I want to start a discussion here and please just hear me out first. So I am reading Gita and I've been thinking a lot about Krishna's teaching to Arjun and how it all mostly boils down to (I'm really boiling it down) doing the duty for the good of the society. Arjun doesn't want to fight in the war, doesn't want to kill because the people on the other side are family but Krishn tells him to get over it. He tells arjun to sacrifice everything, all of his beliefs, his truths and the entirety of his being to the war and fight to do his duty. For Dharma. To put aside himself and all his associations and do what's right. Now there's a lot of back story there (A Lot!) But I keep thinking about aang from atla in the same sense. He doesn't want to kill ozai, he's desperate to find another way. He refuses to put aside his beliefs and his association with being an air bender. What would have happened if aang hadn't found energy bending. If he couldn't take fire bending away from ozai. What would he do then?
I personally think that aang wouldn't have been able to kill ozai. He wouldn't have been able to give up being an Airbender to his core. Because of the genocide he clung to being an Airbender like his life depended on it (understanbly so). And I keep thinking would that classify Aang as selfish? Would krishn classify aang or more specifically this behaviour of aang as selfish for not being able to put aside his beliefs and do what's needed to be done or would Krishn admire Aang for not giving up on his beliefs and keeping his people his teachings alive by living them and finding another way around them. I think gokul era krishn would admire aang but war era krishn would call aang selfish (adult aang I guess not the kid aang. Krishn would understand that aang was literally 12). War era Krishn was not having any of it.
I also keep thinking that aang was 12. He was a child. Maybe he would've been different and like other avatars and not so opposed to death or killing if he would've had a chance to grow up with the airbenders and become a full fledged avatar the normal way. In the scene when aang talks to Yengchen asking for advice she says that the avatar's duty is to the people first. An avatar is an avatar first and an Airbender second. They don't have the luxury to follow the same ideologies and practices as the rest of the airbenders. This is somewhat along the same lines as what Krishn tells Arjun to do his duty for the people and deal with the consequences good or bad whatever they will be when they come. And this particular scene made me think that had aang gotten a chance to grow up with the airbenders they would probably teach aang about the necessary evil that is violence and how being an avatar he can't escape it. It definitely goes against everything the monks follow but aang has to face this truth. To always try to lead with love but to not falter in the face of violence.
Do I think aang is selfish? Nope. I think aang not being able to kill and preserving the essence of monks and airbending is an act of rebellion and I love that for him. I love how he found a way. How his sheer will was so strong that the universe had to provide a way to him. If aang killed he would definitely be an avatar but he would not be aang anymore.
There's a lot to discuss here and it's a very niche intersection that only those who know both the stories will understand. But I often think about this and am never able to reach a conclusion. You really need to know about Krishn and his character and Mahabharat the entire story to participate in this discussion but if you're one of those people who does get all my points please leave your thoughts.
