Throughout my lifetime, I have explored various religions in an attempt to find 'the one' that I felt comfortable with. It is kind of like trying to find the right pair of shoes. You buy a pair, walk in them for a time, then decide that they don't quite fit the way that you wanted them to fit. Over time, I began to feel that I would not find the religion or belief where I felt that I fit in.
I tried Christianity and got tired of watching many Christians practice what is known as Sunday Christianity. I tried Islam, but could not get used to wearing the scarf and being completely covered. I checked out Buddhism, Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, and many other 'isms'. I finally fell in with a group of Pagans, which revived all those old memories of what my Grandmother taught me. I still did not feel comfortable, though, in my chosen religious beliefs.
It was around this time that the first Star Wars movie came out. Being an avid fan of futuristic and fantasy movies, and also being married to a person who shared the same interest, we plopped down our money, bought some popcorn and cokes, and 'oohed and aahed' with the rest of the crowd that packed into the theater. While many only went to the theater and saw the movie once, maybe twice, I opted to see the movie at least ten times. Of course, back then, movies were only about $4.00 a pop.
It was not the special affects that captured my attention; it was the philosophical aspect. The Force, that energy that permeates all things, was something that I had been feeling for most of my life. From the age of five or six, I had been having dreams that would come true and astral projections. Periods of floating through the sky could not be explained by the teachers and ministers of mainstream religions. Pagans had a name for it, but still the explanation seemed lacking. Here, on the big screen of the movie theater, I had found the name for it. It was the Force.
I finally had found a belief system that I could really get into. I could connect with the concept of the Force being an energy that is present in all living things. By the time the first movie came out, I had already read many books that talked about the possibility of energy being present in all things and that this energy connected all things together. An avid student of chemistry, I could understand how this could be. All matter is made of atoms, each of which contain particles that are infused with energy. It is only a matter of how fast those particles are moving that determines if something is a solid, liquid, or gas. So, the idea of every living thing being infused with energy made perfect sense to me.
Having found this belief system that I could really connect to lead me to start reading about physics, chemistry, and other sciences. I also started to take some philosophy courses. I thirsted for information about this energy and searched out articles and books that could help me understand more about the Force.
To say that the internet has really helped me in understanding and following this path would be an understatement. Connecting with others who believe the same thing is always a wonderful feeling, but I continued in searching out more and more information on my own. I looked around and found that there were several main groups that presented the path as they saw it.
In the beginning, there were few groups that were teaching the Jedi pathway. While one group believed one should practice a certain way in order to be a Jedi, another group taught something entirely different. Over time, the number of sites have multiplied as has the number of different ways to follow one's path. Different codes, different truism or maxims, different creeds all have come to the forefront. In a way, the Jedi have become organized but that organization is concentrated into little groups that are more like cliques than anything else.
As a Jedi who follows the path as a religion, I have seen a large amount of prejudice and animosity spewed in the direction of Jediists by those who follow the path as a philosophy. It seems that if one practices as a Realist, there is an apparent threat to them by those who practice as a Jediist. I can understand why this feeling of being threatened exists: To a Realist, Jedi pushing for the pathway to be recognized by the government as a religion may seem very threatening. It is one thing to have a Jedi state that they are practicing the path as a religion; it is another thing to have the general public recognize it as a religion.
This is not to say that there has not been a lot of negative criticism generated by the Jediists against Realists. For Jediists, it is difficult to understand how Realists can not see how the Jedi path can be a religion, but it may be possible that Realists who would like to hold on to a religion other than Jediism, have a need for the Jedi path to remain just that; a path to a higher spiritual level.
I realize, though, that this may actually not be the true reason for the rift between Jediists and Realists. While it is hard for Jediists to understand how Realists only feel this path is just a philosophy, it is equally hard, I am sure, for a Realist to understand how a Jediist can see this path as a religion. This is one perception that needs to be acknowledged in order to dissolve the rift between the two groups and move the Jedi forward as a unified body. Indeed, it may be necessary to agree to disagree because, like many things in life, the issue of the Jedi path being a religion versus a philosophy is highly personal.
The rift between Jediists and Jedi Realists always reminds me of the way some Christians will refuse to accept anything except what their ministers tell them but, yet, will go out into the world and act as badly, or worse, then those people that they complain about. It only shows that even the 'enlightened' few are just as human as those who are not so 'enlightened'.
Upon deep reflection, I have a hard time seeing how the Jedi can become organized. Not only is there a rift between the Jediists and Realists but there are great ravines between sites. In some cases, the problem not only lies in what line of thought the owners and followers of each site follows in regards to the Jedi path but, also, lies in a matter of power. Indeed, within and between some sites, there are power issues. The old adage "Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely" comes to mind here. If there are already power struggles within sites and between sites, then how will the Jedi ever become organized?
The unique thing about the Jedi path is that everyone can follow it as they wish. While one will choose to meditate for an hour every day, another may choose to practice karate. While one may follow one version of the code, another will follow a different code. While one will practice the path as a religion, another will practice it as a philosophy. This is the uniqueness of the Jedi path. Therefore, not only is there a difference between sites and what they teach, but there is also a difference between each individual Jedi. This practice is so very similar to another group of people - the Pagans.
Within the Pagan faith, there are a variety of different groups. The Jedi can be considered, in some ways, as being a member of the larger Pagan group. The Pagans have many similarities that bind them together, much like the Jedi have the belief in the Force that binds them together. But, from coven to coven, and individual to individual, there is much variance just like from site to site, and Jedi to Jedi, there is much variance. Over time, the Wiccans, a group within the larger Pagan group, have made attempts at organizing. With the use of the internet, they have a great communication system and this has helped in pulling them together. But what has the pulling together done for the Wiccans?
As any Wiccan knows, within the community, there are a few Wiccans that are seen as being smarter, better, and more knowledgeable than others. As such, these people are given great respect and, in some cases, homage. Where I live, you can not join a coven that is free from the dominance of Silver Ravenwolf. Within such covens, you must follow what the Priestess has learned from Silver Ravenwolf or leave. This is often the downfall of organizing a religion. If you look at the Christian, Jewish, and Islamic religions, there are leaders and there are followers. Some leaders have taken a large amount of power and used it towards their own advantage.
This brings to question, "Should the Jedi become organized?" Organization presents many advantages; but there are a number of disadvantages as well. One of the greatest disadvantages may be that organization will produce a need for uniformity. Will those who choose to continue to follow their own pathway be seen as being less of a Jedi? Will those who are Jediist be seen as being odd? Will Realists be pushed to the side and not seen as real Jedi? Will organization push some into positions of power where they will become corrupt representatives of the Jedi path?
These are the questions that I ask myself. In light, it is not a matter of whether we can become organized, but a matter of whether we should become organized. I see so many among us pushing to make sure that the fact that they view the Jedi path as just a pathway to spirituality is heard and ask myself, "What will be lost if the Jedi do organize?".
I realize that many feel that if one group chooses to organize and another does not wish to, the other need not join the organized group. Nobody will be forced to join any organized Jedi group. I see the ravine becoming wider and wider when people say such things. We already have arguing between sites, between Jedi on each site, and between Jedi in general. What will it take before the proverbial camel's back is broken and the community falls apart?
In the end, the idea of the Jedi becoming organized needs to be discussed as a community, not as a group here or there. In the end, there is no need for a council that lords over all, telling all what they should believe or not believe. A council should be like a compass, pointing the group in the right direction, but allowing each individual decide how they will get there. This is the vision of a council that I hold in my mind.