IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: Initiate Programme Update

The Initiate Programme has been updated!

If you began your studies before the 5th June then please see this post .

What hasn't changed?

The content. The content is exactly the same as it was before and the number and amount of lessons hasn't changed.


What has changed?

The wording of all of the lessons and articles has changed to be more concise and consistent.

The structure of the programme has changed.

What is the new structure?
Old structure:

• Beginning
• Exercise 1: Following Instructions
• Exercise 2: Introductions and Journals
• Exercise 3: Self Help and Research
• Exercise 4: Basic Studies (Joseph Campbell, Alan Watts, Mc Taggart)
• Exercise 5: World Religions
• Exercise 6: Personal Tools
• Exercise 7: Breakdown
• Exercise 8: Essays
• Exercise 9: I'm Finished
• Exercise 10: Patience

New Structure:

• Beginning
• Introduction (Includes 'Following Instructions' + 'Introductions and Journals' + 'Self Held and Research')
• Lesson 1: Myth (joseph Campbell work as before)
• Lesson 2: The Self (Alan Watts 'The Book' work as before)
• Lesson 3: Meditation ('Alan Watts on Meditation' work as before)
• Lesson 4: The Field ('Lynne McTaggart The Field' work as before, now includes disclaimer)
• Lesson 5: Temple Doctrine
  • Exercise 1: Three Tenets
  • Exercise 2: The Code
  • Exercise 3: The Creed
  • Exercise 4: The 16 Teachings
  • Exercise 5: The 21 Maxims
• Lesson 6: World Religions
  • Part 1 - Abrahamism
  • Part 2 - Atheism
  • Part 3 - Buddhism
  • Part 4 - Hinduism
  • Part 5 - Paganism
• Lesson 7: Personal Tools
  • Exercise 1: Didactics
  • Exercise 2: Semantics
  • Exercise 3: Etiquette
• Lesson 8: Jediism Essays (as before)
• Conclusion (Includes 'I'm Finished' + 'Patience')

What should I do if I am already doing the IP?

Obviously the lesson titles you are using no longer match up to the lesson titles being used now. This is not a big problem, you can either continue to use the titles from the old list above or, when you do your next lesson, begin using the titles from the new list above.

As long as you use either one or the other (or write both for good measure) and label the material that you are studying clearly then the Knights and Training Masters will be able to look through your journal easily and no one will be confused.

Questions/comments?

I really like the new layout, it makes so much more sense. Thank you to everyone who had a hand in making the changes.

Especially...

*Disclaimer*

People have asked whether this is the proof the Temple uses when it claims a belief in The Force. We do not take this material as literal fact but as a potential explanation for the existence of something that connects and binds the universe.

...you would wait until I actually start working on it again to publish changes.

I do like the new format, though. Very much. Thanks! This will be very helpful for now.

Thank you, I'll do the transition soon.

Wu Tang. Thanks for the update

The Essays are numbered 1 2 3 4 6 7, please fix.

Thank you, Vesha ...

Vesha wrote: The Essays are numbered 1 2 3 4 6 7, please fix.

In fact we were missing 4 of them, because I hadn't double-checked that one

That has now been fixed and the same number of essays and in the same order as before.

That's because they'd been moved to the personal tools and religion lessons. I find the religion lesson painful to look at.

Awesome! That is so much clearer now. Good job!

A thank you to Arcade for helping me proof read it all

This is kind of awesome.

Thank you!

ren wrote: That's because they'd been moved to the personal tools and religion lessons. I find the religion lesson painful to look at.

Which lesson (lesson 6?) and why do you say that ren?

I think under temple doctrine should also include how the council and other parts of totjo work. Perhaps as excercise 6? Just my opioin

Akkarin wrote:

ren wrote: That's because they'd been moved to the personal tools and religion lessons. I find the religion lesson painful to look at.

Which lesson (lesson 6?) and why do you say that ren?

the essay about swords or lightsabers and whatnot had been turned into symbolism exercise in religion lesson.
(anti)thesis/Synthesis had been moved to a fourth exercise in personal tools.

I say that because I had put quite a lot of thought into the religion lesson to make it bigger (more exploration needed) and more free (exploring concepts found in religions, not specific religions). Your changes look rushed, and I find the whole thing butchered.

Its a work in progress, like life itself. Its received quite a bit of positive feedback so far....

Zenchi wrote: Its a work in progress, like life itself.

+1

ren wrote:

Akkarin wrote:

ren wrote: That's because they'd been moved to the personal tools and religion lessons. I find the religion lesson painful to look at.

Which lesson (lesson 6?) and why do you say that ren?

the essay about swords or lightsabers and whatnot had been turned into symbolism exercise in religion lesson.
(anti)thesis/Synthesis had been moved to a fourth exercise in personal tools.

I say that because I had put quite a lot of thought into the religion lesson to make it bigger (more exploration needed) and more free (exploring concepts found in religions, not specific religions). Your changes look rushed, and I find the whole thing butchered.

Bon apres-midi, Ren!

I didn't realise you were active once more! I am glad to see you still contributing.

Zenchi wrote: Its a work in progress, like life itself. Its received quite a bit of positive feedback so far....

And I am glad people like the structure. What saddens me is to see my work reduced in quality instead of improved. I mean, even the bonus exercises are gone? No more krishnamurti, no more carl sagan? What's the point of changing nothing except the structure?

ren wrote:

Zenchi wrote: Its a work in progress, like life itself. Its received quite a bit of positive feedback so far....

And I am glad people like the structure. What saddens me is to see my work reduced in quality instead of improved. I mean, even the bonus exercises are gone? No more krishnamurti, no more carl sagan? What's the point of changing nothing except the structure?

lol, did you ever work on the Council ren?

What is easier to do? Changes step by step, or 10 changes all in one go. Each piece of material is discussed and agreed upon before anything is implemented, so we can either wait several months to discuss each thing or we can make this change and then discuss new material separately.

I could have just put everything you had on there straight into the IP and then it would have been removed (probably by Jestor ), because I have no right or authority to do so.

How much bitching was there when I re-did the entire FaQ in a single go? (because I rewrote so much they didn't have time to properly check it all) Jestor even brought that up and reminded me how things are better done step by step...