A Buddhist Interpretation of ＂Life of Pi＂

＂Life of Pi＂ is a fantasy adventure novel written by Yann Martel in 2002. It depicted how an Indian boy survived a shipwreck by drifting on the lifeboat with a Bengal tiger for 227 days. The purpose of this paper is to explore the meaning of this book from the Buddhist perspective. The sea on which Pi drifted symbolizes the universal human condition of bondage and uncertainty. The shipwreck was not merely an accident; it signifies human life full of trials and torment. Pi's ordeals can be classified into eight different types of suffering common to humanity. Although Buddhism is not one of the three religions Pi embraced, its teachings find full expression in this novel. Pi's journey bears witness to the Buddhist philosophy on human existence, which is characterized by impermanence and suffering. The contents of this paper will be divided into two parts. The first part illustrates Pi's suffering as an inevitable experience of sentient beings. The second part analyzes his ways to relieve these afflictions. They fit the Buddhist doctrines on meditative stability, emptiness and karma. This research will prove that ＂Life of Pi＂ is not only an intriguing survival story; it is an allegory of human predicament and the wisdom to cease sufferings. While scientific objectivism has become the dominant discourse in today's world, this novel offers a different view about religious truth for us to ponder and follow.