May the Chi be with you.
The spiritual message hidden in 'Star Wars' - CNN
"Star Wars" is, at heart, a story about the rise and fall of an ancient religion.
When we meet the Jedis, in Episode I, they're mindfulness-meditating, axiom-spouting space monks...
...
Throughout "Star Wars," the Jedi talk often about mindfulness and concentration, attachment and interdependence, all key Buddhist ideas.
...
But there's more to spirituality in "Star Wars" than Buddhism. Like Zen itself, the saga blends aspects of Taoism and other religious traditions. "The Force," for example, sounds a lot like the Taoist idea of "chi," the subtle stream of energy that animates the world.
...
"Time it is," Yoda says, "for you to look past a pile of old books."
Some fans were aghast that Yoda would feign sacrilege against the Jedi tradition.
But when you look at the scene from a Buddhist lens, the meaning shifts.
Zen is full of stories about ancient masters trying to jolt their apprentices from mental ruts. In one ancient monastery, the students paid too much attention to Buddhist images, so the head monk torched them. ("If you see the Buddha, kill the Buddha," says a famous koan.)
...
In that light, maybe Yoda's apparent willingness to burn the "old pile of books" isn't really about texts, which he already knows are safely in Rey's possession. Maybe it isn't even about religion. It's just about Luke.
...
So perhaps the real spiritual message of "Star Wars" isn't about the end or beginning of organized religion. Maybe, like a good Zen teacher, it's a mirror showing us our own minds. Are we preoccupied with the past, concerned about the future, or paying attention to the needs in front of our noses?
The spiritual message hidden in 'Star Wars' - CNN
"Star Wars" is, at heart, a story about the rise and fall of an ancient religion.
When we meet the Jedis, in Episode I, they're mindfulness-meditating, axiom-spouting space monks...
...
Throughout "Star Wars," the Jedi talk often about mindfulness and concentration, attachment and interdependence, all key Buddhist ideas.
...
But there's more to spirituality in "Star Wars" than Buddhism. Like Zen itself, the saga blends aspects of Taoism and other religious traditions. "The Force," for example, sounds a lot like the Taoist idea of "chi," the subtle stream of energy that animates the world.
...
"Time it is," Yoda says, "for you to look past a pile of old books."
Some fans were aghast that Yoda would feign sacrilege against the Jedi tradition.
But when you look at the scene from a Buddhist lens, the meaning shifts.
Zen is full of stories about ancient masters trying to jolt their apprentices from mental ruts. In one ancient monastery, the students paid too much attention to Buddhist images, so the head monk torched them. ("If you see the Buddha, kill the Buddha," says a famous koan.)
...
In that light, maybe Yoda's apparent willingness to burn the "old pile of books" isn't really about texts, which he already knows are safely in Rey's possession. Maybe it isn't even about religion. It's just about Luke.
...
So perhaps the real spiritual message of "Star Wars" isn't about the end or beginning of organized religion. Maybe, like a good Zen teacher, it's a mirror showing us our own minds. Are we preoccupied with the past, concerned about the future, or paying attention to the needs in front of our noses?
