The Block

"Following All the Teachings offered here, and as witnessed by the thousands of generations who have come before us, the Jedi must have the deepest commitment, the most sincere soul. These teachings are difficult to practise, but their benefits are great. With continuous training, centring and balancing meditation, humble understanding, and receptivity, we may participate in the experience of being alive more fully, more harmoniously, and more creatively. Then we may return into the Force from which we have come by the same integrity with which we have lived. In this way, our Spirit will go forth, bringing balance through love, pardon, faith, hope, light, and some joy to generations yet to come."


Good morning Jedi everywhere

May the Force be with you wherever you may be today at this hour.

Let's get this party started

It is Monday and I would like to thank those who have made time for this live time.

Today we will be chatting about the last Teaching of our Doctrine

Where to begin. There is a hope, a hidden hope we as Jedi can often have. It is often this, when I am gone I hope people will remember my efforts.

This is a hope we all share as human beings

What will we leave behind for future generations?

What will others remeber about us? (edited)

What story will be shared about you?

Will there be LOVE PARDON FAITH HOPE LIGHT or JOY left behind?

How is this possible as a Jedi ?

What we do matters

No doubt

our efforts matter

Where we get our myth matters (edited)

Where we get our love pardon faith hope light and joy matter

It is those things that get left behind

now, the opposite of that spectrum exist as well

We can be remembered for NOT having love pardon faith hope light or joy

We can be remembered for a number of things when we pass.

What we remind everyone as Jedi is that what we do is not easy

It is no walk in the park to meditate

[that's a small meditation joke]

It is not easy to be mindful of others

It is not natural to not be selfish and selfless in some cases

A unattended mind can be as a garden growing wild and not cultivated.

I get to garden on a larger scale this year. There are times I must clear the present moment for the future .

The same can be said for our own thought, feeling and will.

all three can be cultivated or left to grow wild

It is up to us which direction we want to take our paths

to sum things up as far as the teaching go

we want to remind others and Jedi that we can feel the Force

to balance ourself in understanding  and awarness

We are connected by all the cycles of life the Force has present

We are attached to the world, work on it.

We are thought feeling and will.

We practice humility


We foster an acceptance for our limitations

We practice patience, integrity, and know the limitations we have.

We stick to our learning and study.

Love Pardon Faith Hope and Clarity and joy are key

Our example of unconditional love is that of the Force and how it is a part of everything

We cultivate empathy for others

We are reminded of the return we can have if we get out of balance.

The clarity of understanding we can have, is that we are a part of the whole and as a part, we can become aware or get stuck.

We remind one another what we strive for

all these things are what we call our teachings

We want people to know these things are available and free to anyone who would like

They come with a warning as well, they are not for the simple and the easily swayed

What will our circles of family and friends remember about us as Jedi?

How?

It is my hope that as we share and learn together, we also share what we understand

I understand that all of this is not easy.

It is not easy to wake up and think or to rearrange time for study and learning.

It would seem that there is never enough time in the day to accomplish things we would like. I give this to you today, I share this
understanding with you today. I spent time with people on site. I spent some time with a Jedi who has passed many years ago. Their name was Senan. Do you know what was left behind after he passed?
All the time we spent talking about Tequila and beer and the bar scene and how it made a difference to have someone who understood that it was IN life that things happen.

There are those who do leave behind Love Pardon Faith Hope Light and Joy

2
More time that not, it is in the thick of life...
it is in the flow of the Force we find it

It is in the thoughts of Senan telling me to "charge my phone man" that he was telling me to be prepared and ready.

So today, Jedi and friends, I tell you - look at yourself. Take time for you. Study. Reflect.

It is not easy

Do not think it is

and do not think everything we do will be remembered either by everyone

Nope

Most likely, others will remember what was needed to them only.

But that is where life is

In the thick of things

in the life of the flow

in the ebb of life

dwell there Jedi and find all those who have gone before you

In those who are present

Be present

As Jedi, to tell someone to be present is easy but to act on it is not.

In the present moment, we do have much.

"In this way, our Spirit will go forth, bringing balance through love, pardon, faith, hope, light, and some joy to generations yet to come. "

I do hope that these 16 teaching can help create a new part of life you can understand.

A much more different type of understanding

This week, think on these things if you like.

Any questions?

any comments or anything anyone would like to share feel free

"Following All the Teachings offered here, and as witnessed by the thousands of generations who have come before us, the Jedi must
have the deepest commitment, the most sincere soul. These teachings are difficult to practise, but their benefits are great. With continuous training, centring and balancing meditation, humble understanding, and receptivity, we may participate in the experience of being alive more fully, more harmoniously, and more creatively. Then we may return into the Force from which we have come by the same integrity with which we have lived. In this way, our Spirit will go forth, bringing balance through love, pardon, faith, hope, light, and some joy to generations yet to come."

Today is a open type of live chat so if you have questions, concerns

or if you just want to chat

@here here it is
[6:00 AM]
Its wee early on the farm 

Good morning Jedi everywhere
[6:00 AM]
May the Force be with you

where ever you may be

any one have anything they want to chat about ? 

What a mess the world is in recently. I do not do news like I used to

I miss a few days and it seems chaos rules the day

Apprentice Antares 💯 — Today at 6:03 AM
Violence and war is hard for me to understand

(Master) Pastor Carlos — Today at 6:03 AM
It is hard for everyone to understand

Realizing that the world does not revolve around me is the most "Key" thing I think I can share with Jedi

Apprentice Antares 💯 — Today at 6:04 AM
My mind keeps asking, "How? As a species, why do we do it?" And we keep doing it.

(Master) Pastor Carlos — Today at 6:04 AM
Finding and keeping peace during times like these can be the difference.

" Realizing what is and is not under our control (and accepting it) may help with uncertainty and chaos.
Stress reduction techniques such as yoga, meditation, taking deep breaths, and sound healing may help.
Individuals who grew up in chaotic families may experience more stress in times of uncertainty and chaos."

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/less-stress-more-peace/202307/finding-peace-during-times-of-chaos#:~:text=Key%20points%201%20Realizing%20what%20is%20and%20is,more%20stress%20in%20times%20of%20uncertainty%20and%20chaos.
Psychology Today

Finding Peace During Times of Chaos


How to deal with chaos and uncertainty in the modern world.
one of the most revealing things in life is how we deal with chaos

How do we be at peace when the world is in chaos ? 

Have a place or a idea to return to when you get lost.

I recommend our Code and our Doctrine

Remind yourself what you are doing as a Jedi and why

Jedi comprehend that we are beings of thought, feeling, and will, who flourish within the Force through self-aware action and lifelong learning.

Be aware of the real things that exist.

Rent or payment is due for something every month for some. For some, days call for responsibility and sacrifice

In the mix of Kids/work Life and what we believe, we can keep a few things handy (edited)

(Master) Pastor Carlos — Today at 6:12 AM
Love Pardon Faith Hope Light Joy

As Jedi, try to understand more, love more, receive more and pardon more.

How does a Jedi find forgiveness?

They give it away.

To find that which we seek, most time we must keep it handy and give it away.

Life is full of a catch and release way of life. The moment you find it, give it away. Whatever it is. Love- give it- Pardon.

Forgive things to get forgiveness, it's a basic concept.

Give to get.

It's like saying to eat you must give it all away but here is the thing, you will never "starve" when you do this.

We will never starve for love or pardon or faith or hope or light or joy. In the mix of understanding these ideas and in keeping them, we can keep them in reserve or for a time we need to return.

Keep them and understand them so you can get rid of them and give them away.

There is so much you can learn and keep. I have yet to meet a person who has a full brain of information that there is no room. You have room for much much more.

There is always more room for more understanding of these things.




it is odd we have "secret" places these things have room for

In our thought

in our feelings

in our will

these are the places we have space.

We know we do because we hide things there as well.

Hide or place what you need where you need to for the times you need them.

Apprentice Antares 💯 — Today at 6:31 AM
Violence is rare within a population, the United States in particular. And violent crime keeps decreasing. Our population by nature is pretty docile. Yet war happens.

(Master) Pastor Carlos — Today at 6:31 AM
It's like hiding eggs during the holidays but for the mind heart and will.

@Apprentice Antares 💯
Violence is rare within a population, the United States in particular. And violent crime keeps decreasing. Our population by nature is pretty docile. Yet war happens.

(Master) Pastor Carlos — Today at 6:31 AM
depends on location and availability but chaos runs in every part of the world.

I am not a fan of violence anymore - I used to be.

Apprentice Antares 💯 — Today at 6:33 AM
Violence does exist more often in different geographic and demographic locations but the numbers for our country are low.

(Master) Pastor Carlos — Today at 6:33 AM
Things change when you change the inside thought pattern you have. Things change when you begin to "keep" better things inside

Guest Timotheus — Today at 6:34 AM
If we're in harmony with the force, with ourselves, with nature and with each other we have no reason to fear the chaos of the outside world.

Apprentice Antares 💯 — Today at 6:34 AM
Do most people fear?

(Master) Pastor Carlos — Today at 6:35 AM
fear is natural

Apprentice Antares 💯 — Today at 6:35 AM
Is fear the driving factor?

(Master) Pastor Carlos — Today at 6:35 AM
where you get conflict is when some things "run" or are the main focus

Guest Timotheus — Today at 6:36 AM
Indeed

(Master) Pastor Carlos — Today at 6:36 AM
to understand it is our cycles of life that life exist

there are so many cycles - large and small.

fear can be a cycle you can easily get stuck on

Most people get stuck at the "fear door" before they even go INTO understanding of fear.

the old saying "Fear leads to the dark side " comes to mind but if we keep it handy, it will be there (edited)

fear and understanding can quench each other be careful.

Be wary Jedi

Apprentice Antares 💯 — Today at 6:39 AM
Leaders definitely use fear on the masses. So, war can be caused by unscrupulous and ignorant leadership?

(Master) Pastor Carlos — Today at 6:41 AM
War is cause by or is thought to be caused by ...
Contemporary theories of the causes of war divide roughly into two major schools. One attributes war to certain innate biological and psychological factors or drives, the other attributes it to certain social relations and institutions. Both schools include optimists and pessimists concerning the preventability of war.

War - Conflict, Causes, Consequences | Britannica

@Apprentice Antares 💯
Leaders definitely use fear on the masses. So, war can be caused by unscrupulous and ignorant leadership?

Apprentice Davi-Kar — Today at 6:41 AM
What about the unscrupulous and ignorant masses? 

(Master) Pastor Carlos — Today at 6:41 AM
but war is always on this planet one way or another.

@Apprentice Davi-Kar
What about the unscrupulous and ignorant masses? 

Apprentice Antares 💯 — Today at 6:42 AM
Especially living in the information era where everyone wants to take a side in every conflict. Even cheering it on.

(Master) Pastor Carlos — Today at 6:42 AM
The idea of prejudice come to mind. When we "group" people in an open idea together without knowing their names

If we could quench the prejudice that dwells in us, we could make a dent in the world.

we all do it

it comes in every form.

We group people in silly masses or in what we "think" they are.

Its human

Here is a Monday morning meditation practice for every Jedi.

When dealing with others, say their name and rid what little prejudice you have when you want to group people in groups.

People are not "they."

We link and cross cycles with strangers, till we know them.

Heck, your married or linked or live with a stranger till you know them after time. MY kids are strangers till I learn to stop judging them.

Work on your own prejudice.

we all have it and we all do it

I even stopped saying "Ya'll."

Guest Timotheus — Today at 6:48 AM
Lol

A Southern harbor I picked up when I lived in Kentucky.
Habit*

Apprentice Antares 💯 — Today at 6:50 AM
Oh, it comes out of me when my family makes a mess out of the house. Everyone in my mind is responsible for all messes when I am tired of cleaning up after everyone.

(Master) Pastor Carlos — Today at 6:50 AM
I will tell you a secret, I do not have as many issues with gender or race or even prejudice when I call people by their names.

Guest Timotheus — Today at 6:51 AM
I will definitely meditate on this

(Master) Pastor Carlos — Today at 6:52 AM
I have even called a perfect stranger "grandma- can I help you? " Now, there is some tack to be used but for the most part, we can rid ourselves of the automatic prejudice that exist. 

I do know I had quite a bit and I still catch myself doing it so it will be a lifelong thing for me.

Prejudice - a negative attitude toward another person or group formed in advance of any experience with that person or group.

Prejudices can include an affective component (e.g., nervousness, anger, contempt, pity, hatred) and a cognitive component (assumptions and beliefs about groups, including stereotypes).

Apprentice Antares 💯 — Today at 6:56 AM
I think living in an extremely diverse environment drains people of a lot of that kind of prejudice. People are so diverse here that I can't even make a guess of what to label them based on appearance. Although sometimes someone will behave a certain way and I will want to pigeonhole them. You're right about always being vigilant about preconceptions.


Prejudice: preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience:


Be well and work on you and your own.. You will not be the same if you do. May the Force be with you Jedi, every where you go.
Pastor Carlos

Eternity is a dimension of here and now. The divine lives within you. The society is the enemy when it imposes its structures on the individual. On the dragon there are many scales. Every one of them says " Thou Shalt." Kill the dragon of "Thou Shalt." When one has killed that dragon, one has become the Child.   Joseph Campbell 

Here we go Jedi

Good day and good time zone Jedi everywhere!

May the Force be with you

Today is a pretty heavy one.

Kill the dragon of " Thou Shalt."

We are given so much at birth. We are given information and ideas.

Depending on where (geographically) and availability, we get what we get.

We, most time, have no control over those two things when we begin.

Thats ok too

All our "info" has been given to us by others till we begin to find it on our own.

In this flow, you find me and you.

We learn.

I want to encourage every Jedi to take some time to understand how YOU learn.

What information and where do you take it from?

It matters.

There is this general idea that when you look at it, it can fall under this simple umbrella. Life is not so simple but to explain this idea I will use this- What we learn comes from others in the beginning.

The idea I want to share today on a Monday, Jedi is this- it is no longer the beginning. Do question things. Do seek things out. Do reflect and find out. The old adage " Seek and you will find" can become a motto some need.

The idea I want to share is this, some of our own information and ways come from others. Someone has told us things are so.


It is one way to learn but here is the " kicker" - what if... just what if you could find out more?

What if you could validate every question, you ever had in your own path? Would you want to know?

As humans, we have an authority flow.

Part of the "gig" or the idea is we learn from each other.

You will NEVER stop people from talking and connecting. It will always find a way, this is part of life. We always find ways to synchronize even if it seems random. It's not.

So, some of us have been given or as some say" spoon fed" information.

There is a set of ideas that form as well from our societies and that's don't make waves.

I am not telling you to not make waves.

I am telling you to make waves.

Rock the boat.

Check out what you think you know and validate it.

I dare you.

Is there a difference in questioning everything and killing the dragon of thou shalt?

There is a flow that says " thou shalt."

You " should"

the "should "

We often use this word - I know I do. 

There is an idea that we should do this or do that.

It even happens to Jedi.

Especially Jedi

Good day Timotheus.

Guest Timotheus — Today at 6:14 AM
I think the "dragon of 'thou shalt'" is just the beginning. A guideline for beginners if you will. But I think as we progress to the spiritual we should begin to see beyond it. Good day pastor Carlos.


There is a book we used to all read together and talk about back in my day, I do hope it returns. The title is called "Freedom from the Know" by Jiddu Krishnamurti

In the beginning, there are elementary ideas we can break or even re shape.

One of those is where we get our information from.

Another is how we learn.

One of the things I began to understand is that there are those who want to tell everyone what to do all the time. I used to be one. I even get into a habit of wanting everything scheduled properly and in a neat row.

Just because I am learning at any rate does not ever mean anyone ever is at that same rate.

This includes Jedi and family as well


Just because I am learning at any rate does not ever mean anyone ever is at that same rate.

Apprentice Resilience — Today at 6:17 AM
Not all rivers flow at the same speed or cover the same length after all.



a good idea to remember.

but in the grand idea, we all develop the same way.

Our times and variations of seasons may be slightly off but we as humans develop the same way.

The ZEAL of what we have learned or have found can over bear everything we do.

It can blind.

Guest Timotheus — Today at 6:19 AM
The is an old saying we can only live by the light we're given. And not everyone is at the same place on the path. Or in some cases even on the same path.

(Master) Pastor Carlos — Today at 6:19 AM
It can even keep us in the dark

What light do we live by? What light do we share in reality? What does that even mean?

Guest Timotheus — Today at 6:20 AM
The light of conscious awakening?

(Master) Pastor Carlos — Today at 6:20 AM
is it?

Guest Timotheus — Today at 6:20 AM
I think so

(Master) Pastor Carlos — Today at 6:20 AM
undertstanding

Guest Timotheus — Today at 6:21 AM
Definitely important

(Master) Pastor Carlos — Today at 6:21 AM
there is a mode of understanding and of not undertsanding

we share understanding

How we understand things

this is why it is so important to understand things better than to know them.

I can know things all day, but do I understand them?

Do we as Jedi understand it's that influence or its the understanding we have found, that's what we share.

We share in the cycles of life.

The cycle of life is where you find the Force.

in its cycles we find each other

When you say we share understanding- the "light" changes

There are a few many things that say " thou shalt."

Religion says it - Government says it - education says it.

Validate

Change the way you see things.

It may be that we see things by someone else's merit or zeal.

not our own

When things become a part of us as a whole, things change. When we become whole things change

There are those who would tell you to try everything and question everything. I would recomend a different approach to things and remind Jedi that we are not like everyone else. I can not tell you what the Force is or where to seek it. I can only tell you if you seek it, you will find it, but it may not have been what you were looking for or even in the spot you looked for it.


Get past the elementary phase of things.

Go deeper.

Kill the idea of " thou shalt" in your path.

Rid yourself of the authority that came with the gig of life. Validate it

Is that really what you believe or want to put yourself under?

Take some time to think about it before we go into the world swinging our proverbial Knight swords and shields like Don Quixote on missions of great consequence.

Rid the world of "thou shalt."

Rid your world of it.

Want to fight, fight over that.

Duel with the dragon of the past if you like.

Know your limits as a Jedi.

I cannot encourage you enough to take the time for this.

Where do the " thou shalts" in our path come from? Who taught us this? Where did it come from? WHY???? 

I do hope our time together aids in your own development as a human and as Jedi 

Any questions?

Thank you for the time you have taken.

Kill the dragon of "Thou shalt" 

Pastor Carlos 
 

There is an idea or even an argument out there that we are all looking for truth. Well, I will tell you Jedi, you may find the truth in a Maxim.

Maxims are a short, pithy statement expressing a general truth or rule of conduct. A maxim is simply a moral rule or principle, which can be considered objective or subjective, or both, or neither, and dependent on one's philosophy. A maxim is often pedagogical and motivates specific actions.
Take these three ideas for consideration.
There are more but it is 6 in the morning so I figured I would drop three,

*Maxims can help you make decisions in tough situations. 

*Maxims help with focus and grounding. 

*Maxims can remind you of the idea, "nothing is instant."

Maxims can be for thought. Place them in your thought and in your mind. Most time, it does take some time and effort for a Maxim to be remembered or even brought to light. 
Maxims can also be for your feelings and emotions.

For me, Maxims are like seeds. Some seeds take longer and different requirements.
There is a window of opportunity we have at times to receive some understanding. Seeds are ready in their own time and Maxims are like this as well. 
They can help articulate your priorities and life.

Some Maxims result different things at different seasons.

Now, any questions about a Maxim? Insert your questions here or send it to me in a DM.

I can be reached anytime on Discord so, if you did not make it for the LIVE time, feel free to reach out any time.

Monday Morning Meditations is a time you can stop before work or the day and think.

Today we have our first Maxim,

here we go

TRAINING

Training - The purpose of training is to accommodate error without consequence. It is the key to learning and the Jedi Teachings are hazardous without guided practice.

Now, there are mentors.

Good day Timotheus

Guest Timotheus — Today at 6:12 AM
I realize I'm only at the beginning but how are they hazardous? Sorry if this is something you plan to address. Good day pastor Carlos.


No worries, that's a good question. 
Mentors are meant to aid us on our path. Here, we try to give others the room that is needed to understand. Some understanding takes more or less action. A mentor can remind you of a few things you often forget of keep you from getting tunnel vision. As a reminder, when left to our own devices, we tend to choose our own ideas and perspectives first. It is natural, yet a mentor or someone who is in charge of training, they will keep a remember to remove yourself or think less in some way or form. Mentors challenge the way we think most time. They can take us out of our own comfort zone. This is needed. This is important to the process.

Guest Timotheus — Today at 6:13 AM
Indeed


The process left on its own can be very one-sided.

As Jedi, we can have an idea of the forever student or the idea that we are always learning something from someone. I keep a braid often on me. You cannot and will not stop people from teaching and learning from one another. We will use code or write it on the walls or put it in a song. I always recommend if you want to learn something new, find someone who has a working balance of it and ask them. Take some time to make priority for learning. Begin new things and end old ones. Join in on the cycle of life. Training is a cycle of life as is the mentor. Mentors train as well.

Training is important. Find a good mentor. They are everywhere, just waiting for you.

Guest Timotheus — Today at 6:15 AM
I guess it reminds me of something Campbell said, "the psychological crack up is drowning in the water in which the mystic swims"



Thats the thing about mentors, they are just waiting to give you things you may need on your journey.

Without them, you may find what you need, but if you think about it, the right mentor has much to share with us.

So the idea we have is that thinking and training are needed and area part of what we do.

Without aid, we are blind.

Without proper aid, we can be led from some ideas easily.
Fear can be easily manipulated, just like pride and hope.

As the Hero or main character of things, it is often the idea that the Hero forgets.

Life is full.

Some plates get full.

Some days and nights are so full that it seems we need more hours in the day.

Proper training aids in understanding.

We want to share understanding.

Training does this.

Now, we are never militant in what we do.

We will never tell any one " Thou shalt do this..."

That is not what we do here.

We have Training Masters in the Temple.

We have Clergy and we have offices.

Each office needs a bit of understanding when it comes to goals and objectives.

Not everyone has the same way of doing things.

The same can be said for training.

Not everyone responds the same to the same training.

There are some weirdos who love to wake early.

There are those who stay up late.

Training is not necessarily strict.

We are reminded to meditate.

We are reminded that we are thought, feeling and will.

There is a balance that can exist.

Without the understanding of what is present and what can be had, how will you ever figure out things?

This is a true question.

This is where some dangers can lay.

If we saw someone headed toward danger, would you warn them?


Self reflection can be hazardous as well without aid.

Be wise

That was a solid hour with two people. Thank you both for taking time to show up LIVE !!!

Thank you Timotheus and Serenity

Guest Timotheus — Today at 6:56 AM
Thank you for your wisdom pastor Carlos



Guest Sam — Today at 6:57 AM
You okay Carlos only caught the end 



(Master) Pastor Carlos — Today at 6:57 AM
Ketchup (Small joke)
[6:57 AM]
Morning Sam

Guest Sam — Today at 6:57 AM
Love it 
Hope your well mate

(Master) Pastor Carlos — Today at 6:58 AM
We have new Maxims !!!
I am today, I got coffee and that's pretty much it.

Guest Sam — Today at 6:58 AM
Coffee always helps though Carlos

Guest Timotheus — Today at 6:58 AM
That's a start

(Master) Pastor Carlos — Today at 6:59 AM
I am grateful for a good start
[6:59 AM]
Morning Antares

Guest Sam — Today at 6:59 AM
It is important to start the day well

(Master) Pastor Carlos — Today at 6:59 AM
I am here for chat or chit chat as well - no worries
[6:59 AM]
It is

Guest Sam — Today at 6:59 AM
Drinks food all that good stuff

ApprenticeAntares 💯 — Today at 7:00 AM
Question: Can someone lead without being a mentor? And can someone mentor without being a good leader?

(Master) Pastor Carlos — Today at 7:00 AM
My Grandmother used to say" Do you add fruit to your Jello or no?" It was her way of saying to get the " lead out" and make something.

Yes

Guest Timotheus — Today at 7:00 AM
Two things are required for me to have a good day: coffee and meditation lol

(Master) Pastor Carlos — Today at 7:01 AM
but there is a danger to it as well.

Guest Sam — Today at 7:01 AM
I think there's different ways of leadership

(Master) Pastor Carlos — Today at 7:02 AM
Think about this if you like, you can be anything you like. You can read in the woods and learn offline, but do we? Do we reflect and learn or get upset? Do we know what we are looking for without a mentor? 

ApprenticeAntares 💯 — Today at 7:02 AM
Should a mentor be a leader?

Guest Sam — Today at 7:03 AM
I think it's what your idea of leadership is

(Master) Pastor Carlos — Today at 7:03 AM
When Jedi feel the Force, what are you feeling? Is there a difference ?

Which are you seeking?

Guest Timotheus — Today at 7:03 AM
Can you not get lost without some form of directional indication?

@Guest Timotheus
Can you not get lost without some form of directional indication?

(Master) Pastor Carlos — Today at 7:03 AM
I have

Guest Sam — Today at 7:03 AM
Like yeah a boss can tell you what's right or wrong but being a person someone can talk to counts for a lot

(Master) Pastor Carlos — Today at 7:04 AM
Mentors are for us

They can be leaders

They can be regular people

The idea is you do not have to go it alone. 

ApprenticeAntares 💯 — Today at 7:05 AM
A good leader by my standards is someone that has already walked the path of learning something and can turn around and guide someone down that learning journey.

(Master) Pastor Carlos — Today at 7:06 AM
What about bad leaders?

Do you not learn anything from them?

Guest Timotheus — Today at 7:06 AM
I've been on the path alone for so long it's nice having like minded individuals to coordinate with.

Guest Sam — Today at 7:06 AM
I agree Antares but there are people in life that have walked the same path by change when they have responsibility on there shoulders

(Master) Pastor Carlos — Today at 7:06 AM
Do we seek " like minded people" to yolk with? Do you want people who know what you know as a mentor? 

Guest Sam — Today at 7:07 AM
And*

ApprenticeAntares 💯 — Today at 7:07 AM
Bad leaders issue orders without any understanding. Basically they haven't walked the walk.

(Master) Pastor Carlos — Today at 7:07 AM
Mentors are for what's missing

Guest Timotheus — Today at 7:08 AM
By like minded I meant mystical thinker but no you want someone who can challenge your perceptions (edited)

Guest Sam — Today at 7:08 AM
Yeah I agree antares

(Master) Pastor Carlos — Today at 7:08 AM
Mentors give to us what we need often. Time attention and understanding

Perspective challengers!

Training changes your perspective, hu? 

Find those who can change your perspective and give you understanding you do not have.
Train

Guest Sam — Today at 7:10 AM
I also think being authentic is a big deal in being a leader

(Master) Pastor Carlos — Today at 7:10 AM
yes

Guest Sam — Today at 7:10 AM
People will know if your authentic or not straight away

@Guest Sam
People will know if your authentic or not straight away

Apprentice Resilience — Today at 7:11 AM
Sometimes, some people can't tell.

(Master) Pastor Carlos — Today at 7:11 AM
There are those who are very Kayfabe or very 3rd order simulacra
Simulacra are copies that depict things that either had no original, or that no longer have an original.[1] Simulation is the imitation of the operation of a real-world process or system over time.[2]

Guest Sam — Today at 7:11 AM
True but eventually it comes out in someway

(Master) Pastor Carlos — Today at 7:12 AM
Some mentors or ideas are just that, do as I say, not as I do.

Guest Timotheus — Today at 7:12 AM
The truth will out? Hopefully it's not to late at that point

Guest Sam — Today at 7:12 AM
How you doing res?

(Master) Pastor Carlos — Today at 7:13 AM
One of the things we must unlearn is what can be unlearned

@Guest Sam
People will know if your authentic or not straight away

ApprenticeAntares 💯 — Today at 7:13 AM
Taking ownership is a big part of authenticity for me. What do you consider authentic?

(Master) Pastor Carlos — Today at 7:14 AM
Mentors are needed, we can do things on our own, but it is the fear of being alone that is dangerous, and it often keeps people in a state of not learning.

Guest Sam — Today at 7:14 AM
If I think your putting on a show, then I know you're not authentic if that makes sense
Iv always managed in my opinion to figure out someone and who you are straight away.

(Master) Pastor Carlos — Today at 7:15 AM
What is real and what is not, this is the question and why there are mentors. Do you think you know the difference automatically? 

Guest Sam — Today at 7:16 AM
And sometimes I have been wrong in those assessments but not a lot of the time.

No not automatically it comes out in time

@Guest Sam
If I think your putting on a show then I know your not authentic if that makes sense

ApprenticeAntares 💯 — Today at 7:16 AM
Yes, and Carlos brought up simulacra which is an in-depth discussion about that.

(Master) Pastor Carlos — Today at 7:16 AM
lol- It is. 

Where are the originals?

Guest Sam — Today at 7:17 AM
Yeah I missed that 2bh

(Master) Pastor Carlos — Today at 7:17 AM
Who has the original myths and stories and ideas? Is the purpose to find the origins of things?

ApprenticeAntares 💯 — Today at 7:17 AM
I had no clue about the terminology until the temple.

(Master) Pastor Carlos — Today at 7:18 AM
Welcome to the Temple!

There is a term called Kayfabe

Guest Sam — Today at 7:18 AM
Yeah kayfabe like the wrestlers in wrestling

(Master) Pastor Carlos — Today at 7:19 AM
It is normally a wrestling term but the idea is there is a face or a mask that is on and its fake. it is a character or a idea. This mask is on and off and on and off. 

No one actually know what the ROCK is cooking because the Rock is not a real person. 

This idea that people do this can create a fear of " everyone lies."

people wear masks all the time

Mentors aid

Guest Sam — Today at 7:20 AM
100%

(Master) Pastor Carlos — Today at 7:21 AM
Mentors matter

Guest Sam — Today at 7:21 AM
But if you live in truth there's no need for masks

(Master) Pastor Carlos — Today at 7:21 AM
Training matters

Guest Timotheus — Today at 7:21 AM
That they do

@Guest Sam
But if you live in truth there's no need for masks

(Master) Pastor Carlos — Today at 7:21 AM
be carful with this thought

ApprenticeAntares 💯 — Today at 7:23 AM
What's really strange is when someone starts imitating you. I still have a hard time figuring that one out.

(Master) Pastor Carlos — Today at 7:23 AM
Happens all the time

Guest Sam — Today at 7:23 AM
Lol iv never had that luxury 
I will Carlos I just mean treat everyone nice and be myself that's all

(Master) Pastor Carlos — Today at 7:24 AM
Right on

Mentors aid.

Training aids in life.

It helps us to see things that we do and cannot.
How can you tell the difference between everything ?

Simulacra are copies that depict things that either had no original, or that no longer have an original.

Without training, can anyone tell the difference?

@ApprenticeAntares 💯
What's really strange is when someone starts imitating you. I still have a hard time figuring that one out.

Apprentice Resilience — Today at 7:27 AM
They like the way you do things so much they want to emulate it.

or do you mean other behavior?

(Master) Pastor Carlos — Today at 7:27 AM
Without training, I cannot. Without mentors who knew, I would not now know.

We need the understanding that we are missing. Like minded people are ok but I often need people who do not think like me.

The need for more understanding can create a bias as well. There is a danger in that as well.

See what we mean about hazardous and dangerous ?

Guest Timotheus — Today at 7:30 AM
I get what your saying

@Apprentice Resilience
They like the way you do things so much they want to emulate it.

ApprenticeAntares 💯 — Today at 7:32 AM
They start repeating stories that I have told them taking them on as their own. Or start dressing like me, etc. I have wondered if it's a type of mental illness and usually when anyone does this I create distance. I don't understand it.

@ApprenticeAntares 💯
They start repeating stories that I have told them taking them on as their own. Or start dressing like me, etc. I have wondered if it's a type of mental illness and usually when anyone does this I create distance. I don't understand it.

Apprentice Resilience — Today at 7:32 AM
Oh, that aspect of it is definitely concerning, I can't remember the term but there's one for when people take your stories and claim it as their own.

Guest Timotheus — Today at 7:33 AM
It is said imitation is the sincerest form of flattery lol

ApprenticeAntares 💯 — Today at 7:33 AM
I know but it gives horror movie vibes lol

Guest Timotheus — Today at 7:33 AM
Lol right

Guest Sam — Today at 7:33 AM
I understand that Antares

(Master) Pastor Carlos — Today at 7:34 AM
Taking symbols for reality is a scary thing

@Guest Timotheus
It is said imitation is the sincerest form of flattery lol

Apprentice Resilience — Today at 7:34 AM
imitation, yes, cloning, bit much.

Guest Sam — Today at 7:34 AM
Someone in my family started copying everything my partner was doing dyeing there hair the same colour same clothing even same taste in house etc

1

(Master) Pastor Carlos — Today at 7:35 AM
We are never Rey or the twins, we can be like the Skywalkers or like these things. We can know the pains and the struggles, but we are not them. The same can be said for religion, we are not them but like them. 
When we think we have become the symbol, we are in danger of becoming the 3rd order simulacra version of things. Fake.

This is what training and mentors are for

To aid in understanding

ApprenticeAntares 💯 — Today at 7:40 AM
There is a type of ritual where you take on God forms in your space. The goal is to incorporate, not become. There is a danger there.

Guest Timotheus — Today at 7:41 AM
@ApprenticeAntares 💯 there is a very big danger there indeed


ApprenticeAntares 💯 — Today at 7:41 AM
That's why previous work is done first.

(Master) Pastor Carlos — Today at 7:41 AM
Jean Baudrillard has a very good book to read if you would like to start a good journey of thought that will seem to never die or tire.

@ApprenticeAntares 💯
There is a type of ritual where you take on God forms in your space. The goal is to incorporate, not become. There is a danger there.

(Master) Pastor Carlos — Today at 7:41 AM
yes

Simulacra and Simulations by Jean Baudrillard

I cannot claim to understand it all.

But it does help me to understand more.

There are many more who understand much more than I. I am glad I am in a place where people share understanding than just fish stories.

May the Force be with you all today and this week.
Pastor Carlos 

“ 2. Teaching - Love what you teach and love who you teach. Teachers affect eternity - who can tell where their influence stops ? The Jedi mentor is there to challenge the learner, but never to pose an obstacle to their progress.”

One of the ideas some share is that anyone can teach. I am under the Socratic school of thought that; “I cannot teach anybody anything. I can only make them think.”
 

We are all connected by the Force. We are all subject to the same availability every day. We, as humans, all develop the same way. There exists an order in life that happens due to available presence but for the most part, we all develop the same. 

Carol S. Pearson has a book called “The Hero Within”, in it, she shares this; 
"I was pleased to discover that women had developed an alternative to the hero-kills-the-villan-and-rescues-the-victim-plot, one with no real villains or victims- just heros.I began to realize that men and women go through-albeit in somewhat different forms and sometimes in slightly different order-the same basic stages of growth…”

The potential to learn is present. The potential to gain understanding is present. Always. 

Where the potential comes from, is the Force. By what means, is often less relevant. 
The point is, it comes from the same fountain, from the same flow or from the Force. 
Regardless of which label we may use, we can learn.

“Jedi practice patience, there is where all creation and renewal is found in the flow of the Force, all the wonder and terror of its processes, arise and dissolve in eternity – the present moment, the now. With the practice of acceptance and patience, Jedi have the tenacity to attend with curiosity to the phenomena in our experience which proceed one from another, ad infinitum.” 

When we realize we are thought, feeling and will, it is in these places we can gain understanding. 

It is impossible, yet it is done often to teach something you know nothing about. 

One of the keys or secrets to learning is to recall. The aid in journaling can become a lifetime practice. 
Learn. 
Experience. 

Write it down!

Anywhere.

Our influence can be like ripples in the water. 
There is a story of Indra’s net, in which Indra, while dreaming sees a vast connection, or net. The pearls and globes of water at every point in the net, reflect images of everything.  Imagine this for a moment. An old man in San Antonio, Texas told me one time, “Even if you don’t intend to, someone is learning from you, all the time.” Consider these pearls, as we find them in our paths. Our influence reaches as far as our thoughts, feelings and will can. This is a very fertile growth circle. Things flourish in parts of our being. Take the time to understand them. We teach and learn from the same fountain, the Force. 


There is potential, fresh, never stagnant. The present moment is fresh and never old. 
That’s the way it works. Dwell at this moment. Presently the potential is here. Teach the understanding that you know. Share it with others.
We are human and as such, we cannot be stopped from sharing with one another. Who would not want to better their own thoughts, feelings and will?

To teach. 

What are you sharing and what is this light we shine? 
What are we learning? 
What are we teaching? 

What do we teach? What do we share? What are we bound to? Where does it come from? 

I encourage everyone to take the time to understand; know how and why we work. How does your influence work? Why be a Jedi? What are you teaching? What are you learning? In what way are you learning these types of things?

Teaching has limits. Do you know your own? Do you know the limits teaching has?

Passion can only get you so far.

"What the teacher is, is more important than what he teaches." Karl Menninger



Teachers can be the doorways or the fingers that point to the Force, never the Force. This is my hope for the Jedi, that we become the student and the teacher. 
Training.
Teaching.
We are subject to both at the same time and in the same amount.

Challenge people to think. People who think, are dangerous. Encourage them. Warn them of the dangers and hazards of becoming dangerous. This is a direction someone else has pointed me in and still continues to do so. Ask questions and seek out answers. Create a wave of growth. Remember, as well, that too much is too much, in anything we do. Find the balance. The present moment is for us to dwell in. 

Keep this idea in mind. Do not become an obstacle. 

When we wake and become an obstacle, this is where the conflict can begin. 
When we begin to harm more than help, take some time for reflection. Love what and who you teach. Take time for them. There are times when we check our connections. This can be one of those moments. This is what the Maxims are for. Meditate on them. Place them in the way of your every day so you can walk beside them. Rate of occurrences can become a habit or so much more.

The idea is to take time for teaching. Thank your training masters. Thank your elders. Thank those you have received understanding from. I swear to you, when you do, you will create something different. It does create different connections. A grateful heart is a great thing to understand and to share with someone, there is a magic in it that knows no time or value, only "give."

May the Force be with you,
Pastor Carlos

    3. Discipline - A disciplined mind will lead to peace, an undisciplined mind will lead to suffering. Indeed, for the mind without discipline, the Jedi Way will be impassable.

Most every discipline can begin with the mentor. Which direction we take things, often comes from an understanding we have yet to receive. Truthfully, if we knew, we would have no need for a mentor, but we do. Some are militant and some are passive. Our discipline and where we get it from, matters.


1.Discipline can be the ability to live in accordance with your higher goals and values moment after moment, overcoming internal and external obstacles. Discipline can mean knowing how to prioritize your time to get the results you want 3. It is broadly defined as conscious control that is oriented towards successful outcomes by overcoming obstacles or impediments. Control gained by enforcing obedience or order. An orderly or prescribed conduct or pattern of behavior

These are text book definitions of discipline.

There are many roads to peace and discipline.  One of the ideas that can flourish in ones thought, feeling and will is the self discipline we can have. I will never tell you what to do. This Temple will never be a " Thou SHALT do this " type of place. We would like for you to remember that discipline matters as much as intent some days. Find some. Share some. In a place like the Temple of the Jedi Order, you will earn the ability to write a lesson or create a module of understanding. 

I will give you a huge secret to life if you do not know already. Ready? Not everyone has the same disciplines.

“We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The difference is discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons.”
― Jim Rohn
 
I tell others to wake up with the sun. Take the time to rise with the sun no matter what time you have to get up or be up and about. Create a new connection or bring back a old one. Join in on every other person and Jedi who watch the sun or mediate as it rises. I will strive to be there every morning. 
There are some things we can choose to do. We can choose to begin to read or to read more. You can even begin to read more larger subjects. You can practice a instrument. Play a sport or get physically involved with something. In the mist of all this, do remember we are Jedi, without discipline, we think we are set and ready for anything. 

This life will ebb and flow with the Force. We do not know how it will be present today but we can strive to dwell in the present moment. There will be obstacles and moments of conflict and confrontation. This is life in the ordinary world. Doubt will swim around and try to get our attention. This is why knowing your own doctrine and philosophy is such a aid. Return to your Creeds and Codes. Know them. Know what they are and keep them handy. Return to what you know. There is a peace in the fact that you can return to a good Maxim or a good myth or bit of philosophy that can remind us of our own goals. 

Your mind is often pictured as a garden. We are thought, feeling and will. There dwells gardens of so many things. Do we have gardens in our body - soul- spirit and are they tended or left to grow at no particular pace or direction? Cultivate these thing in us. 

Discipline is important. Without discipline, we can become as un cultivated as the wildest reaches of earth and just as dangerous. 

Yolk up with people who are not like you. Hang out or take some time to find those you want  to learn discipline from. Create a time where you can WRITE THINGS DOWN in a journal. I will always remind people to do this. It is important enough. 
Be honest.

Begin there. 

With out discipline, we are uncultivated. Cultivate you. Make it a point. Do remember as well, too much is too much. You can over do it. Alan Watts has a small quirk of a sound bite I like in which he states," What happens when you seek out manners and out manner everyone, what then?"

Why choose to be disciplined? I have the very real danger of becoming the Jedi Jerk. Even we can be a jerk at times. Even I forget a few things and say or forget my own ethics at times. 

This past week, my limit was reached and I yelled at the wife. Ohh yes, we were arguing and I let her have it. I was wrong. I was wrong for raising my voice the way I did and the feelings I hurt.  One of my own goals is to remember my own focus of my choice to not scream. No matter the instigation. My old soldier comes out. I want the world to hear me and my side. Silly me. I asked for forgiveness to all parties involved. I got it. They got ice cream. So did I. Things do not normally happen in such ways often. It helps to be vigilant. It helps to have discipline. Self discipline can be learned. Will power can be learned and understood more every time you "tend" it.  
What parts of life do you lack discipline? Do you have a mentor for that? What parts of discipline do you understand best? Are you sharing it with anyone or have written it down? 
Are you writing any of this down?
I am. 

    3. Discipline - A disciplined mind will lead to peace, an undisciplined mind will lead to suffering. Indeed, for the mind without discipline, the Jedi Way will be impassable.

The result of not tending ones garden is wild cultivation and very little yield.

We can cultivate our thoughts, feelings and will. 

Yes we can. 

Leave room for life and the ebb and flow of things.

Get some.

This is Monday's Maxim 
 

4. Dedication - Inspiration lasts a week, motivation will fade after a month, disciplined dedication lasts a lifetime. The way to do great work is to love what you do and who you work with.

Committing oneself to something is part of growth. In a way, we find and align ourselves with ideas and grow with them until we can grow past them. The idea is the growth that takes place over an amount of time. Do you know what you are yoked with? What are you attached to or bonded with? 

Dedication fuels the pursuit of excellence and continuous improvement


We are thought, feeling, and will. What does our thought, feeling, and will revolve around? Where does it center? Where does your idea of dedication come from? A book or dictionary? Does your idea of dedication come from someone you know? Dedication to something or someone or even some group is always present. It can be in the clothes we wear, the things we read and the things we have. Some people live in themed worlds. I have football fans in my circle. I get every style of jersey or cap they think is cool this year. There is a danger in just being a billboard. At the same token, some people are known for their dedication to things. After so many years, a true example in my life of faithfulness comes over a phone call from those who have weathered hard times with me as well as the good times. I am reminded that it is kinship that keeps us alive and keeps us together at times. What we are dedicated to matters. 

Where we obtain the myths and stories that we pass, matters. What we teach and leave behind matters. What we choose to attach ourselves to can be up to us. Take the time to ask questions. Find out if this is what you really want to be a part of. It is not bad manners to ask questions. Question where your attachments dwell. Be wary of them. Be wary who you hang out with. 

Take the liberty to reflect on "why". We don't blame others.  There is no condemnation here. We, as you, reflect. We ask that you bring rather than take; or be the difference in solutions. Be prepared but also do not go looking for a fight. 

One of the toughest things I have come to understand is; there can come a time when we can care more for each other rather than to judge one another. It is important to examine why we make the choices we make. Are they choices? How do we "see ourselves" among others? Who are the "us"? Who are the "them"? Is it real?  Alex reminds me often that "there are no bad people, only those who suffer". 

Our dedication to one another is evident. Be wary of it as well. Be wary of what can take your attention. Your dedication can change over time. It can shift. 

Things grow and people grow. Ideas grow, and the ability to see things on a larger scale happens every day. What also happens is we can become too sure of anything and everything we do. Our level of dedication can become a obstacle as well. 

Become a part of the present moment. 
I have found it much easier to appreciate what is in front of me these past few months. I have fallen in love with someone. It is the same person I have been with for quite some time. Yet, it is easier to live with people you like, rather than those you dread. Spend time with those you wish to be with. Reflect. There were people in my life, when I took the time to think about it, the time seemed to be more of an obstacle, less healthy things became more frequent. I stopped hanging out with them. I started to hang out with those I was not like. Finding and giving our dedication to things that are not common to us, helps us to grow. 
It is my hope that you find a place or an idea to be faithful to. I often say, "faithfulness finds favor". Be faithful to this moment. Dwell in it. Dedicate yourself to what you will but do stand for something. Examine our doctrine, examine our philosophies. Examine the choices we make. 

4. Dedication - Inspiration lasts a week, motivation will fade after a month, disciplined dedication lasts a lifetime. The way to do great work is to love what you do and who you work with.



Fall in love with what you know or are faithful to. It helps. Be faithful. Know your limits. 

May the Force be with you all. 
Pastor Carlos

Today is Monday. Our Maxim on Monday is Meditation - You have a treasure within you. The key to this treasure is meditation. It is not evasion, meditation fosters a serene confluence of the symbolic with the imaginary : reality. To the Jedi with a quiet mind, The Force will be felt and It will inform us.

Jiddu Krishnamurti says this in his book Freedom from the Known.
" We all want experiences of some kind- the mystical experience, the religious experience, the sexual experience, the experience of having a great deal of money, power, position, domination. As we grow older, we may have finished with the demands of our physical appetites but then we demand wider, deeper and more significant experiences, and we try various means to obtain them- expanding our consciousness, for instance, which is quite an art, or taking various kinds of drugs."

He does go one to remind us that, "Meditation is not following any system. It is not constant repetition  and imitation. Meditation is not concentration. Meditation is to be aware of every thought and of every feeling, never to say it is right or wrong but just to watch it and move with it. In that watching you begin to understand the whole movement of thought and feeling. And out of this awareness comes silence. Silence, put together by thought is stagnation, is dead, but the silence that comes when thought has understood it own beginning, the nature of itself, understood how all thought all thought is never free but always old-this silence is meditation in which the meditator is entirely absent, for the mind has emptied itself of the past."

Meditation is not done "for" anything, even - especially - "to connect to the Force". Any time we give a purpose to meditation, it's not meditating.

Contemplation is a term that can refer to concentration on spiritual things as a form of private devotion. It can also refer to a state of mystical awareness of a higher power. In the life of the intellect, contemplation refers to thinking profoundly about something. In the religious life, contemplation is a kind of inner vision or seeing, transcendent of the intellect, facilitated by means of practices such as prayer or meditation.

Contemplation is thinking thoroughly (taking everything into consideration) about something.

The ZEAL of mediation is dangerous, it can nullify meditation itself. Your self image can absolutely ruin mediation and turn it into something else.

Most meditations are in danger of polishing the ego by the simulation of meditation.

Meditation is just "being there" - not being "Zen" or "in touch with the Force" or any other narrative we concoct to feel like we're "improving."

We enter into this state of being. Empty and equally connected.

There is something that happens when we frequent this. There is a connection humans tend to let off when you spend time here. There is a understanding you can receive from taking the time for this.

There are things we can understand. There is no such things as a bad person, only some one suffering. Knowing this, we suffer from may things and some we do not even know yet. Take the time for understanding meditation more. We can become our own obstacles when it comes to meditation. Get out of the way as often as you can and put yourself in your place, with meditation. (Out of the way- empty and equal.) Try it often and anywhere. I will tell you this, the face of the grateful are recognizable everywhere.

It exists.

Know that when we take time for things, they often grow past what we first think they are. 
What do you think you know now? Write it down and see if in a few years you have not grown past a few of those initial ideas.

Know that what you know now, will die or grow or change or even turn into something else.

If my idea of meditation stayed the same as it did when I began, there would be no change and I would be missing so much more and I would not know how to enter.

Once the door is open, it opens anywhere and anytime.

This is true about meditation. If you can do it at home, you can do it on the go or in a building or in a crowd.

Where is the - THERE?


Present

After everything is identified and everything is calm, it is in the calm you find the connection that can put you in your place. The ego has a hard time dwelling there. It can easily be swayed, and you can lose the moment. We as humans have the hardest time getting our mind to think about the present moment.

We often think about the future or the past. Parts of meditation are learning to silence a few things that we think are important to meditation. Just let go and be in the moment. I must do the same. We all must. Equally and empty. It is this state we all seek. Meditation dwells in the present moment. 
Here in lays our obstacle most time. Getting to the present moment.

I hope that you get to read the book, Freedom From The Know by Jiddu Krishnamurti and it can help you understand a bit more. Chapter 15 is a good place to read about meditation.

Meditation - You have a treasure within you. The key to this treasure is meditation. It is not evasion, meditation fosters a serene confluence of the symbolic with the imaginary : reality. To the Jedi with a quiet mind, The Force will be felt and It will inform us.

Jedi Teaching 2 "To be in balance, the Jedi practise clarity of mind. Aware that representations of the world can cloud our understanding, the Jedi centre their awareness through the practice of meditation and contemplation.

You need them both.

Be wary

If it is for a reason, it's not meditation.

We can still benefit from contemplation, but it is not meditation.

We need them both.

" Most of us demand completely satisfying, lasting experiences which cannot be destroyed by thought. So behind this demand for experience is the desire for satisfaction, and the demand for satisfaction dictates the experience, and therefore we have not only understand the whole business of satisfaction but also the thing that is experienced."


Knowing yourself so completely that the mind is no longer seeking. Wouldn't that be nice. This is a goal in meditation.

It is said that compassion and love are by products of meditation.

A complete silence, a silence in which the meditator is entirely absent. The mind can only be silent when it understands its own movement as thought and feeling.

We are thought, feeling and will. Understand and identify these and you will find "hidden roads" on ones path not so hidden.
One of the biggest questions we can ask our own being is do we know the difference between the two?

Any questions? Comments. Concerns?

May the Force be with you,
Pastor Carlos 

The "Monkey Mind" in Meditation | Documentary Clip (youtube.com)

Understanding the Monkey Mind with Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche (youtube.com)


Good morning, Temple of the Jedi Order
May the Force be with you
It is time.

I do hope you can take a few moments to watch these two videos.

They are not our videos and they do not belong to us so the link may expire at any time and all rights are subject to its owners and such.


Today's Maxim is on Clear Intentions.
If we believe there is a center connection or a ebb and flow that exist, then everything is a direct result of this.

Jedi are not individualist. We do not seek out our way.

We seek to understand and identify our thought feeling and will.

Knowing yourself so completely that the mind is no longer seeking.

Wouldn't that be nice.
This is why we meditate. To enter this state.

We defiantly do not seek our own self-image of things.

The directedness of consciousness toward an object, whether internal or external can show how consciousness can be of or about something, and how it can have content and meaning.

Intentiality can help define why a behavior is occurring, where it stems from, and which direction you would like to move with that behavior in order to help you.

If we seek the Force, then we seek its intentions, not our own.

There are only co-incidental moments. Everything happens at the same time. In the present moment.

Our perspectives often become a hindrance. Enter into meditation. Join in on a flow not your own.


How to quiet your mind.
I can not teach anything. I only hope I can aid in thinking. There is an idea called "Monkey mind. " Our minds are born with the ability to do everything it needs to.  We can develop much more than just what we were born with but when we are born it is on all the way. To think of the mind as active as a wild monkey is the idea. Always going. There is a obvious need for time and effort.
Take the time to quiet your mind.

We have the hardest time dwelling in the present moment. Our mind races to the future or to the past and often dwells in these moments in the present moment.


The Force does not have our intention or do anything. Do not GIVE the Force intention. We are in danger of nullifying things as our own efforts when this happens. 

How does one have no intention?

Quiet your mind.

Identify what is present. What is it that has our attentions. Give those things their time and understand them. Truly understand them. This takes much more time than what is being shared as meditation currently. Meditation is not some form or way; it is the understanding of everything present. There is a point of understanding when there is silence. 
Quiet your mind.

It is at that point we can understand our thought, feeling and will so much more. Take the time for it. It does not come in one sitting. To understand clear intentions is sometimes to understand our intentions as well and to know they are not the only one's present. 

What is present?

Can one live without intentions? No motives? 
Everyone has motives. Why is it there? Why do you have that desire? 
What are my intentions or my own direction?

These are things that occupy our mind and brain, and we can not listen or think until these questions have answers.

Listen to yourself.

Identify your own intentions. Identify your own direction.

Admit them. There is less objection and craving for things in my own mind when I know how to identify them properly. The attention of them lessens. The more we understand, the less our mind can wonder and wander. 

Clear Intention - The Force follows intentionality. With a quiet mind, we direct our clear intention through the ocean of possibilities and allow The Force to work through us.

Quiet your mind and see what is present. For me, this takes practice. As often as I can make time for it.

So can you. We are a bundle of memories. Take the time to identify what is present.

"Can one listen so completely to one another, not only hearing with the ear, but with the " inner ear" so you are giving total attention. Where there is total attention there is no motive. " Jiddu Knrishnamurto

Understanding. Take the time for it. Take time to understand yourself and others. Then, things become different, and we can become more of an instrument than a Force.

Any questions?
Pastor Carlos

Balance. If we are thought, feeling and will then which balance do we tend to think of? All of them? How THEY balance with each other or with us?  How does balance work? How does our balance work? Balance is always in motion. Do we understand what is in motion? 
 Everything is in motion.

When I began reflecting on these things, it was difficult to find the connection to thought, feeling and will. Over time, the understanding that everything is connected became clearer. Everything is connected.  So, it is safe to say, it is my balance that gets thrown off or changed.

The present moment contains potential. At any given moment, anything can happen. At any given time, that potential is present. This is balance.

Abandon can be both a verb and a noun. As a noun, it refers to a complete surrender to natural impulses without restraint or moderation. 

There is a danger to being "blind" or so full of something, you get tunnel vision, no restraint or inhibition. One can be too bright and blind. This is what we want to remind everyone. There are countless Epics to remind us of this very thing. There is a flow that connects us all and binds us. To find balance, where or what direction do we go?

We are in motion.

Jedi practise non-attachment, maintaining an awareness that the cycles of creativity and renewal in the Force give rise to phenomena as others pass away.

May the Force be with you all,
Pastor Carlos