The Jedi Training Archive
Jedi- 6- The Nine Conclusions

While the Code is a straightforward map to mastery of the Force, it can sometimes be frustrating to put into practice. The secret to the Code is considering it thoroughly before acting, however, the world often does not afford a Jedi the time to do so before forcing her to act.

Still, a Jedi can think through a great many things in advance, so as to better prepare for when the rest of the world is in a hurry. These are the Nine Conclusions a Jedi can reach before the situations are thrust upon her. A Jedi who understands these things will, when called upon to make a quick decision, already know the will of the Force.

Presented below are these Nine Conclusions.

Meditation
Training
Loyalty
Integrity
Morality
Discretion
Bravery
Fighting
Dependence

Meditation

Every Jedi should spend time meditating each day on the will of the Force. The reason is simple: if one unwittingly has acted contrary to the will of the Force, recognizing the mistake soon after might still give one time to make amends. Also, by regularly examining one's own motivations, a Jedi could be certain that he was not allowing emotion, ignorance, or passion to intrude upon his clarity. A Jedi who has no time to meditate may more easily become lost. More to the point, a Jedi who refuses to meditate may already know that his motivations are not pure, and is thus lying to himself.

Training

A Jedi's training in the Force never ends. A wise Jedi should strive to remember that there is always something more to learn about the Force. The Force reveals itself to those who have the desire and knowledge to see it, and heeding only the Force's will is much the same as looking at a glass of water and saying, "Now I understand water." To continue to grow, a Jedi should train each day.

Loyalty

Jedi can exist in this world because the Force exists. But a Jedi Order would need more. It would require loyalty. It goes without saying that Jedi should be loyal to one another and not squabble or fight. More importantly, though, each Jedi should be aware that he must act in accordance with the wishes of his teacher, who in turn would have to act in accordance with the governing body of any such order. This is not a question of seniority, but rather of understanding the will of the Force, and in this regard the members of the Council should be the recognized experts.

Integrity

A Jedi's responsibility to the Force is to be honest with himself. This does not mean that he must be forthright with everyone else, however. There is a misperception that Jedi should be morally superior. "Many feel that a Jedi should be scrupulously honest, never taking advantage, and never withholding information. This is nonsense." From a certain point of view, a Jedi is not being dishonest if she allows people to believe what they wish to believe. A Jedi can and should offer advice to those who need it, but it is not incumbent upon the Jedi to convince anyone to follow her advice. In service to the Force, a Jedi may employ deception, subterfuge, misdirection, and even fraud, if she does so with a righteous aim. Although most people have a distaste for such practices, the Force is without such emotions. Do not confuse this with moral flexibility. A Jedi does what needs to be done. But also remember that a Jedi is not above the law.

Morality

The most dangerous words ever uttered by a Jedi are, "a Jedi is not a creature of morals." These words have unfortunately often been translated by Jedi to mean that Jedi can do no wrong. It actually means that Jedi are not enforcers of morality. While a Jedi can bring or restore order and justice, he cannot themselves sit in judgment of others. There are two reasons for this. First, the world is a vast place, full of cultures that no one Jedi can completely understand. The second reason is that judgment leads to vengeance, and vengeance leads to the Dark Side. This is easy to understand, though not so easy to practice. Should a known murder be allowed to go free? Should a man intent on murder be killed? To answer either question, a Jedi must first know the will of the Force. Neither decision can be made hastily, except where lives are threatened by inaction.

Discretion

It is sometimes necessary for a Jedi to practice discretion. "The world will live in tranquility if certain matters are a bit overlooked or left unheard." Some may see this as a sign of Jedi partisanship. Others, particularly law enforcement agencies, may believe that Jedi ignore small crimes in order to apprehend greater criminals. Obviously, neither of these is true. The truth is that Jedi Knights stand for order and justice, and these qualities do not begin with the misdeeds of the few. The goal of the Jedi should be to create and preserve an atmosphere in which justice can flourish, rather than try to create justice themselves.

Bravery

"To be brave in battle proves nothing. Bravery itself proves nothing. A Jedi should be prepared to put aside fear, regret, and uncertainty, and either fight, run, surrender, or die." A common mistake among younger Jedi is that bravery is the opposite of fear, and since fear leads to the Dark Side, bravery is armor against the Dark Side. Not so: if a Jedi is mindful of the will of the Force, he will know whether it is best to stand his ground, or flee, or even to offer truce. Remember that bravery itself is an emotion, and a Jedi should be at peace, even in the midst of war.

Fighting

Sadly, we live in a world where conflict is a fact of life for far too many beings for us to remain apart from it. But we need not embrace conflict. "If a Jedi fights, he must be ready to take a life. If he is not prepared, he must keep his weapon at his side." Or, " If you show a weapon, 'I am a warrior' is what you are saying. This will cause other warriors to want to know who is better: them or you." So to avoid unnecessary fighting, a Jedi should not advertise her skill. But when is it necessary to fight? The Force will show a Jedi when she has no other options, and a wise Jedi trusts the Force in this regard. When fighting, is it necessary to use a weapon? The answer is no. A weapon is an intimidating thing, but it should not be used as a tool for intimidation. Do not use a weapon to create fear in an opponent; use it to end the fight quickly and mercifully as possible. If this means destroying the opponent, so be it. But if a Jedi can end a fight without killing an opponent, so much the better. The best Jedi can avert injury altogether, with only a word. Some Jedi may take this to mean they should carry a less deadly weapon. There is no such thing. If a weapon cannot kill, it is not truly a weapon.

Dependence

Do not come to rely on the Force to the detriment of your other senses and abilities. Jedi students should develop their other talents and abilities, and not rely solely on the Force. To use the Force to accomplish every mundane task is to trivialize it. Using the Force isn't the only solution to every problem; sometimes it isn't even the best solution. That's where a Jedi's other skills and talents come in. Jedi training should consist of many exercises; mastering the Force is only a part of that training. The student should also learn to run, jump, climb, fight, swim, and think. These exercises could be made easier by using the Force, but this would be to the detriment of the Jedi's overall experience. A Jedi needs to learn his capabilities without the Force so that he can truly know himself and also understand what those without the Force are capable of accomplishing.

Using the Force because it's convenient, even when other methods might be more sensible, falls dangerously close to the Dark Side. It's only one step removed from using the Force to achieve personal wealth and power, and that's definitely a corruption of the Force.

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