The 16 Teachings

The 16 Teachings of the Jedi as interpreted by Therrien Xavier

1. As Jedi, we are in touch with the Living Force flowing through and around us, as well as being spiritually aware of the Force. Jedi are trained to become sensitive to the Force's energy, fluctuations, and disturbances.
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For me becoming sensitive of the Force in great a great deal is becoming sensitive to one's own energy and the energies of others around you, it is showing compassion when called for and being naturally empathetic towards others own feelings. Also, it is being spiritually aware of yourself and your role within the universe and our world.
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2. Jedi live and focus on the present; we must neither dwell on the past nor be overly concerned about the future. As the mind wanders, focusing on the present is a task not easily attained, for the mind is not content with the eternal present moment. As Jedi, we must release our stress and ease our minds.
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Living in the present is the best place to be. We must not worry about the past as the past is just that the past. It cannot be changed no matter what we do however we can make things better now. We also should not worry about a future that is non-existent and not guaranteed, sure we can prepare for the future but spending time worrying about it is hurtful to our own mental health and should be avoided at all costs
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3. Jedi must maintain a clear mind; this is achieved through meditation and contemplation. Our minds can become cluttered and infected by forces and attitudes that we encounter every day and must be purged of these unnecessary elements on a daily basis.

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We can achieve clarity through the contemplation that the mind creates all negative thoughts and emotions and simply do not exists, this is what I will refer to here as the Void. The state of being and mind of nothingness where there is thought there comes worry, it is up to us to make sure that this clutter does not pile on top of each other.

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4. As Jedi, we are mindful of our thoughts... we focus our thoughts on the positive. The positive energy of the force is healthy for the mind, body, and spirit.
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Just as our minds create negative emotions, thoughts and feelings so too does it generate positive emotions, thoughts, and feelings. These positive thoughts are what we should strive to create all day every day through inner peace we begin to change the world around us through positive action, positive thought. Before we can change the world, first we must change our minds.
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5. As Jedi, we trust and use our feelings. We are intuitive, more so than others and with this heightened intuition, we become more spiritually evolved as our minds become more harmonious with the Force and its influences.
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As Jedi we use intuition to guide our actions, they say usually the first thought is the correct one. We use our intuition along with our emotions to take action when corrective action is needed. As Qui-Gon once said "Feel, Don't think", and so intuition is one of the Force's greatest tools given to a Jedi to work with.
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6. Jedi are patient. Patience is elusive but can be consciously developed over time.
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Patience is another one of a Jedi's greatest tools when we face a situation that requires patience it teaches us that great care must be taken in order for things to pan out the way we would like them too regardless of how long things take. Without patience, we come aggravated and annoyed with situations where stress seems like a likely factor.
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7. Jedi are mindful of the negative emotions which lead to the Dark Side: Anger, Fear, Aggression, and Hate. If we sense these emotions manifesting within ourselves, we must meditate on the Jedi Code and focus on purging these destructive emotions.
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When we come across negative emotions we must stop and ask ourselves why we are having these emotions, feelings or thoughts. When we begin to delve into the nature of our darkness only then can we sort out the sources of each particular issue that we deal with. We can achieve inner peace by meditating on why it is we feel what we are feeling and come up with a solution to our darkness.
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8. Jedi understand that physical training is as important as training the mind and the spirit. We understand that all aspects of training are necessary to maintain the Jedi way of life and to perform the duties of a Jedi.
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Physical training is important to a Jedi because the mind is connected to the rest of the body via the spinal cord and the Chakra centers, the Nadis aka Energy Points and the nervous system it is through the physical training that we keep a healthy body which in turn corresponds with the brain by sending electrical stimuli to the brain and giving us a good charge.
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9. Jedi protect the peace. We are warriors of peace, and are not ones to use force to resolve a conflict; it is through peace, understanding, and harmony that conflicts resolve.
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We don't take the title "Jedi Knights" lightly, as symbols of peace and of knighthood we are in a position where we are to represent those who need our protection and we must protect those who are meager. Whether we give blood to help protect those with blood diseases or donate an organ to those in need of a transplant. It is through our peaceful actions that we can settle any conflict that arises.
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10. Jedi believe in destiny and trust in the will of the Force. We accept the fact that what seem to be random events are not random at all, but the design of the Force. Each living creature has a purpose, understanding that purpose comes with a deep awareness of the Force. Even things that happen which seem negative have a purpose, though that purpose is not easy to see.
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I for one do "not" believe in destiny I believe in the will of the Force but I believe that will is also the will of our spirit and through the spirit we gain drive. I do believe things happen for a reason however but I do not believe things are planned to happen in a certain fashion, through Chaos I find harmony in knowing that no matter what happens all is as the Force wills it to be.
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11. Jedi must let go of obsessive attachment, both material and personal. The obsession over possessions creates the fear of losing those possessions, which can lead to the Dark Side.
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Possession can come in a number of forms, from the objects that we own to the relationships that we are in, human beings can sometimes have a demonic sense to them in that we like and have the ability to possess things and like demons we tend to hate loss when confronted with the light that pushes back on the darkness.
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12. Jedi believe in eternal life. We do not become obsessed in mourning those who pass. Grieve as you will but take heart, for the soul and spirit continue in the netherworld of the Living Force.
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I believe that life will continue on even when my physical body passess away. One part of us our spirit joins back with the Force until it finds a new vehicle in which to manifest in and make its way into the 3D world. Then our physical bodies decompose and become food for the things that crawl in the Earth, which then after we are digested we become the fecal matter and dropped back into the Earth where then we become fertilizer for new life to spring from. We Die and regrow and the tree of life, as all things do.
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13. Jedi use the Force only when it is necessary. We do not apply our abilities or powers to boast or be prideful. We use the Force for knowledge, and exercise wisdom and humility in doing so, for humility is a trait all Jedi must embody.
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We should never for any reason use abilities that we may gain along the way for attack everything must be in defense whether it be for ourselves or for someone else, and even then we should strive for a more peaceful solution to any opponent we may face. It is through unbiased listening and reasoning that we can find peacful solutions to situations.
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14. We as Jedi believe that love and compassion are central to our lives. We must love each other as we love ourselves; by doing this, we envelop all life in the positive energy of the Force.
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We are selfless but let's face it, to love each other we have to start by loving ourselves and making peace with the fact that we as human beings are not perfect, only then can we have the appreciation, the wisdom, and the sight to see the imperfections of others with non-judgment and understanding.
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15. Jedi are guardians of peace and justice. We believe in finding peaceful solutions to problems, gifted as we are, we remain negotiators of the utmost ability. We never negotiate out of fear, but never fear to negotiate. We embrace justice, protecting and preserving the fundamental rights of all living creatures. Empathy and compassion are vital to us; it allows us to comprehend the wounds caused by injustice.
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We as Jedi seek justice for everyone whether or not they are right or wrong and sometimes justice may come in the form that is right for the person who is wrong. Either way we must approach justice with compassion and logic in any case. We are to be judges but not to judge by our personal feelings or emotions but based on the actions and the results of those actions of others and amongst ourselves. Holding each other accountable for our actions helps mold us into better Jedi and ultimately better citizens of the Planet.
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16. We as Jedi make a commitment to, and are loyal to the Jedi cause. The ideals, philosophies, and practices of the Jedi define the belief of Jediism, and we take action on this path for self-improvement, and to help others. We are both the witnesses and protectors of the Jedi way by the practice of our Faith.
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I will not speak for others and only for myself here. Yes it is true that we do make and share a commitment to the Jedi cause, the ideals, and the philosophies but we must always question the things that we are taught,(Not the Masters) to believe, it is healthy to have a dose of skepticism as it helps us to grow in ways we could never imagine and it also helps to shape a better Jedi community whenever we are able to exchange questions and thoughts, it helps the community grow as a whole and keeps the cycle of learning going. By questioning our own philosophies and ideas it gives us insight into ourselves and our community and makes us better at governing ourselves.

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