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It’s a well-known fact that Star Wars pulls from many mythologies and religions, with many drawing comparisons between the teachings of the Jedi and Buddhist principles. Among those who played a vital role in strengthening the ties between Buddhism and Star Wars was Irvin Kershner, director of The Empire Strikes Back and student of Zen. (Quote: “I want to introduce some Zen here, because I don’t want the kids to walk away just feeling that everything is a shoot-em-up; but there’s also a little something to think about here in terms of yourself and your surroundings.”)
Someone I know told me that one concept Kershner wanted to implement in ESB was “makyō”, particularly in the Dagobah scenes. I’m a stranger to the religion, but from what I can gather, the term refers to illusions Zen practitioners experience while meditating that only serve to distract them. Note that it can be translated literally as “ghost cave” or “demon realm” (among many other possible translations.) Said person claimed that the idea of makyō’s influence is most obvious in the dark side cave, where Luke fights against an illusion of Darth Vader.
What I want to know is, does anyone have a source to confirm that Kershner (or anyone else involved in the production of ESB) intended to incorporate the concept? My acquaintance said that they read it in a behind-the-scenes book that they no longer have access to.
