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Avatar: The Last Airbender
Linc
Site ownerDetroit Moderator
Has anyone else here watched Avatar: The Last Airbender? It's a cartoon that ran for 3 seasons on Nickelodeon here in the US (Wikipedia, IMDB) and they're currently working on a live-action movie version.
I told Brian tonight that after getting most of the way through the first season, I feel like it is what's given me the final nudge to find a temple and is reinvigorating my interest Buddhism. His reply? "Well yeah, it's kinda like a kids' primer for Buddhism."
After having a good laugh about me fitting the target demographic, I decided it's absolutely true. The series is really brilliant and only gets better and better for adults as it progresses (Brian says he cried profusely at the series finale). While being silly and indulging in the magical, it really brings home lessons of martial arts and Buddhism. If you ever feel inclined to check it out, I highly recommend it.
I told Brian tonight that after getting most of the way through the first season, I feel like it is what's given me the final nudge to find a temple and is reinvigorating my interest Buddhism. His reply? "Well yeah, it's kinda like a kids' primer for Buddhism."
After having a good laugh about me fitting the target demographic, I decided it's absolutely true. The series is really brilliant and only gets better and better for adults as it progresses (Brian says he cried profusely at the series finale). While being silly and indulging in the magical, it really brings home lessons of martial arts and Buddhism. If you ever feel inclined to check it out, I highly recommend it.
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Comments
It's a perfect mix of magic, comedy, action, great animation, great characters, compelling cohesive story and Buddhist morals/philosophy.
In a nutshell, the show is a hoot and a half if not two whole hoots. Check it out!
My wife isn't a fan of cartoons, and she gets so annoyed when I watch the Avatar . . . sometimes for like two or three hours straight.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9W1dhqc-JBs
Hopefully it works out well.
I watched an interview between him and the writers for the cartoon series. He became a fan of it watching it with his daughter and said he wanted to follow the story completely. So I wouldn’t expect any twist, but because of time limitations I also won’t expect the story to be dead-on.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBiGRraX3Fs
I'll keep an eye out for the show. Sounds like something I'd love.
Thanks for the link. Good information there.
I didn't know they were planning on having a 6 year production, three movie trilogy.
I'm a story whore...
Palzang
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-sh82kWaEM
looks fantastic
Palzang
It is very good, but more magic, than Buddhist imho.
Palzang
Actual in-show references (via Avatar fan-wiki):
And various naming/cultural conventions (via an Avatar fansite):
A lot of it is pretty basic stuff, that one would expect in a show based on Eastern culture. But hey, it's still a kid's show primarily. At any rate, it's neat to see all these little things I hadn't even noticed before.
I am taking a Buddhism class at Cal State Northridge, I have used Aang in many examples and discussions and emphasized how much this show and Aang meant to me. Today we had to turn in an image related to our topic and connect it to Buddhism.
I'm wondering if there is any official statement from Mike or Brian about Aang and his religion. Is there anything officially put out discussing Buddhism and avatar that is cannon? My instructor really liked my idea but he said it would help if i had some authoritative sources from the show or creators that it could refer to. I know i won't find anything scholarly about Avatar and Buddhism (I have looked) so i have to site all the Buddhist stuff from official Peer Reviewed sources, but anything from or about avatar will be considered a secondary source unless states by the creators or Nick.
Do you guys know of any interviews (youtube?) or anything where Mike and Brian officially speak of Aangs religion and it's effect on the show?
I posted my proposal below in case anyone wants to read.
Thanks in advance for any and all help!
http://dharmafolk.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/aang-in-robe.png
This is Aang, *a Buddhist Monk portrayed in popular cartoon called Avatar: The Last Air Bender. This is a still from the cartoon that aired on Nickelodeon. This is the first time i have
seen a Buddhist as a main charter in a television show.
Without going into many details Aang lives in a world divided by the four Great Elements
(earth, water, fire, air). Each division has special people who have the ability to
manipulate his or her respective element. There is one person born every generation who
has the ability to manipulate all four elements, he is the "Avatar".
Aang's current world is in ruins and warfare and we have to follow his journey mastering
the elements. Aang belongs to the Air Nation, all of whom were Buddhist monks (he is the
last of his kind due to a genocide). Throughout the series Aang if faced with challenge
being a Buddhist. Aang will not kill anyone and respects all life therefore he has to find
creative ways to solve problems rather than just executing his opponents.
Although not directly stated in the show, as Aang's journey mirrors a bodhisattva's journey to understand and release the Five Aggregates. Once Aang masters all four elements (aka matter, or Rupa) he has the ability to call upon all the knowledge, experience and power of every Avatar that came before him at will. Aang detaches himself from his earthly existence and in return receives great power.
I chose this image because Aang and this cartoon mean a great deal to me. The cartoon talks about balance and finding peace within turmoil. In My mid twenty's, *Avatar: The
Last Airbender was the first interest i had that did not involve drugs or Alcohol. Becoming interested and excited about this show allowed me to occupy time with more constructive
things to do. So as i watched Aang bring balance to his world, he also brought balance to mine. *[/li]
Did you read the post right above yours by mrdude? He's got a quote from the show's creators. You might also check the avatar fan wiki he mentions.
I've never really watched the show, but my friend's son (10) loves it. He was born a Buddhist, and I mean that in more than just a label.
Oh, btw, it is not the first TV show to star a Buddhist. There was also Kung Fu with David Carradine back in the '70s (before your time). He was a Shao Lin Buddhist monk who went around the countryside righting wrongs and helping people.
I would point out that your description of a bodhisattva isn't quite accurate. What you describe I think would be better called an Arhat (or Arahant), one who trains to master the aggregates to attain enlightenment. A bodhisattva is one who dedicates this and every future life to the liberation of all sentient beings. So an arhat is like a stage I one bodhisattva.
Palzang
Thank you for your help! I will further explain Aangs path in my paper/outline, i was really just brain storming, but i thank you for taking the time to read my post. I was born in 83, so the 70's was now that far away.
I think i have how i'm going to relate the two and make it all work.
Avatar: The Last Air Bender Thesis *- Buddhism In Western Pop Culture.
An American View On Buddhism
This is the first American children television show to feature a Buddhist monk as an protagonist. The show was extremely successful and was popular with it's target age group 6-11 and beyond. The show was able to reach out to Western minds using fundamental Buddhist principals. So while this not may be an accurate description of how all American's see Buddhism this is an illustration to pick apart why so many 6 and 7 year olds were willing to turn in and be exposed to the Dharma each week.
[li]How must Buddhism be presented so it will appeal to a western thinking audience? (use avatar as an example to illustrate points.)[/li] [li]How does the American view of Buddhism differ from that of someone from sri lanka? (Aang had Monk Gyatso, and at one point literally saw a Guru)[/li] [li]The four great elements (mahabhuta) and how it relates to the avatar's story.[/li] [li]How Aang's path mirrors the western view of a bodhivistas path. The show illustrates enlightenment through Aang's journey.[/li]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Also i found this post accidental on google and boy am i glad i did. first off, this is a beautiful site. Most sites that have to do with Buddhism clearly choose function over form (repeatedly) and remind me of websites that were designed in the 1990's. This site is soft on the eyes and easy to navigate! It's a simple functional design that doesn't have a white background and blue links, so i'm impressed LOL (i'm a graphic design student and I also do web design)