Ahsoka Tano’s Buddhist Lesson of Choosing to Live
By Samuel Liang | He/Him/His | Buddhist Church of Stockton
Today, I want to focus on one of the things that is a part of who I am –Star Wars. Any Star Wars fans out there? Star Wars has many ties to Japanese culture and Buddhism, considering that’s where George Lucas (the creator of Star Wars) took his inspirations from, amongst numerous other world cultures and religions as well.
I grew up with the Prequel Trilogy of Star Wars, most favorably, Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. I also grew up watching the animated series Star Wars The Clone Wars. But now with the debut of Disney’s streaming service, Disney+, I have taken a liking to the Star Wars era that takes place post the Original Trilogy with shows like The Mandalorian and the newly released series Ahsoka.
After finishing the Ahsoka series, I realized there are many connections to Japanese culture that the cast and crew took inspiration from. But I also found in an episode that there were Buddhist lessons that I, well, we can learn from. First, if you don’t know who Ahsoka is, let me give you a well-explained biography about who she is. Co-created by George Lucas and Dave Filoni, Ahsoka was named after an ancient Indian Emperor. And here, Ahsoka Tano is born.
Ahsoka Tano is a Togruta female who was discovered on her home planet of Shili by Jedi Master Plo Koon at the age of three. She was brought to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant to receive Jedi training, and by the time the Clone Wars began, she was assigned to be the Padawan learner of Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker.
Ahsoka was a skilled warrior and a powerful Force-user who fought alongside her master, Anakin, in many battles during the Clone Wars. She also developed a close friendship with him. However, she became disillusioned with the Jedi Order towards the end of the war due to being falsely accused of a crime she did not commit. She then left the Order shortly before Order 661 was given.
After leaving the Jedi Order, Ahsoka continued to fight for justice and freedom as she became a Rebel agent, and played a key role in the early days of the Rebel Alliance. She also helped to train the next generation of Jedi, including Ezra Bridger and Kanan Jarrus.
Ahsoka is a complex and well-developed character who is brave, compassionate, and intelligent. She is also fiercely independent and has a strong sense of justice. She is one of the most popular characters in the Star Wars franchise, and has been praised for her strong female representation.
“In my life, when you find people who need your help, you help them, no matter what.”
—Ahsoka Tano
The Buddha’s teachings are important, and we shouldn’t take them for granted. In the Ahsoka series, episode 5, Ahsoka’s late master, Anakin Skywalker, appeared to her as a force ghost, or spirit. He was there to finish Ahsoka’s training. But what lesson was Anakin really trying to teach Ahsoka, and what can we learn from this as Buddhists? Let’s recap a few important things about Ahsoka Tano. She was a:
Padawan to Anakin Skywalker
Fought in the Clone Wars
Survivor of Order 66 (The Jedi Purge)
Survivor during the Empire’s Reign (The Original Trilogy)
However, Ahsoka never truly lived her life because of her past, the regrets she had were weighing her down. But she never stopped fighting dark forces, even though she never tried to live her life. That is why Anakin wanted her to understand what it meant to live. Now, let’s look at this lesson in greater detail.
Accepting her Past
Throughout the Ahsoka series, Ahsoka struggled with her past. It was not as if she hated herself and her past, but she did harbor regrets. In particular, she felt responsible for her master, Anakin Skywalker, who she suspected, turned to the dark side in part because she left him as his Padawan. Now she, too, understood precisely just how difficult it was to handle her own Padawan, for she knew that she also had to embrace the potential that she or her own student may succumb to the dark side, just like her master did. As a result, Anakin made it clear that he would finish Ahsoka's training when they met in the World Between Worlds. Of course, Ahsoka no longer required any in terms of her skills, but the important part of her training was not her ability to fight. That was why Anakin took her to the past. Through flashbacks of the Clone Wars, Anakin forced Ahsoka to relive her past in an effort to show her how important it is for her to embrace the events that had happened to her and contributed to who she is now. She asked Anakin how she had lived all these years, despite the fact that many Jedi had been killed by Order 66 and the Inquisitors during the Imperial era. Anakin replied that he had taught her to be a survivor. Ahsoka knew she was groomed to be a soldier and a survivalist, and there was nothing she could do about that.
Embracing who she was
As the training went on, Anakin told Ahsoka that his knowledge lived in her, the same way the knowledge of his master and the master of his master lived in him. He told her that she was now part of a bigger legacy. However, Ahsoka couldn’t embrace the fact that she was part of this legacy because she understood that Anakin’s legacy also involved death and destruction when he fell to the dark side. Ahsoka however, was not innocent either as she was a soldier during the Clone Wars, which meant that violence, death, and destruction were a part of her legacy too. However, it was also true that she was more than her legacy, and Anakin wanted her to realize this as well. In a manner, Anakin wanted Ahsoka to accept the fact that her legacy included having an inner darkness. But what was more crucial for her to understand was that neither her past nor her heritage dictated who she was as a person or what she was capable of in the future. And because of what happened to her and her master in the past, Ahsoka held herself back for a very long time.
Anakin’s True Lesson to Ahsoka
Anakin tries to teach Ahsoka the importance of living without regretting things that happened in the past. Ahsoka's past depressed her so much that she forgot what it meant to be alive, and Anakin tried to explain to her the importance of accepting and letting go of the past.
I choose to live
Ahsoka Tano confronts and duels a vision of her former master, Anakin Skywalker, who has now become Darth Vader. Ahsoka, who is initially overwhelmed by her fear and anger, eventually realizes that she cannot let her master’s legacy, nor her past, define her. Instead of finishing Anakin off, she disarms Anakin and throws his saber away, while telling him she chose to live.
The Buddha taught that suffering is caused by attachment. When we become attached to things –people or ideas –we develop a sense of self based on external factors. When these things change or disappear, we suffer.
Ahsoka's bond with Anakin caused her great pain. She couldn't accept the fact that he had turned to the dark side and blamed herself for his downfall. However, by choosing to live, Ahsoka was able to free herself from her bond with Anakin and move on with her life.
Another Buddhist lesson that can be linked to Ahsoka's statement is the concept of non-duality. In Buddhism, nonduality refers to the understanding that everything is interconnected and interdependent. There is no separation between us and the world around us.
When Ahsoka tells Anakin that she chooses life, she doesn't just confirm her own existence. This also confirms the existence of the Force and all creation. Ahsoka decides to be part of the world and continue to contribute to its well-being.
How can we apply Ahsoka’s lessons to our own lives?
As Buddhists and living beings in general, if you are facing challenges or setbacks in your own life, Ahsoka's lesson can be a source of inspiration. Here are a few tips on how to apply her lesson to your own life:
Acknowledge your pain. It is important to acknowledge your pain and allow yourself to feel it. However, don't dwell on it. Use it as a motivation to change and grow.
Let go of attachments. Identify the things that you are attached to and that are causing you pain. Then, make a conscious decision to let go of them.
Choose to live. Affirm your own existence and your right to be happy. Choose to be a part of the world and to contribute to its well-being.
Remember, we, or you, have the power to choose your own path in life. No matter what circumstances you are facing, you can choose to live and thrive.
“I choose to live.”
—Ahsoka Tano
1Order 66 was a secret contingency order programmed into the clone troopers of the Grand Army of the Republic. When executed, it branded all Jedi as traitors and ordered their immediate execution. This resulted in the near-eradication of the Jedi Order.
