Forum - View topicFinding enlightenment through anime.
|
|
| Author | Message | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
trilaan
 Posts: 1089 Location: Texas |
|
|||
|
This topic may seem a little odd but it has been posted with the utmost seriousness in mind.
Have you ever known a character whose worldview you found worthy of emulation? Do you think they hold teachings that could actually benefit the real world? Could you more easily find yourself going to the Church/Temple of __________ than a Christian church or Buddhist temple? In other words, if a religion suddenly sprang up around a certain character, could you find yourself joining it? Perhaps people label you as just another crazy fan yet you hold the belief near and dear to your heart that they would agree with you if only you were given the chance to convince them? There is a character that makes me feel this way. Perhaps you've heard of him. His name is Vash the Stampede of the manga/anime series Trigun. His capacity for good, his determination to stick to his beliefs against all odds and oppositions and his unfiltered Love for Humanity and the perseverance of Life make him a prime candidate for improving the world we live in. Vash is the kind of character that really makes me think "If he can do it, I can do it." I have been a devoted follower of Vash for well over a decade. During all that time these feelings have not diminished. They have grown. I can only hope that you have been touched in the same way as I have. I can only hope that your life is better for it. Again, this is a serious topic that may touch upon philosophical and/or theological issues. Please be in-depth in your descriptions. I'm sure that won't be a problem for anyone as passionate about the subject as I am. Let your voice be heard, make a good(non-violent) argument, discuss your choices openly, have fun and perhaps we'll even find some enlightenment. Thank you. |
||||
|
||||
|
dtm42
Posts: 14084 Location: currently stalking my waifu |
|
|||
|
I read your first paragraph and thought of Vash. Then I read your second paragraph and was surprised to see that hey, you had thought of Vash too. Co-incidence? I think not.
What makes Vash such a memorable character and a great role model to emulate is not that his ideals are particularly unique or noteworthy; they're not. Lots of characters in Anime have been pacifists. What makes him special is the lengths he went to to uphold those ideals. He didn't just mouth off a bunch of pleasantries about not killing enemies while being safe in the comfort of a nice home in a peaceful country, like too many ignorant idiots do. He actually lived his life on the lam, drawn into fights with numerous enemies. He always spared them, even those who just moments before were actively trying to kill him. He didn't just talk the pacifistic talk, he walked the pacifistic walk. His body paid a huge price for that humanism - his long red coat hides truly terrible scars - but he held on to his beliefs. Not because they defined who he was but because he defined them. He is the embodiment of pacifism, a figure who would endure horrific injuries so that others wouldn't have to suffer. He's practically Jesus-like in the way he carries so much emotional burden on his back. I do think it took him far too long to realise that some people cannot be reasoned with and that to protect innocents it is okay to eliminate evil. But in terms of his sheer adherence to his views despite overwhelming reasons why he didn't need to (like, people trying to kill him), I cannot help but tip my hat to him. |
||||
|
||||
victor viper
 Posts: 630 Location: The deep south |
|
|||
|
This is a very interesting (and welcome!) idea for a thread.
This thought has also occurred to me from time to time. For me, there is one character who expresses a pretty enlightened worldview, and the source anime could be a bit of a surprise to some fans. That character would be Tenchi Masaki. All the harem antics aside, Tenchi is an extremely down-to-earth character and he does have an introspective side. In fact, I distinct remember a quote from one of the Tenchi series (although the exact scene escapes me at the moment). To paraphrase the quote, Tenchi says something along the lines of "I've always believed that I was meant to live a simple life without much responsibility". At the risk of overstatement, this quote shows an almost Buddha-like quality. A simple life is the best one; to find true peace one should avoid shouldering too much external responsibility and attachment. And, generally Tenchi's actions square with this statement. He's not a shut-in and he is not immune from taking on responsibility, but he does seem to be happiest when he is simply living life. For instance, consider the final scene in Tenchi Forever. There's a message there about the virtue of living life as it is. |
||||
|
||||
|
trilaan
Posts: 1089 Location: Texas |
|
|||
Awesome, dtm42, I didn't expect to get affirmation so quickly. Thanks so much for your reply.
I hoped someone would think so. Your Tenchi points are interesting. Your statements remind me of another character who, although not holding the same position as Vash in my opinion, is also someone whose teachings have had an influence on my life. Justy Ueki Tylor of The Irresponsible Captain Tylor. Here is another character whose world view I have taken to heart as being one of true insight. In life, all you can do is give your best to live it your own way. Wow, only 4 posts in and I'm already giving consideration to making these three characters into my personal "holy" trinity of this thread.. Of course, if only their unique realities weren't so carefully built to bear out their sensibilities. But I suppose there might not be much difference between that and our own real world religious figures being separated from us by the intervening time and events of history. |
||||
|
||||
EricJ
 Posts: 876 |
|
|||
Tenchi's a good point-- He's been raised by a Shinto priest (he thinks), and groomed from family childhood to take over the job, so he's been raised on looking at the zen big-picture of living in the country. Unlike most nose-bleeding harem-comedy spuds, he's not "too wimpy" to choose between Ryoko or Ayeka, he's simply trying to tell them, "I'm not worth making violent fools of yourselves over!  " In fact, he seems to have the closest relations being big-brother to Sasami, who has no marriage-hooks interest in him, and just likes the simple things, too.
|
||||
|
||||
|
yoshiyukiblade
Posts: 305 |
|
|||
|
I found Kenshin to be a great role model and he's one of my all-time favorite anime characters. Both naive and a realist in his ideals, he's also considered "selfish" by his master for wanting to live by an ideal that contradicts the principle of swordsmanship.
I like that he's been on the dark side of war and swordsmanship, killing endless opponents by the sword and considered that Kaoru's idea of a "sword that protects" naive from those who've never killed anyone before. But at the same, time he much prefers her naive talk over the truth of swordsmanship and hopes that it'll become the "truth" some day. I also like the main idea that he was missing until the Kyoto arc, which is that spoiler[the will to live is stronger than anything else]. A lot of beautifully elegant developments stemmed from that basic idea. I mean it's not something to create a religion over, but the way he thinks and the words he lives by are admirable. |
||||
|
||||
|
trilaan
Posts: 1089 Location: Texas |
|
|||
|
You are quite correct about Kenshin. Perhaps not worth founding a religion based purely on himself as a figurehead, perhaps part of some future anime-inspired pantheon. He seems to be quite a fit for a similar placement to the Greek goddess Athena in such a pantheon.
|
||||
|
||||
 |
All times are GMT - 5 Hours |
|
|
|
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group