8. Which major world religion's mythology features the churning of an ocean of milk?
From Quiz The Milk of Human Kindness
Answer:
Hinduism
The Ocean of Milk (Kshir Sagar) is one of the cosmic oceans of Hindu cosmology. The famous episode of the churning of the ocean of milk, illustrated in the "Vishnu Purana", explains the origin of amrita (the Hindu equivalent of nectar and ambrosia in Greek mythology), the drink of immortality needed by the Devas (gods) to defeat the Asuras (demons) who had gained control of the universe. A mountain (Mount Mandara) was used as a churning rod, and Vasuki, the king of serpents, as a churning rope; the god Vishnu, in his avatar as Kurma, the turtle, supported the mountain on his back to prevent it from sinking into the sea. Devas and Asuras worked together at the churning, which lasted a millennium. During the elaborate process, a number of people and things emerged from the ocean of milk, such as the goddess Lakshmi (Vishnu's divine consort), the moon and the heavenly physician Dhanvantari, carrying a pot containing the amrita. Rejuvenated by the miraculous drink, the gods eventually defeated the Asuras.