Avatar/Ishmael/Animism

The buzz about Avatar was definitely in full effect right before I left for Mexico. Most people were talking about 3D, special effects, action...none of which really do it for me when it comes to movies. My first weekend here our volunteer coordinator bought a pirated DVD version at the market. I saw part of the movie that night and I was I was captured by the story, which everyone had neglected to talk about.

The week before I came to Mexico, I wrote a post about Animism/Catholicism. A few people dropped me a message asking more about animism. I gave an inadequate answer, trying to distinguish it from a formal religion. Animism is a word someone came up with to describe a way of life that recognizes a common divinity/"energy" between all living and even non-living things. This world view was held and is held by many groups of people who have chosen to live outside of the present dominate culture.

A better answer would have been to tell everyone to see Avatar. The people of Pandora are animists. Jake Sully (great name by the way), the main character, gets the privelege of learning the ways of the people. His training culminates when he makes his first kill and he recites these words to the animal:

"I see you brother and I thank you. Your spirit goes with Eywa (the sacred tree = the source of all life/energy). Your body stays behind to become part of The People"

This is animism. As you can imagine, such an understanding of the world guides you towards a life of accepting the sacredness of both life and death. A life of harmony vs. domination.

Daniel Quinn wrote a fiction book called Ishmael, which first opened my eyes to this idea of deep ecology. He coined certain terms like Leavers, Takers, and Mother Culture. If any of this sounds interesting, I highly recommend it. A former volunteer left behind My Ishmael, the sequel, which I am currently re-reading.

"Out there is the true world and here is the dream" - J. Sully