I was reading an essay on Buddhism and its relation to a different anime when I came upon a passage that was a dead ringer for Berserk.
First, they describe how Buddhism emphasizes the emptiness of each individual object and how this is necessary for the meaning and connection of the whole. Once the emptiness of the individual object is truly recognized, an enlightened man can manipulate his surroundings to his will.
Through intense study and meditation, a bodhisattva comes to such a deep understanding of the processes of karma (causality as momentum and action) and illusion that constitute the world that s/he can manipulate these forces to change how reality manifests. As Strong explains, “At this point…adepts are ready to develop so-called supernatural, or “magical,” powers such as walking through walls, diving into the earth, walking on water, or flying through the air”. Buddhist mythology is also full of stories of Buddhas and bodhisattvas who manifest entire worlds, even cause people to live whole lives, for the sake of leading others to enlightenment. As Eckel states, these stories “show that the most powerful sages are not the ones who flee the structures of illusion but are those who posess the knowledge to manipulate it and bring it under their control”.
With this in mind, God Hand seem to be represented as a set of 'dark bodhisattvas' that control human fate. The Idea itself certainly did have people live whole lives in order to lead Griffith to his position in God Hand and to his current form.
The comment on manifesting entire worlds also reminds me of the egg Apostle (er... you know, the guy who was all nose) who wanted to create his ideal world.
The existence of the Idea also ties in to Buddhism, with the idea that all the pieces of human emotion are connected to form a single entity. Heck, even the unearthly power of the Apostles coincides with with the supernatural abilities attributed to the enlightened. The idea of Berserk as a sort of dark reflection of the ideals of Buddhism is intriguing, at any rate.
Sorry for posting so soon after my last ramble, but this was so interesting that I couldn't pass it up, and I'm pretty damn sure it's new.
First, they describe how Buddhism emphasizes the emptiness of each individual object and how this is necessary for the meaning and connection of the whole. Once the emptiness of the individual object is truly recognized, an enlightened man can manipulate his surroundings to his will.
Through intense study and meditation, a bodhisattva comes to such a deep understanding of the processes of karma (causality as momentum and action) and illusion that constitute the world that s/he can manipulate these forces to change how reality manifests. As Strong explains, “At this point…adepts are ready to develop so-called supernatural, or “magical,” powers such as walking through walls, diving into the earth, walking on water, or flying through the air”. Buddhist mythology is also full of stories of Buddhas and bodhisattvas who manifest entire worlds, even cause people to live whole lives, for the sake of leading others to enlightenment. As Eckel states, these stories “show that the most powerful sages are not the ones who flee the structures of illusion but are those who posess the knowledge to manipulate it and bring it under their control”.
With this in mind, God Hand seem to be represented as a set of 'dark bodhisattvas' that control human fate. The Idea itself certainly did have people live whole lives in order to lead Griffith to his position in God Hand and to his current form.
The comment on manifesting entire worlds also reminds me of the egg Apostle (er... you know, the guy who was all nose) who wanted to create his ideal world.
The existence of the Idea also ties in to Buddhism, with the idea that all the pieces of human emotion are connected to form a single entity. Heck, even the unearthly power of the Apostles coincides with with the supernatural abilities attributed to the enlightened. The idea of Berserk as a sort of dark reflection of the ideals of Buddhism is intriguing, at any rate.
Sorry for posting so soon after my last ramble, but this was so interesting that I couldn't pass it up, and I'm pretty damn sure it's new.