People
often ask if the 3 Principles are the same as or different from current and popular spiritual teachings, or Buddhism, or any of the
world religions. In this blog I will attempt to answer this important
question.
The 3
Principles refer to the essence of spiritual truth. This truth lies at the core
of all of life or we would not refer to it as truth. It has revealed itself to
people throughout history.
This
truth is not the sole province of any person, or spiritual understanding, or religion.
Principles in this context do not refer to any concept or idea, but refer to
that which is most fundamental to life. That which is most fundamental is the
energy of all of life, whether in form or formless.
Another
way of saying this is that out of pure, formless energy everything in all the
universes arises and takes form. Since any and all form is composed of that
same energy, there is an inherent unity or oneness in life. Everything is the
same energy, whether in form or formless. This truth has always been true, even
long before humans came along.
Syd Banks
was fortunate enough to have had a realization of this truth in its starkest
simplicity. What revealed themselves to Syd in 1973 were the 3 Principles in
their formless essence. It was clear to him that they lie before the forms that
they have taken in different religions and cultures. Therefore, Syd asserted
that the 3 Principles are found at the formless, spiritual core of Buddhism and
at the core of every religion. He also pointed out that often the essence of
truth gets more and more covered over by concepts, ideas, beliefs, insights,
values, doctrines, advice, practices and techniques as time goes by.
Syd was
concerned with the way in which the simplicity of truth can be diluted by human
beings as they mix the principles with personal concepts and practices. He knew
that this was a danger within the community of people calling themselves 3
Principle practitioners.
Syd was doing
his best to invite all of humanity to look toward the essence of every spiritual
teaching and religion. He honored and had great respect for all religions. He
encouraged religious people to stay with their religion. He invited people to
strip away the complexity and return to simplicity. He knew that every single
human being has the ability to realize truth. He knew that if people gained a
deeper realization of the essence of their religion that it would enhance their
understanding of that religion and would help raise the level of understanding
in the world.
So the
real question may not be how the 3 Principles are different than other
spiritual teachings, but can we recognize the 3 Principles at the core of all
spiritual teachings and learn to separate them out from all that is a
conceptual elaboration?
Syd
believed that he did not create or discover these Principles. They are eternal
Principles that revealed themselves to him. The formless nature of spirit and
our intimate connection to that world is what Syd shares in common with other
spiritual teachers and teachings. But every spiritual realizer brings their own
emphasis, interpretation, and explanation to their teaching.
Syd
Banks’ teaching of the 3 Principles is in my opinion an enormous contribution
to the world. I would like to identify what I see as his important
contributions:
1) Sydney’s spiritual awakening
happened through spontaneous insights. Because of this Syd never recommended,
or felt the necessity of, spiritual practices, disciplines, or techniques. This
in my opinion truly sets Syd apart from the vast majority of spiritual
teaching. The very first point Syd makes in his book The Missing Link is:
“One of the greatest misconceptions ever is the belief that ‘It takes years to
find wisdom’….The achievement of mental stability and peace of mind is one thought away from everyone on
earth…” The accessibility of this has given hope to countless thousands of
people.
2) Syd articulated the 3 fundamental
life forces that he called Principles that are the universal common denominators
of all human psychological experience. The identification of these 3 universal Principles
brings a clarity and simplicity that immediately cuts through differences of race,
culture, status, and age. He always pointed people toward simplicity rather
than complexity.
3) He defined the essence of the
Principle of Thought as formless and included Thought in his trinity along with
Mind and Consciousness. He often called Thought the “missing link” for
humanity, because a lot of spiritual teaching focuses on the Principles of Mind
and Consciousness and they don’t highlight Thought as an equal Principle. Thought
is the link that connects the spiritual with the psychological worlds.
4) Syd insisted that 100% of all
feeling and experience was created from the Principles, and that we are all
lived by the same principles, no exceptions.
5) He was emphatic that no person is
wiser or more spiritual in their essential nature than anyone else. Therefore
he felt that everyone already has everything they are looking for. His notion
of innate health completely undermines the long-standing trend toward self-improvement
or self-development.
6) Syd’s certainty that if you touch
the inner space prior to our conceptual mind, the state of no thought, that it must manifest as a positive feeling
and/or a higher order of thinking.
7) He consistently pointed out the
danger of being a follower of a teacher, rather than trusting your own wisdom
and following your own common sense.
I
hope this is helpful in clarifying the contribution Sydney Banks made in his
teaching. I have attempted to show what
it shares in common with other spiritual teachings, and just as importantly,
how it is stands out from other s
