LAW OF THREE (38) Embracing Paradox

THE LAW OF THREE (38)

EMBRACING PARADOX

"That there are many terminologies is essential. We argue that there is no one interpretation of the triad to be set against all others. Such was the course of religions; and the comparison is apt, because we are striving to "hear the Word". The triad speaks the language of the engineer, the artist and the religious equally: it is THE language of languages, the logos.  It is holy fire: the essence of information." 

Anthony Blake.  The Triad.

THE POWER OF CONTRADICTION

The first two sides of a triad involve contradiction: positive-negative, action-reaction, I must-I can't. Two forces opposing each other. Opposing forces arise out of need. They arise because of the presence and action of a third and invisible force which seeks expression. 

Out of the two opposing forces of birth and death arises life. Out of friends and enemies arises love. Life and Love are expressions of the presence and action in our lives of a 3rd relating or reconciling force. 

The presence and action of a third invisible force is implicit in St.Paul's experience of his inner contradictions: "What I want to do I do not no do and what I hate I do"

Thomas Keating's answer to St. Paul could be: "God will bring people and events into our lives and whatever we may think about them they are designed for the evolution of His life in us."

We do no expect that "unwelcoming" events are for God's development in us.  Instance we believe they are designed for hindering our personal development.  

Our development cannot be separated from God's development; the cosmos is not separated from God and Man. The idea of a crucified God as a reconciling force (which wants to experience himself in the human form ) challenges human reason. 

LAW OF THREE (37) Evolution or Involution?

LAW OF THREE (37)

EVOLUTION OR INVOLUTION?

"We must remember the action of the three forces in different order. If the active force begins. the passive force unavoidably reacts, and the result of the struggle is a meaningless average. This happens in ordinary life. This process has nothing to do with the mysterious order of forces that bring regeneration, which begins with the third - with understanding, with tolerance, with invisible help. When we know the taste of this other order of forces which begins not by imposition but by acceptance, we will find that by it everything becomes easy. And that the positiveness that we are trying to demand by force is already there." Rodney Collin

According to which of the three forces initiates the action(active, passive and reconciling) the outcome of any action will be different. As individuals we may respond to a situation in three ways: reacting, resisting or reconciling.   The evolution of consciousness depends on the reconciling force becoming the active or initiating force in a triad.

Three classic triads describe the evolution of consciousness:

Essence (+) World (-) Mother (=)

Essence is given at birth. It is our undeveloped core of goodness prior to entering the world of duality or the world of the Ego.

When we are born our Essence is active. The needs of the infant act as an active force that draws energy from his/her mother who acts as a reconciling force in the face of the appearing world. 

The mother supplies the needs of the infant until the child has developed a controlling or active mechanism essential for survival in the world - in Freudian terms, the Ego.

Ego (+) Essence (-) Life (=)

After three we begin to form an Ego, which when formed will become an active force in relation to the Essence which will remain passive. In this triad the events of life will act as a reconciling force.

At birth the receptive mode of the child is dominant, but gradually it will be replaced by the active mode of the Ego in order to successfully deal with the challenges of a physical existence.

Essence (+)Ego (-) Wisdom (=)
Evolution depends on successfully developing Essence.

Essence develops with letting go of our attachments to the Ego.

Consenting to letting go of the resisting power of the Ego opens a "gap"or field of consciousness receptive to the power and action of Wisdom.

Awakening to our inner core of goodness is guided by the accompanying presence of Wisdom.

Except, ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter the Kingdom of Heaven."

Mat: 18:3

LAW OF THREE (36) Receptivity to Higher Meaning

LAW OF THREE (36)

RECEPTIVITY TO HIGHER MEANING

"Wisdom can only be given in a state of presence, with the three centres of our being in a state of presence. Anything less is asleep. Presence is the narrow gate thorough which one passes to wisdom. Samadhi or enlightenment, romanticised in the west, really means "a settled mind", or one rigorously present, balanced, and awake, in whatever emotional circumstances" Cynthia Bourgeault.

In a "settled mind" head, heart and body are in a state of harmony and alertness. .  Our ordinary state our mind is insufficiently balanced and awake to put us in a state of receptivity to higher meaning.. 

Wisdom teachings study Man as a three brained being, consisting on the intelligence of the intellect, the intelligence of the emotion, and the intelligence of the body. The three modes of intelligence need to evolve into unitive intelligent seeing able to perceive the world beyond duality.

Un unsettle mind is prisoner of "a pattern of unresolved personal and global issues" circulating without end.

LAW OF THREE (35) In The I Am of God

LAW OF THREE (35)

IN THE I AM OF GOD

"God will bring people and events into our lives, and whatever we may think about them, they are designed for the evolution of His life in us." Thomas Keating

In Centering Prayer "We are invited to give God a chance to experience Himself in our humanity, in our difficulties, in our weakness, in our addictions, in our sins." by consenting to God's presence and action.

A dual perception persuades us spiritual salvation depends entirely on our "good works." but  "good works" are hard to achieve.

St. Paul recognises that: "For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do " Romans 7:15:25

An example of the play of the contradictory forces of love-hate, good-bad...etc. locking us into states of anxiety, frustration and guilt. 

Guilt is a trick of he ego   If guilt lasts more than half a minute, it is neurotic guilt states T.K.   "Pervasive, prolonged, paralysed guilt - that is the superego- That is our emotional judgement of what is right and wrong..."

Managing the contradictions and tricks of the talkative ego may lead us to a sudden revelation:

I am not in the "I am" of myself,  but in the "I AM" of God" Thomas Keatting-

LAW OF THREE (34) Why? What? How?

LAW OF THREE (34)

WHAT? HOW? WHY?

"Yes" is of the mind . "No" is of the body. The reconciling is of the emotions. Body knows the "how" of things. Mind knows the "what" of things. Emotion, plus mind and body, understands the "why" of things. Scientists are interested in the "how" of things, not in the "why" of things. S. Nott

Understanding phenomena requires the answer to three questions : what?

How? Why?

The Law of Three identifies 3 forces: "why"is the active force of the action; "How" is the resisting force of the action, and "what" (or thus) is the reconciling or outcome of the action.

The active force refers to the initiation of an action, the resisting force refers to its process , and the reconciling force refers to the result or the thus of the action.

As simple example:

Building of a house

i Why? We want to built a house because we need shelter, etc. (+);

ii How? Refers to site, materials, labour, cost, etc. or conditions to build the house (-)

iii What? The final outcome or the thus of the action: here is the house!! (=)

Finding ordinary examples of the play of What, How, and Why in the material world is not difficult. But there are perennial inner inner questions ever active since mankind acquired self reflective consciousness:

What is Man?  How did Man come to be?  Why of Man?

What am I?  How did I come to be?  Why am I ?

What is this creation?  How did it come about?  What (why) is its purpose?

LAW OF THREE (33) The Third Force

THE LAW OF THREE (33)

THE THIRD FORCE

"We have no conception of a pure affirmation that does not depend upon a denial. Neither can we conceive a receptive impulse (resisting) that could sustain its own character except in opposition to an affirmation. Nor can we visualise a reconciling impulse that does not need the presence of opposing forces to elicit its quality. P.O. Ouspensky

THE THIRD OR CONNECTING FORCE

1 The three forces in a triad are interdependent.  

2 Two forces cancel each other. No movement is possible.  Only the entering of a third force gives  movement to a triad.

The 3rd force enters to complete a triad when the triad needs to move forward to overcome stagnation.  The 3rd force enters in the form of information.   When the information comes from memory the movement will be repetitive.  When the information arses from a new insight a new understanding will ensue an the triad will move in a non repetitive direction.  The new information could could be an inspired insight, coming form of deeper source, and will lead the triad into a new unchartered direction.  .

"...be quiet, until the appropriate action arises by itself."  Tao-te-king. Chap 15

THE LAW OF THREE (32) Welcoming Obstacles (The Enneagram)

THE LAW OF THREE (32) WELCOMING OBSTACLES (THE ENNEAGRAM)

LIKES AND DISLIKES 

"If we were deprived of like and dislike - if we had no polar nature at all - we shouldn't have anything from which to draw force. It is like the poles of a magnet. In order to get force from the poles of a magnet you have to hold yourself right in the field of action of its two poles. In the same way, in order to get force out of the dualism of our nature we have to hold ourselves in the field of it - not let ourselves be drawn to one side or the other, because this simply neutralises their polar force" J.G. Bennett

WELCOMING OBSTACLES

A wisdom teacher suggested that the game of golf was invented by someone who wanted to remind people of what life is like. "The game called golf consists in getting a little ball into a hole while at the same time overcoming all kinds of pitfalls and obstacles that prevent the ball getting into a hole too easily."

Our lives compare to a game of golf. The tensions provoked by the obstacles or hazards we encounter are part of the mechanism required to generate the energy necessary for life. Our freedom consists in the ability not to be drawn to either one side or the other of the two poles of duality (good-bad. like-dislike, pleasure-pain) and develop the capacity to bring into a conflicting situation the power of reconciliation and new direction..

TRAPPED BETWEEN TWO FORCES

Those familiar with the Enneagram* (the circle of 9 points) will note the inner triangle which is formed by the numbers 3-6-9. Numbers 3-6-9 refer to the three independent sources of energy which keep the wheel of creation "going round" (active-passive-reconciling)

Point 3 refers to the force or impulse of habit. Habit ensures repeating patterns of behaviour without the need to be conscious of them.  (i.e like driving a car)

Point 6 refers to the force of emotional responses: the likes-dislikes  If we like fish and chips and our good friends prepared cooked snails for dinner our emotional mechanism, point 6, is triggered. 

Point 9 refers to the power of choice and decision. Rarely this power is acted by the True Self. The power of choice is normally lawfully exercised by the ego who lends its power to one of the opposing forces of duality to avoid atrophy. (see L3:5).

Only when No 9 does not allow itself to be drawn to one side or the other of our polar nature can our true will (True Self) free itself from dualistic domination and act as a true agent of reconciliation,

* Gurdjieff and Ouspensky