Physical TOTJO Temple in Texas Project

I spent last night reading all the posts I looked at them and woke up this morning and went into meditation. This is an old subject that grew very heated last time. I think multiple Masters and Jedi remember it well...I believe my opinion is still the same as it was then. I think it would be good but, a lit of work and devotion from not just Br. John or Master Jestor but, it would require everybody...honestly, I am uncertain everyone can. I founded my own small church about 2 1/2 yrs. Ago (I have a U.L.C license) I was A LOT of hard work...We never got a "building project" but, we founded the church at my friends house for a short time. We had 3 people to start off with and grew to 10 but, eventually I went to India and the Minister I left with them lost the attention of faithful and when I got back I had to close it...very hard to do. But, I never asked for money, tithes, offerings...NOTHING. What resources I had were solely out of my own expenses.It was a tough one...but, its not impossible. Its just gonna require the entire devotion of TOTO to achieve it.

I completely agree sven, we can't expect john to bail any payments out if we can't afford. It must be a community thing.

As for reasons we want our own place rather than just any old park is for meditation.

There exists methods of meditation which are truly amazing and beneficial. There are even more than just what I've listed.

1. http://news.discovery.com/human/life/worlds-quietest-room-will-drive-you-crazy-in-30-minutes.htm
We could make a sound proof room which allows one to hear your own internal processes as you meditate.

2. http://zrdavis.com/sensory-underload-ninety-minutes-inside-an-isolation-tank/
Isolation tanks are awesome and are notorious for allowing deep mediation. Ive heard it forces you into meditation.

3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsQh1AT6qUE
A giant ferrofluid tree would be good for visual meditation?

4. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-MkZfgEDdM
These singing bowls are perfect to induce meditation and calmness.

5. Outside meditation in nature would be another classic approach. Perhaps incense burning? (causes changes in your brain akin to anxiety drugs)

Where else could you find all of these things in one temple?

We could offer all of these for free and receive donations for it all.

This reminds me of the discussions that occur when people plan intentional communities. I don't know why you would want land in the US. It's the most overpriced, overregulated, depressing, police statey, nazi, corporate a-hole place on the planet. For the amount that one person pays in rent for a year you could get great land elsewhere like Ecuador, Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, etc. If you had 2 people pool their resources you could probably get twice as much, and so on and so forth.

I used to be one of those people who had to plan everything in advance. Days turn into weeks, weeks to months, months to years. Eventually you hit 65 and waste your whole life for what? Take a look back on your life and ask yourself what you're doing. Is it worth it? Is it really what you want to be doing? Do you enjoy cutting your sleep cycle short with a blaring alarm clock followed by force-feeding yourself, force-evacuating yourself, hurriedly getting ready and rushing off into high-speed traffic so that you can sit at a desk for the next 8 hours doing a job you hate for people you can't stand? Well maybe Cambodia is looking pretty good right about now isn't it?

Cambodia, heck no. I had friends recently visit relatives there and they had to pay off a customs/security agent to board their flight home, and I think you need to be an Indonesian citizen to buy land in Indonesia? PNG might be good if the locals were on side.... and it's close to a 'western' nation if evacuation or specialized medical care is required LOL I'm biased naturally since it would be close to home. What you going to do there Whyte Horse, meditate and survive, or help the locals in some way?

$1,400 isn't over priced in my opinion. The problem with other countries is that cost will be so much to be able to visit.

And with this texas location, there are many tourists.

Drexid wrote: $1,400 isn't over priced in my opinion. The problem with other countries is that cost will be so much to be able to visit.

And with this texas location, there are many tourists.

So do it.

Organise a fundraiser.

Buy some land.

Bring your vision to life.

I hate to put a twist in this but...

I have been thinking, as I get closer to retirement, of buying a plot of land and opening my own church that is incorporated in Illinois. I would be doing it on my own and under my own business name. As a clergy member of TOTJO, I may be able to get a tax break as a church.

It would be a Jedi Temple called M.O.S. Nespin and follow the teachings of the Temple of the Jedi Order. But because I incorporate it in Illinois, it would be separate, and I would own it. It would be like starting your own Universal Life Church. It is your church but you follow a doctrine created by someone else.

Having too many cooks spoil the stew, but feeding a multitude makes the stew very good indeed.

Why is this putting in a twist? This is exactly what SHOULD happen!

You know, I think I just got lost as I read all the posts. I thought I would say it so I could understand it. :laugh:

Connor Lidell wrote: Why is this putting in a twist? This is exactly what SHOULD happen!

That's one opinion, I suppose. Another would be that if it's run just like TOTJO by TOTJO clergy it should maybe probably be a subsidiary of TOTJO, in case of any trademark/copyright/IP (no, not that kind) disputes.

I don't think there would be a trademark infringement if I have permission to use it and state that in any documents.

A subsidiary would be part of the legal holdings of TOTJO Texas, I think? What I would have is a separate church that teaches TOTJO's doctrine.

steamboat28 wrote:

Connor Lidell wrote: Why is this putting in a twist? This is exactly what SHOULD happen!

That's one opinion, I suppose. Another would be that if it's run just like TOTJO by TOTJO clergy it should maybe probably be a subsidiary of TOTJO, in case of any trademark/copyright/IP (no, not that kind) disputes.

:dry: I do not get a good vibe from you.

Phortis, I agree with you. But, I'm sure Brother John would be able to help you set up anything you'd like to do!

As TOTJO is Br. John's creation, I would not think of doing anything without his authority and advice.

Adder wrote: Cambodia, heck no. I had friends recently visit relatives there and they had to pay off a customs/security agent to board their flight home, and I think you need to be an Indonesian citizen to buy land in Indonesia? PNG might be good if the locals were on side.... and it's close to a 'western' nation if evacuation or specialized medical care is required LOL I'm biased naturally since it would be close to home. What you going to do there Whyte Horse, meditate and survive, or help the locals in some way?

Well I've already done it. There's so much opportunity you can pick what you want to do. I'd probably go back into teaching. I met people who had businesses, worked on oil rigs, had factories, retirees, etc. Yeah there are probably restrictions on land ownership, I've never looked into religious organizations.

I'm pretty sure members of a church can get religious visas and establish churches. Jedis can probably study at any Buddhist temple...

Connor Lidell wrote: :dry: I do not get a good vibe from you.

Phortis Nespin wrote: As TOTJO is Br. John's creation, I would not think of doing anything without his authority and advice.

Whatever kind of religious institution that TOTJO may or may not be, it is also a legally recognized corporation under the appropriate laws in the United States. That means it's not a sole proprietorship--I love Br. John as much as the next nugget, and he deserves props as the founder, but TOTJO is run by a Council that is also the Board of Directors . This means that unless everybody else on the board decides to agree with whatever comes out of his mouth, Br. John doesn't make decisions that legally impact the corporation by himself.

Furthermore, as a corporate body (both religiously and legally) TOTJO has a list of rights it has the responsibility to protect. This includes (legally) intellectual property infringement, adherence to corporate bylaws, legal responsibility, and (religiously) transmission of doctrine, teachings, and experience that is in line with TOTJO itself.

Since ordained clergy members are distinct in that their ordination is permanent without some serious paperwork and hoop-jumping, TOTJO must be that much more careful who it bestows these titles on, and has the responsibility (both legally and spiritually) to ensure that everyone maintaining that status also maintains the party line, since ultimately (again, both legally and spiritually) anything those OCPs do derives from the rights and powers granted to them by TOTJO, which in a negative situation will reflect poorly on TOTJO (best-case scenario) and might embroil TOTJO in a legal battle in regards to ethical practices or worse (worst-case scenario.)

I'm not saying Phortis is a bad dude. I'm not saying I don't trust Phortis. I'm just saying that there's a whole lot more riding on this idea than people like to think about, and it's kind of important to remember that TOTJO has responsibilities to its members, its Board, and the state and country it's incorporated in.

This forum isn't just magical Force-flavored pixie dust. It's a virtual meeting place for a LEGAL PERSONHOOD IN THE FORM OF A CORPORATE ENTITY, SUBJECT TO LAWS, RULES, REGULATIONS, AND PUNISHMENT.

So you can take your Lucasfilms-trademarked "bad feelings" about me and put them someplace warm and fuzzy, because I don't think I was out of line at all in suggesting this might need to be looked at a little more closely before anything's decided.

(obligatory tension-defusing smiley face line)

I am with you brother Steamboat28! :woohoo:

As far as the legal stuff, you seem to know more than I, so I will do my homework when the time comes for me to take on this big step.

Thanks for your input, it is much appreciated.

As I just said in my PM,

It's not what you say, it's how you say it.

It's just evident to me in your writing. And, maybe it has nothing to do with you. Maybe it's my problem. Who cares? Just means I don't like talking with you.

In fact, I agree with everything you've put forward. And, nowhere did I contradict what you said. So, there's that.

We do have one offline group affiliated with us, and that would be Zanthan's group in Minnesota...

Unbeknownst to most of you, Charters/Chapters/whatever, have been discussed...

We have discussed (not too in-depth, but its been talked about) it, ideas, thoughts, whatever...

Just an fyi...

Adder wrote: it's close to a 'western' nation if evacuation or specialized medical care is required

Health care has changed a lot over there. A lot of westerners are going to Thailand and India because of the poor healthcare in the US/UK/CA. I'd take the Thai socialized healthcare system over the US private system any day...

Connor Lidell wrote:
It's not what you say, it's how you say it.

hee heee heee :whistle: