

I've noticed references to the Kabbalah in a couple of anime I've watched. One
of them is Fullmetal Alchemist.

Fullmetal Alchemist has the Tree of Life on the Gate:

![Tree of Life](https://i.stack.imgur.com/SMJJK.png)

So, my question is, **Is there any deeper meaning to the use of the
Kabbalistic tree of life, or is it just used because it looks cool?**


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2013-08-13T15:58:27.063
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fullmetal-alchemist-series
The Tree of Life in Fullmetal Alchemist


(Originally split from [this
answer](https://anime.stackexchange.com/a/4786/91))

The actual mythology of the show involving alchemy has a closer tie to
religious symbolism than something like Evangelion (which was mainly to look
cool). Within the Full Metal Alchemist show, historical in-universe events are
tied to real world symbolism, like the Tree of Life, The Flamel (named after
the real-life French alchemist), the Homunculi and the seven deadly sins, etc.

There's been several analysis of the religious symbolism in FMA:

  * <http://chrisqu.hubpages.com/hub/Fullmetal-Alchemist-Brotherhood-Religious-Symbolism-and-Discourse>
  * <https://gargarstegosaurus.wordpress.com/2008/10/25/the-curious-case-of-religion-in-fullmetal-alchemist/>

Unlike with Evangelion, I don't know of any statements made by the staff to
address the use of religious symbolism in the show, but I think it's pretty
clear that it's more internally consistent than simply to look cool.


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2013-08-13T17:53:43.443
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The Tree of Life is one of the most important symbolism in western alchemy.

The spiritual nature was especially highlighted among early practitioners of
alchemy, but I would say that it was more
[Hermetic](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermeticism) occultism than religious
Judaism/Christianity. (Therefore, some people might spell it
[Qabalah](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermetic_Qabalah) rather than
Kabbalah.)

The 10 emanations/attributes and the paths in the Tree were [associated with
the alchemical metals, elements, and
planets](http://www.lashtal.com/wiki/Tree_of_Life:Alchemy) that govern the
alchemical process. The image below shows the tree with astrological planetary
symbols associated. In alchemy, these planets were associated with various
metals and elements. Therefore, an emanation might correspond to the sun and
hence gold, and so on.

![The Tree of Life associated with planet
](https://i.stack.imgur.com/tif1U.gif)

Therefore, it is only natural that it would make an appearance in an anime
about alchemists.

For reference, you can find a giant essay here, although I haven't gone
through all of it: ["Secret Fire: The Relationship Between Kundalini,
Kabbalah, and Alchemy"](http://hermetic.com/stavish/essays/secret-fire.html)


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2013-08-19T05:11:30.630
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In _Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood_ , two gates were shown instead of just
one as in the original. Both of the gates have pictures of a tree on them. As
you have already said, one of them is the tree of life.

To uncover the identity of the other gate, we have to bring to light the book
of Genesis, which is where I personally believe the two gates originated from.

If you are familiar with the story of creation, you know that Adam and Eve
lived happily in a garden where only one law existed. This law was simply not
to eat the fruit which grew from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Adam
and Eve were told that disobedience would lead to death.

We later realize that you would not actually stop breathing and became a cold
lifeless shell, but instead, this death refers to dying to the flesh. Dying to
the flesh means surrendering your life to your deadliest desires and choosing
to never obtain fulfillment. Pretty dismal, right? Anyway, Adam and Eve
decided to rebel and eat the fruit after being promised by the devil that such
consumption would unfold the truth and enable them to understand the ways of
God.

Back to the universe of Fullmetal Alchemist, alchemy was a powerful science
that brought happiness to both those using its powers for good and those
receiving aid from alchemists. A rule was given with this great gift: do not
perform human transmutation. Ed and Al had repeatedly heard that death
followed after a human transmutation.

Against better judgment, the two brothers gave into their deadliest desire to
have their deceased mother be by their sides once again. Immediately following
the human transmutation, Ed and Al passed through a gate with picture of a
tree where they uncovered truth, both good and evil knowledge that governed
alchemy and even the world itself. Because of the boys' disobedience, Al lost
his entire body and could not be entirely happy or fulfilled without it. He
died to the flesh... LITERALLY!

For these reasons, I am led to believe that the tree on the gate resembles
Adam and Eve's tree of knowledge of good and evil found in the Bible.


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