The Jedi Path

There is no emotion, there is peace.
There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.
There is no passion, there is serenity.
There is no chaos, there is harmony. (*)
There is no death, there is the Force.
—The Jedi Code (Based on the meditations of Odan-Urr)

(*)The fourth line "There is no chaos, there is harmony," is removed in some Jedi texts.

The Force

By Sabla-Mandibu, Jedi Seer

The Force is bigger then all of us, but expresses itself in two aspects. The Living Force is raw and close at hand. It is the life energy tingling around you when you pass among plants and animals in a walk through a jungle. When beings die, you sense it through the Living Force. When many die at once, the loss of their energy may shock you, even knock you out. All of your tangible Force abilities-- such as running, jumping, heightened senses, moving objects, or soothing the emotions of others-- are techniques in which we become agents of the Living Force.

The Unifying Force is a vast cosmic power. You may not sense it yet, but with patience and insight you will. The Unifying Force is the stars and galaxies., the rippling surface of space and time. It is this voice that whispers of your destiny, and make no mistake--the Force does have a will. To commune with the Unifying Force is to temporarily leave your body behind, allowing you to walk in the past or see the future. Some of the ancients believe it is possible to even transcend death.


The Initiate Trials

By Grand Master Fae Coven
(Side note, she was Grand Master when Yoda was a youngling.)

To reach this new level, you must complete the Initiate Trials. You should be well prepared for them at this stage.

All of these things are to be expected of one who has completed the training of a Jedi Initiate, but not all of you will pass through to the same place.

Some of you will graduate from Initiate to Padawan. This will see you apprenticed to a Jedi Knight or Master, and is a necessary step in becoming a Knight or Master yourself. But competency at the Initiate Trials is not enough to earn a Padawan apprenticeship. You must forge a bond with a Knight or Master, and some of you will discover that the Force does not wish you to follow such a path. Meditate on it now, so you will be prepared should such a moment come to pass.

You have all pledged to serve the Republic, and the members of the Jedi Service Corps are no less Jedi them those who roam the stars to defend the weak. If you are not taken on as an apprenticed Padawan, a position in the Agricultural Corps or the Educational Corps will allow you to continue to follow the principles you have sworn to uphold and serve the Republic as you have vowed.

Some of you may not follow either path. Regretfully, the Council may decide the path of the Jedi is not for you. If you arrive at this decision yourself, then it is the Force speaking to you, and you are not meant to follow the Jedi Path. Should this be your destiny, remember your training as you build a new life, and seek out opportunities to be of benefit to yourself and others.


Lightsabers: Their Construction and Use

By Skarch Vaunk, Jedi Battlemaster

The act of constructing a Lightsaber forever marks Padawans a members of the Jedi Order. The construction of a lightsaber is more then an act of loyalty to the organization that has stood for a thousand generations. It is an opportunity to make a saber of one's own. The Jedi strive for consistency in manner and dress, but they do not make rules for this most personal of weapons.

Components

Your master should have taught you to collect the pieces that make up the lightsaber: the handgrip, the emitter matrix, the lens assembly, the power cell, and the focusing crystal. Let the Force guide your selections. Should a handle carved from greel wood or an unusually colored lens seem to speak to you, listen to that voice.

Vision quest

Unless your circumstances are unusual (or desperate), you will make your first saber in the crystal caves of Ilum. This Jedi planet is the source of crystals that emit bright green and brilliant blue plasma blades. Meditation will help you select the appropriate crystal. You must memorize this mantra:

The crystal is the heart of the blade.
The head is the crystal of the Jedi.
The Jedi is the crystal of the Force.
The Force is the blade of the heart.
All are intertwined: the crystal, the blade, the Jedi. We are one.

Achievement

The final step requires absolute concentration, and it is the reason behind the forced focus of isolation on Ilum. The pieces of the lightsaber hilt must be fused together on a molecular level. This is done through precise application of the Force. Fail to align them properly, and the saber may explode upon activation. More painful then the loss of your hand will be the sting of your failure.


The Jedi Trials

By Restelly Quist, Chief Librarian

The trials of Knighthood date back to the birth of the Order on Tython during the pre-Republic era.