The Block

Doctrine

Here is a Temple wide challenge. For the month of July, find yourself a copy of our Doctrine. Read it every day of July. Have a copy of it handy. Do it in the morning or at night. The challenge is this, to learn and study our Doctrine even more this July, this summer. Take some time to understand what your passions are. By doing this, you can take the time to improve that which we understand.  You can improve your time management with this as well. When we study, it does increase our confidence in things we practice. What better idea than to increase understanding in our own Doctrine. One of the things we do as Jedi is learn. So, this July, I challenge every Jedi here to get a copy of the Doctrine and read it all of July. Everyday. So, this is a 30-day challenge. Read the Doctrine for the month of July together. Via the Discord Temple site, I can send you a copy of everything together. You can print out in anyway shape of form our Doctrine. I would like to thank one of our Knights for setting up a simple layout to print and to have for us. If you have any questions, feel free to hit me up on site or via PM or DM. 

Are you up for the challenge? I think you are. Good luck and May the Force be with you all during Julys challenge. The challenge is this, find a copy and read the Doctrine every day of July.  Plant new seeds to get new fruit. 

I'm down for it!! I may call on you to discuss it now and again! 

I accept this challenge!

This  month we will be reading the Doctrine together.

It starts tomorrow.

Find yourself a copy of our Temple Doctrine

The challenge is to read it every day for the month of July.

Place it on the inside and see what comes out.

Change the seeds to get different fruit.

Find a place you can read it.

Find your favorite copy of the Doctrine. Make a hand written copy.

One of the things I used to do was during my Seminary time, while waiting tables was print out the Doctrine and read it during my breaks.

The most important thing you will do is Journal what you find.

The first few days may feel mundane or new but I swear to you, if you just read it once a day for a month- it will change your perspective of things and it even may change what you think the over all purpose is.

Journal what you find, every day

We can do 31 days of over in the 100 day of room as well

If you want to extend after that, please feel free to do so.


Do you see patterns emerge from the teachings and Maxims?

Is there something that nags you about our Doctrine?

The idea is to get closer and to become more frequent
to what we say we believe.

Part of this is a little bit of memorization and frequency.

If we change a few things we frequent, this causes new flow and new adventures.

This challenge is an opportunity to go over that which we have as far as doctrine.

For 31 days we will be reading or listening to the Temple site Doctrine.

If anyone - during the reading- finds or comes up with any Doctrine question, please do not hesitate to discuss it with the rest of us.

One of the ideas we share here is that the Doctrine can help and aid in personal growth.

I cannot express how many times I have had a Teaching on my heart and I just "see differently" than before with the Doctrine present in my hand and in my heart.

Take the time you need to hide them in your thoughts, feeling and will.

We have made a section/room for discussion and findings. 

Good day Jedi and May the Force be with you all wherever you are at today

Tara (Sanskrit: तारा, tārā; Standard Tibetan: སྒྲོལ་མ, dölma), Ārya Tārā (Noble Tara), also known as Jetsün Dölma (Tibetan: rje btsun sgrol ma, meaning: "Venerable Mother of Liberation"), is an important female Buddha in Buddhism, especially revered in Vajrayana Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism.

She may appear as a female bodhisattva in Mahayana Buddhism.[1] In Vajrayana Buddhism, Green Tara is a female Buddha who is a consort of Amoghasiddhi Buddha. Tārā is also known as a saviouress who hears the cries of beings in saṃsāra and saves them from worldly and spiritual danger.

In Vajrayana, she is considered to be a Buddha, and the Tārā Tantra describes her as "a mother who gives birth to the buddhas of the three times" who is also "beyond saṃsāra and nirvāṇa."

Tara (Buddhism) - Wikipedia

The symbolism of this version is profound. In many spiritual traditions, the heart is seen as the seat of compassion, love, and empathy. Tārā’s birth from Avalokiteśvara’s heart emphasizes that she is not a distant figure, but the active manifestation of his innermost essence. She is compassion materialized, no longer just a feeling or an aspiration, but a force that moves through the world. This version of her origin also emphasizes the inseparability of compassion from action. It is not enough to feel empathy; it must be brought to life, embodied, and expressed in ways that can touch the world. In this sense, Tārā is the action to Avalokiteśvara’s feeling, the movement to his stillness.

Both versions of Tārā’s origin — one born from a tear, the other from the heart — offer a nuanced understanding of compassion in the Buddhist context. Compassion is not static; it is dynamic, evolving, and responsive. It arises in moments of deep connection to suffering, but it does not remain in the realm of feeling alone. It transforms, takes shape, and becomes a force for change. Tārā, in her various forms, is the embodiment of this principle.

Indeed, Tārā’s forms are as varied as the expressions of compassion she represents. Green Tārā, perhaps the most widely venerated, is often depicted seated in a posture of readiness, with one leg extended as if she is always prepared to leap into action. Her hands form gestures of protection and generosity, and her gaze is direct, compassionate, yet powerful. She is invoked for swift aid, particularly in moments of danger or fear, and is believed to provide protection against obstacles, both external and internal. Green Tārā’s association with action emphasizes her role as the swift savior — she does not wait for suffering to subside but moves quickly to provide relief, embodying the urgency of compassion in a world fraught with peril. 

White Tārā, by contrast, represents a more serene and nurturing aspect of compassion. She is often depicted with a peaceful expression, her body adorned with delicate ornaments symbolizing purity and wisdom. Her most distinctive feature is the additional eye on her forehead, a symbol of her all-seeing wisdom and her ability to perceive the suffering of beings across all realms. White Tārā is associated with healing, longevity, and peace, offering a gentler, sustaining form of compassion. While Green Tārā rushes to extinguish immediate threats, White Tārā nurtures and heals, providing the long-term care needed for spiritual growth and physical well-being. 

The Tear that Created a Goddess – The Story of Tārā - Lebarty

Teaching 11
The Jedi practise living in universal compassion, understanding the phenomena of our environment. We cultivate a particular sensitivity to when feelings of fear, anger, hatred, and aggression germinate within us. These emotions are among our limitations as incarnated, organic beings. We bring to these feelings hope, pardon, and love in equal measure to bring us back into balance with the movement of the Force.

Teaching 12
Unconditional love and compassion are central in the life of the Jedi. Where imbalance arises, we bring only so much love, pardon, faith, hope, clarity, and joy as is necessary to restore the dynamic equilibrium in our phenomenal environment. 

Compassion is an idea we as humans can take the time for. There are levels of compassion that exist. Some can kill you. Our idea is that we only give so much when we see the need to restore balance. The symbolism of compassion only giving what is needed is not a Jedi one. It is a human thing. It exists. We can find them. It is my hope, as we think and give these teachings and Doctrine time inside, it will shine outwardly, and we can see it in use and practice. 
Many things point to the Force. By pointing to the Force, we join in many more doing the same thing. There are different levels of understanding to compassion, take some time to go deeper. Go as deep as you like.

Here is just ONE example of compassion we can share.

Do we have examples of compassion we can use in your path? Where did you get them from or who? Take time this morning to mentally thank those examples. If they are real people, call them up and say thank you, they like to hear it as well.

May the Force be with you, Pastor Carlos

Good day Jedi everywhere

Good Monday to you all

When I began my give time to my own mediations and contemplations in my path, something begins to happen.

Agency - Jedi are active in the world, acting as people of thought, and thinking like people of action. Be aware that beliefs become thoughts, thoughts become words, words become actions, actions become habits, habits become values, and values determine destiny.,

We are reminded that thoughts are important.

When I first began to think, meditate and or contemplate on things, something happened to me.

In the beginning, all I could think about was all the things that have happened in the past.

When the time came, my mind began to race.

Part of why I stop meditation/ contemplation is what would pop in my mind automatically.

It was scary.

Reflection took a scary turn for me at times

I began to remember many things I called bad. It created animosity in my sessions. I did not want to do it because the things my brain was going to, or reflecting was not meditation material.


There is a level in the beginning that must be quenched. When you begin to reflect, our mind will. The things that we think matter can take front and center every time.

Our worry can be at its strongest here.

Our fears can be strong here as well.

Those two often keep me from my own path

An old man told me one day as a child, "If you put a snake in a box, and shake that same box, do not be mad when you have a pissed of snake in a box. "

As I grew older, I began to understand this a bit more. If I keep putting junk in my box or my mind, that is what will come out when it is time to meditate.

So I give this to you Jedi, Think on these things. 
Put new reflections in.

We are studying the Temple Doctrine for the month of July. We are reading and logging a 31-day session over in the ⁠July-doctrine-reading room.

Let new things be added to your mental box.

Add thing worth reflecting.

Study to put new things in when you meditate. Plant new seeds to get new fruit. Start by planting new mental seeds. Some of my own mental "weeds" are pretty tall and do get in the way.

This is the end of the July reading. I hope that this has placed more things to think about than was there before. This is the hope. That we think on these things a bit more.

It does help to understand our own thoughts, feeling and will and if we recognize what those are, then we will recognize what the Force is not. That is a big deal.

Give our minds and thoughts what they need to reflect on. Train your mind. Pay attention to your thoughts.

Put other things in your mind so that when it is time, a pissed off snake is not the only thing in the box when it is time to open it (edited)

Thought - "... thoughts become words, words become actions, actions become habits, habits become values, and values determine destiny." It all starts at the mind and or thoughts.

Give yourself something worth the time. Build something new today, on the inside.

Continue to build.

Some weeds die from lack of support. Stop supporting a few mental weeds. Start growing new things.

May the Force be with you all - wherever you may be.
Pastor Carlos 

Good day Jedi everywhere

May the Force be with you all

Let us begin.

The link will be today's lesson for those who did not make the time slot. It is ok

Blind hate

Blind hate refers to strongly disliking something without knowing the facts or using false information. It often manifests as a lack of understanding or evidence, leading to feelings of animosity or prejudice without justification.

Hate that lacks understanding or empathy

Today's little Monday reminder is this one. Conflict

Life is full of conflict.

Conflict can be a part of things and a part of understanding.

What do we act or defend?

Which fight do we fight?

What causes do we defend?

The word BLINDLY comes up again.

Blind anything can be dangerous but blind conflict can make a mess.

Anything we fight or fill full of ZEAL can be potentially dangerous, but blindly, anything is dangerous.

Driving a car isn't as dangerous as the potential as doing it without seeing.

So, to can be said with life.

Anything done blindly, can be easily manipulated or swayed.

So as warriors and Knights and Jedi - what and how do we fight?

There is a focus called the greater good.

I would like to remind Jedi of the greater good.

What qualified as the greater good? 

Each of us can define the greater good.

The answer may have a "sway" in it but for the most part, that which is best for others is the general consensus. 

One of the things that we all strive to understand is the selfless path.

When we become concerned with the need of others and more than our own present moment, it is considered not selfish.

We can become too haughty or too fixated.

So, the reminder is that in all this, in everything we do, we are people.

There are 8 billion others on our planet today.

There will be conflict.

That is human nature and if you have a bunch of humans around you will have human problems every time.

Conflict is human.

Do you honestly think all these people will sync?

Truth is, we all do eventually "sync" and at several times in our own paths.

But in this process- conflict also happens

If you ask a Jedi what the Force is, you will never get a cookie cutter answer.

You will not get the same answer ever. They will all mirror or reflect many and even may have parts similar to that of someone else description...but it is what we are describing inside on the outside.

When we describe the Force, it will differ from other descriptions, uses and availability.

So why the conflict?

Conflict comes with understanding as well, call it the school of hard knocks but you will find or figure out a few things when conflict arises as well.
Life is conflicting and, in the Force, - all can dwell with it.

We all act.

The Force binds every living thing

But it rarely asks for credit, cited, quoted or even given a a by line in our reflection's.

The conflict can come when we want credit

In life, there is peace and serenity.

We can have a active balance of harmony Jedi.

We can have a active balance of anything

This week, I do hope that you find the ability to understand conflict as a part of things.

Life can seem conflicting. 

I do hope we have a selfless path or at minimum, an idea of what the greater good can be. 

We can get stuck on things.

I know I can.

So, the ideas today Jedi is to un - lodge yourself.

Un-lodge yourself.

Conflict can get you stuck. 

Remember Jedi- it can be up to us to make decisions on what to adjust, and which relationship need our time and efforts today.

Reflect

Talk to yourself and answer the questions you have for you, inside.

Where's the conflict and why is that?

Conflict can take your attention in a matter of seconds, microseconds and make you forget everything...

EVERYTHING

The presence of conflict takes getting used to as well

What in our paths cause conflict?

Give ideas like this, time.

See what you find.

Know when and what to fight.

Know when conflict is heathy and when its not

There are some battles, fights, conflicts that arise and... 

some...

are worth the time and effort.

Some will not be.

There IS a greater good and a selfless path we all find ourselves on with each other.

Some days it matters not where the credit or who started things goes.

Some days it matters not who said it or who gets credit.

It is nice to be cited properly.

It is good to cite properly.

Blind anything is easily manipulated.

Blind conflict is one of those things.

Know what you stand for and defend and fight for.
There will be conflict.

Opposition happens.

No one is picking on you

Life has a way of reminding us of conflict.

That's all

As Jedi, we can understand that conflict is natural.

Conflict: To know when to fight.

A Jedi knows the conflicting nature of the Force, but they also know its peace and serenity. A Jedi never blindly enters conflict and always does so for the greater good.

I will be here all day if anyone has any questions, concerns or invitations to dance parties, cake parties or just tea.

May the Force be with you

The difference in faith and fandom.

Let us not ignore the “fandom menace.” It is very real. As Jedi, humans suffer from human problems. One of the snags or dilemmas in life is understanding the difference in things. The menacing part is we live in a world where fandom and faith mix. Hard.  

Definitions:  
Fandoms have a profound impact on adults, with the possibility of shaping their identity and providing a sense of belonging. Adults who engage in fandoms often find solace and inspiration in fictional worlds, finding catharsis in a universe where the boundaries of possibility are seemingly limitless. However, the passion and devotion that fandoms bring can also lead to fanaticism and obsession, which may have negative consequences. Understanding the mechanisms that drive extreme behavior within fandoms is essential for a comprehensive analysis of their effects on adults. 

Fandom in psychology refers to a subculture or community of individuals who share a common interest, enthusiasm, and dedication towards a specific object of their affection. This object could be a work of fiction, a public figure, a sports team, or any other entity that inspires a sense of devotion and fascination. Fandom involves active participation, engagement, and a sense of belonging to a community that shares similar interests. It is characterized by an intense passion and enthusiasm for the subject of interest, knowledge and expertise, active engagement, a sense of community, and identity formation.  

Faith is a fundamental component of nearly every religion, representing the trust and conviction that individuals have in their religious beliefs and doctrines. Additionally, faith can be seen as a personal belief that may differ from the organized practices of religion. Faith is described as the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. It is an inner attitude, conviction, or trust in a higher power or ultimate salvation.  

In psychology, faith is often described as a natural phenomenon influenced by fundamental psychological factors such as demands, wishes, and tendencies. It is seen as a way to understand and cope with life's challenges, providing comfort and a sense of purpose. Faith can be a source of strength and resilience, helping individuals to overcome obstacles and find meaning in life.   

With these two ideas so close, we can see where understanding is needed. Can you tell where the separation is in your life? Is there one? What is the difference, do you have a level of faith or is it a level of fandom? One can be mistaken for the other.  

Did you know that fandom sites and communities often create one-sided environments? Think about that. They can become blind or toxic. It does happen. It is part of the gig or the structure. We face this dilemma. The dangers of being blind and having a one-sided mentality.   

One person's faith may be another's fandom. There is a static in-between these two schools of thought. Negative issues usually drive the limits.  I want to encourage every Jedi to find out if what you say you have is fandom or faith. Where does the balance lie?   This is not to discourage anyone. It is important to understand where we are in life and in our path at times. We have a very odd place as Jedi. We are not on-screen Jedi. We live in the ordinary world with ordinary limits, yet they are not so ordinary when you take time to understand more.  

Fandom turns toxic way too easy. It has a way of choosing your clothes, literature, and path. It influences how you see things, how they taste and your perspective.    

Maxim
 7. Balance - When we allow peace, harmony, and balance in our minds, The Force manifests in the world. In art and dream, we may proceed with abandon. In waking life shared with others, we must proceed with balance and discretion.   Balance and discretion even in our fandom or faith.    Do you really believe every living thing is connected or do you long for the accolades of fandom? Does the quality of community matter? Are we more than super fans? Do you believe any of this?    

Take some time once a year to ask yourself, as a Jedi, do I have faith in what I believe or is it a level of fandom? It is good for you. Figure a few things out on your own.    

May the Force be with you 
Pastor Carlos

What is a roundtable? 

The table at which King Arthur and his knights sat so that none should have precedence. It was first mentioned in 1155.
an international charitable association that holds discussions and undertakes community service.

A round table:
an assembly for discussion, especially at a conference:


This is a group strategy where participants observe each other's discussions through one-way glass panels. It allows for a structured environment where individuals can observe and contribute to the conversation. 
 It can be a gathering where each participant has an equal opportunity to contribute to the discussion. It typically involves a moderator and several chosen speakers who bring diverse perspectives to the topic. 

Round tables are used to facilitate open discussions, promote equal participation, and foster collaboration among participants in various settings, including business meetings, educational forums, and social gatherings.


It can encourage dialogue and create discussion.
It can give equal participation time. 
It can create a healthy networking system. 

How to facilitate one 


Define the purpose of the meeting whether it is problematic or for dialogue.
Select your related topics
Facilitate discussions- choose a venue, platform or space to make it happen.
Practice giving others their time and space.

 
Now, here is the idea. Ask a set of questions you want everyone to answer for the roundtable. 

Now, we could draw lots or even ask everyone to write their answers down or type them out. The idea is to bring all the ideas, equally and at the same level. So, everyone gets to answer the question. 
There will be discussion but for the most part, give people the space to answer the question(s) Stick to your topics. Come back to them as often as you need to.
Ask accordingly. Ask your questions at a roundtable that have answers, try to stay away from questions that are easily grandstanded. To say them out loud or in a way we all can clearly hear and understand is the idea. Write them down. Write them down as they come. Keep track and repeat them out loud. This creates a stir in the mental pots that are available. 
One of the ideas of a roundtable is not to collect ideas or grandstand, it is to come up with a solution everyone is in agreeance with. The idea is to share with intent to give more options. 

A roundtable is a very real thing in which it is a ego checker. During a roundtable, the idea is to give everyone space to answer. 
Listen and repeat what was said by others. If need be, give space to explain.

After every idea is shared, pool them together. Find healthy and good decisions or choices available within those given. Give time to discuss or grow these. This is the idea of a round table. To grow more.





The end purpose for a round table is to facilitate a structured conversation where participants can share their ideas, opinions, or expertise on a specific topic. This format encourages open dialogue, equal participation, and collaborative problem-solving. Round tables are used for brainstorming, decision-making, and knowledge sharing, and they are particularly effective when the group is kept small, typically between six and twelve people. The goal is to exchange insights, solve problems, and build relationships that last beyond the event.


With a roundtable idea, the idea is to see more than what you yourself can see. This idea is a great way to not only share perspectives but solutions. Conflicts and upset will happen. There are ways to bring so much more to the "table" if you take the time to try it out. Give others the space. A round table is a good way.