Jedi History and Philosophy

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Dawn of the Republic

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History of the Jedi

The history of the Jedi Order begins in the ancient past, on the long-forgotten world of Ahch-To. Once, the Jedi and the Sith were one, brothers and sisters in the Force. But that harmony broke as the dark side corrupted many Jedi to its call. This thread overviews the history of the Jedi Knights and their wars against the Sith.


A Force for Peace

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Tens of thousands of years ago, a group of philosophers, mystics, sages, and warriors came together to become the first Jedi Knights. Together, they became the guardians of peace and justice in the Republic and beyond. Their wisdom became legendary, passed through the generations from one age to another.

For eons, the Jedi kept the Force in harmony, but the corruptive nature of the dark side grew strong in a rogue sect of Jedi who rebelled against the Jedi Council and became the first Dark Lords of the Sith. The galaxy turned to the Jedi Knights as its only hope to drive back the conquest of the Sith and restore balance in the Force. The Jedi and the Republic fought wars against the Sith for thousands of years, and for a brief period all seemed lost. The Sith Empire ruled the galaxy from Coruscant, the center of trade in the galaxy, but their in-fighting gave the Jedi an opportunity to strike.

One hundred years ago, after the worst in-fighting the Sith Empire had ever seen, the Jedi Knights and the Republic struck a fatal blow. The Sith Empire collapsed, and the Sith civilization and culture was in ruins. The Republic grew complacent, with the Senate becoming used to peace and having its own agenda to push. The ever-looming spectre of the Sith, and their ability to rise once again, was largely ignored. The Jedi, however, did not hold to this line of thinking. They continued their role as peacekeepers, maintaining the balance of the galaxy and remaining ever-vigilant that the Sith could return.

The Jedi Knights passed on the teachings of old to a new generation of Jedi, always relaying the history of pushing back their Sith adversaries. Despite the absence of the Sith, the Jedi swore to never forget the struggles of the past. In this time, the Jedi Order became a force of their own. Strongholds were set up throughout the galaxy, from the Deep Core to the far reaches of the Outer Rim. These planets housed temples, academies, and other strongholds for teaching Jedi and maintaining the peace within what quickly became known as Jedi territories. From these outposts, the Jedi stationed throughout the galaxy were well-equipped to deal with the Sith if they were to return.


Return of the Sith

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One hundred years after the fall of the Sith Empire, the Jedi Knights became aware of the growing unrest in the northern Republic territories. The northern worlds had discovered that the Sith were once again growing in number, now under the banner of the Sith Brotherhood. The Galactic Senate was unwilling to get involved in a new war, so the northern worlds banded together and formed the Border Alliance. The Jedi Knights, acting on their own accord without a formal relationship with the Border Alliance, rallied under the banner of an army led by the Jedi Lord.

Hardened by war and the cautionary tales of their mentors, the new generation of Jedi Knights produced a cultural shift in the Jedi Order and sought a proactive approach to dealing with the Sith Brotherhood. The Jedi Council was not willing to commit the full Jedi Order to war, but they tacitly allowed the Jedi Lord to lead the army of Jedi Knights eager to destroy the Sith once and for all.

Now, for the first time in history, the Jedi Order is based on a foundation of strength, active intervention, and martial might, becoming a bold, eager, and willing organization on the march to war with the Sith Brotherhood.
 

Dawn of the Republic

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The Jedi Code

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There are two versions of the Jedi Code, both of which are equally valid guidelines for Jedi Knights to operate with. Indeed, many scholars argue that this dual code exists in order to prevent any misinterpretation of any singular code:

Emotion, yet peace. / There is no emotion, there is peace.
Ignorance, yet knowledge. / There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.
Passion, yet serenity. / There is no passion, there is serenity.
Chaos, yet harmony. / There is no chaos, there is harmony.
Death, yet the force. / There is no death; there is the Force.

Emotion, yet peace.
Happiness, love, anger, resentment, fear, and excitement; these are all examples of emotion. No emotion is inherently bad or wrong in any way, and we recognize this, but as a Jedi you must learn to control your emotions. Your emotions can cloud your judgment and potentially cause you to make hasty decisions without properly thinking them through. You must transcend your emotions and come to a place of inner peace. To have emotions is not a sign of weakness. In letting your emotions control you, therein lies the failing.

Ignorance, yet knowledge.
Everyone has a capacity for ignorance in some form or another. It is the duty of a Jedi Knight to continue to educate oneself and each other. This process is never-ending, as no one has attained all the knowledge of the universe except those who are one with the Force. Remain vigilant and know that you are not all-knowing. There is still much to learn. The path of the Jedi is a path of learning.

Passion, yet serenity.
Passions are fed by emotions, and they can cloud your judgement in the present circumstance. Passion can range from devotion to a much more sinister notion of being governed by emotion. Always act with an even temper and act according to the will of the Force. Always question yourself when overwhelmed with passion, as you risk submitting to the pull of the dark side. A calm mind is a mind guided by the light.

Chaos, yet harmony.
It is undeniable that sometimes things just go awry, or at least appear to. And while this is true, a Jedi Knight understands that all events are interconnected and are simply part of life. Tragedies and failings are inevitable. It is how we deal with them that matters, and, as a Jedi, you should take such things in stride. Learn to rise above the chaos and understand the role you play in bringing balance to the Force. Understand that the Force is with you, always.

Death, yet the Force.
Death is a natural part of life. Jedi can be killed, and often are in times of war. However, death is not a tragedy, but a necessary part of the life cycle. Without death, life could not exist. They balance each other out. When we die, we are just passing into another realm of existence. We become one with the Force.


The Nine Tenets

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The Jedi Order is guided by two basic doctrines: the Jedi Code, and the Nine Tenets. While the Jedi Code is steadfast in its timelessness, the Knights recognized the need to amend the tenets according to the current state of the galaxy. To that end, the High Council called a Conclave on Tython to take place in the Jedi Temple.

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Jedi are the guardians of peace, justice, and order in the galaxy. We fight for all life, no matter how intelligent or how unintelligent, no matter how big or how small, no matter how significant or insignificant on a galactic scale. We defend civilization, as well as the freedoms and liberties of all people. The galaxy’s safety is the priority of the Jedi, and we will ally with those that align with our efforts to restore peace.

Emotions are unavoidable, but lessons may be learned from the feeling of these emotions. However, emotions of such strength as to cause a Jedi to act or behave in a manner different from rational thought are dangerous, and must be avoided at all costs for a Jedi to truly master the Force.

Feelings of attraction and love are to be explored carefully and with rationality in mind. Romantic pathways must be treated with care so as to avoid pain and anger. Jedi are allowed to join in matrimony, but any children resulting from this union are to be trained in the ways of the Jedi. Precaution must be taken not to put personal ties above the role of a Jedi Knight.

The Jedi are to respect life, in any form, and only take life when necessary. A Jedi must put the need of the community over the needs of individuals. A Jedi is not to act for solely personal gain or greed - the good of all must be the goal of a Jedi Knight.

A Jedi is to protect the weak and defenseless. A Jedi may not kill a defenseless individual. Should a Jedi be in a position where aid may be given to the weak or the poor, then the Jedi should do what they can to aid the situation within the guidelines of the Code, the Tenets, and the law.

The Jedi Council exists as an advisory committee to guide Knights and and the Jedi Lord in peace and war. Jedi may disagree with the High Council but they must never openly oppose it, for we have seen the dangers in open opposition. Jedi are free, however, to make personal decisions on their own, so long as they do not conflict with standing Jedi policy.

Ruling power and financial wealth are permitted for a Jedi, but encouraged to be applied in modesty. Self-pride is a complex that eats the heart and mind of all, including Jedi. If a Jedi thinks he or she is greater than other beings, equal to other beings, or less than other beings then they have succumbed to self-pride. Guard against these three complexes night and day. The Jedi as an organization have academies, strongholds and outposts as their homes and for resource.

A Jedi must consider the living and cosmic manifestations of the Force - one must be mindful of the present, but also look to both the future and the past for guidance.

Although a Jedi may be called into battle, a Jedi does not fight for adventure or glory. A Jedi fights for the survival of civilization and the the people within it. A Jedi understands that they must answer the call of war when needed, and uphold peace when needed. The greatest Jedi is not the one who defeats an army of thousands, but the one who triumphs over himself and has the wisdom to act for the greater good. Your importance lies in your devotion to life.
 
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