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Probably no figure of our time has excited at once more enthusiasm and controversy among serious intellectuals seeking spiritual guidance than Georgi Ivanovitch Gurdjieff. Accordingly, the editor of Studies in Comparative Religion engaged Whitall N. Perry, who as author of A Treasury of Traditional Wisdom is recognized for his impartiality, to devote a series of articles that would pierce through the obscurity and get to the real facts of the matter. This book is the result of that research. Whatever be the opinion of Gurdjieff gained by the reader, one thing certain is that he or she will come away with a far clearer understanding of the background, teaching, and phenomenon per se than has ever been accessible before. By far the best independent, critical evaluation of Gurdjieff I've come across. -Theodore Roszak, author of Where the Wasteland Ends, etc. A single book which examines the facts of [Gurdjieff's] background, his teachings, and his public faces is welcome and overdue. . . . The author incisively and colorfully presents as full and engrossing a view of the man as you could hope to read: the teachings, too, are clearly and thoughtfully explained, with ample references, and the whole book moves gracefully towards a balanced and intelligent conclusion. A 'must' for anyone interested in that extraordinary individual. -Prediction Mr. Perry may be congratulated on bringing the man, with all his foibles and eccentricities, his brilliance and darker depths, fully alive, and on making his a credible character. -World Faiths
Are we able to say that life is governed by a group of conscious people? Where are they? Who are they? We see exactly the opposite: that life is governed by those who are the least conscious, by those who are most asleep. Provocative ideas such as these have attracted generations of thoughtful people to the methods of self-study and inner work devised by Gurdjieff, one of the most radical spiritual teachers of modern times. According to Gurdjieff, the wars raging at this very moment are nothing more than millions of sleeping people trying to annihilate millions of other sleeping people. Contrary to popular belief, there is no such as thing as progress and evolution as long as humanity remains asleep. Two hundred conscious people could change the whole of life on the earth, Gurdjieff says. If we want to become those conscious people, we must learn how to change ourselves. With the help of self-knowledge and an understanding of our relation to the universe, we can awaken to a higher level of being--if we wish to change ourselves. All of Gurdjieff's fundamental principles and methods of transforming the intellect, emotions, and body, in the system known as the Fourth Way, are presented in this book in his own clear, precise words preserved by his closest pupils. Arranged in an orderly sequence of passages drawn from two primary source books--P. D. Ouspensky's In Search of the Miraculous, and Views from the Real World, recorded and arranged by Mme. Jeanne de Salzmann--this material is an indispensable introduction for those determined to undertake the efforts and practices necessary for awakening consciousness. All the basic concepts and methods are covered, including: * man is "asleep" * we have no unified "I" * the need for self-knowledge * functions of the human "machine" * states of consciousness * levels of being * three centers: moving, emotional, and thinking * personality and essence * the possibility of self-development * self-observation * remembering oneself * conscious evolution * the law of three forces * the ray of creation * the law of octaves * the Enneagram, a universal symbol * the variety of spiritual ways * esoteric Christianity * working in groups * the necessity of schools
This unique book offers clear definitions of Gurdjieff's teaching terms, placing him within the political, geographic and cultural context of his time. Entries look at diverse aspects of his Work, including: * possible sources in religious, Theosophical, occult, esoteric and literary traditions * the integral relationships between different aspects of the teaching * its internal contradictions and subversive aspects * the derivation of Gurdjieff's cosmological laws and Ennegram * the passive form of "New Work" teaching introduced by Jeanne de Salzmann.
The Armenian-born mystic, philosopher, and spiritual teacher G. I. Gurdjieff (c.1866-1949) is an enigmatic figure, the subject of a great deal of interest and speculation, but not easily fitting into any of the common categories of "esoteric," "occult," or "New Age." Scholars have for the most part passed over in silence the contemplative exercises presented in Gurdjieff's writings. Although Gurdjieff had intended them to be confidential, some of the most important exercises were published posthumously in 1950 and in 1975. Arguing that an understanding of these exercises is necessary to fully appreciate Gurdjieff's contribution to modern esotericism, Joseph Azize offers the first complete study of the exercises and their theoretical foundation. It shows the continuity in Gurdjieff's teaching, but also the development and change. His original contribution to Western Esotericism lay in his use of tasks, disciplines, and contemplation-like exercises to bring his pupils to a sense of their own presence which could to some extent be maintained in daily life in the social domain, and not only in the secluded conditions typical of meditation. Azize contends that Gurdjieff had initially intended not to use contemplation-like exercises, as he perceived dangers to be associated with these monastic methods, and the religious tradition to be in tension with the secular and supra-denominational guise in which he first couched his teaching. As Gurdjieff adapted the teaching he had found in Eastern monasteries to Western urban and post-religious culture, however, he found it necessary to introduce contemplation.
Presents an overview and introduction to Gurdjieff's teaching. This title helps students to integrate theoretical knowledge with practical experience and gain a taste of what it means to work on oneself by following Ginsburg's six lessons.
"This 449-page collection of essays on the life of the famous (or infamous?) George Ivanovitch Gurdjieff could serve as the definitive tome on the eccentric and enigmatic teacher."
The Gurdjieff tradition, commonly referred to as "The Work,” describes people’s daily lives as completely mechanical, conducted asleep. Gurdjieff's intent, as with many sacred traditions, was literally to aid in one's awakening. The tools for doing this are many but integrated. The various methods of "The Work" are intended to specifically integrate a person’s physical, emotional, and intellectual centers into a fourth way of consciousness. Like Zen, this tradition has been an oral one emphasizing the relationship of teacher to student. But there have also been extensive writings on this tradition, and The Inner Journey collects some of the best of these in the form of essays, interviews, and fables. To expand readers’ experience and understanding of both Gurdjieff's life and his teachings, the book is bundled with the feature film Meetings with Remarkable Men, Peter Brook’s critically acclaimed adaptation of the early years of Gurdjieff’s search for meaning.