My Thoughts on 'Wonder Woman' (the movie): Hero Journeys

(Original piece written on June 17, 2017)

My thoughts on the movie Wonder Woman starring Gal Gadot.

My daughter and I went to see Wonder Woman today June 17th (2017) as a Father's Day weekend daddy-daughter date. We both agreed that it was an awesome film.

Some of my reasons: First of all, almost all the elements of the hero's journey (Joseph Campbell, Diane Pearson) could be observed clearly in the film. Particularly poignant for me was the farewell scene between Diana's mother and her when she leaves the island. Diana is convinced that she has a mission to fulfill. Her mother holds her back out of fear for Diana's safety and that she may never come back. Despite that, the lure of the hero's journey eventually makes Diana leave her mother and her island. 

On that occasion, her mother says, 
"You have been my greatest love. Today you become my greatest sorrow. Be careful, Diana. They do not deserve you."

Of course, along the journey Diana grows and matures in stages from a very naïve girl to a more mature superhero who now knows what one can and ought to do, what the limitations are and what the most important things in life are.

I was particularly impressed at the anthropology that was expressed here and there in the movie particularly by WW and was clearly seen in the contrast between Ares, the god of war, and Diana. Ares's view of humankind was very negative: humans are just so messed up because they are filled with hate and rancor that they would just ultimately destroy themselves by mutual fighting and war.

As she matured, Diana, on the other hand, comes to know both the lights and shadows present in humans: Yes, there are lots of shadows in humans - hate, war, mutual destruction, etc. 

However,  there are also lights - that is, humans have the touching and powerful capabilities for self-transcendence and love as well. This Diana experienced through her relationship with Steve in the movie and how he sacrificed himself to save others. That was, therefore,  the basis for her to commit herself to continue to help human beings to choose love, to choose the light (and not darkness) in order to save themselves and make this world a better place.

In this way, Diana redefines the role of the superhero: The superhero isn't really the one who saves humanity. The superhero is just there to help others choose the right path - the path of love, because humans have that innate capacity already present in themselves (Imago Dei, the Buddha nature)! And so, in the end, it is humans themselves who can save themselves by choosing the right path.

My Thoughts on ‘Solo – A Star Wars Story' - Imago Dei Allusion?

My daughter and I watched this movie recently before Father's Day. I think a daddy-daughter Father's Day date is fast becoming a tradition (I'm delighted!). We watched Wonder Woman last year, as my journal says. 

Good background story. It didn't impress me as "super awesome" though.

Things that stood out for me:

** Qira is the only one that knows who Han really is - that he is, deep within himself, a good guy. This ties in with the character of Padme knowing that "there is still good in him (in Anakin after he turns into Darth Vadar).”

Isn't that the Buddha-nature or the Imago Dei (Image of God in Gen 1:27)? "Buddha-nature", "Imago Dei" --- those are examples of religious jargon (language) that religions have used in history to convey a deep truth that, for example, Solo: A Star Wars Story conveys in more simple, easier-to-understand (for this generation) language. In the words of Qira

"I might be the only person who knows who you really are" (despite Han proclaiming that he's a "bad outlaw"). And then, as I remember, she whispers to someone later, "He's a good guy."

** We finally see how Han wins the Millennium Falcon from Lando Calrissan

** We finally know the origins of the deep friendship between Chewbacca and Han

Things that intrigued me:

What's with Darth Maul's reappearance?

What happens to Qira after?

Restoring Balance in Our Souls As Portrayed in 'Birth of the Dragon'

A while ago, I saw a Bruce Lee movie entitled Birth of the Dragon. It told the story of an encounter of the pre-fame Bruce Lee with a Shaolin monk named Wong Jack Man...  The movie portrayed this encounter between the two kung-fu masters as full of mutual animosity in the beginning. However, it eventually resulted in Bruce Lee learning valuable lessons that he put into practice in his life and teaching soon after his showdown with the Shaolin monk.

Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birth_of_the_Dragon

What struck me particularly was the character of Wong Jack Man. Earlier in the story, he severely injured a Tai Chi master in a supposedly no-contact martial arts encounter and he attributed that to his ego. After this, he went to San Francisco in order to wash dishes and, in so doing, "restore the balance in his soul."

The message of the movie spoke powerfully to me, particularly because when I saw it, I still feeling burned out after a tough and very hectic school year 2017-18.

‘Restoring balance in one’s soul’ seems like a very Eastern (as opposed to ‘Western’) concept. It is commonly expressed by the yin and yang (陰陽). This is arguably the way by which the East expresses what “wholeness” or “fullness” is all about. It’s curiously different from the way Christianity (or the West) has traditionally expressed “wholeness” as seen in the concepts of “Salvation” and “Redemption.”

Intriguingly, “restoring the balance” seems to be a dominant theme in popular culture. For instance, one of my favorite animated series, the Nickelodeon series Avatar as well as The Legend of Korra also deal with this theme in a major way. There, we learn that the avatar’s primary mission is “to restore balance” to the whole world. However, we also see the avatars having to restore balance first and foremost in their own souls before they can restore the balance in the world at large.

Star Wars also speaks of “restoring balance in the force” between the dark and light sides. Hence, the “chosen one” (presumed to Anakin Skywalker) is the one who will bring balance to the force.

“Restoring our interior balance” is not only an important theme in popular culture. In fact, religious and spiritual masters through the ages have affirmed that it is an important component of spirituality. So, what exactly is “restoring the balance” and how does one go about restoring the balance in one’s soul? This is a burning question that must be answered by each and every one of us.

Rejoice in Ordinary Life

Lately, I've been reading meditations from the Buddhist teacher Pema Chödrön. In the following reflection, she expresses what--I think--lies at the heart of Buddhism and of mindful practice in a very simple yet profound way. On further reflection, the following teaching does not even have to be identified with Buddhism at all. It is a key factor in trying to deepen oneself as a human person, pure and simple! Here it is:

We can learn to rejoice in even the smallest blessings our life holds. It is easy to miss our own good fortune; often happiness comes in ways we don't even notice. It's like a cartoon I saw of an astonished-looking man saying, "What was that?" The caption below read, "Bob experiences a moment of well-being." The ordinariness of our good fortune can make it hard to catch.

The key is to be here, fully connected with the moment, paying attention to the details of ordinary life. By taking care of ordinary things-- our pots and pans, our clothing, our teeth -- we rejoice in them. When we scrub a vegetable or brush our hair, we are expressing appreciation: friendship toward ourselves and toward the living quality that if found in everything. This combination of mindfulness and appreciation connects us fully with reality and brings us joy.

The Pocket Pema Chödrön, 29

If we're just more mindful in everyday life, there are endless ways by which we will realize how much we are truly, truly blessed. Rather than focusing on the bad or negative things, let's be more aware of the many good and positive things that are there for our savoring and cherishing!

Stop and Let Yourself Experience Depth

When we're not busy with the things we are absolutely duty-bound to do in our daily routines such as job or family commitments, doesn't life for many of us nowadays seem to be an endless pursuit of things with which we could be (unfortunately) mindlessly amused or entertained. Yes, the TV or our phone screen beckons to us with a seemingly limitless array of fascinating offerings - Facebook, Twitter, Netflix, Instagram, games, news, this or that amusing factoid or whatever is “cool” out there.

Inevitably, there comes a time when, despite the many distractions around, we are faced with the stark experience of feeling empty (in a negative sense). This may lead to us becoming quiet and thoughtful. In those moments, some nobler thoughts might even come to mind such as: What's the meaning of it all? What's my purpose in life? What are the most important things in my/our existence? How do I make life more meaningful?

When these thoughts come, I say, “Hold it there!” Don't take the easier option and retreat back into mindless distraction with seemingly more "amusing" things. If we pay more attention to these nobler thoughts, we’ll realize that --and this is very important-- we're actually beginning to touch what many spiritual teachers and religious traditions consider one’s deepest core, the most essential part that actually makes us more fully human. Religious people have considered it our link with the Divine!

I’ll try to write some occasional reflections on the broad topic ‘Going deeper and beyond’. That would be my shorthand for ‘Going deeper (into our innermost core) and going beyond ourselves (self-transcendence) which is my working definition for the difficult-to-grasp word “Spirituality” which, in turn, is not only the heart of all religion but, I propose, the essence of our humanity. I also think that, in this twitter age, it would be good to have only one essential point for every reflection. Our first point here then is: Let’s STOP the mindless distractions every now and then and allow ourselves to go into our deeper dimensions.