Avatar:Immortality
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"Those who grow, live and die. The stagnant pool is immortal, while the clear flowing river dies an uncountable number of deaths."
Immortality is a topic that has garnered considerable interest around the world. Two people are known who claimed to have discovered ways to become immortal: Lao Ge and Hundun. Their methods differed considerably and have not been fully confirmed to work, although both lived far beyond regular human lifespans.
Background
Spirits are de facto immortal, as they can lose their forms and even their personalities, but not truly die.[2] Accordingly, humans have the potential to become spirits and no longer be bound to their mortal bodies. However, such humans usually die before transcending to spirithood, or gradually lose their old selfs due to becoming spirits.[3] In contrast, only a handful of spirits were capable of assuming physical forms in the mortal world, and doing so required them to give up their immortality.[4]
Secret to immortality
Accordingly, people have tried to find other ways to become immortal for centuries. Lao Ge, also known as Tieguai the Immortal, claimed to have unlocked the secret at some point; it was rumored that he was more than two hundred years old.[5] He even hinted at being more than four thousand years old by the 3rd century BG.[6] He had numerous disciples, most of whom hoped to become immortal themselves.[1][7] One of his disciples was Avatar Kyoshi, who learned his methods[1] and went on to live for 230 years.[8][9]
Hundun claimed to have unlocked the secret of immortality during his exile in the Spirit World, where he spent thousands of years. He tried to use the method by killing Avatar Korra, but was destroyed by her.[10]
A number of pieces of literature allegedly also contain information on immortality. These included the "Book of Legacy", the "Scroll of Knowledge",[11] and a restricted scroll kept by the Fire Sages in the Dragonbone Catacombs. The latter text was studied by Sozin in his youth while seeking the secret of immortality.[12]
Methods
Lao Ge's method was focused on keeping order in one's body. As aging was the result of the body deteriorating on "the smallest, most invisible levels" without repairing this damage, Lao Ge argued that one could stop this process by keeping an inventory of one's parts and putting all things which had fallen out of order back into their places. To do so, there was no need for deeper spirituality; the method was instead focused on using one's mind, for example through concentrated mediation. However, Lao Ge's method essentially meant that an individual had to choose one state - at which point the inventory was created - and maintain it forever. The body would no longer grow or change.[1]
Hundun claimed that one could become immortal by extracting the chi of an Avatar, which would kill the latter in the process.[10]
The restricted scroll in the Dragonbone Catacombs contained information on an alleged firebending technique which reportedly could prolong life, a technique even rarer than blue fire, fire breathing, and lightning generation. However, the scroll's veracity remained debated.[12]
Trivia
- According to F. C. Yee, Lao Ge's immortality technique was not exclusive to earthbenders but rather a meditation technique that anyone can learn.[13]
References
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