In Season 6 of the Clone Wars Yoda learns that, despite incomplete training, Qui-Gon Jin has been able to retain his consciousness after his death at the hands of Maul. He tells Yoda that he has also been chosen to revive the same instruction and leads him to the Force Priestesses.

      The FP’s tell Yoda that in order to retain his consciousness after death, and become one with the Living Force, he must find balance. Yoda responds, “A Jedi Master, I am.” Meaning, he believes he has already achieved balance within himself. This is the hubris of the Jedi Order and one of the major flaws in its doctrine. Yoda believes that because he dwells completely in the light he has purged himself of the dark.

      Yoda it taught that Darkness resides in ALL living things, including himself, and to deny that it does gives it power. This is how the Jedi’s participation in the Clone Wars fed the Dark side, strengthening Palpatine, and why their ability to see into the Force was blinded by the Darkness they were creating themselves. They were denying that darkness existed within them all, because of their own teachings.

He learns the path to balance is to accept the darkness within himself instead of deny it, which allows him to become the master of it. Once Yoda is able to Master the Darkness within himself, he achieves balance, and when he dies he will retain his consciousness and become a part of the Living Force as a Force ghost. 

      While recovering on Atollon from being blinded by Maul, Kanan is summoned though the Force while meditating. He is guided to the source of that summons by none other than Morai. When he reaches the source he meets the Bendu, the one in the middle. The Bendu tells him he can teach Kanan how to see with Force but he must be “empty”.    
       

 Through the lesson of the spiders, Kanan learned the darkness he sensed around them was not actually emanating from them, but it was his own Fear, Grief, and Anger that was attracting them. The Bendu showed Kanan that the way he feels effects everything around him and prevents him from seeing things as they truly are in the Force.     

       Presumably the Fear that Kanan had was the fear of losing Hera, Ezra, and the other crew members like he lost his Master and the Jedi. The Grief would obviously be for the loss of those just mentioned, and the Anger for not being able to do more about it, or take revenge. When Kanan is able to let go of these emotions and empty himself, he is not only able to see all living things for what they are through the Force, but he he has also achieved the natural state of balance that plants and animals have by being devoid of ego and emotion. He is in the Middle.

             Presumably the Fear that Kanan had was the fear of losing Hera, Ezra, and the other crew members like he lost his Master and the Jedi. The Grief would obviously be for the loss of those just mentioned, and the Anger for not being able to do more about it, or take revenge. When Kanan is able to let go of these emotions and empty himself, he is not only able to see all living things for what they are through the Force, but he he has also achieved the natural state of balance that plants and animals have by being devoid of ego and emotion. He is in the Middle.

        Because Yoda learned to be the Master of his emotions he achieved balance on the Scales of Light and Dark sides which applies to sentient beings. This allows him to retain his sentient consciousness within the Living Force and appear as he looked in life. A Force Ghost.

       Because Kanan learns to empty himself of all emotion and ego and just exist like plants and animals he achieves the state of balance that is the “Middle” or nature. This is why Kanan returns as the Dume lothwolf and not in human form, he becomes a force ghost of the natural world. A Spirit Animal.

    In both cases Yoda and Kanan are chosen, and summoned, to learn these lessons. Yoda is taught the lesson so that he will be able to guide Luke Skywalker and Kanan so he can guide Ezra to the World Between Worlds, both from behind the grave. Having these two live beyond death is critical to preserve the Light.

    It’s also very interesting that Maul is directly involved in each story.🤔

    This also makes me consider the possibility that Morai was also once a sentient being that learned the path to the Middle and became a “Spirit Animal” and the Mortis representative of the Middle.

As always, thanks for looking and let me know what you think in the comments and hit the 👍. 🙏