Many, Many years ago, before starting TOTJO, I studied many many sites and their teachings... This one was one of my favorites as a seeker of knowledge that even though some is not for real use in some eyes, it was still, to me an interesting view from another. I can not remember the originator, Those were the days of The Real Jedi Knights, The Jedi Way and The Force Academy, who were the inspirational teachings for this Writer, whose name is unknown... (Edits never made, presented as written)
Thought I would just share some old time writings.....
Foundations of Stone
Foundations of Stone
Like a house cannot be built on sand, the ways of the Jedi cannot be built without firm foundations. These lectures are the foundations of the Jedi ways. The basic codes and philosophies a Jedi lives by in his life. You should do each lecture in order. Each lecture is defined by its coloured title. Take each one at a time, and do not move on to the next until you have gone through the first with a fine tooth comb.
The Jedi Code.
The Jedi Code is the philosophy of the Jedi summed up in a paragraph. Every Jedi must know the Jedi Code, as it is the basis of all their training and therefore should be the first thing learned. The Jedi Code lays the basic foundations for a Jedi to build up future knowledge of the Force on.
There is no emotion; there is peace
There is no ignorance; there is knowledge
There is no passion; there is serenity
There is no chaos; there is harmony
There is no death; there is the Force
This code contains the teachings of how to gain enlightenment with the Force and become one with the universe. The Light Side is sustained by life, and a Jedi acts to preserve life. Killing is ultimately wrong, and stains the soul, therefore the taking of a life is the very last resort for a Jedi. Killing is sometimes necessary, but should only ever be done in defence of yourself or the weak or good people. Killing should only be done to preserve life, not to take it - therefore if by killing someone it will be beneficial to the lives of others.
Enlightenment is reached by peace and harmony and as such a Jedi wishes to maintain peace and harmony. The world will always contain evil and negative energies. But it is a Jedi’s mission to stop the evil energies getting to powerful. Fear, anger, hatred. Such emotions are not used by a Jedi. A Jedi recognises the existence of such emotions, but the emotions have no control over a Jedi, therefore a Jedi will be able to make the right decision without emotions influencing him. The right decision can only be made when calm and at peace with the Force, therefore emotions must be pushed aside so as not to influence the result of your decision.
Jedi seek to solve problems as peacefully as possible, only fighting as a last resort. Of course Jedi learn how to fight, but this is so they will never need to fight. A Jedi always tries to solve a problem without violence, though some times this is the only option.
The Force should only ever be used for knowledge and defence, never attack. A Jedi who uses the Force for his personal gain is slowly leaning towards the Dark Side. Using the Force when it is not needed to be used, or to gain wealth or fame - these lead to the Dark Side. Jedi seek to serve and protect, not to rule and terrorise.
Understanding the Jedi Code
The Jedi Code at the most basic interpretation is the main set of guidelines for a Jedi on how to live their life and how to avoid the Dark Side. The Jedi Code is the most important part of training and a Jedi should learn nothing else until the Code is learnt and understood.
There is no emotion; there is peace
Simply, this distinguishes the confusion emotion causes compared to the peaceful meditative mind. Yet peace does not involve being unaware of a factor that could cause a Jedi to feel an emotional reaction.
This leads onto the second part.
There is no ignorance; there is knowledge
Jedi seek to understand all situations, which helps before acting, as it allows you to avoid errors in judgement. However, a Jedi realises that they can always learn more. Thinking they have mastered something to the full is ignorant, there is always more knowledge.
There is no passion; there is serenity
When a Jedi has knowledge on something, they seek to know it as the Force knows it, rather than becoming engrossed in a subject. This sentence refers to the control of emotions. A Jedi who has control of his emotions will not act rashly because of them. Anger often clouds the mind, making the mind believe that everything is against them. A serene Jedi will not act obsessively, violently or become depressed, but will rather be at peace, balance and controlled.
There is no chaos; there is harmony
Not many things in the world happen by coincidence. Everything is the will of the Force, and will often help us or teach us. We must understand that everything, from the smallest to the largest outcome, is the will of the Force. There is no chaos - there is harmony.
There is no death; there is the Force
A Jedi wishes to act on the will of the Force. This line teaches a Jedi that before undertaking any action a Jedi should be aware of the will of the Force. The Force is not swayed by emotion, and so by acting emotionlessly, knowledgably and serenely, a Jedi will be acting with the will of the Force.
The Jedi Code teaches a Jedi how to live along side the Force. Fear, Anger, Hate, aggression. These negative emotions lead to the Dark Side of the Force and so a Jedi is encouraged to learn to act without them.
Note:
There is another Code some Jedi Orders use as the Jedi Code. That is this:
Jedi are the guardians of peace in the galaxy.
Jedi use their powers to defend and protect, never to attack others.
Jedi respect all life, in any form.
Jedi serve others rather then rule over them, for the good of the galaxy.
Jedi seek to improve themselves through knowledge and training.
We do not recognise this as our Jedi Code, however it is still useful to know as it is a guideline of how a Jedi should act and live his life.
The 9 Conclusions
The 9 conclusions are an expanded code, which once a Jedi understands, helps a Jedi to make decisions quickly. Time stands still for no man, and often a Jedi must make life saving decisions very quickly, and so does not have time to try and follow the will of the Force. The 9 conclusions help a Jedi understand the will of the Force quickly.
Meditation
A Jedi should meditate everyday. During meditation a Jedi should try and understand the will of the Force. If a mistake is made by a Jedi, the earlier the mistake is realised the more chance there is to amend the situation. By regularly searching through your own mind a JedI will be able to see if he or she is acting with passion, emotion or ignorance that clouds their judgement. Jedi who has no time to meditate may more easily become lost. More to the point, a Jedi who refuses to meditate may already know that his/her motivations are not pure, and is thus lying to his/herself.
Training
There are always things to be learnt, and as such a Jedi’s training never ends . A wise JedI recognises that there is always something that can be learned. The Force reveals itself to those who wish to learn the knowledge of the Force. A Jedi should train every day in order to grow and learn.
Loyalty
The Force creates life, and life creates the Force. JedI are bound to the Force. All JedI, all humans, all life is bound together, and we should show loyalty to each other rather than fighting. A JedI should also follow the wishes of his teacher, and the teacher should have the responsibility to act in accordance with the governing body of such an order. This is not superiority, rather an understanding that those of a higher tier than you are often more experienced than you.
Integrity
A Jedi should be honest to himself. This doesn’t mean you have to be forthright to everyone else. From a certain point of view it is not lying to allow people to believe what they believe. A JedI should offer advice, but not enforce their advice upon the person. A JedI may employ deception, subterfuge, misdirection, and even fraud, if he does so with a righteous aim. A JedI does what needs to be done, but tries to avoid the Dark Side. But remember, a JedI is not above the Law.
Morality
It is mistaken that Jedi are perfect and can’t do wrong. Really, a Jedi does not enforce morality. A Jedi can restore order and justice, but cannot sit in judgement of others. A Jedi cannot completely understand the beliefs and cultures of every living being in the world. Also, judgement leads to vengeance which in turn leads to corruption by the Dark Side. Should a known murder be allowed to go free? Should a man intent on murder be killed? To answer either question, a Jedi must first know the will of the Force. Neither decision can be made hastily, except where lives are threatened by inaction.
Discretion
Jedi Knights stand for order and justice, and these qualities do not begin with the misdeeds of the few. The goal of the Jedi should be to create and preserve an atmosphere in which justice can flourish, rather than try to create justice themselves.
Bravery
A common mistake among younger Jedi is that bravery is the opposite of fear, and since fear leads to the dark side, bravery is armour against the dark side. Not so, if a Jedi is mindful of the will of the Force, he will know whether it is best to stand his ground, or flee, or even to offer truce. Remember that bravery itself is an emotion, and a Jedi should be at peace - even in the midst of war.
Fighting
A time will undoubtedly come for a JedI where they have no choice but to fight. Having a weapon by your side states that you are a warrior, which makes people want to see who is better. To avoid fighting a JedI should not advertise his skills. The Force will show you when there is no other choice but to fight. Weapons should only be used to end a fight quickly and mercifully, not to intimidate. But if a Jedi can end a fight without killing an opponent, so much the better. The best Jedi can avert injury altogether, with only a word. Some Jedi may take this to mean they should carry a less deadly weapon. There is no such thing. If a weapon cannot kill, it is not truly a weapon.
Dependence
The Force is not a substitute for your other senses. A JedI should develop other abilities, and not rely solely on the Force. To use the Force to accomplish every mundane task is to trivialize it. Using the Force isn't the only solution to every problem; sometimes, it isn't even the best solution. JedI training consists of many aspects, not just the Force. A JedI must know how to run, jump, swim, climb, fight and think. These abilities must be learnt without use of the Force, or you become to dependant of the Force, and will fear loosing your ability with the Force.
