Church of Jediism ?

[Starjumper]

I just got this in an email this morning:

 

Am hoping this email reaches you.
While researching for our website http://www.becometheforce.com we found your inspired feature about Star Wars and we wondered if you might be able to contribute some martial arts training modules for our website students to follow? 
Look forward to hearing,
Kind regards,
T.  Cheung

 

 

Edited August 21, 2017 by Starjumper
Change title

[Starjumper]

To continue ...  The Jedi in Star Wars represent Nei Kung masters, Taoist Nei kung masters.

 

So here we have an example of a spiritual practice being turned into a religion.  A high level spiritual practice is being turned into a new age religion by some young money grubbing egotistical morons.  Typical.  Now in general I consider anyone who emasculates a spiritual practice by turning it into a religion is an enemy, but any money grubbers who would turn one of the world's most advanced spiritual practices, one which I happen to have a stake in, into dip shit new age sewage is an arch enemy.  I already knew, since childhood, that a good way to get rich is to start a religion, however ethics doesn't permit such things,

 

So I haven't decided if I should respond to that email, and if I do how I should respond.  Of course my first impulse is to tell them to go to hell but maybe I could do something else with it.  Another thing is that I do know some of the cultivation methods for developing 'Jedi' abilities, but I don't share them with any flake who walks past, I only share them with serious students who have eagerly learned and practice the basics, so these greedy fake religion bullshitters will surely get nothing from me in the way of useful practice information.

 

However possibly I could make a video and slip in some information about how the Jedi represent Taoist Nei Kung masters but I don't think they would allow that because it would undermine their 'authority'.  I bet you didn't know they already have authority, but ya, they gave it to themselves.  Also, there is a remote possibility that I could get paid something and promote my own teaching, but it seems they would also feel that undermines their 'authority'.

 

What would you do?

Edited May 23, 2017 by Starjumper

[Brian]

I would suggest composing a polite but pointed response in which you explain that this so-called "Jediism" seems nothing more than a superficial exploitation of legitimate spiritual practices (mentioning Taoist neigong specifically but they are borrowing from other traditions as well (there's a strong Juju undercurrent to the Star Wars story, for instance)) and that you do not wish to be in any way associated with a sham religion which has the apparent goal of taking advantage of vulnerable people for personal gain.

Edited May 23, 2017 by Brian

[silent thunder]

My response would likely be a silent one.  Not to invest any more energy in that or them at all.  Release it.

 

A few years ago, I'd likely have tried to use words backed up by the power of my conviction to plant seeds in their awareness... thinking that (because I considered that I had my shit together enough to permit me to govern others...) perhaps in time my insightful words would grow into a realization for them and bring merit, but any more?  pfft... I realized from my little perspective and very minor awareness... I am not fit to be the world police and the thought surgeon of others and tell them where their path should go?  I'm a mess.  I just need to work on myself.

 

But for most of my life, I thought that a few well chosen words (from my lofty wisdom) that focused on what I thought the crux of the issue was would solve the issue or set things right... life has shown me very plainly and repeatedly, that my assumptions that I know what's best for others, or any who'd follow that line is just a story I tell myself... I don't know how that should all play out. 

 

So now, until I'm able to release something like this and get back to simply being me, I'd focus on where and how the energy stirred up in the exchange was settling and then breathe into it with awareness.  And let awareness distill the energies naturally.

 

People do and say things every day, sometimes in my own house that I don't agree with... I no longer consider myself fit to fix the world, or other people's paths... I'm just not a qualified observer. 

 

I'll be very grateful to make just a bit of progress on my own broken self.  But that's me.

 

this haiku mantra or some variation plays out in my head a lot these last few years

it's brought me much peace and clarity

 

muddiest waters

left undisturbed by my force

rest in clarity

 

 

 

 

[Brian]

"No reply" was my first thought.

 

My concern would be that your name and picture might find its way onto their homepage.  A terse no-thank-you might discourage that.

Edited May 23, 2017 by Brian

[thelerner]

I kinda smile at such things, viewing them more as uber nerds then 'money grubbing egotistical morons'.  I think the courses are 25 pounds each so its not going to break the bank.  Probably cheaper to get married in the Church of Jedi then at a regular church too.

 

I'm more tolerant of such bubble gum philosophy.  With hopes the few 'real' concepts they include get people interested in the real thing.  I doubt the flow goes the other way.

 

Matter of fact it'd be fun to spend a long weekend with a couple writer friends and come up with our own Jedi mumbo jumbo rules and regulations for Jedi training.  Humnn, seeing that its already done, I guess I'll have to do: Sacellum of the Sith.  I can see it now- let go, have fun, go out on a date, break rules, have a few absolutes, leave the hermit swampages for the Jedi.  

[silent thunder]

The older I get... the greyer I seem to be.

[AussieTrees]

Maybe just tell them;to dagabah you must go.

[kbe]

I have seen/heard of much stranger 'religions' and 'spiritual groups'

[Fa Xin]

On 5/23/2017 at 5:07 PM, AussieTrees said:

Maybe just tell them;to dagabah you must go.

Awesome

[Fa Xin]

Actually I met a martial arts teacher recently who taught a children's "Jedi class", where he teaches them how to sword fight with foam light sabers. 

 

A great idea for something like a day camp!

[silent thunder]

I have a memory, perhaps it's self created or corrupted, but it related to an Egyptian mystery school and used the term Djedi.  Something about pillars of light, keepers of light or some such.  Perhaps this influenced Lucas' choice of his Jedi name as well.  Prior to that, I had only noted the links to Samurai culture.

 

[Brian]

42 minutes ago, silent thunder said:

I have a memory, perhaps it's self created or corrupted, but it related to an Egyptian mystery school and used the term Djedi.  Something about pillars of light, keepers of light or some such.  Perhaps this influenced Lucas' choice of his Jedi name as well.  Prior to that, I had only noted the links to Samurai culture.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dedi

[Starjumper]

On 5/23/2017 at 11:58 AM, silent thunder said:

My response would likely be a silent one.  Not to invest any more energy in that or them at all.  Release it.

 

A few years ago, I'd likely have tried to use words backed up by the power of my conviction to plant seeds in their awareness... thinking that (because I considered that I had my shit together enough to permit me to govern others...) perhaps in time my insightful words would grow into a realization for them and bring merit, but any more?  pfft... I realized from my little perspective and very minor awareness... I am not fit to be the world police and the thought surgeon of others and tell them where their path should go?  I'm a mess.  I just need to work on myself.

 

But for most of my life, I thought that a few well chosen words (from my lofty wisdom) that focused on what I thought the crux of the issue was would solve the issue or set things right... life has shown me very plainly and repeatedly, that my assumptions that I know what's best for others, or any who'd follow that line is just a story I tell myself... I don't know how that should all play out. 

 

So now, until I'm able to release something like this and get back to simply being me, I'd focus on where and how the energy stirred up in the exchange was settling and then breathe into it with awareness.  And let awareness distill the energies naturally.

 

People do and say things every day, sometimes in my own house that I don't agree with... I no longer consider myself fit to fix the world, or other people's paths... I'm just not a qualified observer. 

 

I'll be very grateful to make just a bit of progress on my own broken self.  But that's me.

 

this haiku mantra or some variation plays out in my head a lot these last few years

it's brought me much peace and clarity

 

muddiest waters

left undisturbed by my force

rest in clarity

 

Thanks, my earlier comments were really coming from a long ago feeling I had where I got mad at them for misleading people by turning something spiritual into a farcical religion.  Now I don't really give a damn, I recognized that people will gravitate to that kind of thing, it's human nature, and you can't fight human nature.  I brought it up because I got that email asking for free advice for them to copy.  I wrote back and said they do not have permission to use my writings or my name.

[Ilovecoffee]

 

 

[nestentrie]

On 5/24/2017 at 7:07 AM, AussieTrees said:

Maybe just tell them;to dagabah you must go.

Yoda, you seek yoda.

 

Mine! Or I will help you not.

[Hancock]

There was a woman who taught me some meditation an developed her skills, she claimed that the original Jedi religion members who were with her all had developed skill sets abilities. They were using the tenants of the Jedi way of doing things toN pass on their skills and try to create a nonjudgemental unified system for people to begin to live their life by.

Ellen taught me a lot, they even had contact with deities and probable capabilities. She took time off to take care of an illness an when she came back she found lots of the Jedi online communities had changed to be philosophical based an very few people had any capabilities whatsoever in terms of "the Force".

 

I tried to look into it,  but the philosophy aspect of the particular teacher overrode true development where I was learning. Though some people I know, some Jedi, are developed. They enjoy the fictional elements but understand that it was originated by combining essentially true elements from other religions, an were useful in establishing a code for helping a personal development an spiritual wellness.

It works for some.

[Cheshire Cat]

Isn't the Jedi a modern idea of the celibate warrior?  

He's like the knight Templar and the shaolin Monk.

 

How they popularize celibacy? 

[Hancock]

34 minutes ago, Cheshire Cat said:

Isn't the Jedi a modern idea of the celibate warrior?  

He's like the knight Templar and the shaolin Monk.

 

How they popularize celibacy? 

The Jedi is kind a like a warrior monk mixed with mysticism an philosophy. An a lot of the jedi I've met are for the most part celibate only if their particular internal practices call for it.

 

These guys I've met have 4 primary areas that are required of Jedi, Volunteering to help the community, physical exercising, philosophy, mysticism/energetic development.

The no sex thing isn't an issue usually.

[Starjumper]

In the movies the Jedi were all about the Force, which represents chi power, which has been elevated to a high level practice only in Taoism.  The 'philosophy' of the Jedi in the movie can be seen to be aligned with Taoist philosophy as well, which is a philosophy of non philosophy so to speak.  The main concern is with ethics and virtuous conduct, internally self validated ethics.

 

These are spiritual practices rather than a religion.

 

Wherever the fake Jedi 'religion' doesn't follow these principles then it is not really Jedi stuff.  If they were really Jedi they would be working on cultivating chi power.

 

So one may ask, how can they be about ethical conduct if there are Sith?  Well the Sith also think that what they are fighting for is ethical, their conduct may not seem ethical to the revolutionaries but it can be seen that they are doing what they think is needed to achieve their goals.

Edited August 15, 2017 by Starjumper

[Wu Ming Jen]

On 5/23/2017 at 10:14 AM, Starjumper said:

I just got this in an email this morning:

 

Am hoping this email reaches you.
While researching for our website http://www.becometheforce.com we found your inspired feature about Star Wars and we wondered if you might be able to contribute some martial arts training modules for our website students to follow? 
Look forward to hearing,
Kind regards,
T.  Cheung

 

 

Do it ! its fictional with a bases of reality or old stories as fiction.

 

Opportunity knocks might be worth seeing where it goes. Your actual identity can be concealed under contract.

[Wu Ming Jen]

On 8/12/2017 at 2:16 AM, Cheshire Cat said:

Isn't the Jedi a modern idea of the celibate warrior?  

He's like the knight Templar and the shaolin Monk.

 

How they popularize celibacy? 

Luke had a daughter.

[Wu Ming Jen]

I might have this wrong if people are seriously practicing jedi religion in real life that would be very weird.

[Ilovecoffee]

14 minutes ago, Wu Ming Jen said:

I might have this wrong if people are seriously practicing jedi religion in real life that would be very weird.

 

Please see:

 

 

[Wells]

On 23.5.2017 at 6:16 PM, Starjumper said:

What would you do?

 

I would tell them that I am unworthy and point them with the following video to Master Ghyslain instead, whose metachlorian count is on Luke Skywalker level and who is already a living legend in the internet.

 

 

Edited August 16, 2017 by Wells