Eywa

Eywa, also known as the All-Mother or Great Mother, is the guiding force of life and deity of Pandora and the Na'vi. The Na'vi believe that Eywa acts to keep the ecosystem of Pandora in perfect equilibrium and that all things return to Eywa upon their death. It is possible that Eywa is the Na'vi's interpretation and personification of the Pandoran Neural Network and the terms are sometimes used synonymously.

The Na'vi all share certain key values even across clans, including their belief in a globally distributed consciousness of Pandora known to them as Eywa. It is also believed that all creatures have two forms: a body, and a spiritual counterpart or soul (vitra). At the end of one's life, the Na'vi believe that the souls of the dead return to Pandora's consciousness before being reborn as living matter in an eternal cycle of death and rebirth. In this way, the Na'vi believe that all energy is temporary and only borrowed by each living creature and that one day, it will return to Eywa.

The Na'vi view all living things as a single connected system to be respected and cared for. However, they revere certain trees and plants as especially sacred - as places where Eywa herself is believed to reside, such as the Tree of Souls. Animals, including the Na'vi, have free will and are not, strictly speaking, a part of Eywa - in the same sense that a child is not a part of their mother but does owe life to her.

The Na'vi seek to live in perpetual harmony with their world. Their oneness with Eywa provides them with a sense of certainty, selfless values, and pure motives. This can be interpreted as childish naiveté to humans, some of whom hope to prey on the Na'vi's perceived innocence. However, faith and optimism have proved strong enough to lead the Na'vi through many hard times throughout their history.

Unlike some Terran religions, the Na'vi do not view Eywa as an all-powerful, world-creating deity. They also do not believe there are any other gods, spirits, or demons associated with non-living forces of the world, such as mountains, rivers, or volcanoes. The Na'vi know that natural disasters, disease, and all other natural phenomena are not the work of Eywa, but rather, are uncontrollable, worldly forces. Eywa acts only as a defender and guide of life, who helps, protects, and guides the Na'vi against such life-threatening assaults of nature.