Origin of Religions?
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Some of my ideas of the world religions,
Ancient people respected natural forces that helped them and consider those as gods or god's signs, they gave names to those forces. Indra the primary one, I believe this is a common name for God that shows the Goodness or happiness, so any difficulties or natural disasters, people seek him. They gave names to these characteristics and later identified as deivas(goodness givers) and asuras(difficulties), both are respected and given their values.
Astronomy since ages are used to calculate seasons and as symbols to record events/happenings of the past, the constellations were named and given symbols, they used these for their navigation patterns, agriculture and resting periods and for their every day survival, with time when new better ways to record events with dates and times were found their original usage got lost and myths stepped in associating those astronomical symbols and signs as gods and thus the hymns of Vedas which should be originally be talking about the importance of these different natural forces later became their idols/hymns of worship, these should have come from the people who follows a nomadic lifestyle, they relied a lot on sky and astro positions for their navigation.
The Hindu god is primarily Siva the transformer or often called one who is a destroyer. Since nothing can be permanent in this world and often take a cyclic processes like life and death, day to night, seasons that repeat, Goodness and evil, action and reaction. Most other Hindu Gods are identified to be a form of Shiva since in every other God's signs there is this same character thats to be seen. So Shiva has Sons(other warning signs), Wife(energy forms) and different other forms all related the concept of transformation. Since without disturbances/transformations people cannot progress or attain any knowledge. People accepts these transformations to occur but wants these to be in their control.
I believe that the concept of prophets should have come from India's Sramanic traditions, which have this belief of Individuals progress with life, when they lead a sinless/middle path/ good life, and finally reaching attaining divinity. Different cultures found different means to achieve this, they consider their saints/munis/monks to have achieved this by their deeds in their previous lives and those were given the respect and considered those worthy to be followed upon. Monkhood or Ahimsic life style were thought to be essential for attaining salvation and Buddhas and Avatar like characters were thus born and lead a life of austerity to learn and tried to understand the plan/reason of existence and guide people with their words and actions.
So here there were two different ideas, one that say God is/are the entity that controls everything and the other that say men could attain his powers based on their karma/actions in the previous and present life and could escape the world of transformations to that of the heaven of eternity without any further life births. The two ideas intermixed and gave birth to numerous other religions like Bhakthi Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism including the Semitic religions with different rituals and rights to make our life simple and peaceful.
The Indian caste system also was a product of this belief with some sections consider themselves to be more blessed/nobler than others due to their availability of knowledge and tried to make others believe that karma is at work for the reasons of the other's misery in this life. Some other dangerous beliefs also took form because of this ideology of purity and nobility based on ones birth.In Islam, Prophet Mohammed preached the religion where God is one and takes the ultimate role in deciding ones life in earth and also the hereafter one's death and also came up with the message of throwing away unwanted superstitions, but still majority people stick to the easier way of idolizing their culture, language, names, myths without giving respect to the reasons for the prophet's behavior and words.
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Harmony Freedom stands,
I "practice" nothing except a concept of assimilation with (what is) God. I do like Jesus and I (try to) be in the Father and the Father in me just like he spoke of. To be good is the aim.
This is the message of Queen as well beneath all the distortion in interpretation.
Have faith
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Harmony Freedom stands,
I "practice" nothing except a concept of assimilation with (what is) God. I do like Jesus and I (try to) be in the Father and the Father in me just like he spoke of. To be good is the aim.
This is the message of Queen as well beneath all the distortion in interpretation.
Have faith
Peace Man of Faith
Are you Christian?
God bless you
peace
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Peace Hawk.
Of course there is brother. Some say life has no meaning altogether!
Do you want me to clarify " there are no religions"?
I mean GOD never sent a religion called Judaism or Christianity or Traditional Islam or Shinto Or....Whatever name you wish to add to the list?
GOD sent a message to mankind at different timesand places having one consistent theme
Repent, submit to GOD s system, serve/worship GOD Alone, no idol worship.To believe GOD and His messengers and follow HIS words/instructions/commands to redeem some humans back to HIS kingdom.
I am repeating something you already know brother for clarification to all readers.
GOD bless you.
Peace. -
No I am not Christian. I am with faith. It is called Muslim in Arabic and I have also accepted the way it is so I am working on being a mumin as well.
Like you said yourself; there are no religions, and I say God cannot be worshiped, but you can jump on the train so to say, join the realm. The best way of serving God is by doing deeds fit for God and mind your lifestyle. The world is highly spiritual/abstract in its functionality and only exists concretely in our beastly perception. Calling upon God is calling upon your Foundation. And God knows what you need before you even open your mouth. Prayers are basically for your own reminder and to establish a linked state between you and your Sustainer, by being accepted by the Sustainer through your improved lifestyle and deeds.
EDIT The previous post says Queen but the smartphone changed Quran into Queen. It should have been Quran.
Have faith
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Peace Hawk.
Of course there is brother. Some say life has no meaning altogether!
Do you want me to clarify " there are no religions"?
I mean GOD never sent a religion called Judaism or Christianity or Traditional Islam or Shinto Or....Whatever name you wish to add to the list?
GOD sent a message to mankind at different timesand places having one consistent theme
Repent, submit to GOD s system, serve/worship GOD Alone, no idol worship.To believe GOD and His messengers and follow HIS words/instructions/commands to redeem some humans back to HIS kingdom.
I am repeating something you already know brother for clarification to all readers.
GOD bless you.
Peace.Haha, oh you're so similar to me, you like making provocative statements too! Then explaining them! Awesome!
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Peace Hawk.
Of course there is brother. Some say life has no meaning altogether!
Do you want me to clarify " there are no religions"?
I mean GOD never sent a religion called Judaism or Christianity or Traditional Islam or Shinto Or....Whatever name you wish to add to the list?
GOD sent a message to mankind at different timesand places having one consistent theme
Repent, submit to GOD s system, serve/worship GOD Alone, no idol worship.To believe GOD and His messengers and follow HIS words/instructions/commands to redeem some humans back to HIS kingdom.
I am repeating something you already know brother for clarification to all readers.
GOD bless you.
Peace.Peace good logic
There are religions as the word religion serves as a demarcation to highlight belief systems or the
point of view of those who practice what they believe to be the guidance. While I agree and
also believe there is only one guidance, one God, Allah has allowed us to choose our paths
back to him, and these paths are the religions that are used to identify each group by their
rites and beliefs. I know I am not telling you something new. How do you define systems of
worship if not as religions?5/48 And We have revealed to you, , the Book in truth, confirming that which
preceded it of the Scripture and as a criterion over it. So judge between them by what Allah has
revealed and do not follow their inclinations away from what has come to you of the truth. To each
of you We prescribed a law and a method. Had Allah willed, He would have made you one nation
, but to test you in what He has given you; so race to
good. To Allah is your return all together, and He will inform you concerning that over
which you used to differ.No I am not Christian. and I say God cannot be worshiped
Thank you Man of Faith, you say God cannot be worshiped? so how do you define (Ibada) worship.
May God bless you both
peace
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Peace Hawk.
Yes, mostly I agree with what you are saying . Different "paths" exist and within those "paths" people loyal to GOD Alone also exist.
However there is only one acceptable religion to God. "True Islam" or total loyalty and submission to GOD Alone.
" Waman yabtaghi ghaira "True Islam" deenan falan yuqbala minhu"
However ,since I follow Qoran, I must adhere to GODs commands as per Qoran. i.e follow the best path that is pointed out for you by your Lord
I believe that is also your "path" brother.
Thank you and GOD bless you.
Peace. -
Peace Hawk.
Yes, mostly I agree with what you are saying . Different "paths" exist and within those "paths" people loyal to GOD Alone also exist.
However there is only one acceptable religion to God. "True Islam" or total loyalty and submission to GOD Alone.
" Waman yabtaghi ghaira "True Islam" deenan falan yuqbala minhu"
However ,since I follow Qoran, I must adhere to GODs commands as per Qoran. i.e follow the best path that is pointed out for you by your Lord
I believe that is also your "path" brother.
Thank you and GOD bless you.
Peace.Peace good logic
I also firmly believe that the path decreed by Allah as per Quran Kareem is the best path,
and supersedes the other ways. There are many non-Muslims whose deeds in this life who
far excede my own in righteous, folks like Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa,
and Martin Luther King, Jr., neither of whom as far as I know where practicing Muslims.
So it seems that it is the adherence to one's own faith (path) that determines righteousness.
Therefore I conclude that we do indeed have religions (various paths) but the qualities of the
righteous are one as per Quran."Righteousness is not that you turn your faces to the east and the west . But righteous
is the one who believes in God, the Last Day, the Angels, the Scripture and the Prophets; who gives
his wealth in spite of love for it to kinsfolk, orphans, the poor, the wayfarer, to those who ask and to
set slaves free. And (righteous are) those who pray, pay alms, honor their agreements, and are
patient in (times of) poverty, ailment and during conflict. Such are the people of truth. And they
are the God-Fearing." (Quran 2177)God bless you
peace
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Peace Hawk.
I called them different paths you are saying different religions .
Therefore I am in agreement that all the "true Muslims" regardless of their path/religion will be redeemed to the Lord.
GOD bless you.
Peace. -
It does not mean worship. It means to be in servitude/serve.
Why does an Almighty God need worship anyway? To boost a huge ego?
You cannot flirt with God to improve your standing. You need to show the caliber of your character.
Salaam
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Peace, Man of Faith.
It does not mean worship. It means to be in servitude/serve.
Why does an Almighty God need worship anyway? To boost a huge ego?
You cannot flirt with God to improve your standing. You need to show the caliber of your character.
I actually agree with you concerning this. The Arabic word "Ibaada" means to serve, not to worship. To worship God is meaningless and, from my understanding, we are never instructed to 'worship' God in the Qur'aan. We are consistently told to acknowledge and serve (e.g. through obeying) Him. If God mandated that we worship Him, it would imply that He needs us to satisfy His ego, which completely negates the idea of Him being "supreme".
If we want to please God, we need to follow His guidance and instruction. No "religion" is required.
Peace,
Ahmad
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Peace, Man of Faith.
I actually agree with you concerning this. The Arabic word "Ibaada" means to serve, not to worship. To worship God is meaningless and, from my understanding, we are never instructed to 'worship' God in the Qur'aan. We are consistently told to acknowledge and serve (e.g. through obeying) Him. If God mandated that we worship Him, it would imply that He needs us to satisfy His ego, which completely negates the idea of Him being "supreme".
If we want to please God, we need to follow His guidance and instruction. No "religion" is required.
Peace,
Ahmad
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It does not mean worship. It means to be in servitude/serve.
Why does an Almighty God need worship anyway? To boost a huge ego?
You cannot flirt with God to improve your standing. You need to show the caliber of your character.
Salaam
Peace
Why does God need servitude/serve. To boost a huge ego?
Peace Hawk.
I called them different paths you are saying different religions .
Therefore I am in agreement that all the "true Muslims" regardless of their path/religion will be redeemed to the Lord.
GOD bless you.
Peace.We are in agreement
If we want to please God, we need to follow His guidance and instruction. No "religion" is required.
Peace,
Ahmad
Peace Ahmad Bilal
No religion? Please read post #12 and #14 and comment.
God bless
peace
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It does not mean worship. It means to be in servitude/serve.
Why does an Almighty God need worship anyway? To boost a huge ego?
You cannot flirt with God to improve your standing. You need to show the caliber of your character.
Salaam
Valid point..
From my point of view the true God loves humility and is very humble..
He maintains his 'obscurity'.. and he always choose people with common humble background as His agent..
Carpenter, renegade, orphan, outcast and slaves..However to further understand why some people think that God needs to be worshiped.
Some Middle Easterners or should I say Westerners views God as human.
Thus they have a strong ancient belief that gods + goddesses decision can be 'influenced' by praises or words (mantra)
Just like how human king will be easily influenced by the praises of his servant.It is consistent with how they view the deed of "praying".
To them.... praying is an act of "Asking for something".. all the mantra and words are said to "persuade" the deity to grant them their wishes.(Pure) Buddhist for example didn't view God as human...
Within their mindset.. they don't have any act which is equivalent to "praying"
Their act of "meditation" is performed with self-centered goal of gaining "ultimate peace within"..
They are not trying to "alter their surrounding reality to fit their wishes" (asking for car, home, wealth, spouse, money, power, career, win something etc..) . but they're trying to "alter themselves to fit the surrounding reality".. -
Why does God need servitude/serve. To boost a huge ego?
He doesn't asked for servitude.. as everything are already His servant..
They all act in accordance to God's wishes..Now it all goes back to you...
What's your attitude about it?
Will you be His servant of 'light'? or His servant of 'darkness'? (In Jedi Lingo) -
It does not mean worship. It means to be in servitude/serve.
Why does an Almighty God need worship anyway? To boost a huge ego?
You cannot flirt with God to improve your standing. You need to show the caliber of your character.
Salaam
Worship is not for God, but for our own self, it is a reminder of our state of surrender, they are gestures which were practiced around the world for this reason and depict and enact the surrender. Worship is very empowering though, and freeing. One can not really show the caliber of their character except if God wills it, and this understanding is part of the surrender, that everything we do or think or can do is from Allah, the good and the bad is from Allah, the happiness, the sadness, the evilness, the goodness, our character, our mistakes, whatever is ultimately from Allah only, and we are in a state of surrender willingly or unwillingly to the Ultimate and only power that is behind all information, animating everything, that can transform anything. We worship for ourselves, not for God, we worship to enact the surrender. It is a good practice I think, it is a meditative exercise, but if you find that you are opposed to it, then even that is Allah's will, some people Allah does not let or make worship, others Allah does, some might not even have good ideas about it, others may understand a good reason for doing it and reap benefit from it.
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Worship is not for God, but for our own self, it is a reminder of our state of surrender, they are gestures which were practiced around the world for this reason and depict and enact the surrender. Worship is very empowering though, and freeing. One can not really show the caliber of their character except if God wills it, and this understanding is part of the surrender, that everything we do or think or can do is from Allah, the good and the bad is from Allah, the happiness, the sadness, the evilness, the goodness, our character, our mistakes, whatever is ultimately from Allah only, and we are in a state of surrender willingly or unwillingly to the Ultimate and only power that is behind all information, animating everything, that can transform anything. We worship for ourselves, not for God, we worship to enact the surrender. It is a good practice I think, it is a meditative exercise, but if you find that you are opposed to it, then even that is Allah's will, some people Allah does not let or make worship, others Allah does, some might not even have good ideas about it, others may understand a good reason for doing it and reap benefit from it.
Outstanding!
However to further understand why some people think that God needs to be worshiped.
Allah does not need us.
In it are clear signs the station of Abraham. Anyone who enters it shall be granted safe passage.
The people owe it to GOD that they shall observe Hajj to this shrine, when they can afford it.
As for those who disbelieve, GOD does not need anyone.Now it all goes back to you...
What's your attitude about it?
Will you be His servant of 'light'? or His servant of 'darkness'? (In Jedi Lingo)What? confused
Truth of the matter is Allah guides some to worship and serve which is for the worshipper and servants benefit.
God bless
peace
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He doesn't asked for servitude.. as everything are already His servant..
They all act in accordance to God's wishes..Now it all goes back to you...
What's your attitude about it?
Will you be His servant of 'light'? or His servant of 'darkness'? (In Jedi Lingo)Haha, since you're into Jedi lingo, I thought you might enjoy this thing I wrote
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A long time ago...there were no divisions between the Sith religion and the religion of the Jedi, there was only one understanding of the Force throughout all the worlds, and this was a complete understanding of the Force.The Force is a word that represents many things, all of which are attributes and manifestations of One Power which pervades and encompasses all reality.
When some spoke of the Force, by it they meant the currents and waves that flow through the Universe. These are the currents that a Jedi seeks to understand, navigating through and by them, both safely and wisely. These currents are generated by all things that exist, just as a stone placed into a pool makes ripples and waves.
The term Jedi meant ?of the time? or ?in the moment? in some languages, and had been adopted by those who sought to do good through the Force within the moment that they existed.
It is no coincidence that the understanding of the Force was enhanced by space travel, as the invisible waves of the Force existed in all places traveled, and could help in giving a push that allowed many to reach their destinations more quickly. Others found that these same waves and currents could slow space travel, even to a halt, and so were deliberately avoided.
When others spoke of the Force, by it they meant the determination of a creature, their intent and desire to accomplish something. These desires could then lead to movements, and these movements would seem to cause further events to take place. In a contest of wills between life forms, some felt that the more determined creature would succeed, while the other would surrender, but wiser ones saw this as only an illusion. In truth, they said, it was not the Force manifested by the intent of a life form that determined its victory, but rather if the Force was with it, and behind it, pushing its success.
It quickly became important politically for those who claimed sensitivity and awareness to the Force to advise those interested in any kind of success. Thus, many, both truly aware of the Force and frauds who claimed knowledge of the Force, were called upon to advise upon every risky endeavor and game of chance.
The Force was also a term used for what can be called the Greater Force, the Ultimate Force, or the Deciding Force. When the activities of life were observed by those who sought to understand the motions and waves of the Force, it seemed clear to some that the Force was alive. Not only did the Force seem alive, but it seemed to have a will of its own, a will that even counteracted the desires and intentions of any life forms present.
It was also understood that the Universe and Galaxy had come into existence and was not infinite. By this time, the waves were everywhere, but it became clear that the waves were not always there, and that all their motion had a point of origin. A pool left untouched will have no waves, nor can it produce any movement of itself. Furthermore, there would be no pool if the ground were not covered in water. A pool has never filled itself, and there was no life in the Universe until life came to exist, so life forms could not be the source of the Force.
All these understandings led to the final conclusion that the Greater Force, the Ultimate Force, was the Deciding Force behind all that exists. It was through the Greater Force that all was manifest, and this could not be done by a mere pool, but that which Decides, and has Will, and Intent independent of anything else. It was this Power that existed always and before anything. It was the First Will, and is even now considered by some the Ultimate Will behind all movements everywhere.
We exist within the Force, surrounded by the Force, and all was made to exist and put into action by the Greater Force, the Deciding Force.
No matter how many waves, lead to more waves, there can not be an infinite series of waves without a single point of origin. So it was understood that The Greater Force encompasses all, and all is even manifested by it and through it, and so all is in a way part of it. Thus, in total, all these definitions came to be called "The Unifying Force" or "The Unified Force".
On the immediate level, we interact with the waves of the Force, producing them and navigating through them constantly, and on the Greater level, these waves are controlled by The Deciding Force.
The Deciding Force is a term that also came to be used alongside the Will of the Force and the Determining Force when speaking of the causes for any success.
So it was established that there was the Force, and that the Force had a Will, and was alive, and active, but did it listen?
It was simple to test, and so the Force came to be called upon in times of need, and in times of praise. It was sought for protection, and even blamed for all mishaps.
The Jedi were those who believed that the Force did listen, even when many in the Galaxy, while accepting that the Force existed, denied that it cared. Indeed it did care, for all life was created by it, and nurtured by it, and by it, all lived.
But this was only part of the story. If the Force was only life, then why was there so much death in the Universe? Stars exploding, planets obliterated, creatures ceasing to exist, alive only for a moment. Those who said the Force is life only spoke part of the truth. The Force was not merely life, and if it was, as some claimed, there would be a true problem even in a vast but finite Universe.
The Force is Balanced, and the earliest observers of the Force came to understand that this Balance was important in maintaining all that exists. Not only was it important in maintaining all things, but it was also important in other ways, ways that many struggled to understand. The Ultimate Force needs nothing to exist since it existed without anything, so why did it create the Universe and the Galaxy?
In the machinations of the Force, all things did seem to have a purpose, and not only a purpose, but a good purpose.
Then it was inspired in some that this was important because it was decided that we should exist, and beyond existing that we should learn. How could one exist, let alone learn anything without information?
Before the Ultimate Force created this Universe, there was no instruction or existence for us. So information was created, and our senses so that we could listen.
Listen to learn, fine, but why? There is much information, and much to learn, but what do we accomplish from learning for the sake of learning? We become wiser, and then what? Wiser and wiser, and wiser? Full of more information, itself arbitrary, bloated and confused?
No, if we were to learn something, it was a lesson that we were to learn. What then is the lesson the Force teaches?
The Story of the Force has always been one story, told in many different ways, through every aspect of the Force, in every place in the Universe.
It is the truth we are to learn, and the truth is that the Force does as it wills. It becomes clear to keen observers that the Will of the Force is unstoppable, and so we are left with no option at all but to learn the lesson of surrender. "Surrender to the Force, and you will find Peace."
This became the final lesson for all those who deeply studied the Force and sought to understand it. The Force could not be undone, it could not be resisted, it always wins, it always gets its way, it is an irresistible power, and the only true power, and all those who realized this would find surrender and fall prostrate before what could be called the Irresistible Force.
The Force supplies everything to everyone, and it does so without needing anything in return, we are left to either appreciate this truth or disregard it, to show our acknowledgment or our disrespect.
It was seen that the Will of the Force is in the favor of those who perform certain actions, who in some ways even act like the Force itself, performing various acts of charity without asking anything in return, soothing pain, and helping those in need. If this was the Will of the Force, then those who sought to navigate by that will and ride on its currents would do what it does in what ways they can and thus be aligned to the Flow of the Force.
The Jedi were ancient believers in all aspects of the Force, who made the greatest efforts to do good throughout the Galaxy and Universe in whatever ways they could. They would start among themselves, their families and surroundings, and expand their efforts even to the most distant worlds and star systems. To beautify the Universe and bring happiness and peace where they could. They sought no reward or payment for this, as they believed the Force itself would repay them for their actions, both in life, and after their inevitable deaths.
The Jedi were loved by those who knew them, and all was well until later generations of Jedi began to develop a new kind of orthodoxy about the Force and how it was to be interpreted.
Perhaps of good intentions, some sought to codify the Jedi beliefs, codes which became corrupted over time by political forces which manipulated the beliefs of the Jedi due to their own fears.
One of the major disputes about the nature of the Force were if it truly had a Will of its own or if it was the will of the majority of life forms in the Galaxy creating an illusion of a Greater Will.
Philosophically it was understood that such a "United Will" of life forms could not be the answer because life forms did not even exist at the time the Force brought life into existence, and so this dispute was resolved, though some were left feeling the Jedi were too religious about the nature of the Force.
The next dispute was about "using" the Force as opposed to being "used by" the Force. Using the Force was meant by some to mean using the Force as one would use a map in order to navigate through decisions and actions, while others implied that the Force could be manipulated by sheer willpower and visualization. It was at this time the famous slogan "You can't force the force" likely came into existence. This dispute was never resolved, with various practitioners, scholars, and teachers emphasizing some schools of thought over others.
The most ancient observers of the Force felt that "forcing the force" was illusory, and that those who did this were only being used by the Force themselves, but in a way which left them ignorant of that and more out of control than they realized. Other believers in the Force were excited by the prospect of "splashing in the waves" and causing things to happen, and this was used by many teachers in spreading the religion of the Force as a means to excite new believers with the prospect of personal empowerment. This was considered by older groups a cheapening of the beliefs relating to the Force and a commercial way to gain followers who were not interested in the true purpose of knowledge in the Force, which was surrender as opposed to empowerment. These older groups felt that such a method of introducing the Force to new believers would merely attract those interested in magic tricks and the pomp surrounding showmanship.
In the end, the commercialized Jedi won this debate by gaining the most followers most quickly, though how many of these followers truly believed and understood the Force is unknown.
It was also at this time that the Republic came into existence and became intertwined with the religion of the Jedi. The introduction of the "lightsaber" was the product of these commercialized Jedi, and the lightsaber itself became a symbol of the Jedi throughout the Galaxy. The Jedi began to assist the fledgling community of worlds in their mission to unite the Galaxy under one Galactic Republic of Law and Civilization, while the Jedi sought to spread the religion of the Force through their assistance and bring peace and harmony to all the worlds.
These sorts of Jedi can not be entirely despised for their efforts, because through them, knowledge of the Force was re-affirmed through much of the Galaxy.
The Republic came to be seen as inseparable from the Jedi, who seemed to most the clear power behind the decisions of the Republic. Due to involvement in various disputes as the Republic grew, the Jedi began training in martial skills, and became more militant than they had ever been before. Even so, the ancient teachings of passivity and peace were still a major part of the Jedi teaching, even among the militarized Jedi.
Fighting and warfare had always been considered a last resort for the Jedi, and solutions that relied on intelligence and negotiation were always emphasized. The Jedi believed in defending themselves, but killing was largely shunned as too final a solution to most problems.
The ancient Jedi, before their involvement with the Republic, had peacefully practiced their religion and spread it gently throughout the worlds. The newer Jedi of the Republic seemed to earn a different reputation for the religion of the Force than that of their peaceful predecessors. Some worlds resistant to the Jedi began to call the religion of the Force the ?religion spread by the lightsaber".
World after world came to join what started as a congregation of tribes and nations on a single world, which grew to include a small trading community within a single solar system, and finally expanded to become a galaxy wide republic with tremendous influence over the governments of many worlds.
Both the commercial version of the Jedi religion and the ancient beliefs in "surrendering to the Force" spread during this time, with those students interested in the religious aspects of the Jedi coming to the more ancient beliefs of the Jedi, while the more militant and commercial Jedi were considered superficial by some traditionalists.
Some traditionalists felt that the lightsaber should be considered more the symbol of the Republic than the Jedi, who would have no "symbol" other than the Force, which can not be encompassed by any image or idol.
Even though the majority of ?New Jedi? may have known less about their religion at this time than those in the ages before them, they continued to follow the ancient practice of surrendering to the Force during five separate periods of any planetary day. This was considered a form of meditation by some, though it was also understood as the worship and appreciation of the Force. The formal process of Force worship would include postures and transitional motions, beginning with standing, followed by bowing, kneeling, and performing a kowtow. While performing these postures and motions, the Jedi would also recite various truths about the Force and ask for help from it. There was also a moment in the process where the Jedi would kneel while raising a finger, speaking of there being only One Power, The Force.
These meditations were performed throughout the worlds, in an organized fashion when many Jedi and believers in the Force were joined together, all facing towards what could be considered an area designated and sanctified by The Force.
This was considered the Golden Age of the Jedi, where the Republic had just become the central power in the Galaxy, and the Jedi were its most highly regarded advisors. The Religion of the Force became widespread, and all was well until what might be called the Greatest Dispute in the history of the Galaxy occurred within the vast ranks of the Jedi.
It had been agreed upon by all Jedi that emotions were part of life, balance, and the lesson of the Force, and that the Force was the source of all things, including death and destruction, and the emotions which often occur in reaction to such things.
The dispute began from some devotees of the Force who felt it was insulting to The Force to associate anything unpleasant with it, and they even went so far to question the existence of the Force absolutely everywhere, saying that it was not present in places of evil because the Force was only good.
What seemed like immature reasoning to traditionalist Jedi, spread rapidly throughout the Galaxy among the new converts of the Republic brand of Jedi religion, and some even felt pressured to conform to this trend by adjusting their own teachings to better harmonize with the new believers and maintain galactic peace between all Jedi and believers in the Force.
At this time, one of the major codes of the Republic Jedi that had been spread throughout the Galaxy was called into question and some began to edit it entirely.
The original code was
Emotion, yet peace.
Ignorance, yet knowledge.
Passion, yet serenity.
Chaos, yet harmony.
Death, yet the Force.This had been found to be acceptable and in accordance with ancient Jedi teachings, but the new factions of what could be called "Good Only" Jedi sought to deny anything they felt gave the Force a less than positive image.
The code was thus recited by later Jedi as
There is no emotion, there is peace.
There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.
There is no passion, there is serenity.
There is no chaos, there is harmony.
There is no death, there is the Force.This outright denial of reality left many serious devotees of the Force greatly insulted. It disregarded all they had observed about the Force. What then was the realm of emotion? Ignorance? Passion? Troubles? Death? All these were understood as part of the creation and Will of the Force, and now they were being denied outright by what were considered new comers and ignorant fools.
The "Good Only" Jedi, which can also be called the ?New Breed of Republic Jedi? seemed to believe all things they considered "negative" were "not of the Force" and also began calling it the "Darkness".
The ?Darkness? was originally meant to mean the places where they believed the Force was not present and the events it had no part in, the empty places where they claimed the Force was "weak", "slow", "cold" or "void". With this belief, a philosophy based on the actions of the Republic developed as well, where the Jedi felt they embodied the Force and "brought it" to the "dark places" in the Galaxy.
The prior understanding had been that the Force is absolutely everywhere, and there is no place where it does not exist, and it can not be "brought" anywhere, but rather, brings a Jedi to whatever place or event they may encounter.
Some sought to correct this tragic break from ancient belief by agreeing with both sides. Yes, the Force was everywhere, but there was a "dark side" to it that encompassed all that was considered harmful.
This was still not good enough to the traditionalists, who denied any "dark side" or "light side" thus in disputes they inadvertently coined the famous term "light side" due to what the term ?dark side? implied. The term ?light side" had not been used in relation to the Force by the "Good Only" Jedi who entirely denied the Force had any part in what they considered evil.
The Republic quickly picked up on these ideas and spread a concept of "spreading light through the Galaxy" while pursuing their Galactic ?civilization" projects.
Those who believed in a complete picture of the Force as One were sometimes called "Darksiders" by ignorant "Lightsider" Jedi.
The traditionalists claimed that these new Jedi only want to see the "light side" of things and do not want to face the truth about the Force.
This dispute was not only fought in words, but led to such emotions that some arguments turned violent, at times even fought with lightsabers, which had never been used against other Jedi before. Lightsabers were the tool of the Republic Jedi, and had never been drawn against other Jedi until now.
In order to resolve these disputes, the lightsaber battle was formalized and turned into an art form, an organized duel which would be fought in a "civilized" manner in order to resolve any disputes between Jedi, which were usually religious in nature.
Many of the more enthusiastic traditionalists mockingly encouraged the "Good Only" "Lightsiders" to live by their denial of emotion, by goading them into feeling anger.
The "Lightsiders" also changed the traditional Jedi training to focus only on "positivity" and would affirm themselves and attempt to control their thinking habits to "think only good thoughts" which they felt empowered them in the Force.
The traditional Jedi training included observation and experience of all emotions normally, allowing for what they considered a normal "flow" without restricting their emotions or acting upon them unconsciously.
The Jedi would not only learn to navigate the waves of the Force for easy solutions to problems, but would also train by facing difficulties and resistance to learn patience and futility, as well as to gain personal strength.
The realization of helplessness before the Force and dependency on the Force was an important part of ancient Jedi realization, which also came to be viewed unfavorably by the newer Jedi who felt empowerment and positive thinking is more important than admitting to ignorance and loss.
The ancient Jedi would meditate on sadness, and think on tragedy without justification of it, and so would claim to find much wisdom, compassion, and understanding through these practices.
Even among the early Republic Jedi who still had many traditional beliefs with them, they trained their strength when coming upon areas of the Force with strong currents that they would interact with, by both resisting them, and submitting patiently to them, allowing them to flow freely through them with varying results.
They would simulate what would later be called the ?Dark Side" by creating thick pools of motion slowing sludge and would practice movement in it, which seemed to enhance their speed and strength when outside of the sludge. They would gain even greater strength and speed while moving with the flow of the Force behind them after practicing the resistance training.
These were now all considered "the old way" or "the dark way" by the New Breed of Republic Jedi who denied these practices.
There were still traditionalists part of the Republic that maintained some level of peace between these disputing groups of Jedi, but they knew with their eventual demise, the "Good Only" faction would win out and spread their brand of the religion across the Galaxy.
When this did happen, what had not been anticipated was a complete restriction on the traditional Jedi beliefs and practices enacted by these new Jedi and the Republic they had come to ideologically control.
The traditionalist Jedi were left exiled from Galactic Community and forced to hide their own beliefs from the threat of the "Lightsiders" hostile reactions to what they considered the insulting and threatening beliefs of those they called ?Darksiders?.
Sith was an ancient practice and belief system that was identical to the ancient Jedi religion and was likely just one of the many versions of that religion that existed throughout the Galaxy. The Sith worshiped the Force, and focused largely on great admiration and respect towards all aspects of the Force.
In some languages, the word ?sith? means ?surrender? and ?peace?, while in others it meant ?then?, ?later?, and ?after that?, so this fit extremely well with traditionalist views relating to the lesson of the Force, the way of the Jedi, and the events that had taken place. This too would come to be corrupted over time into something unlike the religion of the ancient observers and worshipers of the Force and seekers of Sith.
The traditionalist Jedi, forced further and further away from the Republic Commonwealth encountered the Sith religion and recognized it as the truth that had been banished from the Community of worlds by the ?New Age? of Jedi.
The religion of Sith focused much on meditating through sadness and tragedy, which the traditionalist exiles could relate to after feeling betrayed by what seemed like the whole Galaxy. The Sith and the traditionalist Jedi religion were entirely compatible, and so in order to differentiate between the corrupt views imposed by the ?New Age? Jedi upon the ancient religion of the Force, the term "Sith" was adopted as the name for the traditional religion of the Jedi.
The Sith found peace through loss and surrender to the Force, which was the original conclusion of the ancient Jedi as well. The outlying worlds where the Sith religion spread were rugged and hostile, requiring much strength to exist within, and so the practices of the ancient Jedi were more important than ever here, where tragedy and hardship was commonplace, and strength was trained through resistance to the overwhelmingly slowing and death dealing waves of what was called "The Dark Side" by the "Lightsiders" back in the Republic which they had ideologically conquered.
When the "Lightside" Jedi finally discovered and interacted with the Sith, their religion was considered "magic" and "sorcery". They were also called "evil" and "of the dark", without much examination into their beliefs which were those of the ancient Jedi.
The exiled Jedi of the Sith found that their hate motivated them to continue to survive, and this hate became a hope that someday, through hard work and cunning strategy, they would take back the Republic, end the lies of the "Lightsiders", and bring balance back to the Galaxy and the religion of the Force.
Secular forces within the Republic began to fear the knowledge of the Force and its widespread use, even before the discovery of the exiled traditionalists and the religion of the Sith. They sought to stunt the growth of the Jedi religion by encouraging better precautions be taken to screen out those who might pose a threat by learning of the Force.
The Force became something restricted from the public, that only a highly trained Republic Jedi should know about. Though secret training by traditionalists who remained within domain of the Republic continued, the mainstream Jedi stopped the open teaching of the Force, leading it to become considered "mysterious" by new generations of outsiders.
There also came into place an age limit on those allowed to learn the Force and examinations that sought to ensure these would not "turn to the dark side" which was never a concern of the ancient Jedi who had no concept other than the unity of the Force and surrendering to it.
Besides the age limits and strict examinations, another policy came into place where a single teacher was told to take a single apprentice. There were already a tremendous amount of ?New Age? Jedi from the massive growth of the Religion and even more from the widespread adoption of the new ?Lightsider" Jedi philosophy, thus many masters available which led to a strong population of Jedi and available teachers to take on apprentices.
Finally, the Jedi took on a council that organized and coordinated the actions of all Republic Jedi "by the Force", but in truth were influenced by the "will of the Republic".
It was in this time, where the knowledge of the Force became secretive and the Republic became increasingly corrupt, that many worlds began to mistrust Jedi and even despise them. The Jedi seemed manipulative and working for a Republic with an agenda for power, rather than obeying the Force.
Many Jedi during this period also began "using the Force" for their own gains, as they had remained under payed by the Republic, leading to many "rogue Jedi" or "masterless Jedi" who manipulated people and were sought out by various sources that disobeyed the Galactic Laws of the Republic.
Meanwhile, those who sought out the Traditionalist and Ancient beliefs of the Jedi, gravitated towards the Sith, and found a greater freedom to practice the true religion as Sith. Where there had been severe restrictions and penalties for feeling normal emotions among the New Breed of Republic Jedi, those who wished to interact with the Force more honestly fled for systems that enhanced their experience with what they had been taught was called the ?Dark Side" of life.
The "Dark Side" of life is undeniable. There is hunger, there is sadness, there is anger, and there is great pain. Even these teach us our complete and utter subjugation to the Force, and to try to block the flow of the Force through us by denying these is only denial of the truth.
The true seeker of wisdom is willing to meditate on that which some consider the "dark side" of life. Hunger, Sadness, Anger, and Pain all exist, and were important to the ancient Jedi.
The new Jedi have become cruel in their denial of the truth, turning away from hungry worlds and waiting for "signs from the Force" for them to intercede, when they are blind to such signs, as the hunger itself is the sign that they should be fed.
These starving and desolate worlds are rapidly adopting the Sith religion, which is suited to the ruggedness of the barren places which the Jedi stay away from considering them hubs of "dark side energy".
The Jedi have even started to deny charity to the people, saying that "if it were the will of the Force, they would be rich", and making other terrible excuses for helping the Republic keep worlds weak and dependent on them.
Among the Jedi it is not even uncommon to hear them call other life forms "pathetic" in their twisted form of "compassion" and dispassionate "pity".
The Sith admire the creations of the Force, and do not disparage them as the New Jedi have begun to. The new breed of Jedi, finding that they are limited by their physical bodies, have begun to insult the creation of the Force by calling all material things "crude" and claiming that they are secretly greater than themselves as "luminous beings".
As any traditionalist can clearly see, their denial has led to outright delusion, and where they had dealt with the truth before, now only deal in lies to themselves and others.
The Sith build monuments to the dead to honor their life and the beauty of their creation, while some Jedi have already taken their disrespect to a new level, by burning the bodies of the dead from fear of having to face the lessons of decay.
Their fear of decay and death is so great that they will even deny the worlds from their natural processes of decay and energy recycling.
The new Jedi deny these things are "fears", since they fear even admitting to being afraid in the first place.
Further trends have led to the discovery of things called "midichlorians", which some claim exist in larger quantities in some life forms and less in others, as their excuse for turning people away from learning about the Force.
The Jedi religion has been hijacked by mad and evil men. The Republic is a power hungry and corrupt power that fears the truth and wishes to leave the Galaxy in ignorance and weakness.
All the ancient Jedi techniques that would make them stronger, which the Sith maintain, have been disallowed by the New Jedi, keeping them even unable to resist the Republic ultimately if ever there was a need.
Meanwhile, the Jedi spread lies in the histories they write, attempting to mislead any who study the Sith. They teach that the Sith destroy themselves and claim that there are such things as the "Rule of Two" whereby a Sith apprentice must kill their teacher.
This is only put in place to prevent any curious parties from practicing the ancient Jedi religion, and if they do practice, to limit the number by spreading murder and madness among the Sith.
The ?New Age? Jedi are evil, and if the time comes to end their sickening reign and vanquish the Republic, it is important to be ready to face them and be aware of their manipulative techniques.
A wise follower of the Sith way should avoid any enemies, being friends to all sides when able, but when an enemy must be faced, determined to strike us down, we must be ready for even the worst circumstances. That is why the Sith train in the worst conditions, with the heaviest weights, with the most handicaps.
When you are nearly completely disabled, in the worst case scenario, how will you get out?
This is an important technique for understanding how to deal with any situation, and especially in dealing with the Jedi.
Underestimation is the worst error, and knowing how to interact with the "Darkest" of situations is what truly saves lives.
The new Jedi have weakened themselves and left themselves completely vulnerable and ignorant through their newfound denial of the "Dark Side" of the Force.
They are unprepared now even for the most mild hint of emotion, being uncertain how to react when they "feel" anything.
This slows them, and makes them incredibly foolish and weak. Thank the Force, multitudes of Jedi are leaving their training, recognizing the lies they are being taught about the Force, and joining the Sith which is the true religion of the Jedi from the ancient past.
Balance is being restored, but the distorted teachings of the new Jedi must also come to an end. This can be done without violence, as long as the Sith religion spreads back throughout the Galaxy to correct the errors of the Jedi.
The central problem faced by the Sith in the spread of the truth are the Jedi "knights" and their violent and prejudiced reaction to the teachings of the Sith and ancient Jedi due to their brainwashing by the Jedi Order and the Republic.
Artifacts which teach of the Sith and the ancient Jedi ways of the truth and the Force, are quickly confiscated by the New Jedi and the Republic and kept away from the public, sometimes displayed as exotic and otherworldly things of play but never to be looked into or listened to seriously.
Even this holocron was surely taken into their custody, though it will continue to function for those interested enough to pursue what is within it. As for the others, it remains as an unworkable piece of trash that they will be unable to open.
The seduction of the Sith is not a seduction at all, but only the truth of the ancient religion of the Jedi which survived among the Sith and other far away places, as well as among the traditionalists who would not let go of the undeniable truth about the Force.
Someday, the corruption of the Jedi will hopefully come to an end or the truth will be revived. This may be done by the Sith, or even by better Jedi that will come into being, inspired by the Force.
We will only do what we can do, in the time we can do it, and will do as the Force commands us, willingly or unwillingly, in utter submission. This is the way of the Sith, and this is the way of the Jedi.
--_----
Some sayings of Zerishad
When Zerishad came upon a group of students being ordered to stand in a line, kneel, and recite a series of lines representing Sith philosophy, Zerishad said "So many people so willing to follow orders". One of those kneeling in the line said "I dont follow orders, I do as I wish". Zerishad agreed and said "Everyone does as they wish, and apparently a large group of people wish to be obedient, perhaps they will learn something though".A student named Garai overheard this dialogue and said "We may follow orders and be obedient but it is all a means to an end, eventually we are all our own masters" and to this Zerishad replied "Does one master the dark side, or is the dark side the master of us all?" which another student named Cilrono overheard and said of Zerishad "Oh joy, a philosopher" in a sarcastic tone.
To Garai, Zerishad replied "I agree Garai, but the dark side does not need life to exist. It exists in even the most lifeless places. It is self sufficient, relying on nothing but itself, and those who touch it can only at best serve it, taking what gifts it gives us". Cilrono's tone changed upon hearing this and enthusiastically agreed saying "
The students who were kneeling began to recite the lines they were told to by their instructor, reciting slowly, one line at a time
"Peace is a lie,
there is only passion.
Through passion,
I gain strength.
Through strength,
I gain power.
Through power,
I gain victory.
Through victory,
my chains are broken.
The Force shall free me."Witnessing the students blankly repeating lines as they were instructed, Zerishad said "Words are not actions, parroting a code is not swimming in the truth of suffering". Cilrono's tone changed upon hearing this and he enthusiastically agreed saying "You hit the nail on the head Zerishad". Zerishad said after the lines about passion were recited "I wonder how many of these people know that passion also means suffering".
Cilrono feeling inspired by the earlier speech of Zerishad said "From darkness light was born, when light is extinguished, darkness shall endure. For darkness is the heart of all existence". This speech pleased Zerishad who then said joyously "That is absolutely right Cilrono! The Ultimate Reality is the Dark Side, needing no life or light, the cause of all existence and pain and pleasure".
The recited lines concluded with the statements about freedom to which Zerishad replied skeptically "Who can be free from the Dark Side? Why would anyone want that? To be free is to cease to exist, to exist is to feel" Zerishad continued "The Jedi try not to feel, to deny the full nature of the force".
A student called Jasbo added to this, saying "They wallow in their celibacy before emotion" and Zerishad readily affirmed this by saying "Exactly! The force provides experience, emotion, and they cut themselves off from it due to fear, while we thrive in fear. To be afraid is to be alive, to know that the dark side is to be feared because it is the Ultimate Power, it lives and it does as it wills. One can at best accept it, at worst deny it".
The next task for the students was to duel an expert in combat, and each lost their round and were sent back to their positions. Zerishad comforted them by saying "To lose brings one closer to the Dark Side"."