Ever since Luke and his ragtag band of revolutionaries hit the screens in 1977, the blockbuster space saga, Star Wars, has captivated audiences with its epic opera “in a galaxy far, far away.” The third highest grossing film series of all time, with all seven movies receiving nods from the Academy Awards, and holding the record for the most successful film merchandise ever, Star Wars continues to interweave its own narrative into western culture, with over five other movies planned for release in the next several years. Regardless of its renown plot and vastly recognizable characters, many people believe Star Wars to be completely original. However, there exists an overwhelming amount of evidence that suggests Star Wars has been heavily influenced …show more content…
Right Livelihood Meditation (Samadhi) 6. Right Effort 7. Right Mindfulness 8. Right Contemplation As illustrated above, the Jedi rhetoric appears to be directly inspired by Buddhist tenants, for no other religion or philosophy embraces such a belief system. Another such principle is the practice of mindfulness. Both the Jedi and the Buddhist practiced mindfulness. In the first scene of Episode One: Phantom Menace, Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn scolds his apprentice, a young Obi-Wan Kenobi, for not practicing mindfulness correctly: “Don’t center on your anxieties, Obi-Wan, keep your concentration here and now where it belongs.” “But Master Yoda said I should be mindful of the future.” “But not at the expense of the moment, be mindful of the living Force, young Padawan.” Throughout the movie franchise, the Jedi continue to stress the importance of mindfulness, like shown above. In a Buddhist context, mindfulness is an all-encompassing awareness; awareness of one’s emotions, affectations, and consciousness. As Matthew Bortolin writes in response, the Jedi practice of mindfulness and concentration “helps us discover ourselves and the ways we create suffering. It is a method of observation…only observe the impermanent nature of our feelings, thoughts, and the world itself. Observation reveals to us when our actions lead to suffering and when they lead to freedom, and that gives us the wisdom to make choices that will keep us off the path of the dark side.” One can see the many parallels to Buddhism in that the Eight Fold Path is a code necessary to follow in order to understand and overcome