The Law of Three Forces of Creation: active, passive, and reconciling.
The Teachings say that the Law of Three and the Law of Seven are the two great templates for all manifestation, down through the Ray of Creation, from Origin to the lowly peanut butter sandwich I made for lunch. They connect to so many aspects of the Gurdjieff and Cynthia Bourgeault Wisdom Teachings that only a hint can be offered in this Impression.
Many times in many Wisdom Schools I have heard Cynthia Bourgeault tell the story of Jacob Boehme, the German shoemaker who had a vision in 1600 at the age of 24. In broad brushstrokes it was a vision of God in the unity of “endless nothingness” wishing to be known. Wishing for manifestation, feeling anguish at the absence of manifestation. So, the pushing force of wishing meets the constriction of anguish, and—spark!—manifestation, and the Law of Three, is set in motion. For a fuller picture, Cynthia’s article, Boehme for Beginners can be found on the internet. Or for those with more than a casual interest, her book, The Holy Trinity and the Law of Three is a blockbuster, but not for beginners.
“Even if we meditate often on its meaning, it remains mysterious for, in fact, it passes upward into the mystery of the primal Trinity Itself, which no man has ever comprehended with his sensual mind or contacted with his limited senses. The third-force-blind outer or formatory mind is obviously a useless instrument for this purpose. I will say here, however, that, in place of plodding along with that mind laboriously, hoping to get hold of the Trinity by its means, it is better first to acknowledge that we are in the presence of something immensely far above us, and then, with this emotion, attempt to grasp what we can at our level.” Maurice Nicoll, Psychological Commentaries, p1680
“The Law of Three is the Law of the Three Forces of Creation. This law states that three forces must enter into every manifestation. These forces are called Active Force, Passive Force and Neutralizing Force:
Active Force is called 1st Force,
Passive Force is called 2nd Force,
Neutralizing Force is called 3rd Force.
1st Force can be defined as initiating force, 2nd Force as force of resistance or reaction, and 3rd Force as balancing or relating principle or connecting force or point of application. These three forces are found both in Nature and in Man. Throughout the Universe, on every plane, these three forces are at work. They are the creative forces. Nothing is produced without the conjunction of these three forces.” Commentaries, p108
“When life is Neutralizing Force, personality is active in a human and essence is passive. When the Work is Neutralizing Force the position is reversed—namely, essence, or the real part, becomes active, and personality, or the acquired part, passive.” Commentaries, p111
“To be conscious in First Force is to know what one wants; to be conscious in Second Force is to know what difficulties stand in the way; and to be conscious in Third Force at the same time is to be conscious of how what one wants and what opposes it can eventually reach some solution. Each Force modifies the other and indeed so much so that in the final solution, the result is never like what you set out to attain—i.e., it is never like the Active Force with which you started. Nor, on the other hand, are the difficulties the same as you first were able to see them before the necessary Third Force or Neutralizing Force entered into the conscious sphere of experience and adjusted the relations of the First and Second Forces so as to make some manifestation possible.” Maurice goes on to say, “this may sound theoretical, but it is not theoretical: it is quite practical.” Commentaries, p517
“The Universe is built on numbers, as Pythagoras taught—but one thing must be added. All creation, all the created Universe, at whatever level or number, seeks to return to its source—that is, seeks to enter into one or Unity. The Trinity—or 3—seeking to do this is eternal because it always reproduces itself and so remembers itself.” Commentaries, p382
“The Work teaches that there are three forces in every manifestation. We see only two—if we see as far as that. We do not see the third Force because the formatory center works between the opposites and everything for it is either ‘it is so’ or ‘it is not so’, either ‘yes’ or ‘no’. The harmonizing of the opposites is in the mediating force between them. Not that the Third Force is merely a union of the opposite forces. It is a distinct force to which we are not sensitive in ordinary states. It is called Neutralizing Force in the Work and Holy Spirit in the New Testament. At the top of the Universe is the Unity of the Absolute. Creation begins with the three forces or first trinity proceeding from this Unity. These three forces are equal. At the bottom of the Universe is the greatest antithesis to Unity. Here, the opposites are most widely separated, and there is no Third Force to reconcile them. So the Work speaks of the lowest matter as being ‘without the Holy Ghost’. One must imagine what it would be like to be imprisoned in a world of that kind, at that lowest level of creation, where there is no hope of harmonizing anything or of reaching any new state.” Commentaries, p329
I can hear Yeshua describing the Law of Three in Logion 2:
Logion 2
Yeshua says...
If you are searching, you must not stop until you find.
When you find, however, you will become troubled.
Your confusion will give way to wonder.
In wonder you will reign over all things.
Your sovereignty will be your rest.
Page numbers for Maurice Nicoll refer to Psychological Commentaries on the Teachings of Gurdjieff and Ouspensky (Eureka Editions:2020) unless stated otherwise.
All quotations from the Gospel of Thomas are from Lynn C Bauman, Ward J Bauman, Cynthia Bourgeault, The Luminous Gospels (Praxis 2008)
Read the Impression introducing the Gospel of Thomas.
0 Comments