Is Spirituality necessary to be a Jedi?

I don’t know. It’s hard to speak for an entire movement of people ESPECIALLY when you don’t really know them all and there is no set doctrine for the Path. To say that Spirituality is a necessity could be misleading because it doesn’t specify to what degree. But, I can make a really good guess.

But, I DO remember reading the interviews from a week ago, and the results were startling, yeah? Pretty much everybody answered the question: “what is the Force to you?” and they answered it fully and well. The infamous Opie MacLeod has been known to shunt spiritual healing practices in favor of practical first aid training for use of healing. But, he also doesn’t disdain spiritual practices because they do have their place. Of course, for me, I completely think energy work is a viable self-healing and good preventative medicine for all people. I also believe that Western Medicine is more applicable in some cases because of the “tried and true” methods that do not rely on the personal energy and allow for good healing without involvement or exertion. Reiki teaches that synthetic medicines of ANY kind can disrupt energy flow and are “less” healthy. I don’t really agree with that. Seems like a generalization to me. But, I do see the sentiment on how it alters the body from the outside-in.

So, there are various opinions. A lot of people see the Force as interactive with the Universe. Some see it as a distant guiding principle. Some see it as “energy”, like everything from kinetic energy to the energy that cannot be measured. And, even, some don’t even see the Force as interactive, they see it as just… there. A tool to be used. And, we have NO way of completely knowing what the Force actually is.

Some people think they can heal with their hands (I do), and others do not share that opinion. Some think that healing can only be done through prayer and the influence of a higher power (I don’t). Some even think that ONLY the physical body deals in illness, and not even the mind. Of course, with the physical body and the mind as connected as they are, it would be foolish (I think) to make that distinction.

The key word in all of these is “some”. Never “all”. And, I think that is hard for “some” people to grasp.

We are in a movement of people who were once dissatisfied with the current state of the world. These people took the archetypes and ideals presented in Star Wars and developed their lives around it. Made it a lifestyle. But, all these people came to Jedi Realism/Jediism/Jedi Pragmatism on their own. People who are “recruited” to the path are not indoctrinated, so they choose to stay or leave. But, in reality, we do not “teach” anything other than interpretations and life skills. It is our choice as to what we believe and as to what we do.

To be honest, it’s not perfect. Nobody agrees on anything. So, to even bring UP the question of whether or not “Spirituality” is “necessary” to a “Jedi” is probably foolish. To a lot of people, Jedi is a JOB. And, by that, they mean just being a good person and helping the lady cross the street. Others believe it is stopping robberies.

Others believe it is fighting with diplomacy and words.

But, we don’t have a “Jedi” definition. We don’t have a union. All we have binding us is Community, Discussion, and Star Wars (and the other source materials).

So, I guess, for now, you need to ask yourself the question: “Is spirituality necessary to YOU?”

(Source: my blog, Projectjediblog.org)

Just trying to answer the topic thread....

... and that seems like a really big question, which really sits under the shade of what a person believes to be the Force, because a Jedi probably has to believe in a concept of the Force to call themselves a Jedi. Is a Jedi without the Force still a Jedi? In the simplest terms then perhaps the Jedi's spirituality is their relationship with the Force.

To dig a little deeper, for me, this depends on whether the person takes one of two positions; A. is awareness a result of the body, or B. awareness only facilitated by the body.

If it is A. then as far as I know science seems to say that our subconscious is more aware of our environment, internal and external, then our conscious mind. It is therefore a plausible proposition that if something supernatural exists then it will be accessed through the subconscious. In this regard then I view spirituality as additionally working with concepts of faith targetted to the subconscious and beyond through the subconscious.

If it is B. then we have nothing to work with except trial and error, and since trial and error can be incorporated into the A's technique's I tend to consider that working under method A with an awareness of B is the best working model to approach spirituality.

I personally believe in option A. so far. For me the entire experience of existence itself which we call conscious awareness is just an apparition of the subconscious based on the physical senses. Spirituality then in that context is working with the unknown aspects to generate improvements in that experience of existence - even if they are purely based in the subconscious and no supernaturality exists. If supernaturality exists and uses the greater range of powers of the subconscious mind, then working with it might allow a better access to that supernatural aspect which might reveal other parts of the Force many people believe in.

I agree with your logic except for your diction in one place: supernatural? If there is a God, or ghosts, or whatever... wouldn't you call that "natural"? haha. I wouldn't consider anything that actually exists to be "super" natural, or Above Nature. In fact, I would consider the Force to BE Nature.

Also, to your first question: "Is a Jedi without the Force still a Jedi?" That's what I am asking. Because, there ARE Jedi who do not believe there is a need to believe in the Force. Their actions of humanitarianism alone could make them a Jedi. We have no right to stop them either.

But, to be honest, I don't much like it. haha. I think Spirituality is NECESSARY for a Jedi to be guided unwaveringly in the direction of the Universal Perspective (my phrase for a "God" ideology). Because, if your only concerns are Mind and Body, then you have only physical interaction with the people whom you meet. You cannot possibly understand the Whole of Creation without experiencing what links us all together.

You cannot possibly hope to ACT in the best interest of the Whole of Creation without seeing the Whole of Creation through the Whole of Creation's perspective. To hear what it needs. What is doesn't want, etc. I believe that religion and spirituality CAN bring us to the point of understanding this. Like Enlightenment, or with the Warmth of the Love of Christ, or the Witness of the Martyr, or even being "One with the Force", the human being can achieve this by way of "many roads up the mountain". Of course, if one is on a road that does NOT lead up the mountain (like Satanism, which deifies only the Self, or other such philosophical paths), then you would be tunnel vision-ing your way through life, only to end your life in tunnel vision rather than at One with the Universe.

To me, I don't think Spirituality is just necessary for a Jedi, I think it is necessary in some form or another to the WHOLE world in order to stop the violent from being more violent. While horrible deeds have been done "in the name" of religion, God has NEVER caused war. He may have killed. But, so do Hurricanes. The World has a natural cycle. A natural way of controlling the population of the planet and of showing that we are always subject to Nature (see Walden by Thoreau). When a Jedi acts without the guidance of a "perspective" larger than their own, then they are merely acting in their own interests. While that MAY work, how risky is it that the Jedi in question would be drowning his emotions in the vendettas he has against violence? Oy! That is how Crusades start.

Perhaps then for some the Force itself is just the realization of the intention to walk the Jedi path. It needn't be supernatural/metaphysical, but I think it could a component of being a Jedi to have some concept of something called the Force - which is the light of their path. Following that light might be what makes one a Jedi perhaps, so long as it adheres to the relevant doctrines!?

What relevant doctrines? (not that I'm disagreeing)

RiddleNox wrote:
Moral frameworks I'd imagine. I tend to perceive things from a somewhat Buddhist perspective and so view the Jedi as a right hand path. A right hand path being ones "which follow specific ethical codes and adopt social convention".

So you believe that moral and ethical concepts can be "Spirituality" for a Jedi when put into action? I'd agree with that.

In fact, my view of the Universal Perspective is not so scary at all. It is looking at the Universe from a bird's eye view, and seeing the Truth and best action for any situation that is most beneficial to all involved. Jackie, my Jedi Mentor, would say it is "benevolent". Nothing "religious" or even "spiritual" about that. But, I consider the Spirit what connects all things,

so when I say Universal Perspective, I am speaking in both simple acknowledgement and action, not necessarily illogical fallacies brought upon by the lack of human understanding.

RiddleNox wrote:
Yes, and I think every thought and action has ripples throughout each persons subconscious mind and then throughout the 'Force', so yes very much so. The difference might be whether someone adheres to them as a path perhaps.

Specifically I believe that by adopting specific behavioural models, like what I might call a mandala dimension or yantra's, that a relationship might be created between the conscious and subconscious minds which generate real changes in human capabilities as prescribed by whatever those behavioral models are being used. This could occur with or without knowledge of the mechanism I'd guess, but hopefully can be enhanced through effective methods of practice, and its that practice which might define it as a path and perhaps as where the spirit exists - to classify something as a spirituality.

So just in the interests of me understanding and friendly discussion.... if your practice is the Universal Perspective and you gain some benefit from it then maybe that benefit is the spirituality for your path!?

hehe. Of course it is. It's a system I am developing for myself.