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Tertium Organum (P.D. Ouspensky) · 112 of 225 · tr. Nicholas Bessaraboff and Claude Bragdon

Chapter XV (part 5)

When one encounters these perversions of love, one involuntarily calls to mind the words of Zarathustra: 2 Voluptuousness: unto all hair-shirted despisers of the body, a string p. 173 and stake; and cursed as "the world" by all backworldsmen : for it mocketh and befooleth all erring, misinferring teachers. Voluptuousness: to the rabble the slow fire at which it is burnt: to all wormy wood, to all stinking rags, the prepared heat and stew furnace. Voluptuousness: to free hearts, a thing innocent and free, the garden-happiness of the earth, all the future's thanks-overflow to the present. Voluptuousness: only to the withered a sweet poison: to the lion-willed, however, the great cordial, and the reverently saved wine of wines. Voluptuousness: the great symbolic happiness of a higher happiness and highest hope. For to many is marriage promised and more than marriage—to many that are more unknown to each other than man and woman—and who hath fully understood how unknown to each other are man and woman. ______ I have dwelt so long on the subject of the understanding of love because it has the most vital significance; because to the majority of men, approaching the threshold of the great mystery, much is closed or opened to them in this way, and because for many this question represents the greatest obstacle. In love the most important element is that which is not , which absolutely does not exist from the usual worldly, materialistic point of view. In this sensing of that which is not, and in the contact through it with the world of the wondrous, i.e., truly real, consists the principal element of love in human life. It is a well-known psychological fact that in moments of powerful emotion, of great joy or great suffering, everything happening round about a man seems to him unreal —a dream. This is the beginning of the soul's awakening. When a man in a dream begins to be conscious of the fact that he is asleep and that what he sees is a dream, then he is waking up; so also the soul, beginning to be conscious of the fact that all visible life is a dream, approaches its awakening. And the more powerful, the brighter the inner emotions are, so much the more quickly will the moment of consciousness of the unreality of life come. It is very interesting to consider love and men's relation to love in the light of that method and those analogies which we have already applied to the comparative study of different dimensions. Again it is necessary to imagine a world of plane beings, observing phenomena entering their plane from another unknowable p. 174 world (such as the change of the color of lines on a plane, in reality depending upon the rotation through the plane of a wheel with many-coloured spokes). The plane beings believe that the phenomena arise within the limits of their plane, from causes also belonging to the same plane, and that they are finished there. Also, all similar phenomena are to them identical, such as two circles which in reality belong to two entirely different objects. On this foundation they erect their science and their morality. Yet if they would decide to discard their "two-dimensional" psychology and try to understand the true substance of these phenomena, then with the aid and by means of these phenomena they could sever their connection with their plane, arise, fly up above it, and discover a great unknown world. The question of love holds exactly the same place in our life. Only he who can see considerably beyond the facts discerns love's real meaning; and it is possible to illumine these very facts by the light of that which lies behind them. And he who is able to see beyond the "facts" begins to discern much of "newness" in love and through love .
Themes
◆Active Contemplationpraxis

A form of meditation that uses imagery, imagination, or symbolic thought rather than purely empty stillness.

The author uses the analogy of plane beings to help the reader imagine higher dimensions and understand love.

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◆Divine Hiddennesstheology

The supreme God's radical concealment beyond ordinary knowledge or perception; the Hidden Father.

The passage speaks of a great unknown world that lies behind the facts of ordinary life.

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◆Divine Intoxicationpraxis

Ecstatic, non-rational receptivity to the divine figured as drunkenness — Plato's symposium wine, Rumi's sukr, Eckhart's 'sober drunkenness'; the passive/receptive metaphor for divine encounter, distinct from divine_madness's active possessing rapture.

Voluptuousness is described as the 'reverently saved wine of wines' for the lion-willed.

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◆Heroic Furorpraxis

Bruno's eroici furori — a passionate, ennobling spiritual ardor that drives the soul toward divine wisdom; distinguished from base or animal passions by its orientation to infinite truth.

The 'lion-willed' are contrasted with the withered, suggesting a higher spiritual will.

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◆Inner Lightanthropology

The divine spark or luminous quality residing within the human person, potentially recognisable through introspection.

It suggests illuminating facts by the light of that which lies behind them through inner consciousness.

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◆Pneumatic Electsoteriology

A spiritual elite who possess the divine spark and are predestined for salvation, contrasted with psychic (faithful) and hylic (material) persons.

Distinctions are made between different types of people (rabble, free hearts, lion-willed) regarding their capacity for love.

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◆Separation From Sourcesoteriology

The felt condition of exile from one's divine origin — Rumi's reed flute torn from its bed, Plotinus's 'we have forgotten,' the Gnostic forgetfulness; the affective wound that complements return_to_source and gives the return its motive.

Visible life is described as a dream from which the soul must awaken to contact the truly real.

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◇Cosmic Dualismtheology

Ontological opposition between two primal principles (light/darkness, truth/lie, spirit/matter) as the fundamental structure of reality.

[auto] The text contrasts the dream-like visible life with the truly real world of the wondrous, establishing an ontological opposition.

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◇Gnosis Direct Knowledgesoteriology

Salvation through direct experiential knowledge of the divine nature, not through faith, ritual, or moral works alone.

[auto] The passage describes the soul's awakening through sensing that which is not materially real, emphasizing direct consciousness over worldly facts.

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◇Hidden Sayingssoteriology

Esoteric teachings reserved for those ready to receive them; outer meaning conceals an inner liberating truth.

[auto] The passage refers to a great mystery where much is closed or opened to men approaching the threshold.

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◇Mechanical Humanityanthropology

Gurdjieff and Ouspensky's claim that ordinary human beings live in a state of waking sleep, reacting mechanically without unified will or consciousness, and that the spiritual path begins with recognising this condition.

[auto] The passage describes ordinary life as a dream and plane beings trapped in their dimension, requiring awakening to true reality.

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◇Paradox As Teachingethics

Using apparent contradiction, reversal, or riddle to destabilise ordinary understanding and induce insight.

[auto] It defines the most important element of love as that which absolutely does not exist from the usual worldly point of view.

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◇Self Knowledgesoteriology

The recognition of one's own true divine nature as the primary path to liberation; 'know thyself' as soteriology.

[auto] Awakening is described as the soul becoming conscious of the fact that all visible life is a dream.

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◇Spiritual Ascentpraxis

A staged journey of the soul upward through heavenly realms or levels of being toward the divine source.

[auto] It explicitly urges the reader to sever connection with their plane and fly up above it to discover a great unknown world.

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Related passages · 16 parallels
◆christian_mysticism|The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme|Chapter 12 (part 10)
“Every object or person we see in the world is nothing but a symbol of existing ideas; every event taking place in external life is the outcome of invisibly acting forces. The historical correctness of the occurrences described in the Bible…”
Both passages explore the concept of love as a transformative force that transcends the material world and leads to spiritual awakening. They emphasize the idea that love connects individuals to a higher, more real dimension of existence.
◆gnosticism|Gospel of Philip|Section 1j
“In the world these are the true people. They are the attendants of the bridal chamber. POWER AND WEAKNESS In this world, power and weakness mingle when man and woman have sex. Joining is different in the eternal realm, though we use the…”
Both passages explore the mystical aspects of love and union, emphasizing the transcendence of physical and material realities. They discuss the transformative power of love and the need to move beyond ordinary understanding to grasp higher truths.
◆neoplatonism|Select Works of Plotinus|Select Works, Section 28
“Section 2 2. The born lover, to whose degree the musician also may attain- and then either come to a stand or pass beyond- has a certain memory of beauty but, severed from it now, he no longer comprehends it: spellbound by visible lovelines…”
Both passages discuss the elevation of the soul through love and beauty, emphasizing the transition from material to immaterial realms. They share a mystical focus on transcending the physical to grasp higher truths.
◆platonism|Plato: Phaedrus|Section 1q
“Thus far I have been speaking of the fourth and last kind of madness, which is imputed to him who, when he sees the beauty of earth, is transported with the recollection of the true beauty; he would like to fly away, but he cannot; he is li…”
Both passages discuss the transformative power of love and beauty, emphasizing their ability to awaken the soul to a higher reality beyond the material world. They share a mystical perspective on the nature of love and its role in spiritual awakening.
◆platonism|Plato: Symposium|Section 1j
“And on the same principle he who gives himself to a lover because he is a good man, and in the hope that he will be improved by his company, shows himself to be virtuous, even though the object of his affection turn out to be a villain, and…”
Both passages explore the concept of love as a transformative and elevating force. Plato's Symposium discusses love as a means to virtue and self-improvement, while the second passage from Gurdjieff's teachings emphasizes love as a gateway to higher consciousness and the realization of a more profound reality. Both texts highlight the spiritual and transformative dimensions of love.
◆renaissance_hermeticism|The Heroic Enthusiasts, Part I (Gli Eroici Furori)|First Dialogued
“Some are called in vain to put in a ready appearance, and are chiefly those which proceed from the lower instincts, and which obey the reason either not at all, or very little; and forcing himself to prevent their actions and condemn those…”
Both passages explore the nature of love as a transformative and all-consuming force, symbolized by fire. They also discuss the duality of love, bringing both joy and suffering, and its role in spiritual awakening.
◆renaissance_hermeticism|The Heroic Enthusiasts, Part I (Gli Eroici Furori)|First Dialoguee
“What power or spell of herb or magic art Can tear thee from the centre of my heart, Since he, who with an ever-growing zest, Tormenting most, yet most does make me blest? How can I of this weight unburdened be, If pain the cure, and joy th…”
Both passages explore the complex and paradoxical nature of love, highlighting its ability to bring both joy and pain. They also discuss the transformative power of love and its potential to lead to higher states of consciousness or understanding.
◆renaissance_hermeticism|The Heroic Enthusiasts, Part I (Gli Eroici Furori)|Second Dialoguee
“Herein he proves that his love is truly heroic; because he proposes to himself as the chief aim, not corporeal beauty, but rather the grace of the spirit, and the inclination of the affections in which, rather than in the beauty of the body…”
Both passages explore the concept of love beyond its physical and material aspects, emphasizing the spiritual and divine elements. They discuss the idea that true love transcends the corporeal and leads to a higher understanding or awakening.
◆renaissance_hermeticism|The Heroic Enthusiasts, Part I (Gli Eroici Furori)|Third Dialoguec
“Here he shows his love not to be like that of the butterfly, of the stag, and of the unicorn, who would flee away if they had knowledge of the fire, of the arrow, and of the snares, and who have no other sense than that of pleasure; but he…”
Both passages explore the mystical and transformative aspects of love, emphasizing that love transcends the material and mundane, leading to a higher spiritual awakening and understanding. They both use metaphors and analogies to illustrate the profound nature of love beyond mere physical attraction.
◆renaissance_hermeticism|The Heroic Enthusiasts, Part I (Gli Eroici Furori)|Fourth Dialoguee
“She dispatches the armed thoughts, which, solicited and urged by disagreement with the inferior nature, are sent to recall the heart. The soul instructs them how they should conduct themselves, so that, being allured and attracted by the o…”
Both passages explore the nature of love and perception, emphasizing the role of seeing and understanding beyond the physical or material world. They discuss the deeper, often mystical aspects of love and how it transcends ordinary experience.
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◆renaissance_hermeticism|The Heroic Enthusiasts, Part I (Gli Eroici Furori)|Fifth Dialogued
“Be it far from me to make complaint of love, Love, without whom I will not happy be, And though through him these weary toils I bear. Yet what is given my will shall not reject. Be clear the sky or dark, burning or cold, To that one ph[oe…”
Both passages explore the transformative and transcendent nature of love, emphasizing its ability to elevate the soul and provide a deeper understanding of reality. They share a mystical perspective on love as a force that connects the individual to a higher, more divine existence.
◆renaissance_hermeticism|The Heroic Enthusiasts, Part I (Gli Eroici Furori)|Fifth Dialoguel
“Here are shown the pains and troubles which beset love, principally love of a low kind, which is no other than the forge of Vulcan, that smith who makes the bolts of Jove which torment offending souls. For ill-ordered love has in itself th…”
Both passages explore the profound and transformative nature of love, emphasizing its role in awakening the soul and transcending the material world. They share a mystical perspective on love as a means to higher understanding and spiritual awakening.
◆renaissance_hermeticism|The Heroic Enthusiasts, Part II (Gli Eroici Furori)|First Dialogueb
“This is precisely the humour of a furious lover, though the same may be said of nearly all mortals who are seriously affected in any way. We cannot say that this accords with all conditions in a general way, but only with those mortals who…”
Both passages explore the cyclical nature of human experiences and the duality of states, such as love and suffering, happiness and distress. They also touch on the idea of perceiving reality beyond the immediate, physical world, though from different cultural and philosophical perspectives.
◆renaissance_hermeticism|The Heroic Enthusiasts, Part II (Gli Eroici Furori)|First Dialoguer
“But where the entire affection is all turned towards God, that is towards the Idea of Ideas, from the light of intelligible things, the mind becomes exalted to the super-essential unity, and, all love, all one, it feels itself no longer sol…”
Both passages explore the transformative power of love and its ability to elevate the individual beyond mundane concerns. They discuss the unity and perfection achieved through love, though in different metaphorical frameworks.
◆renaissance_hermeticism|The Heroic Enthusiasts, Part II (Gli Eroici Furori)|Second Dialoguea
“Maricondo. Here you see a flaming yoke enveloped in knots round which is written: Levius aura; which means that Divine love does not weigh down, nor carry his servant captive and enslaved to the lowest depths, but raises him, supports him…”
Both passages explore the transformative power of love, describing it as a force that elevates the individual and connects them to a higher reality. They share a mystical perspective on love, emphasizing its ability to transcend ordinary human experiences and perceptions.
◆renaissance_hermeticism|The Heroic Enthusiasts, Part II (Gli Eroici Furori)|Third Dialoguef
“Here the eyes imprint upon the heart, that is upon the intelligence, and rouse in the will an infinite torment of love, where there is no pain because nothing is sought which is not obtained; but it is happiness, because that which is there…”
Both passages explore the profound and mystical aspects of love, emphasizing its role in awakening the soul and connecting with a higher reality. They share a conceptual parallel in viewing love as a means to transcend the material world and experience a deeper, more spiritual existence.