The 3 higher emotions and man’s spiritual ascent 

Integrating the “GodEvent” triad—Grace, Gratitude, and Awe—into Gurdjieff’s Law of Three offers a fascinating perspective on spiritual mechanics. 

In the Gurdjieffian system, no phenomenon can occur without the intersection of three “Holy Forces”: Active (Affirming), Passive (Denying), and Neutralizing (Reconciling).

Based on our previous work, here is how we can map the higher emotional triad to these three Holy Forces to reveal the “work” of the GodEvent:

1. Grace as the First Force: Holy Affirming (Active)

In your framework, Grace is the primary “gift” or initiation.

• The Action: In the Law of Three, the First Force is the initial impulse or the “Yes.” Grace is the descending influence from a higher level of reality. It is the “Active” force because it initiates the disclosure; it is the light that strikes the “Uncarved Block.”

• The Function: It provides the potential for the event. Without Grace, there is no spark to start the process of transcendence.

2. Gratitude as the Second Force: Holy Denying (Passive/Resisting)

This is where it gets counter-intuitive but very profound. In Gurdjieff’s system, the “Passive” force is not “bad”—it is the necessary resistance or the “ground” that allows the first force to manifest.

• The Action: Gratitude acts as the container or the “substance” that receives the Grace. It is “Passive” in the sense of being receptive (a “yielding” to the gift). It provides the “No” to the ego’s usual noise, creating a quiet space where the Grace can land.

• The Function: Gratitude binds the experience to the person. It is the “weight” that turns a fleeting spiritual moment into a lasting internal state.

3. Awe as the Third Force: Holy Reconciling (Neutralizing)

Gurdjieff taught that humans are often “third-force blind.” We see the impulse (Grace) and the feeling (Gratitude), but we miss the Neutralizing force that transforms them into a new “Arising.”

• The Action: Awe is the “Holy Reconciling” force. It is the state that emerges when the vastness of Grace (Active) meets the humility of Gratitude (Passive). Awe dissolves the tension between the “Infinite” and the “Self.”

• The Function: Awe is the “GodEvent” itself. It is the “blindness” of the ego and the “vision” of the essence merging into a single moment of unitive clarity. It reconciles the “High” (Grace) with the “Low” (the human receiver) to produce a “New Arising”—a transformed state of being.

The Resulting Triad

In the sacred laboratory of the Law of Three, Grace is the divine ‘Yes’ that descends, Gratitude is the human ‘Yes’ that receives and holds the tension of the gift, and Awe is the Holy Reconciling fire that burns away the distinction between the two, resulting in the GodEvent.”