Here is some on Life of Pi if anyone needs a refresher:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_of_piLife of Pi is a spiritual journey, and also one in survival. It is about life, and we are left wondering if the animals were really animals, or they were really people who kept Pi alive.
Either way you slice it, Richard Parker, the tiger, is an aspect of himself. He begins becoming more like the tiger and surviving, as well as the tiger becomes tame more and more, with his various ways of marking territory and bowing down to the whistle Pi uses.
But what does the carnivorous island mean in the movie? This is a big one and requires a lot of speculation. I have my own narrative of the story of the carnivorous island. However others may see it differently which is the beauty of it.
There are many speculations on the carnivorous island, but one is it appears to be a sleeping man, floating on water. A mysterious presence, and with Pi being Indian, this may be Vishnu.
Here is a little on the sleeping Vishnu god:
http://www.fov.org.uk/hinduism/04.html he lays in the water, and creates.
This is not a knock on Vishnu because you have to see, he gives choices to all. But one of the things is the island is fine by day, but at night, this is when it begans devouring live.
This is when Yama, the god of death comes into play. AT NIGHT, the life is sucked right out of the living.
But the island promises so much in the light of day, food, water, an endless slew of meerkats for richard parker. Tons of berries and leaves for Pi.
However that which we consume like gluttons will eventually devour you. This is life. When we become lost in some great promise of wealth and riches, we can be consumed by it.
We can lose our soul in the gluttony of life that it has to offer.
But this is not just about the material, this island represented letting go of the beauty of being a survivor. Pi, whether it was animals who were killed, or he became a cannibal to survive, GREW on the boat, and also too, on the island.
The waters of the island, the ocean, represents the subconsous, connected to the Nagual we all know well. The island was that which promises us all we desire. It is where we feed our hungry ghosts, and then, eventually, the ghosts become so huge and large they devour you.
One of the things the island represents is all religions put together. I do not care how prescious you view a path of a religion. It represents all of the paths and beliefs which can be attributed to them. They all lead to death in some way.
Think about it. What religion does not promise, spiritual growth, enlightenment, or a wonderful afterlife, or perhaps a new life per being reborn or reicarnated? I can go to heaven, or have a wonderful life as a queen. Think about it. "Follow me and I will lead you to it."
Pi had been exploring numerous religions, well three, and when it was time to be tested, didnt his learning go out the water? The need to survive became great. He yelled at God while in the boat with the tiger. Who wouldnt'
Promises. So many of them promise great things. I am not saying to shun them, not at all. But what I am saying, what I urge, is do not let them numb your mind. Do not follow a path because so many follow it. Do not follow a path because you see this 'majority rules' and you think everyone is right. You must trust yourself, that the path carved for you, can only be the right one. You can work on gaining wisdom every day.
Another thing is religions all teach you NEED the religion to get close to God. You need me. You need me. Ill feed you and you feed me. However, that is not true. Children are not dopes when they are innocent. They want to talk to God, they just talk to God. They dont say "Mommy I need you to help me talk to God." Baloney. They just do it. So why cant I, and why cant you?
Promises. If you do these steps, you will be enligtened, saved, have a great life. But you walk a path which is carved out for you. You cant do that. You must walk your own path, one no one has ever walked, with your own two feet, and experience life as it is.
You develop faith, and you develop hope, and the means to survive, walking your own path. This is how you do it. You must free your mind you need a majority. You must free your mind you need to listen to this person, or that person.
If you see something in a religion which you feel has value, take it. It is for the taking, and graft it into your life. Hold it precious and dont let go. But if later something conflicts and it has no use anymore, discard it.
I do not thing God wants us bogged down, mindless with religion. Look how it can consume things, like common sense. There is still a flat earth society. Can you believe it? There are still millions of people who believe the universe and earth were created in seven days, despite concrete evidence this is not so.
I dont think the initial intent of religion was meant to control people. But it was meant to give hope, when all things were lost. People died much younger many moons ago. People starved to death. People had no home and lived in a tent or a cave. Life absolutely sucked. So all they had was forming some form of religion so they could go on. So life wasnt worth nothing at all.
The carnivorous island also represents, being complacent, being a bum basically, will destroy you. It will devour you over time if you are lazy.
Pi observed the tooth, and the lotus, which he learned about at the zoo, on the island. The island robbed everything. We know what the tooth is, it is death. We know what the lotus is. It is life.
The meerkats, think about it. So many of them, like little robots. Before Pi would have been devoured, he would have turned into a meerkat. A sheeple. One of the masses. Think about it. Does religions not aim to make people into sheeple? Followers? Many of the pack, doing the same thing, being the same exact way, only to be devoured by their own beliefs, their own drivel, in the end? IOW - when one is a follower, and does not follow their own path, when death comes, and the next level begins on the journey, will they be prepared/ But not only that, no worries about later, what about life. How are you living your life rooted in fantasy, believing everything is ok?
I live my life scared shitless that one day I am going to die. I do have a guard up tho, that makes me function in society, as I live my life. But deep down, when I delve, when I ponder on this, I think on my own death. I delve, I get deep, and really try to get it to sink in, my time is short.
There is something in us, in our ego, which completely, utterly, shuns this thought. AND religion feeds this part of ego with its promises. Hey, you die, but you go somewhere pretty and full of life and love and light. They will even go so far as to guarantee this to you. They are so believing, they know what is going to happen to you, they convince you they are right.
Meerkats!
Pi noticed Richard Parker, not eating, wanting off the Island, and realizes he must go as well. He let go of the promises putting his 'faith' into a bunch of meerkats, and an island which would devour him at night, would have to offer. He let go, and went back, looking for the real deal. He would have to survive again, and take his chances with the tiger in the boat. But this was the only way to guarantee survival.
Once he got off the Island he went back to this, but eventually found real shores of life. And he was able to take from his experience, all of the lessons and then find a real faith. One which is unique, and truly his own. Not one man-made.
Don't Idealize. Don't Idealize one story over another. In the end, we only have our own experiences to carry us. I dont care if you have only had one, or two, or three bonafide spiritual experiences. Take with you those experiences and call them your own. Do not waste time, following the path of other people, do not listen to those who promise something. You must find your own way, that is part of spiritual survival.
