Entry # 3 - Qui-Gon

The last instruction I received from Yoda, before we parted ways, was a new meditation technique in which I will be able to communicate with my former master, Qui-Gon Jinn. If this lesson had come from anyone other than Yoda, I doubt I would have believed it. Never in the history of the Jedi has someone been able to overcome the limitations of death and retain their physical form. Yoda seemed both happy and sad about this. I sense his sadness is due to the fact that only one Jedi, out of the thousands that Yoda had instructed, has been able to achieve this oneness with the force. He blames himself for failing the Jedi, for locking them into the old traditions of his youth, and not progressing and growing with time. The fact that Qui-Gon was able to achieve this gives us hope. With proper instruction, not only will Yoda and I be able to achieve this same feat, but so also will the twins, Luke and Leia. Even if we should die before completing their training, we will still be able to communicate and instruct from beyond the grave. The possibilities are endless. Masters training apprentices even after their bodies have reached the limits of their life cycles.

I have been attempting to reach Qui-Gon since arriving here, but so far I have failed. When I close my eyes and stretch out with the force I become over whelmed with the sadness and oppression that is spreading in the galaxy. Yoda said I would have to unlearn much of what I have learned. "The code of the Jedi, hinder you it may. To the will of the force you must listen. Guide you it will to the place where Qui-Gon is."

I've often reflected back on the instruction Qui-Gon tried so hard to teach me. We so often disagreed. Even as a padawan I had been a strict follower of the Jedi code. Qui-Gon often said to not let the code blind me to the will of the living force. "The code is only a guide line on how a Jedi should live, not a law. There are times when a Jedi must listen to the force, let it guide him, even when it goes against the code."

There is no emotion; there is peace

"Compassion, unconditional love, these are traits that a Jedi should have. You cannot have these traits without the emotions that accompany them, such as joy and even sadness. A Jedi will know how to control these emotions, not shut them out."

There is no ignorance; there is knowledge

"Ignorance is the state one is in before they gain knowledge. A Jedi is always learning, always growing. There is always more to learn. One could say that a Jedi is in a permanent state of ignorance. "

There is no passion; there is serenity.

"Every Jedi has a sense of passion for the things he believes in, such as justice and peace. The only way to achieve serenity is to protect these passions by standing for what you believe in. If a Jedi had no passion they would isolate themselves from the Republic. A Jedi knows how to control these passions, and he knows when to let them go."

There is no death; there is the Force...

"If a Jedi is to become one with the Force he must form a relationship with it. If a Jedi doesn't listen to the will of the living Force he cannot become one with it."

I will continue my meditations and to apply the wisdom of Qui-Gon's instructions in my life. Already I am a different man than I was when I first arrived here. I have learned to see with a new perspective, living in a community where the most admirable are those who have the least, and yet, they also have a sense of pride and closeness that most in the galaxy never achieve. Much like Qui-Gon, I am beginning to feel a compassion and respect for those whom I would have normally overlooked. For the first time, I can almost feel Qui-Gon Jinn smiling.