Patrick French

EN 102-147

Dharma of Jedi: The Buddhist Message of ‘The Last Jedi’

The Star Wars franchise has had strong spiritual themes since the premier of the science

fiction series in 1977. The latest film instalment, ‘The Last Jedi’, crafted these mystical themes

into veiled Buddhist lessons. The use of specific dialogue, visuals, and character development

invoke philosophical thought and introspection for the viewer guided by ancient eastern dharma.

The film’s true focus was not scientific-fiction action, it was the Buddhist principles supported

by the spiritual and reflective themes of the film. This new emphasis on spirituality in ‘The Last

Jedi’ made the film a message to the audience on Buddhist lessons.

The spirituality of Star Wars’ originated with the concept of the ‘Force’, an energy force

that allowed characters to perform feats in the name of good or evil. This dualistic view was

abandoned for a Buddhist approach in ‘The Last Jedi’, which views dualism as an illusion. The

Buddha teaches all things inter-exist, that nothing is independent in reality. It is the Buddhist

hindrances of craving and aversion that makes one believe good is sperate from evil. The film

illustrates this point early on. Our protagonist meets a mentor, who together practice the

Buddhist discipline of meditation. During meditation, the mentor guides our protagonist to sense

there is nothing to distinguish between good or bad, there is only the impersonal reality of

everything, “‘What do you see?’ ‘The island. Life. Death and decay, that feeds new life.

Warmth. Cold. Peace. Violence.’ ‘And between it all?’ ‘A force… Inside me, that same force’”

(TLJ). The force is described as encompassing both the good and the bad, with both residing in

the protagonist. This explanation of the force coincides with Buddhist belief of Anatta, with good
and bad being mental constructs projected onto reality out of failure to understand there is no

permanent-self from good or bad can have an objective origin. Everything only exist, it is within

ourselves that our understanding will turn the impersonal ‘force’, or reality, it into suffering or

pleasure.

Understanding and accepting the universal truths of Buddhism and committing to live life

by the teachings of the Eight-fold path is the considered the path to becoming enlightened, and is

very similar to the Star Wars’ path to becoming a Jedi (A monk of the ‘force’). While the clear

similarities of meditation, non-attachment and emotional control were brought up in previous

films, ‘The Last Jedi’ provides a lesson in regression, taught and warned by Buddhist teachers

for centuries. The mentor in the film lost his faith when he had succumbed to the Hindrances of

Buddhism and let fear, doubt, and passion determine his actions. His loss of mindfulness

discouraged him from practicing his faith, cutting him off from the ‘force’. The mentor had the

tone of defeat in his voice, and the look of suffering in his eyes. This shocking portrayal of an

authoritative character is a dramatic narrative of Nichiren Dsihonin’s Doctrine of the Ten

Worlds.

Nichiren, a sixth century Buddhist monk, theorized from Lotus Sutra that there were ten

‘worlds’ or realities you can experience; world one being a hell defined by mindlessness and

anger and world ten being the zenith or understanding and mindfulness: Nirvana. He believed

while your focus was in one reality, the non-self nature of existence meant all realities where

present in any moment. “To suppose that one can eliminate the permanently abiding body and

mind associated with the nine worlds is to be confused and misled as to the true nature of these

nine worlds” (160). While the challenges of each world are different, Nichiren is saying

awareness of all realities is necessary for enlighten. It is a warning, that even a devout monk
might regress to a lower realm of existence if he ignores the lessons that allowed him to progress.

The mentor, caught up in hubris, went against his basic Jedi training of mindfulness. Upon

realization of his mistake, he forfeited his spiritual progress all together. Just as Nichiren’s Ten

Worlds describe, the defeated mentor reverted to the first world of hell: a living state of

mindlessness and its accompanying suffering.

A fall from grace is a possible and expected step towards an ultimate goal, as Nichiren

accounted in his text. Our mentor did not have Nichiren’s teachings as consolation, and it

seemed he had gone from the Jedi equivalent of near-enlightenment to rock bottom. At this point

in the film the spirituality crises of the mentor takes center stage and sets the tone for the rest of

the motion picture. As hopeless surrounded the mentor and doubt in the power of the Buddhist

inspired Jedi path escalates, a Buddha figure appears to the mentor in the form of a spirit who

‘become one with the force’, or reached enlightenment. From this figure’s wise perception of the

true reality, the mentor is reminded of his non-self and requirement for mindfulness “[mentor],

still looking to the horizon. Never here, now, hmm? The need in front of your nose… Pass on

what you have learned. Strength. Mastery. But weakness, folly, failure also. Yes, failure most of

all” (TLJ). The critique of the mentor’s attention shows the source of his fall from near-

enlightenment. Focusing on what has not happened goes against the Eight-fold path by allowing

fear and fantasy to take the mind away from current reality, which only serves to confuse the

present course of action. The acceptance of failure shows truth to the mentor’s non-self, and

gives a chance for redemption. The mentor is separated from his actions, and in so realizes his

freedom in the current moment, that he is not bound to tragedy because of his past

transgressions.
 The reminder of mindfulness and the core-principles of Buddhism allowed the mentor to

accept all he is without dualistic conflictions. His embrace of himself and reality rejoined him

with the force, and awarded an opportunity for redemption in the form of saving the protagonists.

This uplifting scene was the first with hope and determination in the face of our mentor where

only aguish laid before. The film concludes with an image of the mentor in deep meditation, and

at peace, before he disappears into the force in a display of deathless enlightenment. The unlikely

salvation for the mentor is provided only by the Buddhist lessons he had to relearn, comforting

wisdom revamped in science-fiction terms. The importance of the lessons to the story line and

the film’s deliberate display of his struggle as a relatable emotional crisis shows the true message

of ‘The Last Jedi. The personal struggles of life can cause self-doubt, anger, and can reduce life

down to a reality of misery and torment, no matter who the person. However, the right tools and

guidance, such as the Buddhist Dharma, can lift a person to a state of total acceptance and

tranquility, no matter what the past. ‘The Last Jedi’ was a story of a man’s confusion leading to

misery, and the Buddhist-inspired principles he followed leading to understanding. The film is a

message of the truths and significances of Buddhism.

Bibliography

Nichrien Daishonin “Mutual Possession of the Ten Worlds” Writtings of Nichrien Daishonin,

vol. II, 1258, 150-200

Rian Johnson “The Last Jedi” Star Wars Saga, 2017