COJK,+Padawan+Assignment+1.12

Padawan Assignment 1.12
(Return to COJK Assignments)


 * Truth vs. Reality**

It is necessary to abandon one's "preconceived impressions of the way things are." There is often a great gulf between what we want to believe and what is "real."

The "desires" to be given up, then, are not so much the desires for material belongings and power, although these are also important things to look at in yourself, but the desires to see reality as we want to see it, rather than as it is. These are the desires that "cloud the mind" and make us lose touch with the world. These are our self-deceptions. And these are "luxuries" a Jedi cannot afford.

When I say we desire that something be a certain way, I do not necessarily mean that we want it to be that way. We want to think it is that way. If you think of a certain man as your enemy, then anything he says or does will be examined and found to be an insult or a threat. The identical words or actions on the part of a beloved friend would carry far different meanings. There is a saying: "Suspicious eyes see only evil.' Those not guided by the Force will see only what they desire to see." We human beings choose to see things as we wish. Few people seem to believe this, though. We decide to be jealous, or angry, or depressed, or happy, or bored, and these choices are often based on our biased interpretations of the thoughts of others. It is amazing how much psychological control many people relinquish to others. If we think someone else disapproves of us, we are worried. If we think that someone is pleased with us, we are happy. If we think that someone holds views contrary to our own, we are insulted. If we think that someone is contemptuous of us, we are angry. With all these others determining how we feel, it is sometimes difficult to find the actual self.

These are the desires of which I speak, these mental barriers that prevent us from accepting fully all that life has to offer. If a man wastes his time in emotional indulgence, he will be forever preoccupied and will miss much the Force would give him. "There is no Emotion; there is peace." We aren't talking about getting rid of emotions themselves. We are talking about getting rid of inappropriate and useless emotional responses.

1. What do you think it means to abandon one's "preconceived impressions of the way things are"?

2. Do you think it is possible to do this? If so, how?