Bleach 3: Aizen

Dear Readers,

I have covered the wonders of the good side of Bleach in my first two posts. Now I feel that I need to complete the main theme by covering the darker side. The side of Aizen. Note: I am writing this under the understanding that my readers have read my first two Bleach posts, and there is a SPOILER ALERT!!!.

This is Aizen Sosuke. He may seem benign and nice, but inside his heart he is conniving and mischievous. He was the captain of the 5th division of the shinigami army. Aizen has high intellect, and his research rivaled Urahara Kisuke, who was the main shinigami scientist operating in the human world.

The research that the shinigami have acquired has allowed them the means of creating items commonly referred to as "soul candy". They are "mod souls" or modified spirits that are encased inside a small candy like sphere. These modified spirits are created from disembodied spirits that are then given special traits. Such as Kon. Kon has the modification of incredible strength in his legs. This causes speed and powerful kicks. Having spirits in candy form could be possible in the same way that spirits can possess bodies not of their form, meaning the same form or shape of the spirit. For example, in Mark 5:9-13 there is the story of Legion. Jesus comes upon a man possessed of about two thousand demons, all of which are able to occupy that one human body, not to mention the man's own spirit is also residing there. Jesus casts them into a herd of swine nearby. Again, swine are not even in the same shape of a human, yet the demons were able to possess their bodies. Therefore, a spirit's influence can be bound inside of something much smaller than the spirit itself.

Kon, and modified spirits like him, were created for the intended purpose of occupying the false body of a shinigami, called a gigai, which are used to allow the shinigami ability to interact with the physical world. The mod spirit can occupy the gigai while the shinigami fights a hollow or anything else as a spirit. As shown above, through happy accidents it was discovered that the soul candy can also animate other objects as well, including a plush doll.

Ichigo uses Kon to keep his body alive and safe when he, Ichigo, has to fight. Thus the reason for the spirits being modified to house powers as well.

While it is also important to note that there was an anime only arc that involved the creation of reigai, artificial spirit bodies, which were used in conjunction with red soul candy. From this arc, though not considered cannon of the series, we can see what might actually fuel soul candy is intelligence. For the red soul candy, they are intelligences that have been organized into personalities, but naked from a spirit body (Abraham 3:22-23) thus their need for a reigai. For the regular yellowish soul candy, they are merely spirits, of course having intelligence and personality, but not being naked intelligence. Intelligence is the light of truth (Doctrine and Covenants 93:29, 36). From this definition, it would make sense why the reigai have "electrical" sparks that emanate from their eyes. If the intelligence, which is now awakened and being used but not permanently bonded to the reigai, is compared or described as light. then that light, which is a form of energy, could be causing that ocular discharge. Especially since the eye is considered the light or portal of the body (Matthew 6:22-23). If any of you have a desire to learn what I mean by intelligence, you can see an earlier post I had entitled "Glory of God is Intelligence":
http://jacobugothbeliefs.blogspot.com/2015/08/facebook-request-3-glory-of-god-is.html

 One might wonder what this has to do with Aizen and his evil plot. Aizen, long before Urahara began to progress in his research field of soul candy, envisioned and created a hogyoku (breakdown sphere).

A hogyoku is created by "sacrificing" the spirits of countless shinigami and normal individuals and encasing them inside of the sphere. Ironically, this reminds me of two items of extreme power.

First, mostly to get it out of the way, there is the "Philosopher's Stone" from Fullmetal Alchemist. In order to create this object of immeasurable power, one has to sacrifice the blood of thousands of people in a three-dimensional alchemy symbol. I do think that this concept was made even more ironic with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

In the original version, it was called the Philosopher's Stone. The book series, nor movies, ever described how it was made, only that it created the elixir of life. Indeed, blood has often been the symbol of life (Deuteronomy 12:23), from vampires drinking it, to Christ's life blood shed (Luke 22:44). If blood is the life of mortality, then light and truth are the life of our spirits. No wonder we are commanded to "feast upon the words of Christ" (2 Nephi 32:3). I also think that it is interesting how both with the concept of vampire's longevity and the healing, restoring powers of the Philosopher's stone, both present false forms of immortality. Immortality meaning the spirit and the body being inseparably connected. Though neither dies from old age, they can still die from other causes, and their lives are on condition of partaking of blood or the elixir of life. While, the Christ's atoning blood, which we partake of symbolically when we take the sacrament on the Sabbath, is the key to returning to our Father in Heaven and obtaining true immortality.

That all being said, doesn't this hogyoku bring to remembrance the galaxy marble from Men In Black? The hogyoku is still the size of a small marble or any of the other soul candy, therefore, with all of the "sacrificed" spirits contained therein, it is very near like unto a galaxy contained within. Indeed the scriptures say that "...there is no space in the which there is no kingdom; and there is no kingdom in which there is no space...." (Doctrine and Covenants 88:37).

Quick rant.....The Higgs Field and the Higgs Boson. Now, literally within the past few years, physicists have been trying to figure out why particles have mass, whether that is quarks, or electrons and protons. Mathematically, they found that they can calculate the mass of sub-atomic particles as if they were moving through a substance. Thus the Higgs Field theory. This theory involves a field, almost like a liquid, that the particles are constantly moving through, thus constantly giving them mass. This theory was later proved with the discovery of the Higgs Boson. Using a super collider, they smash sub-atomic particles together at high speeds. This was how they discovered quarks, but also, they found that there was occasionally a temporary particle that lasts for only a few thousandths of a second. I compare it to dropping a rock in water. Usually it causes ripples, but sometimes a drop of water will splash up. That "drop of water" which then falls and returns to the body of water is the Higgs Boson. Basically a drop of the Higgs Field that becomes temporarily dislodged and therefore measurable or "visible".

The reason I went on this rant is because before these discoveries, scientists thought that the space between quarks, protons and electrons was empty space. Now we know that it is filled with this Higgs Field, which in turn can have infinite amount of "drops of water" or Higgs Bosons. Truly, there was no kingdom, an atom, without space, and there is no space, without a kingdom, the Higgs Field. Joseph Smith, as the Prophet and the mouth piece of God, recorded that scripture back in the 1800's.

Now that rant is over, I will return to the plot of the movie Men In Black. The reason that the cockroach alien and the Arquillians (the little alien inside the head) were after that little galaxy, was because it both supplied resources and energy. Now, in a similar way, the hogyoku emits energy. As the translated name of breakdown sphere suggests, the energy breaks down bonds. Specifically, the bonds separating shinigami and hollow.

The first account of this taking place was when Aizen stole the hogyoku and used to to turn Shinji Hirako and some other shinigami into visored. The individuals exposed become weak and ill, then begin vomiting and oozing white slime from their mouth and eyes. As the hollow goo spreads and hardens, it creates an inner hollow for the individual to have to deal with. I have likened the inner hollow to the "natural man" (Mosiah 3:19) within each of us. Thus, this hollowfication is giving into the influence of the hogyoku.

To contain this energy, after Urahara retrieved his hogyoku and dealt with the incident with Shinji, he created a shell around it. This shell was supposed to keep its energy from leaking out and infecting others. We could compare this to the banishment of the one third of the host of heaven that followed Lucifer and his plan (Revelations 12:4). These angels of the Devil, or demons, would be contained within the hogyoku. They have the power to tempt us, but have fallen. Urahara later hid it inside Rukia, a shinigami that was Ichigo's first contact with Soul Society.

Now comes the first big scandal of the series. Aizen manages to get Rukia sentenced to be executed. During the days and hours leading up to the event, Ichigo launches an attack, with his friends, to try and rescue Rukia. Aizen uses the ensuing chaos to first, fake his own death. Ironic how one of Satan's greatest lies is that he does not exist. 

Aizen is able to fake his death, because his zampakuto's ability is hypnotism over all five senses: sight, hearing, touch, smell, taste. When he became a captain, he used this ability to set the hypnosis into play upon all of the shinigami. They all thought his power was water based, but that was just the illusion he caused them to see. It is also ironic how Satan's main objective is to deceive us and place us under his dominion. Making us his slaves or pawns (Moses 4:3).

Now that everyone believes that he is dead, and that Ichigo and his gang are at fault, he makes preparations to remove the hogyoku from Rukia, ripping it out of her spirit. Having acquired his trophy, Aizen escapes Soul Society with two other captains that he managed to convince to join him, by entering Hueco Mundo (the Hollow World) thanks to some Gillians. There, in Hueco Mundo, Aizen somewhat pronounces himself king and begins experimenting on the hollows.

For example, Grimmjow the adjuchas was transformed into an arrancar (Spanish: arankaru, to tear off or ripped mask in Japanese). His hollow mask was cracked as a sign of the breaking bond between hollow and shinigami, and again, as zampakuto and hollows, when they become stronger, they become more human. So it is with arrancar.

Using Grimmjow as an example, he obtains a sword, like an asuachi for a shinigami. Also, his mask has become merely that half of a bony smile. Once again, his appearance resembles the human he used to be. I will compare this to the battle of good and evil around us. Those who choose to do evil, they usually go about doing their own thing. Yes, they can hurt others in the process, but that is because they don't care who they hurt. They are the hollows. Arrancar, however, would be likend unto those who take whatever power or use of the word of God, the sword of the spirit, and use it to attack the things of God. Even the Devil can quote scripture when it suits his needs. Indeed, if shinigami are the servants of God, who would hold the priesthood of God, then the arrancar would be those who not only do evil, but use the very priesthood of the Devil.

I do think that it is interesting that the priesthood of God is given to man through the laying on of hands, using a physical body. Since Satan has no body, I wonder how he bestows his priesthood.

Then there is the arrancar's powers. Similar to the shikai of a shinigami, they have a stage called their release. In the more common translations it is called resurreccion or resurrection, I prefer to use the term release, because it is more accurate, though the Japanese translation is "returning blade". This stage is a release of their inner animal, the hollow they have become.

(Ulquiorra's release top left, Ulquiorra's second release top right) Now, there is one arrancar, that I know of, who has as second release or segunda etopa. That would be the equivalent of a bankai of a shinigami. As one can see, Ulquiorra becomes more monstrous with this second release.

The most common attack of higher level hollows and arrancar is the cero. If translated from Spanish, it become zero, but the general translation is hollow flash or doom blast. This attack includes the charging or gathering of reishi and compressing it into a point, and then release it in a devastating blast. Most hollows use their mouths to exhale the blast, but arrancar, like Ulquiorra above, tend to either use their fingers or horns as the gathering points. I think that the zero version of the name is significant, for it reminds me plotting a graph. There is the X-axis and the Y-axis. One is going horizontal, the other vertical. Where the two meet, that is the zero point on the graph. all other points are either positive or negative on either the X or Y axis. Go figure, you need to know graphs and point plotting perform a cero.

A very similar attack that was developed by arrancar is the bala (bullet). I have noticed that this ability focuses more on the rotation of the reishi rather than the pressurizing at a single point. Because of the lack of need to charge and build up reishi, it works for a quick, fairly powerful attack.

Another ability, very similar to the use of reiatsu by shinigami, is hierro or steel skin. In case if anyone questioned as to whether or not the Devil's priesthood had equal false versions of the armor of God as I presented in my first Bleach post, it is likely that it does.

Now that I have covered the creations that Aizen was making, let us turn to what he did to himself. He bonded the hogyoku to his spirit body, feeding it his own shinigami powers. This caused him to gain dominion over it.

Because of this connection, its energy began to transform him. Very similar to the hollowfication that created the visored, it formed a chrysalis of the same substance to protect him during the metamorphosis.

Quickly, I think that it is interesting how in Digimon, Lucemon (Lucifer) went from an angel, to a fallen angel, and then to a larva stage before becoming the Satan dragon version.

So it is with Aizen, the example of Lucifer in this series. His cocoon eventually hatched and he became a nearly unbeatable tyrant. As he walked, his reiatsu or spirit pressure is so strong that it could completely disintegrate people who got too close. Yet, as with my comparison in my last post, all of the shinigami could not feel his reiatsu, because it was at such a higher level than their own. I like the comparison of trying to feel rain when you are already under water. They could not tell the difference.

Looking like Aizen was without equal, one of his cohorts betrayed him. The betrayal should have killed Aizen, especially since Gin Ichimaru, the one who tried to slay the beast, stole the hogyoku while doing so. It is here we find that the spiritual connections or bonds, like the reiraku or spirit ribbons I talked about in the first Bleach post, are not effected by distance or space. The hogyoku knew its master was in danger and was dying, and healed or evolved him from a distance. Turning him into what is basically an evil butterfly.

Once again, we see how the powers of darkness, when released, make mankind less human, and more beast. This is when Ichigo intervenes after having learned Saigo no Getsuga Tensho, or the final getsuga. They battle, and because of Aizen's pride, he fails to realize the power difference between righteousness and evil. Ichigo, using his new attack, slices Aizen in half. Yet, Aizen's hogyoku keeps him alive, and he evolves again. Though this new form is more monstrous in appearance, it has come to the point where becoming less human only takes away from his power.

This loss of power allowed a spell or seal that Urahara placed upon him to take effect and bind him, fittingly, inside of a cross or star. Lucifer means "light bringer". Like the light of a star. I think that Aizen's encasement rather looks likes one of the stars that are sometimes placed on top of Christmas trees, and that those stars are interchangeable with angels. On top of that, Satan's greatest achievement, and also his greatest downfall, was influencing the hearts of the children of God enough to crucify their own Messiah. Yet, that act of dying and giving up His life while He hung on the cross enabled Christ to fully become our Savior and Redeemer. With that act, the atonement was finished, and on the third day the very chains of death were broken, chains by which Satan sough to bind the children of men. Indeed, the visual symbols of three crosses, one for Christ, and one on either side representing the thief's that were crucified along with him, acts like a final humiliation upon his head, the greatest height of his dynasty is the cap stone of his tomb. Indeed, the powers of the Godhead, The Father, The Son, and The Holy Ghost will forever be the One True God.

From then, Aizen was bound and locked away. Though, as I stated in my second Bleach post, Satan will not be physically bound, but that he will have no power over the hearts of the children of God any longer, and it will be because of their righteousness.

I will now make my last argument of how Aizen represents Lucifer.
The scriptures describe the mourning over the fall of Lucifer, (Isaiah 14:12-14, 2 Nephi 24:12-14)
"12. How art thou fallen from heave, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13. For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High."

The mourning of Lucifer's fall is so much like the mourning Momo Hinamori expressed after Aizen's betrayal, not just of Soul Society, but by also stabbing Momo with his blade.

Aizen himself expressed his motives, which are undeniably similar to Lucifer's as mentioned above. "No one stands on the top of the world. Not you, not me, not even gods. But the unbearable vacancy of the throne in the sky is over. From now on....I will be sitting on it."

Lucifer's greatest sin was the route sin, the sin that begins all others. That is pride. Pride was the cause and downfall of a son of the morning. That same pride he still tries to tempt us with in the hopes that he can drag us down into his dominion, that we may be miserable like him. Misery truly loves company.

I hope that you have enjoyed this post. I know that most of it was dark and sinister, but there is always the light at the end of the tunnel, the silver lining on every cloud. No matter how bad the war for souls gets, we know how it will end, good will prevail over evil. That should make it so much easier to pick a side, and be willing and have confidence for the fight ahead. I will have one more Bleach post, though it will no longer be about the main plot of the series, it will be about gems of knowledge and inspiration that I have not yet covered. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to post them below. Special thanks to bleach.wikia.com for their useful and relevant information.

Love,
Jacobugoth

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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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Bleach 1: Spirits and Shinigami

Dear Readers,

Whenever someone asks me what anime's I like, I always mention Bleach as one of my favorites. Quite a few people have not liked what the series has done, especially after Aizen was defeated. It is just a little too focused on Ichigo...

This can impose a problem, especially when they pushed it with Ichigo's mother being a Quincy, and Ichigo's powers are part Quincy as well. Thus, I understand why the anime stopped after the Fullbringer escapade. But I am thankful that they did not stop after Aizen. This is because, my main reason for loving this show, I can draw so many similarities to the gospel and the scriptures. It is amazing and fantastic, and I love it so much for that reason. I should note that I will be diving into this show very extensively to exhibit the parallels I have drawn over the years. Thus there should be a SPOILER alert! Also, some of the words or perceptions one could draw from this show are false doctrine. Therefore one should compare from the gospel as a foundation to the show, instead of the other way around, like bleach is the truth and a religion.

So, that being said, Ichigo Kurosaki is the main character and is some boy who can see spirits after his mother died. Now, this show often uses the word "soul" instead of "spirit", which is technically incorrect, because they are referring to spirits. "Soul" means spirit and body (Doctrine and Covenants 88:15).

Some classifications for the spirits that dwell among us, or in this world, are pluses (wholes, benign or nice spirits), jibakurei (earthbound spirits, usually attached to an object or place), tsukirei (possessive spirit, usually bound to a person), shinigami ("soul" or spirit reaper, sometimes translated to death god), hollow (a spirit that has lost its heart and become animalistic), and the movie Memories of Nobody introduced the concept of blanks (spirits having lost their sense of self, their memories).

I will talk about shinigami later on, and hollows in a continuing blog post. So let us focus on these others real quick. The spirit world is here on earth, as confirmed by Brigsham Young in Discourses of Brigham Young pg 576. Both wicked and righteous spirits are here, even premortal spirits. This is a jibakurei, the earthbound spirit.

The chains wrapped around this spirit are called the chains of fate. Probably so named to compare to the thread of the Fates in Greek mythology. Once cut, that life has ended. Similarly, when a plus or whole is first separated from its body, the chain of fate is the connection to the body. Once that is severed, they are truly dead. These chain are also so very similar to the chains that Jacob Marley's spirit had in A Christmas Carol.

About which, Jacob said, "I wear the chain I forged in life! I made it link by link and yard by yard! I gartered it on my own free will and by my own free will, I wore it!" Basically, that he had painstakingly crafted ring by ring with every selfish, materialistic, and vile action he had done during his life.  In a similar way, one could say that we forge our own fate, what lies beyond this life, and what our rewards will be.

Then note how both Jacob and this random jibakurei have their chains tied to objects. For Jacob, it was his objects, his chests of gold and silver, and his bank keys. For this jibakurei,  it is the surrounding building. We tie our fate those things that possess our hearts. Where our heart lies, there we will be also (Matthew 6:21).

Unlike the spirits in Scrooge's life, these Bleach ones have a hope, the shinigami. The shinigami have a power called konso, or soul burial. This allows the spirit, usually a plus, who is not bound to anything, to pass on to the next life. Also, the konso removes what little chain of fate remains, keeping encroachment at bay. Indeed, one could also compare these chains to the chains or bonds of death, which were broken by Christ by His resurrection, and because of that, they have no more hold upon us (Doctrine and Covenants 138:18, Alma 7:12).

Alas, if the shinigami do not intervene in time, the chain of fate begins to go through encroachment. Which entails the chain links to eat each other until they reach the spirit's "heart".

This causes them to become a hollow. I like to think of this encroachment as the gradual eating away at our personalities, heart and soul that addiction and obsession can have on us. More so, if we have these addictions and no physical body to satisfy them. How maddening that must be. No wonder the hollows are so animialistic, and cannibalistic.  They are trying to fill a hole they have created in their own heart from not seeking God in life.

Let us focus on the good guys for a minute, the shinigami. As I mentioned earlier, shinigami can be translated as "soul reaper" or "death god". Out of the two, I prefer soul reaper, but for arguments sake, I will compare shinigami to the servants of God, like spirit angels. "Wherefore, as it is written, they are gods, even the sons of God---" (Doctrine and Covenants 76:58). This is Kenpachi Zaraki, one of the shinigami captains.

Since they are spirits, they are robed with spirit matter, and indeed are made of spirit matter called reishi. Thus their swords, or ausuchi, are swords of spirit, and are made by molding spirits or reishi together, in the same way we, in the physical world, mold iron and carbon together, folding it over and over again, making a steel katana (Japanese sword). I think that it is interesting how the term it literally "folding" steel. John Taylor said, "It is true intelligence for a man to take a subject that is mysterious and great in itself and to unfold and simplify it so that a child could understand it." (Italics added) Almost like, as we study the word of God, which I will soon compare to these swords of the spirit, we gain that simple stability by truly understanding the doctrines contained in the scriptures, and then "fold" them, whether that is unfolding to share, to folding over to grow our own understanding.

In Ephesians 6:11-17, there is a description of the armor of God.
"11. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about the truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15. And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16. Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:"

Then Isaiah 59:17 says:
"For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak."

Now, we have a bunch of different descriptions of the armor of God, and obviously, Kenpachi, does not have all of those things, but I would like to makes further comparisons describing them all.

So, Kenpachi has his sword, which can be compared to the "word of God". In Doctrine and Covenants 12:2 it says: "Behold, I am God; give heed to my word, which is quick and powerful, sharper than a two-edge sword, to the dividing asunder of both joints and marrow; therefore, give heed unto my word." Therefore, comparing their swordsmanship and power as learning the word of God.

Notice that Kenpachi has a belt or obi sash holding his robes up, kind of like being "girt about" by truth, or rather hiding his nakedness. Then his robes or shihakusho (garment of dead souls) could be considered the "garments of vengeance" because shinigami can be very wrathful and could potentially be the righteous dead who serve God. His captain's cloak, a cloak of zeal, or enthusiasm. Then there is their foot wear.

Essentially, painstakingly tied and built rope and bamboo shoes called waraji. Though they are likely uncomfortable, they serve their purpose, to be light, ready for speed, and provide protection for the foot. Or, a foot "shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace". Wouldn't this be considered preparation? So, the gospel of peace is what we need to use to be prepared. Though the gospel brings us peace, it may not be the most "comfortable" of commandments, or life to live. But it is the safest and best solution for the tasks we are all called to do here in this life.

Shinigami also have an ability they can develop called flash step. It is a way to run, move, or jump, at high speeds. Though this is not specifically correlated with the feet, it is not a far leap to say that if we are prepared, we will be able to accomplish tasks with greater ease, more smoothly, and even more quickly as opposed to not being prepared. Indeed, without preparation, we will likely stumble and fall.

This leaves us with: Breastplate of righteousness, shield of faith, and helmet of salvation.
These are less literal representations, for the most part, in this show.

I will liken the breastplate to their reiatsu, or spirit pressure. It is a force that emanates from their reiryoku, or spirit power. President Thomas S. Monson, who is the current Prophet of the Church of Latter-day Saints has said, "Prayer continues to provide power---spiritual power. Prayer continues to provide peace--spiritual peace."

Thus, as we pray, we can build up our reiryoku, spirit power, and that allows us to have reiatsu, spirit pressure, or breastplate of righteousness. In Kenpachi's case, his reiatsu was so strong that a sword could hit his body, and not cut him. It is interesting to note that in Bleach, their reiryoku is directly aligned with their spiritual sensitivity and willpower. Almost like, prayer, and our communicating with God, helps us grow closer to the Spirit of God, and all the powers available therewith, as well as strengthens us against temptation. Thus we will choose to be more righteous and produce that "breastplate of righteousness", or reiatsu.

As for the shield of faith, it relates in a really round about away. For shinigami, their ausuchi can have powers. For Kenpachi, he has so much reiryoku, that his ausuchi is permantly locked in a state called a shikai. It is the next step in the sword's forging. It can only be released by the shinigami who owns the ausuchi, and its powers are connected to innermost desires of that individual. For Ichigo, this state was unlocked when he was stabbed with his own ausuchi, allowing direct communcation with the spirit withing the sword. If the sword is indeed the Spirit, or the word of God, it makes sense that sometimes we have to have it strike us to our very heart in order to accept it. Though most shinigami obtain this power through meditation and communicating with the zampakuto spirit inside. This is a less violent and miraculous means of gaining the same result or testimony. Almost, like we are supposed to meditate and ponder upon the word of God to gain its power. Or, like in the most recent General Conference, "ponderize". (Oct 2015 General Conference "My Heart Pondereth Them Continually" by Devin G. Durrant)

The fullness of the shikai can be unlocked, by learning the zampakuto's name. Again, it is more of a reflection of one's innermost thoughts and desires, but is itself a separate entity. I will talk more about zampukto in my next Bleach post.

Again, even knowing the name of your zampakuto is not necessarily enough. It takes "resolve" to cut effectively with it. This resolve can be expounded with the comparison to the word of God. We need to be resolved, not confused or confounded, or even doubtful, as to whether or not the scriptures are the word of God. Nor in what they mean to us. This resolve, allows us to effectively use and live by the word of God. (Below is Ichigo, with his shikai, gaining resolve)

The next step in the ausuchi's evolution, or more accurately, metamorphisis, is the bankai. This next stage multiplies the power exponentially. The bankai stage is obtain through acknowledging a certain truth, that the power is not just in the sword, but is also within us. With the comparison to the word of God, Yes, the word has power, but only if we use it and live by it. Thus the power is really in us, just as when, if we have the Holy Ghost, that is because we have allowed the Holy Ghost into us. It is apart of us, and touches the light of Christ within us. Basically, unlocking our own power, our own potential as children of God. It took Ichigo quite a while, battling his own zampakuto, before he realized that the power was within himself, allowing him to fight his zampakuto with Ichigo's own shikai.

I would like to note here, that with Ichigo's bankai, not only did his sword change, but his clothes as well, but not the sandals. The gospel never changes, but our ability to apply it does. We strengthen our breastplate, our zeal, and the truth that we have.

Now for how this applies to the shield of faith. Above is Ichigo fighting another shinigami's bankai with his own. Though, his opponent's bankai involves thousands of tiny swords that reflect light to shine like cherry blossoms and though there were so many blades swarming him, and only having one sword, his new powers gave him enough speed to create an effective, blade shield from the blossoms. This is the shield, and it relies entirely on faith that what they are trying to attempt is possible. Not just faith in the word of God, or the sword, but also faith in one's self. Even Ichigo's opponent here, Byakuya Kuchiki, has a safe zone that he creates with his blossoms. Creating a nearly impenetrable shield around himself.

Thus the saying, "The best defense is having a good offense." We can apply this in acknowledging that if we stand idly by, not using the word of God, we loose our defense, and become vulnerable to the fiery darts of the adversary, sin, misery, and despair.

The next topic of shinigami powers I would like to touch on is kido (spell or demon arts). Now, I am not necessarily saying that magic and spells are in the gospel, at least with the connotations that the presently have in our society, but the basic idea of spells are. When a priesthood holder gives a blessing, they are using words to summon or exercise God's power. Even when we pray we are asking for divine intervention, though often in small degrees. Thus, the words we use can act like a "spell" when God is with us.

Now there are three basic types of kido: Bakudo (way of binding), Hado (way of destruction), Kaido (healing kido).

Bakudo is usually associated in barriers and "seals". As an example of a barrier, we have Byakuya's danku, which acts like a wall.

 How often do we pray for protection from evil? How often do we seek strength to stand fast in the face of adversity? Does it not take faith to rely upon God during those troubled times? Indeed, these barriers can also be considered part or aspect of the shield of faith.

Now, as for the "seals" I have placed the word in quotations because it needs to be further defined. These are not like the sealings we do in the temple, binding one person to another. That comparison I will make a little later on. These "seals" are also not hand gestures, like the seals in Naruto, though hand seals can be applied to kido, as exhibited by Hachigen Ushoda, who is a visored. I rather think of hand seals used for kido like a sign language of prayer. They say that, "actions speak louder than words" and what better way than have actions as words. Though, as I said, that is not the kind of seals we are talking about right now. These seals are bindings upon others. Literal restraints. For example, here is the spell sai used on Ichigo.

It is for "spells" or "seals" like this that the translation of kido as demon arts makes more sense. While the barrier can be applied to God easily, these seals are directly taking away someone else's agency. This is exactly what the Devil and his angels, called demons, want. They want dominion over us, and to rule and reign while we are in subjection to them. Those of us who have and use the priesthood of God often times forget that Satan has his own priesthood, his own "honor" over those in his grasp, and he uses that power to cripple and bring people down.

I think that is enough of that dark business, so let us move on to hado. Hado can be compared duo fold, similar to bakudo's seals and barriers. One could look at hado, or attack spells, in a good way, fighting against our opponent. Like missionary work and sharing the gospel is in our world. Not just standing passively by, trying to save ourselves, but to fight back against the "fiery darts of the adversary". A "strike for Zion" like the hymn, Hope of Israel, depicts. Do we not pray for missionary opportunities which are chances to strike back?

On the other side, comparing this to the Devil's priesthood again, it would be the very "fiery darts" that need to be quenched by our shields of faith. Much like the appearance of Urahara's, another character, senjukotentaiho.

There is also a higher order of hado, called gisei hado, meaning sacrificial way of destruction. This I relate completely to the good aspect of hado. Gisei hado require a sacrifice of part of one's body. I am not condoning actually sacrificing an arm or a leg. I am merely saying that the aspect of sacrifice in combination with sharing the gospel or prayer, like the sacrifice of food when fasting, amplifies the power of the prayer. Like when Yama-jin (the head captain of the shinigami armies) used itto kaso on Aizen (the main antagonist of the series). He, Yama-jin, sacrificed his own arm in an attempt to kill Aizen. The attack displayed as a giant flaming tip of a sword, which again, was like a manifestation of the sword of the Spirit. (Note: the size scale, those are buildings at the bottom)

Next there is kaido, the healing kido. This, most simply can be expressed as a healing blessing given by a priesthood holder, or a prayer on behalf of someone that is ill. There is immense healing power, and sometimes we forget just how powerful a miracle God can perform through us His mortal instruments.

Some general aspect of kido that I would like to cover are eishohaki, niju eisho, and kojutsu eisho. Eishohaki is an unspoken spell, like the song of the heart, or simply having a prayer in one's heart. Niju eisho is a twofold incantation, meaning that there is spoken words as well as the prayer of the heart. In essence, we can say whatever we want to say in prayers, but unless our heart, emotion, and desire is behind those words, it is vain. Kojutsu eisho are words spoken after the initial incantation and are used for strengthening the spell or kido. This can easily be applied to prayer, in that, we pour out our whole soul to God, and though me might not receive an answer immediately, continue to ponder and pray throughout the coming day/s, months or years to strengthen our resolve when the answer finally comes.

Next I would like to mention shunko. Shunko is an attack that involves using kido with one's body for an attack. Essentially using kido to power up martial arts. To me, this makes so much sense from the spiritual aspect. Why would we pray and ask for God's favor and help if we did not act our part as well. Indeed, when shunko is used properly, the clothes across the shoulders and back of the neck are burnt off, like a mantle of fire, electricity or light, from God, being placed upon the individual, giving sanction to their actions. In Helaman 10:5 it says, "...I will make thee mighty in word and in deed, in faith and in works; yea, and that all things shall be done unto thee according to thy word, for thou shalt not ask that which is contrary to my will." Is this not what we are all striving for? To be so trusted by God that we can command and do as though we were Him. Our very actions and desires being so aligned with God's will, that He will let us go forth exercising His power in such abundance. Indeed, this is what the shunko symbolizes to me, and it is exquisite.

Now, I promised that I would relate the comparison of temple sealings. Temple sealings bind individuals together, for time and all eternity. They create a bond that death itself cannot destroy nor break. Is is the bonds that connect us all one to another that I wish to talk about. In Bleach, there is reiraku, which can be translated and spirit ribbons. These are generally white, representing humans, and are a bond from one human to another. All humans, specifically their spirits, are tied one to another as spirit children of God. Shinigami have red reiraku. Since I am somewhat comparing shinigami to spiritual angels or servants of God, this red ribbon could easily be considered being washed in the blood of Christ (Isaiah 1:18, 1 John 1:7).

Though the series does not talk much more about these spirit ribbons, I have drawn my own comparisons. First, since these ribbons are compared to cloth, there are different types of cloth. Silk, cotton, and polyester just to name a few. Each has its own strength, texture, and stability. Like the different relationships we have. Our relationship with our spouse might be more of a silk, and a relationship with a friend could be more of a cotton. Then there is the durability of the ribbons. Some might be easily cut or broken, others are stronger and more durable. The sealings in the temple, between a husband and wife, parents and children, are the strongest bonds or ribbons that I am currently aware of.

The greatest aspect of this ribbon comparison, at least for me, is that one can find someone through these ribbons. My mother, being a genealogist, would compare following the ribbons from one generation to the next to unite the whole human family as one solid cloth, like strings in a tapestry. However, I have always been more of a friend seeker. I want and desire friendship, and want to hold on to those bonds as long as possible. I want to know that I am not alone, that I am connected to others. Though the bonds of friendship often break, by holding onto the remnants, and growing from them, we can strengthen the bonds that we do have, and learn to make others.

Indeed, though I don't often believe it (or act like I believe it) myself, I have testified, and felt the power of the Holy Ghost while doing so, that friendships are a bond that have the potential to last forever. For those members of the church that have served missions, they will find that hardly a day goes by that they did not think of something from their mission. This continues throughout the rest of their lives. If our mortal life is our great mission throughout all eternity, then will we not be thinking and pondering about events that transpired here throughout that eternity. The friendships we made, our interactions with mankind, the activities we enjoyed, and lessons we learned. I am not saying that friendships will last forever, just that they have that potential, if that bond is continually sustained.

With this note, I am ending this Bleach post. A big shout out to bleach.wikia.com for their useful information about terms and their definitions. My next installment will include zampakuto and hollows, including arrancar. I hope that you have learned and grew in your faith and understanding as I have. I hope that you too will find ways to apply gospel principles to those things that you watch or do simply to be "entertained". As always, I would love to hear your comments and know your opinions.

Love,
Jacobugoth

Next Post: Bleach 2: Zampakuto and Hollows