What constitutes a Jedi

I see the only way for mankind to survive is to reconnect with nature...
I have observed that our egotistical belief that somehow we are better than, or above nature has caused a deep psychological sickness in humans.
The most balanced people I know of, are the ones who have made a decisive attempt to reconnect with the natural world around them..

All seven pages of this so far have been an excellent read. Thank you. For my own personal practice, I take the first line of the Creed: "I am a Jedi an instrument of peace" and try to personify that as best as I can. well the Creed helps me with a job description, the doctorine helps me with a "how" I explore the doctrine each weekday with a group of people and I find that it helps me align my actions for the day. I don't get it perfect. I probably never will, but the cosistant exposure to the Doctrine is very helpful to me

zeroequalsone wrote: The most balanced people I know of, are the ones who have made a decisive attempt to reconnect with the natural world around them..

Example?

Manu wrote:

zeroequalsone wrote: The most balanced people I know of, are the ones who have made a decisive attempt to reconnect with the natural world around them..

Example?

I can give u only personal experiences.

To be one with nature , for me , shows me every day a path that can be as tangible as walking outside or even just looking at art. Smells , sights , can all be a constant reminder - a much diffrent reminder of the force at work or at ... existence - with or without me .
For me -
Trees calm me so well. I read under them even just touch n walk around em...
there was a lesson I learned a while back —— like a tree planted by the water - I used to swim at a place called Good Shepard in Texas somewhere—- the most beautiful and largest cedar tree I had ever seen was there near the river. We swang off it with permission by rope - provided by the grounds keeper there . Growing up it was the greatest thing for me . Years later - after a few deployments - I traveled there alone ... thee was my tree ... still growing and just as big if not bigger than what I had remembered . I ask the grounds keeper if I could ... you know ... he handed me the rope. Part of the joy is climbing the thing and tying the rope. Then ... the release ... that thing was just as sturdy as I recalled and even more big around as I had remembered ... a bit taller too.
That tree , that cedar I’ll never forget , it will be here , after I return to the Force and after my son does as well if no man or disaster has a say so. It was there since my father was a boy and his father found the spot. Same family owns it I still think.
When I made the connection ... I go back every time I need it - mentally - I grow as - it does - I stay as it - has - I am that tree planted by the river of the waters .. I grow and I stand - with that connection. Tangible.

I didn't mean to imply anyone I know personally, just more people I have observed...
Take for example, the contestants on ANW..
The ones that do the best and appear to be the most balanced and together, are the ones that get out in nature and interact with the natural world around them.
Also, anyone who studies anything about Hermeticism will tell you that any mystery of the universe can be solved by observing nature. Every clue to any question can be found by observing the natural order of things.
Humans appear to be the only creature, (that I know of so far), that makes a concerted effort to defy their inner nature.

zeroequalsone wrote: Humans appear to be the only creature, (that I know of so far), that makes a concerted effort to defy their inner nature.

Or at least think we do!! Perhaps sentience being that awareness of self is in effect actually only the belief of everything "else" being not self. But I agree with you about nature, in so far as connecting to it as an important means to connect to ourselves. It's quite foundational to my path, and I tend to call it connecting to the Force.

Connecting to the force is exactly what I would call it.
I have some ideas on defying our nature as well.
As far as I can tell, everything exists through a harmonious flow of constructive and consumptive energies. To try to stifle or block either, or to attempt to cause one to dominate the other, causes a situation like an unflowing pool of water. Eventually it becomes stagnant and poison, and will kill anything that drinks from it.
So to attempt to deny our inner nature, is to restrict the flow of the force through us, so we too become stagnant and poison...we become toxic to the people in our lives, and we become a detriment to the universe instead of a force of creation.

zeroequalsone wrote: Connecting to the force is exactly what I would call it.
I have some ideas on defying our nature as well.
As far as I can tell, everything exists through a harmonious flow of constructive and consumptive energies. To try to stifle or block either, or to attempt to cause one to dominate the other, causes a situation like an unflowing pool of water. Eventually it becomes stagnant and poison, and will kill anything that drinks from it.
So to attempt to deny our inner nature, is to restrict the flow of the force through us, so we too become stagnant and poison...we become toxic to the people in our lives, and we become a detriment to the universe instead of a force of creation.

How do you deny nature?

In practicality you can't, but you can try. And in the trying, end up a neurotic mess.

Manu wrote:

zeroequalsone wrote: Connecting to the force is exactly what I would call it.
I have some ideas on defying our nature as well.
As far as I can tell, everything exists through a harmonious flow of constructive and consumptive energies. To try to stifle or block either, or to attempt to cause one to dominate the other, causes a situation like an unflowing pool of water. Eventually it becomes stagnant and poison, and will kill anything that drinks from it.
So to attempt to deny our inner nature, is to restrict the flow of the force through us, so we too become stagnant and poison...we become toxic to the people in our lives, and we become a detriment to the universe instead of a force of creation.

How do you deny nature?

I think it important to note he said 'defying Our nature' not just nature in general. Ive been finding this Path to be one of recognizing our nature and rising above it (creating a new nature? ) and when we realize the flaws in that new nature, rising above that. Essentially, denying ourselves of stagnation in our old natures.