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Ordered Life

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Assagioli’s outline for an ordered life — a comprehensive program across body, emotion, mind, will, and human relationships, with rhythms keyed to the day, the month, and the year

By Roberto Assagioli
From Psychosynthesis in Action
Assagioli Archives, Florence, Docs. #23920 and #23921 [i]
Translated and edited with notes by Jan Kuniholm [ii]

Editorial Note
The abstract and contextual subtitle in this online edition have been added by the editor, Kenneth Sorensen, to support readability, navigation, and archival consistency. This edition combines the content of two archive documents (#23920 and #23921), since #23920 appears to have been edited to remove esoteric references while #23921 carries the official heading of the Institute. Some discrepancies between the two are noted in the editor’s footnotes. The original wording has not been altered.

Abstract

In this outline, Roberto Assagioli sets out a complete program for an ordered life as the disciplined cultivation of every dimension of human being. He organises the work under five headings. Physical life rests on disidentification from the body and the practical disciplines of breath, gymnastics, rhythmic walking, communion with the elements, and nourishment taken as ritual. Emotional life cultivates joy, peace, and aesthetic appreciation, raising personal feeling into spiritual love and compassion. Mental and spiritual life draws on study, concentration exercises, meditation on a seed thought, contemplation of inner truth, and inspiration through affirmation. Voluntary life develops strong will, creative work, education, the irradiation of inner qualities into one’s surroundings, and conscious participation in national and world service. He closes with rhythms keyed to the day, the week, the lunar month, and the solar year, and with a section on right human relations across family, social groups, nation, and humanity.

  1. PHYSICAL LIFE.

Disidentification from the body; it is the body that is hungry, thirsty, tired, etc.;

not the “I.” The Body is the “temple of God” — Permeated with spirit — its disciplined and rhythmic activity.

MEANS:

  1. Breathing : slow, deep and regular breaths (10-12 at an hour — 2 or 3 times a day, including walking)
    1. Gymnastics : its great value as a discipline — helps us to feel the body as our “instrument,” to distinguish ourselves from it, to use it. This should be done with attention and mental concentration. Precise movements, “with style;” each movement firm and quick, but with pauses in between.
    1. Walks : rhythmic walking without tension. They help us learn “calm rapidity” (start slowly, then gradually speed up).
    1. Happy (“Franciscan”) communion with the elements: water, air, earth and fire.
    1. Nourishment : taking food as a “ritual.” Blessing food. Eating slowly, chewing well, savoring.
  • EMOTIONAL LIFE.
  1. Cultivation of spiritual joy . (The duty of joy [is] not to “burden” others; but to give joy, a precious gift, especially now!).
    1. Cultivation of peace , serenity and harmony .
    1. Cultivation of beauty . Development of aesthetic sense.
    1. Spiritual laws . Transforming personal emotions and feelings into spiritual love. Arousing love and radiating it. Its aspects, qualities and expressions:
  1. “Franciscan,” brotherly love for all creatures.
    1. Loving understanding of all “brothers and sisters in humanity,” considering them as Souls in the process of manifestation.
    1. Compassion (wise and strong, not soft and sentimental) for those who suffer.
    1. Devotion , permeated with admiration and gratitude for the higher souls: geniuses, heroes, artists, saints — the flower of Humanity.
    1. Adoration of God , Truth — Supreme Reality — Synthesis of all goodness and perfection.
  • MENTAL AND SPIRITUAL LIFE [iii]
  1. Study : its great value as discipline and development of the mind. To study requires: making summaries — copying passages — writing comments — mental “reviewing,” and, when possible, teaching, expounding to others.
  1. Topics to study:
  1. Astrology : Introduction and horoscope (assimilate well). [iv]
    1. Psychology : Dimnet’s The Art of Thinking ; [v] Ramacharaka’s Raja Yoga ; [vi] James’s The Ideals of Life; [vii] and Lessons in Psychosynthesis. [viii]
    1. Modern Languages: (see Assagioli, A Psychological Method for Learning Languages. [ix] )
  • Concentration Exercises
  1. Exercises in observation (see Knowing how to see, Marangoni’s book Knowing How to See ; [x] Ramacharaka, Raja Yoga )
    1. Drawing and Reproductive drawing (ie copying)
    1. Exercises in “imaginative evocation” — tactile, visual, auditory, olfactory, etc. — see the Lessons.
  • Meditation
  1. Physical relaxation (comfortable sitting position with upright spine).
    1. Emotional calming . Fervent “upward” aspiration.
    1. Mental concentration . Silence.
    1. Communion with the Inner Christ : “More radiant than the Sun, purer than snow, subtler than ether is the Self, the Spirit within me — I am that Self — that Self am I.”
    1. Meditation ( reflection) on a “seed thought” — or on the Higher “I”, the Soul — the spiritual Self.
    1. Contemplation of truth , or inner reality.
    1. Inspiration and Affirmation : “May Christ, and all the Great Beings to whose service I consecrate myself, reveal to me the Light I seek, give me the strong help of Their compassion and Their Wisdom.” There is a peace that transcends all understanding: it dwells in the hearts of those who live in the Eternal. — There is a Power that renews all things; it lives and works in those who realize the Unity of the Spirit — May that Peace hover over me, may that Power lift me up to union with Christ. — May the Peace and Blessing of Christ and all the saints pour over the world. Peace – Peace – Peace.”
    1. A few minutes of receptive silence.
    1. Assimilation: Fixing well in the mind what has been realized. Write down your thoughts and intuitions.
  • VOLUNTARY LIFE. [xi]
  1. Strong Will . Development of volitional power . This is implemented by constant use of the physical, emotional and mental disciplines already indicated and by special exercises.
    1. Wise Will . Requires psychological and spiritual knowledge of oneself and others.
    1. Goodwill . Rightness of intention : selflessness — disinterestedness — harmlessness — harmonizing one’s own will with the will of others (see: VII below: “Right Human Relations”) — unification of individual will with divine will.
  • EXPRESSION AND SERVICE
  1. Writing for oneself and for others.
    1. “Expressive” drawing.
    1. Spreading good “seeds:” thoughts, transcribed passages, books. Learning to choose reading suitable for the person and the “psychological moment.” Among the books: stories of “salvation” or “redemption” — “uplifting” biographies.
    1. Education .
  1. Helping the formation of the physical, emotional and mental personality of children and youth — supporting the awakening of the Soul, the inner Christ, in them. General preparation — Experiments.
    1. Specific, “individual” education for each person, according to his or her particular constitution. Study the person in this light and collect data. Help is available from his or her horoscope.
  • Irradiation . Radiate [the qualities and energies of the New Age] around oneself by example and by word: towards people in the family — towards employees — towards friends and acquaintances.
    • National and world service:
  1. Prepare to collaborate in future reconstruction work. Try to form clear ideas and have instructions regarding the New Order, the New Age. Begin to implement them in oneself; Imagine or envision a new, truly “Christian” culture — based on the eternal values ​​of the Spirit, expressed in new forms suitable for the new times and for the new mentality of young people.
  • “ORDERED LIFE” IN TIME (the various cycles).
  1. From Doc.#23920 : In time. Harmonious insertion in the various cosmic and human cycles. Make a program for the day, the week, the month, the year; for the various periods of one’s life. Do this with unified and synthetic vision, but with flexibility; be ready to modify them according to external events and inner directions.
  • From Doc. #23921 :
  1. Time of day : morning — afternoon — evening.
    1. Program for the week . A spiritual Sunday.
    1. The Month : from the New Moon to the Full Moon: gradual intensification of inner life (introversion). On the day of the Full Moon, more intense communion with God and with all Higher Beings — with “fellow travelers.” Reception of inspirations. From the Full Moon to the New Moon: gradual “descent,” manifestation and expression of the spiritual force.
    1. The Year.
      1. December to June 21: “Ascent,” culminating at the Full Moons of May and June.
      1. June 21 to December 21: “Descent” — expression — implementation.
  • RIGHT HUMAN RELATIONS [xii]

Harmonious involvement with various human groups: family, various social groups, nations, humanity. (Inter-individual psychosynthesis).

Means : constant practice of “good will,” understanding, spirit of cooperation.

Collaborate in reconstruction and renewal in various fields: try to form clear ideas and have insights regarding the New Era. To begin to implement them in oneself . Imagine and think of a new civilization and culture based on the eternal values ​​of the Spirit, but expressed in new forms , adapted to new times, new conditions, new mentality of young people.

[i] The following notes — “(Schematic notes of “psychosynthesis in action”) and “modified “exoteric” edition” — appear only on Doc.#23920, which appears to have been edited to remove all “esoteric” references; the official heading of the Institute appears only on Doc. #23921. This present edition combines the content of both Archive documents, with some discrepancies noted. There may be a more detailed “esoteric” version unknown to this Editor. —Ed.

[ii] Editor’s interpolations are indicated by text in [brackets}. Elisions. . . Are as shown in the archive documents. -Oath.

[iii] In doc. #23920 this heading was “Mental and Intuitive Life.” -Oath.

[iv] Assagioli developed an association with astrologer Dane Rudhyar and was also involved with the esoteric astrology of Alice Bailey. Astrology in this context is not some kind of predictive code but an approach to personality and personal life. -Oath.

[v] Ernest Dimnet, The Art of Thinking, currently available in print or kindle or e-book versions. -Oath.

[vi] Yogi Ramacharaka, Raja Yoga, currently available in print or kindle or e-book versions. -Oath.

[vii] William James, Talks to Teachers on Psychology and to Students on Some of Life’s Ideals, currently available in print or kindle or e-book versions. -Oath.

[viii] Assagioli’s own books, available in English and Italian, and the Courses of Lessons on Psychosynthesis that were delivered for many years in Italian at the Istituto di Psicosintesi, which as of this date have not yet been translated. -Oath.

[ix] PRF Issue #3, Psychosynthesis Research Foundation, also an earlier version published in The Beacon, Jan.-Feb. 1948, and available online. -Oath.

[x] Matteo Marangoni, Saper vedere – Come si Guarda un’Opera d’Arte le Guide [ Knowing How to See – A Guide to How to Look at a Work of Art ] , 1953 , available only in Italian editions. -Oath.

[xi] This heading and its subtopics do not appear in Doc. #23921. This topic is developed later in the author’s book The Act of Will. -Oath.

[xii] This heading and its subtopics do not appear in Doc. #23921. -Oath.