Bleach 2: Zampakuto and Hollows

Dear Readers,

This post is based off of the prerequisite of having read the first Bleach post. Thus, some aspects could become confusing if the Bleach 1 post is not read first.

In my last Bleach post I mentioned zampakuto, the spirits of the ausuchi or spirit swords. I wanted to talk about these spirits a little bit, but first, I will be making a comparison with Job. Specifically, when the Lord speaks to Job in chapters 40-41 and shows him the Behemoth and the Leviathan.

Job 40:15-24 Behemoth
"15. Behold now behemoth, which I made with thee; he eateth grass as an ox.
16. Lo now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the naval of his belly.
17. He moveth his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his stones are wrapped together.
18. His bones are as strong pieces of brass; his bones are like bars of iron.
19. He is the chief of the ways of God: he that made him can make his sword to approach unto him.
20. Surely the mountains bring him forth food, where all the beasts of the field play.
21. He lieth under the shady trees, in the covert of the reed, and fens.
22. The shady trees cover him with their shadow; the willows of the brook compass him about.
23. Behold, he drinketh up a river, and hasteth not: he trusteth that he can draw up Jordan into his mouth.
24. He taketh it with his eyes: his nose pierceth through snares."

Now that we have how the scriptures describe the behemoth, I would like to point out a couple of things. First, the Lord says that He made the behemoth with Job. That could mean that Job helped to make the behemoth, but for the purpose of my comparison, I will take a leap and say that the beast is with Job as well as made by him. The beast has strengths, a large tail, strong bones, then is compared to the ways of God. It is a good beast. Then we have the comparison of a sword and "approach[ing]" the beast. Often times Ichigo, the main character from Bleach, trained and fought with his zampakuto named Zangetsu.

Then we get a kind of description of what is the behemoth's home. Mountains, grass, trees, and a brook or river that is compared to the river Jordan. For Ichigo, his zampakuto lives in an inner world that contains skyscrapers, symbolizing his heart's joy and reaching for the sky.

Thus, the mountainous luscious area could be considered Job's inner world.

(Final Fantasy Behemoth below)

One could make the argument, that Zangetsu is humanoid, but the behemoth is some strange beast (likely the description of a hippopotamus).

Renji Abarai is another character from Bleach, who begins as a kind of neutral antagonist that later becomes a protagonist and fights along side Ichigo. Renji's zampakuto is called Zabimaru which appears as a baboon with a snake tail.

Therefore, it is not necessary for the zampakuto to be humanoid, and indeed most are not,(at least in the shikai stage). This adds credence to my comparison with the behemoth.

(Final Fantasy Leviathan below)

Then there is the Leviathan
Job 41:1, 7-8, 14-32
"1. Canst thou draw out leviathan with an hook? or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down?
7. Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons? or his head with fish spears?
8. Lay thine hand upon him, remember the battle, do no more.
14. Who can open the doors of his face? his teeth are terrible round about.
15. His scales are his pride, shut up together as with a close seal.
16. One is so near to another, that no air can come between them.
17. They are joined one to another, they stick together, that they cannot be sundered.
18. By his neesings a light doth shine, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.
19. Out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out.
20. Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, as out of a seething pot or cauldron.
21. His breath kindleth coals, and a flame goeth out of his mouth.
22. In his neck remaineth strength, and sorrow is turned into joy before him.
23. The flakes of his flesh are joined together: they are firm in themselves; they cannot be moved.
24. His heart is as firm as a stone; yea, as hard as a piece of the nether millstone.
25. When he raiseth up himself, the mighty are afraid: by reason of breakings they purify themselves.
26. The sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold: the spear, the dart, nor the habergeon.
27. He esteemeth iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood.
28. The arrow cannot make him flee: slingstone are turned with him into stubble.
29. Darts are counted as stubble: he laugheth at the shaking of a spear.
30. Sharp stones are under him: he spreadeth sharp pointed things upon the mire.
31. He maketh the deep to boil like a pot: he maketh the sea like a pot of ointment.
32. He maketh a path to shine after him; one would think the deep to be hoary."

We see here that the Leviathan, has so much more power than the Behemoth. The Behemoth was compared to having bones of iron and brass, but to the Leviathan, it "esteemeth iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood". Thus we see the power difference that could be compared to the shikai stage of a zampakuto and the bankai stage. For, with the bankai stage, the spirit changes in its own right, or at least in appearance.

(Ichigo's bankai Tensa Zangetsu, below)

(Renji's bankai Zabimaru, below)

Remember that in order to awaken the bankai stage, one must discover that the sword of the Spirit, and its power truly reside within the individual. As we study the scripture and being to feel the power of God's word, we gain an appreciation of it. Yet, if we allow the words of Christ to be written within us, become part of us, our power becomes unimaginably stronger. Thus, Ichigo's Zangetsu no longer looks like a wise old man, but has now become young, very close to Ichigo himself in age. As for Renji's Zabimaru, it has become humanoid. Both representing how the word is becoming more relatable to them. I think that it is interesting that throughout the series, beings become more powerful by becoming more human. Adds credence to the concept that we are the children of God and are made in His perfect, all powerful image.

One should note that Ichigo's inner world has changed as well (see above). Zangetsu, who lives in this world, explained that the reason for this was all of the sadness that Ichigo has felt, all his pain, came down like rain, so heavily, that it flooded the world. In a correlated transformation, the once sky reaching buildings have become the town in which Ichigo lives. The town that houses the people he loves and wants to protect.

I think it is fitting that both Ichigo's inner world, and the Leviathan's habitat have to do with the sea (Job 41:31). Water can symbolize so many things, the tears of sorrow, as well as the washing and renewal of baptism. Indeed, if combined, we see that as we are washed clean from sin in the waters of baptism, sorrow for past sins are merged therewith and swept away. Very poetic when one compares the flooding during Noah's time as the baptism of the earth. The wicked(ness) were drowned and washed away.

Indeed, even while Zangetsu was in the shikai (old man) stage, he pleaded with Ichigo not to let the rains fall in his inner world. From the very beginning, the Spirit of God uses the light of Christ in us to plead, asking us not to commit sin which cause us suffering and pain. Yet, when Zangetsu was in the bankai (young man) stage, Zangetsu made his intentions clear, that he, Zangetsu, wants all despair to depart from Ichigo. Indeed offers to remove the "source of despair" within Ichigo's heart. I think that it is amazing, that when we perform the ordinance of baptism, we make a covenant to God that we will keep His commandments, and God promises that the Holy Ghost will be with us and will help us do this very thing. The Holy Ghost will act as a refiner's fire and purify our hearts and rid us of our sin and and the despair that accompanies it.

Now, I have not as yet mentioned the bad guy in this inner world. He is what is known as an inner hollow. His name is Hichigo (Hollow Ichigo). He represents the animalistic side of Ichigo, basically the "natural man" spoken of in Mosiah 3:7 in the Book of Mormon. In that passage of scripture it states that the "natural man is an enemy of God" so is Hichigo the enemy of all things, save it be, what Hichigo himself wants. He is an embodiment of selfishness and pride.

Once Ichigo begins training to become what is known as a visored, he battles with his inner hollow. During this course of action, Ichigo learns new ways to fight, as well as eventually defeats this darkness inside. This allows him to wear a hollow mask, which is the sign of the visored. Ichigo's mask, or the mask of a visored, I will relate to the "helm of salvation" spoken of in Ephesians 6:17. I consider it as such, because it is helm of sorts and it can represent salvation. It represents salvation not in the traditional way, the use of a halo, but rather what the salvation is from. Christ offers us salvation from all that is vile, unclean, and evil. He offers us salvation from our natural man, but first we must show our efforts and do all we can to fight our inner hollow, or natural man. I say first, because we are saved through mercy, which is the redeeming and enabling power of the atonement of Jesus Christ. We use mercy when we repent, but when we are obedient, when we strive to follow Christ's example, that is when we take advantage of mercy by becoming something/someone better. That is what the visored mask represents to me.

A hollow mask, hollow being a spirit who's heart has been lost through the encroachment of his chains of fate, is a mask that represents the animalistic, monstrous "hunger" that the hollow has. A hunger that is fueled by the desire to fill the hole within that cannot be satisfied.

For hollows (not inner hollows), unlike other spirits, they cannot be saved though the konso or soul burial. Instead, when a shinigami slices a hollow, essentially killing it, then it is purified. In a way, the only salvation for a hollow is intervention by the power of the word of God. Cutting through and purifying the spirit.

There are also ranks or progression of hollows. If we were to temporarily compare them to demonic spirits, rather than the "familiar spirits" (1 Samuel 28:7-6) that they more likely represent, we find that Luke 11:26, which is part of Christ explaining a phenomenon, sheds light on their progression. A woman has a possessing spirit, probably a demon, expelled from her body. That demon then goes forth, wandering from place to place, and finds seven demons "more wicked than himself". He then returns with these demons and makes the woman's life worse than before. I do not think that Christ would say anything that could be untrue, even for a teaching purpose. Therefore, there are ranks of evil spirits, or demons. Satan does have an hierarchy to go with his priesthoods.

Just up from hollow is the gillian or minos grande (lesser great hollow). This creature is created from a hollow that is so hungry that it develops a taste, not only of normal spirits, but of other hollows as well. After eating enough other hollows, it transforms into a gillian. Most gillian are uniform. They loose their sense of self to the will of hunger.

On some occasions, a gillian will manage to keep its wicked will and sense of self, and use it to eat other gillians. This causes it to become an adjuchas (intermediate great hollow). These are beast like, reflecting their former hollow selves, but are much stronger.

If an adjuchas manages to stay alive long enough, devouring other hollows, it can eventually become a vasto lorde (highest great hollow). As I pointed out earlier, the stronger a being becomes, the more human it's appearance is. So it is with the vasto lorde.

Now is time to make a comparison. During Ichigo's visored training, while fighting his inner hollow Hichigo, Ichigo's body or spirit body would become hollowfied. He would become a raging hollow. First, we can see that the spirit and the mind or inner world, are not the same thing.

Later, when Ichigo is fighting an arrancar named Ulquiorra (I will talk about arrancar in a different post), Ichigo, seeming to be defeated, and again transforms into a hollow, only this time... different.

This time, his hollow has the appearance of a vasto lorde. This is also near the period that he will battle Aizen for the first time. It is here that I would like to make the point, that the more righteous we become, the more the powers of darkness combine against us. Also, the more righteous we become, the harder we fall if we become unrighteous. It is because we would be sinning against the greater light (Doctrine and Covenants 82:3). If Ichigo were to fall, now, forever, he would become a vasto lorde, the most wicked and powerful beast in hueco mundo (the hollow world, which I will also talk more about in another post). A great example of this is the Book of Mormon itself. The Nephites, who are supposed to be the more righteous people, go through the "pride cycle" so many times, that eventually they are left more wicked than their counterparts the Lamanites (Moroni 9:8-10). When the righteous fall, they become as equally wicked as they were righteous. It is also important to note that Ichigo is still using his bankai. Even Hollowfied, Ichigo is still using the word of God. That is because even the Devil uses scripture when it suits his needs, like when he was trying to tempt Christ in Matthew 4. Indeed, often when someone leaves the church, they use the scriptures to try to back up and produce anti material. Yet, for Ichigo, he did not fall, at least for good and managed to return to normal. There is always that chance for repentance, if we use it.

Sadly, I could not find a proper visual for my next point, but during Ichigo's training to be a visored, it was revealed that Hichigo and Zangetsu are part of one whole, Ichigo himself. Indeed, Hichigo and Zangetsu cannot exist in the inner world simultaneously, at least at this time. When we are beginning to become better, using the gospel of Jesus Christ and the scriptures, we have to cast aside our natural man and listen to the Spirit of God. You cannot listen to both the Spirit and the natural man. Matthew 6:24 "No man can serve two masters..." and this is a prime example of that.

Now, to connect the two halves or yin and yang (good and evil), when Tensa Zangetsu offers to remove the "source of despair" from Ichigo, Zangetsu digs his hand into Ichigo's chest and rips out Hichigo. It is at this time that Hichigo manifests himself separate from Zangetsu.

Now is the time for a battle. Ichigo, being advised by his father to do so, is seeking knowledge from Zangetsu. The knowledge of the Saigo no Getsuga Tenshou (final heaven piercing lunar fang). Getsuga (lunar fang) is the first power that manifested when Ichigo awakened his shikai form. Getsuga Tenshou (heaven piercing lunar fang) is the power of Ichigo's bankai. I think that these names are significant, because, the sword being the word of God, means that the word is at first sharp, reaching for the moon or terrestrial glory, trying to break past this fallen telestial world, then "heaven piercing" trying to reach even higher, and then, finally, a final piercing reach into heaven, the celestial glory. Thus, what Ichigo is truly seeking here is exaltation in the Celestial kingdom of God.

Here, Hichigo and Tensa Zangetsu merge again and fight Ichigo. Indeed the toughest battle Ichigo has ever fought, and ultimately looses. This merging is different and necessary. 2 Nephi 2:27 says, "For there must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things.... righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, nor holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore all things must needs be a compound in one..." When we are resurrected, we will still have bodies, with the same appetites, that same opposition. Only, we will have dominion over it. Doctrine and Covenants 93:33 "...spirit and element, inseparably connected, receive a fullness of joy;" That is why the resurrection is so joyous. Also, the Old Testament or Law of Moses focused on the letter of the law, what we have to do. The New Testament or spirit of the law focused on what we can do. I declare that when it comes to God's commandments, obeying the spirit of the law or the letter of the law will never bring complete fulfillment of the commandment. Only if we combine the two and live the spirit and the letter of the law, can we completely keep the commandment. Indeed, the spirit and the letter inseparably connected produce a fullness of joy.

It was with these that Ichigo fought with or wrestled with, comparing this experience to Jacob's "wrestling" with the Lord (Genesis 32:24-26). Here, Jacob wrestled seeking a blessing, just as Ichigo is wrestling for exaltation. Ultimately, Ichigo lost the battle in a way that allows him to win. This complete Zangetsu plunged his blade into Ichigo's chest, piercing his heart. We have to let God's will be done. We have to "accept His blade" into our hearts, completely, wholely, and let it change us for the better. The law of sacrifice is still valid today, but Christ does not ask us to offer up live stock. 3 Nephi 9:19-20 state this clearly. Christ, who has appeared to the ancient inhabitants of the Americas, speaks His will.
"And ye shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood.... And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit..." Christ asks for us to willingly offer up our very hearts unto him, hearts that have been broken, through suffering and compassion.

I do not believe that we will have a heart broken enough to be an acceptable offering until we are kneeling before the judgment bar of God. When we are taken from this life, and come to a remembrance of all our sins, when our lives have been fully spent doing the will of the Father even though imperfectly, that is when Christ who sits upon the mercy seat will say, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant." (Matthew 25:21) That is when we will receive the the robes of glory that are prepared for the saints (Revelations 6:11).

This does not mean that we cannot offer up our hearts to Christ, broken or not. It just means, in my opinion, that it will not be a complete sacrifice until the time of judgement.

Now, that Ichigo has given his whole heart, and received glory, we find that there are some differences.

 The first, and most distinguishable is that the chain that hung from Ichigo's bankai is now wrapped around his arm, and has formed a gauntlet on his right hand. Literally, the sword, meaning the word of God or the Spirit of God, has become one with Ichigo. He truly wields the sword of justice in his right hand (3 Nephi 29:4). The purpose of this blade is to strike down the wicked.

Ichigo goes into a final battle with Aizen. Aizen, who has gained so much power through wickedness that even the shinigami can no longer recognize his reiatsu or spirit pressure. Like trying to feel the rain when you are already under water. When Ichigo finally comes forth, Aizen is surprised, for not even he can feel Ichigo's reiatsu. He falsely surmises that somehow Ichigo found a way to remove his reiatsu in exchange for his new speed and strength, which Ichigo uses to grab Aizen's face and slam him into some mountains far out of town.

Then, during the battle, we find that mountains are being sliced clean through. Again Aizen incorrectly assumes that it is his power doing so.

Finally Ichigo uses the Saigo no Getsuga Tenshou to slice Aizen in half.

I would like to point out something here. Though I have compared Ichigo's power with glory, clearly this is not the tradition white light glory. However, we can easily compare it to the shadow and smoke that filled the temple in old testament times (Isaiah 6:3-4).

Also, Aizen was not slain nor killed. Instead the source of his power, which I will talk about in a later post, kept him alive. Yet this attack made it so that Aizen could be bound. There is a clear correlation here of Ichigo being a representation of Christ, and Aizen being a representation of Satan, and how, at the resurrection and the beginning of the millennium Satan will be bound and have no power (Revelations 20:2). That is not to say that Satan will physically be bound, but that he will have no power to tempt the hearts of God's children because they will choose righteousness. Going back and thinking of Ichigo as simply a resurrected being, imagine, an army of the saints of God all holding such power. Power that even with all of Satan's conniving and deceit, he cannot even fathom let alone compete with. Alma 48:17 says, "...if all men had been, and were, and ever will be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would be shaken forever; yea, the devil will never have power over the hearts of the children of men." All these soldiers of God standing as watch guards and sentinels here on earth being like unto Moroni. No wonder Satan would have no power. No wonder he would shrink from the very sight of the children of God and bury himself in the depths of darkness.

It is at this point, however, that one could make a mistake and learn false doctrine. In the series, because of this attack, Ichigo looses his powers, and becomes human, even less than he was before for he can no longer see spirits. Despite this loss, he works hard and finds a way to gain back most of his power. This is a cycle that most would consider reincarnation. Going through the plan all over again, just in a new life, and in a new way. I have posted about reincarnation as a false doctrine here: http://jacobugothbeliefs.blogspot.com/2015/10/reincarnation.html

Turning aside from that false doctrine, we can still appreciate the opportunity this gave for us to learn other quite amazing doctrinal precepts that were not covered earlier in the series. I will refer to those in a later post. I must admit, I can fully see why most people stopped watching the series after Aizen was defeated. The great and strongest adversary vanquished. Yet, I hope, that with my next few posts about Bleach, you will be able to appreciate the rest of the anime series as well. Again, special thanks to bleach.wikia.com for their information. Feel free to leave any comments.

Love,
Jacobugoth

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