Yoda's Wisdom for Inner Peace (Star Wars Philosophy, Stoicism & Buddhism)
Master Yoda is one of the main characters of the Star Wars movies. He has a leading role in educating the audience about Jedi philosophy, which has quite some similarities with Buddhism and Stoicism. During the original trilogy in which he trains Luke Skywalker, Yoda often enlightens us with his wisdom. And in the prequels, he’s a prominent factor in the development of Anakin Skywalker and his transition to the dark side.
In this video, I’d like to talk about Jedi philosophy by exploring the wisdom of Yoda. Yoda is a small, green creature and one of the most powerful Jedi. The Jedi are a quasi-militaristic organization with a very strong spiritual tradition. They are wielders of what they call the ‘Force’, which is a metaphysical, all-encompassing power, that’s present in everything our senses perceive and beyond.
It’s comparable with the Taoist concept of the ‘Tao’, along with its vagueness and elusiveness, and also reminds me of the Stoic idea of pneuma; the great lifeforce that sets the universe in motion. The Jedi are sensitive to the Force, which means that they can wield it. But this comes with great responsibility and intensive training of the mind. For guidance, the Jedi use profound wisdom, which can also help us - here in the “real world” - to lead better lives.
In the movies, Yoda is one of the main sources of Jedi wisdom, and I’d like to explore four of his ideas in this video and back them up with similar philosophical concepts that we can find in Buddhism and Stoicism.
Warning: this video contains some minor spoilers. Now, let’s dive in.
(1) Detachment sets us free. When we attach ourselves to people or things, the consequence is that we become afraid to lose them. That’s why it’s important to dissolve our fears by cultivating a healthy detachment rather than clinging to what we encounter during our lifetimes. This is a main Buddhist concept, and with Star Wars creator George Lucas being a “Buddhist Methodist,” it’s no surprise that his epic space opera has many Buddhist influences.
An essential part of the Star Wars plotline is the romantic love affair between Anakin Skywalker and Padmé. Anakin, who’s destined to become a Jedi, falls head over heels in love with Padmé, leading to a secret relationship in which he builds an unhealthy attachment to her. The reason for this secrecy is that romantic love is not permitted within the Jedi order, because it’s a birthplace for strong attachments with all dangers that come from them.
In a way, we can compare their approach with monastics from many traditions, whose abstinence from romantic love is an integral part of their spiritual path. Anakin is unable to regulate his feelings for Padmé, and preventing his separation from her becomes his main focus. When he suffers from visions about the future accompanied by a fear of loss, Yoda gently teaches him the dangers of attachment. “Attachment leads to jealousy. The shadow of greed, that is,” Yoda tells him.
This teaching was the cornerstone of what turned out to be the greatest tragedy of the story; that Anakin turns to the dark side because of his immense fear to lose the person he’s attached to the most. According to Yoda, the solution that sets us free from the sufferings that attachment causes is simple: “Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose.” Unfortunately, Anakin fails to do so. Despite his immense strength, he isn’t strong enough to conquer his desires, which eventually leads him astray.
(2) Equanimity is key (but not the end goal). The Jedi are the protectors of peace and justice in the Galactic Republic. Becoming a Jedi takes great sacrifice; they are selfless and in service of other people. Therefore, there isn’t room for them to concern themselves with a number of things. “Adventure. Excitement. A Jedi craves not these things,” Yoda says to Luke.
Even though people may feel attracted to the Jedi lifestyle because of excitement and adventure; these are not the things a Jedi is after. According to Wookiepedia, it’s quite the c...