Buddha meets Darko; Heros with the same face
In life, media, dreams, fairy tales, folklore, and stories we can find applications of the mono-myth. All these mono-myths include the journey of the hero and the universal messages that these myths incur. These myths are a general feeling or reflection of the culture and society, which can vary, but tend to carry the same tradition. There have a been a few myths that I have recently found to be quite similar. The Christian story of Jesus Christ resembles the Eastern epic of Buddha in many ways. I have never before compared these analogous myths, but now I see this basic theme applied to other stories and forms of media, such as the movie, Donnie Darko. Although the journey of Donnie Darko is more modern and centuries apart from the story of Buddha (Guatama), it carries many of the same basic componets of the mono-myth. Buddha’s call to adventure is the path to enlightenment. He spent his life with the experience and luxuries of a fine king, but tired of it. When he was young, the gods tried to veer him away the life of the king so that one day he could become a god (enlightened). The gods tried to scare the bodhisatta by showing him three different men: Old, Diseased, and Dead. When he saw the monk, he dec
Donnie Darko has decided to listen and follow the paths that Frank has shown him. This myth is a frame story; it has two parallel realities where one reality doesn‘t necessarily come before the other-they are inside each other. The reality in which Darko survives the accident shows the phase of separation. He crosses a threshold into this alternate reality in which he must gain enlightenment. This reality is the pathway in which the process of the journey is traveled. Darko is resurrected (Separation) because he had escaped death and this action will cause the end of the world if he does not become enlightened. Frank (or the voice fo the gods) helped Darko by first saving his life. Frank led Darko out of his house at the time of the accident. The metatron also guides Darko to perform tasks that are necessary to seal the fate of the universe. “I have to obey him, he saved my life. I have to obey him or I’ll be left alone and then…I won’t be able to figure out what this is all about. I won’t be able to know his master plan .”# ided that he wanted to retire from the normal world and start the path of enlightenment. “Sire, this is one that has retired from the world….The thought of retiring from the world was a pleasing one to the future Buddha .”# Guatama had to decide if he wanted to retire from the world. When Buddha decides to sit by the tree, the seperation begins. He has decided to follow the path of enlightenment. “Though my skin, my nerves and my bones waste away and my life-blood dry, I will not leave this seat until I have reached Supreme Enlightenment.”# This determintation of enlightenment seems like a threshold crossing and of self-sacrifice (crucifixion). The young bodhisatta has commited to become the Buddha. Darko approaches the house of Roberta Sparrows (AKA “Grandma Death”) and witnesses the death of his girlfriend. She was run over by a car that was operated by the human form of the metatron, Frank.
Some topics in this essay:
Frank”# Buddha,
Donnie Darko,
Darko Buddha,
Buddha’s Darko,
Mission Darko,
Diseased Dead,
,
Buddha Guatama,
Buddha Enlightened,
Sparrows Sparrow’s,
path enlightenment,
donnie darko,
set path,
gods tried,
gain enlightenment,
secondary helper,
flood school,
won’t able,
roberta sparrows,
darko average,
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Approximate Word count = 1356
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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