I’m finally getting around to watching the series Avatar: The Last Airbender. It definitely lives up to the hype. Lots of care and thought were put into the show that I did not expect. I particularly enjoy how the show builds on and recontextualizes itself as it goes on.
The Avatar is a role that functions much like the real-life Dalai Lama, in that it is believed that each holder of the title is the reincarnation of the last.
In S3E6, Aang (current avatar) communes with the previous incarnation of himself. This incarnation describes events from his life, including formative experiences and friendships that are important to Aang today.
When Aang was a child, he had a handler named Monk Gyatso. This monk was an extremely caring and positive figure for Aang. Gyatso taught Aang discipline, attention to detail, and other important skills for a warrior, while keeping his childhood fun and engaging.
Avatars are usually informed of their power and responsibilities when they turn 16. In Aang’s case, powerful negative omens pressured the monks to activate him at just 12 years old. Gyatso came to his defense, arguing that Aang had a right to a childhood.
We learn in S3E6 that the previous avatar was close friends with Gyatso when they were both children. Aang is overjoyed to find out that he has been friends with Gyatso before, and his previous incarnation says “some friendships are so strong, they can even transcend lifetimes.”
I was immediately brought back to those early moments of the series. Gyatso knew that Aang was the avatar, he knew this child was a reincarnation of a close friend who passed away. He knew Aang couldn’t remember their friendship, and still he cared for him. He made Aang’s childhood safe, fun, and enriching, and he loved his friend.
While I don’t think we are reincarnated when we die, it’s a beautiful thing to love a lost friend or family member through their legacy. Even though they can never know how we hold them with us, how we continue to care for them when they’re gone, we can still love them. Maybe it’s even more beautiful that they can’t know.
