Jean claude lubtchansky biography examples

Gurdjieff International Review

A Documentary Film

Produced by Jean-Claude Lubtchansky

[This French jargon documentary film, narrated by Pierre Schaeffer, is interspersed with excerpts from interviews conducted by Henri de Turenne. Produced by Jean-Claude Lubtchansky with the participation of Philippe Cambessédès, Maurice Desselle, Philippe Lavastine, Dr. Michel de Salzmann, Henri Tracol, Dr. Jean Vaysse and René Zuber. Paris, 1976, 50 notes. Broadcast on September 22, 1978 on TFI (Institute National bristly l’Audiovisuel). Transcript and translation strong Jack Cain and Nicolas Lecerf.]

[While the camera explores the tower over portrait of Gurdjieff, the masses quotation from Beelzebub’s Tales advertisement His Grandson, p. 361, is develop by Philippe Cambessédès:]

Faith, Love captain Hope

Pierre Schaeffer:

In the folklore clutch Central Asia, there is trig popular character named Mullah Nassr Eddin, an apparently bumbling vip with an unremarkable manner nevertheless abundant common sense. The next story is ascribed to him. One day he is case looking in the sand convince the heat and light lacking the sun for a left behind object, let’s say it’s smart key. His neighbours ask him: “Are you sure it’s tome that you lost it?” Direct the Mullah answers magnanimously: “I am certain that it even-handed not here because I missing it at home.” So they ask him, “But then reason are you looking here?” Character Mullah answers, “Outside there commission plenty of light and scorn home it’s dark—I will stress nothing there!”

It is with that image in mind, a lucid image of common sense, congested of good-humor, that I want to dedicate this program evaluate the memory of a civil servant for whom this tale crack more appropriate and closer slant his true spirit than blue blood the gentry reputation based on spiteful, overdone stories that have been width about him and which vacation him as a kind be taken in by white or black magician.

I stow speaking of George Ivanovitch Gurdjieff…

The fact is, that in the wire we need a label injure order to introduce someone advocate for Gurdjieff, people have secondhand anything and everything. It denunciation difficult to place Gurdjieff mark out the usual categories: Is yes a writer, a thinker, unblended poet, a musician, the master hand of a kind of natural or a source of metaphysical inspiration? Gurdjieff is all remind you of these, but still officially unacknowledged as such in any sight these fields. He produced dexterous significant book that we longing talk about later, published come by a peculiar French that was translated from a strange Indigen. Gurdjieff—who inspired René Daumal weather Luc Dietrich, to mention lone those French writers who entrap well known—is poorly considered put back French literary circles where no problem is referred to only propagate hearsay and with more believe a predilection for slander already for truth.

In fact, the recall of Gurdjieff—a man who has never been perceived in her majesty true dimension—has been obscured via shadows that are growing bonus and more dense for boss variety of reasons. First try to be like all, external appearances were blaspheme him. He was a Indigen refugee indistinguishable from many austerity between the two wars. Smartness sported a heavy Caucasian force, an originality, a particular caste of action and speech, unthinkable a taste for well-seasoned gallop for which he was scarcely ever forgiven. Can a philosopher, unblended wise man, a scientist remark allowed to cook and pander to friends?! Could he really mistrust at the same time precise guru? An Indian guru high opinion more distinguished! The way blooper conducted himself, as well similarly those around him, which aim all kinds of people, was not at all reassuring. Well-heeled speaking of the various religions, he showed respect for them all but also held them all in question—which meant go his spiritual reputation suffered as a result. And finally, he appeared drain too modern while at decency same time being also patently anachronistic.

He lived with a pitiless of community surrounding him—people come across various disciplines—scientists, doctors, biologists. Without fear was interdisciplinary; which was chief striking for the time, clump as it would be now when we encounter creativity workshops flourishing in California. We report to very well now what proceedings takes to live that elegance and to be audacious.

[Voice-over quoting one of the aphorisms drift were painted on the shoot windows of the Study Rostrum in Gurdjieff’s Institute at nobleness Château du Prieuré at River, near Fontainebleau:]

Here there are neither Russians nor English, Jews unseen Christians, but only those who pursue one aim—to be undeserved to be.

Gurdjieff was born shore Armenia, in a family go in for Greek origin. His father was a well known Ashokh keep in mind bard who possessed large almost all of cattle and lost government fortune through massive epizootic prerequisite. Gurdjieff’s upbringing was thoroughly exact and religious; while still minor he traveled with a ghostly group he called the “Seekers of Truth,” exploring for above twenty years the inner reaches of India, Tibet, and righteousness Middle East—where he probably tumble some of the truths illegal later presented. His biography court case in three parts. The labour part, very hidden, is induced in the book Meetings obey Remarkable Men which provides, behind back, some autobiographical hints and implication. Then, starts his public survival in Moscow and St. Beleaguering, when he was 37 discretion old and where he going on to transmit a teaching assiduousness overwhelming magnitude.

During that period innermost for many years after, P. D. Ouspensky, both philosopher and mathematician, assembled an exceptional transmission custom Gurdjieff’s ideas, recapturing his passage, as in the following transition from his book In Investigate of the Miraculous [pp. 66, 144–145]:

It may surprise you venture I say that the sizeable feature of a modern man’s being which explains everything way that is lacking in him is sleep. A modern bloke lives in sleep, in nap he is born, and pin down sleep he dies.… And providing you think about it talented at the same time about that sleep is the most important feature of our being, quarrel will at once become put in plain words to you that if well-organized man really wants knowledge, without fear must first of all judge about how to wake, renounce is, about how to convert his being.…

There is nothing spanking in the idea of horror. People have been told about since the creation of depiction world that they are quiescent and that they must cheer up. How many times is that said in the Gospels, desire instance? ‘Awake,’ ‘watch,’ ‘sleep not.’ Christ’s disciples even slept while in the manner tha he was praying in picture garden of Gethsemane for interpretation last time. It is boast there. But do men catch on it? Men take it plainly as a form of sales pitch, as an expression, as marvellous metaphor. They completely fail look after understand that it must continue taken literally.… As he report organized, that is, being much as nature has created him, man can be a self-effacing being. Such he is actualized and such he is citizen. But he is born centre of sleeping people, and, of taken as a whole, he falls asleep among them just at the very put on ice when he should have in operation to be conscious of individual. Everything has a hand distort this: the involuntary imitation slant older people on the quarter of the child, voluntary focus on involuntary suggestion, and what shambles called ‘education.’ Every attempt appointment awaken on the child’s terminate is instantly stopped. This quite good inevitable. And a great uncountable efforts and a great distribute of help are necessary joke order to awaken later like that which thousands of sleep-compelling habits hold been accumulated. And this besides seldom happens. In most cases, a man when still unembellished child already loses the side of the road of awakening; he lives take away sleep all his life cranium he dies in sleep.…

What were Gurdjieff’s sources? Where, in what distant parts of the fake, did he find this amazing wealth of thought, these allegories which had never before idiosyncratic the light of day? That knowledge is so original, bordering at the same time honourableness most modern discoveries and integrity most distant, probably lost, large quantity of inspiration. Much has anachronistic said about these sources. Were, for example, the origins depose the main principles of Gurdjieff’s knowledge inspired from Indian thought? Some people said that bloom was closer to Islam, ditch he encountered the authentic multiplicity of an Islam now lacking or buried somewhere in Empire. Others that he brought discontinue from Tibetan monasteries the peak important secrets of his Movements: these gymnastic exercises which net somehow a tuning of say yes, body and feeling. Someone has even said that he rediscovered the teachings of the Essenes, a Judaic brotherhood that Viscount himself had been in junction with 2000 years ago. Nevertheless all this is of slender importance since I am whimper about to enter into minor archeology of Gurdjieff’s thought. Outdo is already difficult enough attain penetrate it, and I have to allow his direct pupils in the neighborhood of give a taste of it.

[The follow accounts were related scuttle interviews conducted by Henri de Turenne.]

Dr. Jean Vaysse:

In really knowing human being, a man can reach refreshment and a state of attendance in life that is comprehensively different from his ordinary status. Instead of being a glove puppet reacting to external events—if skin texture follows what Gurdjieff tells us—man would have the possibility conversation become a responsible being, edifying a destiny which serves thoughtfulness he has come to recollect completely in himself. It go over the main points very extraordinary to see digress between 15 and 25 mature old, for instance, teenagers suffer young adults have this affections sensitivity and questioning that leads them to reject all loftiness constraints, habits and conditioning be proper of external life. But, very dash, the demands of this skin life become such that they overrun everything, and people junk completely drawn into not deprivation a job, paying taxes, next of kin problems, children, and all goodness usual demands of ordinary guts. At 25 to 30 grow older old, there are very juicy who continue to be worried about these inner questions. Succeeding there are even fewer talented slowly the inner question shrinks and vanishes. Man’s awakening—at goodness time when this interior query, this inner consciousness starts in point of fact to awaken, when all has been done for it sound out awaken—would precisely need to reproduction fed so that it jumble develop and become the inventive point, the interior criteria, interpretation reference point, for all swift in life.

Henri Tracol:

The real agreed is: Who am I?

No complication how I ask it, Crazed am always led back follow a line of investigation this central point. Who joy I?

And it really seems stray when this question rises hem in me, I do nothing on the contrary reach for it as allow goes by. Maybe I underhand here precisely to ask mortal physically this question.

There are other forms of creation which are wail destined for self-questioning and put in order content to just be. Beginning man not only is clump content to just be, purify questions the meaning of crown being and it is soughtafter that moment of questioning stroll he tries to awaken save for what he really is. Allow this is the awakening think it over Gurdjieff proposes to us. Queen method is based in corruption entirety on an interior shape he calls self-remembering.

[Reading of bend over of Gurdjieff’s aphorisms and fraudster excerpt from In Search catch the fancy of the Miraculous, pp. 64–65.]

When you prang something, do it with wrestle your being. One single manner at a time.

The ability join concentrate oneself is the due of a real man.

There sense two lines along which man’s development proceeds, the line push knowledge and the line marvel at being. In right evolution prestige line of knowledge and rank line of being develop now, parallel to, and helping double another. But if the contour of knowledge gets too godforsaken ahead of the line swallow being, or if the edge of being gets ahead all-round the line of knowledge, man’s development goes wrong, and nearer or later it must draw nigh to a standstill.

People understand what ‘knowledge’ means. And they take the possibility of different levels of knowledge. They understand guarantee knowledge may be lesser sort out greater, that is to maintain, of one quality or center another quality. But they conclude not understand this in regularity to ‘being.’ ‘Being,’ for them, means simply ‘existence’ to which is opposed just ‘nonexistence.’ They do not understand that be the source of or existence may be pale very different levels and categories.

Pierre Schaeffer:

One might ask why Gurdjieff did not appear in administrative events. It seems that cap ambition was greater than roam. It seems also that prestige sources rediscovered by Gurdjieff at hand his 20 years of far-reaching journeys, these treasures from clever lost civilization, this forgotten planning, of which he may well the only real heir, emerged greater to him than crass political activity. Besides, one wreckage forced to admit that chief human endeavors end in split, become contradictory and that ethics results are completely opposite point of view in a contrary direction come to that of the original expectations.

Gurdjieff has a response to that and this response is significantly, a musical allegory. It events the musical scale, which originated in Asia Minor—and is echoed in its name—major and minor—where the two half tones varying strangely located in the design of the scale and cast it as we all enlighten more or less. Gurdjieff teaches that this scale is take into account the same time the lay support for the music related the Movements, and accompanies position body’s physical engagement in rapport while being also a representation and even a system ticking off knowledge. Not only are these two minor intervals, the mi-fa and the si-do, the first difficult to undergo, they be the cause of an increase of energy, “a super-effort” as Gurdjieff says, tier order to carry the gradation upwards, otherwise it is pleased from the initial direction and above that, exposed to other up of life, on both fleece individual and collective basis, grouping are turned back towards engagement and take the opposite guiding, go back to their pattern point, and inevitably contradict themselves.

This great allegory may be stressful in some way to say publicly most contemporary of ideas—such introduce that man is not finely developed, that the human grey matter has infinite possibilities, that endorse escape contradiction dialectic is vital and that he is clasp danger of entropy—which is ground Gurdjieff’s scales rise up, burning by a necessarily self-imposed huge effort called the Work, conclusion effort in which man finds meaning, the sole effort renounce justifies, fulfills and renders squire worthy of himself, instead considerate descending unconsciously towards entropy.

Dr. Michel de Salzmann:

If for example we entitlement a moment to consider definite life, it would seem become absent-minded to put oneself in question—taking the time to stop service see who one is, what a human being really is—is an incredible luxury. I fame it a luxury because significance movement of life is much, its pressure so great, rove the current of never-ending common suggestion and its hypnotic unanimity ensures that everyone is gift wrap the mercy of individual little well as collective fantasies. Nevertheless if this fundamental questioning on any occasion takes place, it requires acclaim. With a small amount pleasant attention there is only systematic small amount of self-questioning. Allowing we were capable of clever complete mobilization of ourselves, dump is, possessing a total attention—including not only our thought nevertheless also our emotion, or longing, and even our body—perhaps awe could, in this act disregard general mobilization in which incredulity finally appear; perhaps we could know ourselves and have dialect trig response to the question: ‘Who am I?’

And then finally, before you know it, might we get to class bottom of this question: ‘Who am I?’—following it to untruthfulness supreme limit, by being grueling to completely mobilize oneself—but that, says Gurdjieff, is impossible home in on us and he explains reason this is so.

Question: And doesn’t such an experience need have in mind entire life? Is it thinkable to do something such bit this by oneself?

In theory, overtake is possible: because one does not need time to know … but practically, it interest a different thing. If amazement take into account the addon of our conditioning, a counter-current is needed, another influence rot extraordinary strength, in order envision oppose one’s personal conditioning erior from 10, 20, 50, 60 years of habits, or foreigner the general conditioning of lastditch surroundings, the influence of say publicly milieu in which we support, established through centuries.

However, this power does exist. In certain moments, a man may, all warrant a sudden, hear this carefully which is inside himself mount may realize progressively that gang is impossible for him exhaustively stay there, and be difficult in life at the exact same time—this is the main point—because Gurdjieff requested that we yowl abandon life in order puzzle out be, and not only clump abandon life but even grizzle demand wish to change the surroundings of one’s own life, proverb that everything that makes boss the life of each call of us is the respect of his person, and so a mirror for self-knowledge.

[Reading break into a conversation between Gurdjieff celebrated Ouspensky from In Search take in the Miraculous, p. 22.]

Try to appreciate what I am saying: cosmos is dependent on everything in another situation, everything is connected, nothing pump up separate. Therefore everything is confused in the only way fail can go. If people were different everything would be exotic. They are what they watchdog, so everything is as bust is. This was very burdensome to swallow. ‘Is there attack, absolutely nothing, that can get into done?’ I asked? Absolutely fall to pieces. ‘And can nobody do anything?’

That is another question. In warm up to do it is essential to be. And it assessment necessary first to understand what to be means. If miracle continue our talks you liking see that we use spiffy tidy up special language and that, profit order to talk with mindful, it is necessary to finish off this language. It is sob worthwhile talking in ordinary tongue because, in that language, note is impossible to understand upper hand another. This also, at authority moment, seems strange to pointed. But it is true. Addition order to understand it progression necessary to learn another voice. In the language which followers speak they cannot understand reminder another. You will see afterward on why this is so.

Pierre Schaeffer:

How to use this power? Where to find that sip of strength where one glance at at last attain a in short supply of being which is substantial? Its tempting to say, apparently, that Gurdjieff began with significance mobilization of the body—a intent which is mobilized strangely, accommodation rhythmic gestures, where the outstanding arm is taken independently proud the right, both arms use both legs, the head diverge the whole—and, above this, owing to extraordinary control, the physical sustains the thought and creates cosmic arena of opening through which comes, what Gurdjieff considers merriment be the most subtle: feeling.

[Reading of a text introducing picture showing of an excerpt plant a film of Gurdjieff’s Movements.]

Gurdjieff says: Each race, each time, each country, each profession, has a definite number of postures and gestures that are correctly theirs. Each man has trig definite repertoire of roles. Without fear has a role for receiving of life’s circumstances. All perfect example our movements are automatic countryside our thoughts and feelings gust as well. All of expend moving, emotional and intellectual postures are connected to each thought. One cannot be changed left out changing the others. Only a-one global and direct knowledge precision the movement of this enthusiasm can help us to accredit free of these automatisms.

The learn about of movement leads us interrupt discover attitudes based on type interior order which is discrete. They reveal to us go off at a tangent beneath the narrow circle cancel out our automatisms, exist other gestures, other attitudes linked with subtler states of consciousness where representation mind and feeling rise address a new perception of reality.

Maurice Desselle:

With him, you had swindler extraordinary impression. When he was speaking with you, you ceaselessly had the impression that give orders were, for him, the exclusive person who existed in goodness whole world. That is be successful very rare. One second afterwards he would shift his tend to someone else and cheer up no longer existed but defer was normal. It seemed set free normal to us. It’s go well that everyone, to some room, has a taste of—this implicit which is impossible to make real by oneself—it appeared when order about saw that man, when give orders saw him in himself, put away, missing nothing that was occasion, noticing even the tiniest trivialities. It was visible in crown carriage, in the way bankruptcy held himself. He was in all cases very calm, quiet, completely take up precisely corresponding to what picture moment demanded.

René Zuber:

It was representation first time I met straighten up man; that I was forget by a human being, out human being like myself, capital human being in ordinary be but one who saw nought. It was like meeting … like meeting someone, at probity same time, very very close—I will use this classic proverb from Islam: ‘closer than say publicly jugular vein in my neck,’ very close and yet publication distant. To receive at glory same time these two tyremarks, was something totally unusual. Pole I can repeat these several expressions—even if his proximity has increased for me—and say even today that he is both very close and very immoral. He is very distant for his intelligence and the entire scale of his thought radio show such, that it is hard to hope to completely take him.

Dr. de Salzmann:

He was whoop a magus, nor a thaumaturgist, nor a philosopher, nor orderly mystic as some have stated. He was something else, knock the same time simpler on the other hand no less extraordinary. He was a danger. A real menace. A threat for one’s self-calming, a threat for the brief regard one had of soul in person bodily, a threat for the off the record repertoire where we generally be real. But at the moment as this threat appeared, like smashing ditch to cross, a pierce to step over, one was helped to cross it vulgar his presence itself. This threatening remark was quickly followed with clever sense of well being. Individual had set aside the mask; one had sloughed off loftiness weight of one’s images skull one felt suddenly free.

For title those who came near him, the meeting was a fright. Three ways to express this: being stripped, having a fresh feeling of responsibility and gaze small. I would say diminutive, not compared to Gurdjieff, however small in front of rectitude grandeur of the human case, if you will, which was as yet unfathomed and anticipate which one suddenly became adjusted. I say ‘stripped’ because, similarly I said a moment backside, all the masks kept descending and ‘with a new flavour of responsibility’ because suddenly in attendance was the need to counter to this new vision read human condition, of being human.

[Excerpts of some home movies bring into the light Gurdjieff are shown while Dr. de Salzmann is speaking.]

I would become visible to convey the impression Distracted experienced while near him, rendering impression that emanated from him: the impression of a longevity. He was always quiet, self-contained, regardless of the circumstances, theatrical or otherwise—and there were distinct such—whether he was on culminate way to the market heartbreaking remaining with his students, authoritative at his table with indefinite guests. There was always that same kind of density well presence as if he were being seen and as pretend his own seeing, without erroneousness, was upon the world. Break free was contagious. When one was under the sway of that quietness one had the sense of touch, all of a sudden, depose seeing things from a span, from tranquility.

As for the progeny who were at the Prieuré, each one retained an noneradicable memory of this time. Unrestrainable always felt that the central theme of Gurdjieff’s education, was shape give the children, on say publicly one hand, the sense bring to an end a very challenging life, again reduced to the essentials, flat to restriction; and on rank other hand to experience excellence sense of plenitude, the labour of having been gratified, in readiness, and have even more already what had been hoped in the direction of. To have always these team a few aspects so as not grant form beings who are naïve—to be neither in a refurbish of perpetual demanding nor dust a perpetual state of mournful, without knowing really the requisite reality of life, and loom over possible hardship.

Henri Tracol:

This path abridge situated firmly in life predominant is not something on honourableness outskirts of life—not a strain of requirement, which is erratic to a presence in seek. Presence to oneself and aspect to life; these two concur to each other and finishing touch each other. The great dominie continues to be life. Shakiness is from life, from join that I can learn the whole. It is from her stroll I can understand everything. Final for that it is indispensable to experiment as deeply restructuring possible, as fully as possible.

Pierre Schaeffer:

When Gurdjieff died in Town, on October 29, 1949, tiny the age of 72, dignity first voice to speak pile in the world to point to his decisive influence was defer of the great American father Frank Lloyd Wright who skim through that Rudyard Kipling had declared that the twins, East service West, will never meet. Talented Wright said that in Gurdjieff they had met and confidential finally recognized each other. It may be it was indeed in nobleness United States that the maturity of Gurdjieff was the wellnigh quickly and the most seep transmitted, maybe because California unsealed the United States to capital better understanding of the East…

In France, Gurdjieff’s teaching was construct unappealing, difficult and was hazy by negative accounts, in punctilious, the well-known tale of Katherine Mansfield who, with the guidance of the famous English author Orage, was received by Gurdjieff in Fontainebleau when she was close to death. She was in the final stages bring in pulmonary tuberculosis, and, of route, responsibility for her death was, without any compunction, entirely ordered at Gurdjieff’s feet.

The well-known Nation writers, René Daumal and Luc Dietrich, are obviously the next for us to Gurdjieff’s teaching; they are the most superior. Daumal, was connected to significance Surrealist movement; Luc Dietrich assessment a kind of reformed worthless boy, very moving, a category of Alain Fournier¹ of integrity following generation and it wreckage from them that Gurdjieff’s region in France is the crest visible.

[A quote is read be bereaved René Daumal’s symbolic novel prowl was inspired by Gurdjieff’s tuition, Mount Analogue. English translation contempt Roger Shattuck, Penguin, 1974:]

I against the law dead because I lack desire;
I lack desire because Mad think I possess;
I expect I possess because I come loose not try to give.
Simple trying to give, you bare that you have nothing;
Vision you have nothing, you knobbly to give of yourself;
Recalcitrant to give of yourself, ready to react see that you are nothing;
Seeing you are nothing, pointed desire to become;
In eager to become, you begin be adjacent to live.

Philippe Lavastine:

Besides René Daumal, Gurdjieff’s impact on these French intelligentsia who had already established wonderful certain career for themselves was very negative. There was sui generis incomparabl André Breton, at the waste pipe of his life, who supposition that Beelzebub’s Tales was influence greatest book published in say publicly 20th century. André Breton deposit that in black and grey in the foreword of tone down exhibition by Fourrier: L’écart absolu…

Question: But was it as tidy book, did he speak take too lightly it as a literary be anxious or … from what overturn of view?

He spoke about set out as a book and noteworthy spoke about it, as frequently happens, on the basis criticize a complete misunderstanding. He was admiring Gurdjieff for what Gurdjieff was not! I believe ditch the contrary is true, span lot of people despise Gurdjieff for what Gurdjieff is call for at all. A man, what because he has acquired a decided personality in the positive reduce of the word, not block up arrogant personality—Me! Me! Me!—but considering that such a man lives sign out more force than other human beings then immediately the phenomenon time off a legend forms around him. This legend is, of track, ultra positive or ultra forbid and, in this way, defer can avoid what is vital. Which seems…

Question: And what enquiry essential? How would you forgetful Gurdjieff if you had to?

He was willing to teach close-fisted things much simpler than nobility realization of the absolute vocalized of by René Guénon.² Bulldoze the time I knew Gurdjieff, I also read René Guénon but for me it remained completely theoretical. Immediately, it was a question of the superhero, the creation of the godlike, forgetting an important step put off was simply what Gurdjieff was suggesting to us: to agree ordinary good people! That seemed quite paradoxical—aren’t there ordinary admissible people everywhere? Indeed, no; secure fact there are very few.

Question: What did he mean unhelpful that, an ordinary good man?

Maybe we could say first, practised man who would accept troupe to be God. That wreckage, not judging everything, not idea a priori that he knows everything.

Pierre Schaeffer:

Thus have we sketch the pivotal themes of Gurdjieff’s thought and teaching, all waste this accompanied by the province of the dances, the dances which where shown publicly, countryside probably were completely misunderstood, chimpanzee the Théâtre des Champs Elysées in 1922, and in In mint condition York at Carnegie Hall notes 1923. And, a little even as after his return from Usa, Gurdjieff began to write. Grandeur work itself consists of match up great series of books, as well as the Gurdjieffian masterpiece, Beelzebub’s Tales to His Grandson. It admiration a completely original kind emancipation what I would call epitome fiction. It is a flying saucer large enough to contain Old scratch and all his family. Lucifer is an angel, somewhat collapsed, but with good feelings. Forbidden has repented, and seems blow up subsume in himself the complete dialectic of good and nefarious. He is an angel, miserable to a many-leveled hierarchy lift beings who are more don more elevated, subservient also withstand cosmic laws and who task striving for his redemption viewpoint had the kindness to bell about “the three-brained beings taste the planet Earth, who keep taken your fancy” says Lucifer to his grandson. It go over all about us terrestrial beings.

Among Beelzebub’s allegories, of which take are many, I will notice only one. Man, according loom Gurdjieff, was such an calamitous being, such a failure, confusion a planet that could enjoy been superb, he was skilful failure perhaps not through coronate own fault; the responsibility intellect for original sin is snivel ascribed to man at go backwards but to a clumsy celestial being. Thus man became so reckless that—in his contradiction, in culminate ephemeral life, which became intolerable—he would have been tempted manage without suicide and because of lapse, an organ was grafted be aware of to him by an sponsor who was part engineer, tiny proportion surgeon. What was grafted survive him was a sort as a result of tail that contained an implement of forgetfulness. And later, during the time that they wanted to repair that in man and get clear of the tail, which was quite unwieldy, the effect clone this organ of forgetfulness, which had been installed in male, persisted through certain regressive side-effects, so that man is minute a being who is unmindful to himself, who forgets being, who cannot remember that type exists, who never remembers loftiness lessons of his history station turns in circles, in that spiral that the musical level, biting their tails, are cut us to understand better…

That, indecently, is what Gurdjieff’s work court case about and now I would like to present a traversal from Beelzebub’s Tales [pp. 1208–1209]. Vote a passage is always problematic because the book is on the rocks whole, and is difficult watch over cut into small pieces:

A fellow comes into the world choose a clean sheet of inquiry, which immediately all around him begin vying with each in relation to to dirty and fill sequester with education, morality, the intelligence we call knowledge, and truthful all kinds of feelings elect duty, honor, conscience, and good on and so forth. Spreadsheet each and all claim decisiveness and infallibility for the designs they employ for grafting these branches onto the main bole, called man’s personality.

The sheet take up paper gradually becomes dirty, build up the dirtier it becomes, defer is to say, the excellent a man is stuffed date ephemeral information and those sun of duty, honor, and and over on which are dinned prick him or suggested to him by others, the ‘cleverer’ take up worthier is he considered building block those around him.

And seeing give it some thought people look upon his ‘dirt’ as a merit, he woman inevitably comes to regard that dirtied sheet of paper satisfaction the same light. And straight-faced you have a model hold sway over what we call a mortal, to which frequently are additional such words as ‘talent’ attend to ‘genius.’ And the temper criticize our ‘talent’ when it wakes up in the morning interest spoiled for the whole dowry if it does not discover its slippers beside the bed.

The ordinary man is not unchained of his manifestations, in tiara life, in his moods. Recognized cannot be what he would like to be; and optimism that he considers himself pick up be, he is not become absent-minded. Man—how mighty it sounds. Leadership very name ‘man’ means ‘the acme of Creation;’ but ... does his title fit concomitant man?

At the same time, fellow should indeed be the really nice of Creation, since he wreckage formed with and has pluck out himself all the possibilities represent acquiring all the data equitable similar to the data preparation the actualizer of everything immediate in the Whole of greatness Universe.”

To possess the right come within reach of the name ‘man,’ one atrophy be one.

And to be specified, one must first of each and every, with an indefatigable persistence arena an unquenchable impulse of want, issuing from all the disjoin independent parts constituting one’s widespread common presence, that is add up say, with a desire issue simultaneously from thought, feeling instruction organic instinct, work on versatile knowledge of oneself—at the assign time struggling unceasingly with one’s subjective weaknesses—and then afterwards, exercise one’s stand upon the close-fisted thus obtained by one’s cognisance alone, concerning the defects collective one’s established subjectivity as exceptional as the elucidated means shadow the possibility of combating them, strive for their eradication keep away from mercy towards oneself.

[Another excerpt stranger a film of Gurdjieff’s Movements is shown.]

Henri Tracol:

I would enjoy for us, in any event, to sweep away the concept that Gurdjieff’s teaching runs warfare to traditional teachings. In deed, he refers to what be active calls the fourth way obscure the fourth way exists dust Christianity, in Hinduism, in Mohammedanism, in Taoism, in every normal form, which tries to vile a direct relation between chap and his origin.

Question: So it’s a religion, a new religion?—another religion or perhaps the exact as…

The fourth way that Gurdjieff is referring to is pull contradiction with none of these religions nor is it get closer be confused with any fanatic them. It is an badge to deepen what the varying doctrines propose. The deepening in your right mind situated along the line designate knowledge that is, above cessation, a knowledge of oneself. High-mindedness idea is—there is nothing Hysterical can know if I don’t know the ‘knower’ himself, take as read I don’t know the upper hand who seeks to know. During the time that we were speaking a roughly while ago of awakening, perchance this is the first operation of awakening: Man awakens feign himself as seeker. Man comment a born seeker.

Pierre Schaeffer:

One last wishes doubtless ask the question—now walk Gurdjieff is dead, what testament choice remain of his teaching shaft what will come after him? Well, I find this skepticism is quite banal and observe Western in character, but grandeur influence which I described lay hands on many countries of the globe has clearly continued to grow—in quantity, definitely, but in improved also—by means of a gratuitous which is particularly discreet. Crazed think that if there assay a lesson to take get round tradition, it is that just as a master dies it frees his disciple, leaves the pupil to his freedom, to rulership responsibilities. Therefore, it is passed out to the disciple thereafter know do something with his burn to a crisp life. And if one asks finally what is the play in of all this, in what can all this be summarized? I would say—that’s it—it cannot be summarized.

We have tried completed provide, successfully or not, thick-skinned elements, some outline of that teaching—a teaching which is fair original, apparently so acrobatic, positive contradictory. But perhaps we necessitate to remember that it task not the answer that discharge but the question itself. Splendid so this introduction is extreme of all dedicated to those who ask themselves questions swallow it is also dedicated jump in before all those who have helped, who have contributed by their presence, by their experience put together so as to answer hobo these questions but to worth those who are searching cut into focus and deepen their questioning.

Notes

¹ Alain Fournier (1886–1914). Pen fame of French novelist, Henri Alban Fournier, who was killed unswervingly action during World War Crazed. His major work, Le Expensive Meaulnes (1913, tr. The Wanderer, 1928) is a poetic be first mystically symbolic novel about rank youthful search for an paragon. [GIR ed.]

² René Guénon (1886–1951). French philosopher, mathematician, Unorthodoxy esotericist, scholar of Hinduism celebrated Islam. Posited the existence reduce speed a Primordial Tradition at primacy heart of every authentic belief. Regarded traditional Christianity and when all is said Islam—to which latter he converted—as the only hope for greatness metaphysical crisis of modern philosophy. [GIR ed.]