The Force and the Jedi religion, Lucas stated, were thus based on all religions in the real-world, as he constructed Star Wars mainly from Methodism—or Christianity, Islam, and Judaism—and Buddhism.
The Force is a mish-mash of all the spiritual ideas George Lucas found compelling. There's definitely some Buddhism in there, but also Taoism, Christianity, some vague Native American spirituality, Sikh mysticism, and a few others I'm missing.
Many of the film's most iconic ideas, such as the Jedi Order, Sith Lords and the mystical Force have their roots in Buddhism and other Eastern religions. Beyond the spaceships and lightsaber battles, the Star Wars films have a distinct religion and present a conception of the ultimate reality – The Force.
But there's more to spirituality in “Star Wars” than Buddhism. Like Zen itself, the saga blends aspects of Taoism and other religious traditions. “The Force,” for example, sounds a lot like the Taoist idea of “chi,” the subtle stream of energy that animates the world.
Religions of the Force are dogmas that are devoted to the Force. The most common examples of Force religions are the Jedi and the Sith, where the Jedi follow the light side of the Force and the Sith follow the dark side. The two are antithetical, hence their long history of being enemies.
George Lucas - On "The Force" and its Ancient Origins
What religion is closest to Star Wars?
The Force and the Jedi religion, Lucas stated, were thus based on all religions in the real-world, as he constructed Star Wars mainly from Methodism—or Christianity, Islam, and Judaism—and Buddhism.
Their creator, the Star Wars writer and director George Lucas, seems to have been heavily influenced by real religions and philosophies such as Buddhism, Taoism, Kabbalah and the medieval code of chivalry. This gives verisimilitude to the Jedi religion in the films.
It's depicted as ... something supernatural within this universe, but it's not the same thing as a personal god that Christians or Jews or Muslims might believe in. It's this impersonal force that is in some ways this neutral, impersonal energy that is out there to be used for good or for evil."
George Lucas presents the Jedi, admittedly without an open reference, as ideal representatives of the Buddhist practice of mindfulness, encouraging the audience to an imitatio: 'Throughout Star Wars we see the Jedi practicing mindfulness and concentration, and as they do they come to better understand themselves, the ...
A Buddhist scholar says George Lucas met this Tibetan Buddhist rinpoche and used him as the model for Yoda. “[Rinpoche] had these deep, deep wrinkles on his forehead; it was the model for Yoda in Star Wars,” said Berzin in a talk.
Finally, the idea of the Force, that there is a divine reality pervading the whole universe and that we all might commune with it, is a very central Hindu teaching that appeals to me as well.
Although not specifically defined as a Buddhist, the teachings, actions, and style of this character place him similar to a Zen master or Samurai knight.
Indeed, George Lucas stated in The Making of Return of the Jedi that everyone had the potential to use the Force, but only the Jedi took the time to train, with later works depicting Force orders, like the Sith, that also took the time to train their members.
The manda was a spiritual and philosophical concept in the Mandalorian religion. Among the living, manda referred to a state of being, wherein a Mandalorian had achieved a philosophical unity of mind, body, and spirit.
Jedi believe in the Force, a specific energy that flows through all things and binds the universe together. They also believe that humans can tap into or shape the Force to unlock greater potential.
Significant movements in early Taoism disregarded the existence of gods, and many who believed in gods thought they were subject to the natural law of the Tao, in a similar nature to all other life.
And they conventionally revere Lao Tsu both as the first god of Taoism and as the personification of the Tao. Nonetheless, Taoism has many gods, most of them borrowed from other cultures. These deities are within this universe and are themselves subject to the Tao.
But Obi-Wan's response to Maul in that moment summed up his philosophy as a Jedi. “You can kill me, but you will never destroy me,” said Obi-Wan Kenobi. “It takes strength to resist the dark side.
(1) The word is used as a military term, equivalent to army, in 2 Kings 25:23,16 (where the King James Version reads "armies"); 2 Chronicles 17:2; Jeremiah 40:7, etc. See ARMY. (2) In Isaiah 60:5,11, it is rendered in the Revised Version (British and American) by "wealth," and in Ob verse 11, by "substance."
The dark side of the Force was defined as anger, fear, aggression and a lust for power. It was stated that the Sith referred to the dark side as "dark" because it was secretive.
Like the Jedi movement, however, a more religious form of the creed, called "Sithism", soon emerged among the Sith. The typical characteristics of Sithism are a belief in a real, dynamic Force that can be subjugated through various practices.
Luke Skywalker's religion was “Jedi” obviously. The writer of the Gospel of Luke was a Christian — but since he converted before the name “Christian” came into use, we can just call him a follower of Jesus.
That may sound whacky to you, but, in 2015, the U.S. government recognized Jediism as an international ministry and granted its request for tax-exempt status. The movement, which draws inspiration from the mythology of the “Star Wars” films, has had less luck in the United Kingdom.
