The Three Pillars
Long ago, there were many a Jedi student at the great halls of Coruscant – waiting to learn, hone their oneness with the Force. They were mostly young, not even able to fend for themselves before they arrived on Coruscant. But they arrived, and they learned, and they became great Jedi.
So the same was on New Holstice in more recent times. They were rarely younglings when we found them or when they came to us, but still had difficulties fending for themselves. One problem with most of these recruits was their past. Few Jedi had a pure past back then, and possibly even fewer today. Of my colleagues on New Holstice, a mere handful had not dabbled in or lived the dark path.
And so, not able to direct them towards the light from an early stage, we took them on as they were. Just as the orders do today. Along with patience, which we have studied here in this tome, on behalf of the students and mentors alike, we carried them through their studies with discipline. More importantly, we taught them to be disciplined on their own.
The ones who did not learn this skill on their own suffered gravely. I have mentioned many in these teachings, so I am not sure I need to reiterate examples. But suffice it to say, there have been many who have failed to learn this aspect of the Jedi way. And in most of these cases, they fall to the dark side.
This self-control, self-discipline, is one of the things that keeps us bound to our path. It helps us remain dedicated to the ways of the Jedi and to the Jedi Code. And it maintains our patience and strength in conflict.
There is another area on which we must focus our studies. The path of the Jedi is a difficult one, as you probably know. There is much training and much focus on the Force. We train our muscles, we train our lightaber skills, we train our ability to manipulate the Force for the good of all life and the Galaxy. We train via experience to resolve conflicts and help restore peace.
Another thing we also train is our minds. Without the gathered information from experiences, both our own and our colleagues and others throughout the Galaxy, we cannot have a solid platform on which to base our decisions. History repeats itself time and time again, but with Knowledge as our ally, we can help avoid these repetitions from time to time.
There have been many a Jedi in my day who have had great prowess with a saber. They study and train, and learn all they can. They teach others their skills and pass-on their experiences in battle. But they are not always the best to handle every situation. We need people with strong minds in there. Yes, good saber combatants are an asset, but they are not as useful as ones with a strong mind.
I remember a sole Jedi who was very adept at saber combat, and taught many his own skills and tips and helped several Padawans and Knights progress in their practice. However, he was also not as knowledgeable on things of the past and he did not have quite the level of self-discipline for which we strive. Eventually, he lost his cool in an argument and attacked several of his brethren. Quite a good fighter, he was, but he did not have the focus or the mental circuitry to realize the error of his ways.
You see, learning about our past, and learning about others’ experiences not only gives us tools to study for future situations, it does more. A lawyer can memorize all the cases she wants and use that in court to help defend her clients – this is the concept of “precedence”. But what makes a lawyer truly powerful in the courtroom is her ability to tie all those past cases together along with experiences of her colleagues and real-life situations to bring a strong case to the floor and shut the opposition down. Learning our past is the first step of knowledge. Adding that to your friends and your own experiences is the next step.
We keep sacred the archives of the Great Library and others so that we may learn from history, from other Jedi, from other people, and from other common knowledge.
As you might be able to guess, there is a third strength that is key to the Jedi way. The Force is a powerful ally and is also the power that fuels all life and all death. Without closeness to the Force, without proper training in the use of the bond with the Force, without a proper respect for the Force, a Jedi cannot be. This third pillar of Jedi strength is very important.
Any adept can wield certain effects of the Force. Most can move tiny objects with some practice. Many can read surface thoughts of others around them. And still some can even use it to see a proper path in quick decisions. But it is those who do not respect it that lose themselves to it.
The dark side of the Force is where that lack of respect comes in. The Force is not meant to harm others. We are not here to cause lightening burns on people, or to choke our enemies, or to slam innocent people into walls with it. We are here to hold back aggressors, heal those in need, and have foresight to aid the good-willed.
One who uses the Force in the first set does not have respect for the Force… or themselves. For they lose themselves to the seducing power. They are lured to it, and get drawn in so deeply that they cannot return.
The Force is our ally, yes, but it is also what binds us, the planets, all life, and the entire galaxy together. It flows through us, between us, and into our deaths and future existences in the Force. We obviously are all here, at any level of training, because of our attunement to the Force. But to become a true Jedi, we must have a strong respect for it. And we must use it for good as to avoid destroying life and ourselves.
The self-discipline we gain from meditation and focus, the knowledge we gain from learning from others and reading about our past, and the respect for the Force we gain from practicing the Jedi Code, are what a Jedi stand for. The Three Pillars, as evidenced from our past, are a must-have for any true Jedi.
So the same was on New Holstice in more recent times. They were rarely younglings when we found them or when they came to us, but still had difficulties fending for themselves. One problem with most of these recruits was their past. Few Jedi had a pure past back then, and possibly even fewer today. Of my colleagues on New Holstice, a mere handful had not dabbled in or lived the dark path.
And so, not able to direct them towards the light from an early stage, we took them on as they were. Just as the orders do today. Along with patience, which we have studied here in this tome, on behalf of the students and mentors alike, we carried them through their studies with discipline. More importantly, we taught them to be disciplined on their own.
The ones who did not learn this skill on their own suffered gravely. I have mentioned many in these teachings, so I am not sure I need to reiterate examples. But suffice it to say, there have been many who have failed to learn this aspect of the Jedi way. And in most of these cases, they fall to the dark side.
This self-control, self-discipline, is one of the things that keeps us bound to our path. It helps us remain dedicated to the ways of the Jedi and to the Jedi Code. And it maintains our patience and strength in conflict.
There is another area on which we must focus our studies. The path of the Jedi is a difficult one, as you probably know. There is much training and much focus on the Force. We train our muscles, we train our lightaber skills, we train our ability to manipulate the Force for the good of all life and the Galaxy. We train via experience to resolve conflicts and help restore peace.
Another thing we also train is our minds. Without the gathered information from experiences, both our own and our colleagues and others throughout the Galaxy, we cannot have a solid platform on which to base our decisions. History repeats itself time and time again, but with Knowledge as our ally, we can help avoid these repetitions from time to time.
There have been many a Jedi in my day who have had great prowess with a saber. They study and train, and learn all they can. They teach others their skills and pass-on their experiences in battle. But they are not always the best to handle every situation. We need people with strong minds in there. Yes, good saber combatants are an asset, but they are not as useful as ones with a strong mind.
I remember a sole Jedi who was very adept at saber combat, and taught many his own skills and tips and helped several Padawans and Knights progress in their practice. However, he was also not as knowledgeable on things of the past and he did not have quite the level of self-discipline for which we strive. Eventually, he lost his cool in an argument and attacked several of his brethren. Quite a good fighter, he was, but he did not have the focus or the mental circuitry to realize the error of his ways.
You see, learning about our past, and learning about others’ experiences not only gives us tools to study for future situations, it does more. A lawyer can memorize all the cases she wants and use that in court to help defend her clients – this is the concept of “precedence”. But what makes a lawyer truly powerful in the courtroom is her ability to tie all those past cases together along with experiences of her colleagues and real-life situations to bring a strong case to the floor and shut the opposition down. Learning our past is the first step of knowledge. Adding that to your friends and your own experiences is the next step.
We keep sacred the archives of the Great Library and others so that we may learn from history, from other Jedi, from other people, and from other common knowledge.
As you might be able to guess, there is a third strength that is key to the Jedi way. The Force is a powerful ally and is also the power that fuels all life and all death. Without closeness to the Force, without proper training in the use of the bond with the Force, without a proper respect for the Force, a Jedi cannot be. This third pillar of Jedi strength is very important.
Any adept can wield certain effects of the Force. Most can move tiny objects with some practice. Many can read surface thoughts of others around them. And still some can even use it to see a proper path in quick decisions. But it is those who do not respect it that lose themselves to it.
The dark side of the Force is where that lack of respect comes in. The Force is not meant to harm others. We are not here to cause lightening burns on people, or to choke our enemies, or to slam innocent people into walls with it. We are here to hold back aggressors, heal those in need, and have foresight to aid the good-willed.
One who uses the Force in the first set does not have respect for the Force… or themselves. For they lose themselves to the seducing power. They are lured to it, and get drawn in so deeply that they cannot return.
The Force is our ally, yes, but it is also what binds us, the planets, all life, and the entire galaxy together. It flows through us, between us, and into our deaths and future existences in the Force. We obviously are all here, at any level of training, because of our attunement to the Force. But to become a true Jedi, we must have a strong respect for it. And we must use it for good as to avoid destroying life and ourselves.
The self-discipline we gain from meditation and focus, the knowledge we gain from learning from others and reading about our past, and the respect for the Force we gain from practicing the Jedi Code, are what a Jedi stand for. The Three Pillars, as evidenced from our past, are a must-have for any true Jedi.