(104) The Last Airbender and five elements of ancient Chinese philosophy

By Janet Shin

I recently went to see the film ``The Last Airbender’’ in theaters. Prior, I had seen a trailer that showed it was a story about elemental nations at war and an ``avatar’’ who can control each of the four elements (water, earth, air and fire), which caught my attention and incited a comparison with the five elements of Eastern philosophy.

It is obvious that the original story for the film was based on ancient Greek philosophy. Empedocles,

a pre-Socratic philosopher (490-430B.C.), established the four elements to constitute all the structures in the world ― water, earth, air and fire.

Although there are many discrepancies between Eastern and Western concepts of the universe, it is interesting that there always lie common threads.

Needless to say, our ancestors (whether Western or Eastern), wondered what comprised the universe and how. In an effort to explain the phenomena without reference to mythology, they found answers from within nature and its substances. First, Thales started from water. In Eastern philosophy, there is also an underlying thesis that the universal energy cycle begins and ends with water. In Asian belief, the five elements circulate from wood to fire to earth to metal to water and then to wood again. The starting element of wood implies the presence of water already ― without it, there is no energy.

Here we must understand that in Eastern philosophy is it not about the individual elements, but the energies within their relationships. Harmony is the most important priority of all.

There is a common hypothesis between East and West about the three fundamental elements: water, earth and fire. Then, in Asian culture, metal was added after the Iron Age, and wood was inserted to circulate the energy between water and fire. This concept of the universe centralizes on the actions and reactions among the elements ― none is isolated from the other.

Gi, the fundamental life-force as defined in Eastern philosophy (also known as ``chi’’), circulate all five elements to generate and restrict among themselves, which is the role dictated to ``air’’ in Empedocles’’ classification of the four elements. The acts of the two do not seem to be the same.

The film does depict the constant factor in life that is ``push and pull,’’ that brings such developments as love and strife, existence and non-existence, aggregation and segregation. This is associated with the Eastern philosophy of yin and yang and is actually mentioned in the film’s plot. Despite the fact that the four elements are expressed as separate and battling forces (mostly by the fire nation), it is interesting to see the similarities and observe how modern entertainment portrays the characteristics of each element.

In saju, we classify people with a fire day master to be explosive and a sense of proliferation, while those with a water day master are recognized by their wisdom, flexibility and ability to adapt. And, according to their dynamic relationship, water will eventually restrain fire.

But these do not stand for dictating what or who is good or evil. As you have read, saju does not provide conclusive information ― no single aspect can be explained without observing the whole structure.

Though there will be an inevitable sequel to the film, it is clear from the first installment that fire and water are two strong opposing energies in both the East and the West.

The concept of reincarnation is also shown in the movie, though director M. Night Shyamalan’s interpretation led to stray from the story’s ideals from Western philosophy. The awkwardness of the actors in their roles served to degrade the identity of the film, which firmly planted its foot into the realm of Hollywood entertainment at that point.

However, as the story is based on Nickelodeon’s animated TV series ``Avatar,’’ and only the show’s success drove producers to create a film, it may be overly analytical to discuss its underlying meaning.

Though it had the potential to create an inquisitive new audience and garner interest in the philosophy of elements, ``Airbender’’ seemed to fall flat ― in both the philosophical and box office senses.

Info : Are you interested in learning more about the ancient Chinese teachings of the “Four Pillars of Destiny?” Private sessions are available in English at basic, intermediate and advanced levels. Contact Janet at 010-5414-7461 or email janetshin@hotmail.com. The writer is the president of the Heavenly Garden, a saju research center in Korea, and the author of “Learning Four Pillars” For more, visit her website at www.fourpillarskorea.com.

The writer is the president of the Heavenly Garden, a saju research center in Korea, and the author of “Learning Four Pillars.” For more, visit her website at www.fourpillarskorea.com.