The Enneagram and Religion
Is the enneagram a religion? At my first enneagram training course, I
was talking with my roommate about how defensive some people were about
the enneagram, and how they got so reactive about anyone questioning
the value of “The Work.” She said, “Oh, I think it’s like a religion to
some people.”
Indeed it is like a religion to some people. I think this accounts for
some of the misunderstanding about the enneagram among many religious
groups. All you have to do is Google “enneagram religion” and you will
be directed to sites that talk about the enneagram as being counter to
the beliefs of whichever religious group is writing the particular
article.
The enneagram model is largely attributed to G.I.Gurdjieff, a
Greek-Armenian who spent his life asking the questions: “Who am I?” and
“Why am I here?” He was apparently a charismatic Type 8, who attracted
a group of followers, students, who traveled around with him in his
search for “truth.” His work has come to be known as “The Work” among
his devotees, and he, himself, has become a kind of god figure to many.
And yet he was not trying to create a new religion, with himself at the
center, or write a new scripture based on his teachings. His work had a
simple goal: People needed to learn to be present to themselves and
learn to observe themselves and their egos in action. He also taught
that all religions deserve respect. He drew much of his knowledge from
mystical Christian and Sufi teachings. For more on Gurdjieff, go to
http://www.gurdjieff.com/about.html.
Once we get into the realm of religious beliefs, we get into the realm
of doctrine and dogma, all of which can conflict with our individual
direct experiences of God, and which needs interpreting and defending.
In my own theological education at a Lutheran Seminary, I seemed to
always be coming up against conflicts between my own experiences of the
divine, and the teachings about what my experiences “should” be like.
In one class, in which the professor was using some logic that seemed
rather circular to me, I questioned him, and the response was: “Why
would you want to ask that question?” Phooey on that! I soon changed to
another denomination which did not require “tests of faith,” but
instead places value on “testimonies to faith.”
The enneagram is not a religion, but it does draw from religious belief
systems. It primarily draws from ancient mystical traditions found in
all religions – the Christian mystics, the Sufis, Buddhist meditation
practices, Hindu spiritual practices, and has parallels in the
Kaballah, or Jewish Tree of Life. It combines some universal truths
with modern understandings of psychology and the workings of the human
brain and nervous system.
At it’s best the enneagram is a profound spiritual tool which serves as
a map of our personalities. As such it helps us to and helps us to
understand our personalities and motivations. It helps us to see
ourselves in action, and to understand that there is more to us than
these habitual patterns of behaviors and thoughts. When we can observe
ourselves and accept ourselves as we are, we can let go of patterns of
thoughts and behaviors which are destructive to ourselves and others.
This tool does not offer a quick fix to our problems or promise worldly
success, as do some New Age philosophies, and in fact, some
fundamentalist religious groups. In fact, it offers a short cut into
the muck of human existence. All of the nine types avoid existential
pain in one way or another, and the enneagram helps us see how we avoid
the pain, and learn to feel the pain. By observing ourselves and our
thoughts, and being present to ourselves and the full range of human
emotions and physical feelings, we feel everything. And when we stay
with our pain or fear or anxiety or shame, it eventually passes. Then
we can experience the pleasure and joy of existence.
This process is not easy. (Be very suspicious of any spiritual school
that promises instant happiness!) Spiritual growth is a long process
and involves a certain amount of pain, because it involves seeing the
truth of our existence. Our egos don’t want us to know the truth. Our
egos are attached to certain beliefs and states, and the truth will
shine a light into these areas.
This is why it is important to not go alone on the spiritual journey.
When you learn to self-observe, you WILL judge yourself harshly. Your
personality will fight back. Your superego will shame and criticize
you. You will feel bad. You will have intense emotional reactions.
Please get some help from someone who is also doing spiritual work and understands the process.
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