The Fourth Way and Esoteric Traditions
In researching Fourth Way material related to the subject of transformation, I suddenly became aware of its obvious etymology: trans (across) form. When we refer to the process, though, we usually intend a greater significance: a change of state. In general, transformation refers to a change in form, appearance, or nature, while transmutation implies a change that involves the transformation of one […]
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Times when a gentle gentle silence appears and as if for the first time we double hear Sounds, clear and distinct, bird or plane, upwards in the skies, each one its own instrument, in some same harmony. Where are they going? Makes You want to fly. Seeing is for real, a coffee cup, made from […]
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Talking to my nine-year-old granddaughter, I show her my drawing that accompanies this text. The boatman’s attempt to escape all the obstacles impresses her. So I dare to ask her a question of conscience: “What do you want to happen?” And she answers spontaneously: “May the boatman succeed in reaching the sunlight!” Our answer to […]
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Our journey toward presence must encompass every aspect of our lives; you cannot leave any part out. When you wake up in the morning and recognize the beauty of being alive, it inspires you to embrace the day with the intentionality and appreciation that life offers.
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Human actions are based upon the operation of the impressions stored in the mind through previous experiences. Every thought, emotion, and act are grounded in groups of impressions that, when considered objectively, are seen to be modifications of the mind. ~ Meher Baba (Discourses) In a broad way we can measure our efforts for self-remembering and […]
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How do we create being, and what is will? P. D. Ouspensky said, Only when one is conscious does one have unity, will, and the ability to love. In my own experience, working with the Fourth Way for half a lifetime, moments of will come from outside of our normal sense of self. They come […]
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The Story of Pinocchio The tale of the puppet Pinocchio who becomes a real boy begins in Tuscany. A carpenter named Master Antonio has found a block of pinewood to carve into a leg for his table. When he begins, however, the log shouts out. Frightened by the talking log, he gives it to his […]
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Rumi on the Transformation of a Soul through the Story of the Chickpea In the collected sayings of Rumi from the Mathnawi III, 4159-421, he describes how a chickpea is consumed by fire to become another kind of food altogether. Look at a chickpea boiling in the pot, leaping up when it feels the fire. […]
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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 […]
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The Christian tradition speaks of fire as a purification process. Other ancient traditions also speak of the heart on fire, with purification as a necessary step. In Dante’s Divine Comedy, fire and suffering are seen as a means of both purification and transformation. An angels speaks, in canto 27 of the Purgatorio: Holy souls, you […]
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