Quite recently, I re-watched the Star Wars films and realised just how spiritual they actually were! I always knew that they contained some Buddhist principles, but most of the spiritual wisdom has always gone straight over my head!
On this viewing, however, I picked up on every little nugget of spirituality. Things about meditation, living in the moment, letting go of fear and anger… it’s all there. Now that I’m more enlightened, I was able to recognise and understand every piece of advice given by the zen-like Jedi Order. And let’s not forget about The Force, the all-pervading spiritual energy that flows through everything and everyone… this blog is devoted to talking about this mystical power, something that I currently refer to as the divine source!
After re-watching the films, I decided to look up the Jedi religion and see if there was any more information on it. What I discovered was a website called http://www.templeofthejediorder.org, which lists the Jedi doctrines and maxims. I wasn’t surprised to see that most of this material was tied in with Buddhism and my own personal beliefs. In fact, I think that the Jedi religion aligns with my beliefs even more than Buddhism does, as it focuses so much on the divine energy that flows all around us.
There are currently thousands of Jedis all around the world, which I think is amazing! It’s not recognised as an official religion, but the fact that these people live by a spiritual code and work with the energy surrounding us is very commendable. I’m guessing that George Lucas must be a spiritual man himself if he embodied these Buddhist values and principles so deeply within the franchise! He has done a great justice to the world with making people aware of how things are.
Ignite the Light 