Posting Star Wars refrences

Rickie wrote: Arisaig

Is this religion for you or fandom. Are you stubbornly sticking to what you want this to be? If you are you can use any justification you want to support what you believe.

Time and time we're told this is an individualistic Path. I'm not sticking with what I want this to be, I'm sticking with what this should be. I engage with Jedi over skype, discord, hangouts, and make my face known. It's far too easy to hide behind an avatar and say you're doing what Jedi do. Its harder to make yourself known for who you really are. I take my Jedi Path to the streets for the world to see, I don't allow for the possibility of becoming a keyboard warrior or couch philosopher.

I'm not saying anyone who doesn't have a lightsabre isn't a Jedi. That would be very elitist, as lightsabre's ain't cheap and sometimes people have more important things to spend their discretionary dollar on. But Jedi should be active, if they can. I'm not saying there is a standard they should hit, get them #jedigainz and all that jazz. But we should be encouraging being Jedi away from keyboards, being healthy and active and outdoors as possible.

But to answer your original question, neither. I do not view this as my religion, I find the religious aspect over-complicates something that could be so simple, the core philosophy. It is a faith for those that want to view it like that, but for me it's a lifestyle. Its a way of being. This is not a fandom for me, either. I am a Star Wars nerd, but it's not the dominating factor of my choice to follow the Jedi Path. My desire to grow, to become more than I was, and to continue to become more than I am, is what drives me down this Path.

Arisaig wrote: Time and time we're told this is an individualistic Path. I'm not sticking with what I want this to be, I'm sticking with what this should be.

Should be for you or for everyone calling themselves Jedi?

Kyrin Wyldstar wrote:

Arisaig wrote: Time and time we're told this is an individualistic Path. I'm not sticking with what I want this to be, I'm sticking with what this should be.

Should be for you or for everyone calling themselves Jedi?

For me, specifically, and any others that are inspired by my Path and wish to follow it.

"For me, specifically, and any others that are inspired by MY Path and wish to follow it."

Starting a new religion?

"This is not a fandom for me, either. I am a Star Wars nerd," What's the difference?

"I do not view this as my religion" That's fine, you're in someone's else's church because you like what the say/do. Excellent. O but you're an appetence. I guess as you go on with your studies you can decide if this is your religion or not and not just perusing a title because it sounds cool?

Rickie wrote: "For me, specifically, and any others that are inspired by MY Path and wish to follow it."

Starting a new religion?

"This is not a fandom for me, either. I am a Star Wars nerd," What's the difference?

"I do not view this as my religion" That's fine, you're in someone's else's church because you like what the say/do. Excellent. O but you're an appetence. I guess as you go on with your studies you can decide if this is your religion or not and not just perusing a title because it sounds cool?

Never said I was starting a new religion. As I said, I don't view this as a religion, personally. But I am walking a Path not many others walk. I do hope people see me walking off the beaten path and decide to walk alongside me.

I said that this (this site) is not a fandom. The two statements you're asking the difference of aren't connected.

I'm pursuing the Jedi title because I want to and because it encourages me to be more. As I said, I don't view this as a faith, so I don't intend on taking it on, ever, as a faith. I am an apprentice because I want to be a knight. As a Knight, I can help people the same way my Teaching Master has helped me. As a Knight I can continue to inspire people, to point people to paths they perhaps didn't see before, as many knights have done for me. I hope to help people grow as people.

Knight - Rank

An Apprentice who has successfully completed their apprenticeship to the satisfaction of their Teaching Master and the Council. They uphold the principles of Jediism as defined by the Solemn Vow, and have completed the Degree to A.Div level. They can take on Apprentices of their own. A Knight must be at least eighteen years of age (18).

The Solemn Vow

The "Solemn Vow" is taken by those who have completed the required Apprenticeship training and decided to dedicate their lives to the Jedi Way as a binding and lifelong commitment.

Associate Degree of Divinity (A.Div) - required for Knight rank. The Degree Scheme helps individuals develop their understanding of their Jedi path.

As a non-profit religious organisation, TotJO has the right to issue religious degrees: Degrees of Divinity, in effect degrees in Jediism

Rickie wrote: Knight - Rank

An Apprentice who has successfully completed their apprenticeship to the satisfaction of their Teaching Master and the Council. They uphold the principles of Jediism as defined by the Solemn Vow, and have completed the Degree to A.Div level. They can take on Apprentices of their own. A Knight must be at least eighteen years of age (18).

The Solemn Vow

The "Solemn Vow" is taken by those who have completed the required Apprenticeship training and decided to dedicate their lives to the Jedi Way as a binding and lifelong commitment.

Associate Degree of Divinity (A.Div) - required for Knight rank. The Degree Scheme helps individuals develop their understanding of their Jedi path.

As a non-profit religious organisation, TotJO has the right to issue religious degrees: Degrees of Divinity, in effect degrees in Jediism

And?

I try ditching the Jedi bits quite often actually... most recently taking its biggest hit after watching 'Altered Carbon' on Netflix!!! Since for me Jedi is a 'future-sense' spiritual religion rather then a historical one, new perspectives on future human struggle provide the most interesting frames of reference to work with. And in some way perhaps its annoying that Jedi keeps on remaining!!! But it just ends up being clearer after the mud settles.... things get integrated, roles clarified.... syncretism?

For me, since I use Buddhist, Hindu and Jain practises as the 'how to become' and Taoism as the 'how to be', the concepts of Jedi really do nicely play into that mix for me, and quite uniquely so.

Indeed Jedi to me its not an entry path to spirituality, but rather a post graduate path, such that its resemblence to Taoism is superficial insofar as its the appearance of it for sure - and it almost has to since Taoism seems like the 'how a sage lives' rather then 'how to be a sage' (not to suggest Taoism is superficial in the slightest). Much like in the SW franchise they didn't really get into the ''how to be' so much, just because its a teaser of something richer. The best we got was an abridged accelerated program for Luke who left early anyway!! The rest is dodgy fan-fiction philosophy hehe, but the guts of it to me is that benefit is afforded in a practical sense and the making of genuine progress - that is moving past making the same mistakes.

For because the application and work of it needs to be defined by ones own circumstance it seems important to also identify that which is similar in humans, animals and life etc as a spatial dimension so we don''t fall into being self centered, and as such that a theme of universality can exist in the absence of practical universality, things which 'bind' them together and the Heroes Journey can be an example. Its that search, that Jediism really represents to me. As cognition seems referential, and working with advancing those frames of reference lets one take the inner sage to outer sagehood, the temporal dimension (or vice versa depending on how one might work with the concepts lol).

But if something is comfortable to work with, then on this merit alone its a good way to anchor oneself to their philosophy and practice in the busyness of life ie whatever floats your boat!

Back in the Chaos Magick days, we used the term " egregore " - the collective energy of a group mythos or intention that took on its own life and "grew" as people put more energy into it (my personal take on it - the wiki-link gives a reasonable overview.) I agree with Proteus - given what I've seen out of similar groups/movements, without the attraction of what "Jedi" means in the imagination of so many people, I don't think there would be nearly as many people here participating as they are. The term captures something that so many of us dreamed of being when we first saw the movies, aspire to in spirit, and long to see in the world. I think that trying to avoid acknowledging that in what we share here would actually make it a lot stranger; I think it's far more authentic to say that we're creating it from the fiction because it's a useful guide and something that gives us common ground.

It is a thoroughly post-modern thing in itself, and probably wouldn't have a chance without the internet to create a space where it can come together. But there are a lot of historical precedents -some very influential in their time - that have come about more because people wanted to believe the story of them than from any compelling evidence of their reality (sometimes in spite of a great deal of evidence otherwise) and made them real enough for working together. There's a lot of fascinating things going on here, and should someone to whom I feel obliged to explain myself ask me why I'm spending time doing "Jedi" stuff, I'd have no trouble coming up with a list of good reasons. One of which would be that I've always loved the Star Wars mythology, and feel a lot more connection with its description of "the Force" than I get out of having to read other culture's similar ideas in translation. It just has really good "bones" on which to create a better relationship with the world around me.

As far as lightsabers go - I threw far too many "ninja stars" with way too much seriousness in the late 80s/early 90s to judge anyone on their choice of mythic weapons. If it gets you doing some healthy movement, brings you and others delight, and isn't hurting anyone any more than the average sport - why not?

Rickie wrote: Knight - Rank

An Apprentice who has successfully completed their apprenticeship to the satisfaction of their Teaching Master and the Council. They uphold the principles of Jediism as defined by the Solemn Vow, and have completed the Degree to A.Div level. They can take on Apprentices of their own. A Knight must be at least eighteen years of age (18).

The Solemn Vow

The "Solemn Vow" is taken by those who have completed the required Apprenticeship training and decided to dedicate their lives to the Jedi Way as a binding and lifelong commitment.

Associate Degree of Divinity (A.Div) - required for Knight rank. The Degree Scheme helps individuals develop their understanding of their Jedi path.

As a non-profit religious organisation, TotJO has the right to issue religious degrees: Degrees of Divinity, in effect degrees in Jediism

*Bold above is my edit for reference

Ricky - what you are missing in Arisaig's attempts to explain his path is that he is explaining his path. He is not explaining mine, nor yours. We are all different just as every Christian or Buddhist or Atheist is different. No two Catholics read the Bible the same way. To lump us all into one definition of Jedi based on your idea of "faith" is to say that the rest of us are mistaken in our understanding of the Force, which is something we explicitly try not to do in a syncretic atmosphere. The Solemn Vow purposely says "Jedi Way" because it is not defined. It is open to the individual interpretation of each Knight. If the Jedi Way to someone is to dedicate your life to helping the homeless, they will be upholding their vow by helping the homeless and they are Jedi. That is where the Force has called them to. It doesn't matter if they meditate like I do or choose to swing lightsabers in their backyard for exercise.

This way of thinking is what allows Jediism to thrive as a religion, a lifestyle, or simply an addition to an existing faith. Jediism fits into our lives where it is needed. Some need a heavy dose of the Force, while others simply feel a slight curiosity created by the films. Both are okay and encouraged in this church.

It should also be noted that the words you cite above are the definition of a rank, not of a Jedi. Being a Knight or a Councillor or a Security Officer does not make me a Jedi. My words and my actions do, and those are inspired by my understanding of the Force and how I experience it. The Force, being something that is not definable, will manifest itself in different ways for different people, and the fact that we acknowledge and accept that here is what makes this place truly special.