In programming and web-development there is a thing called graceful failure (or graceful degradation).
A fault-tolerant design enables a system to continue its intended operation, possibly at a reduced level, rather than failing completely, when some part of the system fails.
Wikipedia
Let’s see how this might apply to the Four Lines from the American Book of the Dead. (also known as The Voyager’s Quatrain)
First let’s refresh ourselves on the Four Lines:
All phenomena is illusion,
American Book of the Dead
Neither attracted nor repelled,
Not making any sudden moves,
My habits will carry me through.
If one manages to attain the state in which “All phenomena is illusion” then all is well and you are in great shape to proceed on your way.
However, if one fails to maintain that state then “Neither attracted nor repelled” is a good fallback target. If you can manage to not fall into attraction and repulsion then all is mostly well and you can proceed on your way.
Should you fail to avoid attraction and repulsion then your next fallback target would be to avoid making any sudden moves. Yes, you might have attractions and repulsion. But, if you can just manage to not make sudden moves you might do more or less okay.
If, however, you are helpless, unable to not make sudden moves, then you left with naught but hope as your final fallback. Hope that “my habits will carry me through”. Hope that I have developed work habits and it is these work habits that will be seeing me through.
Four Lines as Steps of Graceful Failure
As you can see the Four Lines are capable of being used as a system of graceful failure.
Start with attainment of the condition “All phenomena is illusion” as your first target. If that fails, then set attainment of the condition “Neither attracted nor repelled” as the next target. If this fails then your fallback plan should be “Not making any sudden moves.” However, should that fail then your next fallback isn’t really a plan or a strategy. It is simply hope. Hoping that you have done work in the past that has somehow prepared you for this eventuality.
Four Lines as Stepping Stones
If is also possible to use the Four Lines as stepping stones toward the higher.
Start by establishing that your present condition begins with “My habits will carry me through.” Contemplate this condition. Explore the implications. Own this as where you are.
Next center your efforts on “Not making any sudden moves.” Put this operational mode in place. Have it be that you can avoid the all to common knee jerk reactions and actions that have served to dump you on your keister (butt) so often in the past.
If you manage to not make sudden moves you will have avoided many of the results of attraction and repulsion. And, along the way the process of squelching (or attempting to squelch) sudden moves you will have your attractions and repulsions brought into highlight. They will be all the more visible to you.
Now would be a good time to make solid efforts to attain the condition of “Neither attracted nor repelled.” I would not count on attaining this state first go — or, second, third… or even fourth. In fact it might be useful to first target “behaving as if neither attracted nor repelled.” The work you did not making any sudden moves should be helping with this.
Finally we have the state of “All phenomena is illusion.” Near as I can tell there are a couple ways of achieving a state like “Neither attracted nor repelled.” Once way looks a lot like deep overwhelming depression. The other way hinges on making strides along the path of “All phenomena is illusion.” Meaning if you get the “Neither attracted nor repelled” working then you will have along the way established a good beachhead into the “All phenomena is illusion.”
But, hey, you don’t have to take my word for it. When you manage to ascend the Four Lines you will have the clarity to flesh out the path yourself.