Yogi Movie of September 2023: The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar
Why Yogi Movie of the Month?
Yogi Movie of the Month was born in the hopes of making Jnana Yoga (the Path of Knowledge) more accessible.
Few of us have the luxury of access to living gurus or the attention span/ability to unpack the dense yogic scriptures on our own. Thankfully, gurus are many, gurus do not have to (necessarily) be alive, and knowledge that leads to sincere contemplation and self-realization can be found in stories and movies imbued with profound meanings. Here at 7YGH, we endeavor to present you with various sources of such knowledge on a monthly basis.
To provide some instruction on how to best digest this source of knowledge, you will find a general explanation of Jnana Yoga in Jnana Yoga 101 followed by tips on how to apply Jnana Yoga while you watch in How to Watch This Movie. If you are informed and/or would like to skip to the meat of the movie review itself, use the Table of Contents below to navigate to your desired section.
Table of Contents
i. Jnana Yoga 101
ii. How to Watch This Movie
iii. About This Movie
iv. Why You Should Watch This Movie
v. 3 Movie-Inspired Exercises for Reflection and Inner Wisdom
The Path of Knowledge
Traditionally, the path of Jnana Yoga refers to 3 processes. The main goal of these 3 processes is to answer the Big Question: Who Am I? By answering this question, smaller critical questions such as “Why Am I Here?” and “What Do I Do With What I Have Been Given?” are automatically answered.
These 3 processes are as follows:
(1) Sravana, or wholeheartedly (open mind, open heart) listening to yogic scriptures (Sruti) from the mouth of a verifiable source (Guru)
(2) Manana, or constant reflection upon what was heard, application of that which was heard to one’s own life and lived experiences, as well as the integration of that knowledge into daily action
(3) Nididhyasana, otherwise known as the culmination of sravana and manana, is a type of meditative and transcendent awareness that happens spontaneously on its own accord. It is a deep understanding and subsequent embodiment of the Truth gleaned from the process of listening deeply with one’s heart, contemplating, and living the knowledge.
Why Should You Practice Jnana Yoga?
The systematic processes of Jnana Yoga should be undertaken frequently to nurture the soul, put things in perspective, and loosen the bonds of strong attachments. Jnana Yoga directly nourishes our inner world by teaching us the skill of maintaining distance, of separating the “I am” from what follows. At its subtlest levels, the practice of Jnana Yoga allows us to mold reality with our right perception.
By regularly analyzing the nature of life, existence and the identity of the “I am” through the practice of Jnana Yoga, we are able to maintain peace of mind and more quickly come back to a place of balance during emotional upheaval, crisis, and the inevitable stresses of the world.
In its early stages, the practice helps us build endurance to the pain of opposites—heat, cold, love, loss, thirst, hunger, desire, repulsion, etc.
In later stages, the practice culminates in a transcendence of the pain of opposites, a state wherein we are able to truly bear witness to our bodies and minds, as well as the bodies and minds of others, without attachment or judgment. In so doing, Jnana Yoga allows us to live our lives to the utmost; by helping us understand the true nature of reality, Jnana Yoga results in the loss of attachments, and in the loss of attachments we are relieved of expectations. Freed of the bondage of expectations, we can truly and fully enjoy the world.
Keep an open mind before, during, and after watching the movie. If you aren’t open to learning, if you aren’t striving for betterment, and if you aren’t willing to be wrong (!), even the highest knowledge won’t be effective/can’t help you. Half the work of self-realization comes from effort on our parts to retain open minds and open hearts with a complete awareness of our nature’s tendency to do the opposite (to judge, close off, guard). The goal is not to stop these processes of judgment, etc., but to always be aware of them and to persevere to push past them when they flare up.
Treat this movie as you would a more traditional transmission of knowledge (i.e. a living Guru or Teacher). Treat the movie with reverence and respect; this is the first step to taking the knowledge contained within seriously, and the most important step to opening up your heart to receive and understand this knowledge. Make sure you can watch the movie uninterrupted; mute or silence your phone. Give your full attention to the movie during the entirety of its duration; avoid snacking and other unconscious behaviors.
Take time after the end of the movie to digest the knowledge. Journal, record your immediate reflections on an audio note, or simply sit and ponder. We recommend setting a timer for at least 15-30+ minutes post-movie for this process. Set a calendar reminder for a couple days or a week later to spend another 15-30+ minutes returning to your reflections/adding to them.
Outline the lessons learned and apply them to your daily life. Make a list of the lessons learned from the movie. Try to distill the lessons to a couple of words/a sentence for each lesson, e.g. “Lesson #1: Be kind”. Put this list somewhere visible—on your fridge, taped to your bathroom mirror, or anywhere you will see it daily. Go the extra mile by checking in with yourself at night to go through the day’s events and mentally (or via journal) noting down where you (for example) were kind, where you weren’t, where you could’ve or should’ve been kinder.
Title
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar
Director
Wes Anderson
Genre
Short, Adventure, Comedy, Drama
Language
English
Length
37 minutes
Rating
Not rated.
Summary
💡 With delightful cinematography that demands your attention, this adaption of Dahl’s short story tells the tale of a rich man who endeavors to gain yogi powers so that he can use them to cheat at blackjack (to become richer). The surprising twists and turns of this endearing story invite us to consider the nature of desire, the changes we undergo while pursuing them, and the people we become based on the choices we make.
Offers powerful incentive for practicing yogic techniques — and ultimately not for the reasons you’d think. Still, the movie (and the short story that it’s based off) makes an important observation about the nature of desire and its intertwining with the trajectory of fate. We can learn a lot from this observation, which essentially shows us that even ‘bad’ desires can lead to good things. This observation also invites us to be more forgiving of what may have initially brought us to yoga, God, or what have you. It is only natural for the reason to be superficial at the start; you can’t dive deep into the ocean without first breaking through the surface, after all. Also, change is a plot twist that becomes the plot; you can’t plan for change, you can’t plan in which ways you’ll change, all you can do is live and find out.
You are what you do — which is why behind why yoga works, as seen through the example of Henry Sugar (and as lived by many a yoga practitioner) yoga works by being practiced, and for no other reason than that. This film is a beautiful reminder that it doesn’t matter why you practice yoga; just keep practicing and the yoga will lead you where you need (are meant?) to go.
The cinematography and format demands your attention — the frenetic pace of the narrative and the distinct choices Wes Anderson makes in his adaption make it impossible for you to look away while watching. Your attention will be rapt; you won’t even have to stop yourself from looking at your phone—the movie barrels forward at too much of a break-neck speed to allow any time for such distractions, a huge pro for our scattered modern minds.
Duration of 37 minutes — the duration of this movie (technically, short film) isn’t too long or too short. The length of time spent watching feels surprisingly pleasant, and you don’t need to cut out too much of your day to make time to watch. Plus, even though the movie is the length of a TV episode, it manages to convey the depth and complexity of a movie that has a two hour or longer runtime.
A distillation of the essence of yogic practice — so much of yogic practice can be distilled into that one goal: to focus the mind. The movie very aptly translates not only the simplicity of the yogi’s goal, but also the great difficulty of achieving it.
Offers a concise and engaging overview of a potent yogic meditation technique — bravo to Wes Anderson for making this yogic technique for meditation stylish enough to be appealing to the non-yogic masses. If you aren’t familiar with trataka (a meditation method that utilizes focusing the eyes, traditionally on a candle flame), this short movie offers an enticing introduction. If you are familiar but don’t practice this method, this movie will definitely make you want to start practicing yesterday.
Reminds us of the most important parts of yogic practice: regularity of practice over an extended length of time and enthusiasm for practice. Does it matter what inspires that enthusiasm and hard work? That’s for you to ponder and decide for yourself. Still, it can’t be argued: results (whether in yoga or otherwise) only come with the application of effort over a long enough period of time. And enthusiasm? Well, it just makes that expended effort much easier to muster. It’s enthusiasm, after all, that makes time fly by—regardless of how hard you’re working.
Identify 3 passions or practices. Or anything you do with daily or weekly regularity. Identify why you started doing the activity and be honest about it. Then, recognize why you do the activity now, and how your reasoning has (or hasn’t) evolved and why. (An easy example would be a job you got because you needed to pay the bills and which you now continue to do because yes, you still need to pay the bills, but also because you believe you’re making a difference for x reason).
Practice trataka for 1 week. Or 3 days. Or 1 month. Or 1 year. Well, don’t get ahead of yourself. Start small and just go as long as you’d like (usually it’s easiest that way). See where the practice takes you. You can practice it like it’s detailed in the film or even just by gazing into the flame whilst trying to clear the mind.
Keep a journal with observations about a new skill as you’re acquiring and mastering it. You can do this in conjunction with exercise #2. Keep a journal about your progress in a new skill or practice (whether you’re learning Spanish, the piano, or practicing trataka). Be sure to be regular about when you’re jotting things down (tell yourself you’ll touch base with yourself regarding your progress once a week or once a month or whatever you find feasible). Also be sure to plot in a time when you’ll review past entries to make reflections on progress over time.