States of Being Archives - Fourth Way Today

Poems

Fields of the One Beyond the skin, where dust remembers dust, a few souls turn toward a hidden music. No road, no border, no name can bind them— they meet where silence kindles into flame. Bodies fade like evening light on water, yet what they are was never held by form. In those boundless fields […]

by Grazia M

Awake or asleep?

To be, or not to be, that is the question. – William Shakespeare Indeed, this is the biggest question in one’s life: In this moment, am I awake or asleep? Where do I want to be, in a state of awakening or in a state of sleep? Am I present to what I am seeing, hearing, […]

by Shel Patrickson

Waves

Waves wash over you, full of Doubts and hopes from mind and heart that drag and pull you, Each its own story to tell. Let them go, let them pass. Like the leaves on a wintry tree, Like the cocoon that would cling to an ordinary caterpillar, Like snow on a summer’s mountain top. For […]

by Radhika Mody

You & the Four States of Consciousness

There are four states of consciousness, according to the Fourth Way. The fourth state is rarely achieved by people in their lifetime. Some conscious beings have reported moments of the fourth state as a life-changing experience. It is in your grasp. Higher centers are a reality if you can awaken them, as they exist only in higher states.

by Natassa Cavalli

Transforming Our Being

We utilize the tools of the Fourth Way of awakening with the help of a practical school of truth. In this process, we transform our being, and our clarity expands. We become able to gratefully accept our essence. Then, living in essence, we are free from fear.

by Walther Sell

Being and Non-Being

What do we mean by ‘being’? A person with experience in a particular field possesses extensive knowledge and the ability to apply it effectively. They have the practical skills to put their knowledge into action. They also have the experience to understand the challenges and obstacles involved in achieving a desired outcome. Such a person […]

by The Editors

Quotations on the Subject of Being

The line of being is the accumulated effect of efforts to awaken, the ability to be the words, i.e., to put theories of the system into practice, not just to know them. – Robert Burton

by Girard Haven

Levels of Work – Steps in Separation

These, then, are five ways to work with a ‘negative’ situation: (1) to change the situation; (2) to change the machine’s reaction to the situation; (3) to separate from the situation; (4) to separate from oneself; and (5) to turn the focus of one’s attention toward something higher. They do not replace each other but rather build on one another.

by The Editors

Transformation & Change of Being

How can we use suffering and what is transformation of suffering? Stir up the fire and put the heart on the coals. ~ Mayan Texts As many teachings suggest, suffering is inevitable in human life. The Fourth Way teacher, Maurice Nicoll, once wrote, “Life is a pain factory.” Fourth Way writers speak of various forms of […]