Holy Affirming, Holy Denying, Holy Reconciling

The Law of Three is a fundamental universal law that can be observed in all phenomena. Its properties act constantly in our lives, and recognizing them is beneficial for making decisions, knowing when to push through or when to ease up. The progress of our transformation depends on the presence of the three forces together in action.

 Within the Law of Three, the forces are known as the active force, the passive force, and the reconciling force. We can work to recognize them in any situation to help us understand what is needed. Two opposing forces can be reconciled by the third force, creating manifestation. 

Gurdjieff said people are third force blind and that they are unable to reconcile opposing forces within themselves and circumstances in life. We are often not getting anywhere with things because we are unable to hold two opposing forces simultaneously to bring about reconciliation of that opposition.

One need only look at the example of steering a boat to understand this phenomenon. The wind and current will push the boat in a certain direction, but if we push against that current with the rudder, our boat will be directed where we want to go. The current is one force, the rudder pushing against that force provides the opposing force, and together they bring about making the boat travel in a desired direction.

One aspect of this law is certain, with every action, there is an equal and opposing reaction that exists. However, these two forces, active and passive alone cannot produce anything; they will only push back and forth and circle around one another. The third force, the reconciling force, must be present for something to happen.

“In ordinary thinking, we realize the existence of two forces- action and resistance, positive and negative electricity, but in this state of consciousness, we do not see that three forces are always present in every event, in every phenomenon, and that only a conjunction of three forces can produce an event” Ouspensky from The Fourth Way.

This has great implications for our own work and how to put fresh eyes and expanded awareness on how things actually come to fruition in our spiritual transformation. We can only truly understand these laws by recognizing them in action in our own lives. That recognition fuels our ability to make real choices regarding our behavior and feeds the power by which we act from our conscience, instead of reaction and attachment.

Seeing this law in action by trial and error is a great way to get to know how it works. Watching the struggle within ourselves and seeing how it resolves or doesn’t is a way of noticing whether the third force is present. If we are unable to hold the contradiction of yes and no (two opposing forces) within us through attention, we cannot experience the reconciliation known as the third force. 

In staying with the yes and the no, we may find empathy where there was none. We may be able to follow through with our aim when there was no motivation before. We may be able to let go of some form of false control that keeps us from accepting ourselves. Once these things occur, we are on to the next segment of the process.

We can look at it as the alchemy that brings us to presence and self-remembering; certain almost inexplicable things happen in the presence of the third force. For this reason, Gurdjieff referred to the three forces as, “Holy Affirming, Holy Denying, and Holy Reconciling”. He viewed these forces as sacred.

Russel Schreiber, author of Gurdjieff’s Transformational Psychology writes, "On an emotional level I can experience the reconciling force when I simultaneously recognize and bear both the positive and negative aspects of my behavior.”

Our presence and ability to self-observe can also serve as an opposing or “denying” force; one in which we are able to “push against” our conditioned behavior (active force) simply by seeing and objectively observing it. We accept what we are seeing, bearing our own unskillful behavior or reaction. The resultant dissipation of our attachment to said behavior is the reconciliation or magical Third Force.

The Law of Three is represented by the triangle in sacred geometry and can help us understand any process. We can use it effectively in any decision, manifestation, and means to self-transformation. Looking at the triangle, we have a reciprocal relationship at either end of each of the lines and unification in regard to the three elements.

The enneagram displays the Law of Three in which the triangle represents the three forces and the hexagram represents the Law of Sevenfoldness, an equally sacred law integral to any process. This ancient symbol represents the two predominant principles of spiritual transformation.

The Law of Sevenfoldness is often called the Law of Octaves and represents the loss of vivifyingness or deviation of energy within a process. You can read more about this law in my article, The Law of Seven.

When looking at the enneagram, the triangle inside of a circle represents intervals in a forward-moving process where forces come into play from the outside. If those forces do not enter, the process veers in a different direction or fizzles out. This incoming force is what propels it forward and represents reception from something higher.

These laws go hand in hand, so it is essential to study the Law of Three to understand how to move a process forward. Initially, the effort is simply learning to stay present with a struggle and bringing sensation of the body into the picture. Staying with the contradiction within oneself brings about a new picture. 

This is a way to become directly familiar with the Third Force and the Law of Three acting in your life.

If you want to know more about these sacred laws and their importance in our lives, read my article, Cosmic Laws and The Window of Opportunity.