April sighed deeply as she laid on her stomach at the feeds of the couch, which Michelangelo was sitting on looking curious down at April. "That school work sure sounds tough." He noted.
"It's not as much tough as it's exhausting." April muttered as she robbed her eyes. "Just be glad you don't have to go."
"But I would love to go!" Michelangelo reminded her. "With all those people you can talk to, and all that stuff that happens, it must be great."
"Beside, it's not like we have just slacked off for all of our lives." Donatello pointed out. "You're not the one whom is pulled up from bed at sun-rise every morning for training."
"Sounds like a more interesting start on the day to me." April shrugged
Donatello sighed. "What are you working on any-way, maybe we can help?" he suggested.
"Maybe.." April pondered as she chewed lightly on her pencil. "I'm supposed to write about Jesus and why good Christians have to believe in him."
Michelangelo blinked. "Who?" he asked.
April blinked and then wide-eyed looked up at Mikey. "You're kidding me right?" she asked.
Mikey in return just looked blankly at her as if he waited for her to explain.
"Jesus Christ." Donatello tried to explain. "A figure of the Christian belief, a son of god whom walked on earth two thousand years ago, and gave his life to redeem his people." He explained.
Michelangelo frowned as he squinted his eyes. "Oh yeaah.." he said. "I think I heard about him in some telly specials."
April still looked just as unbelievable at him.
"What?" Mikey asked.
"I just can't believe Splinter never taught you about Jesus." April responded honestly. "I mean.. it's Jesus! It's the son of god, and Splinter is always teaching about all the important stuff." She told.
"April if you have a question you may ask me." Splinter told as he had all of the time, being sitting in the other couch, reading a book on art while drinking his tea.
April blushed deeply. "Sorry Sensei, I didn't mean to talk like you weren't there." She told. "But so erh.. you never taught them about Jesus?" she asked.
"I taught them." Splinter told as he closed his book. "Very briefly, it's always healthy to acknowledge other peoples believes. A believe is not about being right, it's about bringing peace and guidance to the believer." He told. "And I raised my sons in the belief of Buddhism, because that is the believe I always followed." Splinter. "It is no more complicated than that."
"Ohh." April blinked. "So.. that is what people believe in in Japan?" she asked.
"Usually." Splinter nodded. "How-ever, a great other numbers of believes are available there, some are Christians, some a jews, some follow the path of Chai Dao, some are nothing at all." He shrugged. "What people believe is there own business. It's about believing, not about being right."
April frowned as she looked back at her paper, then looked up at Splinter. "But.. that's a bit confusing. If you believe in some-thing, you must believe you are right.. right?" she asked.
"Note that believing and knowing are two very different things." Splinter pointed out. "I truth, we don't know any-thing, we can only believe. I can only believe that the sun will go down tonight and rise tomorrow, I do not know it."
"Is that believing a part of Buddhism?" April asked.
"Yes." Splinter nodded. "Buddhism is about accepting that we have no control, and let ourselves flow with the events that occur, it's about giving up the believe that physical objects have real value, the only thing of real value are our actions. And with each of our actions we spread out either pain or pleasure towards others, for a Buddhist munk, it is their objective to seize spreading pain, and by all times spread pleasure by forgiveness and mercy. Only by letting go, of all attachments to the material, to the illusion that we own things or know better, is it possible to gain Nirvana, ultimate peace, the objective of any Buddhism believer."
"Sounds very different from Christianity." April sighed deeply.
"I don't know about that." Splinter frowned likely. "The thing that made Jesus so special was that he could life out his life in the way that is the objective of a Buddhist munk, he met the world with mercy, forgiveness and caring. The message he spread, is very much like the one of Buddhism."
"I see one major difference though." Donatello pointed out.
Splinter nodded. "Please do tell." He asked.
"All-right." Donatello coughed into his hand. "Buddhism believe in re-incarnation, every-time you are re-born, the measure of the bad and the good you brought the world, is measured and decides what you are going to be re-born as. The objective is to be break this chain of bad and good by only spread good in a life-time, then you are allowed into Nirvana, that means that every-body has at least a chance of succeeding." He stated. "Now in Christianity, Jesus had to die for the sins of his people, he had to be the one to forgive them because according to that belief, ordinary humans are unable to life a sin-less life, thus they need the forgiveness to enter heaven, every-body does." He told. "Further-more in Christianity, the out-come of your one life seems very permanent, either it's heaven or hell, even though that is a little contradictory since Jesus is suppose to forgive every-one no matter how horrible they have been, so by that logic every-body should be allowed to enter." He told. "What I mean is." Donatello shook his head as if coming back on track. "In Naraka, which is sort of like a Buddhist hell, no one is doomed to be there for-ever, just for a very long time, before they get re-born again. And lastly in Christianity it seems like they believe every-one has a permanent soul, and that soul will just go where-ever and remain intact, while in Buddhism they believe in constant change, and souls are more like.. water drops taken out of an ocean to be put back when we die, or at least starts merging a little bit with the ocean again."
"Very technical." Splinter responded looking at Donatello. "A good theory."
"I said some-thing wrong didn't I?" Donatello asked.
Splinter shook his head. "No." he told.
"It's not about being right, it's just about believing." Michelangelo pointed out in a big grin. "Beside you totally forgot the obvious." He rolled his eyes. "In Christianity there is a god, just one big god, and he sends out people to do stuff and so on. Buddhism don't have a dude like that, it's just the universe doing it's own work."
"Keep talking guys, this is great." April stated as she wrote down in her book, fast as a flying bullet. "Sensei, when you meditate so much, is it because you are trying to reach that level of peace that is Nirvana?" she asked.
Splinter nodded. "Yes." He told.
"Hey wait a minute." Mikey looked up. "Isn't that sort of like that movie?" he asked.
"What movie?" Donatello asked as he lifted an eye-brow.
"KUNG-FU PANDA!" Mikey exclaimed. "When they talk about inner peace, they are actually talking about a state of Nirvana!"
"In Kung-fu Panda?" Donatello asked. "Mikey, it's Kung-fu Panda!" he stated as he turned to Splinter. "He is talking nonsense, isn't he Sensei?"
"Not quite." Splinter admitted as he stroke his beard. "I must admit, I became rather surprised at that movie when I saw it with you. It talks very cleverly about the ideas behind Buddhism and Kung-fu.. Simplified of cause. But quite nicely."
"I haven't seen that movie." April admitted as she looked up.
"We could see it now!" Mikey exclaimed. "What do you say?" he asked in a excited voice.
"Just give me ten minutes to finish this, I'm curious now." April told as she scribbled down.
"All-right!" Mikey beamed. "I'll go make some pop-corn and stuff, it'll give you time to write things down."
"And Michelangelo." Splinter stopped him.
"Hai Sensei?" Mikey asked as he blinked.
"Would you mind get some more tea for me?" Splinter asked holding up his cup.
"I'll be glad to Sensei." Mikey told as he took the cup. "I'll even think I'll make some for myself, April? Donnie?" he asked.
"I would like to." April told.
"Sure, why not." Donnie shrugged.
"I'll just make an entire pot." Mikey shrugged amused.
AN; Sorry for turning a TMNT fic into a discussion of religion, it's just some-thing that fascinates me.
And some-thing I noticed about this show is that.. even though they never call Splinter a "Buddhist." … he sure as hell teaches many of the values of it, and lives by it.
He also always sits around and meditate.. and well, he probably does that because that is what we are used to see asien martial arts masters do.
But funny enough, only very few people know WHY they are doing it.
They are doing it, because most people in asien countries, are Buddhies, that is the believe the really old school asien goes by. And in Buddhism, you mediate a lot, because you are trying to obtain the mental state of Nirvana, which is the ultimate state of peace and tranquillity, which can only be obtained by completely let go of any physical bounds to our world.
Oh and Kung-fu Panda is absolutely teaching Buddhism, had I had wanted to include that movie into this fic for a while. It's such an amazing movie, really took me by surprise, and I love it more the more I see it.
If you lack proof that Kung-fu Panda is teaching Budhism, just look at Master Oogway, he is the spiritual master of the palace, because he obtained Nirvana, inner peace.
And it's about Master Shifus soul journey to become the next Spiritual master, which he first can become when he gives up the illusion of control, finds inner peace and thus Nirvana.. and he does.
And Mikey does like animated movie, it has been an official statement that Mikeys favourite movie of all time in the Nick show… is the little Mermaid. Because he can identify the feeling of wanting to explore and see more, his favourite part of the movie is when Ariel sings. "Part of your world."
That… is freaking ADORABLE! Gwaah Mikey, why are you so cute?
And a last note.. that whole thing about. "When it comes to religion, it's not about being right, it's just about having a believe that brings you peace." ... no-body ever said that.. That is MY own conviction. I believe every-body should be allowed to follow the religion that makes sense to them and bring them peace, as long as the religion doesn't bring any-one harm, it should be allowed to be practised. I am only bothered by a religion when people starts claiming it be. "The only truth." and stuffs it into other peoples faces. Keep it to yourself, and let people come to you if they are interested, don't shovel it into peoples faces.. and then believe in what-ever you want. Believe in the flying spagetthi monster if that makes you happy. Just don't make a war out if it. It's only the fewest (And none of the major.) religions that actually promotes war you know -_-;