Lucas correctly calls it a Buddhist way of saying things. Thinking about contemporary culture it is interesting to me that while the Judeo-Christian influence in culture is disappearing fast, the Buddhist or Eastern mystical worldview is in fact gaining ground rapidly. Anyway, here are a number of snippets from the interview. I don't see Star Wars as profoundly religious. I've been pondering that question ever since, and the conclusion I've come to is that all the religions are true.
Religion is basically a container for faith.
One explanation for the popularity of Star Wars when it appeared is that by the end of the 1970s, the hunger for spiritual experience was no longer being satisfied sufficiently by the traditional vessels of faith. I wanted to make it so that young people would begin to ask questions about the mystery. I think you should have an opinion about that. I'm very curious about this, and I am going to continue to look until I can find an answer, and if I can't find an answer, then I'll die trying. I think it's important to have a belief system and to have faith.