Practical Aspects of Participating

When a framework is actually in use, then certain practical features emerge. Most importantly a dynamic duality is invariably generated by real world activity.

So each Grouping must now be considered as if it is a Level and the impact of the dynamic duality analysed. The Centre(s) that result must be appropriately named and where the level is bipolar, one Centre must be assigned due dominance.

Sustaining the School

G1: Engage Your Self

The school requires each member to be fully engaged in a personal way. Each must feel responsible for perpetuating the doctrine and appreciating the variety of duties associated with that. At that absolute minimum, participation requires a deep realization of the fundamentals.

Dynamic Duality:   Engagement of the self is a personal matter, but at the same time the person is marked out in society and so it is a social matter as well. It does not seem possible to disentangle these two pressures.

So, in the Tree, this level becomes a single balanced Centre: L1B.

We will label G1B: Responsible Self-Engagement

As proposed for the Grouping, the Centre is under a pressure for autonomy.

G2: Foster Collegiality

The school depends on its members to support each other in the face of challenges to the doctrine, and to present a united front. Collegiality is generated in a variety of ways, especially during induction where indoctrination (G21) and teaching (G22) are essential. Later member-only events (G23), governance choices (G24), factionalizing around new theories (G25)and societal experiments(G26) contribute.

Dynamic Duality: Again, collegiality is simultaneously a personal matter and a social phenomenon.

So, in the Tree, this level becomes a single balanced Centre: L2B.

We will label L2B: Faithful Collegiality

As proposed for the Grouping, the Centre is under a pressure for understanding.

G3: Seek Involvement

The school requires organisation and management and that demands the practical involvement of adherents. Even where there are funds to pay outsiders, they cannot be trusted to handle doctrinal affairs.

Dynamic Duality:  Involvement is a personal matter with adherents having their own preferences and capabilities. However, quite independent of that, the school intrinsically requires certain roles to be filled, which is a social perspective.

This means that this level in the Tree will generate two polarized but connected Centres: L3P and L3S.

We will label L3P: Preferred Form of Involvement
and label L3S: Essential School Roles

Adherents cannot be forced to take on roles and there is no financial incentive to do so. That means that personal preferences, including desires for status or power, will be dominant. However, the two Centres will affect each other.

So the personal Centre is dominant and placed on the right side of the Tree.

As proposed for the Grouping, both Centres are under a pressure for performance.

G4: Claim Recognition

For a school to feel secure and gain additional adherents, it must be assigned a social status and, ideally, the doctrine must be valued in society .

Dynamic Duality: In recognizing the school, there is no difference made between school and its adherents. If a school is denigrated then its adherents are denigrated. If outsider individuals attack the school, then it is felt that society is attacking the school.

So, in the Tree, this level becomes a single balanced Centre: L4B.

We will label L4B: Claims for Societal Recognition

As proposed for the Grouping, the Centre is under a pressure for certainty..

Energizing the School

G5: Uphold Orthodoxy

The doctrine has to be maintained in an orthodox form by the school or it will get dissipated and get lost in a sea of ideas that swirl in a culture. Although the orthodox doctrine is esoteric, difficult to understand and never accepted in full, it must be upheld.

Dynamic Duality: The orthodoxy can be upheld in a direct way by individual members of the school proclaiming their adherence and membership of the school. Quite separately, the school organization can publicly assert the orthodox position in relation to criticisms or social challenges. Naturally, adherents will influence what is asserted about the orthodoxy, and formal assertions will influence adherents.

On this basis, there will be two polarized but connected Centres in the Tree: L5S and L5P.

We will label L5P: Identity as an Adherent
and label L5S: Assertion of Orthodox Doctrine

These two ways to convey the importance of orthodoxy influence each other, but a school's assertions are far more likely to influence a member's sense of identity than the reverse.

So the social Centre is dominant and placed on the right side of the Tree.

As proposed for the Grouping, both Centres are under a pressure for acceptability.

G6: Permit Development

Doctrinal revisions and new applications that are intrinsic to school development are inherently controversial, especially during the lifetime of the founder. But they must be permitted if a school is to thrive.

Dynamic Duality: On the one hand, development is a social matter shaping the school as a whole. Responding to challenges may be driven collectively, with any development potentially impacting on all members. On the other hand, individuals are the source of development, and changes to the doctrine and its use affect each member differently. Members will influence what a school responds to and how, and be influenced by such responses.

This means that there will be two polarized but connected Centres in the Tree: L6S and L6P.

We will label L6S: School Response to Challenges
and label L6P: Member Creativity

School responses-L6S bring pressure to bear on member creativity-L6P far more effectively than the reverse.

So the social Centre is dominant and placed on the right side of the Tree.

As proposed for the Grouping, both Centres are under a pressure for well-being.

G7: Drive Revitalization

Schools are subject to inner decay and to external misunderstanding and attacks. The only response to this is to continuously revitalize the school, reaffirming its value and potential benefit for society.

Dynamic Duality: Revitalization is a social phenomenon and applies to the school as a whole—however it simultaneously applies to each member. Unless the members revitalize individually the school will not be revitalized.

So, in the Tree, there will be a single balanced Centre: L7B.

We will label L7B: School Revitalization

As proposed for the Grouping, the Centre is under a pressure for selflessness.

Channels

By inspection and reflection: 

From L1: Self-engagement will influence L2-Collegialityand L3-Involvement and vice versa, but it will not directly affect L4-Societal Recognition or higher Centres.

From L2: Collegiality will influence L3-Involvementand L4-Recognition and vice versa, but will not directly affect L5-Upholding Orthodoxy or higher Centres.

From L3: Involvement will influence L4-Recognition, and L5-Upholding Orthodoxyand vice versa, but not directly affect any higher Centres.

From L4: Societal Recognition will influence L5-Upholding Orthodoxy, L6-Developmentand L7-Re-vitalization and vice versa. L4-Recognitiontherefore has the most influence, affecting and being affected directly by every Centre except L1-Self-engagement.

From L5: L5S-Assertion of Orthodoxy will directly influence L6S-School Response to Challenges and vice versa, but will only affect L6P-Member Creativity indirectly. L5P-Adherent Identity will directly influence L6P-Member Creativity and vice versa, but only affect L6S-School Responses indirectly. The L5 Centre will not directly influence L7-Revitalization and vice versa.

From L6: Development will influence L7-Revitalization and vice versa.

Click on the thumbnail at right to see the picture that emerges from the analysis of the dynamic duality and assuming standard channels as just explained.

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Originally posted: 28-Apr-2024.