OBYVATEL Part II: ISOM pages 362 - 363
"People of the objective way live simply in life. They are those whom we call good people. Particular systems and methods are not necessary for them; making use of ordinary religious or intellectual teachings and ordinary morality, they live at the same time according to conscience. They do not of necessity do much good, but they do no evil. Sometimes they happen to be quite uneducated, simple people, but they understand life very well, they have the right valuation of things and a right outlook. And they are of course perfecting themselves and evolving. Only their way can be very long with many unnecessary repetitions."
"I had for a long time wanted to get G to talk about repetition but he always avoided it. So it was on this occasion. Without answering my question on repetition he continued."
" It often seems to people of the 'way', that is, of the subjective way, especially those who are just beginning, that other people, that is, people of the objective way, are not moving, but this is a very big mistake. A simple obyvatel may sometimes do such work in him that he will overtake another - a monk or even a yogi."
"Obyvatel is a strange word in the Russian language. It is used in the sense of an 'inhabitant', without any particular shade. At the same time it is used to express contempt or derision -'obyvatel'- as though there could be nothing worse. But those who speak in this way do not understand that the obyvatel is the healthy kernel of life. And from that point of view of the possibility of evolution, a good obyvatel has many more chances than a 'lunatic' or a 'tramp'. Afterwards I will perhaps explain what I mean by these two words. In the meantime, we will talk about the obyvatel. I do not wish to say that all obyvatels are people of the subjective way; nothing of the kind. Among them are thieves, rascals, and fools; but there are others. I merely wish to say that being a good obyvatel by itself does not hinder the 'way'. And finally there are different types of obyvatel. Imagine, for example, the type of obyvatel who lives all his life just as other people around him, conspicuous in nothing, perhaps a good master who makes money, and is perhaps even close fisted. At the same time, he dreams of monasteries, for instance, and dreams some time or other that he will leave everything and go into a monastery. And such things happen in the East and in Russia. A man lives and works, then when his children are grown up; he gives everything to them and goes into a monastery. This is the obyvatel of which I speak. Perhaps he does not go into a monastery; perhaps he does not need this. His own life as an obyvatel is his own way."
"People who are definitely thinking about ways, particularly people of intellectual ways, very often look down at the obyvatel, and in general despise the virtues of the obyvatel. But they only show by this their own personal unsuitability for any way whatever. Because no way can begin from a level lower than the obyvatel. This is very often lost sight of on people who are unable to organize their own personal lives - who are too weak to struggle with and conquer life, dream of the ways, or what they consider are the ways, because they think it will be easier for them than life and because this, so to speak, justifies their weakness and their inadaptability. A man who can be a good obyvatel is much more helpful from the point of view of the 'way' than a 'tramp' who thinks himself much higher than an obyvatel, I call 'tramps' all the so called 'intelligentsia' --- artists, poets, any kind of 'bohemian' in general who despises the obyvatel and who at the same time would be unable to exist without him. Ability to orientate oneself in life is a very useful quality from the point of view of the work. A good obyvatel should be able to support at least twenty persons by his own labor. What is a man worth who is unable to do this?"
"What does an obyvatel actually mean?" asked someone. "Can it be said that an obyvatel is a good citizen?"
"Ought an obyvatel to be patriotic?" someone else asked. "Let us suppose there is war. What attitude should an obyvatel have towards war?"
"There can be different wars and there can be different patriots," said G. "you still believe in words. An obyvatel, if he is a good obyvatel, does not believe in words. He realizes how much idle talk is hidden behind them. People who shout about their patriotism [or anything else] are psychopaths for him and he looks on them as such."
"And how would an obyvatel look upon pacifists or upon people who refuse to go to the war?"
"Equally as lunatics! They are probably still worse."
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