A Shadow is no different than any other human being in that they have a moral code. But unlike most people, a Shadow recognizes that there is no ultimate good or bad. They recognize that all people act in a way that is just and good to them. Even the mad ones have their own moral code. Fortunately, the Shadows are not mad. They are beings that are striving for growth of the mind and of the soul, both of which are subject to codes of conduct. What then, is proper conduct for a Shadow? Such a thing is hard to generalize, for just as the city dweller and the country farmer are different, so is the life of each Shadow.
To begin, a Shadow adept must accept their background and upbringing. Shadows were once children, and most likely children brought up in a home with religion. Spirituality, which one may look at as a collection of religions, is at the heart of a place like the Force Academy and the Shadow Order. It is important to not disregard such a large influence of human behavior. People today are still behaving in ways of traditions founded at least two thousand years ago.
Shadows are no exception; they also are influenced by religious traditions. The Buddha’s of Mahayana Buddhism bring forth compassion. Christian faiths also preach compassion in the form of neighborly love. Judeo-Christians have also the Ten Commandments to turn to as a rulebook. The Hindus have the idea of karma and awareness of the consequences of a person’s actions, as does Taoism. Taoism, at its core, encourages the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you will have them do unto you.” A Shadow can embrace this rule of thumb as it requires all the skills the adept has at recognizing other perspectives and being aware of the self.
Because these traditions run so deep into the past, it is exactly why Unlearning is of great importance. Shadows embrace their past but must go through the process of keeping what they truly believe, and rejecting the excess. A Shadow must be confident in their beliefs, which can only occur if those beliefs resonate fully within the heart of a Shadow.
How then does a Shadow put these beliefs and morals into action?
One must assume that a Shadow wishes to uphold balance within, and harmony without. This reinforces the notion of acting for the overall good. It makes for a pragmatic Shadow, but also an adept who acts towards growth. If a Shadow acts out of character in a harmful way (interpret that as you will), that is not doing much for his or her internal balance is it? This inhibits growth. Abuse also inhibits growth. Abuse of a substance (as extreme as a drug, or as simple as food) and also abuse of a person is something a Shadow must avoid. Abuse is intended here as an attack without long-term vision or purpose. Attacking in defense is permitted and sometimes mandatory, as a Shadow is a creature of survival. The idea of being on the offensive is where the original notion of “dark action, light intent” comes into play.
When in a confrontation, a Shadow ultimately tries to get the conflicted party to see something they did not see before that will resolve the conflict thus promoting growth and restoring balance and harmony. Sometimes achieving this goal requires methods that may appear disharmonic, but conflicted parties sometimes need a bit of a jolt to see a different point of view. It is a judgment call, one which Shadows must make carefully and take responsibility for the consequences. They must guide the situation, best they can, through to peaceable conclusion.
This is easier in a mental conflict when fists are not involved, but even in a physical situation, a Shadow must be able to defend himself in addition to quelling the violence. Again, the point must be made that the Shadow wishes to permit harmony to return.
If a Shadow fails to respect other human beings and moves from making a well-intended intrusion to a flat abuse, this shows an imbalance in the Shadow him/herself. Any unwarranted rough actions not only shows a lack of compassion (which is essential), but it shows that the adept has issues to be resolved within their own mind. The adept should recognize this, and cease the behavior focusing their energies instead to put the self back at peace. It is only with a peaceful mind that a Shadow can react as necessary and attempt to make the proper judgment calls. If a Shadow makes a mistake, then they must look, learn, adapt, and grow. That is the Shadow’s cycle.