'Life of Pi' is about a Spiritual Awakening Through Understanding Richard Parker

What is the Tiger?

Spoiler alert: I'm going to very briefly describe the synopsis. Also because the explanation is brief, it is still better that you have seen the film so that you can grasp the post.

Pi's Father says: 

"That tiger is not your friend. When you look into his eyes you are seeing your own emotions reflected back at you. Nothing else!"

'Your own emotions reflected back at you' means that our ego-mind, the part we identify ourselves with which is our 'story' is merely just a reflection of our desires, frustrations, and fear because we think we are our 'story'. We have to be careful to not to identify with this. The tiger represents Pi's identification of himself (ego-mind or his 'story' or illusion, these are all same thing!) and this identity is called Richard Parker. We can compare this to us identifying ourselves with our 'story'.

His real identity behind Richard Parker is Pi. Pi is the golden ratio. We are Pi. When the illusion is lifted we will realize that we are all Pi.

Pi begins his spiritual path when he gets thrown off the boat.

Attaining spiritual awakening through the tool of the ego-mind, or understanding the illusion

The process begins when he is a castaway on a lifeboat all alone is just him and Richard Parker (his 'story'). He left his home India, he left a woman he loved, he left the zoo. He suddenly loses the animals he dearly loved and his most precious family in a tragic boat accident. He loses everything he knows about himself, his identity. He loses his story!

Now, the battle as castaways on the unpredictable sea is long and arduous, as everything in Pi's life is being stripped and taken away, everything he knows about himself. This is the spiritual path in order to be awakened to our true identity. We must do the same too, it is a long and arduous process that we all must go through. Like Pi, we must have that courage to continue letting go of our identity or the addiction to our 'story', despite the difficulties. 

From thereon we learn of the relationship between Richard Parker and Pi. 

One night, he asks Richard Parker what he sees. 

"What are you looking at? Talk to me. Tell me what you see."

Pi sees what Richard Parker is holding onto in the reflection of the water. He sees images of the boat accident, the animals, his family. He sympathizes with the tiger (the illusion that wants to hold on to his story) and now understands that the tiger is nothing but the reflection of his emotions (protecting his story).

Afterwards, they find themselves in the middle of another storm. During this most severe circumstance, when he has lost everything that he has identified himself with, everything that he is trying to hold onto continue to be taken away from him. In this scene it is the emergency supplies and his diary. When this is taken away he finally succumbs to spiritual surrender, letting go of everything he knew himself as.

"God....I give myself to you. I am your vessel. Whatever comes, I want to know. Show me."

His path was carefully filled with lessons and tests in order to make sure he learns these in order to be fully spiritualized..

"Even when God seemed to abandon me, he was watching. Even when he seemed indifferent to my suffering, he was watching. And when I was beyond all hope of saving, he gave me rest, then gave me a sign to continue my journey."

When the lifeboat finally reaches shore, they no longer need each other to survive and Richard Parker walks off unceremoniously into the jungle, disappearing forever without even saying goodbye, the illusion disappears. This is because Pi no longer identifies himself as Richard Parker. Richard Parker never existed and was never real. We must all discover that we are NOT our story! Or who we 'think' we are!

Reminiscent of Plato's Allegory of the Cave and The Wizard of Oz, the agents find Pi's story not logical, alluding to the fact that those around us may not understand spiritual experiences when we try to explain them. But for those who have 'eyes to see and ears to hear' .....

It is not my intention to explain all details, I left the vast of the undulating storyline for you to discover because it is a personal experience. Watch the film (again) to understand the relationships of Ego-mind/illusion/'Story' and the Real Self that one must endure on the quest for spiritual enlightenment, as Ang Lee has beautifully done.

"How narrow is the gate and strict the way that leads to life, and few are those who find it!" - Aramaic Bible

"I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus on the brightest. I do not judge the universe." - Dalai Lama