The Fourth Way & Esoteric Traditions

The Fourth Way is a teaching of spiritual development that leads to the realization of one’s Higher Self. Its origins draw upon ancient esoteric traditions that were brought to the West in the early part of twentieth century by George Gurdjieff and Peter Ouspensky, who reinterpreted them in language suitable for modern-day man.

The Fourth Way is a practical system, based on self knowledge, individual verification, and the transformation of suffering. The teaching revolves around the principles of control of the worldly lower self, the cultivation of a spiritual path, and awakening to the realization of the Divine Present—themes that are at the root of all esoteric traditions. To reach Divine, Wordless Presence is the greatest miracle in the universe; every esoteric tradition offers its own expression of this Ultimate Truth.

The quotes and images herein touch upon the interrelationship of spirituality across cultural traditions and throughout history and show that the Fourth Way is based on all esoteric traditions. If you would like to discover more, please enjoy the website.

According to the Fourth way, men live their lives in a state of sleep.

Man lives his life in sleep, and in sleep he dies.
-- Gurdjieff

This is a strange repose, to be asleep with eyes wide open; standing, speaking, moving, and yet so fast asleep.
-- Shakespeare, The Tempest

The Fourth way says that man can awaken from this sleep through Self- remembering.

Remember yourself always and everywhere.
-- Gurdjieff

Remembrance of Self – the highest form of remembrance.
-- The Koran

The sly man`s pill is a symbol for the effort of Self-remembering.

Instead of spending a whole day in exercises like the yogi, a week in prayer like the monk, or a month in self-torture like the fakir, the sly man
simply prepares and swallows a little pill which contains
all the substances he wants and, in this way, without loss of time,
he obtains the required results.
-- Gurdjieff

He was carrying a glass salver on which were two pills of
the elixir of immortality.
-- Journey to the West

The Fourth way states that man has no unity.

Man has no individual I. But there are, instead, hundreds and thousands of separate small I's, very often entirely unknown to one another.
-- Gurdjieff

There exist ten thousand worlds, and all these are contained in man, without his being conscious of it.
-- Darqawi

According to the Fourth way, imagination is an obstacle to Self-remembering.

What prevents self-remembering is this constant turning of thoughts. Stop this turning and perhaps you will have a taste of it.
-- Ouspensky

When walking, just walk, when sitting, just sit, above all,
do not wobble.
-- Yen-Men, Zen master

The Fourth way mentions that one needs outside help to awaken.

You need instruction; you need to be shown the way.
You cannot find the way yourselves, nobody can;
it is the state of a human being that he has to be shown the way,
that he cannot find it himself.
-- Peter Ouspensky

A man's readiness and commitment are not enough if he does not enjoy help from above as well; equally help from above is no benefit to us
unless there is also commitment and readiness on our part.
Thus I entreat you neither to entrust everything to God
and then fall asleep, nor to think, when you are striving diligently,
that you will achieve everything by your own efforts.
-- Philokalia