Complete Rolling Stone Interview

Tom Vanderbilt of Rolling Stone Magazine queries Chris Chanada on the finer points of Jediism: the Jedi Religion

Associated Press

Actor Samuel L. Jackson poses in character as Jedi Master Mace Windu in George Lucas' "Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones." Some people have created a Jedi religion.

The Jedi facts

The Jedi Religion -- an online faith-based organization -- believes one all-encompassing driving force influences the destiny of the universe.

They believe meditation opens the door to higher perception, unlocking perfect wisdom.

To be a Jedi Knight, one must achieve a unanimous vote from the Jedi Council, exhibiting mastery of four quadrants -- the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.

Twenty-one maxims guide the beliefs of a Jedi Knight: Prowess, Justice, Loyalty, Defense, Courage, Faith, Humility, Fearlessness, Nobility, Franchise, Pure Motive, Discipline, Focus, Discretion, Meditation, Training, Integrity, Morality, Engaging in Conflict, Intervention and Harmonizing.

A ranking in Jediism ascends in the following order: guest, Jedi Apprentice, Jedi Knight, Jedi Knight Officer, Jedi Knight Commander/Jedi Scholar, Jedi Master/Jedi Priest.

The Jediism movement acknowledges all faiths with reverence and values inner enlightenment as well as peace.

Information: www.jediism.org

1. Who are you and what led you to explore Jediism beyond its strictly Lucas-ian origins?

   My name is Chris Chanada. I am the author of the 21 Maxims of Jediism, and I have followed the path of Jediism for the last twenty six years.

   During the course of my travels, by 1977 I eventually met a 75 year old retired Naval Captain and Nuclear Physicist named Jim Goure in the mountain range of North Carolina, which literally changed my life. Concurrently in 1977 the first Star Wars installment, Episode IV: A New Hope was released. So as the Star Wars phenomenon began, Jim began to teach me me his 7 Steps to Effective Prayer (1) meditation, which I have used daily for the last 26 years, among other spiritual and philosophical disciplines.

   Although Jim never spoke of it, I began to see parallels in the path of Light to the path of Jedi, and began doing research (more like a labor of love) into multiple religions and philosophies, including historical research into the mystical traditions surrounding both to find the golden thread that wove many of these paths together. I began to identify common themes - the same themes which George Lucas admitted borrowing to create the Star Wars universe and Jedi in his interview with Bill Moyers.

   Since 1977, I had wondered daily if it would be possible to integrate these themes into a practical, workable philosophy and religion. Based on my research, I also discovered that the definition of religion itself is beginning to evolve past its strictly judeo-christian dynamic, subsequently expanding its scope to include the more eastern traditions: examples such as Buddism, Taoism and Shinto.

   Even with all the research I had compiled and all the markers pointing to the establishing of a Jedi Religion, I was very resistant to sharing it with others. I viewed it more as a personal philosophy based on very key events happening in my own life. However, with the advent of the September 11 tragedy, all that changed. I was very stunned and saddened along with everyone. A month later I joined a UK site - the Jedi Religion - which at that time was somewhat serious but more into games and such. A month later I was accepted as a member of the administrative team, and began to decompile some of what I had learned in the last 26 years with the 21 Maxims (2) to share with the world this path and teaching.

jediism

2. Any ideas as to how many Jedis there might be, globally -- and does interest swell or subside with the films?

   Jediism is a little different in its philosphy regarding numbers than other Jedi organizations. If we base your question simply upon those who for one reason or another were officially recognized by these cumalative organizations throughout the planet, I would surmise that there are perhaps 3000-5000 "official" Jedi. Based on the UK Census of 2000, over 300,000 listed "Jedi Knight" as their religion in a free speech prank sparking a worldwide email campaign. The census bureau ended up changing all the Jedi Knight entries to "Atheist", to the amusement of some and the astonishment of others.

   It must be noted here that being an Apprentice of Jediism is not the same as being a Jedi Padawan in the Star Wars' movies. The focus in Jediism is more upon inner mastery and one's service to others based upon their own inner connection to the Light of the Inner Jedi (3), rather than the outer attainments and "cool" fighting and light sabre battles that are a part of SW. We are looking for those who are serious about following the path of Jediism and are willing to devote the time (sometimes a lifetime) and effort to gain true and lasting self-mastery.

   All can choose to embody the courage to embrace and eventually identify with the Inner Jedi - firemen, FBI, emergency medical technicians, diplomats, doctors, scientists, teachers, writers, industrial workers, retail - people from virtually all walks of life. So when we revisit your question, how many Jedi, the answer is that there are virtually millions of Jedi on the planet - they simply don't know it yet.

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3. How do the films influence or not influence the idea of Jediism as a religion -- does this diverge, or is it trying to move beyond the movie's precepts, and how do you do that?

     Jediism is not connected with the Jedi of the Star Wars universe except in our general philosophies. We are not trying to emulate the Jedi Order as presented by George Lucas, but rather building our own community which borrows those qualities most admirable in the fictional Jedi. We are not a Star Wars fansite. We use the word Jedi as an intermediary due to the closeness between the philosophies of these fictional characters to our own.

     The focus on Jediism is not about the obtaining of powers (4); rather it is focused upon self-mastery, its discovery and facilitation by fanning the fires of the heart. The Star Wars phenomenon is fun and exciting - in the movie-going experience, for two hours we are virtually inundated with the industry's best technical wizardry and special effects artists. However, when the smoke and mirrors of the fantastic world that Lucas created comes to a close and we leave the theatre, we return back to our normal lives - still carrying the vision yet without Lucas' Industrial Light and Magic to facilitate it.

   In Jediism, we believe that the true magic is that inner discovery of the Inner Jedi, and becoming our most optimum self - without the self-imposed bondage of limitation from self and others. It is to that end that we came into being: to help facilitate that inner discovery that is unique for each person, and help them to help themselves to claim their own highest destiny.

4. I was hoping to get past the Census tallys and things like that and just get a sense for the real people behind the movement and what they're about.

Again, one of the core constructs for Jediism is the concept of the Inner Jedi. The Inner Jedi represents the most optimum self, the part of us that has smashed through the barriers of self-imposed limitation. In many of the mystical, spiritual and philosophical traditions, it is referred to as the higher self - the part of us we strive to embody and become.

All can choose to embody the courage to embrace and eventually identify with the Inner Jedi - firemen, FBI, emergency medical technicians, diplomats, doctors, scientists, teachers, writers, industrial and retail workers - people from virtually all walks of life.

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   Many times I relate the path of Jediism to a mountain climbing school. Each step towards the Summit of one's highest being is carefully placed, each rock and crevasse foothold securely won before moving on to the next step. The physical, mental, emotional and spiritual training all comes into play. As you know, climbing Mount Everest is more than simply a physical journey. We are confronted with many dynamics - the emotional strength to keep going, the mental concentration to focus on the moment, the spiritual belief that the inner Light(1) will guide and protect us as well as the physical conditioning to make the journey.

   Like the mountain climbing school, we don't give up on each other, nor upon the mountain, or on ourselves. We keep moving onward and upward, and help one another to facilitate the greatest journey one can make: to climb the highest mountain within on a quest and journey to discover one's highest and most optimum destiny, to embrace it and make a difference in this world through our best offering and service.

   Some view Jediism as a religion in the traditional sense, whereas other view it as a philosophy or way of life - or a combination. Most members believe in a higher power which they refer to as God, Spirit, the Universal, Jehovah, Allah, etc.

   You do not have to give your personal belief system/religion in order to follow the path of Jediism. There is a wide range of religious and personal beliefs amongst our members. Jediism does not require anybody giving up their religious or personal beliefs, rather it is an adjunct to those beliefs. We have Jedi Christians, Jedi Buddhists, Jedi Pagans, Jedi Moslems, etc. All are welcome here.

   Jediism is not connected with the Jedi of the Star Wars universe except in our general philosophies. We are not trying to emulate the Jedi Order as presented by George Lucas, but rather building our own community which borrows those qualities most admirable in the fictional Jedi. We are not a Star Wars fansite. We are a legitimate spiritual following, using the word Jedi as an intermediary due to the closeness between the philosophies of these fictional characters to our own.

   To get started, we suggest members get started by reading our Mission Statement and the Jedi Code. "Posting Rules for Members" explains the guidelines that need to be followed when posting to this forum. The "Rank Awards and Requirements" section relates what the ranking process entails.

   There is a two week waiting period before new registered members can request to take the Jedi Apprentice Test. The two week waiting period will give you a chance to really discover what we are about by reading our Mission Statement, studying the Jedi Code and reviewing some of the postings on the forum.

   Being an Apprentice of Jediism is not the same as being a Jedi Padawan in the Star Wars' movies. The focus is on inner mastery and the service to the Light of a Jedi, rather than the outer attainments and "cool" fighting and light sabre battles that are a part of SW. We are looking for those who are serious about following the path of Jediism and are willing to devote the time (sometimes a lifetime) and effort to gain the self-mastery of a true Jedi Master.

   If a person's sole desire is to be officially labeled a Jedi Knight by an organization, then they have come to the wrong place. We are here to explore Jediism as a religion and philosphy - not to role play - and we require our members to be serious students of Jediism. One will not be promoted based on how many posts they make to the forum, which is a way of advancement at other SW sites. It is the quality of your heart that matter to us, not the quantity of one's posts. The High Council watches all the postings of our members, and if you are showing a depth of understanding and sincere commitment to the true spirit of Jediism you will be noticed, and eventually promoted based on your service and your heart.

Jediism has nothing to do with lightsabers, nor do we condone the use of weapons except in the case of self-defense. There is not nor will there be uniforms for Jediism members. There will never be in the foreseeable future. We leave what members decide to wear up to them, because we generally do not believe that clothes or uniforms make the ones wearing them any more a Jedi than those who choose regular attire.

As JediLight, a long-time member of administrative team stated:

"The focus on Jediism is not about the obtaining of powers; rather it is on self-mastery. The lure of the development of psychic abilities can be very strong and can be a major deterrent and diversion to the sincere seeker following a true path of Light. Psychic abilities are very much like baubles and trinkets - beautiful yet can prove extremely dangerous - compared to the true gifts the Light can bring to one's life. Many a seeker has settled for these trinkets, thinking that by obtaining some sort of psychic ability it proves their attainment on the path. Nothing could be further from the truth. Psychic abilities may come to one naturally on the path, but that is not always the case. One may have great attainment and have no psychic abilities whatsoever, whereas one with psychic abilities may have very little attainment on the path."

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footnotes:

(1) Members of Jediism meditate upon and believe in the Light - see the Light Meditation | back

(2) Please refer to the 21 Maxims | back

(3) One of the core constructs for Jediism is the concept of the Inner Jedi. The Inner Jedi represents the most optimum self, the part of us that has transcended the need to embrace the barriers of self-imposed limitation. In many of the mystical, spiritual and philosophical traditions, it is referred to as the Higher Self - the inner hero of nobility and honor, which Jedi strive to embody and become. | back

(4) The lure of the development of psychic abilities can be very strong and can be a major deterrent and diversion to the sincere seeker following a true path of Light. Psychic abilities are very much like baubles and trinkets - beautiful yet can prove extremely dangerous - compared to the true gifts that the Light can bring to one's life. Many a seeker has settled for these trinkets, thinking that by obtaining some sort of psychic ability it proves their attainment on the path. Nothing could be further from the truth. Psychic abilities may come to one naturally on the path, but that is not always the case. One may have great attainment and have no psychic abilities whatsoever, whereas one with psychic abilities may have very little attainment on the path. | back