Lecture 1
A Jedi acts from wisdom, using persuasion and counsel over violence and Force powers. The Force is to be used to serve the interests of the light. Using the Force for personal aggrandizement, for personal power or wealth, for convenience when other means would be more prudent --- all these are traits of the dark side.
The Jedi's guiding philosophy is to choose the peaceful, quiet, and subtle methods over the bold, active, and forceful. In this way, the natural order of events is disturbed as little as possible.
For most students initiation into the mysteries is not an entirely likable experience. True enlightenment is a radical goal, requiring great sacrifice and fearless abandon in its pursuit. Realization of the goal can be devastating. You will discover knowledge, which will change you forever. You may forsake your old ways and beliefs, turn your back on your old ambitions and goals, and lose the loves of your life.
Things, which are tied down securely, and ideas, which hold water, will survive, but impractical or useless artifacts, false or muddy concepts, questionable practices and sentimental attachments will be swept away or left behind. Expect the quest to break your heart at least once.
Be careful. You will probably have no conception of what you are getting into. However, if you insist, in spite of this warning, in going on with your training, there are many compensations. Remember that what you choose is what you get. The future you will discover is the one you have sought in your quest, whether you know it or not.
You are both the sculptor and the clay. Seek danger and you will find it. Seek love, fulfillment, and knowledge --- whatever you most long for --- the cost may be great, but you will find it all.
The quest for enlightenment in the Jedi Way is dangerous to the caterpillar, but essential to the butterfly.
The Way of the Force does not come easily for the weak-willed or for the arrogant. Study well, practice always, and find your strength in the Light Side of the Force. These things you must never abandon, for to do so would cast you closer to the thin division between the dark and the light.
Peace and tranquility benefit. Tension and strain do not. Initially, the tranquil student may not achieve as much, or progress as fast as one who pushes and drives the body with mind and ego; but, in the long run, the student who maintains inner calm and stresses mind and body synchronization in his training will go far beyond the level which could ever be achieved by one who is forever straining and fighting to achieve a successful workout or other goals in life --- one to whom every training session is a test, and completion of every task the end in itself.
The Jedi Way can be applied to every situation in life. It is whatever you want it to be. You are in control of yourself and your situation when you accept the Jedi Way as such.
All the defensive and offensive techniques can be learned in a short period of time without great difficulty. A bright student can become adept at the physical aspects in a year or two.
The purpose of the Jedi Way, however, is not so easily revealed. A lifetime of devotion may not unfold the basic truths of which the Jedi Way consists of.
A slow student requires more devotion, and, if he can find that dedication within himself, he has more chance of reaching the truth then a quicker student who accepts the knowledge casually. Devotion is the key, the question, and perhaps a large part of the answer, as well.
Learning how to use the Force is often a matter of unlearning many other things. Once we all had a natural flow of the Force from the universe to us, and it flowed in turn from us to the universe. Just as a baby knows how to breath naturally, so too it knows how to use the Force. As people grow up, however, they tighten up, develop new habits, and gradually forget how to keep this natural flow. As a result, babies can sometimes do things adults cannot. They can, for example, keep their tiny fists closed so that they are almost impossible to open. Adults, however, can do this only with great effort. It is usually only during a crisis, or when under hypnosis, that adults can tap this hidden power and do extraordinary feats they could not do otherwise.
When in combat a Jedi "empties" their mind of all thoughts. They do not "think" about what cut to make with their sword, where to put their left foot, or how fierce the opponent looks.
This idea is not so strange if we think of ourselves riding a bicycle. After one learns how to ride a bike, it is far better not to think about how to peddle, how to steer, and how to keep one's balance. If one "thinks" about all these things at the same time, one is sure to fall off the bike. In this same way, a Jedi learns techniques in practice, and then in combat does his best to totally empty his mind.
Happiness depends on mental health and inner peace more than any outside factors. Jedi study promotes inner peace, mental health, strength, fortitude, and patience.
The Jedi Arts are not a cure-all, and instruction can fail to instill these qualities. However, given that the burden is on the student, Jedi Arts can bring happiness, long life, success, life without drugs or other crutches, self-awareness and self-confidence, freeing the mind to cope with outside forces more effectively, promoting understanding and eliminating confusion and frustration. Success in all endeavors follows.
True Mastery of the Jedi Way cannot be accomplished solely through practice and study. Nor can the Master be the whole source of information. This is good enough for the beginning or casual student, but inadequate for the serious student. The student must rely on himself and other sources to complete his information. Philosophy, religion, medicine, art, music literature, and science (especially physics) must be pursued until the student attains reasonably full understanding of these things. The student must make his own way. If this seems a lot to accomplish, perhaps one should reexamine one's goals to find if one has the will required to go on with this quest.
Steffan Karrde, Temple Councilor
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