Man, a Tri Cerebral Being (Gurdjieff Ouspensky)

MAN A TRI-CEREBRAL BEING

an extension to the notes of Leon McLaren, based on the work of Ouspensky June 2000

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HEAD

HEART

BELLY

figure 1 The minds available to man are by no means limited to one; in this simple scheme we show three cerebral centres, located at the head, the hart and the belly. Indeed, the complex structure of body, body organs, body cells, organic molecules, atoms and the rest, could not be managed and made coherent if there were not within man intelligences capable of managing these greatly different worlds. When, ordinarily, we speak or think of mind, we refer only to that small part of ordinary intellect of which we are aware, and in which we are conscious. There is much more to it than that, as the feats of men of great intellect plainly demonstrate. • •

When a man is all head, he cannot do anything, despite his theories. When he is all belly (body), he never stops doing and is forever running his poor head into brick walls. • When he is all heart, he wanders ineffectually through a sentimental swamp of noncomprehension. To be all one is hopeless; all three are necessary. The head is best disposed when it is clear, cool, silent and present. Its function is: • to observe • to direct and • keep order. It must be watchful in order properly to fulfil its function. The heart cannot work well when it is filled with feelings for ourselves, anxieties, fears, expectations and all the rest. To feel for others; that is its function. The body, centred in the belly, is concerned with sustained effort, physical skill, fortitude, endurance, ambition and the rest. It must be • ready, • sensitive, • prepared for action.

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REASONING PRINCIPLE

FEELING PRINCIPLE

ACTIVE PRINCIPLE

figure 2 The three parts, familiarly called head, heart and belly, are all related to three great principles in us; • the reasoning principle, • the feeling principle and • the active principle. To understand man, and to understand the sensory world of sights, scents, sounds, tastes and sensations in which he moves, one must understand the threefold nature of man. The reasoning principle, the feeling principle, and the active principle are the three great principles within him. Each of them has its own nature, work, way of viewing the world, and way of responding to it. All movements in the body are initiated and executed by the nervous system under the direction of the active principle. This is the function which carries us about and does our work for us. At other times, when the active principle rules us, we act and react, sensitive to every stimulus, seeing everything as an opportunity for action. Then indeed are we busy. The feeling principle working through the nervous system lends a quality to our movements, according to our inner state at the time. Thus, our movements may be violent as when we slam a door in rage. They may be very gentle, as when we are caring for a sick child. All the nuances of our inner state express themselves in the way we sit, stand, carry ourselves, talk, hold our faces, and the rest. Most of the time, we are oblivious of this. When feeling holds sway, we see the world and ourselves differently. Our responses are different; our actions are different; for the time we are feeling people. The reasoning principle cannot initiate or execute any movement by itself. It can give a general direction, which may or may not be obeyed by the body. It provides the available information necessary for delicate movement, but it does not initiate or execute movements. What it can do is restrain or stop any movement, as when one is taking care, or arrests a movement that has already begun. At those times when reason predominates in us, we see the world and ourselves as reason sees them; we act as reason would have us act; and respond as reason would have us respond. Then we are wholly reasonable. This simple structure enables us to start our investigations of the three great principles within us, in a very simple way. 3

If we watch our movements, we shall come to know the action of all three systems; we shall learn what they do and what makes them do it. There are times to be reasonable; times to feel; and times to act. We should know which is which. Reason gives us one view of the world and ourselves feeling another, the active principle a third. We should know which is which. Some people are by nature predominantly reasoning; some predominantly feeling; others predominantly active. Many are naturally equipped to act equally in two of these principles. None is naturally equipped to act equally in all three. This requires effort. The even development of all three principles makes a man whole. Knowledge of these three principles is necessary to wholeness; it is discovered in experience. The even development in them is necessary to wholeness; it is achieved by practice. Knowledge and practice lead to understanding. Therefore, let us turn our attention to the study of these three principles.

exercise : Let us watch our movements during the day, without interfering, so often as we can remember. Look for the work of the three systems.

People sometimes find that when they begin to watch themselves walking, they begin to stumble and be awkward. This is because they never watch without interfering. The only thing they can do is to check or stop movement; with the result that they trip themselves up. Now we must learn to watch without interfering. For this purpose, the mind must be silent, the body in view as a whole, and the vision open. In this state, we can watch without interfering. If we do not interfere, we see what happens.

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REASONING PRINCIPLE

FEELING PRINCIPLE

MOVEMENT SEX INSTINCT

figure 3 The active principle divides into three: • sex, • movement and • instinct. This combination of sex, movement and instinct, is by far the most potent force in ordinary man. We may think of sex, for the time being, as the powerhouse of the body, lending its strength to all the other parts. The propagation of the species is only a small part of the work of sex. Each of the minds / principles shown in figure 3 has it own time corresponding to the inner world it has to manage. instinct The mind that is concerned with the cells in the body, co-ordinating their activity during their short lives, is instinct, the Mind of Nature in us. To perform its task it has to be much faster than ordinary mind of which we are aware. It is securely hidden from our awareness, lest we interfere. We are only aware of it in grave emergency. The instinctive intelligence rarely troubles us. lt is primarily concerned with the inner economy of the body. It has to manage the smooth working of the bodily organs and the great population of body cells. It deals with the ever-changing environment in which the body moves, adjusting internal arrangements accordingly. It deals with disease and matters of that kind. It is also directly concerned with life, and the preservation of the species. It knows what it needs to know from the very start. If it did not, we should not be here. Such messages as the small waking part of intellect receives from this great intelligence are commonly vague and uncertain, seeming to be generally diffused throughout the body. Such are pleasure, pain, delight, sorrow, and all the host of opposite sensations linked with these. Sometimes, pain is specific and sharp, when instinct would rouse intellect to some useful 5

decision. Often, it is vague and general, a kind of displeasure. Most of our lives are ruled by these vague sensations. We seek out the pleasurable and run from the painful. The range of speeds and perception of this intelligence is vastly greater than that of ordinary intellect, even at its best. It has to deal with frequencies, which affect the tiny body cells as well as those, which affect the body as a whole. There is growing evidence that its range reaches far into the radio band. Thus, a very high frequency transmitting station can interfere with the migration of birds, so that they fly in circles about it. When it shuts down, they are released to take up their course again. Sometimes, in life-and-death situations, it shows us its range and power. It is very clear, very cool, and very silent. But it knows what needs to be done. feeling The mind concerned with the molecular life of the body, whose lifetimes are measured in seconds, is feeling. It is the action of hormones in the blood that we vaguely know as feelings. For this purpose, the feeling mind has to be very fast. What mind in us is specially fitted to know simple goodness? It is the feeling intelligence in the heart of the brain. At full range and power, it reaches down to the molecular level, controlling the chemistry of the body, and as far out the other way. In us, it works but weakly, and is easily overwhelmed. It is the seat of awe, devotion, sincerity and love. How often, and for how long, do we stand in awe before the miracle of creation? How often, and for how long, are we devoted to the pursuit of good? How often, and for how long, are we sincere with ourselves? How often, and for how long, do we love? The enemy of feeling is attention captured, or identification as it is sometimes called. When we become involved in things, identifying ME with them, emotional power runs out of us in deceptive imaginings. moving The moving mind is closely associated with instinct, and has a similar speed. reasoning The reasoning mind is naturally equipped to look outwards and view the external world. Informed by the five senses sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch, it forms a picture of the outside world and shows us our way about it. This mind has to learn nearly everything from experience. We can think of it in the young child as being like a clean sheet of wax ready to receive impressions. From these impressions, it forms its picture of the world and is the chart on which it would have the growing being move. It has its own speed and range. Its range is very limited; thus, it can receive only one octave of light, eight octaves of sound, and so on; but there are many more. So also is its range of speeds limited, as we shall presently see. When this mind is clear and alert, working fast, everything about us seems to slow down; 6

the faster the mind, the slower appearances; the slower the mind, the faster appearances. If we are in a very dull state, things seem to be happening all over the place and we do not know where we are. Again, when this mind is clear and open, free of imaginings and circling thoughts, do not colours appear much keener and brighter than when it is dull and confused? Does this not mean that the range of colours being observed has enlarged, so that more frequencies are being received? And again, when the mind is clear and open, is not the view enlarged, so that much more is seen at once? This mind, when silent and clear, is valuable. It shows us the world about us as it appears, and can penetrate behind appearances to the relationships between things and the order under which they work. It looks outwards.

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PARTS OF PRINCIPLES Principle

Moving

Emotional

Intellectual

Watchman

REASONING

Formation of ideas Storage of impressions Classification

Love of knowledge

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Discovery

Awakener

FEELING

MOVING

Rough sense of fun Crowd emotion

Love of truth Desire to create

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Conditioned reflexes

Delight in movement (sport, skill, rhythm)

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Creation

Invention

Love of life

INSTINCTIVE

Simple reflexes

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Life

figure 4 (moving parts) Each principle has three parts: • a moving part, • an emotional part and • an intellectual part. 8

the moving part of the reasoning principle The first function of the moving part of the reasoning principle is to watch; it is the watchman in us. It watches in the double sense of the word; it looks out to see what is abroad and watches over what is within; it is at once a sentinel and a guard. Sometimes we look out, because our eyes happen to be open and we have nothing better to think about; occasionally, we watch to see what is happening. Again, we do many things during the day while thinking busily of something else. Occasionally, we watch what we are doing; taking care to see that it is well done. This watching is the act of the watchman. Then, there is an inward watching. For example, most of the time, our looks betray our feelings; at times, we see our inner state and make an effort not to show it. This information, leading to restraint, reaches us through the watchman. Or again, the watchman spots a hasty word before it is spoken, and the word is checked. The transmission of this inner seeing is his inner work. Another function of the moving part of the reasoning principle is the formation of ideas. Rarely are we aware of this unceasing activity. Impressions are constantly falling on this part of the reasoning principle during waking hours. Out of the impressions so received, it busily forms ideas. Ideas about people, places, occupations, political, scientific and religious questions, are gathered in this way. This formation of ideas needs watching, for ideas are potent things capable of shaping our lives. The impressions falling on this part may result from clear observation; but they may equally consist of things half seen and half heard; they may be imagined, dreamt, or borrowed from other opinions; or may be produced by internal disorder. Thus error may accumulate in us and we not know it. Just occasionally we realise that an idea about some person, thing or situation was formed out of a mistaken view. This function, the formation of ideas, leads to another, the storage of ideas in memory. For this purpose, the moving part of the reasoning principle stores all ideas in pairs, so that if one is summoned to the waking mind, the other comes also. People commonly couple such ideas as man and woman, high and low, night and day, east and west, black and white, and so on. This method of storing information in the form of ideas is convenient, but we need to remember that it is only a method of storing them and nothing more. If the watchman is not on guard, we easily fall into the trap of imagining the world is divided into twos. This is not so. From this mistake, an easy step reduces all our thinking to chaos. We have only to imagine that these pairs are opposites; that man is the opposite of woman, high or low, night or day, east of west, black or white; and so on. This imagined opposition not merely divides the world into twos, but into quarrelling twos. This fills the world with discord, an unhappy and unnecessary state. A little thought soon shows us how false this notion of duality is. A thing is high to us when we have to reach up to it; low, when we have to reach down. High and low are related to our body. Day is the light of the sun falling upon the earth; and it continually shines on it. Night is the shadow cast by the earth. Night and day are related to the earth. Man and woman are related in their common humanity. Find the third point and duality disappears!!!! 9

The functions of the moving part of the reasoning principle are: • to watch and watching, • to form ideas and watching the formation of ideas, • to store them in memory, • to watch over the body, take care of it, restraining it when necessary. Clarity is its quality; precision its method, silence its condition.

the moving part of the feeling principle The first function of the moving part of feeling is to awaken; it is the awakener in us. It awakens us out of bed in the morning; it brings us back to ourselves when we are called by name; it alerts us in emergency. Another function of the moving part of feeling is to set us laughing. It has a rough sense of fun. Laughter cleanses. To awaken and cleanse; this is the function of the moving part of feeling. A third function of this part is to make us members of a greater body, as on solemn occasions when we become one with nation, church, or other community. Then, for a moment, we belong. But feeling in its moving part is easily overwhelmed and easily poisoned. We are no sooner awakened, than we fall asleep again. Laughter may turn vicious. We may readily become one of a mob. The heart is foolish; it needs the clarity, precision and silent guidance of the head. It needs the watchman.

the moving part of the moving division of the active principle The moving part of the moving division of the active principle consists of conditioned reflexes. Training, experiment, imitation and resistance may produce these. The training may be good or bad; imitation is a chancy business. How much depends on the chance of family, education, business associates, friends and the like. Training is very important to this part. Both head and heart have a part to play. This moving part of the moving division of the active principle carries us about all day, does our work, plays our games, and is generally busy. It can be raised to high levels of skill; it can be very incompetent. It not only walks, stoops, runs, sits down, gesticulates, and plays cricket, but it adds up, subtracts, multiplies, argues, talks, conducts conversations, writes, reads, and anything else it has learnt to do.

the moving part of the instinct division of the active principle The moving part of instinct consists of simple reflexes. There are very many in the body. We know a few external reflexes. Such is the blink of the eye when some object passes near it; the retraction of the toes if the sole of the foot is tickled. These simple reflexes are, 10

however, mainly concerned with the internal economy of the body. As a rule, this works well enough, and we need not trouble further about it at this stage.

exercise : These examples of the work of the moving part of the three great principles show us what to look for. We must learn to see this inner activity while remaining wide-awake to what is happening around. Thus we begin to learn how the world, as it appears to us, depends on what part of us is looking, and the state of that part. Most of the time, people live in the moving parts of the three great principles. While they live there, they are governed by them. We need to know how they work and what they do.

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figure 4 (emotional parts) To bring order into the moving parts of the three great principles, they must be seen. This is the beginning. But they cannot bring order into themselves. Within every one of us the emotional powers are ready to order the moving parts of all the principles and bring them under control. They are not evenly developed in us; if they were, we could be whole. But there they are, one great step nearer to truth than the moving parts. If you would find the emotional powers within us • the love of knowledge, • the love of life and • the love of truth and by their calm, sustaining power be filled with a desire to create a new man in us, free from confusion, stumbling and falsehood, a man made after the image of our true self, then we must be prepared to pay the price. And this price is none other than to give up all that is false. Just as in this world no desire may be gratified, except a person forego those things which would frustrate it, and just as a runner who would win a great race must forego those things which would put him out of condition to run swiftly, so a man would come under truth and find his true self must pay the appropriate price. Consider the world of opinion. To have true opinions, a man must give up false opinions. People are often wedded to their own opinions, and be ever ready to do violent battle in their defence. But they may be mistaken opinions, and the man holding them, though he profess to be seeking truth, may be deluded. His clinging is his downfall. When someone or something gives us offence, are we apt to nurse that offence, dwell on it, savour it to the full and speculate on how it might be used as the righteous basis for actions and words too unrighteous for us normally to contemplate? We are miserable, we know it and, in a curious way, we like it. There are some who love being miserable, professionals at the game. Similarly, in the field of action, if a man is to find true ways of working, he must first give up the false ways he has laboriously acquired. But it is not easy to unlearn ways of working that have become habitual. How only is a man enabled to unlearn his habitual ways of working? Must he not first see, with precision, what his ways of working really are? If these ways have become habitual, will this not require the exercise of considerable attention? Seeing falsity in ourselves, what alone can give us the power gladly to sweep it all away? Is it not the love of knowledge, the love of life and the love of truth within us? These three – love of knowledge, love of life and love of truth – evenly developed and harmoniously joined, unite in the love of wisdom. Under the power of philosophy, a man’s powers, like diverse objects scattered in a magnetic field, turn all on way towards the centre of attraction. Love of wisdom is the magnetic field; truth its centre.

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figure 4 (intellectual parts) It belongs to the intellectual parts of the three principles to bring man to the way, the truth and the life. It belongs to the reasoning principle to discover the way; to the active principle to bring a man to life; and to the feeling principle to create the light of truth in him. And it belongs to the moving division of the active principle to invent the means by which the way, the truth and the life may be made actual in practice. These intellectual parts cannot bring us to the way, the truth and the life, so long as we harbour, nourish and pamper the false image of ourselves, which is called ME. Little by little, we have to discover the forms and shapes of ME and root them out. Only in this way can we ever know our true self.

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PARTS OF PRINCIPLES Principle

Moving

Emotional

Intellectual

Watchman

REASONING

Formation of ideas Storage of impressions Classification

Love of knowledge

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Circling thought Inner conversations Simple associations Imaginings (ME)

Attachment to ideas, theories, creeds Suppression of thought

Discovery

Awakener

FEELING

MOVING

Rough sense of fun Crowd emotion

Love of truth Desire to create

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Depression and fear Excitement and elation

Attachment to rituals, forms, ceremonies, beliefs Superstition Persecutions Fanaticism

Conditioned reflexes

Delight in movement (sport, skill, rhythm)

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Thinking about movements

Cruelty, Torture

Creation

Invention

Love of life INSTINCTIVE

Simple reflexes

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Life

Struggle for “my” life Suppression of competitors Maintenance of caste by force

figure 5 : the negative aspect of the moving part

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negative aspect in the moving part of the thinking principle In our sleeping state, when we are not aware of what is happening within us, so that the principles within us work in the dark, confusion reigns. Each is busily trying to do the others work. Its energy is literally in the wrong place. So common is it for the moving part of one principle to try to do the work of another, that we commonly associate this misplaced effort with the other principle. Now we must know this unnecessary effort for what it is. The first example is circling thought. Do we not know the buzz in the head when thoughts chase their own tails, repeating, repeating and repeating? This is the work of the active principle in the wrong place. It fills our heads with noise, disturbing our sleep, distracting us from work, interfering with our pleasures, and burning up energy. Once it is fairly started, it is not easily stopped. When the reasoning principle has gone to sleep at night, the active principle does not. This is because this circling thought has been in continuous operation all night. During the day, the necessary activities of the day hold our attention, checking it. At night, the restraining power of reason is withdrawn. There is nothing to stop it. These spinning words can work us into a rage with husband, wife or child; poison relationships in offices; raise us to foolish expectation of some delight, which then must disappoint; or lower us into depression from which we cannot lift. Beware this dangerous amusement. Learn to stop. Only when one stops it does one really see it for the useless performance it is. Only then does one see its danger. It is the power of the active principle in the wrong place, power needed for action wasted in idleness. Our next example is inner conversations. In these, we rehearse events. Saying all the things we could not think of at the time. In these, we postulate conversations, which are yet to take place, arguing with a ventriloquist’s dummy in the head. How different the event proves to be. They too are the work of the active principle in the wrong place. We give ourselves, in these inner conversations, all sorts of reasons for indulging them. We explain to ourselves that we are preparing for the event, or that we are learning form experience; but it is not so. All we are doing is deceiving ourselves. These inner conversations are not true. When we stop them, we see that they are not true. Therefore, let us stop them. The third example of the work of the active principle in the wrong place is simple association. We are travelling on a bus and see a child carrying a particular type of satchel. We recall a schoolmate of our own who carried a similar satchel; and that the last time we met they were en route for the Mediterranean – or perhaps it was Egypt, where the Pyramids are, and the Pharaohs. In no time at all we are miles and centuries away, transferred in time and place on a chain of simple associations. When we stop this foolish irrelevance, we shall discover a wonderful economy and conservation of energy. Each of these activities in the wrong place is the work of the active principle in us, but they include in increasing degree another misplaced activity, imaginings. This is the work of the heart. 15

Everyone has his favourite pattern of imaginings. Let us discover what it is. Men commonly rescue gorgeous females; girls make conquests. Then, there is the office girls dream. Sitting on a swivel chair before a silent typewriter, she pictures herself basking in the sun on a golden beach, with her dream man close at hand. Or, there is the comfortable ascetic, ensconced in a soft chair before a warm fire, who pictures himself saving his soul in a bare cell with a hair shirt. These dreams are not important, for they do not deceive us. It is those we believe which damage. These are the lies we have learnt by heart. The only way to discover the lies we have told ourselves until we believe them is to stop imaginings. In particular, each one of us has painted a false picture of himself, which deceives no one but himself. This is the deepest lie of all. What have these things, circling thought, inner conversations, simple association and imaginings, to do with reason? Nothing. Where is clarity, precision and silence now? Keep the power of the active principle in its right place, ready for action. There it is wholly good. In the wrong place, clouding, confusing and deafening the head, it is wholly bad. See this by stopping it, and learn that nothing is bad except it be in the wrong place. Therefore, practice stopping the activity of the active principle in the head, and return its power to the right place. Only the watchman, in his observation post of the head, can bring order to these parts. This is the first function of the moving part of reason.

negative aspect in the moving part of the feeling principle The poor heart is attacked from two sides, from above and from below. Attacked by the active power, the heart races and the temperature rises. It is excited or elated. Excitement takes many forms, from simple excitement, through anger, rage, hysteria. This is the flooding of the active power. If not burnt by the active power, the moving part of feeling is chilled by the head. This makes the hard heart. The action of the moving part of reason in the heart produces depression and fear. One is going to meet another. What does he think of me? Asks his head. His heart trembles. What will he think if I say this or do that? Asks his head. The heart is frozen. This is favourite practice of most heads, to be wholly concerned with what the other man thinks of this one. Excitement and depression in all their manifold forms; these we normally call emotion. As a matter of fact they are not emotion. Emotion is silent, still and detached. It has no thought of self. It is not forever changing; it is constant. Emotion will keep a man working all the days of his life in search of truth. The heart needs protection; protection from the flooding power of the active principle, protection from the cold caution of the head. Only the watchman in his place in the silent head can protect the heart from this double assault. Only then can we gradually learn what emotion is. Sometimes it is called the control of attention, sometimes the control of sense, sometimes the guarding of the heart; it is all the same thing.

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negative aspect in the moving part of the active principle The plague of the moving part of the moving division of the active principle is the moving part of reason. It is forever interfering, trying to execute movements, which it cannot. The result is, we stumble. We try to watch our walking and trip over our feet. We try to speak with our heads and get tongue-tied. We must learn to watch and not interfere. Leave to the moving part of this principle the execution of movement. We know the difference between trying to learn to ride a bicycle and that moment when the moving division takes over, and it is easy. We know the same in learning to swim. It is like that.

remarks on negative aspects To change any one of these ailments, and restore the misplaced energy to the right place, we must proceed by steps. First, we must see what is happening while it is happening. For example, we must see the thought circling in our heads while it is circling. Recollection is no use, for we cannot change what has already happened. Seeing the thought circling in the head, exactly what it is, we must learn to cut it off in full flight. Then something is changed. We cannot change anything in theory; we can only change it in practice. There is one simple reason, one deep reason beyond all others, why we should wish to change these things. The reason is they are not true. Because the three principles have each their own nature, each is true or false in its own way. True ideas belong to the reasoning principle; a true friend to the feeling principle; and a true craftsman to the moving division of the instinctive-moving principle. The first step is to see what is happening in each principle in us, while it is happening; to discover, each for himself, his own falseness, so that it may be cleansed. This observation is only possible when the watchman is in place. To put him in place, we must practise, two or three times in every day; and our practice is to bring the body into view whole, silence thought, and open the vision, so that we see what is happening within and without at the same time. This practice at quiet times puts us in the right condition. Then, unexpectedly during the day, it shows us exactly what is happening in a particular moment. No happiness is like to that in which the reasoning powers, the feeling powers and the active powers move together. The light we need is the light of consciousness. Until it dawns, we must use the light of the mind and shine it on the principles within us to see what is happening.

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figure 5 : ME (in the moving parts) Why do people cling to false opinions, circling thought, inner conversations, simple association and imaginings; why do they cultivate their depressions and excitements; and why do they hold on to incompetence? What makes people oppressive, cruel and hateful? watch this ME, and see its functioning. It assumes any guise to suit any occasion. ME claims body, life, sensations, feelings, thoughts, ways of doing things, and ways of not doing things, anything and everything he makes his property. If someone or something casts a doubt on a belief to which ME has become attached, are we not most offended And similarly, do we not cling to ways of doing things, which have become ‘my’ way of doing things? We could add to the list forever; reputation, other people’s opinions of ME, what other people are saying about ME, thinking about ME. A twitch of the eye, an intonation of the voice, a derogatory movement incenses ME. For ME has feelings, and ME’s feelings should be respected. Then ME has its saintly form. In this shape, it will endure anything – until its patience is exhausted! After all, even for a saint, there are limits! Look into circling thoughts; there is ME. Look into imaginings; they revolve round ME. Observe the body at work, and see ME interfere. Some work is ‘too much for me’; some is ‘beneath me’ and ME really ought no to be expected to do it. From this inner claiming, ME steps out. There is ‘my’ wife, ‘my’ husband, ‘my’ child, ‘my’ work, ‘my’ hobby, ‘my’ car and everything else. What is this ME? It is the false image of oneself which has sunk into one’s very being. No part of one is safe from it. It claims everything. This creature of imaginings, who began to grow in us when we learnt to talk, is false as it is fickle and inconstant. It is a denial of our true self, our true nature and our true place. From now on, let us watch for it, and see it for what it is. What a man sees depends far more on what, in him, is looking and where he is looking from, rather than upon how he looks - that is to say the degree of his attention. All these factors affect the quality of his observations, and the quality of a man’s observations at any time is a direct indication of the level of his being at that moment. We must remember that for, any observation to take place there must be two poles. There is the observer, the subject, who looks at that which is observed, the object. Out of this looking the observation arises. It will be appreciated that the quality of the observation, which arises, is greatly dependent upon the nature of the observing subject. Have we noticed how the same thing, the same person or the same situation can undergo quite sudden and dramatic metamorphosis, so that at one moment it is seen in one way, and then, a little later, it is seen quite differently. Observation covers all the senses, but for simplicity we will take ”sight” as an example and ask ourselves “how do we see, and how do we know we are seeing?” First there are the eyes, which receive rays of light. But the eyes by themselves could not see. They need the sensory organisation. Through it, rays of light are converted into nerve impulses, which form an image in the visual cortex. This is the work of the sensory 18

organisation of which we are totally unaware. We first become aware of this image in the visual cortex when it is observed by the watching intellect. The impression is received and cognised. At this stage the impression has a neutral quality. So far, the first level of observation has been the work of the sensory organisation. The second level is the work of the watching intellect. Now, the neutral impression is presented for our attention. It is evaluated, and in this evaluation a significance is attributed to it. It is no longer neutral. Most frequently, incoming impressions are met with and evaluated by a host of preconceptions, prejudices, personal likes and dislikes – these, ever changing, and subject to all manner of external influences, which include that feckless character whom we have called “ME”. These impressions are related to my theories, to my feeling, to my way of doing things, to my conduct of my private life. “ME” is the evaluator, and out of the impressions received “ME” builds its own world, which is wholly related to itself. ’ME’ is not the ultimate observer reaping the fruits of observation. The proof is very simple. Did we not all recognize the description of its activity? Must it not then have been the object of observation? The key to the study of observation is to remember that I am the observer, I am the subject, and I can never be anything, which I see, no matter how hateful or how holy.

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figure 5 (negative parts of the emotional parts) Love of knowledge, love of life end love of truth are wholly creative. But their emotional power may readily be turned destructive. Love of knowledge leads men to form ideas, theories and creeds to help them find the way to truth. Only too easily, they become attached to ideas, theories, or creeds, so that they imagine these ideas, theories and creeds are true, and all others are false. Then, wholly seized by this dire attachment, in the name of knowledge they suppress thought. Instead of loving knowledge, they passionately adhere to particular ideas, theories, or creeds, and hate all others. By this twist, they defeat knowledge so far as they are able. Thus the love of knowledge becomes mere attachment to ideas, theories, creeds etc. the very antithesis of love of knowledge, leading to suppression of thought. Before anyone can begin on the way of knowledge, they must have some notion that knowledge does exist, and that it is possible for it to be found; that it is possible to know. Therefore they set out in search of it. They become devoted to this pursuit of knowledge. Through their observations and experience they collect certain facts and information, which appear to be helpful and leading in the right direction. Very naturally they look for some order in these; some system connecting the facts. So theories are constructed in the hope that the theory will open the way to further knowledge. But then it is so easy to forget why the theory was constructed, and instead of using the theory as a method of opening the way to further knowledge and, experience, somehow the theory assumes the position of knowledge itself. What began as a means takes on the guise of an end. There may be many avenues of approach to knowledge, but a man finds one particular avenue of approach and, forgetting about the great concept with which he began, he attempts to suppress all others who are proceeding by any other road. Watch this working in ourselves; how the attachment to ”my theory” prevents one from looking any further. What has this to do with love of knowledge? Nothing. It is devotion to ignorance. Suppression of thought, which often begins in the name of knowledge, soon becomes a means of power over men, the instrument of the oppressor. Similarly love of truth, and the desire to create, forms beliefs, rituals, ceremonies and the like, in which the knowledge of the heart may be made manifest. Again, too easily, men become attached to particular rituals, forms, ceremonies and beliefs, fervently imagining that these alone lead to truth and give shape to creation. So dreadful is it, in their fevered view, that men should pursue other rituals, forms, ceremonies and beliefs, that for the men’s own sake they will persecute. Because the moving division of the active principle gladly serves the rest, delight in movement can be perverted as love of knowledge and love of truth may be perverted and become the creature of their perversion. In this fell task it shows itself in cunningly devised cruelties and tortures. When love of life becomes love of ’my’ life, it sees all other life as competitive. This force then readily turns to a struggle for existence; shows itself in suppression of competitors; maintenance of caste by force; and other devices of this kind. We should remember that the man in whom love of life is dominant, enjoys life flowing 20

through him. He is animated by the life flowing through him. For that man, it is never ’his’ life. He may use it, but it is not his. It enters the body when he is born, and when he dies it departs. But life itself goes on. It is whole. It is one. It animates all things. This is the love of life that Instinct knows about. Clearly, this is love of life as a whole, as distinct from ”my life”, and it is characteristic of the emotional parts of these principles that they are equipped to consider things in their wholeness. Thus, love of knowledge is concerned with knowledge of the whole; love of truth is concerned with the whole truth; love of life with the life that animates all things. ME vitiates the emotional power of the three great principles and turns it destructive. We have to thank two things for our relative freedom from extreme disorders in the emotional parts of these principles: • first we must thank the restraining power of tradition and law, • second we must thank the simple fact that the emotional parts of the three great principles flow weakly in us, so that we gain only a whiff of their destructive power; but we must watch for these whiffs, and see them for what they are.

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the enemies in the three great principles The enemies in the three great principles available to us all arise from inattention. The enemy of reasoning is mechanical thinking, thinking in twos, circling thought, and a flat mechanical view of the universe. All these are rooted in habit, and gain their strength from mere repetition. This repetitive power is considerable for they respond to accustomed stimuli quite automatically. To see mechanical thinking, one has to stop it. One has to exercise control over these mechanical processes, and not let them run away with us like a bolting horse startled by a shadow. Mechanical thinking is always based on a fallacy. Thus, we think of pleasant and unpleasant, wet and dry, hot and cold, and completely forget the third point. The enemy of feeling is emotional involvement in everything and everybody. It is a state of captured attention, begetting imaginings and lying. Let us ask ourselves, in all sincerity how often and for how long do we lie to ourselves, deliberately deceiving ourselves? How much of our emotional energy is eaten up in vain justifications and excuses? Emotional involvement reduces everything to a narrow, personal level. It overthrows judgement, confuses the mind, and leaves us helpless to know, what is good or what is true. The enemy of movement is idle repetition, and of all idleness the worst is idle talk. What energy is wasted in this; how friends are torn to shreds; vain criticism made a pedestal for a foolish critic; and every kind of foolishness is uttered, and in uttering is impressed upon the mind. The only way to discover the depths to which idle chatter sinks is to stop it. Stop it, and see what it is doing. No thing we do is so damaging to ourselves and others as unnecessary talk. Let us consider. There are of course the obvious examples of talking for talking’s sake, which we all recognise. But what about talking when no one is listening. There may be someone standing before us but if he is not listening to what is being said, there can he no point in continuing the conversation. At this stage further speech is useless and quite unnecessary. There are two ways of not listening: • a man may not be listening because he is thinking of other things quite removed from the subject of the conversation; • or he may not be listening to what is being said in the sense that he is furiously rehearsing what he intends to be his next contribution to the conversation. In either case our continued talk can be serving no useful purpose. In order to discover whether a man is listening or not requires the exercise of attention. To speak as though we know something we do not know is to lie. Why do we find ourselves compelled to lie in this way, and would you not agree that this is also unnecessary? Certain valuable lessons emerge from this enquiry.

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• •

•

The first is that in order to know what we are saying, we have to be present and listening to our own voice at the time of speaking. This requires the exercise of attention. That is, to be here now. Second, in order to know that what we say is being received, also requires the exercise of attention, so that we know not only something about ourselves, but also something about the other person. Again, this is only possible when we are here now. And thirdly, in any conversation there are only two profitable activities – talking or listening. When we recognise any aspect of our talk as unnecessary, the right action is to stop and listen.

Only with practice shall we discover the full power of listening. When anyone is speaking to us, let us make it a rule that we listen. By listening the mind is stilled, the noisy inner conversations, which swamp the incoming impressions, are silenced, and in this silences and stillness the attention very naturally expands to its full range. Let us use these habits of unnecessary talking, in which we all share, to wake us up. They can act as alarm clocks, bringing us to ourselves, showing us where we are, silencing the mind, and giving us power to let go of these useless things.

exercise: Here is a simple device for us to practice whenever we remember. If we find we are about to repeat something we have said before then do not speak it again without first considering whether it is really necessary – if it is not necessary then remain silent.

This is the way in which the power consumed by useless habits can be turned to advantage. If we learn to recognise unnecessary talk – whether it be merely talking for talking’s sake, talking as though we know what we do no know, idle justification, or furious inner conversations engendered by some imaginary offence –and recognise it at the time of speaking, we shall find that the very energy which is being consumed in these unnecessary performance will serve to wake us up, still the mind, and power the attention. Thus the energy we need for inner development is at hand and flowing. Through the action of watchfulness, it is transformed from the power of self-destruction to the power needed for self-creation.

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Ordinary Intellect

Higher Intellect

Feeling

Higher Feeling

Moving Sex

Instinctive

figure 6 : higher Centres Higher intellect is the seat of consciousness, all else its reflection. It is the creative principle in man, his true self, and it knows all about him. We have no direct knowledge as yet. It is by far the most powerful centre. Many descriptions of its potency come down to us from men whose work proclaims their knowledge. Next in power are higher feeling and sex. Higher feeling unites, cleanses, make whole and conscious. It is the union in one new whole of all the emotional powers in man, in which love of knowledge, love of truth and love of life become one, the love of wisdom. It is the seat of philosophy and its constant aim is to attain the higher self in which wisdom is found.

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Ordinary Intellect

Higher Intellect

Feeling

Higher Feeling

Moving Sex

Instinctive

figure 7 : ME and the higher Centres

In ordinary men, intellect is cut off from higher intellect, and feeling from higher feeling. The barrier, which excludes ordinary men from these higher powers, is ME and the confused working of the ordinary powers. The barrier provides the resistance against which work may be done. No resistance, no work; work is necessary to strengthen the powers and prepare them for the great awakening. It is the work of philosophy to lead men to open that door in the heart where entrance may be made. Behind this barrier lies the treasure, which is the goal alike of philosophy and religion. While these higher powers remain thus closed against us, we are ruled by sex, by far the most powerful intelligence working in us. Sex does far more than ordinarily realised; procreation is only a small part of its work. 25

It is the energy-source for the whole machine. It sends the woman in search of a home and the man in search of a career. It is the power in courage, fortitude, sustained endeavour, battle; but it easily turns destructive. It is the strength of recklessness, vaulting ambition, the accumulation of vast riches, the crushing of competitors, and the trampling of nations underfoot. Beware of its flooding. When the power of sex floods into the other parts, it sets the heart racing and knocks the head silly, so that we imagine, say and do things, which we know at the time, but just too late, are disastrous. Alternately, at the bottom of its cycle, it hangs on us like a leaden weight, pulling us into unreasoning depression. This false working of sex with its overwhelming power may be brought under control, by ridding ourselves of those follies, which render it dangerous. This is done by work on the mind and the body. It is done by attention; by hearing what we learn in these discussions and putting it into practice. When our ordinary feeling is nourished and strengthened and cleansed of impurities, it rises in power above instinct and movement, until it attains the power of higher feeling itself. When this happens, the gate in the heart opens, and a man becomes conscious. Then may he enter into higher powers, into the so-called “fourth” room. This strengthening and cleansing begins in the reasoning principle. When it is clear and silent, detached and watching, it may guard the heart against the power of thought and excitement. It may nourish the heart by seeking out food for it. It may bring order into the moving parts. In this way, through the watchman, we begin to cleanse and purify feeling. When this is done, the gate will open. When feeling is pure, the gate will open.

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The Exercise Our practice is to bring the body into view, let the mind fall silent, and open awareness wide, and try to hold this silent open awareness for a few minutes; and to repeat this two or three times every day. We must bring the body into view to know that we are; let the mind fall silent so that we may a little hear and see; open awareness wide to know where we are; all three at once. This practice puts the watchman in place, so that both the outer and inner worlds are held in observation. Practised regularly each day when we may be quiet, it enables us to come to ourselves at odd moments during the day and see our situation as it really is. As we see a little beneath the surface in ourselves, seeing the inner confusions and how they may be stopped, we see behind the façade of others also; we see there what we have seen in ourselves; no more, no less. Sight becomes insight. At these rare moments when we look to ourselves, we see others as mirrors of ourselves; remember that. They show us, in themselves, what we may see in ourselves; no more, no less. Remembering that they mirror what we may see in ourselves, we do not judge them; for in judging them, we judge ourselves. Instead, they remind us sharply what we need to do in that very moment. We need to come to ourselves, bring our body into view, let the mind fall silent, and give them attention, wide and open; and behold, by this effort, they will do the same. Thus faithfully are we mirrored.

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