Links to study material
Further Commentary
Words are powerful
Words are powerful, yet we all misuse them. Even the 7 primary words are employed inaccurately to give ambiguous messages. Deception, lies, and uncertainty are the inevitable result - and then our minds become a jumble of confusion instead of sharp arrows of comprehension and intention as designed. Nor is this all about mind; at the core, it is a path of heart. The emotional and physical aspects of life are each blemished by our misuse of simple words, because fundamental life issues are so badly mismanaged. |
The system in brief
Each of the 7 words represents and describes an attitude or approach to life situations, and we need to master them all in order to have the necessary range of skill and understanding to deal with whatever comes up. When we have this ability then everything is made clear and possible. Below is found the core teachings - which is that each of the 7 words has a fundamental essence that can be easily understood by considering their 4 keywords. It is an intuitive system that requires nothing more than a basic understanding and then an indefinite amount of practice. |
The 7 Words System presents a new idea originated by James Burgess
Ideas are very powerful because all we do depends upon our perception of what is real, what is important and what is right. Yet when we look carefully at the reasons for so many of our decisions, we find them insubstantial. What is real? What is right? We cannot answer such questions except subjectively. No two people agree on these things. It depends so very much on what they understand at the level of ideas, and mostly our ideas were given to us with a moral, religious or political spin that distorted the truth. Very few people are able to think clearly and honestly, untouched by these forces.
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We face dangers that threaten the survival of the species. Surely it has become intuitively clear that we have collectively to change the way we think if we are to have any realistic hope of survival? The 7 Words System frees the mind of the distortions of thought that give rise to unpleasant emotionality and confusion. Clarity, and empowerment follows; we then can choose what we love and desire, and not what we fear and dislike. Everything begins with thought, so if the structure of how we have been conditioned to think is corrected then we can expect lasting improvements in our circumstances and sense of well being.
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The system, when approached with the head, gives rise to ideas – and when approached with the heart, gives rise to 7 distinct inner states that inform our emotions. Mastery of the system requires us to learn how to move at will from one state to another in response to inner and outer motivations. When we train ourselves to embody these 7 principles as states, then both our rational and emotional responses become appropriate and helpful.
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This is a non-dogmatic method that bridges the gap between spiritual and material worlds – not only a path for the serious seeker but also a management tool that has widespread applications in all aspects of private and corporate endeavour. When we have no confusion, then interpretation and decision if simple, so appropriate and immediate action follows. We always know what to do, why to do it, what to expect from taking action or practising inaction. Life becomes straightforward and constantly joyful.
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It is a new way to look at everything — what we do, how we think, how we feel and what we believe in. It is about how we focus the mind and awaken the depth of heart. The idea is that these 7 words are basic — and that by deepening our understanding of these fundamentals, we can come to a much better sense of who we are, what needs to be done and how to make the right moves. We project into the future a clearly worked out sense of who we are and what we choose to have happen.
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The system is defined by the idea that in all the complexity of human associations, there are only 7 core aspects of interaction; they are captured by the 7 primary words. These 7 archetypes of expression are the essential themes within all relationships and activities —archetypes – and they operate sequentially. We journey through stages of understanding, from No to Yes, spiralling towards the final wisdom that transcends any models or explanations. There are 7 wisdoms to grasp, which eventually after many repetitions of the cycle, we will come to see as one universal wisdom, which we have for convenience simply chosen to see as if it were 7.
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The range of applications is without limit; its scope is universal. Already the 7 Words System is embedded as a methodology in worlds as diverse as management consultancy, counselling, parenting, birthing, death and dying, spiritual guidance, therapeutic theatre and so on, with further areas in development such as addiction recovery and mainstream education at kindergarten and sixth form levels. The fundamental principles, coming through Sufism and other mystery traditions, has been taught for at least 1400, and perhaps thousands of years.
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