Breath

Study the areas of the brain.

Read ISOM re influences - all parts

Continue relaxation of muscles around any pain experienced

Continue listening and modulating vocal tones -

Observe when there is real empathy or compassion when interacting with others and when there is not. When there is not, what is there? (Note observations in journal without analysis or speculation, bring to next session.)

Observe how you breathe, changing nothing

LISTEN, sensing your body at the same time, and as you:

BREATHE IN, Check for locations of tensions  

note the stop
BREATHE OUT, RELAXING TENSIONS

note the stop

all the while listening,

moving, walking, talking, living

LISTENING

Relationships and Friendships and the Work

The problematic nature of engaging in this kind of work with people on the telephone and the internet, and of friendships in the work in relation to the work itself have come to the forefront again over the past month and a half. 

It is crystal clear that too many people have forgotten that the type of inner work we are engaged in is not in the least bit ordinary. 

You have forgotten why we work.  

You have been imagining that you are working and have become too complacent and too comfortable and have fallen back to sleep.

Remembering the aim of our work and the tasks has fallen by the wayside much too often. Having fallen into the trap of the illusion that you are working when you are not, it is impossible to see you have been taken. Once so thoroughly taken only others who are more awake can help you to wake up. This can only happen if you trust. 

How you behave toward others who can help you and your attitudes toward the work itself during this time shows how you value what you've been given so far.
If you are too far gone and can no longer see and believe you know better what tasks and exercises you should or should not do, or believe you know better than your mentors or group leaders at this point, no one can help you. You will fall away from the work until you (literally) return to your senses, if you ever do. If and when you do wish to return to inner work it will be very hard; for some it will be impossible.

Take care, remember what you want, remember why you study and work. 

~ LL, April 2012

This week's reading

This week's task

Updated Intro to Weekly Work

Updated Introduction to weekly work. Please read and watch video.  Thank you

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. ..."  

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

This week's reading

Descending Dragon ~ L.Lopez 2008
(study for a hand painted silk shawl)

"In ordinary life there can be no new postures. Even if a man wishes to be an actor his position will be the same in this respect." ~ Jean Vaysse, "Toward Awakening"

This week's task.

Maurice Nicoll: 12 Concise SuperWisdoms

#12

"Mr. Ouspensky used to say: "I want examples, not theoretical talk. Give me a good example of self-observation or a moment of work on yourself, a moment of real effort consciously made."

Maurice Nicoll: 12 Concise SuperWisdoms

#11

"Many people crystallize out in their negative emotions. I advise you to avoid such people."

Maurice Nicoll: 12 Concise SuperWisdoms

#10

"If a person does not nourish Work 'I's' they become feeble and may even leave us forever."

Maurice Nicoll: 12 Concise SuperWisdoms

Maurice Nicoll

 #9

"The object of self-observation, as it is said in the Work, is to let a ray of light into oneself. The next thing that is said is that when light is let in in this way many things begin to change of themselves. It is the light of consciousness that begins to change things. For this reason it is said in the Work that the light will cure us. 

Have you ever thought what it means, this extraordinary phrase: "the light will cure us"? When I first heard it said to me by Gurdjieff, it had such an emotional effect upon me that I was unable to speak to anybody for some time afterwards."