Robes and Sabers

Robes and sabers, how I fill my Jedi! Lol
I found the Temple. I know what we are. I like what we are. I like the Jedi Vessel here. I like the robes and sabers. I have 3 toy light sabers me and the boys uses often in our epic battles on the lawn and in our own flat.
I have accepted the robes and sabers and identification. Jedi... robes... light sabers, but what I put into them... is a different story. How I fill My Jedi life is up to me, so i choose to add me to the robes and name. I am no way just a fan. Far from it now. I am still a fan and will always will ne but I got more to me now than just... a "like". I use these symbols to give and make my connections. If I do it right, my hope is to leave a drop of grace in every footprint I leave. That's my own personal goal. I use what I have some days to achieve this and power things. Sabers and robes are some times my tools and instigate what I hope for and plan for some times.

I routinely wear a robe for meditation. It puts me in the right mood, and it's comfortable for sitting over longer periods of time. It's also a symbol of humility to me - a plain brown robe as a divider between my spiritual life and fleeting, worldly comfort.

I have a few different thoughts about this and I've been having a little difficulty organizing them, but I'm going to try because this is long.

Public Symbols

I think that robes, sabers, or other uniform items can have a very powerful and important place as outward symbols. Tons of religious organizations dictate clothing for their members (turbans, smocks, veils, dresses) or for people acting in an official capacity (choirs, monks, priests, missionaries). These are as much (if not more) about setting these people apart as they are about representing their faith. People who dress differently are seen differently. They're treated differently.

I don't think the goal of Jedi should be to show off their superiority. It shouldn't be to project to others that you are above them or somehow more right with the universe than they are. That's what a lot of explicitly religious uniforms do (whether that's what their initial purpose was or that's just the reality of what they have become; chickens and eggs).

J_Roz wrote: When my father walks into the room with a clerical collar people get nervous.

That demonstrates pretty well what I'm talking about. People have felt so much judgement from people wearing that outward religious symbol (sometimes because they were being judged, sometimes because they feel like they're being confronted with ideas of what they should and should not be) that there's now an uphill battle to interact with people casually and comfortably.

Nuns wearing the habit is another good example. Many many convents have done away with the habit. This is because nuns go out into the community all the time. They are very visible because of their dedication to public work. The habit, rather than being a positive image of women who have dedicated their life to poverty and charity, became a negative image that served as a barrier to connecting with the community the way the nuns wanted to.

If a Jedi wears robes everywhere, I think the perception would fall close to a habit. It would come off less as a symbol of personal dedication to a path and more as a symbol of superiority.

Of course, none of this matters if you don't care what other people think. You do you. But, like JamesSand, I'm very interested in a service oriented approach. So public perception of who I am and what I do is very important. I need to meet people where they are and do things that are conducive to positive interaction with them.

So if I were to wear something, I would need to balance the personal benefits it gives me with the potential negative impact it can have on my connection to others.

Personal Symbols

I think there is definitely a place for these sorts of symbols as part of my own personal ritual practice. Ritual is important to me and special clothing is very helpful. People who dress up in their Sunday best for church service are participating in a ritual that increases the impact of their religious practice. So carefully changing into a robe or polishing a saber hilt as part of meditative practice could be a really nice thing.

And there can definitely be a place for personal symbols in public. People who wear cross pendants under their shirt are doing it entirely for their own personal benefit and not as a symbol to others. To that end, I think there could be elements of a Jedi uniform for public use that would help a Jedi stay mindful or connected to their practice without alienating others. A middle ground, so to speak.

Symbols, robes, saber, whatever… there all fine and they have their place for each person.

But they are just that… symbols, tools to get in a mood or mind set, or something to help identify or relate to. They are not the teachings, ideals, values, the people or the religion. We may feel they help us in some way or another and that's okay; but, at the end of the day they’re still just things.

So, if you enjoy them, use them; they help you or you just like them there is no problem with that. But they are no more Jediism than a physical building for a church would be or the internet site we meet at is. I would only concern myself with any of them if I were to let them become the focus of what I was doing.

Symbols for who? I think robes, tools, symbols and religious fetish is more about ones own path for themselves, rather then expressing anything to anyone else. Consider cloistered monks, with all the accoutrements - but locked away among themselves where no-one else can see them anyway!! So that is how I see it, and I tend to use my memory and mental ritual to remind me, but if someone is so dedicated that they use them 24/7 then that's cool, especially the right tool for the right job!!

Parnerium wrote: Personal Symbols

.....

And there can definitely be a place for personal symbols in public. People who wear cross pendants under their shirt are doing it entirely for their own personal benefit and not as a symbol to others. To that end, I think there could be elements of a Jedi uniform for public use that would help a Jedi stay mindful or connected to their practice without alienating others. A middle ground, so to speak.

I think this is a great idea. I had thought about getting a lapel pin. It's not nearly as outward as a lightsaber hilt on my belt (I'm pretty sure I'd get in trouble for that at work). But a lapel pin would either be completely overlooked by others (which is fine) or it would be asked about (great for a conversation about my beliefs initiated by the other person). It would also make an easy connection with another member of the Order, as they'd be likely to recognize it. But it would avoid me shoving my beliefs into another person's face.

However, on the cross-under-the-shirt thought process...what could be a similar symbol? I would love to be able to wear a saber hilt, just because while meditating at work, I could pull it out and fidget with it or just focus on it...except that it would be so big and bulky. A cross is so simple. Could there be something similar to a cross for Jediism? For personal use, not advertising. Something that could be worn under regular clothing...like a cross, but not. I automatically think necklace/pendant of some kind, but it wouldn't have to be.

However, on the cross-under-the-shirt thought process...what could be a similar symbol? I would love to be able to wear a saber hilt, just because while meditating at work, I could pull it out and fidget with it or just focus on it...except that it would be so big and bulky. A cross is so simple. Could there be something similar to a cross for Jediism? For personal use, not advertising. Something that could be worn under regular clothing...like a cross, but not. I automatically think necklace/pendant of some kind, but it wouldn't have to be.

Something a little like this?



https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/397815891/luke-skywalker-lightsaber-hilt-pendant?ref=market

However, on the cross-under-the-shirt thought process...what could be a similar symbol? I would love to be able to wear a saber hilt, just because while meditating at work, I could pull it out and fidget with it or just focus on it...except that it would be so big and bulky. A cross is so simple. Could there be something similar to a cross for Jediism? For personal use, not advertising. Something that could be worn under regular clothing...like a cross, but not. I automatically think necklace/pendant of some kind, but it wouldn't have to be.

Well I cant find a better picture but this was a pendant made for the jediism.org - which inspired Jedi Sanctuary - Which inspired TOTJO. Sadly the guy who made them left when jediism.org died



Your first question would be. Which logo represents Jediism to you? From there its just finding someone to make it for you

Edan wrote:

However, on the cross-under-the-shirt thought process...what could be a similar symbol? I would love to be able to wear a saber hilt, just because while meditating at work, I could pull it out and fidget with it or just focus on it...except that it would be so big and bulky. A cross is so simple. Could there be something similar to a cross for Jediism? For personal use, not advertising. Something that could be worn under regular clothing...like a cross, but not. I automatically think necklace/pendant of some kind, but it wouldn't have to be.

Something a little like this?

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/397815891/luke-skywalker-lightsaber-hilt-pendant?ref=market

OMG! ITSSOPRETTYIWANTONEOMGOMG...I mean, that's cool. It's a bit pricey, but just what I was thinking actually, heh! *assumes cool guy pose leaning against a wall*

Look into shapeways.com they 3d print just about anything and they can print in plastic, metal, ceramic, etc

They may even already have something available