Post by Master Maverick on Aug 3, 2012 13:48:01 GMT -5
Ayva Hu - Jedi Knight Guardian
A few things about her that you won't find in the Archives:
Her personal philosophies and beliefs of the Jedi Way
A few things about her that you won't find in the Archives:
Her personal philosophies and beliefs of the Jedi Way
Tenets of a Jedi
A Jedi avoids the taking life,
A Jedi avoids taking what is not theirs
A Jedi avoids misusing, and abusing sexuality
A Jedi avoids using misguided speech
A Jedi avoids or takes care to be moderate in all things that affect the mind
A Jedi avoids speaking wrongly of others
A Jedi avoids elevation the self over others
A Jedi avoids withholding from others that which you have no need
A Jedi avoids negative forms and carries forward
___________________________________________________
Becoming a Jedi
"Studying the Jedi way is studying oneself.
Studying oneself is forgetting oneself.
Forgetting oneself is being enlightened by all things.
Being enlightened by all things is to shed the body and mind of oneself,
and those of others.
No trace of enlightenment remains,
and this traceless enlightenment
continues endlessly."
_______________________________________________________
The Eightfold Path to Resist the Dark Side
Right View
Right view is truly the very beginning and the very end of the path, it simply means to see and to understand things as they really are
and to realize that life is suffering, and the eventual cession of suffering As such, the right view serves as the the cognitive aspect of wisdom.
It means to see things through,to grasp the impermanent and imperfect nature of worldly objects and ideas as well as understand the law of cause and effect
Right view is not necessarily an intellectual trait, just as wisdom is not just a matter of intelligence.Instead, right view is attained, sustained,
and enhanced through all capacities of mind. It begins with the intuitive insight that all beings regardless of species, gender, or any other trait are
subject to suffering and it ends with complete understanding of the true nature of all things. It is because our view of the universe forms our thoughts
and our actions, right view yields right thoughts and right actions.
Right Intention
While right view refers to the cognitive aspect of wisdom, right intention refers to the more volitional aspect, for example,
the kind of mental energy that controls our actions- Which we may see as the light side, or dark side of the Force.
Right intention can be described best as commitment to ethical and mental self-improvement.
Past Masters have noted three types of right intentions:
1. the intention of renunciation, which means a resistance to the pull of desire, or true attachment
this does not mean " love" and companionship- but all things a person may desire and cling to obsessively
thus warping and distorting the true nature about them
2. the intention of good will, meaning resistance to feelings of anger and aversion. This is not to say one
may not feel them- however one must understand the nature of this suffering and let it fall to the side
and not dictate their actions
3. the intention of harmlessness, meaning not to think or act cruelly, violently,
or aggressively, and to develop compassion. As it has always been, A Jedi uses to force for knowledge
and defense, never for attack, nor to dominate their wills over others or themselves.
It is important to note- as many have mistaken this last part as a rule to avoid killing and become passive in all instances. This is untrue.
The intent is to dictate justification, and the sound reasoning behind such actions. Should taking a life protect that of others
while the options are few, then it is then the right action so long as the intent is correct and it is done
in the preservation of others rather than the negative aspects of aggression and ill will.
Right Speech
Right speech is the first principle of ethical conduct in the eightfold path.
Ethical conduct is viewed as a guideline to moral discipline,which supports the other principles of the path.
This aspect is not self-sufficient, however, essential,
because mental purification can only be achieved through the cultivation of ethical conduct.
The importance of speech in the context of the Jedi path is obvious:
words can break or save lives, make enemies or friends, start war or create peace.
Master Sinuma Baatch once explained right speech as follows:
1. A Jedi should always abstain from false speech, especially not to tell deliberate lies and not to speak deceitfully,
2. A Jedi should abstain from slanderous speech and not to use words maliciously against others,
3. A Jedi should abstain from harsh words that offend or hurt others
4. A Jedi should abstain from idle chatter that lacks purpose or depth. Positively phrased, this means to tell the truth,
to speak friendly, warm, and gently and to talk only when necessary. " Necessary" being a word best described as something dependent on a situation
Right Action
The second ethical principle, right action, involves the body as natural means of expression, as it refers to deeds that involve bodily actions.
Unwholesome actions lead to unsound states of mind, while wholesome actions lead to sound states of mind.
Again, the principle is explained in terms of abstinence however not to be confused with chastity or necessary deeds:
right action means
1. to abstain from harming sentient beings, more over to abstain from taking life (including suicide) and doing harm intentionally or delinquently.
This is to be looked upon in partnership of intent.
2. to abstain from taking what is not given, which includes stealing, robbery, fraud, deceitfulness, and dishonesty,
3. to abstain from sexual misconduct. Positively formulated, right action means to act kindly and compassionately, to be honest,
to respect the belongings of others, and to keep sexual relationships harmless to others and the self in both the physical mental and emotional.
Right Livelihood
Right livelihood means that one should earn one's living in a righteous way and that wealth should be gained legally and peacefully.
Master Ussej Padric Bac the second mentions at least 3 specific activities that harm other beings and that one should avoid for this reason:
1. dealing in weapons designed to do unnecessary harm to others or remaining ignorant to their nature
2. dealing in living beings (including the slave trade, prostitution, and conscripted military by way of force )
3. selling intoxicants and poisons, such as alcohol and drugs.
He further added Furthermore any other occupation that would violate the principles of right speech and right action should be avoided.
Right Effort
Right effort can be seen as a prerequisite for the other principles of the path. Without effort, which is in itself an act of will, nothing can be achieved,
whereas misguided effort distracts the mind from its task, and confusion will be the consequence. Mental energy is the force behind right effort;
it can occur in either wholesome or unwholesome states. The same type of energy that fuels desire, envy, aggression, and violence can on the other side fuel
self-discipline, honesty, benevolence, and kindness. Right effort is often most detailed in four types of endeavors that rank in ascending order of perfection:
1. to prevent the arising of unwholesome states not yet formed
In simple terms, a preventative state to ward off potential problems.
2. to abandon unwholesome states that have already arisen,
Most simply to remove ones self from a toxic situation or take
steps to repair it- this may be a physical and metaphoric description.
3. to arouse wholesome states that have not yet arisen,
Encourage a positive state in the self, others and physical settings
4. to maintain and perfect wholesome states already arisen.
Defend and protect that which is good and at peace, once more be it
of a physical literal sense, or a metaphoric statement to ones own being.
Right Mindfulness
Right mindfulness is the controlled and perfected faculty of cognition. It is the mental ability to see things as they are, with clear consciousness.
Usually, the cognitive process begins with an impression induced by perception, or by a thought, but does not stay with the mere impression.
Instead, we almost always conceptualize sense impressions and thoughts immediately. We interpret them and set them in relation to other thoughts and experiences,
which naturally go beyond the facility of the original impression.
The mind then posits concepts, joins concepts into constructs, and weaves those constructs into complex interpretative schemes.
All this happens only half consciously, and as a result we often see things obscured.
Right mindfulness is anchored in clear perception and it penetrates impressions without getting carried away.
Right mindfulness enables us to be aware of the process of conceptualization in a way that we actively observe and control the way our thoughts go.
I myself once addressed this matter as such:1. contemplation of the body
2. contemplation of feeling -
be it repulsive, attractive, or neutral in nature
3. contemplation of the state of mind,
4. contemplation of the phenomena
that is to say " If we see it, hear it, touch, taste, smell then it's obviously real"
or was it?
Through mindfulness of body we realize the truth of suffering
Through mindfulness of feeling we realize the truth of the origin of suffering.
Through mindfulness of the mind we realize the truth of cessation.
Through mindfulness of phenomena we realize the truth of the path.
Right Concentration
The eighth principle of the path, right concentration, refers to the development of a mental force that occurs in natural consciousness.
however at a relatively low level of intensity, namely concentration.
Concentration in this context is described as one-pointedness of mind, meaning a state where all mental faculties are unified and directed onto one particular object.
Right concentration for the purpose of the eightfold path means wholesome concentration, for example concentrating on the light, or positive thoughts and actions.
It has been suggested though our orders history that the best way to develop right concentration is through the practice of meditation.
The meditating mind focuses on a selected object. It first directs itself onto it, then sustains concentration, and finally intensifies concentration step by step.
Through this practice it becomes natural to apply elevated levels concentration also in everyday situations.
After which however one must take the next stop and learn to let those thoughts fall to the side
and they themselves become empty and experience the Force as it truly is.
A Jedi avoids the taking life,
A Jedi avoids taking what is not theirs
A Jedi avoids misusing, and abusing sexuality
A Jedi avoids using misguided speech
A Jedi avoids or takes care to be moderate in all things that affect the mind
A Jedi avoids speaking wrongly of others
A Jedi avoids elevation the self over others
A Jedi avoids withholding from others that which you have no need
A Jedi avoids negative forms and carries forward
___________________________________________________
Becoming a Jedi
"Studying the Jedi way is studying oneself.
Studying oneself is forgetting oneself.
Forgetting oneself is being enlightened by all things.
Being enlightened by all things is to shed the body and mind of oneself,
and those of others.
No trace of enlightenment remains,
and this traceless enlightenment
continues endlessly."
_______________________________________________________
The Eightfold Path to Resist the Dark Side
Right View
Right view is truly the very beginning and the very end of the path, it simply means to see and to understand things as they really are
and to realize that life is suffering, and the eventual cession of suffering As such, the right view serves as the the cognitive aspect of wisdom.
It means to see things through,to grasp the impermanent and imperfect nature of worldly objects and ideas as well as understand the law of cause and effect
Right view is not necessarily an intellectual trait, just as wisdom is not just a matter of intelligence.Instead, right view is attained, sustained,
and enhanced through all capacities of mind. It begins with the intuitive insight that all beings regardless of species, gender, or any other trait are
subject to suffering and it ends with complete understanding of the true nature of all things. It is because our view of the universe forms our thoughts
and our actions, right view yields right thoughts and right actions.
Right Intention
While right view refers to the cognitive aspect of wisdom, right intention refers to the more volitional aspect, for example,
the kind of mental energy that controls our actions- Which we may see as the light side, or dark side of the Force.
Right intention can be described best as commitment to ethical and mental self-improvement.
Past Masters have noted three types of right intentions:
1. the intention of renunciation, which means a resistance to the pull of desire, or true attachment
this does not mean " love" and companionship- but all things a person may desire and cling to obsessively
thus warping and distorting the true nature about them
2. the intention of good will, meaning resistance to feelings of anger and aversion. This is not to say one
may not feel them- however one must understand the nature of this suffering and let it fall to the side
and not dictate their actions
3. the intention of harmlessness, meaning not to think or act cruelly, violently,
or aggressively, and to develop compassion. As it has always been, A Jedi uses to force for knowledge
and defense, never for attack, nor to dominate their wills over others or themselves.
It is important to note- as many have mistaken this last part as a rule to avoid killing and become passive in all instances. This is untrue.
The intent is to dictate justification, and the sound reasoning behind such actions. Should taking a life protect that of others
while the options are few, then it is then the right action so long as the intent is correct and it is done
in the preservation of others rather than the negative aspects of aggression and ill will.
Right Speech
Right speech is the first principle of ethical conduct in the eightfold path.
Ethical conduct is viewed as a guideline to moral discipline,which supports the other principles of the path.
This aspect is not self-sufficient, however, essential,
because mental purification can only be achieved through the cultivation of ethical conduct.
The importance of speech in the context of the Jedi path is obvious:
words can break or save lives, make enemies or friends, start war or create peace.
Master Sinuma Baatch once explained right speech as follows:
1. A Jedi should always abstain from false speech, especially not to tell deliberate lies and not to speak deceitfully,
2. A Jedi should abstain from slanderous speech and not to use words maliciously against others,
3. A Jedi should abstain from harsh words that offend or hurt others
4. A Jedi should abstain from idle chatter that lacks purpose or depth. Positively phrased, this means to tell the truth,
to speak friendly, warm, and gently and to talk only when necessary. " Necessary" being a word best described as something dependent on a situation
Right Action
The second ethical principle, right action, involves the body as natural means of expression, as it refers to deeds that involve bodily actions.
Unwholesome actions lead to unsound states of mind, while wholesome actions lead to sound states of mind.
Again, the principle is explained in terms of abstinence however not to be confused with chastity or necessary deeds:
right action means
1. to abstain from harming sentient beings, more over to abstain from taking life (including suicide) and doing harm intentionally or delinquently.
This is to be looked upon in partnership of intent.
2. to abstain from taking what is not given, which includes stealing, robbery, fraud, deceitfulness, and dishonesty,
3. to abstain from sexual misconduct. Positively formulated, right action means to act kindly and compassionately, to be honest,
to respect the belongings of others, and to keep sexual relationships harmless to others and the self in both the physical mental and emotional.
Right Livelihood
Right livelihood means that one should earn one's living in a righteous way and that wealth should be gained legally and peacefully.
Master Ussej Padric Bac the second mentions at least 3 specific activities that harm other beings and that one should avoid for this reason:
1. dealing in weapons designed to do unnecessary harm to others or remaining ignorant to their nature
2. dealing in living beings (including the slave trade, prostitution, and conscripted military by way of force )
3. selling intoxicants and poisons, such as alcohol and drugs.
He further added Furthermore any other occupation that would violate the principles of right speech and right action should be avoided.
Right Effort
Right effort can be seen as a prerequisite for the other principles of the path. Without effort, which is in itself an act of will, nothing can be achieved,
whereas misguided effort distracts the mind from its task, and confusion will be the consequence. Mental energy is the force behind right effort;
it can occur in either wholesome or unwholesome states. The same type of energy that fuels desire, envy, aggression, and violence can on the other side fuel
self-discipline, honesty, benevolence, and kindness. Right effort is often most detailed in four types of endeavors that rank in ascending order of perfection:
1. to prevent the arising of unwholesome states not yet formed
In simple terms, a preventative state to ward off potential problems.
2. to abandon unwholesome states that have already arisen,
Most simply to remove ones self from a toxic situation or take
steps to repair it- this may be a physical and metaphoric description.
3. to arouse wholesome states that have not yet arisen,
Encourage a positive state in the self, others and physical settings
4. to maintain and perfect wholesome states already arisen.
Defend and protect that which is good and at peace, once more be it
of a physical literal sense, or a metaphoric statement to ones own being.
Right Mindfulness
Right mindfulness is the controlled and perfected faculty of cognition. It is the mental ability to see things as they are, with clear consciousness.
Usually, the cognitive process begins with an impression induced by perception, or by a thought, but does not stay with the mere impression.
Instead, we almost always conceptualize sense impressions and thoughts immediately. We interpret them and set them in relation to other thoughts and experiences,
which naturally go beyond the facility of the original impression.
The mind then posits concepts, joins concepts into constructs, and weaves those constructs into complex interpretative schemes.
All this happens only half consciously, and as a result we often see things obscured.
Right mindfulness is anchored in clear perception and it penetrates impressions without getting carried away.
Right mindfulness enables us to be aware of the process of conceptualization in a way that we actively observe and control the way our thoughts go.
I myself once addressed this matter as such:1. contemplation of the body
2. contemplation of feeling -
be it repulsive, attractive, or neutral in nature
3. contemplation of the state of mind,
4. contemplation of the phenomena
that is to say " If we see it, hear it, touch, taste, smell then it's obviously real"
or was it?
Through mindfulness of body we realize the truth of suffering
Through mindfulness of feeling we realize the truth of the origin of suffering.
Through mindfulness of the mind we realize the truth of cessation.
Through mindfulness of phenomena we realize the truth of the path.
Right Concentration
The eighth principle of the path, right concentration, refers to the development of a mental force that occurs in natural consciousness.
however at a relatively low level of intensity, namely concentration.
Concentration in this context is described as one-pointedness of mind, meaning a state where all mental faculties are unified and directed onto one particular object.
Right concentration for the purpose of the eightfold path means wholesome concentration, for example concentrating on the light, or positive thoughts and actions.
It has been suggested though our orders history that the best way to develop right concentration is through the practice of meditation.
The meditating mind focuses on a selected object. It first directs itself onto it, then sustains concentration, and finally intensifies concentration step by step.
Through this practice it becomes natural to apply elevated levels concentration also in everyday situations.
After which however one must take the next stop and learn to let those thoughts fall to the side
and they themselves become empty and experience the Force as it truly is.