Demons and Elephant, Fourth Way Today, Fellowship of Friends, Robert Burton

Multiplicity and Unity: Personality and Essence

What are the differences between personality and essence in terms of unity? The Fourth Way advises us that the study of man (or woman) must go hand-in-hand with study of the world. That man is a microcosmos[1], with traits identical to those of a higher cosmos. Therefore, man can be compared to the higher cosmos […]

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Yuba River, California - image by Sharon Gordon

Photography of Simple Moments

So just what makes an outstanding moment of photography? -Image courtesy of Sharon Gordon See some moments here: https://vimeo.com/202335588/ac0bce355f A photographer’s eye mirrors the space she inhabits. We present the work of Sharon Gordon in this recent video. A professional photographer, Sharon travels the world and captures these simple moments. For more of Sharon’s work, see […]

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Essence simplicity

The Uncarved Block

What is Simplicity? The ancient masters were subtle, mysterious, profound, responsive. The depth of their knowledge is unfathomable. Because it is unfathomable, All we can do is describe their appearance. Watchful, like men crossing a winter stream. Alert, like men aware of danger. Courteous, like visiting guests. Yielding like ice about to melt. Simple, like […]

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Winter Issue 2018 – Simplicity and Essence

Our Winter Issue – Our January 2018 issue is on simplicity, the essential part of our nature–essence. What steps can we take to return to it, from a Fourth Way perspective? Life requires many masks, but who are we, truly? Show me your original face, before your father or mother were born. – Zen master […]

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Simple vase

From Liu Yiming on the Essential Purity

Pottery and Decoration Speaking of essential purity, Liu Yiming wrote these words. Pottery has a basic constitution, and is without artifice. Decorate it with colors, inlay it with gold and jade, and though it may be beautifully adorned, it has lost its basic constitution. What I realize as I observe this is the Tao of returning […]

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Essence of the Lotus

On Essence & Presence – the Fourth Way and Other Traditions

Essence and Presence – What is presence, and how does it relate to essence? How do the Fourth Way and other traditions use these terms? From the Sufi Tradition – Zikar In Sufism, the word zikar means “remembrance of the Presence of God while losing oneself in a sacred experience.” Truly, it is the remembrance of a […]

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Simplicity - bread and jam

Bread-making: The Soul of Craft

Bread and the Essence of Craftmanship – How does a master craftsman use bread-making for presence? Amidst these days of mass marketing and food production, one man here makes bread by hand for his community. Craftsmanship requires attention in the moment for a finished product to be both useful and beautiful. Presence to detail creates […]

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Firefly Lake

Little Firefly – American Indian tale

Little Firefly – To tell the story of Little Firefly, you must know that once upon a time, on the shores of a great lake, lived a hunter, a widower with three daughters. Every day when he went into the forest, the hunter would leave his daughters with instructions to clean the wigwam, repair his […]

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Personality of pie

Essence and Personality in the Fourth Way

– The way of dividing man into three parts, personality, essence, and consciousness is from the Gurdjieff / Ouspensky system. In reality personality and consciousness can be further divided. Personality can be divided into false and true personality and consciousness can be divided into higher emotional center and higher intellectual center. These five levels can […]

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