Knights of the Force doctrine

[RyuJin]

Jedi Believe

1. In the inherent worth of every person and the sanctity of life, opposing the use of torture and cruel or unusual punishment.
2. In working towards a culture that is free of discrimination on the basis of gender, race, sexual orientation, national origin, degree of ability, age, etc.
3. In the importance of democracy.
4. In the separation of church and state, and the freedoms of speech, association, and expression.
5. That the systems of truth in the fields of moral, ethical, and religious belief are not absolute: that they vary by culture over time.
6. In the importance of education.

The Code

There is passion, yet there is peace
Through passion I gain strength and knowledge
Through strength and knowledge I gain victory
Through victory I gain peace and harmony
Through peace and harmony my chains are broken
There is no death, there is the force and it shall free me

The Creed

Understanding that I am a Jedi I will always endeavor to uphold the prestige, honor, and high standards of the Jedi order

I accept the fact that as a Jedi my peers expect me to learn, and train harder than any other person not of the order.

I will always keep myself mentally alert, physically strong, and morally straight and I will shoulder more than my share of the task whatever it may be, one hundred percent and then some.

I will show the world that I am a driven and well trained moral example. My compassion towards others, social standards, and care of myself shall set the example for others to follow.

I will meet the enemies of morality and justice head on. I shall defeat them wherever they are, for I am better trained and will fight with all my might, and under no circumstances will I ever embarrass my fellow Jedi.

I will display the intestinal fortitude required to fight on to the end and complete any endeavor I set out on, no matter what challenges I may face.

The 3 Treasures

Knowledge
Strength
Wisdom

There are three treasures every Jedi should strive to acquire, each is interdependent upon the others. Acquiring knowledge enables one to improve upon not only itself but strength and wisdom as well. Acquiring strength enables one to push their limitations. Acquiring wisdom enables one to understand when to act and when not to. When combined, the three treasures enable the Jedi to accomplish great things. The wisdom to decide on taking action, the knowledge to determine which action to take, and the strength to follow through on the chosen action.

The 3 Aspects

Mind
Body
Spirit

There are three aspects to every being, each aspect being interdependent upon the others. They are: the mind, the body, and the spirit. Each aspect has a corresponding treasure; knowledge/mind, strength/body, wisdom/spirit. The mind is the heart of thought and personality, the body is the source of physical strength and vitality, the spirit is the center of determination and focus. To maximize one's connection to the force and the universe all three must be in harmony. Meditation is fundamental to uniting the three.

The 3 Duties

Self discipline
Responsibility
Public Service

There are three duties to which every Jedi should strive to achieve. Each duty has numerous tasks that when combined bring one into harmony with them self and others, thus improving the world. The three duties are: self discipline, responsibility, public service. Whether one takes the dark path, the light path, or some path in between, they must still fulfill these three duties.

Self Discipline

Conquer arrogance: A Jedi is taught that they are no better than one that cannot/will not touch the force. A Jedi is not a Jedi simply because of their connection to and belief of the force. They are a Jedi because someone taught them to be one.

Conquer overconfidence: A Jedi must learn to recognize their limits in order to accurately measure how far they can go as well as understand their own limitations.

Conquer defeatism: A Jedi should plan for success before contemplating failure. Planning to fail increases the chance to fail and expecting to lose encourages one to put forth insufficient effort

Conquer stubbornness: A Jedi that focuses too much on a single goal or perspective loses sight of other possibilities, including ones that might yield better results. A Jedi must learn that staying on one path or clinging to one point of view can be costly. They must keep their mind open and not be afraid to change with the situation.

Conquer recklessness: A Jedi must not be too anxious to master their skills and charge ahead without thinking ahead and developing some form of plan. Acting impulsively can lead to the loss of life or limb and place easily obtained goals out of reach. A Jedi must learn to pace themselves at all times, being aware of unseen dangers and obstacles and not tumble headlong into them.

Conquer curiosity: All people no matter how public their lives are entitled to their privacy. A Jedi that pokes into somebody's business unnecessarily not only invades an individual's private life but also brings shame upon the Jedi for acting rudely and creating distrust.

Conquer aggression: For less experienced Jedi, knowing the difference between attack, defense, and aggression does not come easily. A Jedi can attack, and even kill, without aggression, especially when one is calm, at peace, and not filled with anger or hatred. However killing should not be a common act, and the Jedi should explore every alternative before employing lethal force.

Conquer external loyalties: Jedi are free to have connections with others outside the order, but divided loyalties may compromise a Jedi's effectiveness. Other loyalties can distract them from the task at hand and can cause undue hardships for others. A Jedi's loyalties should lay with the force, the order, society, and him/herself.

Conquer materialism: Like external loyalties, possessions can become a distraction. A Jedi doesn't need to live an ascetic life, but should learn to travel light, carrying only the essentials.

Responsibility

Practice honesty: Honesty is the first responsibility of a Jedi and recognizing its importance is vital to becoming a valued member of the order. Although certain situations may require to stretch the truth or create falsehoods within a particular situation, a Jedi must remain honest with him/herself, their master, and the council. Continuously creating lies or subjecting others to delusions invites suspicion and anger from others if the truth is discovered.

Honor you promises: A Jedi that makes a promise should be prepared to follow through with it or make amends if needed. Making promises one does not intend to keep creates dishonesty and will cause others to distrust them.

Honor your apprentice: Every master that takes on an apprentice has a responsibility to help their student complete their training. Apprentices should be treated with dignity and respect. They should not be reprimanded in public, but should be commended publicly when they do something worthy of praise. This helps build confidence and improves the relationship between master and apprentice.


Honor your master: Likewise an apprentice should honor their master at all times. Although disagreements may occur, taking it to the point of arguments is not wise. When dealing with others away from the master an apprentice should speak when spoken to . When with the master the apprentice should wait until the master addresses the issue. In this way the master does not have to apologize for the apprentices behavior.

Honor the council: Within the order the council is the final authority in all matters. It cannot, however, watch every single Jedi, therefore a Jedi away from the order represents the order and council through their words and actions. At the same time the council must answer for the Jedi's words and actions and putting it in a difficult position brings dishonor to the order's members.

Honor the order: A Jedi's words and actions represents the order as a whole. Positivity reflects positively, while negativity mars the order's reputation. The words and actions of a single Jedi often creates a first (and often lasting) impression of the order as a whole.

Honor the law: A Jedi is bound by the law of their society. When in another region extra care must be taken as that region's laws may vary from the ones a Jedi is accustomed to. Ignorance of the laws may create difficulties for those involved.

Honor life: Since life is what strengthens the force honoring life in all forms is one of the highest priorities of the order. Care must be taken to protect life and avoid unnecessary death. If a situation arises where a life must be taken it must be justified, typically done only in self defense or the defense of others incapable of defending themselves. Jedi should never view the taking of life as no cause for concern.

Public Service

Duty to society: Jedi serve society, upholding the laws, protecting, and serving the citizens whenever needed.

Render aid: Jedi endeavor to provide aid to those in need whenever needed, but not at the expense of the other ideals to do so.

Defend the weak: Jedi defend those that are unable to defend themselves. At the same time Jedi must be aware that what may seem like oppression in one culture may not necessarily be so in another. Morals and ethics of other cultures need to be carefully considered before taking action.

Provide support: Jedi toil to help others in need, but sometimes must suspend their wishes and allow others to impart assistance instead, even if the Jedi could perform the act more quickly and easily. Jedi should assist only as required, offer advice as requested, warn when necessary, and argue if proper reason fails.


The 12 Basic Teachings

1. As Jedi, we are spiritually aware of the force and in touch with the living force flowing through and around us. Jedi train to become sensitive to the force's energy, fluctuations and disturbances.
2. Jedi live and focus on the present; we must neither dwell on the past nor be overly concerned about the future. Jedi  maintain a clear mind through meditation and contemplation. As the mind wanders it becomes cluttered and affected by forces and attitudes encountered every day making it difficult to focus on the present. As Jedi we must release our stress and ease our minds, purging them of unnecessary elements on a daily basis.
3. As Jedi we are mindful of our thoughts and emotions. Focusing on the positive and controlling the negative.
4. As Jedi we trust and use our feelings (instincts). We are intuitive, more so than others and with this heightened intuition we become more spiritually evolved as our minds become more harmonious with the force and its influence.
5. Jedi are patient. Patience is elusive but can be developed over time.
6. Jedi understand that physical training is as important as training the mind and spirit. We also understand that all aspects of training are necessary to maintain the Jedi way of life and to perform the duties of a Jedi.
7. Jedi protect the peace. We do not use force to resolve a conflict unless as a last resort and only as much force as is needed. Peace, understanding and harmony are the preferred methods of conflict resolution. We never negotiate out of fear, and never fear to negotiate. We embrace justice, protecting and preserving the fundamental rights of all living things. Empathy and compassion are vital tools allowing us to understand the wounds others suffer from injustice.
8. Jedi must let go of obsessive attachment, both personal and material. Attachment creates the fear of loss, fear of loss can cloud one's judgment and cripple one's resolve.
9. Jedi believe in eternal life. We do not become obsessed with mourning those that have passed to the living force. Grieve as you must, but know those we lose are always with us.
10. Jedi use the force only when necessary. We do not use our abilities to be prideful or boastful. We are humble in our actions and thoughts.
11. Jedi believe that love and compassion are central to our lives. We must love each other as we love ourselves.
12. Jedi make a commitment to and are loyal to the Jedi cause. The ideals, philosophies, and practices of the Jedi define the jedi path, and we act on this path for self improvement and to help others.