The Fourth Way teaches that the Law of Three is one of two cosmic laws. It states that every phenomenon, whether physical or psychological, is the result of three forces coming together in a moment. These forces are active, passive and neutral–or affirming, denying and harmonizing.
Let’s take the example of learning to play a musical instrument. The active force is the desire and effort to learn the instrument. The denying force is the difficulty in mastering it and the patience and long time it requires. One inevitably comes to a point where one thinks one is not progressing and maybe even wants to give up. A teacher provides the necessary third force, especially if one wants to reach a professional level.
Awakening also requires three forces. This is the reason that esoteric traditions emphasize the need for a true teacher.
But this celestial mechanism of practicing reversal in the midst of accord has a secret. It is communicated and passed on through word of mouth and through the heart; one must seek the guidance of the true teacher, for you cannot know it through arbitrary guesswork. –– Liu Yiming (18th c. Taoist master)
The Book of Changes
The title of the ancient Chinese book, The I Ching, means ‘the book of changes.’ This refers to the changes of yin and yang, whose interaction is the cause of all processes and phenomena in the universe. The I Ching only speaks about two of the three universal forces. For this reason many interpret the I Ching in different ways. There is an I Ching for romance and friendship, an I Ching for business, a medical I Ching, a Sorcerers I Ching, an I Ching for innovation, an I Ching to pick winners for horse racing and many more. Because of the universal nature of the three forces these interpretations are not necessarily wrong. However, the inner meaning of the I Ching can be clear only when one knows the ‘correct’ third force. Many hexagrams speak about the need to be correct.
Taiji symbol, China
Finding the Correct Path
So the path of great power is only beneficial when it is correct. Correct means correctly oriented, reasonably ordered. Orderly power means one has inner autonomy and self-control and the will is upright and correctly oriented. Outwardly one does not act arbitrarily and so one’s conduct is upright. — Liu Yiming, Hexagram #34 Great Power
The path of great power means, first and foremost, the path of creating inner autonomy through self-control, though which one gains great internal power. Doing this requires the correct third force.
Three-color Taegeuk symbol, Korea
The “yellow woman” is true intent; truthfulness links to the earth. With the yellow woman in the center, it is possible to harmonize yin and yang. — Liu Yiming, The Taoist I Ching, Hexagram #61 Faithfulness in the Center
True Intent and the True Meaning of the I Ching
Liu Yiming says that the yellow woman is the true intent, referring to a force that can harmonize yin and yang. The ideograph for (true) intent 「意」is made up of 「心- heart」below, 「日-sun」 in the middle and「立-rise up」above. The true intent refers to the impulse in one’s heart to make one’s internal sun rise and return to the presence of one’s higher self. This impulse to start and sustain self-awareness enables yin and yang to harmonize and awaken one’s original spirit. Any other intent, such as the impulse to make money, find a partner, or bet on a horse, is a deviation from the true meaning of the I Ching.
Hexagram #1, The Creative, the hexagram of pure yang with six yang lines ䷀, refers to the initiation and creation of almost any phenomenon or undertaking. Yang energy is firm and active energy. For example, the energy of spring is yang, bringing forth new life in nature. Because yang is firm and active it is masculine, while yin, being flexible and more passive, is feminine. If one takes yin to be literally a woman and yang a man, then one can come to the I Ching of Romance, especially since the yellow woman is here a ‘matchmaker.’
The intent is also called ‘go-between’ and Intention-Soil. Alchemical texts also call it Yellow Dame. ‘Yellow’ indicates that it pertains to the central agent Soil, and ‘dame’ means that it is the match-maker. This is a metaphor for the intermediary that allows the joining of Yin and Yang. The yellow woman harmonizes. — Liu Yiming
Conscious and Mechanical Yang Energy
Since people live their lives in the state of sleep, which serves as a prison, all activities they start are just a way to pass the time until they die, and have no real meaning compared to the activity of starting self-awareness.
What can be serious for a man in prison who is condemned to death? Only one thing: How to save himself, how to escape: nothing else is serious. –– Gurdjieff
A bud bursting through the skin of a branch is a manifestation of yang energy. So is self-awareness bursting forth through the veil of the many ‘I’s. The important difference is that a bud bursts forth by itself; it is mechanical yang energy. Self-remembering does not happen by itself; it is conscious yang energy.
Understanding the law of three, taking the true intent as the third force, one begins to start and prolong the presence of one’s higher self. This is the aim for which the I Ching stands.
Increase means augmenting insufficient celestial energy; to augment what is insufficient means adding from one yang until there are six yangs, so that finally positive celestial yang is pure and complete. –– Liu Yiming
Walther Sell has been a student of the Fourth Way for decades. He is the author of a website on Oriental esoteric teachings, Inner Journey to the West. See other articles by Walther for the FourthWayToday.org: Walter Sell articles.