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Chapter 12: What is a God?
It was an early summer's day as I sat next to the captain as he drank a small cup of saki. It had only been a few weeks since Ichirou's and the Captain's duel. Since then, the captain finally recognized me as a Lieutenant of squad 6. I have recently been given further responsibilities since my formal ceremony. I now command and give orders to the squad and formally present messages from the captain. I go on missions now but only as the leader of a party. The captain still feels uncomfortable allowing me to go by myself until I had mastered my shikai.
For the first time since we met, the captain and I had extended conversations and I often relaxed with him. Our conversations were never overly serious. Most of the time we talked only about the squad and of how we were doing. I was surprised to find the captain very humble and relaxed about his position. Most captains that receive such respect and have such power are either very self-centered or demand respect. I guess he acted a lot like captain Kyoraku in that aspect. However, he was always conscientious of what he was doing and though he could be relaxed, when on duty he was stern and actually quite formidable.
Though as we talked and joked, I couldn't help but think about something, until I blurted it out.
"Captain, when your Lord Kuchiki challenged you, he called you a god. Forgive my ignorance, but what exactly did he mean by that?" I asked.
"He implied that I have great power and I am treated like a god," He replied, changing his attitude when his brother was mentioned.
"Thank you, but that wasn't what I meant."
"What did you mean then?"
"What is a god?" I asked. He looked at me for a moment in confusions. Then looked up.
"A god is a concept not normally used by soul reapers. A god, by definition is a being with beyond natural powers. A god is often a guardian or protector of those that worship it. God are the bases of human religions. Some gods are benign, some are malevolent. Some are incomprehensible beings, some are human like. Those in japan believe there are millions of gods, while many humans believe there is one god that is all powerful, all knowing and omnipresent. A perfect being," he replied.
"Why have I never heard of such a thing?"
"Soul reapers do not believe in gods. Gods are normally rulers of the afterlife and are spiritual in nature. Since we live in the afterlife and there is no such being around us, most soul reapers do not believe there is such a god."
"Do you believe in a god?"
"I believe there is something beyond our existence, Yes."
"What do you mean?"
"Look at our existence. We live in a so called after life. Yet we can die. But what about Hueco mundo, the soul society, and hell? How did these places come into existance? How can this be an afterlife when people can be born and die here? I do not believe this is an afterlife per say. The only true afterlife I know of is Hell, where those who enter must suffer for eternity. But hueco mundo and the soul society, and even the realm of the spirit king, are all just alternate planes of existence. When humans die they join us, but our world would continue without their's. What if, when we die in this plane, we enter a true afterlife? And we come face to face, with a true God, if you will call it that. What if this realm, is just to purify us?"
I was astounded by the captain's response. I was unable to respond. I had no idea the captain was so deep. In just a few words, my mind went into a spin. My entire worldview changed. I barely knew this world, and yet the Captain made me think of an existence far larger then what I could comprehend. He looked at me, seeing my mind was in a whirl.
"But that is only my theory. Forgive me if I have only confused you further," he said as he looked at me with concern.
"No, it's alright. Just made me think a little. Maybe you are right. Now I am just curious, of what that place is like, and what that god is like," I replied.
"I guess we will never find out. Not in this plane of existence anyway," he replied as the sun began to set and we left each other to prepare for the next day.
Chapter 12: What is a God?
It was an early summer's day as I sat next to the captain as he drank a small cup of saki. It had only been a few weeks since Ichirou's and the Captain's duel. Since then, the captain finally recognized me as a Lieutenant of squad 6. I have recently been given further responsibilities since my formal ceremony. I now command and give orders to the squad and formally present messages from the captain. I go on missions now but only as the leader of a party. The captain still feels uncomfortable allowing me to go by myself until I had mastered my shikai.
For the first time since we met, the captain and I had extended conversations and I often relaxed with him. Our conversations were never overly serious. Most of the time we talked only about the squad and of how we were doing. I was surprised to find the captain very humble and relaxed about his position. Most captains that receive such respect and have such power are either very self-centered or demand respect. I guess he acted a lot like captain Kyoraku in that aspect. However, he was always conscientious of what he was doing and though he could be relaxed, when on duty he was stern and actually quite formidable.
Though as we talked and joked, I couldn't help but think about something, until I blurted it out.
"Captain, when your Lord Kuchiki challenged you, he called you a god. Forgive my ignorance, but what exactly did he mean by that?" I asked.
"He implied that I have great power and I am treated like a god," He replied, changing his attitude when his brother was mentioned.
"Thank you, but that wasn't what I meant."
"What did you mean then?"
"What is a god?" I asked. He looked at me for a moment in confusions. Then looked up.
"A god is a concept not normally used by soul reapers. A god, by definition is a being with beyond natural powers. A god is often a guardian or protector of those that worship it. God are the bases of human religions. Some gods are benign, some are malevolent. Some are incomprehensible beings, some are human like. Those in japan believe there are millions of gods, while many humans believe there is one god that is all powerful, all knowing and omnipresent. A perfect being," he replied.
"Why have I never heard of such a thing?"
"Soul reapers do not believe in gods. Gods are normally rulers of the afterlife and are spiritual in nature. Since we live in the afterlife and there is no such being around us, most soul reapers do not believe there is such a god."
"Do you believe in a god?"
"I believe there is something beyond our existence, Yes."
"What do you mean?"
"Look at our existence. We live in a so called after life. Yet we can die. But what about Hueco mundo, the soul society, and hell? How did these places come into existance? How can this be an afterlife when people can be born and die here? I do not believe this is an afterlife per say. The only true afterlife I know of is Hell, where those who enter must suffer for eternity. But hueco mundo and the soul society, and even the realm of the spirit king, are all just alternate planes of existence. When humans die they join us, but our world would continue without their's. What if, when we die in this plane, we enter a true afterlife? And we come face to face, with a true God, if you will call it that. What if this realm, is just to purify us?"
I was astounded by the captain's response. I was unable to respond. I had no idea the captain was so deep. In just a few words, my mind went into a spin. My entire worldview changed. I barely knew this world, and yet the Captain made me think of an existence far larger then what I could comprehend. He looked at me, seeing my mind was in a whirl.
"But that is only my theory. Forgive me if I have only confused you further," he said as he looked at me with concern.
"No, it's alright. Just made me think a little. Maybe you are right. Now I am just curious, of what that place is like, and what that god is like," I replied.
"I guess we will never find out. Not in this plane of existence anyway," he replied as the sun began to set and we left each other to prepare for the next day.
