External Consideration

External Consideration

If inner-considering is the state of worrying what people think of us; of not being able to say what we wish to a person because of the fear of not being liked, and feelings that people do not value us as much as we think they should, how would external consideration manifest?

Just as inner-considering is based on imagination and identification, externally considering others requires an objective state of consciousness. Self-remembering then is a prerequisite.

To externally consider, first and foremost we must recognize in our Selves that which we observe in others. Only then can we fully appreciate what another is experiencing, and say or do what needs to be said or done with full knowledge, understanding and compassion. Peter Ouspensky records George Gurdjieff stating that external considering is a requirement for conscious development. Gurdjieff went on to say that in a school, students must externally consider each other ten times more than people who are not in a school. Whether or not we are in the School, we are mirrors for each other. And a mirror does nothing more than reflect an image as it is, without judgement, good or bad.

Leonardo da Vinci’s portrayal of St. Anne with Mary is one of the most sublime depictions of external consideration. Look at the expression on Mary’s face, then look at St. Anne. Then look at the expression on St. Anne’s countenance, and now look at Mary’s. The more we study this detail of Leonardo’s masterpiece, the more we understand our Self and how near or far we are to either of these portrayals.

Wishing you a Christmas and New Year filled with inconspicuous wordless presence.

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The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne. detail. Leonardo da Vinci, c 1503 - 1519

Louvre Museum, Paris, France