Hello and welcome to my column! Over the course of this series I will be discussing the effect that Eastern religion had on Star Wars, and more specifically on the Jedi. George Lucas may have based his work in part on adventure serials such as Flash Gordon, but there is no doubt that his work was also based largely on mythology. In particular it is hard for people’s work to not be influenced by their personal religious and philosophical beliefs. George Lucas has described himself as a Buddhist Methodist, so it is quite understandable that Jedi philosophy would be derived in part from Buddhist tradition. As for the connection in regards to mythology, Lucas paid much attention to the writings of Joseph Campbell when he created the story forStar Wars. He took from Campbell the idea that although all cultures had their own myths, there were certain underlying ideas and patterns that made them all similar. Lucas used this idea to great effect to create a story that would appeal to people of all ages, cultures, and beliefs. It is for this reason that Star Wars has such a universal appeal; it speaks to all of us, no matter how different we may be. Some criticize the man for his directing skills; I would agree with them. Some criticize him for his ability to write dialogue; again, I would say that is a fair criticism. However, Lucas is great at creating a story that will be loved the world over, and make us all feel like children, enjoying something for the pure mythology and wonder.
Of course as I mentioned before, Lucas would not have been able to achieve this without reading the work of Joseph Campbell. Campbell’s Hero with a Thousand Faces and the idea of the monomyth are a huge part of what made Star Wars a success. In Campbell’s famous work of anthropology he explains the similarities in all myths, and describes the hero’s journey. Campbell saw the human race as always telling a story of spiritual importance, with a few differences depending on culture. These differences were masks or guises that took form based on cultural differences. It was also a goal of his to explain the similarities between Eastern and Western religion. In his writing, Campbell quoted the famous psychologist, Carl Jung, stating his appreciation for the importance of the Bardo Thodol, also known as the Tibetan Book of the Dead. Campbell believed as Jung did that it was important not just to those who studied Buddhism, but for its insights into the human psyche. Jung and Campbell differed in that Campbell believed that rather than a mentor, one would learn better by understanding myth, the idea being that it could provide a sort of spiritual or psychological road map to greater understanding of self. While using myth as a guide is an interesting way of looking at things, it must also be noted that in most forms of the monomyth the hero has some sort of wise mentor who guides them along their path. It could be stated then that learning through myth is a sort of vicarious form of learning. However, the connection between Star Wars and the hero’s journey has been done to death, so I offer this only as background. I intend to discuss much more at length the connection between Eastern religion and its influence on Jedi philosophy.
Perhaps in a later article I will discuss the differences between the Living Force and the Unifying Force, but for the moment I will just be discussing the former. The Living Force is, after all, that espoused by Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan and Yoda (at least in the original trilogy). The Living Force relies on living in the moment, paying attention to what is around you and analyzing it. It does not mean that you ignore the future, or don’t heed things that it might bring, but that you do not obsess over them at the expense of what is happening in front of you. A good example of this is in the opening of The Phantom Menace: Obi-Wan tells Qui-Gon that he is focusing on something elsewhere, elusive. His mentor explains to him that he needs to keep his mind here and now where it belongs; the headstrong apprentice argues that Master Yoda wants people to be mindful of the future and Qui-Gon explains that Yoda is correct, but to not focus on the future at the expense of the moment. It is important to be mindful of the Living Force, to be aware of what is going on around you. This is very similar to the Buddhist philosophy of mindfulness; in fact, it appears to be lifted almost entirely from Buddhist ideas. Popular forms of Buddhist meditation are often referred to as mindfulness meditation, and one of the core parts of Buddhist philosophy is awareness, or wakefulness. While it is considered good to prepare for the future, and understand what your actions might cause, it is important according to Eastern religion to not let this distract you from what is going on around you. Obi-Wan was currently involved in a very important mission and he was focused on vague allusions to the future, this was clearly not the time to be navel gazing in regards to the future and would be done so to the detriment of the current situation.
One of the core components of the Jedi philosophy is meditation, they are always seen meditating. Luke meditates Dagobah, seeing a vision of his friends in danger; Mace Windu, Anakin Skywalker and Yoda meditating in the temple; Qui-Gon meditating during the battle with Darth Maul, to regain his strength. They seem to gain strength, insight, and emotional balance from meditation. While some of what force users do may be fiction–lifting a fighter jet with your mind, or shooting lightning from your fingertips–science has shown that meditation may have much more in common with the mystical Jedi habit from Star Wars than we ever would have previously imagined. Scientists have done actual MRI scans of those who meditate regularly, and found that students who meditated for just half an hour a day over the course of a month had increased white matter pathways which connect the different parts of the brain. They discovered increased white matter in the anterior cingulate cortex, which is a part of the brain that governs self-regulation. This part of the brain helps regulate emotion and behavior. Those involved in the study showed decreased depression, anger, anxiety, and fatigue. While Meditation may not give you the ability to lift an X-Wing, it will make you smarter, improve your mood, and give you better self control. This could help control mental problems, or just help improve mood in general. There are numerous studies showing many positive effects of meditation and the health benefits they can have for you, but I will cover that in a later article.
In future articles I will be exploring in depth the connection between Buddhist philosophy and The Force. I will also be going in depth into the benefits of meditation and how it relates to the Jedi and their ways. While you may never truly be able to become a Jedi, there are many ways you can become much more like one. You can meditate regularly to improve your cognitive function, your self-control, and your mood. You can be more mindful of your surroundings, and your actions, but still keep in mind the future and how your actions will affect it. In closing, I leave you with a quote on the nature of The Force from Master Yoda himself: “For my ally is the Force. And a powerful ally it is. Life breeds it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter. You must feel the Force around you. Here, between you, me, the tree, the rock, everywhere! Yes, even between the land and the ship.”
