The Jedi Order In Star Wars

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Is the Jedi Order in Star Wars based upon Buddhist believes and customs.? While it may seem far-fetched, Star Wars does actually have several Buddhist references. Some references are more obvious than others and some might only be a reference only that I see. Star Wars maybe a huge science fiction franchise which has actually led to the founding of a religion called Jediism, if you look deep enough into it, you can see not only Buddhist references but references to many other religions and different faiths, however Buddhism will be the main focus. The topics include, the Dalai Lama and how the Jedi find their new members; The Four Noble Truths, the Jedi Code and the Buddhist and Jedi concepts of what happens after death; the concept of Karma…show more content…
Although according to the Buddha who founded Buddhism, Buddhist practitioners have a choice and the ability to make up their own minds about what they wish to practice and who they wish to follow. How the Dalai Lama gets picked is extremely similar to how the Jedi Order picks their new members. The Jedi Order was founded upon people who have a high midichlorian count which gives them the ability to use the force. It should be noted and understood that the force is the unifying force behind almost all life in the Star Wars Universe with some exceptions. The Jedi practice celibacy like most Buddhist monks and nuns however it is technically not against the rules as they don't form an attachment during their activities. Because of the difficulty in keeping their emotions in check many Jedi are celibate, therefore they do not have kids, again some exceptions do apply. However because of that they cannot sustain their own population and are forced to recruit outside of their order for new members.…show more content…
I take this to also mean as your life coming full circle, I believe that Buddhism functions in such a way that no matter what happens in your life you can redeem yourself. Anakin Skywalker is the main protagonist/antagonist in the star wars movies which will be used for this example. In the prequel trilogy, Skywalker falls in love with a queen, Padme Amidala, which goes against the fundamental beliefs that make him a Jedi. Towards the end of the prequel he has a series of visions that cause him to worry about loseing his wife during childbirth and this causes him to find a way to stop it. However his way of stopping it, caused him to betray the Jedi and join their ancient enemies the Sith and brings about the founding of the Galactic Empire as the Galactic Republic falls around them. His wife however is a Senator of the Galactic Republic and is staunchly opposed to tyranny and corruption, both of which make up the Empire. She tries to stop him and he basically loses control and while not actually killing her, is the cause of her death when he chokes her after his

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