The Brave One & Bhagavad Gita
I drove home in a very disturbed state of mind after this film.
The take home written exam for my yoga teaching certification requires that I study the Bhagavad Gita and write about three of its teachings. I haven't done the writing yet, but I have listed three. One is the lesson to not be attached to the fruits of one's actions, to do the right thing and not be deterred by the consequences. The catch is that the knowledge of what is "right action" is found in someone who is wise, in this case through the study of yoga, though there are other paths.
The actions of Jodie Foster's character, Erica, seem right while watching the film. Justice is served. Her victims are not only lawless but without remorse, without feeling. They enjoy victimizing others. The world is better off without them. In the end, when she succeeds in killing the three thugs who killed her loved one and gets away with it, I root for her and feel satisfied that she was able to deal out justice. Her passion as she kills is familiar to all of us. Who hasn't felt a righteous fury in hearing about yet another random victim of vicious, seemingly recreational violence? Who hasn't wanted, at least for a moment, to indulge in a righteous killing? I felt that it could be me.
So, why did I feel so disturbed driving home? I was not happy to recognize that, for consistency, I would have to also grant the intensely religious anti-abortionists the right to kill doctors who perform abortions. After all, they are convinced of the rightness of their actions.
Writing this, I picked up the book again to be sure about the spelling of the title. Then, searching for an appropriate passage to quote, I found the relevant pages and read them again.
I had forgotten about another part of the pathway to wisdom, the withdrawal from the senses. Most of us are driven to activity by our attractions and aversions, to get what we desire and avoid what we fear or hate. Only by learning to step back from those feelings can we find our true moral and ethical sense, find wisdom.
Erica, in the film, was emotionally disturbed, traumatized by her experience and caught up in the passions triggered by profound injustice and loss. She was deeply attached to the consequences of her chosen actions. She got her revenge, and then some. Her senses were the driver, not wisdom.
In the sequel, Erica will marry Detective Mercer, and this pair of walking wounded will tear themselves and each other apart. I just hope they don't have kids. The scene in the convenience store comes to mind.
The take home written exam for my yoga teaching certification requires that I study the Bhagavad Gita and write about three of its teachings. I haven't done the writing yet, but I have listed three. One is the lesson to not be attached to the fruits of one's actions, to do the right thing and not be deterred by the consequences. The catch is that the knowledge of what is "right action" is found in someone who is wise, in this case through the study of yoga, though there are other paths.
The actions of Jodie Foster's character, Erica, seem right while watching the film. Justice is served. Her victims are not only lawless but without remorse, without feeling. They enjoy victimizing others. The world is better off without them. In the end, when she succeeds in killing the three thugs who killed her loved one and gets away with it, I root for her and feel satisfied that she was able to deal out justice. Her passion as she kills is familiar to all of us. Who hasn't felt a righteous fury in hearing about yet another random victim of vicious, seemingly recreational violence? Who hasn't wanted, at least for a moment, to indulge in a righteous killing? I felt that it could be me.
So, why did I feel so disturbed driving home? I was not happy to recognize that, for consistency, I would have to also grant the intensely religious anti-abortionists the right to kill doctors who perform abortions. After all, they are convinced of the rightness of their actions.
Writing this, I picked up the book again to be sure about the spelling of the title. Then, searching for an appropriate passage to quote, I found the relevant pages and read them again.
I had forgotten about another part of the pathway to wisdom, the withdrawal from the senses. Most of us are driven to activity by our attractions and aversions, to get what we desire and avoid what we fear or hate. Only by learning to step back from those feelings can we find our true moral and ethical sense, find wisdom.
Erica, in the film, was emotionally disturbed, traumatized by her experience and caught up in the passions triggered by profound injustice and loss. She was deeply attached to the consequences of her chosen actions. She got her revenge, and then some. Her senses were the driver, not wisdom.
In the sequel, Erica will marry Detective Mercer, and this pair of walking wounded will tear themselves and each other apart. I just hope they don't have kids. The scene in the convenience store comes to mind.
posted by Cranky Ol' Lady at 8:13 PM
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