'THE EVANGELIST' subscribes to past historical events with worn-out accuracy; for the fragrances of past thought hang heavy over the man of religious aptitude. Whilst the doctrines may be hazy, to say the least, and the concepts more suited to an entirely different set of such doctrines, he is firstly inspired by the truth and looks secondly to the written documents to confer with and necessarily confirm all opinion.
'The Free Thinkers', who are personified in Modern Man, cling not to the treasures of their forefathers and are somewhat engulfed in motionless concepts which are almost intangibly vague. The price of freethinking is lack of commitment, for one may not commit oneself to daisy chains and spring air. One is usually bonded in commitment with bonds of restraint.
'The Materialist' inquires not and is easily content whilst also, easily discontent, disheartened and dissatisfied, for the values proposed by the materialist would never be realized for any length of time. The realities of the spiritual worlds reveal themselves to the unwilling as much as the welcoming. When one embraces the material world and gives over to its imperial demands, it thanklessly takes, giving of itself no hint as to the illusion it presumes.
'The Idealist' and the 'Samaritan', bear with humble fortitude the worries that others discard and pass on. They represent the all-time cleaners, and clearly are the 'sweepers' of all troubles - gathering and clearing, sorting and flinging them into piles of mountainous refuse, committing them to an allotted place.
'The Animal Lover' and 'The Botanic' do share happy happenstance in absorbing concerns with regard to the lower kingdoms. When worldly affairs are too fast and furious they make shelter in the work of tending to their younger brothers with consciously regarded responsibility.
Rose and agriculture shows, dog shows and the occasional protests - their social calendar may be so divided as to exclude much human interest. This is why those who work on behalf of 'animal rights' are not firstly affording their time to conditions pertaining to human conditions and injustices, for they seek certain forfeit from a humanity which enters into conflict and disharmony. Not all are the same of course, but many are similar in this respect.
Then there is the 'Immoral Man', who knows better, but does not know better. In time he shall find the fruits of his scheming and indeed be gratified, much in ways unconsidered. To cheat or lie, or make a game of the world, rewards in the necessary instruction which such activities bring. He is busy rattling bones, whilst others try just to survive.
The treadmill of misguided pursuit eventually tires both con-man and rat. The self-deluded have replaced hope with false contentment, and have not the will for courage, but rather fly introspectively when challenged by the world.
The 'False Martyr' criticizes with harsh judgment, neither reconciling loved ones nor himself. In painful irritated perspective, he has not time for corrections, for is taken so with complaints and reluctant offerings. When grudgingly placed before the entrance to Heaven, he does not tremble at the magnitude or glory, but rather wilfully complains with disappointment. When seeing the weeds in the garden and not the happy petalled faces or dishevelled bush, he seeks to tidy, rather than appreciate. Such perspective is shot with continual malady of personality: the disposition of criticism. All men eventually irk these poor individuals, as they do inwardly judge their upset by others.
The 'Gambling Man' looks to dice and such omens to determine his fate. Rather than taking the future in hand and seeking to master a destiny, or at least make an attempt thereof, they trivialize their affections and interrelations by humbling all circumstance into a game of chance. They view the world by doing this, with cruel and excited/frightened perspective. For they truly believe that all life is determined by the accident of equal options; which may be correct as far as the moment, but is personally determined by man or by a god, and never the hand that holds the dice - it does so by accident.
The evolutionists themselves should be the first to consider with reverence the magnificent 'odds' of the great divine plan. But gambling men are subjective and do not consider the stakes outside of their own losses and gains - usually uncharitable and unwilling to give, without result or recognition.
The 'Artistic Individual' is divided between the condition of rapture and the torment of duty. Happy is the artist who may balance the two. For the force of will required to answer to one's duties is often given over in the appreciation of heavenly affinities. Man must be duly occupied at all times in order to steer from madness back into sanity.
The Earth calls and demands its due attention. Limitations are set at every turning. Inspirations return, crashing back into lesser realities, and one must draw the best from both. Oblige the world to appreciate fully the offerings of Heaven.
The 'Mechanic', the rational man, perceives with lusty indulgence, the biology of all systems as system first, biology second. With formulas and cogs and wheels, the maintenance of a system may well be mistaken as the nature or character of a system. There are car lovers who are skilful with engines and all the bits and pieces internal to the operation, and there are car lovers who rather the external qualities, as in big, red and sports etc. Some hold to the systems of the world, in medicine, in philosophy, in all of the sciences, as being dissectably patterned (which in part is true); however also characterless. With cool concern but intrigue as to the working parts, the objective mechanic assembles and disassembles with rational perfection, with no vision as to the nature of the whole. They also make for good evolutionists.
Life is not as predictable as we would have it. We choose to ignore this fact as it is unsavory to say the least. The Idealist does depend on this however, placing hope with positive vision before all else.
In summary, we have those individuals who do perceive the present in view of the past. Then we have those who construe the present in the light of their disqualifying upsets. Then we have individuals who take the vision of the structures and superstructures in part and determine thereby. Then we have the visionaries, 'Selfless Visionaries', who may or may not make real that which is to be the future of all.
The Artist may be sustained by idealism. Idealism is a comforter, for more than anything it too is founded upon realities of purpose of the future and of vision.
The False Martyr would benefit greatly from the Rational Mechanic, so as to begin to learn the workings of that which he despises and put it aright - to compel to understand, rather than object.
The Evangelist has much to glean from the modern day Artist's appreciations, as does the Modern Man, with the Evangelist, making note of the gratitude due to his forefathers.
The Gambling Man would do well to seek out the Botanists and Animal Husbandry individuals, who give concern to the lesser, without the gratification of personal gain - a little manure brings a certain reality to bear.
Characteristics of men, their shortcomings, their peculiar bent, are provoked in certain strains, which are predictably, analytically, determinable almost from the first. The personality may be fickle indeed, but does fall into patterns of behavior as certainly as one's birthday does fall on a particular day on the calendar.
Tendencies are obligated, but once realized are open to self-correction. Up until our last breath we are given opportunities for change, reassertion and balance. Some tendencies to view the world are more harmful than others, in regards to Wisdom's calling.
The Moderate man, who may 'tone down' certain attitudes of personality, may swing in and out of changing patterns which were otherwise inhibiting full communion with the world. Certain times of the year are more conducive to changes than others. The larger part is expended in youth, with its commensurate vitality.
As a man settles down into maturity and is so moderated, so too are his behavioral tendencies, and so in this respect it is untrue to say that one becomes more and more fixed in one's behavior as time moves on. Rather, such adopted characteristics lessen and others rise - for better or for worse - as the constitution is so altered.
Gurdjieff was quite mistaken in his belief that one may educate only the young, for the wisdom that is invoked through years of failure, is achieved through such. The fact that followers of set paths are attracted at an early age only testifies to the exuberance of youth, which does in time accordingly settle down, whoever they are. Those very youth discard and disassemble, making many a definite and pertinent choice which is relative to them in later years; regardless of their shining early enlightenments. The trials and changes, the learning in later life, is no less significant; rather more greatly significant, for there are many more opportunities for reflection and gathering, for perspective and perspectives later on in life, rather than earlier.
There are those who exclaim "If only I knew then, what I know now!" the "then" having brought them to the "now", being vital to the "now". There must be no regrets, only grateful learning.
True purpose that is vein-infilled, may be apparent in fits and starts in the gawky teenager who struggles towards self-control and understandably delights in the world and its offerings. However, the youth have so much to learn to measure by, which only the years will offer. Instantaneous realizations are credible, and when enjoyed may bring happy memories to those who are enlightened so, earlier rather than later. But if the conduct of the individual exceeds the values and demotes the ideals, then the preceding revelations will be cast to the wind.
All of us suffer afflictions of personality and behavioral quirks which again and again contest the receiving the wisdom. And so with vigilance we identify that which we know to be injurious to our true self, and thereby quieten or at best dismiss it.
Go forward in the good times, with vision held to future possibilities. If we view a brother who is handicapped by a certain fashioning, a particular personality, then it is for us to understand the bondages thereof and make allowances for such.
Truth passes into a man and is received regardless of personality. Whether recognized or not, truth finds its way in. The doorkeeper (the personality) to the heart, may be blind to Truth's shadow, as he slips his way past into the soul. Or he might acknowledge him as friend and bid him entrance. When we converse with another, be mindful not to judge a soul by his doorkeeper, and speak from the heart, as we should be spoken to.
