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Hello all,

This is the second and last installment in the Aesop tale analysis for a while, although I

am SURE I will be returning to it once Fall rolls around. But, for now, we are going toexplore the role of the Wolf a tad more. In the last article, I dabbled a little on the

importance of avoiding being the wolf, and trying to maintain the status of a Lamb. Well,this inherent battle of darkside versus lightside is moot unless we understand the

importance of the Thankless job. Sometimes, we as Jedi make the misconception that weshould be rewarded for our pains and services, and this is a trick of the dark as much as

killing a person. When we are seduced by thoughts of reward and self-reward, we do ourjob for the wrong reason. It is interesting to explore this idea Aesops tale: The Wolf and

the Crane. Enjoy:

A WOLF had been gorging on an animal he had killed, when suddenly a smallbone in the meat stuck in his throat and he could not swallow it. He soon felt

terrible pain in his throat, and he ran up and down groaning and groaning andseeking for something to relieve the pain. He tried to induce every one he met to

remove the bone. I would give anything, said he, if you would take it out. Atlast the Crane agreed to try, and told the Wolf to lie on his side and open his jaws

as wide as he could. Then the Crane put its long neck down the Wolfs throat, andwith its beak loosened the bone, till at last got it out.Will you kindly give me thereward you promised? said the Crane.The Wolf grinned and showed his teethand said: Be content. You have put your head inside a Wolfs mouth and taken it

out again in safety; that ought to be reward enough for you.

GRATITUDE AND GREED GO NOT TOGETHER.

So, there you have it. The Crane, in this story, is for OUR purposes, the antagonist.

The Wolf is neither protagonist nor is he the bad guy. He serves as a control for what

the story is really about. The Crane has bravery and he has skill. He has probably

served people well and has the necessary ability to solve the Wolfs problem. The

long beak is symbolic of our abilities as Jedi. This particular interpretation brings

out what we, as followers of the Jedi Way, falter over every day. Other apprentices

must have a degree of ambition in order to climb Everest to get to knighthood,

wouldnt you all say? We all have questions about being able to commend ourselves

to mastership. We all want to be in charge. This is human nature. We are not taught

from birth to want nothing more than to grow. We think of our goals and we thinkselfishly. This is the lure of a dark path. When people get fed up, they leave. They

might create their OWN Jedi website. Or, they might turn Darkly and go all blackrobes, and red/white tattoo on us all. Careful of what you do and the actions you

take. It takes a degree of Stoicism to enjoy the spoils of doing good for those around

you. When we expect reward, we do ourselves a disservice. We do not understandthe meaning of charity. Gratitude and Greed are not compatible. Basically, this story

Aesop is telling has the gall to call us out on our accomplishments. Did you spend 12

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hours every Saturday at the Mission center helping the homeless to feel good about

yourself? Or, did you facilitate their existence because you really were

compassionate. Being a Jedi is all about compassion. And, compassion is simply the

right reason for doing good. There is no passion; there is serenity. I think this line of

the code can be applied here. Most of the time, we get confused by the There is no

part of the code. Of course there is passion. But, we cannot allow it to be thedirection by which we motivate our actions. We cannot allow it to control us. I

would be all talk if I didnt explain a way to handle this. If you want to practice doing

things for the right reason, do some extra meditation time in the morning. Say, for

example, that you schedule some time at the Mission center on a Saturday. Thatmorning, when you get up, stop and think about what you are going to do that day.

Here are some specific instructions you might want to follow. Bend these to your

personal will and experience what I think makes for a better service:

First. You can either sit up in your bed or stand up in the shower, whicheveryour morning ablutions allot for.

Second. Take some deep breaths. In for a count, hold for a count, and then letout for a count. Understand that this is for focus.

Third. Picture the positive impacts and events that might take place. Think of

the highest possible outcome. You might be helping a lady cross the street or

buying a decrepit youth a condom. ;) I dont know. Whatever you define as a

good deed.

Fourthly, allow these positive actions to seep into your Personal Force, and

expel them through the Living Force. You can do this by simply thinking them

away. This step is optional for those that do not work with energy much.

Fifthly, ponder the repercussions of your action. You do it for step three. You

do not try to help people for what you gain from it. This is the most difficult

step for some. Allow your thoughts to mutate and generate a new perception:

You get your own satisfaction for your deeds. Dont rely on physical gain.

So, why is it so bad to have this physical gain? From my own experience, I have

found that greed can keep us wanting more. There is no such thing as external

satisfaction that is lasting. Its like a drug. Its like substituting diet soda for sugarsoda. Your brain gets the idea that sugar is coming, but you never get it and the

next thing you know, youve had 10 drinks in one day. Its almost more evil than thebad deeds themselves. Once you start down the path of greed, you might step on

people in order to achieve your goal. This is dangerous water. You make enemies.

Your ambitions destroy your enemies. Then you are on a dark, selfish path that

takes you completely from a path of Light. Be the Crane. But, its difficult. Its not

something that will come easily. Service is intended for others, not for yourself.

Dont be the Wolf.

-Morivou