The Fourth Way and Gnosticism

The Fourth Way and Gnosticism

Greetings Friends of the Fourth Way.

In a previous post entitled, The Fourth Way and Kabbalah, we noted that all pure mystical Teachings share the same Message. In this essay, we will continue along this path by presenting Teachings contained in Gnosticism with those of The Fourth Way. Before embarking on this, however, it must be said that sacred texts, such as the Jewish and Christian Bible were written by Higher Mind, who more than likely were associated with what P.D. Ouspensky calls a Wisdom School.

If one were not initiated into the Teachings of a Wisdom School, such as the Gnostics, one’s understanding of their writing would likely be limited to the literal meaning of the words and stories, as opposed to gleaning the magnificent esoteric Teachings that they contain. An excellent example of this need for initiation can be seen in the writings of G. I. Gurdjieff’s, Beelzebub Tales to His Grandson. Without initiation by either Gurdjieff or one of his advanced pupils to the inner meaning of many of the mysterious words his book contains, understanding would be next to impossible.

In A New Model of the Universe, Ouspensky wrote:

The four Gospels are written for the few, for the very few, for the pupils of esoteric schools. However intelligent and educated in the ordinary sense a man may be, he will not understand the Gospels without special indications and without special esoteric knowledge.

With the need for initiation into the inner meaning of sacred texts now firmly established, we are prepared to return our attention to the Gnostic School and The Fourth Way. There is but one further vital piece of information that requires sharing. When a seeker of God or Wisdom is initiated into the Keys of a sacred text, that seeker is now armed with the inner or mystical understanding of all sacred texts of nearly every religion. Since the mystical Message contained in sacred texts stems from the same Divine Source, the mystical wisdom that is concealed in every sacred text is the same.

Below are excerpts from The Gnostic Gospel of Thomas, and the mystical Message that it contains. Readers who are familiar with the teachings of Gurdjieff and Ouspensky will have no difficulty in seeing the harmony in the Message between Gnosticism and Ouspensky’s writings in The Fourth Way. I will add my commentary between each set of passages from the perspective of the Teachings in my School.

These are the secret sayings which the living Jesus spoke, and which Didymos Judas Thomas wrote down. And he said, ‘Whoever finds the interpretation of these sayings will not experience death.’ – Gnostic Gospel

Whoever has been initiated into the inner meaning of these sayings will not experience sleep. Often, the inner meaning of ‘death’ is spiritual sleep.

Did Christ at any time speak about it, and in what words? Almost on every page, in different words, for instance, 'Watch', 'Do not sleep'. He spoke about it all the time. – Ouspensky

“Jesus said, If those who lead you say to you, 'See, the kingdom of heaven is in the sky,' then the birds of the sky will precede you. If they say to you, 'It is in the sea,' then the fish will precede you. Rather, the kingdom of heaven is inside of you, and it is outside of you.” – Gnostic Gospel

A spark of the Divine is within each of us. The meaning of life is to transform that spark into a raging fire, and we will awaken to our true nature.

Man is divided into four parts: body, soul, essence, and personality. The term 'soul' is used in the system in the sense of life-principle. The soul may be described as a cloud of fine matters or energies connected together and bound to the physical body. − Ouspensky

Jesus said, ‘When you see one who was not born of woman, prostrate yourselves on your faces and adore him. He is your father.’ – Gnostic Gospel

This is the inner meaning to being ‘born again.’ A Conscious or Awakened Being such as Jesus, Muhammed, Ezekial, et al, is one whose Soul (Divine Spark) has permanently awakened and thus born into God Consciousness. This is spiritual and not a physical birth.

To be awake, we must die (to sleep consciousness.) When we die, we can be born. If a man dies without having awakened, he cannot be born. − Ouspensky

Jesus said to His disciples: Make a comparison to me and tell me whom I am like. Simon Peter said to Him: "Thou art like a righteous angel." Matthew said to Him: "Thou art like a wise man of understanding.” Thomas said to Him: “Master, my mouth will not at all be capable of saying whom Thou art like." Jesus said: ‘I am not thy Master, Because you have drunk, you are intoxicated from the bubbling spring I tended.’ – Gnostic Gospel

‘I am not thy Master (Teacher) anymore, since like me, you have spiritually awakened because you have drunk from the same ‘bubbling spring,’ Divine Wisdom (gnosis) The Message.’

A man number seven means a man who has reached the full development possible to man and who possesses everything a man can possess, that is, will, consciousness, permanent and unchangeable I, individuality, immortality, and many other properties which, in our blindness and ignorance, we ascribe to ourselves. (In Search of the Miraculous) – Ouspensky

From our friend, Benjamin. Y.

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Jacob’s Ladder, William Blake