Most of us have rigid ideas about who we are. Yet, through what the Buddhists call “the right view,” you can find a path to your soul’s development, and in this first module, you’ll discover the deeper perspectives of the Enneagram, which will give you a more expanded view of yourself.

You’ll explore the 3 Centers of the Enneagram (Heart, Head and Body) and their role in the transformational process. Russ Hudson will show you how the centers work together either to create egoic patterns, and illuminate the natural state of relatedness that opens you to experience a deeper, richer sense of your humanity.

Understanding the practical realities of life and the ways you may unconsciously navigate them opens the door to nondual states of awareness.

In Module 1, you’ll discover:

• The overall schema of the 3 Centers and their necessary role in the transformational process
• Perspectives and methods for creating practices that support your work with type structures
• The relationship between your understanding of the Enneagram types and cultivation of presence and awareness
• The specific relationship between the key terms of Enneagram teachings: Passions, Fixations, Virtues, Holy Ideas and Instincts
• How presence in the body and with the Instincts is the key to shifting the heart and mind to deeper ground
• How the Virtues and Holy Ideas reflect the perspectives and qualities of people who have “done the real inner work”

The three basic Instincts as described in Enneagram theory and in Fourth Way teachings are nature’s intelligence acting through us. When these instinctual drives combine with your primary Enneagram pattern, it produces a primary “subtype,” with a particular set of behaviors.

First, though, it’s important to recognize the Instincts as specific energies and sensations in the body. In this module, you’ll explore sense of all three drives and how they manifest in particular behaviors in your daily life. While one of these drives may be more prominent than, all three are operating in you in some way.

A big part of inner work is learning to recognize the deeply ingrained habits in relation to your instinctual drives — and to acknowledge the areas of life you’ve unwittingly neglected.

As you develop awareness and more balance among the Instincts, you create a stable platform for opening to the deeper mysteries of your heart and mind. From this foundation, you can more easily integrate these expansive, spiritual experiences into daily life.

In Module 2, you’ll discover:

• The innate life qualities called Instincts — and how they appear in nature and you
• How to recognize and experience the deep qualities of Instincts as felt sensations, which are part of your body’s wisdom
• 9 Zones within the Instincts that reveal different arenas of life in which these natural intelligences play out
• How the core suffering of the heart shows up in the Instincts, and interferes with their natural functioning
• How to create a set of customized practices for working with the Instincts and creating better balance between them
• How the Instincts are transformed from supports for the ego, to support for your soul realization and maturation

Engaging in the nitty-gritty work being present to your instincts and the entrenched habits around them, reveals an important truth: Your are more than your patterns.

Here, a peaceful spaciousness opens up, giving you more freedom from which you can actually shift more behaviors. The pivot of this balancing act is of course the heart, and the transformation of the reactive, suffering heart to the qualities of the Virtues.

This module will focus on the transformation of mind — from inner chatter boxes and dull states of consciousness, to bright, peaceful and spacious qualities of direct knowing.

These qualities are referred to as the Holy Ideas, nine perspectives or vantage points of nondual awareness or of the Higher Intellectual Center, George Gurdjieff’s term for the Illumined Mind.

The Holy Ideas aren’t to be strived for; nor is their a finish line in this process. Yet, as you bring more presence to the habitual patterns of your thoughts and perceptions, alternative views of reality can empower you to open to a much broader range of understanding and response, softening rigid ego patterns, without rejecting them.

In Module 3, you’ll discover:

• The Holy Ideas — what they are and what they are not
• The Holy Ideas relationship to the Virtues and the Essential Qualities or Gifts of each of the 9 types
• How these deeper states of consciousness or nondual awareness relate to your usual mind and mental patterns, described in Enneagram teachings as the Fixation
• Insights and practices to help you transform chatter and dullness, to an ability to truly think, be internally quiet and know directly and spontaneously
• The Law of Three which you discern ordinary knowing from growing awareness of the deeper qualities of Mind
• Body-centered principles and techniques for working with the Instincts, which supports an opening to Higher Mind and help you live truly in the moment

This module will take you well beyond fixed concepts of yourself. You’ll explore the incredible range of human experience — from deep suffering and desperate egoic-grasping to sublime states of freedom and illumination.

Accepting and presencing the full range of your humanity is the fastest path of development. The transformation from the suffering and reactivity of the Passions to the alchemical gold of the Virtues is the pivot of this process.

It would seem at first that the world of the Instincts and the broad freedom of the nondual states of awareness could not possibly be related. And you might be tempted to just leave the messiness of the instinctual world behind for the wild blue yonder of your unconditioned consciousness. Or, you may view this “nondual stuff” as too abstract or woo-woo, and what you want are tools to help you deal with the challenges of your work and relationships.

Actually, spiritual traditions have grappled with this paradox of human nature since the beginnings of culture, and have attempted to handle it in different ways.

The Christian mystery has at its core this understanding — the Divine made human and personal. The ancient Egyptians talked about the struggle between Horus (Christ Consciousness) and Set (Unbridled Instinct) and the necessity of their resolution.

Qabalistic teachings illustrate this paradox in Divine marriage between Keter and Shekinah (or Malkuth). And the Taoists saw the role of the true human being as the place of heaven and earth coming together. And on and on.

So at its profoundest level, the Enneagram is about this mystical marriage — the coming together of the Divine and the Earthly in your own heart.

In Module 4, you’ll discover:

• The Virtues — what they are and what they are not
• The relationship of the Virtues to the Holy Ideas and the other essential qualities of the types
• The relationship of the Virtues to your usual mind — described in Enneagram teachings as your Fixation
• How to transmute the chatter and dullness of “normal” states of consciousness into the ability truly think, be internally quiet and know directly and spontaneously
• How the Law of Three helps you discern between (and navigate) ordinary knowing and your growing awareness of the nondual reality
• Ways to work with your body and instincts to support you in opening to your Higher Mind and living truly in the moment

The Point Eight is not just a kind of person, but an overall principle of life and a quality of presence. In this module, you’ll explore the particular Passion of Point Eight — Lust, perhaps most easily understood as a tendency to excess and over-effort — and how it expresses itself through the three Instincts of Self-preservation, Sexual (Attraction) and Social.

For people with a dominant Eight pattern, this module will help pinpoint areas of focus, while those who have other dominant patterns will still recognize some of these tendencies.

Regardless of your dominant type, you’ll discover the value of being compassionately present with the underlying hurt and pain at the core of Lust — which is the key to transmuting it into the Virtue of Innocence — a powerful open-heartedness.

This process is aided by seeing how certain tendencies in how you relate to the Instincts keep steering you away from the transformative process and maintain business as usual with your ego patterns. By approaching the patterns from both directions — from the heart and from the Instincts, the process becomes easier and more powerful.

In Module 5, you’ll discover:

• The real meaning of the Passion of Lust — what it is and how can you work with it
• The three basic patterns of Instincts with Lust: the Self Preservation Eight, the Sexual Eight and the Social Eight
• How to work with balancing your instincts with relation to Lust
• The natural state of aliveness and realness — a basic element of authentic presence
• The core suffering of the heart that is at the root of the Passion of Lust, and how it can be healed and transformed
• How the qualities of Innocence and Mercy facilitate your liberation from outmoded habits and beliefs
• Some of the deeper psychological issues at work in these patterns
• The resolution of the primary inner conflict in Point Eight

The Holy Ideas open you up not only your thinking, but your perceptions of reality. They uproot many of your automatic assumptions, and while they might seem strange at first, they’re ways of looking at things you’ve likely experienced many times. The Holy Ideas correspond to seeing the world more in the way even high school science reveals, which is quite unlike the “common sense” reality we muddle along in most of the time.

The more you’re touched by the Holy Ideas, the more the limited nature of your thinking, or Fixation, is revealed. In this module, you’ll explore the effect of the “living truth” upon your thinking.

As you discover how to be more present to your thoughts and feelings, what effect does the living truth of the moment have upon your thoughts and perceptions? How does this affect your heart?

As Truth liberates you from old views of yourself and of reality, it’s easier to engage new behaviors that support authentic balance and the fuller expression of your gifts.

In Module 6, you’ll discover:

• The real meaning of the Fixation of Objectification, and why this term is preferable to Vengeance, the traditional term for the Fixation of type Eight
• The nature and experience of Holy Truth — what is it, what does it feel like and how do you recognize it?
• The relationship of the Holy Truth to traditional teachings of nondual consciousness
• How the Holy Truth can liberate you from objectification
• The Virtue (Innocence) of type Eight also helps reveal the Holy Truth
• How the Holy Truth helps heal your heart from Lust, create inner freedom and work more skillfully with your instinctual drives
• The relationship between your awakened instincts and deeper realization of the Holy Truth

In this module, you’ll look at underlying architecture of Point Nine, both for people with a dominant Nine pattern, and for the Nine in all of us. You’ll look at how the particular Passion of Point Nine — Sloth (or Inertia), often seen as a tendency to disengage one’s full attention and awareness from the particulars of the moment, expresses itself through the Self-preservation, Sexual or Attraction energy and Social Instincts.

For people with a dominant Nine pattern, this will help pinpoint areas that need more of your time and kindness and attention, while those who have other dominant patterns will still recognize some of these tendencies.

You’ll then look at how being compassionately present with the underlying hurt and pain at the core of Sloth begins to alchemically transform it into the Virtue of Engagement — a robust, powerful devotion to the present moment — choosing to be fully here with all of your capacities and qualities.

This heart process is aided by seeing how your unconscious habits with the three Instincts keep steering you away from the transformative process and maintain business as usual with your ego patterns. You’ll look at how these seemingly diverse processes are all really part of one harmonious unfolding of consciousness.

In Module 7, you’ll discover:

• The real meaning of the Passion of Sloth — what it is, what if feels like and how can you work it (Sloth is not laziness!)
• The three basic patterns of Instincts with Sloth: the Self Preservation Nine, the Sexual Nine and the Social Nine
• How to work with balancing your instincts with relation to Sloth
• The natural state of harmonious, grounded presence — the sense of wholeness and flow with life
• The core suffering of the heart that is at the root of the Passion of Sloth, and how it can be healed and transformed
• How the quality of Engagement facilitates your liberation from outmoded habits and beliefs, and why Russ uses the term Engagement rather than Action
• Some of the deeper psychological issues at work in the patterns of Point Nine
• The resolution of the primary inner conflict in Point Nine

In this module, you’ll look at the nature of Holy Love — the sense that all that you are is held in presence, and all that exists is also held in presence. As you notice this, your nervous system naturally relaxes and you’re able to let go of many defenses and old ideas. What effect does the perception of the holding quality of presence have upon your thinking?

Love here does not mean romantic love or attachment. It is more the perception that there is something kind and benevolent at the heart of reality, but not in the way your ego might usually imagine such things. What happens in your experience when you feel the holding quality of life? What happens when you really take in the stars at night?

As you discover how to be more present to your thoughts and feelings, what effect does the holding of those very same thoughts and feelings have upon your experience of reality?

How does this affect your heart? As Holy Love liberates you from old views of yourself and of reality, it’s easier and easier to relax past the places where you could not yield or shift your habits. You can engage new behaviors that support your true purpose in this world.

In Module 8, you’ll discover:

• The real meaning of the Fixation of Ruminating, and why this term is preferable to the traditional Indolence
• The nature and experience of Holy Love — what is it, what does it feel like and you do you recognize it
• How this concept may relate to other traditional teachings of nondual consciousness
• How and why Holy Love begins to liberate you from ruminating
• How the essential quality of Point Nine also helps to reveal the nature of Holy Love
• How the realization of Holy Love supports the healing of the heart from Sloth, and creates inner freedom to work more skillfully with your instinctual drives
• How Holy Love and the Virtue of Engagement are related and help each other
• How the awakened Instincts support deeper realization of Holy Love

In this module, you’ll look at the particularities of Point One, both for people with a dominant One pattern, and for the One in all of us. You’ll explore the Passion of Point One — Angry Resentment. This Fixation often shows up as exasperation and frustration when the the self or the world keep failing an ideal.

You’ll explore how the Passion of the One expresses itself through the three Instincts. What is Resentment in Self-preservation? What is Resentment in Sexual or Attraction energy? What is Resentment in Social Instinct?

For people with a dominant One pattern, this module can help to bring attention to areas that need more of your time and focus, while those who have other dominant patterns will still recognize some of these tendencies.

You’ll then look at how being compassionately present with the underlying hurt and pain at the core of this Angry Resentment can transform it into the Virtue of Serenity — which allows you to respond with full-heartedness, rather than reacting, to difficult or unpleasant situations.

This heart process is aided by seeing how your unconscious habits with the three Instincts keep steering you away from the transformative process and maintain business as usual with your ego patterns. You’ll look at how these seemingly diverse processes can work together seamlessly as part of your natural development.

In Module 9, you’ll discover:

• The real meaning of the Fixation of Resentment — what it is and how you can work with it
• The three basic patterns of Instincts with Resentment: the Self Preservation One, the Sexual One and the Social One
• How to work with balancing your instincts with relation to Resentment and frustration
• The natural state of goodness and soul integrity — the sense of sacredness that you feel whenever you open your heart to your present experience
• The core suffering of the heart that is at the root of the Passion of Angry Resentment, and how it can be healed and transformed
• How the quality of Serenity facilitates your liberation from outmoded habits and beliefs
• Some of the deeper psychological issues at work in the patterns of Point One
• The resolution of the primary inner conflict in Point One

In this module, you’ll explore the nondual experience described as Holy Perfection — the sense that any moment you’re truly awake in reveals an underlying goodness even when difficult things are happening. In this state of presence, your natural impulse is to align yourself with this goodness and resonate deeply with the sacredness of the moment.

Perfection isn’t a static and stable condition or the absence of problems. Rather,
It describes the presence-based perception of the natural order and goodness and its unfolding in the world.

As you discover how to be more present to your thoughts and feelings, how does being in touch with the implicit goodness and intelligence of the moment affect your thinking and relationships? Do you treat yourself and others differently as a result? How does this affect your heart?

As Holy Perfection liberates you from old views of yourself and reality, it’s easier to trust the unfolding of life and let go trying to control your experience. You become a vehicle for or an ambassador of the Sacred in your life.

In Module 10, you’ll discover:

• The real meaning of the Fixation of Judging, and why this term is preferable to Resentment, the traditional term for the Fixation of the One
• The nature and experience of Holy Perfection — what does it mean and feel like and how do you recognize it?
• How Holy Perfection may relate to other traditional teachings of nondual consciousness
• How and why Holy Perfection begins to liberate you from judging and evaluating everything
• How the essential quality of Point One also helps to reveal the nature of Holy Perfection
• How the realization of Holy Perfection supports the healing of the heart from Resentment, and creates inner freedom to work more skillfully with your instinctual drives
• How the Holy Perfection and the Virtue of Serenity are related and help each other
• How the awakened Instincts support deeper realization of Holy Perfection

In this module, you’ll look at the opportunities and challenges of Point Two, both for people with a dominant Two pattern, and for the Two in all of us. You’ll explore the Passion of Point Two — Pride, often seen as a denial of personal needs and vulnerabilities, and a tendency to project those needs onto others and how it expresses itself through the three Instincts. What is Pride in Self-preservation? What is Pride in Sexual or Attraction energy?

What is Pride in Social Instinct? For people with a dominant Two pattern, this can help to pinpoint areas that need more of your time and focus, while those who have other dominant patterns will still recognize some of these tendencies.

You’ll then look at how being compassionately present with the underlying hurt and pain at the core of Pride begins to alchemically transform it into the Virtue of Humility — a heart that embraces without shame your human frailties, needs and limitations.

This heart process is aided by seeing how your unconscious habits with the three Instincts keep steering you away from the transformative process and maintain business as usual with your ego patterns. You’ll look at how these seemingly diverse processes can work together as a unified flow of your natural development.

In Module 11, you’ll discover:

• The real meaning of the Passion of Pride and how you can work with it
• How Pride is a way of denying your legitimate needs
• The three basic patterns of Instincts with Pride: the Self Preservation Two, the Sexual Two and the Social Two
• How to work with balancing your instincts with relation to Pride and the projection of your own needs
• The holding, tender aspects of presence and loving kindness that are natural to the heart
• The core suffering of the heart that is at the root of the Passion of Pride, and how it can be healed and transformed
• How the quality of Humility facilitates your liberation from outmoded habits and beliefs
• Some of the deeper psychological issues at work in the patterns of Point Two
• The resolution of the primary inner conflict in Point Two

In this module, you’ll explore the nondual states of consciousness related to Point Two. In this case, two names are provided to highlight different aspects of this element of consciousness: Holy Freedom and Holy Will.

Here, through practice and presence, you come to realize that your separate self is not the source of bringing good things to the world — that at most, you’re an expression of a flow of benevolence that is already here as an aspect of presence.

And far from being a defeat or a humiliation, it’s experienced as a great freedom because you’re no longer compelled by notions of what you believe you need to be or do in order to be loveable. You know that you’re loved, or more precisely, that you’re an expression of love — and so is everyone else.

You can then explore how this sense of the benevolent flow and what is traditionally called Divine Will affect your thinking. The quality of freedom here is not a freedom from responsibilities in life, but from the internal structures that constrict your awareness of ourselves, and particularly from your deeply ingrained beliefs about relationships, and what you think they are going to do for us. This is quite different from how your ego might usually imagine such things.

As you discover how to be more present to your thoughts and feelings, what effect does this perception of Divine Will have upon your relationships and your sense of yourself?

As Holy Freedom liberates you from old views of yourself and reality, it’s easier to trust and enjoy each moment of relating with others. You start to let go of the ways in which you use relationships to prop up certain ideas about yourself, and instead enjoy and cherish each moment of relatedness.

In Module 12, you’ll discover:

• The real meaning of the Fixation of Ingratiation or Relational Thinking, and why Russ uses this term instead of the traditional Flattery
• The nature and experience of Holy Freedom and Holy Will. What do these terms mean? What do they feel like? How do you recognize them in your life?
• How this concept may relate to other traditional teachings of nondual consciousness
• How and why Holy Freedom begins to liberate you from your preoccupations with relationships and all you do to try to control them
• How the essential quality of Point Two also helps to reveal the nature of Holy Freedom and Holy Will
• How the realization of Holy Freedom supports the healing of the heart from Pride, and creates inner freedom to work more skillfully with your instinctual drives
• How the Holy Freedom and the Virtue of Humility are related and help each other
• How the awakened Instincts support deeper realization of Holy Freedom

In this module, you’ll explore the journey of Point Three, both for people with a dominant Three pattern, and for the Three in all of us. You’ll contemplate the Passion of Point Three — Vanity, which can be understood as the ego’s desperate need to feel like it’s valuable and the source of what is good in your life.

You’ll also discover how this Passion expresses itself through the three Instincts. What is Vanity in Self-preservation? What is Vanity in Sexual or Attraction energy? What is Vanity in Social Instinct?

For people with a dominant Three pattern, this can help to pinpoint areas that need more of your time and focus, while those who have other dominant patterns will still recognize some of these tendencies. You’ll then look at how being compassionately present with the underlying hurt and pain at the core of Vanity begins to alchemically transform it into the Virtue of Authenticity — a beautiful capacity to stay congruent with the heart’s deepest knowing, and to stay true to what you love the most.

This heart process is aided by seeing how your unconscious habits with the three Instincts keep steering you away from the transformative process and maintain business as usual with your ego patterns. You’ll look at how these seemingly diverse processes can work together as an effortless flow of presence functioning through you in life.

In Module 13, you’ll discover:

• The real meaning of the Passion of Vanity. What is it and how can you work with it? You’ll also discover why Russ uses this term instead of the traditional term, Deceit
• The three basic patterns of Instincts with Vanity: the Self Preservation Three, the Sexual Three and the Social Three
• How to work with balancing your instincts with relation to Vanity and the need to excel and to get credit for your instinctual functioning
• The felt sense of being ourselves — what is it like when you’re relaxed and present with your heart in such a way that you simply are being and living the truth of that moment
• The core suffering of the heart that is at the root of the Passion of Vanity, and how it can be healed and transformed
• How the quality of Authenticity facilitates your liberation from outmoded habits and beliefs
• Some of the deeper psychological issues at work in the patterns of Point Three
• The resolution of the primary inner conflict in Point Three

In this module, you’ll explore the nondual states of consciousness related to Point Three, and how they relate to working and functioning as human beings in the world. In Point Two, you saw two names for the Higher Mind perspective.

But with Point Three there are three names: Holy Hope, Holy Harmony and Holy Law, which are all different ways of looking at the mystery of doing and functioning. The punchline here is strange at first: there is no separate doer, therefore the idea of you that you’re identified with has never done anything! That can sound absurd until you consider how in the most sublime moments of your work, when you’re relaxed and totally enjoying what you’re doing, you experience everything as a kind of flow. In such moments you’re both the singer and the song and the audience listening — and you don’t care who gets the credit.

The experience of this flow reunites you with living reality and floods your awareness with a sense of fulfilment and meaning. These tend to be some of the best moments of your lives. You start to understand that it’s presence/consciousness which is functioning and you have the joy of being the means for that to occur.

You’ll then explore how this sense of being part of the functioning of everything affects your thinking. As you discover how to be more present to your thoughts and feelings what, effect does this perception relaxing into the flow of functioning have upon your relationships, and on your sense of ourselves? Do you treat yourself and others differently as a result? How does this affect your heart?

As Holy Hope liberates you from old views of yourself and reality, it’s easier and easier to approach whatever tasks life demands of you with a sense of meaning and appreciation. You can enjoy your gifts and capacities and the joy of using them in service to others and to life.

In Module 14, you’ll discover:

• The real meaning of the Fixation of Deceit and why this term is preferable to the traditional Vanity
• The nature and experience of Holy Hope, Holy Harmony and Holy Law. What do these terms mean? What do they feel like? How do you recognize them in your life?
• How this concept may relate to other traditional teachings of nondual consciousness
• How and why Holy Hope begins to liberate you from your desperate and constant need to prove yourself to yourself and others
• How the essential quality of Point Three also helps to reveal the nature of Holy Hope, Holy Harmony and Holy Law
• How the realization of Holy Hope supports the healing of the heart from Vanity, and creates inner freedom to work more skillfully with your instinctual drives
• How the Holy Hope and the Virtue of Authenticity are related and help each other
• How the awakened Instincts support deeper realization of Holy Hope

In this module, you’ll explore the gifts and challenges in the journey of Point Four, both for people with a dominant Four pattern, and for the Four in all of us. You’ll contemplate the Passion of Point Four — Envy, which can be understood as a chronic disappointment with self and with life, as well as how this Passion expresses itself through the three Instincts. What is Envy in Self-preservation? What is Envy in Sexual or Attraction energy? What is Envy in Social Instinct?

For people with a dominant Four pattern, this can help to illuminate areas of your life that need more of your time and dedication, while those who have other dominant patterns will still recognize some of these tendencies. You’ll then look at how being compassionately present with the underlying hurt and pain at the core of Envy begins to alchemically transform it into the Virtue of Equanimity — a capacity to stay fully present with the full range of human emotions and experiences without rejecting or avoiding those emotions, and also without getting attached to them.

This heart process is aided by seeing how your unconscious habits with the three Instincts keep steering you away from the transformative process and maintain business as usual with your ego patterns. You’ll look at how these seemingly diverse processes can work together as an effortless flow of presence functioning through you in life.

In Module 15, you’ll discover:

• The real meaning of the Passion of Envy — what is it and how can you work with it
• The three basic patterns of Instincts with Envy: the Self Preservation Four, the Sexual Four and the Social Four
• How to work with balancing your instincts with relation to Envy and the need to define yourself through your instinctual preferences
• The mystery of identity — what is your true identity like? How does it affect your experience of yourself and the world?
• The core suffering of the heart that is at the root of the Passion of Envy, and how it can be healed and transformed
• How the quality of Equanimity facilitates your liberation from outmoded habits and beliefs
• Some of the deeper psychological issues at work in the patterns of Point Four
• The resolution of the primary inner conflict in Point Four

In this module, you’ll use the Holy Idea of Point Four, Holy Origin, to explore one of the most mysterious of the nondual states of consciousness, which is understanding the nature of identity, of what you are, if indeed, you’re perceiving everything as part of a unity.

The question arises, “Who or what is perceiving this?”

The answer to this question generally does not come in words or image. Rather, it’s more felt and expresses itself in the experiences of intimacy and beauty. Holy Origin describes the inner, mysterious depth that’s actually everywhere, and shining back at you in stunning mystery and beauty. The world is stripped of its drab familiarity and revealed in its naked splendor.

As you discover how to be more present to your thoughts and feelings, what effect does this perception of the depth of reality have upon your relationships and sense of yourself?

Do you treat yourself and others differently?

As Holy Origin liberates you from old views of yourself and reality, it’s easier to live a life of richness, intimacy and depth. Your everyday experiences are poetry — you find the beauty and mystery everywhere.

In Module 16, you’ll discover:

• The real meaning of the Fixation of Fantasizing and how this term is related to the traditional term Melancholy
• The nature and experience of Holy Origin. What does this strange name really mean? What does this Holy Idea feel like? How do you recognize it in your life?
• How this concept may relate to other traditional teachings of nondual consciousness
• How and why Holy Origin begins to liberate you from your constant need to define ourselves, and to stay attached to outmoded narratives about ourselves
• How the essential quality of Point Four also helps to reveal the nature of Holy Origin
• How the realization of Holy Origin supports the healing of the heart from Envy, and creates inner freedom to work more skillfully with your instinctual drives
• How Holy Origin and the Virtue of Equanimity are related and help each other
• How the awakened Instincts support deeper realization of Holy Origin

Here, you’ll investigate the inner journey of Point Five, both for people with a dominant Five pattern, and for the Five in all of us. You’ll take a closer look at the Passion of Point Five — Avarice, which can be understood as the ego’s need to withhold the self from contact, as well as how this Passion expresses itself through the three Instincts.

What is Avarice in Self-preservation? What is Avarice in Sexual or Attraction energy? What is Avarice in Social Instinct?

For people with a dominant Five pattern, this module can help to pinpoint areas that need more of your time and focus, while those who have other dominant patterns will still recognize some of these tendencies.

You’ll also look at how being compassionately present with the underlying hurt and pain at the core of Avarice can transform it into the Virtue of Non-attachment — the ability to be in rich contact with life and deeply affected by your journey, but without rejecting your feelings or clinging to anything. This results in an abiding kindness and appreciation for people and life in all its flavors.

This heart process is aided by seeing how your unconscious habits with the three Instincts steer you away from the transformative process and maintain business as usual with your ego patterns.

In Module 17, you’ll discover:

• The real meaning of the Passion of Avarice — what is it and and how can you work with it
• The three basic patterns of Instincts with Avarice: the Self Preservation Five, the Sexual Five and the Social Five
• How to work with balancing your instincts with relation to Avarice and the need to avoid potential dependencies by minimizing instinctual needs
• How direct knowing operates in your life far more than you may suppose
• The core suffering of the heart at the root of the Passion of Avarice, and how it can be healed and transformed
• How the quality of Non-attachment facilitates your liberation from outmoded habits and beliefs
• Some of the deeper psychological issues at work in the patterns of Point Five
• The resolution of the primary inner conflict in Point Five

In this module, you’ll explore the nondual states of consciousness related to Point Five, and how they relate to the nature of knowledge and true wisdom.

When the mind stops grasping and hoarding information and skills, your experience becomes centered in a more powerful, immediate knowing in which you know what you need to know moment by moment, and your trust in yourself and life deepens.

Consider that your greatest insights into yourself, your relationships and into life itself seem to come out of the blue — a quiet inner spaciousness. This is the real nature of direct knowing, which is utterly part of presence and your contact with the moment.

As you discover how to be more present to your thoughts and feelings, what effect does this perception of the illuminating power of your true mind has upon your relationships, and on your sense of yourself?

As Holy Omniscience liberates you from old views of yourself and reality, it’s easier to open to the marvels of your existence, and to live a life of discovery and revelation.

In Module 18, you’ll discover:

• The real meaning of the Passion of Avarice
• The nature and experience of Holy Omniscience and Holy Transparency. What do these terms mean? What do they feel like? How do you recognize them in your life?
• How this concept may relate to other traditional teachings of nondual consciousness
• How and why Holy Omniscience begins to liberate you from your constant need to retain knowledge that you believe will ultimately give you confidence
• How the essential quality of Point Five also helps to reveal the nature of Holy Omniscience and Holy Transparency
• How the realization of Holy Omniscience supports the healing of the heart from Avarice, and creates inner freedom to work more skillfully with your instinctual drives
• How Holy Transparency and the Virtue of Non-attachment are interrelated and help each other
• How the awakened Instincts support deeper realization of Holy Omniscience

In this module, you’ll explore the gifts and challenges in the journey of Point Six, both for people with a dominant Six pattern, and for the Six in all of us. You’ll take a deeper look at the Passion of Point Six — Fear (or Angst), which can be understood as a chronic, underlying dread and unease that then seeks reasons for itself, as well as how this Passion expresses itself through the three Instincts.

What is Angst in Self-preservation? What is Angst in Sexual or Attraction energy? What is Angst in Social Instinct? For people with a dominant Six pattern, this can help to illuminate areas of your life that need more of your time and dedication, while those who have other dominant patterns will still recognize some of these tendencies.

You’ll then look at how being compassionately present with the underlying hurt and pain at the core of Angst begins to alchemically transform it into the Virtue of Courage — a capacity to remain true to yourself in all circumstances, and to keep showing up with a full heart and a willingness to take the next step into the future.

This heart process is aided by seeing how your unconscious habits with the three Instincts keep steering you away from the transformative process and maintain business as usual with your ego patterns. You’ll look at how these seemingly diverse processes can work together as an effortless flow of presence functioning through you in life.

In Module 19, you’ll discover:

• The real meaning of the Passion of Fear — what it is and how you can you work with it
• The three basic patterns of Instincts with Fear: the Self Preservation Six, the Sexual Six and the Social Six
• How to work with balancing your instincts with relation to Fear and the need to keep preparing for life and defending from it instead of fully living it
• The miracle that you can be awake and aware of anything in your experience, inner or outer — helping you navigate your life with more confidence and ease
• The core suffering of the heart that is at the root of the Passion of Angst, and how it can be healed and transformed
• How the essential quality of Courage facilitates your liberation from outmoded habits and beliefs
• Some of the deeper psychological issues at work in the patterns of Point Six
• The resolution of the primary inner conflict in Point Six

In this module, you’ll look at the Holy Idea of Point Six to illuminate one of the most ancient questions in spiritual tradition: What is the nature of true faith? And what does that mean? You’ll by this point, be well acquainted with the sense that all of the Holy Ideas are not mental structures, but simply the ways the world appears when your mind is quiet and clear.

So Faith here is not adhering to a particular set of beliefs, and at the same time does not reject beliefs that have been helpful. Holy Faith is more the direct perception of the unshakable, totally reliable, always here Presence of Consciousness — which comes to feel like a solid ground in your experience.

As you discover how to be more present to your thoughts and feelings, what effect does this perception of being a part of this ground of consciousness have upon your relationships, and on your sense of ourselves? Do you treat yourself and others differently as a result? How does this affect your heart? As Holy Faith liberates you from old views of yourself and reality, it becomes easier and easier to live a full life of adventure, service, love and purpose.

In Module 20, you’ll discover:

• The real meaning of the Fixation of Doubting/Over Thinking and how this term is related to the traditional term, Cowardice
• The nature and experience of Holy Faith. What does this really mean? Is it different from conventional teachings about faith? What does this Holy Idea feel like? How do you recognize it in your life?
• How this concept may relate to other traditional teachings of nondual consciousness
• How and why Holy Faith begins to liberate you from your constant need to know what’s going to happen next, and your constant bracing of yourself against the future
• How the essential quality of Point Six also helps to reveal the nature of Holy Faith
• How the realization of Holy Faith supports the healing of the heart from Angst, and creates inner freedom to work more skillfully with your instinctual drives
• How Holy Faith and the Virtue of Courage are related and help each other
• How the awakened Instincts support deeper realization of Holy Faith

In this module, you’ll investigate the inner journey of Point Seven, both for people with a dominant Seven pattern, and for the Seven in all of us. You’ll contemplate the Passion of Point Seven — Gluttony, which can be understood as the ego’s need to keep filling up its own inherent emptiness with experiences, as well as how this Passion expresses itself through the three Instincts.

We’ll explore: What is Gluttony in Self-preservation? What is Gluttony in Sexual or Attraction energy? What is Gluttony in Social Instinct? For those with a dominant Seven pattern, such exploration can help pinpoint areas that need more of focus. For those who have other dominant patterns, you’ll still recognize some of these tendencies.

We’ll then look at how being compassionately present with the underlying pain at the core of Gluttony can start to alchemically transform it into the Virtue of Sobriety, which is the breathtaking stillness and openness of heart and allows you to be fulfilled and deeply affected by life. The result is an abiding satisfaction and gratitude for your life and for each moment of your existence.

This heart process reveals how your unconscious habits — with the three Instincts — keep steering you away from the transformative process and maintain business as usual with your ego patterns. You’ll look at how these seemingly diverse processes can work together as an intelligent and unified developmental process.

In Module 21, you’ll discover:

• The real meaning of the Passion of Gluttony — what it is and how you can work with it
• The three basic patterns of Instincts with Gluttony: the Self-Preservation Seven, the Sexual Seven and the Social Seven
• How to work with balancing your instincts with relation to Gluttony and the need to keep finding new sources of instinctual gratification
• The quality of profound inner freedom and expansiveness — how the true nature of consciousness is creative, joyful, explorative and free in its very essence
• The core suffering of the heart that is at the root of the Passion of Gluttony, and how it can be healed and transformed
• How the quality of Sobriety facilitates your liberation from outmoded habits and beliefs
• Some of the deeper psychological issues at work in the patterns of Point Seven
• The resolution of the primary inner conflict in Point Seven

In this module, you’ll explore the nondual states of consciousness related to Point Seven, and how they relate to the inherent positivity of consciousness.

The aspect of Higher Mind related to Point Seven is described in two names: Holy Plan and Holy Work, which are different vantage points for looking at how your life participates in the ongoing evolutionary impulse of consciousness — what AH Almaas calls “the optimizing thrust of reality.”

When you’re quiet enough within yourself to notice the vast openness of your own consciousness, you note that the very openness is both an openness to the play of reality, but also to the endless possibilities in the creativity of consciousness. You have a ringside seat at the dynamic weaving of the universe moment by moment, and the experience is thrilling and inspiring.

Far from leading to some spiritual escapism, it leads you to surrender into a more deeply felt full-on participation in life that requires no hype, no improving on the moment. You feel you’re participating in a vast forward moving intelligence, and you can perceive that all around you as well. You are indeed part of a Divine Plan.

In such a state of awareness, all sense of scarcity falls away, even when there are things you need, or that need your attention. This is quite different from how your ego might usually imagine such things. As you discover how to be more present to your thoughts and feelings, what effect does this perception of the dynamic freedom and spaciousness of your true mind have upon your relationships, and on your sense of yourself? Do you treat yourself and others differently as a result? How does this affect your heart?

As Holy Plan liberates you from old views of yourself and reality, it’s easier and easier to focus on what is truly meaningful, while you appreciate every moment of the journey there.

In Module 22, you’ll discover:

• The real meaning of the Fixation of Anticipation and why Russ uses this term instead of the traditional term, Planning
• The nature and experience of Holy Plan and Holy Work. What do these terms mean? What do they feel like? How do you recognize them in your life?
• How this concept may relate to other traditional teachings of nondual consciousness.
• How and why Holy Plan begins to liberate you from your constant need to distract yourself from your inner life — and how to keep seeking after new experiences rather than enjoying the one you’re having now
• How the essential quality of Point Seven also helps to reveal the nature of Holy Plan and Holy Work
• How the realization of Holy Plan supports the healing of the heart from Gluttony, and creates inner freedom to work more skillfully with your instinctual drives
• How Holy Work and the Virtue of Sobriety are related and help each other
• How the awakened Instincts support deeper realization of Holy Plan

Now that you’ve explored the nine Points, you’ll have the opportunity to look at how you’ve been affected by this journey: What feels most relevant to you? How can you start to integrate what you’ve discovered into your life?

You’ll dialogue about what you’ve been exploring, guided by practices for developing your instincts and the work with the 3 Centers ( your heart, head and body) and the Holy Ideas.

A longer and richer Q&A session will be provided to give everyone time to share and discover together ways to move forward with our newfound knowledge and practices.

In Module 23, you’ll discover:

• Useful practices for cultivating the higher side of your instincts
• How to notice and work towards a greater balance and integration of your Centers
• How to take on a particular practice or line of self-observation for a period of time and record your findings — this can be very helpful in working with instinctual biases and imbalances
• How to focus a particular Holy Idea and see how it affects your sense of yourself and your life
• How to create networks of fellow explorers to continue working after the course is over

Anyone sincerely pursuing this knowledge will sooner or later realize that further development of your inner work requires heartfelt commitment and collaboration with others, as well as a growing awareness that your own soul matures in proportion to your sense of service.

Gurdjieff, the man who introduced the Fourth Way teachings to the modern world, believed that for you to fulfill your potential, you needed three lines of inner work. The first is Work on Self, which has been the main focus of this course — you discover how to be aware of your patterns in such a way that a deeper, more fully developed humanity starts to grow and arise from within you.

Then you’re ready for the second line of work, Work with Others. This is different from helping each other work on ourselves. With more than one of us able to be present, with some consistency, and to somewhat manage our ego reactivity, we’re able to address things in the world that need addressing. This can be in the workplace, in community and in families.

If we have teams that can be present together and get their egos serving an objective need or challenge, we come to the third line of the work, Work for the Sake of the Work. At this stage, groups are able to respond to deeper callings and evolutionary impulses, and to accomplish goals that would seem nearly impossible to groups that had never engaged in the process of inner work.

You’ll be ready to explore: Where this is going and what do I really want my inner work to be serving? How can this process I have given myself help heal society, the world? What roles am I called to play as I awaken to my gifts and experience more of the freedom of my inner nature? What happens when I see more and more the vast potential in the people around me?

After this exploration, there will be time for vision and expressing gratitude to each other.

In Module 24, you’ll discover:

• The First Line of Work and how it’s necessary for any genuine evolution of culture or society
• The Second Line of Work, and how it differs from doing the First Line of Work in groups — what are practices and conditions that facilitate the Second Line?
• The Third Line of Work, and what it might mean for groups to be receptive to the deeper biddings of consciousness — you recognize how this has always been an aim of spiritual and religious groups, but becomes difficult, if not impossible, without the First and Second Lines
• How you can view your life, work and relationships as the spiritual monasteries and gymnasiums you need, offering all the right ingredients for your development
• How to turn the contents of your life into food for your development and practice
• How to continue to support each other upon the completion of this course