What are Jedi?

Jedi are individuals who apply the principles and teachings of Jediism in their own lives.
Jedi contact the living Force within for guidance. Members of the Jedi sanctuary call
eachother "Jedi" to honor the Jedi Knights of Star Wars.

What is Jediism?

A religion based on the philosophy of the Star Wars saga. Message of the Force is not to
answer questions about God, but to inspire questions about the nature of God.
***Jedi Knights are a modern day version of the Shaolin Monk, the Samurai Warrior and
the European Knight mixed together.***

**All information obtained verbatum from The Temple of the Jedi Order**

The Oklahoma Temple of the Jedi(The Jedi Praxeum) Doctrine of Jediism

Jediism is a modern religion which was born as a result of the Star Wars mythology.
George Lucas, when he created the Star Wars saga, used various aspects of many ancient
religions' universal truths as well as a combination of different martial arts and the code of
chivalry in order to create the Jedi and the philosophies behind the Force. The Jedi path has
become an inspiration and a way of life for many people throughout the world who take on
the mantle of Jedi. Even though Jediism is a new faith, it is just as real as the ancient faiths
and philosophies that it came from.

Jedi apply the principles, ideals, philosophies, and teachings of Jediism in a practical
manner within their own lives. Jedi seek the Living Force for guidance. Jedi follow what is
considered to be the "Light Side" of the Force, and adhere to the ideals and philosophies of
the Jedi Path above all else. Jedi show compassion, and do what they are able to improve
the world around them. Jedi promote equality in rights and freedoms within civilization, in
the hopes of protecting peace and justice. Jedi seek to help those around them that need it,
and to defend the defenseless. Jedi stand up against true evils which threaten humanity's
freedom.

Jedi Ideals:

Jedi respect the sanctity of human life. All human beings are created equal, and we must
recognize and respect this fact. We show compassion for all human beings, because they
are human. However, we as Jedi must also recognize the importance of Justice.

Jedi work towards a culture that is free of discrimination on the basis of gender, race,
sexual orientation, national origin, degree of ability, or age. As the previous section states,
all human beings are created equal. Jedi support equal rights and freedoms for all
humanity.

Jedi support democracy in within religious, political and other structures. For there to be
civility in structured societies, the people must have an equal voice. As it applies to the
Jedi, this is still true for the most part. However, Jedi also follow Tradition, and respect
among the Jedi for each other should still stand. While every Jedi has a voice, and that
voice should be heard, it is not acceptable to place a newcomer to the Path on the same
equal ground as a Master who has walked the Path of the Jedi for many years. To declare
an Initiate in any Order as equal to the most experienced Masters is an insult to both those
Masters and the Order, and breeds a lack of respect that is often times very difficult to
correct. A good example to use is the difference between a toddler and an adult. The
toddler, barely learning to stand, walk, and talk on their own, is in no way equal to the
adult, who has had many years of experience. The toddler needs help learning, and we
should do what we can to help, but they are in no way equal to the adult, and should not be
treated as though they have the same experience. The same can be said of Jedi... the Initiate
is indeed a person, aspiring to become a Jedi. They do have a voice and deserve to be
heard... however, they need help learning, and we should help in that arena rather than
holding them on equal ground with Knights and Masters who have worked to earn their
place within the Order.

Jedi support the separation of Church and State, freedom of speech, freedom of association,
and freedom of expression. Separation of church and state prevents people from more or
less becoming enslaved to any one dogmatic group of beliefs. History will teach us that a
church controlled by the state becomes all-important, and many people who have been true
to themselves rather than following the state-controlled church have been branded as
heretics and criminals. Many foul things have been done in the name of religion throughout
the ages, and forcing people to "convert or die" is among the most horrific. Freedom of
speech, likewise, is essential. For a person to be denied the ability to speak what he or she
truly believes is another form of enslavement. Without the forum of free speech, new ideas
would not be heard, knowledge would not be shared, and humanity would still be in the
dark ages. We must be free to express ourselves, associate with whom we wish, and say
what is on our mind without fear of repercussion from those who would seek to control
every aspect of our lives. Freedom of association and expression, like freedom of speech, is
likewise essential in order to promote equality and true freedom.

Jedi emphasize the importance of education. We believe that one's education is never
"complete". To quote line two of the Jedi Code, "There is no Ignorance; There is
Knowledge". The path of learning is never-ending for a Jedi. Jedi must ever seek to
increase their Knowledge, and develop Wisdom from their experiences. However, this
must apply to more than just Religions and Ethics. Jedi should seek to learn the truth no
matter where that truth lies. The truth is what it is. The truth is not always pretty...
sometimes it can be ugly and shocking, but the truth is ultimately still the truth and must
not be disregarded simply because it isn't pretty or what we want it to be.
The Force:

The Force is described as "an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us,
penetrates us, and binds the galaxy together." The Force, in part, is the energy associated
with life, and life is associated with the Force. Most Jedi adhere to the ideology that the
Force has a Will of it's own, and it guides those who would listen to it's subtle whispers.

The Force is primarily made up of the "light side" and the "dark side". These are concerned
with the moral compass of the Force in its various manifestations of Balance. The light side
of the Force is the facet of the Force aligned with good, benevolence, compassion, and
healing. The dark side of the Force is aligned with fear, hatred, aggression, and
malevolence; this side of the Force can seem more powerful, though it is just more
tempting to those that can touch upon the power as it doesn't impose any restrictions on its
use, often granting almost inhuman strength to those who would give in to hatred and
anger. These "sides" of the Force are tied directly to the eternal Balance of the Universe...
"Without Darkness, there can be no Light". By the same token, the "side" of the Force one
chooses to follow depends on that individual's true intent within their heart.

The Force has also been described as having four additional aspects: The Cosmic Force,
the Living Force, the Personal Force, and the Unifying Force. These aspects are defined by
prominent Jedi philosophies. The Cosmic Force essentially embraces space and time in its
entirety... It is quite basically what "binds the Galaxy together", and keeps the cosmos in
Balance. It is what drives the Cosmos, and what keeps it in Order. The Living Force deals
with living things... the Energy created by and connected to all Life itself. "Life creates it,
makes it grow... Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter". It is a scientific fact that
Energy changes form, but never truely ceases to exist. It is in that science that we are able
to understand that the Living Force is the "pool of energy" that embodies all living things.
It is theorized that when a living thing dies, it's life force joins the Living Force... likewise,
when new life is born, it draws energy from the Living Force. The Personal Force deals
with one's own life essence. Here is where I will make one agreement with Christianity... it
is the Soul. This Personal Force is in turn connected to the Living Force, but while you are
alive it maintains it's own unique identity. It is the energy within you which makes up your
identity. It is also the energy one draws upon in daily life. The Unifying Force is what
connects all other aspects of the Force, and keeps them Balance. It's energy exists on the
molecular level throughout all matter, "unifying" everything in the Universe. Through it,
we are connected to not just all living things, but all things. "Feel the Force... between you,
me... the rock, the tree, even the ship". On the subatomic level, all matter is energy... and
all energy is connected through the Unifying Force.

The Force contains many similarities to other existing philosophical and religious
principles. Many have related it to the concepts of Qi (also "chi" or "ki"; China, Japan, and
Korea), Prana (India), Mana (Polynesia) and other similar traditions focused around the
idea of spiritual energies that exist throughout the universe. From Taoism, we take the
primary focus for the idea of Yin and Yang... the two diametrically opposed Forces of the
universe. Everything from good and evil (as metaphysical concepts) to hot and cold
temperatures are considered as being part of this, and it is from here we see the most
prominent comparison to the light and dark sides of the Force, and the constant struggle for
Balance within the Universe. There are also some parallels between The Living Force and
the use of Qi in Chinese martial arts. In the more internal arts (such as Tai Chi, Hsing-Yi,
Pa-Kua and Qigong), the maintenance and use of Qi is an essential element of training.
Such Qi is sometimes referred to as Empty Force, meaning that it is not seen, but its effect
can be felt with time and training. Some manifestations of special abilities are reported to
have been attained by high-level kung-fu masters. Other, more rare examples of special
abilities attributed to the Force are often catagorized as "paranormal activity". Some
individuals show an apptitude for healing, telepathy, teleknesis, etc.

The Jedi refer to two "sides" of the Force, a "Dark Side" and a "Light Side". This echoes
the concept of Yin Yang in Eastern philosophy... but this not a straight translation, as the
emotional "Dark Side" is denoted as a Force of evil by the Jedi. The "Dark Side" is not
made up of specific "parts" or "abilities" of the Force: the Dark and Light "sides" of the
Force both exist within the life form which uses it, made from their emotions. A follower
of the "Light Side" strives to live in harmony with those around him or her. Mutual trust,
respect, and the ability to form alliances give the Jedi a distinct advantage. In contrast, a
follower of the "Dark Side" is primarily only interested in his or herself. For example, to
strike down or kill another living creature out of anger or fear is of the "Dark Side". To
refrain from rash action and clear one's self of these emotions before acting is of the "Light
Side". Use of the "Dark Side" of the Force is forbidden within the Jedi Order.

Traditional Jedi are taught to keep the Force "in balance". They attempt to achieve this by
denying the "Dark Side"—essentially "keeping balance" by denying balance, as they view
"Dark Side" as "corruption". This involves the control of negative emotions such as
aggression, anger, and hatred, since they can easily bring on acceptance of the "Dark
Side"... "To become a Jedi, it is not the Force one must learn to control, but one's self". A
Jedi strives to maintain control over their emotions instead of allowing negative emotions
to control their actions. A Jedi acts when calm and at peace. In contrast, positive emotions
such as compassion and courage nurture the "Light Side" of the Force. The Jedi Code
compares such feelings and provides insight into the ethical application of the Jedi path.

The "fictional" Jedi approach to emotions may be seen as one of the key reasons for their
fall during the movies, books, and the Knights of the Old Republic games. Abstaining from
passion and love, many Jedi often fell under the sway of them when finally exposed.
Unfamiliar with such emotions, they failed to see how they can come to dominate the
personality and eventually became the personality through the imbalance wrought by over-
compensation. The repression of the emotions merely caused the fall of a Jedi to be even
more violent and complete. In this real universe, all sentient beings feel Emotions... the
Jedi merely learn to maintain control and Balance.

Seeking the Path; Becoming a Jedi

1. Make the commitment to become a Jedi, and acknowledge the fact that you wish to
become a Jedi. Learn the basic Jedi Ideals, as well as the Jedi Code, and seek out a Jedi
Master to become Apprenticed to. Keep your focus on learning the path of Jediism, for
your focus does indeed determine your reality.

2. Believe in the Force and it's power. Jedi are devoted to the Force as well as the Jedi
Order. Jedi do not serve the "Dark Side" in any way, thought or deed. Jedi act in a
righteous manner defining the principles of a true Jedi. Jedi seek to further develop their
relationship with the Force, as it resides within all of us, surrounds us, and flows through
us. Jedi do not seek to make this power conform to their wishes. Rather, Jedi seek to
remain in harmony with the Force, learning to control themselves in a manner befitting the
will of the Force.

3. Accept the teachings of Jediism as presented by your Master, as these teachings give
spiritual guidance and enlightenment. The teachings of the Jedi Masters give direction and
focus to the Apprentice, along with knowledge and wisdom which will aid you in
developing your own life's path as a Jedi.

4. Be willing to learn from other Jedi, and add their knowledge and wisdom to your own.
Do not hold to preconceived notions. The knowledge and support of other Jedi increases
your own knowledge and awareness of the Force. Fellowship is conductive to the learning
process of becoming a Jedi, a process which never has an end.

5. Profess to be a Jedi, but remember not to be boastful in your experience or talents as you
journey along your Jedi path.

6. Embrace your path as a Jedi, and remember your commitment to the Force. Jedi do not
cling blindly to the beliefs they held before becoming a Jedi. Rather, they learn to let go of
outdated superstitions, to better embrace new knowledge and understanding as they grow
in Jediism.

The Jedi Oath

"I hereby profess before the Jedi that I, (state your real first name), without reservation,
choose the Jedi path, with all of the duties and responsibilities thereby appertaining. I shall
do that which is right and befitting of a Jedi, and I hereby profess my allegiance to the will
of the Force. I vow to uphold the Jedi ideals and teachings, and to henceforth devote myself
to the path of Jediism."

The Jedi Code

The Jedi Code is a code of conduct which establishes rules and modes of behavior for all
Jedi. Although there are variations in style throughout the various groups which claim
Jediism, the main tenets, context, and meaning of the Jedi Code remain the same.

One of the key portions of the Code is a five-line mantra:

There is no Emotion; there is Peace.
There is no Ignorance; there is Knowledge.
There is no Passion; there is Serenity.
There is no Chaos; there is Harmony.
There is no Death; there is the Force.

Supplements to the Jedi Code:

There is no Fear; There is Courage.

There is no Foolishness; There is Wisdom.
~Master Kyp

Passion is a crutch, peace is the truth.

Through peace I gain serenity.
Through serenity I gain knowledge.
Through knowledge I gain understanding.
Through understanding I gain wisdom.
The Will of the Force will guide me.
~Jedi Froste

Emotion, yet Peace.

Knowledge over Ignorance
Serenity over Passion.
Harmony over Chaos.
Death, yet the Force.

Jedi are guardians of civilization and justice.

Jedi use their knowledge and talents to defend and protect.
Jedi respect all life, in any form.
Jedi serve others rather than serving themselves, for the greater good.
Jedi seek to improve themselves through knowledge and training.

The Crystal Code:

The Crystal is the Heart of the Blade.

The Heart is the Crystal of the Jedi.
The Jedi is the Crystal of the Force.
The Force is the Blade of the Heart.
All are intertwined
The Crystal, the Blade, the Jedi.
You are one.
The strength of the Jedi Code and organization rests on four core tenets.

* Self-discipline
* Knowledge
* Wisdom
* The Force

When used correctly, these allow us to better ourselves and overcome any obstacle, helping
to improve the world around us.

Supplemental Tenets:

* The Jedi promote the protection of civilization. They do not stand idly by and watch
civilization destroy itself.
* A Jedi serves the Force for knowledge and defense, never for aggression or personal
gain.
* The Ceremonial Lightsaber Hilt is the symbol of the members of the Jedi Order.
* Jedi are allowed to marry, date, and have families if they so desire. Marriage and other
relationships are not forbidden within the Jedi Order, as a healthy balance in a Jedi's life
must be maintained. Jedi are not forced to be married or in a relationship, but it is perfectly
acceptable if so desired.
* Jedi respect each other, as well as life in all other forms.
* Jedi must put the needs of the community above the desires of individuals.
* A Jedi must do what they can to protect the weak and defenseless from evil.
* Jedi must cooperate with each other in times of crisis.
* A Jedi Master may take more than one Apprentice. However, a Jedi Master should only
take as many Apprentices as he or she can properly train. Under no circumstances should a
Jedi Master take more than three apprentices.
* While the Code does not mention a minimum age for Apprentices, the general consensus
is that an Apprentice be at least 18 years of age. The reasoning for this is because in most
cases, a potential Apprentice's mind has not fully matured to the point of being able to truly
comprehend Jediism and the differences between real and fictional Jedi, as well as the fact
that a person cannot legally make their own decisions until they are at least 18 years of age
in most cases. Since different people mature at different ages, however, exception may be
made if the potential Apprentice has shown rare maturity for their age. Exceptions to the
rule, however, should never be under 16 years of age.
* Even if no peaceful solution can be found to a conflict, Jedi must not needlessly harm an
unarmed opponent.
* A Jedi may act out of justice, but must never act out of vengeance.
* A Jedi does not cling to the past, nor do they worry excessively about the future. A Jedi
may use the past as an example, and may be prepared for what the future may hold, but a
Jedi must keep their immediate focus on the moment at hand.
Following the Code:

Self-discipline:

Self-discipline is one of the key concepts of Jedi behavior, and Jedi Apprentices are taught
this from day one. One of the first lessons an Apprentice should learn is: "To become a
Jedi, it is not the Force one must learn to control, but one's self."

Conquer Arrogance

"The acceptance of others is not a guarantee. Like everyone else, a Jedi is accepted or not
based on his behavior. The Jedi who believes that he is more important than others only
demonstrates that his opinion is to be ignored." Jedi are required to learn that, although
they are Jedi, that does not make them inherently "better" than everyone else. Jedi are
taught that they are only Jedi because some has taken the trouble to teach them, not
because they are superior to others, and that a Jedi Master was only a Jedi Master because
he had disregarded his own sense of self-importance and embraced the will of the Force.

Conquer Overconfidence

"Overconfident thinking is flawed because the Jedi does not take all possibilities into
account. He may understand the task at hand, the support of his fellows, and the
ramifications of his success, and he may have even planned for unanticipated factors—but
he has failed to understand his own capabilities. He has planned only for success, because
he has concluded that there can be no failure. Every Jedi, in every task, should prepare for
the possibility of failure." Many Jedi students, while learning the ways of Jediism, may
begin to believe that they can accomplish literally anything. While a Jedi should not set
about a task expecting failure, a Jedi should also be prepared for it. Overconfidence can
ultimately be one's undoing should it not be guarded against.

Conquer Defeatism

"Try not! Do, or do not. There is no try." Jedi students must also learn that defeatism can be
just a dangerous as overconfidence. Although it may seem contradictory to the goals of
conquering overconfidence, a Jedi must first plan for success, then for failure. Jedi who
always plan for failure expect to lose, and usually only use minimal effort—enough to say
that they had "tried".

Conquer Stubbornness

"Do not see a conflict as a choice between winning and losing. Every conflict, whether
physical or mental, can have many outcomes. When you concentrate solely on winning,
you spoil your victory. Winning becomes worse than losing. It is better to lose than to win
badly. And it is always better to end a conflict peacefully rather than to win or lose." Jedi
should always be ready to accept defeat if the cost of winning is greater in the end than the
cost of losing. Jedi are taught that it is always best to end things peacefully than to win or
lose. The greater good must be accounted for in any given conflict.

Conquer Recklessness

"Learn to recognize when speed is not important. Race when being first is important; move
at your own pace at all other times. It is not necessary to always strike the first blow, to
provide the first solution, or to reach a goal before anyone else does. In fact, it is sometimes
vital to strike the last blow, to give the final answer, or to arrive after everyone else." Many
Jedi who are lacking in self-restraint are always ready to throw caution to the wind and
jump headfirst into a conflict unprepared. They perceive a goal and rush towards it, without
any consideration for unseen dangers or other options. And so Jedi are taught that speed
does not necessarily lead to success.

Conquer Aggression

"A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense, never for attack." Inexperienced Jedi
occasionally confuse the meanings of attack, defense, and aggression. Thus, Jedi
Apprentices are taught that it is possible for a Jedi to strike without aggression, so long as
they act without recklessness, hatred or anger. In very extreme circumstances, a Jedi is
permitted to kill in self-defense... but only if there is no other option. However, Jedi
Masters teach their students that even though killing someone in self defense is not murder,
it is not the optimal course of action regardless of the circumstances. To conquer
aggression, even in a physical conflict, a Jedi must have explored every other option before
resorting to using lethal force. Jedi who commit murder have fallen to the Dark Side, and
must answer to justice.

Conquer External Loyalties

"A Jedi is a Jedi, first and foremost, and only. For a Jedi to divide his attention between the
will of the Force and the will of others is to invite disaster." Jedi are expected to remove
many needless external distractions from his or her life, within reason... especially in the
case of conflicting religion. If a Jedi walks two paths, eventually that Jedi must ultimately
choose between the two. That is the reason for the saying "You either are, or are not a Jedi.
To walk the path of Jediism and the path of another religion invites conflict and
confusion." Jedi are also outright forbidden from taking a political appointment or to accept
gifts in return for a swayed opinion. They are taught that their loyalty and commitment is to
be to the Jedi Order first and foremost, to their family and the world around them second,
and to themselves last.

Conquer Materialism

"I wear my robes so that I am warm; I carry my lightsaber as a symbol of my Jedi path. I
keep food so that I am not hungry, shelter so that I am not homeless, and a few possessions
so that I am not impoverished. If the Force wants me to have more, it finds a way of letting
me know." Jedi are encouraged to exercise moderation in keeping more than essential
belongings, and a few extra niceties. There are two reasons for this; first because they can
distract a Jedi from their path, and second, because an obsession with possessions grows
instead of diminishing over time. The desire for personal wealth clouds the mind, and a
Jedi must keep clear and focused.

Responsibility:

Practice Honesty

"Let there be truth between your heart and the Force. All else is transitory." Honesty is one
of the first responsibilities that Jedi Apprentices are taught. Jedi are permitted to stretch the
truth only if the situation absolutely requires it of them, however this is to be done as
sparingly as possible and is not to become habitual. An honest Jedi is always truthful with
themselves, their Master, and the Council.

Honor Your Promises

"Deliver more than you promise. The best way to be always certain of this is to deliver
much, even when you promise nothing." Jedi are taught that if they make a promise, they
should always be prepared to keep it, or else be prepared to make amends. Thus, a Jedi
should never make a promise he or she is not absolutely certain they can keep. Jedi are
encouraged to consult with their Master before making a promise, especially in haste. A
Jedi's word is their bond, and is sacred. Honor comes before all else.

Honor the Jedi Council

"Now must I keep the word I made when only a Jedi Knight I was—a promotion this is
not." Although the Council of Masters is the ultimate authority of the Jedi Praxeum, it is
not possible for the Master of the Council to be everywhere at once. Therefore, if the
Council requests a Jedi to accept a mission or assignment, that Jedi speaks for and is a
representative of the Jedi Council while conducting their assigned mission or assignment.
The Council must ultimately accept responsibility for and answer for the Jedi's words and
actions, and so the Jedi must be careful not to put the Council in a difficult position, as to
do so would be to show terrible disrespect for the Council. The Council of Masters, while
the ultimate authority of the Jedi Praxeum, are also responsible for guiding the Jedi and
setting an example of what the Jedi should aspire to... to be asked to serve on the Council
of Masters is not a promotion, but a responsibility which must be taken seriously.

Honor the Law

One of the most important roles of the Jedi is to help promote peace and and stand up for
justice in the world around them, and so no Jedi is above the law. Jedi are expected to
follow the same laws they expect others to. Jedi are occasionally permitted to break some
laws, but only when it is absolutely required, and only if they are willing to suffer the
consequences. When in doubt, a Jedi should seek the counsel of their Master.
Honor Life

"A Jedi's first concern is to preserve life." As it has been previously mentioned, Jedi are
expected never to commit murder, for any reason. However, if confronted with a life-or-
death struggle, a Jedi is permitted to kill only in self-defense, or in the defense of another
person's life. This act is not encouraged, as ending a life has consequences; however, if the
act is justified—if it saves others' lives, or if the Jedi is acting out of self-defense... then and
only then is it justified. If any Jedi does have to resort to killing in defense, they are also
expected to think of those they had killed, and to think of the suffering caused by their
deaths. A Jedi who does not care about the death of another, even in defense, is on the path
to the Dark Side.

Public Service

Although the Jedi exist primarily to serve the will of the Force and the Jedi Order, Jedi also
serve the world around them because that is their duty. The fact that the Force is real, and
that the Jedi are its most prolific and devoted servants, only strengthens their resolve to use
their connection to it for the greater good.

Render Aid

Jedi are expected to help those in need of aid whenever possible, and are expected to be
able to prioritize quickly. Jedi are taught that while saving one life was important, saving
many lives is even more so. This principle does not mean a Jedi has to abandon other goals
in every circumstance, but merely that a Jedi must do their best to make sure that they help
those who are most in need of assistance at the time. Even a Jedi cannot be expected to be
in more than one place at a time, and the greater good must always be considered.

Defend The Weak

Jedi are likewise expected to defend the weak from those who oppress them, ranging from
small-scale suffering at the hands of an individual to large-scale oppression of people's
rights and freedoms. However, Jedi are taught to remember that all may not be as it seems,
and that they should therefore seek full knowledge of a situation before acting on impulse.
Jedi are also warned to always consider the potential consequences of their actions.

Provide Support

At times, it may be necessary for a Jedi to stand aside and let other people defend the weak,
even if the Jedi feels that they could do a superior job. Jedi are taught that they should
assist by word or action as required by the situation, offering advice when requested to,
warning when necessary, and arguing only when reason fails. Jedi should remember that
they are guided by Force, and that they should be prepared to use that connection only for
good.
The Ceremonial Lightsaber Hilt

An important part of Jedi Tradition and Ceremony, the Ceremonial Lightsaber hilt is often
misunderstood by non-Jedi. The Ceremonial Hilt should be unique to the Jedi who built,
owns, or carries it, not an exact replica of a movie Lightsaber. In most cases, a Ceremonial
Hilt is reserved for Jedi who have attained the rank of Knight.

There are many things to consider concerning Ceremonial Hilts. First, the overall design of
the Hilt... it should look realistic, reflecting the individual Jedi Knight. Inspiration can be
taken from various fictional hilts, but the Hilt should be designed by the individual Jedi
Knight. In an ideal situation, the individual Jedi Knight should build their own Ceremonial
Hilt, but it is understood that not every Jedi will possess either the technical skills or tools
to construct their own Hilt. In light of this fact, a Jedi Knight can contact a Ceremonial
Hiltsmith to construct one for them, so long as they design the hilt themselves.

Another difference between a replica Hilt and a Ceremonial Hilt is the crystal, gem, or
multiple stones contained within the hilt's inner chamber. Crystals and gemstones have
been revered throughout history, not only for their natural beauty, but for their
metaphysical properties as well. Used properly, gemstones and crystals enhance a Jedi's
personal connection to the Force, as well as contributing their own properties to the Jedi
who carries them... in this case, within their Ceremonial Hilt. The crystal, gem, or multiple
stones within the Ceremonial Hilt should also be chosen by the individual Jedi Knight,
based either on personal preference, or knowledge of the crystal and/or gem's metaphysical
properties. Either method is effective, as a person is often naturally drawn to the stone or
stones which suit them... and are meant for them. One myth to disregard is that a Jedi
should choose their crystal or gem based on what color their blade would be. The color of
the crystal or gem does not dictate what color the Hilt's blade would be if the technology
were developed at this time. For example, a Jedi can choose a ruby or garnet for their
Ceremonial Hilt... this does not make them a Sith, as this is not fiction. Ruby and garnet are
both suitable stones for a Jedi... and "blade color" is only a matter of personal preference,
as the technology to make a real Lightsaber blade hasn't been fully developed yet.

The end result of a Ceremonial Lightsaber Hilt is a tool as well as an icon of one's Jedi
path. By designing, planning, and choosing their own crystals to be contained within the
Hilt, it is not only unique to that individual Jedi, but deeply connected to them as well. A
Ceremonial Hilt can also be used as a focal point for Meditation... as well as a reminder of
a Jedi's vows and commitment to the Order.

A Jedi by any other name...

Some Jedi take on a "Jedi" name when they begin their path of enlightenment. This
practice came as a result of the "online" nature of many Jedi groups, as most people do not
use their real name as their username on web forums. Using a "Jedi" name is not a
requirement. However, the act of taking on a "Jedi" name can be considered symbolic of
the new path they have begin, transforming into a new being. A "Jedi" name is simply
something by which we refer to each other within the Jedi Community... it has no bearing
on a person's legal name, and their Ordination as a Minister of Jediism, if they choose to be
a member of the Jedi Clergy, it falls under their legal name rather than their "Jedi" name.

Ceremonial Robes

Traditionally, some Jedi wear Ceremonial Robes closely imitating those seen in the fiction.
The Ceremonial Robes are usually made in shades of brown or sometimes black, though
color combinations are dependent on the individual Jedi's preference as long as they are not
overly flashy. These are usually worn with a utility belt for various purposes, but also as a
place on which to clip a Ceremonial Lightsaber Hilt. Boots, loose-fitting pants and an outer
cloak or robe typically accompany the tunics, tabbards, and belt often associated with the
image of Jediism. These clothing items should be constructed as real clothing rather than
"costume" quality, with function, wear, and freedom of movement in mind. The material
should be rugged and durable, but not necessarily uncomfortable, and with everyday wear
in mind even if they are only worn occasionally. Ceremonial robes were simple and
comfortable, long, flowing robes, including an overtunic, an undertunic, a cloak or outer
robe with a hood, and sometimes a set of tabbards, each of which generally vary in earth
tones or rich, dark color combinations.

As a rule, the right side of the tunic is tucked under on the left part of the torso. The
tabbards are commonly constructed with two symmetric pieces of cloth that start at the
small of the back, typically sewn to the obi. These go over the shoulders, hanging beneath
and sewn at the waist, which stop around the knees. The tabbards are held in place by the
obi, which is a piece of cloth about the same width as the tabbards, which double-wraps
around the waist and is in turn held in place be the belt. The overtunic and tabbards can be
shorter than knee-length or as long as ankle-length, depending on preference, though the
tabbards are generally longer than the overtunic in the front. Jedi garb sometimes includes
an undershirt or undertunic, which generally contrasts in color with the overtunic. Jedi garb
also traditionally includes a leather utility belt with pouches since pockets are generally
made inaccessible by the overtunic, where personal items such as identification, money,
microtools, datapads/pda's, and other items can be carried, and leather boots.

The frequency with which a Jedi wears his ceremonial garb is for the most part up to the
individual Jedi. Some Jedi wear their Jedi garb on a near daily basis, and some elect to
wear their Jedi garb purely for ceremonial purposes. Some Jedi even wear their ceremonial
garb for fun on occasion. Currently, there are no regulations for the "official" ownership
and use of ceremonial garb, but it is generally understood that if a Jedi has the resources,
they should own at least one set of Jedi garb for at least ceremonial purposes. When Jedi
gather for an official Jediism function, it is generally required that if the Jedi possesses a
set of garb, that it be worn for the function.

The Force User Guide

Part 1
Meditations and Basic Skills
Flowing with the Force
Like all meditations, the first step is calm yourself. You will need perfect peace of the mind
and body in order to do this meditation. This meditation will require you to be able to do
the basic Force skills.

Open yourself to the Force as much as you can. Let it flow through and around you. Get
comfortable with the feeling and flow of the Force. This is very important because you will
have to trust the Force enough to let go and let the Force carry you along its current.

As you feel the Force flowing through you, be aware of the grip your mind as. Your mind
will cling to yourself, resisting the current of the Force. Let go and drift along with the
Force. At first you will be very conscious that you are drifting and will notice things
through the Force. This is normal, but not the point of the meditation. Do not think about
what you are doing or going. Don’t think and just feel the Force. You should, after a few
times, should remember nothing except the Force.

This meditation will help you feel the Force more and will let you see the more subtle
connects of life. You can this meditation to help you solve problems or come up with ideas.

Emotional Meditation
This meditation is for finding, confronting and getting rid of negative emotions. These
emotions will block you from the Force.

You will want to sit or lay for this. You will need to first calm yourself and blank your
mind. You might try visualizing a blank, black chalk board. Do not let your mind wander.
Once both your mind and body are still, bring up an emotion. It can be any emotion, but it
is recommended to pick one that is bothering you or keeping you from the Jedi peace. Feel
that emotion to the fullest. Let the emotion fill you up until you think are going to be taken
over it. Then take a deep breath, feeling the strongest part of the emotion and let the
emotion out.

Imagine the emotion as a red mist that will flow through you to the ground or bed. As you
breathe out, have that emotion flow out of you. You should notice a change in how you
feel. You should feel calmer, but not calm. This is normal. Repeat the steps of feeling,
breathing, visualizing, and directing the emotion out until you are calm.

Another version of this is the let the emotion keep rising through your body until it gets to
your head. Do not stop there. Let it continue out of your body. This is the natural and
healthy flow of emotional energy and it will get rid of the negativity.

If you are in a rush and are walking you can still meditate. This should be done if you are
unable to stop for a minute you can still do a quick emotional meditation if you need some
calm. Feel the emotion and imagine it as light and movable. Think of a breeze flowing
through you. Let go of the emotion so that it can flow with the breeze and out of your body
and mind.

Basic Skills
A Jedi is taught to feel and trust the Force, but this is harder than it sounds. There are many
steps to achieve this. All Jedi should be able to feel, recognize, gather ground and control
the Force. This is known as the basic skills. With these skills you should be able to do
abilities like empathy, telepathy and even telekinesis. This will allow you also to
understand the flow of the Force. You can perceive the living Force, or the connection that
life and the Force has. By opening and understanding the Force your life will improve.
Your relationships, health and career will improve. You can perceive the living Force, or
the connection that life and the Force has. Your strength and physical skill will improve
along with Force control.

The Mind
Before a Jedi student can learn about the Force and how to use it, one needs to get their
mind in shape. The mind of a Jedi is very organized and centered. They can think ahead
quickly. A Jedi can make huge decision extremely fast. They are always aware of
everything, everyone, themselves and the Force. In order to have this mind a Jedi must be
able to focus and silences their mind. If one is always thinking and feeling, one can’t hear
the whispers of the Force. If a Jedi lets their mind wonder, they will not be aware of what is
around them and may miss a warning or a feeling from the Force. In the world of today,
many people have trouble focusing due to the noise, the lights, the colors and the many
other distractions society had created. We are so busy being entertained by the multi media
that we have almost completely lost of concentration and therefore have lost our
connection to nature and the Force. So learning to focus is the key to the Jedi mind.

Focusing
Find a quiet room with no distractions. Get into a comfortable position, but beware of lying
down; falling asleep won't help. You may close your eyes or you can leave them open.
Image a blank piece of paper or a blank wall. Keep thinking about that image and do not
allow any other thoughts enter. If you find yourself beginning to think about things just tell
yourself that you are and try again. See how long you can keep your mind blank.

You do not have to use the blank wall. Try listening to music and pick on instrument to
focus on. You could focus on the drums for starters. As you get better at this you can add
some distractions in. I strongly suggest that you add one at a time. Turn on some the
television. Think of the blank wall while in a loud crowed room.

This exercise can be useful in many ways. This could be the start of your meditation. It will
quiet your mind and shape your mind to be able to feel the Force. You can use stop another
Force user from knowing your surface thoughts while you get a shield up. Blanking your
thoughts may stop you from dreaming or from having nightmares.

Visualizing
The focusing exercise talked about above involves visualizing, which can be a hard skill
for some beginners. Visualizing is the ability to picture a mental imagine in your mind. It is
not a Force skill, in that you must use the Force in some way, but an everyday skill that is
related to Force skills. Visualization can be done using all senses. When you stare out a
window in class thinking about that car you have always wanted, that is visualizing. For an
example try thinking of a car that you have always dream of owning. It can be a real car or
a made up one.

Picture the whole car. Maybe it is tiny or maybe it's really long. Now mentally walk around
the car. Look at all the sides. Now go inside the car to the driver's seat. Is the seat made of
out leather? What are all the cool new features? Turn around and look at the back seat. Can
you see it? If you can, you have just done visualizing. You can also try using your other
senses. What does the metal feel like? The seats feel like? Does your car have that new car
smell? Using as many senses as possible will greatly improve the lucidity of your
visualizations.

This skill is greatly used by many Jedi. The technique will be used in feeling, gathering,
grounding the Force, telepathy, scanning, and even telekinesis, so it is highly suggested
that one makes sure they have mastered the skill.

Feeling the Force

There are many ways of feeling the Force. All Force users learn to feel it a different way.
The constants seem to be that for beginners, they need a blank, calm mind that is not
focused on anything. This leaves them open and willing to the Force.

Most people have felt the Force as a kid, but due to society, they have closed their mind,
setting up mental barriers to keep the Force out. In order to reopen yourself up to the Force
you will have to take down these barriers. Here is one technique that has worked for many
other people.

Think of a song, one that is calming. Play it through your head, or turn it on, but have the
volume on quietly. Relax your mind and body. Stop thinking and feeling. Do try to feel the
Force or do anything. Just sit there and enjoy the moment of peace. If you are one of those
who can't sit still or be quiet try taking a breath, holding it for three seconds and then blow
all the air out and then breathe in slowly. Repeat the song and breathing until you are calm.

Now, stare at air. Try looking at the space between you and your hand. You won't see
anything, but that is not the point. Do not strain yourself and just space out a bit. Let the
music help you by calming your mind and body. Let the music help you let go of anything
thoughts or stresses. Now pay attention to what you feel. Do you feel something around or
in you feeling warm, tingly, good feeling, possibly like your blood is rushing, but it isn’t?
You may feel an energy field that seems very close to you. If you feel any of these
descriptions, you are feeling the Force.

Some people have found that strong emotions like anger, fear, and love can help you feel
the Force. Although this is true, these emotions come from the dark side. Jedi find that with
these emotions, it is hard to feel and control the Force. These emotions will cause
uncontrolled reactions with the Force. When a new Force user is angry, objects around
them or even in another room, tends to fall and break. With peace you will find it is easier
to control the Force.

Recognizing the Force

Another skill there is essential to learning the basics is recognizing the feeling of the Force.
People will feel the Force without noticing it. This happens because you are not aware of
the Force and should teach yourself to recognize its feeling. Religious people say what you
are feeling is the power of God. Some people feel it when they have a gut or strong feeling.

In your first few months of training you will find that you often feel the Force for a few
seconds without trying. This is a good sign. This means you are naturally starting to open
yourself to the Force. This shows that you are learning how to quiet your mind and letting
go of those barriers. Some people will find that at random times they will feel a strong,
sometimes overwhelming surge of the Force. This happens because you lack control and
will pass as you keep training.

Some people have the ability to see the Force around a person, object or place. They see an
energy field that is called an aura. An aura will give you information about the person or
energy. The aura of people can tell you the person’s mood. Generally green means calm,
growing, happy and so on. Blue is calm or tranquil. Red means emotional upset and
dangerous. Black is the most dangerous, generally hinting the breaking point of someone.

Gathering the Force

As you probably know the Force is all around us. We are able to feel and call this energy to
us. Because the Force is all around us there is no limit to how far we can gather from. So
you can feel and gather the Force from all over the world, but that is impractical. For
starters it is suggested that you practice on gathering energy from inside of you and then
moving on to outside of you.

There are two ways of feeling the Force. The first way is one you have already learned. It is
the passive, opening, yourself up. The second one is the natural, but harder way. It is the
active and conscious calling and gather of the Force to and around you. Imagine energy
around you and in you. You may want to imagine it was a mist. Envision this mist coming
to you, by your own will. If you have trouble imagining the mist, make it green or blue.
Open yourself to the Force and connect the feeling of the Force to the mist. Gather the
Force from around and inside of you.

It is suggested that a Jedi learns not to gather the Force too much. This will lead to
overloads, which can do damage, or in extreme cases kill people. One should never gather
more energy than one’s body and mind can handle. One should also never try to force the
Force to do anything that the energy should not do naturally because it leads to the dark
side. It is better than one opens oneself to the Force, rather than bringing the Force to them.

One exercise you can practice is making a Force ball. Calm and open yourself up to the
Force. Feel the Force flowing through and around you. Imagine the mist again and gather
the Force to your body. Hold out your hands and hold them like you are holding a medium
ball. When gathering the Force, focus the energy to inside your hands. Keep the Force in
your hand tight and compact. You should be able to feel this. It may not feel as solid as it
could. This is ok and will improve with practice. Some Force users have described their
Force balls to feel like heat, or cold, and sometimes like a magnet, pulling your hands
together.

Grounding the Force

There will be times you will not want to feel the Force, or not feel so much. Everyone has
their own level of awareness to the Force. Some feel it more than others. Some end up
feeling too much or will accidentally gather too much. We call this overloading.

The signs for overloading usually are marked by unexplained headaches, tiredness (if the
overload lasts for a long time), breaking things unnaturally, or extremely energetic. If you
do not get rid of the excess your mind will automatically block you from feeling the Force
in order to protect you.

If you find yourself or a friend feeling overloaded you need to go to a quiet, peaceful place
and focus sending energy to the ground. Although there are many ways of getting rid of
energy here are two methods. One is the golden roots method. Image standing still and
image golden roots of energy coming form you into the earth. Then picture the extra energy
going from your body into the roots and to the ground. The second method is imaging the
excess energy in you and moving it through your body, towards the ground. Remember to
never panic when being overloaded. It can sound hard, but fear will only make the situation
worse and will make it harder to get rid of the energy.

Grounding will teach you how to recognize the feeling of the Force and how to control it.
You don’t have to get rid of all your energy. You can just get ground some of the way. This
is good controlling practice because sometimes a little of the Force can go a long way.

Controlling the Force

For the first few months your control over the Force will have it ups and downs. Some days
you will have near prefect control and some days you can’t even feel the Force. This is
perfectly normal. It is like walking. Sometimes the baby can stand, sometimes the baby
will fall. Eventually the baby will be able to stand all the time, but it will take time. New
Force users are no different. Some days your grip over the Force is going to be better than
other days. This does not mean you have lost your skill. It means you need to keep
practicing to fine tune your control.

Should you find yourself struggling with one skill take a break and then practice on another
skill that you are better at. This will boost your confidence and will mentally make the skill
you are having trouble, seem easier.

Like any type of exercise you can get tired and need to take a break and get some water.
Practice psi is mental exercise. If you find yourself getting tired or sleepy, take a few hours
break.

Like exercise you can hurt yourself, and possibly hurt your abilities for a long time, though
you really have to push the limits. Headaches are the first and most common signs you
need a break. Feeling drained all the time is another sign. Unexplained weakness in
abilities is a major sign that you need to take a month off from practice. You can really hurt
your mind and I know this because I did. Even after months and months of not practicing
much I still got bad headaches. If you keep practicing beyond what your mind can handle,
you can cause long term damage. Some signs of long term damage are your connection to
the Force will weaken or at time disappear. Headaches will come constantly and will
increase with intensity. This damage cane be healed, but it won’t be easy.

Patience
Going with the idea of the baby learning to walk, a new student will not be able to
everything at once. Practice is much need, but even more importantly, patience is required
for using the Force. No baby can learn to run until it has learned to crawl. No Force user
can learn telekinesis without learning how to feel the Force. There are no true short cuts
when it comes to learning to use the Force. Even if a student finds a way to skip several
steps, it is not a good thing. Some of these steps may seem pointless, but there is always a
point. Gathering the Force into a ball in your hand does not seem like a big deal, but it
increases your control. Being impatience brings greed which is part of the dark side. Force
users that are impatient for more access and ability to use the Force. This means that they
are power hungry. It is not unusual for a beginner to have a brief period of power hungry.
This will be out grown, but such behavior should be carefully watched in case it is not out
grown.

Remember, the Force will always be there. It is up to the Jedi to be aware of the feeling and
the flow. If a Jedi listen to the Force, they can learn quite a bit, but in order to do, a Jedi
student must learn their basic skills. It will take time, energy and commitment, but it is well
worth it. May the Force be with you and your journey.
_________________
Bringing Light into Darkness
Visit my site:http://www.freewebs.com/jedikaren/
The Force User Guide
Part 2
The Living Force

Review
So far you have learned the basic skills of the Force. These skills include calming yourself
with meditation and learning about the Force. Learn how to use this meditation to open
yourself up to the Force and recognize the feeling of the energy that is all around you. Once
you've learned to identify the force, you learned how to gather it around you and cast it
away by sending the Force to the ground. To end part one, you learned the reasons why
your control may not be constant and what to do what that. You also learned about the
dangers of what too much of the Force can to do the mind. Now comes a new aspect to the
Force, how the Force affects living things.
Living Force
The Force and life are forever connected and bound to each other. Without the Force there
could be no life and vise versa. The strength of the Force is directly related to the amount
of life living in that place. The more life in one place, the stronger the Force is going to
feel. A thick, thriving forest teaming with life will have more available living Force than a
dry, sandy desert. A Jedi can sense the living Force in a person and is a quick way to tell
the health of that person. When a person grows weak, their life Force grows weak too and
can be felt as such. Not only is the cosmic Force is always around us, so is the living Force.
There will always be the living Force where there is life. Even when a Jedi is in the dead of
space, there is still the living Force, because the Jedi is alive. The living Force is generated
by any animal, human, or the smallest life forms, single cell organisms.

There is a very special connection between the Force and living things called the living
Force. The living Force is different from the cosmic Force because its source comes from
only living things, while the cosmic Force comes from everything that is not living, else
such as rocks, water, and the sun. A Jedi’s power will mostly come from the living Force,
rather than the cosmic Force.

The Force flows everywhere and through everything. Through the living Force, Jedi can
see how all life is connected. They can see how the animals are affected by the plants,
weather, and bodies of water. A Jedi can sense how people interact with their surroundings.
They can see how the Force affects societies and how these societies function. Jedi can also
sense thoughts and emotions from animals and people. It's important for a Jedi to be able to
connect to living things because they serve the people. In order to do that, Jedi must be able
to understand the complex web of thoughts and emotions. A Jedi can sense everything,
even non living things, around them.

Sensing
With the Force, a Jedi can feel everything from air molecules to distant planets to people,
and even events that might happen in the future. Distance does not matter, only the skill of
the Jedi. There are three types of sensing. A Jedi can sense inanimate objects and their
location, people and animals and their location, and pick up warning, or signs, from the
Force.

Sensing Objects
Being able to sense objects is one of the most useful and important skills a Jedi could learn.
There is an argument about when a Jedi senses an object do they see it, feel it, or a
combination of both. In this guide, the third option will be discussed.

When a Jedi senses an object, they almost physically feel and see the object. A good
example of this is someone sticking their hand into a bag full of blocks without looking. As
the hand grabs onto that object, the nerves in the fingers and palm send a message to the
brain. The person will register the block is solid, made out of wood, is in a cube shape, the
surface is somewhat smooth, but a bit rough and the cube is small. At the same time an
image in formed in the person’s mind. They end up picturing what the cube looks like,
based on what they feel. So in a sense, that person has felt and seen the cube without even
looking with their eyes. With the Force, this is no different. Instead of reaching out with a
hand, the Jedi will reach out with their mind, using the Force as the nerves in the mental
fingers and palm.

There is no limit of what you can feel with the Force. You can stretch out and feel a block.
A beginner Jedi is most likely going to have a short range of vague awareness of their
surroundings. This is will grow in length and clarity with time and practice.

For practice, it is suggested that you take a simple object, one that does not have too many
parts to it and that you are familiar with. Close your eyes and open yourself up to the Force.
Gather the Force around and inside of you. Think where the object is and then expand your
awareness of the Force to that object. Wrap your Force awareness around and inside the
object. It will feel as though you are holding, faintly seeing, and feeling the inside of the
object all at once. You may notice what your sense will not be very distinct or that you can
not feel the entire object at once. This is ok and will improve with practice.

Sensing a Presence
Most animals rely on scent and can detect another animal a long distance off. Jedi also
have a similar ability. Everything that is alive and is not a plant has some sort of Force
scent or signature. The scent or signature is the feeling you get when you are around a
person or another living thing. This is because animals have brains and a soul of some sort.
When a Jedi feels this energy signature and links with their mind to the person or animal,
they can tell where the person is.

Searching for a presence with the Force is very much like ultrasound. Certain animals, like
dolphins, use ultrasound to locate things. They send out clicks of sound that go out into
ocean. The clicking waves will hit something and bounce back to the dolphin, giving the
dolphin a picture of the area around them. A Jedi can also do this with the Force. The first
thing you will need to do is gather the Force. Now pick a person or animal that you do not
know the exact location of, but someone you know well. Picture them in your head and
think about the feeling you get when you're around them. Send the Force to that person.
Feel the person and their Force signature. Feel their moods and thoughts. Sense the general
direction of where they are. Sense how far they are from you. What you are doing is
creating a link. This is useful when needing to find another Jedi or a hiding pet.

Force Warnings
This can be confused with suggestions of the future. If a Jedi walks into a dangerous
situation and is open and listening to the Force, they can pick up a feeling of danger. This
feeling is a feeling of the present. Usually, this danger is caused by a disturbance in the
Force, which can be translated into an imbalance in the Force. Force warning can be very
difficult to understand and can be misleading. Sometimes the warning is not for or about
you, but about someone else. These warnings can also be on a bigger scale for a large
group of people or a country. So, it is extremely important for a Jedi to always be aware of
the Force, what the Force has to say and their surroundings, so to protect the people around
them.
Empathy
To help people, a Jedi must be able to recognize different emotions of people or animals
Jedi are dealing with. Being able to distinguish each emotions and reasons for this emotion,
can help a Jedi understand a situation better. Many emotions are complex, involving many
factors and even other emotions. Anger is often a way to cover up fear, guilt, a feeling of
weakness or of being threatened.

Emotions have a strange property of being able to spread like a contagious disease.
Although happiness, peace, and joy are emotions a Jedi wishes to spread and experience,
more often it is the negative emotions that can grip people, towns, and nations. These
emotions cause the Force to become unbalanced. A Jedi should be well aware of all the
negative emotions or emotions that can cause a negative impact, the causes, and how to
deal with each emotion for own peace and for the peace around them. A Jedi should be able
to recognize their own personal emotions so to have a clear mind and a strong connection
to the Force. If a Jedi is unstable they will be unable to help fight and protect others

Emotions
Anger has a strange way of spreading like a disease. A father comes home from work in a
bad mood. He stomps in, slams the door close and announces angrily that he is home. The
mother is thrown off (not physically) and can not figure out what is wrong with the father.
The youngest kid has left some toys out and the father trips over them. He yells at the kid,
who breaks out into tears. The mother gets angry at the father for unnecessary yelling. The
older kid storms in and demands that everyone quiets down. The whole family is now
yelling and screaming at each other. Remember, this all started because one person was
angry.

Fear is another very important emotion to understand because of the effects it can have on
people. There are all levels of fear. There is the fear when you realized you have forgotten
about a test. There is the fear of death and the fear of god or some powerful presence you
look up to. Fear paralyzes people. Fear will block you from your connection to the Force.
While fear does not spread like the same way that anger does, it will affect other people. If
people do not share your fear, they are most likely going to distance themselves from you.
It is generally a sign they can not do anymore for you and have given up.

Pure joy, hyper activity, excitement, and strong, positive emotions are not always the best
for the Jedi’s mind and abilities. These emotions are highly distracting and often times
addicting. A Jedi will find it hard to calm and focus their mind if they experience these
emotions too much. Too much of these emotions can bring actions that lead to the dark
side. This does not mean a Jedi can't laugh and play around, but it should be done in
moderation.

Having an ego is good and healthy, but where the danger is having to big, too important of
one. Being a Jedi is a good, important thing. You are helping other people. You can get a
lot of personal satisfaction out of helping someone, but a Jedi needs to be careful. Too
much satisfaction can boost up your self esteem to the point that you become arrogant and
blind. A Jedi who has too much pride will distance them from the Force. Also beware of
what the Force can do to the ego of any Force User. The Force is powerful and always
there. As Force users we can feel this and use the Force to accomplish seemingly miracles.
Because we are different in what we can do, our ego is subject to grow and therefore once
again give us the wrong impressions of who were are and how much we matter.

Feeling Emotions
Now that a Jedi is aware of what emotions can do, a Jedi must be able to pick up these
feelings through the Force. This way you can pick on any hidden emotions or the emotions
of a crowd.

Clear your mind of feelings and thoughts. If you are having trouble, you should meditate
for a few minutes. Having emotions will make it hard to tell the difference between yours
and someone else’s.

Pick the person you wish to know the feelings of. Visualize his or her name or if you can,
visualize his/her face. Open and reach out with the Force, extend your awareness and sense
the person or animal. Now take note of the feelings you receive or suddenly feel. If the
feelings do not make any sense in that they do not seem to be yours at the moment, those
emotions belong to the other person. To get rid of the emotions, use the grounding
technique to send out any unwanted emotions.

Some Force users are naturally and specially aware to other living being emotions and can
end up feeling too many. They feel everyone’s emotions at once or just feel one emotion
too strongly. This is known as empathy overload. The best way to keep this from
happening is to avoid large, emotional crowds, or should you have to be around them, not
to think about it. If you find yourself getting overloaded, stay calm and try to get out and
alone. Meditate and ground the emotions away. Try to get some rest afterwards.

Telepathy
Along with empathy, a Jedi should learn the basics of telepathy. Telepathy is the thoughts
translated by your mind, into meanings that represent words. For example, when you see an
apple there are two ways of thinking about it. One is the fact that it is round, shiny, red, and
tastes good. The other is the word “apple”. This word has a concept that means food and
may be near us. When this thought is sent through the Force the receiver should pick up the
suggestion of a red apple. For most Jedi, telepathy will not mean that you can read
anyone’s mind like an open book. Telepathy is useful to a Jedi in negotiating or for silently
planning out an attack during a fight.

To understand telepathy, one must understand how the mind works to a degree. The mind
can be thought of as an onion because of its layers. The first layer is called by some as the
surface layer. The surface layer consists of the thoughts that are the most on one’s mind.
Thoughts like “I’m really hungry,” or “wow...he’s cute!” are considered surface thoughts.
These are easy to pick up because they are generally simple, without any meaningful sub
thoughts to filter.
The other layers do not have a name as far as I know because they are highly confusing and
unique to everyone. The deeper you go into the mind, the more complex the thoughts get.
Each thought will have more sub thoughts to go along with it and more emotions
surrounding that thought. Also the deeper you go, the more heavily shielded the thoughts
will be. This is a natural defense that the human mind has set up. When you have reached
the back of the brain you have now found our most basic and primitive thoughts. These
basic thoughts are instinctual and are closely related to strong primal feelings. You will
find them in babies having mostly primary thoughts because babies have not developed
enough to form complex thoughts.

Sending and Receiving

Telepathy is done by sending and receiving thoughts. This is not easily done. It will take
time and a lot of practice. They consist of a shape or an idea being sent to one or more
people. The people must receive them and understand what is being sent. This can be done
on or offline with skill being the limiting factor. For an example, I will use the game of
colors.

To send you need to pick a color, let’s say you picked red. Envision the color red and
possibly, anything you associate with the color red. Look at the people you are sending the
color to. If online, look at their screen name. Image this person to be only a small distance
away from you. Picture this representation of red and feeling that comes from the color,
being sent to the receiver. Gather the Force around you and reach out with your Force
sense to the other person. Attach this thought of red with your gathered Force and send this
thought of red to that person. You will want to aim the thought to their head. Keep sending
the thought until the person has told you they got it. For more advanced players you can try
to sense the brain activity and sense the thought being received.

To receive you will need to relax, clear, and open your mind up. Open yourself up to the
Force. Some people may be able to pick up the thought or feeling being sent. Be attentive
to any color that may suddenly pop into your head. If you receive nothing you may want to
run through the colors in your head and look for the one that feels right. Always go with
your gut feeling, for that is the unconscious part of you listening to the Force.

Linking
Linking is when two minds use the Force to connect to each other. This is very important to
Jedi because it is the bond that they share between one another. Through this bond two or
more Jedi can telepathically and empathically communicate. As two Jedi grow together in
friendship, the link grows. This link is useful during anything that needs coordination.

Scanning
The best way to describe scanning is like assertively doing empathy, telepathy, and
sensing, all at once. Scanning a person means you are looking at their character and their
personality. This does not mean you will know every little detail about them, but you will
get a much better idea of what they are like. Never base your actions towards a person
based on what you pick up from a scan. If you are having trouble scanning, it might be
because one of those three skills is not strong enough. If this is the case, go back and
practice them. It could also be that the person you are scanning has set up mental shields,
keeping you out.

I always tell the person to sit back and be themselves. I do not tell them to relax because
then I know what they are feeling beforehand. As for myself, I relax and get rid of any
emotions and thoughts. I do this because I do not want to confuse myself with what are my
feelings and thoughts and what are the feeling and thoughts of the other person. I will
either look at their name on the screen or close my eyes, depending on my mood. I reach
out and touch the person I am scanning. I look for first impressions because they are
usually the strongest. If for some reason I do not get anything I will ask if you have a
shield. Also, note that it is not uncommon to have the same emotions as the other person.
Here is an example of what to look for when scanning:

“Hmm...you are a tolerable guy...somewhat friendly, at least on the outside, though a bit
wary of people. You are liked by others, but not truly popular, you put a distance around
others, but sort of feel the need to bond, you're usual fairly calm, maybe a bit energetic or
excitable, though once upset or anger you tend to go pretty far, though not too much like
doing damage angry.”

Scanning can be used for healing when talking to someone on the phone or on the internet.
You scan a person’s mind and body for damage or pain. You can then tell them what is
wrong. You could call this indirect healing. Indirect healing is when you're not standing in
front of a person, but heal at a distance. You can heal headaches, cold and a lot of other
illnesses.

Foreseeing
“Through the Force, things you will see. Other places, the future, the past, old friends long
gone.”

It is well known that with the Force you can see into in the future, often called
precognitions. This is a dangerous and unreliable ability that only a few people have. It is
often seen as a curse, for people see the appalling roads of the future. An example of this
would be 9-11. Many people felt, dreamed, and saw in their mind the planes crashing, the
buildings on fire, or the people dying. There is no one way to see into the future, but there
are people that tend to see the future in three different ways.

Forms
Dreams, visions, and feelings are all part of precognition. But one must be careful about
these things. None of these forms should be trust. Dreaming is the least certain of the three.
How do you know it was not just a dream? Visions tend to come to people rarely and never
last long. They are generally very striking and cause a strong emotional reaction. Feelings
come in a suggestion that comes quickly. Usually these feelings are things like knowing
what a person will do it right before they do it. It was not dreamed, nor in a vision. It was
just a strong feeling. These feelings are the most trustworthy. Jedi should learn to trust this
sudden knowledge when in a fight.
The reason why a Jedi should be wary of foreseeing the future is because sometimes it is
not the future you see, but what you wish to happen. You can think you foresaw something,
but in reality it's what you want to happen. A Jedi should also be careful about sharing your
experiences. Be careful who you tell about your dreams and visions. It is advised that you
do not tell people about death. It can really scare people. If you are wrong you will never
live it down.

There is another way to classify the different types of foreseeing the future. The two
categories are long and short term. Long term is anything foreseen that will happen, or does
happen in more than a day. This type of precognition usually is serious and dire. Dreaming
and visions are the two most common forms long term takes. Short term is anything that is
foreseen, in any method, in less than twenty four hours. Usually feelings of the future come
under short term.

Effects
The future has countless paths and is always in motion. It can change with the slightest
action. Some talented Jedi have the ability to see/feel/dream or just know the future by
nature. No Jedi can see everything. The truth is that the best of the Force users only can see
a few paths out of millions. Those who can see the future must make the decision whether
to tell people about the future or not. You may have the power to change the future in a
huge way just by a few words, and of course what you say may do nothing at all. So you
need to think about what you are doing and what it can do if you tell or not tell.

Let’s say you were in math class with the teacher talking about something boring and
confusing and you are not really listening, but daydreaming about something. Suddenly
you have this vision of your best friend is going to attempt to cross a road and get hit by a
speeding truck. True, the chances of this happening in real life are low indeed, but this is
just an example.

Your first reaction would probably be to run out of the class room, down the stairs, to the
science class room, screaming and begging, and generally going nuts at your friend. You
friend, along with the rest of school, is looking at you weirdly, wondering what on earth is
your problem. When your friend calms you down, repeating a million times that everything
will be ok, the whole school will be making fun of you for weeks.
Ok, so let’s go back to the math class. You have decided to tell your friend, but just not yet.
You wait until lunch to tell him. You are faced with how to tell him. Should you tell him in
a quick and serious tone? Should you tell him in a calm, slow tone? Or maybe you should
say it in a non serious, no big deal voice in the hopes of not scaring the living daylight of
out of him.

So you decide for the calm, serious tone to tell him of his fate. A Jedi should think about
how this person might react. The person could laugh, ignore, listen with rapt attention,
question, leave, get angry, or suggest to you to see a doctor. He could react in one of those
ways or several of them. A Jedi needs to think about the more likely paths that the future
could take and decide if this is going to be a good idea. Should a Jedi get the idea that the
person they are telling might take this the wrong way, the Jedi needs to prepare themselves
for it.

Another possibility is he gets angry, leaves you to sit somewhere else, and eventually
forgets all about it. A day later he crosses that road and dies. For another example let's pick
an outcome that is a bit better. He listens to you with total belief and avoids crossing the
road to live a happy and long life.

There are literally a thousand ways your friend could cross or not cross that road. You
simply can not predict all of them, but you can guess a few like as showed you. There is no
safe, right answer. I am not saying you should not tell him, but you need to consider this
carefully. To tell or not to tell is only a question you can answer. Neither I, nor anyone can
decide for you.

Conduct
All Jedi should be well aware of morals and ethnics when using the Force. Morals are the
teachings of right and wrong. Ethnics are the rules of conduct. For the Jedi, these very
important concepts to understand when it comes to using Force. As you can see the Living
Force is very important to a Jedi’s life. There are many aspects of the living Force and what
a Jedi can do with it. There is one very important facet of the Force, yet to be mentioned in
detail and that is the dark side.

As Jedi is it our duty to protect the innocent and helpless around us. We can do this with
the help of the Force. It is also our duty to use know when, why, and how to use the Force
correctly. When a Jedi uses the Force for the wrong reasons they are letting the dark side
command their actions. Some of the wrong reasons are using the Force to harm someone,
to kill, to take control or them, or corner and bully.

A Jedi is suppose to bring peace and order into the world, not fear and distrust. When a
Force user uses their abilities to harm or threaten another being, the Force users causes the
person to fear them. People grow weary of anyone with any unusual skill that could cause
harm. Should Jedi start using their abilities in a way that the public disagrees with, it can
start a bad reputation. Having a bad reputation makes the Jedi’s job much more difficult
when trying to protect or help people.

It is a common mistake for people to think and view the dark side as a living, breathing,
thinking creature. The dark side is simply the negative emotions within someone. The
anger, the fear, the guilt, the depression, the pain and how each one of these emotions is
used is all part of the dark side. The Force tends to magnify the dark emotions and actions,
giving the person more physical and mental strength. The dark side, like anger often makes
the Force user much clumsier and without fine control.

It is said that one should know one’s enemies and the opposite of the Jedi are the Sith. We,
by the star war movies have been taught to hate and fight the sith, but that is really not the
Jedi way. A Jedi never goes looking for a fight, even to fight the dark side. So it is highly
advised that Jedi do not go to the sith sites and start stirring up feelings. A more notable
threat would be the Force users that naturally and sometimes unconscious drain energy
from other Force Users. Some of them do this to gain more energy; some do it to purposely
weaken someone. Either way, a Jedi should be aware of it and should get away from the
room that is happening in.

There are a few things a Jedi can do to keep from going to the dark side and harming
others. First off learn about the Force and what you can do with it. Learn how to use it and
how it works. Learn your emotions. Always know what you are feelings and why you feel
this way. This way, you will be mentally stable and in shape to help others. By being calm,
you can control your abilities.

Always be aware not everyone wants your help or wants you to read their thoughts and
emotions. Do not make the mistake thinking no one will notice. A simple glazed look or
eyes closed will bring attention to a Jedi. Some people may not be trained, but they will
notice the Force if used on them. So when in doubt to use your powers, go back to the
golden rule: treats others the way you wish to be treated. If a Jedi wishes for respect, a Jedi
should treat everyone with respect and in many cases, respect will be given back. May the
Force be with you.

The Noble Eightfold Path and it's application

to Jediism.

Hello all,

Well as the title states, I'd like to introduce you

all (or in some cases re introduce) to what we
call in Buddhism the "Eightfold Path" This is the
8 steps of practical realization in Buddhism that
lead to Enlightenment. In this post I'm going to
show you how adopting the eight fold path can
greatly improve your walk in Jediism. First
please understand that in Buddhism, there is no
central god so you can continue your own private
worship. Look at this more as a method of
realization and a philosophy then a religion in
the western sense. Nothing presented here will
conflict with your religious views and you will
find upon contemplation that there are many
similarities within most of the major religious
teachings. With that said I'd like to explain what
the path is and how it applies to Jediism.

The Eightfold Path is as follows.

"Right Understanding"
"Right Mindedness"
"Right Speech"
"Right Action"
"Right Livelihood"
"Right Effort"
"Right Attentiveness"
"Right Concentration"

Now that we know the eight steps, let's take a

closer look.

RIGHT UNDERSTANDING;

What is right understanding? Simply put, it’s the

ability to view things as they really are, without
our emotional bias or any preconceived notions.
Everything we look at, taste, feel, and think, all
of it is clouded with our own experience and
former judgments weather we’re aware of it or
not. We are all to one degree or another affected
by these pre judgments. Developing right
understanding is learning and cultivating the
ability to view all things just as they are, just as
they appear to the naked eye.

Right Mindedness

Right mindedness refers to right thinking. This is

ones personal attitude. The first step to
eliminating preconception is to be aware that you
have a preconception in the first place.
These preconceptions of the world around us
directly influence our reaction to life events.
Right mindedness asks us to be aware of our
thoughts and be mindful of what they are and
from where they come.

Right Speech

This one needs little explanation. Your thoughts

you can guard and keep to yourself, but once you
put forth words, their all yours, along with any
consequences they incur, good or bad. Students
of Buddhism are taught to reflect on the power of
their words and what effect those words will
have on another human being, before they speak.
Right Action

Just as what we say has power, so does what we

do. It’s really simple. Good or “right” action has
a good effect and will bring good to all involved.
On the other hand, bad or “wrong” action will
have the opposite effect. Students of Buddhism
our taught to reflect on their actions and the
possible effect they may have on others. To
refrain from any action that may harm another,
and ultimately harm ourselves is also right
action.

Right Livelihood

Buddhism teaches us to be aware of our nature

and work with it. We are all predisposed to do
certain things in life, all given different talents.
Knowing what your best at requires self
awareness and commitment to reflection. If you
follow what your best at ad love, provided it not
harm others, you will find peace in what you do.
Keep in mind that what may be appropriate for
one person may not for another.

Right Effort

As I’ve stated in many posts, practice is the core

of any religious path, and practice by it’s nature
requires effort. When embarking on a spiritual
path we must be diligent in following and doing
the practices that will lead us to a further
spiritual awakening and ultimately lead to our
enlightenment. Beware of the entanglement of
laziness and pride as this will ultimately slow or
stop your progress in it’s tracks. Right effort
should always be encouraged and nourished in
ourselves and in others

Right Attentiveness

Right attentiveness requires some explanation.

You see with even the most honest effort,
Even the most diligent practice, you will not
achieve your goals without an aptitude for
critical thinking. If you do not learn the ability to
look within yourself and see the confusion
within,
Then how can you be free from it. Your capacity
for self-awareness should be cultivated with
earnest. Self awareness gives us the ability to
discern the negative influences in our lives and
in ourselves that will pull us from our path. Once
you learn to see these snares and pitfalls you
should then work towards distance yourself from
them until their sway is removed from your life.
Right attentiveness helps us to free ourselves
from negative desires and attachments and the
self destructive impulses they can create in our
lives.

Right Concentration

For this I give you the words of Nicola Dixon.

“Concentration, in this sense, is the clam but
intense focus that students apply in spiritual
Practice so they may penetrate through illusion
to pure awareness.” When applied correctly, you,
the meditator, the act of meditation, and the
object of meditation, become one. Through right
concentration we learn to deepen our focus over
time with in turn allows us to come closer, every
time, to the ultimate reality and he truth within
us all.

So as you can see, these things are of great value

regardless of the spiritual path you follow.
In regards to Jediism within this path lies
adherence and application of all of the teachings.
It
Is the river in which the water of Jediism flows.
We can learn all of the holy words from all of the
worlds holy texts, but without application they
mean nothing. As with any valid spiritual path,
it’s in it’s application that it’s value is realized.
By applying the eight fold path to our walk in
Jediism we not only learn to internalize the
teachings, but also uphold the tenants of the path
for all Jedi.
_________________
"As a person acts, so he becomes in life."
(BRIHADARANYAKA UPINSHADS)
...