Knowledge + Being = Understanding

Knowledge + Being = Understanding

“Real knowledge, objective knowledge is knowledge which comes from higher mind.”─ P.D. Ouspensky

When we speak about knowledge in the Fourth Way, we are referring specifically to knowledge that has been passed down to us from ancient conscious sources and this esoteric knowledge helps explain the lifelong journey to know oneself. This knowledge is neither new nor does it belong to us. At the outset of self-discovery, we spend time learning about the fundamental ideas of the system such as the four states of consciousness, self-remembering, presence, man as a machine, the many ‘I’s, the study of lying, essence and personality, obstacles to awakening, etc., just to name a few. This knowledge and learning the special language of the Fourth Way system is the beginning of the Way. Though, it is also important to begin work on being simultaneously.

“There are two sides of man that must be developed, that is, there are two lines of possible development that must proceed simultaneously … knowledge and being.”─ P.D. Ouspensky

When we speak about “being” in the Fourth Way, we are referring to our experiences which are directly related to our efforts to be present; our ability to bring consciousness into our lives and remember ourselves. Being cannot grow by itself – it requires effort. When our being changes by acquiring more consciousness, we become less mechanical and more unified. When our being increases, we can acquire more knowledge. Initially, the most pronounced characteristic of our being is that we live most of our lives in sleep as stimulus response machines. Ouspensky writes, “The chief feature of our being is that we are many.” The trick is how to make the knowledge practical and even use the predictability of the machine towards consciousness. To do this, we learn about our machine, its weaknesses, strengths, preferences and where it falls asleep most predictably.

“Man is not bound to remain as he is; he can change.”─ P.D. Ouspensky

I think about being as the practical application of the work to test and verify the knowledge – to actively observe and act on the knowledge. Much of my study began by simply trying to remember myself while observing the four lower centers and recognizing which one is active at any one time. In fact, it became obvious which one dominated my choices and, therefore, is likely my Center of Gravity. By verifying my Center of Gravity, I could then see that I would most often become identified or asleep when circumstances evoked contradictions in my Center of Gravity. If we find out ways in which our machine is reliable and connect the aim to remember ourselves each time that reliable behavior or ‘I’ shows itself, we have multiplied our moments of presence by using a weakness. The Fourth Way is sometimes referred to as “the way of the sly man.”

I sometimes set aims to remember myself between telephone poles while driving on the highway and I was surprised at how difficult it was to be consistent in staying present and not forgetting the aim. We will all have chances to see ourselves and watch our being fluctuate each week as the new exercise is offered on this Facebook page. In all honesty, I have not remembered very consistently about closing doors and drawers with presence all day today. No judgment – I just begin again.

Another way to clearly expose and learn about our machines is by “doing what the machine does not wish to do” or struggling against small habits. For instance, if you have noticed that you prefer sitting on an aisle seat on an airplane or in chairs at the back of the classroom, you could experiment with sitting in a less desirable seat. In this way, you reveal to yourself patterns that may keep you asleep and then you have the opportunity to be awake when you interfere with these patterns. Perhaps the most positive change in being I have noticed is when I consistently desire consciousness more than comfort or preference.

“Understanding is a combination of knowledge and being … The idea of change of being is the most important idea of all … if we want to change something in our own understanding of the world, we must change something in ourselves … The aim is to reach higher states of consciousness and to be able to work with higher centres.” ─ P.D. Ouspensky

Join the discussion

Jahangir Preferring a Sufi sheikh to Kings, Bichitr, ca. 1620