Jedism?

[Corporal Hicks]

Good Afternoon ladies and Gents,
I was going to ask your opinion of Jedism and its revelance to the modern world. Do you think it has phlisophical value? Or do you think its concept is just taken from a film series and simply should be disregarded.
In my opinion you could rank (Stress the COULD) rank it with the religions of the world because after debating God for so long I think that to myself anyway the whole concept behind Jedism is actually quite......good. Just because it came from somebody's head doesnt make it any less revelant. And the fact that it
has not come from a longer time source doesnt make it have less revelance.
Regards

 

[loki09789]

Good Afternoon ladies and Gents,
I was going to ask your opinion of Jedism and its revelance to the modern world. Do you think it has phlisophical value? Or do you think its concept is just taken from a film series and simply should be disregarded.
In my opinion you could rank (Stress the COULD) rank it with the religions of the world because after debating God for so long I think that to myself anyway the whole concept behind Jedism is actually quite......good. Just because it came from somebody's head doesnt make it any less revelant. And the fact that it
has not come from a longer time source doesnt make it have less revelance.
Regards

"Jedism" is a hodge podge of eastern/western philosophical/mystical ideologies that Lucas put together along with his, self admitted, creation of character and hero archtypes in Luke and Han (Luke especially).

It is simply a story. Well crafted and with wide appeal, but any depth that you see in it as a philosophical parable is contrived by the author/creator tripping certain triggers in your brain and you making those connections that he has led you to with entertaining breadcrumbs of the story mechanism.

He was a fan of the mythical 'hero tale' and was inspired by a sociological author (I can't remember the name right now) that wrote a book (that I had in my hand over this past weekend - so this feels really stupid when I can't remember) that showed the commonallities of hero types over time and cultures.

Along these same lines, I have even heard of College Philosophy professors using the MATRIX trilogy as a teaching tool in class.

Stories are very functional tools for inspiration and illustration. I think the story as teaching tool has been reduced to a 'trick' in the modern world. Star Wars, Matrix, Jerry Macguire, Forrest Gump, .....and so on all are 'great' because they say something that we all can relate to and learn from.

IT sounds silly, but if you go to a book store and look at some of the children's books based on the Jedi characters from SW, you will find Credos, codes of conduct and such outlined for the kids. The morals and rules that are presented are general enough that you could say that it is based on either BUSHIDO or CHIVALRY or some other warrior code/philosophy that we have adapted for what we want to do with it.

I would say use the movies/Jedism as an inspiration to read up on philosophies that you think relate.

 

[Cryozombie]

There are a couple of "organizations" floating around that claim to teach "jedi" philospy... one was called the Jedi Acadamy, I tried googling it, but now that there is a Jedi Acadamy videogame thats the only thing that I was finding.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

It's recognized as a religion in some parts.

me, I'll stick with blasters.

 

[Cryozombie]

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[heretic888]

My thoughts:

1) "Jedism" is a shallow, superficial excuse for a religion. There is nothing in it you won't find better expressed in the likes of Neoplatonism, Mahayana Buddhism, or Vedanta Hunduism.

2) Any "religion" without a meditative/contemplative practice of some kind aimed at transforming its adherents is a joke. Likewise, any adherent that does not actively practice in his/her religion's meditative/contemplative practices is doing little more than superficial lip-service (no matter how much he/she may emotionally "believe" in the religion's tenets).

3) "Jedism", in addition to being a chuckling excuse to translate Eastern philosophy into a pop-culture format, also hooks onto another trend in modern Western philosophy --- claiming that science "proves" the mystical worldview, or that the mystical worldview can be explained in physical, mechanical terms (i.e., the Brahman is not a nondual Transcendence that is beyond all dualities of right/wrong, self/other, existence/nonexistence --- instead it is a bio-physical "Force" I can record with a doo-dad-o-meter that is most assuredly not "transcendent" or "nondual"). Silly, really.

4) The author that loki brought up is Joseph Campbell. He was a mythologist, not a sociologist, and wrote (among other things) Hero with a Thousand Faces.

5) For what its worth, I agree with loki. Use "Jedism" and the "bushido" from The Last Samurai as inspirations to look up the real thing. In and of themselves, however, they are pretty shallow.

Laterz.

 

[Bester]

It makes as much sence as most other concepts. If we are to believe that invisible all-powerful beings exist and have created places for us to go after we die, then, why can't we believe in this too? I say, let people believe what they want, and let Gozer sort them out.

 

[loki09789]

My thoughts:


4) The author that loki brought up is Joseph Campbell. He was a mythologist, not a sociologist, and wrote (among other things) Hero with a Thousand Faces.

Laterz.

Thanks Herrie, I had that bloody book in my hand this weekend too. Felt like an idiot when I couldn't remember the title/author.

 

[heretic888]

Thanks Herrie, I had that bloody book in my hand this weekend too. Felt like an idiot when I couldn't remember the title/author.

No probs.

 

[Tgace]

Lucas...Campbell..Myth...Jedism et al.

http://www.kimmelskorner.com/star_wars.htm
http://stjohns-chs.org/english/romod/odsw.html

 

[Adept]

Personally, I think its kinda cool. You get the coolness of having a religion (code of conduct, support, etc) without the need for an unprovable god.

Personally, I think its all a load of hooey. I mean, AFAIK, the basis of Jedism is to be completely utilitarian. No feelings at all. Love leads to fear, fear leads to hate, hate leads to suffering, and all that crap. Avoid excesses of emotion. I think human emotion is something we (or at least I) should embrace, not avoid.

But Jedism is (I would like to imagine) the way forward for religion. Cut the gods out of it, and worship ourselves, as we should.

 

[Cryozombie]

Cut the gods out of it, and worship ourselves, as we should.

Hmm.

Go read "The Satanic Bible"

In essence, that is exactly what it says.

 

[Tgace]

Then why do we admire "selfless" behavior. Heroism, courage, duty to serve and protect others???

 

[heretic888]

Then why do we admire "selfless" behavior. Heroism, courage, duty to serve and protect others???

Its Self-recognition, as opposed to self-recognition.

Also, on a side note, any religion that makes its point on getting you to believe the new philosophy, paradigm, or worldview --- but doesn't provide contemplative practices aimed at transforming its adherents, is like reading a book about Hawaii in lieu of going there yourself.

 

[rmcrobertson]

Axly, it's, "it's," not "its," and to call it "Self-recognition," rather than "self-recognition," is to unnecessarily fetishize the idea of a Self which may actually be no more than a convenient fiction.

More to the thread, maybe we could just learn to get over the whole, "worship," claptrap, and focus our attention on other things than the God in the Sky or the God in the Machine.

Personally, I oppose the whole Jedi bit--I find it biologically reductionist, and more than a little racist.

 

[heretic888]

Axly, it's, "it's," not "its,"

Uhhh... whoops??

and to call it "Self-recognition," rather than "self-recognition," is to unnecessarily fetishize the idea of a Self which may actually be no more than a convenient fiction.

Oh, pshaw.

One can't honestly look at the Buddhist doctrines of Anatta (Theravada) and Shunyata (Mahayana) and pretend there is some impassable wall of separation with Brahman-Atman (Vedanta) or even Godhead (Neoplatonism). They are all just different ways of saying the same Thing (or No-Thing, if'n you prefer).

Of course, at root, they're all just words --- and, as such, really missing the mark. They can't help it, its their nature. To call what we're talking about "No Self" as opposed to "Self" is just as inaccurate, as we're still using the nasty, nasty, nasty terminology and context of samsara and duality.

Its kinda what the mystics of the world's religions always go on about It being "beyond words", "ineffable", "wholly transcendent", "nondual", and so on.

Hell, they even use terms like True Self and Buddha Mind in Zen. C'mon.

More to the thread, maybe we could just learn to get over the whole, "worship," claptrap, and focus our attention on other things than the God in the Sky or the God in the Machine.

Aww.... that'll never happen.

It may not be called "worship", but people'll just take their "god" and replace it with some other True Paradigm they emotionally believe in. Its the very nature of samsara and duality --- the self needs some kind of substitute to devote a sense of immortality and eternity to.

After all, its a lot easier to change the beliefs of the self --- than to realize the self is the problem all along. The "no worship" thing'll never happen for the next thousand years or so. Maybe.

Personally, I oppose the whole Jedi bit--I find it biologically reductionist, and more than a little racist.

Yup. Very Tao of Physics. Not so sure I get the racist bit, though.

Laterz.

 

[Tgace]

Of course, at root, they're all just words --- and, as such, really missing the mark. They can't help it, its their nature. To call what we're talking about "No Self" as opposed to "Self" is just as inaccurate, as we're still using the nasty, nasty, nasty terminology and context of samsara and duality.

Two monks were watching a flag flapping in the wind. One said to the other, "The flag is moving."
The other replied, "The wind is moving."
Huineng overheard this. He said, "Not the flag, not the wind; mind is moving."


Shuzan held out his short staff and said, "If you call this a short staff, you oppose its reality. If you do not call it a short staff, you ignore the fact. Now what do you wish to call this?"

:asian:

 

[Adept]

Personally, I oppose the whole Jedi bit--I find it biologically reductionist, and more than a little racist.

Racist?

How so?

 

[Cryozombie]

Its not Racist at all...

There were Yoda Jedi, Human Jedi, Ithorian Jedi, Twilek Jedi, Rodian Jedi, Black Jedi, White Jedi, Green Jedi, Blue Jedi...

I dont see the racism in that...

What, did they exclude the Bothans or somthing?

:idunno:

 

[Seig]

Its not Racist at all...

There were Yoda Jedi, Human Jedi, Ithorian Jedi, Twilek Jedi, Rodian Jedi, Black Jedi, White Jedi, Green Jedi, Blue Jedi...

I dont see the racism in that...

What, did they exclude the Bothans or somthing?

:idunno:

Nope, their are Bothan Jedi as well as Bothan X-Wing pilots in Rogue squadron. Now, the Empire. the Empire was admitttedly xenophobic, the ultimate form of racism if you ask me.