Dealing With the Unexpected!

[Shi Da Dao]

Richard Hunn once defined the enlightened state in the following terms:

'Neither attached to the void - nor hindered by phenomena.'

He further explained that this is a succinct description of the Five Ranks (Caodong) System of 'Prince' (void) and 'Minister' (physical world) interaction. He added the caveat that although the descriptive term 'ranks' is often employed during translation - the Five Positions should not be viewed as self-contained 'ranks' - similar to those found in the grading systems of various Japanese martial arts (which regulate their classes through the wearing of 'coloured' belts). On the contrary, as the Five Positions use the Book of Change (Yijing) as its philosophical underpinning - each position contains the essence of the other four positions - just as each hexagram contains the essence of the other 63 hexagrams (with the agency of 'change' traversing one definition of reality into another)! Given the right stimulus and existential conditions - a profound change can be elicited. Whereas rigid grading traps an individual in a pre-set interpretation of their abilities - the Caodong method clearly describes all the major stages of mind-world interaction - but does not limit the individual to any particular stage of incomplete awareness. A wise Ch'an Master uses his or her understanding of the 'Dao' (Way) to skilfully manipulate the seeker out of the rut of superficial conditioning and into a permanent awareness of 'fluid' consciousness (being defined as the perfect interaction of 'form' and 'void'). Whereas the essence of perceptual awareness is the precognitive void (a reality which never changes once it is realised) - it is only in the physical world where the 'unexpected' might manifest. In a very real sense, and despite the surface differences in the cultures of the world, patterns of phenomena tend to possess the potentiality of cyclically repeating. This being the case, once an awareness of 'change' in the outer world is achieved - the issue then becomes a matter of always 'integrating' the new physical condition with the permanently 'void' underlying reality!