Order of Dai Bendu The Order of Dai Bendu , also known as the Bendu , was one of the many ancient and semi - legendary organizations that studied the Force and the midi - chlorians in the Early Hyperspace Age , prior to the birth of the Galactic Republic on Coruscant . While the Order originated on the world of Thape , it thrived in the Andobi Mountains of the snowy planet Ando Prime . In 36 , 453 BBY , a group of Bendu monks were brought to the planet of Tython , where they encountered other Force - sensitive groups and took part in the establishment of the Je ' daii Order . A number of elements and symbols borrowed from the Dai Bendu made their way into the Je ' daii Order and its successor , the Holy Order of the Jedi Knights . Although the Order of Dai Bendu still existed in the waning days of the Republic , its tenets were poorly understood and its involvement with the birth of the Je ' daii Order had been mostly forgotten , even in the scientific circles . Some historians of that time theorized that the Bendu monks were the original incarnation of the Jedi , but lacked solid proofs to back up their claim . Only a few individuals , including the Sith Lord Darth Plagueis , possessed texts pertaining to the ancient Dai Bendu . History . Early history . The ancient Order of Dai Bendu arose in the Mid Rim region of the galaxy , on a terrestrial planet named Thape . The date of its emergence was lost in time , but the Order existed from the earliest antiquity . Indeed , the Dai Bendu monks were already active by the 38th millennia before the Galactic Civil War , in an era known as the Early Hyperspace Age . That era saw the early developments of space travel , which provided unprecedented possibilities for cross - species communication . At first , the Order of Dai Bendu consisted of peaceful monks dedicated to the study of numerology and holding to non - confrontational principles . It became one of the first groups that ever discovered and studied the Force , a mystic energy that flowed through all living things and bound the galaxy together . The monks had also discovered the midi - chlorians , a species of microscopic organisms that existed within the cells of every living creature and allowed them to touch the Force . While other organizations had developed similar ideas elsewhere , including the shamans of Dathomir and the Selkath scholars from Manaan , they were isolated from each other and unable to share their views . At some point after the foundation of their Order , the Bendu monks traveled to the snowy Ando Prime , another Mid Rim planet , where a Force nexus was located . They made their home in the Andobi Mountains , where they stayed in isolation . As a result of moving out to Ando Prime , all the new Bendu monks were Talid s , a nomadic species indigenous to that planet . They were often collectively referred to as the " Bendu Tribe , " and the term " Dai Bendu " itself was sometimes used to describe a member of the Talid species . First Migration . Around 37 , 453 BBY , the Dai Bendu monks discovered a mysterious pyramidal edifice half - buried in the snow . Intrigued by that wonder of unidentified origin , they called it the " Tho Yor " in their language . While they understood that the Tho Yor came from another world , the monks could not guess its purpose or even see what was contained inside . Nonetheless , they felt a great power was contained in it , and they believed that , some day , they could hear its " voice " through patient meditation . For many years , the monks gathered round the pyramid , kneeling before their new object of adoration even under heavy snowfalls . After attending the edifice for a millennium , the ancient prophecy was fulfilled when a group of monks finally heard the call of the Tho Yor in 36 , 453 BBY . They entered it , discovering it was in fact a starship . The monks of the Dai Bendu were transported to the world of Tython , in the galaxy ' s Deep Core . Once there , they discovered that seven other Tho Yor had repeated the pattern elsewhere in the galaxy , gathering sentients who could hear their call and bringing them to Tython . Together with other Force - sensitive organizations , the Bendu monks became the first Tythan s and contributed to the foundation of the Je ' daii Order , who sought to maintain peace through the harmony of balance . A monk named Lha - Mi became one of the first Temple Masters of the Je ' daii Order , and he was put in charge of Stav Kesh , the Temple of Martial Arts . The name " Je ' daii " itself testified to the influence of Bendu philosophy on the Order . It was an amalgam of two Dai Bendu words : " je " meaning " mystic " and " dai " meaning " center " . Second migration . More than a millennium after the birth of the Je ' daii Order , the Tythonian city of Aurum was destroyed , and the planet was deemed too dangerous for those not sensitive to the Force . The non – Forceful Tythans thus started to explore the Tython system and establish colonies on the neighboring worlds . The green - colored Kalimahr was the first planet they settled , and the colonists had brought their religions with them . For that reason , Kalimahr became the spiritual hub of the system , teeming with religious communities and pilgrims . The Bendu monks not been left behind and had built several temples on Kalimahr , one of which was located in the in the eastern quarter of the Khar Peninsula , a nineteen - kilometer long byland . By 25 , 793 BBY , that particular building was abandoned by the Bendu monks and become a refuge for the Stargazer Sect , a cult - like group of fanatics who sought to reactivate an ancient hypergate . At that time , groups of Bendu monks could often be seen chanting outside the lobby of the Rhol Yan spaceport , with travelers settling around them and listening to their haunting chants . The Jedi and the Galactic Republic . Later on , the Je ' daii Order was succeeded by one of its splinter groups , the Holy Order of the Jedi Knights , which ended up associating with the newly - formed Galactic Republic around 25 , 000 BBY . Through that new order of Force - users , some of the teachings and symbols that originated with the Dai Bendu were preserved for millennia . The Jedi notably endorsed the eight - rayed sigil of the Bendu monks , a symbol of the Force binding all living things in the galaxy , having brandished that emblem during the Unification Wars that resulted in the founding of the Republic . The Jedi renegade Xendor also drew on the Dai Bendu knowledge when he built his academy on planet Lettow . Ultimately , Xendor ' s controversial teachings led to the First Great Schism in the history of the Jedi . However , not all monks had merged with the growing number of Je ' daii in the first place , and the Dai Bendu Order maintained its presence on Ando Prime very long after the departure of the Tho Yor . At some point between 3 , 643 and 3640 BBY , in the middle of the Galactic War , a delegation of Bendu monks traveled throughout the Core Worlds , escorting a casket that contained a meditating Bendu master . Opportunities to study Bendu artifact were rare , which prompted certain citizens of the Republic to approach the monks and ask for information . Fall into oblivion . Many centuries flew past and , during the height of the Republic , the Order of Dai Bendu had been largely forgotten . Its name only appeared in a few crumbling history disks , and while several historians rightfully suspected that the Bendu monks were one of the original incarnations of the Jedi Order , they never found any evidence to support their claim . In his time , the Sith Lord Darth Plagueis — Master to the famous Palpatine — was among the few individuals who possessed texts devoted to the Order of Dai Bendu and other early Force - centered groups such as the Followers of Palawa or the Chatos Academy . The fifth and last day of the Galactic Standard week had also been named " Benduday , " sharing its name with the ancient monastic order . Despite the general lack of academic knowledge about them , the Bendu monks still occupied a monastery in the Andobi Moutains around the time of the Naboo Crisis in 32 BBY , when they were led by the High Priest Ten - Abu Donba . Far to the south of the monastery , modern cities had been established in recent decades . To suit the needs of modern life , a giant pump station and a large pipeline had been built to carry water from its source , the lakes and glaciers of the Andobi Mountains . In order to entertain the thousands of laborers who worked on the cities , the pumping station and the pipeline , podraces were held annually along the access roads around the mountain . Faithful to their non - confrontational beliefs , Donba ' s monks welcomed the various podracing events that wound their way through Ando Prime ' s icy terrain , even though three of them tore right through their village , in the vicinity of the monk ' s tents , in the shadow of a massive stone statue . The High Priest Donba himself served as the honorary starter for those races , under the warm cheers and acclamations of the public . By 27 ABY , much had happened in the galaxy . The millennial Republic had been replaced by the authoritarian Galactic Empire , which in turn had been toppled by a group of rebels after twenty - three years of tyranny . A New Republic had been founded , and a vast collection of documents designed to be exhaustive was created . That Neo - Republican database , however , knew nothing of the Bendu monks ' influence over the birth of the Jedi Order . Its files assumed that the details of the origins of the Jedi had been lost in time , speculating that the Order had emerged " sua sponte " at the same time as the original Galactic Constitution in 25 , 053 BBY . Organization and beliefs . The Dai Bendu monks of Ando Prime lived in a tribal community , away from the busy cities and under the guidance of the wisest of them all , who bore the title of High Priest . They dwelled in a simple tent village nestled in the mountains and pure water , which they pumped from the Andobi Mountain Pipeline , was sacred to their beliefs — although they sometimes sold it to occasional visitors . Those who had migrated to the Tython system had built temples of their own on the settled worlds , some of which were decorated with stained - glass symbols and frescoes relaying the monks ' religious tales and history . The monks also used to string rectangular pieces of cloth along mountain ridges , sometimes colorful , sometimes covered with inscriptions . They wore long , flowing robes of simple design , and some of them used walking poles to help them move in frozen terrains . In the late years of the order , the High Priest donned elaborate orange or red robes with a high , pointed hood . The Bendu monks performed different kinds of chanting , some of which consisted in eerie and haunting ululations while others required a low , deep voice , sounding like a growl . Those who listened to their meditating voices would sway slowly in time with the chant . The monks were known for teaching non - confrontational principles , with the notable exception of commercialism . Despite their professed commitment to peace , at the time of the Naboo Crisis , the monks not only hosted but also organized podraces , a sport which was both notoriously dangerous and based on competition . It notably allowed them to sell their crafts , including artisanal carpets , to the numerous podracing fans who visited Ando Prime . Despite that breach of their own rules , the Bendu monks were still regarded as both dignified and kindly in the waning decades of the Galactic Republic . Numerology , the study of the occult significance of numbers , was also used and developed by the Bendu monks . They believed that the number nine represented the beneficent presence of the Force in a unitary galaxy . At the time of the Unification Wars , they used to represent this through eight spokes joined to one disc . That eight - spoked sigil was very similar , although not identical , to the one that was engraved on the Tho Yor ' s triangular faces . The Bendu symbol was later reclaimed by the Sith Emperor , who made it the emblem of his Sith Empire . Millennia later , the crest was reused once again . Renamed the " Galactic Roundel , " the Bendu symbol adorned the starfighters of the Jedi Knights and saw use as the insignia of the Galactic Republic as a whole . After the fall of the Republic and its replacement by the Galactic Empire in 19 BBY , the self - appointed Emperor Palpatine personalized this ancient icon by removing two spokes , thus creating the Imperial crest . Behind the scenes . Origins . The term " Jedi Bendu " was an early name that " Star Wars " creator George Lucas considered using for the Jedi in the 1974 of what would become . In that script , the Jedi Bendu were described as " the most feared warriors in the universe " and " the personal bodyguards of the emperor . " The name of Bendu was later reused in the Expanded Universe of " Star Wars " to designate one of the religious organizations that gave rise to the Jedi Order . Development . The concept of the Bendu being a primitive incarnation of the Jedi Order first emerged in the reference book " " , which was written by Curtis Saxton and published on April 23 , 2002 . However , the monks themselves had made their first appearance in the 1999 video game " " , although no connection with the Jedi had been established at the time . Later reference books such as the " Power of the Jedi Sourcebook " , " The New Essential Chronology " and " The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia " mentioned them without giving new details . It was not until 2012 , with the release of the " " series of comics , that the Dai Bendu monks appeared again in a " Star Wars " product , thirteen years after " Star Wars : Episode I Racer " . The Bendu monks received a brief mention in the 2011 MMORPG " " , released by BioWare . They were mentioned in the archaeology crew skill mission entitled " Secrets of the Bendu , " available for players of the Republic faction only . In a crew skill mission , the player would send one of their companions to complete the quest . However , due to the mission being available to all classes , it was unknown which of the four Republic heroes — the Hero of Tython , Voidhound , the Barsen ' thor or the Havoc Squad commander — actually approached the Bendu monks . As a reward for the mission , the player received some polychromic crystals . Comparison with Buddhist traditions . The lifestyle and customs of the Bendu monks displays many similarities with . Like the Tibetan monks , the Dai Bendu dwell in the snowy mountains . In addition , the clothes worn by High Priest Ten - Abu Donba resemble the red robes and pointed hats worn by the " Red Sect " of Tibetan Buddhism . Both " Episode I Racer " and the " Dawn of the Jedi " comics showed that the Bendu monks made similar to those used in Tibetan Buddhism . In some traditions , mummified bodies of monks are displayed in a meditating inside an upright coffin . The " Secrets of the Bendu " crew skill quest that appeared in " Star Wars : The Old Republic " showed that the same practice existed among the Dai Bendu . The eight - spoked sigil of the Dai Bendu also resembles the or " Wheel of the Law , " a symbol of the teachings .