The Expected Savior "Avatar"

The date was August 2016. In the city of Chiang Mai, Thailand, surrounded by lush green mountains with a beauty reminiscent of Chinese paintings, I was in an octagonal space called the 'Immortal Meditation Hall,' located in the middle of a mini lake filled with giant lotus flowers.

Together with my fellow instructor friends from all over the world, I was watching a presentation about Tao, known as Chinese yoga. The world-renowned founder of the Universal Healing Tao System, Mantak Chia, was explaining how 'Chi', the universal life energy, enters the human body and how it moves within it. He called this system, built upon the five elements, 'Inner Alchemy.' All balance in the universe was based on the cycle of these elements, classified as fire, air, water, metal, and wood.

The Five Elements and the Cycle of the Universe

In fact, the Five Elements are nothing but five distinct forms of the universal life energy. The elements constantly influence and transform each other. The energy of these elements is akin to the states of water, as frequently referenced by Lao Tzu in the Tao Te Ching: The Book of the Way and Its Virtue.

The sum of divine universal energy is like water; whether it is frozen water, water vapor, or condensed water... Just as they are all essentially water regardless of their state, these five elements are the very essence of the universal energy called 'Chi'. Everything in nature, including us, is made up of these five elements, and each element has a yin (feminine) and a yang (masculine) state. Everything in nature corresponds to one of these elements and its yin or yang state.

The Eight Immortals and the Legend of the Avatar

According to the Tao system, individuals who understand and can manage the cycle of these elements within the human body and the universe achieve immortality. Many immortals who possessed this secret and helped people with their powers have lived on earth. In Chinese philosophy, they are called the 'Eight Immortals'.

In Indian philosophy, those who command divine powers and save humanity from dark forces are known as 'Avatars'. Avatar is the name given to the form gods take when they descend to earth. This word is derived from the combination of the Sanskrit words ava (down) and tar (descent).

The Last Airbender: A Hero's Journey

The animated series known as 'The Last Airbender,' which successfully captured the attention of not only children but also adults since it aired in the United States in 2007, tells exactly the story of an Avatar.

According to the story, kingdoms that can control the four elements known as fire, earth, water, and air rule the world. The atmosphere of peace and tranquility among these kingdoms is shattered when the Fire Nation claims superiority over the others and wages war. The only person who can stop the ongoing war and restore balance is the Avatar.

Born in the kingdom that commands the air element, our hero Aang learns that he is the Avatar when he is just 12 years old. This immense responsibility and the strict discipline it requires frighten him; driven by the instincts of a child, he leaves everything behind and runs away with his flying bison. However, caught in a storm over the ocean, his Avatar powers activate, and he unconsciously freezes himself inside a block of ice. After 100 years have passed, two siblings from the Water Tribe named Katara and Sokka find our frozen hero and pull him out of the water. Aang has a daunting task ahead of him: to master all four elements and end the war.

Becoming Our Own Rescuer

The Avatar belief is based on the Vedas, which form the essence of Indian philosophy. According to Hinduism, numerous Avatars have incarnated on earth to restore the disrupted order. The expectation of a savior incarnation manifests itself as a Messiah or Mahdi in many different faiths.

I do not know if this externally expected savior will come or not, but I can sincerely tell you this: no magical hand from the outside is going to save us from our inner shadows, our fears, or the dissatisfaction we feel about life.

What will truly save us is balancing those five elements—with their creative (sheng) or destructive (ke) aspects—within ourselves, loving ourselves just as we are, and making the right choices on our own journey.

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