"Not Serious but Sincere" - or The Romanticisation of Jediism

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4 years 11 months ago #336858 by

OB1Shinobi wrote: When i read the title i think of someone whose “warrior training” consists of dressing up in robes and swinging a toy lightsaber in the back yard.....maybe they even supplement with Tai Chi or Wing Chun or even (the most dreadest of all the invincible deadly mystic warrior arts) Aikido (lol). Someone who wants to be a “healer” by learning about aromatherapy and the “vibrations” of crystals. Someone who persues “wisdom” by reading Deepak Chopra and Wayne Dyer. People who tell each other they have “old souls” and “healing hands”. They're all very sincere (they believe in what they are doing) but theyre not very serious (cause what theyre doing doesnt amount to anything more than playing around). The real kicker of it is that they actually think they ARE being serious.



This has always been what baffles me about Jediism. A religion whose primary focus is not religion. It's strange to say the least. Instead of spiritual pursuit of the force, the primary mission is service. But that service is carried out in fantastical ways through role play and not actual pursuit of real service. It's why jediism fails as a church and is viewed by outsiders as a less than serious spirituality. If the mission is spiritual then focus on the lore as a means to explore the philosophy. If the mission is physical then get out our your heads and leave the lore and philosophy out of it. Instead organize and support the pursuit of real life means to accomplish the mission.

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4 years 11 months ago #336859 by Rosalyn J

Kyrin Wyldstar wrote:

OB1Shinobi wrote: When i read the title i think of someone whose “warrior training” consists of dressing up in robes and swinging a toy lightsaber in the back yard.....maybe they even supplement with Tai Chi or Wing Chun or even (the most dreadest of all the invincible deadly mystic warrior arts) Aikido (lol). Someone who wants to be a “healer” by learning about aromatherapy and the “vibrations” of crystals. Someone who persues “wisdom” by reading Deepak Chopra and Wayne Dyer. People who tell each other they have “old souls” and “healing hands”. They're all very sincere (they believe in what they are doing) but theyre not very serious (cause what theyre doing doesnt amount to anything more than playing around). The real kicker of it is that they actually think they ARE being serious.



This has always been what baffles me about Jediism. A religion whose primary focus is not religion. It's strange to say the least. Instead of spiritual pursuit of the force, the primary mission is service. But that service is carried out in fantastical ways through role play and not actual pursuit of real service. It's why jediism fails as a church and is viewed by outsiders as a less than serious spirituality. If the mission is spiritual then focus on the lore as a means to explore the philosophy. If the mission is physical then get out our your heads and leave the lore and philosophy out of it. Instead organize and support the pursuit of real life means to accomplish the mission.


In my 7 years, I have found it is possible to do both

Pax Per Ministerium
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4 years 11 months ago - 4 years 11 months ago #336860 by Carlos.Martinez3

Kyrin Wyldstar wrote:

OB1Shinobi wrote: When i read the title i think of someone whose “warrior training” consists of dressing up in robes and swinging a toy lightsaber in the back yard.....maybe they even supplement with Tai Chi or Wing Chun or even (the most dreadest of all the invincible deadly mystic warrior arts) Aikido (lol). Someone who wants to be a “healer” by learning about aromatherapy and the “vibrations” of crystals. Someone who persues “wisdom” by reading Deepak Chopra and Wayne Dyer. People who tell each other they have “old souls” and “healing hands”. They're all very sincere (they believe in what they are doing) but theyre not very serious (cause what theyre doing doesnt amount to anything more than playing around). The real kicker of it is that they actually think they ARE being serious.



This has always been what baffles me about Jediism. A religion whose primary focus is not religion. It's strange to say the least. Instead of spiritual pursuit of the force, the primary mission is service. But that service is carried out in fantastical ways through role play and not actual pursuit of real service. It's why jediism fails as a church and is viewed by outsiders as a less than serious spirituality. If the mission is spiritual then focus on the lore as a means to explore the philosophy. If the mission is physical then get out our your heads and leave the lore and philosophy out of it. Instead organize and support the pursuit of real life means to accomplish the mission.



May I ask where and who you have seen this ? In my practice it is done. Are you just assuming all Jeddist are the same and all Jedi ism im general is fake ? That seems to be a pretty blanket statement. Some it’s not a religion. Some it is and even some it’s more a mantra. So many different levels and possibilities and actual practices - failure and what you call fake - for some isn’t. What baffles me is often how people and generally others who don’t agree with things just say well they are wrong. Not arguing , being honest. What makes you say or see that way ? Or is it just another what if type of things? I do want to understand . Where and who has Jedi ism failed in your opinion? I coulda kept a list and others can add their names to success as well as a failure. Is it always about the failure of things or just about how it’s failed you or vice versus or how you personally haven’t had any success with it ? It’s not wrong if it didn’t work for you - just not for you. These are the questions self reflective answer and self paced learning does - it makes it hard to blame a book for me not understanding it. I can blame the publisher and artist and author or ... I can just say it’s not for me and find another book to read or even as in life... continue or wait till I do or toss it or even ask around ...

Pastor of Temple of the Jedi Order
pastor@templeofthejediorder.org
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Nosce te ipsum / Cerca trova
Last edit: 4 years 11 months ago by Carlos.Martinez3.
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4 years 11 months ago #336861 by Manu

Kyrin Wyldstar wrote:

OB1Shinobi wrote: When i read the title i think of someone whose “warrior training” consists of dressing up in robes and swinging a toy lightsaber in the back yard.....maybe they even supplement with Tai Chi or Wing Chun or even (the most dreadest of all the invincible deadly mystic warrior arts) Aikido (lol). Someone who wants to be a “healer” by learning about aromatherapy and the “vibrations” of crystals. Someone who persues “wisdom” by reading Deepak Chopra and Wayne Dyer. People who tell each other they have “old souls” and “healing hands”. They're all very sincere (they believe in what they are doing) but theyre not very serious (cause what theyre doing doesnt amount to anything more than playing around). The real kicker of it is that they actually think they ARE being serious.



This has always been what baffles me about Jediism. A religion whose primary focus is not religion. It's strange to say the least. Instead of spiritual pursuit of the force, the primary mission is service. But that service is carried out in fantastical ways through role play and not actual pursuit of real service. It's why jediism fails as a church and is viewed by outsiders as a less than serious spirituality. If the mission is spiritual then focus on the lore as a means to explore the philosophy. If the mission is physical then get out our your heads and leave the lore and philosophy out of it. Instead organize and support the pursuit of real life means to accomplish the mission.


So, you are telling me that a religion more or less inspired by a sci-fi movie with strong metaphysical leanings (including energy manipulation and extra sensory perception), attracts people who believe in energy manipulation and extra sensory perception, and you are baffled by that?

I think the problem lies in people expecting “magic” to solve their problems, and thus they use it as a way to escape reality (if only I could astral project, I will be able to do “x” so much better). So, people say they want to heal, but don’t bother learning about conventional medicine FIRST and then using alternate methods as a complement to that.

By the way, “service” might be seen as the natural conclusion to the belief system, and thus is not separate from “religion” as you seem to claim.

The pessimist complains about the wind;
The optimist expects it to change;
The realist adjusts the sails.
- William Arthur Ward
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4 years 11 months ago #336864 by Proteus
I seem to find my thoughts going back to what Goken posted on page 1.

Goken wrote: It makes me think of two quotes.

"Think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world" - Miyamoto Musashi

"You can't take life too seriously. You'll never get out alive." - Ryan Reynolds in Van Wilder

To me people who take something too seriously fail to see the flaws in it, and everything has flaws. Or they only see the flaws, and everything has beauty too.


When I posted this thread, I had my own idea about it too. I just wanted to set it down for a bit and listen to you guys about it first.

My thoughts were a bit more beyond just the surface level of the facade that is going on with what is described by many of you here, and goes a bit more meta. Even people who aren't, for example, larping, who seem to have a difficult time communicating with others, getting along, getting banned, rage quitting, etc, all seem to have something in common with each other as well as the larpers. They all have a streak of taking their own views, their own missions/directives, etc, and their own identities a bit too seriously. I'm willing to believe there are even people who do not reply around the temple even for similar reasons. I suspect this because I have been in that position too before I gradually pulled myself out of it.

Its interesting how some of the most intelligent and personable people in the world happen to be comedians. I suspect its because they have scooped out enough of the weight inside of themselves (the seriousness) in order to just be lightheartedly sincere - not just that they think they are being genuine, in fact, them thinking so would just make them feel serious I think, but they just are.

Just some of my thoughts. :)

“For it is easy to criticize and break down the spirit of others, but to know yourself takes a lifetime.”
― Bruce Lee

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4 years 11 months ago - 4 years 11 months ago #336865 by

Carlos.Martinez3 wrote: May I ask where and who you have seen this ? In my practice it is done. Are you just assuming all Jeddist are the same and all Jedi ism im general is fake ? That seems to be a pretty blanket statement. Some it’s not a religion. Some it is and even some it’s more a mantra. So many different...



I think this is a problem. Jediism has no face. It is simply a loose collective of individuals all doing their own thing. There is no leadership element, no cohesive message, no single goal, no agreed upon mission. There is not even a practical statement of what it is. Because of this the role players, the larpers, and the "serious" all get thrown in together and it creates this malformed viscous parade of diverse entities all talking at once so that no one can truly get a handle on it.
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4 years 11 months ago #336866 by ren

Kyrin Wyldstar wrote:

OB1Shinobi wrote: When i read the title i think of someone whose “warrior training” consists of dressing up in robes and swinging a toy lightsaber in the back yard.....maybe they even supplement with Tai Chi or Wing Chun or even (the most dreadest of all the invincible deadly mystic warrior arts) Aikido (lol). Someone who wants to be a “healer” by learning about aromatherapy and the “vibrations” of crystals. Someone who persues “wisdom” by reading Deepak Chopra and Wayne Dyer. People who tell each other they have “old souls” and “healing hands”. They're all very sincere (they believe in what they are doing) but theyre not very serious (cause what theyre doing doesnt amount to anything more than playing around). The real kicker of it is that they actually think they ARE being serious.



This has always been what baffles me about Jediism. A religion whose primary focus is not religion. It's strange to say the least. Instead of spiritual pursuit of the force, the primary mission is service. But that service is carried out in fantastical ways through role play and not actual pursuit of real service. It's why jediism fails as a church and is viewed by outsiders as a less than serious spirituality. If the mission is spiritual then focus on the lore as a means to explore the philosophy. If the mission is physical then get out our your heads and leave the lore and philosophy out of it. Instead organize and support the pursuit of real life means to accomplish the mission.


Jediism isn't about service. Knightism at totjo has recently been corrupted by ideas of Valor, swords and shields, and the clergy of course are meant to serve church-goers. Do not think the weird jedi bible-bashers are representative of what jediism is.

It is quite normal in jediism to be uninterested in rank and clergy, just like any other religion.

Convictions are more dangerous foes of truth than lies.
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4 years 11 months ago #336867 by Ben
The spirituality is what begets the service.

The more typically ‘light’ spiritual understandings of the Force, if I may clumsily call them that, make service a logical and necessary path.

But once on the service path, without continuing to be supported by the spiritual ideals, the service loses its meaning.

Thus it is not really possible to separate the two and devote one’s time and efforts to one avenue at the expense of the other - for many of us, it has to be both, even if that means our focus might be rather wider and less concentrated than it might otherwise be.

B.Div | OCP
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4 years 11 months ago #336868 by Carlos.Martinez3

Kyrin Wyldstar wrote:

Carlos.Martinez3 wrote: May I ask where and who you have seen this ? In my practice it is done. Are you just assuming all Jeddist are the same and all Jedi ism im general is fake ? That seems to be a pretty blanket statement. Some it’s not a religion. Some it is and even some it’s more a mantra. So many different...



I think this is a problem. Jediism has no face. It is simply a loose collective of individuals all doing their own thing. There is no leadership element, no cohesive message, no single goal, no agreed upon mission. There is not even a practical statement of what it is. Because of this the role players, the larpers, and the "serious" all get thrown in together and it creates this malformed viscous parade of diverse entities all talking at once so that no one can truly get a handle on it.


But truly - is that what your looking for - as you stated - there is no such thing... without this can you personally not function or be a Jeddist ? Don’t think there needs to be some type of —- commonality - you’ve stayed before you do not believe in such - a common faith even common themes in religions and faiths....so the endless loop never ends . I hope you figure it out for yourself Kyrin - I truly do, and if you have - right on.

I am a face of Jedi ism. By my own example as are many here with the extra * this is how I do it - I figured it out and you can if you want to. I’ve seen with my own two eyes people who find peace and here are those who deny or even say what these have is a lie and even go to the extremes to unbalance what they themselfs do not understand or have. Happens all the time. Not only in Jedi ism.- I guess the romance for me is the personal path that can be taken. How wonderful it is for me to see the Force in my every day life - for it to manifest itself in my daily practice and study. That’s my goal. That’s my hope for every Jeddist - in this temple or out - that your choices help you and others. I tend to question those who often disagree with peace and it’s obvious they have none. ( not talking about you specifically- only as an example of what I’ve seen first hand.)
But that for me, is the romance of it all - I can have it deep - like others - May not be the same same - May be different but still - the same. The love I have - others can experience - in many different ways .... or not

Pastor of Temple of the Jedi Order
pastor@templeofthejediorder.org
Build, not tear down.
Nosce te ipsum / Cerca trova
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4 years 11 months ago #336872 by

ren wrote: Jediism isn't about service.


V-Tog wrote: The spirituality is what begets the service.


I think point proven here...


V-Tog wrote: But once on the service path, without continuing to be supported by the spiritual ideals, the service loses its meaning.


Why does service have to be supported by Jediism ideals in order to have meaning?

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