It has become evident, through the many different conversations that I've had with everyone over the course of my time here, that there are lots of different views floating around about what it means to follow each of the different paths in Jediism - for example; light, grey, shadow, and dark.

For instance, one person who believes themselves to be a grey Jedi might understand that to mean something totally different from another grey Jedi.

Some people, it seems, are not really even sure what any of the paths mean and perhaps make assumptions about them and classify themselves as one thing when they are actually another.

I know that not everyone believes in these different paths - but if you do - what does your path mean to you?


I'll start...I follow the light path. This does not mean that I have no dark within me - quite the contrary in fact. Everyone has dark aspects within themselves. I think this is a common misconception about the light path. What it concerns is what you choose to DO - the light path means to use the Force only in a positive way, to help other people and not for selfish means. At least...that what it means to me!

Good topic, V-Tog! There are limitless variations on the Jedi Path.

For me, I am purely a Light Jedi. But, Light for me has a different meaning I guess. If you were to try and pin me down, you'd have to combine elements of Jedi with parts of Buddhism with parts of Taoism and even parts of Stoicism. I am unmoved by Light and Dark, but I follow Light because it is in accordance with Nature to increase the livability of the world. Because I am impermanent, to try and ruin the lives of the world for my own advancement would be futile. To try and help the world to make it better is equally futile. So, it obviously isn't a question of making a difference. For me, it's a question of just living. I want to do something with my life for the better of the world so that I will have the experience of doing so. I feel that Nature too has a beginning and an end. But, that doesn't stop it from doing its job. It runs like clockwork but does respond to artificial stimuli. So do it. I will run for the advancement of Nature, but I am fluid as the river. I am tossed whichever way, but I am still a river. Ever flowing, always changing. But, just as a river, I have a beginning and an end. Usually, they flow into the Whole. The Ocean. Or, the Lake. The Whole. The natural process even defies logic. The Nile goes up to get to the Mediterranean. We are going toward the Whole. Why fight it? Why take the Dark path when the Light is so much more natural and in accordance with Nature?

I'm not saying anything is more right or wrong. That's not the point.

It's either accordance or discordance with Nature.

I don't really feel as though the paths taken are very concrete, specific or universally applicable. For me the temple is so excellent because everything you learn you take what you want from, there are no right or wrong answers. This means that people take the things that work for them and that make them happy and apply them to their lives. This means that everyone is following the path that is right for them / makes them happy and I kinda feel that each person's 'path' is different.

My path is whatever I decide it to be. My path is one of being a Jedi because I decide it to be

I'll leave it up to others to decide where they put me in relation to everything else

But I'm just me

Akkarin, do you put any stake in labels used by other people on you? Or, do you think they don't matter? (read that without an antagonizing tone)

RiddleNox wrote:
Yes

Hehe. Excellent.

To me this topic seems more about aspects of the force verse path of the jedi. Funny enough my 3rd show was about paths of the Jedi perhaps you will find that useful.

V-Tog wrote:
For me, I think positive and negative are ineffective for defining how people relate to the Force, and as I see no place for evil in the Force (evil is just a persons behaviour) then I feel its a waste to throw the dark side into the bad corner.

I tend to view these paths to be how people decide to relate to the Force, dark being unrestrained by morals, not to be immoral but rather to be flexible, whereas light is structured more into morality specifically because its focus is outwards to others - whereas the dark path does not need to focus outwards because its focus could be considered inwards. Since the dark path might then have less moral structure (perhaps) then it would make sense that its easy for people to fall... not to the dark side, but from the dark side IMO.

That in no ways implies the light side doesnt include focus inwards, I'm just referring really broadly to how I see things relating for practical use. I have a pretty good conceptualization of how it might work best for me and in that model a grey would be someone who trains in both styles of light and dark, whereas light only trains in light and dark only trains in dark so as to have higher empowerment in those areas.

The Path itself is just that, a path. It is in the way we travel that path that makes us light or dark or grey. To me the Path is preset. The Path is the journey from birth to death.

The Path has many sidewalks that lead us to different adventures, but in the end, you end where you started, A Part of the Universal Consciousness that is The Force.

In my adventures down the many walkways of life, I choose to do no harm to others, to help where I can so that my fellow path walkers can also enjoy their path. You may call it light side, I may call it light side, but in the end we are all in this together. So why not love, laugh, and enjoy our time together as friends?