Metaphysical Humanism and the Laws of Being, part XX: Agency, or, the Second Order of Laws

Unpublished

Agency, or, The Second Order of Laws

 When the Holy Trinity commences its tripartite action through the agency of its constituent forces, Love, Intellect, and Matter, it produces a subordinate entity that then births material reality. 

These first three laws govern, at the highest level, the entire existence and action of all subsequent levels. 

Once the Holy Trinity exercises its influence, it immediately (i.e., timelessly, in eternity) engenders a realm governed by a second order of laws.

Gurdjieff explained this by saying that the highest level of the universe has three laws; the next level, six; the level that follows that, 12, then 24, then 48 — according to Gurdjieff, we’re on the level of the universe which is subject to 48 laws.

 Leaving this aside for the moment, let’s examine the second order of laws, which are directly consequent on the first order, and in conjunction with them ultimately determine everything that follows in terms of material manifestation. 

The second order of laws, like the first order, doesn't just embody higher laws of the material and material interaction. Like the first order of laws, the second order, which is a material mirror-image of the first order, has three components which, in the created world, materially reflect the metaphysical components of love, intellect, and matter as they pre-exist conceptually in the mind of God.

 The three laws of the second order are as follows:

 The Law of Emergence

 The Law of Intention

 The Law of Purpose

  Once we understand the nature of the universe from this perspective, we understand that the material universe itself, and all of its nature, are governed by these three forces. they're, moreover, hierarchical and proceed one from the other:

• Collectively, Love, Intellect, and Matter produce Emergence.  
• Emergence engenders Intention;
• Intention engenders purpose. 

Although they seem to proceed one from the other in this directed hierarchy, they actually exist — exactly as Love, Intellect, and Matter do — as three points on an equilateral triangle. The Star of David is an apt symbol for this, with the vertical pyramid representing Love, Intellect, and Matter, and the inverted one representing Emergence, Intention, and Purpose. This is the territory where what we call meaning is defined.

 Let’s look at each of the laws in order to get a better understanding of how they function.

May your heart be close to God, 

and God close to your heart.

Lee

Lee van Laer is a Senior Editor at Parabola Magazine.