The Three Yogas

Karma Yoga is the yoga of works. It is doing things without expectation, without a sense of reward. When we do something good, it should be for the intention of doing something good, not to acquire attention, wealth, or fame. Even when our actions bring wealth or fame, the fruit of that labor can be sacrificed to the Lord, to love and wisdom, the eternal nature of the universe.

Jnana Yoga is the yoga of knowledge. It is the path of studying the ancient scriptures and holy books, and acquiring self knowledge through meditation. In the West we would call it gnosis.

Bhakti Yoga is the yoga of devotion. It is devoting yourself to the highest ideal, God as the union of love and wisdom. It is an affinity or love for the Divine, a personal connection with the universal Creator.

Traditionally these different yogas were assigned according to temperament. The earthy temperament was best suited for karma yoga. The airy temperament for jnana yoga. The devotional temperament for bhakti yoga.

The Three Brains

GURIDJIEF also taught the three brains. These are:

• The intellectual brain, which studies and acquires theories.
• The emotional brain, which longs for union with the Divine.
• The instinctual brain, which works, labors, and lives day to day.

Most people live in one of these brains. The Fourth Way teaches how to unify them.

The Fourth Way: Self Observation

The Fourth Way is the yoga of self-observation and self-remembering. It is the practice of watching the three brains in action. It is being able to observe the mind in its intellectual factory, the heart in its emotional factory, and the instinctual nature in its physical factory.

Jesus in the New Testament taught this same path when he said to be watchful. In the Old Testament, when it says to pitch your tent and be watchful, it is teaching the same thing. To guard the mind against intruders. To keep watch over the subconscious.

If we are not watchful, our energy flows downward. This is the mystery of 666. When the intellectual mind, the emotional nature, and the instinctual nature are turned downward, the life force drains into the lower belly of the beast. But when these same centers are raised upward, the 666 becomes 999. Energy rises instead of falling.

Alchemy and the Flow of Energy

Esoteric science and alchemy are about reversing this downward flow of energy. The law of density causes energy to descend. The alchemical process makes the gross subtle. What has become heavy and gross must become light and subtle again.

The spinal column is a distillery. The abdomen holds the physical chi. The heart contains the astral chi. The mind contains the mental chi. Above the head is the etheric chi. Through the practice of self observation and self remembering we learn to refine and raise these energies.

The Mundane and the Transcendental

In esoteric science there are two realms. The mundane plane is the plane of appearances. The transcendental plane is the plane of higher laws.

On the mundane plane we may seem to be simply speaking opinions on the internet. But on the transcendental plane we are sharing astral insights. The mundane is a shadow, while the transcendental is the archetype.

This is why Moses and the Israelites ate manna from heaven. It is the dew of inspiration, the subtle essence that crystallizes in the brain and nourishes the soul. This dew is the same as the electric-magnetic fluid that descends from the pineal and pituitary into the body, only to rise again as the philosopher’s stone.

The Practical Path

How do you practice the Fourth Way? By living from moment to moment with awareness. When you are driving, when you are shopping for groceries, when you are working in the garden, you are training. Every act is preparation for something greater.

Self observation reveals the spiritual nature behind everyday habitual actions. It allows us to see that the physical realm is only a reflection of higher realms. By polishing the mirror of the soul we become clear reflections of the archetypes. By observing our instinctual nature, we transmute it. By mastering karma yoga through observation, we begin the real work.

The Goal

The goal of the Fourth Way is to reclaim the soul’s energy which has been throttled into the physical realm. Through observation, the soul is revitalized and begins to ascend the seven planes, climbing Jacob’s ladder back into the transcendental abode.

This is the essence of the Fourth Way. Self remembering. Self observation. Watchfulness in all things.