Jedi In Combat

Over the last few months I have read and taken part in conversations discussing various points of view concerning Jedi and warfare. Often the discussion was peripheral, and not fully explored as the central topic. The ideas generally span not only participating in combat to defend against an obvious threat to oneself or homeland, but pursuing paths they know will likely lead to deadly force encounters under murkier conditions. Perspectives on this range from vehemently against pursuing these career fields - including law enforcement - to those who believe the Jedi DO have a sacred place in warfare. I am definitely seated in the latter category, and will explain my reasoning. All I ask is that you keep an open mind and listen to what I have to say.

Since my time here at the Temple and other places in the greater Jedi Community, I have seen quite a bit of trepidation towards military service. That's not to say service members are persecuted or looked down upon, but that I have yet to see a profession similarly called into question as appropriate or inappropriate for a Jedi. Rightfully so, in my opinion. It SHOULD be called into question. Jedi believe in promoting peace, harmony, and honoring life. Warfare, in principle, is in direct contradiction to those. I will come back to this idea train later, so hold onto it.

One of the first points of contention I see every time this topic arises is the idea that a person could be ordered to do something they find immoral, illegal or against what they believe is in accordance with The Force. That a person could be forced to somehow give away their ability to exercise free will in a moral and spiritual arena. I will address that inaccuracy now:

Yes, orders are given and followed, but nothing like movie portrayals of boot camps and combat. Not because they are factually wrong, but because they do not show the entire process. If people saw only the first step in making a log cabin, many would think it only involved chopping down trees. Those scenes of drill instructors screaming orders adhered to immediately and without thought is part of a familiarization process with military culture designed to save a person's life in an entirely foreign, extreme environment. How can a military take a young person, put a weapon in their hand and train them to survive and to operate as a team in a lethal environment? They don't have all the time or resources in the world to do so, so a culture of developed trust in a more experienced mentor's judgment will often save more lives than it ends. What you witness there is the most basic level of military training. A little stress, a little external motivation to simulate stressors one might find in a deadly force encounter. If nothing, a bootcamp soldier must learn to NOT FREEZE in a high stress environ. It is not mindless obedience, however, and every soldier is encouraged and TRAINED to use higher thought processes in combat while employing their skills. When combat units are given orders by a higher command, we in the US exercise what is doctrinally known as 'Mission Command'. That means subordinate units are given parameters and definitions for victory by their higher, but are empowered to determine their own courses of action. This allows the subordinate units, the ones who are most closely involved in the fighting, to make the best decisions they can with the information they have. I have been in the military since just before the twin towers fell and can say that in 14 years of service I have never been given an illegal order. Perhaps unwise or somewhat morally questionable ones...however our doctrinal structure allows for me to interpret my higher's meaning and determine my own course of action. If I understand the overall goal in mind, I choose my own method of employment. I take ownership of what I do or don't do. Here is an example: At the basic soldier level, there are Rules of Engagement that morph constantly to update as the battlefield environment changes. There are escalation of force procedures that aid in proper employment of lethal fires. They usually go something like this as the threat level increases: 1. Show your weapon - as in display it so that it is visible and you are identified as a combatant and willing to defend yourself. Sometimes this involves bright flags or bright lasers to gain the attention of what might be just an inattentive person. 2. Shout - yell warnings to further gain their attention and deter them from approaching or continuing their current action. 3. Shove - if they are on foot and near you, shove them away as a warning. If you are at a traffic control point, activate hydraulic barriers, throw spike strips, make some kind of PHYSICAL interdiction if you can. 4. Shoot. Depending on the most recent assessment of the environment, some units say fire warning shots...some don't. Some fire rounds through engine blocks to disable vehicles...others for drivers. Again, the EOF procedures are very situationally dependent, and good units try to remove all possible unfortunate coincidence before turning lethal - that requires good planning, thoughtfulness in establishing standard operating procedures, and rehearsing those procedures. Also, units have the right to defend themselves against what they perceive as imminent threat to them - basically if it is clear to them that they are in mortal danger, they have the right to turn immediately lethal to protect themselves and mission-essential equipment. These Escalation of Force procedures exist in some form or fashion for every unit that has ever deployed to combat or peacekeeping. They are tools to protect both soldiers and non-combatants.

In response to questions about being ordered to do something you find immoral or illegal - soldiers do have recourse against this. A soldier is not required to follow an illegal order. In fact, he is obligated to ignore and report it. In some cases to even relieve his commander to protect the mission, the local population, the laws of land warfare, and the honor of the unit. In the case of an immoral order that may not necessarily be illegal, there is a great deal more subjectivity. A soldier who feels that an order is strongly immoral can refuse that order, but must subject himself to the Uniform Code of Military Justice following resignation. He resigns his position while an investigating officer is appointed by the command usually at the battalion level or above to conduct either a Commander's Inquiry or what is called a 15-6 Investigation (In the Navy and Marine Corps this is known as a Captain's Mast). That officer gathers evidence, takes sworn statements from involved parties, and draws conclusions based on everything he knows about what he has seen. He submits those findings to the command, who takes appropriate action. Those actions include favorable findings, in which nothing happens to the refusing soldier and the ordering commander is investigated and disciplined appropriately. Another option is taking the soldier to a General Court Martial if the findings are unfavorable. The General Court Martial is a legal trial under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, with a judge and jury, and can include execution if found guilty for a warranting crime. Another option is punitive punishment at the command level that is not legal in nature. These involve docked pay, letters of reprimand that will damage the soldier's career, reduction in rank, and even bread and water rationing for a specific period in the Navy. Soldiers have the option of refusing these punitive punishments and taking their cases to the higher General Court Martial at any time, with the understanding that it may be harder to land a conviction, but the penalties are stiffer. If the findings are unfavorable in any of these cases...at least the soldier can sleep at night knowing he did what he thought was right.

Now let us discuss the idea of divided loyalties for a moment. It is possible to be loyal to two different things with no problems - those loyalties are not by necessity conflicted. Like having loyalty to the US as a citizen, but pride in one's Jamaican heritage. That's perfectly fine. The rub comes when those loyalties DO conflict, like if the US and Jamaica went to war. That person would have to do some deciding in terms of loyalties. Now, I would not have chosen my current profession if I thought it would be in constant division with my beliefs. If ever that day comes, when my loyalties are divided between an institution and what I know of The Force...The Force is a much higher priority by several orders of magnitude. It has to be, or that spark in me that makes me more than dust dies a little bit. What love I have for my homeland stems directly from The Force. If ever they parted ways, the choice for me is clear.

Now on to the employment or eschewing of violence. Violence is a tool that has appropriate and inappropriate uses. But one cannot and will not solve all the world's problems by use of violence first, nor should one try. Before a warrior is given the authority to employ violence, they should be in a state of Right Intention. What do I mean by Right Intention? Keeping the tenets of the Jedi Code in the foremost of one's mind. An example of correcting 'Wrong Intention' from fiction:

"Wars Not Make One Great"

Pardon me dusting off Yoda's age-old wisdom. I think it bears weight in this discussion and warrants closer examination.
Yoda is exactly right...especially when extolling that bit of wisdom to someone in Luke's position. You see, Luke Skywalker grew up on Tatooine dreaming of life among the stars, fighting in the battles between the Empire and the Rebellion. Getting off Tatooine and fighting the Empire was the scale by which he measured success. He accomplished that goal in spades, saving the Rebellion in the Battle of Yavin and becoming a hero in his own right almost overnight. According to his personal metrics of awesome...he had arrived. Others like Dack, the gunner in his Snowspeeder during the Battle of Hoth, saw him as that hero too- a starfighter pilot and soldier at the top of his game...someone to emulate and follow to a free galaxy. Someone exactly like Luke wanted to be just a few years before. Luke's definition of success hadn't really changed much at that point - nor had it matured. He had only slid further along his own definition of success and personal fulfillment. For most of the rebels, that would have been perfectly fine - Luke had done and was doing things few could claim throughout all of the galaxy's history.

But the Force called Skywalker to be a Jedi.

Enter the crash landing on Dagobah.

Everything about that experience, to include his ignoble entrance, was a lesson in unlearning. When Luke first tells Master Yoda he's looking for a great warrior, rather than reinforce the wrong ideas of greatness in Luke's mind, Yoda uses the quote above as if to say, "Time to rethink your definition of greatness here, pal." The lesson was immediately lost on Luke, but if he had given it serious consideration he likely would have asked himself some very soul-searching questions. Like, "I have spent my whole life pursuing this thing I thought was important. If my dream of becoming an interstellar warrior hasn't make me great, then what does?" I think pursuit of the wrong thing is something most of us can relate to on some level. Luke had already maxed out his own definition of awesome - was already a level 90 Warlock with +50 Pauldrons of Explosionizing. Yoda had to help him unlearn all that - taking from him his pride, his status as arguably the best starfighter pilot in the galaxy, the guy who survived the Death Star Trench Run and fired the proton torpedo heard 'round the galaxy - when he CRASH LANDS IN A SWAMP. Yoda takes him from standing in front of cheering cohorts with a shiny medal around his neck and the greatest in technology...to stacking rocks in the mud. Like a child. But stacking them in a fundamentally new way with focus from an entirely different plane. It literally flipped Luke Skywalker's view of the world upside-down.

So how does Yoda's quote on war not wag a finger at the idea of the Jedi Warrior?

Though fictitious, I tongue-in-cheek admit that Yoda has forgotten more in five minutes about what it means to be wise than I'll ever learn. But I'm also not on pre-Dagobah Luke's sliding scale definition of success, either. I understand, as a Jedi should, that martial glory is not something to be desired. It usually means a lot of dead people, broken hearts, and cyclic violence. I learned through years of service that, while you don't win medals for the battles you don't fight, real lasting success occurs when you can shape an environment well enough so you don't HAVE to make the proton torpedo shot along the Death Star trench. You win when there was no Death Star in the first place. No moon-sized station of people getting killed in one trigger squeeze.

The trial isn't necessarily the swing of the saber or squeeze of the trigger - it is this: Carrying the Force into the worst situation imaginable and doing everything one can to reach a good conclusion. The sacrifice is placing yourself in situations where your spirit is no longer safe - where you can make wrong decisions in terrifying dilemmas, and there may not be a 'right answer'.

War and open conflict are not pre-requisites for this magnitude of 'scenario of principle', sure. But if you attempt to exclude them from potential places a Jedi can positively influence in the name of the Jedi Code...that is a major field of despair and chaos left uncontested and uninfluenced.

Consider Luke's confrontation in the throne room over Endor. For him, safety was a hyperspace jump away. I don't mean physical safety, but spiritual safety. He knew he risked becoming the greatest evil in the galaxy by showing up to that throne room. Yes, we all know how that turned out...but who, beyond Luke, believed he could have pulled off the stunning victory he did against stacked odds? Luke managed to find a solution - an inspiring and redeeming one - in a field of positively terrifying possibilities. Had a lesser Jedi, untrained in some aspect or simply not as skilled as Skywalker, or someone with less wisdom found themselves in that position, the outcome certainly would have taken a sinister turn. It is by virtue of the fact that a fully trained Jedi, equal to the task before him, was present in that precarious situation that Vader redeemed himself, destroyed the Emperor, and dealt the Galactic Empire a heavy blow. Seems like the perfect situation for a Jedi to be active and participatory.‏

What I think would be detrimental to both Jedi and warfare is to excuse them from one another. A Jedi should seek to provide wisdom in the darkest of times, in the worst of situations. To shy from that responsibility when one has the ability to bring peace, knowledge, serenity and harmony - The Force - to where it is needed most is counter to the Jedi Code. And warfare, as brutal as it is, may be even just slightly less hellish.

Consider the fourth precept of Musashi's Dokkodo: Think lightly of yourself, and deeply of the world. By that I mean, consider one's focus when making a decision with serious implications of any kind: Is the Jedi at the center of the universe, or is the Force?

If you take the Jedi out of the equation, and leave ONLY his wisdom and judgment in place as to whether or not violence occurs, how it occurs, when it occurs, and in what measure...would you rather have his wisdom, or would you rather have someone who thinks as Luke did before Dagobah - That martial glory was the measure of his life - making the life-or-death decision?

I know that not all Jedi are appropriately equipped for this method of trial, just as there are those Jedi far better qualified than I to take a call on a suicide prevention hotline...but if one can bear the torch into the darkest of places he has the skill and Right Intention to handle, why leave that evil for someone less prepared, less skilled? Someone without Right Intention?

The core of any endeavor, regardless of severity, is honoring The Code. Without that, proficiency and competency mean nothing. If I war because I want glory, it doesn't matter if I am best. If I engage in Law because I want money, then it does not matter if I am best. However, with Right Intention - The Jedi Code as foremost in one's heart and mind - proficiency then matters in all those things because it directly correlates to one's ability to act on behalf of The Force.

Thank you for your service and for your words.

I think that it is very important for people who, like me, haven't been in the military to know how it really works. It's important to get the perspective of the people actually doing the fighting.

I found your tying in of the movies to real life wonderfully done.

I personally believe that Jedi make ideal combatants as they would strive to meet their objectives with as little death as possible but would not hesitate to do what is needed to accomplish a goal that is right and just.

I almost didn't respond because I thought that anything I could add would seem silly in comparison, but just clicking "thank you" didn't cut it for me.

I am guilty, as a fantasy-trop loving civvie, of idealizing the "honorable warrior" archetype (as can be seen in my initial IP journal entry). However, I have always done this with the understanding that the thing that separates a proper warrior from a fighter is intent--fighters may fight for any number of reasons, but "warriors" fight for a future in which there will be no fighting. They actively pursue a path that would put them, more or less, out of a job. They strive for peace and peace cannot be won only with the sword, but through diplomacy, tact, sacrifice, and generosity. It's a warrior's duty to fight the good fight, but that fight is not purely physical--it is mental, it is social, it is spiritual. We don't glorify the violence, but the struggle through which we attain metamorphosis into something that closer resembles a "good" person and a "better" world.

I also believe that Jedi are called to be all things to all people, after a fashion. We cannot shirk and hide when difficult decisions come our way; we are to lead by example and through personal strength of will. The creed says "I am a Jedi, an instrument of peace." But sometimes that means being a weapon of war. Not always, hopefully not often, and never if there are other alternatives. But sometimes violence is the only recourse left in the defense of innocents, nations, or ideals. We mustn't rush to violence, but we should never avoid it if it is the proper solution, rare as those times may be.

I consider myself a "warrior pacifist" in my daily life, and I explain that briefly in my apprentice journal by quoting Yukiyoshi Takamura:

“Some aikido teachers talk a lot about non-violence, but fail to understand this truth. A pacifist is not really a pacifist if he is unable to make a choice between violence and non-violence. A true pacifist is able to kill or maim in the blink of an eye, but at the moment of impending destruction of the enemy he chooses non-violence. He chooses peace. He must be able to make a choice. He must have the genuine ability to destroy his enemy and then choose not to. I have heard this excuse made. “I choose to be a pacifist before learning techniques so I do not need to learn the power of destruction.” This shows no comprehension of the mind of the true warrior. This is just a rationalization to cover the fear of injury or hard training. The true warrior who chooses to be a pacifist is willing to stand and die for his principles. People claiming to be pacifists who rationalize to avoid hard training or injury will flee instead of standing and dying for principle. They are just cowards. Only a warrior who has tempered his spirit in conflict and who has confronted himself and his greatest fears can in my opinion make the choice to be a true pacifist.

Conflict is inevitable, violence is not necessarily so. The appropriate tool for the appropriate job; nothing more, nothing less.

For sure, you gotta be true to yourself to know your true self, TM. Jedi in combat depends on which domain of action and reaction your interested in I guess, physical, moral, spiritual... and things which have huge demands on each of those could really serve to anchor oneself into a Jedi mindset as the baseline. I think it makes sense for combat related military activity (at least in the 'West'), and is partially why its my path also.

Violence is a tricky subject and I'm not sure it requires association with the Jedi way specifically. I'd probably prefer to argue it doesn't, rather violence might be required for certain professions and if you happen to be a Jedi in that profession, then the only influence that path might be is to manage how it's employment is applied in any grey areas that the professional conduct might allow. Of course even violence can be subjective, so one person's routine could cause harm to another person in the same activity so for me the primacy still remains on compassion and integrity flooded with capability across situational awareness (detection) and situational management (action) tools. I find the Code and doctrine very relevant to these things.

G'day Reacher. Thanks for the post. It was an excellent read. Nice to here more from the other side. I tend to get a bit disappointed reading posts about violence from those who have been lucky enough to stay ignorant of it. Clearly your not.

For my part I don't see the difference between a cornmeat sandwich and a salad sandwich so to speak. Living things died to produce both. As I was born and bread in remote bush I very much see death and violence as a natural and important part of life and nature. I have no trouble with the idea of using aggression and deadly force to protect my family just as the animal kingdom does.

That said I'm a pacifist by Steamboat's definition and despite being excepted into officer training I declined a career in the military as I agree with Adder's words. For me there is to many chancellor palatines in this world to be part of an organisation that would make me a storm trooper.

At the end of the day I ask myself what would I do if a technologically superior Muslim nation brushed aside the military of my nation, instigated their own government and removed women from schools all because a handful of right wing extremists killed a few of their citizens? What if one of their drones accidentally kills my family during the occupation? Would I fight then? Would you? In this regard the goat herder shooting at US soldiers is no different from them.

I don't blame an animal when it is protecting its territory or its young and I wouldn't blame humans either let alone put myself in a position where the logical out come is to kill them. I could not then justify being part of the military regardless of the flexibility I had to complete objectives.

Thanks for the replies so far, guys.

I'll address a couple things, and start off by saying that I sometimes fail to explain myself understandably. I'll try to rectify that.

Firstly - I'm not here to justify specific policy of ANY nation or organization. This is not the appropriate thread for that. I'll leave my opinions on foreign policy at the door to maintain the purity of the topic.

Steamboat28, I think we see very much eye to eye here.

SeventhSL, I think you made the right decision for yourself in choosing to focus in something other than the military. That was the right choice for you. Becoming a stormtrooper for someone's agenda is a real consideration here, and so is this: Could a true Jedi, with the Force in his heart, actually become a 'stormtrooper'? Sure, a Palpatine might send him someplace for whatever sinister purpose...but the manner in which he conducts himself and his business is up to the Jedi. Who pulls the trigger on his rifle and the pins on his grenades? If that Jedi manages to shape his environment such that he manages to hold fire on even one person - deserving or no, avoids one drone strike - justified or no, is that not better than having some lemming or automaton there instead? I'll move forward with this thought while addressing some of Adder's very important points: Does the Jedi Way REQUIRE association with violence? Absolutely not. I cannot stress that enough. We each have our strengths, preferences, and natural proclivities. But for those who do serve in that arena and CAN positively influence a potentially violent situation - is that not right for them to do so, even at risk?

What I DO believe is that the Jedi Path requires application of the Jedi Code - and not just when it is physically, morally, or spiritually safe and convenient for the Jedi to do so. That theme transcends violence, warfare, or ANY particular profession. Should the the Jedi Code - our (albeit imperfect) understanding of The Force - be at the center of the equation when a Jedi acts, or should the Jedi?

I would LOVE to be completely disassociated from war, violence, and all the negativity that comes with it. But if I can do some good on behalf of the beliefs I steward in that arena, I accept that risk. If I don't risk the negatives (with the reasonable belief that my skills equal to the task), then I cannot affect a great positive either.

Yes, combat is the topic I chose for my color palette in this thread. It is something I am familiar with and have thought a great deal about. I use it as a construct here because it is one of the more difficult things to justify participating in as a Jedi. I realize that, as an example, it may not be accessible on a deeply personal level for all. It is but a pawn, however. At its heart, this topic has really nothing at all to do with violence.

Fundamentally what I am asking you all to think about is this: Are you a steward of the Force? If so, does that mean a steward should be willing to assume some level of risk and sacrifice (morally, physically, OR spiritually) to do good for the world? Soldiering is an extreme example. In my case, what I risk is becoming a 'stormtrooper' on behalf of another's cyclically violent and negative agenda. But by doing so I also stand to serve as a force of good where it is needed most. If nothing, at least where *I* can serve most. That, to me, is honorable and worthy of pursuit.

I came here, to this Temple specifically, because I wanted to better understand the Force, and how I can better serve its principles in my capacity as a warrior.

Apply this to your own story, and see how it fleshes out. Ask yourself why you are here...is it to better understand how you can steward the Force in whatever capacity you serve it best, or perhaps for reasons that are more self-serving? Are you here to make YOU awesome, or are you here to make the WORLD awesome? Yes, I am oversimplifying and yes, this is a false choice...but think of those questions in terms of 'centers of gravity'. Are you at the center of the universe, or is something greater than all of us at the center of the universe - The Force? If the latter, then where should we stop in terms of trying to serve that center? Only where it can't possibly hurt anything or anyone, regardless of what real effect it may have for 'good' in the world? Before risking loss for oneself and The Force, regardless of the potential gains (spiritual, moral, physical)?

These are questions I grapple with quite a bit. I thank you for the insight you've all already given, and welcome more.

“It’s easy to be a holy man on top of a mountain.” This is a quote from the movie, The Razor’s Edge starring Bill Murray. It is about a man’s spirit journey about life. It was terrible in the eyes of the critics at the time. I watched it and it changed my life. This movie influenced my decision to join the military.

Reacher, you have done an amazing job with this thread. As a brother in arms, I thank you for your service. Not everyone can do what we do.

I disarm IEDs as part of my job, usually while taking sniper fire from someone trying to prevent me from clearing the area. Usually these devices are going to kill many people, innocent people, not just combatants. If this is not Jedi work I do not know what is.

We all have our calling. I have served for 29 years. I have influenced the hearts and minds of countless Soldiers, Sailors and Marines globally. I walk the Jedi Path. I am a Jedi by my deeds and actions. I strive to be that example in some of the most brutal situations that I scarcely talk about except maybe to a fellow few who can relate or understand the horrors of the world.

Some of my brother and sister veterans are/were storm troopers, but they are influenced by the example of true leadership. If we do not have Jedi walking among them, then who else will set that leadership example but the Palpatines of the world?

It is not an easy road, but I had to come down from the mountain, step into the face of adversity and temptation that real life throws in our path and using the Force as my guide, managed it fairly well.

Again this life is not one I recommend to anyone, I do it so that others do not have to. All I ask is that you take a moment and reflect, meditate on what Reacher’s message is truly saying. If Jedi do not have a place in military or combat then who is left to guide the will of the Force to temper the hands of those who wield the terrible might of the Human Ego?

Oh I think the military is a great place to train in 'Jedi', if the individual can see the greater value of it and not get caught up in seeing onself as a gear in a machine or the grind of repetitive work (things not unique to the military) - getting to paid to train for a living to be stronger and smarter in body and mind could be a great opportunity for someone who associates themselves to the Jedi way IMO - unfortunately the actual fighting side detracts from that personal perspective (usually) but that is where the nature of service comes into play. Its a really important discussion actually and I thank Reacher for posting!!!!

Reflecting on the concept of self versus service to non-self is interesting, for in Jediism I do see some of the fundamental concepts might be focused on the dissolution of those distinctions, with the strong focus of the interconnected nature of the Force where oneself is integral to non-self. So I've tended to now see non-self as a part of self, and so service to self extends to include non-self!!

It might just be the nature of different individuals seeking balance with themselves to relate to the Force, that for some service leads to self and for others self leads to service!?

In my personal experience I was committed to service but couldn't make it happen (in the ways I would have liked), and so had to focus on self. What I found was that the focus on self in a Jedi context with the interconnected nature of the Force leads to some sensation towards a concept of almost obligatory involvement outwards into society (in various capacities) - when outer becomes part of inner and no longer are separated.

I tend to think it might be why Mahayana Buddhism has this concept of Bodhisattva, not that it share the concept of 'enlightenment' but that the particular doctrine suddenly progresses with a heavy association outwards to all other life, and for Jediism it might be more about the things discussed in the Code.

But service requires a certain strength of self plus a certain capacity to engage ones strength in that particular way, and that limits its applicability to those who can meet or train up to meet that particular avenue. I don't think its a universal entry point. I don't think the Code demands service explicitly but rather service is part of what it means to develop a greater/clearer relationship with the Force, and therefore relates back to the Code through that nature. Some people might need to focus on self to be a steward of the Force, while others might need to focus on non-self, but I'd like to think the balancing nature leads all Jedi to being stewards of the Force, that hope I can agree with 100%!!!

Reflecting on this aspect and the stories told, I would like to share one of my own.

To make a long story short, a friend of mine was "scheduled to fight" some dingus from our neighborhood. My friend had only myself and my girlfriend at his side while the dingus brought nigh on 20 people to watch this epic battle. Both of the "combatants" were your average high school student. Neither of them had any formal martial arts training, or as far as I know had ever even been in a fight. In the end, my friend decided to talk the problem out. He still got a girly slap-punch to the cheek, in my opinion so dingus would look good in front of his friends, but nobody was injured. My friend walked over to me and shrugged it off, saying the slap actually warmed his face a little, being in the early grip of winter, and gave a chuckle of relief that the whole ordeal was finally over. I looked at the crowd congratulating dingus on a job well done and simply shook my head and put a hand on my friend's shoulder, looking him warmly in the eye. "This is a battle you have truly won, my friend, by simply choosing not to fight." I told him. As I did, one of dingus's cronies alerted dingus to my words. He immediately went back into "fight mode" and made a scene asking me if I had something to say. As a side note, I have had verbal run-ins with dingus in the past. He wanted to fight me for supporting one of my friends he was verbally abusing one time, to which I calmly responded with at least 7 different ways he would end up in the hospital if he really wanted to fight me. He backed off immediately and offered to be friends. Anyway, dingus "calls me out", to which I simply reply " I've already dealt with you before. I have nothing more to say". This must've reminded him of who I was, because he quickly became very defensive, saying he didn't know me or who I was (saying my full name while claiming that, even pronouncing it correctly) and left with his group shortly after.

This story shows how, even though I (with some formal karate training, plus self-training in over 15 different martial arts) had every opportunity to beat the everliving snot out of dingus, as did my friend, we proved on that day who the better men were.

I tell this story to show that while Jedi are keepers of peace, it doesn't mean we can't be warriors as well, and to support my belief that a true Jedi is much like the philosophy of many gun owners. It's always better to have the means to defend yourself and others and never need to than it is to need to and not have the means.

I believe all Jedi should have the means, not only in a martial aspect, but also in having the wisdom to know when not to fight.

I believe that the best way to win any battle is to ensure it never happens in the first place. If it is unavoidable, the true victor is the one who fights for truth and justice.

Hello Reacher!
Thank you for your service as a warrior.
My response to this is: One of the earliest needed lessons of a jedi is of personal resposibility. That lesson as I have come to understand it is made of three equal elements. Numbers do not reflect relative importance.

1-The responsibility one has towards ones peers as a Jedi (a person of exceptional perceptiveness, balance, discipline, ability, courage, and love.) The loving balance to exceptional power is the responsibility to serve ones peers in measure equal to that power.

2- The responsibility one has towards oneself to remain actively commited to these ideals and forward progress in ones training and life experiences.
The path of the jedi becomes a kind of trap. The further i go the more I realize that I can not go back. There is no choice anymore, I AM JEDI, and I alone am responsible for my development and my destiny.

3- And the responsibiliy one must accept as such commitments transform the self is the understanding that every action and every decision or indecision will produce "echoes in eternity" -results and consequences which cannot be reversed or taken back.
That in itself can be cruzhing and debilitating knowledge if one is listening to the whispers of the dark (fear) I.e. "ohno if I act people will suffer - if i do not act people will suffer"
The balance to that is:
As a perceptive being with an eye for balance a jedi is uniquely capable of discerning appropriate response to a given situation.

As a courageous and loving being a Jedi will be motivated by the well being of all, empathically attuned to the suffering of the afflicted, spiritually repulsed by the selfishness of the tyrant, and EAGER TO ACT in the way which most expresses this orientation,

As a person of ExtraOrdinary discipline, ones abilities and control are cultivated to such a degree that whatever action the jedi may take or cause she may support there will be very little (in terms of tangible and cleay defined goals or obstacles) that can withstand his efforts. JEDI SUCCEED UNTIL THEY DIE- and may greatly further the cause agenda and influence of any institution they support.

You and only you are responsible for what you choose to perpetuate. By maintaining the balance of these elements of responsibility answers often become easier to determine, though not neccessarily easier to accept!
Are you performing service in proportion to your power and ability? The most good for the highest cause?
Do your associations and allegiences confirm and harmonize with your principals? Do YOU feel that you must compromise your principals as a Jedi in order to maintain your self esteem as a warrior?
Who do you ultimately perform this service for, and are you serving an irresponsible master?

Without fear
Without ambition
Without NEED
Search Your Feelings.

Not that it should make any difference one way or another but just so that you know, I agree with whatever you find


And that is what I have learned so far as the basic formula for any and every decision.