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Jediism - apply when it’s needed. Self application - apply where needed... tasteless odorless and dissolves instantly - eventually you can grow an immunity - why does this description sound like something out of a movie... what ... doh! Something funny to smile at is all -

You know that old phrase, "addressing the elephant in the room"? I once came up with an alternative, the context of it's use differing slightly with an implied greater sense of urgency, and a re-assessment of priorities- "The zombies are at the door".

We all know the old adage about hammers and nails. well, in some realms of discussion (particularly in forum settings), it ought be acknowledged that padding the hammer misses the point, in the eyes of those most often struck by it.

One of the main reasons I am here learning and sharing is because I see the concept of the Force as a name free of cultural ties, away from the overused “god” or “spirit” terms. I think it is pertinent to use this fresh concept as a means to experience our real nature and life itself. The understanding of the Force as non anthropomorphic and impersonal, opens up endless possibilities. Let us use new ways of understanding ourselves and our spiritual paths. I will talk about a specific tradition and how it could relate to our understanding of the Force.

Dzogchen is a tradition of teachings aimed at discovering and continuing in the natural primordial state of being. It is a central teaching of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism and of Bon. In these traditions, Dzogchen is the highest and most definitive path of the nine vehicles to liberation.

The practitioners of this tradition want to discover and continue in what they call “rigpa” which means "unconfused knowledge of the Base, that is our own state”.The analogy given by Dzogchen masters is that one's true nature is like a mirror which reflects with complete openness, but is not affected by the reflections; or like a crystal ball that takes on the colour of the material on which it is placed without itself being changed. The knowledge that ensues from recognizing this mirror-like clarity is called rigpa. Rigpa then means the knowledge of the primordial ground of reality, or “the base”. The base is divided in two: Kadag and Lhundrub, or emptiness and spontaneous presence. But here we are not talking about a void, this emptiness has infinite potentiality. When potentiality manifests there are different aspects; this is called lhundrub. I will come back to these concepts later.

In Tibetan Buddhism, the Buddhas are thought to have three bodies or “layers”. They relate not only to the truth in us, as three aspects of the true nature of mind, but to the truth in everything:
The first body is the Dharmakaya, which corresponds to the sphere of space. In the words of Tulku Urgyen:

“Dharmakaya is like space. You cannot say there is any limit to space in any direction. No matter how far you go, you never reach a point where space stops and that is the end of space. Space is infinite in all directions; so is dharmakaya. Dharmakaya is all-pervasive and totally infinite, beyond any confines or limitations. This is so for the dharmakaya of all buddhas. There is no individual dharmakaya for each buddha, as there is no individual space for each country.”

The second Body is the Samboghakaya, which is a form body and corresponds to the sphere of energetic manifestation. The third body is the Nirmanakaya, which corresponds to the sphere of final manifestation, or matter.
The Nirmanakaya and the Sambghakaya are called the “rupakaya” or body of form.

So these three layers are: the space or emptiness from where everything arises or “kadag”. The manifested energy and the manifested matter or (lhundrub). Everything we perceive around us, including ourselves, is nirmanakaya; its light or energy is sambhogakaya; and its inherent truth, the dharmakaya. Now that I have introduced all the concepts I need, I want to postulate the following relation between the Dzogchen model and the Force model:

1. The Cosmic Force would be related to Kadag and Dharmakaya: the consciousness, the emptiness. This is the immanent part of the Force, the foundation and essence of everything.

2. The Living force would be related to Lhundrub and the Samboghakaya: the living manifestations of the Force both materialized and ethereal.

3. And finally, the Personal Force would be a subdivision of the Living Force, related to lhundrub and Nirmanakaya.

In Tantric Buddhism, the Mind (the real nature of mind, rigpa), the Voice or energy, and the Body are symbolized by the words: Om, Ah, Hum. Located on the head, larynx and heart. As an additional thought, in Dzogchen, after one attains enlightenment there are some practices to attain what is called the “rainbow body” when the physical body self-liberates into a nonmaterial body of light (a Sambhogakāya) with the ability to exist and abide wherever and whenever is wanted. I can only think about Ben Kenobi and Yoda attaining something similar in the moment of their deaths.

“The sword is usually a benevolent instrument which clears the way.” Joseph Campbell

“What color our saber glows ( our speech) as modern day Jeddist is up to us as well as the form or forms we wield and when it’s present. “ Pastor Carlos

Change is inevitable, change is the only consistent thing in this life; we have the choice to push and kick and fight against change or we can carry on. Do you really intend to stop all forward motion in your own path because of an obstacle rather than seeing it as an opportunity to improve, get better? You dont have to agree or approve of change, it happens with or without your consent. The only thing you have control over is your perspective and your reaction to it.