Introduction to the Fourth Way
Author: Kevin Roberts RMT

Introduction to the Fourth Way

I have long thought to write a short commentary answering the question so often asked of me, "What is the Fourth Way?" While the subject in general requires much study to begin to understand, I now am ready to lay out the aims, or goals, the practical process, with landmarks along the way, and a short glossary of the exact language used for the precise interaction necessary for progress toward the mentioned aim.

Before starting with the first of these, I will of necessity need to touch on the last and give some direction. The words of this exact language I will signify by using ‘quotes?to assist in alerting you to their importance. This will indicate for you that a certain "something" is meant by these words that is different from the way you ordinarily understand them. By using the context to ponder this new meaning you will begin to ‘think in a new way.?

The fourth way, or way of the ‘sly man,?includes practical elements of the three fundamental ways and therefore it is necessary to briefly touch upon them. The first way, that of the fakir, achieves enlightenment through mastery of sensation by various means of asceticism: lying on a bed of nails, standing on fingertips for months at a time, etc. This requires some fifty years of practice and is uncertain at best. The way of the monk, or religion, requires emotional suffering, and while it does not take as long as the fakir still demands about 25 years. The way of the yogi opens to enlightenment in 10 years or so through mastery of postures, or movement. Some people think yogis are intellectual; this is merely ‘postures of thinking?which points to the inter-relatedness of the bodymind. Finally, the fourth way, or fourth philosophy as Jesus described it in the Dead Sea Scrolls, uses in a sly way the necessary parts of the other three. Instead of gaining full mastery of any on! e function, it uses the most minimal mastering of each ‘center:?the instinctive, moving, and emotional. Having thus gained control over these ‘parts?one is then ready to ‘prepare the way,?that is, move toward an overall mastery of the bodymind by the purging of unnecessary elements. The fourth way, or ‘work,?unlike the first three which demand isolation, must be carried out in the midst of ‘ordinary?life and, properly manifested, can be fulfilled in two years.

The progression of the fourth way (the ‘way?is always and everywhere the same, only the method of approach differs) is defined by the level, or ‘scale,?of organization of consciousness, which can be referred to as the ‘five states of "I".?People who cannot find a ‘way?are in multiplicity. They are composed of thousands of different "I’s" which alternately take control of the bodymind, merely to be replaced by another "I" minutes, or more often seconds, later. For instance, one "I" promises to get up early, namely, the one that goes to bed. Then the "I" that wakes up in the morning, having no idea of the promise made, decides to sleep in. Similarly with food, sex, money, jobs, relationships; one "I" promises to ‘do?something that another I must carry out and the latter is never told of the commitment. While the ‘taste?of this truth is somewhat bitter, very little investigation is needed for you to quickly prove it to yourself. In the work this state of multiplicity is cal! led ‘sleep.?

In someone who begins to seek there has been formed what is called ‘magnetic center.?This can be thought of as a group of "I’s" that have a common interest that lies beyond the realm of ordinary life. They have a sense of something more significant than the passing desires of smaller "I’s" and seek to find answers to the troubling and ageless questions of humanity as well as the startling inconsistencies within themselves. It is this magnetic center that leads people to the work, in fact it may have led you to this article. As with all the states of consciousness from magnetic center onward, there are certain ‘practical exercises? which will stabilize, or ‘crystallize,?this group of "I’s" that are seeking the truth.

The work characterizes these five states as a stairway leading to ‘the way?which begins at the top of this staircase. The second step is called deputy steward. For deputy steward to occur, a certain balance is necessary between the functions (mentioned above). This is achieved through the group of "I’s" beginning to organize the ‘machine.?As the functions, and the energy, or fuel, they use are studied there are shifts due merely to the observation itself. This could be allegorically compared to children jumping on the bed who stop when their father sticks his head in the door. And while the results will seem dramatic, this method of change has definite limits. Upon crystallizing deputy steward, through practical exercises, we become the ‘balanced man?in whom the ‘centers,?or functions, have assumed their proper roles and importance.

While a teacher is helpful in the two prior steps, he becomes indispensable for the third step, called Steward. Whereas deputy steward has no definite authority and only observes, Steward can take charge. Prior to Steward, only two levels of consciousness exist for us: sleep (in bed) and the ‘waking state,?which as also called ‘sleep?in the work. With deputy steward we get occasional glimpses of a third state of consciousness, which is often described in various books as a spiritual awakening. While this glimpse is attainable with special external conditions, usually the removal from the flow of life, as well as majestic natural settings, it quickly recedes when we ‘come down the mountain.?Now with Steward this state is permanently available to us, we have moved the mountain into our inner world. Additionally there is a marked change in vision, or ‘seeing,?which can be vaguely approximated to changing from hundreds of colors to millions of colors on a computer monitor.

The fourth level of consciousness, which occurs upon the crystallization of master, which itself is the fourth step, completes the stairway, the preparation for the way, and opens to the way. Only after this level of attainment can one be accurately described as being in ‘the way? which is spoken of and alluded to in all religious, mystical, and philosophical teachings.

One term in particular needs definition or un-defining, namely, ‘understanding.?Ordinarily we say we understand something as soon as we have found a label for it, a place in our filing cabinet, so to speak. In the fourth way ‘understanding?is the result of ‘knowledge?and ‘being.? (These terms must be defined also.) This can be pictured as ‘direct knowing,?or loosely as experiencing, which has been described as "when not even a thought comes between you and that which you know." If it has become clear that you do not ‘understand,?I have accomplished my mission.

There are myriad angles to the approach of the fourth way, and this is only the briefest technical schema. It is safe to say however, that a lifetime of study and evolution is possible and available. In quite simple, concise and exact terms the work proves to us the underpinnings of all the mysteries of life, from creation through infinity in all directions. The practical exercises on this page will adequately prepare you for "the way."

For more practical esoteric exercises, feel free to contact me by email or refer to the website.








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Kevin Roberts RMT
http://www.somaZen.com
(512)451-4121

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