What is a jedi?
So many people want to say “I am a Jedi” however if you ask them to write a one page paper about what a Jedi is to them you tend to get lots of movie Quotes and not one original thought.
A jedi is a person who sees their life as a life of meaning and purpose. The meaning of our life is attuning ourselves with the universal life source, and to use its power to guide our actions throughout the day. Our purpose is to use the power entrusted to us to help others who are placed within our life. In the movies and in the books they make this look cool but in reality things rarely look as glamorous.
Jedi are attuned with the universal life source. Through this attunement we learn how to strengthen, energize and even heal ourselves and others. The universal life source also allows us to strengthen our intuition which is what is necessary for creating our sphere or responsibility. The sphere of responsibility is what makes the difference between the jedi and the rest of the population. Our sphere or responsibility is essentially a sixth sense above and beyond our normal five senses. Through our sphere of responsibility we know or feel what is going on around us which is what helps us in dealing with situations.
When a jedi walks up to a potential fight they use this sixth sense to feel what is going on and know how to best deal with the situation. If a person is about to attack then the Jedi uses their senses to react to the situation before the person launches their full blown attack. When a jedi comes across a person in distress the jedi uses their connection to the universal life source for guidance to know what they should or should not say. In many ways jedi and empathic individuals have much in common and in truth jedi could learn a lot from empathic training.
We are there to prevent situations from going physical or if need be we get physical to prevent serous injury or even death. We are the people who will fight so the weak will not have to. We are the people who will help a person lying in the middle of the street at 2:00 in the morning because if we do not then we know the next car that comes might be full of drunk drivers and will kill thhat person. We are the people who would help a person out of a burning car because we know if we don’t then odds are the person could die. In short we accept that others are more important than us and are willing to keep others safe. I know this aspect of the Jedi path may not seem appealing to others however if you are not willing to accept this aspect then the jedi path may not be the path for you. Thankfully in most of our lives one or more of this situations may not present themselves but should one or more of these events take place the way you respond to it is what makes the difference between the true jedi and those who only think being a jedi would be cool.
Sadly some people mistake the Jedi Order for the Boy Scouts of American with scouts looking to earn merit badges. Yes, helping others is always a good thing, however this should be done as a individual offering kindness not because one is a jedi. If a jedi wants to stand at a street corner to help little old ladies cross the road then great, however doing this does not make you a better jedi nor does not doing so make you a bad jedi. Personally I highly believe people should help others whenever they feel the need to and working with homeless shelters and habitat for humanity are two wonderful places to start.
There is a lot to consider before one decides to walk the jedi path. One needs to ask themselves if they are really willing to put in the work to become a jedi. One needs to know that being a jedi is neither easy nor is it glamorous. There may be risks involved in being a jedi and we need to ask ourselves if the risk is worth it. The jedi path requires a great deal of reading, meditation, strength training, and cardio vascular training and of course hours in the dojo preparing for what if situations.
Stages of Jedi Training
According to the fictional universe there were four states of jedi training. In the real world however there are only three stages of Jedi training.
Youngling
In the fictional universe when one shows that unlike most people they were strongly attuned to the force and showed potential in becoming jedi knights they were picked up by the Jedi Academy. These younglings were taught what many of us would consider to be academic understanding, reading, writing, math, history, science, and so forth. In the real world youngling training would end around 8th grade education. Aside from the academy lessons there were also lessons in using the force, self defense, and light saber usage. This allowed the masters to see what areas gave the individual issues and which areas the individual excelled in. When the younglings were around 15 years old they were then chosen by a jedi knight or a jedi master for further training. Sadly however not every youngling was decided for padawan level. If a padawan was not chosen for further training they were then sent to a work corps where they worked for the betterment of others, however they were not jedi. Some sent to the corps were chosen later by a jedi knight or a jedi master while many were not and continued their lives of service. Obi-Wan was actually such a person. Kenobi was sent to the work corps and later chosen by Qui-Gon Jinn. There was no shame in not be chosen, the people not chosen still lived honorable lives and were of service in many other ways outside of the jedi path.
The youngling phase of fictional jedi training is obsolete in the real world as many of us have come to know of the jedi path later in life and none of us were raised in the jedi temple since childhood. However in reality we were all taught much of what the younglings would have been taught as far as academics and spirituality. Younglings were also taught the basics of light saber usage; however as none of us carry light sabers in the real world this would be a mute point to explore.
After a potential jedi has learned the academics of life and basics of the jedi way and are chosen by a jedi knight/master their real training begins. At the padawan stage the potential Jedi train under one person and not only studies but also starts to pick up real life experience. At the early stages of training the padawan is always with their Master, however as time pass they show their master what they are capable of and starts to work on self studies and missions with their master at a distance, ready to give their padawan necessary feedback if need be.
At the jedi padawan stage the primary focus was placed on being a jedi instead of book learning. The padawan also trained more in using the force as well as conflict resolution. The first values taught was to talk through situations, however when aggressive negations were needed then aggressive negation tactics were used. In the fictional universe padawan who wished to become guardians, healers or councilors where then paired off with knights/masters that could lead them on that path, however in the real world this is not always possible. In the fictional universe the padawan stage was anywhere from 3-5 years depending on the padawan growth and their master’s feedback.
In the real world a padawan could be ready to become a knight in 6-12 months with hard work and dedication. Jedi in the real world learn the basics at the padawan stage however they do not always gain the opportunity to train in their specific training until after they become jedi knights. In some jedi groups a night or master may teach up to three padawans at one time leaving someone else to train the padawan in their specific field. Of course during that time the knight keeps the close relationship with their padawan until one of the once again becomes one with the force.
Testing
Once a padawan has learned what they needed to learn and has gained all that is necessary for them to become jedi knights they are then tested. The padawan creates their own light saber and has to go through a set of trials to show that they are worthy of becoming jedi knights.
Jedi in the real world may not be creating light sabers however we must also complete the jedi trials to show that we are prepared for the responsibilities of becoming a aedi knight. Jedi testing includes basic understanding of the jedi path, practical applications of jedi values, and role play situations, self defense situations with one on one attack and up to three on one attacks if possible. (Of course not many padawan are expected to win the three on one by force, however the goal it to see how they would deal with the situation), the last part of the trials is also a practical application of using the force. (In the real world we may not be able to float a book in the air, however using energy is possible and feeling and sharing ki is practical.)
The Jedi Knight
The Jedi Knight is where most jedi finish out their lives. The jedi knights show the values of the Jedi Order and assist those in need when they can. The Jedi Knight is at one with their sphere of responsibility and act accordingly. The jedi knights also start walking their specialized path of guardian, healer, counselor, teacher, historian and so forth. They do what they can to help others and continue to represent the Jedi Order with honor.
The greatest aspect of being a jedi knight is taking on the responsibilities of teaching the next generation of the Jedi Order. Jedi knights take on a padawan and take them to jedi knighthood. Over a life time a jedi knight could have a number of padawan and even after their padawan become knights they still kept the close relationship with their padawan.
Jedi knights of the real world
Jedi knights in the real world are extremely close to those of the fictional universe. Jedi knights are mindful of their sphere of responsibility and act accordingly, teach padawan and due to needs a jedi master of today may have up to three padawans at one time. The only difference is in the real world jedi masters then start their training and continue to pursue their specialty. Some may try to learn all the different jedi specialties, however I strongly advice against such a path. All jedi knights are in fact guardians first and their specialty second. I am a jedi healer, however if a see a person getting beat down in the street I would jump in to naturalize the situation.
In the real world being a jedi knight is much like being a black belt in a traditional martial art style. Black belts show that they have an understanding of their style and take on the responsibility of helping others to one day become black belts. Some may see the first black belt as a master level, however this is not the case. In taekwondo for example we have nine levels of black belts which show how much learning a first degree black belt really has a head of them.
Jedi Master
For some reason people like to associate the word master with perfection, however this is certainly not the case. Jedi masters are jedi knights who are head and shoulders above the other knights of the order. Jedi masters are the knights who represent the Jedi Order to the highest degree and distinguish themselves amongst the other knights are then chosen to take on more responsibilities to keep the Jedi Order running.
A jedi master's responsibility is in reality nothing more then greater responsibility. Masters overlook the padawan, and knights. The masters deal with issues of the order and delegate tasks that need to be done to the Knights. Jedi masters are also held accountable by the masters counsel and can be demoted from master level for abusing power and so forth.
A number of people in the real world like to call themselves jedi masters, however sadly very few of them understand what being a Master really means. They think the title looks cool; however they see the master title as a higher consciousness instead of the lowest part of the jedi order. Yes, that is right the jedi Masters are actually the lowest of the Jedi Order in a sense because they put others before themselves. The master realizes that they are of serve to others and they need to keep themselves open to the needs of the padawan and knights of the order.
Traditional Jedi Principles
1. The force is used to serve to save lives not to take them.
As jedi we call upon the force to aid in our lives especially when we are protecting others. We are not judges, we can not decide who lives or who dies, and we do not have such authority. Our goals in conflict resolution are merely to end the conflict with as little for as necessary. To take a life, is a great ordeal that not many are prepared to deal with, the cost of taking a life is high, even soldiers and law enforcement are never truly prepared for this. No matter what the crime may be to take a life will have effects on your life.
2. The force should never be used for personal gain.
Personal gain is difficult to deal with. With gain come perceived power and other influences. We are here to maintain harmony and balance if we tip the scales in our favor we will interrupt the harmony of life around use. Things that we feel may be little changes or adjustments could have extremely powerful ramifications.
3. Every Jedi has a vote in making decisions for the community.
So many jedi boards have councils and this and that are these things really a good thing? Yes and no depending on the situation. During times of distress councils are good for limited amount of political issues as possible, however as most of use to not have to worry about saving the world from a evil empire such councils are most of the time not necessary.
4. The jedi should work to support and maintain to the new republic, but not at the expense of jedi ideals.
I have read this on several sites and I must agree. We should infect work within the government systems, but not be a part of them. Working for a government no matter whom great the government can lead to temptations of power or even neglecting one’s duties. Anakin is a great example of this. His relationship with Palpatine leads him to his destruction.
5. If the jedi are called upon to fight they will defend the helpless without hatred, anger, or thoughts or revenge.
With luck we will never need to enter conflict. In-fact fortnightly most of use will not have to enter a physical conflict. When there is no choice, and physical action is required it must be acted upon. When we enter physical conflicts keep your mind clear and focused, never lose sight of your goal. Anger, hatred, and revenge can be extremely powerful motivation, however it will cloud you mind. A clouded mind is difficult for 2 reasons. It could lead in you taking actions such as taken a life, or it could blind you and allow others to take advantage and destroy you.
Positive Aspects of a jedi’s character
1. Perfection
A Jedi pursues a path of perfection. We train our minds, our bodies and our spirits as one unit. We do not slack from any aspect of ourselves. We are disciplined our training, our dedication and loyalty to the force, our family’s, and the Jedi Order is always on our minds, and our hearts.
2. Justice
Law of the land is what we must fallow. However laws of compassion are also taken into account. Our job is not to punish the guilty. Our jobs are to protect those who need protected. We are not judges, juries or executioners. We are guardians and protectors. If you goal is to run around and right all the wrongs of the world the jedi path is not for you.
3. Loyalty
Loyalty as mentioned before is a core value of the jedi. Our loyalty is first and for most to the force. Our second loyalty is to the the Jedi order and third your loved ones and friends.
4. Defense
A jedi is responsible to protect those who need protected. Be it from words to physical actions. A jedi does not allow people within their circle of responsibility to be harmed in any manor. There are two keys to defense that we must always keep in mind. The first is being physically fit enough to defend others, and the second is knowing how to defend yourself and others. If you are lacking in either of these areas you will not be able to defend yourself, let alone someone else.
5. Courage
Please keep in mind there is a huge difference between courage and stupidity. If you see 20 thugs beating on one person have someone call for help before you try to interfere. Or if you see someone on the top of a 100 story burning building engulfed in flames and smoke and you are wearing a tank top and shorts do not enter the building. These actions look great on TV however in reality you will not have the happy ending. Have courage, stand up for those who can not stand up for themselves. Also stick to the courage of your convictions. Say what you mean, and mean what you say. The people helping to save others during the summer of disaster that is courage. Standing up for someone who is about to get beat up on with a 3 on one that is courage. Standing up for others even when no one else will agree with you this is also courage.
6. Faith
Faith is extremely important in your lives. Have faith in the guidance of the force. Have faith in your friends and loved ones. Have faith in the jedi order. Even when we disagree with each other over training ideas we still need to have faith that we will always be there fore each other when we are in need.
Do not have faith in made up gods just because other's have it. Always use your own mind and thoughts, unclouded by others'. If someone tell you that God exists but can't gather up any proof of him, how realistic is it then this God exists? Not very likely. Meditate on things like this. Try to see through the shrouding veils in our lives.
7. Guidance
Are you following the will of the force, or the will of yourself? It is not always easy to follow the guidance of the force. We may not see its purpose for leading us in a certain direction, however there is still a purpose and we need to take its lead. This takes faith and discipline. Actuality oddly enough it is listed between the two qualities on this list. Also never forget the guidance of your fellow jedi. During difficult times I turn to other jedi for advice.
8. Discipline
Our path is not an easy path for anyone to just choose to walk. The hours of reading, working out, practicing are very long hours. Doing the right thing no matter what happens is also never easy, but something that we can not slack away from. There will be times in your training when you will want to slack off for a week and not train but in the end you will only be hurting yourself. If you choose to not workout, then your body will suffer. If you choose to go get stoned instead of training, then you need to see yourself in the mirror they day after and see if you are satisfied with yourself.
9. Focus
A jedi is always attuned to his or her sphere of responsibility. Focus on nothing but feel everything. Focus on everything but keep to nothing. When I go out to the movies or the mall I am always observing what is going on around me. You really never know when a psycho will come out of the woodwork trying to harm you or someone else in that area. Never be complacent in this area. Never grow sloppy. It is debated if a jedi should drink or not, I say it is up to the jedi. If a jedi can go have a drink and still be able to protect themselves and others then have a drink if you wish. However if you can not handle what you drink then you focus will be destroyed resulting in possible death or injury to you, or someone in your sphere of influence.
10. Training
This subject and never be talked about enough. We all have different views on training however I say stick to the core. Keep your mind, body, and spirit strong. Read to be informed of what is going on in the world around you. Train your body to be physically fit. Train your mind and body together for self defense.
11. Love and compassion
We need to have love and compassion for everyone. Our friends, family other jedi and even those who attack you verbally or physically. If you have no love in your heart of others then what good is this path of devotion? If you do not have love and compassion then why put yourself on the line to save others? This is one area I admit I have never spoken of much, and I am glad someone called me out on it. Unlike many of the other aspects I always assumed love and compassion where things we were all born with, and do not need to work on. I was wrong in that assumption. Having compassion for others in need is easy, however having compassion for those who attack you is not. It takes time, and dedication but this is an important area in your path that needs to be worked on.
Daily Activities of the Jedi
A jedi lives a hard life; however it is a truly rewarding life. We are approaching a new year so I figure this will be something to consider before that day comes. I put together a small list of daily training things I have been doing that I feel may benefit others.
1. Chi Development(Attunement with the Force)
Chi, Ki, Prana, living force or whatever else you wish to call it is life energy within us. Being attuned with this energy daily is essential to the Jedi path. We need to strive to develop life’s energy on a consistent, daily basis. High amounts of chi gives you more energy, a focused mind and better healing opportunities.
2. Meditation
There are many types of meditations to consider. The trick is to find the style that works best for you. The most common one for beginners is mindful breathing. This is when you are completely aware of your breath, you breathe in for a 4 count, out for a 4 count, while watching your breath enter and leave your body. You are also breathing with your navel not your chest. Other types of meditations are no mind, walking, contemplative thoughts are image meditation. In our meditation section we have a few different types of meditations for those who are not familiar with meditations.
3. Mental Training
We live in the age of information; a wealth of knowledge is available at the click of a button. Wikipedia is a great site with information on almost any topic a jedi wishes to know about. I highly recommend reading jedi fiction, taoism, martial arts information, samurai, shaolin monks, and books on the healing arts. (However that is just my opinion on topics, there are lots of other topics a Jedi may be interested in, there are just my personal favorites. As a jedi you should spend no less then 30-45 minutes daily reading and studying different things on the jedi path. This may require some time management skills; however it can be done easily. As a jedi we are told over and over that there is no ignorance there is knowledge. Owning books on the jedi way is nice, however to truly benefit from them you need to take the time, effort and discipline necessary to gain that knowledge. Like Yoda told Luke I will tell you, when you are doing with your daily studies unlearn what you have learned. What does that mean? It means that you must always challenge yourself and what you know. What you think is true today, maybe you will realize tomorrow that is wasn't. Always be ready to unlearn in order to learn new and better.
4. Health and nutrition
This topic will be discussed in detail in the spring of 2014. As Jedi we need to keep our bodies in great shape. Exercise programs can not be stressed enough. Proper eating, sleeping, hygiene and everything is a must. What you put into your body will effect it in some way shape or form, so be careful with what you put into it. Your body is a temple of living energy, do not defile this temple with unhealthy substances. In the physical training section there is a generic workout for those who are looking to become more physically active in their lives.
5. Self defense
No matter which jedi path you choose to follow self defense skills are a must. Odds are you will never need to physically enter a conflict however I would rather be overly prepared for a situation, rather than under prepared. Aside from learning how to defend yourself you will also learn discipline, commitment, self esteem, confidence and mental toughness as your progress through the rank systems. There are many different styles of martial arts, at the Jedi Guardian Expanded page I have a list of some of the most common martial arts, in truth all the styles have their own strengths and weakness, and you just need to find the style that works best for you.
6. Jedi paths
Which path is the force calling you to walk? The paths of the councilor, where you help others work through difficult decisions? The path of the guardian where you are responsible for the physical welfare of others. Perhaps you are a jedi sentinel, a combination of the two. Or perhaps you are a healer, dedicated to helping others who are having physical or mental discomfort? Lastly perhaps you have choice another jedi path, or service, or historian or something of that nature. What ever jedi path you choose to follow try to make make sure that the same path is within your career goals as well. Combine your Jedi life with the rest of your actives if possible.
7. Enjoy life
This life is a gift enjoy it as much as possible. The way of the jedi is not easy, and at times it will not be fun, however we still need to find time to relax, enjoy life and spend time with loved ones. You may not be punching a jedi time clock, however remember you are a jedi 24 hours a day. While you are with your loved ones remember to keep focused on your sphere of responsibility and listen to the guidance of the force.
Training to Become a Jedi Knight
Jedi training is not easy but it is not as difficult as some people may think. For the most part it is actually fairly simple. Training falls into three groups and often combined together. Jedi strive to strengthen and balance oneself.
Physical training
A strong healthy body is important. Yes we can use the universal life force to strengthen ourselves, however that does not mean we should neglect your physical health. Strength training and cardio training is the basic level of this training. This can be done through a home exercise program, or working out at a local gym. Personally I prefer a gym because there is not nearly as many distractions at the gym then at the house and the equipment is so much better.
Martial Art Training
As jedi we commit to the protection of others, this is also done by many people who train in traditional martial art disciplines. In fact most traditional martial art schools make sure their that students know that they are expected to defend themselves and loved ones as well as protect the weak from those who wish to bully them. Traditional martial arts teach us techniques to neutralize attackers and defuse situations quickly.
Traditional martial art studies also include a great deal of mental training and spiritual training. We learn about our martial art style as well as using ki to strengthen ourselves.
Mental Training
All jedi need to possess an academic education. This best academy education is a high school diploma for those in the US or something similar to those of other nations. All jedi need to know how to read, write and most importantly think. Understanding basics of history and science is also important. Aside from traditional academic studies reading the extended universe books will also help one to understand every aspect of the jedi life. Through this reading one would logically conclude what topics were used in writing the extended universe books.
One should also strive to learn about the cultures, traditions and spiritual paths of others . By understanding others believe systems and culture it is easier to understand them. Learning of other cultures is also extremely important especially if a jedi wished to cross borders and go to other nations. European or American jedi would be shell shocked in other nations that do not share the same standard of living as the we do. Jedi should also consider taking a basic psychiatry class and learn about conflict resolution
Taking a quick study of the variety of jedi paths is also useful before one decides which path to follow. Above all else as jedi we are guardians, however in reality we do not as guards for political figures or go from world to world to world to deal with conflicts so we need to follow other paths to be useful in this life. By understanding the other jedi paths and making a wise decision about which path to follow is useful when deciding what type of career to follow in their regular life. We may be jedi every moment of every day but being a jedi does not path the bills for any of us at the moment.
Spiritual Development
Attuning oneself to the universal life force is the goal of every jedi . There are many ways to achieve this goal. The most basic way of doing this is through basic sitting meditations by focusing on ones breath it is easy to calm down the mind and body and take energy and information in from the universal life source. Another way of doing this is through yoga or qigong practice. Moving meditations are wonderful and for those who are not apt at sitting meditations this way is more effective for them. In taekwondo we learn kata or forms as some may call them. In some lines of taekwondo we learn taeguek form with each one being associated with a different element. I often use my kata as a way of tapping into the universal life source to strengthen and energize myself.
Part of spiritual development is being aware of and strengthens one's sphere of responsibility. The sphere or responsibility is how attuned one is within their surroundings. For some this may be only three feet for others it may be a mile. By attuning with the force we are able to be more aware of surroundings and increase our sphere or responsibility.
Jedi should also be certified first responders. Being a first responder means that you are certified in CPR, and general first aid. The certifications time frames will change so one needs to keep up on their certification dates. The Red Cross is who all first responder training is approved though however many organizations such as fire departments offer the programs as well. It is also extremely beneficial to continue learning basics of first aid from using splints, knowing how to stop blood loss, what to do is a person goes into shock and even known what to do when a person gets poisoned through eating or snake bites.
In the extended universe jedi of different speciality paths were paired with someone of that path, but others started their speciality path after then became JedI Knights in the real world it is the same. I give my students a basic understanding of the specialty paths as part of their training, however they have until they become knights before they need to decide which of the paths if any they chose to follow.
In one way the jedi path is like the army. Every soldier in the army needs to go through basic combat training, however once they graduate basic training they then move on their MOS or specialty school. No matter what their specialty job they may be they are soldiers first and the same holds for the jedi path. I may be a jedi healer, however if I need to physically interject myself into a situation to save a person I would certainly do so. I may enjoy healing rather then causing harm, however as a jedi I do what needs to be done.
Training after becoming a jedi knight
After one becomes a jedi knight there is not much difference in the basic of training. We strive to learn new things while still working on mastering the older skills. As a black belt in taekwondo I have been taught 18 different kata. I may only receive one new kata to learn for my next belt test but I am expected to know each of the other 17 forms I was taught in the past. Often the masters enjoy calling older forms on promotional testing to assure that we are still working on them. I often say that you really do not get your current form until you are a rank or two higher and it is true. A white belt doing kibon 1 to test for their yellow belt will not look the same as a black belt doing Kibon 1. As a black belt I am expected to continue working on mastering my older forms and techniques taught to me which in concept is the same of the jedi path. Some things may seem like basic training for the jedi knight however that does not mean we should stop working on them. The only other difference is that jedi knights are also called upon to start training the next generation. In a perfect world a jedi knights will only have one student, however in the real world this is not always the case. In the real world when I started our jedi group I taught three people at one time and I am presently working on training a new member. The other three may not longer be under my teachings however until the day they die they are still my students.
I started learning more about being a jedi guardian which for the most part was a larger variety of martial art styles and did not choose to become a jedi healer until years after becoming a jedi knight which is why I do not recommend specialty training until after one becomes a jedi knight.
