Teachings,+Responsibility

Responsibility
(Kai Stormwalker)

Once a Jedi learns self-discipline, he can begin to accept responsibility for his actions. No Jedi who shuns responsibility should be trained, and no Jedi who embraces responsibility should be denied training.

A. Practice Honesty: Honesty is the first responsibility of the Jedi. A Jedi can allow others to believe incorrectly, lead others to incorrect conclusions by playing on their suppositions, or stretch the truth if the situation demands it. A Jedi must always be honest with himself, his Master, and the Council. "Let there be truth between your heart and the Force. All else is transitory." A Jedi who is honest with his beliefs and his motives find responsibility to be almost second nature.

B. Honor Your Promises: A Jedi who makes a promise should always be prepared to keep it or, failing that, to make amends. Thus, a Jedi should never make a promise he is not certain he can keep. "Deliver more than you promise. The best way to be always certain of this is to deliver much, even when you promise nothing."

C. Honor Your Padawan: Every Master has an awesome responsibility to his Padawan learner in bringing him to the end of his training. A Jedi Master must always remember that a Padawan is an individual who deserves respect. A Master should not reprimand his Padawan in public, nor punish his Padawan for disagreeing with him. On the other hand, the Master should praise his apprentice when he does well, especially in the presense of others. Doing this builds the Padawan's confidence and strengthens the bonds between Master and apprentice.

D. Honor Your Master: By the same token, a Padawan should endeavor to show respect to his Master at all times, especially in the presense of others. A Padawan should not disagree with his Master to the point of argument. In discussions with others, a Padawan should address only his Master unless he is directly addressed. In all other ways, the Padawan should defer to the Master and not invite censure. This spares the Master the burden of apologizing to others for the Padawan's behavior.

E. Honor the Jedi Council: Although the Jedi Council embodies the ultimate authority in the Jedi Order, it cannot be everywhere at once. Therefore when the Council sends a trusted Jedi on a mission, the Jedi speaks for the Council. This is an awesome responsibility, and no Jedi should abuse this trust. The Council must answer for the Jedi's words and actions, and it shows tremendous disrespect to put the Council in an untenable position.

F. Honor the Jedi Order: A Jedi's every action reflects on the Order. Good deeds serve the reputation of the Order, but poor behavior does incalulable damage. Every Jedi should try to remember that every person he meets might never have encountered a Jedi before. How he behaves establishes a first impression of the Jedi, as a whole, in the person's mind. He should also be mindful of how his actions reflect on the God he serves.

G. Honor the Law: For the Jedi to protect peace and justice, they must be bound by those same tenets. No Jedi is above the law. A Jedi may break the law if he feels it is necessary, and in order to follow the will of the Force, but he must be prepared to accept the consequences of his crimes. Because the Jedi Council does not generally send Jedi out into the galaxy to be arrested and imprisoned, Jedi have a responsibility to the Council to avoid situations that leave no choice but to break the law.

H. Honor Life: A Jedi should never commit murder for any reason. When confronted with a life-or-death struggle, however, a Jedi may have to kill to complete his mission. This act is always unfortunate, because deliberately ending a life strengthens the dark side. However, if the cause is justified - if the Jedi is protecting others, serving the will of the Force, or even merely acting in self-defense - then the light side is equally strengthened. A Jedi should sincerely repent for every life he takes.