Lecture 6

I would not discourage you from seeking knowledge of the dark side. To do so would only heighten your desire to possess that knowledge. I will not dissuade you, but I will warn you of the shadowy crevice you will enter should you choose to access that knowledge.

First, don't be fooled. The dark side musters much of its energy to masquerade as the light so that it might lure the uninitiated into its grasp. By the time the hapless victim discovers his error, it is to late ---- the dark side has ensnared him, holding him in the shadow both by its own power and by the fallen Jedi's relentless hunger for more.

Second, do not overestimate your own abilities. Countless Jedi have found themselves entwined by the dark side, unable to free themselves from the black hooks that they themselves have jabbed into their own souls. No matter how they twist, grasping for some strand of the light that still remains within their reach, they continue to plummet into the abyssal pitch of the dark side. These Jedi believed they were masters of the light ---and some were --- but they did not understand the nature and power of the dark side --- and they failed to listen to the warnings.

Do not believe that the dark side is stronger then the light. It only appears to be more powerful because it is easier, quicker --- at first. It draws you in, offering you more power than you can imagine, but as you begin to use that power, the dark side lends it's assistance less and less, eventually sustaining itself by siphoning your own Force energy until you become its helpless host. You believe you have ascended to mastery, but in truth you have fallen into slavery.

Learn of the dark side. It will aid you in your struggle against it. But take care not to succumb to its sometimes-irresistible lure --- your chances of returning to the light are less then nothing.

When we seek the dark side, we seek our doom. Too often, we are successful.

The dark side's influence is stronger in moments of weakness. Do not let yourself be distracted.

No gain comes without a price. You will forever carry the distinguishment of your teacher's presence, as well as the taint, the traits of his own masters as well.

Never forget your training as an apprentice. Even though the end nears with each passing day. You must remain dedicated to the Jedi way no matter the cost.

Think of peace and honor --- and act upon that only.

The Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and negotiation, seeking the most peaceful solutions to every problem.

As Force-users trained in the Jedi tradition, some students concentrate more on diplomacy, scholarly pursuits, and the spiritual side of the Force than on more physical activities. Healers and researchers seek to better understand the nature of the Force and their connection to it. Mentors and teachers hope to instruct others and pass on what they have learned. Negotiators and mediators are skilled at bargaining and striking compromises. Counselors train themselves to be versatile, able to handle many situations without reaching for a weapon.

Other students concentrate more on combining physical training with mastery of the Force. They concentrate on battle prowess, defense, and physical training. They take their undertakings seriously, considering even mundane missions to be personal tests. Most of these follow the light side, but some become dark siders and use the Force for evil or selfish intent. Those imbued with the light side refrain from using the Force for every task, preferring to find other solutions and save the Force for when it is truly needed. Those who succumb to the dark side use every advantage, wielding the Force to solve problems, as a soldier would use a gun to destroy a fly.

Though one chapter of your training may draw to a close, you must never cease your practice. It will merely take on a different form, but still it continues….

Mastering the ways of the light side of the Force requires tenacity, serenity, concentration, and a willingness to remain open to possibilities that seem implausible. Most Jedi apprentices encounter difficulties with at least one of these areas, and therefore rely on an instructor --- usually a Master --- to help them recognize and overcome whatever obstacles stand in their path.

Those interested in learning of the Force and the techniques that manipulate it should locate a teacher willing to impart such knowledge to them.

The Force like electricity, or even the wind, exists and can be felt, even though it has no color, no smell, and no shape. The effects of electricity or the wind or the Force can sometimes be seen, but the Force itself cannot. One can see a tree being blown over by the wind, but one cannot see the wind itself.

Explained very simply, the Force flows through out every person's body along certain pathways. In some ways, the Force and these pathways are like electricity and circuits. When electrical circuits are clear and electricity flows easily, an electrical system will work well. If a short circuit occurs, or wires become disconnected or broken, then the electrical system will fail. In a similar way if the flow of the Force along the pathways in the body is interrupted or in some disorder, illness or disease will result.

Along with the instructor, a student of the Force also has duties. Typically, a Jedi apprentice spends the majority of his time attending lectures, receiving one-on-one tutelage, practicing Jedi skills and techniques, and reviewing what he has already learned. On rare occasions, he may find an uncluttered moment to enjoy a favorite pastime or just a short respite from his daily work, but usually he remains focused on his efforts day and night.

In addition to Force-related study, an apprentice must also perform routine chores required by his life, such as going to work or school. For an apprentice though these tasks serve a more important purpose then mere upkeep, however. They teach a student humility and wisdom as well as simplicity, three traits every Jedi must possess to shield him from the dark side in all of its shadowy guises.

Learning to use and manipulate the Force occupies less then half of an apprentice's time. Rather, most Teachers concentrate on teaching the responsibilities of possessing such power and the role of a Jedi in the universe.

Grasping the basics of any skill requires time, and great expenditure of effort on the part of the student (and the Teacher, as well, in some cases). Practice of the technique itself accounts for only a portion of this time, since the Teacher tempers progress with caution, ensuring that the would-be Jedi does not succumb to the lure of quick power. Those apprentices who ignore this aspect of acquiring skills often balance on a fine line between light and dark.

Your training will be a landscape of self-discovery. Learn new things and share what you have learned with others.

Be careful that you do not treat being a Jedi as a separate identity, as if on the right is who you are normally and on the Left is who you are as a Jedi. This is like trying to function with only one side of your body or the other. In doing so you make half of yourself oppose the other half, when you should be integrating both halves. You are not you as you are or you as a Jedi. You are both of them. You need to unify yourself and your efforts. Certainly there will be times when one aspect of your being would work better then the other in a situation. But you have to be able to use both sides if you plan to succeed in all things.

Have no hard feelings toward anyone who has not shown you enmity, do not fight with anyone who does not attack you.

A Jedi should try to breath like a baby. While this may seem a strange idea, adults do in fact, breath differently from babies. A baby breathes naturally from the tant'ien, and if you watch, you will see its stomach area move in and out as it breathes. If you watch adults' breath, you will see it is their shoulders and chests that move. While all people breathe naturally from their abdomens when they sleep, adults have long since forgotten how to do this when they are awake. Those who want to use the Force correctly must learn how to be in tune with nature once again.

Lung breathing, although effective in the short run, and potentially very forceful, is nevertheless artificial and incorrect. It expends a lot of energy quickly, but it is not natural. In times of great need this type of breathing may be practiced as it makes everything become easier to learn. But always remember this type of breathing burns up and wastes far too much energy and does great harm to the body.

Those who are skilled in combat do not become angered; those who are skilled at winning do not become afraid. Thus the wise win before they fight, while the ignorant fight to win.

A skilled attack is one against which opponents do not know how to defend; a skilled defense is one which opponents do not know how to attack.

Jedi plan in the beginning when they do things, they consider problems and prevent them.

Five things are to be assessed before undertaking any action: the Force, the weather, the terrain, the opposition, and discipline.

A Jedi should have these virtues: intelligence, trust-worthiness, humaneness, courage, and compassion.

Toe-to-toe battle is the last resort of the skilled warrior. It is best to win without fighting. Wear them down with flight, foster disharmony within their ranks, manipulate their feelings, and use their anger and pride against them.

A Jedi must know when to fight and when not to fight.

Suspicion raises walls, allows fear to grow. That can interfere with your ability to use the Force.

You will find, at some point that the dark side will speak to you. It is seductive, offering you everything with little effort on your part. Learn from the lessons others have endured, so their strength can become your strength when you face that test.

It is not for you to sculpt the Force's flow to your purposes, but for you to be sculpted into that which more easily works with the Force.

There is only one cycle that is without end. That cycle is life and life is what creates the Force. Success comes with feeling, understanding and controlling the Force.

When opponents come to attack you, do not fight with them but rather set up a strategic change to confuse them and make them uncertain, deflecting them from their original intention to attack, making them reluctant to fight with you.

There are four kinds of mastery essential to the Jedi. Mastery of the Force, Mastery of the heart, mastery of strength, and mastery of adaptation.

Persist too intensely at what is currently beyond your depth, and your fidelity to that course will bring misfortune and no gain.

When a Jedi does find it necessary to defend themselves, a moral code should accompany their fighting practice. As Jedi, they should follow certain ideas of loyalty, respect, and honesty toward each other, and strive for attitudes of unselfishness and benevolence toward the world at large. It is considered wrong to fight indiscriminately. One is not supposed to use their Jedi skills, for example, to get more money or better clothes, or to show off one's technique. Instead, such skills are to be used for self-defense purposes or to help others. This code explains why Jedi have the humanity to refrain from doing unnecessary harm to those who attack them.

If at first the reasons for why a teacher trains you in the same thing over and over again may be unclear to you. Do not despair. For as the roots of a tree are usually hidden from the observer, so too is the purpose behind most training often not seen by the new student. Some finding training boring and painful, often quit at this stage of training. Overanxious to know everything at once --- to taste the fruits and see the flowers of a full-grown tree, as it were --- they often fail to realize that the Jedi Way --- like the tree --- must begin slowly, down in the dirt, and only after this foundation has been set and a long period of growth has taken place will the tree bear fruit.

True competence comes from not only training the reflexes, but from training the mind as well. All too often young Jedi have superior physical skills, yet their ability to concentrate and relax their minds is lacking.

How does one tell the light from the dark? When you are calm, at peace, passive.

The Force is like any element of nature --- it has both positive and negative aspects: the light side and the dark side.

The light teaches peace and harmony. It is the constructive side of the Force from which all love, understanding and knowledge originate --- it is the essence of life. Those who are at peace with themselves can learn to harness the amazing powers of the Force.

The dark side is the counterweight to the light. Many young students falsely believe that the dark side is stronger than the light --- in truth it is only easier. The dark side springs forth from the negative and destructive impulses of all living beings --- anger, fear and hatred are its symptoms. Death and war are the byproducts of the dark side. It is dangerously seductive to those who lack the ability to control their emotions and passions. Those who give in to the dark side find their abilities greatly enhanced at first, but as time passes, the dark side does not respond so readily. The dark side demands more and more of those in its power.

Those who are sensitive to the Force soon learn that there is no middle ground between the light and the dark. For most beings --- unaware of the power of the Force --- the struggle between light and dark is not as powerful, not as compelling. For those attuned to the Force, the struggle of good versus evil, life versus death, is of utmost importance.

Those who learn the ways of the Force must be careful to remember their own inner peace or they will surrender themselves to the dark side. They must be careful not to start down the path of the dark side, for its self-destructive ways are difficult to leave once embraced.

Steffan Karrde, Temple Councilor

Lecture 5

You must remember that becoming a true Jedi requires persistence, patience, and Most of all, hard work.

After two or three years of this difficult Jedi training program, students often develop new misconceptions about the Jedi Way. They are now in good condition, quite strong, and beginning to beat some of the other student in matches. Feeling invincible, sure they now know most of what there is to know, some quit at this stage.

Others, however, wisely continue on to more advanced training, where they now encounter some of the older masters. As old and weak as they may appear physically, they are able to play with these youngsters as effortlessly as a cat plays with a mouse. Humbled by this experience, the students quickly realize there is certainly more for them to learn, and even more to learn after that. It is at this point, when they realize that there is really no end to training, that they finally learn the Jedi Way. For the Jedi Way is much more than just self-defense techniques. It is an art form, a way of life, and a means toward spiritual development. As such the Jedi Way is a lifetime study.

At some point or another, many students experience a block in their studies. They get stuck on a plateau, apparently unable to progress further. Sometimes this is the fault of the teacher. If this is so, it is time to move on. More often, though, the problem is an internal one, caused by poor learning habits, problems with attitude or personal distractions.

When the student ceases to be totally self-involved, interested in his own growth only, he will begin to turn to helping others. At this point, regardless of prowess, the student becomes a true follower of the Jedi Way.

One can study and study for years, hours and hours every day, and one may still remain a student. To leap beyond the barrier one must break the chain. Stop practicing and start doing.

A Jedi's most valuable asset is his code. Whatever that may be, he must have it and be true to it. He who has no code is an animal. Every Jedi has his code.

If a man tells you he has no code, that truly he is his own master, then his master is the dark side and we know how to deal with it. Honor, Virtue. Even the dark side has a code. The dark side and its servants cannot bear up in the face of virtue. Absolute honor destroys the dark side's power absolutely.

Weapons' training is essentially the same as training without weapons, only now weapons are used as an extension of the hands. Students practice basic strikes and blocks with their weapons in the same fashion that they practiced their bare hand techniques. With constant repetitions.

Many times on the journey toward understanding, one encounters crippling paradoxes.

Mastering others requires force; mastering the self requires enlightenment.

A journey of a thousand miles starts under one's feet, with the first step.

The Force is a bigger, broader concept then any one system of beliefs can necessarily encompass. Even the wisest of Jedi understand it imperfectly.

The Force does not "root" for anybody, or anything not the light or the dark or even a balance of the two. The Force just is.

The Jedi student must not be deluded; do not deny that there is a dark side to the Force. That it can affect you.

Some may claim you cannot speak of the dark side until you have experienced it. In this they are wrong. A doctor need not contract a disease to diagnose and treat it after all.

There may come a time when you feel embarrassed by how others perceive you. But what does it matter? What they or anyone else thinks of you is really immaterial. It's what you think of yourself that matters most.

The Jedi doesn't believe the Light is the only way to know the Force. They just believe it is a preferable model to employ in understanding the Force, and a better long-term strategy.

When speaking of the light side and the dark side. It all comes down to the nature of evil. Evil is selfishness while good is selfless. If you take an action that benefits you, only you, and hurts others, you are evil. If you do what must be done to prevent harm to others, if you become the buffer between them and evil, then your actions will be good. That is to say your intentions will be good. Your actions may still be evil. That is the problem of course, evil is always easy and resisting it is never so. Evil is relentless; and anyone, if they tire, if they are not vigilant, can fall prey to it.

There are situations where opposing evil may result in harm coming to the innocent.

Life is not without pain, but life concerns itself with how we handle that pain, or joy, or confusion or triumph. Life is more than time passing before death, it is the sum and total of all we make of it. Decisions may not be easy, but many is the time when not making any choice, not taking an action is worse than a poor decision. Evil flourishes where it is not opposed, and those who are able to oppose it must to protect those who cannot protect themselves.

A Jedi should know as much as possible about everything.

There are five dangers a Jedi must be aware of when he must fight --- being to willing to die, too eager to live, too quick to anger, too puritanical, or too sentimental. Any one of these in excess, he affirms, creates vulnerabilities that can easily be exploited by canny opponents.

When he is waiting on the fringes of a situation, before the appropriate time to go to action has arrived, he must be steady and avoid giving in to impulse --- then he won't go wrong.

When a Jedi knows himself and others, he is not in danger.

The Force is a mysterious energy field, which surrounds and binds together everything in the galaxy. It is a neutral, impersonal power, which can be used for good or evil. The light side of the Force is selfless and non-aggressive. Those who follow it teach peace and harmony. The dark side, on the other hand, is a destructive and violent power. Those who follow it are consumed with the pursuit of power and a desire to dominate over others.

At the start, a student of the dark side may be more powerful that a student of the light side, but as time progresses, a natural balancing effect takes place. The more powerful a dark side student becomes, the more dominated by the dark side he is. Light side practitioners, on the other hand, discover that the light side does lead to great powers in time, but only after years of patient study.

Some things cannot be taught directly. Some things you must find in yourself. If it were to be shown to you, to be pointed at as if saying, "Look, here it is" you would not understand it. Jedi must be willing to look into their own hearts and spirits. If you do not … well, let us just say that you will never become a true Jedi.

Steffan Karrde, Temple Councilor

Lecture 4

A Jedi's role in society is to take action and responsibility for those who cannot. A Jedi places himself where he can defend the greatest number of people from the greatest evil. Even if it costs him his life. There are times when that sacrifice feels right. It's a judgment the Jedi will have to make for himself when the time comes.

One very important aspect of proficiency in the Jedi way and in all phases of life is purposefulness --- the ability to act deliberately rather that arbitrarily. Most of us spend our lives in a random fashion, reacting to stimuli without thinking, as though we were chemicals in a compound, instead of creatures of free will. The Jedi Way teaches us to choose, to have the power to see all the alternatives and to act according to our own wills rather then on the whims of other people or events. This power is much more useful for self-defense than are mere kicks and punches.

A Jedi Master will usually not waste his time with someone who is interested only in self-defense. When such people appear, the teacher will usually tell them to carry a big stick and not bother him. The teacher prefers to teach small classes of dedicated students and leave the business of instructing poorly motivated students, who are only interested in fighting, to someone else. In the Jedi Way one can be a student, a knight, a master, or a grandmaster --- the student is often like the "son" of his teacher; should the teacher call in the middle of the night and ask for something, the student will do it --- this sort of response is not expected of the casual student.

There is no secret technique that will make you invincible. There will always be an individual or circumstance that will best you.

With the power of the Force comes a danger, which requires training to overcome, namely, to avoid manipulating people and events to our own advantages. The simplest example of this responsibility is the credo, which states that the power must only be used in self-defense. Even this statement falls short of the ideal. The true goal is doing good, improving (yourself and others), teaching, and healing.

A Jedi apprentice walks a long, difficult road to skill and knowledge of the Force.

Unless your mind is calm, you will never be able to concentrate.

A student studying with a master should not take on a student of his or her own.

As a Jedi if someone asks you who is the most skilled Jedi. Think on this before answering. "Some Jedi see the spirit of the dark side and remove it before it takes shape, so their names do not get out of the house. Some Jedi see the dark side while it is still extremely minute and cure it. So their names don't get out of their neighborhood. As for others, they see the dark side after it has blossomed and defeat it then. Their names sometimes get out and are heard by everyone." As this shows, that the less time the dark side is allowed to grow. Then the less direct conflict is needed the better, in the sense that knowledge of the problem is key to the solution To overcome the dark side without fighting is the best skill.

Mercy is first and foremost among a Jedi's virtues.

Everything has a pattern, starting with the subatomic structure of a pebble and extending to the stars themselves. Find the pattern; understand the manner in which it is woven.

There is no why. Clear your mind of questions. Then you will understand.

Unless your heart is wide open and your mind is orderly, you cannot be expected to be able to adapt responsively without limit, dealing with events unerringly, facing great and unexpected difficulties without upset, calmly handling everything without confusion.

Deal lightly with matters of consequence, and decisively with those of little consequence. It is difficult to face a crisis and solve it gently, if you are not resolved beforehand, for uncertainty will impede your efforts. When the time comes, thinking forward allows you to deal lightly.

The Jedi seeks balance --- balance of the self, balance with society, with nature, with the universe. The ideal state for a Jedi is to be neither hard nor soft, but to be both hard and soft. It is to be like water.

Water is soft. It flows and will take any shape. If you press down on a pool of water, the water will give way to the hand. Yet if you have ever been hit by a wave at the beach, you know the tremendous power of water.

As a Jedi one does everything in both a hard and a soft manner, much as a towel can be snapped. A towel by itself is loose, limp, and soft, yet if it is snapped quickly, like a whip, it becomes powerful and is rigid and hard at the moment of conflict.

No one Jedi fighting system should be considered superior to any other. Some people are tall, some short, others fat, and still others thin, so everyone's body will move differently. A system suited to one person's body might not be suitable for another. It is therefore advisable to seek a good teacher who may be able to tell you what system would best suit you.

The Jedi Way is directed toward the full discovery and use of a human being's full potential --- a potential that is barely tapped during the average person's lifetime.

A Jedi must always remember danger when he is secure and remember chaos in times of order, watch out for danger and chaos while they are still formless and prevent them before they happen, this is best of all.

If you are quiet and inconspicuous, others will not be able to figure you out. If you are accurate and orderly, others will not be able to disturb you.

A Jedi does not use arms because of his emotions.

The stillness in stillness is not real stillness; only when there is stillness in movement does the Force manifest itself. What this means in a very simple way is that it's easy to be peaceful and calm if you're alone on top of a mountain or deep in the woods, but try for that same peace of mind while moving through rush-hour crowds in a city, or while sitting in the middle of your screaming brothers and sisters. If you can feel calm during this, then you have truly accomplished something.

The Force is perhaps the most fascinating and mysterious aspect of Jedi training. The nature of the Force is difficult to grasp. It is the power that comes from everything, not simply for combat, but for all endeavors, and for balance, health, and longevity. The Force is the drawing of energy from within and the universe through the subconscious. This is not dependent on or even related to size or physique.

Without the Force, life itself is impossible. When the Force is abundant, one has true power. Disease and depression vanish. Longevity is increased.

The Force can only exist in the absence of fear or tension. These factors create imbalance. When relaxed, one is not in upheaval. One can concentrate and see clearly what it is that needs to be done, and do it naturally, spontaneously, and instantaneously.

As the Force develops within, control is vitally important. A casual tap with the fingers can do serious injury once the Force is strong. One must be very careful. Emotional content, such as anger, or fear, or even just excitement, can bring the Force unbidden to the hand.

For this reason, the Jedi waits until proficiency in meditation, tranquility and the art of non-reaction have been established before one goes on to more specific, advanced Force training.

Steffan Karrde, Temple Councilor

Lecture 3

For a Jedi to sense and comprehend after action is not worthy of being called comprehension. To accomplish after striving is not worthy of being called accomplishment. To know after seeing in not worthy of being called knowing. These three are far from the way of sensing and response a Jedi uses.

Indeed, for the Jedi, it is better to be able to do something before it exists, sense something before it becomes active, see something before it sprouts, these three abilities develop interdependently. Thus nothing is sensed but is comprehended, nothing is undertaken without response, and nowhere does one go without benefit.

Those who assist someone by means of the Force do not use arms to do so, for these things tend to reverse --- brambles grow where a fight has been, bad years follow a war.

Weapons are inauspicious instruments, not the tools of the enlightened. When there is no choice but to use them, it is best to be calm and free from anger and greed, and not celebrate victory. Those who celebrate victory are bloodthirsty, and the bloodthirsty cannot be let free to have their way with the world.

Remember anger and greed are fundamental causes of defeat. It is the unemotional, reserved, calm, detached warrior who wins, not the hothead seeking vengeance and not the ambitious seeker of fortune.

Those who are good at knighthood are not militaristic, those who are good at battle do not become angry, and those who are good at prevailing over opponents do not get involved.

Show me a man of violence that came to a good end, and I will take him for my teacher.

The enemy is fear. Most think it is hate; but it is fear.

It is important to have self-discipline and initiative: you should not practice only when your teacher makes you.

A true Jedi is one who never fights, but always practices.

Everybody on this Earth needs an activity. Most activities require a subject and an object. In the practice of the Jedi Way the subject and the object are the same thing --- oneself.

Meditate on this and perceive the remarkable change it makes in everything. Without the sense of adversary, where is the problem. Where is the conflict? Why fear? Why hate? Anger? How can there be failure? Why do these things exist at all in a self-contained, sane organism? They certainly are not needed.

What would be the purpose for one who is aware of the Force, who is one with nature, to engage in combat with his fellow man? These are things to be eliminated in our lives, not encouraged.

In combat, it is important that strategy be unfathomable, that form be concealed, and that movements be unexpected, so that preparedness against them be impossible.

What enables a good fighter to win without fail is always having unfathomable wisdom and a modus operandi that leaves no tracks.

Only the formless cannot be affected. Jedi hide in unfathomability, so their feelings cannot be observed; they operate in formlessness, so their lines cannot be crossed. This is why they are skilled fighters.

There are certain types of conflict where you might not even realize that you have an adversary. You would not even have a chance to defend yourself. How do you fight a sniper armed with a silenced rifle? How do you fight an assassin who stabs you unseen from behind? How do you fight the man who rigs your car to explode when you turn on the ignition?

There is no way that you can fight him.

Since you cannot successfully fight this adversary, you must learn to protect yourself in other ways. The Jedi refines his perceptive abilities to a level higher than most humans', and becomes sensitive to input from the Force in addition to his five physical senses. This ability to perceive this, is what we call 'premonitions of danger' or 'danger sense.'

An attacker, whether man or animal, puts forth his harmful intentions as a sort of vibration or thought impulse. Just as we say that sights, smells, or sounds are things, we can also say that thoughts are things. These thoughts are there to be perceived, regardless of whether or not we are sensitive enough to pick them up.

When we are sensitive enough to detect this intention of harmful action, the Jedi can fight back by simply not being where the attack will take place.

This ability to perceive potential danger is developed by learning how to tune into a level of thought higher than routine individual consciousness. Just as we all share a common realm of visual perceptions, tactile stimulations, and sound impulses, we share a range of higher frequencies broadcast through the Force. That is affected by thought impulses. If we are sensitive enough we can utilize the Force just as we utilize sight, or taste, or hearing.

A Jedi must see alone and know alone, meaning that he must see what others do not see and know what others do not know.

Once a student asked a Jedi Master how to defend against a strong punching or kicking attack. The reply was, "No matter how strong an attack is, if it falls on empty space, it is useless." In other words, the best defense is to not be there when the attack comes.

The Force flows everywhere. It fulfills its purpose silently and makes no claim. It does not show greatness, and is therefore truly great.

The way to the Force is to benefit, not to harm.

A Jedi feels no heat or cold. A Jedi can extinguish pain. Strengthen yourself with the Force.

Doing anything with haste can lead to impatience, and that invites the dark side.

Some will say that it is all right to use the dark side as long as it is used to do good. What they are saying is that the ends justify the means for attaining them, and that is wrong. It's as wrong as anything because it allows them to rationalize away any behavior as good.

People start amassing power for this goal or that, and they convince themselves that it's for a good thing. Then when they get enough they find circumstances have changed. They find they need more power or they need to wield this power in ways they didn't expect before. An opponent who won't listen to reason becomes a bug who needs to be squashed instead of a friend who just needs to be convinced. Power comes to poison those who hoard it. They assume others want their power, will resort to any means to get it, and that frees them to retaliate in any way they can to protect their power.

There is no good that comes from evil. Someone using the dark side for good seems fine perhaps. Until you ask why he would do it. Is it for his own good, and that of his people? If so, how will he deal with the next threat to them?

Don't entertain the idea that you could remain uncorrupted by dealing with evil for what you see as a good purpose. That is setting the first foot on a very steep and slippery slope. If you slip it might be possible to get back to the top, but someone will pay during your descent, You should not wish to inflict that on anyone.

Steffan Karrde, Temple Councilor

Lecture 2

Girls and boys of Jedi families begin training as Jedi when they are just five or six years old. From the very start they are taught to become great athletes --- to swim, dive, jump very high, run fast and long, ride horses, and climb everything from trees to walls. Training is very, very hard in order to prepare these young Jedi for the difficult work of later years. They should also be taught how to dislocate the joints in their body so they can actually slip out of ropes and knots if they are tied up. They should also hang by their hands from tree branches for a long time in order to develop both strong arms and strong minds. They should practice holding their breath, and also staying in one spot without moving for a long time. When they are twelve or thirteen years old they begin learning weapons and practice running. Through all this, they should also be taught the ways of the Force.

Many would-be Jedi encounter their first test of patience and perseverance in their search for a teacher. A teacher will only instruct those they believe most likely to complete the training. Some Teachers may even require a candidate to successfully perform a task or pass a test to earn apprenticeship.

To teach a force technique to an initiate, an instructor must have a basic proficiency in that technique that is higher then the students. As potential Jedi increase their prowess with the Force, they must locate more experienced teachers who can provide further instruction.

Plan for what is difficult while it is easy, do what is great while it is small. The most difficult things in the world must be done while still easy, the greatest things in the world must be done while they are still small. For this reason Jedi never do what is great, and this is why they can achieve that greatness.

Deep knowledge of principle knows without seeing, strong practice of the Jedi Way accomplishes without striving. Deep knowledge is to "know without going out to see, see the way of the Force without looking at it directly.' Strong action is to ' grow ever stronger, adapting to all situations.'"

Deep knowledge is to be aware of disturbance before disturbance, to be aware of danger before danger, to be aware of destruction before destruction, to be aware of calamity before calamity. Strong action is training the body without being burdened by the body, exercising the mind without being used by the mind, working in the world without being affected by the world, carrying out tasks without being obstructed by tasks.

By deep knowledge of the Force, one can change disturbance into order, change danger into safety, change destruction into survival, change calamity into fortune. By strong action on the Jedi Way, one can bring the body to the realm of longevity, bring the mind to the sphere of mystery, bring the world to great peace, and bring tasks to great fulfillment.

If sensation is thought of as perception through your senses, Intuition may be thought of as perception through your unconscious. Intuition operates in such a way that the awareness of something presents itself to us in consciousness as an already established whole. We are suddenly, and clearly, aware of something, just as we suddenly and clearly see a car coming towards us; except this "seeing" is through the unconscious, not through the senses. We do not know how we know it --- we just know it.

It is necessary to abandon one's "preconceived impressions of the way things are." There is often a great gulf between what we want to believe and what is "real."

The "desires" to be given up, then, are not so much the desires for material belongings and power, although these are also important things to look at in yourself, but the desires to see reality as we want to see it, rather than as it is. These are the desires that "cloud the mind" and make us lose touch with the world. These are our self-deceptions. And these are "luxuries" a Jedi cannot afford. They have to see reality in all its harsh grimness.

When I say we desire that something be a certain way, I do not necessarily mean that we want it to be that way. We want to think it is that way. If you think of a certain man as your enemy, then anything he says or does will be examined and found to be an insult or a threat. The identical words or actions on the part of a beloved friend would carry far different meanings. There is a saying: "Suspicious eyes see only evil.' Those not guided by the Force will see only what they desire to see." We human beings choose to see things as we wish. Few people seem to believe this, though. We decide to be jealous, or angry, or depressed, or happy, or bored, and these choices are often based on our biased interpretations of the thoughts of others. It is amazing how much psychological control many people relinquish to others. If we think someone else disapproves of us, we are worried. If we think that someone is pleased with us, we are happy. If we think that someone holds views contrary to our own, we are insulted. If we think that someone is contemptuous of us, we are angry. With all these others determining how we feel, it is sometimes difficult to find the actual self.

These are the desires of which I speak, these mental barriers that prevent us from accepting fully all that life has to offer. If a man wastes his time in emotional indulgence, he will be forever preoccupied and will miss much the Force would give him. "There is no Emotion; there is peace." We aren't talking about getting rid of emotions themselves. We are talking about getting rid of inappropriate and useless emotional responses.

Steffan Karrde, Temple Councilor