Reflecting on Superman

The Christian and Jewish symbolism in the movie, Man of Steel, is quite obvious as the creators of Superman were children of Jewish immigrants in USA and Canada. However the symbolism can be much more rich depending on how we perceive them.

A beautiful child appears in the heart of the lotus flower.

Notice how the space ship carrying baby Kal-El opens and closes like the petals of a lotus flower.

"There is a Boddhisattva, whose name is Avalokitesvara, in Vietnamese we call her Quan The Âm, in Chinese, Quan Yin. It means: 'Listening deeply to the sound of the cries of the world'. And listening deeply is the practice of mindfullness. But if you are full of pain, full of anxiety, full of projections, and especially full of prejudices, full of ideas and notions, it may be very difficult for you to practice deep listening. You are too full. And that is why to practice in order for you to have space, to have freedom within, to have some joy within is very important for deep listening. Avalokitesvara, Quan Yin, she practices deep listening to herself, and to the world, outside. She practices touching with her ears."

-- Thich Nhat Hanh

There is a scene where young Clark Kent is freaked out by his enhanced sense of sight and hearing and hides in a closet. And his mother, Martha, guides him to focus on her voice to regain calmness and concentration. Indeed, a mindful mother. Many parents are quick to reprimand or minimize the problems of their child.

The beings suffer embarassment and discomfort;

Incalculable woes press in upon them.

The Sound-Observer, by virtue of his unblemished knowledge,

Can rescue the world from its woes.

众生被困厄 无量苦逼身 观音妙智力 能救世闻苦

-- Ch. 24, Lotus Sutra 

(Opening the Heart of the Cosmos: Insights from the Lotus Sutra)