waterscroll (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
waterscroll) wrote2019-12-25 11:03 am
waterscroll) wrote2019-12-25 11:03 am
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SLBP Nobunaga Act 2 up to chapter 3
Mostly writing this as notes for overthinking later...
It's chapter 3 and Nobunaga is talking religion with the (evil) monk Kennyo. It's already been established that Kennyo is running a cult milking people for money. Also that Nobunaga has no use for gods or the Buddha because everyone should just follow him. Then they have this conversation over tea:
Kennyo: It is my sacred duty to bring salvation to the people through the healing of the Sacred Teachings of the Buddha. Do you honestly believe that one such as you, who so opposes him, could ever be the salvation of those who suffer?
Mitsuhide: Did you not join the priesthood because you believe that you have that power?
Kennyo: Unfortunately, I regret to say that I do not have that much pride.
Nobunaga: Why are you preaching something that even you cannot believe in, then?
Kennyo: Because I don't want anyone to know the truth of this world. Is saving people through white lies a bad thing? Who would be happy to hear that they will never be healed of what ails them? Everyone wants to believe that the power of belief is enough to do something for them. This world needs that kind of saving.
Nobunaga:...So you tell people knowing exactly what you're doing, then.
It's odd, although Nobunaga is kind of bitter here, it seems that he's seeing Kennyo as a kind of kindred spirit. Someone who has a vision for the world that requires him to be in control. After the conversation Nobunaga rages quietly, saying he can't condone what Kennyo is doing or how he does it, since the Buddha can't save anyone.
Then the tea master steps in:
Sen no Rikyu: Then I ask you, once you have everything in your hands, will you be able to give them the salvation they seek?...All humans are moral beings. No matter how many times they save and are saved, a man's mortal life is bound to end. That is why we seek it in eternity.
Nobunaga doesn't understand, but Sen no Rikyo tells the MC that she's the only one with the power to stop him. But she doesn't want to. She says that she believes in him.
At the end of the scene Mitsuhide remarks that this is something of a false choice, there are other Buddhists in the world who aren't like Kennyo. But for all his devoutness Mitsuhide doesn't have the ability to explain what that would be like, at least not in the linear non-poetic terms that would work for Nobunaga. All he can do is hope for a truce between Nobunaga and the monks.
SLBP is set in a crapsack universe in which everyone and everything is terrible, and apparently the terribleness goes all the way down. The available choices here are to believe in illusions or to futilely attempt to make yourself a god. If there's another possibility, these characters can't figure it out.
It's chapter 3 and Nobunaga is talking religion with the (evil) monk Kennyo. It's already been established that Kennyo is running a cult milking people for money. Also that Nobunaga has no use for gods or the Buddha because everyone should just follow him. Then they have this conversation over tea:
Kennyo: It is my sacred duty to bring salvation to the people through the healing of the Sacred Teachings of the Buddha. Do you honestly believe that one such as you, who so opposes him, could ever be the salvation of those who suffer?
Mitsuhide: Did you not join the priesthood because you believe that you have that power?
Kennyo: Unfortunately, I regret to say that I do not have that much pride.
Nobunaga: Why are you preaching something that even you cannot believe in, then?
Kennyo: Because I don't want anyone to know the truth of this world. Is saving people through white lies a bad thing? Who would be happy to hear that they will never be healed of what ails them? Everyone wants to believe that the power of belief is enough to do something for them. This world needs that kind of saving.
Nobunaga:...So you tell people knowing exactly what you're doing, then.
It's odd, although Nobunaga is kind of bitter here, it seems that he's seeing Kennyo as a kind of kindred spirit. Someone who has a vision for the world that requires him to be in control. After the conversation Nobunaga rages quietly, saying he can't condone what Kennyo is doing or how he does it, since the Buddha can't save anyone.
Then the tea master steps in:
Sen no Rikyu: Then I ask you, once you have everything in your hands, will you be able to give them the salvation they seek?...All humans are moral beings. No matter how many times they save and are saved, a man's mortal life is bound to end. That is why we seek it in eternity.
Nobunaga doesn't understand, but Sen no Rikyo tells the MC that she's the only one with the power to stop him. But she doesn't want to. She says that she believes in him.
At the end of the scene Mitsuhide remarks that this is something of a false choice, there are other Buddhists in the world who aren't like Kennyo. But for all his devoutness Mitsuhide doesn't have the ability to explain what that would be like, at least not in the linear non-poetic terms that would work for Nobunaga. All he can do is hope for a truce between Nobunaga and the monks.
SLBP is set in a crapsack universe in which everyone and everything is terrible, and apparently the terribleness goes all the way down. The available choices here are to believe in illusions or to futilely attempt to make yourself a god. If there's another possibility, these characters can't figure it out.
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It's odd, although Nobunaga is kind of bitter here, it seems that he's seeing Kennyo as a kind of kindred spirit. Someone who has a vision for the world that requires him to be in control. After the conversation Nobunaga rages quietly, saying he can't condone what Kennyo is doing or how he does it, since the Buddha can't save anyone.
This is a good point. They both want to save the world and their vision of the world just coincidentally benefits them. The way vision entangles with personal ambition in this route is very interesting.
If there's another possibility, these characters can't figure it out.
I think Rikyu's acceptance of the world as flawed and looking for beauty in it offers the third possibility. But I can't see Nobunaga or Kennyo accepting that, especially since you can't really build a political movement off of that.
no subject