Journal of the Whills

After my post in the Jediism section on the Guardians of the Whills, it was suggested that I start a journal-like thread to clarify my thoughts on the whole topic. Here is the original thread .

Ironically, the first hint of the Whills was given over 40 years ago; Star Wars was originally named Journal of the Whills. Sadly, George Lucas was never able to expand on this concept. There is a lot of speculation as to what the journal was or what were the Whills. It's been said that the Whills may have been an alien race who were telling the story of Luke Skywalker through the eyes of R2-D2, the witness of most, if not all, of the events that took place in Luke's life.

Whatever the original intent, we're given a new lens to see the concept through in [iRogue One[/i]. Chirrut Imwe and Baze Malbus call themselves Guardians of the Whills. Unfortunately we're not given any details as to what this title means, but it's clear through Imwe's actions that they are not average human beings. A blind man, Imwe appears to have a perception of his surrroundings that even those with sight do not. This is expanded upon in the book Guardians of the Whills, in which it is made clear that Imwe's senses are enhanced through an understanding of the Force, though he is not Force-sensitive.

Each chapter in the book begins with a quote from a text written by a former Guardian. For clarity, I decided to create a page that listed these quotes: https://streen.wixsite.com/whills

The first quote isn't actually in the book, but it's an excerpt from the Journal of the Whills, the age of which is unknown:

"First comes the day
Then comes the night.
After the darkness
Shines through the light.
The difference, they say,
Is only made right
By the resolving of gray
Through refined Jedi sight."

―Journal of the Whills, 7:477

I found this a few years ago, though I honestly have not been able to pin down where it came from or who wrote it.

I'm sure you're wondering why I'm going through all this, talking about Whills and Guardians, and things I know little about. As another Star Wars character once said, "'Why' is a question always deeper than its answer." I suppose the attraction is the mystery behind it all. When so little is known about a topic, I am inherently drawn to it. I love a good mystery, and it if helps my understanding of the Force as well, I am all the more interested.

But more importantly, I think I can relate better to a character like Imwe than any Jedi. He's a martial artist, like me. Having no Force abilities, only my senses, and a knowledge of, and faith in, the Force, it's hard not to feel a stronger relation than I once did with the characters Luke Skywalker, Streen, Jacen Solo, etc. He gives to those in need, thinking first of them and lastly of himself. He is not a violent man, and yet when the moment calls for it, he can be. He can see into the truth of a situation before those who can actually see. These are things I look up to.

I am open to questions if you have any.

I’ve given some thought to this guy and his stance .
May the force of others be with you ...
I liked it so much that I sat and put it into my meditation.
To me - I make connections - every day connections - wether it’s music - money - information- spirituality - food - faith- all these things - I choose a connection . A step further is when I do - I share - what they believe - what others believe - their force . So in a way - I learn what their force is - the force of others. I add that to my very own . I got like a thousand by my count ! All the while getting more definitions - actual ones used - and difrent views - real ones. May the force of others be with you ... may you learn and grow by others and their paths - I like that. It’s not for everybody . But it’s for me! The opertunity to never grow stagnant! Yes

Since my last entry here, I did finally finish reading Guardians of the Whills. It didn't exactly offer any more insight as to who the Guardians are, but it did offer up a word that perhaps better describes who I am: disciple. One of Imwe's friends, Killi, is described as being a Disciple of the Whills. The difference between Killi and Imwe is something I can only speculate on, but I imagine that while Imwe is more of a warrior who once protected the Temple of the Kyber, Killi was more of a spiritual guide or adept of the Force. She wore similar garments to Imwe's, robes that symbolized who they were and what they stood for. Of course, with Jedha under Imperial control, they could not openly promote the ways of the Force, nor re-enter the Temple.

I'm sure it wasn't lost on most Star Wars geeks like myself that the planet name Jedha is remarkably similar to the word Jedi. Not only that, but in Rogue One, we're offered a glimpse of immense fallen statues, who I can only assume depicted Jedi holding lightsabers.

It's unfortunate, in a way, that Disney did not feel it important to expand upon these hints. I hope that more books are written, and perhaps even movies made, to explain exactly who the Guardians and Disciples of the Whills are. But in a way, I find it unimportant. Just the very hint of these people is enough inspiration to help me and other people find a more relatable group of people in the Star Wars universe, and maybe... just maybe... guide other Jedi down a path toward realism, even if we don't use the words, Jedi, Guardian, Disciple, or Whills.

In talking to certain people recently, I've become aware that Îmwe is almost like a Zen Taoist. As Lao Tzu said in the Tao Te Ching, "The sage does little, but leaves nothing undone." Îmwe seems to follow this philosophy, as when we first see him in Rogue One he is just sitting in the city of Jedha, seeking only alms. But when the fighting starts, he solves the problem with violence, completely wiping out a squad of stormtroopers on his own. What does he do then? He waits. He seems to be reaching out with his senses left to him. And when another squad shows up, his friend Baze Malbus (a former Guardian of the Whills) takes them out with a flurry of blaster bolts.

Îmwe and Baze have a brief dialogue as to what protected him from the second squad, Baze or the Force. Îmwe seemed to imply that there wasn't a difference. It reminds me of what my mentor once asked: "Does the Jedi use the Force or does the Force use the Jedi?" Obviously, the term "Jedi" is not the point here, but the idea that what we do to express our spirituality is not an either/or scenario. It's both/and.

I thought it might be appropriate to post this, so everyone can see what I'm talking about

I caught myself daydreaming just now, thinking about what it would be like to walk around in the robes of a Guardian of the Whills. The following happened in my imagination...

I was sitting on the ground in my backyard, and a young woman approached me. "What's with the robes? What are you?" she asked.
"I'm a Guardian of the Whills", I answered with a smile.
"Guardian? What are the Whills?" she inquired.
"The Whills are an ancient race of beings", I explained, "Storytellers, you might say."
"What stories?" she questioned me further.

My mind stopped wandering then. Some of that was based on what I've read on the internet, but I felt like the Force was guiding my mind down a particular avenue. This was something that I used to do a lot, imagining myself asking questions, or being asked questions, and somehow finding the answers.

So do you plan on making these robes? (always loved the look of Chirrut's garb) and if so, would they just be for certain use, or do you plan on going daily with these things?

Arisaig wrote: So do you plan on making these robes? (always loved the look of Chirrut's garb) and if so, would they just be for certain use, or do you plan on going daily with these things?

I considered it, making my own. I also considered buying them (only found them in one place), but the novelty of the whole idea is wearing off. I don't think this "guardians of the whills" thing was right for me. It felt nice to follow that fad, but feeling good isn't the goal.

Instead of wearing some kind of special robes, I'd rather wander the Earth in regular clothes, "hiding" in plain sight. How does the saying go? "Clothes do not make the man"?

I say this for a very particular reason. Part of it is because of something that happened to me in highschool. My history teacher used the word "inconspicuous", and one kid asked what it meant. After the teacher explained, he asked the kid if he knew of anyone who was inconspicuous. He pointed directly at me, and said "Him!"

I can't tell you how happy I was to hear that. I never liked drawing attention to myself, and to know that I was accomplishing that without trying was incredibly satisfying. It told me who I was, that I could walk into a crowd and disappear, allowing me to do what is necessary without being noticed. Which is why you won't see me wearing special clothes to symbolize what I am. My average, normal, regular clothing state something far more important: humility.

Not to say "I am humble!", since that would be a contradiction, or a paradox. Instead, I simply be myself, whether that means I'm humble or not. I don't really care. Does that make sense?

I'd like to apologize for my previous words. I was acting arrogant, under the guise of "humble". I've realized something in the past 12 hours or so, and that is that while clothes may not make the man, they certainly represent the man. My clothes do not represent humility; they represent a lack of self-respect.

This all came to me last night as I laid in bed, having trouble sleeping because something was bothering me, gnawing at me. I was conflicted about my participation here, who I was, etc. Am I a Jedi? A Taoist? A Christian? A Guardian? I had no answers. I realized something that had been drilled into me for years now: Life is not about knowing; it's about choosing. So I made a choice. I may not know if I'm a Guardian, but I can choose to be one.

This morning I found a replica of Îmwe's staff and purchased it. I figure that next month I'll purchase the robes. I need to stop pretending. Some might say that my Guardian attire could be considered pretending, but no, I've been pretending to be someone else my entire life. Never admitting to what I really am. I've pretended to be a Christian, a Taoist, a Jedi... it seems "Guardian" describes me best. I've decided to follow my heart. Any time I do it's the only time I feel whole, and I stop pretending to be someone I'm not.

If you've read all this, then thank you for your patience and your understanding.

Street wrote: This morning I found a replica of Îmwe's staff and purchased it. I figure that next month I'll purchase the robes. I need to stop pretending. Some might say that my Guardian attire could be considered pretending, but no, I've been pretending to be someone else my entire life. Never admitting to what I really am. I've pretended to be a Christian, a Taoist, a Jedi... it seems "Guardian" describes me best. I've decided to follow my heart. Any time I do it's the only time I feel whole, and I stop pretending to be someone I'm not.

If you've read all this, then thank you for your patience and your understanding.

Oh I understand the feeling. Being a Jedi without robes almost feels like pretending at times, when some may argue wearing robes makes it pretending. When you're wearing them, you have little choice but to be a Jedi, even if in pretend for cosplay or in real life Jediism. Not to say I would wear them always (it gets damn hot sometimes ;p) but I would love the option of wearing them for events, Knightings, and meditation. Makes all this a little more real, even if just to myself.

I know how you feel. Yes, wearing robes around all the time is impractical, as you explained. But I've long looked forward to the day when I could go to a ComicCon or similar event. It would give me an excuse to wear the robes. And maybe pass on a little knowledge of the Force without people realizing

Well I went a step further a couple days ago. I bought the robes. I plan to customize them, making them look a bit more movie-appropriate, as they look brand new. I want mine to look used, like most things in Star Wars I'll be sure to post plenty of pictures

I imagine it'll feel much like how I first put on my Jedi robes I sewed when I was about 20 years old, though those were poorly made to be honest. The Guardian robes will be professional, and were surprisingly not extremely expensive (though I know that term is relative).

If anyone else is interested, here is the link to the staff:

Staff

I'd post the link to the costume, but apparently it doesn't currently exist. Not sure why.

Streen wrote: Instead of wearing some kind of special robes, I'd rather wander the Earth in regular clothes, "hiding" in plain sight. How does the saying go? "Clothes do not make the man"?

There is an old Rosicrucian teaching which has influenced me a lot, which is the admonition that members were not to be constrained to wear a particular habit (like their contemporary monastic orders or societies, who adopted an identifying uniform). This was for two purposes - to allow the members of the fraternity to do their healing work without drawing attention to themselves, and to subtly protect them from turning their membership in the fraternity into a self-serving badge of pride/belonging rather than a purpose for their work (which such things easily tend to become). So I think it's definitely good to have a sense of why it can beneficial to *not* separate oneself from the general populace by wearing something that attracts attention. But there's also a balance to it. Quite often - at least in my experience - spiritual people may dress to invite outside attention (be it positive or negative) to affirm something to themselves, or else dress as a sort of conscious removal from the "ordinary" person - for example, clergy who wear the collar to remind themselves and signal others that they are always "on duty". Either track can be something very powerful and useful, or become something that traps you in superficiality.

Personally, I go for the middle road - when possible, I try to reflect a timeless aesthetic that helps remind me in the hectic day-to-day that I've chosen to live intentionally and without "following the herd", so to speak, but doesn't invite questions. It is, for me, a conscious rejection of the "fashion" mentality that tries to make us be too concerned with what others think of us based on our physical appearance, or buy new wardrobes based on what is "in" that year. That mindset does so much harm, to the people whose labor is treated as disposable, the environment which has to supply the demand, and those who will do extreme things to themselves to be able to participate. Conscious dressing - having fewer items of clothing that are treated as meaningful and part of your entire spiritual expression - can be a vital way of resisting that. I do like to recycle fabrics or clothing items into new creations when possible, but it's also nice to have something that is really precious, specific for the spiritual work you do, and stays with you for a long time, even if no one ever sees them or you only break them out for special events. I live in my "training clothes" these days when I'm not required to wear work-specific things. It saves a lot of wear on my business clothes, and helps encourage me to do small sets of training throughout the day or evening.

Even before I was going for a specific look (however subtle), I would really pay attention to what I wore in public for self-defense reasons - can I move in it? Run? Does it bind anywhere? Distract me with needing to fuss with it? Weapon-friendly, if needed? Purse- can it be used as a weapon? That has pretty much reduced my wardrobe to a specific look these days.

I look forward to seeing the pictures - Imwe's robes are some of my favorites ones.