Lessons to Be Learned From Avatar

Amidst all the action, 3D effects and looking like Woody Allen in my 3D glasses, the one thing that stood out for me from the film Avatar was this line:

"All energy is borrowed. Someday we must give it back"

Ignoring the tedious Gung-Ho subplot, this film made me think about life, and the world that we live in.

There are so many things wrong with our planet - the violence, illness, disease, cruelty, not to mention the natural disasters that we can't avoid...

On the planet of Pandora, where Avatar is set, life is idyllic.

Everyone co-exists without violence, greed, jealousy or selfishness.

YES, I know it's only a movie, but the quote rings so true for our society in the 21st Century:

Obesity, too many people on benefits, not enough exercise, poor diets, too much sitting around, low immune systems, mindless violence, class-divides and disease and illness that could be avoided.

We are all given ENERGY. Not all of us choose to use it wisely.

One day our energy will be GONE - FOREVER.

That time will come sooner than you think, so will you look back on your life and wish you'd done more with it, been a bit more active, travelled more, taken better of your body and your health, or spent more time interacting and talking to your friends and family, instead of sitting in front of the TV or the computer?

In the film, Jake Scully, a man who has lost his legs in the real world, gets a second chance to be active when he gains the use of his avatar's virtual body. He runs, he jumps, he is enthralled with his new found freedom and athleticism.

If you were given the chance to live your life again, would you do things differently?

The sad truth is that most people won't regret their inactivity until the ability to be active is taken away from them.

Appreciate your energy today, and take advantage of the fact that your body is so much more than a vehicle for eating, drinking and sitting down 'relaxing'..

Avatar - Top 5 Spiritual Lessons Revealed From the Movie Avatar

Avatar, a 2009 movie directed by James Cameron, has several spiritual lessons embedded in it. Here are the top 5 spiritual lessons from the well acclaimed must-watch movie.

1. Everything is Alive. Each particle of creation is filled with awareness, life force energy, spirit, and intelligence. These objects have different consciousness than ours. The universal consciousness, also known as 'Animism', is an integral part of several primitive cultures. This beautiful planet on which we live is not a dead lump of rocks circulating around the sun in space. Everything in this earth is pulsating with energy. Every culture knows it differently. Chinese calls it Chi, Indians call it Prana, Japanese call it Ki. The "bio-botanical neural network" described in the movie is real and we can experience it by increasing our consciousness. If there is one thing that I take home from this movie, it is that we should treat this earth and every living and non-living thing on this earth with respect and love. The "tree of souls" is as real as you believe it to be.

2. Love is the most powerful purifier of all. When our heart is filled with love, it heals us. This positive frequency goes out from us and resonates with everything around us. The heart filled with love creates electromagnetic field that affects the physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual well-being. Love purifies the spirit. It cleanses the soul.

3. Everything is born twice. Your physical birth is simply the beginning of your consciousness. What you do with your life and how you earn your place in the community decides your second birth. Most people never reach the level of consciousness to be born again. To be born again, a person has to earn his or her place in the community. A real warrior has to earn place in the community by cultivating fearlessness and good heart.

4. Balance is the key to all life. "Mother earth does not take sides; she protects only the balance of life," a quote from movie reveals that mother earth promotes balance and harmony over everything else. Several Hindu and Zen spiritual theories promote balance and harmony as well. For long term sustainability, nothing takes precedence of balance.

5. This world is a collaboration of energies and every individual has something to contribute. Everybody has a purpose in life. Living a purposeful life puts you in attunement with rest of the universe. All the life force energy comes to your aid when your purpose is in attunement with betterment of the universe as a whole. "All energy is only borrowed...You have to give it back" - a direct quote from the movie reveals the quintessential aspect of how energy of both living and non-living things interacts and creates our universe.

Living your life by these 5 principles is bound to fill your life with love, joy, and serenity.

Avatar - Top 5 Spiritual Lessons Revealed From the Movie Avatar

Avatar, a 2009 movie directed by James Cameron, has several spiritual lessons embedded in it. Here are the top 5 spiritual lessons from the well acclaimed must-watch movie.

1. Everything is Alive. Each particle of creation is filled with awareness, life force energy, spirit, and intelligence. These objects have different consciousness than ours. The universal consciousness, also known as 'Animism', is an integral part of several primitive cultures. This beautiful planet on which we live is not a dead lump of rocks circulating around the sun in space. Everything in this earth is pulsating with energy. Every culture knows it differently. Chinese calls it Chi, Indians call it Prana, Japanese call it Ki. The "bio-botanical neural network" described in the movie is real and we can experience it by increasing our consciousness. If there is one thing that I take home from this movie, it is that we should treat this earth and every living and non-living thing on this earth with respect and love. The "tree of souls" is as real as you believe it to be.

2. Love is the most powerful purifier of all. When our heart is filled with love, it heals us. This positive frequency goes out from us and resonates with everything around us. The heart filled with love creates electromagnetic field that affects the physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual well-being. Love purifies the spirit. It cleanses the soul.

3. Everything is born twice. Your physical birth is simply the beginning of your consciousness. What you do with your life and how you earn your place in the community decides your second birth. Most people never reach the level of consciousness to be born again. To be born again, a person has to earn his or her place in the community. A real warrior has to earn place in the community by cultivating fearlessness and good heart.

4. Balance is the key to all life. "Mother earth does not take sides; she protects only the balance of life," a quote from movie reveals that mother earth promotes balance and harmony over everything else. Several Hindu and Zen spiritual theories promote balance and harmony as well. For long term sustainability, nothing takes precedence of balance.

5. This world is a collaboration of energies and every individual has something to contribute. Everybody has a purpose in life. Living a purposeful life puts you in attunement with rest of the universe. All the life force energy comes to your aid when your purpose is in attunement with betterment of the universe as a whole. "All energy is only borrowed...You have to give it back" - a direct quote from the movie reveals the quintessential aspect of how energy of both living and non-living things interacts and creates our universe.

Living your life by these 5 principles is bound to fill your life with love, joy, and serenity.

Resurrecting the Champ - Essential Life Lessons

Resurrecting the Champ was a pleasant surprise for a movie; the acting of Josh Hartnett is exceptional, and Samuel L. Jackson is great as usual. The movie contains such an array of life lessons; what it takes to be a hero to yourself and those you love. It also covers the issue of forgiveness, and how important it is to forgive those who have wronged you. Finally, it teaches that while others may try to deceit/trick you, everyone is just looking out for their own best interests.

Champ (Jackson) is not who we originally thought he was. In fact, he is pretending to be someone else. A boxer named Tommy Kincaid impersonating Bob Satterfield, whom Kincaid believed to be better than him. Instead of trying to imitate Satterfield's positive characteristics, he disregards himself as a person, and pretends to be somebody he's not. In the end of the movie, Kincaid finally learns the meaning of self-acceptance, and becomes proud of his own identity.

Erik Kernan (Hartnett) is a sports/entertainment journalist for a living, and has the privilege of meeting celebrities/athletes on the job. It is revealed that Kernan's main goal is to be a great father to his son. He often bends the truth about athletes that he meets, because he thinks it will make his son love him more. He wants to be the perfect hero, but doesn't realize how unnecessary it is to strive for perfection. To be a hero as a father, you must demonstrate the key ability to give and receive love (think of a sponge). Fortunately, Kernan had this ability, and was a great father because of it.

Did Kincaid have a good reason to lie about his identity? No. Was it the right thing to pretend to be someone else, and risk a friends career because of it? Absolutely not! But Kincaid deserves the forgiveness he received from Kernan, because we all need forgiveness to get back on track. Kernan is undoubtedly angry about all of Kincaid's lies, but still has the state of mind to save their friendship. If others do not forgive us for the wrong we have done, we will be stuck in a very awkward situation (sometimes worse). The key to remember is that we all act out of self interest, and we all make mistakes. Forgiveness may be difficult to give, but is best for all parties in the long term.

Everyone wants the best deal for themselves and those that they love. Kernan wanted a better job for himself, and Kincaid wanted to be a young championship boxer. Kernan took action by finding Kincaid, and hoping to elevate his journalist status through a controversial article. Kincaid just wanted to be praised by others. By giving Kernan false information, he was hoping to increase his social status and reputation. All actions are justifiable by the one taking the initiative. Not all people will understand why some actions are taken (crime, for instance), but the one who took the action will always have justification.

Resurrecting the Champ is a stupendous film, containing many essential life lessons. Some of them are self-acceptance, being a hero to yourself and others, how to forgive, and insight as to why some people take questionable actions. After you have watched the movie, take in all of the insight, and Resurrect the Champ inside of you!