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Anonymous
My quest to become a jedi some 11 years ago involved among other things to try to understand if we really are luminous beings. Blame Star Wars for that craziness. Incredibly enough I found real life esoteric knowledge from all around the world that do indeed state that we are more than our physical body.
Look at this video and think what it means to you
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nILG72WZ-Zw&feature
This brings out another question. For decade we have used the trademark the Force as cult paraphernalia
We know there is no Force in reality that is trademarked by Lucas. I call it the force like this woman does in video, sometimes I call it Intent or whatever else is pertinent at given moment.The concept of Force is meritable because it introduces a different and freer look at the universe, rather than presenting it as dogmatic and cultural concept such as god.
Still the question we should be asking I think is if we, as more matured jedi should not start using our own words to describe the ineffable. We don’t go talking “Force this, Force that” in our heads all the time anyway, but use other words. Why not show it in community like on our websites, in our studies and so on.
Jedi_Phoenix
Believe it or not, I do use the word Force. (Welll unless I’m swearing, but that’s besides the point
) And whose to say there is no Force in reality? Everyone has their own take on what the Force means I think, but that doesn’t negate the word ‘Force’ or make it any less pertinent. Lucas created the Force term, yes, but drew heavily on Tao ideals. If the essence is the same, what makes the word or label any less significant?
But I agree, there is a certain freedom at using the Force, so that’ll be my cup of tea
Quote:And whose to say there is no Force in reality? Everyone has their own take on what the Force means I think, but that doesn’t negate the word ‘Force’ or make it any less pertinent. Lucas created the Force term, yes, but drew heavily on Tao ideals. If the essence is the same, what makes the word or label any less significant?That’s what I mean that for each of us it is something different. I use the words “the force” just because I learned it from some other guys who have nothing to do with Tao, Star Wars or anything else.
Quite so, it is something different for each of us, but we share the common thread of calling it the Force. Sometimes, we have to clarify for our audiences what we mean by the Force; such as my definition versus yours, but in the end, thats what this website helps to do; to bridge the commonality of the Force, and we do this by studying it individually and sharing our experiences.
Then we bring this back to the community. I think it is understood that at some level, since we have differing experiences of the Force, that we have slightly different definitions, but by using the term, I think it helps to contribute to the sense of community, rather than detract from it. Just my thoughts though…
I think we can keep the community together even without the use of words such as “the Force”
Yet I don’t suggest we should just drop it without questioning such a move.
The concept of “Force” is as I said open-minded look on God, chi and other things. That contributes to keeping the sense of community. Still we might as well define the Force in some way. Like:
We consider Force as a field of energy that is all around us, it makes the reality what it is. Each jedi perceive it in their own various ways for ultimately, it is something ineffable.
Hmm, its good, but I think the first part is still a little too specific. I think the Force is simply that which gives a Jedi their strength.
That definition is broad, yet specific enough. The Force empowers a Jedi, but we don’t get into the details then of what it is, whether energy or what have you, and the fact that it is nearly undefinable. It also leaves it up to interpretation of each individual’s viewpoint of the Force, as well as how it gives them strength.
Well I agree, the Force is what we use to empower ourselves. For me it means actual augmentation of self through the force.
I have always viewed it as something unphysical, as energy or whatever you call it. I don’t imagine a jedi in any way who does not use some sort of chi/magick/energy skills to empower him-/herself.Stryse
Like ‘energy’, ‘force’ is a coined phrase to loosely refer to something (often a collection of things), that likely already has a name of its own. One really ought to avoid too much interchangability with such general-purpose terms. Chi, prana, and mana may all be aspects of the same Force, but they are distinct and different things.
Generally speaking, be less general about what you’re talking about and there will be less room for confusion.
I see those as distinct and different words describing the same life force.
Sorry, I just feel that’s only looking at them on the surface. There are certainly similarities, and its easy enough for me to understand why people treat them as being the same thing (and I suppose in some contexts that’s perfectly fine). Chi and Prana are very similar, mana not always as much (depends a bit on whose culture its being discussed in.)
There is a reason, I believe, that texts talk about comparing things like Chi to Prana, but don’t actually go so far as to declare them synonymous terms.
“Life Force” is another of those coined phrases.
On the other hand, I might well be going a bit to microcosmic on it with this.
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