Obstacles Part 5
October 24, 2025
Obstacles Part 5
Obstacles stand in our way. But what is our way? We can go the way of the fakir and live into our body. We can go the way of the monk and nun who live out of deep emotion, or we can go the way of the yogi and live from our mind. But there is a fourth way — the way of the rogue who not only lives out of the body, mind, and emotions, but out of a fourth component: our soul applied to our daily life. These ideas were presented by spiritual teacher George Gurdjieff (1877-1949). Gurdjieff, whose teachings are called The Fourth Way knew that relatively few of us would choose the way of the rogue. And the few who do are able to transcend the limitations of the ego. Amazingly, Gurdjieff’s teachings are consistent with those of Jesus.
Jesus was acutely aware that few choose the way of the soul. He said, “Not everyone that saith unto me, ‘Lord, Lord’ shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). And he said, “For the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life and there are few who find it" (Matthew 7:13-14).
Applying the soul’s wisdom to the events and relationships of our daily lives can be challenging. Yet doing this fulfills our mind, heart, and body. The soul interprets all events and relationships in light of the spiritual truths underlying them. The major obstacle to living this way is our ego, who has another plan. Its plan is to interpret all events and relationships in terms of helping or quelling its fears and obtaining its desires. We have a choice in the way we move in the world, and as Jesus said, “There are few who find the narrow way that leads to life.”
Spiritual practice: In a particular situation of yours, practice overriding your ego’s intentions with those of your soul.
Self-inquiry: How would you look at a problematic relationship in the light of the Spirit?
Prayer: Dear God, Make me able to see all persons and instances in my daily life as part of your divine plan. When my ego avoids, categorizes, or “curses” its obstacles, I pray to awaken. Let me see everything with the eyes of heaven and live in my soul. Amen.
