Title: The Dharma of Star Wars
Author: Matthew Bortolin
ISBN: 0-86171-497-0
Publisher: Wisdom Publications
Copyright: 2005
Wisdom Publications, publisher of The Dharma of Star Wars, has higlighted
Saga Journal's review on their website.
Reviewed by lazypadawan.
There have been quite a few references to the influence of Eastern culture on the Star Wars films, whether it's the films of Akira Kurosawa, the vaguely Japanese look of the Jedi tunic, or even George Lucas admitting in an interview that he considers himself a "Methodist-Buddhist."
In The Dharma of Star Wars, Star Wars fan and Buddhist Matthew Bortolin both analyzes the saga from his religious perspective and uses the saga to illustrate the Buddha's teachings. He hopes to show Star Wars in a new light as well as help us find some enlightenment at the same time. The book aspires to show us the way of "Jedi mindfulness" in our everyday lives. At the end of the book, there is "The Padawan Handbook: Zen Contemplations For The Would-Be Jedi" to practice what you have learned. They are Star Wars-themed contemplations such as "A Jedi who is ruled by anger, by hatred, by jealousy, by desire is bound to the dark side just as a swoop is bound to terrestrial flight."
As is the case with just about every book written about Star Wars from a particular religious point-of-view, beginning with Frank Allnut's The Force of Star Wars in 1978, the saga is in part a hook to get you in the door, so to speak. Star Wars is filled with allegories and themes that find resonance in any number of religions. Lucas is a student of comparative religion and anthropology, after all. For Bortolin, the saga provides a hook to explain tenets of Buddhism in a way most people would understand it. Even though there are elements of Buddhism in the saga, as Bortolin admits, it's not a Buddhist saga as a whole. In other words, this book is a little bit more about using Star Wars to understand Buddhism rather than using Buddhism to understand Star Wars.
It isn't to say there aren't interesting insights about the films. This book is perhaps most helpful to fans who find it perplexing when Lucas talks about Anakin's "greed" or the problems associated with attachment. In fact, Bortolin frequently uses Anakin as an example of a being who suffers and therefore causes others to suffer. Qui-Gon provides a great example of "mindfulness," and while Obi-Wan gets points for comprehending the interconnectedness of everything, Bortolin points out Obi-Wan makes the error of shutting Anakin out of his heart after Anakin's turn to the dark side. The chapter "Luke Skywalker's Practice of Wisdom" nails precisely why Luke succeeds in his quest and redeems his father (hint...it has something to do with compassion). There is a chapter on Jedi and violence where Bortolin attempts to reconcile his pacifist religion with the Jedi's acts of violence. It's food for thought, whether or not you agree with his perspective.
The book won't necessarily convert you to Buddhism, but it does make for an entertaining crash course. You'll learn a lot about the basics and Bortolin clears up some common misconceptions. Nirvana, for instance, isn't heaven nor is it something one attains like a goal. Rather it is something pervasive in everything and is yet beyond all concepts and ideas.
It's hard not to enjoy a book with chapter titles like "Darth Vader's Karma" or "Transforming Our Jar Jar Nature." Bortolin manages to write a book that will appeal to Star Wars fans, to fellow Buddhists looking for insights from popular culture, and to people who are just curious about Buddhism.
