The Fourth Way and Esoteric Traditions
[In this English fairy tale of a master and his pupil, aspects of multiplicity and unity are shown to be a matter of life and death.] A Wizard of the North Country THERE was once a very learned man in the north country who knew all the languages under the sun, and who was acquainted […]
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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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The Transformation of Richard II – A story of transformation and presence in the face of an unacceptable fate. Apollo Theater presents an understanding of Richard II as a story of transformation of suffering. Meanwhile, the divine station between heaven and earth is emblazoned on Richard’s shield. Finally, unseated by a rival claimant to the […]
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– 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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Suffering is a fact of human life. Some people suffer more than others, but no one completely avoids it. Have we any choice about suffering? Though a good amount of the suffering we experience is unnecessary –– the result of our identifications, our sleep, our vices— much is unavoidable, part of the human condition. Esoterically […]
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From Taoist master Liu Yiming (18th century), on the Phoenix and the Peacock, from Awakening the Tao A phoenix appears rarely, so it is an auspicious omen. Peacocks are always showing off their feathers, so they are taken captive. In this we observe the Tao of concealment and revelation, good and bad fortune. Those who are proud […]
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Zhang Boduan was an 11th century Taoist alchemist of the Complete Reality Taoist school. Taoist alchemy aims to create the gold elixir (also called the golden pill, or the pill of immortality) through what is called a firing process. Basically, because the teaching is hidden in symbols, one needs to be taught the inner meaning. […]
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There was a wildfire recently where I live. In aftermath of the high velocity winds, over a hundred homes were destroyed. The California fire service called it the “Cascade Fire.” I finally drove through the burnt area a couple of weeks later. The top layer of the soil was black, the tree leaves burnt from […]
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