Posted on behalf of a contributor: J.C.

I thought about the following in terms of the twelve steps of recovery. The similarities are striking:

“In order to study how to begin work on will, how to transform will, on has to give up one’s will. This is a very dangerous expression if it is misunderstood. It is important to understand rightly what ‘to give up one’s will’ means. We have no will, so how are we to give up what we do not have? First you must realize you never agree that you have no will; you only agree in words. Secondly, you must understand that we do not always have will but only at times.  Will in our state means a strong desire. If there is no strong desire, there is no will and so there is nothing to give up. At another moment we have a strong desire that is against the work, and if we stop it, it means we give up will.” {….}

“Consciousness means will, and will means freedom.” {….}

“Nearly all other systems begin with aims nearly ten thousand miles ahead which have no practical meanings; but this system begins in this room. That is the difference and that is what must be understood first of all.” {….}

“Effort is our money. If we want something we must pay with effort.” {….}

“You have mistaken ideas about what giving up will means. First, you think it is a final action; that you give up will and have no more will. This is an illusion because we have no such will to give up. Our will last for about three minutes. Will is measured by time. If once we give up three minutes of will, tomorrow another three minutes will grow. Giving up will is not one action, it is a continuous process. A single action means nothing. The second mistake is not remembering certain principles to which you give up will.” {….}

— P.D. Ouspensky,  The Fourth Way, (New York, Vintage Books,1957) pp 254 to 261