A Simple Question

What is the Force?
It seems to be a life giving Source not only of things but of Being,
Or is there more to it than what I am seeing?
Is the Force a Unified Duality of Light and Dark,
Does one need to balance both sides for enlightenment's spark?
Something that seems remarkably complicated might be so much so that it's simple,
Does it smooth out the complications of life's little wrinkle?
Is the Force the Biosphere of this planet or does it sustain the Multiverse?
Is it personal, impersonal, both or neither ( forgive the questioning in verse)?
Does one bring balance to the Force by finding balance in the self,
Or is even the I concept something that should be put on the shelf?
So, what is the Force?

To me it can be just a concept of how everything is connected and by which the natural ebb and flow between the polarities of life and the universe exists.

To me physically I can consider the Force being the electromagnetic frequency matrix that really does connect all things in life and the universe, and really has polarities that are endlessly expressed through the forms and functions of anything.

This is how I see the answers to your questions. Others may, and probably will, have differing, yet complementary, view points.

Colonial73 wrote: What is the Force?

The Force is Every thing and No thing.

It seems to be a life giving Source not only of things but of Being,
Or is there more to it than what I am seeing?

Yes. And yes.

Is the Force a Unified Duality of Light and Dark,
Does one need to balance both sides for enlightenment's spark?

The Force is the Force. We, as humans with Egos, are what decides how the Force is applied. There are no 'sides' with the Force. I think the spark of Enlightenment comes when one can reside in the Force, and allow everything to just Be.

Something that seems remarkably complicated might be so much so that it's simple,
Does it smooth out the complications of life's little wrinkle?

A Paradox. The Force is both incredibly simple, and immensely complex at the same time, at least to my perspective.

Is the Force the Biosphere of this planet or does it sustain the Multiverse?

A resounding Yes.

Is it personal, impersonal, both or neither ( forgive the questioning in verse)?

The Force just IS. How we view It, integrate It, and learn of It dictates the answer to this on a personal level.

Does one bring balance to the Force by finding balance in the self,
Or is even the I concept something that should be put on the shelf?

The Force is already in Balance; it is us that are not (usually), so in order to experience a Balanced Force, one must maintain Balance within by finding, and learning, the Self.

The I concept (brought about by Ego) is important for this particular 3D (dualistic) reality. The I concept is a tool to be used to navigate through this human life, but it needs to be tempered with the realization that there is no I, just the illusion of it.

So, what is the Force?

Everything. And, also, what YOU make of It.

May the Force be with You!

what exactly are you looking for friend? All questions are valid but.... what are YOU looking for. Every ones path is diffrnt as per every answer will be different. my idea of the Force is what I have experienced as is different from every one else as is yours. to find answers some times you have to ask questions? why the Force? what draws you to it?

Everything.

when i talk about the Force i have a few different ideas which i may be using depending on the context

first is the idea of universal life energy, which i THINK is related to consciousness but theres no way i know of to confirm

i belive that at some level we are or can be considered ENERGETIC beings
as Yoda said, LUMINOUS beings - which is an idea much older than Lucas or SW

i belive there is an inherent connection we all share, which exists psychologically and energetically, perhaps metaphysically is appropriate word as well

sometimes this is what i mean when i say "the Force"

related but distinct from this conceptualization is the idea of synchronicity

http://www.carl-jung.net/synchronicity.html

"It is about acausal connection of two or more psycho-physic phenomena. This concept was inspired to him by a patient's case that was in situation of impasse in treatment. Her exaggerate rationalism (animus inflation) was holding her back from assimilating unconscious materials. One night, the patient dreamt a golden scarab - cetonia aurata. The next day, during the psychotherapy session, a real insect this time, hit against the Jung's cabinet window. Jung caught it and discovered surprisingly that it was a golden scarab; a very rare presence for that climate."

that and many other sources go on to elaborate the idea, and i would encourage anyone interested to research and also to rely on your own experience and judgement

also related to this is my sense that DESTINY is not exactly accurate, but, MOMENTUM is certainly easy to recognize, and the MOMENTUM of events, ultimately, can be traced back to the very beginning of existence itself, if such a thing can be spoken of in plain words (im not sure it can and this imo is one of the meanings of "the tao that can be told is not the eternal tao")

sometimes people are caught up in the momentum of events, and they seem to suggest predestination or a fate

this s one aspect of the Force

last, and this is a little tricky, very roughly speaking we can "divide" into THAT WHICH EXISTS and THAT WHICH DOES NOT EXIST

we cant REALLY make this division though, i SAY we can because thats the easiest way to introduce the idea, but "really" (lol yeah like im qualified to say what REALLY is) really there is only THAT WHICH EXISTS

there is nothing else

to me, The Force is that
all of that

and whatever that other is, that non existent backdrop upon which existence takes place, that also is the Force, although i would distinctively call that the Tao

definitively the tao is "big enough" to include the Force, but i dont know if the Force can include the Tao

What is everything doing?... What is doing everything?

carlos.martinez3 wrote: what exactly are you looking for friend? All questions are valid but.... what are YOU looking for. Every ones path is diffrnt as per every answer will be different. my idea of the Force is what I have experienced as is different from every one else as is yours. to find answers some times you have to ask questions? why the Force? what draws you to it?

I'm looking for different thoughts on the Force to perhaps clarify my own perspective of it. I ask about the Force here because I understand that it is the defining principle of a Jedi's relation to others, him or herself and the Power that creates, sustains and animates the world, both outside and in one's own being. I would say that, drawing on my belief in the unity of life, that the Force draws me to the Force. This is something that transcends religion as such, as religion is interpretations of different social understandings of life, how it should be lived and Whom we are to trust in it's maintenance, here and hereafter. In looking for different understandings of the Force, I seek the commonalities inherent in each description. Joseph Campbell's Power of Myth ( I'm reading the link right now) is providing another unique viewpoint ( or pair of viewpoints, as the book seems to be written in the format of an interview) that I will gladly adapt to my own understanding. As I assimilate these views and adapt them to my own use in meditation as well as conduct, I simply hope to apply the mindfulness and insights contained in the knowledge of the Force in my own life.

Colonial73 wrote: What is the Force?

Although some people consider the terms "Tao" and "Force" to be interchangeable, i think the Force is nearer to the chinese concept of Qi (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qi).

Colonial73 wrote:

carlos.martinez3 wrote: what exactly are you looking for friend? All questions are valid but.... what are YOU looking for. Every ones path is diffrnt as per every answer will be different. my idea of the Force is what I have experienced as is different from every one else as is yours. to find answers some times you have to ask questions? why the Force? what draws you to it?

I'm looking for different thoughts on the Force to perhaps clarify my own perspective of it. I ask about the Force here because I understand that it is the defining principle of a Jedi's relation to others, him or herself and the Power that creates, sustains and animates the world, both outside and in one's own being. I would say that, drawing on my belief in the unity of life, that the Force draws me to the Force. This is something that transcends religion as such, as religion is interpretations of different social understandings of life, how it should be lived and Whom we are to trust in it's maintenance, here and hereafter. In looking for different understandings of the Force, I seek the commonalities inherent in each description. Joseph Campbell's Power of Myth ( I'm reading the link right now) is providing another unique viewpoint ( or pair of viewpoints, as the book seems to be written in the format of an interview) that I will gladly adapt to my own understanding. As I assimilate these views and adapt them to my own use in meditation as well as conduct, I simply hope to apply the mindfulness and insights contained in the knowledge of the Force in my own life.

Friend, if you are looking for a ding ding ding your right!!! Well, you've answered your very own question. What you WILL find here is a place to grow. You have your path before you, I hope to leads you here. You will find many encouraging things here and people too! Pm any time