Bortolin, an ordained member of Thich Nhat Hanh's Buddhist community, may be the ideal person to write about the Buddhist themes in Star Wars
: he camped out for tickets to all of the movies—even the less than stellar ones—and possesses his very own set of Jedi robes. In short, consistent chapters, Bortolin explores themes such as suffering, mindfulness, karma and transcending the dark side. One especially helpful chapter examines what nirvana is, comparing it to the all-pervasive Force of Star Wars
, and clarifying that nirvana isn't a sort of Buddhist heaven or a blissed-out mental condition. Rather, Bortolin asserts, it is "the very absence of ideas and conceptualization." Bortolin looks to Jedi meditation as a parallel discipline to the Buddhist practice of mindfulness meditation. In this state, Jedi knights "get in touch with reality as it truly is," observing their minds with calm compassion and allowing greater understanding of the present moment. One of the book's greatest strengths is Bortolin's stubborn determination to find something redeeming about the two most recent Star Wars
films, and he does actually recover enough of these nuggets to make some fans take a second look at those overhyped flicks. With humor, strong examples and timeless wisdom, Bortolin offers a new way to think about a pop culture phenomenon. Lead us to Yoda, he does. (Apr.)
