Rank

I wonder if there isn't a more fundamental question at hand.

Part of rank is judgement, right? Someone decided I was this belt or a that belt. Or that I wasn't. But with the prospect of judgement seems to come a certain fear. And after the fear comes anger. "Who are you to judge me?" and all that.

I made a decision when I took my oath and signed up for membership. I made many decisions, in fact. One of them was to trust the members of the Temple and the Council with some element of my education. Not blindly, but I made the choice to put my guard down as best as I am able. I hope I get better at letting my guard down as time passes. In fact, I authorized the Council, and then later my Maitre, with the judgement of my performance and understanding.

Not my inherent value as a person or anything so dramatic, but whether or not I had done the work and demonstrated the understanding and conduct necessary to attain a given rank at this Temple.

Entering into those kind of trusting relationships is difficult, especially if one takes the endeavor very seriously. But, I think being willing to put oneself out there is a big deal.

It's one of the things I like very much about the Master/Student pairing process here. If you think someone's rank isn't legit, don't pick them for a teacher. If you think your student doesn't have chops, don't promote them. Find the person that impresses and challenges you the most.

As a last note, I hope Alexandre Orion does not promote me to Knight no matter how many assignments I write and points I earn until or unless he thinks I've got it right in my heart.

Cabur Senaar wrote: We might be a bit disingenuous to say rank means nothing. None of us are handing in badges that we worked for. But it's not worth getting hung up on. Being hung up on how much of a Jedi I am because of rank gets in the way. But so does the posture that it means nothing.

I wish I'd have read this, before posting...

There have been cases here of folks giving up rank, due to how they thought it was being perceived...

I was answering from a more personal pov...:lol:...

And, I think your question about judgment is very true for so many...

Like yourself, I gave my trust when joining here...

But, I give my trust easily, but the maintaining of it is what difficult...

A certain swordsman in his declining years said the following: In one's life. There are levels in the pursuit of study. In the lowest level, a person studies but nothing comes of it, and he feels that both he and others are unskilful. At this point he is worthless. In the middle level he is still useless but is aware of his own insufficiencies and can also see the insufficiencies of others. In a higher level he has pride concerning his own ability, rejoices in praise from others, and laments the lack of ability in his fellows. This man has worth. In the highest level a man has the look of knowing nothing.

These are the levels in general; But there is one transcending level, and this is the most excellent of all. This person is aware of the endlessness of entering deeply into a certain Way arid never thinks of himself as having finished. He truly knows his own insufficiencies and never in his whole life thinks that he has succeeded. He has no thoughts of pride but with self-abasement knows the Way to the end. It is said that Master Yagyu once remarked, "I do not know the way to defeat others, but the way to defeat myself. ''

Throughout your life advance daily, becoming more skilful than yesterday, more skilful than today. This is never-ending.

Hagakuré p. 26

I am grateful to the Temple for calling me Maître and Bishop. I have written a couple of lessons here and a sermon or two ...

... but I think my truest - as well as my favourite - 'rank' doesn't have a particular corresponding bit of jewellery to it. Like when I get a PM saying "Thank you, Pastor/Maître" for some encouraging dialogue with a member, or when my apprentices say "Ol'Bastard" ...

Mastery - the competencies of Knighthood - are not a goal to be achieved by a definite path and granted for now and forever. It is a practice now & now & now & now & now & now & ... and is on-going. Life is full of paradox and changes and one had better have a pretty good sense of humour about oneself -- certainly about one's importance or un-importance. As Michel de Montaigne pointed out : 'Kings and Philosophers ... and even Ladies ... poo.' (I paraphrased)

But speaking of paradox : 'You have to give it away to keep it' is one that I've found to be quite true. Whatever I've found to be helpful, what little I may have learnt, I need to be sharing that with others. So, I suppose that one could say that constant practice and sharing are central.

But then, what the hell would I know ?

Rank is what it is here. I am a novice because I have not continued the studies program. I feel bad about that, because it is something I want. I admit I want to be a knight. Its there. In my heart. It seems strange, but the rank I do not have, the rank I am going toward, is the rank that means the most to me. I suppose when I become a knight, it will become something else. That goal will be achieved and I want the next thing. Not a bad thing, maybe: it means I will keep trying.

But then again, sometimes I am afraid that it will never end...that I will never know peace. Each day will challenge me again and again and I cannot just smile and live.

Rank is my greatest goal and my greatest terror.

I train myself to stay centered, I meditate and work out hoping to not think, to just "be". But the world drags me back, every time. I am discovering more and more about myself. I am actively researching myself, my flaws, my talents. Really trying to grasp the literalness of my being. I can not tell you how frustrating it can be knowing your not wired to do things like that and retain it(adult ADD), but I will keep trying. One day I will be dead and the peace I want will be plentiful.

Whow wonderful and thoughtful responses.
Thank you everyone that has responded so far, you have given me a lot to think about.

It was a thoughtful question asked in a thoughtful manner. It forced me to reevaluate what I thought an answer might be before posting. Good for everyone that you brought it up.

Thank you.

Would you mind posting any conclusions you come to later on this thread? I am curious where you might go.

Sure, I will do that

i would like to share this perspective about rank, and i belive it corresponds to life in general

the only ranking system i feel obligated to is my own

i am capable of and moreover i am responsible for determining to my own satisfaction what it means to be jedi. or a knight

this is necessary because i do not see a coherent presentation of what it really means to be jedi
by any other source

the difference between a self aggrandizing fool and a self sufficient warrior
is that the fool sets his standards to reflect his own accomplishments,
while the warrior pursues his own accomplishments in order that he may live up to the standards which observation, study, and experience, have compelled him to set

it is our dialogue with and treatment of each other which best demonstrates our rank
not just on an internet forum but in all life
knowledge, wisdom, and insight, are only marginaly attributes of individual intelligence

more generally they are hard earned consequences of study and experience
which is the true source lf ones actual rank

i feel i would be remiss if i did not add that the work necessary to achieve rank is valid work.
i acknowledge and respect the work itself

Great topic! Enjoying all the responses so far.

Rank is an easily identifiable way at a glance, to gain a basic background experience of a person. As has been used as examples, martial arts uses ranked belts to make it easily identifiable to those around them they they should have a certain degree of knowledge or skill at the rank the belt shows.

I have studied many styles of martial arts, but every time I went to a new style I told them I had no experience. I did not want any preconceived rank associated with the new experience at the studio. I was there to learn a new style and any previous experience could create a bias, or worse an ego, conflict in my learning. My experience of previous styles helped me to quickly identify and rise in my studies at the dojo, but I still did not want the Rank of a different style to create a false perception of rank/experience.

Rank to me tends to translate to experience/knowledge/responsibility.

I studied the Path I am on for many years, well before I arrived here at the Temple. The Rank of Knight and above here, to me, means that those easily identified Ranks are able to share and pass on experience and wisdom in an official capacity here at this Temple. Nothing more. Many of us here, have studied a long time before discovering this Temple, that does not mean that any one of us is truly "wiser" than anyone else here. The symbol/title just lets everyone know that certain ranks here have certain responsibility here.

As a Military member, Rank is a huge part of my world. I respect all my military brothers and sisters, some have more responsibilities than others, some gain more military courtesies because of their rank, but I am sure, as many military can attest to, just because they were higher rank than I am/was, did not mean they were better/smarter/greater than the people they out ranked.

Many times, I have told my fellow military brothers and sisters, respect the rank always, but you do not have to respect the person wearing it. It is always up to the person with the rank to prove to those around them, by example, that they are truly worthy of the rank they have achieved, every day of their life.