Lion King, West Side Story, and Amida Buddha: Why Myths Get a Remake
A row of aged, ornately decorated hardcover books on a shelf, their spines showing intricate gold and colored designs worn with age.
I have many favorite Everyday Buddhist courses, two of which are "Understanding | Purpose of Myth" and "Understanding | Power of Myth." Myths play an important role in Buddhism but as Jon Sensei explains in these courses, we need to understand these myths in the same way we might listen to a song or read poetry. The myths aren’t chapters in a textbook or articles in an encyclopedia—they are so much more! They convey a spiritual truth and give us a way to experience Buddhism, not just read about it. This idea was highlighted in a recent article from the January 2026 edition of Lion’s Roar. In the article, author Gary Gach explains the following:
“When people in the West first encounter Buddhism, it can often seem academic and complicated because it includes so many lists. But in ancient India, structured lists were teaching tools to provoke inquiry and aid in memory at a time when printed writing was scarce. They were not intentionally dogmatic. In fact, the lists were meant to inspire you to experience dharma [teachings] firsthand rather than adhere to and espouse a belief system.”
An easy and accessible way for people to experience the teachings is by listening to Buddhist myths. In fact, Gach gives a great overview of Pure Land Buddhism in the article. He says, “[Pure Land] is best introduced with a sacred story,” which is followed by the tale of Dharmakara becoming Amida Buddha. Right away the reader gets a taste of the Pure Land and its core values in just three short paragraphs. As the Pure Land section of the article comes to a close, the evolution of Pure Land Buddhism is briefly mentioned.
In the “Understanding | Power of Myth” course, Jon Sensei also discusses the evolution of Buddhism as it travels from place to place. He explains myths need to be updated to fit the people and culture. We see this in a secular setting already. Many Shakespeare’s plays have been modernized into movies. 10 Things I Hate About You is based on The Taming of the Shrew. Lion King is a child-friendly version of Hamlet. She’s The Man pays homage to Twelfth Night. And West Side Story is a contemporary Romeo and Juliet story. Disney is also modernizing as animated classics of the past are being released in a live action version. And now we’re seeing the myth of Amida take on a modern American twist.
Amida has long been talked about as a cosmic Buddha whose compassion reaches out to everyone. This understanding gave ordinary people a way to understand and practice Buddhism at a time when Buddhism was mostly for the elite members of society. In the United States, many Shin Sensei are exploring a different way of explaining Amida Buddha. We can think of Amida more as a relationship. In this view, Amida becomes a bridge between us unenlightening folks and the complex nature of our existence and the ultimate reality in which the historical Buddha awoken to. In both interpretations, we aren’t losing the key message, just allowing it to adapt. At the heart of Amida’s myth is the understanding that wisdom and compassion are all around us.
