The Fourth Way and Esoteric Traditions
Struggle of the Magicians – the Battle for the Higher Self Many myths and spiritual traditions describe a struggle between competing inner entities in man or woman. Some term these entities the lower self and the higher self. Gurdjieff described this struggle as ‘the struggle of the magicians.’ Curiously, this struggle becomes apparent when the […]
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Experiencing Movement and Rest in Music What denotes movement and rest in music? And what did Jesus mean by telling his disciples that “the sign of the Father in you” is “a movement and a rest?” Movement is a familiar impulse, as rest is an equally familiar instinct. They are components of our bodily existence, […]
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How can we utilize the law of octaves to help continue progressing in our work to awaken? Movement forward also requires rest, where new shocks can enter. “Life is a movement and a rest.” – Gospel of Thomas Motion and Repose in Spiritual Life The word movement comes from the Latin, movere; “to move, set in motion.” […]
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The act of creation implies movement and rest. What does the Sabbath represent, for our inner work along the Fourth Way today? Starting with Genesis: Movement and Rest From the very first chapter of the Bible, we read of the idea of movement and rest. The act of creation represents movement, over the first six days, […]
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How does the study of octaves and intervals help us understand our own efforts to be more present, more awake? The Natural Law of Octaves and Intervals The Law of Seven can be observed everywhere in the natural world and in everything we do internally and externally. If we understood the law of octaves, we […]
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How do we use the highest parts of ourselves to work towards awakening, and rest when needed? Intellectual parts of centers need to work together for us to truly remember ourselves. The Four Lower Centers Fourth Way authors alert us to the fact that we have seven brains, rather than one. Two of them function in times […]
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How do our patterns of movement and sleep interact? Seminal Fourth Way authors G. Gurdjieff and P.D. Ouspensky describe how unnecessary movement and sleep–our old patterns–pose obstacles for one seeking consciousness. P.D. Ouspensky, from A Record of Meetings: The Role of the Moon in Mechanical Movement and Sleep At present all our movements depend on […]
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What is this humble work we do when we work to achieve consciousness? Consciousness does not belong to us. We ourselves belong to it. When we manage to reach the third state, it means that we gain access to those subtle energy levels of the universe that exist independently of our knowledge of them. If […]
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Absorbing and emitting light are aspects of spiritual growth. What are some of the steps along this path? The Alchemical Process of Containing Fine Energy Fourth Way authors speak of spiritual growth as analogous to the ancient practice of alchemy; that is, the transformation of base metals to more refined ones. The human machine is […]
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Can We Stand to See Ourselves? Everybody stands before a mirror and, instead of himself, sees somebody else. — Ouspensky, The Fourth Way People live their lives in a state of sleep and have an imaginary idea of who they are. Working towards awakening requires a third force. If one only has the first force of […]
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