Summary
Author Masashi Kishimoto is renowned forincorporating Eastern mythologiesinto his works, andNarutois a prime example of this phenomenon. The series is laced with inspiration from Buddhism and Shintoism, with several major characters based on entities from these religions. From Tailed Beasts to the concept of Chakra itself, almost every single aspect of the anime can be traced back to Eastern religions and mythos.
The series' two most prominent characters,Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha, are no exception as their characters are based on two major entities of the Buddhist religion. Considering their place within theNarutoseries, it comes as no surprise that these two characters are based on the two most notable beings within Buddhism, Buddha and Mara, representing their beliefs and the ideals they propagated.
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Hashirama – the Enlightened One
Hashirama Senju is the personification of Buddha, the propagator of enlightenment and achieving a higher plane of existence. Buddha’s teaching forward the notion of pursuing love, compassion, and enlightenment, and that the bitter reality of life must be overcome to reach the plane of enlightenment. His teachings united many as they spread far and wide, earning a status of a savior among his followers. However, he never cared for such banal titles and only worked towards bringing humanity closer to enlightenment and maintaining peace among the lands.
Hashirama Senju’s role in the series presents him in a similar light to Buddha as he too had overcome hatred and worldly temptations. Hashirama was able to create peace among the lands, though it was temporary as he couldn’t maintain peace amongthe Five Great Nations, nor within his own nation. This is akin to Buddha’s predicament as was never able to save all of humanity from ignorance and temptation, despite achieving enlightenment himself.
A few ofHashirama’s techniques and abilitiesare also direct references to Buddhist mythology. Wood Style: Laughing Buddha Jutsu references Budai, a venerated figure of Buddhism in Vietnam, Korea, and Japan. His joyous nature earned him the moniker of the Laughing Buddha, which lives on to this day. Sage Art Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands is a technique influenced by Avalokitasvara, a Bodhisattva (a person enroute to reaching Buddhahood) known for his compassion. The thousand hands reference his devotion to freeing all humans from the temptations of this world, earning him a thousand hands to help those in need.
Madara – the Propagator of Illusion
Buddhist cosmology deems Mara as the personification of all forces that oppose enlightenment. In short, Mara bars humans from achieving enlightenment by leading them away through carnal desires and temptations of pleasure. While Mara is generally acknowledged as any force that opposes light, some sects of Buddhism believe Mara to be an actual entity. This entity tried to sway Buddha from his path of enlightenment using his own three daughters, which alluded to thirst, greed, and discontentment.
Madara Uchiha’s plans of keeping human beings inan eternal genjutsuare similar to Mara’s plans of trapping humans in the Samsara of life through the temptation of pleasure. Madara was never liked by people as they feared and dreaded his presence, similar to the hatred and detest Mara received from people of his time. Another similarity between the two is their use of manipulation and lies to gain followers, since neither one could understand the true meaning of compassion.
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No matter how hard Mara tried to take on Buddha’s place, he was never able to emulate the influence Buddha had on his followers. This is akin to Madara imbuing himself with Hashirama’s powers, yet he was never able to successfully take his place or even come anywhere near to defeating him. The two share many parallels, yet the defining similarity is their willingness to plunge humanity into arealm of eternal bliss, where one is guided by their own pleasures and temptations.
Madara and Hashirama – Two Sides of Enlightenment
While Buddha and Mara are viewed as two entities that existed physically, they can also be seen as two paths that guide people. A person can achieve enlightenment by following the path of Budhha, yet the very same person can fall victim to Mara’s temptations. Even Buddha himself could have been seduced from the path of righteousness. Some variations of Buddhism even believe that Mara eventually converted and became a Buddha, forgoing his carnal desires.
Hashirama and Madara’s constant tusslefor power and influence runs parallel to Buddha and Mara. At one point, Madara even joined the path of enlightenment, yet he was swayed once more. Despite opposing views, Buddha never considered Mara a foe, similar to how Hashirama always extended his arm for Madara to grasp and join the right path. It’s worth noting that neither side was good or evil, as the two simply had opposing beliefs as to how human beings should carry on with their lives. This alludes to the Will of Fire and the Curse of Hatred, two beliefs for maintaining peace among mankind, yet only one remained triumphant in the end.
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