Buddhism in Saiyuki, Part I: Doctrine
My purpose: to examine how elements of Buddhism are presented in the manga series Saiyuki (including Saiyuki Reload and Saiyuki Reload Blast) by Kazuya Minekura.
Source I’m using for these: Living Buddha, Living Christ by Thich Nhat Hanh. I decided to just focus on one source as this will keep these posts as short as possible while still covering the main Buddhist themes/ideas I see in Saiyuki.
I’ve struggled to decide how to organize this, as my notes are scattered with not much cohesive order, but I’m going to try to follow my confusing tangle of ideas. The problem is, lots of ideas and themes link, especially when applying to a story. I will try my best to keep these cohesive and pithy. Do not expect regular updates! (Rping is my priority.) Also, I (and as far as I can tell, Thich Nhat Hanh) am focusing on the branches of Buddhism that are based on all of the sutras and on Zen Buddhism, which originated in Japan. I will of course briefly address Ukoku’s Buddhism, that all is nothing in the end, here and there.
I grew up Lutheran, and thus sometimes will likely mention Christianity. I cannot come to Buddhism completely neutral as my understanding of theology is grounded in Christianity. I hope the instances I do bring in Christianity help others find a stepping stone into this dialogue, as I do. For that is my intent.
Jesus Christ’s words were not necessarily meant for Christians today. He was a political activist, responding to the social injustices and needs of his day. Buddha is the same. He reacted to corruption among Vedic priests and the caste system. Thus, neither of them “present an absolute doctrine.”
“For a Buddhist to be attached to any doctrine, even a Buddhist one, is to betray the Buddha. It is not words or concepts that are important. What is important is our insight into the nature of reality and our way of responding to reality.”
We see Minekura display this in Saiyuki. Again and again, we are shown temples who are unprepared for the youkai and violence that come ripping through their walls and illusion of safety and peace. In Koumyou’s temple, Chang ‘an, and the temple where they stay near the beginning of the series. These monks are slaughtered, and judge those who save them (our protags) as something vile. Something unholy and evil. Even Sanzo who is a SANZO.
And the Buddhists that have had an effect on the world? Who have influenced reality? Koumyou, Jikaku, and Ukoku are the three that jump to my mind first. Koumyou who skips out on his duties to fly paper planes and who watches Ukoku become a Buddha. Ukoku who never gets the chakra, who works against the goals of Sharak Sanzo and Genjo Sanzo and the Aspects and helps create the Minus Wave. Of course, Ukoku influences reality, and yet he also is caught up in practicing one single doctrine: everything is nothing.
(And I have an hc about this being one of the reasons Koumyou had to die. Koumyou winning the wager and changing Ukoku had to involve Koumyou’s death.)
Anyway, and there’s Jikaku who smokes and accepts Sanzo, whom none of the other monks can understand. “Whenever there is understanding, compassion is born.”
When Sanzo first comes to Chang ‘an, he is traumatized as all hell. He does not receive understanding or compassion from the other monks who are scared of him. He might not even recognize compassion for what it is. (As I’ve read some very good meta on.) Or would he?
Sanzo, despite how traumatized he is, bonds with Jikaku—the only monk we see (or that I noticed) who offers Sanzo compassion and understanding.
Jikaku knows what it’s like to be in the outside world, away from the illusion of security the temple monks live in. He knows violence and evil.
Koumyou, Ukoku, and Jikaku: all of them knew the darkness in the nature of the world, even before the Minus Wave. They knew that many Buddhist practices and doctrines do not hold up in such a world.
The doctrine of nonviolence is one that Koumyou appears to have found a way to practice. And Sanzo too, though that will be another post. However, Sharak and Sanzo must kill. The sutras hold the power to create or destroy worlds and there are enemies everywhere trying to take the sutras. They have to do what they can to protect the world, including kill and destroy.
Most of you reading this probably live in a first world country. I could be wrong. But I’d say a lot of you at least.
Think of Batman for a bit. He saw his parents die. Ok. As Selena Kyle, bless her, points out again and again to him throughout canon, he’s rich. He doesn’t really know what it’s like growing up like she has (meaning the canon where she had to steal to live or keep others alive, etc.). Sanzo? Would honestly laugh at Batman and Superman and their ideas of justice and good, I think anyway. Batman and Superman for all their power would be unable to carry the burden the Sanzos do.
Honestly, Saiyuki’s world is NOT a first world country. Yes, there’s credit cards and jeeps. But there’s also a disease/madness no one can stop and violence destroying cities everywhere they go, and chaos with every city or area following its own leader. There is no cohesive central force of law and order.
How many of you, readers, know what it’s like to live in such conditions? I certainly don’t.
Our nice doctrine practices in first world countries, can they really hold up to a reality of such chaos and violence?
Minekura takes on that challenge. She exposes the flaws and the strengths of Buddhism by placing her characters in such a world of discord and gore. It’s not just shounen ai, it’s a challenge.
Sanzo, I believe, is still developing his own doctrine and practices. We see it when Ukoku beats him, physically and mentally and philosophically. But the Sanzo in Blast is calmer and more confident. I believe he may have at least the beginning of an answer.
But the doctrines of the temples? Do not hold up.
What has held up are the individual doctrines of Koumyou, Ukoku, Jikaku, Genjo, and Sharak. These are the doctrines that have influenced and are still shaping the world of Saiyuki.
