Meister Eckhart once wrote that if a man “abandons a kingdom and the entire world, but keeps himself, he has abandoned nothing.”
     The small “self” is our identification with the false or temporary “ego-mind” that we adopt and embrace to the detriment of our true nature. Christ calls this the Kingdom of Heaven, Zen refers to this as our “original face,” or the Buddha nature.
     The wise ones say we must observe ourselves and take care not to fall into the traps of false identification that Seneca called the “eddy of affairs and occupations.”
     Those who dedicate themselves to divesting themselves of the false, or temporal self, and instead identify and thus fully embrace their eternal nature are the liberated ones.
     One of the greatest difficulties or challenges facing the would-be adept is the simple fact that we use language, or symbols for symbols, as we explore the concept of self vs Self. Words of course, are language trying to express non-duality, like the Advaita Vedanta, challenging to say the least!
     The Magic Language of the Fourth Way by Pierre Bonnasse, translated from the French, is a somewhat imposing text that tracks the wisdom of George Ivanovich Gurdjieff and initiate Rene Daumal.
     Pierre Bonnasse is a poet, a consultant in Sophrology, and a student of the Fourth Way tradition. He is the author of several collections of poems, and the anthology, Les Voix de L’Extase. He lives in France.
     In his early lectures Gurdjieff described his approach to self-development as a fourth way to contrast it to the traditional Eastern approaches. He believed traditional methods, he termed the way of the fakir, the way of the monk or the way of the yogi, entailed gaining will over the body, emotions or intellect by withdrawing from life.
     Instead, Gurdjieff suggested a fourth way, sometimes called the way of the “sly man,” which meant a person does not give up anything but embraces his or her life just as it is and gains ascendancy by constant self-examination.
     His exercises worked on all three levels concurrently in order to promote comprehensive and balanced inner development. Gurdjieff never put major significance on the term “The Fourth Way” and never used the term in his writing; it was his pupil P.D. Ouspensky who formalised the term.
     In this comprehensive study, Bonnasse outlines the challenges faced by Gurdjieff when being forced to use language knowing full well that every reader will interpret the words differently. He points out that the ancient ones used other kinds of symbols, and kept writing for practical purposes such as shopping lists or building instructions. The sacred was always expressed symbolically through temples, statues and natural formations.
     A case in point is the Aztec prince of flowers, Xochipilli. A magnificent statue was discovered dating back to the sixteenth century. On it no words or inscriptions were found; instead the face of the statue said it all. His face had an ecstatic expression, as if he is having visions, the head is slightly inclined as if he is hearing far-off voices and on his body stylised flowers and sacred plants are engraved. On the pedestal are engraved caps of the psilocybe aztecorum, an “intoxicating flower” used by shamans.
     It is clear that simply to gaze upon the statue we are given a story. To meditate with the statue would provide deeper wisdom, and of course, to partake of the “intoxicating flower” would provide yet another story. Could mere words convey so many stories?
     When we look with the heart, and feel with the soul we go beyond mere words, tossing them to one side as we discover their inadequacy. Prophets, visionaries and shamans have always understood this hidden language. Van Gogh saw clearly that all is vibration and all is universally connected and he expressed it in his art. All we need to do is simply meditate with his “Fisherman” or “Blossoming Apricot Trees” to read a deeper, more profound language.
     Gurdjieff believed icons also contained such power. Icons are supposed to invoke Christ, the Virgin or the saints. People harmonise or align with the icon as they pray and experience many altered states or receive deep communication from the higher realms. Again words are inadequate.
     This frustration lead to the formation of the enneagram. The enneagram system describes nine distinct personality types and their interrelationships, mapped around an ancient symbol of perpetual motion. The enneagram is somewhat enigmatic and its origins are obscure. Some trace its origins back to Pythagoras, around 600 BCE. It is said to be nine of the ten seals, but this has not been proven. The term derives from two Greek words, ennea (nine) and grammos (something written or drawn). The enneagram is a nine-pointed figure inscribed in a circle.
       Bonnasse also aligns sacred geometry and harmonics with this hidden wisdom and reveals yet another power given to words by the notes of the scale. He shows not only how to discover the objective power of words but also how to apply the relationship between language and living to maximum effect. The objective power of language, including art and music, is to use symbols that will mean precisely the same thing to everyone, and of course music is a perfect example of this.
     This is a very thought-provoking book filled with information. It is a challenging read, particularly for those not familiar with Gurdjieff’s work. In fact I would recommend reading an introductory book to the Fourth Way prior to reading The Magic Language of the Fourth Way.
     However, it also includes copious diagrams and end reference notes which will thrill the avid investigator. It aligns thought with music, which is utterly mind-blowing and it explains Gurdjieff’s magnificent spiritual contribution to humanity in a very different way. This book is highly recommended for the serious student of modern spiritual thought.