“Quit, Don’t Quit; Noodles, Don’t Noodles”: Daoism and Kung Fu Panda
Hailey Milner wrote this essay for her ‘religions of the world’ class at Grand Valley State University in Fall ‘2019.
The Kung Fu Panda movie trilogy shows the many ideas of Daoism and Confucianism. The overall messages of the movies tend to focus more on Daoism, but there are aspects of Confucianism shown in the movie. These aspects can be seen in Po deciding between Kung Fu and the noodle shop, the conversation about control that Master Shifu and Master Oogway have, the concept of wu-wei and how it is incorporated in all three movies, and the idea of reaching immortality. The Kung Fu Panda movies argue in favor of Daoism and push away from Confucianism.
A distinction between Daoism and Confucianism can be seen in the noodle shop that Po’s father, Mr. Ping, owns. At the beginning of the movie, Mr. Ping is glad to hear that Po has had the “noodle dream,” which means he is ready to take over the shop and learn the secret ingredient to the famous secret ingredient soup.[1]Mr. Ping is excited for Po to take over the shop from him and explains, “I took it over from my father, who took it over from his father…” This shows the tradition used in Confucianism and how everyone should stay where they are to keep society functioning.[2]With the ideas of Confucianism, Po is supposed to take over the noodle shop and pass it down when the time is right. Instead, Po follows the ideas of Daoism.
Po does not want to run the noodle shop. Po dreams of learning Kung Fu and fight alongside the Furious Five. When Po learns that the Dragon Warrior is going to be chosen, he rushes to see who it will be. Mr. Ping asks Po to take the noodle cart to sell noodles there and Po agrees, not wanting to upset his dad.[3]This causes Po to be late and unable to see the festivities. Po decides to abandon the noodle cart to try to see the show. By abandoning his tradition in the pursuit of going with who he really is, Po is showing ideals of Daoism and stepping away from Confucianism.[4]Through these actions, Po becomes the Dragon Warrior and sets down the new path he has chosen.
In the first movie, Master Shifu and Master Oogway have a discussion about Po being the Dragon Warrior. Shifu insists that it most be a mistake or an accident, but Master Oogway states that there are no accidents.[5]This can be related to the idea of the de and wu-wei. The energy of the universe placed Po in the spot of the Dragon Warrior and to go against that would be going against the ideas of wu-wei, which is about noninterference.[6]
This continues to a conversation about control with Oogway explaining that there are no accidents. Oogway explains that he can not make the peach tree blossom or bear fruit before it is ready. Shifu retorts that there are things that can be controlled like when the fruit falls or where the seeds are planted. Oogway finalizes by saying that no matter what is done, the tree will still grow to be a peach tree, instead of any other kind of tree and that great things can happen if it is helped and nurtured.[7]This shows differences between Daoism and Confucianism. Oogway argues the point of Daoism and that nature will take its course.[8]Shifu argues the point of Confucianism and that everything has order. [9]
The ideas of wu-wei are seen a lot in these movies. In the first movie, there is a prophecy that Tai-Lung is going to escape from prison.[10]Master Shifu panics and sends a messenger to double the guards to prevent the escape. This goes against wu-wei and disrupts the balance. Tai-Lung then is able to escape because of the messenger. Shifu caused the very thing he feared by interfering. This also can be seen in Po. Po can not fight well with normal training, but when he does well when he acts naturally. When Po follows wu-wei he succeeds because it is natural to him, instead of staying with the traditional way of fighting which he fails at.
This is seen again in the second movie when the villain, Lord Shen, is told a prophecy that his rise to power will be stopped by a panda. To prevent this, Lord Shen goes to kill all of the pandas.[11]This causes Po to be hidden in a radish cart and sent to Mr. Ping. This overall leads to Po becoming the Dragon Warrior and defeating Lord Shen. Lord Shen interfered and it brought on his downfall. Shen disrupted the balance and the de corrected it.
The third movie also shows wu-wei in the panda village. The pandas roll everywhere and explain that they let the mountain decide where they need to go.[12]To prepare for the fight in the village, each panda is trained in a way that fits their personalities. Some pandas roll into enemies, while another one hugs his enemies to incapacitate them. A line that is stated multiple times in the movie is, “I’m not trying to turn you into me; I’m trying to turn you into you.”[13]This is said when both Po and Shifu try to teach others that it is important to be your own person and to follow what feels natural for you.
All three movies focus on the importance of being yourself and doing what feels natural. The whole idea of wu-wei is going with the flow and the movies stress this. [14]
Anytime Po fails, it is because he is trying to be like someone else or is unsure on who he is. Po then succeeds when he accepts himself and goes with what feels natural.
One of the ways in Daoism to reach immortality is seen in the Kung Fu Panda movies. The use of meditation and strengthening ones lifeforce is seen through Master Oogway and Master Shifu.[15]Both are seen meditating throughout the movies and the second movie discusses the topic of inner peace. Master Shifu explains that Master Oogway found inner peace and in the first movie, Master Oogway was able to persist after his body died in the spirit world through spiritual essence. Throughout the first movie, Master Shifu works on finding inner peace, and finds it by the second movie.
Through the second movie, Po works to find inner peace, but is held back by thoughts of the past and figuring out who he was.[16]Po is so worried about his past that he can not focus on what is happening in his present. Po meditates on the events of the past and is able to let go. Po is able to find inner peace by letting go of the past and focusing on who he is now.
The third movie shows the spirit world where Oogway lives. The villain, Kai, also is in the spirit world. He steals the qi of Oogway and other Kung Fu masters to return to the mortal realm.[17]Po defeats Kai by trapping him in the spirit world once he learned to channel qi. Po is able to leave the spirit world as he has mastered qi.
The Kung Fu Panda movies focus on moving away from the tradition of Confucianism and moving towards the Daoism ideas of doing what feels natural. This is seen in Po leaving the noodle shop and learning Kung Fu. The idea of control versus nature is seen in the conversation between Oogway and Shifu. The concept of wu-wei is seen throughout these movies with characters both embracing or going against the natural flow. Finally, the concept of immortality and qi are shown through Oogway and the third movie. The Kung Fu Panda movies show the many ideas of Daoism and Confucianism.
Work Cited
Esposito, John L., Darrell J. Fasching, and Todd T. Lewis. World Religions Today. Sixthed. Oxford
University Press, 2018.
Kung Fu Panda. DreamWorks, 2008.
Kung Fu Panda 2. DreamWorks, 2011.
Kung Fu Panda 3. DreamWorks, 2016.
[1]Kung Fu Panda. DreamWorks, 2008.
[2]Esposito, John L., Darrell J. Fasching, and Todd T. Lewis. World Religions Today. Sixthed. Oxford
[3]Kung Fu Panda. DreamWorks, 2008.
[4]Esposito, John L., Darrell J. Fasching, and Todd T. Lewis. World Religions Today. Sixthed. Oxford
University Press, 2018.
[5]Kung Fu Panda. DreamWorks, 2008.
[6]Esposito, John L., Darrell J. Fasching, and Todd T. Lewis. World Religions Today. Sixthed. Oxford
University Press, 2018.
[7]Kung Fu Panda. DreamWorks, 2008.
[8]Esposito, John L., Darrell J. Fasching, and Todd T. Lewis. World Religions Today. Sixthed. Oxford
University Press, 2018.
[9]Esposito, John L., Darrell J. Fasching, and Todd T. Lewis. World Religions Today. Sixthed. Oxford
University Press, 2018.
[10]Kung Fu Panda. DreamWorks, 2008.
[11]Kung Fu Panda 2. DreamWorks, 2011.
[12]Kung Fu Panda 3. DreamWorks, 2016.
[13]Kung Fu Panda 3. DreamWorks, 2016.
[14]Esposito, John L., Darrell J. Fasching, and Todd T. Lewis. World Religions Today. Sixthed. Oxford
University Press, 2018.
[15]Esposito, John L., Darrell J. Fasching, and Todd T. Lewis. World Religions Today. Sixthed. Oxford
University Press, 2018.
[16]Kung Fu Panda 2. DreamWorks, 2011.
[17]Kung Fu Panda 3. DreamWorks, 2016.
