Toward Harmonious Living  

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Harmony, for the purpose of this lecture, may be defined as a sense of balanced energy that leads to feelings of calm, and from which the Jedi can operate without a sense of being rushed or harried. The Jedi who has great internal harmony is very difficult to put off balance, and thus has a greater possibility of being at one with the Force at all times.

Therefore, harmony is a most important aspect of a Jedi's training. Without a certain amount of internal harmony, it is extremely difficult to walk the path of the Light Side. Harmony does not come about simply by wishing it, however - we Jedi must work at its development as much as we work on training Force abilities. Paradoxically of course, the more we strive for it, the more it evades us.

It should also be noted that the Jedi who walks in harmony is far less likely to encounter and vastly more able to deal with the disharmonic influences spoken of in prior lectures. Simply put, the harmonious person does not light a beacon in the Other World (usually by means of confusion, unsettlement or arrogance) attracting influences of all types, benign or baneful. Rather, he or she is content to join the flow, accepting what is and subtly manipulating events to serve a set purpose.

There are four basic elements of harmonious living. Each must be pursued, and all must be in balance, before harmony can be achieved.

1. It is absolutely essential for any student of the Light Side to develop a daily meditation practice and do some sort of physical training on a regular basis. The practice of meditation is probably one of the most important ways of developing internal harmony because it allows the student time in the "eye of the storm" each day and helps him/her to recognize that place within the self from which harmony generates. As training progresses, physical training can become a time of meditation as well. Martial arts students will already be aware of the concept of "mushin" (no mind) from Zen, a relaxed state of perfect clarity from which an action simply performs itself. This kind of clarity comes as the result of repetitive training that incorporates technique into the body's movement alphabet. At the highest levels of martial arts training (and to a lesser extent, other forms of physical activity) lies a place of harmony from which movement simply flows. In Force terms, this means that we are one with the Force and moving with its flow.

2. Spend as much time in nature as possible. Nothing helps refresh the spirit more than a walk on your favorite hiking trail. If you do not have a favorite trail, then exploring the possibilities in your area would be a good idea. Nature has much to teach us about the Force and its cyclical nature.

Nature proves to us that no energy ever really ceases to exist - it simply transmutes to a different form. It is important to realize this because it aids us in dealing with one of the greatest blockages to internal harmony, i.e. fear of death. If we realize that all energy continues in some form or other, or as in the well-known law of Physics, "Matter is neither created nor destroyed", then we can deal effectively with the fear of death by understanding, on a deep level, that nothing ceases to exist - it merely changes form. Or, as the Jedi Code teaches us, "There is no death, there is the Force."

Another benefit of the great outdoors is that it is easier to find some peace there, as we are not subjected to the constant pressure of other people's thoughts and emotions, but are free to feel the flow of the Force around and through us, and to feel and know deep inside our place in it.

3. Do not fear silence, but embrace it. We live in a world where we can be, and are, subjected to sound and stimulation during almost all of our waking hours (and in our sleep, for some). We must break away from the noise and stimulation regularly. Exposure to silence leaves us open to what is really going on in our minds. I have recommended to meditation students in the past that they set up a "monastery" weekend for themselves on occasion - a time when they do not speak, spend extensive time in meditation, go about all their tasks mindfully and observe what is going on in their head as a result. Most find that the mind races frantically for the first few hours or (in extreme cases) days of such a retreat, but eventually the mind shuts down and they can go about their day in peace.

Time in nature and silence may be combined by going on a lone retreat in nature. However, if you plan to do this, be certain to take someone with you who can check on your safety.

4. Be aware of the messages that you are sending to your subconscious. I have worked with students who could not understand why they were not experiencing any harmony in their meditations. They would then leave the class, get in their cars, crank the stereo up as loud as it would go, and listen to lyrics which seemed, to me, to be consumed with hatred of others and/or self-hate. To make things worse, those lyrics were often accompanied by music that was designed to drive the message home. It has been well known for many ages, especially in primitive cultures, that the beat of a drum, for example, serves to relax the mind, open the subconscious and ready it to receive the accompanying message - a mild hypnosis technique, if you will. Any percussional element will have the same effect, whether it be acoustic guitar, drums or whatever.

Your mind, all of it, is listening constantly to what you are feeding it, and the old computer adage applies - "Garbage in, garbage out". The spoken word and music have deep effects on our consciousness. It can raise our consciousness or lower it, and the decision is totally ours. I ask that you simply be mindful of what you are putting into YOUR system. You will get out of it only what you put into it.

May you be ever present in the Living Force.

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