Fourfold Sublime Reality

Harmonious perspective, in short, is becoming aware of the problem and its solution. It is in making this paradigm shift that the therapist can help. The rest is the work of the patient, which often automatically follows. The therapist acts as a teacher rather than a doctor, and the patient becomes a student. The Buddha presented the problem and its solution, in the form of the Fourfold Sublime Reality.



The Fourfold Sublime Reality

1. The problem                         -Conflict between emotions and reality
2. The cause                               -The blind emotions
3. The solution                         -Elimination of blind emotions
4. The method                          -The Sublime Eightfold Way



This reality is supernormal because it is not the reality of the normal or the abnormal person. It is a reality that rises above the normal to a supernormal level, though it is quite accessible. Yet one has to gain access to it in degrees. Therefore it has to be described in relation to four main levels of development as follows:


Levels of Development

1. Cognitive Reorientation      -changing our sense of values
2. Expansion of Heart               -sincerely helping others
3. Tranquillity of mind             -learning how to relax and be calm
4. Paradigm Shift                        -depersonalizing the self


Having understood the Harmonious Perspective, it is possible to see how a problem such as “low self esteem” can be solved through this technique.