A Record of Meetings held by P.D. Ouspensky - HolyBooks.com

habit) that we do not understand, do not distinguish different action.Try to understand that there are a certain number of different actionsin the same way as there are different matters, minerals, organicmatter, living organic matter, and so on. Try to find parallels. Forinstance, one action is necessary to build a house; another action toburn a house. To burn a house is quite different, much easier. Try tothink how much easier to burn. If you think about it, you will see thedifference, that it is different action. Then neither the action whichbuilds a house, nor the action which burns a house will paint a picture:quite different action is necessary. At the same time, action by whichyou paint a picture is not necessary to build a house. Much simplereffort is required than this. Only a few people can paint a picture.Everybody can take part in building a house. The same effort which isnecessary for building a house will not be enough to invent, say, a newkind of electric bell. And action by which you can invent the electricbell will not make a picture—a bad picture perhaps, copy, but not agood picture. If somebody steals this picture from your house, this willbe a different kind of action. There are six kinds really, but the sixthdistinction is more difficult. Take these five: building, destruction,creation, invention, crime. And try to find analogies. This will bringyou to the understanding of different triads. Begin with human actions,not with yourselves.Q. How can one develop judgment of the difference betweenactions?MR. O. One cannot at once. It is a long process. Think about these fivekinds and try to find what is similar to this action and similar toanother, and then you will have categories. You cannot be sure. Youmust compare, make mistakes, then find mistakes and so on. It is anew way of thinking.Triads come later. Trying to remember which triad is which makesyou lose the meaning. You will do better to leave triads. Differentkinds of action mean different triads, but which kind you can leave fornow. Only you must understand the meaning of different actions.Q . Is it actions themselves, regardless of motive?MR. O. Yes, the actions themselves are different, but you cannot say itexactly like that. They are connected with motive, only not in the waywe think. You must understand that a certain kind of result can onlybe obtained by the corresponding action. At the same time, motive