The Sacred Enneagram: Finding Your Unique Path to Spiritual Growth

by Christopher L. Heuertz

Regardless of whether the Passions of the Enneagram are more pathologies than sins or tragic flaws, “The King’s Diamond,” a traditional Jewish parable,* helps us make sense of what is exposed through our understanding of our type. Long ago lived a wealthy king whose fortune was unrivaled. He possessed valuable treasures from all known lands including paintings and sculptures from the world’s greatest artists. The legend of his prosperity was punctuated by his most prized possession, a precious diamond bigger than any that had ever been seen before. In fact, it was larger than the king’s own hand and nearly flawless in its color and clarity. When the king wasn’t admiring it himself, the diamond was put on display for all his loyal subjects to admire—protected by armed guards, of course. Visitors from far and wide came to gaze upon its mythical beauty. As the king’s fame grew and his kingdom flourished, he credited this very special diamond as the source of his prosperity. One afternoon as the king gazed upon the diamond, holding the precious stone up to the sunlight, to his horror he noticed a deep and long crack from the top of the stone to the very bottom. “How could this have happened?” he exclaimed, heartbroken with the devastating knowledge that it would be impossible to fix this terrible flaw. His court gathered around him with his most esteemed advisors attempting to appease his fears. The best jewelers throughout his kingdom visited his throne room to examine the fl...