“Once again let us take the idea man. In the language of which I speak, instead of the word ‘man,’ seven words are used, namely: man number one, man number two, man number three, man number four, MAN NUMBER FIVE, man number six, and man number seven. With these seven ideas people are already able to understand one another when speaking of man. Fragments: Four

“Man number five is also for us an unattainable standard of man, for it is a man who has reached unity. Fragments: Four

“Man number five has already been crystallized; he cannot change as man number one, two, and three change. But it must be noted that MAN NUMBER FIVE can be the result of right work and he can be the result of wrong work. He can become number five from number four and he can become number five without having been four. And in this case he cannot develop further, cannot become number six and seven. In order to become number six he must again melt his crystallized essence, must intentionally lose his being of MAN NUMBER FIVE. And this can be achieved only through terrible sufferings. Fortunately these cases of wrong development occur very rarely. Fragments: Four

“The knowledge of man number four is a very different kind of knowledge. It is knowledge which comes from MAN NUMBER FIVE, who in turn receives it from man number six, who has received it from man number seven. But, of course, man number four assimilates of this knowledge only what is possible according to his powers. But, in comparison with man number one, man number two, and man number three, man number four has begun to get free from the subjective elements in his knowledge and to move along the path towards objective knowledge. Fragments: Four

“The knowledge of MAN NUMBER FIVE is whole, indivisible knowledge. He has now one indivisible I and all his knowledge belongs to this I. He cannot have one I that knows something which another does not know. What he knows, the whole of him knows. His knowledge is nearer to objective knowledge than the knowledge of man number four. Fragments: Four

“The knowledge of man number seven is his own knowledge, which cannot be taken away from him; it is the objective and completely practiced knowledge of All. “It is exactly the same with being. There is the being of man number one, that is, the being of a man living by his instincts and his sensations; the being of man number two, that is to say, the being of the sentimental, the emotional man; the being of man number three, that is, the being of the rational, the theoretical man, and so on. It is quite clear why knowledge cannot be far away from being. Man number one, two, or three cannot, by reason of his being, possess the knowledge of man number four, MAN NUMBER FIVE, and higher. Whatever you may give him, he may interpret it in his own way, he will reduce every idea to the level on which he is himself. Fragments: Four

“In exactly the same way there exists the religion of man number one, that is to say, a religion consisting of rites, of external forms, of sacrifices and ceremonies of imposing splendor and brilliance, or, on the contrary, of a gloomy, cruel, and savage character, and so on. There is the religion of man number two; the religion of faith, love, adoration, impulse, enthusiasm, which soon becomes transformed into the religion of persecution, oppression, and extermination of ‘heretics’ and ‘heathens.’ There is the religion of man number three; the intellectual, theoretical religion of proofs and arguments, based upon logical deductions, considerations, and interpretations. Religions number one, number two, and number three are really the only ones we know; all known and existing religions and denominations in the world belong to one of these three categories. What the religion of man number four or the religion of MAN NUMBER FIVE and so on is, we do not know, and we cannot know so long as we remain what we are. Fragments: Four

“In actual fact Christianity number one, number two, and number three is simply external imitation. Only man number four strives to be a Christian and only MAN NUMBER FIVE can actually be a Christian. For to be a Christian means to have the being of a Christian, that is, to live in accordance with Christ’s precepts. Fragments: Four

“The third stage in the work of the human organism begins when man creates in himself a conscious second volitional ‘shock’ at the point mi 12, when the transformation or transmutation of these ‘hydrogens’ into higher ‘hydrogens’ begins in him. The second stage and the beginning of the third stage refer to the life and functions of man number four. A fairly considerable period of. transmutation and crystallization is needed for the transition of man number four to the level of MAN NUMBER FIVE. Fragments: Nine