Origin of the Force
by: Jedi Kidohdin
One all-encompassing driving Force influences the destiny of the universe. An energy field generated by all living things, the Force surrounds and penetrates everything, binding the universe together. Universal balance - life and death, creation and destruction - is reflected in the Force, and thus is reflected from the Force back into the universe at large. The Force, for all the mystery and power it provides, is as much a part of the natural order as suns and planets and life itself.
The Force has as many mysteries as it has aspects. It may be a non-sentient energy field, the sum of all creation. It may be an eternal entity, knowing and unknowable. It may be both of these and more; it may be something else entirely. The only certain truth is that the Force exists and is omnipresent, and that's enough for most who study its various influences. From the Living Force to the Unifying Force, this mysterious energy field consists of a multitude of properties.
The entire fabric of space is filled with the universal energy we call the Force. It is vibrant and alive, existing everywhere and through everything. It is the Tao, yet transcends it, and contains the elements of ki, chi, prana and spiritual light. With every breath, with every thought, heart beat and movement, the Force is present. Vibrant and radiant, bursting with life and energy, this huge untapped reservoir of energy we call the Force, when accepted as the valuable ally it is, can move with us, surround and penetrate us to the very core of being, and together move with us when we accept the inherent Will of the Force to remove the blockages in life that prevent its full release in the matter cosmos.
The Force is an essential part of nature --- like energy or matter --- but it has yet to be quantified and analyzed. The Force is not to be understood in the same manner as the physical qualities of the universe. The laws of physics are observable; technology is predictable and readily controlled. The Force is neither controlled nor controlling --- it is a part of life itself; asking if it controls or can be controlled is like asking if a person controls his component cells or if they control him.
In many ways, serious attempts at comprehending the Force as both a tangible and intangible presence in life does have many parallels to the Taoist concepts of chi, the Shinto Buddhism's embracing of ki, as well as the Hindu understanding of prana: an energy that exists in, through and around us and is the very essence of life itself.
Chi
Chinese philosophers will talk about chi as a microcosmical 'matter-energy' which is fundamental in forming and governing the universe. Perhaps this is what George Lucas referred to in his brief yet somewhat insufficient explanation in The Phantom Menace, Episode I, which makes reference to the 'Midi-chlorians' (the organisms which allow the Jedi to manipulate the Force.) And the traditional Chinese physician, usually also a Taoist by education, speaks about a micro-biomaterial that circulates within the body, maintaining the living force that makes the body function.
Aikido
Aikido, a Japanese martial art developed by master Mohirei Ueshiba earlier this century makes heavy use of the concept of ki, or as we know it now as the Living Force. Aikido is one of the more spiritual martial arts and has been considered as 'moving Zen'. The name Aikido means 'the way of harmony of ki'. Spiritually oriented aikidokas believe that ki does exist as a physical entity and can be transmitted through space. They make use of concepts such as ki of the universe, extending ki, etc.
Prana and the Force
Prana is the cosmic principal of movement or energy. It is seen as the underlying cause of all the manifestation. Prana is the most subtle element of existence and yet the most apparent in its manifestation around us. Prana empowers all other forces in the universe; everything else is dependent on it, even the very creation itself. Prana is eternal movement, empowering the ever changing cosmos.
Prana has many different manifestations, from the most subtle to the gross manifestation of electricity. It is the power which enables us to think, to feel and to hear. It is the first sound: OM. It manifests in the body as the five pranas: prana, udana, samana, apana and vyana. These five pranic forces govern all types of movement in the body; restrain and impel the mental activity; coordinate all the senses and help in the enjoyment of their objects; holds together different parts of the body; promote speech; enable touch and hearing; they are the cause of joy and courage; they stimulate the digestion; absorb the three humors; create the gross and subtle channels in the body; mold the shape of the embryo; and determine the length of the life span.
To sum it up, prana is the prime moving force in our body and in our universe. Prana is not breath; it is the power that enables us to breath. Prana is not "energy"; it is what gives energy the power to be energy. Prana is not seen or unseen, yet it is observable by its actions. Prana is the power behind movement.
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