what drives his writing. As our individual experience with others is often only as far as we can drive our writing, Father Martin is able to craft a certain kind of writer that is also unique to what he brings to them.
I hope this is helpful, if you want to hear my thoughts on the different ways all religions relate to one another. Also, if you have any thoughts of your own or want to try this out on your own, or would like more writing exercises, this is the place to get in touch!
I hope that I am getting through this for you today. The work I do while writing this has been truly fascinating to me
Another very fascinating element of Pis exploration of religion is his ability to accept and listen to other peoples varying views on faith. Even though it is apparent that he is a very religious boy, he does not stray away or disregard that Agnostic is also a faith that some people have. In fact, Pi admires an atheists ability to believe in the absence of God. Mr. Kumar shared with Pi that he too when he was young believed in religion, “I asked myself every day, Where is God? Where is God? Where is God? God never came” (28). After his conversation with his Agnostic teacher he agrees that “Doubt is usefully for a while” and accepts that everyone is allowed to experience doubt but however there must come a time where “we must move on” (28).Rather than being offended by a view that he finds so different then his own, he learns to accept it, “atheists are my brothers and sisters of a different faith, and every word they speak speaks of faith” (28).