On Learning
It might be noted that I have not had many padawan learners over my many years as a Jedi Master. As I explained in the first volume, I was thrust into the council and master-ship as there was a need for strong Jedi to take the reins and lead the Jedi to success. Thus in the beginning, there was hardly time to train individual padawans, and there were not that many to go around. Instead, we scrounged for existing Jedi and tried to gather them up.
As we moved to Sirius and then New Holstice, I found myself becoming a Jedi Watchman, keeping close eye on the grounds and ensuring the safety of the planet. I was also more or less the grand master of the council of the Jedi Alliance, serving the role of organizer and coordinator. Therefore, it was very difficult for me to engage in training a padawan of my own, and that was left to the Knights and some of the other masters.
I truly believe that the Jedi Masters that manage and control the Jedi Order should see it in their best interest to not take an individual padawan. They have other tasks to attend to and they will have very little time to dedicate to the learner. Instead, these masters should make it a part of their lives to teach classes and hold meditation and discussion sessions as often as possible. This allows all padawans and Knights to enjoy the tutelage of the masters and it allows the masters to share their great knowledge with the many. And, it allows them to share this knowledge without dedicating themselves to a single padawan learner.
Non-council masters and Jedi Knights should be encouraged to take a padawan at all times. Those not on special assignment or with specific duties (e.g.: headmaster of the academy, lead librarian, watchman on various systems) should be required to take an apprentice learner. They should take one and only one, for they must create that special bond and dedicate their lives to it.
These two rules have been and will continue to be disputed. Many see fit to take on several padawans, and many council masters take on padawans themselves. And while this specifically does not direct harm to the student – a padawan may learn a great deal from a council master, in fact – it does not allow the master to spread his wisdom to the entire order. Conversely, a Knight or non-council master should, indeed, take only one padawan, and dedicate themselves to him or her. Their goal is to train another in their place, whereas a council master’s job is to train the entire order.
This standard will not always be the best practice, but it should serve as a rule of thumb for future orders. Even in not taking more than a handful of padawans in my career, I have touched many individuals in their Jedi path: Master Koji, Lady Seren, Sir Astra, Sir Tydus, Master Zoffa, Master Leonardis, Lady Rowan, and more that I cannot fit into this text. It is my hope that by my example I will show the way to enlightenment for masters and learners alike.
As we moved to Sirius and then New Holstice, I found myself becoming a Jedi Watchman, keeping close eye on the grounds and ensuring the safety of the planet. I was also more or less the grand master of the council of the Jedi Alliance, serving the role of organizer and coordinator. Therefore, it was very difficult for me to engage in training a padawan of my own, and that was left to the Knights and some of the other masters.
I truly believe that the Jedi Masters that manage and control the Jedi Order should see it in their best interest to not take an individual padawan. They have other tasks to attend to and they will have very little time to dedicate to the learner. Instead, these masters should make it a part of their lives to teach classes and hold meditation and discussion sessions as often as possible. This allows all padawans and Knights to enjoy the tutelage of the masters and it allows the masters to share their great knowledge with the many. And, it allows them to share this knowledge without dedicating themselves to a single padawan learner.
Non-council masters and Jedi Knights should be encouraged to take a padawan at all times. Those not on special assignment or with specific duties (e.g.: headmaster of the academy, lead librarian, watchman on various systems) should be required to take an apprentice learner. They should take one and only one, for they must create that special bond and dedicate their lives to it.
These two rules have been and will continue to be disputed. Many see fit to take on several padawans, and many council masters take on padawans themselves. And while this specifically does not direct harm to the student – a padawan may learn a great deal from a council master, in fact – it does not allow the master to spread his wisdom to the entire order. Conversely, a Knight or non-council master should, indeed, take only one padawan, and dedicate themselves to him or her. Their goal is to train another in their place, whereas a council master’s job is to train the entire order.
This standard will not always be the best practice, but it should serve as a rule of thumb for future orders. Even in not taking more than a handful of padawans in my career, I have touched many individuals in their Jedi path: Master Koji, Lady Seren, Sir Astra, Sir Tydus, Master Zoffa, Master Leonardis, Lady Rowan, and more that I cannot fit into this text. It is my hope that by my example I will show the way to enlightenment for masters and learners alike.