The Force

As you all would know, we as Jedi are not the only 'New Agers' in the world today. We have Psychics, wiccans or witches, energy users, the list goes on. Many of these people use different forms or sources for their energy workings. Examples of this would be the elements, (earth, wind, fire, water), other peoples energy or any living thing, such as a plant etc. Normally they only use one source of energy or energy from one source. For example, they might use energy from plants, (one source of energy), or from one plant, (energy from one source).

All these different sources of energy combine and join together to create an energy field or as we know it, the Force. You might be able to see a living things energy field around it, also known as its aura.

We as Jedi have an advantage as we can harness the energy of EVERYTHING at once through the Force.

But wait, you might think, the Force is made up of LIVING things, fire and water arn't living! Well its true, there not and I can't explain exactly how it gives off its energy into the Force, it could be the living organisims in the water, air and earth. A wiccan would be able to answer that properly for you. A Jedi once equated it to a rock eventually breaking down into neutrients in the soil, which could then feed a tree, adding to the Force. Fear, love and other emotions can be used as a source of energy as well.

All this energy makes up the Force, but there is actually two sides or parts to the Force, the Living Force and the Unifying Force. Thanks to TPM, we now have knowledge of the living Force.

"The Jedi (Qui-Gon) folded this arms over this broad chest. The Force was a complex and difficult concept. The Force was rooted in the balance of all things, and every movement within its flow risked an upsetting of that balance. A Jedi sought to keep balance in place, to move in concert to its place and will. But the Force existed on more then one plane, and achieving mastery of its multiple passages was a liftime's work. Or more. He knew his own weakness. He was too close to the life Force when he should of been more attentive to the unifying Force. He found himself reaching out to the creatures of the present, to those living in the here and now. He had less regard for the past or future, to the creatures that had or would occupy those times and spaces.

It was the life Force that bound him, that gave him heart and mind and spirit."

Then later

"Obi-Wan was grounded in the need to focus on the larger picture, on the unifying Force. He lacked Qui-Gon's intuitive nature. He lacked his teacher's compassion for and interest in all living things."

(Thanks to Naya for pointing this out to me. It came from The Phantom Menece novel, page 137.)

So what does this tell us about the Force? We now know that there are two differnt kinds of Force, possibly the are part of the same thing, but concern different things. Sort of in the way that dark and light co-exist together. It also tells us how the Living Force concerns the present, what is happening right now and around you. As Qui-Gon says aboard the Trade Federation ship, "Don't center on your anxiety, Obi-Wan. Keep your concentration here and now, where it belongs."

On the other hand, the Unifying Force would be what we acknowledge as the Force. It binds us, surrounds us, it makes us who we are. It also concerns the future and the past, as well as the events that will happen or have happened. As Obi-Wan said, "But Master Yoda says I should be mindful of the future--", to which Qui-Gon replies, "But not at the expense of the present. Be mindful of the living Force, my young Padawan". Yoda also speaks of the Unifying Force, he tells Luke that through the Force he will see the future the past and old friends of his.

So what does that scene on the Trade ship tell us? It teaches us that we must connect to both the living AND unifying Force, where the moment would take a precedent. This is because we must keep in mind what our actions will cause later in the future as well as what past actions may cause in the future. BUT if you are in a situation which calls for focus or attention, you must stop day-dreaming.

This pretty much sums up how the Jedi should work, living for the now, focused on what needs to be done, but when time permits, seek knowledge or be distracted by the future and past.

This lecture tells us a lot about the Force and opens our eyes to find more knowledge about it. Both the Living and Unifying Forces make up what we call the Force. When we use the Force for guidence, knowledge or any other abilities, we say were using the Force, but we are actually using BOTH parts of it.

Now that you know what the Force is you can learn how it works. The Force is everywhere, it surrounds us daily. Yet many people and even some jedi, don't even think about how we use it everyday in our lives, from meditation to simple mundane tasks. When you get ready to use the Force, you concentrate on what you want to happen and start to envision it happening, all the while letting the Force flow through you and anything else that is associated with what you want to do. You should NOT just close your eyes and hope for it to happen, that won't work. With out the Force, the wave of your hand, etc, has no meaning, no direction. Everything you do, jedi related or not, uses part of the Force. Remember the Force is one huge energy field made up of all different kinds of energy in the world. Walking down the street requires energy, when you speak about something you enjoy, you use energy behind those words. When you are angry you also use a lot of energy, its similar to saying 'you could cut the tension with a knife'. The tension is the energy or how the Force is being used.

The Force is an energy field that you use daily, weither you mean to or not. You can let it flow through you and focus it on what ever you are doing, whether that be healing, meditating or levitating.

The best way to begin using the Force is to relax and take a few breaths. It is much easier if you are fully focused on the task at hand, rather then carrying the days stress with you.

Now sit or stand so you are comfortable, and start by feeling the Force around you and how it realtes to the area around you as well as how it feels. Then let the Force flow through you, draw it in to you and gather it if that is what is required. You can even draw it from within you, since the Force flows through you. Now take all that energy and focus it into a ball between you hands or center. Anywhere is ok. Now 'play' with this Force ball that you have created. Let it flow from arm to arm, up and down your legs, around and around. Make the ball do different things, such as making you feel warm or cold, healing etc. Don't put

too much emphisis on this technique, its just to get you into the flow of the Force and be able to control it. Another good technique is doing Ti-Chi. When you do it, connect to the Force and feel how it flows through you and around you as you do the moves. You don't have to go out and join a class, you have done martial arts before and i'm sure you have seen some Ti-Chi done on TV. Basicly any moves are fine, they don't have to be real ones. Focus on the Force flowing.