Anger

Adder wrote: Working with emotion is a different kettle of fish, and strictly a subset of other practice where it serves as a power source only.

Could you expand on this?

Anger is usually accompanied by other emotions, which I believe determine the manner in which you will 'use' your anger...

For instance - someone gets promoted ahead of you at work. You are angry and jealous. The jealously breeds resentment, and you find yourself being rude and uncooperative towards your boss and your promoted co-worker.

Or - you hear about an instance of extreme cruelty committed by a dictator of a third-world country. You are angry and compassionate. The combination spurs you to campaign, to raise and donate money, to generally try to effect positive change...

Of course, many people come to TOTJO with a notion that Jediism must hold that anger is bad in and of itself, because this is how anger is portrayed in the Star Wars movies...

But it is not really, and we do not teach that it is...

I find it more helpful to try to maintain an awareness of the other negative emotions that try to piggyback in with the anger. Once they are removed from the equation the anger has no fuel with which to sustain itself, and it will burn out quickly and (hopefully) harmlessly.

In response to the OP:

Rickie The Grey wrote: I think mildly expressing anger is a valuable socializing tool warning people that something is amiss.

I think that this can sometimes be the case, in the event that the stage has been reached where the individual has let the anger build up. But, we also have to be wary - sometimes when expressing anger, others will reply with anger, and this often just adds fuel to the fire until all participants are feeling even more angry than they were in the first place. This can sometimes be seen in TOTJO threads, where two opposing opinions are stated and eventually escalate into personal attacks that are of little or no relevance to the original question. (I'm not pointing any fingers, simply voicing an observation that is partly based on my own participation in a few such debates... )

When feeling the urge to vent a little anger it's important to try to maintain enough clarity of mind to first assess the situation and understand how our anger is likely to be received within the context.

Anger can lead easily to conflict and violence. There is nothing wrong with anger as it can be useful at times. But to let it control you and lead to disastrous results is something to be avoided.

Mareeka wrote:

Adder wrote: Working with emotion is a different kettle of fish, and strictly a subset of other practice where it serves as a power source only.

Could you expand on this?

If working with increasingly complex meditative visualization (bringing the power of dreaming into conscious awareness) I try and use avenues which connect naturally to the subconscious, like emotion, as conduits to the processing power which might otherwise be in the subconscious and perhaps not usually accessible to the conscious mind.

I would pose a question, in response.

What does the doctrine of this Order say, and what can we learn from this?

MagnusD wrote: I would pose a question, in response.

What does the doctrine of this Order say, and what can we learn from this?

Look it up?

From the Doctrine:

Jedi Believe... In the positive influence of spiritual growth and awareness on society.

From the 16 Teachings: 8. Jedi are patient. We work on training ourselves not to precipitate events around us. We know that becoming a Jedi is long and hard and requires rigorous dedication and commitment. Jedi train to act with a conscientious state of calmness.

10. Jedi serve in many ways. Each action performed, no matter the scale, influences the world. With this in mind Jedi perform each action with peace, caring, love, compassion and humility. So it is that each Jedi improves the world with each deed they perform.

14. Jedi are guardians of peace. We believe in helping all those that are in need, in whatever form, to the best of our ability. We recognise that sometimes providing help requires courage in the face of adversity but understand that conflict is resolved through peace, understanding and harmony.

Justice: To always seek the path of ‘right’.

A Jedi is unencumbered by bias or personal interest. Justice is a double-edged sword, one that protects the weak, yet also passes judgements according to a set of values. A Jedi tolerates that which is not Jedi and does not pass judgement on that which causes no harm for it is just.

Nobility: To act with honour.

A Jedi does not engage in petty, mean or otherwise dubious activities. Acting with stature and distinction influences others, offering a compelling example of what can be achieved by those who follow Jediism.

Discipline: To let the self be sole master of the self.

A Jedi’s mind is structured, peaceful, unencombered by emotions, physical state or external stimuli.

And, I think the most clear stance:

Conflict: To know when to fight.

A Jedi knows the conflicting nature of the Force but they also know its peace and serenity. A Jedi never blindly enters conflict and always does so for the greater good.

There are your sources from the doctrine.

Rickie The Grey wrote:

MagnusD wrote: I would pose a question, in response.

What does the doctrine of this Order say, and what can we learn from this?

Look it up?

I could have (in fact I did) but that hardly generates further discussion!

MagnusD wrote:

Rickie The Grey wrote:

MagnusD wrote: I would pose a question, in response.

What does the doctrine of this Order say, and what can we learn from this?

Look it up?

I could have (in fact I did) but that hardly generates further discussion!

Are there any particular bits of doctrine that you would like to discuss in conjunction with the topic?

Although none really mention anger specifically, there are plenty that could be interpreted as being relevant...what are your thoughts?

How's about the "Emotion, yet peace" portion of the code? It seems... contradictory to me. Emotional people are always the less peaceful for it; I know I struggle greatly with this.

Also, the Creed talks of bringing love, faith, hope etc; can allowing anger in our lives truly fit in with that?

The 12 teaching states "12. Jedi believe that love and compassion are central to their lives. We must love and care for each other as we must love and care for ourselves; by doing this we envelop all life in the positivity of our actions and thoughts. We are providers and beacons of hope."

or from the 21 Maxims; "Meditation: To exercise the mind.
Through regular meditation a Jedi examines their motivations, and are certain that they are not allowing emotion, ignorance, or passion to intrude upon them. Meditation can be used by a Jedi to improve their mindfulness, focus, or patience."

Just a few that, to me, highlight the need to control our emotions, and to work to rid ourselves of anger, hate and other emotions to influence our lives?