Profile of a Real-Life Jedi Academy

dkleinsc writes "The NYTimes ran a profile of the New York Jedi Club, an organization dedicated to teaching the ways of the Force. Jedi Grandmaster Flynn Michael, a sound engineer and (by his own proclamation) an 'over-the-top geek,' connected the ideas of the Jedi with dance, martial arts, sword-fighting and Tibetan Buddhism to form the curriculum."

Comments

Expected market demand

[Anonymous Coward]

What is the expected market demand for Jedi Knights? Can I take out a federal loan to pay my tuition fees?

Re:Expected market demand

[Mannfred]

The expected market demand for Jedi Knights is probably marginally less than the expected market demand for philosophers in general - yet this doesn't stop people from studying philosophy for misc reasons.

However, in this case it seems like the primary goal is simply to provide exercise/dance classes with a bit of a Sci-Fi/philo twist (Sci-Phi?), and there's definitively a market demand for fitness courses/instructors. If this niche inspires a few couch potatoes to exercise more than they otherwise would, why not?

Zen

[Anonymous Coward]

I always thought of Jedis being more of a Japanese Zen type of thing - not that it makes much of a difference in Buddhism. The differences in Buddhist traditions are just cultural; such as how the Buddha looks and the decorations of the temples and meditation halls and whether they chant more, and meditation posture - little things that really don't matter. The practice and the teachings are identical and orthopraxy over orthodoxy. I know a few Buddhists who based on their schedule will go to different meditation halls of differing traditions.

Once when I had to address the sangha, I start off with, "If reincarnation existed ..."

That's like saying in church, "If God exists ..."

No one batted an eye. Been going ever since. And no, I still think reincarnation doesn't exist. Read too much Michael Shermer.

Re:Zen

[Kupfernigk]

I'm not sure about this. Zen has a long tradition of challenging established ideas and substituting direct experience. As a Quaker I feel a strong affinity to Zen. The Quaker experience of testimony in meetings is very similar to the Zen requirement not to say anything till you have something of Zen to say. The Tea Ceremony is as pared down as a Quaker Meeting. On the other hand, the affinity between, say, the Roman Catholic Church and Tibetan Buddhism must immediately strike anyone who has ever studied any sociology of religion.

Zen is an anti-religion which tells us first to train, and then to trust, our instincts. (Excellent programmers and engineers, I feel, often follow Zen practice in this. Mahayana Buddhism appeals to orthodoxy in its custom and practice. The superficial similarities cover a very, very different outlook.

Typical of Zen: the teacher who delivered a lecture on the Arhats which began "The Arhats are like a dirty lavatory (meaning that the truth had been obscured by layers of rubbish applied over the years) and the other one who delivered a lecture which consisted of, in effect "The truth is all around you, open your eyes and look at it."

So: "Jedis", which are a synthetic construct (but then so are the beliefs of the Catholic Church, the Mormons and the Jehovah's Witnesses) possibly do borrow more in outlook from Zen. But so, actually, does particle physics. Javascript: The Good Parts is a pretty Zen book. So, while I'm in this vein, is Buehler's Backyard Boatbuilding, surely one of the best project management manuals for very small teams ever written.

As for reincarnation, you can view the Buddha's teaching as telling people that the existing religions and their insistence on reincarnation were nonsense. Realising that this is the only life we have and that following the Eightfold Path is the way to make the best of it - is part of enlightenment.

Re:Zen

[Anonymous Coward]

if you read too much Michael Shermer, why do you keep going to a temple? You should become James Randi's pupil or something.

Because when you take the supernatural stuff as metaphor, there are some valuable lessons in it.

And it has really helped my concentration, emotional well being and they have the best Chinese vegetarian food ever!

Then you have the other kind that that gave up -- they're basically praying for Buddha's second coming so that he will take you to the pure land (since you can't find your own way).

I have heard folks say similar things - then the Abbess corrects them. At least where I go, they are very careful to correct non-Buddhist beliefs; including hammering in that we're not worshiping the Buddha.

Does anyone find it strange

[Compaqt]

that, while on the one hand, many geeks find religion to be illogical, superstitious, and ill-founded

on the other hand,

many geeks are enamored of the religion of a bunch of characters in the mind of George Lucas in a galaxy far, far away?

Re:Why not just have sex?

[Anonymous Coward]

Secular/Nonreligious/Agnostic/Atheist: 1.1 billion

I see your point, but calling Atheism a religion is the same as calling "not collecting stamps" a hobby.

Re:It's good enough

[gknoy]

Not only that, some of the fighters in the SCA are very interested in studying historical swordplay. I have friends in Caid (southern California) who have been studying unarmored combat from historical manuals -- the style is very different from what's historically accurate technique for fighting in heavy armor. (Which, contrary to what one might expect, mainly was a lot of grapping in order to secure an opportunity to pierce the unarmored or weakly armored portions of the enemy's coverage -- armpits, groins, necks, etc.)

Pretty cool stuff if you're interested in historical fighting.