this topic is inspired by Broken Sword's talk with Hero in the movie Hero:
The External Sword, The Internal Sword and No Sword
The External Sword is the physical sword that we all know and love. It can be "just" a sword or it can be a metaphor for many things.
1. The History of the physical sword is interesting and long. What I find most interesting is that it is one of the first and only weapons created to kill people. Most tools where invented for hunting and survival. Swords are not good for hunting Bison on the open planes. The Size and shape is determined by the quality of metal, the crafting skill and the armor it is/was up against. The history of the sword is one of conflict between Beings that could not get along.
2. Symbolic Metaphorical sword has a lot of external qualities. The physical representation of the sword is used to describe sexual acts and ways of being. It represents qualities like: craftsmanship, smithing, being forged, tempered, hardened, usable, effective, and other such adjectives.
I like the poem: a sword always makes a point!
It can represent the three sides of truth: myside, yourside and the facts in the middle.
3. For the Jedi - it defines a Jedi. It distinguishes a Jedi from other "force-sensitive" Beings. Any creature can be force sensitive but only Jedi know how to and do use a "Lightsaber". This represents the majority of the Lightsaber forms and curriculum.
The Internal Sword can represent internal conflict, more metaphors and the way of the Jedi.
1. Conflict. In general, the story of the sword, like most weapons that Beings use to kill each other with, represent the conflicts that they are used in. There are a lot of internal conflicts like: "self verse self", "heart vs mind", "emotions vs intelligence", "body vs spirit" and all other versions of the internal struggle.
2. It is symbolic of internal qualities and virtues like: centered, firm, collected, valor, effective, decisive, affirmative, "action oriented", dominate, noble, honorable and other such concept that a long piece of steal can represent.
3. For Jedi, this is Form Zero. This is having the confidence and presence of a sword to not need one. To be like the sword internal is to be seen as a sword externally. My mere presence is enough to prevent prevent a conflict and allows for negotiations. Being backed by a sword - lightsaber - is also helpful.
No sword is the way of mastery. To be beyond the sword.
1. Conflict no more. If we can live in a world, society and community that can put down their weapons and put aside their individual differences to accept that we are all one - then the sword is no longer needed. We will be in a world of acceptance and harmony with the Force.
2. This is pure presence. This is channeling the Force through oneself and out through their energetic field. This is a state of "holistic wholeness". This is the ultimate achievement of Self in the manifest.
3. For the Jedi, this is the goal. To be in such alignment and attuenement with the Force that we all live in and with the Design of the Universes verses a state of resistance. This is the ultimate Grandmaster Jedi state of being. To be truly one with the force in material form.
PS
The concern is that we always still need a sword. No matter how powerful presence and confidence are, there are still Being that are course enough to ignore the practical and reasonable in order to impose their will upon the Force and everyone around them. People find power in resisting the Design and Will of the Force. This rebellion is what keeps us in the "hell" that is the insanity of humanity and why we continue to commit atrocities against each other and the one plant that we reside upon.
