The Myth of Power: State Ideology Construction through Hell-Heaven Sign Systems in Traiphumi Phra Ruang

Abstract

This study aimed to: (1) analyze the mythic structures embedded in the hell–heaven sign systems represented in Traiphumi Phra Ruang; (2) examine and explain the mechanisms through which state ideology is constructed and reproduced through sign systems; and (3) synthesize and develop an Ideological Sign System (ISS) framework for the analysis of Buddhist literature. The study employed a qualitative descriptive-analytical methodology, using the 2012 fifth edition of Traiphumi Phra Ruang published by the Fine Arts Department as the primary source. The analysis focused on textual sections concerning the realms of hell and the six sensual heavenly realms. The principal analytical instrument was the Tri-Semiotic Analysis Framework (TSAF), which integrates the semiotic perspectives of Roland Barthes, Ferdinand de Saussure, and Charles Sanders Peirce with Louis Althusser’s concept of the Ideological State Apparatus (ISA). The data were analyzed at four levels: signifier–signified relations, categories of signs, myth construction, and ideological functions.

The findings revealed that: (1) the hell–heaven sign systems construct three major layers of myth: the myth of karma, through which punishment is naturalized as a cosmic law; the myth of power, in which heaven and the hierarchical structure of the cosmos function as signs that legitimize social order; and the myth of fear, which links representations of hell with the Buddhist principle of hiri-ottappa to encourage individual self-regulation. (2) The reproduction of ideology operates through the naturalization of social meanings, interpellation, and self-regulation, thereby fostering acceptance of social order and power relations without the need for direct coercion. (3) The synthesis of the findings led to the development of the Ideological Sign System (ISS) framework, consisting of four key mechanisms: sign structure, myth construction, interpellation, and reproduction, with religious belief functioning as a mediating mechanism in sustaining and reproducing power relations. The ISS framework thus provides a systematic approach for analyzing the relationships among signs, beliefs, and ideology in Buddhist literature.