The Marriage of Three Lines

The Marriage of Three Lines

Each week it is my intention to write a post that might be able to inspire in myself – as well as in you – to live more moments with more presence, infused with more consciousness. When experiences of life have firmly demonstrated that there must be something more to life than our mundane existence; when we are repelled from our sleep, and no longer can return to our former ways; when – against our own comfort – we perceive that there are “roads less traveled” that are in tune with our yearning for something greater than ourselves; it is then that we begin the long journey of self-discovery and search for higher meaning amidst our everyday routine. My hope was that this journey would help me to eventually rise above the mere biological necessities into a deeper understanding of my place in the world, even without clearly knowing where it would take me. This depth of understanding has grown and continues to grow. I hope that I can impart to you some of the knowledge that I have found most useful.

After meeting and studying the ideas of the Fourth Way and having found students practicing its philosophy, I eventually joined the School. I came to learn many practices within the Fourth Way tradition that kept me guided in the direction of a more mindful and conscious life. One of the significant practical tools was learning to balance my efforts using the Three Lines of Work.

An essential starting point is that all Three Lines of Work begin with remembering myself. On the First Line of Work – work on oneself, independent of others – I verified through persistent observations that imagination, negative emotions, identification, the many ‘I’s and other forms of sleep, interrupted my best efforts to remember myself and these distractions quickly diverted me from my aims. I realized how desperately I needed others to point out the blind spots where I would repeatedly fall away from valuing a higher state over some other concern of the lower self.

To my advantage, I live with another student of the Fourth Way, so I am in an environment where I can engage in Second Line of Work, which is work with – and on behalf of – other students. As I’m sure we have all experienced, living with another person is guaranteed to show us our habits of behavior and areas of sleep as well as clashing priorities such as what temperature to keep the thermostat, who mows the lawn, who takes out the trash, whose turn for washing dishes, cooking meals, walking the dog, completing finances and taxes, controlling the TV remote, etc. For example, I knew two Fourth Way students (a married couple) who lived together, and they worked with the aim of simply agreeing with one another. They realized that many things we think must be completed in a certain way – our way! – can be completed just as well by someone else using another method. Consequently, their aim of remembering themselves was first and foremost as they interacted and navigated the inevitable conflicts that did arise.

Regardless of a person’s type, center of gravity, or other attributes of essence, all are equally mechanical and have equally valid ways of living. The difference is not in how the lower self behaves, but how to engage Higher Centers as a priority despite the pull from the lower self. Second Line of Work is not primarily pointing out sleep in each other, but more importantly drawing others out of their mechanical habits into higher states, relinquishing efficiency for the development of Third Eye.

The Third Line of Work – work which directly benefits Higher School – is “the star to every wandering bark,” as Shakespeare expressed. It is, indeed, “the marriage of true minds,” where students support the aims of the Teacher and reach out to others to let them know about consciousness and the existence of School opportunities. All Three Lines of Work woven together make our possibilities greater, our efforts more consistent, and when one line is faltering, the other lines can be supportive until we regain balance and strength. There is a loving thread that carries us through to the experience of our higher selves.

Love is not love Which alters when it alteration finds Or bends with the remover to remove.─ Shakespeare

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The Honeysuckle Bower, Peter Paul Rubens