Details of the Diamond Concept
Patience
Patience has been a key teaching of mine over my lifetime. I have seen far too much haste in decisions and expedited training that have led only to the destruction of those involved. Too many want the quick and easy path. Master Yoda once said that this can make one an “agent of evil.” You might ask how simple bouts of impatience can lead to the doings of evil, and the answer does not come quick and easy.
If we allow ourselves to live in anticipation of the next best thing, unwilling to wait for the most opportune time to act or the best chance to proceed or more thorough teachings, we lose on two fronts. First, we miss out on what will be explained later in this tome. But as important, we cease to be satiated by that next best thing. If one were to be taught to lift a stone with one’s mind in minutes, and then a spacecraft in the next few minutes, and then thrusting a large crate at a target shortly thereafter, would it not follow that this expectation for quick learning would continue?
The mind works this way by nature – most of us have learned that doing something more quickly allows us more time for the next goal. And thus as Yoda also said, we must unlearn what we have learned. We must be patient and take each and every tiny step in our studies, in our training, and in our lives as if it were the best thing.
If we allow ourselves to live in anticipation of the next best thing, unwilling to wait for the most opportune time to act or the best chance to proceed or more thorough teachings, we lose on two fronts. First, we miss out on what will be explained later in this tome. But as important, we cease to be satiated by that next best thing. If one were to be taught to lift a stone with one’s mind in minutes, and then a spacecraft in the next few minutes, and then thrusting a large crate at a target shortly thereafter, would it not follow that this expectation for quick learning would continue?
The mind works this way by nature – most of us have learned that doing something more quickly allows us more time for the next goal. And thus as Yoda also said, we must unlearn what we have learned. We must be patient and take each and every tiny step in our studies, in our training, and in our lives as if it were the best thing.
Awareness
Patience is a virtue, and it is one that can lead us to total awareness. Think of a meditation, where you forget yourself to the Force, forget your troubles, your stresses, your battles, your wounds, your aches and pains, your lost comrades, your celebrated friends. Think of how this deep meditation can make you aware of the Force, aware of your inner soul, aware of your surroundings.
Awareness is a natural extension of patience, and both are primary results of meditation and study. As we progress on the Jedi path, being aware of ourselves, our fellow Jedi, our fellow citizens, and our enemies alike, will lend us the focus we need to persist in our goals.
Awareness is a natural extension of patience, and both are primary results of meditation and study. As we progress on the Jedi path, being aware of ourselves, our fellow Jedi, our fellow citizens, and our enemies alike, will lend us the focus we need to persist in our goals.
Focus
Think back on your last conflict, where you most likely took a quick pause to become aware of the situation. Without the aforementioned patience, you would not be willing to take that pause and become aware of your surroundings. And without this awareness, you would be unable to “focus” on the conflict and the important pieces of the circumstances.
Focusing on the here and now is often preached. We should be aware of the past and the future, but we should be focused and centered on the present. This focus reveals a joining with the Force and our destiny – a union with the will that guides all our lives.
Focusing on the here and now is often preached. We should be aware of the past and the future, but we should be focused and centered on the present. This focus reveals a joining with the Force and our destiny – a union with the will that guides all our lives.
Unity
Once we have mastered this focus – focusing on the situation, on our training, on our goals in the order, and on life’s ambitions – we become united with the will of the Force. We can be patient enough to wait for this moment, aware of our place in the universe, and focused on our goals. The will of the Force is clear and we can allow it to guide us and shape our lives.
Some seek to control their destiny, but this is not a union with the Force – this is a domination of it. And one cannot truly be guided by something over which one dominates. One must let the will of the Force flow through one’s life like the Force itself flows through one’s body. United with this will, our path is unmistakably lit ahead.
We are now prepared to wait and find out what the Force has in store for us. We can take action or take pause when we know it is right. In essence, we can be patient. Being united with the Force affords us the patience to see its will done.
Some seek to control their destiny, but this is not a union with the Force – this is a domination of it. And one cannot truly be guided by something over which one dominates. One must let the will of the Force flow through one’s life like the Force itself flows through one’s body. United with this will, our path is unmistakably lit ahead.
We are now prepared to wait and find out what the Force has in store for us. We can take action or take pause when we know it is right. In essence, we can be patient. Being united with the Force affords us the patience to see its will done.
The Diamond
This is the principle of the Diamond Concept. The cyclic nature of our practice reflects the cyclic nature of the Force and our existence: there is no death, only persistence in the Force as it takes us to the next part of the cycle. There is no end goal in following the path of the True Jedi, but a lifelong sequence of learning to understand our destiny.
Patience leads to awareness, awareness lends us focus, focus provides unity, and unity affords patience. And by this path we shall follow the way of the Light and the will of the Force.