saber of light novice - 2nd ed. (final)
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A manual for the novice student to learn some of the basics of Jediism.TRANSCRIPT
A Saber of Light
Esoteric Jediism Training Manual
Second Novice Edition
by Red Heron
©2011, Jedi School Press, some rights reserved.
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First Printing 2011
This work is based on the text of Version 2.1 of the electronic text.
Cover art includes in composite a saber handle by Rama (own work) [CC-BY-SA-2.0-fr (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-
sa/2.0/fr/deed.en)], via Wikimedia Commons
Photograph of Red Heron was a self-portrait and is hereby released to the public domain by the author.
Cover art is otherwise by Ray Jenson, ©2011, used by permission. Released under CC-BY-SA-3.0-unported.
ISBN: 978-0615567211 – Amazon Softcover Release
Table of Contents Foreword ..................................................................................................................................................... vii
Chapter 1 : A Brief History of Jediism ......................................................................................................... 1
Chapter 2 : Jediist Beliefs ............................................................................................................................. 7
Chapter 3 : Empowerment .......................................................................................................................... 19
Chapter 4 : Introduction to Practice ............................................................................................................ 27
Chapter 5 : Cultivating the Force ................................................................................................................ 35
Appendices .................................................................................................................................................. 47
About the Author ........................................................................................................................................ 63
Bibliography ............................................................................................................................................... 64
Acknowledgments & Disclaimers .............................................................................................................. 66
Table of Figures Figure 1: George W. Lucas ........................................................................................................................... 1
Figure 2: Joseph Campbell ............................................................................................................................ 2
Figure 3: Faaposh Construction .................................................................................................................. 19
Figure 4: Holding the Faaposh .................................................................................................................... 20
Figure 5: A Ceremonial Costume Tunic ..................................................................................................... 22
Figure 6: The Planes of Reality................................................................................................................... 42
Figure 7: A Simple Sunburst, Signifying Ashla ......................................................................................... 45
This book is dedicated to everyone who ever looked inside
and wondered who was looking back.
Foreword Welcome to A Saber of Light! Please read this packet all the way through before attempting any of the
exercises.
We ask all new students to show their dedication to this particular course of training by following the
instructions in this book. Practice generally takes about 45 minutes per day (perhaps up to 2 hours, if you
have time and are being either extra-diligent or extra-careful in practice). We designed this training to get
you started as quickly as possible. The pace is fairly intense at this stage, but the intensity drops back in
levels later.
At this level, you must not skip a day of mantra practice during the entire training session, or you will be
required to repeat the entire thing from the beginning. We do this because it’s important to cultivate
successful habits, as these are the path to mastery. This makes it very difficult for some people, especially
those who do not prioritize Jedi training. This level of training does not include any physical training
component, though there is physical training available later. Initial training lacks the physical component,
but later versions will require the student to engage in martial arts practice of some kind in order to learn
the self-discipline which is required for personal development, as well as to engage in more callisthenic
training.
The dedication to the training within these guidelines gives the result indicated.
How Does One Become a Jedi?
Anyone can be a Jedi. No requirement for training exists anywhere except in the minds of the trainers. If
you want to live by a compatible set of beliefs and personal standards, then you may be considered a Jedi.
On the other hand, having a teacher to explain founding beliefs and concepts makes these philosophies
easier to apply, but there is a difference between thinking about a philosophy and practicing it.
We don’t compare cool water to a hot meal—nothing is the same about them, and one just isn’t better or
worse than the other, generally speaking. But they go together in a way which is both appealing and
complementary.
But to say that anyone has a corner on the market of what is or isn’t Jediism is to ignore the overall
community belief that we ourselves live as Jedi regardless of what anyone else says or thinks: so long as
we work toward the elimination of suffering, we are engaging in the spiritual. Thus, we don’t compare
Esoteric Jediism to other religions or even other forms of Jediism—they just aren’t anything similar.
The Idea of Failure
In this training, there is no failure. We have only completion, or lack of completion. For this level, daily
practice is required for the training to be completed in a way which is suitable for advancement to the
next stage of training. The student will not only need to be able to recite a few ideas from memory, but
will also need to garner insights which can only come from actually doing the work—there is no web site
with the “right” answer, because there are no truly “right” answers to begin with. There are answers
which are incorrect because they lack the essential insight which comes from practice; but even these
answers are incorrect only because they are nowhere near what occurs when someone practices. We may
not know when you practice; but we can certainly tell when you haven’t been practicing. This isn’t
failure; it’s merely lack of practice. You are the only one who can decide to complete the training or
not—there is no set speed. And if you decide not to, this is not a failure, it’s merely incomplete training.
When we are serious about training, we will complete it then. Otherwise, we will learn less.
Likewise, instructors don’t fail to teach; they have given the lesson, and if there is any lack of
understanding then the student may discover clarification anywhere they want to. Students who decide
that they simply don’t want to try are also not failures: they have succeeded in discovering something
about themselves, and how can learning or discovery be a failure? There are no failures in this training,
period.
Money
Training is free. However, donations to Jedi School Press as a religious organization are appreciated.
These donations allow us to publish materials like the one you are now reading, as well as to expand
research and knowledge into new areas. This all helps the training reach more people who need it, and
continues to keep the training free of charge. Books like this (and other materials) can sometimes be given
for free, if enough students of this book would donate.
If anyone charges for the training or wisdom in this book, they are essentially saying that only those who
have money are allowed to become wise. While there are seminars, books, and tools available for sale,
these are generally at cost; there is no reason to charge for the wisdom itself. More on this in Padawan
training.
It is also a Jedi belief that what we give out eventually comes back to us in a moment of need: when we
do bad things, then bad things come back to us in a moment of need; when we do good things, then good
things come back to us in a moment of need. This is simple causality.
Our intent is not to make anyone feel guilty if they need to prioritize things like food, utility bills, house
payments, etc., above spirituality; but instead to let people know that their ability to contribute may
impact the ability of everyone in the organization(s) that they contribute to in the Jedi world.
A Note About Pronoun Use
Someone pointed out that all of the neutral pronouns in this work are masculine (except where the person
being discussed is actually female). This is not intended to promote masculinity over femininity, nor to
exclude anyone who identifies as a female.
Quite the contrary: it was done because women must be respected and revered for whom they are. To use
the female pronoun in a neutral sense is to diminish the beauty of all which is feminine—surely, the role
of feminine energies is to create life, beauty, softness and sensuality: thus, its use is vulgar and not at all
feminine; masculine wording, being utilitarian, is neither diminished nor increased by its use as neutral.
The use of the male pronoun as neutral should therefore offend no one, as it protects the beauty and
mystery of the feminine from diminution, while giving male energy that which it seeks most: to be of use.
Figure 1: George W. Lucas
Chapter 1: A Brief History of Jediism In the Jedi community, we tend not to consider the origin of the word Jedi. And yet we can see evidence
online of past debates about the origin of the word. While it may seem trivial, knowing the origins of the
word we choose to apply to ourselves may actually be important.
We find it in Hebrew as a male nickname for Jedidjah (“Beloved by God”) or Jediah (“God
knows and protects”).
In Japanese, we find it in jidai geki, which is a style of TV soap opera set in the Samurai era.
The word may also originate from the Tales of Barsoom, written by Edgar Rice Burrows (the
warriors had the title of Jed in the books, which George Lucas said he had first intended to adapt
for film, before beginning his work on Star Wars).
In the 1976 classic film Star Wars, George Lucas tried to keep the word accessible to the public, but
disclosed that he had read Barsoom and watched some jidai geki about a year before starting on the film.
The Force and George Lucas
In 1964, George Lucas saw an abstract short film by Arthur Lipsett called
21-87, a debate between programmer Warren S. McCulloch (an artificial
intelligence pioneer) and Roman Kroiter (later developer of IMAX). As
McCulloch argued that human beings are nothing more than highly complex
machines, Kroiter responded with:
Many people feel that in the contemplation of nature and in
communication with other living things, they become aware of
some kind of force, or something, behind this apparent mask
which we see in front of us…
George Lucas confirmed this in a 2005 Wired magazine interview—his use
of “the Force” was an echo of that phrase, but that the idea behind it was
more universal. Said Lucas:
Similar phrases have been used extensively by many different people for the
last 13,000 years to describe the ‘life force’.
This implies that the Force is something which humanity has recognized since the late stone age, with the
advent of religion. We can hardly ignore something which virtually every culture in the ancient world
recognized independently, and yet we do, routinely. Why? Because in a large number of cases, we lack
the context in which their concepts were useful to them.
Without history, the Force would probably have never sparked the imagination of a young film creator;
and without that, our movement might never have begun.
2 Red Heron A Saber of Light
Joseph Campbell
Joseph Campbell’s profound influence on George Lucas inspired
the Jedi into the films. As a friend, mentor, and teacher to Mr.
Lucas, Mr. Campbell1 helped assure the link to the history of
human folklore was kept very much alive. When asked, Mr.
Campbell implied that the Jedi in Star Wars were based on every
hero throughout human expression—every great hero underwent
the trials that Luke Skywalker went through, and each of us in turn
can live heroically. Campbell also said that religion was a defense
mechanism for having a spiritual experience.
Spirituality makes people uncomfortable because it denies control
over it, and so people create religions so that people can return to
feeling secure about the idea that their experience was shared by
others. This and other ideas resound throughout Campbell’s works.
We also owe homage to Mr. Campbell, whose influence we see and feel everywhere we turn, and whose
assistance in creating the Jedi of the films we see throughout. Shortly before his death in 1986, Joseph
had spent something on the order of 60 years studying the world’s religions, becoming a recognized
authority on the subject of folklore and religion. One of the many things we are left with is the following
quote by Mr. Campbell:
Every act has both good and evil results… the best we can do is to ‘lean’ a little
toward the light.
Campbell’s lessons are some of what we learn and teach, but they are ultimately echoes of someone’s
interpretations unless we learn and study these things ourselves. That is Campbell’s legacy. The Jedi have
another. And yet George Lucas never expected his work to be taken so seriously by so many people. He
certainly never intended it to become a religion. So why should we?
Why is Jediism a Religion?
In a 1999 interview with Bill Moyers, George Lucas said that he hesitated to call the Force “God,”
because there were a lot of other things in the universe which might have been much more worthy. In
addition, Lucas stated that though his original intent wasn’t religious, he did want to awaken a deep
spirituality in people—especially in the teen and twentysomething crowd.
With his creation of the Star Wars franchise, Lucas essentially mentored a new kind of spirituality which
was true outside of any established religious context. Though we honor this, Lucas is not considered the
founder of the Jedi religion—if there could be a central, founding person or organization. But because we
experience intolerance and rejection of our fundamental right to believe, we must organize as a religion so
that people understand that we have serious dedication to our beliefs.
1 Joseph Campbell’s correct honorific is “Doctor” but he insisted on “Mister” later in life. It is with this in mind that we honor
Campbell’s wishes.
Figure 2: Joseph Campbell
A Saber of Light Red Heron 3
Essentially, the only reasons to classify Jediism as a religion are that people do in fact practice the
philosophies religiously; and that it helps us to stay on a level playing field with those who believe that
anything not specifically offered religious protections by law is worthy of disdain. It also offers some
level of security for those who are just starting out in the religion, so that they don’t feel fearful of
declaring that they are Jediists, even if they believe in the Jedi ways.
We offer fundamentally spiritual teachings through this book to any student who reads it, though with a
practicality that some other belief systems simply do not offer. We believe in a system to develop our
beliefs and hone our abilities. We honor the commemoration of holy days in all religions. And we want to
develop faith. George Lucas said it best:
“…[T]hat’s all religions really are: a container for faith.”
—George Lucas
Rejection of religion implies that we reject the wisdoms that come with it. Yet we can reject religious
organization because it seeks to pervert this wisdom into a means of controlling others. This state of
affairs has repeated since time immemorial, but we can never guarantee that the Jedi path will steer clear
of this tendency if we organize as a church. Any organization which forms as a spiritual education
community helps to forward the ideas which help us to arrive at an understanding of the universe. In this
understanding, we can take positive joy in the diverse wonder and beauty in our universes. We can then
see the world with the same wonder, amazement, and love of learning that a child might have—and most
children love to learn. We must seek to discover that which we don’t know. Thus, the core of wisdom is a
three-word phrase: “I don’t know.”
In order to witness such discovery, we must accept that we cannot and will never know everything; and in
our humility we accept the novice’s ideas as valid. It is in these new ideas that the old and established
ideas are challenged. The older the idea, the more difficult it is to challenge.
In most churches, we cannot change these ideas because churches tend to try to become the authority on
the subject of spirituality; this book is an authority on nothing other than certification of people who have
been taught what is needed for the next level of certification at the time such certification is given (as is
the case with any organization). We are religious organizations because religion is so very important to
the fabric of society; and we are schools because we both teach and learn. Jediism’s means of conveying
what we learn of the truth changes over time, rather than becoming something which stagnates in stodgy
books and dogmas which lose meaning over time.
Thus, our graduates are fully-trained members of a religious order—in other words, free-thinking clergy.
Authority does not convey truth; truth conveys authority. It is important to prevent ourselves from
mistaking authority as the source of truth—they are not one or the same.2
One way or another, we all have to find what best fosters the flowering of our
humanity in this contemporary life, and dedicate ourselves to that.
—Joseph Campbell
2 This is covered in more detail during Padawan training.
4 Red Heron A Saber of Light
The Jedi Path Begins
In May of 1977, the Star Wars films opened in theaters across the United States, and their popularity was
nearly instantaneous. Lucas had also set up a new concept in merchandising for the films, something that
hadn’t really been tried on a large scale before. The success of the films places them in the top box-office
films of all time, placing in the top 10 for each year they were in theaters and episodes I3 and IV
4 in the
top spot for the years 1977 and 1999 (the years of release for each film).
People began to take notice and asked why these films were so popular. As early as 1986, the films had
generated a following of people from every religion in the world, who held up the Star Wars films as an
example of the best principles of their own views. But people were already looking for something new:
record numbers of books on witchcraft, voodoo, Buddhism and other new religious belief systems were at
record highs, and continued to grow. The Jedi path began, but it was not official.
The 2001 Jedi Census Debacle
While there is no specific founding of any single organization which can be called a founding
organization, the numbers of people in the world continued to steadily grow throughout the 1990’s. In
2001, the census brought Jediism into the limelight.
In late 1999, a chain email circulated which endorsed the idea of making the choice of “Jedi” a religious
one. By early 2001, there were at least two other versions of this email. In all of them, they extolled the
benefits of using the census system to make the religion count, and erroneously claimed that it would
cause the government to have to recognize “Jedi” as a religious choice. There is no rule or law about this
in any of the countries in the developed world on record.
The end result was that the UK’s census response rate was the best it had been in a century, and those of
the US, Australia, and New Zealand all showed a significant level of interest in the Jedi religion. The
problem was that the government could not assess the validity of these claims—were there really almost
half a million Jedi in the world?
In reality there were likely to be no more than about 20,000 (with some less conservative estimates
ranging up to 80,000) in the world who actually practiced the Jedi philosophy in a religious way,
according to web traffic statistics and IP address correlation—both ways to measure. In 2011, the
censuses of the USA, UK, and Canada have all removed questions about religion, so that governmental
recognition based on census responses is not misconstrued again.
Training
Beginning as early as 1991, there were people who began training in BBS forums, which gave way to
online forums and chat rooms, and has continued through 2010 as the primary means of training.
Physical training in the Esoteric Jediism system begins at the Force Sensitive level. We recommend that
the serious student find a partner to study with, as much of the training focuses on martial arts and the
simultaneous building of strength and agility for martial capacity. Also, now would be a good time to
3 Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999).
4 Episode IV: A New Hope (1977).
A Saber of Light Red Heron 5
consult a physician about starting an exercise regimen, especially if you have any known health
conditions or potential for health issues from rigorous exercise. It’s best to know what limitations you
may have.
That Jedi “Lean”
Lots of groups in the online world try to make people feel more like Jedi and really don’t have
comprehensive training available to students who are ready to really develop spiritually. These groups
adopted a number of ideas, but their application isn’t truly practical, and it would be difficult to adopt this
as religious.
Transcending the Word
Some members of the community have begun to pull away from the word “Jedi” and instead apply other
words to themselves which describe their belief systems. They believe that the word “Jedi” holds too
much power to manipulate them, and they feel shame and pressure to live up the standards of the film
Jedi. This trend has caused something of a schism in the community, though not a major one.
These people generally tend to deny any capability of living up to the set of core values that the Jedi
embrace. And regardless of what they call themselves, their denial also shows evidence of lacking faith in
the processes of any belief system.
The Future of Jediism
If we are to listen to ideas about the theory of religion (one of which was forwarded by Rodney Stark and
supported by William Sims Bainbridge), then Jediism is fated to die out because of its general tendency to
rely on the Force as some kind of magic or magic-like ritualistic concept which doesn’t operate
consistently—after all, most people believe that the Force is simply something invented for a set of
science fiction films. But the truth of the matter is that Jediism itself is growing again, and there is
scientific support (although limited in nature, and begrudging at that) for the existence of the Force. This
means that if—and only if—the Force can be cultivated, Jediism will live.
We only have one thing we can feel confident about: the future is almost never certain. Free will can alter
the pathways of the future just as surely as destiny can hold them.
Homework
There is no homework for Chapter 1.
Chapter 2: Jediist Beliefs A Jedi in the films can lift boulders off the ground with his mind. A Shaolin monk in films of their genre can
fly through the air, using the leaves of trees to run on while barely disturbing them. Real Jedi don’t do the
things from the films any more than real Shaolin monks do things from the films of their own genre. But we
do hold one thing for certain: the set of ideas George Lucas used in his Star Wars films form the basis of the
Jedi belief system.
We find Jedi beliefs in the films, but our beliefs also remain the product of practical reality: they are the
timeless wisdoms which come from the past, with the current wisdoms which arise from progress, and the
future wisdoms which are to come from whatever source they need to come. For the present, we present these
known tenets of the Jedi faith to the reader—a faith which we term Jediism for the sake of simplicity and
understanding of the philosophy which we have adopted for ourselves. We use it as a name for a system of
beliefs; rather than as a title to be cherished or rubbed in anyone’s faces. The real-world Jedi believe in the
prevalence of wisdom through reason and knowledge.
In Jediism, we believe in three dependencies:
Dependence happens where one thing depends on something else to function. If only one benefits, or
benefits more than the other, then we call the result parasitic.
Codependence is where two systems both depend on the same thing, which forms the basis of a
relationship. Where a lack of dependence exists, the relationship fails—the shared dependence on
drugs or alcohol, for example, is a common codependent bond. Where the alcohol or drugs are in
short supply, there is less of a sharing, and so the relationship based on the addiction to these
substances withers. Where two things base their relationship on their dependence, we call this
sympathetic.
Interdependence means that we have symbiosis: two systems benefit from one another’s presence.
Where both benefit, we call the result symbiotic.
True independence does not exist: we all depend on something for our own survival. Those who deny
dependency on anything ignore their need for food they didn’t produce within their own bodies. We can
plainly see that those who want to claim their independence are continuing to pretend to themselves that they
somehow remain superior to others.
We believe in directly shaping the experiences of the individual Jedi to strengthen us all as a whole: the whole
is often greater than the sum of its parts—this is called synergy. As Jedi move together, we create the capacity
for combined strength which exceeds the sum of the individual parts.
A Jedi seeks this symbiosis, and works toward symbiotic relationships which have synergy. These
interdependent relationships benefit everything around them. Thus, a Jedi is in favor of things like
environmental responsibility and sustainable resources, and opposed to the parasitic idea of siphoning the
resources from one area in order to feed another. However, the opposition in such cases is high because the
large supply of these alternative resources makes people money. Ultimately, such power will fail, and so
rather than engage in actively fighting these parasitic powerhouses, a Jedi merely promotes the alternatives so
that they become practical and suffering is kept to a minimum.
8 Red Heron A Saber of Light
Statement of Jediist Beliefs
The following beliefs are expressed in no particular order (as each of us has our own priorities):
Jedi Commit to the Force
We see the Force as an ever-present energy field, flowing through us, around us, and from us. It connects all
things in the universe. We learn to commune with the Force, and to make it a powerful ally. This bond allows
a Jedi to be sensitive to changes that others might not know about. No external, subjective analysis really
proves fruitful, as a Jedi truly in line with the Force transcends devotion or extremism, relying on internal
interpretations instead of external guidance.
We can teach ideas, truths, and even correct principles; but direct communion with the Force allows a Jedi to
act in a capacity which reproach never touches, even if unusual or seemingly harmful in the moment to
someone who cannot see the benefit of it. Those who commune with the Force always act to accomplish the
greatest amount of good possible.
A Jedi must have the deepest commitment—the most serious mind.
—Master Yoda, Ep. V: “The Empire Strikes Back”
Jedi Commit to the Jedi Cause
To understand the Jedi Cause, we must first define it. The cause of the Jedi is nothing more or less than the
promotion of life’s positive influences: joy, love, and serenity. Regardless of one’s professed religion, these
are the Jedi Cause, and the motivations for all actions a Jedi takes.
The “greater good” is always on a Jedi’s mind. A Jedi commits to this cause for life, rather than to any
individual or group (except as necessary to promote the cause). In committing to this ideal within, we each
pursue it in our own ways—nobody can tell us whether or not we are living as Jedi, because they cannot see
our innermost thoughts.
The Jedi Code
Emotion, yet peace.
Ignorance, yet knowledge.
Passion, yet serenity.
Chaos, yet harmony.5
Death, yet the Force.
This elegant code seems to conflict—the seeming contradiction is the way that the Force works.
Conflicts are nothing more than violated boundaries, quite often without the knowledge that any boundary has
been crossed. We seek inner peace and the beauty of all things—compassion for all life; and yet we feel the
emotions which are a normal part of existence. We seek knowledge, yet we acknowledge the impossibility of
knowing all things at once—we are thus ignorant of something and even if we know it, we can go astray and
5 This line does not appear in the original Jedi Code.
A Saber of Light Red Heron 9
become ignorant. We acknowledge the passions of others, and that we often have strong ideas about things we
care about, yet we seek serenity. In serenity, we learn to temper and control our passions, so that they don’t
rule us and so that we understand what our priorities are. We seek harmony, which we feel in spite of the
chaos around us. We may yet find harmony amid chaos. Finally, there is Death of the body, yet in the Force
our knowledge and experience live on.
So what about the other Jedi Code—the one which quite a few other people choose to use? That one is:
There is no emotion, there is only peace.
There is no ignorance, there is only knowledge.
There is no passion, there is only serenity.
There is no chaos, there is only harmony.
There is no death, there is only the Force.
This seems diametrically opposed to the first one, as well as being contrary to what most people know: we
have emotions, and it’s well-known that ignoring them is harmful. We are ignorant until we have
knowledge—it’s impossible to know everything! And so on.
This version of the code represses truth, rather than merely existing as another interpretation. It lulls us into
complacency about wording—the way that the brain interprets wording means that we force ourselves to
accept a lie with this version. The mind tends to take the initial interpretation first, according to the best
knowledge we have of both psychology and NLP (neurolinguistic programming), and so to accept this is to
deny one thing in favor of another (regardless of any deeper meaning attributed by some groups or
individuals).
In reality, there is emotion, ignorance, passion, chaos and death—these words are definitions. To deny them
would deny the things which define our ability to perceive. A Jedi strives to keep everything simple, and
reduced to only its basic elements so that trickery holds little power.
Students typically approach both, and are usually required to interpret both. We only require an interpretation
of the original because of the blatant denials of the second. But then there’s the argument about originality:
The “original” was published in 1996 by West End Games, as a part of Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game in
a sourcebook entitled Tales of the Jedi Companion (appearing on page 143 of that book). The second one
(the denial) was published in 1987 by the same company, in the core rulebook for Star Wars: The
Roleplaying Game 6. The revisions which came about through Tales of the Jedi (a comic book series) to the
Jedi Code resulted from the realization that in practice the Jedi would ultimately need freedom from the
limitations of the first-published “revised” code (according to at least one of the authors).
That the community adopted either of these without knowing their source is not positive. But neither is the
adoption of a code which drowns in denials and negative intent—a code which some have used to try to hold
sway over others in the form of requirements that seek to imbalance rather than simplify and balance.
Jedi Believe in Positive Religious Adherence
Throughout history, evil people have used religion to control populations. They have used religions to
produce hatred, intolerance, oppression, discrimination, killing (including mass killings and suicides), and
6 Though first listed on Page 15 of the core rulebook, it appears at the bottom of Page 69 prior to the core rulebook’s revision.
10 Red Heron A Saber of Light
basically all other manner of suffering against others. But far more common in history are those who have
used religion for a positive effect: the truths of love, tolerance, freedom, discernment, and life. We consider
religion a positive influence overall, and encourage others to participate in their beliefs (including agnostics
and atheists—we must maintain the right to abstain from religion, even if we don’t agree with it).
The Jedi belief in all cases of religious choice (including the choice to abstain from religion) supports the idea
that each sentient being has a unique perspective on the truth, and that this perspective needs only a little
guidance to help the rest of us to understand just a little more about how the truth really works. Religion in all
forms can be good. It all depends on a particular group’s leadership.
We are one, yet we are not the same: ten million different things have as many
different worlds. Do not see yourself as the center of a universe: wise, and good,
and beautiful; seek rather wisdom, goodness and beauty, that you may honor them
everywhere.
—Master Kahn, Kung Fu: “Chains”
Jedi Serve Others
In serving others, we ultimately serve ourselves. But to enrich one’s life through the service of others without
understanding service to others makes a virtue of iniquity. In service to others, a Jedi distinguishes himself. In
being served, a Jedi accepts such service gratefully. These are two sides of the same coin: we can bow and
scrape in service to someone else and still serve only ourselves; and we can accept offers of service in order to
serve those who offer it.
All beings exist—this alone should accord them respect, support, and compassion, solely for the virtue of
having survived for as long as they have. Their survival is linked to our own, and as such service to their
survival means that we ourselves will generally survive better. While we certainly agree that self-reliance is
best, a Jedi seeks to serve others who need help, whether they are arrogant and greedy or selfless and
generous. In service, we offer a gift; in receiving service, we graciously accept it. Why rob another of the joy
of the gift, whether offered or received?
Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose.
—Master Yoda, Ep. III: “Revenge of the Sith”
Jedi Exist as “Warriors of Peace”
The phrase “warriors of peace” seems like an oxymoron at first, until one understands what is intended—and
the intent is surely oxymoronic in nature. In a peaceful society, we would have no need for weapons of war or
destruction, and everyone would live in harmony. However, so long as any element of society does not permit
peaceful resolution, violence remains necessary, even if regrettable.
We hear some people say things like: “violence never solved anything,” but this phrase denies the role of
violence in ending the reigns of Hussein, Hitler (and his cohort, Himmler), slavery in the United States,
oppression by Buddhist clergy in Tibet (oppression decidedly opposed to the teachings of the Buddha), and a
host of other issues. Violence can and does solve issues, but it has a time and place for its use: when peaceful
resolution fails, violence could necessarily result.
A Saber of Light Red Heron 11
A Jedi accepts only the minimum amount of violence necessary to effect change. Even war, from this
perspective, is an act of compassion.
A Jedi seeks peace in all things. If long-term peace results from a surrender, then no shame in surrender can
exist. But if war should be necessary, a Jedi must prepare himself. To this end, a Jedi needs physical fitness
just as surely as he needs negotiating skills and critical reasoning. As tools for promoting peace, these three
conditioning systems help us to negotiate an equitable compromise: we prepare for violence if needed, and
talk our way out of it if we can. This is a true Jedi value.
We see no shame in compromise, yet people have a hard time letting go of their own foolish pride. Wars,
conflict and unreason take root in these things. A Jedi sees this difficulty, and prepares to deal with things
using either peaceful negotiation (bringing reason) or aggressive negotiations (temporary removal of peace).
Often, the threat of violence can avert violence.
Therefore, a Jedi must also train in the art and study of war, existing as a tool of violence in the hopes that
peace may be maintained. Standing idle in the face of conflict can be an act of violence. The Jedi define
violence as any act which furthers suffering. And yet we work toward peace—even a tenuous peace is
preferable to no peace.
If men would contend with you, seek not their deaths; but choose your own life.
—Master Kahn, Kung Fu: “The Assassin”
Jedi Avoid Materialism
A Jedi possesses only one thing: thought. In Jediism, we speak of materialism without really considering that
this attachment to mere things might affect us in a negative way. A Jedi seeks to eliminate addiction to
possessions, and to learn to let go when we perceive that we have an attachment.
Most Jedi consider their lightsaber (for those who have them) deeply personal—a possession into which
significant financial and time investments occur. But it is a mere thing, and can be replaced. When lost or
destroyed, the lightsaber is not mourned; rather, the feeling is mostly regret for having to re-invest time and
scarce resources to build a new one. We accept the loss of a saber in exchange for a life acceptable in all
cases. But building one correctly can be time-consuming.
Attachment to objects, processes, and even concepts can lead to fear of loss. This fear tends to lead to the
Dark Side, so a Jedi avoids attachment wherever he is able. For this reason, we create a valuable and
empowered sword as a part of training for some people—though its purpose is for spiritual development,
rather than personal gain or loss.
Most people don’t even realize that they’re attached: Buddhist monks (who also reject attachment) often
worry about money, cell phones, laptop computers, and even ecclesiastical clothing—addicted to the idea that
they cannot do without these things (but we have to admit, these things do make life easier). The dependence
upon these mere objects does not hinge life or death in most cases. Rather, the fear of loss where such things
are concerned is the shadow of greed, to paraphrase the wise words of a fictional Jedi Master.
On the flip side of that argument, people who believe that they can live without attachment might not see that
they blind themselves to the idea that attachment is a natural process which brings about its own sort of
balance. While we should avoid excessive attachment, it’s okay to have comforts and conveniences which
12 Red Heron A Saber of Light
allow us to live efficiently. But we should know that attachment itself, while normal, hinders spirituality.
Only in freeing ourselves from our addiction to mere objects do we understand that these mere comforts do
not create the substance of life.
The Master has no possessions.
The more he does for others, the happier he is.
The more he gives to others, the wealthier he is.
—Lao Tzu, Tao te Ching
Jedi Believe in Free Will and Destiny
Let’s first define these terms:
Free Will: The concept that we may choose all aspects of our lives, in any context—we are masters
of our own lives.
Destiny: The concept that each of us chooses only what causality permits us to.
Fate: The end of a path; the destruction or creation of life or success.
Many debates throughout the centuries have centered on the truth of free will, destiny, and fate. Does free will
reign supreme, or are we forever bound by the chains of causality? Do our choices reflect only what has come
before, or do we change what we touch? To a Jedi, the definitive answer is: both. All things—both living and
inanimate—have free will. All things also have destiny.
As a Jedi learns how these two things interact, he learns to shape the world around him, often seeming able to
change the world at will. Within society, a Jedi works to create opportunities for freedom of choice. At the
same time, we can choose the lines of causality through which we travel, to an ultimate end (fate). The Force
directs a Jedi to make choices, which the Jedi must choose to follow or disregard.
He must serve the will of the Force, or suffer the consequences of that choice (what a lot of folks tend to call
“karma”). Where choices reflect something other than reactivity, free choices can change destiny into fate.
Some have dismissed it as pure dumb luck. It’s actually the result of altered perception of reality which
allows a Jedi to take advantage of conditions which may not be apparent to others.
In my experience, there's no such thing as luck.
—Obi Wan Kenobi, Ep. IV: “A New Hope”
Jedi Ground Themselves in the Present
The past flows to the present; the present flows to the future. A Jedi maintains attention in the here-and-now
of the moment, unless a compelling reason exists to place the mind in another time or place (or both). Our
ancestors fought hard to win us the lessons of the past, but to dwell on the past then we rob the moment of its
purpose. And yet, to ignore the past robs us of a future. If we ignore the future, then we rob the past of its
lessons and we flounder without a compass. And yet, to dwell on the future robs the moment of its action.
A Jedi recognizes the time to plan, and times to deviate from planning. To plan does not mean to go on about
entirely unknown or unknowable future events—it’s to present the intent to act. Sometimes, plans must fail so
that suffering may be avoided. And sometimes, deviation itself causes suffering, and so should be avoided as
A Saber of Light Red Heron 13
well. We remember the past, plan for the future, and yet wedwell in the moment. To ignore the present is to
lose touch with reality. In losing touch with reality, we lose touch with ourselves. The moment is an important
purpose—important because of the future, purposeful because of the past.
A Jedi has a heightened awareness of the immediate situation, relative to most people. Some people call this
elevated state of alertness hyperawareness, which results only from being fully immersed in the moment.
In this way, a Jedi lives a low-stress existence in which extended awareness of the immediate situation
becomes the normal state. It allows a Jedi to gauge trends and plan future activities, gliding effortlessly
through a desirable life, neither in the extreme of poverty nor the extreme of luxury, but in the middle way of
comfort. Therefore, we place importance on what is important now.
Qui-Gon Jinn: Keep your concentration here and now, where it belongs.
Obi-Wan Kenobi: But Master Yoda says I should be mindful of the future.
Qui-Gon Jinn: But not at the expense of the moment.
—Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ep. I: “The Phantom Menace”
Jedi Focus on Being Positive
Jedi meditations, mantra recitations, and introspection all have use as tools for bringing a Jedi to a state of
restful awareness—an inner peace which creates favorable outcomes for everything a Jedi does. And with
these tools, a Jedi is more able to see the silver lining around every dark cloud—and the dark cloud, too. But
balance requires that we see the positive and the negative both. Because of the general tendency to focus on
the negative, a Jedi’s duty is to balance, focusing on the positive as well.
But this isn’t to say that a Jedi should exclude or expel the negative; several techniques focus us keenly on the
negativity within us—a “Jedi cave” of our own making, in which all of our greatest fears live. As we deal
with this, all outcomes to our activities become favorable. We focus on shining light on our own negativity,
and in doing so we create light within ourselves.
Your focus determines your reality.
—Qui-Gon Jinn. Ep. I, “Phantom Menace”
Jedi Have Serene Minds and Strong Intuitions
A Jedi trains the mind for serenity: stillness, openness, and passivity. Because of this serenity, a Jedi’s
awareness of things tends toward a level that some people might consider unnatural (which it’s not). This
serenity doesn’t imply that a Jedi is free from emotion—quite the opposite! A Jedi’s feelings (both positive
and negative) flow strongly, as the Force influences these so that a Jedi can perceive things at a greater level
than average. A Jedi learns composure—influence over the base instincts that rule emotions.
A Jedi learns to identify emotions passively—to step outside the mind and watch them objectively. Rather
than mere chemical reactions within the body, emotions shape the world through energetic response. Negative
emotions unravel the serenity of the mind—and without this serenity how can we find reason or peace? A Jedi
controlled by his emotions is dangerous.
14 Red Heron A Saber of Light
So, a Jedi cultivates composure, yet at the same time seeks to experience every emotion to its fullest whether
positive or negative—we see both as necessary for understanding. Yet focusing on the negative feelings tends
to inhibit the ability of the mind to perceive by disturbing its serenity. Too many people focus on the positive
to the exclusion of the negative. A Jedi is keenly aware of the role of intent, but seeks to maintain a balance.
A Jedi cultivates the abilities of logic and analysis, but also must learn to briefly suspend that analytical
side—the serious student must develop both sides for balance. A strong intuition guided by correct principles
and sound logic is a powerful tool. Science and religion both seek power over the minds of people, and so
overlook such a balance: religion focuses on belief, while science focuses on a belief in the lack of something
(skepticism). Science tends to see skepticism as reason, and religion tends to see belief as intuition—and both
miss the point of reason and intuition.
Skepticism is a poor substitute for reason, just as belief is a poor substitute for intuition. For reason to exist,
we must accept both doubt and belief as possibilities; for intuition to exist, we must set aside our own doubts
and beliefs. We must accept the existence and usefulness of both positive and negative emotions. Balance
requires both of them.
Therefore, a Jedi actively works to purge excessive emotional baggage in order to return to the serenity
required for the strong intuition to function. It’s easy to distract yourself from serenity though everyday
stresses and negativity. To maintain the stillness of the mind and purge the overabundance of emotions which
sometimes results, a Jedi meditates on at least a daily basis. Always, the duty of a Jedi Master is to guide and
instruct, never to force, except to teach about correct principles of the Force.
Always, the student’s duty is to listen, to question discerningly, to broaden and deepen study, to apply
teachings in a test of their truth, and to experience the lessons in the fullest context necessary to learn. But in
doing so, a student sometimes gains residual emotional baggage which adds stress and imbalance. Such an
imbalance adds potential for impatience. Patience itself demonstrates internal serenity, but when patience
causes inaction, we consider it a flaw. Some kinds of meditation help to overcome this baggage (we teach this
at Sensitive level).
A Jedi acts when action is needed. But sometimes those actions don’t make sense to non-Jedi. At these times,
so long as the action is correct and needful, and so long as the mind maintains a state of serenity, the Jedi’s
actions in a moment of need will typically remain above reproach, even where it seemingly breaks the letter
of rule. Such discipline allows a Jedi to live more fully, to understand our feelings much more completely,
and to observe the impact of our feelings on our thoughts.
In patience, serenity, and intuition we can learn more truths about ourselves and our personal connections to
the Force. This leads us to learn the power our minds have to influence reality. But we will truly know the
Force only when we can still our minds to serenity, and remain unperturbed in the face of stress, adversity,
conflict or suffering.
“You will know [if the Force flowing through you is from the Light Side] when you
are calm. At peace. Passive.”
—Master Yoda, Ep. V: “The Empire Strikes Back”
A Saber of Light Red Heron 15
Jedi Act to Alleviate Suffering
Suffering can only exist where resistance to the truth occurs. In a state of spiritual awareness, suffering occurs
to teach us how to prevent suffering (and thereby to survive more readily). When we learn to overcome
suffering, we learn to avoid the pitfalls which cause an early death. But even so, we can never avoid suffering
completely—we require a certain amount in order to learn.
If we allow a child to burn his hand on the stove, he understands the concept that high levels of heat will
cause him harm—a very necessary lesson. By the same token, forcing the child to place his hand on a hot
stove to learn the lesson removes the element of choice, and teaches only that he can’t trust the person who
burned him. In this case, he not only has an injured hand, but also broken trust in the person who victimized
him. Allowing choices creates the opportunity to learn.
Allowing incorrect choices will give people the opportunity to develop. But we recognize that everyone
progresses at his own pace. A little suffering is inevitable, but healthy—however regrettable it might seem in
the moment. Seeing this, a Jedi works to help people to come to terms with their emotions, both positive and
negative.
Fear itself has a particularly powerful effect, but fear has a use in motivating people to do things they
wouldn’t otherwise consider. Suffering needlessly is unjust, and a Jedi must act in the interests of justice. We
learn about suffering as a condition of existence. We act to alleviate suffering, both our own and that of
others. As such, a Jedi aims to be an embodiment of hope for positive change, to strengthen the minds of
others against control using negative emotions. We empower people to prevent their passage into the Dark
Side. And make no mistake: the Dark Side is real, even if it’s only the product of our own design.
Fear is the path to the dark side: fear leads to anger; anger leads to hate; hate
leads to suffering.
—Master Yoda, Ep. I: “The Phantom Menace”
Jedi Protect, Defend & Empower Others
When a Jedi sees power being used in an unjust way, he tends to feel compelled to step in and stop such
misuse. This includes legal powers as well as illegal misuse: laws uphold order and justice, but opposed by all
means possible where they do not serve these purposes, even where they have an obvious benefit. The
opposition causes less suffering than the acceptance.
A Jedi upholds the law where it serves the interests of order and justice, and is mindful of where the law is
lacking in this regard. As we use compassion as a core value, a Jedi seeks to refine a connection to others.
Compassion also leads us to empathy and sympathy, which in turn leads us to intolerance of justice.
Those victimized by the law cannot benefit from lawful activity. Those who respect the law benefit from the
spirit of justice, even where the law itself fails to protect them. Where we uphold the spirit of justice, we tend
to find ourselves well-protected. We act to create conditions for peace—action helps to decide the outcomes.
Where we fail to act correctly, peace cannot occur and suffering results. We must act to ensure a just and
orderly legal system which is free from corrupting influences: a Jedi generally prefers a democracy, even one
which does not act wisely, to anarchy or dictatorship. But even where a democracy doesn’t exist, a Jedi seeks
to ensure that the process is regular, somewhat fair, maintains integrity, and that inequities come to light.
16 Red Heron A Saber of Light
Balance under the law must exist: failure to bring balance will tend to bring suffering—people in power
historically hold the law over the disempowered, creating the conditions through which they legally
undermine social order. Such unnecessary suffering creates the conditions for rebellion.
As anyone who loves peace finds the unnecessary suffering of others intolerable, we act to prevent the abuse
of the powerless. But to defend another from those in power—especially those empowered by law—there
must be an equal threat of some kind looming, even if it never has to come to bear. For this reason, a Jedi
must learn the art and science of combat. In any capacity but defense, combat skills merely serve to reinforce
power, so must be avoided. A Jedi becomes a powerful weapon and must not fall to corrupting influences.
And so a Jedi works to empower people so they can make decisions which avoid suffering and the path to the
dark side. Those unable to think for themselves must always rely on others, as are those ruled by their
negative feelings. Those ruled by positivity fail to see the negative, and so cause suffering by imbalance.
Victims need empowerment, and perpetrators of injustice need prevention.
A Jedi acts outside of secular political boundaries—he does what he sees is right and true in all cases. Unless
the fabric of justice itself begins to unravel, a Jedi steers clear of politics as much as possible so that secular
order feels no threat. To fail to act, or to increase suffering, or to diminish life—all these things rob people of
empowerment.
I cannot fight a war for you, Your Highness; only protect you.
—Qui Gon Jinn, Ep. I: “The Phantom Menace”
Jedi Believe in Honor without Contention
Many people try to use a criticism much like: “Jedi X is acting very un-Jedi-like!” Such statements show that
honor is based on proof—a flat untruth. To contend who is or isn’t acting in a Jedi-like way rejects the idea
that someone might be worthy of trust, and this does irreparable harm to the community. Trust is an
investment of emotion and nothing more or less. The fear that many people have regarding trust shows their
lack of understanding about this fact.
A Jedi feels no need to prove honor; a Jedi seeks only to live honorably. If no honor lives within us, and one
presents only the mere image of honor, there can be no legacy of peace or reason. Though different people
certainly have different ideas about how to have honor, hostile and negative feelings and statements only
serve to tear down the community. A Jedi seeks to help people improve themselves—this is living honorably,
and having honor without contention.
Honor guides and protects a Jedi, because honor comes from a bonding of dignity, honesty, integrity and
reliability with a memory of past good deeds. A Jedi seeks to cultivate these traits in everyone—the self and
others included. Because we value these principles, we naturally seek them out in others and begin to embody
them. Honor may not be used as a means of controlling a Jedi—the term “un-Jedi-like” doesn’t serve to do
much in the way of regulating anything but what someone pays attention to. A Jedi fails to have honor only
when they assert how much honor they have, or how little someone else has.
A man may die from hunger of the body; but whole nations have fallen from hunger
of the spirit.
—Master Kahn, Kung Fu: “The Empty Pages of a Dead Book”
A Saber of Light Red Heron 17
Jedi Believe in the Dignity of All in Both Life and Death
Death does not bring honor; action does. All life must end at some point. In spite of the Jedi belief in the
sanctity of life, we must recognize the natural end to life as necessary and unavoidable. It should be a process
which preserves dignity. We should never cheapen or undermine the processes of life or death—premature
death causes suffering. A Jedi continues to treat the empty shell of the body as well as if the person was alive,
yet preparing it for an efficient return to the cycle of life, whether by natural decay or cremation. A Jedi
doesn’t dictate lifestyle choices to others, even if he sees it as beneficial. We simply do not discriminate based
on religion (or lack thereof), gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender preference, national origin or any
other status which may be cause for discrimination.
We should avoid inflicting suffering where at all possible, as too much of this damages us. As we become
desensitized to the suffering of others, we may even begin to take delight in the suffering of others. We cannot
tolerate such a condition for very long: it is wrong-headed and intolerable. A Jedi opposes torture and
degradation of others, especially the forms which some groups have used as forms of interrogation. These
never result in the truth, but in telling the fastest lie to end the suffering—this is just historical fact.
Even prisoners should retain as much dignity as possible. The dregs of society are still alive and deserving of
respect on that basis. That they harm others without a thought merely demonstrates their lack of education. A
Jedi seeks to educate others through just action and leadership by example. To degrade anyone because of
mistakes they have made, or lapses in judgment, or even willful intent to cause harm—none of this can fit
within the ethic of the Jedi. We oppose the use of cruel punishments, and unusual means of punishment—
both are degrading to the individual, and serve to create a disorderly society. Expectations must exist for
people to act in a given way. We separate the terms because some have expressed the words “cruel and
unusual” as a singular term. We don’t accept this view as valid, regardless of how others interpret the law.
A Jedi is opposed to both parts, whether together or separate. We oppose capital punishment, as it removes
the dignity of the individual for the entertainment (or revenge) of others—no punishment should be used as
entertainment, particularly in criminal cases; nor should revenge be a substitute for the just recompense of any
criminal. We should permit criminals to be productive members of society as they work toward the goal of
societal integration. Integration into society means an end to antisocial behavior, rather than furthering it.
The Jedi believe in criminal rehabilitation, and are opposed to warehousing most criminals on that basis. We
have neither a right to security, nor safety—the idea that we don’t have to take the responsibility for our own
safety and security can only be an illusion. Criminals should have a real chance at rehabilitation—and even if
they squander it, at least the chance affords them the opportunity to serve their communities in some capacity.
In the case of the death penalty, however, we see evidence that this can actually alleviate suffering. Where
this alleviates suffering and does not merely promote the idea of revenge, we can support it. Where it supports
vengeance, a Jedi must oppose its use as damaging to society and damaging to the surviving victims of the
criminal who is put to death. Nobody benefits from death in the long term, as history clearly demonstrates.
But if in death someone can eliminate their own suffering or that of others around them, then death is an
acceptable option.
“[Qui-Gon] has learned the path to immortality. One who has returned from the
netherworld of the Force… How to commune with him, I will teach you.”
—Master Yoda, Ep. III: “Revenge of the Sith”
18 Red Heron A Saber of Light
Homework
1) Define the word cult, and explain why it’s important to know what the definition of a cult is. Use
online dictionaries if you’d like to, and explain why people use it differently than the dictionary
definitions. Do either (or both) change from the meaning used in this book? If so, how?
2) What is the Jedi Cause? Can there be multiple interpretations?
3) Write a short academic-style paper which explains the meanings of the Jedi Code in its original form,
as well as reasoning out the differences in wording. Include any negative connotations which might
result from any of them. Write your own Jedi Code to guide conduct. Note: Formatting is not
required.
4) How does materialism work? How does it create suffering, or alleviate it? Can it do either?
5) Explain the concept of service, as it actually applies to real-world Jediists. What is it, and how does it
work?
6) Expand on the topic of free will and destiny. How can they both exist at the same time?
Figure 3: Faaposh Construction
Chapter 3: Empowerment In Esoteric Jediism, we have adopted the use of a 108-bead string of prayer beads (called a mala in the
Hindu and Buddhist traditions, or a rosary in most Christian traditions). The Aurebesh word for this
necklace is faaposh (fæpoš). The faaposh (also spelled fæpoš for those who want fancy
characters; plural fæpošai or faaposhai) allows the student to focus on imbuing the beads with the energy
of a mantra (a kind of repetitive spiritual chant). A simple faaposh is shown in Figure 3.
We do require use of the faaposh for learning some of the kinds
of energy work we do with the Force. The faaposh has 108 or
109 beads made of seeds7, wood, bone, or stone. Students may
choose any faaposh they wish—there is no actual restriction—
but we recommend that the novice student use wood beads or
seeds, strung on a strong string made of sinew or silk (silk is
preferred, but sinew is okay).
We consider the number of beads important, but not so
important that we can’t use others. For this text, we will assume
that the student has a faaposh with 108 beads on it, or 109 (one
extra bead which is called the “summit bead” or “master bead”).
On some versions, there are tassels or medallions as
decorations. These help remind us to focus on something, and
so any simple medallion or tassel works, as only the tassel is
necessary to keep the prayer beads elegant.
Some people also place a crucifix in place of the medallion,
which is also perfectly valid, since people in Jediism still study
Christ’s teachings (via the Apostle Paul in the New Testament
and also the apocryphal works). There is no need to press
ourselves to have one above another; they are simply
decorations used for mindfulness and simple beauty.
We use the faaposh to count recitations of mantras. It’s just a bead necklace until we empower the item.
We will create an empowered item which aids in clearing your mind each time you put it on. We can also
recite mantras without a faaposh, but the experience in this case requires that we imbue an non-living
object with these energies. This teaches us how the Force can act as a residue, waiting for us to activate it.
We ultimately care only about the process’s success, not the exact adherence to every aspect of the
process presented.
We store faaposhai in an area which we consider sacred. If you don’t have sacred space, keep your
faaposh someplace private and clean. Do not allow others to handle it without a good reason, as their
7 The seeds for a faaposh should come from a flowering plant of some kind; tree seeds, while not forbidden, should be avoided.
20 Red Heron A Saber of Light
uninitiated handling can discharge the faaposh. This isn’t as big of a deal as it sounds: you just have to
charge it again. You can accomplish recharging with 1 of each mantra which was fully charged on the
faaposh before it decharged. Wear the faaposh only when you are doing sacred work, or when you expect
to have time to do recitations.
As you recite your mantras, pay attention to the philosophical concepts each mantra represents. The
Mantra of Peace, as an example, should bring a sense of peace, even if a subtle one. There may be a
temptation to rock your body gently while you recite a faaposh; this is natural and acceptable. Do what
comes naturally, if it’s not harmful. Where harm, pain, survival and suffering are concerned, the well-
being of the student always comes first.
Using a faaposh correctly does take some practice and skill, and a fair amount of manual dexterity. We
begin by ensuring that we refrain from touching the faaposh with the pointer finger (the first finger next to
the thumb), as this usually un-charges the faaposh and can actually discharge any energy within it. This
means more work than is necessary, and possibly wasted effort.
Recital of Mantras
To recite a mantra using the faaposh, hold the faaposh draped over the middle finger on the right hand
(even if you’re left-handed, use your right hand). Then use your thumb to hold a bead as you recite the
mantra. Each recital of the mantra means that you “charge” or “hachash” (haçaš) that bead, as
well as the whole faaposh.
Then advance to the next bead by using your thumb to push or pull to the next bead as shown in Figure 4.
It takes some practice to be able to hold the beads like this. Some people experience minor hand cramps,
but your hand soon strengthens and you can do it easily.
Figure 4: Holding the Faaposh
Each repetition should go for as many beads as are on the faaposh (which properly has 108 beads, but
which may have other numbers of beads: most will have multiples of 9 or 12), and as many repetitions as
necessary for there to be 108 repetitions.
The technique allows us to repeat quickly without losing count. We call each round of recitals around the
faaposh (108 repetitions) one charge. In the Aurebesh language, the word to charge is hachashun, and
refers to a flow of the Force within a physical object. Mantras in Aurebesh always require one of four
formulas:
A Saber of Light Red Heron 21
General Purpose: 9 charges of 108 mantras for 12 days (about 45-60 minutes per day), used for
most mantras. Shorthand: 9x12.
Personal Use Only: 1 charge of 108 mantras for 41 days (3-5 minutes per day), solely for self-
inducement mantras. Shorthand: 1x41.
Specialized Use: 108 charges of 108 mantras all at once (about 36-48 hours), for mantras which
must be fully charged in a short amount of time or for emergency charging. Shorthand: 108x1
Stabilizing : 1 charge of 108 mantras for 108 days (3-5 minutes per day), for maintaining a
charge in a faaposh for a mantra which is not in the initial charging state. Shorthand: 1x108
Rosaries of 70 beads may be used, so long as the requisite counts approximating the same result are
calculated and used.
If you miss a single day of mantra recitation for any formula, begin anew from scratch. Most novice
students will fail to retain any energy for longer than about 30 hours. Skipping a day for any reason isn’t a
failure; it just means you start again. Each 24-hour rotation of the Earth triggers a part of our circadian
rhythms—the natural biorhythm “clock” inside of us which determines our cycles of sleep. Likewise,
mantras can trigger certain effects within the body—very subtle effects which might escape the notice of
students.
Whatever the reason for skipping, the only choices are to continue or to stop trying. The choice is always
up to you, the student, as to what you think you want or need to do. Hardships and distractions are there
to test our resolve, so that our true priorities come to light. Even if you have to stand up and pace as you
recite mantras in order to stay awake after a stressful day, the result will be worthwhile—but be safe. We
want everyone to survive their training, and so if you need to wake up and drive the following morning
and can’t afford the hour for recital of the mantra, go with what will keep you safe. But when you have to
start over, remember that it’s not the end of the world. It’s not really a big deal. It just means you get to do
it again. Skipping is therefore acceptable if something higher in priority comes along.
Novice Mantra
The training in this book is considered very brief, and so the aspiring Novice Jedi in Training needs to
learn one mantra only: the Mantra of Peace. The Mantra of Peace has the purpose of stilling the mind and
quieting the nervous system. The mantra is:
Anæ sŒvi, sŒvi, sŒvi.
Anæ sövi, sövi, sövi.
AH-neh sœ-VY sœ-VY sœ-VY
The Force [brings] Peace, Peace, Peace.
The word sövi somewhat rhymes with Jedi.
As you recite this mantra, visualize everything beginning as a sky blue and fading softly into nothing at
all, not even visualization. If thoughts drift into your mind, simply let them pass. There is even a
possibility that images will come into your mind which didn’t originate there. If this happens, allow them
to pass too. We’ll learn what those are about and what they’re for later.
Once you connect to the conscious energy of this mantra, recite this mantra and allow your mind to relax
and clear. If your mind ever feels overwhelmed with thoughts or feelings, reciting this mantra for five
minutes while allowing your mind to relax can help you calm and relax yourself.
22 Red Heron A Saber of Light
If you find yourself drifting completely away and into sleep, then go to sleep! Allow yourself to go. You
will fall into a special form of sleep in which your brain enters a state of hyperprocessing. Though the
technical term in English is transcendence, the Aurebesh designation is pæled (“download”). This
hyperprocessing allows your body to catch up to the level of processing capacity of your soul.
If you do this often enough and for long enough, you will no longer need to do it—it will simply stop
happening at a certain point. We recommend that you do one charge of the Mantra of Peace before each
of your other training practices, excepting those you will need to prevent relaxation for.
Jedi Clothing
Jedi clothing is only used in a ceremonial capacity, or
during work with other Jedi. We present several ideas
for uniforms, but a Jedi doesn’t walk around all day in a
movie costume, so normal clothes work for any time a
uniform is not required.
Ceremonial Robes: These robes resemble
those in the films, as shown in Figure 5, and we only
use them during the most formal and solemn
ceremonies.
Secular Dress: In cultivating an identical look
for the Jedi involved in something together, we promote
the idea of organizational identity.
All members of any group should adopt the same attire
while working together on any project. However, if the
project requires a more covert approach then no issue
exists with dressing in everyday attire. Always adopt
the mode of dress for the area: a Jedi should blend into
society where possible and appropriate. We want to
connect to others, not stand apart.
Jedi Names
A high percentage of people in the Jedi world want a Jedi Name. Some of these names boil down to
personal choice; others describe your life path and should come from a source outside yourself. And quite
a few people want these names. They use Star Wars name generators to make a “Coruscant variant”
name, or some other random choice method. This is appropriate for some kinds of name, but not for
others. We have a method of choosing names using the Aurebesh alphabet—the same system which
creates mantras.
Until the student learns the way this works, we tend to discourage trying it, for the sake of confusion. We
created this Aurebesh system to reflect concepts of spirituality, and we borrowed the concept of a soul
name from Eastern philosophies and Catholicism. So why have a name at all? Why would we need to
hide our identities or deny that we are our names? We don’t use these for hiding or denials at all; the
sacred name connects us to our soul, helps us to understand our own purpose in the universe, and allows
us to see what other people see about us. It also aids us in understanding our innermost nature—it allows
Figure 5: A Ceremonial Costume Tunic
A Saber of Light Red Heron 23
us to cultivate that nature as a means of connection to the Force. When you pay attention to a new name
in this context, sometimes the connection comes easier for some people. Sacred names do set aside the
past and judgments about one’s history within the group. We still encourage the use of legal names for
things outside of a spiritual context. Your old identity (the legal name) will still be there, and you would
only need to claim it. But no matter what someone calls you, you always remain the same person.
Some people do try to use a new name to run away from the past. In cases where people try to use a
spiritual name to escape, the lessons of the past may need to be re-learned. We don’t let go of our
previous identities in the sense of escaping; we let go of our previous identities to explore who we really
are, and why we exist the way we do.
Saber Name: This is what most people call the “Jedi name” and can be anything. Students at the
Novice level may select their own names. Many use their sabername as a login for Jedi sites. This
is also the name formally used for recordkeeping, for the sake of anonymity if needed.
Starform Name: Students develop the starform name as a part of their starform (a concept taught
at the Knight level of training). Starform names are unrecorded, used for starform work and so
they remain changeable.
Soul Name: A Jedi’s soul name describes the Jedi’s soul. The soul name may complexify or
simplify as needed. However, it’s best if your soul name comes from your teacher at some point
during training, and that it comes from a language other than the one used for ordinary speech.
This is the reason that a sacred language (also called a liturgical language) becomes necessary. In
the Esoteric Jediist path, we use Aurebesh, but others use Sanskrit, Hebrew, Latin and even Old
Norse.
Nobody can control you with a name, and it’s not really any kind of a secret; but it isn’t really important
for other people, so there’s no need to tell everyone.
Spiritual Masters
In at least one part of the training, students will have access to one or more spiritual masters. Unlike the
films, students may select teachings from anyone they wish, instead of being locked to a single teacher.
Spiritual masters often provide a means of unlocking the true nature of the self. But not all spiritual
masters are really qualified. An effective spiritual master has years (if not decades) of training and/or
experience to draw from. Many people believe that the only requirement is sounding wise or mysterious,
and they don’t bother asking about credentials or experience.
And in fact, the status of Jediism as a “new religious movement” means that we lack a significant lineage
from within the community, and that we must establish credentials if we are to progress—not just anyone
can be a spiritual master. It requires real time and dedication in order to progress to a point of self-mastery
that we can teach others. Many Jediists accept someone as a spiritual master who has less than a year of
practice, and who lacks true life experience to draw from. Large numbers of people call themselves
spiritual masters who never studied—and some don’t practice what they preach. These cannot be
considered mastery.
A number of these people have managed to bring truths together for training—enough that people could
feel the nature of the truth coursing through them as they listened. But there are so many people who are
flatly charlatans: con artists who are after power over others’ minds, rather than investing in freeing those
minds.
24 Red Heron A Saber of Light
And the Jedi community’s response has been to grow cynical and fearful of anyone with a title—this has
broken the community apart, and triggered our denial of the name “Jedi” for fear that someone would use
it to manipulate us. How do we overcome this issue? How do we fine a spiritual master who actually
knows how to train us? And how do we prevent ourselves from being manipulated by those who want
power? The answer is actually choice. We choose what manipulates us; it is not the word, but our own
attitudes about it which create the potential for manipulation.
Recognizing the Master Jedi
Lots of Jediist organizations hand out the title Master to anyone they feel like handing it out to. In some
organizations, using titles are somehow a sign that people are full of themselves. Ego and pride have no
place in a spiritual setting—it’s true. But the fact is, titles do have their uses. And without them, we would
have little incentive to advance, some of us. A Master is someone who has realized mastery over the self,
and mastery of the spirit. There is some semblance of ego and satisfaction with a title. But unlike the
Buddhists, we Jediists have a concept of correct ego. Besides: titles really do have their uses, when
dealing with outside organizations (even if internally we don’t really need them).
The title of Master carries no actual meaning of accomplishment: it’s more of a job title. It implies
responsibility and accomplishment, but so does “Vice President of Spiritual Affairs” (or another such
title). This means that we have actual pre-requisites for the title: qualifications which mean that we must
undergo training and gain experience. Those who want to be a Jedi Master generally don’t really know
what they’re asking. Mastery is not the same as being Master. Mastery is a pre-requisite for being a
Master. There is no central Jedi Order to control. A Jedi Master can’t control people, because our
community has learned to reject authority. This anti-authoritarian streak runs the risk of undermining the
entire community, because people who actually do have some control cannot let go of their own agendas
in order to serve the community with what it wants and needs (both are necessary).
We must learn that there is a time and a place for authority, and that those who earn such authority
necessarily have earned a level of respect. Yet we reject this wholesale for the sake of somehow proving
that we don’t need anyone telling us what to do. This pompous tendency risks repeating the lessons of
history rather than working toward a future in which Jediism is viable. It shakes the entire community
with contention instead of unifying people under a heading that most can agree upon. It splinters the
community—and that’s just what some people want: a community so mistrustful of itself that it can’t
function. Titles allow us to set expectations without having to set down rules, and they create a condition
by which we can interact with outside organizations. We need titles at some point, or we reject the fact of
social interaction necessary to function.
So Really, How Do I Become a Jedi Master?
In the films, we see Master Yoda on Kashyyyk strategizing with the Wookiees, and Master Windu
stepping in to arrest Palpatine. A Jedi acts for the benefit of everyone, whether that benefits the Jedi or
not. This action is the main thing missing from most people who call themselves Master to begin with.
And while our lives might not be so grandiose as the fictional characters’, one thing remains: those of
higher rank continually serve those of lower rank.
This service usually takes place in the form of teaching, but imagine how it might work in a community
which needs to build. To become a Jedi Master, a Jedi must learn service to others. To learn it, a student
A Saber of Light Red Heron 25
requires patience. Once learned that patience and service require continual application and practice. The
time invested relies on whether or not someone learns mastery of the values a Jedi embodies. A Jedi
Master must learn the following at a fundamentally personal level (in no particular order):
How to be an example to others.
How to remain calm and collected during a crisis, even if lives are at stake.
Full awareness of the world around them, regardless of whose perception of reality is used (and
what that means).
Demonstration of patience in every waking moment.
Spirituality in every waking moment—whether meditating, walking down the street, or making
love to someone.
Self-motivation, and helping others to self-motivate.
How to motivate people to learn about spiritual truths of the universe.
How to comfort those who need it in all cases.
How to live a life of servitude to others—a Jedi Master’s greatness is in his capacity to serve.
Sacrifice of one’s own desires for the good of all living things.
While the path does teach all of these (and more), few have really taken the time to cultivate these—
putting action behind the philosophy means cultivating and practicing the philosophies so that they have
practical application. If we want to play around at being Jedi, then philosophy alone is fine; but if we
want to actually proceed with promoting our religious movement, we require practices. We must put
thought into action.
Master Levels
Master levels are basically the end of the ranking system. But it doesn’t stop progressing there! A number
of levels of master exist, but the titles stop changing because there isn’t really much of a difference—to
everyone else, a master is a master, and to non-Jediists we’re a bunch of fans who take our fandom to too
much of an extreme. The title is there for reasons of dealing with non-Jedi, or we wouldn’t need one at
all. Titles encourage egocentric pride. But mastery includes the ability to suspend the ego for a time, and
most masters of today lack mastery in spite of the title. Thus, the effect of a title in Jediism is minimal at
best, and useful only to allow others to understand what we do. The real question is this: what have we
mastered? There is only one thing to master: ourselves.
Homework
1) Obtain a faaposh. Any necklace, mala or rosary of 108 or 109 beads should suffice.
2) Write an essay of any length which describes your experience with this book so far, and explains
your decision about whether or not you believe you can continue.
3) Construct or purchase a Jedi ceremonial robe and secular attire. (Optional)
4) Forward an idea about how an empowered weapon might actually be considered a lightsaber
without having the same physical attributes as the laser swords of the films.
5) How does the way we dress affect the perception of our activities? Is there any impact?
6) Recite the Mantra of Peace with a general-purpose formula (9x12).
Chapter 4: Introduction to Practice We have several layers of practice to support philosophies, which all work together to create Jediism.
Like all religious movements, Jediism aims to allow a person to function in normal life while at the same
time living a spiritual existence. Like all spiritual philosophies, Jediism aims to reduce the suffering of
those who practice it. Few religions can say that their aims are otherwise; yet they seem to lack teachings
which would reduce the burden of secular life.
In Jediist practice, students should learn several things. First and foremost, a Jedi needs to understand
how events link together in the universe—the flow of the Force which presses causality into motion.
Students should also learn to prevent suffering (that of others and the self, both). Without such
understandings, a Jedi cannot cultivate a relationship with the Force.
We teach meditation, mantras, introspective techniques, and ESP. All of these help the Jedi to learn the
fundamental operation of the universe so that a Jedi can operate effectively in society (and outside of it).
These skills, balanced with critical thinking and a healthy understanding of basic life skills, make a Jedi a
force to be reckoned with—if a reckoning is required.
But a Jedi doesn’t usually even want to have to be reckoned with. The education we provide includes
concepts of time management, finance, physical health, martial arts, and political sciences. Though we
don’t teach these at the novice level, a fundamental need for these skills exists within the Jedi context
before a Jedi completes training. Mostly, we teach these at the Padawan level.
What is Meditation?
Meditation has a dictionary definition similar to:
Meditation is a holistic discipline by which the practitioner attempts to get
beyond the reflexive, "thinking" mind into a deeper state of relaxation or
awareness.
—Merriam Webster Dictionary
Hindu, Buddhist, and other ancient practices which involve meditation do not include any method to
make your mind devoid of thoughts; rather, the idea is to let go of any concept of the self as a separate
being. In Western traditions (notably, Cabbalistic Hebrew and Catholicism), meditation allows you to let
go of anything unrelated to God. Neither case begins with any mind-blanking mojo—your brain just
doesn’t work that way. In both cases, meditation is for the pure enjoyment of it, like privately dancing in
your room or listening to your music player through headphones. It’s not about expression or any
purpose, it’s for the sake of doing it, and learning how to be good at it.
Quite a number of self-proclaimed experts talk about trying to teach meditation beginning with “blanking
your mind” to get meditation going—thus, getting your brain to stop working the way it was designed to.
Those looking for some kind of validation in their spiritual work will reject meditation as a result. Those
who lack formal training in meditation do damage to those who sincerely wish to learn. The mind is made
to think, so don’t begin by trying to stop your mind from working—it needs to, or your body dies.
28 Red Heron A Saber of Light
But why learn meditation? One of the side effects of meditation is that it quiets your mind. Qui-gon Jinn
said it best:
When you learn to quiet your mind, you will hear [the will of the Force]
speaking to you.
—Qui-gon Jinn, Ep. I: “The Phantom Menace”
Hui Neng (the 6th and last Patriarch of Chán Buddhism) said:
Learned Audience, what the ignorant merely talk about, wise men put into
actual practice with their mind. There is also a class of foolish people who sit
quietly and try to keep their mind blank. They refrain from thinking of anything
and call themselves 'great'. On account of their heretical view we can hardly
talk to them.
—Platform Sutra of Hui Neng, 2:11-13
Paul the Apostle said:
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of
your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect,
will of God.
—Apostle Paul, The Bible (KJV): Romans 12:2
And for completeness, let us not forget Lord Krishna:
A man of uncontrolled senses has no spiritual comprehension. He has no
capacity for meditation either. For the un-meditative there is no peace. And
where is happiness for one without peace of mind?
—Lord Krishna, Baghavad Gītā: 2:66
Cautions for Meditation
Almost everyone can meditate. However, those who have a reason to worry, such as a biological issue
with the brain (like schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease, chemical depression, etc.) should consult a
mental health professional before attempting any of the lessons in this book.
In some cases, these cerebral issues can be made worse instead of better. So long as you are aware of the
risks, you may make a decision—but make yourself aware if any risks exist! Only by knowing the risks
can you make a good decision for yourself. And you are the only one who can decide if the benefit is
good enough to continue, though you should give it an honest attempt.
How to Meditate
To learn to meditate, first find a quiet place to sit. We won’t require silence later in our training, but it’s a
good idea to begin learning in a place where you will not be disturbed. Next, be as comfortable as
possible in your sitting. Then breathe a few times to calm yourself down. If you need to, recite the Mantra
A Saber of Light Red Heron 29
of Peace for a few minutes to help improve your mind’s calmness. Pay attention to any sounds around
you, if there are any. Be aware of the fact that you are paying attention. Be aware of the fact that you’re
aware of paying attention. This state of paying attention to the way your mind works is called self-
awareness in Jedi meditations. Relax your body. Then relax the thought of the sound around you. As you
identify sounds, allow the process of identification to relax. Allow the sound to fade to background noise.
Once you get proficient at self-awareness, allow your thoughts to drift away in the same way, just
becoming background noise. Your mind will naturally relax and then only occasional thoughts will
surface. Then allow your thoughts to fade into background noise in the same way. If a thought pops up
into your mind, thank your mind for working and then simply let it go—if you try to push it away, you
give it energy which can make it stronger: just allow the thoughts to drift. Take these thoughts as proof
that your mind works the way it’s supposed to, and use them to relax. These thoughts relax into nothing
more than a datastream of consciousness which you watch from the outside.
If your mind starts being too noisy or chatty, go back to chanting the Mantra of Peace, silently to yourself
a few times, then go back to being the Inner Self that you have discovered. This is your connection to the
Force. Practice this meditation of the Self every day for a few minutes. You are a soul, paying attention to
a body’s perceptions. This part of the meditation isn’t really explainable in words—just try it! Be
whatever you are, without effort or judgment. Pay attention to what you feel you are.
Keep it sane and simple: complicating it will obscure any results. If you wonder if you’re doing it right,
then you’re worrying too much about control (the process of meditation is actually a natural process, so
it’s difficult to mess up). If you wonder what you’re supposed to feel, you’re worrying too much about
the judgment of others (you feel whatever you do, it’s just what it is). These complications (and others
like them) are a natural part of the learning process. Just try it! Keep it straightforward and down-to-earth.
You can also think to yourself: My life is so simple; I am so happy. This gentle cue helps us to preserve
simplicity and at the same time reaffirm that simplicity is one of the keys to happiness.
Then sit, relax, and defocus. You are yourself, whatever that is. You have no definition. You exist—not
what you are, who you are, or how you are. Just sit and exist—just be. If you lose yourself in the moment
and don’t know who or what you are for a moment, then you’re doing exactly what this meditation is
designed to do. As you come back from meditation to normal awareness, you can think to yourself: My
consciousness expands; my mind is pure. This positive affirmation helps you maintain a positive mental
attitude and can help you learn to choose the thoughts you have.
While it’s okay to use meditation aids (HoloSync®, isochronic tones, or other technologies which aim to
provoke meditative states), their use should be avoided during the long weekly meditation in order to train
the mind to operate without them. Students who rely on these technologies do not really reap the benefit
of meditating beyond having some of the physical effects of deep meditation. The real benefit of learning
to achieve the effects on your own is that you learn to slip into the state naturally. The technological tools
can help if you’re having difficulty, but many people get into such a rush to achieve that they forget that
the reason for meditation is to achieve nothing.
Duration of Meditations
Do it for as long as you can, so long as you don’t forget to take care of things that need care. Meditate for
as short or as long as you feel you can, but do it every day for at least 5 minutes before and/or after any
kind of spiritual training. You should be able to meditate for 20 minutes per day without difficulty.
30 Red Heron A Saber of Light
Hyperprocessing
During meditation, you might seem to doze off or black out during meditation. This is actually natural. If
your body loses tension and you fall over, this means you’re just asleep. But if you stay sitting upright
and just lose consciousness of your surroundings for a few moments, you’ve entered a state where your
brain is processing data at 200 to 4,000 times faster than normal, which we call pæled.
It’s even possible to snore while in this state—the mind shuts down the body so that it can process, and
the state fully resembles sleep. Your brain is operating at its full capacity, to a point that your entire
nervous system is trying to process the abstract spiritual data which floods in. It’s like the progress bar on
a “please wait” dialog box on your computer.
In most Eastern philosophies, they call this transcendence. However, the inelegance of this word in
translation causes ideas of having risen above something. In those belief systems, transcendence implies
getting beyond the idea of material existence, but the English word also tends to imply that someone is
better than the physical world. But this state is not better than the material world—it’s merely different. It
allows perception outside of the physical, but these perceptions don’t mean that someone is better than
someone else; it’s just a different perception that others might not consider. And it allows the mind to
process more efficiently.
If you find yourself in pæled, just let go and drift into this sleep-like state. But you can also enter this state
while conscious as well. This means that your mind shuts down one or more of your senses (usually
hearing) and you find yourself in a state of altered perception. This specialized state of awareness during
hyperprocessing allows the processing of new data during the experience. If you don’t enter a
hyperprocessing state, don’t worry: you’re normal.
Hyperprocessing states usually begin to occur after a lot of meditation (typically after 200 to 300 hours of
meditation—typically a year of practice at 45 to 60 minutes per day). And after a long time of doing that,
you transcend and remain conscious of your surroundings. When you return to your “normal” state of
awareness, you might retain some memory of what happened during your experience. If you don’t, it
doesn’t mean much: some spiritual teachers prefer someone who blanks completely out.
Some people report feeling refreshed and relaxed after hyperprocessing state; others feel dizzy or
disoriented. A key concept to apply is to keep things positive for as long as possible afterwards. This
energizes the soul with Light Side energies and helps to keep dark side temptations to a minimum. The
goal is to hyperprocess until your body can handle the data, and it will naturally stop. We don’t mind
hyperprocessing states; but we desire consciousness more. Consciousness is the point of meditation; and
so with this in mind, we want expansion of consciousness, rather than lack of awareness.
Enlightenment
We define enlightenment as the point at which someone gains an understanding and elevated perception
of the universe and is able to see multiple perspectives. Some people claim that meditation leads to
enlightenment (for example, in Soto Zen Buddhism). While this can occur, we can see more efficient
methods of getting there. And in any case, enlightenment is just the beginning of the journey, not the end
of it. People gain enlightenment as a result of experiences which bring realization.
But what do we use enlightenment for? Of what use is it? Why do so many people go after it? If we don’t
value self-development, then we have no purpose in gaining enlightening experiences. If we derogate
A Saber of Light Red Heron 31
spirituality, we can never see the value of enlightenment. The only use possible for enlightenment would
be teaching enlightenment to others. So where else might we be able to see that enlightenment has a use?
Enlightenment means that you see and understand things at a level which others simply don’t
comprehend. Having enlightenment doesn’t mean that you’re somehow smarter or better than those who
lack it; but the perceptions of those who achieve some level of enlightenment tend to be so far outside the
norm it seems like psychic knowledge or even magic. Enlightened people see the impact of actions at a
much broader level. Most of this perception results from an in-depth understanding of the causal nature of
the universe—understanding of the law of causality (what some people call “karma”).
A Jedi seeks to gain enlightenment through knowledge of what brings autonomy—the things that free an
individual from the control of others, and the promotion of freedom. Enlightened people don’t act with
self-interest, political interests, or even religious ideals; they act with the benefit of all humanity as a
focus. Enlightened people act in a way which alleviates suffering, and which permits causality to help life
flourish. But enlightenment, as we’ve already said, is just the beginning. It’s a step along the path—the
start of being a Jedi.
Every Jedi at the level of Padawan gains some level of enlightenment. Mastery requires enlightenment (or
it can’t be considered mastery). And enlightenment serves as the means by which we perceive all things
as potentially possible. When you achieve nothing and don’t have a hard time with that, you can begin to
relax and become aware at the same time. As you gain relaxed awareness, enlightenment begins to
manifest.
Choosing Your Thoughts
Because of the way that meditation works, you will learn to influence and choose the direction of your
thoughts after a while. We’d actually like the student to work on this choice, as choosing one’s own
direction helps increase the efficiency of the training.
In addition, you begin to manifest things at some point, and if you have negative thoughts then you begin
to manifest negative things. In learning to practice directing one’s own thought processes, you will
become able to choose the things which will manifest.
My consciousness expands; my mind is pure.
My life is so simple; I am so happy.
Aren’t these worth learning to manifest?
Your First Force Flow: Cycling the Heart
To flow the Force your first time, you need to be able to feel the difference between intentional flow and
natural flow. To do this, you should place your dominant hand over your heart. But instead of a flat palm
over your heart, cup your hand. You might feel a gentle warming sensation from the combination of the
heat of your hand and your chest. Keep it there for a few moments. About 90% of everyone should feel
something at this point, before anything has actually been done intentionally.
Leave it there for a few moments, just so you can feel the gentle heat. The trick of it now is to visualize
energy flowing from your heart area, down your arm, and back into your heart again—don’t just imagine
it; really see it in your mind’s eye, and direct it down your arm. There is a nerve bundle over your heart
which we call a vortex and which has one of the many kinds of connections to the Force.
32 Red Heron A Saber of Light
There are other vortices throughout your body called (in the Hindu tradition) chakras, but the heart vortex
is a good place to begin. In Aurebesh, a chakra is called a zivona (zivona).
As you continue this, you may notice that your hand is growing very much warmer (as well as your body
temperature), and very quickly. This is a simple cycling of life energy—what they call chi in the martial
arts—and as such it is very much the Force interacting with the body. Within 5-10 minutes, you should be
breaking a sweat, under typical indoor conditions.
Now use the same cupping technique, cup your left and right hands together. Get the same feeling of heat,
and keep it there just long enough to ensure that you understand the difference between the natural body
heat pocket which occurs and your intent to cycle the energy, if there is a difference (hint: this is
something we want you to comment to an instructor about).
When you are comfortable that your hands aren’t going to get much warmer on their own, then visualize
the energy going down your right arm, through your hands, up your left arm, and back into the heart area.
Where is the heat now, if there is any?
For the final elementary exercise, try this again, but use another person to flow between your hands. Be
sure to ask permission first, or it won’t work! Also, people who are actively skeptical of what you’re
doing will also block you from doing it. It’s not known why active skepticism blocks it, but that’s just the
way it is. If we overcome the skepticism with a measurable display (body temperature, participant begins
breaking a sweat, etc.), it begins working.
This chi flow is merely a natural part of having a living body, and is a weak demonstration of the Force. If
you are cold, you now know how to warm yourself and other people for survival (but do remember that
this can increase the stresses on your body). The flow of the Force at its strongest can help with healing,
create seemingly miraculous effects, and help with focusing one’s attention to laser sharpness.
Martial Arts & Exercises
While there is no specific practice unique to Jediism at this level, we do teach some practices which have
been developed with the Jediist philosophies in mind. But rather than these being their own full-fledged
martial art, they are simple exercises intended to help strengthen the body and mind together, improve the
connection to spirituality, and at the same time improve well-being at an emotional level. These begin at
the Force Sensitive level.
The Importance of Practice
Jediism itself is a practice. This means that we continually apply what we know as often as we can, so
that we can get it right when it counts. It also means that even when we master a portion or all of the
techniques, we continue to work to improve them and even innovate new and improved ways to obtain
the same results.
Our chief occupation is to understand the universe. This means that a Jedi acts as a part of society, rather
than separate from it (as portrayed in episodes 1-3 of the films).
It means that in every waking moment, our focus is on living within Jedi values. It means that we do our
best, and expect mistakes from time to time. It means that we aim to be the best that we can be, always.
But most of all, it means that we are bound together by the things we do—what affects one affects us all.
We aim not to separate who is or isn’t living up to being a Jedi, but to welcome all who want to try.
A Saber of Light Red Heron 33
And even if we disagree about what is or is not living up to the Jedi name, our practice connects us as
surely as anything else in the universe. We embrace our diverse nature, and the diversity which surely
exists throughout the universe.
But without practice, we would never act upon our beliefs, and such lacking action would surely prevent
the Jedi from doing much of anything. A Jedi acts to lessen suffering; however such action might take
place. This might be donating an hour’s wages to a charity which helps victims of violent abuse, or
something as grandiose as taking direct action in housing such a victim.
Philosophy without practice is like being a fly stuck to flypaper: you make lots of
noise, but you never get anywhere.
—Maha Vajra
Homework
1) Meditate as directed in this chapter for at least 5 minutes nightly.
2) Explain how meditation affects the mind, and why it might or might not be necessary for all Jedi.
3) Describe your view of how pæled (hyperprocessing) works.
4) Explain why Novice training might be more intense than later versions of the training. (Optional)
5) Explain if there was any difference in the level of heat between when you intended to flow and
when you simply held your hands in position without intent when you performed the first Force
Flow exercise.
6) Why would martial arts be beneficial to spiritual practice?
Chapter 5: Cultivating the Force
So certain are you [that a thing cannot be done]… …[M]y ally is the Force, and a
powerful ally it is. Life creates it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us and binds
us. Luminous beings are we; not this crude matter. You must feel the Force
around you: between you, me, the tree, the rock, everywhere! Yes, even between
land and ship.
—Master Yoda, Ep. V: “The Empire Strikes Back”
What is the Force? Lots of groups seem plagued by this question, as they try to figure out what works—and
many try to prove that their definition of the Force is more correct than others (if not the correct one). With so
many definitions, we can’t really nail down a singular definition with any degree of reliability. It’s become
something that people believe in without a real definition—not unlike the Tao, in many respects. But to
understand it, we must first understand the law of cause-and-effect.
The Law of Causality
When we act, the universe reacts. Unlike Newton’s Third Law implies, we don’t necessarily see an equal or
opposite reaction, but the reaction itself is obvious. If we take into account that everything in the known
universe acts and reacts, then some of the reactions that come back to us seem unequal due to redirection or
focus. We can avoid, deflect, or amplify our own reactions by sheer willpower, provided we stay prepared for
these reactions. Each time, it’s a choice.
Causality requires that we understand that each event influences every other event. And while that influence
may be strong or weak, it exists nonetheless. But it’s only influence—what if we could decide what
influences had stronger or weaker reactions? What if we had some say in the amount of reaction that things in
our lives caused? What would life be like? The mind boggles.
As we take action, we tend to think about how it might cause or prevent suffering (both). We move on the
perception that we must act, and deliberate while we act so as to prevent unwise action. And we do what we
can to follow the KISS principle: Keep it sane & simple. Simplicity is one of the keys to sanity. We must
understand this law to succeed in any endeavor.
So, Really: What Is the Force?
George Lucas (writing as Obi-Wan Kenobi) rather eloquently describes the force:
The Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It’s an energy field created by all living
things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together.
—Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ep. IV: “A New Hope”
Though vague, it gives us the foundations for understanding just what the Force really is, and what it does.
While we might not be able to do all the cool tricks which Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, or even Darth
Vader does, there are some things which an understanding of the Force can bring us, and they are rather
remarkable. But as to exactly how it works, nobody really knows. We can surmise, theorize, hypothesize, and
even philosophize: but the end result is nothing more than an outright guess.
36 Red Heron A Saber of Light
But we believe, because many of us are able to have direct experiences with the Force. It is unseen, and it is
an energy, and it is real (we can experience it directly, even if we cannot direct it or measure it with
equipment). These things are not debated seriously.
Beyond that, we’re as hopelessly mired in debate as the scientific community might be about the mass of a
quark—and that’s a debate which has occurred for decades. We need to define what the Force is, from an
Esoteric Jediism perspective.
Enter Lynn McTaggart
About 40 years after the discovery of certain quantum fields, a journalist named Lynn McTaggart began to
interview scientists about their scientific understanding of the unseen forces of the universe. Science offers
some ideas which could demonstrate the Force in action.
The Force seems present in all living things, even if not lifting rocks off the ground or spaceships out of
swamps—but mainstream science isn’t comfortable with the idea of living things having energy, as it seems
to confirm that certain lines of spirituality might have merit after all—spirituality, and not necessarily
religion. Because of this discomfort, science has excluded the idea of life energy for more than 1,000 years.
As quantum physics developed, science carefully excluded living things from having quanta, because the
numbers just didn’t make sense (due largely to a tendency to want to refrain from transfinite mathematics at a
biological sub-quantum level). So they dropped this idea altogether for their own comfort.
Gravity, EM, and Electricity
Some Jediists see the Force as the affectation of matter in the electromagnetic spectrum. As such, science can
consider it valid because it adopts scientifically-valid principles. But science does not accept the Force
because scientists can’t measure things within the scope of the Force.
And yet physics doesn’t completely explain the nature of the material world when it ignores the idea of
interchangeable matter and energy (an idea which relies on a scientific concept of acceptable
interchangeability). Einstein expressed this idea very elegantly in his most famous equation:
We find it useful in Jediism to think of matter as dense energy, and energy as an unstructured form of matter.
This allows us to perceive the universe in a way which makes sense within our beliefs.
Telekinesis
Telekinesis (also called psychokinesis, TK and PK—all different terms for the same thing) is the ability to
affect solid matter using a sheer act of will. Little doubt exists about the reality of TK, though the effect is
quite small and tends to move objects which weigh less than one kilogram (2.2 lbs.) at most. Nina Kulagina—
a Russian housewife during the Soviet era and perhaps the most famous telekinetic talent ever—could only
manage to affect small household objects.
The average person can practice TK using a contraption known as a psi wheel (also called a chi wheel or a
Gonzo wheel, depending on who you talk to). Students don’t aim to simply get the wheel moving, as this
happens with wind, heat, or other effects. What we want to see is changing direction at will. But the psi wheel
won’t move quickly, especially in the beginning. We don’t require training with the psi wheel at this point,
but students who want to try it should try it.
A Saber of Light Red Heron 37
Science is skeptical of the effects of TK. This is because they can’t measure TK as a field or as a flow of
electricity. They simply don’t believe anything they can’t measure. This doesn’t mean there’s no evidence
that it works; it means that convincing evidence is difficult to get—the word “convincing” meaning that there
can’t be anything else which obtains the effect or it immediately gets the credit, according to science.
For example, some people believed in bending something metal with the mind as good evidence of TK. Stage
magicians disproved this by performing a trick where a spoon appeared to bend using the mind, but then
explained that they had simply used sleight-of-hand to accomplish the same result. As a result, scientists have
dismissed any claim at bending metal as mere “spoon-bending” trickery—the same sleight-of-hand magicians
might use on stage.
The best evidence to support TK comes from a very unlikely source: ghost hunting. When trying to explain
what causes poltergeists (ghosts that move objects), some scientists have suggested that the documented
occurrences of poltergeist activity surround girls in a specific age range who live in specific emotional
conditions with specific geological makeup under their dwellings. While this doesn’t prove or disprove
anything, it lends credence to the idea that TK may actually exist and could be harnessed at a later time.
Skeptics rest on their laurels, but it’s only a matter of time before someone will be able to demonstrate TK as
a scientific fact. But the only real use for TK right now is in healing work.
Faith Healing
Lots of us have heard claims by practitioners of Reiki and evangelism that they can heal. The rumored
capacity of faith healers to heal with nothing more than a touch has been documented, but science and
medicine can’t really deny that healing occurred, even if they debate the mechanism by which it happened. In
Jediism, we use the Force to heal others and to balance the body. The healer acts as nothing more than a
conduit for the healing—a conduit through which the Force may flow. The Force literally represents all of the
kinds of healing energies in existence, whether chemical or energetic in nature. And so we promote the use of
mantra work.
Anomalous Cognition
Jediism recognizes three kinds of anomalous cognition:
Clairvoyance (Remote Viewing)
Precognition (Quantum Surfing)
Telepathy (Inductive Processing)
Like TK, quite a lot of doubt exists about anomalous cognition. We have ample scientific evidence for remote
viewing, but no means to publish because of a state of infinite regress which continues to plague the field of
parapsychology and a lack of interest in the fields of science which anomalous cognition might fit into
otherwise. This means there is no academic outlet for serious research into the topic. The problem seems to be
cultural as well as a lack of reproducible results.
Remote Viewing got its start as a classified US Department of Defense project at Stanford Research Institute.
Because it seemed to have a lot of significant results and potential application for intelligence gathering, the
Defense Intelligence Agency transferred the entire project (codenamed “Stargate”) and its personnel to the
Central Intelligence Agency in 1995. The CIA shut the project down 8 months later, after a 6-month review of
its results. Because of its being psychic in nature without much support from the scientific community, it
38 Red Heron A Saber of Light
made politicians nervous, and so this guaranteed the project’s removal on the grounds that it “lacked utility”.
While this might seem unreasonable, we would not have it available as a technique to teach to promote our
spiritual development. Therefore, this was the correct move, even if not necessarily the most kind.
Quantum Surfing started in a quantum physics classroom on Denver University’s campus in 1992. A quantum
physics student postulated that each reality in the quantum reality module might remain attached to the reality
it came from. Each decision made anywhere in the universe creates a node—a spot where reality shifts to
allow multiple expressions of itself, spinning off a new reality in the form of a chain reaction of events along
a new timeline, not unlike the branch of a tree—and each node represents a likelihood of possibility.
Because there is no past or future in quantum reality, all of these nodes exist simultaneously, and so the
strongest nodes tend to survive in a sort of Darwinist model. Certain people can sense these nodes (because of
an as-yet-unknown mechanism of perception) as they approach them along a timeline, and they can
subconsciously pick which nodes they take, thus appearing to know the future.
Inductive Processing comes from the process by which one being can manipulate the thoughts of another.
While this isn’t precisely the communicative telepathy we all know from Hollywood’s copious fiction on the
topic, scientists first measured it in monkeys who had wires which measured the firing of neurons in the
premotor cortex. These same cells fired when they broke open a peanut, or heard someone break open a
peanut. Dubbed “mirror neurons,” these give the best evidence for inductive processing. In fact, human
survival depends on the operation of these neurons, which allow us to see the intentions of others and the
social meanings of behaviors.
Puthoff
In 1967, an orthodox physicist name Harold Puthoff received his PhD from Stanford University. He
wondered why quantum theory kept dropping key ideas about the nature of life and so (in 1970) he began
exploratory experiments into the reasoning behind this. He eventually adopted the term “zero point field” to
explain the phenomenon he studied. Puthoff found an underlying interconnectivity between all living things,
and went on to help in the discovery of a process later dubbed remote viewing.
As one of the first people to recognize this interconnection of all things in a scientific context, Puthoff came
under fire because his data showed clear evidence of psi—something science has been skeptical about since
the 1800’s. Skeptical scientists accused him of withholding data which might have demonstrated only a
minimal effect so that he could inflate his claim (called a confirmation bias in scientific parlance), although
Puthoff strongly insisted that all data had been included.
They then accused him of being lazy about standards (in scientific terms, lacking scientific rigor) though he
appeared at least as rigorous as any scientist of the day, even if not up to modern standards of rigor due to the
changing standards over time. After this, they accused him of faking the data—fakery which they might prove
by duplicating his work, though they neatly avoided this by saying that no real scientist could be interested in
this work.
These same scientists feel uncomfortable talking about things like transfinite mathematics, faster-than-light
communication at a quantum level, and other ideas which imply that the nature of reality is fluid and
changeable (whether that’s proved or not). For example, multiple timelines can exist at a quantum level and
would not necessarily violate our own space-time continuum. Changing history might mean diverting to a
new timeline—so why not? Orthodox quantum physics flatly rejects the idea of changes to the timeline,
neatly avoiding any paradox by allowing the creation of new timelines.
A Saber of Light Red Heron 39
The same kinds of rejections exist where discussion of zero-point fields within living things might take place:
explanations exist which might allow a thing like psi to exist, but because of the stigma of going against the
grain, the scientific community fears the ramifications of accepting that something immeasurable might
actually exist in the universe—this would necessarily imply that metaphysical energies might possibly exist,
and science wouldn’t hear the end of that from the religious sector.
Puthoff had to deal with this in its entirety, and while he understood the need for scientists to feel secure in
their own beliefs, he didn’t necessarily agree with all of what they had to say.
Enter Targ and Utts
At that point, Puthoff joined with another scientist, Dr. Russell Targ. Together, they discovered what they
termed a “perceptual channel” which seemed to exist in psychics. This channel allowed the transmission of
information over long distances—and actually, distance had no bearing on the results. Ducking criticisms for
his work, Puthoff spent 25 years (1970-1995) furthering the research initially funded by the Department of
Defense and the CIA (as well as other organizations) before funding dropped away completely due to political
controversy. But this didn’t happen before Targ and Puthoff developed some good methodology to teach what
one of the participants (a man named Ingo Swann) coined remote viewing.
This remote viewing technique demonstrated the interconnected nature of everything, whether living or
inanimate. Even today, some scientists continue to push rigorous scientific study of remote viewing. But we
wouldn’t have a quantitative result if not for Dr. Jessica Utts, a professor of statistics.
The quantitative result that Dr. Utts calculated showed odds of 20 trillion to 1 against the demonstration of
any effect other than a psychic one, using some 25,000 consecutive results from actual trials. Since no
scientific journal would publish such a result due to the large number of criticisms and questions which might
result (and fears that such a publishing might detract from any reputation which might be connected to such a
result), the issue remains one of political comfort for scientists, rather than any implication of truth or
falsehood. Nobody wanted to be the messenger that science itself may have proved the existence of ESP as
early as 1972.
Dr. Utts took heavy criticisms for her calculations based on the data she had available; though most of these
appear to be ad-hominem attacks (statements which attack the person instead of the message ). Her own belief
relied on the numbers, which she had faithfully calculated from every available result. So when her numbers
supported the existence of psychic powers, naturally the fear set in and she was attacked. When her numbers
proved above reproach, they attacked the source of her information, calling her naïve for accepting that such
results might actually be real.
File Drawers and Infinite Regress
In science we see an idea call the file drawer problem. In this problem, academic journals don’t want to
publish results that fail—let’s say a 20-to-1 chance against some kind of fluke. This becomes a problem when
the journals publish the one success and don’t publish the twenty failures because they don’t meet the
criterion of failure. It shows that a phenomenon exists when it doesn’t actually exist.
In studying psi, the opposite of this issue takes place, which we’ll call the inverse file drawer problem. In this
case, the journal accepts negative results while positive results are rejected as invalid. This shows that a
phenomenon doesn’t exist, regardless of the data that shows it could, under certain conditions. It rejects truth,
rather than eliminating falsehood.
40 Red Heron A Saber of Light
In addition, publishing data which lacks rigid scientific adherence to standards (scientific rigor, in science-
speak) tends to lead to a state of infinite regress. Infinite regress means that proof offered in support must also
have proof—one example of this could be a statement (published in a parapsychology journal and written by a
PhD-level scientists who argued against the existence of a certain phenomenon): “How do we know that
living beings are actually conscious if there’s no objective basis for such a claim?”
While it’s no fun being the new kid, such ridicule cannot be considered reasonable and yet science has no
issue with continuing to allow infinite regress to dominate an entire field to the point that any legitimate
findings will go unnoticed—and that’s the apparent goal: to prevent serious inquiry (and public discourse)
about areas such as remote viewing, TK, ghost hunting, and even UFO’s.
The scientific community in general rejects scientifically-valid findings so that they don’t have to face the
idea that the universe might not be the neat, random, and unpredictable place they want everyone else to
recognize. Science will continue to reject proofs until someone brings up something on the order of
“undeniable” proof. We don’t really have shortcuts to make this process go faster. And make no mistake:
science is a process. Though guarded by something approaching religious zeal among the skeptics, science
cannot prevent all of the ways to build a mountain of evidence which ultimately leads to acceptance or
rebuttal. Over time, science will either accept it or disprove it. We merely require patience. And to appreciate
that the “paranormal” is actually quite normal.
Paranormal Norm
Lots of skeptics apply the term paranormal to anything they deem better-suited to the realm of unreality.
Ghosts, UFO’s, aliens, psi, cryptids, and anything else these people consider outside the realm of common
experience all receive the label paranormal because of the discomfort that such subjects evoke. These same
people avoid serious inquiry by deflecting any request to investigate by saying that science “has no interest”
in such things—as if they speak for all of the scientific community.8
Science also undertook a plan to debunk many of the so-called powers that charlatans use to get people to
believe. This ultimately backfired9, since irrational explanations abound and skeptics often force these on
people without listening to any rejection they might have, neatly avoiding having anything resembling an
open question. For example: a woman claimed she could make people urinate on themselves by touching
them (and she was actually somewhat embarrassed about it).
Yet when the JREF10
tested her, the man she was supposed to make do this began the test with an empty
bladder and a condition that she wasn’t allowed to touch him (both conditions seeming to imply that the
woman was somehow creating the pee, rather than impelling people to urinate). Since it didn’t work, it was
touted as a rejection of her claim. Stacking the deck in this way is common around JREF, as they don’t really
want to give out the million-dollar psychic prize. This means that nobody takes the prize seriously: not those
in the psychic community, and not those in the scientific community, nor those who might be somewhere
between.
8 Students should note that skeptics might apply such a definition to any oddity which they believe science might avoid investigating.
Skeptical scientists neatly ignore the definition of “normal” when it suits their purposes.
9 Recent polls in the US show that among the US population, there are more believers than skeptics. While we can’t assume this is the
case everywhere, it’s interesting at least.
10 James Randi Educational Foundation
A Saber of Light Red Heron 41
Another issue is that of UFO’s. While we can’t say for certain that a UFO might be piloted by an alien from
another planet, we can say with a great deal of certainty that something we didn’t build flies around our skies.
We cannot consider the idea of a clearly-defined gigantic (at least 300 feet across) black mass in the sky with
blinking lights on it a “cloud of swamp gas” or any such thing.
We can’t reasonably consider it swamp gas when our own radar tracks the object’s movement at over 2000
miles (over 3200 kilometers) per hour, especially when more than six dozen witnesses step forward and
positively agree that it had the appearance of an unknown craft11
. Swamp gas at night usually glows a faint
greenish color—sometimes orange or blue—but has never known to be described as a pulsating red light “like
an arc weld” in brilliance, flashing at regular intervals.
Another incidence of “swamp gas” is a DEA “drug sniffer” plane with thermal imaging that captured ten
objects flying faster than the plane and across the direction of the wind—but of course, these were oil fires a
quarter of the way around the world when “swamp gas” doesn’t work.
But to mitigate some of this, we don’t necessarily have to accept everything part and parcel:
If we accept the existence of unknown craft in our skies, we don’t automatically accept extra-
terrestrial origin: we must accept unknown origin, since we don’t know about all of the super-secret
projects that might be funded by governments or militaries.
Acceptance of remote viewing as a form of trainable clairvoyance doesn’t admit to the existence of
any other form of psi.
To accept that ghosts walk around doesn’t mean we accept that they are spirits of the dead.
Even people who don’t expect to witness any of the foregoing can experience things that others might
consider “paranormal”. Such things are in fact quite normal and natural—they exist beyond science because
of science’s tendency to outright dismiss or ignore the entire world unless it hits them hard enough to rock the
entire world.
If not for official records, the scientific community might not accept secret agencies operated by governments
due to a lack of evidence—that which has a vested interest in being hidden cannot be uncovered if skeptics
rule everything. Skeptics want “objective” provability, in denial of subjective reality. But this means that
consciousness cannot exist.
In the real universe, material reality remains a narrow view of only one band of the spectrum of reality. We
don’t accept visible light as the only expression of the electromagnetic spectrum, so why should we accept
that objective materialism is the only reality?
The Cult of “I Don’t Know”
What we can accept in all cases is that we simply don’t know for sure that these things exist, just as we are
unsure that they don’t exist. There is not enough evidence either way. But is it really the case that the
evidence is unpublished, or is it closer to the truth to say that it doesn’t exist? Skeptics paint a picture of the
latter, but what of the former?
Science requires a model in order for things to operate. So let’s give them one.
11 This particular event is the most compelling evidence that there are craft, and occurred in January 2008 near Stephenville, Texas;
special thanks to MUFON for this data.
42 Red Heron A Saber of Light
The Planes of Reality
A number of concepts in the Jedi path explain the way that reality interacts, but one concept seems to cover
all of the bases: the planes of reality (Figure 6).
Figure 6: The Planes of Reality
In this context, we define a plane as one level of frequency. These planes all occur at the same time and in the
same space, at different frequencies and levels of perception than the items that occur around them. This
model demonstrates a continuous spectrum on the right, and on the left we see areas and labels.
We can see that there is no specific point on the right at which pure green occurs (as one example), yet we can
say that at some point, green definitely exists within that spectrum. The model on the left is an explanation of
the model on the right, which itself merely represents an idea about the way the universe works. It’s a model
of a model of a model… and yet it helps. This model does seem useful for energy work.
What we’re really interested in are the three upper planes: Unifying Force, Living Force, and Nature (which
includes Personal Force). While we do see Negative Force, we will not label its levels for the time being—it’s
outside of the scope of training at this level. The Dark Side is covered in depth during Knight training.
People can access these planes at a fairly innate level. Though these might make sense to most people, the
idea is certainly not obvious to everyone. We want to demonstrate an interesting principle that the whole
A Saber of Light Red Heron 43
universe at all of its levels is a singular thing with multiple means of expression. Some things are matter;
others are energy. But all of it has vibrational frequency—all of it! The whole universe vibrates.
For each of the upper planes, we see 3-4 categories of energy, each with a concept we can see in Table 1.
Table 1: Explanation of the Planes of Reality
Level Concept of Operation
10 God/Divinity Creator of life; negatron/electron
9 Creation Life created; positron/proton
8 Interaction Universal constants; neutron
7 Consciousness Beginning of separation from the Divine
6 Causality Understanding of action; the Force
5 Experience Collection of action
4 Intellect Thought
3 Emotion Feeling
2 Personal Force Chi; energetic action of physical
1 Physical Physical existence, separation of personal reality
If we understand that matter and energy can convert back and forth, and we realize that something doesn’t
come from nothing, then we can understand that all matter came from the densification of energy. Therefore,
God remains the source of everything—we are ultimately pieces of God. As pieces of God, we are one with
the creative power of the universe, whatever we happen to call it.
Overcoming Pain and Suffering
The way of the Light Side of the Force is the way of camaraderie and unity; the way of the Dark Side is the
way of separation. For some, the idea of lightness of being is unbearable; for others, the idea of ignorance is
equally unbearable. Both sides must exist for balance: light and dark, Ashla and Bogan.
To end the pain and suffering, a Jedi finds balance within, and continually chooses the alleviation of suffering
over the furtherance of suffering. Light is not always good; nor is darkness always evil. We might
demonstrate that light and shadow both create shape and form. We might show that some suffering allows us
to see that suffering might be avoided.
We accept that light and dark exist everywhere in the universe, just as we accept that both order and chaos
reign supreme, as one cannot prevail over the other without losing its meaning. We must accept that balance
and imbalance are necessary parts of life. We express pain when we resist balance. Living with imbalance
makes us strong; living with balance makes us resilient.
To choose either strength or resilience defies the purpose of both. To choose pain or joy risks loss. And yet
we must always choose. If we don’t choose, then usually others make a choice for us. Choice allows us to
avoid suffering. Focus on overcoming suffering, and pain will not last. Your focus determines your reality.
The Jedi way allows all ideas to flow freely, contending only where we want to understand the truth and
reason of a statement. We overcome ignorance with knowledge, and yet admit ignorance. We overcome chaos
with harmony, and yet accept chaos. We defend the right to contend, yet in our hearts we train to release all
forms of contention. We overcome death with the Force, and yet we do not remain immortal. This is a part of
what it means to be a Jedi.
44 Red Heron A Saber of Light
Force Powers
Some people advocate the use of skills like remote viewing or TK to cultivate a relationship with the Force.
And while these exercises do help with that aim, they do little to cultivate the connection on their own. The
connection exists within us already; we are the best teachers we have. We must learn what works, then build
on that. We must accept feedback from others and ourselves; and we must not fear reprisal for offering honest
feedback.
We consider the role of feedback vital during training. Feedback allows us to know whether what we’ve done
is correct or not. But even when we know, a lack of feedback might dampen or inhibit any existing connection
by creating fear, uncertainty and doubt (abbreviated FUD). This well-documented principle in psychology has
three principles:
The human brain cannot issue its own feedback and remain in a state of good health.
The mind adopts the ideas and attitudes of those it is around by means of feedback.
In human psychology, lack of feedback is a sign that an item is not real (even if it functions), and so
we should counter and eliminate the item from consideration.
As natural human tendencies, these three principles evidence themselves as hard-wired tendencies. Social
order depends upon feedback. And because feedback remains a primary mechanism by which training in the
Force operates, we encourage people to speak up without judgment.
Brain vs. Mind
Learning the difference between the brain and the mind is important to learning to do the exercises in this
book. The brain is merely the organ inside of your head; the mind includes the memory storage systems
throughout the body: your entire nervous system and even a little beyond. When we discuss the layers of the
soul in later lessons, this will become more clear, but for now we should accept that the mind is what
experiences the universe, while the brain is what interprets that experience in the context of the current human
existence. The mind perceives; the brain interprets.
Obvious vs. Logical
What is obvious isn’t always logical. The reverse is also often true as well. It means that we must accept that
logic is fallible and that what is obvious tends to be what is real.
Often, the mind can know things which cannot be put into words. The brain must interpret and understand
these in order to express them. So that we can accept things without the need for this interpretation,
understanding is merely seeing what something is, just as it is, without the need to bias one’s self with
interpretation if it doesn’t help us along. When we know something that’s obvious that we can’t explain, then
we generally accept that the obvious, in that case, isn’t necessarily logical.
Experience vs. Logic
This training teaches through experience. What this means is that not everything can be explained using
words (or if it can, it would take decades for some of the most profound concepts). Thus, experience can give
someone the ability to see what is right in front of them, yet be fully unable to explain their experience. But
these experiences also give us something upon which to base further lessons. Experience is required.
A Saber of Light Red Heron 45
The Diaphane
The diaphane is what we normally call our mind’s eye, but it’s a specific part of our mind’s eye which is
immersive. We can be full within the diaphane, watching as events unfold around us in our imaginations. But
it’s more than just imagination: it’s visualization. It’s like being in the middle of a movie, where you can
choose to watch, or to interact with. Think of it like a 3D movie screen (there are more dimensions than these
three, but we’ll go into them at a later stage). But it’s also a step beyond the mind’s eye, requiring us to move
even further into ourselves, awakening dormant parts of the mind so that we can know which parts of our
visualizations are manifest, and which are merely statements we make to ourselves. In this way, it’s far
beyond the mind’s eye.
When we awaken the diaphane, we awaken our Force abilities: visions, clairvoyance, telepathy, and even TK
begin within the diaphane. But it’s easy to dismiss. We tend to ignore it when we should pay attention; and
we pay attention when we should ignore it. We must accept that everything in the diaphane is valid (as
opposed to true)—practice, and not rejection of our own thoughts.
Diaphane Exercise
Let’s begin by utilizing a simple symbol, one which we use in Esoteric Jediism to signify Ashla (see page 43
for more) as shown in Figure 7:
Figure 7: A Simple Sunburst, Signifying Ashla
You may emit the symbol in any color you wish, sending this in a light manner. We relax into it, and allow
the Force to be our conveyance—this would be impossible for us as individuals on our own, but with the
Force, the symbol conveys itself very readily. In sending this thought out into the universe, it’s as though
we’re “making a call” to the universe itself.
The symbol in your mind doesn’t need to be perfect; it just needs to be there with the intent of radiating out
from every part of your mind. You must want to do it, but you must also relax the body completely. This is
why we teach meditation: it helps to put the mind into the perfect state to do this.
After 2 minutes or so of emitting, close your mind (“hang up”). Listen and look inside. Feel the imagery.
Forget about everything and just pay attention to the diaphane—ignore the five senses completely. Allow
your thoughts to come as they will, but don’t hang on to them, just as you did during the meditations earlier in
this chapter. If you try not to think, you are telling your brain to physically stop working. Since it can’t do this
and maintain your body at the same time, this kind of internal conflict will prevent graduation to the next
level.
You might have tons of thoughts come out like crazy at first—this is normal. Just relax and allow whatever
happens to happen—even if it’s nothing. With time (or maybe a little practice, or even some luck), you may
begin to perceive information, knowledge, and wisdom. Someone or something might even answer, because it
46 Red Heron A Saber of Light
is the nature of Spirit to answer willingly. If this happens, just accept whatever seems right—go with the
flow! And on the other end of the spectrum, don’t force it if nothing happens.
At first, you’ll want to spend 2 minutes or so emitting and receiving. As you progress, shorten the time that
you emit. When you are adept at this skill, you will be doing both at the same time. But after 10-30 minutes of
practice, meditate the way you usually do (as taught in Chapter 4). If you have no results after 5 minutes or a
day of practice, you’re pretty normal. Continue to practice until you get results of some kind. Some people
begin to get clear results in as little as a week, but this is more the exception than the rule. Most people take 3-
6 weeks to get this far. Even if you get no results, it’s still okay to move on to the next exercise. The entire
training of the Jedi path can take years to accomplish.
The more difficult it is, the more of a difference it makes to learn it.
Finishing Up
In any case: congratulations on completing the required reading! Please begin practice after contacting an
instructor about any questions or issues you might have (at least to tell him that you’re proceeding with the
homework).
Homework
1) Understand the concepts. Write a brief essay (100-500 words, generally ½ page to 2 pages in your
favorite word processor) explaining your ideas and reflections on the information provided.
2) Meditate for at least 10 minutes per day for at least 30 consecutive days. Do not skip any days.
3) Write a brief essay (100-500 words) outlining how the Force relates to ESP.
4) What is the diaphane? How does the Force interact with it?
5) Perform the diaphane exercise daily for 41 consecutive days.
6) Explain why our experiences might differ, even if we’re in the same experience. Why would two
people in the same situation have vastly different reactions and experiences?
A Saber of Light Red Heron 47
Appendices
A Saber of Light Red Heron 49
Appendix A: Graduation Review
Graduation review will be done via telephone or email with a Jedi Master. It will consist of a review of all
homework and a task which is intended to gauge the student’s ability to quiet the mind and focus clearly.
Though the training is difficult, the review shouldn’t be very hard at all for the student who has completed
training with daily diligence for 4 weeks.
If it takes longer than 4 weeks, it’s not a sign that anything is wrong; rather, it’s a sign that someone is
pacing themselves and working to get things right, rather than rushing through to do something for the
sake of doing it.
If the person teaching you doesn’t respond, give them a gentle reminder.
50 Red Heron A Saber of Light
Appendix B: Study Material Sources
While Jedi School does have study materials and is grateful for every donation, the following
organizations may be of use to the student.
Heaven’s Light Store
http://www.heavenslightstore.com/
Samadhi Cushions
30 Church Street
Barnet, VT 05821
http://www.samadhicushions.com/
Jedi School Stuff
http://jedischool.org/stuff/
Amazon.com
http://amazon.com/
http://amazon.ca/
http://amazon.co.uk/
http://amazon.au/
We are open to suggestions!
If you own or know about another place to get materials needed, please feel free to send it to us! If you
have a suggestion, [email protected] is the best email address to send it to us with.
A Saber of Light Red Heron 51
Appendix C: How to Identify a Dangerous Cult
Generally speaking, a cult is a group of people who have a common belief. In order to ascertain whether
or not the Jedi structure you are involved with (including us) is a dangerous kind of cult, or even acting
cult-like. In essence, the checklist below should be combined with one’s own research and matched with
common sense. If a group displays more than two or three of the following, you may be dealing with a
cult; many religious groups have one or more of these and are not considered dangerous.
Category Explanation
Censorship A great number of cults actively censor their members, whether by directly forbidding the
discussion of certain topics (and monitoring communications), or by completely disallowing all
contact.
Disempowerment Many cults seek to make individuals powerless against the organization in some way to weed
out dissenters, or as a means of dropout control.
Dogmatism Many cults teach that theirs is the only way, and that rigid thinking is a path to spirituality.
Dropout Control Many cults enact programs that seek to bring back those who drop away from the organization,
or which prevent leaving in the first place.
Emphasis Many cults place a special emphasis on money, property, recruitment, political influence,
weaponry, and even access to information. Spirituality is not the top priority.
Hypocrisy Many cults excuse actions which are against the principles of the group if these actions are
done for their benefit (e.g., for political, social, economic, or other gain).
Infallibility Many cult leaders try to show how correct they are. Cult members are often hostile toward
those who are critical, and may seek to hamper validation /verification efforts.
Isolation Many cults seek to isolate members and actively work to prevent dealings with the “outside
world”. Most use this as a means of disempowerment.
Sexuality Many cults attempt to use sexual activities as a means of manipulation or favoritism. Sexual
orientation, choices of partners, and even behavior are often restricted or under the direct
influence of leaders.
Wealth Many cults seek to accumulate wealth and even go to extremes to guarantee that the
organization benefits by charging exorbitant fees for spiritual lessons, or demanding all
personal assets to be transferred to the organization.
—SOURCE: Isaac Bonewits
This is not to say that there are no other common markers, or that any religion that fits on this list is a
dangerous cult; rather, it is to educate the reader so that cult-like activity is kept to a minimum.
52 Red Heron A Saber of Light
Appendix D: Frequently Asked Questions
These questions appear in no particular order.
Who Controls the Jedi Order?
There is no individual or group who controls all of Jediism. There is a confederacy of organizations which
have formed a loose association, but not even these people control all of Jediism. Why not?
The answer is, simply put, that the Jedi religion is not centrally-controlled, but rather operates on a system
of principles instead of on strict rules. To lay down strict rules defeats the purpose of learning spirituality.
This is perhaps the greatest criticism of Jediism, after the idea that truth can be derived from a fictional
work.
But we likewise don’t wish to repeat the issues that centralized control has created in the past, either.
Some of these issues are similar to those expressed in the fictional context of the films, but which have an
historical basis in things like the Roman Senate and the Congress of Athens. People continually make this
error that centralized control is better, and that it’s better to rely on an authority to make decisions for
them, rather than to make correct decisions themselves for the benefit of others.
And while no system is perfect, it’s better for us to accept principles of democracy than to try to blend it
with any system of centralized control.
How do I Tell if Someone is a Sith?
The tradition of the Sith was created as a response to the Jedi. The issue is that Jedi and Sith don’t
actually war the way they do in the motion pictures; rather, they do battle with philosophy. These people
actually are generally anti-religionists—atheists who want to try to dismantle anything resembling an
organized religion. Some cite the portions of history in which religious truths were twisted into something
other than what they were intended to be, where people acted in the name of a metaphysical entity which
the clergy was said to understand, and which the average person was not allowed access to.
The Sith themselves embrace the antithesis of the Jedi beliefs, within the same framework. They are
necessary to keep the Jedi in balance and honest. To eliminate one side or the other would be to unbalance
the Force, and in the films this was embodied by Darth Vader, who facilitated the betrayal and murder of
the Jedi because they were out of balance. The lesson was that even with the best intentions, power is not
easily relinquished.
While the Sith have every right to believe as they will, and their beliefs have every bit as much validity
for them as ours do for us, they are not the same as Jedi (despite what many Jedi claim). Many choose the
title “Sith Lord” for its shock value; some use it simply to thumb their noses at authority (including any
self-styled Jedi religious authorities); and others still use it because they truly believe that the Sith side of
the Force should advance.
The Sith path is seductive, because it is an easy path to take: selfish, greedy, and opportunistic, without
high regard for other people (with a “what have they ever done for you?” attitude). Not all Dark Side
activity is evil, nor are all evil activities on the Dark Side. This is a difficult concept to explain, and very
difficult to understand even with an adequate explanation.
A Saber of Light Red Heron 53
We Jedi don’t accept that things are absolute, because what is considered selfish and evil under one set of
circumstances might well be selfless under another. No one can know the true intent but the person
acting—and even then, they don’t always realize it. We don’t consider the Sith evil: we mutually believe
one another to be misguided. There are no massive battles or swordfights or even real animosity; both are
required for balance. Even if we considered the Sith evil, our place is in resisting such within ourselves,
not in changing everyone else’s minds.
Are Those Who Follow the Jedi Way Actually in a Cult?
People have always considered ideas and attitudes different than their own dangerous and even harmful.
The ideas of the Jedi belief are not inconsistent with Buddhism, Christianity, Zoroastrianism, Taoism,
Judaism, or even mainstream Islam. In fact, the Jedi belief is that if one practices as a Jedi, this doesn’t
negate all religious need, and other religious preferences may be practiced along with the Jedi
philosophies. But where other religions are stricter, Jedi beliefs are fairly unrestrictive, focusing on the
natural consequences over spiritual consequences (though not failing to take such spiritual consequences
into account, where they can be demonstrated or experienced).
But those who practice the Jedi beliefs do so because it makes sense to them to do so. Most people who
become Jedi discover that they have always been Jedi, as they hold the values of the Jedi Order in a way
which is deeply personal: honor, respect, integrity, and reliability come as second-nature to these people
(not all of them all the time, but as a generalized rule). We don’t demand money, we aren’t extremists, we
don’t generally talk a lot about weapons, and as leadership goes there isn’t really a specific centralized
authority—the authority is the Force, and thus truth. The people in authority over the religious groups are
actually in service to them, and may not demand more than people are willing to give.
The world cult as defined by Dictionary.com is complex. But let’s focus on the ones which are important
to the definitions in which people usually intend the word:
1. A religion or religious sect generally considered to be extremist or false,
with its followers often living in an unconventional manner under the
guidance of an authoritarian, charismatic leader.
2. The followers of such a religion or sect.
3. Obsessive, especially faddish, devotion to or veneration for a person,
principle, or thing.
4. The object of such devotion.
Origin: 1610–20; < L cultus habitation, tilling, refinement, worship, equivalent
to cul-, var. s. of colere to inhabit, till, worship + -tus suffix of v. action
The word itself is from a Latin term for worship which was heretical in nature in the early European
Renaissance, near the end of the Burning Crusade. A cult is generally held to be definition #1 (above), but
any minority religious group can be considered a cult. In 300 AD, Christianity was a cult. In modern
days, Mormonism, Scientology, and even the Quakers are considered cults by one group or another, to the
54 Red Heron A Saber of Light
point that the term really loses all scope of meaning. But what people mean to ask is: is it dangerous, or
full of people with beliefs that cause harm to others?
In addition, we don’t have any particular requirement for diet (other than those which are required for
good health), no particular medical handling requirements (other than as medicine itself demands), and no
particular activity restrictions (other than what is required for good health benefits). There is no
requirement for asceticism.12
What we do restrict is a small list:
1. Attachment to material possessions is strongly forbidden (ownership is not forbidden, but
addictions are).
2. Attachment to status is forbidden (titles themselves are conferred without choice at times).
3. Attachment to any person is discouraged.
4. Disrespect of other people is strongly discouraged.
5. Detachment from any concept of absolutes is required.
6. Reverence for all life and its connection to us is required.
We do have some days of reverence which should be considered days off from work, and which vary
from tradition to tradition—the anniversaries are in dispute.
And really, we don’t believe in Jedi having mental powers like the movies any more than the Shaolin
monks believe in people running across the outstretched limbs of bamboo leaves without really disturbing
them. We don’t build lightsabers and we don’t generally smile on people who make us look like complete
morons. But what we do believe in is an invisible energy field which we call the Force, which is in every
living thing, and which is both the cause and effect of life.
This book also attempts to dissuade those who believe the Jedi way to be a cult, though the reader is free
to infer whatever is desired. Everyone’s entitled to their opinions: we may yet be a cult on someone’s list,
or we might actually be a real religion. It’s a subjective answer, really, and it all depends upon one’s point
of view.
Do Jedi Suppress Their Negative Emotions?
Quite the contrary: a Jedi tends to feel some things often more intensely than others. However, part of our
training regimen allows a Jedi to acknowledge their emotions and to move on.
Emotion; yet peace.
Emotions are necessary for good mental and physical health. Often, emotions are the guide for correct
action, and so by extending one’s awareness of what one feels (called “emotional intelligence”) a Jedi can
perceive things about people and situations which may not be apparent to other people. Even so, a Jedi
works not to suppress emotions, but to create a means by which to act in spite of them, rather than
because of them. In the films, Anakin Skywalker became enamored with Padme Amidala, and through his
overwhelming love for her, he was corrupted by Darth Sidious (Senator, and later Emperor, Palpatine), so
that he could save her life.
12 This means restraining mind, body, and speech in a way which is in line with spiritual goals. Most Jedi accept that these are
dogmatic, created by people instead of divinity, and thus such refrain is meaningless to someone who isn’t spiritual and a natural
habit to those who attain enlightenment at a certain level.
A Saber of Light Red Heron 55
But soon after he gave himself over to the Dark Side, his lust for power overtook his love, because Padme
didn’t want ochlocracy or despotism—she wanted a democracy, and was in fact acting in an egalitarian
capacity to try to bring Anakin back from the Dark Side. Anakin’s selfish desire to save Padme was not
based on Padme’s well-being, but in his own fear of being without her. And because of his choices,
Padme’s death was assured.
Emotional controls are unacceptable for someone who is trained as a weapon. A Jedi’s aim is to be able to
act, think, and believe freely—as well as to freely refrain from action, thought, or belief.
Why do Jedi Study Martial Arts?
Put simply: it’s a dangerous world out there. If we are to protect and defend the innocent and promote the
idea of peace, we must cultivate the warrior part of our souls. If someone threatens us, the knowledge that
we can defeat them is enough for us to want to seek other ways—experience teaches us that violent action
simply isn’t the way to do things, and gives us alternatives. When we don’t know, we are tempted to
prove our abilities to ourselves. By knowing and understanding violence, we wish for peace. And in
wishing for peace while being prepared for combat, we seek peaceful resolution.
In a heart that is one with nature, though the body contends, there is no
violence. And in the heart that is not one with nature, though the body be at
rest, there is always violence. Be, therefore, like the bow of a boat: it cleaves
the water, yet it leaves in its wake water unbroken.
—Master Po, Kung Fu: “Dark Angel”
What is dogma? Why do Jedi say it’s bad?
Dogma is an unbreakable rule which is based on an underlying principle. Generally, dogmas are created
by people, and so aren’t really the underlying principle. To understand principles, we must directly
experience them in action. Within Jediism, we sometimes see a dogma of “no dogmas allowed,” and so
people are constantly fighting against them, even when they are useful to alleviate the suffering of others.
Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be
trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking.
Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And
most important: have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They
somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is
secondary.
—Steve Jobs
I Want to Be a Jedi, But I Still Believe in Another Religion—Can I Still Join?
Of course! To a Jedi, religious views add to the variety of life which keeps everything fun. Jedi tend to
take a positive delight in differences. Rather than trying to homogenize everyone to the same belief, a Jedi
sees that everyone has some parts of the truth and so exploration of spirituality is core to the Jedi
56 Red Heron A Saber of Light
philosophy. We consider a core part of education to experience other religions firsthand, with a focus on
the following religious views:
Atheism (not a religion, but a religious view nonetheless, and worthy of study alongside other
religious viewpoints for the sake of the ability to think clearly about the direction of religion, and
we contrast this to agnosticism)
Bushido (limited study based on historical documents, within a religious context… actual bushido
as it was practiced may have been lost)
Buddhism (extra focus on Mahayana, Chán, Zen, and Mahajrya Buddhism)
Christianity (Focus on evangelism, Catholicism, Mormonism, and general ideas on Protestantism
and Evangelism)
Confucianism
Humanism
Islam (Non-sectarian study—neither Shia, Sunni, Kalam, Kharijite, nor other sects)
Judaism (especially Cabbala and certain other esoteric teachings)
Native American Traditional Study (with a focus on some Sioux, Navajo, Hopi, Shoshone and
Ojibwa living traditions)
Nordic Spirituality (called both Asatru and Forn Seð, depending on location)
Shamanism (multiple traditions, including some from those already mentioned)
Shinto
Sufism (Tariqah and Universal Sufism, in general; but not limiting others)
Taoism (both folk and formal traditions)
Wicca
Zen Buddhism
This is a lot of ground to cover, and for some it takes decades to complete, but a basic understanding of
the beliefs of each is required for most Jedi paths. We focus on the things which are similar or the same
across all religions, and how belief arrived at these conclusions. Generally, we hold these similarities as
truths. Jedi are charged with their own education in this right, and may have a difficult time advancing in
Esoteric Jediism if their understanding of the above listed religions are not understood at least in passing.
Do Jedi Grieve When Someone Dies?
Yes, without reservation, all Jedi grieve. We will miss those whose time comes before our own—we
sometimes miss friends who live only two doors away, so how can we do anything but miss those whose
influence is limited after the deaths of their bodies? Master Yoda said, in Revenge of the Sith:
Death is a natural part of life. Rejoice for those around you who transform into
the Force. Mourn them do not. Miss them do not. Attachment leads to
jealously. The shadow of greed, that is.
Missing someone implies attachment, but without attachment at some level, how can we retain our
compassion—one of the primary qualities which makes us Jedi? This was perhaps Yoda’s one and only
flaw—the one thing that made Yoda really effective is also the one thing that made Yoda’s position weak.
He welcomes death, even one which is too soon—yet he himself doesn’t take his own life or
A Saber of Light Red Heron 57
unnecessarily take the lives of others. Why? The answer is that we can’t know the future path which we
are destined to take until that destiny is upon us.
We certainly grieve, but we do not focus on grief. Instead, we accept that it was time for death to occur
(this per Master Yoda in Return of the Jedi):
Soon will I rest—yes: forever sleep. Earned it I have. Twilight is upon me, soon
night must fall.
A Jedi’s death is not a noble thing. Nor is it pointless. It merely happens as a function of destiny. Life is
fatal in all known cases. Some lives end earlier than others. Death is as inevitable to life as the beating of
a heart, the breathing of air, or the capacity for love. It is a Jedi belief that death is not a loss, and that the
spirit and soul of a person lives on. We grieve the temporary parting, but we don’t mourn death as a loss.
It’s merely a delay before we will be allowed contact with those we love again.
Death, yet the Force.
Surely, the spirit lives on after the physical body fails. Death is not an end; merely a change. Death is a
natural condition where life exists, and is the natural end to life. It is simply something which occurs at a
given point in time to those who are living, and under a wide variety of conditions.
We feel the place where someone is missing from our activities, and so grief is inevitable—as surely as if
someone we know and care about suddenly has to move to a foreign country. But grief should not be a
constant state—it should be allowed to pass as naturally as it comes, rather than dwelled upon.
It inhibits the serenity of the mind, and contaminates the feeling of connection. Focusing on grief in the
moment is healthy, insomuch as one is dealing with the grief. Grief should be passing, because surely: the
connections we have with one another do not end with death. The living need our connections just as
much as they ever have, even in death.
Death does no one honor. Life brings honor, and it is one’s life which we honor at one’s death—
especially a good life, filled with good deeds and good friends, and a life filled with beauty and wisdom.
Sacrificing one’s life for the good of others is a noble deed, even when the sacrifice does not result in
death—living through such an ordeal is surely better.
But if the result would be suffering for the remainder of life, perhaps consider that death is surely more
desirable than prolonged suffering. We must not fear what will happen when we are absent; if we have
left our wishes in the hands of those we trust to carry those wishes out, what more can be asked? There is
no greater act of love and nobility than carrying out the legacy of another.
Extending life beyond its natural intent is likewise undesirable. Old age is the decline of the body, and we
accept that far more readily than we accept death—but why? It is there so that we don’t forget the
urgency of acting when action is necessary. When things are left undone, it is often because we hurried at
the end of life to do them—or that we were interrupted by death unexpectedly. This is natural and even
desirable. It reminds the rest of us that now is the time we must act.
Many authors have been interrupted from their next big project’s completion by death. Many great
thinkers have died without completing their life’s work. We must accept that death is inevitable, and that
we do not know what fate, destiny, or choice are beyond the grave—thus, why grieve the unknown? We
58 Red Heron A Saber of Light
must instead live in the moment, and make life all that it can be in the here-and-now. To do any less we
would cease being the Jedi, and would start being something else.
All we can offer to those who feel the loss of a connection is our companionship, an explanation of our
beliefs (if warranted), and compassion. The feeling of loss is a self-imposed delusion, unless we honestly
believe that death is an end and a complete cessation. This does not make life any less certain to end in
death. Lives which end without offspring are the most tragic of all. There will be no one to carry the
genetics which led someone to be great or bad.
It is said that the leaf honors the tree; yet when the leaf falls, the tree
trembles.
—Master Po, Kung Fu: “Dark Angel”
Do Jedi Believe in Reincarnation?
We simply cannot know what occurs after death until after we die. A Jedi recognizes this fact, and
remains open to the possibilities. Reincarnation is one of these possibilities, and is certainly something
that there is limited evidence to support. Most Jedi do believe in some form of reincarnation. However, it
is not a primary tenet of Jedi belief, and is not required for the practice of Jediism.
Do Jedi Believe in Life After Death?
Again, we simply can’t know what happens after we die. A Jedi doesn’t discount the possibility (there is
ample evidence to suggest that the spirit lives on), but doesn’t blindly accept the idea either. This is one of
those beliefs which is not primary to the belief of Jediism, although it is strongly believed by most Jedi.
Skepticism and belief can both be held to blindly; neither is rational without solid evidence. Therefore, a
Jedi’s mind remains open to what might be, rather than solidly embracing what might not be. But hope is
always held that one or the other remains so.
When Does Life Begin?
It is difficult to say when life begins. There is a portion of Jedi society which believes that the moment of
conception is when life begins; another portion doesn’t believe that life begins until the fetus is capable of
surviving outside of the body—about 30 weeks into a pregnancy. A few even say that in order to be alive,
the baby must be born. There is no consensus among the Jedi, except that we all believe that a newborn
infant is alive and worthy at that point of protection under the law.
A child whose incurable condition is suffering should be permitted to die. This is a painful decision for
any parent, but an end to suffering is not something to mourn. Conversely, a child whose condition is
curable should not be simply permitted to die if medical or technological cures can alleviate the suffering
which they endure. If and when these fail, death’s embrace should come to end suffering. No greater loss
for any parent exists than the loss of their own child, and no greater comfort for this loss than the
knowledge that the child’s death was the end to suffering. Even so, such comfort is small when compared
to the loss of a life which came from your own family.
Truly, life begins when we start living it for ourselves. Those robbed of the opportunity to fully live die a
death which can only be described as tragic. And who among us knows how to fully live, until we realize
A Saber of Light Red Heron 59
that life may be taken from us? It is less important to define when life begins than it is to end suffering.
We live in order to be of service to others in the ending of all suffering.
Some might view this as attachment, as we have allowed ourselves to grow attached to someone in a way
which might cause suffering. But in truth, attachment to a life we share is an attachment we cannot afford
to live without.
The thorn defends the rose: it harms only those who would steal the blossom
from the plant.
—Master Kahn, Kung Fu: “An Eye for an Eye”
Why do Jedi People Say “May the Force Be With You”?
The Force is always with us. It is a Jedi belief that the Force cannot abandon us. And yet, when we feel at
our most disconnected, we might find an amount of internal noise which makes us deaf to it. This phrase
is a wish for success in one’s goals, and for inner peace during any time of outer turmoil.
May the Force be with you.
This sentiment is also occasionally expressed as:
The Force will be with you—always.
We use these phrases to identify one another, as well as to pay homage to the films, as well as wishing
one another well. Online, these are often abbreviated as MTFBWY and TFWBWYA, respectively.
Generally, we use this as a tongue-in-cheek reference to the films, but the phrase does in fact have
religious significance when used sincerely.
Can Jedi See the Future?
Not as such—Hollywood’s fanciful representation doesn’t generally come close to the mark. A fully-
trained Jedi can know many of the possibilities of the future, and can even predict which of those many
possibilities might be most likely. Possibilities aren’t all set in stone—though there are a few which do
seem to be unavoidable. We just don’t have the means to tell them apart without somehow breaking the
known laws of the universe. One future event feels like another, and it’s merely a matter of calculating
possibilities at that point (and such calculations can be wrong).
Ignorance, yet knowledge: A Jedi doesn’t “see” the future. A Jedi knows, and can have impressions
about, and can even describe some things at a distance; but actual visions of the future… it’s just not
really the way that it works. Fully-formed visions are almost always considered wrong when they occur.
Difficult to see: always in motion is the future.
—Master Yoda, Ep. V “The Empire Strikes Back”
60 Red Heron A Saber of Light
Do Jedi Actually Believe in Democracy?
All Jedi believe in freedom—the freedom of the mind, the freedom of individuals to make both good and
bad choices, and the freedom to reap the consequences of those actions. Democracy (at the present time)
seems to be the best way to protect those freedoms, but a true democracy educates its people about things
like personal responsibility and initiative. Few true democracies have existed in history, and these tend to
be short-lived as those with designs on power find ways in.
Laws are kept simple, direct, and little in number, where freedom is the rule. Where freedom is not the
rule—where selfish and evil designs against the freedom of others to enjoy their lives has taken root—the
laws gradually increase until they are so many in number and so indirect and complex that one person can
no longer understand them, or they are corrupted to the interests of a specific group above others, serving
the interests of money and power over those of the protection and well-being of the citizens under its rule.
People would want this because those in power are able to make timely decisions and lead the people to
victory over… well, whoever. So the people give power to a central authority.
But those who have power do not easily relinquish it. Rules and laws become oppressive as control and
order are imposed on others. And as these laws are passed, power passes from the hands of the people
into the hands of those in more direct control of the government. The duty of government is to serve the
best interests of the people. But where the words “best interests” are not well-defined, are unclear, or are
in dispute, government should seek to understand why citizens believe that things are not well-served by
the enactment of a proposed law.
And where the facts are misconstrued or are incorrect, or even where the decision is a difficult one,
government officials often feels pressure to pass laws that they later regret. In such cases, it is better to
prevent new laws rather than to take power and responsibility from the population. But populations must
also be educated as to why such a decision is needed. But where a government seeks to propagandize by
skewing the facts or outright lying to their citizens, that government loses the trust of the people. Where
officials seek to justify their campaigns through funding which all but guarantees that oversight is lacking,
the people lose faith that the system works. And where money determines whether or not actions are
justified, justice cannot prevail.
Such a system breeds rebellion in its wake, and lays the foundation for its own downfall—civil war.
Rebellion can be crushed for only so long before it succeeds, and if such a rebellion is to succeed, the
only thing that is required is that it obtains solid financial backing, good strategic intelligence and
training, and a moral high ground. And when it does finally succeed, the rebellion is serving to preserve
the freedoms of the people, not merely to topple order.
But in creating a new governing body, the Jedi tend to be democratic in nature, even if not completely
egalitarian. There is no religious requirement for democracy, but it does offer the greatest capacity for
both personal freedom and law. The main drawback to democracy is that decisive action is often difficult
or even impossible to accomplish without an agreement to grant powers to a central authority—and this
begins the downfall to democratic rule. But as governments go, this is the best form that is currently
known, and its benefits do tend to outweigh its drawbacks.
My allegiance is to the Republic! For democracy!
—Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ep. III “Revenge of the Sith”
A Saber of Light Red Heron 61
Is Jedi “Education” a Form of Brainwashing?
In a word: yes. But you’re brainwashing yourself, so it doesn’t count. We prefer to think of it as
conditional rehabilitation. In all cases of successful rehabilitation, the unvarnished truth—ugly or
beautiful as it may be—yields positive results, and can actually allow for social change. Take the issue of
homosexuality: in the 1950’s in the United States, if two men were found to be having sex, one or both
might be imprisoned for sodomy. In the 1950’s, “rehabilitation” of someone who was criminally
homosexual could not have occurred13
. Had there been Jedi in that time, they would have been able to
recognize this fact.
Laws which govern what consenting adults do are difficult to enforce behind closed doors, but just
imagine what would happen if the government was allowed to watch heterosexual people having sex, to
determine that only proscribed positions were used and that it was only done for the purpose of
procreation. Likewise, those who are homosexual are not truly causing harm to anyone by the fact of their
homosexuality, and willing partners are not consenting to being harmed. Instead, such laws serve to sow
distrust in the government by the population—rather than protection of good acts, the promotion of
unnatural deviation is created. Thus, the intent of the law in such cases may be noble, but the law itself is
counterproductive and therefore evil.
In 2004, the US Supreme Court determined that laws which proscribe sexuality, and those which require
that only certain kinds of sexual intercourse were accepted practice between consenting adults, were an
invasion of privacy and unenforceable. The fact that people are opposed to homosexuality is not a
concern which the law should take a position on unless significant harm is readily apparent; society itself
should govern the way that society behaves; the law is merely an intermediary to lay down the
expectations in which such behavior can be understood. It is a social contract.
Criminal acts are not those which seek to carry out one’s nature; but which instead seek to harm all of
society. As a prime example, homosexuality in the United States has become a protected act, because
there are enough people in the practice of it. It does no one harm but those who are not truly homosexual
who might be forced or coerced into the act of sexuality without real consent; and such is already illegal
by the virtue of the act not being consensual. Adding a new law is simple; removing a law, once added, is
very nearly impossible.
Some criminals simply are not able to be rehabilitated; others are able to be, and merely need a good
foundation in logic to see their misdeeds. However, if logic shows that they are justified in their actions, a
Jedi can call this a success, because there was no need to begin with. This is the reason that
propagandizing the educational process is to be avoided at all costs: it prevents a peaceful and orderly
society. It creates the opportunity to assign blame.
13 It’s fairly clear that most homosexuals have no choice but to be homosexual, so “rehabilitation” of someone who is
homosexual isn’t really possible. Those who have a choice are possibly bisexual, or merely trying to be trendy or gain attention
because of their perceived condition. In any case, a change in the perception of homosexuality has occurred and is still occurring
in the US. In Sweden, the change is far more progressed than most places, because of the willingness to accept that certain things
have a natural order. Swedish culture tends to be far more accepting of things which simply exist as a natural byproduct—
however personally distasteful it might be to the individual—and move ahead with life as normal. By giving it nothing to resist,
homosexuality is far less prevalent in Sweden than in the United States.
62 Red Heron A Saber of Light
Assigning blame serves only to make one seem less than another; rather, a Jedi seeks to accept rightful
responsibility for what is theirs, and to hold blameless the actions of others—often, they know no better,
or would not act the way they do. We must each learn to withhold judgment, and instead to render
assistance where we see it is needed. We must also learn to accept what is offered when we need it, in the
spirit in which it was offered—for the joy we feel in helping others is one we don’t want withhold!
Failure is an opportunity: if you blame someone else, there is no end to the
blame.
—Lao Tzu, Tao te Ching
A Saber of Light Red Heron 63
About the Author Red Heron was born in 1974 to a pair of loving parents: one a career military man, the other a flower-
child. As he grew up, he had a difficult time fitting in to any portion of society, since many of the rules
seemed random and cumbersome (even awkward).
Red carries ordinations in Christian (both Catholic and evangelical), Buddhist, Hindu and Neopagan
traditions, as well as dedicating his life to the pursuit of knowledge about spirituality. His past writings
have generally been web-oriented, though he has published works in literary magazines before.
He dedicates his time (full time) to service within the Jediist communities, as well as administering to the
needy. He has committed to at least 100 hours of volunteer service per year, and averages about 250 hours
per year, in addition to being a full-time father of five.
As of this writing, Red lives in Utah with his lady, five children, and a goldfish. He hopes to write more
books and use any proceeds to help people.
64 Red Heron A Saber of Light
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66 Red Heron A Saber of Light
Acknowledgments & Disclaimers All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective rights holders. Their use
does not imply affiliation, endorsement, validation, approval or support of any individual or organization;
furthermore, any representation made which implies such is erroneous and unintentional.
As indicated on the front cover, the Esoteric Jediist path, as well as the references in this work, are neither
licensed nor necessarily sanctioned by LucasFilms, Ltd., nor any of its subsidiaries, nor by George Lucas,
nor any associated or affiliated party or parties. No claims of affiliation, endorsement, or support have
been made, implied, or intended.
We gratefully acknowledge the valuable input of the Sangha of Mahajrya Buddhism for their assistance in
the compilation of this work. We further acknowledge the active membership of Jedi School for its
thorough review before release. We also wish to express gratitude to all who were involved with this
work’s completion, in addition to those who worked on previous editions.
We further recognize the contributions of Mahajrya Buddhism, Zen Buddhism, Christianity, Hermetic
Cabbalism, Taoism, Zoroastrianism, and Hinduism to the Jedi path. While none of these specifically
forms the foundations upon which Jediism bases its philosophies, the similarities are close enough to be
of worth for study and the expansion of knowledge. And in the end, we all have the same goal: the benefit
of mankind.