The System Unlocks Religions

The System Unlocks Religions

It occurred to me that in many civilizations throughout history, there seems to have come a point at which the predominant religions or political and social circumstances of the time felt the need to quell mystical and esoteric branches. Perhaps esotericism was not well understood or that it posed questions that were uncomfortable and challenging to the status quo. It might even have been conceived of as a threat to the welfare of traditional spiritual practices endorsed by the majority – a bit too far afield from mainstream thought.

"I looked in temples, churches, and mosques. But I found the Divine within my heart." — Rumi

The word “esoteric” is defined by the Cambridge Dictionary as “very unusual and understood or liked by only a small number of people, especially those with special knowledge.” The term “esoteric” comes from the Greek 'esōterikos' and is derived from 'esōterō' meaning “inner” or “further inside.” G.I. Gurdjieff himself referred to the Fourth Way as “esoteric Christianity.”

Rodney Collin, a follower of P.D. Ouspensky, explains the relationship between religion and the Fourth Way by saying that “Our tradition is not itself religion, any more than it is astronomy or art. The Fourth Way is the way of harmonizing all sides of life, reconciling all truths. The source of our inspiration is from a place where there are no religions, only truth. It is the key to every branch of human experience, and especially to religion as the highest form of it. Only one must put this key in a lock and use it to open a door.”

Collin continues, “Beyond the system is God. Religion is the study of being rejoined with God. But if the system is used to unlock religion, then it becomes a conscious and understanding return to God. If we go ‘through’ a religion it is only so that we may appreciate that place more and rise more quickly towards it.” — Rodney Collin

The message does not belong to any religion but to all religions. Each religion is another sequence in the history of schools. — The Teacher

Join the discussion

Medieval Persian manuscript depicting Muhammad leading Abraham, Moses and Jesus in prayer