When observed through Buddhist lens, the Star Wars saga can be said to be intrinsically Buddhist; the many underlying themes that characterize the saga continuously point towards the dharma that is crucial to Buddhist philosophy. In Star Wars, many of the characters behave in ways which can be said to align with the noble eightfold path, which allows characters such as the Jedi knights to obtain the levels of morality, concentration, wisdom, and mindfulness that are associated with reaching nirvana. The concept of the force that weaves the saga together, can also be said to be a reflection of Buddhist thought, as it mirrors the notion that all beings are interconnected. Not only do the Jedi knights have qualities that pertain to Buddhist monastics, …show more content…
Prominent scholar Todd Lewis, defines the noble eightfold path as: “the cultivation of morality, meditation, and insight or wisdom” (Lewis 72). Using Lewis’ definition as a guide, one can begin to explore some of the most exemplary teachings of Buddhism. First, an individual who practices Buddhism cannot advance into stages such as meditation practice and the formation of wisdom without mastering the former: morality. From Gautama Buddha’s perspective, Shila (morality), is a means to progressively advance towards the middle path. If an individual is not actively cultivating integrity, and is behaving immorally, according to Lewis, they are simply not “ accumulating the positive balance of karma needed to reach advanced stages of the path” (72). In Buddhism, morality is essential to gaining merit and there are different moral codes that both the lay people, and the sangha are expected to follow. From the eightfold path, a moral code by the name of the five precepts was developed: no harming, no stealing, no sexual misconduct,no lying, and no intoxication. These precepts are supposed to be followed by Buddhist practitioners; yet because of human nature, it is common for lay people, and even some monks, to divert from the teachings from time to time. In the context of Star Wars, one can see the theme of morality in the duality between the light and the dark side of the force. In the saga, the dark side encourages anger, leading some jedis to turn their backs to the teachings of their masters. A relevant example of the role morality plays in Star Wars is the story of Darth Vader. Anakin Skywalker is a good jedi who is seduced by the dark side of the force, becoming a dark lord of the sith known by the name of Darth Vader. Although Vader decides to cling onto feelings such as fear and anger (or in Buddhist terms, upadana), which in turn cause him to lose grasp of the light side ( or of the
The teachings of Buddhism consists of the eight fold path, the four noble truths and the five precepts. These teachings contain rules that can be followed
The “Star Wars” franchise is familiar to most, and may be the easiest in which to discover the hero’s journey. In “Star Wars,” we find young Luke Skywalker, a rebellious youth, living on a farm on the isolated planet of Tatooine, taken in by his aunt and uncle following the death of his mother and father. Luke grows up with dreams of flying through the stars, only dreams until his chance meeting with Ben Kenobi. Kenobi informs Luke of his real past: that his father was a Jedi knight and that Luke was destined to become great. Though Kenobi’s guidance and Luke own adventurous spirit, he finds himself pushed into an intergalactic quest to become a valiant Jedi in a galaxy controlled by the evil Empire.
Religion has always had an impact on an individual’s perspectives and the government, and this can clearly be seen with Buddhism and the Tang Dynasty. Before Buddhism pervaded China, the traditional religion in China was Confucianism, and the majority of individuals strictly followed the rules and principles of Confucianism. When Buddhism was introduced, every person engendered their own views on Buddhism and the influences the religion would have on the government. The Tang Dynasty generated a prosperous time in China, until the dynasty spiraled down into its demise in c. 750 (Smarr “Tang China”). Many individuals believed that the reason why the collapse of the Tang Dynasty occurred was because of Buddhism and foreign ideas. A Chinese poet, named Han Yu, believed in the concept that Buddhism was the ultimate cause for the destruction of the Tang Dynasty, and his ideas were very influential. Han Yu’s ideas promoted the riddance of Buddhism values and monasteries in China (Smarr “An Lu-shan Rebellion”). Therefore, the question that arises from such observations is was this an accurate portrayal of perspectives during the Tang dynasty and how influential was this portrayal? Although, one portrayal of the Tang Dynasty’s collapse was Emperor Xuanzong’s carelessness, Han Yu persists that the accurate portrayal of the collapse was brought about by Buddhism through monasteries and monks, and selfish values.
In order to understand the concepts of the Four Noble Truths, one needs to understand the aim of Buddhist practice. “The aim of Buddhist practice is to cure craving, the desire conditioned by ignorance that leads to suffering” (Demoss 1).2 Buddhism advocates meditation, and a “…goal of Buddhist meditation is to produce right mindfulness, an alert awareness of what is happening in body, mind, and world at the present moment” (Demoss 318).3 “Traditionally, ‘right action’ is defined in Buddhist ethics by the five percepts: do not kill, do not steal, do not engage in illicit sex, do not lie, and do not become intoxicated” (Demoss 319).4 “According to Buddhism a person does not have an intrinsic permanent changeless identity. There is no core self. The self is empty” (Demoss 1).5 The Four Noble Truths provide a conceptual framework for all Buddhist thought. According to the Four Noble Truths, craving leads to suffering, but craving can cease if one cultivates a path of mental discipline, wisdom, and moral conduct (Demoss 309).6 An understanding of Buddhism is...
Macbeth is a play written by William Shakespeare. It is considered one of his darkest and most powerful tragedies. Set in Scotland, the play dramatizes the corrosive psychological and political effects produced when evil is chosen as a way to fulfil the ambition for power.The play is believed to have been written between 1603 and 1607, and is most commonly dated 1606. It is a timeless classic and its themes resonate within some of the most common movies and books of modern times. Star Wars is an American epic space opera franchise centered on a film series created by George Lucas. The film series, consisting of two trilogies, has spawned an extensive media franchise called the Expanded Universe including books, television series, computer and video games, and comic books. The franchise depicts a galaxy described as far, far away in the distant past, and it commonly portrays Jedi as a representation of good, in conflict with the Sith, their evil counterpart. Their weapon of choice, the lightsaber, is commonly recognized in popular culture. It is arguably a cinematic masterpiece, holding in rank two of possibly the greatest trilogies the world has ever seen. It is a timeless epic which embodies within it an allegory for the history of the world; the rise and fall of empires and their emperors; the pursuit of power; the melting pot of cultures; the struggle for survival; the advancement of human technology; and most importantly as a whole, the history of humanity. Steven D. Graynus declared, “Ultimately, what the Star Wars films offer is….rousing storytelling suffused by themes of moral struggle and transcendence” (Decent Films Guide). The franchise's storylines contain many themes, with strong influences from philosophy and religio...
In the comparison with other class of Chinese faith , the study of Chinese Buddhism benefits. First, the International range of Buddhism allows for fruitful comparison with developments in other neighboring finish such as India and japan and the contemporary identicalness of Buddhism as a missionary. Buddhism is a way of breakthrough repose within oneself. It is a organized religion that helps us to find the happiness and contentment we seek. Buddhist develop inner peace, kindness and wisdom through their daily practice; and then share their experience with others delivery real number benefit to this humankind .They try not to injury others and to live
The wars, the victories, the defeats and deaths arose from the warrior’s duty to the Buddhist Law. These warriors lived their duty and this is reflected through the tales that illustrate actions that include loyalty and respect towards other warriors.
However, it is widely known that one of the major practices in Buddhism is peace. This shows how astray extremists can go from the ideals that are usually followed as the norm. This is also evident with all of the Islamic terrorists attacks. Similar to the Right Action of Buddhism, Islam also teaches that killing is forbidden, but there are extremists that are using religion as a justification for killing others. This small percentage of extremists are sometimes seen as a representation of Islam, but obviously that is not the case. In both religions, a majority of people practice the idea of peace. After reading the Eightfold Path, I realized that these extremists are going against what their religion teaches. I remember talking to a friend about the events that were occurring in Myanmar and he explained how Buddhism is not a religion, and so all Buddhists will go to hell because of what they are doing to Muslims. I was so confused as to why he assumed Buddhism was to be blamed for the outrageous acts that were being committed. The Eightfold Path reading helped me understand Buddhism better. I explained to my friend that the religion is in fact peaceful and that these acts were caused by a group of people who are completely straying from the ideas of Buddhism. He soon realized what he was saying was wrong and
Buddhism is currently the fourth most popular religion in our society today, following Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism. Its major ideologies are based on the philosophies of Siddhartha Guatama, also known as “Buddha”, who began his teachings in 598 BCE at the age of 35, according to Buddhist texts. A Buddhist’s foremost aspiration is the obtainment of Bodhi, or enlightenment through meditation and Anapana-sati (awareness of the breath). Buddhism shares many ideologies with India’s Hinduism and Yoga such as non-harming, non-violence, and self-awareness. In many instances, people regard Buddhism as a way of life rather than a religion, for it has no clear belief in the idea of a God or Gods. Its structure is built upon a hierarchy much like Christianity where superior orders such as Lamas or the Dalai Lama are said to be chosen by nature through the process of reincarnation rather than by a council like Christianity’s Pope. Though these “higher level” Buddhists are rare (not everyone is a reincarnation of an ancient Buddhist “priest”), all are permitted to follow “The Middle Way” either as a Buddhist monk or the simple attendance of a weekly teaching session from time to time. Throughout the last few hundred years the Buddhist population has blossomed into a healthy 381,611,000 and over fifteen different sects including Zen, Mahayana, and Theravada.
Buddhist follow, along with karma, follow an idea called the eightfold path. These 8 steps are: right understanding, right aspiration, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. These steps are another process Buddhist take to get to their revelations to enlightenment. It is the last of the very first of Buddha’s teachings, The Four Noble Truths. These truths are the basic guidelines of what Buddha wants to teach. They work in tandem with each other to explain the suffering of life, what causes it, and what one must do to eliminate
Siddhartha Gautama is famously known as Gautama Buddha and was the founder of the idea of Buddhism. The Buddha was known to possess supernatural powers and abilities. He was born in the holy land of Nepal and his journey began in India when he decided to travel and teach himself about life. In the midst of his journey, he discovered Buddhism after he experienced a profound realization of the nature of life, death and existence. Buddhism became a religion based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama and since then Buddhism has been popular throughout many civilizations. Buddhism is now one of the most ancient religions in the world, where people follow Buddha, which stand for “awakened one,” and Buddhism which has gained popularity because of the teachings of the Buddha.
From the moment we are born we have the tendency of craving the worldly desires that we are exposed to. Its part of human nature to want an ideal life where you are either wealthy, powerful, happy or all of the above without any suffering involved. Although that ideal sounds phenomenal, it is the thought of limitation that drives many people to seek for something more than just worldly pleasures. As some stay within the lines of an insatiable life, others come to the realization that living a life with nothing but worldly pleasures and goals are ultimately not everlasting. This is the point where people go on to pursue something bigger than themselves, something that gives them a purpose and infinite joy or as most would call it, a religion. One of the most fascinating major world religions that many have chosen to follow for centuries is Buddhism. A very complex, yet intriguing religion that seeks for a way of life that ultimately releases a person from suffering and leads them to inner peace and joy.
He set these rules to help create a peaceful atmosphere for the Buddhist community and to avoid corruption in the Buddhist community. All monks and/or nuns must not only follow these rules, but also many other rules and principles. The Eightfold Path labels all of the rights of monks and helps guide them to peace within themselves. The Eightfold Path guides monks and nuns towards Nirvana through eight simple principles. The first principle, the Right of Understanding, explains the significance of understanding situations the way they occur instead of understanding things from one’s personal experiences.
In Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, Marlow is described more than once as sitting in the pose of a Buddha while he begins his story. Even our first view of Marlow prepares us for the later comparison: "Marlow sat cross-legged... He had sunken cheeks, a yellow complexion, a strait back, an ascetic aspect, and, with his arms dropped, the palms of hands outwards, resembled an idol" (16). This is the very image of a meditating Buddha. Our suspicions are confirmed that Conrad is indeed making reference to the Buddha as he describes the pose of the Buddha of Compassion-- note the hand raised in blessing: " 'Mind,' he began again, lifting one arm from the elbow, the palm of the hand outwards so that, with his legs folded before him, he had the pose of a Buddha preaching in European clothes with out a lotus-flower" (20). Because of the repeated references I began to wonder if Conrad is hinting to his readers. On a superficial level, the comparison holds. In the sutras about the enlightened Buddha, he sits thusly and, like Marlow, sometimes tells stories. However, Marlow's story reveals him as not a Buddha but instead a sort of anti-Buddha, especially in light of Zen Buddhism.
History proves that as Buddhism spread throughout the Asian world in the early 1st century, it was occasionally altered to fit the specific needs and beliefs of people it touched. Mahayana Buddhism is one such example of this gradual evolution. It was primarily a movement started and kept alive by monks that slowly gained popularity amongst lay people but was in no way a unified movement. Mahayana Buddhism still adheres to the basic fundamental beliefs presented in the Pali Canons, however, it Sutras often expand upon these basic ideas and traditions in order to answer the questions of a later generation. After closer study of the Mahayana texts the “A Sutra for Long Life” and “The World Universe as a Sutra”, it seems evident that, although Mahayana Buddhism is based on the teachings of the traditional Pali Canon, it places a larger emphasis on philosophical inquires; and ultimately creates a more accessible version of enlightenment, and the Buddhist faith in general, for all.