Lesson #2

"But how will I know the good side from the bad?" --Luke Skywalker

"You will know. When you are calm, at peace. Passive. A jedi uses the force for knowledge and defense, never for attack." --Jedi Master Yoda

The Force Just is like any element of nature --- it has both positive and negative aspects: The Lights side and the dark side.

The light teaches peace and harmony. It is the constructive side of the Force from which all love, understanding and knowledge originate --- it is the essence of life. Those who are at peace can truly feel this.

The Dark Side is the counter-weight of the light. Many younger students falsely believe that the dark side is stronger than the light --- in truth, it is only easier. The Dark Side springs from the negative and destructive impulses of all living beings --- anger, fear and hatred are it's symptoms. Death and war are the by-products of the dark side. It is dangerously seductive to those who lack the ability to control their emotions and passions. Those who give in to the dark side find themselves more aware and almost happier but as time passes things get worse and worse. The dark side demands more and more of those under it's power.

Those who are sensitive to the force soon find that there can be no middle ground between the light and the dark. Some people believe that there can be Shadow Jedi who can straddle that line and stay in the gray area but I have found that to be false. We will cover more on this in a later lesson.

For most beings --- unaware of the power of the Force --- the struggle between good and evil is not as powerful, not as compelling. For those attuned to the force, the struggle of good versus evil, life versus death is of utmost importance

Those who learn the ways of the force must be careful to remember their own inner peace or they will surrender themselves to the Dark Side. They must be careful not to start down the path of the Dark Side, for it's self-destructive ways are difficult to leave once embraced.

------------------Jedi Master Justin Storm------------------