Warrior in a Garden

A student said to his Master;
"You teach me fighting,
But you talk about peace.
How do you reconcile the two?"
The Master replied;
"It is better to be
A warrior in a garden
Than to be a gardener in a war."
Sun Tzu

As Jedi, I feel like we had a duty to be prepared to handle situations that come along that may require our intervention. Training, practice, and implementation are a necessary part of a Jedi's lifestyle. Does this mean to go looking for trouble, absolutely not. Does this mean to intervene in whatever way we are capable when we happen to come upon a situation...absolutely! Be a warrior in a garden, help those you can in any way you can. But remember to cultivate your own life as well. I have recently undertaken some additional and ongoing training that will help make me more effective in various situations. I want to be of service in any way that I can and by getting additional training, I can be of more assistance when needed or called upon.

Peace and Patience

The goal of a soldier is never the fight but the peace the fight can bring.
I remember being that soldier looking at my family tucked in my cover or in my pocket and hoping to be home growing my garden and tending my yard.
You are never alone ! This is one of the many " forces " that can be shared here. Good stuff , may the Force be with you my Jack! We are never alone , especially in this place !

Jack.Troutman wrote: As Jedi, I feel like we had a duty to be prepared to handle situations that come along that may require our intervention.

Even the Jedi of the galaxy far far away practised one form of combat over their lightsaber forms. Form 0, or as can be compared to on earth, the No-Sword Technique. Solving problems with words, wit, and skill, brains over brawn and all that.

Sharpening a blade takes time. Same can be said for sharpening the mind, tongue, and spirit. With those three tools wars can be won before a single punch is thrown. So train always and diligently.

Jack.Troutman wrote: A student said to his Master;
"You teach me fighting,
But you talk about peace.
How do you reconcile the two?"
The Master replied;
"It is better to be
A warrior in a garden
Than to be a gardener in a war."
Sun Tzu

No argument there But I imagine that not many of us can be considered warriors. That is an age long passed. Unless of course you're a soldier or a police officer. Helping others if you can is great. But not everyone can.

Helping can be done in various ways. I bet if you thought on it, you could come up with ten ways to help that do not necessarily involve violence in any way. We must all do what we are able, that can be anything from mowing an elderly neighbors lawn to volunteering for habit for humanity and so much more.

I've always viewed this not as a strict "war" sense, but in many different avenues. Take, for instance, your job. You are generally required to go through safety drills once a month, you might be required to know how to evacuate a building, or handle a robber.

Here's another translation, as far as I can see it, "It is better to be prepared for something that didn't happen, than to not be prepared for something that did happen."

As Jedi, we are humans. As humans, we have jobs, relationships, lives, and all sorts of chaos all of that brings, but we must remember that not everything will go perfectly. We prepare for the worst and hope for the best. We train here to learn how to hold discourse, to argue, to defend, to educate, and how to think. This is so when we hit the outside world, we are not grasping at straws, that we are secure in ourselves enough to know we won't be bowled over.

That is my view, it is not as of war, but as of philosophy. To be prepared rather than be unprepared. We can reconcile the warrior in the garden who prays for peace by remembering that we buy insurance for a house not planning on a fire, but hoping it doesn't burn down.

I agree with everything written so far.

I also think it is important to consider how preparedness sparks confidence - and confidence enables balanced decision-making.

People decide to do things for every reason under the sun, but they usually make worse decisions when stressed or desperate. Preparation might mean the difference between reacting to something...and responding to it. Confidence in one's ability to handle a situation can enable them to act more even-handedly. 'Preparation' might mean planning, training, or even adopting an attitude which helps a person deal with some of the more extreme circumstances they might encounter.

Reacher wrote: Preparation might mean the difference between reacting to something...and responding to it.

Funny you use those words Reacher. I delivered a sermon on Reaction Vs. Response about a year ago.

Found the link if you want to read it.

https://www.templeofthejediorder.org/sermons/2322-reaction-vs-response