Regarding Smoke Monsters and Buddhism by Wiggen989

Christian, the MIB, and John Locke have remained the most guarded and mysterious of secrets in the show thus far. They seem to revolve around each other and people cannot seem to place who falls where and who works for who. To give some clarity I'll posit a theory on the progression of the show that although I do not understand the end play I see the moves. Christian Shepherd is the only character brought to the island dead on Oceanic 815. Following this Christian showed up to Jack as a hallucination, apparition, or is in fact possessed by the smoke monster. Or at least these have been the conjectures. But what if in fact Christian is enlightened by the fact that he has died off island and is brought back by Jack to the Island. Christian seemed to know what he was doing while he sat in the bar with Sawyer talking about his possibility of fixing all this if he would make a single phone call.

I assert Christian may have known what would happen to him and what he would have to do once his son crashed on the Island. Christian shepherd may know about a continuing loop his son must experience for all eternity. Relatable to the Myth of Sisyphus represented earlier in Horace's repeated cutting of the tree in Locke's vision. Christian is the smoke monster from Season One to Five until he convinces Locke to turn the donkey wheel and die off island. You may say MIB is the one who took the form of Christian to influence Locke and that Locke in the form of MIB told Locke he needed to die so that he could take over his body. Again I do not believe this to be necessarily true. If Christian as he is is in fact the smoke monster he would have been setting up for Locke to become enlightened by dying and being brought to the island dead. Doing this Locke became the smoke monster the moment his body arrived on island. This occurring Locke immediately understood the entire cycle of! Lost and what Jacob had orchestrated and for some reason Locke the one person who is able to do something about it. Locke saw Ben's daughter die and knew that he loved her. He used this to kill Jacob but this is not the end game. He needs everyone to die because Locke has always wanted everyone to stay on Island.

This will be the most interesting part involving the end of the series is Locke's plan whether it is indeed MIB or in fact Locke suddenly aware. This involves the aspect of reincarnation in the fact that Locke may remember what the previous smoke monsters have attempted to do in opposition to Jacob and Locke may have the upper hand in that he knows every single one of the candidates fairly well. This may help manipulation or aiding his plan whatever it may be. Then you ask what does MIB have to do with this. MIB is the original smoke monster that has begun orchestrating his plan. He knows his memory will remain within the smoke monster. The smoke monster individuals appearing as the smoke monster desperately want to rid themselves of the smoke monster by killing the candidates or humanity in general through deception. MIB may have in fact tricked christian into becoming the smoke monster like he did Locke or he may have consciously known what he would become returning to the! island by dying in Australia. Why would it be different than Locke? Because Locke may be different in the fact that he does not remember the Loop when he comes to the island. The entire Oceanic 815 flight may be unique in the fact that the forget about the loop they have experienced at the moment of the crash.

This is based on an Egyptian allegory I see running parallel with the plot of Lost and an Egyptian myth involving a boat of a family of gods all related in some way to each other falling out of the sky and crashing but the gods did not know that they were family. Beside the point.

Locke was always searching for answers but he did begins progressively influenced by the smoke monster, or island, we do not know exactly who Locke talks to in the first couple season when he communes with the island. But Locke understands everything that had happened to him prior to his death after become the smoke monster and this helped him find the loophole.

Think about Richard's compass, Ben's judgement, the rules of Jacob according to the others, Jack's daddy issues which will play in largely in his possible reveal of information about his father to Jack that will play into Jack's ability to choose to live a loop of an experience of life that is the story of on island Lost. Jacob will choose a replacement and as many believe it will be Jack in the fact that Jack will have to guard against the influence of Locke as he begins to gain answers from his progressive time on island. Jack almost does not lead but it is unique that Locke is the one that convinces Jack to lead. People posit that Locke was the smoke monster at this point but I believe locke had a clean slate but always became who he would become because he was obsessed. Obsessed with finding answers. Relating this to the multiple "smoke monsters" that are actually different entities of the same being, I see it being related to who turns the donkey wheel.

Desmond was just pushed down the well and we know something made him unique with that turn of the fail safe key but it seems people already knew he would do it. Because of this desmond can survive this turning of the wheel without becoming a smoke monster. Ben is also the the other person who has turned the wheel and he is also uniquely special. Ben was able to travel back to the island after turning the wheel by getting aboard Ajira alive. Ben pushing the wheel first caused a rift that should not have been because Locke was supposed to push it but Christian knew that Ben would be allowed to willingly kill Jacob in order to give way for Locke. This began with Ben seeing his dead mother in Dharma. Who knows who the smoke monster was at this point but it is most likely MIB because I believe he took the form of Richard to influence Ben even if this is not the case he influenced him with the memory of his dead mother. Widmore is also a similar player to Ben in this respect of le! aving island but I believe his was related to the knowledge Jacob possesses such as alternate timelines. Ben will become the leader of others for all time. That will remain his job. Knowing the entire loop but attempting to look like the good guy just as he did when we first met him and that might have even been a hint into his character to come. The key question comes down to exactly what the Smoke Monster's plan is and what information he had makes him want to leave or kill or possess. Love to hear some thoughts