"THERE DO EXIST ENQUIRING MINDS, which long for the truth of the heart, seek it, strive to solve the problems set by life, try to penetrate to the essence of things and phenomena and to penetrate into themselves. If a man reasons and thinks soundly, no matter which path he follows in solving these problems, he must inevitably arrive back at himself, and begin with the solution of the problem of what he is himself and what his place is in the world around him. For without this knowledge, he will have no focal point in his search. Socrates’ words, “Know thyself” remain for all those who seek true knowledge and being."

VIEWS FROM THE REAL WORLD, BY by G.I. Gurdjieff, p 43

31 March 2012

MISUNDERSTANDING

ISOTM: Table of Contents: Chapter IV

CHAPTER IV
General impressions of G.'s system. Looking backwards. One of the fundamental propositions. The line of knowledge and the line of being. Being on different levels Divergence of the line of knowledge from the line of being. What a development of knowledge gives without a corresponding change of being—and a change of being without an increase in knowledge. What "understanding" means. Understanding as the resultant of knowledge and being. The difference between understanding and knowledge. Understanding as a function of three centers. Why people try to find names for things they do not understand. Our language. Why people do not understand one another. ...

~*~*~*~*

In almost every one of his lectures G. reverted to a theme which he evidently considered to be of the utmost importance but which was very difficult for many of us to assimilate. 

"There are," he said, "two lines along which man's development proceeds, the line of knowledge and the line of being. In right evolution the line of knowledge and the line of being develop simultaneously, parallel to, and helping one another. But if the line of knowledge gets too far ahead of the line of being, or if the line of being gets ahead of the line of knowledge, man's development goes wrong, and sooner or later it must come to a standstill . ...”

30 March 2012

Arguing

So...
what is this arguing all about?

What is all this ruching and bile and pushing and pulling ripping at your guts my friend?
From where does that angsty neeeeeeeeeed to explain and justify and clarify ad infinitum come?


Come back another time when you are your real self again.

21 March 2012

Influences

On the ordinary level, in ordinary life, the word influence has definite meanings that relate to ordinary life. This week we are asked to consider what Gurdjieff meant by influence.

Here is a short excerpt from ISOTM, Ch 10. A longer excerpt is posted here. (Please read as part of this week's work."

Influence : From: ISOTM: Chapter 10

"ONCE there was a meeting with a large number of people who had not been at our meetings before. One of them asked: "From what does the way start?" The person who asked the question had not heard G.'s description of the four ways and he used the word "way" in the usual religious-mystical sense. 

"The chief difficulty in understanding the idea of the way,"' said G., "consists in the fact that people usually think that the ‘way’  (he emphasized this word) "starts on the same level on which life is going. This is quite wrong. The way begins on another, much higher, level. This is exactly what people usually do not understand. The beginning of the way is thought to be easier or simpler than it is in reality. I will try to explain this in the following way. 

"Man lives in life under the law of accident and under two kinds of influences again governed by accident. ..."  

14 March 2012

ADRIFT

I am adrift
No oars, no paddle.
Cut off from all outlets for habit
I enjoy exploring what is

You do the same. :-)*

04 March 2012

KNOW THYSELF

 
"The first reason for man's inner slavery is his ignorance, and above all, his ignorance of himself. Without self-knowledge, without understanding the working and functions of his machine, man cannot be free, he cannot govern himself and he will always remain a slave, and the plaything of the forces acting upon him.
"This is why in all ancient teachings the first demand at the beginning of the way to liberation was: 'Know thyself.' "We shall speak of these words now." ~ G.I. Gurdjieff