Questions about Light/Dark Sides of the Force

I know the darkside is tempting and will use your doubts against you. But... why do I enjoy it??

I don't know. I keep wanting more. It only makes me want it more the longer I have to suffer and wait.

perhaps I need to meditate and purge these feelings but honestly.. I don't want 2. X_X

So what I am going to say is not meant to offend anyone who does choose to follow a sith/dark side path.

Well, I feel like the "dark" side is an easier path to follow. The idea of just going with your emotions and, doing whatever you may feel like doing, not worrying too much about consequences. Brash fast action, this is the easy way to live. I think anyone would have the desire for revenge or to attack people in retaliation at times. These are things that I personally associate with a sith/dark side life style.

Following an orthodox jedi, or light side path, isn't really the easy thing to do. You are making a commitment (in my view/interpretation of the paths) to transcend these basic human emotions and desires. You are making a choice and commitment to become more than just your emotions and instincts, and refusing to allow your emotions to have any control over you.

Keep in mind though, that to be an orthodox/light side jedi, does not mean to just automatically live this lifestyle perfectly. I always see Jestor say this, and it's true. We are all practicing Jedi, not perfect Jedi. I'm sure I've messed that quote up a bit, but it gets the point across. I myself have thoughts or get emotional and mad at times, that I know are not really in accord with a Jedi lifestyle, but when this happens, I remind myself of the code, the tenets, and I strive and work to be better.

I am also reminded of this quote about anger/hate when thinking about your question.

"Of the Seven Deadly Sins, anger is possibly the most fun. To lick your wounds, to smack your lips over grievances long past, to roll over your tongue the prospect of bitter confrontations still to come, to savor to the last toothsome morsel both the pain you are given and the pain you are giving back -- in many ways it is a feast fit for a king. The chief drawback is that what you are wolfing down is yourself. The skeleton at the feast is you."
-Frederick Buechner

I guess my answer to you is that the temptation of doing actions that would fall in the dark side of the force is a normal thing that all people go through. The desire to be greedy, to be angry, to go for revenge, etc. These are normal desires and wants. Ultimately though if one wants to live a Jedi lifestyle, they have to work hard and make a commitment to transcend these things.

These are of course, all my own personal views and feelings on this topic.

Might be a few different opinions/beliefs on what the Dark Side of the Force actually is. I think its fair to say we have to assume that anyone using any aspect of the Force can be considered a Force Sensitive and so when I talk about Dark or Light sides of the Force I do not mean the universal human emotions and thoughts which are popularily assigned to factions by the movies - instead I mean the 'Force' itself.

For me at the moment the dark represents absence or void, and so to use the dark side of the Force means to create significant imbalance in the Force by controlling the Force in ways to shape how the Force will flow; in effect deliberate imbalance into the system in such a way to generate artificial resonance within the Force, shaped to meet the need of the Darksider; like creating a big wave in half filled dam to float a boat to the top of the damn wall.

The Jedi on the other hand might serve the Force to try and ensure all Force sensitives are taught in ways so to minimize disruption to the Force's shape or will, and instead change its level of power or volume - seeking an empowerment of the Force without creating imbalance; like filling the dam full of water to float the boat to the top of the dam wall.

So in both analogies you kind of get the same result but one way involves more power, and the central fall of the dark side could be that power corrupts. How does power corrupt? Thats probably written about elsewhere but I'd guess it has something to do with connecting imagination, animal instincts and opportunity, which together probably create a conscious and subconscious process that can lead a person to shift towards selfishness.

the force could also be looked at like electricity(it is energy afterall)...electricity is neither light nor dark, its just there, waiting to be used....if its used to kill(an act commonly accepted as dark) it is not the electricity's nature, but the users nature that is dark...if its used to provide warmth(an act that would be considered light since its protecting against the cold) it is, again, not the electricity's nature, but the users nature that is light...energy simply exhists, how it's used is determined by its user...

Elemental wrote: I know the darkside is tempting and will use your doubts against you. But... why do I enjoy it??

I don't know. I keep wanting more. It only makes me want it more the longer I have to suffer and wait.

perhaps I need to meditate and purge these feelings but honestly.. I don't want 2. X_X

Dark Side is a point of view. I can tell you for a fact that my faithful Christian family believes quite strongly I am on the path of the "Dark Side." Yet I am enjoying my journey of enlightenment at this Temple far more than attending and practicing my old religion. Who is right and who is wrong on their view of the Dark Side here?

Perhaps you could go into a little more detail about the Dark Side that you feel is tempting you?

I definitely agree that the Force is energy that is neither good nor evil. I just have a question though. We talk about following the will of the Force. In the prayers in the Jediism special interest group, the Force is asked to grant us certain things. How would you characterize the will of the Force then. I mean, in comparing electricity to the Force, it makes sense for most points. That one, however, is interesting as electricity can only be used with a conductor and a circuit or something like that. I'm not all that interested in science, yet i know that, for the most part, electricity travels in circles in the circuit. One of the few times it doesn't behave in the usual way is when water comes into contact with it. The other piece is whether or not this will is individual or for humanity a a whole. I would think it's probably both seeing as we are all parts of one whole. Okay. LOL. I'm done. I'm curious to see what others have to say. Take care and may the Force be with you.
Leena

Elemental wrote: I know the darkside is tempting and will use your doubts against you. But... why do I enjoy it??

I don't know. I keep wanting more. It only makes me want it more the longer I have to suffer and wait.

perhaps I need to meditate and purge these feelings but honestly.. I don't want 2. X_X

You know what I want? I want to have a computer that can plug into my brain and with a touch of a button I'll know any subject backward and forward (a la Matrix).

But, of course, the one thing that would be majorly lacking in such an endeavor would have been the journey to get there.

(Anyway...back to your regularly scheduled programming.)

Deep questions LOL

Leena wrote: I definitely agree that the Force is energy that is neither good nor evil. I just have a question though. We talk about following the will of the Force. In the prayers in the Jediism special interest group, the Force is asked to grant us certain things. How would you characterize the will of the Force then.

If we believe the Force exists universally, and if we were also to believe in a metaphysical spirituality, then perhaps the Force exists in that metaphysical spirituality as well. In Star Wars expanded information they mention that the Force might exist in two types, the Living Force and the Unifying Force. I think these two aspects of the Force are labels we use to differentiate between the Force as it exists within physical matter (Living Force), and the rest of the Force such as any metaphysical nature (Unifying Force). So in my opinion the will in the Unifying aspect of the Force might appear to us as the lifeforce/soul of a person who is in-spirit/deceased/passed-over, and for the Living aspects of the Force the concept of will could be where the Force has its strongest connections, patterns and inter-relationships which we might intepret as concepts such as destiny or making the right decision. It could depend on the context that the word will is being used, but I do see a place for the concept of the Force having will in my own beliefs at the moment.

Leena wrote: The other piece is whether or not this will is individual or for humanity a a whole. I would think it's probably both seeing as we are all parts of one whole. Okay. LOL. I'm done. I'm curious to see what others have to say.

Definatly the whole in my opinion, but not just humanity. I think the Force is in all matter but the more complex the physical structure the more depth of the 'Force' can be percieved. As mentioned above I also think the Force exists beyond our known knowledge and ability to percieve existance so the Force probably extends and connects us to unknown metaphysical aspects. I think these Unifying aspects are also unified with the Living aspects, as a whole.
May the Force be with you.

Elemental wrote: I know the darkside is tempting and will use your doubts against you. But... why do I enjoy it??

I don't know. I keep wanting more. It only makes me want it more the longer I have to suffer and wait.

perhaps I need to meditate and purge these feelings but honestly.. I don't want 2. X_X

So, Elemental, I'm curious. What is tempting you? What is it exactly that you enjoy?