Journal of the Whills

After my post in the Jediism section on the Guardians of the Whills, it was suggested that I start a journal-like thread to clarify my thoughts on the whole topic. Here is the original thread .

Ironically, the first hint of the Whills was given over 40 years ago; Star Wars was originally named Journal of the Whills. Sadly, George Lucas was never able to expand on this concept. There is a lot of speculation as to what the journal was or what were the Whills. It's been said that the Whills may have been an alien race who were telling the story of Luke Skywalker through the eyes of R2-D2, the witness of most, if not all, of the events that took place in Luke's life.

Whatever the original intent, we're given a new lens to see the concept through in [iRogue One[/i]. Chirrut Imwe and Baze Malbus call themselves Guardians of the Whills. Unfortunately we're not given any details as to what this title means, but it's clear through Imwe's actions that they are not average human beings. A blind man, Imwe appears to have a perception of his surrroundings that even those with sight do not. This is expanded upon in the book Guardians of the Whills, in which it is made clear that Imwe's senses are enhanced through an understanding of the Force, though he is not Force-sensitive.

Each chapter in the book begins with a quote from a text written by a former Guardian. For clarity, I decided to create a page that listed these quotes: https://streen.wixsite.com/whills

The first quote isn't actually in the book, but it's an excerpt from the Journal of the Whills, the age of which is unknown:

"First comes the day
Then comes the night.
After the darkness
Shines through the light.
The difference, they say,
Is only made right
By the resolving of gray
Through refined Jedi sight."

―Journal of the Whills, 7:477

I found this a few years ago, though I honestly have not been able to pin down where it came from or who wrote it.

I'm sure you're wondering why I'm going through all this, talking about Whills and Guardians, and things I know little about. As another Star Wars character once said, "'Why' is a question always deeper than its answer." I suppose the attraction is the mystery behind it all. When so little is known about a topic, I am inherently drawn to it. I love a good mystery, and it if helps my understanding of the Force as well, I am all the more interested.

But more importantly, I think I can relate better to a character like Imwe than any Jedi. He's a martial artist, like me. Having no Force abilities, only my senses, and a knowledge of, and faith in, the Force, it's hard not to feel a stronger relation than I once did with the characters Luke Skywalker, Streen, Jacen Solo, etc. He gives to those in need, thinking first of them and lastly of himself. He is not a violent man, and yet when the moment calls for it, he can be. He can see into the truth of a situation before those who can actually see. These are things I look up to.

I am open to questions if you have any.

I’ve given some thought to this guy and his stance .
May the force of others be with you ...
I liked it so much that I sat and put it into my meditation.
To me - I make connections - every day connections - wether it’s music - money - information- spirituality - food - faith- all these things - I choose a connection . A step further is when I do - I share - what they believe - what others believe - their force . So in a way - I learn what their force is - the force of others. I add that to my very own . I got like a thousand by my count ! All the while getting more definitions - actual ones used - and difrent views - real ones. May the force of others be with you ... may you learn and grow by others and their paths - I like that. It’s not for everybody . But it’s for me! The opertunity to never grow stagnant! Yes

Since my last entry here, I did finally finish reading Guardians of the Whills. It didn't exactly offer any more insight as to who the Guardians are, but it did offer up a word that perhaps better describes who I am: disciple. One of Imwe's friends, Killi, is described as being a Disciple of the Whills. The difference between Killi and Imwe is something I can only speculate on, but I imagine that while Imwe is more of a warrior who once protected the Temple of the Kyber, Killi was more of a spiritual guide or adept of the Force. She wore similar garments to Imwe's, robes that symbolized who they were and what they stood for. Of course, with Jedha under Imperial control, they could not openly promote the ways of the Force, nor re-enter the Temple.

I'm sure it wasn't lost on most Star Wars geeks like myself that the planet name Jedha is remarkably similar to the word Jedi. Not only that, but in Rogue One, we're offered a glimpse of immense fallen statues, who I can only assume depicted Jedi holding lightsabers.

It's unfortunate, in a way, that Disney did not feel it important to expand upon these hints. I hope that more books are written, and perhaps even movies made, to explain exactly who the Guardians and Disciples of the Whills are. But in a way, I find it unimportant. Just the very hint of these people is enough inspiration to help me and other people find a more relatable group of people in the Star Wars universe, and maybe... just maybe... guide other Jedi down a path toward realism, even if we don't use the words, Jedi, Guardian, Disciple, or Whills.

In talking to certain people recently, I've become aware that Îmwe is almost like a Zen Taoist. As Lao Tzu said in the Tao Te Ching, "The sage does little, but leaves nothing undone." Îmwe seems to follow this philosophy, as when we first see him in Rogue One he is just sitting in the city of Jedha, seeking only alms. But when the fighting starts, he solves the problem with violence, completely wiping out a squad of stormtroopers on his own. What does he do then? He waits. He seems to be reaching out with his senses left to him. And when another squad shows up, his friend Baze Malbus (a former Guardian of the Whills) takes them out with a flurry of blaster bolts.

Îmwe and Baze have a brief dialogue as to what protected him from the second squad, Baze or the Force. Îmwe seemed to imply that there wasn't a difference. It reminds me of what my mentor once asked: "Does the Jedi use the Force or does the Force use the Jedi?" Obviously, the term "Jedi" is not the point here, but the idea that what we do to express our spirituality is not an either/or scenario. It's both/and.

I thought it might be appropriate to post this, so everyone can see what I'm talking about

I caught myself daydreaming just now, thinking about what it would be like to walk around in the robes of a Guardian of the Whills. The following happened in my imagination...

I was sitting on the ground in my backyard, and a young woman approached me. "What's with the robes? What are you?" she asked.
"I'm a Guardian of the Whills", I answered with a smile.
"Guardian? What are the Whills?" she inquired.
"The Whills are an ancient race of beings", I explained, "Storytellers, you might say."
"What stories?" she questioned me further.

My mind stopped wandering then. Some of that was based on what I've read on the internet, but I felt like the Force was guiding my mind down a particular avenue. This was something that I used to do a lot, imagining myself asking questions, or being asked questions, and somehow finding the answers.