Being a Force Ghost...

[neotoma]

In light of the new info from Revenge of the Sith how in the name of little green fishies did Anakin learn that trick?

Given Yoda's little speech to Anakin (and appallingly bad advice), it seems that Old Republic Jedi were expected to truly become one with the Force, to the point of losing their individual identities just a raindrop becomes part of the ocean when it finally falls. Actually, it sounds like Lucas poached a short explanation of what Nirvana is, and then garbled it.

The ability to remain conscious, instead of blending into the totality of the Force, is a *new* trick for the Jedi. It's attained through *compassion*, and by the one Jedi in the prequels who is identified as a maverick -- Qui-Gon Jinn.

However, given that Yoda and Obi-Wan have spent the two decades between series 'communing' with Qui-Gon the Force Ghost, which explains their bodily transformations into the Force, how the heck did Anakin Skywalker the Lord Vader learn how to be a Force Ghost?

Are we supposed to believe that the fact he died as a consequence of saving his son was enough to catapult him into this next state? If that was so, why didn't other Jedi learn how to do it before him -- I'm sure that there was a lot of self-sacrifice during the Temple Massacre, with Knights and Masters trying to protect their apprentices and the younger children.

Or are we supposed to imagine that Obi-Wan went about whispering in Vader's ear once the old Jedi died? Or that Qui-Gon did, being too stubborn to give up on the Chosen One even though he went evil?

Comments

[neotoma.livejournal.com]

Standing by to give him a good talking to, I'll bet...

[murasaki99.livejournal.com]

"Talking-to" sounds so... mild. Heh-heh. Or maybe they'll just settle for that lovely guilt thing, "we're disappointed" that some parents can do so well.

Or perhaps they'll just be thrilled Anakin got it all together enough to scrape mind, heart, and soul all back into one bin. No one ever said spiritual salvation had to be pretty.

Are you familiar with the epic teaching poem the Dhammapada? It has some wonderful stuff in the various stanzas that seem very much to apply to Anakin.

"All that we are is the result of what we have thought: it is
founded on our thoughts, it is made up of our thoughts. If a man
speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him, as the wheel
follows the foot of the ox that draws the carriage."

"There is no fire like lust; there is no grip
like hatred; there is no net like delusion; there is
no river like craving."

and these are great:

"121. Let no man think lightly of evil, saying in his heart, It will
not come nigh unto me. Even by the falling of water-drops a water-pot is filled; the fool becomes full of evil, even if he gather it little by little.

122. Let no man think lightly of good, saying in his heart, It will
not come nigh unto me. Even by the falling of water-drops a water-pot is filled; the wise man becomes full of good, even if he gather it little by little."

And of this sound familiar? I can hear Obi-Wan tuning up now. :-)

Available on Project Gutenberg for free dowload.