Gurdjieff and the Fourth Way · A Critical Appraisal [1 ed.]

Table of contents :
Cover
GURDJIEFF’S SEARCH FOR ESOTERIC KNOWLEDGE
Validating the Events of Gurdjieff's Life
Gurdjieff's Early Life
The Seekers of the Truth
The Sarmoung Brotherhood
Teaching Mission in the West
NOTES
IMPRESSIONS OF GURDJIEFF
Recollections 1915-1932
Recollections 1933-1949
Commentary
NOTES
THE INNER CIRCLE OF HUMANITY
Esoteric Knowledge and Schools
The Inner Circle of Humanity
The Fourth Way
Commentary
NOTES
SOURCES OF GURDJIEFF'S TEACHINGS
Christianity
Sufism
Buddhism and Hinduism
Western Occult Tradition
Commentary
NOTES
AUTHENTICITY AS A SPIRITUAL TEACHER
Conflict with Traditional Religious Beliefs
Authority and Mandate to Teach
NOTES
CONTROVERSIAL REPUTATION
Criticism by Journalists and the French Metaphysical Community
Criticisms by Pupils of Gurdjieff
Exaggerated Knowledge and Abilities
Gender Attitudes
Travelling Adventures
Commentary
NOTES
DRUGS, ALCOHOL AND FOOD
Gurdjieff’s Knowledge and Use of Drugs and Alcohol
Use of Drugs and Alcohol with Pupils
Ritual Meals and Food as Sacraments
NOTES
SEXUAL BELIEFS AND PRACTICES
Gurdjieff's Beliefs About Sexuality
Gurdjieff's Sexual Behaviour
NOTES
GURDJIEFF'S PSYCHOLOGICAL IDEAS
System is Fragmentary and Incomplete
Pessimistic View of Human Nature
Lack of Love
Control of Negative Emotions
Emphasis on Effort and Struggle
Substituting Belief Systems
Commentary
NOTES
GURDJIEFF’S COSMOLOGICAL IDEAS
Unbelievable and Incoherent
Lack of Scientific Validity
Materiality vs. Spirituality
Influence of the Moon
Planetary Influences
The ‘Organ Kundabuffer’
The Development of a Human Soul
Commentary
NOTES
POWERFUL AND MAGNETIC PERSONALITY
Personal Power and Presence
Power of Attention and Awareness
Psychic and Hypnotic Powers
Personality Worship
Commentary
NOTES
DECEPTION AND ROLE-PLAYING
Secrecy and Deception
Manipulating Atmosphere and Environment
Playing Roles
The ‘Path of Blame’
Commentary
NOTES
CHALLENGES AND DIFFICULTIES FOR STUDENTS
Experimentation with Students and Others
Physical Demands
Emotional Demands
Financial Demands
Aim and Purpose of Testing Students
Commentary
NOTES
INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP WORK
Gurdjieff’s Teaching Style
Group Work
Individual Work
Teaching Children
Gurdjieff’s Presence and Being
Commentary
NOTES
NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON STUDENTS
Adverse Consequences of Gurdjieff’s Methods
Questions and Doubts
Separation From Gurdjieff
Ouspensky’s Break with Gurdjieff
Commentary
NOTES
DISSEMINATION OF THE WORK DURING GURDJIEFF’S LIFETIME
P.D. Ouspensky in England and America
A.R. Orage in America
Jean Toomer in New York and Chicago
The Taliesin Fellowship of Wisconsin
John G. Bennett in England
Commentary
GURDJIEFF'S SUCCESSORS AND TEACHING LINES
Jeanne de Salzmann and the Gurdjieff Foundation
The Work in England
The Work in America
Commentary
NOTES
CONTEMPORARY STATUS OF THE WORK
Current Gurdjieff Groups and Organizations
The Enneagram Phenomenon
Challenges Facing the Work
Commentary
NOTES
WRITINGS
Writings of Gurdjieff
Books Written by Students of Gurdjieff
Secondary and Ancillary Literature
Biographies of Gurdjieff
NOTES
THE MUSIC OF GURDJIEFF AND DE HARTMANN
Objective Art and Music
Source and Creation of Gurdjieff's Music
Classification and Description of the Music
Influences of the Music on the Listener
NOTES
GURDJIEFF’S MOVEMENTS AND SACRED DANCES
Significance of Sacred Dance
Development and Presentation of the Movements
Nature of the Movements
Effects of the Movements
The Movements Today
NOTES
THE HUMAN CONDITION
Humanity is Asleep
The Heritage of Human Evolution
Human Beings as ‘Machines’
Heedlessness and Inattention
Enlarging the Human Perspective
References
ESSENCE AND PERSONALITY
The Secondary Personality or ‘Commanding Self’
Personality and ‘Roles’
Essence or Essential Self
Relationship Between Essence and Personality
References
THE NATURE OF THE HUMAN EGO
Multiple Selves or ‘I’s’
The Self-Enclosed Ego
The Ego is an Illusion
Estrangement from the Source
Transcending Ego and Uniting with Spirit
References
HUMAN CENTERS AND FUNCTIONS I
Qualities of the Centers
Subdivisions of the Centers
The Instinctive Center
The Moving Center
The Sex Center
References
The Intellectual Center
The Emotional Center
The Higher Centers
References
HARMONIOUS AND BALANCED DEVELOPMENT
Improper Functioning of the Lower Centers
Importance of Balancing the Centers
Integration, Transformation and Wholeness
Serving a Higher Reality
References
WORDS AND LANGUAGE
Defining Cultural and Consensus Reality
Subjective and Restrictive Nature
Instruments of Rational and Symbolic Communication
Direct Experience of Life
References
PATTERNS OF HUMAN THINKING
Assumptions and Preconceptions
Mental Habits and Conventional Thinking
Subjective Opinion and Belief
Resistance to New Knowledge and Ideas
Conceptualization Prevents Direct Perception of Reality
Transcending the World of Thought
References
SCIENCE AND MYSTICISM
The Scientific Method
Limitations of Science
Underlying Assumptions and World View of Science
Subjective and Personal Factors
The Relationship Between Science and Mysticism
Levels of Knowledge and Experience
References
EMOTIONAL STATES
Subjectivity and Imagination
Emotionality and Excitement
Attention Needs
Negative Emotions
The Nature of Happiness
References
CONDITIONING AND HUMAN BEHAVIOUR
The Nature of Conditioning and Indoctrination
Belief, Opinion and Ideology
Modifying and Controlling Conditioning
References
CULTURAL AND SOCIAL INFLUENCES
The Power of Social and Cultural Pressure
Social Conformity and Automatism
Materialism and Consumerism
Propaganda, Indoctrination and Conditioning
Power Structures and Authoritarianism
Restricting Human Possibilities and Development
References
THE WAY OR PATH
Ancient Teaching of Inner Development
Universal Timeless Nature
Transmission of the Teaching
Nature of the Path
The Direct Way
References
A LIVING ORGANIC SPIRITUAL TEACHING
Flexibility and Adaptability
Expression and Influence in the World
Purpose and Nature
References
HARMONIZATION WITH THE TEACHING
Receptivity and Response to the ‘Call’
Approaching the Path
Relationship with the Teaching
Integration with Ultimate Reality
References
RIGHT ATTITUDE AND ALIGNMENT
Preparation and Aspiration
Effort and Discipline
Inner and Outer Support
Renunciation and Transformation
Acceptance and Surrender
Liberation and Awakening
References
SEEKER AFTER TRUTH
Attraction to Cults
Searching for Emotional Stimulus and Excitement
Self-Deception and Preoccupation
Social Integration and Psychological Therapy
Impatience and the Desire for ‘Progress’
Mixing Spiritual Traditions
Imposing Conditions of Study
Mistrusting the Teacher and Teachings
Importance of Information and Preparation
References
CULTS AND DETERIORATED SPIRITUAL TEACHINGS
Identifying and Understanding Cults
Some Characteristics of Cults
Externals and Outward Appearance
The Sociological and Psychological Nature of Groups
Emotionality Mistaken for Spirituality
Self-Deception and Self-Preoccupation
Conditioning of Belief and Behaviour
Simplification and Fragmentation of Spiritual Teachings
Misuse of Spiritual Exercises
‘Veiling’ the Truth
References
THE SPIRITUAL TEACHER OR GUIDE
Necessity for a Spiritual Teacher
Preparation and Permission to Teach
Outer Form and Appearance
The Teacher and the Teaching
Transmission of Spiritual Energy
Individual Characteristics of the Student
The Teacher-Student Relationship
Choosing a Teacher, Selecting a Student
Role and Function of the Teacher
Ways and Methods of Teaching
References
‘CRAZY WISDOM’ SPIRITUAL TEACHERS
Unusual Conduct and Behaviour
Unconventional Teaching Techniques
The ‘Path of Blame’
Misuse of Unorthodox Methods
References
REAL AND FALSE SPIRITUAL TEACHERS
Distinguishing Between Real and False Spiritual Teachers
The Four Abuses or ‘Poisons’
Understanding the Shadow
Indications and Signs of a False Teacher
Characteristics of a Genuine Spiritual Teacher
References
SPIRITUAL GROUPS AND COMMUNITIES
Significance, Purpose and Intention
Selection, Composition and Harmonization of a Group
Preparatory Groups
Group Activities and Studies
Guidance and Supervision by a Teacher
Levels of Learning in Spiritual Groups
Right Attitude and Orientation
Group Energy and Communication
Relationship Between a Group and the Greater Teaching
Some Characteristics of Deteriorated Groups
References
SPIRITUAL EXERCISES AND TECHNIQUES
Purpose, Function and Intention of Exercises
Theory and Practice
Preparation and Ability to Benefit
Proper Application and Use of Techniques
Right Focus and Attitude
Levels and Stages of Exercises
Observing the Effects of Exercises
Misuse of Spiritual Exercises
Cautions and Dangers
References
TYPES OF SPIRITUAL EXERCISES
Meditation, Concentration and Contemplation
Attention and Mindfulness
Repetition of Sacred Sounds
Breathing Exercises
Physical Exercises
Sacred Dances and Movements
Sacred Music
Prayer
Ritual and Ceremony
Psychological and Other Exercises
References
SPIRITUAL WRITINGS
Relative Importance of Books
Educational and Instrumental Function
Underlying Design and Pattern
Suitability of ‘Time, Place and People’
Multiple Levels of Meaning
Symbolic and Allegorical Writings
Limitations of Books and Literature
References
TALKS AND DIALOGUES, QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Transformative Power of the Spoken Word
Limitations of Abstract Intellectual Questions
The Art of Listening
Pointing to the Direct Experience of Truth
Silent Non-Verbal Teaching
References
LEARNING PRINCIPLES
Individual Differences
Alignment of ‘Time, Place and People’
Cyclical Nature of Learning
Balanced Development
Multi-Dimensional Learning
References
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
Indirect and Impact Teaching
Companionship and Emulation
Journeys and Experiences
Work Enterprises and Activities
Humour
Zen Koans
References
TRANSMUTATION AND PURIFICATION
Nature of the Spiritual Journey
Transformation of Conditioned Patterns
Harmonization and Integration with Everyday Life
References
FRUITION OF THE PATH
Skilful Living and Action
Freedom and Nonattachment
Timeless Awareness
References
SELF-KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
‘Know Thyself’
Approach to Self-Study
Studying the ‘Secondary Self’ or ‘False Personality’
Examining Mental and Emotional Patterns
Transcending Conditioned Behaviour
Self-Study in Esoteric Schools
Preparation for Higher Development
References
SELF-OBSERVATION
Importance of Self-Observation
Challenges and Difficulties
Quality of Attention
Agent of Transformation and Change
Opening to Higher Possibilities
References
OBSERVING HUMAN FUNCTIONS
Observing Thoughts
Observing Emotions
Observing the Body
Sensing the Inner Self or Being
References
SELF-REMEMBERING
Nature of Self-Remembering
Difficulties and Challenges
Engagement of Intellect, Emotions and Body
Levels and Degrees of Self-Remembering
Gateway to Higher States of Consciousness
References
ATTENTION
Levels, Degrees and Qualities
Developing Attention and Awareness
Conscious Attention and Inner Growth
References
MINDFULNESS
The State of Inattention
Quality of Attention and Awareness
Self-Knowledge and Transformation
Skilful Living
References
LOVE AND COMPASSION
The Nature of Love
Unconscious Expressions of Love
Love and Spirituality
Conscious Selfless Love
Compassion
Love and Compassion Towards Ourselves
References
MYSTICAL EXPERIENCE AND ENLIGHTENMENT
Ineffable and Beyond Words
Preparation and Purification
The Nature of Mystical Experience
Qualities of the Enlightenment Experience
Extrasensory Powers and Perception
Depth and Level of Enlightenment
Integration Into Everyday Life
References
SELF-INQUIRY: WHO AM I?
The Fundamental Question of Life
The Method of Self-Inquiry
Realizing Our True Nature
Consciousness and “I am”
Meditations
References
AWARENESS AND PRESENCE
The Light of Attention and Mindfulness
Pure Awareness and Consciousness
Opening to the Wonder of Life
Meditations
References
THE MYSTERY OF BEING
Silence and Emptiness
The Timeless Reality
Meditations
References
AWAKENED ATTENTION AND ‘I AM’
Conscious Attention
Establishing the Sense of ‘I Am’
Experiencing the Reality of ‘I Am’
References
EVOLUTION
Science and Biological Evolution
Alternative Perspectives
Progressive Models of Evolution
Conscious Evolution
References
PREHISTORIC HUMANITY
The Emergence of Modern Man
The Neanderthals
Homo Sapiens Sapiens or Modern Man
Higher Intervention in the Evolution of Humanity
References
ATLANTIS AND EGYPT
‘The Great Flood’ and Other Cataclysms
Ancient Egypt
References
EARLY CIVILIZATION
Esoteric Knowledge and Schools
The Agricultural Revolution
The Megaliths
The Flowering of Civilization
References
LEGACY OF CHRISTIANITY
Jesus of Nazareth
Esoteric Christianity
References
WESTERN AND EASTERN ESOTERICISM
Western Esotericism
Islam and Sufism
Alchemy
The Nature and Continuity of the Esoteric Stream
References
CONTEMPORARY SPIRITUAL TRADITIONS
Zen and Tibetan Buddhism
Gurdjieff and the Fourth Way
Contemporary Sufism
References
A LIVING COSMOS
Traditional Worldview
Mystical and Spiritual Worldview
An Emerging Paradigm
Evolution of Consciousness
References
THE ONE AND THE MANY
Unity and Multiplicity
Mystical Experience of Oneness
Spirituality and the Absolute
Science and Wholeness
The Holographic Universe
References
THE INTERCONNECTED UNIVERSE
Spiritual Teachings and Interdependence
Gurdjieff and ‘Reciprocal Maintenance’
Science and Interrelationship
Systems Theory
Information and Inter-Communication
References
AS ABOVE, SO BELOW
Macrocosm – Microcosm
Universal Patterns and Laws in Nature
Fields, Fractals and Cosmological Constants
Archetypes and Higher Worlds
References
HUMAN PURPOSE AND DESTINY
The Cosmic Plan and Humanity
Self-Knowledge and Inner Development
Conscious Attention, Presence and Action
Expanded Consciousness
References
TYPES OF SUPERNATURAL PHENOMENA
Levels of Wonders and Miracles
Transcending Space and Time
Alteration of Physical Reality
Telepathy
Clairvoyance and Prescience
Unusual Mental Phenomena
Early or Primitive Magic
Healing
References
NATURE OF SUPERNATURAL PHENOMENA
Deception, Fraud and Deceit
False Experiences and Self-Deception
Emotionality and Sensation-Seeking
Science and the Supernatural
Unknown Laws of Nature
Functional and Instrumental Effects
By-product of Spiritual Development
References
SPIRIT AND MATTER
Philosophical Perspectives
Scientific Paradigms
Spiritual Traditions
Consciousness and Evolution
References
ENERGY
Energy and Physics
Energy and Number Symbolism
Higher Spiritual Energy
References
VIBRATION
Science and Vibration
String Theory
Vibration and the Human Brain
The Ray of Creation
The Law of Seven
Spiritual Traditions and Vibration
References
HIGHER ENERGIES AND INFLUENCES
Magnetism and Hypnosis
Sounds and Vibrations
‘Baraka’
Sacred Objects and Artefacts
Places and Structures of Spiritual Power
Human Centres of Perception
References
COSMOLOGY AND SCIENCE
The Scientific View of the Universe
Limitations of the Scientific Approach
Albert Einstein and Relativity
Quantum Theory
The Implicate and Explicate Orders
Contemporary Cosmology
References
COSMOLOGY, SPIRITUALITY AND SCIENCE
A New Worldview
The Observer in Science
Mind and Consciousness
Cosmology and Spirituality
Harmonization of Spirituality and Science
The Scientist as Mystic
References
A SPIRITUAL SCIENCE
Quantitative and Qualitative Reality
The Nature of Science
The Role of the Scientist
Consciousness and the Human Observer
The Integration of Science and Spirituality
References
THE GREAT CHAIN OF BEING
Traditional Conception
The Four Elements
The Four Kingdoms
Arthur Young’s ‘Reflexive Universe’
Ken Wilber’s ‘Spectrum of Consciousness and Being’
The ‘Diagram of Everything Living’
References
THE RAY OF CREATION
Gurdjieff’s Creation Myth
Model of the Ray of Creation
Fundamental Laws and Principles
Sun, Planets, Earth and Moon
Humanity and the Ray of Creation
References
THE ABSOLUTE OR SELF
Science and the Absolute
Mystical Experience and the Absolute
Spiritual Traditions and the Absolute
Meditations
References
GOD, SCIENCE AND SPIRITUALITY
Science and God
Spirituality and God
Meditations
References
CONSCIOUSNESS AND SCIENCE
The Reality of Consciousness
Scientific Understanding of Consciousness
Quality of Consciousness
References
CONSCIOUSNESS AND SPIRITUALITY
The Mystical Experience
Spiritual Traditions and Consciousness
The Flowering of Consciousness
References
GURDJIEFF AND TIME
Time and Levels of Reality
The Flow of Time and Entropy
Subjective Experience of Time
Consciousness and Time
References
SPIRITUAL TRADITIONS AND TIME
Traditional Worldview
Western Philosophy
Mystical and Eastern Spiritual Teachings
Sufism
Zen Buddhism
Advaita Vedanta
References
FATE, DESTINY AND ETERNAL RECURRENCE
Fate and Destiny
The Reversibility of Time
Eternal Recurrence Throughout History
The Architecture of Eternal Recurrence
References
DIMENSIONS OF TIME
Human Experience of Time
The Time-World
Multidimensional Time
Time and Human Functions
References
ETERNITY AND INFINITY
Time and Eternity
Time, Eternity and the Enneagram
Consciousness and Eternity
Past-Present-Future
A Six-Dimensional Model of Space-Time
All and Everything
References
THE ETERNAL NOW
The Illusion of Passing Time
The Mystical Experience of Time
Eternity and the Dimensions of Time
The Present Moment
Self-Realization and Time
References
THE GURDJIEFF LITERATURE: AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
WRITINGS AND TALKS OF GURDJIEFF
G.I. Gurdjieff Beelzebub’s Tales to His Grandson: An Objectively Impartial Criticism
G.I. Gurdjieff Meetings with Remarkable Men (1963)
G.I. Gurdjieff Views From the Real World: Early Talks of Gurdjieff (1973)
G.I. Gurdjieff Life is Real Only Then, When “I Am” (1975)
G. I. Gurdjieff Transcripts of Gurdjieff’s Meetings 1941-1946 (2009)
Joseph Azize (ed.) Gurdjieff’s Early Talks 1914-1931 (2014)
BOOKS WRITTEN BY STUDENTS OF GURDJIEFF
P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching
P.D. Ouspensky The Psychology of Man's Possible Evolution (1950)
Maurice Nicoll Psychological Commentaries on the Teaching of G.I. Gurdjieff and
Kenneth Walker A Study of Gurdjieff’s Teaching (1957)
C.S. Nott Teachings of Gurdjieff: The Journal of a Pupil (1962)
John G. Bennett Gurdjieff: A Very Great Enigma (1963)
Fritz Peters Boyhood with Gurdjieff (1964)
Fritz Peters Gurdjieff Remembered (1965)
Kathryn Hulme Undiscovered Country (1966)
C.S. Nott Journey Through This World: The Second Journal of a Pupil (1969)
Irmis Popoff Gurdjieff: His Work on Myself with Others, for the Work (1969)
William Welch What Happened in Between (1972)
John G. Bennett Witness: The Autobiography of John G. Bennett (1974)
Anna Butkovsky-Hewitt With Gurdjieff in St. Petersburg and Paris (1978)
A.L. Staveley Memories of Gurdjieff (1978)
René Zuber Who Are You, Mr. Gurdjieff? (1980)
Louise Welch Orage with Gurdjieff in America (1982)
Rina Hands Diary of Madame Egout Pour Sweet (1991)
Henri Tracol The Taste for Things That Are True (1994)
Jane Heap The Notes of Jane Heap (1994)
Jacob Needleman & George Baker (eds.) Gurdjieff: Essays and Reflections on the Man
Paul Beekman Taylor Shadows of Heaven: Gurdjieff and Toomer (1998)
Paul Beekman Taylor Gurdjieff and Orage: Brothers in Elysium (2001)
Solange Claustres Becoming Conscious with G.I. Gurdjieff (2005)
Patty de Llosa The Practice of Presence (2006)
Jacob Needleman (ed.) The Inner Journey: Views from the Gurdjieff Work (2008)
Jessmin and Dushka Howarth It’s Up to Ourselves: a Mother, a Daughter and
Hugh Brockwill Ripman Questions and Answers Along the Way (2009)
Annabeth McCorkle The Gurdjieff Years 1929-1949: Recollections of Louise Goepfert
Paul Beekman Taylor Real Worlds of G.I. Gurdjieff (2012)
Paul Beekman Taylor The Philosophy of G.I. Gurdjieff (2013)
C. Daly King The Oragean Version (2014)
Joseph Azize (ed.) George Adie: A Gurdjieff Pupil in Australia (2015)
Frank Brück (ed.) Gurdjieff’s Emissary in New York: Talks and Lectures with A.R.
SECONDARY AND ANCILLARY LITERATURE
Rodney Collin The Theory of Celestial Influence (1954)
Rafael Lefort The Teachers of Gurdjieff (1966)
Whithall Perry Gurdjieff: In Light of Tradition (1978)
J.H. Reyner Gurdjieff in Action (1980)
James Moore Gurdjieff and Mansfield (1980)
Michel Waldberg Gurdjieff: An Approach to His Ideas (1980)
Henri Thomasson The Pursuit of the Present (1980)
Walter Driscoll Gurdjieff: An Annotated Bibliography (1985)
David Kherdian On a Spaceship with Beelzebub (1991)
Ravi Ravindra Heart Without Measure (1991)
John Fuchs Forty Years After Gurdjieff (1994)
Anna Challenger Philosophy and Art in Gurdjieff’s Beelzebub (2002)
Sophia Wellbeloved Gurdjieff, Astrology and Beelzebub’s Tales (2002)
Sophia Wellbeloved Gurdjieff: The Key Concepts (2003)
Nicolas Tereshchenko Mister Gurdjieff and the Fourth Way (2003)
John Shirley Gurdjieff: An Introduction to His Life and Ideas (2004)
G.J. Blom Gurdjieff: Harmonic Development (2004)
Frank Sinclair Without Benefit of Clergy (2005)
Keith Buzzell Perspectives on Beelzebub’s Tales (2005)
Keith Buzzell Explorations in Active Mentation (2006)
Keith Buzzell Man – A Three-Brained Being (2007)
William Patterson Spiritual Survival in a Radically Changing World-Time (2009)
Fran Shaw The Next Attention (2010)
Max Gorman Stairway to the Stars (2010)
Keith Buzzell Reflections on Gurdjieff’s Whim (2012)
Christian Wertenbaker Man in the Cosmos: G.I. Gurdjieff and Modern Science (2012)
Cynthia Bourgeault The Holy Trinity and the Law of Three (2013)
Keith Buzzell A New Conception of God (2013)
Christian Wertenbaker The Enneagram of G.I. Gurdjieff (2017)
Wim van Dullemen The Gurdjieff Movements: A Communication of Ancient Wisdom
Ron and Claire Levitan Growing a Soul on the Planet Earth (2018)
BIOGRAPHIES OF GURDJIEFF
John G. Bennett Gurdjieff: Making a New World (1973)
James Webb The Harmonious Circle: The Lives and Works of G.I. Gurdjieff,
James Moore Gurdjieff: The Anatomy of a Myth (1991)
William Patrick Patterson Georgi Ivanovitch Gurdjieff: The Man, The Teaching, His
Tobias Churton Deconstructing Gurdjieff: Biography of a Spiritual Magician (2017)
Roger Lipsey Gurdjieff Reconsidered: The Life, The Teachings, The Legacy (2019)

Citation preview

GURDJIEFF’S SEARCH FOR ESOTERIC KNOWLEDGE1

G.I. Gurdjieff has been described as one of the most fascinating and remarkable men of the 20th century. He possessed immense personal magnetism and profound esoteric knowledge of human transformation, and he brought a spiritual teaching of vast scope and power to the Western world. Yet, throughout his life Gurdjieff was an enigma even to his closest students and was widely misunderstood by observers, critics and the public. From an early age, Gurdjieff was preoccupied with understanding the meaning and purpose of human life. Thanks to his father and other influential elders, Gurdjieff was educated in religion and modern science and assimilated essential values and ethics. As he matured, Gurdjieff attracted a group of like-minded ‘Seekers of the Truth’ who studied and travelled with him throughout the East in search of ancient esoteric knowledge. On these arduous journeys, which spanned several continents, Gurdjieff succeeded in finding many fragments of ancient knowledge. However, they were largely disconnected and a good portion was missing. Finally, after a great deal of searching, “the doors of a certain school opened for him, where he came to understand how to bring together all the principles of an esoteric teaching.” (1) This culmination of Gurdjieff’s search involved the discovery of an ancient esoteric school or universal brotherhood, called the Sarmoung, which was believed to possess the keys to humanity’s spiritual evolution. Although Gurdjieff claimed that the Sarmoung monastery was located somewhere in Central Asia, its existence could not be independently verified and many believe the Sarmoung to be merely allegorical. Following this discovery, Gurdjieff spent a further period of time preparing for a teaching mission to the West. He began to formally teach in Russia in 1912 with a personal mission to “add the mystical spirit of the East to the scientific spirit of the West.” (2) Later, deciding to flee Russia during the Revolution, Gurdjieff and his followers eventually settled in France. Gurdjieff spent the remainder of his life transmitting his ‘Fourth Way’ teachings and serving as spiritual leader to countless students from around the world.

Validating the Events of Gurdjieff's Life

One of the major problems facing biographers and researchers of G.I. Gurdjieff is the unreliability of much of the information regarding his life. The only available informa-tion on the events of Gurdjieff’s life before 1912 is contained in scattered references in his own writings and in conversations recorded by his pupils. But Gurdjieff was notorious for spinning fanciful tales about himself, making it difficult for anyone to separate fact from fiction. 1

Updated 2017/03/10

1

The primary source of information about Gurdjieff’s early life and his search for esoteric knowledge is his semi-autobiographical Meetings with Remarkable Men. Described as a combination of allegory and fact (3), the book is replete with contradictions, logical inconsistencies and confusing chronology. Biographer James Moore asserts that “we possess not one shred of independent evidence to confirm his own extraordinary account – nor indeed to invalidate it.” (4) Attempts by biographers to reconstruct the chronology and routes of Gurdjieff’s travels have met with little success. Although his family confirmed that Gurdjieff journeyed extensively in the regions he described in his books, independent confirmation of these journeys is non-existent. By contrast, the second half of Gurdjieff’s life, from 1912 until his death in 1949, has been extensively chronicled in the accounts of students, journalists and biographers. Yet, there remain a number of gaps in the history of Gurdjieff’s activities during this period. As well, the validity of many of the accounts of Gurdjieff’s students has been questioned on the basis of factual errors, fabrication and speculation (5). Although many of the inaccuracies are relatively minor, others represent significant distortions of the actual events of Gurdjieff’s life. As a result, the contemporary researcher encounters significant challenges in attempting to establish with certainty the salient events in Gurdjieff's life.

Gurdjieff's Early Life

George Ivanovitch Gurdjieff was born in the town of Alexandropol, Russian Armenia, to a Greek father and an Armenian mother. His date of birth is uncertain (6) but thought to be sometime between 1866 and 1877. His father, Giorgias Giorgiades (7), was a successful landowner with large herds of cattle and sheep. He headed a household that was traditional and patriarchal. Giorgias had a profound impact on Gurdjieff, instilling in his son a love of learning and a set of values grounded in traditional spiritual teachings. P.D. Ouspensky met Gurdjieff’s father in 1917 and recounts the close, respectful relationship between him and Gurdjieff: I very much liked his relationship with his father which was full of extraordinary consideration. G.’s father was still a robust old man . . . with G. he used to speak for hours on end and I always liked to watch how G. listened to him, occasionally laughing a little, but evidently never for a second losing the line of the conversation and the whole time sustaining the conversation with questions and comments. (8)

The Caucasus region of Russia where Gurdjieff spent his formative years was a mixing bowl of cultures, languages and spiritual influences. The young Gurdjieff was inspired by these influences to look more deeply into the hidden meanings of everyday life: He had passed his young years in an atmosphere of fairy tales, legends, and traditions. The “miraculous” around him was an actual fact. Predictions of the future which he heard, and which those around him fully believed, were fulfilled and made him believe in many other things. All 2

these things taken together created in him at a very early age a leaning towards the mysterious, the incomprehensible, and the magical. (9)

Gurdjieff’s father was a renowned ashokh or bard who recited from memory folk-tales, legends and myths from antiquity. The young Gurdjieff most likely first heard stories from the Thousand and One Nights and the Epic of Gilgamesh from his father’s lips. Many years later, Gurdjieff was amazed to learn that archeologists had discovered and translated ancient cuneiform tablets inscribing the Epic of Gilgamesh in words virtually identical to those recited to him by his father. The accuracy of his father's recitations made a deep impact on Gurdjieff, reinforcing in him the belief that it was possible for knowledge to be accurately preserved by oral transmission for countless succeeding generations. When Gurdjieff was relatively young a cattle plague decimated his father's herds and dramatically changed life in the Giorgiades household. His father was forced to sell many possessions and to begin working as a carpenter. Eventually the family moved to Kars, where Gurdjieff came under the influence of the highly respected Father Dean Borsh of the Russian Orthodox Church. Father Borsh and Gurdjieff’s father became close friends, linked by their common interests in spirituality and ancient civilizations. The priest and the carpenter spent countless evenings together exchanging ideas and debating philosophy as the rapt young Gurdjieff listened silently nearby. Gurdjieff was privately tutored by Father Borsh and graduates of the Kars Theological Seminary in religious and scientific subjects. One of Gurdjieff’s most influential teachers was Deacon Bogachevsky, a candidate for the priesthood. He instilled in Gurdjieff a desire to penetrate to the heart of religion by introducing the concepts of subjective and objective morality – the former based on cultural convention and the latter based on conscience. As he grew older, Gurdjieff felt increasingly dissatisfied with the conventional approaches of his religious instructors and became convinced of the exist-ence of a more mystical level of esoteric knowledge. Gurdjieff eventually abandoned his formal religious studies and moved to Tiflis, the capital of Georgia. There he found employment in a rail yard as a labourer. He quickly became friends with co-workers Sarkin Pogossian, an Armenian, and Abram Yelov, an Assyrian. The three friends shared a love of learning and, in the words of Gurdjieff, “an ‘irrepressible striving’ to understand clearly the precise significance, in general, of the life processes on earth of all the outward forms of breathing creatures and, in particular, of the aim of human life.” (10) But they were unable to find satisfactory answers to these fundamental questions in either Western science or traditional religious teachings. As a young adult, Gurdjieff travelled extensively throughout the Middle East and surrounding regions. In his writings, Gurdjieff described journeys to Mecca and Medina, to Constantinople to study the Mevlevi and Bektashi dervishes, to Jerusalem and the surrounding region investigating the Essene brotherhood, to Mount Athos in Greece, and 3

to Crete, Egypt and Persia to explore archeological sites. Deeply interested in these ancient civilizations for their esoteric and spiritual knowledge, Gurdjieff found in many places convincing evidence of “the existence of certain knowledge, of certain powers and possibilities exceeding the ordinary possibilities of man, and of people possessing clairvoyance and other miraculous powers.” (11) Gradually, the focus of Gurdjieff’s investigations shifted toward spiritual transformation and the study of art, music, posture and dance to achieve higher states of consciousness. He became convinced that somewhere in the Middle East or Central Asia there still existed a living school or schools which continued to transmit esoteric knowledge of human spiritual evolution through a chain of initiates, and had done so over countless generations from ancient times to the present.

The Seekers of the Truth

Gurdjieff’s belief in these esoteric schools quickly turned into a determination to locate them. For this very purpose, in 1895, Gurdjieff joined with a number of like-minded individuals who included Sarkin Pogossian and Abram Yelov, to form a group called Seekers of the Truth (12). Bound by a common quest, the group began to travel to remote places in search of ancient esoteric knowledge. Within a short period of time there were fifteen members of the group, each an expert in a particular branch of knowledge including religion, science, archeology, linguistics, astronomy and engineering. Each studied along the lines of their particular specialty and shared their findings with the group. At certain times members studied individually at spiritual centers in order to penetrate more deeply the particular spiritual teaching. The Seekers travelled singly, in twos and threes, or as a group in major expeditions that over the years ranged across three continents, including the following locations:

•

Egypt and the Holy Land to investigate sacred temples, the pyramids and the Sphinx

•

Ethiopia and the Sudan to study Coptic traditions that predated the Orthodox and Catholic branches of Christianity

•

Mesopotamia to explore the Babylonian civilization

•

Central Asia to study the spiritual wisdom of dervishes and Sufi communities

•

The Gobi Desert to look for the remnants of an ancient civilization rumoured to be buried under the sands

•

Northern Siberia to study ancient shamanic traditions 4

•

India and Ceylon

•

Australia and the Solomon Islands.

During their travels the Seekers studied literature, oral tradition, music, dance, sacred art, architecture and esoteric monuments, and they conducted their own experiments and archeological excavations. Their investigations led to many exciting discoveries related to the science of human transformation, including ancient methods of music composition, architecture, and dance choreography which produced exact and predictable alterations in consciousness in the listener, observer or practitioner. From their journeys and research the Seekers concluded that knowledge of human spiritual potential once existed as a complete teaching, but that only widely scattered fragments remained. John Bennett, a student of Gurdjieff, carefully examined the locations of the group's expeditions and identified a significant pattern: I conclude that the Seekers of the Truth had, by 1899, satisfied themselves that there had been schools of wisdom in northeast Africa, the Levant, Central Asia and the northern valleys of Siberia. This agrees with the evidence that I have pieced together . . . that there were four independent sources of human language and culture that came together to produce the modern world. (13)

By 1900, the Seekers formally disbanded, many of the members having died, withdrawn from ordinary life or left to pursue other activities.

The Sarmoung Brotherhood

Gurdjieff's discovery of the Sarmoung brotherhood and subsequent journey to its chief monastery forms the centerpiece of Meetings with Remarkable Men. The existence of the Sarmoung has been questioned by literalists and debated by Gurdjieff's pupils and biographers for decades. In Meetings Gurdjieff wrote that while exploring ruins in the city of Ani in the Caucasus, he and Sarkin Pogossian discovered a collection of ancient Armenian texts which mentioned a society of adepts known as the Sarmoung Brotherhood. Gurdjieff had previously come across references to the Sarmoung in an Armenian book called Merkhavat. (14) The title of the book referred to a famous esoteric school believed to have been founded in 2500 B.C. in Babylon and which “was said to have possessed great knowledge, containing the keys to many secret mysteries.” (15) Although the school was traced to Mesopotamia up to the sixth or seventh century A.D., its evolution and existence after that time remained a mystery. Gurdjieff later met an initiate of the Sarmoung in Bokhara who arranged for Gurdjieff to travel to a Sarmoung monastery in Central Asia. Following an arduous twelve-day journey, he arrived at the sanctuary situated in a hidden valley surrounded by towering 5

mountain peaks. During his three-month stay at the monastery Gurdjieff studied sacred dances, physical techniques for self-transformation and the symbolism of the enneagram. (16)

Gurdjieff did not disclose the precise location, nature or activities of the Sarmoung monastery and left only a tantalizing promise: “The details of everything in this monastery, what it represented, and what was done there and how, I shall perhaps recount at some time in a special book.” (17) In typical fashion, he never followed up on his promise. Whether Gurdjieff's account of the monastery is fact or allegory is an open question to this day. In an attempt to establish a historical basis for the Sarmoung, some researchers have tried to trace the origin and derivation of the name but have met with limited success. (18) Despite our limited information about the Sarmoung, Gurdjieff made clear in Meetings with Remarkable Men that his stay in the Sarmoung monastery was a crucial event in his spiritual development: “It leaves the reader in no doubt that this contact was of the greatest importance to him and that he learned secrets of a different order of significance than those he found in the various Sufi communities he visited.” (19)

Teaching Mission in the West

Very little is known of Gurdjieff’s life from 1905, when he settled in Tashkent, Turkestan to 1912, when he began to teach in Russia. Biographer James Moore speculates that Gurdjieff spent this period experimenting with spiritual techniques and closely observing the effect of his teachings on the local population, activities which served as preparation for his teaching mission in the West. He also amassed considerable resources to finance his impending teaching venture by trading in commodities and acquiring a large collection of rare carpets and Chinese cloisonné. By 1908 Gurdjieff felt he was in a position to attract potential students for preparatory work: He had acquired and crystallized, over a period of twenty years, a formidable repertoire of powers, techniques, and ideas. He had made a unique study of Sacred Dances; his entire being had evolved; and not least, he felt that he finally understood -- as far as that is granted to man -- the unsuspected significance of organic and human life. (20)

Gurdjieff began formally teaching in Moscow in 1912 and quickly attracted a circle of students that included artists, musicians, scientists, physicians and lawyers. In 1915, he met his most famous pupil, philosopher and mathematician P.D. Ouspensky. Ouspensky documented the Russian phase of Gurdjieff’s teaching in his book In Search of the Miraculous, which is highly regarded for its objectivity and accuracy.

6

Gurdjieff decided to leave Russia during the ensuing Revolution and took with him a number of dedicated followers to Tiflis. The group eventually relocated to Constantinople, where Gurdjieff founded the Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man. Gurdjieff’s Institute was established with the mission to awaken each student to his higher potential, through being “continually reminded of the sense and aim of his exist-ence by the unavoidable friction between his conscience and the automatic manifestations of his nature.” (21) Sensing that conditions were more favourable in Western Europe for his work, Gurdjieff and his students eventually relocated to France in 1922 and re-established his Institute at the Château du Prieuré in Fontainebleau. There, Gurdjieff entered a period of intense individual and group work with his students. In 1922, he visited England where P.D. Ouspensky was teaching Gurdjieff’s ideas. Ouspensky had made many important contacts there, including noted editor and writer A.R. Orage. In 1924, Gurdjieff brought a large group of followers to America for public performances of his sacred dances. In New York Gurdjieff established more groups under the direction of Orage. Following a serious automobile accident in July 1924, Gurdjieff began a new phase of work during which he endeavoured to transmit his teachings in written form as a legacy for future generations. For the next decade, he worked on his writings while scaling back personal and group work with students. In the early 1930s, financial con-straints forced Gurdjieff to close his Institute at the Prieuré and move to Paris. In the mid-1930s, he resumed group work and continued quietly teaching in Paris throughout the Second World War. At the end of the war former students from many countries joined Gurdjieff in Paris, ushering in a final phase of teaching which lasted until his death in November 1949. Following his death, senior students created the Gurdjieff Foundation to preserve and transmit his teachings in their original form. Interest in Gurdjieff and his Fourth Way teachings has grown dramatically in the last three decades, and today Gurdjieff is regarded as one of the most important spiritual teachers of the twentieth century.

NOTES

(1) G.I. Gurdjieff “Foreword” Meetings with Remarkable Men (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1971), p. viii. (2) Denis Saurat “An Account of a Visit to Gurdjieff in 1923” in Louis Pauwels Gurdjieff (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1975), p. 177. (3) John Bennett argues in Gurdjieff: Making a New World (New York: Harper & Row, 1973, p. 106) that Meetings was not intended as a strictly factual description of Gurdjieff's life:

7

Meetings with Remarkable Men is written not as a narrative but as a series of pictures of people and isolated events. It does not follow that it is all fantasy or that the events described do not fit into a coherent account of Gurdjieff’s search.

(4) James Moore Gurdjieff: Anatomy of a Myth (Rockport, Massachusetts: Element Books, 1991), p. 24. (5) For example, Professor Paul Beekman Taylor identifies a distorting element colouring the recollections of many of Gurdjieff's students in a web document, “Inventors of Gurdjieff”: The factual accuracy of recollections by Gurdjieff’s pupils are always suspect, since each pupil sees his relationship to the man subjectively. With rare exceptions, those who write from a pupil’s point of view either invent a privileged relationship with Gurdjieff or exaggerate the actual one.

(6) Gurdjieff’s date of birth has been a source of mystery, conjecture and argument since his earliest teaching days in Russia. Biographer James Moore (Gurdjieff: Anatomy of a Myth, Rockport, Massachusetts: Element Books, 1991, pp. 339-340) concludes that Gurdjieff was born in 1866, citing as evidence his own statements to students in the 1940s, historical records which correlate with accounts of his early life related in Meetings with Remarkable Men and the assessments of some of his pupils. However, William Patrick Patterson (Struggle of the Magicians, Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 1996, pp. 216-217) argues that 1872 is a more plausible date of birth, drawing evidence from events in Gurdjieff’s life recounted in Meetings with Remarkable Men and the conclusions of a number of his students. In his definitive biography Georgi Ivanovitcvh Gurdjieff: The Man, The Teaching, His Mission (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2014, p. 574), Patterson ultimately concludes that there can be no definitive answer to this question: “Like so many things concerning him, we are left in wonderful, lasting question.” (7) Gurdjieff is a Russian variant of the Greek surname “Giorgiades.” (8) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 342. (9) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 36. (10) G.I. Gurdjieff The Herald of Coming Good (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1974), p. 13. (11) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 36. 8

(12) The prospectus for the opening in 1922 of Gurdjieff’s Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man at the Prieuré in France places the founding of the Seekers of the Truth in 1895. Earlier, in 1918 in Essentuki, Gurdjieff revealed to his students some details of the origin and composition of the Seekers of the Truth (William Patrick Patterson Georgi Ivanovitch Gurdjieff: The Man, The Teaching, His Mission Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2014, p. 70): Gurdjieff tells them that twenty-five years before, working as a guide at the pyramids at the Giza Plateau in Egypt, he accidentally met a Russian prince and a professor of archeology. Each had nearly the same world outlook and understanding of the meaning and aim of life. Each had been searching for that ‘something’ absolute which existed, but they did not have enough knowledge to come to an understanding of it. They needed a knowledge that encompassed all sides of life. To gain this they agreed to draw to themselves people having different sets of knowledge who had a like desire for this ‘something.’ Ultimately, some fifteen people, both men and women, joined together; they were Orthodox, Catholic, Muslim, Jewish or Buddhist and specialized in fields such as the mechanical sciences, chemistry, horticulture, astronomy, archeology and philosophy. They went first to Persia and then in 1899 fanned out in small groups, some going to India through Kashmir, Tibet and Ceylon; others going to Palestine through Turkey and Arabia. After many years, they met in Kabul. Now there were only twelve as three had died. They decided to travel to Chitral, but after some time only four, all men, met there. Three years later they returned to Kabul. This was the beginning of the Institute. Five years later they transferred their activity to Russia.

(13) John Bennett Gurdjieff: Making a New World (New York: Harper & Row, 1973), p. 94. (14) Scholars have speculated that the word Merkhavat may be derived from the Judaic Merkhabah, a central mystical text of Kabbalah. (15) G.I. Gurdjieff Meetings with Remarkable Men (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1971), p. 90. (16) Gurdjieff’s description of the Sarmoung monastery in Meetings is replete with symbolism. The central temple consisted of three courts: an outer one for visitors, a secondary court for intermediate pupils and an inner court for the initiated. This structure corresponds to the three levels of spiritual teachings: the exoteric, mesoteric and esoteric. Gurdjieff observed young priestesses learning sacred dances with the aid of apparatuses of exquisite craftsmanship made of ebony inlaid with ivory. The apparatuses were designed like trees with a central column and seven main branches which in turn were divided into seven sections of varying dimensions, an obvious reference to the law of octaves.

9

(17) G.I. Gurdjieff Meetings with Remarkable Men (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1971), p. 161. (18) Some Buddhist scholars have noted the similarity between Sarmoung and a Tibetan Buddhist monastery of the Kagyu sect called the Surmang, which is still in existence in Tibet. Gurdjieff’s student John Bennett suggests a correspondence with the Persian word Sarman and proposes two possible interpretations: (1) a reference to the perennial knowledge transmitted by initiates, or (2) a synonym for the bee which since ancient times has been a symbol of those who collect the precious ‘honey’ of traditional wisdom and preserve it for future generations. Bolivian esotericist Oscar Ichazo claims that Gurdjieff studied at a ‘School of the Bees’ located somewhere in Afghanistan. And writer Desmond Martin, who claimed to have visited a Sarmoun Brotherhood in Afghanistan in the 1960s, refers to the ‘bee hypothesis’ in an article “Account of the Sarmoun Brotherhood” in Roy Weaver Davidson (ed.) Documents on Contemporary Dervish Communities (London: Octagon Press, 1982, p. 23). (19) John Bennett Gurdjieff: Making a New World (New York: Harper & Row, 1973), p. 64. (20) James Moore Gurdjieff: Anatomy of a Myth (Rockport, Massachusetts: Element Books, 1991), p. 36. (21) G.I. Gurdjieff Meetings with Remarkable Men (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1971), p. 270.

10

IMPRESSIONS OF GURDJIEFF

There is a large body of literature, penned by many of Gurdjieff’s followers and direct students, that attempts to express their perceptions of him as a truly remarkable man and exceptional spiritual teacher. Two recent biographers have commented on the challenge of evaluating the recollections and impressions of Gurdjieff by his students throughout his long teaching mission in the West, dating from his earliest days in Russia until his death in Paris in 1949. In Deconstructing Gurdjieff, Tobias Churton observes that: “Personal reminiscences of followers, often highly subjective, are frequently at variance with one another.” (1) The man his students wanted to meet was the imagined man who had made archetypal journeys in search of absolute truth in mythical lands among truly remarkable beings. They projected this ideal expectation onto the man they met and interpreted all that was strange about him or his demands as a result of this prior, and apparently completed, quest. (2)

Roger Lipsey comments on the contradictory aspects of Gurdjieff’s personality and unorthodox teaching methods in his recent biography Gurdjieff Reconsidered, noting that: “Memoirs about Gurdjieff almost invariably dwell on two seemingly opposite features: on the one hand his radiant presence, experienced by others as a felt energy but also a stillness, and on the other hand the intense theater he often created by word, facial expression, gesture, improvised scene setting – occasioning every possible emotion and response from shared laughter and delight to fear and trembling, revolt, alarm, and interpretive alertness in front of a puzzling unknown.” (3) Apart from Gurdjieff’s own writings, music and choreography, there is an informed, attractive literature written by two generations of his students. There are, as well, several considered biographies. Overall, there is a surprisingly large published literature in which Gurdjieff is central and revered, in addition to archival resources only now in part coming to light. In this mass of material there are countless anecdotes recording what Gurdjieff said or did at one moment or another. And because at this time there are still living, direct students of Gurdjieff, and students of direct students, the informal library of anecdotes continues to grow . . . Many of those who worked with Gurdjieff have said that he was unknowable, an enigma. In case we were to miss the point, a surprising number of book titles start there: René Zuber’s Who Are You, Mr. Gurdjieff?, Margaret Anderson’s The Unknowable Gurdjieff, J.G. Bennett’s Gurdjieff: A Very Great Enigma. The most recently published account from a participant in Gurdjieff’s late years says as much: “I agree with many others in admitting that no one truly knows Mr. Gurdjieff. One can describe events, anecdotes lived in his company, but the wholeness of his person remains impossible to grasp.” . . . At some level he may remain unknowable, but like a mosaic of small photographs of a distant planet, their composite impressions cannot help but sum to a portrait.

(4)

1

John G. Bennett studied with Gurdjieff at the Prieuré in the 1920s and again in Paris in the last few years of his life. Bennett conducted original field research investigating Gurdjieff’s travels, teachings and legacy, and is uniquely qualified to provide an overall perspective of his life and interactions with students: Gurdjieff was a very great enigma in more ways than one. First and most obvious is the fact that no two people who knew him would agree as to who and what he was. If you look at the various books that have been written about Gurdjieff and if you look at his own writings, you will find that no two pictures are the same. Everyone who knew him, upon reading what other people have written about him, feels that they have not got it right. Each one of us believes we saw something that other people did not see. This is no doubt true. It went with the peculiar habit he had of hiding himself, of appearing to be something other than he really was. This was very confusing, and it began from the time he was first known in European countries. (5)

Exactly who Gurdjieff was has intrigued and baffled students and observers alike. When once asked “Who are you?” he replied: “Who are you?” Today we are no closer to understanding the man or his mission. Wim van Dullemen is a professional musician and long-time practitioner of the Work, who has taught Movements classes throughout the world for many decades. In The Gurdjieff Movements he reflects on the enduring mystery at the heart of Gurdjieff’s life: Gurdjieff left a deep impression on the people who met him. Usually positive, although not always. Most people regarded him as an exceptional man who brought about a turning point in their lives. They spoke of him in glowing terms, described him in their intimate diaries and in the books they published. Sometimes, even someone who just saw him for an instant could not help but write a book about him. It is striking, however, that a woman who had known him her entire life gave him the shortest description of all. “Mr. X,’ and nothing more. For her, Gurdjieff was an unfathomable phenomenon. (6)

Recollections 1915-1932

P.D. Ouspensky was a respected mathematician, philosopher and seeker of the truth when he met Gurdjieff for the first time in St. Petersburg in 1915. Ultimately, Ouspensky was destined to become Gurdjieff’s most famous pupil and author of the highly acclaimed book In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching, which detailed the psychological and cosmological teachings of the Fourth Way. His first meeting with Gurdjieff was memorable: I remember this meeting very well. We arrived at a small café in a noisy though not central street. I saw a man of an oriental type, no longer young, with a black mustache and piercing eyes, who astonished me first of all because he seemed to be disguised and completely out of keeping with the

2

place and its atmosphere. I was still full of impressions of the East. And this man with the face of an Indian raja or an Arab sheikh seated here in this little café, where small dealers and commission agents met together, in a black overcoat with a velvet collar and a black bowler hat, produced the strange, unexpected, and almost alarming impression of a man poorly disguised, the sight of whom embarrasses you because you see he is not what he pretends to be and yet you have to speak and behave as though you did not see it. He spoke Russian incorrectly with a strong Caucasian accent; and this accent, with which we are accustomed to associate anything apart from philosophical ideas, strengthened still further the strangeness and the unexpectedness of this impression . . . I gathered that G. had travelled widely and had been in places of which I had only heard and which I very much wished to visit. Not only did my questions not embarrass him but it seemed to me that he put much more into each answer than I had asked for. I liked his manner of speaking, which was careful and precise. (7)

Later the same year, after working intensively with Gurdjieff, Ouspensky provided further, insightful observations of his teacher’s impressive qualities: During that time I was a good deal with G. and began to understand him better. One was struck by a great inner simplicity and naturalness in him which made one completely forget that he was, for us, the representative of the world of the miraculous and the unknown. Furthermore, one felt very strongly in him the entire absence of any kind of affectation or desire to produce an impression. And together with this one felt an absence of personal interest in anything he was doing, a complete indifference to ease and comfort and a capacity for not sparing himself in work whatever that work might be . . . I was particularly attracted by his sense of humor and the complete absence of any pretention to “sanctity” or to the possession of “miraculous” powers, although, as we became convinced later, he possessed then the knowledge and ability of creating unusual phenomena of a psychological character. But he always laughed at people who expected miracles from him. He was an extraordinarily versatile man, he knew everything and could do everything. (8)

Sophie Grigorievna Ouspensky (commonly referred to as Madame Ouspensky) first met Gurdjieff in Russia in 1916. Along with her husband, she was destined to play a significant role in the dissemination of Gurdjieff’s teachings in England and America. Her terse description of Gurdjieff captures his enigmatic and unknowable nature: I do not pretend to understand Georgi Ivanovitch. For me he is X. All that I know is that he is my teacher and it is not right for me to judge him, nor is it necessary for me to understand him. No one knows who is the real Georgi Ivanovitch, for he hides himself from all of us. (9)

Thomas de Hartmann was an acclaimed composer in St. Petersburg when he met Gurdjieff in December 1916. “He recognized at once in Gurdjieff the teacher who could bring him what he had long been searching for, a search shared by his wife. The two of 3

them gave up their life of comfort and luxury to work with Gurdjieff, and followed him wherever life took them for the next twelve years.” (10) During that period, he collaborated with Gurdjieff in composing more than 250 piano pieces, which came to be known as the Gurdjieff/de Hartmann music. In Our Life with Mr. Gurdjieff, he describes his first meeting with Gurdjieff: I must say that my first reaction was anything but one of rapture or veneration. There was a moment of heavy silence. My eyes could not avoid noticing the detachable cuffs, which were not very clean. Then I thought: You have to speak. I made a great effort and forced myself to say to him that I wished to be admitted to his Work. Mr. Gurdjieff asked the reason for my request. Perhaps I was not happy in life? I answered that I was perfectly happy in my everyday life. But, I added, all this was not enough. ‘Without inner growth,’ I said, ‘there is no life at all for me; both my wife and I are searching for a way to develop.’ By this time I realized that the eyes of Mr. Gurdjieff were of unusual depth and penetration. Until that moment I had never seen such eyes nor felt such a look. Mr. Gurdjieff listened and then said that we would speak later about the question that interested me . . . This ended the conversation, and Zakharov and I left. For a long time I could not speak. Eventually, I told Zakharov about my strong impression and about Mr. Gurdjieff’s eyes. ‘Yes,’ I said, ‘I understand. And certainly you will never see such eyes again.’ (11)

Olga de Hartmann was Gurdjieff’s secretary and personal assistant for many years. Her first meeting with him is also recorded in Our Life with Mr. Gurdjieff: Quite unexpectedly – like a black panther – a man of oriental appearance, such as I had never seen before, came in. He went to the sofa and sat down with his legs crossed in the Eastern manner. He began to speak about love. ‘There are different kinds. When it is self-love, egoistical love, or temporary attraction, it hinders self-development, because it ties a man down and he is not free. But if it is real love, with each one wishing to help the other, then it is different; and I am also glad if husband and wife are both interested in these ideas, because they can help each other.’ I could scarcely look up. Nevertheless, I had a distinct feeling that Mr. Gurdjieff was looking at me. I am certain that he said this especially for me. I was in a very strange state, I was so happy. (12)

Olgivanna Hinzenberg met Gurdjieff in 1919 and worked intensively with him until 1924 when he told her that she had learned all that she could from him and must now live her life based on the spiritual principles he taught her. “When she first saw him, she was instantly drawn to his compassion and depth of human understanding. A strong sensation of certainty, of illumination, of absolute conviction gripped her. She had no doubt that this was meant to be. Without a moment’s hesitation, then and there, she decided to join his group of followers. And there began a most remarkable, fruitful, and sacred relationship between teacher and pupil.” (13) Gurdjieff quickly found her to be a dedicated student: eager to learn and absorb his teachings, never hesitating to meet his strict demands or resisting his unorthodox teaching methods. She emigrated to the United States in 1924 where she met her future husband, the renowned architect Frank Lloyd

4

Wright. In later years she introduced many of Gurdjieff’s ideas and exercises to the students of Wright’s Taliesin schools of architecture in Wisconsin and New Mexico. Her first meeting with Gurdjieff is chronicled in The Life of Olgivanna Lloyd Wright: It was a long way to the two-story house. We climbed the wooden stairway up to a rather barren room where a small group of people surrounded a buffet table on which were an unusual variety of foods. In the midst of this group I instantly saw the remarkable man Valya had told me about. Gurdjieff did indeed look remarkable. He had a closely shaven head and classic features, with a fine nose and strong jaws; his eyes were dark and luminous. It was a noble face, with the traditional oriental moustache. His expression was of profound strength and great compassion. After a while, five women separated themselves from the rest and began to do the exercises which could even be called “dance.” What impressed me most was that Gurdjieff created an intricate geometric pattern with a calculated mathematical sequence. The movements were so unusual that I could not place them in any category known to me. Throughout the entire event, the presence of Gurdjieff could be sensed, radiating, overpowering. (14)

Jeanne and Alexander de Salzmann were close students of Gurdjieff and played integral roles in the development of his Fourth Way teachings in the West. She met Gurdjieff in 1919 in Tiflis, became committed to his work, and was his closest student for thirty years. After his death in 1949, she assumed leadership of the Work, establishing Gurdjieff centres in Paris, London and New York, arranging for publication of his writings and the preservation of the Movements. Before he died, Gurdjieff famously charged her “to live to be over 100.” Mme de Salzmann died in Paris in 1990 at the age of 101. Her first impression of her teacher is vividly described in her seminal book The Reality of Being: When I met George Ivanovitch Gurdjieff I was thirty years old and living in the Caucasus mountain range of what was then southern Russia. At the time I had a deep need to understand the meaning of life but was dissatisfied with explanations that seemed theoretical, not really useful. The first impression of Gurdjieff was very strong, unforgettable. He had an expression I had never seen, and an intelligence, a force, that was different, not the usual intelligence of the thinking mind but a vision that could see everything. He was, at the same time, both kind and very, very demanding. You felt he would see you and show you what you were in a way you would never forget in your whole life. It was impossible really to know Gurdjieff. The impression he gave of himself was never the same. With some people who did not know him, he played the role of a spiritual master, behaving as they expected, and then let them go away. But if he saw they were looking for something higher, he might take them to dinner and speak about interesting subjects, amuse them, make them laugh. This behavior seemed to be more spontaneous, more “free.” But was it really freer, or did it only seem so because he intended to appear like that? You might think you knew Gurdjieff very well, but then he would act quite differently and you would see that you did not really know him. He was like an irresistible force, not dependent only on one form but continually giving birth to forms. (15)

5

John G. Bennett was head of a section of British intelligence in Constantinople when he met Gurdjieff in 1920. He subsequently worked briefly with Gurdjieff at the Prieuré before returning to England where he studied with P.D. Ouspensky in the 1920s and 1930s. In 1948 he reunited with Gurdjieff in Paris and for the remainder of his life led groups in England. In his autobiography Witness, he describes his 1920 meeting: It must have been half-past nine before Gurdjieff appeared. When we were introduced, I met the strangest eyes I have ever seen. The two eyes were so different that I wondered if the light had played some trick on me. But Mrs. Beaumont afterwards made the same remark, and added that the difference was in the expression of the eyes. He was short, but very powerfully built. I guessed that he was about fifty, but Mrs. Beaumont was sure that he was older. His age was as much of an enigma as everything else about him. I felt quite at ease with him, but she told me afterwards that she felt uncomfortable, as if he knew some secret about us that we would prefer to keep hidden. All this was quite beyond me, and it was not until much later that I discovered that Gurdjieff had the peculiar property of appearing to be a different man to everyone who met him. (16)

Margaret Anderson was the American founder, editor and publisher, from 1914 to 1929, of the arts and literary magazine The Little Review. She was introduced to Gurdjieff’s teachings in a lecture delivered in New York in January 1924. Shortly thereafter, she travelled to France with a group of her friends and met Gurdjieff at the Prieuré. It was a meeting that forever changed her life: “I often try to imagine what life would have been like without Gurdjieff. The first image that comes to me is a simple one: it would be like trying to imagine, from a prison window, what life is like outside.” (17). Her first impression of Gurdjieff is recorded in The Unknowable Gurdjieff: I had just time to look carefully at a dark man with an oriental face, whose life seemed to reside in his eyes. He had a presence impossible to describe because I have never encountered another with which to compare it. In other words, as one would immediately recognize Einstein as a ‘great man,’ we immediately recognized Gurdjieff as the kind of man we had never seen – a seer, a prophet, a messiah? We had been prepared from the first to regard him as a man different from other men, in the sense that he possessed what was called ‘higher knowledge.’ He was known as a great teacher and the knowledge he had to offer was that which, in occult books and in the schools of the East, is given through allegory, dialogue, parable, oracle, scripture, or direct esoteric knowledge. (18)

In January 1924, Charles Stanley Nott, an employee at the Sunrise Turn bookstore (where A.R. Orage gave talks on Gurdjieff’s teachings), attended a performance of sacred dances presented by Gurdjieff. He was immediately struck by the special quality of the dancers’ movements and their sense of presence. Nott began attending Orage’s classes and later travelled to the Prieuré in France and worked intensively with Gurdjieff. In his later years, he published two important books – Teachings of Gurdjieff and Journey Through This World – chronicling his experiences with Gurdjieff and P.D. Ouspensky,

6

with whom he also studied. However, he regarded Gurdjieff as his true teacher: “I get more for inner work from one lunch with Mr. Gurdjieff than from a year of Mr. Ouspensky’s groups.” (19) A few minutes after Margaret Anderson had gone, Orage and Dr. Stjoernval came in. At once, I sensed that I was a mere youth in the presence of these adult men. Very soon I made another and more striking comparison: Gurdjieff arrived, very impressive in a black coat with an astrakhan collar and wearing an astrakhan cap. With a twinkle in his eyes he began to joke with the others. Then he walked round, and I found him standing beside me. I looked up, and was struck by the expression in his eyes, with the depth of understanding and compassion in them. He radiated tremendous power and ‘being’ such as I had never in all my travels met in any man, and I sensed that, compared with him, both Dr. Stjoernval and Orage were as young men to an elder. (20)

Jean Toomer was an American writer associated with the ‘Harlem Renaissance’ and author of the acclaimed novel Cane. He worked with Gurdjieff at the Prieuré from 1924 to 1929, and led study groups, with the permission of A.R. Orage, in Harlem and Chicago. In the 1930s he became increasingly disillusioned with Gurdjieff’s often outrageous behaviour and incessant money demands. Finally, in 1936, he broke with Gurdjieff altogether. Yet he did hold him in high esteem, especially his physical prowess: I saw this man in motion, a unit in motion. He was completely of one piece. From the crown of his head down the back of the head, down the neck, down the back and down the legs, there was a remarkable line. Shall I call it a gathered line? It suggested coordination, integration, knitness, power. I was fascinated by the way the man walked. As his feet touched the floor there seemed to be no weight on them at all – a glide, a stride, a weightless walk. (21)

In 1927, writer and literary critic Solita Solano, who was close friends with Margaret Anderson and Jane Heap, met Gurdjieff at the Prieuré. Her first impression of him was decidedly negative: It was in 1927 that I first met Mr. Gurdjieff. Margaret Anderson and Jane Heap had invited me to go with them to the Prieuré in Fontainebleau, saying, ‘There you will see not one man, but a million men in one.’ The magnitude of this integer excited me. I hoped for a demigod, a superman of saintly countenance, not this ‘strange’ écru man about whom I could see nothing extraordinary except the size and power of his eyes. The impact everyone expected him to make upon me did not arrive. In the evening I listened to a reading from his vaunted book. It bored me. Thereupon I rejected him intellectually, although with good humour. Later in the studyhouse (how annoyed I was that women were not allowed to smoke there) I heard the famous music. This, almost from the first measure, I also rejected. A week or so later in Paris I accompanied Margaret and Jane, who had not quite given me up, to a restaurant, which Mr. Gurdjieff was coming to eat with about twenty of his followers. He seated me next to him and for two

7

hours muttered in broken English. I rejected his language, the suit he was wearing and his table manners; I decided that I rather disliked him. (22)

However, Solano soon began to perceive Gurdjieff in a different light and during the 1930s became an integral member of the all-women group called “The Rope.” He gave her the nickname ‘Kanari,’ said to represent her “inner animal,” It was a testament to his trust in her that, beginning in 1937, she served as Gurdjieff’s personal secretary for many years.

Recollections 1933-1949

Louise Welch was a member of A.R. Orage’s New York study group in the late 1920s; she met Gurdjieff in 1934 and became his student, along with her husband Dr. William Welch. She also worked with P.D. and Madame Ouspensky in the 1940s at Franklin Farms before re-connecting with Gurdjieff again in his final years. Following Gurdjieff’s death, she became a senior leader at the Gurdjieff Foundation of New York and in Toronto. She was also the chief editor of the Guide and Index to Gurdjieff’s All and Everything, published in 1971. She recounted her initial impression of Gurdjieff in Orage with Gurdjieff in America: Gurdjieff’s lithe movements had put me in mind of a great cat – a lion or a puma – with coiled strength, which he could unfold at will. Indeed, as I recall what I felt in the Gurdjieff that I saw then, the dominant impression was one of force. To my eager gaze, he was all Being, a natural phenomenon, a mountain stream of energy which could flood in a torrent or bide in time as noiselessly as water in a well . . . Those great dark eyes, gleaming with intentions we could hardly guess, could make us shiver at a glance. The timid were put off by his candor, his perspicacity and, most of all, by what we used to call his ‘look.’ For some it was a loving, impartial statement, but there were others who dreaded it. All of us, whether we loved or feared him, or took turns doing both, recognized Gurdjieff as formidable. (23)

P.L. Travers was the author of the Mary Poppins series of books, the famous fictional nanny. She met Gurdjieff in 1938 in Paris and worked with him and Jane Heap for many years. She subsequently became a senior leader of the Work in London until her death in 1996. Travers was also a frequent contributor to the influential journal Parabola: Myth, Tradition, and the Search for Meaning. Her sensitive reading of Gurdjieff is revealing: He was a serene, massive man who looked at one with a long, contemplative, all-knowing glance. I felt myself in a presence. He had a certain quality that one might call mythological. Later, when I came to be his student, I always felt the same way. He was a man whom you recognized but you didn’t know what you were recognizing . . . When we were in Gurdjieff’s presence, we felt his energy infused in us. He could deliver this to anyone in the room. He had something very high and not within our ordinary comprehension. (24)

8

French journalist and photographer Henri Tracol was a senior pupil of Gurdjieff for ten years. After his death, he worked closely with Jeanne de Salzmann and served for a time as president of the Gurdjieff Institute in Paris. His first encounter with his teacher, in 1938, is recorded in The Taste For Things That Are True: I am tempted to recall his massive presence, the serene power, at once formidable and reassuring. Which emanated from his whole being – his bearing, his gestures, his manner. I can still hear his voice resounding in me, arousing echoes that are ever fresh and new. Above all, I find myself standing before him, his eyes in mine, confronting the exacting benevolence of his gaze. Exacting, yes, and at times fiery and merciless. He seemed to guess the best as well as the worst in us, and being an expert in such matters, he smiled. That smile was ironic and compassionate, but quite without indulgence. Nothing escaped him. We felt him always ready to act without pity toward the oppressors of our own selves which, without knowing it, we were. This can be truly called: love. (25)

Solange Claustres met Gurdjieff in Paris in 1940, an event which profoundly changed the arc of her life. She became one of Gurdjieff’s most dedicated students and was skilled at performing the Movements. Following his death, she became a longtime teacher of the Movements at the Gurdjieff Institute in Paris. Her poignant description of Gurdjieff (26) appears in Becoming Conscious with G.I. Gurdjieff: He had absolutely no air of ‘Master,’ ‘saintliness,’ ‘wisdom,’ or ‘one who knows.’ He did nothing that could give the impression of a ‘Master’; on the contrary he willingly confused visitors. One was either sensitive or not to what emanated from him. It was the exchanges on work on oneself that gave the measure of what he really was. I can see now his strong, solid build, his broad shoulders. A great presence and strength emanated from him, with something intangible, of extreme subtlety; his movements were supple and cat-like; he had an open face, calm and serious, with oriental features, and a tanned complexion. He had a very strong physical presence, but his behavior was quite unostentatious. He was simple, quiet, ever watchful, attentive, with a calm stillness that reminded me of a lion, or an elephant, symbolizing for me G. Gurdjieff’s qualities of unerring sureness, self-mastery and immediate presence always ready for action. (27)

René Zuber worked as a photographer and filmmaker in France during World War II. He met Gurdjieff in 1943 and studied with him as part of his Paris group. In January 1949, Zuber was appointed by Gurdjieff as his representative for France, charged with the continuation of the Work and the publication of his writings. After the death of Gurdjieff, he was instrumental in directing Jeanne de Salzmann’s archival films of the Movements. His depiction of Gurdjieff is from Who Are You, Monsieur Gurdjieff? When I knew him in 1943, he was no longer young. He had both the majesty of an old man and the agility of a fencer capable of delivering a lightning

9

thrust; no matter how unpredictable his changes of mood, however surprising his manifestations, his impressive calm never deserted him. “He looks like Bodhidharma,” Philippe Lavastine had told me before taking me to see him, “because he has the sternness of an awakener of conscience, and because of his large moustaches.” (28)

Paul Beekman Taylor was the son of Edith Taylor, whose daughter Eve was fathered by Gurdjieff. He was born in London and lived at the Prieuré as a youth and, as an adult, studied with Gurdjieff from 1948 to 1949. Academically, he was a Fulbright Scholar and professor of Medieval English Languages and Literature at the University of Geneva. He has also conducted extensive research into Gurdjieff’s life and teachings, and has written a number of important books related to Gurdjieff. In this excerpt from his Shadows of Heaven: Gurdjieff and Toomer, Taylor adopts a dispassionate, and somewhat baffled, perspective in assessing Gurdjieff and his unorthodox teaching methods: By his speech, dress, and postures, Gurdjieff seemed to do his utmost to maintain distance, as if he would encourage others to hear the teaching instead of seeing and sensing the man, and yet, when the performance grated, stung, or even soothed, one was attracted towards the spectacle of the man more often than to the sense of his message . . . Consequently, life with Gurdjieff was like being in the midst of a three-ring circus, with too many things going on at once to know where one stood or what one was to see. No wonder so many people seemed unaware of the presence of anyone else in the group except themselves and Gurdjieff, who played clown and trickster. Everything he said could be taken as a joke, an absurdity, or a profound observation in disguise; and yet all the serious pupils were stone-faced and tense in his presence. They were either afraid or unsure of themselves, whether even to laugh at Gurdjieff’s jokes; and, above all, Gurdjieff had an enormous sense of humor, an appreciation of the absurd he found and even incited all about him. As for myself, I little understood his method and faintly heard his message, but I was intrigued by both his performance and the different reactions of others to it. (29)

In November 1921, Kenneth Walker, a respected London surgeon, attended a lecture by P.D. Ouspensky, and for the next two decades studied under him. In 1922 he visited the Prieuré and met Gurdjieff. After a short stay, he returned to England to continue his studies with Ouspensky. However, over the years he became disillusioned with the ‘System’ taught by Ouspensky. After his teacher’s death, he and his wife travelled to Paris and worked with Gurdjieff. Walker was regenerated both physically and spiritually, and he and his wife were strongly affected by Gurdjieff. (30) In Venture with Ideas, he conveys the essence of Gurdjieff’s presence: All that is possible to do is to give the impressions which Gurdjieff created in me and these can be summed up in the generalization that for me he represented the outcome of the work. By this I mean that he had achieved greater consciousness, control and unity than those possessed by other men. It is true that the consciousness of another person cannot be measured objectively but the greater a man’s consciousness, the more control he is able

10

to exercise over his various functions. Everything that Gurdjieff did seemed to originate from within. When he became angry, which he sometimes did, his anger had the appearance of being deliberate and it was laid on one side as soon as it had served its purpose. The dark eyes would then regain their twinkle, the stern face would relax and the conversation would be resumed at the point at which it had been suddenly broken off. He never fumbled in his thoughts or his movements. The latter were always purposeful and made with the strictest economy of effort, like those of a cat, and his immense capacity for work was due to this ability of his never to waste energy. (31)

Dorothy Phillpotts was introduced to Gurdjieff’s teachings in 1941, when she and her husband attended a series of lectures in London given by John G. Bennett. In 1948, as part of a large group of Bennett’s students, she travelled to Paris and met Gurdjieff for the first time. Her reading of Gurdjieff was very perceptive as she quickly understood his subtle ways of working with students. (32). In Discovering Gurdjieff, she recounts her initial impression of him: The first time I saw him he was coming slowly into the room, an old man, not tall, and of ponderous nature. He smiled in greeting to a friend and an extraordinary warmth radiated from him. One could see that although physical energy might be low, there was at the same time a tremendous inner strength and control over the bodily mechanism. His head, on which he usually wore a fez, attracted and held one’s attention, as it was very finely proportioned, with a high domed forehead, and was clean-shaven. His dark eyes probed accurately, and at once, to the depth of any matter, while his long white moustache, worn Turkish fashion, adorned a face unusual in a man of his age, with its honey-coloured complexion surprisingly free of wrinkles. (33)

In 1942, Dorothy Caruso, widow of the famed tenor Enrico Caruso, met Margaret Anderson and began a long-lasting friendship with her. She was introduced to Gurdjieff in 1948. Although initially unimpressed with Gurdjieff and somewhat confused about his unconventional teaching methods, she soon developed a close relationship with him: “I felt a glow as if there had been established between us a new and special bond – a kind of unspoken sympathetic understanding.” Her impressions of Gurdjieff are captured in Anderson’s The Unknown Gurdjieff: When I saw Gurdjieff all my preconceived ideas vanished. For I saw an old man, grey with weariness and illness, yet whose strength of spirit emanated with such force from his weakened body that, save for a sense of fierce protection, I felt no deep emotion at all. I could not understand his English. His low voice and Asiatic accent formed syllables that had no meaning to me, and at the same time, I realized that at this moment ordinary speech was unimportant. It was as if we had already spoken and were continuing to speak, but in a language without sound. He sat relaxed with one foot folded under him, on a divan opposite us, slowly eating morsels of lamb and hard bits of goat cheese and fresh tarragon leaves with his fingers. His eyebrows rose

11

above his lowered lids when a murmur reached him, but he did not turn his head to look – he seemed to see without looking. At the end of the meal he began to talk. I scarcely understood a word, but I was galvanized to a zenith of attention: every expression of his face and each small movement of his body I found heartbreaking. I thought, ‘The kind of force he is using is wearing him out. Why must he go on doing it? Why do they let him?’ (34)

After John G. Bennett left the Prieuré in 1923 he studied with Ouspensky in London, eventually forming his own study groups. By the end of the Second World War, his groups had greatly expanded in numbers, and in 1948 he returned to Gurdjieff in Paris, bringing with him many of his followers. At this time, he recorded his impression of Gurdjieff after a span of twenty-five years: Madame de Salzmann and my wife returned in a few moments with Gurdjieff. I turned to see him standing on the threadbare carpet, changed even more than his surroundings. The dark, sweeping moustaches had turned white and the brilliant, mocking face had lost its firm outline. He was old and sad; but his skin was smooth and he held himself as erect as ever. I felt a sudden warmth towards him, very different from the youthful awe and the timidity with which I had approached him at the Prieuré. He wore a red fez. His open shirt and untidy trousers were more in keeping with his whole appearance than the smart French suits he wore in 1923. He moved, as always, with a grace and an economy of gesture that were in themselves enough to induce in those near him a sense of relaxation and well-being. Madame de Salzmann introduced me, saying that he would remember me from the Prieuré. He said, “No, I not remember.” He looked at me for e few moments in silence and added: “You are Number Eighteen. Not big Number Eighteen but small Number Eighteen.” I had no idea what he meant, but his manner made me feel happy and at home. He might not remember me, but I was satisfied that he had accepted me. It was twenty-five years to a month since I had left the Prieuré, but seeing him, time disappeared and it was as if I had never left him. (35)

William Welch was an American medical doctor who was introduced into the Work by his future wife Louise. He first met Gurdjieff in New York in 1934, and for many years he was his personal physician when he visited America. He became president of the Gurdjieff Foundation of New York following the death of John Pentland in 1984, while continuing to lead groups in New York City and Canada. His memoir, What Happened in Between, includes an account of his experience as a pupil of Gurdjieff: I recall Gurdjieff sitting, one leg tucked under him, on a small sofa at the head of his table. He was an old man, hardly a year from his death, benevolent and patriarchal, magnetic as ever but no longer the fierce and challenging dancing master of his earlier years. His white, long-horn moustaches curled up at the ends, his swarthy skin, his chin on his chest as he watched the crowded table from large, upturned dark eyes that appeared to be looking inward as well as outward – these details remain indelibly fixed in my memory . . . He was a master cook in the preparation of his native dishes and an exacting autocrat over his kitchen. The smaller the kitchen, the more he reveled in it, and the 12

more elaborate the meals he planned. Yet he never lived grandly, indeed, he seemed almost perversely intent on surroundings of the simplest character. (36)

Even in death, Gurdjieff radiated a strange power and presence. In Idiots in Paris, Elizabeth Bennett, wife of John G. Bennett, paints a compelling portrait of Gurdjieff resting in state: I was overwhelmed by the force that came from him. One could not be near his body without feeling unmistakably his power. He looked magnificent; composed, content, intentional, for want of a better word. Not simply a body placed by someone else. He was undisguised, nothing was concealed from us. Everything belonging to him, his inner and outer life and all the circumstances and results of it, were there to be seen, if one could see. What force there was in him then! I have never seen anything in any way like it. This, I think, was what I had dreaded: I could not bear to see him with the force gone from him. Yet in fact I saw his power for the first time unobscured. (37)

Dr. Welch was at Gurdjieff’s bedside at his death in 1949. Following his passing, he remarked that “he died peacefully, all the stresses and lines of a sick man were gone from his face, and he was as composed as he was in life. I have seen many men die. He died like a king.” (38) Commentary

The above recollections and impressions of Gurdjieff by his students cover a span of forty-five years, from the early Russian years to the Institute at the Prieuré in France, to his apartments in Paris during and after the War. Clearly, each observer’s perspective was subjective, seen through their own eyes and coloured by their personal history and level of inner development. Henri Tracol concurs: The image of the same man is inevitably different from everyone who comes into contact with him, and since the image is necessarily created by the beholder it is subject to change and fluctuates according to the beholder’s idiosyncrasies. It would be fruitless, therefore, from various personal reminiscences, subjective and fragmentary as they are, to attempt to reconstruct what could only be the robot-portrait of a ghost. (39)

However, there is a certain degree of consistency across time and place in their accounts, which supports biographer Roger Lipsey’s contention of an emerging “mosaic” of Gurdjieff, reflecting two complementary poles (“presence and stillness” vs. “intense theatre”) guiding his motivations and behaviours. This echoes his famous adage “Every stick has two ends.” John G. Bennett has suggested that a further factor may be at play explaining Gurdjieff’s actions and subsequent effects on his students – his mission to introduce the ancient Fourth Way path of spiritual development to the West: 13

Scores of personal accounts of the impression made by Gurdjieff on those who worked with him for many years, or even met him only casually, have appeared in books and periodicals. Each is necessarily subjective, for Gurdjieff was an enigma presenting a different face to every person and to every occasion. The principal reason why personal impressions have so little value is that Gurdjieff was from start to finish a seeker experimenting with different ways of living and behaving and with different means for accomplishing his life’s work . . . He had devoted the first half of his life to this greatest of undertakings, and in the second he set himself to share with others the conclusions he had reached. In this way he was not wholly successful because nearly all who met him were obsessed with their personal problems and needs and insisted upon looking at him as ‘their’ teacher. He had immense compassion and gave himself freely . . . The impression he made upon people was usually needlessly distorted by the way of life he had deliberately set himself, of arousing hostility by ‘treading heavily on the most sensitive corn of everyone he met.’ (40)

Gurdjieff clearly radiated a force which the Sufis call ‘baraka,’ or spiritual power. This inner power was the propelling source of the outer behaviour and actions which were patently visible to his students. Only the most highly developed of his pupils (such as Jeanne de Salzmann) were able to perceive this true spiritual core. (41) René Zuber also seems to have sensed the great depth of Gurdjieff’s being: “He seemed to be filled with an experience – almost incommunicable – which would set him at an unbearable distance from the common run of mortals.” (42) It is impossible to place Gurdjieff in any conventional psychological typology – he defies categories, and even poetic strokes of the pen. Some have spoken of an “otherworldly” sense to his being, which transcends the earthly existence of ordinary mortals. One of his French students from the 1940s, Francois Grunwald, perhaps speaks for many of Gurdjieff’s direct students as he eloquently captures this quality in a recollection of his teacher: My ineradicable impression is that Mr. Gurdjieff was made of another clay than the rest of us. I felt him as come from another planet to convey something that our earth-bound intelligence cannot easily encompass. And above all to share the immense force which emanated from him until he left us – a force, yes, which people whom he met received in very different ways, as they could. Certain people saw in him a luminous angel, others the devil in person, an accomplished rogue, an altruistic saint. I, Francois Grunwald, constantly felt a goodness, a generous source of inner energy free of all sentimentality. (43)

Ultimately, each student’s impression of Gurdjieff is secondary in comparison to the crucial effect he had on their spiritual development. William Welch writes: “Somehow Gurdjieff managed to touch each one in a deeply personal way, while remaining himself

14

impersonal yet concerned, remote and curiously just. It seemed to correspond with each one’s sense of aspiration and at the same time with the recognition of one’s own nothingness on the scale of eternity.” (44) Dorothy Caruso shares her own experience of confronting her ‘automatism’ and awakening to her essential nature under Gurdjieff’s wise guidance: I began to see myself as I really was – a mass of old habits, of silly gestures and foolish words; merely a repetition of everything I had seen or heard. I learned about justice, compassion, mercy. I learned about ‘objective love.’ I learned that the more you hold in of yourself, the more powerfully you give out. Gurdjieff was an idea in the form of a man. The inner part of him, the idea, he allowed no one to see. He never, by word, gesture or expression gave any of his essential being away. That was his secret, his spiritual mystery. But it was a mystery only because he did not choose) to let us know. Otherwise he would not have been a conscious man. (45) NOTES

(1) Tobias Churton Deconstructing Gurdjieff (Rochester, Vermont: Inner Traditions, 2017), p. xiii. (2) Tobias Churton Deconstructing Gurdjieff (Rochester, Vermont: Inner Traditions, 2017), p. xx. (3) Roger Lipsey Gurdjieff Reconsidered: The Life, the Teachings, the Legacy (Boulder: Shambhala, 2019), p. 24. (4) Roger Lipsey Gurdjieff Reconsidered: The Life, the Teachings, the Legacy (Boulder: Shambhala, 2019), pp. 2-4. (5) J.G. Bennett Gurdjieff: A Very Great Enigma (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1973), p. 1. (6) Wim van Dullemen The Gurdjieff Movements (Chino Valley, Arizona: Hohm Press, 2018), p. 3. (7) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), pp. 7-8. (8) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), pp. 33-34. (9) John G. Bennett Witness: The Autobiography of John G. Bennett (Tucson: Omen Press, 1974, p. 158. (10) Thomas and Olga de Hartmann Our Life with Mr. Gurdjieff (London: Arkana, 1992), p. xxiv. 15

(11) Thomas and Olga de Hartmann Our Life with Mr. Gurdjieff (London: Arkana, 1992), pp. 7-8. (12) Thomas and Olga de Hartmann Our Life with Mr. Gurdjieff (London: Arkana, 1992), pp. 11-12. (13) Maxine Fawcett-Yeske and Bruce Brooks Pfeiffer The Life of Olgivanna Lloyd Wright (United States: ORO Editions, 2017), p. 11. (14) Maxine Fawcett-Yeske and Bruce Brooks Pfeiffer The Life of Olgivanna Lloyd Wright (United States: ORO Editions, 2017), p. 34. (15) Jeanne de Salzmann The Reality of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), p. 1. (16) John G. Bennett Witness: The Autobiography of John G. Bennett (Tucson: Omen Press, 1974), p. 55. (17) Margaret Anderson The Unknowable Gurdjieff (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1973), p. 2. (18) Margaret Anderson The Unknowable Gurdjieff (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1973), pp. 77-78. (19) C.S. Nott Journey Through This World (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1974), p. 110. (20) C.S. Nott Teachings of Gurdjieff (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1962), p. 20. (21) William Patrick Patterson Ladies of the Rope (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 1999), p. 43. (22) Margaret Anderson The Unknowable Gurdjieff (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1973), pp. 28-29. (23) Louise Welch Orage with Gurdjieff in America (Boston: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1982), p. 83. (24) Roger Lipsey “Gurdjieff Observed” in Jacob Needleman and George Baker (eds.) Gurdjieff: Essays and Reflections on the Man and His Teaching (New York: Continuum Publishing, 1996), p. 329. (25) Henri Tracol The Taste For Things That Are True (Rockport, Massachusetts: Element Books, 1994), p. 108. (26) Solange Claustres pays homage to her teacher, whom she perceived was gifted with

16

special qualities and abilities of a spiritual nature: “One would have to have been in George Gurdjieff’s presence to be able to fully understand his great knowledge, his deep understanding, his benevolence, his love of others, his simplicity. His strictness as a teacher enabled us to think, wake up and become fully developed. His behavior in any situation was in the present moment without weakness, without error, and above all without judgment.” In Becoming Conscious with G.I. Gurdjieff (Utrecht, Netherlands, 2009), pp. 17-18) she writes: He alone gave me a deep feeling of security and trust, which no one else gave me. Through his quality of listening, I could be myself, and express myself. He summoned up and aroused my abilities, put them to the test, making me conscious of them, and enabling me to trust them; which is what I most needed. He both confirmed and guided my searching, my feelings and my intuition. My life took on a more precise meaning in a path that I was already following but only groping around in the fog, reading everything, questioning, wanting to know and understand everything. This relationship did not involve any sentimentality or mysticism. I never felt him to be in any way manipulative, dogmatic, paternalistic or egotistic. He was a good, strict teacher, never unjust, whose ever wakeful attention never missed anything that was happening.

(27) Solange Claustres Becoming Conscious with G.I. Gurdjieff (Utrecht, Netherlands, 2009), pp. 23-24. (28) René Zuber Who Are You, Monsieur Gurdjieff? (London: Arkana, 1990), p. 3. (29) Paul Beekman Taylor Shadows of Heaven: Gurdjieff and Toomer (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1998), p. 182. (30) In Kenneth Walker’s The Making of Man (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1963, pp. 122-123) he recounts an interesting conversation with his wife in which they compare their impressions of Gurdjieff: “What did you think of Mr. Gurdjieff?” There was a long pause. “He’s the most astonishing man I’ve ever met. The chief impression he gave me was an impression of immense vigour and of concentrated strength. I had the feeling that he was not really a man but a magician.” I agree,” I answered, “But behind all that strength and apparent ruthlessness, I saw something else. If need be, he could probably be brutal and ruthless, but only in the way that a surgeon is ruthless when he has the job of removing a tumor. I caught a glimpse of a man with an immense compassion for all mankind. There is a gentleness, patience and compassion there, as well as a great strength. There is also plenty of mirth and laughter. But the word that came to my mind first, was the word ‘compassion.’ He made me think of the Buddha as he sat cross-legged on the divan.” “I think you are probably right,” my wife answered, “but he is a man who has to be treated with great care. Sitting near him is like sitting near to a Power House. He radiates strength and I think he could do almost anything with one that he wanted to do.”

17

(31) Kenneth Walker Venture With Ideas (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1972), p. 153.

(32) G.J. Blom Gurdjieff: Harmonic Development (Netherlands: Basta AudioVisuals, 2005), p. 60. Later I discovered that Gurdjieff’s presence could be stern as well as mild. In the face of human suffering, whether physical or mental, his compassion and pity were bottomless, and he would overtire himself to help those who needed him – but with pretense and charlatanism he would deal ruthlessly and uncompromisingly. Occasionally he would use violent expressions to shake people out of their egoism, and this, coupled with his prodigious sense of humour, sometimes led those who met him on few occasions only to form a completely inaccurate picture of his character. Such people might take the wildest jokes and descriptions quite literally, forgetting the value of parables, and misunderstanding practically everything said, they would then go away and misinterpret the whole teaching. To this Gurdjieff was quite indifferent – he even said that the people who helped him most were his best enemies.

(33) Dorothy Phillpotts Discovering Gurdjieff (United Kingdom: AuthorHouse, 2008), p. xv. (34) Margaret Anderson The Unknowable Gurdjieff (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1973), pp. 177-178. (35) John G. Bennett Witness: The Autobiography of John G. Bennett (Tucson: Omen Press, 1974), pp. 237-238. (36) William Welch What Happened in Between (New York: George Braziller, 1972), pp. 121-122. (37) John G. Bennett and Elizabeth Bennett Idiots in Paris (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1991), p. 134. (38) John G. Bennett and Elizabeth Bennett Idiots in Paris (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1991), p. 134. (39) Henri Tracol The Taste For Things That Are True (Rockport, Massachusetts: Element Books, 1994), p. 108. (40) J.G. Bennett Gurdjieff: Making a New World (New York: Harper & Row, 1973), pp. 2-3. (41) Several decades after Gurdjieff’s passing, Jeanne de Salzmann gave testament to her

18

deep level of spiritual awakening when she expressed these profound sentiments in a letter to senior Gurdjieff teachers and pupils in New York: I wish to tell you this: Once more I recognize the truth I experienced in front of Mr. Gurdjieff’s body, and which has become a certitude. There is no death. Life cannot die. The coating uses us, the form disintegrates, but life is – is always there – even if for us it is the unknown.

Ravi Ravindra, a student of de Salzmann, also records an intriguing statement she made near the end of her life regarding Gurdjieff’s death in Heart Without Measure (Halifax: Shaila Press, 1999), p. 145: Madame de Salzmann was in the New York Foundation on the occasion of the January 13th celebration [Gurdjieff’s birthday]. Somewhat unexpectedly, she spoke about Gurdjieff’s death. She said, “He called me and said, ‘You stay here and watch me go out.’ Then his second body left his first body. It was something wonderful; the force was very great. We can develop the second body by working.”

(42) René Zuber Who Are You, Monsieur Gurdjieff? (London: Arkana, 1990), p. 3. (43) Roger Lipsey Gurdjieff Reconsidered: The Life, the Teachings, the Legacy (Boulder: Shambhala, 2019), pp. 196-197. (44) William Welch What Happened in Between (New York: George Braziller, 1972), p. 124. (45) Margaret Anderson The Unknowable Gurdjieff (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1973), p. 199.

19

THE INNER CIRCLE OF HUMANITY1

The source of Gurdjieff's teachings has never been conclusively established by either scholars or students of Gurdjieff. However, some have speculated that he contacted and learned from esoteric schools that were custodians of ancient spiritual teachings on the evolution of humanity. The term ‘esoteric’ is widely misunderstood, reflecting the Sufi aphorism: ‘The secret protects itself.’ Author Max Gorman provides a useful definition of this elusive concept: ‘Esoteric’ means ‘inner.’ It comes from the Greek word ‘esoteros.’ From the developmental point of view, ‘inner’ means guidance, work, and growth related to inner perception. Inner also means hidden, not necessarily deliberately, but because of its very nature – being accessible only to the inner faculties, and, by virtue of such nature, out of sight of and thus inaccessible to, outer or exoteric perception. ‘Exoteric’ is derived from the Greek ‘exoteros’ meaning ‘outer’ and ‘exos,’ ‘out.’ Something esoteric is thus beyond the perception of the outer, veiled to its view, and in this sense, ‘secret.’ (1)

Gurdjieff spoke in general terms about esoteric schools directed by a circle of evolved human beings who have guided the spiritual development of humanity throughout history: The supposition that such people have existed in the past, and that they decisively influenced human life in ways that ordinary people cannot understand, is the hypothesis that an ‘Inner Circle’ of humanity existed in the past . . . This tradition is common to most Sufi teachings and it was affirmed by Gurdjieff himself. He associates it with the idea of esoteric schools. He defined ‘schools’ as organizations that exist for the purpose of transmitting to the ‘Outer Circle’ – that is, ordinary people – the knowledge and powers that originate in the ‘Inner Circle.’ (2)

Gurdjieff's only explicit reference to an Inner Circle is his description of the ‘Sarmoung Brotherhood’ in Meetings with Remarkable Men. (3) Ostensibly located in Central Asia, the actual existence of the Sarmoung has been questioned by students and biographers of Gurdjieff and many regard his account as allegorical. (4) Nevertheless, it is a widely held belief among his students that Gurdjieff did make contact with and learned from some sort of esoteric school connected with the Inner Circle of Humanity.

1

Updated 2017/08/14

1

Esoteric Knowledge and Schools

According to esoteric tradition, a body of ancient knowledge of human spiritual development has existed since time immemorial, and has been transmitted through a chain of succession from initiate to initiate. (5) The guardians and custodians of these ancient secret teachings hold that there are eternal universal truths which are the foundation of all religious and spiritual traditions. This trans-dimensional knowledge has been described as the “inner kernel or essence of spirituality,” “the science of human evolution and transformation” and the “river of knowledge from beyond the stars.” The source of this timeless esoteric tradition of mystical knowledge is mysterious and unknown. It is said to have ancient prehistoric roots originating from the most remote antiquity. Some of the historical manifestations of this ancient stream of transcendental wisdom have been provisionally identified by scholars and esotericists:

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

Egyptian and Chaldean masters (Hermes and Zoroaster) Hindu Vedas and Upanishads Indigenous shamanic traditions Old Testament prophets (Abraham, Moses, Solomon, Noah, Elias and John the Baptist) Jewish mysticism and the Kabbalah Greek philosophers (Pythagoras, Socrates, Plato, Hippocrates, Aristotle) Taoism (Lao-Tzu, Chuang-Tzu) Gautama Buddha and his School Jesus Christ, Essenes, Gnostics Mohammed the Prophet, Sufi saints (Rumi, ibn el-Arabi, El-Ghazali) Medieval alchemists (Avicenna, Roger Bacon, Raymond Lully) Christian mystics (St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Augustine, St. John of the Cross, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Teresa of Avila) Masonic and Rosicrucian teachings

Although the outer form or external shape of each historical manifestation of the perennial teaching is different, the inner essence is the same: “All authentic expressions of human spiritual aspiration may be seen as having a single source, and that the differ-ences are in appearances only, imposed by cultural and local conditions.” (6) From this viewpoint the three great monotheistic traditions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, are all manifestations of the same primal religious impulse and the Torah, New Testament and Koran expressions of the same universal spiritual truths. Gurdjieff taught his students that this body of wisdom or ‘Great Knowledge’ has been continuous and present throughout history, but has been frequently reformulated so as to be suitable for each time, each place and each community:

2

Great Knowledge, which has existed from the most ancient times, has never been lost, and knowledge is always the same. Only the form in which this knowledge was expressed and transmitted changed, depending on the place and the epoch . . . The form in which the Great Knowledge is expressed is barely comprehensible to subsequent generations and is mostly taken literally. In this way, the inner content becomes lost for most people. In the history of mankind, we see two parallel and independent lines of civilization: the esoteric and the exoteric. Invariably one of them overpowers the other and develops while the other fades. A period of esoteric civilization comes when there are favorable external conditions, political and otherwise. Then Knowledge, clothed in the form of a Teaching corresponding to the conditions of time and place, becomes widely spread. (7)

A number of important features of the Great Knowledge have been identified by scholars and researchers:

•

It is a science or body of esoteric knowledge based on a number of immutable spiritual laws.

•

It has been preserved and transmitted throughout history by a continuous stream of altruistic guardians chosen for their capacity, spiritual development and purity of intention.

•

It is an organic whole with its own postulates, procedures and schemata. It is organized and prescribed to ensure the most positive spiritual influence on those receptive to the teaching.

•

Its correct application to the needs of humanity is based on conscious design, which provides the methods and instruments that are effective in a given circumstance, following the dictum ‘knowledge of the end creates the means.’

•

Its manner of transmission must ensure its proper reception and comprehension with a minimum of distortion and corruption.

•

It is transmitted by teachers who have completed the journey of spiritual selfrealization and who are able to guide others along a similar path.

•

It may be formulated in a manner devoid of any apparent spiritual content or appearance, effectively concealing its true nature from the uninitiated.

When asked why the Great Knowledge was not disseminated to as many people as possible, Gurdjieff replied that it is a misconception that higher knowledge is deliberately hidden or made inaccessible to those capable of assimilating it:

3

No one is concealing anything; there is no mystery whatever. But the acquisition or transmission of true knowledge demands great labor and great effort both of him who receives and of him who gives. And those who possess this knowledge are doing everything they can to transmit and communicate it to the greatest possible number of people, to facilitate people’s approach to it and enable them to prepare themselves to receive the truth. But knowledge cannot be given by force to anyone. (8)

One of Gurdjieff’s most controversial ideas was that knowledge has properties similar to a material substance. Knowledge, he claimed, can exist in different strengths and solutions, from the very weak to the very strong. It can be collected, preserved and shared. At certain times it may be plentiful, and at other times scarce. Gurdjieff believed that although efforts are made to disseminate esoteric knowledge as broadly as possible, it is more desirable to limit rather than expand the number of people having access to it. Although this approach would seemingly deny knowledge to some so that others can receive a greater share, Gurdjieff was steadfast in his defense of this principle: “There is nothing unjust in this, because those who receive knowledge take nothing that belongs to others, deprive others of nothing; they take only what others have rejected as useless, and what would in any case be lost if they did not take it.” (9) Gurdjieff believed that higher knowledge cannot become common property because the vast majority of people either ignore it, reject it or are unable to receive it properly. Therefore, knowledge of humanity’s developmental possibilities is entrusted to initiates who have the wisdom to collect, preserve and transmit the knowledge at appropriate times in human history. The means by which higher knowledge is transmitted are complex and multi-faceted. Historical examples include the Mysteries of ancient Egypt and Greece, the philosophical schools of Plato and Socrates, and traditional religious teachings. Other means include myths, legends, teaching stories, literature, rituals and ceremonies. Various forms of sacred art have also been employed, among them dance, music, poetry, sculpture, drama and architecture. In most cases, the vehicles that transmit higher knowledge are consciously designed products of esoteric schools. These schools transmit spiritual knowledge according to a precise plan “to a very limited number of people simultaneously [through] the observance of a whole series of definite conditions, without which knowledge cannot be transmitted correctly.” (10) According to Jeanne de Salzmann, a senior student of Gurdjieff, esoteric schools create the conditions for the development of consciousness and being. The knowledge embedded in these schools is “a science that shows what we are and our potential capacity, what needs to be developed. It is a real understanding of the energies in us, of their relation in ourselves and with everything around us.” (11):

4

Esoteric knowledge is the science of man’s relation with God and the universe. Its transmission requires an engagement with others – so-called “schools” – because a certain energy can only be produced in conditions where people work together. Schools may differ in their knowledge and their approach – their way – but they have the same aim in common: to see reality. The knowledge is passed on theoretically and through direct experience, that is, by living a drama which follows the particular way of the school. This creates a relation, the link without which it would not be possible to live in two worlds of different levels at the same time. (12)

The knowledge taught in esoteric schools is transformative in nature and derived from contact with higher levels of spiritual reality. P.D. Ouspensky believed that an esoteric school could exist on a level beyond the physical dimension: “Sometimes it seemed to me that true schools could only exist on another plane and that we could approach them only when in special states of consciousness.” (13) Max Gorman writes: Esoteric knowledge can be regarded as of two kinds. Firstly, there is the higher or inner cosmic knowledge possessed by those beings who have reached the deepest levels of consciousness possible to mankind. These people are the inner or esoteric Circle of Humanity. They will obviously possess knowledge of the inner nature and destiny of the Universe related to, and necessary for, their special role in it, and which is an attribute of their level of being. It will be knowledge of the Design and the Direction of the universe, its Purpose and the path to that Purpose . . . Clearly knowledge of such a kind, of the means of raising man’s very being beyond its normal level, can only itself originate from a higher level, from which it is sent down like a ladder for ordinary humanity to recognize, grasp and mount. It should be obvious that such help from a higher level of intelligence and surveillance is essential to the inner evolution of mankind. It is expressed in the creation, maintenance and direction of esoteric or evolutionary schools. And this kind of direction can only be given by those who are conscious of the wide and deep cosmic content of the activity. There must be an organic connection and continuum between inner cosmic knowledge and the work of schools. For the Universe is One. (14)

Rodney Collin, a student of P.D. Ouspensky, studied the history of esoteric schools and identified some of their salient characteristics:

•

The primary purpose of these schools is the regeneration of individual human beings through increased consciousness and purification of being. The secondary purpose is to spread objective understanding of cosmological laws and human spiritual possibilities throughout humanity.

•

Esoteric schools may be hidden or openly visible according to the conditions of ‘time, place and people’: “At most favourable times . . . though the inner school will still be hidden and concentrated, its preparatory schools and its external work

5

or effect may reach large proportions and even fundamentally affect the course of visible history.” (15)

•

The inner workings of these schools are largely invisible to ordinary humanity and cannot be readily ascertained by ordinary means of investigation: “What true schools are like, how they are organized, what are their rules and methods, how suitable pupils or raw material are drawn out of the general run of life, we do not know. Evidently one of their chief requirements is secrecy and anonymity.” (16)

•

Schools may engage in some external expression of their work such as the construction of temples or churches, the writing of spiritual literature or poetry, the composition of sacred music and even scientific research. (17)

•

Schools may transmit their knowledge in encoded ways through enciphered language or the symbolism of special sculptures or buildings.

•

The activities of schools follow a pattern in harmony with cosmic planetary cycles. When these influences are favourable the work of inner regeneration and outer expression in the world proceed more productively.

•

Often esoteric schools disseminate their knowledge to the outside world through individuals who are sympathetic to and influenced by a school’s inner circle, but who are outsiders to the school, like some professional scientists or writers.

•

When the work of an esoteric school is finished traces of its existence may remain. An imitation or counterfeit school may then form around the vestiges of a formerly vibrant school. (18)

The Inner Circle of Humanity

According to tradition, the responsibility for the evolution of human consciousness lies with an ‘inner circle of humanity’ who provide developmental influences to the ‘outer circle’ of ordinary, undeveloped humanity. In the words of Gurdjieff: “the life of humanity to which we belong is governed more than we know by influences proceeding from the inner circle of humanity whose existence and significance the vast majority of people do not suspect.” (19) The belief that a body of ancient esoteric wisdom is secretly being guarded and transmitted by an Inner Circle of highly evolved human beings can be traced throughout the course of human history: Tradition asserts that for thousands of years there has been an “Inner Circle of Humanity” capable of thinking in terms of millennia and possessing knowledge and powers of a high order. Its members intervene 6

from time to time in human affairs. They do this, not as leaders or teachers of mankind, but unobtrusively by introducing certain ideas and techniques . . . This inner circle, it is claimed, concentrates its activities in those areas and at those times when the situation is critical for mankind. (20)

Some scholars have speculated that the founders of many of the world’s major religions, such as Zoroaster, Moses, Jesus and Mohammed, made contact with esoteric schools and teachers connected with the inner circle of humanity. In a similar vein, Gurdjieff spoke of ‘messengers from above’ who were sent to perform specific spiritual tasks for a given community at a given time: Gurdjieff’s Beelzebub’s Tales gives a special place to a number of holy figures, saints, prophets and messengers – all of whom have been sent with a particular teaching for their own specific context. Similar to an Islamic view, the prophets of Judaism and Christianity are recognized as authentic messengers or prophets sent with revelations from the same divine source, each to their own communities. Moreover, the Qur’an recognizes the books of Judaism, the Torah and Psalms, the books of Christianity and the Gospels, at least in their initial creation, as authentic teachings brought by genuine messengers. (21)

John G. Bennett has proposed a “strong” and “weak” version of the hypothesis of an Inner Circle of Humanity possessing knowledge and powers far beyond the level of ordinary humans. While the “strong” view posits a hierarchy of all-powerful superhumans guiding the evolutionary development of humanity, the “weak” view is much more modest, “ranging from simple confidence that there are good and wise people who are working in some kind of concert for the welfare of mankind, to belief in a traditional teaching transmitted by people who have attained a higher level of being by their own effort, and who use their knowledge and powers to the extent that world conditions permit.” (22) Gurdjieff hinted at the power of this influence in a talk to his Russian students: “Two hundred conscious people, if they existed and if they found it necessary and legitimate, could change the whole of life on the earth.” (23) In discussing the structure of the Inner Circle, Gurdjieff divided humanity into groups of progressively more spiritually developed human beings, which have been represented graphically as concentric circles emanating from a core. The outer circle represents ordinary humans, described as the region of the ‘confusion of tongues’ or lack of understanding. The inner three (exoteric, mesoteric, esoteric) constitute three levels of spiritually developed human beings. There are four gates on the circumference of the exoteric circle through which those from the outer, undeveloped circle could pass to enter the inner circles. The four gates correspond to the traditional ways of the fakir (body), monk (emotions), yogi (mind) and the fourth way (balanced development).

7

Gurdjieff provided a very precise description of the innermost or esoteric circle: This circle consists of people who have attained the highest development possible for man, each one of whom possesses individuality in the fullest degree, that is to say, an indivisible ‘I,’ all forms of consciousness possible for man, full control over these states of consciousness, the whole of knowledge possible for man, and a free and independent will. They cannot perform actions opposed to their understanding or have an understanding which is not expressed by their actions. At the same time there can be no discord among them, no differences of understanding. Therefore, their activity is entirely coordinated and leads to one common aim without any kind of compulsion because it is based upon a common and identical understanding. (24)

The two adjacent circles represent successively lower levels of spiritual development relative to the esoteric circle. Members of the mesoteric, or middle, circle possess qualities and understanding similar to members of the esoteric circle, but their spiritual knowledge is of a more theoretical nature, and is not completely expressed in their actions. Those belonging to the exoteric or outer circle have spiritual knowledge which is still more abstract and philosophical than the previous circle. The three circles of developed humanity are responsible for the creation of esoteric schools and the transmission of higher influences into the world. Gurdjieff described how these higher influences are distinct from ordinary influences on human life: The first kind are influences created in life itself or by life itself. Influences of race, nation, country, climate, family, education, society, profession, manners and customs, wealth, poverty, current ideas, and so on. The second kind are influences created outside this life, influences of the inner circle, or esoteric influences – influences, that is, created under different laws, although also on the earth. These influences differ from the former, first of all in being conscious in their origin. This means that they have been created consciously by conscious men for a definite purpose. Influences of this kind are usually embodied in the form of religious systems and teachings, philosophical doctrines, works of art, and so on. (25)

Although influences emanating from the inner circle are conscious in origin, many begin to act mechanically and randomly when they enter the realm of everyday life. However, certain conscious influences retain the power to lead receptive individuals to the realization of the existence of a guiding spiritual element. The ability to discriminate these conscious influences from mundane ones leads to the formation in a human being of what Gurdjieff called a ‘magnetic center.’ Allowed to develop sufficiently, a person’s magnetic center will influence them to change their spiritual path or orientation and seek out further esoteric knowledge.

8

The search begins with finding a spiritual teacher who is in direct contact with the Inner Circle of Humanity. Gurdjieff described this critical step as the ‘first threshold’ and the beginning of the ‘stairway.’ As the seeker ascends the stairway with the help of a guide, he or she eventually reaches the ‘way’ or path of higher development. Gurdjieff stressed that a teacher is necessary to guide the aspirant during the initial preparatory stages of spiritual development. Once the seeker has completely ascended the ‘stairway,’ he or she is capable of completing the spiritual journey alone and of entering the ranks of the Inner Circle. But, there are many challenges and obstacles that must be overcome in climbing the stairway and the aid of a teacher is essential. Gurdjieff precisely delineated the stages of spiritual development: ‘life’ – ‘conscious influences’ – ‘magnetic center’ – ‘stairway and teacher’ – ‘way’ – ‘inner circle of humanity’ – ‘Spirit.’ These seven stages constitute a map describing the sequence of development and the work that is required at each stage. Some have speculated that this model was passed on to Gurdjieff, in part or in whole, by his teachers or contacts in the Inner Circle.

The Fourth Way

Gurdjieff called the esoteric teaching that he brought to the West ‘the Fourth Way.’ He distinguished the Fourth Way from the three traditional paths of spiritual development, which he termed the ways of the fakir, the monk and the yogi. The fakir is concerned with mastery of the body, the monk mastery of the emotions and the yogi mastery of the mind. Each way has its own theories, techniques and approaches to spiritual development: “In the Way of the Fakir by conquering physical suffering, in the way of the Monk by creating religious emotion, and in the way of the Yogi by acquiring knowledge and working on consciousness.” (26) The Fourth Way, however, is qualitatively different, in its comprehensive approach and its rejection of superfluous elements that are based on tradition and imitation. (27) Gurdjieff sometimes referred to the Fourth Way as the ‘Way of the Sly Man.’ The sly or cunning spiritual seeker has obtained a certain knowledge or learned a secret which speeds up work on the way. The Fourth way is said to have ancient roots: In fact, the Fourth Way emerged from the mists of pre-history in the ancient civilizations of Egypt and India and has been known in the East by many other names, such as the ‘Way of Understanding’ and the ‘Way of the Householder.’ It has no single founder nor any traditional date nor place of origin. For millennia, in one form or another, it has provided the path to a spiritual enlightenment without the need to renounce the world – quite the contrary, for it insists that a normal life in the world, entailing the whole gamut of experience and challenge, is for many people the best and most fertile ground from which such an enlightenment, or ‘Self-realization,’ can spring most naturally and easily. (28) 9

The Fourth Way differs qualitatively from traditional spiritual paths, as it calls for conscious work rather than blind obedience. “The Fourth Way is to be lived, experienced, not simply thought or believed. The ideas brought by Gurdjieff contain knowledge from a higher level that we must live in order to understand.” (29) Jeanne de Salzmann: The Fourth Way is a way of understanding. The magnetic center which leads one to a group following the Fourth Way is different from that which leads toward a monastery, a school of yoga or an ashram. This way demands another kind of initiative. It demands a broad mind and discernment, that is, the ability to distinguish the mechanical from the conscious in oneself. It requires the awakening of another intelligence. What can be attained does not depend on obedience. The knowledge that results is proportional to the state of awakening, of understanding. The Fourth Way begins from the idea of different levels of being. But what is being? The level of being is determined by what enters into one’s Presence at a given moment, that is, the number of centers which participate and the conscious relation between them. The level of being determines everything in our lives, including our understanding. My being today is not unified. It is dispersed, and therefore without consciousness. Can being change? Can my being become different from what it is today? This is where the idea of evolution, of work, begins. The first step is to recognize that through a certain effort I can live a moment of more complete Presence. Then I will see that the slightest difference in the level of being opens new possibilities to know and to act . . . The demand to live the teaching implies respect for forms that have been given, but without being afraid to modify them when the need is indicated by sound understanding. It also calls for a certain attitude toward traditional teachings. We should not allow false complacency to close our minds to other ways. Indeed, we can find many principles and practices in common. But comparison can be useful, only after we have understood the way that has been transmitted to us. We have to guard against judging with our mind before we have allowed our intuition, which is at the heart of the experience, to bring us knowledge. Studying general themes is one thing, but following steps on another way is very different, especially experimenting with practices of other teachings. (30)

The Fourth Way is based on a number of important principles (31):

•

The Fourth Way seeks a balanced and harmonious development of the body, emotions and intellect. Unlike the traditional ways which focus on the mastery of one function at a time, the Fourth Way aims at acquiring parallel control of the bodily, emotional and intellectual functions.

•

Each of the three traditional ways makes an artificial division between spiritual life and secular life, whereas the Fourth Way integrates the two in the process of spiritual development. The seeker does not avoid or withdraw from life, but strives instead to ‘be in the world but not of it’: “On the fourth way it is possible to 10

work and to follow this way while remaining in the usual conditions of life, continuing to do the usual work, preserving former relations with people, and without renouncing or giving up anything.” (32)

•

The Fourth Way has the fundamental requirement that all spiritual work must be grounded in understanding rather than pure faith: A man must do nothing that he does not understand, except as an experiment under the supervision and direction of his teacher. The more a man understands what he is doing, the greater will be the results of his efforts. The results of work are in proportion to the consciousness of the work. No ‘faith’ is required on the fourth way; on the contrary a man must satisfy himself of the truth of what he is told. (33)

•

The methods of work in the Fourth Way are individualized and tailored to the specific needs, abilities and potential of each student. The Fourth Way concentrates on what is essential for each individual student’s spiritual development and eliminates anything that lacks meaning or relevance for the student.

•

An essential condition of the Fourth Way is that students, in order to progress or ‘ascend the stairway,’ are required to help others reach the same level of development as themselves: On the fourth way there is not one teacher. Whoever is the elder, he is the teacher. And as the teacher is indispensable to the pupil, so also is the pupil indispensable to the teacher . . . No one can ascend onto a higher step until he places another man in his own place. What a man has received he must immediately give back; only then can he receive more. (34)

•

The purpose of a Fourth Way school is “the transmission to prepared people of knowledge emanating from higher mind. Such a school requires work along three lines – work on oneself, work with and for other people in the group, and work for the school as a whole in its relations with the people of the world around.” (35)

•

The three traditional paths are tied to permanent and recognizable forms which have existed almost without change for countless centuries. The Fourth Way is never permanent and has no fixed forms, institutions or practices. It appears and disappears, changes and evolves as is suitable and necessary for the needs and conditions of the time.

•

A Fourth Way school exists to achieve conscious work directed towards a specific aim or undertaking. Once the aim has been achieved the school “disappears from the given place, disappears in its given form, continuing perhaps in another place in another form . . . [These schools] never exist by themselves as schools for the purpose of education and instruction.” (36) When the task of a Fourth Way school 11

is completed the inner dynamic is withdrawn and only the outer shell remains. Yet, the outer form may continue to exist for decades, even centuries. Gurdjieff adapted his Fourth Way teachings specifically for a Western audience in the twentieth century. One of the ways the Inner Circle of Humanity is said to operate is through the transmission of Fourth Way teachings suitable for the requirements of ‘time, place and people.’ With the goal of guiding seekers from the outer circle of undeveloped humanity to the Inner Circle of conscious humanity, the Fourth Way uses language, form and alternating levels of activity and quiescence, always responding to the needs of a population at a given place and time in history. (37) In her seminal book The Reality of Being, Jeanne de Salzmann enunciates the fundamental developmental principles of the Fourth Way: The science underlying the Fourth Way is ancient, although it has been forgotten. It is a science that studies man not just as he is but as he can become. It regards man as having a possibility of evolving, and studies the facts, the principles and the laws of this evolution. This is an evolution of certain qualities that cannot develop by themselves. It cannot be mechanical. This evolution calls for conscious effort and for seeing. Knowledge is knowledge of the whole. Yet we can only receive it in fragments. Afterward we must connect them ourselves in order to find their place in an understanding of the whole. The Fourth Way is to be lived. In the work to be present I need first to find each day a certain quality of coming back to myself. Then I must become able to observe my identification with the life force and find a place in myself in which at certain moments my attention can hold itself between the two. For this, it is necessary to work with others. (38)

Commentary

In 1923, scholar Denis Saurat was interviewing Gurdjieff and asked why he came to Europe to teach: I want to add the mystical spirit of the East to the scientific spirit of the West. The Oriental spirit is right but only in its trends and general ideas. The Western spirit is right in its methods and techniques . . . I want to create a type of sage who will unite the spirit of the East with Western techniques. (39)

Gurdjieff fulfilled his mission by introducing the Fourth Way to the West with an undeniable influence and impact. His System has been called extraordinary by students and scholars alike. P.D. Ouspensky believed that Gurdjieff’s esoteric ideas originated from a source on a qualitatively different level of spiritual development from ordinary humanity. And Denis Saurat wrote that Gurdjieff's teaching “could not be of terrestrial

12

origin. Either Gurdjieff had revelations vouchsafed only to prophets or he had access to a school on a supernatural level.” (40) While some assume that Gurdjieff created his own original teaching by transforming material from traditional sources, Gurdjieff never claimed to have originated his System. (41) He admitted to his students that he had teachers and implied that he had been sent by them to the West to fulfill a teaching mission. According to John Bennett, Gurdjieff spoke of esoteric schools in the East whom he consulted, from whom he sought help, and to whom he sent specially prepared pupils. Sufi sources also believe that Gurdjieff was trained and sent to the West by the ‘Guardians of the Tradition’ to perform a specific task. (42)

John G. Bennett, after thorough study of Gurdjieff’s mission in the West, concluded that he contacted and maintained communication with representatives of the Inner Circle of Humanity: I have distinguished between those who look at Gurdjieff the man and treat his “system” as no more than the expression of his genius, and those who look at the “system” and treat Gurdjieff as no more than a link in the chain of transmission. These latter are also inclined to suspect that the link broke at some point and left us with no contact with the source. I have rejected both these interpretations in favour of the hypothesis that Gurdjieff was in contact with a source that . . . was a brotherhood of people with the capacity to survey the world on a great time scale. (43)

Many of Gurdjieff’s students believe that during the course of his travels in the East he made contact with the Inner Circle of Humanity, or Masters of Wisdom, and derived his teachings from the ancient primordial current of esoteric knowledge that is the root or source of all known spiritual traditions: “He must have gone beyond the surface forms to the very core of these teachings and made them authentically his own.” (44) On the other hand, P.D. Ouspensky, although convinced that Gurdjieff’s teaching originated from a “Great Source,” believed that Gurdjieff’s contact with this source was limited. The degree to which Gurdjieff was a representative of the Inner Circle of Humanity is an issue that continues to be debated: Some people say that he was never admitted to the innermost groups and was obliged to put together, as best he could, fragments collected from a variety of sources. Others believe that he was accepted as a missionary or messenger to prepare the way for a more decisive entry of the guardians of the tradition into the life of the West. (45)

Gurdjieff acknowledged that he had teachers and had studied in Eastern esoteric schools, although never directly identifying either by name or tradition. Although some of Gurdjieff’s students and independent scholars believe that he contacted an esoteric school guided by initiates of the Inner Circle of Humanity who inspired and directed his teaching 13

enterprise, the identity of these guardians of esoteric knowledge has never been ascertained, and their nature and mission remains a mystery.

NOTES

(1) Max Gorman Stairway to the Stars: Sufism, Gurdjieff and the Inner Tradition of Mankind (London: Aeon Books, 2010), p. 19. (2) John G. Bennett Gurdjieff: Making a New World (New York: Harper & Row, 1973), p. 51. (3) The nature and practices of the Sarmoun Brotherhood are described by Dr. Yannis Toussulis in Sufism and the Way of Blame (Wheaton, Illinois: Quest Books, 2010, pp. 45-46): In Egypt and Armenia, Gurdjieff had found maps that pointed to the survival of the “Sarmoung Brotherhood,” a group comprised of elite members of the world’s religions. As a long-standing tradition, the school was founded at the beginnings of recorded history in Babylonia. According to Gurdjieff, the Sarmoung had preserved a “scientific method” of spiritual transformation that transcends all religious differences. The “method” of the Sarmoung was not haphazard. Like other sciences, this sacred technology was rigorous and precise, and it could be tested and verified through direct experience . . . In their monastery the Sarmoung had employed movements that transformed the subtle “centers” of each individual. These centers were coordinated, then integrated, then aligned with a “Higher Reality.” Some (not all) of these movements were drawn from a variety of exercises performed by various dervish orders . . . Unlike the world’s religions, which have been divisive, the Brotherhood offered a method that unified humanity in a common cause: the transformation of human beings into selfresponsible agents who could actually perceive reality or truth more directly.

(4) Anthony Storr in Feet of Clay (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1996, p. 24) writes: Gurdjieff claimed to have learned much from a three-months stay in ‘the chief Sarmoung monastery,’ belonging to a brotherhood which he said taught him secret wisdom derived from traditions dating back to 2500 B.C., including physical techniques for self-transformation, and sacred dances. Gurdjieff was careful never to be specific about the exact location of these teachers of secret knowledge, although he later stated that he had a teacher from whom he was never separated, and with whom he constantly communicated, presumably telepathically. The Sarmoung monastery cannot be identified and even disciples of Gurdjieff regard his account of it as an allegory rather than literal truth. 14

(5) P.D. Ouspensky, even before meeting Gurdjieff, was convinced of the existence of these esoteric schools which form the bridge connecting ordinary humanity to a higher order of being (Kenneth Walker A Study of Gurdjieff’s Teaching (London: Jonathan Cape, 1973), p. 190): According to tradition, the following historical personages came from esoteric schools: Moses, Gautama Buddha, John the Baptist, Jesus Christ, Pythagoras, Socrates and Plato, as well as the more mythical Orpheus, Hermes Trismegistus, Krishna and Rama. Ouspensky also includes in his list of school products the builders of the Pyramids and Sphinx, a few of the old alchemists, the priests of the Egyptian and Greek Mysteries, the architects of the Gothic Cathedrals built in the Middle Ages, and the founders of certain Orders of Sufis and Dervishes.

(6) Idries Shah, A Perfumed Scorpion (London: Octagon Press, 1984), p. 160. (7) G.I. Gurdjieff Views from the Real World: Early Talks of Gurdjieff (New York: E.P. Dutton and Company, 1973), pp. 210-211. (8) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 39. (9) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 38. (10) P.D. Ouspensky The Fourth Way (New York: Vintage Books, 1971), p. 9. (11) Jeanne de Salzmann The Reality of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), p. 2. (12) Jeanne de Salzmann The Reality of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), p. 2. (13) Gerald de Symons Beckwith Ouspensky’s Fourth Way (Oxford: Starnine Media & Publishing, 2015), pp. 15-16. (14) Max Gorman Stairway to the Stars: Sufism, Gurdjieff and the Inner Tradition of Mankind (London: Aeon Books, 2010), pp. 20-21. (15) Rodney Collin The Theory of Celestial Influence (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1973), p. 314. (16) Rodney Collin The Theory of Celestial Influence (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1973), p. 315. (17) The influence on European civilization of the esoteric school responsible for the building of the Gothic Cathedrals is described by Rodney Collin in The Theory of Celestial Influence (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1973, p. 317):

15

About the effects of those schools which at the beginning of the 12th century designed the Gothic Cathedrals and remodeled mediaeval society and custom from top to bottom, we have perhaps most material of all. Everywhere we see their influence: in architecture, music, art, in the ritual of the church, in the spread of political peace, in the right organization of castes and guilds, even in a popular wisdom of legends and proverbs. Upon the stability so created, Europe continued to exist into living memory. Hardly any other esoteric current in history created such profound and lasting effect.

(18) Idries Shah describes the deviation of esoteric schools in Learning How to Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983, p. 71.): Many religious, mystical and other formulations are, up to a point, shrines for the relics of a completely or partially successful attempt to present and make available to various individuals and communities means for acquiring [higher] knowledge. Like almost everything on earth, they are subject to deterioration or fossilization. They become both museums and exhibits, at one and the same time . . . What appears to some people as the sum total of the human heritage of philosophy, metaphysics or even magical thinking can also be viewed as heavily burdened with the wreckage or misinterpretation (through selective choice) of formulations previously operated by coherent Schools.

(19) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 310. (20) Ernest Scott The People of the Secret (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 260. (21) Michael Pittman Classical Spirituality in Contemporary America (New York: Bloomsbury, 2012), p. 95. (22) John G. Bennett Gurdjieff: Making a New World (New York: Harper & Row, 1973), p. 53. (23) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 310. (24) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 310. (25) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 199. (26) P.D. Ouspensky The Fourth Way (New York: Vintage Books, 1971), p. 99.

16

(27) William Patterson develops this idea in Struggle of the Magicians (Fairfax, California: Arete Communication, 1996, pp. 26-27): The fourth way differs from the other ways in many important and substantial respects, not all of which lend themselves to words. The fourth way does not separate work, for example, on body, emotions and mind, but works on them simultaneously. Furthermore, the pupil is not required to give up anything. He must not withdraw from life but, on the contrary, stay in life and learn to use it for his own development . . . The conditions of his life, the uncertainties, the shocks and suffering are used to come to real life. The principal demand of the fourth way is for understanding. For, the greater a man’s understanding of what he does, the greater the results. It is practical, immediate, and works with and through ordinary life. Therefore, in contrast to the traditional three ways, the work of the fourth way can be more effective, more efficient.

(28) Gerald de Symons Beckwith Ouspensky’s Fourth Way (Oxford: Starnine Media & Publishing, 2015), p. 1. (29) Jeanne de Salzmann The Reality of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), p. 180. (30) Jeanne de Salzmann The Reality of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), pp. 179-181. (31) In Ouspensky’s Fourth Way (Oxford: Starnine Media Publishing, 2015, pp. 3-4) Gerald de Symons Beckwith provides a succinct description of how the fundamental principles of the Fourth Way distinguish it from other, more traditional, spiritual paths: The Fourth Way is a ‘whole person’ approach, providing wisdom and enlightenment for ‘householders,’ ordinary people fully engaged in the hurly-burly of modern life. For many, life inevitably presents vital questions that can seem unanswerable and for such people the Way has always been available, its discovery dictated only by the depth of the need for answers. On this Way, the faculties of ‘head, heart and hand’ are regarded equally and are addressed simultaneously. All the practices and disciplines are progressively and voluntarily self-imposed and only undertaken after it has been understood why they are necessary and what can be expected to result from them. Understanding comes first and then gives rise to action – this is the first principle of the Way. We must never simply believe what we are told without first proving the truth of it to ourselves in our own experience . . . The hallmark of this Way is that it conveys a self-transcendent knowledge. It shows that we ourselves are self-transcendent beings, and, most importantly, it leads to the understanding that Self-realization is not a liberation of the person but a liberation from the person. Ultimately, this knowledge arises from the source of Consciousness itself and presents a complete and unified cosmology 17

and psychology that orients us to find our true place in the universe, demonstrating that the whole of Creation is produced and sustained by one single Consciousness – that which we intrinsically and eternally are ourselves.

(32) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), pp. 48-49. (33) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 49. (34) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), pp. 203-204. (35) Gerald de Symons Beckwith Ouspensky’s Fourth Way (Oxford: Starnine Media & Publishing, 2015), p. 61. (36) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 312. (37) This view is articulated by Frank Sinclair in Of the Life Aligned (U.S.A.: Xlibris, 2009, pp. 97-98): When Gurdjieff came to the West, most if not all traditional understandings had been forgotten . . . The sense of multidimensional reality and of the sacred and the spiritual were lost. Gurdjieff brought back to the West the lost sense of the sacred. He used a new language because he felt that the so-called traditional ways had been so debased. He brought his teaching to the West to challenge the automatic and habitual thought of modern man. Again, his is an esoteric understanding and not for everybody. It is for those who really want to know.

(38) Jeanne de Salzmann The Reality of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), p. 23. (39) Louis Pauwels Gurdjieff (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1975), p. 177. (40) John G. Bennett Gurdjieff: Making a New World (New York: Harper & Row, 1973), p. 82. (41) Some students of Gurdjieff have wondered whether he merely combined elements from the many spiritual traditions he encountered during his years of travel in the East to forge a new synthesis which he termed the ‘Fourth Way.’ John G. Bennett speculates along these lines in Gurdjieff: A Very Great Enigma (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1963, p. 2):

18

If Gurdjieff was no more than a syncretist, a reformer who put together fragments from various well-known traditions or even secret traditions that he managed to unearth in the course of his search, then he would occupy one place. If, on the other hand, there is something wholly original, which cannot be referred back to any earlier known or secret tradition, then he occupies quite a different place. Herein lies the second enigma of Gurdjieff; which of these two places does he occupy? Was he just a clever man who was able to travel and search widely, to discover many things, to read a great deal, having access to sources in many different languages, and out of all the material so collected, to construct something?

(42) Rafael Lefort The Teachers of Gurdjieff (London: Victor Gollancz, 1973), p. 56. (43) John G. Bennett Gurdjieff: Making a New World (New York: Harper & Row, 1973), pp. 262-263. (44) Frank Sinclair Of the Life Aligned (U.S.A.: Xlibris, 2009), p. 96. (45) John G. Bennett Gurdjieff: Making a New World (New York: Harper & Row, 1973), p. 56.

19

SOURCES OF GURDJIEFF'S TEACHINGS1

From the beginning of Gurdjieff’s teaching mission in the West, a number of questions have fuelled an ongoing debate about the source of his teachings and practices. Where did he learn his powerful system of psychological and cosmological ideas? What particular spiritual teachings form the foundation of his work? Which teachers inspired and influenced his development? When asked these questions directly, Gurdjieff seemed reluctant to provide any information of substance, typically answering evasively or in generalities. On one occasion when esotericist Boris Mouravieff asked him about the source of his teaching, he replied: “Maybe I stole it.” (1) Gurdjieff sometimes spoke to his students of his search for esoteric knowledge and teachings and his eventual discovery of “elements of a forgotten knowledge of being that reconciled the great traditional beliefs. He called it ‘ancient science’ but did not identify its origin, those who discovered and preserved it.” (2) In an interview with scholar Denis Saurat in 1923 he provided some general indications of this search: Thirty years ago, twelve of us spent many years in Central Asia, and we reconstructed the Doctrine; by oral traditions, the study of ancient costumes, popular songs and even certain books. The Doctrine has always existed, but the tradition has often been interrupted. In antiquity some groups and castes knew it, but it was incomplete. (3)

According to Gurdjieff, a comprehensive teaching of human spiritual development existed in ancient times but was later divided into specializations: “In India there was ‘philosophy,’ in Egypt ‘theory,’ and in present-day Persia, Mesopotamia, and Turkestan – ‘practice’.” (4) He also spoke of four principal lines of esoteric teaching – Egyptian, Hebraic, Persian and Hindu, and two Western mixtures of these lines, theosophy and occultism. The latter two lines “bear in themselves grains of truth, but neither of them possess full knowledge and therefore attempts to bring them to practical realization give only negative results.” (5) In his writings and talks to his pupils, Gurdjieff gave hints of possible sources of his teaching:

• • • • • • 1

the Sarmoung Brotherhood (Meetings with Remarkable Men) esoteric Christianity (In Search of the Miraculous) the Judaeo-Christian Brotherhood of the Essenes (Beelzebub’s Tales) a Dervish monastery in Central Asia (Herald of Coming Good) the esoteric core of Islam in Bokhara (Meetings with Remarkable Men) the non-denominational World Brotherhood (Meetings with Remarkable Men)

Updated 2017/09/25

1

Some believe that the source of Gurdjieff’s teaching lies in prehistoric Egypt in the form of an ‘esoteric Christianity’ that predates Jesus Christ. William Patterson postulates that Gurdjieff discovered this ancient esoteric teaching in his travels to Egypt and Ethiopia but recognized that certain elements of a comprehensive spiritual teaching were missing. He made subsequent journeys to Central Asia, northern Siberia and other regions to unify and reformulate the fragments of the original teaching into a Fourth Way teaching suitable for modern times. (6) Gurdjieff emphasized that the knowledge he was imparting in his Fourth Way teachings was unlike any other system of spiritual ideas previously encountered in the West: “The teaching whose theory is here being set out is completely self-supporting and independent of other lines and it has been completely unknown to the present time.” (7) Four primary hypotheses have emerged concerning the origin of Gurdjieff’s teaching:

•

Gurdjieff constructed the System himself, synthesizing his own vision from the diverse schools of thought and ideas he absorbed during his research and travels.

•

Gurdjieff drew primarily from one particular traditional spiritual teaching and modified the terminology so that it appeared to be his own.

•

Gurdjieff combined his own findings with that of other specialists and spiritual seekers to produce a coherent composite body of teaching.

•

Gurdjieff discovered an ancient school of esoteric wisdom, whose teachers sent him on a mission to the West to articulate their teachings in a language suitable for the modern world.

The catalogue of suspected influences on and sources for Gurdjieff’s work is broad and impressive: Eastern Orthodox Christianity, the teachings of the Essenes, Gnosticism, Sufism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Pythagorean teachings, Theosophy, Rosicrucian teachings, shamanistic traditions of Asia and elsewhere, Jewish mystical teaching and the Kabbalah, Zoroastrianism, Neo-Platonism and Stoic teachings. Of those who argue that Gurdjieff’s System is a synthesis of traditions (8), Boris Mouravieff distinguishes three strains in the Work: fragments of Esoteric Christianity, certain Islamic traditions, and Gurdjieff’s own ideas. Professor Yannis Toussulis proposes that Gurdjieff’s System is a “synthesis of various elements of Western, Near Eastern, and Far Eastern traditions (9), while professor Franklin D. Lewis suggests that it is “an amalgam of esoteric Christian and Sufi beliefs. (10) Biographer James Webb identifies two distinct aspects: “a definitely Oriental part, based largely on Buddhist thought with an admixture of Sufi lore; and a definitely Western part, founded on European occultism as derived from the Gnostics, Neo-Platonists, and Rosicrucians.” (11)

2

John G. Bennett found traces of these and many other traditions in Gurdjieff’s System, but also identified many elements of the System which do not appear to be associated with any particular tradition (12): Anyone who takes the trouble to examine his teaching and methods, can assign nearly every fragment to some known tradition. We can say that this theme came from the Greek Orthodox tradition, that theme came from an Assyrian or Babylonian tradition, another was clearly Muslim and connected with Sufism and even with this or that particular Sufi sect. One can say of others that they must have come from one or other of the branches of Buddhism. Again, there are indications that he took much from what is called the Western occult tradition, the Platonic and Rosicrucian tradition. But when one examines still more closely, we find that there is something that cannot be assigned to any known traditions. There are certain very important features of which one cannot find any trace in literature. (13)

Professor Jacob Needleman concurs, noting that “Gurdjieff not only restated the ancient, perennial teachings in a language adapted to the modern mind, but also brought to these ancient principles something of such colossal originality that those who followed him detected in his teaching the signs of what in Western terminology may be designated a new revelation.” (14) Needleman also maintains that it is unlikely we will ever know with certainty the source of Gurdjieff’s teachings. And, biographer James Webb believes that any attempt to attribute them to any one particular religious tradition would be “futile.” The issue is further complicated by the fact that the world’s spiritual traditions have crossfertilized over the centuries so that they share many common elements. Biographers, scholars and students of Gurdjieff who have attempted to discern the origin and sources of his teachings have been faced with numerous challenges, forcing them to adopt a multitude of approaches: Given the paucity of directly-confirmable references about Gurdjieff’s early life, except those which he provides in Meetings with Remarkable Men, biographers have been forced to do some detective work to fill in the gaps. Many have attempted to discern the origins by going back to his writing, to his music, to the records of his oral talks, to the notes and books about him by his early students and then the large corpus of secondary works that have been written since his death in 1949 . . . Some responses have taken what might now be described as a more orthodox approach to his work, asserting that Gurdjieff and the Fourth Way teaching that he taught was unique, and that either the sources cannot be found, or that it is not important to discover them. Some have suggested that it is now impossible to find the sources of his teaching. Other authors have sought the source of his teachings by traveling back to the places that Gurdjieff mentioned in his writings. Still others have constructed a theory of origins, drawing on support from different traditions, and from their own personal experience. (15)

3

Scholars and students of Gurdjieff have provisionally identified four seminal influences on his System: Christianity, Sufism, Eastern religions like Buddhism and Hinduism, and Western occult tradition. A careful examination of the tenets and practices of each of these spiritual traditions reveals many significant points of similarity with the teachings of Gurdjieff.

Christianity

Over the course of Gurdjieff’s life, Christianity was an important influence. As a boy growing up in Armenia Gurdjieff had an early exposure to Christianity, as his primary education was entrusted to teachers at Kars Cathedral, where he was baptized a Christian. As an adult, during his extensive search for ancient knowledge, Gurdjieff travelled to Mount Athos to study Christian mysticism, to Jerusalem in search of the mystery of the Essene brotherhood and to Abyssinia (Ethiopia) to explore the Coptic roots of ancient Christianity. Gurdjieff believed that the Coptic Church possessed a special knowledge of the origins of Christianity that had been lost by both Catholic and Orthodox Christianity. Significantly, at his death in 1949, it was Gurdjieff’s wish that a high requiem mass be sung in the Alexandre Nevski Cathedral in Paris, that services be conducted by a Russian priest, and that he should be buried at the Russian Orthodox cemetery in Avon. According to Boris Mouravieff, Gurdjieff’s System can be traced historically from Egypt, Greece and Central Asia to the Eastern Orthodox Church. Gurdjieff, the son of a Greek father and an Armenian mother, was exposed as a youth to both the Greek and Armenian Christian Churches. John G. Bennett suggests that Gurdjieff’s lifelong contact with the Eastern Orthodox Church – first through his parents and later in adulthood through contact with Orthodox monks – fostered a strong sense of identification with that tradition which lasted until he died. Bennett also reported that some of the exercises that Gurdjieff taught to his pupils were drawn from the Eastern Orthodox tradition. Christian themes abound in Gurdjieff’s System. In a conversation with Mouravieff in 1924, Gurdjieff stated that Christianity was the “ABC” of his teaching. (16) And in the prospectus of the Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man at the Prieuré, the stated aim was to help pupils “to be able to be a Christian.” As well, St. George the Victor was chosen by Gurdjieff as the patron saint of the Institute. The first sentence in Beelzebub’s Tales to His Grandson ends with the Christian prayer, “In the name of the Father and of the Son and in the name of the Holy Ghost. Amen.” There are numerous references in the book to Biblical themes and Christian doctrines, including the hierarchy of angels and archangels and the Biblical sequence of Creation, Fall, Redemption and Revelation. Jesus Christ is venerated as a ‘Divine Teacher,’ ‘Sacred Individual’ and ‘Messenger from our Endlessness,’ bringing a great message of hope and redemption for humanity.

4

Gurdjieff’s students recognized many similarities between Gurdjieff’s teachings and Christian doctrine. (17) The Gospels frequently refer to the idea of sleep and the necessity for watchfulness. Gurdjieff’s process of achieving freedom from the tyranny of the personality is very closely related to the Christian notion of the importance of man being “born again” into a higher state after the death of one’s former self. In collabora-tion with Thomas de Hartmann, Gurdjieff composed musical pieces with Christian themes or titles, such as “Hymn for Easter Thursday,” “The Story of the Resurrection of Christ” and “Hymn for Christmas Day.” In the course of teaching, Gurdjieff and many of his senior pupils made extensive use of texts, parables and proverbs from the Gospels. (18) A number of parallels between Gurdjieff’s ideas and Eastern Orthodox devotional practices have been discovered in the texts of Bishop Theophan the Recluse. Scholar Robin Amis argues that Theophan’s 19th century writings use “a detailed terminology that makes it incontestable that many of the special terms of the System were fully developed many decades before the births of Gurdjieff and Ouspensky.” (19) Amis points to concepts and practices such as ‘magnetic center,’ ‘self-remembering’ and ‘permanent center of gravity,’ which Eastern Orthodox teachings and Gurdjieff’s System share in common. Mouravieff also suggests that many of Gurdjieff’s aphorisms may have originated from ancient esoteric texts preserved by the Eastern Orthodox Church. William Patterson, in his essay “Who is Mr. Gurdjieff,” disputes the notion that Eastern Orthodox Christianity was the primary source of Gurdjieff’s teaching: As there has been a concerted attempt to cast The Fourth Way as simply a derivative of Eastern Orthodox Christianity, let’s examine this contention more closely. Proponents of this view point to the use of attention in the Philokalia, the writings of the early church fathers. But attention is the basis of spiritual work of all traditions; it is the “gas” without which no engine runs. After Ouspensky left Gurdjieff he devoted much time to studying the New Testament and the writings of St. Simeon and others . . . One can easily argue that Ouspensky, in trying to find the origin of The Fourth Way in the Eastern Church, was unconsciously trying to justify his break with Gurdjieff. Whatever the case, The Fourth Way is a way in ordinary life. It is not the monastic way of Mt. Athos. The Fourth Way is not a withdrawal from life. Orthodox proponents also point to when Gurdjieff was asked about the origin of the teaching and he replied that “if you like, this is esoteric Christianity.” If you like . . . that is, if you must have a familiar category (Russia at that time was heavily Christianized.) (20)

Gurdjieff had a theory about the origins of the teachings and practices of the Christian Church. He believed that over time the original teachings of Jesus Christ were badly distorted in their transmission by the Christian Church, but that a small group of initiates called the ‘Brotherhood of the Essenes’ (21) were secretly able to preserve them in their original form and subsequently transmit them to successive generations.

5

Gurdjieff believed that the Essenes initiated Jesus and prepared him for his role as a teacher, and that the esoteric knowledge he received was essential to all that Jesus became and achieved while on earth. Some believe that the teachings of the Essenes were secretly transmitted to the early Gnostics. The Gnostics flourished throughout the eastern Mediterranean region in the first two centuries after the birth of Christ. The Gnostic teachings were more mystical and occult than the more theological doctrine of traditional Christians and their interpretations of the Scriptures more esoteric. Two of Gurdjieff’s students, C. S. Nott and Margaret Anderson, claimed to have traced the roots of Gurdjieff’s teachings to the Gnostics. They suggest that Gurdjieff’s System may have its origin in early Christianity, but that it better reflects the esoteric teachings of Jesus than the official Christian doctrine. When questioned by one of his Russian pupils about the relationship between his teachings and Christianity, Gurdjieff responded: “It would be necessary to talk a great deal and to talk for a long time in order to make clear what you understand by this term. But for the benefit of those who know already, I will say that, if you like, this is esoteric Christianity.” (22) Fourth Way author William Patterson offers an interpretation of Gurdjieff’s words: “This, however, does not mean that the Fourth Way is esoteric Christianity. Nor does it mean that contemporary Christianity is the basis, the root, of the Fourth Way. The teaching is linked with Christianity, but in the sense that the teaching predated the origin of Christianity as we historically know it.” (23) Gurdjieff’s reference to esoteric Christianity as the source of his teachings may also be based on the fact that his students at this time were primarily Christian, either practising or having been raised as Christians. Patterson believes that Gurdjieff, in his search for esoteric knowledge, found evidence that Egypt held the key to the origin of the Fourth Way: After being initiated four times into ancient Egyptian Mysteries and rediscovering the essential principles and ideas, Gurdjieff, realizing that over time segments of the teaching had migrated northward, made a second journey travelling to Persia, the Hindu Kush, and Tibet reassembling the elements he found and reformulating the teaching for modern times. He called the teaching The Fourth Way to distinguish it from the three classical ways of body, heart and mind, as it works on all three at once . . . It is “completely unknown” because its origin is prehistoric – predating the ancient Egyptian religion, Judaism, Zoroaster, the Avesta and the Hindu Rig Veda. So, in sum, Gurdjieff is, and is not, a Christian. The Fourth Way teaching is, and is not, Christian. It depends on what we know about Christianity, our definition of it. For Gurdjieff, there are two forms of Christianity, its original form and its contemporary form. The Fourth Way, for Gurdjieff, is esoteric Christianity in its highest form. That is, if it is so recognized and practiced. (24)

Patterson’s belief that Gurdjieff’s System predates Christianity’s Egyptian-Judaic heritage is consistent with Gurdjieff’s teaching that the Christian Church, in its earliest and purest form, was a school of esoteric wisdom. Gurdjieff claimed that the basic principles

6

of true Christian doctrine originated thousands of years before the birth of Jesus in ancient Egypt (25). Only certain aspects of the doctrine survived to historical times, having been preserved and transmitted in secret over millennia. Gurdjieff’s theory about the origins of Christianity runs contrary to the established opinions of most scholars of religion, but is accepted as historically valid by certain esoteric schools. Gurdjieff regarded the deviation by the Christian Church from the original teachings of Christ as a regrettable development in the history of the religion, which he appeared to believe was a superior doctrine: If only the teaching of the Divine Jesus Christ were carried out in full conformity with its original, then the religion . . . founded on it would not only be the best of all existing religions, but even of all religions which may arise and exist in the future. (26)

Sufism

Gurdjieff was born and raised in a region of the world steeped in Islamic traditions and teachings. Although Gurdjieff made pilgrimages to Mecca and Medina during his travels, he was not attracted to orthodox Islam. In Beelzebub’s Tales he wrote that Islam, like most organized religions, had deteriorated from its original impulse and no longer represented the heart of the teachings of the Prophet Mohammed, of whom he spoke in the highest terms as “the Sacred Individual Saint Mohammed.” Gurdjieff believed that the esoteric teachings of Islam were “in Bokhara, where from the beginning the secret knowledge of Islam has been concentrated, this place having become its very centre and source.” (27) John G. Bennett believed that Bokhara was associated with the Naqshbandi Sufis who had preserved the inner teachings of Islam in their original form. There is no doubt that Gurdjieff was strongly influenced by Sufism. In his writings, he made frequent reference to specific dervish orders and to Sufi spiritual ideas and practices. Although it has been difficult to verify the facts surrounding Gurdjieff’s early research expeditions, scholar Anna Challenger is convinced that an inquiry into Sufism figured prominently during this period: Despite the measures he took to conceal information regarding his past, Gurdjieff’s debt to Sufism is evident. When he spoke of places he had been and people with whom he had studied, it was often in the context of stories that contained obvious exaggeration and contradiction, most likely with the purpose – in accord with Sufi tradition – of discouraging identification, of shifting focus from himself to his teaching. But given all the obscurity surrounding his searching years, Gurdjieff’s connection with Sufism is undeniable. (28)

In a lecture to his students at the Prieuré in 1923, Gurdjieff described Sufism as a synthesis of the inner meaning of all religions. And in Beelzebub’s Tales, he states that

7

Sufi dervishes have preserved the original, authentic teaching of Mohammed – the inner esoteric teachings of Islam. John G. Bennett, then a student at the Prieuré, reported that “in all Gurdjieff’s lectures at the time, the Sufi origin of his teachings was unmistakable for anyone who had studied both.” (29) In The Teachers of Gurdjieff, Rafael Lefort maintains that Gurdjieff studied under a succession of Sufi teachers, and from them received important training in the arts of carpet-weaving, calligraphy, carpentry, music and dancing. Lefort also posits that classical Sufi texts studied by Gurdjieff, like The Walled Garden of Truth by Hakim Sanai, became the basis for his own writings. Gurdjieff wrote that during his travels he had access to Sufi schools throughout the East and spent two years at a dervish monastery in Central Asia. John G. Bennett and others believe that the methods and exercises that Gurdjieff learned at these schools were later employed during his teaching mission in the West. There is considerable evidence to support this hypothesis:

•

The close teacher-student relationship encouraged by Gurdjieff, in which spiritual energy or baraka (30) is transferred from teacher to student, is an important feature of Sufi teaching.

•

Gurdjieff’s role-playing and unconventional behaviour is much like the Sufi practice of the ‘Path of Blame.’ (31)

•

The practice of ‘self-remembering’ and the use of breathing techniques in conjunction with mental exercises are common Sufi exercises.

•

Gurdjieff’s teaching of the ‘chief feature’ – the central axis of the false personality – is resonant with the Naqshbandi Sufi concept of a ‘defective feature’ (Khassiyat i-naqs)

•

Gurdjieff’s conceptualization of the seven levels of being – physical, emotional, intellectual, balanced, unified, conscious and perfected – is very similar to the Sufi sevenfold system of ‘stations’ or maqamat.

•

One of Gurdjieff’s most famous exercises, the ‘Stop Exercise,’ is believed to have originated with the Mevlevi dervishes. (32)

•

Gurdjieff taught the importance of service and sacrifice, which he called ‘conscious labour and intentional suffering,’ two ideas central to the Sufi teaching of disciplining the lower self or nafs.

•

Group work is an essential feature of both Sufism and the Gurdjieff Work.

8

•

Gurdjieff’s students engaged in a combination of craft work, manual labour, gardening, construction, cleaning and animal husbandry, much like the work tasks of Sufi schools. Gurdjieff’s assignment of kitchen duties to his pupils is similar to the practices of certain dervish orders where each member must serve the community beginning with work in the kitchen. (33)

•

The ritual feasts, which were a signature of Gurdjieff’s practical teachings, are common in Sufi communities throughout the East. And, according to John G. Bennett, Gurdjieff’s ritual ‘Toast of the Idiots’ can be traced to ancient Sufi customs from Central Asia.

•

At the Prieuré in France, Gurdjieff constructed a study hall that was decorated after the fashion of a Sufi tekke or meeting place.

•

Many of the musical pieces composed by Gurdjieff and Thomas de Hartmann have Sufi titles, such as “Sayyid Song and Dance” and “Sacred Reading from the Koran.” Gurdjieff incorporated a Persian dervish song and various dervish dances in his ballet The Struggle of the Magicians. (34)

•

Many of the sacred gymnastics, dances and Movements that Gurdjieff taught his students were clearly of Sufi origin. There is a striking similarity between some of Gurdjieff’s movements and dervish rituals, movements from the Moslem prayer and the whirling or turning dances of the Mevlevi Sufis. (35)

•

Gurdjieff’s use of costumes for special ceremonies and public performances of the movements reflect traditional dervish practices.

•

There is evidence that the name of the Sarmoung monastery may have a Sufi derivation. (36)

•

The style and content of Gurdjieff’s writings are reminiscent of traditional Eastern literature, especially Sufi teaching stories. (37)

It is in his writings where the influence of Sufism on Gurdjieff is arguably the most evident. In Beelzebub’s Tales and Meetings with Remarkable Men (38), Gurdjieff features traditional Sufi teaching stories such as “The Transcaucasian Kurd and the Red Peppers” and dervish characters like Bogga-Eddin and Hadji-Asvatz-Troov. John G. Bennett proposes that the character Bogga-Eddin may be a concealed reference to the famous Sufi teacher Bahauddin Naqshband. The central character in Beelzebub’s Tales is the archetypal ‘Beelzebub’ (39) whose grandson Hassein is similar in name to Hassan and Hussein, the grandsons of Mohammed. And, the name of another character in Beelzebub’s Tales, Ashiata Shiemash, may have a Sufi derivation. (40)

9

Beelzebub’s Tales possesses a non-linear multi-dimensional structure with an emphasis on humour, imagination and inversion of logic, features which echo the storytelling structure of many Sufi teaching tales:

Akin to the structure of much Sufi literature, including the Koran, the format of Beelzebub’s Tales is not linear; its stories are scattered throughout the whole of the work, rather than relayed in single episodes . . . Rather than building up in a concentric pattern, Beelzebub’s tales meander in and out of one another, a thread being dropped at one point, picked up at another, dropped again, and resumed pages or chapters later. This non-linear narrative approach obviously demands more of the reader, requiring more attention and effort than would a straightforward narrative, and reminding us of another dimension that Gurdjieff’s tales, the Koran, and much Islamic literature have in common – that they are offered in the tradition of oral literature, intended for recitation in public and in groups. (41)

One of the most interesting references in Gurdjieff’s writings is to Mullah Nasr Eddin (or Mulla Nasrudin), a traditional Middle Eastern teaching figure. Nasrudin plays the role of the ‘wise fool’ or ‘master of paradox’ in many Sufi tales, and his stories contain profound spiritual teachings concealed beneath a lighthearted surface. (42) Gurdjieff’s use of Nasrudin as a teaching figure parallels his appearance in Sufi teaching stories. In Beelzebub’s Tales Nasrudin’s role is that of insightful observer of human behaviour and the embodiment of practical counsel. (43) John G. Bennett believed that Gurdjieff’s System was strongly influenced by one particular branch of Sufism, the Naqshbandi Sufis. (44) Both the Naqshbandi Sufis and Gurdjieff refer to their studies as ‘the Fourth Way,’ and have many similar doctrines and techniques, including using the normal conditions of everyday life as a means of spiritual growth and aspiring to a balanced harmonious development. Contemporary Sufi teachers such as Murat Yagan and Idries Shah (45) have also identified Sufism as the source of Gurdjieff’s teachings. Yagan believes that Gurdjieff made contact with a perennial source of esoteric wisdom that has existed in the Caucasus Mountains for some twenty-six thousand years. He claims that this source transmitted esoteric teachings to the Khwajagan or Masters of Wisdom (46) who later inspired the Fourth Way teachings of the Naqshbandi Sufis: “Much of what developed into the northern tradition of Sufism, including the Fourth Way teachings inspired by Gurdjieff, is based upon the teachings of the Khwajagan.” (47) Idries Shah concurs with this position: G.I. Gurdjieff left abundant clues to the Sufic origin of virtually every point in his ‘system’; though it obviously belongs more specifically to the Khagjagan (Naqshbandi) form of the dervish teaching. In addition to the practices of ‘the work,’ such books as Gurdjieff’s Beelzebub and Meetings with Remarkable Men abound with references, often semi-covert ones, to the Sufi system. (48)

10

Gurdjieff and the Naqshbandi share another common feature: the forms in which they project their teachings are mutable – changing, appearing and disappearing as needed with the dictates of time and place. John G. Bennett and Anna Challenger have pointed out that Gurdjieff and the Naqshbandi Sufis both use shocks and surprises as techniques to awaken their students, and both considered the everyday suffering and challenges of human relationships to be integral to man’s spiritual evolution. John G. Bennett’s research suggests that the Naqshbandi Sufis were connected with an ‘Inner Circle of Humanity’ responsible for the evolutionary development of the human race. Both Bennett and Murat Yagan believe that the Naqshbandi Sufis are the heirs to one of the esoteric schools directed by the ‘Inner Circle’ known as the Khwajagan or Masters of Wisdom, which flourished in Central Asia in the period 950-1450 CE. Some scholars believe that Gurdjieff was accepted as a student of this school and was privy to their secret teachings. (49) Author Max Gorman suggests that Gurdjieff contacted a body of ‘inner Sufis’ associated with the Khwajagan and located at one of their spiritual centres in the Hindu Kush: Gurdjieff received his esoteric education from a teacher or teachers belonging to a body of people whom we can call the Sarmouni Sufis. Reliable information has also emerged in the course of the last thirty years that this community is identical with the tradition called the Khwajagan or Order of the Masters, and the inner Naqshbandi Order, also known as the Designers. It would seem, therefore, that Gurdjieff was an emissary of these People, with a particular role to perform. The question is – what was that role? There can be no doubt that Gurdjieff was a genuine teacher sent out to perform a certain task by the Inner Circle of Humanity of which he sometimes spoke, and whose agent he was, at least from 1914 when he formed his first group in Moscow to when he died in 1949 in Paris. (50)

That Gurdjieff made contact with this particular esoteric school has never been established conclusively. Bennett, for one, was not convinced that the ‘Inner Circle’ was anything more than an allegory, and that it was, in any event, not exclusively Islamic. Regardless, the concept of an ‘Inner Circle of Humanity’ is central in both Sufi tradition and in Gurdjieff’s Fourth Way teachings. There are dissenting voices to the proposition that Sufism is the source (or principal source) of Gurdjieff’s teachings. Among the most vociferous is William Patterson: “It can be clearly and unequivocally stated: Gurdjieff was not a Sufi but a Christian, who, like the teaching that he brought, is centered in a ‘Christianity before Christ’.” (51) He makes his argument in his essay “What is the Origin of the Teaching?”: Yes, there are references to Sufis in Gurdjieff’s writings, and possibly he was initiated into one or another of their orders. But the Christianity of

11

which he speaks – and out of which he teaches – predates Sufism, contemporary Christianity and Judaism by many thousands of years. In his search, yes, he did visit Mecca, but in disguise, because he was not Muslim. There are those who would divide Sufism from its Islamic base, but as William C. Chittick, a noted scholar of Islam and Sufism, shows in his Faith and Practice of Islam, one can’t be a true Sufi and not be a Muslim. If a Sufi, then Gurdjieff must have kept the Five Pillars of the Islamic faithful. Did he? Of course not. Moreover, as we see in All and Everything, he certainly did not accept Muhammad as God’s only prophet. Are some of the songs and dances he taught Sufic in origin? Yes. But this doesn’t make The Fourth Way a Sufi teaching. (52)

Buddhism and Hinduism

During the course of Gurdjieff’s travels, he investigated the major religions of the East, including Buddhism and Hinduism. Around the turn of the 20th century Gurdjieff spent considerable time in Tibet, visiting and studying in monasteries where he would have encountered many Tibetan Buddhist teachings and practices. Some of Gurdjieff’s followers believed that he incorporated facets of Buddhism into his teaching. For the public demonstrations of sacred dances and Movements given in Paris and New York in 1924, Gurdjieff provided program notes that indicated the source of some of the dances and rituals as being from Tibetan monasteries. Biographer James Webb believed that the general thrust of Gurdjieff’s teachings are similar to the Buddhist doctrine contained in esoteric texts such as the Abhidamma, though not nearly as sophisticated or complex. Certain specific ideas appear to have been borrowed by Gurdjieff from esoteric Pali texts. (53) Gurdjieff’s Fourth Way principle of a balanced and harmonious spiritual development echoes the Buddhist concept of the Middle Way. A notion similar to Gurdjieff’s idea of ‘higher bodies’ attained through spiritual practices is found in both the Buddhist and Tantric teachings of India and Tibet. Perhaps the strongest correspondence is the similarity between Gurdjieff’s method of self-observation and many forms of Buddhist meditation, such as the practice of ‘bare attention,’ where the practitioner, observing a natural succession of fleeting thoughts, sensations and emotions, develops an awareness that identity is not fixed but rather changing and multi-faceted. Gurdjieff’s use of shock, confrontation and role-playing bear a strong resemblance to the ‘crazy wisdom’ behaviour of certain Zen and Tibetan Buddhist teachers, as do a number of other routines and practices at Gurdjieff’s Institute at the Prieuré: D.T. Suzuki's description of an irate Master of ‘primitive’ Zen equally well describes the inconsistent and combative character of Gurdjieff at Fontainbleau. In the Zen monastery, physical labor is considered important, a particular status is ascribed to those performing kitchen service, and there is constant sutra-reading, which does not require that the listeners grasp intellectually what they hear. Most interesting of all, the

12

parallels between the routine of the Prieuré and the practice of the Zendo is the ritual of the bath . . . and several Zen masters have made symbolic use of the bath in their teaching. (54)

During his journeys to the East, Gurdjieff learned a great deal about the traditional spiritual teachings of India, which appeared to have influenced his own teachings. (55) Gurdjieff was familiar with yoga postures and breathing techniques and taught his students similar exercises. Gurdjieff’s concept of the seven centres of a human being appears similar to the yoga and tantric concept of the seven ‘chakras.’ A number of important ideas articulated by Gurdjieff are found in the Hindu Upanishads, including the hierarchical nature of materiality in the universe and the analogy of the ‘owner, driver, horse and carriage’ to the complete human being. Many of Gurdjieff’s students have also noted the close relationship between his teaching of the ‘Law of Three’ and the idea of the three gunas found in Hindu philosophy, especially Sankhya, though some consider Gurdjieff’s exposition of the Law of Three to be more sophisticated and complete. Buddhist and Hindu teachings penetrated much of the Asian continent and influenced the thinking of many medieval philosophers and spiritual teachers. Gurdjieff probably assimilated many Buddhist and Hindu ideas and practices in the course of his search for esoteric knowledge. It is likely he modified and adapted them for presentation to a modern Western audience.

Western Occult Tradition

The roots of the Western occult tradition have been traced to the esoteric teachings of ancient Egypt, the philosophical schools of Pythagoras and Plato, and the Gnostic teachings of early Christianity. In medieval Europe, many of the ideas emanating from these original sources were synthesized and recast in the magical-occult language of the Rosicrucians and Freemasons. The Western occult tradition played a prominent role in metaphysical circles in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Gurdjieff was clearly familiar with these teachings, especially Theosophy and the writings of Madame H.B. Blavatsky (Isis Unveiled and The Secret Doctrine). According to professor Yannis Toussulis, a number of Theosophical influences are at play in Meetings with Remarkable Men and elements of Theosophical concepts can be found in Gurdjieff’s psychological teachings. But Gurdjieff had reservations about the usefulness of much of the occult teachings and practices of the time: There are two lines known in Europe, namely theosophy and so-called Western occultism, which have resulted from a mixture of the fundamental lines [Hebraic, Egyptian, Persian, Hindu]. Both lines bear in themselves grains of truth, but neither of them possess full knowledge and therefore

13

attempts to bring them to a practical realization give only negative results. (56)

Despite his misgivings, Gurdjieff employed the theosophical terms ‘astral body,’ ‘mental body’ and ‘causal body’ in his teachings. He viewed the use of occult language as appropriate to make certain ideas more accessible for his students. Gurdjieff’s use of occult terminology applied primarily to his cosmological teachings, which he called “the laws of world creation and world maintenance.” Attempts have been made by various researchers to identify the sources of his cosmological ideas. James Webb suggested that the writings of European philosophers of the Late Renais-sance and Middle Ages, such as Francesco Giorgi and Robert Fludd, exerted a signifi-cant influence. John G. Bennett found traces of Chaldean, Zoroastrian and esoteric Christian teachings in some aspects of Gurdjieff’s cosmology and argues that Gurdjieff’s ‘Table of Hydrogens’ was derived from Neoplatonic and Gnostic sources. Bennett ultimately concludes that Gurdjieff synthesized his cosmology from a number of sources. Number symbolism or ‘mystical mathematics’ was closely connected to three primary sources of Western occult tradition: Platonic, Neo-Platonic and Gnostic teachings. Much of Gurdjieff’s cosmology is based on the symbolism of numbers and on this basis certain parallels with Western occult teachings can be identified:

•

The ‘Law of Three,’ the concept that three forces are present in the formation of any given phenomenon, is a basic occult precept.

•

Gurdjieff’s terms ‘carbon,’ ‘oxygen,’ nitrogen’ and ‘hydrogen’ can be equated with the four elements of earth, air, fire and water.

•

The octave principle of Gurdjieff’s ‘Law of Seven’ and ‘Ray of Creation’ is almost identical to the esoteric ideas of Pythagoras.

•

Gurdjieff’s idea of a hierarchy of substances ranging from the finest (Divine) to the coarsest (Matter) as embodied in his ‘Table of Hydrogens’ is similar to Plato's concept of the ‘Great Chain of Being’ in the Timaeus.

•

Gurdjieff expressed the stages of human spiritual development in terms of the number progression 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 (dyad, triad, quaternity, pentad and hexad), similar to the corresponding numerical and diagrammatic representations used in Western occultism.

Gurdjieff’s theories concerning vibrations and musical octaves may also have been derived from Pythagorean sources. In Meetings with Remarkable Men, Gurdjieff indicated that he had conducted research into the effects of music and sound vibrations on human psychology and physiology, and it is apparent that he was familiar with the principles of Pythagorean harmony. Webb believes that Pythagorean principles were also the

14

source of Gurdjieff’s ideas about objective art, as both were based on common mathematical principles of proportion, which also informed Gurdjieff’s numerology. Further, Gurdjieff’s use of ‘objective music’ for healing of emotional and physical ailments is distinctly Pythagorean.

However, there are clear differences between Gurdjieff’s presentation of the Law of Octaves and the traditional articulation of this principle in Western occult teachings. John G. Bennett asserts that Gurdjieff deviated from these teachings in his emphasis on an appreciation of the significance of the intervals between certain notes of the octave. Gurdjieff placed great importance on the enneagram, which he claimed symbolized his cosmological teachings by integrating the Law of Three and Law of Seven. Bennett was unable to find any reference to the enneagram symbol in any Western occult tradition. Gurdjieff claimed that the enneagram was exclusive to his teaching: “This symbol cannot be met anywhere in the study of ‘occultism,’ either in books or in oral transmission.” (57) James Webb disputes this statement and asserts that representations of the enneagram in various forms are to be found in European occult literature and drawings dating from the 17th century, including an illustration in Arithmologia, a work by the Jesuit scholar Athanasius Kircher published in 1655. Other sources have also indicated that the enneagram was known in medieval times. (58) Webb believes that the enneagram is also closely linked to another esoteric diagram, the Kabbalistic ‘Tree of Life.’ The Tree of Life displays the descent of Divinity from the Godhead to Earth, which some have likened to Gurdjieff’s ‘Ray of Creation.’ However, Webb argues that the Tree of Life is a much more complex and complete hieroglyph than either the enneagram or the Ray of Creation. Scholars like Z’ev ben Shimon Halevi have attempted, with limited success, to correlate Gurdjieff’s use of the terms ‘triad,’ ‘octave’ and ‘interval’ with the Kabbalistic interpretation of the Tree of Life. Although Webb believes that there is a link between the Tree of Life and the enneagram, he questions the degree of correspondence. These scholarly disagreements highlight the difficulty of establishing with any degree of certainty the connection between Gurdjieff’s cosmological ideas and Western occult traditions.

Commentary

P.D. Ouspensky was once questioned whether he had ever attempted to find out the source of Gurdjieff’s teachings: “Did you ever ask Gurdjieff about the origins of the System?” “We all asked him about 10 times a day, and every time the answer was different.” 15

“Did you ask Gurdjieff why he always gave different answers?” “Yes.” “What did he say?” “He said he never gave different answers.” (59)

Gurdjieff’s seemingly flippant response may conceal a revealing truth: the system of knowledge that he transmitted to his students contains elements from virtually all of the world’s spiritual traditions: “Echoes, resemblances, and correspondences with things in Gurdjieff’s teaching can be found in all the traditions, but this does not mean that he simply appropriated convenient aspects.” (60) Although the evidence suggests that esoteric Christianity and Sufism inspired many of the ideas in Gurdjieff’s teachings, other religious traditions also clearly played significant roles in the development of his system. (61)

In order to understand the origin of Gurdjieff’s teachings it is helpful to distinguish between two levels of traditional religion: the exoteric and the esoteric. In a talk to his students Gurdjieff clarified the distinction between the exoteric or outer component of a spiritual teaching and the essential esoteric or inner dynamic: This difference [in religions] is only apparent . . . and this contradiction arises from several factors. People who judge a religion in this way have not penetrated the essence of the teaching, and their judgments are bound to be superficial. Religions are actually like mathematics: it is the elementary part, the most exoteric, that is offered to the masses, and this elementary part differs according to the religion. It is because a Messiah or Messenger from Above appears among people who differ in language, philosophical outlook, character, fundamental mentality, and many other temporal aspects, that he has to adapt to the times and choose an appropriate way to accomplish his task. (62)

A study of the inner teachings of the world’s great religions reveals that the closer one comes to the core of each doctrine – the esoteric heart – the more that one religion begins to resemble the other. In Gurdjieff’s apt analogy, “the ways that lead to the cognition of unity approach it like the radii of a circle moving towards the center; the closer they come to the center, the closer they approach one another.” (63) It is likely that this esoteric component of religion was the real source of Gurdjieff’s knowledge. This living core of wisdom is not confined to any one spiritual tradition but is present at the heart of all of the world's spiritual teachings: The essence of all religions . . . is the same, affirmed Mr. Gurdjieff. Fundamentally, they are all concerned with only one thing – evolution. The teaching of each great master enables his pupils to follow a certain evolutionary path, and to arrive at a level where contact with the highest cosmic force becomes possible. At their root, all the teachings are one and the same, each having as its purpose to help us attain this possibility. (64)

16

It is possible that Gurdjieff connected with a living source of the perennial esoteric wisdom that lies at the heart of all of the world’s spiritual traditions, yet transcends the outer forms of each teaching. This ‘universal spirituality’ is recognized by many historical and contemporary teachers of traditional religious paths. For instance, St. Augustine maintained that Christianity existed before the time of the historical Jesus. And Murat Yagan and other Sufi teachers (65) hold that the spiritual heart of Sufism predates and is independent of Islam: “The term ‘Sufism’ is often related to the mystical teachings of Islam, but it may also be understood as something which existed long before the Prophet Muhammad, something which is not limited to the religion of Islam.” (66) This universal teaching of human spiritual evolution is preserved, according to tradition, by initiates who are sometimes referred to as an ‘Inner Circle of Humanity.’ Gurdjieff may have discovered an esoteric school connected with the Inner Circle somewhere in the East and was there prepared for a teaching mission in the West. This would suggest that Gurdjieff did not originate his System but was acting as a transmitter of ancient knowledge adapted to the needs of the contemporary world: It wasn’t that he collected bits and pieces from the great traditions and contrived some proprietary teaching. Rather, he seems to have been able to gain access to several primary sources and to make their knowledge authentically his own. If every real teaching derives from some overarching revelation, he must also have had some centering experience or experiences that connected him to the Source, to what is central. He was returning to the source of the perennial wisdom. He called it the Great Knowledge, “the powerful ancient stream of true knowledge of being.” (67)

In Meetings with Remarkable Men Gurdjieff speaks of a community he called the ‘World Brotherhood,’ which represented the universal human aspiration for spiritual truth and understanding: Any man could enter, irrespective of the religion to which he formerly belonged . . . Among the adepts of this monastery there were former Christians, Jews, Mohammedans, Buddhists, Lamaists, and even one Shamanist. All were united by God the Truth. (68)

Whether or not the ‘World Brotherhood’ is a metaphor or historical reality may be irrelevant. It points to the possibility that there is an ancient universal teaching of human spiritual transformation, leading to inner freedom and liberation, that is at the heart of all religious formulations and historical manifestations: “Gurdjieff . . . regarded knowledge of reality – what he called true “knowledge of being” – as a stream flowing from remote antiquity, passed on from age to age, from people to people, from race to race.” (69) The ultimate source of Gurdjieff’s teaching may lie not in the visible footprints of history, but in the timeless universal dimension of Consciousness and Being that is the spiritual heart of each human being.

17

NOTES

(1) Boris Mouravieff Ouspensky, Gurdjieff and Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (Chicago: Praxis Institute Press, 1997), p. 16. (2) Jeanne de Salzmann The Reality of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), p. 295. (3) Louis Pauwels Gurdjieff (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1975), pp. 176-177. (4) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 15. (5) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 286. (6) In Georgi Ivanovitch Gurdjieff: The Man, The Teaching, His Mission (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2014, p. 6), biographer William Patrick Patterson traces Gurdjieff’s travels as he searched for the origins of the Fourth Way: After a stay at the Giza Plateau, Gurdjieff journeyed southward following the Nile to the Temple of Edfu and into Abyssinia where he further discovered the ideas and principles of the Society of Akhaldans, an even more ancient teaching, which existed in Atlantis before its sinking and whose survivors migrated to Abyssinia. As over time elements of the teaching had dispersed northward to Babylon, the Hindu Kush, Tibet, and the Gobi desert, Gurdjieff made a second journey. These elements he integrated into the original Egyptian-Christian teaching and reassembled and reformulated this sacred esoteric teaching of self-development for our time

(7) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 286. (8) In his essay “Who is Mr. Gurdjieff” (Spiritual Survival in a Radically Changing World-Time Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2009), p. 276), William Patrick Patterson argues against the proposition that Gurdjieff’s teachings are derived from other spiritual traditions in the form of a compilation or synthesis: Critics point to elements of The Fourth Way being found in other teachings, but cannot the same be said of all teachings? That one can find in The Fourth Way elements of other teachings does not mean, let alone prove, that the teaching is simply a synthesis. One could turn the argument just as easily, arguing that the elements found in, say, Christianity are the remains of the ancient Fourth Way teaching as it was wholly given. Gurdjieff is quite clear that the teaching he brings is different and in no way a derivative.

18

(9) Yannis Toussulis Sufism and the Way of Blame (Wheaton, Illinois: Theosophical Publishing House, 2010), p. 51. (10) Franklin D. Lewis Rumi: Past and Present, East and West (Oxford, England: Oneworld Publications, 2003), p. 513. (11) James Webb The Harmonious Circle: The Lives and Works of G.I. Gurdjieff, P.D. Ouspensky, and Their Followers (Boston: Shambhala, 1987), p. 540. (12) While Gurdjieff’s psychological ideas are similar to those found in many Eastern and Western spiritual traditions, many of his cosmological ideas cannot be readily identified in other traditional teachings. Although certain aspects of his cosmology appear in the works of Plato, Pythagoras, the Gnostics and Western occult teachings, there are others for which researchers have been unable to find sources or correspondences anywhere in metaphysical and spiritual literature. (13) John G. Bennett Gurdjieff: A Very Great Enigma (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1973), pp. 1-2. (14) Jacob Needleman “Introduction” in Jacob Needleman (ed.) The Inner Journey: Views from the Gurdjieff Work (Sandpoint, Idaho: Morning Light Press, 2008), p. xxvii. (15) Michael Pittman Classical Spirituality in Contemporary America (New York: Bloomsbury, 2012), pp. 9-10. (16) Boris Mouravieff Ouspensky, Gurdjieff and Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (Chicago: Praxis Institute Press, 1997), p. 16. (17) Fourth Way student Joseph Azize observes that both Gurdjieff and Jesus expressed similar ideas and were both authentic teachers in the same sacred tradition – esoteric Christianity: “In The Gospel of Thomas there are numerous sayings which point to Jesus having taught a spiritual teaching reminiscent of many true traditions, including Gurdjieff’s.” In his essay “Gurdjieff and the Jesus Legend,” Azize asserts that Gurdjieff’s knowledge of Jesus’ life and teachings surpasses that of historical and contemporary Christian clergy (in David Kherdian (ed.) A Stopinder Anthology Mount Desert, Maine: Beech Hill Publishing, 2014, pp. 90-91): We will never know how Gurdjieff knew what he did about Christianity. But it seems that he knew whereof he spoke when he said of his own ideas and practices: “If you like, this is esoteric Christianity.” Considered as a whole, Gurdjieff made four cardinal assertions about Jesus. First, that almost everything we believe we know about Jesus is wrong. In particular, the Gospels are not entirely trustworthy documents. We cannot profit from them, such as they are, because we do not know how

19

to read them. Second, Jesus was a genuine “Messenger from OUR ENDLESSNESS.” Third, his teaching – like that of all divine teachers – was taught by a method specially adapted by him for the people amongst whom, and the circumstances in which, he was ”actualized.” Fourth, Jesus’s teaching has been distorted time and again by those who claim to be upholding it, and so it has not come down to us in its integrity. It seems to me that one could only make such statements from the position that he understands Jesus and his teaching better than anyone else, and especially better than the Christian churches.

(18) P.D. Ouspensky, A.R. Orage and Maurice Nicoll were well-versed in Christian teachings. Maurice Nicoll provides an insightful analysis of the esoteric and psychological meaning of the Gospels from a Gurdjieffian perspective in The New Man: An Interpretation of Some Parables and Miracles of Christ (Baltimore: Penguin Books,1973). (19) Robin Amis “Mouravieff and the Secret of the Source” Gnosis Magazine Summer 1991, p. 47. (20) William Patrick Patterson Spiritual Survival in a Radically Changing World-Time (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2009), p. 277. (21) According to historical sources, the Essene Brotherhood was founded 1200 years before the birth of Christ and flourished between 200 BCE and 200 CE. The Brotherhood was located in isolated communities near the Dead Sea and practised asceticism, held property in common and sought mystical communion with God. Gurdjieff believed that the Essenes preserved very ancient wisdom, and were able to influence the growth of plants through music. Some of Gurdjieff's sacred dances are said to be derived from the Essenes. (22) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 102. (23) William Patrick Patterson Taking With the Left Hand (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 1996), pp. 74-75. (24) William Patrick Patterson Georgi Ivanovitch Gurdjieff: The Man, The Teaching, His Mission (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2014), p. 522. (25) The modern symbolic approach to the study of ancient Egyptian history was pioneered by scholar R.A. Schwaller de Lubicz in his major work The Temple of Man. John Anthony West carefully studied the writings of de Lubicz and concluded that Egyptian civilization was much older than commonly believed and that the historical Egypt was predated by a much earlier civilization that was the source of later developments.

20

In Meetings with Remarkable Men Gurdjieff related that he found a map of “presand Egypt” that amazed and astonished him. Some have speculated that the map may have included the Sphinx, which conventional scholars believe was carved around 2500 BCE. However, some researchers such as Robert Schoch argue that the Sphinx is much older, perhaps dating from 7500 BCE or even earlier, at a time when Egypt had a much wetter climate and was lush with vegetation. Fourth Way author William Patterson postulates that Gurdjieff’s teachings can be traced to prehistoric Egypt, where it was transmitted from Abyssinia (Ethiopia). He further speculates that the original source was mythical Atlantis and that after a cataclysmic flood inundated their island home, the survivors migrated to Central Africa and eventually Egypt where the teaching was formulated and expressed as ‘esoteric Christianity’ predating the birth of Christ. This is consistent with the version of ancient history related by Gurdjieff in Beelzebub’s Tales to His Grandson. He writes that following a great natural disaster that sank the island of Atlantis, the surviving members of an esoteric Atlantean society, known as the ‘Akhaldans,’ migrated to Egypt where they ushered in a new spiritually-based civilization. (26) G.I. Gurdjieff Beelzebub’s Tales to His Grandson: An Objectively Impartial Criticism of the Life of Man (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1950), p. 1009. (27) G.I. Gurdjieff Meetings with Remarkable Men (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1971), p. 227. (28) Anna Challenger Philosophy and Art in Gurdjieff’s Beelzebub (Amsterdam: Rodopi Press, 2002), pp. 29-30. (29) John G. Bennett Gurdjieff: Making a New World (New York: Harper & Row, 1973), p. 135. (30) In The Teachers of Gurdjieff (London: Victor Gollancz, 1973, pp. 56-57), Rafael Lefort explains the importance of interacting with a teacher in the process of spiritual development: The teacher transmits to the pupil the baraka he himself receives from his own master. This baraka works on the pupil according to the time, place and need and the circumstances in which he finds himself. If the baraka is to produce a specific effect on the person, then it is possible that the effect can only be created if the person is in a certain geographical region and in a certain time relationship with the teaching.

(31) In Gurdjieff: A Very Great Enigma (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1973, pp. 70-71), John G. Bennett argues that Gurdjieff’s enigmatic behavior is consistent with the ‘way of blame’ of the Malamati tradition of Sufis. By using the methods of the Malamati, Gurdjieff attempted to hide his true nature and the source of his teachings:

21

There is one other characteristic of Gurdjieff that I must refer to, and that is, his adoption of a deliberate disguise in the form of putting himself in a bad light. He put on a mask that would tend to put people off, rather than draw them towards him. Now, this method – which is called by the Sufis, ‘the Way of Malamat,’ or the methods of Blame – was highly esteemed in old times among the Sufis, who regarded the Sheikhs or Pirs who went by the Way of Blame, as particularly eminent in spirituality. Such people represented themselves to the outside world in a bad light, partly in order to avoid attracting praise and admiration towards themselves, and also partly as a personal protection. This way of Malamat has been lost to sight in modern times.

(32) Anna Challenger Philosophy and Art in Gurdjieff’s Beelzebub (Amsterdam: Rodopi Press, 2002), p. 14. (33) In the 1920s at the Prieuré, new students were often assigned to kitchen duties, a practice similar to classic Mevlevi Sufi training, in which the aspirant engages in community service as a preliminary stage of their spiritual development. (34) Scholars have noted that some of the music collaboratively created by Gurdjieff and Thomas de Hartmann reflect Sufi influences (Michael Pittman Classical Spirituality in Contemporary America New York: Bloomsbury, 2012, p. 25): In addition to a range of works that reflect influence or allusion with a range of Eastern, Greek, and Christian traditions, significant weight is given historically to the music that was inspired by, or copied from Sufi sources. Indications of this influence can be found in titles of some of his works, including the dances and chants of the Sayyids, “Dervish Dance,” and the music for Gurdjieff’s movements including “Dervish #7,” “Ho-Ya Dervish,” “Camel Dervish,” and others which are based on the enneagram and some movements which include gestures from the Mevlevi Sena, or turning ceremony.

(35) Anna Challenger argues in Philosophy and Art in Gurdjieff’s Beelzebub (Amsterdam: Rodopi Press, 2002, pp. 13-14) that: As Gurdjieff cites the Mevlevi order as a source of his sacred gymnastics, his purposes in teaching dance must have coincided with those of the Whirling Dervishes. In fact, P.D. Ouspensky records that he and Gurdjieff once attended a performance of the Mevlevi in Constantinople and that Gurdjieff took the occasion to explain how the whirling of the dervishes is, among other things, a demanding mental exercise based on a complicated number system, like the movements he had taught Ouspensky and others.

(36) Mohammad Tamdgidi in his PhD dissertation Mysticism and Utopia: Towards the Sociology of Self-Knowledge and Human Architecture (A Study in Marx, Gurdjieff

22

and Mannheim) argues that the word ‘Sarmoung’ is an encrypted secret code that can be deciphered by the Sufi system of alphabetical numerology whereby each component of the Arabic/Persian alphabets is associated with numerical values. For instance, substituting the numerical equivalents for the letters S, R, M, U and N (60, 200, 40, 6 and 50) produces three associated numbers – 300, 50 and 6. When These numbers are translated back to their associated alphabets they yield the letters SH, N and U which in various combinations point to concealed meanings in the original word ‘Sarmoung.’ For example, NUSH = sweet as honey, an allusion to the bee, an ancient symbol of collecting and preserving esoteric knowledge. The various hidden meanings that Tamdgidi uncovered in the word ‘Sarmoung’ are all associated with aspects of Gurdjieff’s teaching enterprise in the West. Excerpts from his dissertation can be found at www.Gurdjieff-Bibliography.com.

(37) In Meetings with Remarkable Men (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1971, p. 18), Gurdjieff characterizes the teaching tales of the East as “sacred writings” which exert a spiritual influence on the reader or listener: These texts – and I speak particularly of the Thousand and One Nights – are works of literature in the full sense of the word. Anyone reading or hearing this book feels clearly that everything in it is a fantasy, but fantasy corresponding to truth, even though composed of episodes which are quite improbable for the ordinary life of people.

(38) In Meetings with Remarkable Men, Gurdjieff makes a number of references to dervishes and their teaching practices and ideas. Professor Michael Pittman cautions that these are symbolic rather than historically factual (Classical Spirituality in Contemporary America New York: Bloomsbury, 2012, pp. 35-36): Though references are made to dervishes, discourses by dervishes, rituals and locations associated with so-called dervishes, they remain largely elusive and symbolic. Though he likely made connections with dervishes in his search of Asia, these references, at least in the context of his narrative, primarily serve the purpose of Gurdjieff’s evocative, dialogic mode discourse about spiritual transformation . . .Thus we find, with Meetings in particular, that Gurdjieff employed references to Islam in a very general way, and the references to specific Sufi traditions and practices remain largely indefinite and allusive. Despite the apparent indefiniteness with which he treats them, he does take strides to present these figures, traditions, and teachings as sources of authentic and, moreover, advanced knowledge. Nonetheless, it is important to keep in mind that Gurdjieff attempts to mediate his discourses on the soul with his depictions of Sufi and other esoteric topics, to the particular audience at the time and place of his writings.

(39) In The People of the Secret (London: Octagon Press, 1983, p. 166), Ernest Scott claims that Beelzebub is the anglicized equivalent of B’il Sahab, which is Arabic for “the man with a motive or aim.” 23

(40) Ernest Scott The People of the Secret (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp.166-67. (41) Anna Challenger Philosophy and Art in Gurdjieff’s Beelzebub (Amsterdam: Rodopi Press, 2002), p. 26. (42) Nasrudin’s role of the ‘wise fool’ calls to mind Gurdjieff’s conscious role-playing and unconventional behaviour with his students, which is similar to that of teachers who follow the ‘Path of Blame’ in order to illustrate common human patterns of mechanical and conditioned behaviour. (43) Professor Michael Pittman cautions that Gurdjieff’s use of Mullah Nassr Eddin in Beelzebub’s Tales does not necessarily support the contention that his teachings were directly derived from Sufism (Classical Spirituality in Contemporary America New York: Bloomsbury, 2012, p. 88): One of the most forceful arguments against an explicit Sufi connection and the Mullah, is that most, if not all, of the stories of the Mullah that appear in Beelzebub’s Tales have likely been devised by Gurdjieff himself. This is not to say that the stories of Nasrudin are not used in a serious teaching context where they are understood to have different levels of meaning. In fact, they are . . . Gurdjieff borrows the model, or form, but not necessarily its content, and he does so to serve, as with other Sufi elements in Beelzebub’s Tales, his own specific aims. This does not discount the possibility for understanding Gurdjieff’s work in terms of Sufi discourse, with stories containing multiple layers of meaning. However, a viable interpretation needs to account for similarities and differences; for it is in both that we find the uniqueness of Gurdjieff’s discourse.

(44) In the 1950s, following Gurdjieff’s death, Bennett travelled extensively in the Near and Middle East. In Gurdjieff: Making a New World (New York: Harper & Row, 1973, p. 79) he describes his contacts with Naqshbandi Sufi schools: I met several schools of the Naq’shbandi dervishes and found that organization and methods corresponded to a remarkable degree with Gurdjieff’s description. The Naq’shbandis are known to be the successors of the Khwajagan and they are similarly engaged in practical undertakings for the good of society. This is said to be a mark of a Fourth Way school. They also attach importance to balanced development of all sides of man’s nature.

(45) Idries Shah sought out English followers of Gurdjieff, most notably John G. Bennett, in the 1960s and tried to convince them that Gurdjieff’s teachings were incomplete and largely derived from the Naqshbandi school of Sufism. He published a number of important books on Sufism in the ensuing decades, which were generally wellreceived by both academics and the general public. He brought popular attention

24

to the tales of Mulla Nasrudin in the 1960s and 1970s with his collections of stories about the Mulla as a Sufi teaching figure who humorously illustrated the foibles of human nature. See his The Pleasantries of the Incredible Mulla Nasrudin, The Exploits of the Incomparable Mulla Nasrudin and The Subtleties of the Inimitable Mulla Nasrudin. (46) According to tradition, the School called the Khwajagan (‘Masters of Wisdom’) was the original source of esoteric teaching dating from remote antiquity before the ‘Flood.’ In The Masters of Wisdom, John G. Bennett proposes that the Khwajagan were the forerunners of the Naqshbandi Sufi tradition and may have been linked to the Sarmoung Brotherhood. (47) Murat Yagan The Teachings of Kebzeh (Vernon, B.C.: Kebzeh Publications, 1995) p. 11. (48) Idries Shah The Way of the Sufi (London: Octagon Press, 1984), p. 40. (49) Ernest Scott elaborates on this point in The People of the Secret (London: Octagon Press, 1983, p. 168): The Sufis in Afghanistan are closely connected with these People, but no one will tell an outsider anything more than that these monasteries exist. They say that the only outsider to have penetrated into the outer ring of monasteries was a Russian-Greek, George Gurdjieff, whose contacts enabled him to be accepted as a pupil . . . Said to have been trained by Bahauddin Nakshband, one of the “outer masters”, Gurdjieff mastered some of the teachings and tried to teach them in the West.

(50) Max Gorman Stairway to the Stars: Sufism, Gurdjieff and the Inner Tradition of Mankind (London: Aeon Books, 2010), p. 71. (51) William Patrick Patterson Spiritual Survival in a Radically Changing World-Time (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2009), p. 288. (52) William Patrick Patterson Spiritual Survival in a Radically Changing World-Time (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2009), p. 288. (53) James Webb The Harmonious Circle: The Lives and Works of G.I. Gurdjieff, P.D. Ouspensky, and Their Followers (Boston: Shambhala, 1987), p. 529. (54) James Webb The Harmonious Circle: The Lives and Works of G.I. Gurdjieff, P.D. Ouspensky, and Their Followers (Boston: Shambhala, 1987), p. 530. (55) Ravi Ravindra discusses some of the evidence for this influence in “Gurdjieff Work and the Teaching of Krishna” in Jacob Needleman and George Baker (eds.) Gurdjieff: Essays and Reflections on the Man and his Teachings (New York: Continuum, 1996, pp. 214-215):

25

Gurdjieff travelled widely and may have been influenced by the various strands of the vast Indian tradition, either directly or indirectly, through Tibet and other parts of Asia. He refers to India on many occasions in his writings, often with the suggestion that in ancient times, if not now, esoteric schools with real knowledge had existed there. He even referred to himself as a ‘Hindu’ in his first public pronouncements in a Moscow newspaper in 1914 regarding the performance of ‘an Indian mystery play’ called The Struggle of the Magicians. This particular instance may not be anything more than a useful role-playing, but there is no doubt that he was very knowledgeable about Indian traditions and often mercilessly critical of their exaggerations and of the many fads derived from India current in the occult and spiritual circles of his day.

(56) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 286. (57) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 287. (58) Idries Shah makes this point in The Commanding Self (London: Octagon Press, 1994, p. 286.): The Enneagon, or nine-pointed figure, is by no means unknown in ‘occult’ circles in the West. I remember a drawing of it from a manuscript in the Library of Grenoble, for instance . . . It came to Europe with the Kabbala, based on the quite well-known mathematical work of the ancient Arab philosopher Ibn el-Laith, and this fact is mentioned in the Legacy of Islam, in the chapter of mathematics. It was thus by no means unknown in medieval circles.

(59) Merrily E. Taylor, ed. Remembering Pyotr Demianovich Ouspensky (New Haven: Yale University Library, 1978), pp. 31-32. (60) Frank Sinclair Of the Life Aligned (U.S.A.: Xlibris, 2009), p. 45. (61) Ravi Ravindra discusses the universal nature of Gurdjieff’s teachings in “Gurdjieff Work and the Teaching of Krishna” in Jacob Needleman and George Baker, eds. Gurdjieff: Essays and Reflections on the Man and his Teachings (New York: Continuum, 1996, p. 216): Gurdjieff was a traditionalist, although from all accounts a very untraditional one, in the sense that he had enormous respect for the traditions and believed that all the major traditions once carried a kernel of truth which has, in general, been lost and which may be recovered from the fragments which have been preserved in the sacred texts and ceremonies of many religions. He

26

referred to his Work as “esoteric Christianity,” but one feels that, in other contexts, he might have called it “esoteric Buddhism” or “esoteric Islam” as well.

(62) Tcheslaw Tchekhovitch Gurdjieff: A Master in Life (Toronto: Dolmen Meadows Editions, 2006), p. 45. (63) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 285. (64) Tcheslaw Tchekhovitch Gurdjieff: A Master in Life (Toronto: Dolmen Meadows Editions, 2006), p. 43. (65) Sufis have sometimes been called “esoteric Christians” because they regard Jesus as a hierophant and teacher of the Way, recognized by some as the “greatest Sufi.” The Sufi master Hakim Jami declared that Sufism transcended Islam and that Hermes, Pythagoras, Plato and Hippocrates represented an unbroken line of Sufic transmission. Mohammed himself revered Abraham, Moses and Jesus as great teachers of the same monotheistic religion that he revealed. In A Perfumed Scorpion (London: Octagon Press, 1983, p. 159), Idries Shah suggests that Sufism, in its fullest sense, is the “flower” or inner dimension of all religions, compatible with Islam but also existing independently of the prophetic tradition: Sufism has been known under many names, to all peoples, from the beginning of human times . . . it was transmitted by the Prophet Mohammed as the inner component of all religion . . . it also persisted side by side with the Prophetic transmission, as, for instance, in the independent witness of the historical figure of Uways al-Qarni, a contemporary of the Prophet who, however, never met him.

However, Islamic traditionalists dispute the contention that Sufism is a universal spirituality that predates Islam. They do not believe that mysticism can take nonreligious forms and hold that Sufism is a strictly Islamic religious path expressed through traditional Sufi Orders. (66) Murat Yagan “Sufism and the Source” Gnosis Magazine Fall, 1994, p. 41. (67) Frank Sinclair Of the Life Aligned (U.S.A.: Xlibris, 2009), p. 12. (68) G.I. Gurdjieff Meetings with Remarkable Men (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1971), p. 239. (69) Jeanne de Salzmann The Reality of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), p. xii.

27

AUTHENTICITY AS A SPIRITUAL TEACHER1

Gurdjieff first emerged as a spiritual teacher in 1908 in Tashkent, Turkestan, where he attracted a small circle of pupils. His teaching activity from this initial stage until 1912 is largely shrouded in mystery and cannot be independently verified in any way. Research by John Bennett and biographer James Moore suggests that this period was essentially experimental, as Gurdjieff tested his ideas and teaching methods on a wide spectrum of personality types. Bennett notes that Gurdjieff in his writings claimed to have contacted an esoteric school based in Central Asia to seek permission to teach before entering a more formal phase of teaching, but he considered the evidence on this point inconclusive: “We have no other evidence that Gurdjieff set up his Institute with the authority or at least the approval of a higher school, but he spoke both in Russia and at the Prieuré of schools in Central Asia with which he was in communication and to whom he sent specially prepared pupils.” (1) Gurdjieff arrived in Moscow in early 1912 to begin his public teaching career. Accounts by his pupils during this time indicate that Gurdjieff was generally vague and indefinite about the sources of his knowledge and his connection with those who transmitted it to him, but did mention “Tibetan monasteries, the Chitral, Mount Athos; Sufi schools in Persia, in Bokhara and eastern Turkestan . . . and dervishes of various orders.” (2) Early in the Russian phase of his teaching, Gurdjieff discussed with his students the three traditional paths or ways of spiritual development: the body (‘the way of the fakir’); the emotions (‘the way of the monk’); and the mind (‘the way of the yogi’). He suggested that there existed another way based on the simultaneous development of all three aspects, which he called the Fourth Way: “Instead of discipline, faith and meditation, this way calls for the awakening of another intelligence – knowing and understanding.” (3) Gurdjieff placed particular importance on this path and emphasized that this teaching was unique and previously unknown to the West. (4)

Conflict with Traditional Religious Beliefs

Critics of Gurdjieff’s teaching have focused on three major issues: Gurdjieff’s belief in a ‘Fourth Way,’ which is independent of traditional spiritual paths; his claim that contemporary religions represent a distortion of once valid teachings; and his unorthodox interpretation of many traditional Christian beliefs. Gurdjieff’s contention that a more comprehensive and superior path of inner development (the Fourth Way) exists beyond the traditional ways has disturbed some 1

Updated 2017/05/26

1

traditional metaphysicians and philosophers like Whithall Perry: “Thus in one stroke do we see the likes of Rumi, St. Francis of Assisi, and Sankârachârya eliminated – unless one replies that they were secret practitioners of the Fourth Way.” (5) René Guénon was especially critical of Gurdjieff, calling him a “charlatan” and disapproving of his Fourth Way teachings which, he claimed, failed to give sufficient emphasis to the performance of religious rituals and sacraments for purification of the soul. Gurdjieff was clearly conversant with the tenets and practices of the major world religions, but was generally dismissive of traditional religions, believing them to be virtually useless as vehicles for spiritual development. (6) In his writings, especially Beelzebub’s Tales to His Grandson, Gurdjieff argued that modern Christianity, Buddhism and Islam have been modified and distorted out of all recognition from their original forms. With respect to Christianity he charged that “into this teaching of truth and verity, they began also to mix for various egoistic and political reasons, fragments taken from other religious teachings . . . [which] had not only nothing in common with the teaching of Jesus, but which sometimes even flatly contradicted the truths this Divine Teacher taught.” (7) He felt that Buddhism and Islam had undergone a similar process of dis-tortion. Although many of Gurdjieff’s ideas have been criticized for their departure from traditional religious dogma and beliefs, much of the criticism is due to a failure to distinguish between the outer (exoteric) form of religious observances and beliefs and the inner (esoteric) spiritual core: Every real religion . . . consists of two parts. One part teaches what is to be done. This part becomes common knowledge and in the course of time is distorted and departs from the original. The other part teaches how to do what the first part teaches. This part is preserved in secret in special schools and with its help it is always possible to rectify what has been distorted in the first part or to restore what has been forgotten . . . This secret part exists in Christianity also as well as in other religions and it teaches how to carry out the precepts of Christ and what they really mean. (8)

Gurdjieff’s contention that religions undergo a process of degeneration with the passage of time is borne out in many spiritual traditions. It is almost a natural law that a valid spiritual teaching will be subject to change and dilution over time, particularly its external practices which may be different or even in complete conflict with earlier forms. Research by contemporary religious scholars has shown that many Christian texts like the New Testament scriptures have been modified from their original meaning through editing and imperfect translation. This supports Gurdjieff’s claim that: “There exists no explanation that even approximately resembles the truth, because what is written in the Gospels has been in the first place, much distorted in being copied and translated; and secondly, it is written for those who know.” (9)

2

Following his death in 1949, Gurdjieff was reviled by some members of the French Catholic hierarchy, who called him an “emissary of the devil.” This antipathy toward Gurdjieff was partly due to his perceived heretical pronouncements regarding certain traditional Christian beliefs. Gurdjieff for his part generally held Catholic priests and representatives of the Church in contempt, sometimes shouting at them in public or swearing “Shoo! Son of a bitch.” (10) Gurdjieff departed from orthodox Christian doctrine by insisting that Jesus was not unique nor the only ‘Son of God.’ He regarded Jesus Christ as one of a number of ‘Messengers from Above,’ including Buddha, Mohammed, Moses and Saint Lama. Gurdjieff also disavowed the resurrection of Christ following his death, stating that once a person dies they will never exist again as the same being. Gurdjieff maintained that Judas was a saint and the most devoted and evolved of the disciples: He alone under-stood the purpose of Jesus’ mission on earth and served a higher good by his selfless action and conscious betrayal of Christ. Gurdjieff denied that God was omnipotent and in his writings preferred to use bombastic expressions like “OUR COMMON ALL-EMBRACING UNI-BEING AUTOCRAT ENDLESSNESS” to describe the Creator. He referred to the deity worshipped by most Christians as “Mister God” and reserved little respect for their prayers and petitions to this being. A further irritant was his choice of Beelzebub, a fallen angel, as the central character in Beelzebub’s Tales to His Grandson. Gurdjieff taught a version of the history of Christianity completely at variance with orthodox Christian dogma. He argued that the Christian religion existed many millennia before the birth of Jesus Christ: The Christian church, the Christian form of worship, was not invented by the fathers of the church. It was all taken in a ready made form from Egypt, only not from the Egypt that we know but from one which we do not know . . . Only small bits of it survived in historical times, and these bits have been preserved in secret and so well that we do not even know where they have been preserved. It will seem strange to many people when I say that this prehistoric Egypt was Christian many thousands of years before the birth of Christ, that is to say, that its religion was composed of the same principles and ideas that constitute true Christianity. (11)

Perhaps the most controversial of Gurdjieff’s ideas, particularly offensive to Christians, was his radical reinterpretation of what occurred at the Last Supper. He claimed that Christ’s disciples actually ate his flesh and drank his blood, not bread and wine, as part of a sacramental ceremony: “[His disciples] wanted to establish a permanent link with Christ . . . The Last Supper was a magical ceremony similar to ‘blood-brotherhood’ for establishing a connection between ‘astral bodies’.” (12)

3

Authority and Mandate to Teach

Critics have questioned whether Gurdjieff was ever in fact given the authority and mandate to teach. Three points of view, which reflect their degrees of skepticism, have gained currency among his critics:

• • •

Gurdjieff did not receive valid teachings or transmission from an authentic spiritual lineage. He was transmitted real esoteric knowledge from an authentic source, but was not given formal authorization to teach. He was an authentic spiritual teacher, but the validity and relevance of his teaching mission ended with his death.

In discussing the transmission of esoteric knowledge, Gurdjieff sometimes alluded to an unbroken line of initiates or an ‘inner circle of humanity’ who are the custodians of an ancient knowledge of human spiritual development. Gurdjieff’s father, a storyteller who passed on to his young son legends of antiquity, was probably the first to suggest to him the possibility of some unseen influence linking all generations: As a youth, Gurdjieff became obsessed with the idea that there was a purpose and aim behind human life which was hardly ever glimpsed in the ceaseless generations of man. He became convinced that in former epochs man had possessed genuine knowledge of such matters, and that this knowledge was still preserved, somehow, somewhere. (13)

This belief has been decried by some critics, who object to the exclusivity implied in a spiritual transmission outside the boundaries of traditional teaching frameworks. Some of the most virulent critics of the ‘inner circle of initiates’ concept are those associated with the traditionalist metaphysical school of René Guénon: Since Gurdjieff claimed to be the recipient of teachings transmitted from antiquity, all depends on being able to determine whether or not the spiritual organization(s) involved and the line(s) of transmission are authentic, valid, and orthodox . . . It goes without saying that anyone purporting to come from the fastnesses of Central Asia with a teaching for the West about the regeneration of mankind could simplify matters enormously by presenting clear and unequivocal credentials. (14)

Guénon and his followers claim that the transmission of a valid spiritual teaching through an unbroken line of teachers and their successors ensures the authenticity of the teaching. This view is echoed in other spiritual traditions like Zen Buddhism: Starting from the time of the Buddha Shakyamuni, correct Buddhism has been transmitted from master to disciple. Where the master’s enlightenment has been authentic and sanctioned by his master, he has been able to sanction the enlightenment of his disciples by using his own experience

4

as a guide . . . It is necessary, first of all, in order to ensure the transmission of true Buddhism from master to disciple. If this hadn’t been done, there would be no authentic Zen today. (15)

However, others have argued that transmission of a spiritual teaching such as Zen Buddhism from one teacher to another does not necessarily guarantee that it will not be distorted: “There is at present no way for people in the modern West to verify the historical authenticity of any of the Zen lineages – in the sense of proving or disproving the understanding and teaching of each and every link in a lineage – to ascertain whether any deviation occurred along the way.” (16) Whether or not the teachings that Gurdjieff was imparting were part of an authentic spiritual transmission may ultimately be a moot point, since it may not be possible to verify that the teachings he imparted were preserved in their original form through an accurate chain of transmission. The second viewpoint, that Gurdjieff lacked formal permission to teach, is somewhat more generous than that of the traditionalist school, but is still critical of Gurdjieff’s decision to teach. A prime advocate of this position is the Sufi teacher Omar Ali-Shah, brother of Idries Shah. He maintains that permission to teach the Fourth Way path must be conferred by a series of teachers who have been responsible for the student’s spiritual development. No one, he asserts, should seek to teach others without a mandate from his or her teachers, and in this sense Gurdjieff was remiss: Gurdjieff certainly had been passed from Master to Master and he had most certainly assimilated various techniques, terms of reference, music, movement and other things; but he was not mandated to teach . . . Anybody from our Tradition who is sent to a particular area must and does have a mandate from his teachers. That is his only authority to teach. Without that mandate, a person who has learnt or assimilated certain things can do a lot of damage. That is why there is such an insistence on the production of an actual mandate . . . Gurdjieff did not have such a mandate. (17)

A further reason for insisting on a mandate to teach was that Gurdjieff began teaching in a Western culture that had virtually no previous experience with Eastern esoteric teachers. Potential students had no way of judging whether or not Gurdjieff was an authentic spiritual guide with authorization to teach from a legitimate lineage or tradition. P.D. Ouspensky maintained, after he separated from his teacher, that progress on the Fourth Way path beyond a certain stage requires direct contact with the source of the teaching:

5

I am still as certain as ever that there is a great Source from which our system has come. Mr. Gurdjieff must have had contact with that Source, but I do not believe that it was a complete contact. Something is missing, and he has not been able to find it. If we cannot find it through him, then our only hope is to have a direct contact with the Source. (18)

Ali-Shah agrees that Gurdjieff did not have an ongoing connection with the source of his teaching, in which a consistent current of spiritual energy passes between the two. Ouspensky’s stated desire to make that link with the source of the teaching (19) only serves to highlight for Ali-Shah Gurdjieff’s presumption to teach without a clear mandate: “Ouspensky too did not have the contact, but the difference between them was that he was certainly more conscious of the fact that a very positive thread of that type had to be searched for, and found . . . the difference between Ouspensky and Gurdjieff was that Ouspensky had a conscience.” (20) The final point of view acknowledges that Gurdjieff was taught by authentic schools of esoteric knowledge and was mandated to teach but maintains that effective transmis-sion of his teaching lasted only as long as Gurdjieff was alive. Rafael Lefort (21), who purportedly travelled throughout the East in search of Gurdjieff’s teachers and sources of knowledge, asked Sheikh Daud Yusuf whether Gurdjieff’s teaching authority was transmitted to any of his students: Gurdjieff passed his authority to none . . . There was value when it was projected, in the place where it was projected. It was only one step towards a fuller realization of the complete message. A step towards preparing a climate of a certain character. He charged none to carry the dead embers into the future under the name of a burning fire. (22)

Lefort concludes that Gurdjieff was taught, prepared and supervised for a specific task by the ‘Guardians of the Tradition’ as “he bore all the signs of being in the ranks of those who are sent out to learn and be fashioned and then taught and sent out to teach.” (23) Lefort also claims that Gurdjieff reported back regularly to his teachers on the results of the experiments he was instructed to perform. Lefort suggests that Gurdjieff’s task was to teach certain ideas and practices and prepare the West for a “certain purpose” related to the introduction of esoteric teachings from some primary ‘Centre’ or source of higher knowledge. However, Lefort believed that after Gurdjieff’s death his teachings were diluted and became inflexible and unresponsive to the spiritual needs of the contemporary world: A teaching that is designed to be transmitted at a specific time lasts only as long as the pause until another stage comes into being . . . Gurdjieff had certain things to say and he said them. The moment that the fragments he had were directed to another sphere, then his teaching ceased to have any value. What exists in the West, based on what he did and said and not on what he knew, is a shadow of subjective imagination. It has become a way of existence rather than a path towards something. (24)

6

Commentary

Gurdjieff spoke of the nature and characteristics of esoteric knowledge only in the most general terms, alluding to a ‘Great Knowledge’ which is passed down through the ages by initiates. During a talk to his students at Essentuki in 1918 he described how this knowledge is transmitted: “It is communicated openly after a definite trial to those who seek it and is preserved by oral transmission in the chain of those who know.” (25) Many of Gurdjieff’s followers believe that his teaching was handed down orally through the ages by initiates versed in esoteric knowledge, independent of traditional channels of spiritual transmission. Margaret Anderson suspected that this teaching was a “science belonging to the knowledge of antiquity” (26) and that it was transmitted to Gurdjieff at some point in his search for esoteric knowledge. Attempts to identify the specific source(s) of this teaching from Gurdjieff’s writings and talks or the independent investigations of others have been inconclusive. Some believe he contacted a school of wisdom located in Central Asia, perhaps the Sarmoung Brotherhood, while others propose that his teaching was a composite of the many spiritual traditions he encountered in his years of travel in the East. Yet others point to his statement that his teaching was essentially esoteric Christianity. When asked about the source of his teachings, Gurdjieff gave vague and conflicting answers, sometimes suggesting that he originated the system of ideas that he transmitted to the West (27), while at other times hinting that he was in contact with others who guided his teaching mission. Senior students of Gurdjieff have recorded conversations with their teacher which strongly imply that he was not working alone or independently. John Bennett claimed that on more than one occasion Gurdjieff stated that “Every man must have a teacher. Even I, Gurdjieff, have my teacher.” (28) And, A.R. Orage reported that Gurdjieff once remarked, “I am small compared with those who sent me.” (29) Bennett, after carefully reviewing the available evidence that Gurdjieff had been initiated by a school of esoteric knowledge, concluded that he “was not taking decisions entirely on his own initiative, but was consulting with the school with which he had previously been connected.” (30) Other events in Gurdjieff’s life also suggest that he was entrusted with a sacred task, to introduce an ancient spiritual teaching to the West and prepare the ground for those who would follow. After seeing the first proofs of the American Edition of Beelzebub’s Tales to His Grandson, he told his pupils that his work was now completed and his task in life was coming to an end. And near the end of his life, Gurdjieff was asked what would follow when he died. He is said to have replied: “Another will come. You will not be left alone.” (31) Perhaps we will never know the circumstances by which Gurdjieff received the esoteric knowledge he possessed. By their very nature much of the inner content of esoteric teachings are transmitted orally, hidden from view and therefore essentially invisible.

7

The question of Gurdjieff’s validity as an authentic spiritual teacher can also be approached through the historical record of how and whom he taught. Throughout the years of his teaching in the West, he attracted students of the highest quality. These included important writers and intellectuals (P.D. Ouspensky, A.R. Orage, Jean Toomer, John Bennett), physicians (Maurice Nicoll, Kenneth Walker, William Welch), artists and musicians (Alexander de Salzmann, Thomas de Hartmann, Frank Lloyd Wright) and accomplished dancers (Olga Ivanovna Hinzenburg, Jeanne de Salzmann, Jessmin Howarth). The forms that Gurdjieff created to transmit his teachings to the West are also instructive. The Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man at the Prieuré was the quintessential model for intensive group work as an integral component of the spiritual path. Although this great experiment in the power of a consciously directed spiritual community was drawn to a premature close by Gurdjieff’s automobile accident in 1924, it remains the clearest example of the possibilities of accelerated spiritual growth through a multifaceted approach that engaged body, emotions and mind simultaneously: All serious accounts of the conditions Gurdjieff created at the Prieuré give the impression of a community life pulsating with the uncompromising search for truth, engaging all sides of human nature – demanding physical work, intensive emotional interactions, and the study of a vast range of ideas about humanity and the universal world. These accounts invariably speak of the encounter with oneself that these conditions made possible and the experience of the self which accompanied this encounter. (32)

Gurdjieff’s writings, especially Beelzebub’s Tales to His Grandson and Meetings with Remarkable Men, are considered by some to be examples of objective art, which touch the essence and heart of those who read and hear their words, and awaken the human aspiration for a connection with the sacred. The level of the ideas expressed in these books and in those of other pupils (P.D. Ouspensky’s In Search of the Miraculous and Jeanne de Salzmann’s The Reality of Being) are of the highest order and point to a conscious source for their powerful spiritual impact. Gurdjieff’s Movements and sacred dances, as well as the music that frequently accompanied their performance, have also been called examples of objective art. They evoke a sacred realm of being that transcends our ordinary perception of reality and point to the infinite possibilities that lie at the innermost depths of each human being. The testimonials of Gurdjieff’s students about their teacher’s undeniable depth of knowledge and level of being also support the contention that Gurdjieff was an authentic spiritual teacher with the ability to awaken his students to a higher level of reality:

•

“He had a presence impossible to describe . . . We immediately recognized Gurdjieff as a kind of man we had never seen.” (Margaret Anderson The Unknowable Gurdjieff) 8

•

“We cannot judge Gurdjieff from our level. He lives from essence and, in a great measure, according to objective reason . . . For me Gurdjieff represents objective sanity. He lives the Teaching, while we talk about it.” (C.S. Nott Teachings of Gurdjieff)

•

“He was living permanently in a state of Awakeness . . . Gurdjieff manifested himself in ways . . . so different from those of others that they constituted a plain and perceptible difference in level of existence upon his part.” (C. Daly King The States of Human Consciousness)

•

“I felt myself in a presence. He had a certain quality that one might call mythological . . . he was a man whom you recognized but you didn’t know what you were recognizing.” (P.L. Travers The Life of P.L. Travers)

•

“It was not what he did but what he was – his expression, his gestures, his tone of voice as well as the words he said. In his presence one had the sense of being fed a new food, a food for which one had been starved all one’s life.” (A.L. Staveley Memories of Gurdjieff)

•

“When you were near him, every attitude, every gesture was very different from ordinary life, he made you feel another dimension, another possibility of ‘being.’ Everything was wide awake, as though I had found a lost paradise.” (Solange Claustres in Gurdjieff: Essays and Reflections on the Man and His Teaching)

•

“Gurdjieff is not a single man but a multitude, a crowd of two thousand million men, as many as he is able to incarnate. A developed Being tries to incarnate in himself as many as possible, so that his experience can be complete. Through that multitude there walks a sage. In his talk there is always teaching. You must watch for it, not be put off.” (Jane Heap in Georgi Ivanovitch Gurdjieff: The Man, The Teaching, His Mission)

•

“The first impression of Gurdjieff was very strong, unforgettable. He had an expression I had never seen, and an intelligence, a force, that was different, not the usual intelligence of the thinking mind but a vision that could see everything. He was, at the same time, both kind and very, very demanding. You felt he would see you and show you what you were in a way you would never forget in your whole life.” (Jeanne de Salzmann The Reality of Being)

In his recent biography, William Patrick Patterson describes the formidable challenge of measuring and evaluating Gurdjieff’s stature as a spiritual teacher: Unlike Mr. Gurdjieff’s students, who experienced him directly and in many settings and situations, our estimate of him is limited to his writings, his students’ personal accounts, and our own level of understanding. Those who

9

think they know Gurdjieff will relegate him to one end of the stick or the other. For most others the word most likely used will be enigmatic, which, interestingly, is defined by Webster’s as having three meanings. The first, “to speak in riddles” or “an obscure speech or writing.” The second, “something hard to understand or explain.” And the third, “an inscrutable or mysterious person.” Accordingly then, Gurdjieff is “an inscrutable or mysterious person who speaks in riddles and obscure speech or writing and is hard to understand or explain.” The title of Margaret Anderson’s book puts it more simply, The Unknowable Gurdjieff. For those who believe they can know who Gurdjieff is if they know the facts of his life, the problem is, as Jane Heap warned the Rope: “You mustn’t think of conscious beings as an extension of the consciousness you have. And understand, it’s on a different plane. (33)

The weight of evidence supports the proposition that Gurdjieff was an authentic spiritual teacher with the capacity to awaken in others the ‘germ of objective knowledge’ and lead them to a higher level of being: “Gurdjieff was a spiritual ‘master’ in the traditional sense – not as a teacher of doctrine but as one who by his very presence awakens and helps others in their search for consciousness.” (34) That he was imperfect and still struggling with his human weaknesses he readily admitted in his writings (Life Is Real Only Then, When “I Am”) and in conversations with students. (“Thousands more developed than me. I have far to go.”) His critics seem to miss the point by focusing on those aspects of his teaching and personal conduct that contradict their preconceptions of how a spiritual teacher should live their life and express their ideas. (35) In the 1930s Denis Saurat, professor of French Literature at King’s College, Cambridge and noted author, described Gurdjieff in these terms: Gurdjieff is a Lohan. A Lohan is a man who has gone to schools and by incredible exertions and study has perfected himself. He then comes back into ordinary life, sits in cafés, drinks, has women, and lives the life of a man, but more intensely. It was accepted that the rules of ordinary man did not apply to him. He teaches, and people come to him to learn objective truths. In the East a Lohan was understood. The West does not understand. A teacher in the West must appear to behave like an English gentleman. (36)

Gurdjieff’s personal wish, he told his students, “was to live and teach so that there should be a new conception of God in the world, a change in the very meaning of the word.” (37) Perhaps the ultimate measure of a spiritual teacher, beyond personality, methods and capacity, is their breadth of vision and purity of intention: Gurdjieff’s fundamental aim was to help human beings awaken to the meaning of our existence and to the efforts we must make to realize that meaning in the midst of the life we have been given. As with every

10

messenger of the spirit, Gurdjieff’s fundamental intention was ultimately for the sake of others, never only for himself . . . what may begin to touch us is the unique quality of selflessness in his actions, the sacrifices he made, both for those who came to him and for all of humanity. We begin to understand that his life was a work of love. (38)

NOTES

(1) John G. Bennett Gurdjieff: Making a New World (New York: Harper & Row, 1973), p. 111. (2) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 36. (3) Jeanne de Salzmann The Reality of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), p. xiii. (4) Jeanne de Salzmann, who was Gurdjieff’s pupil for more than forty years, believes that the ancient Fourth Way teaching he brought to the West contained knowledge from a higher level that could be understood only when it became a ‘living’ teaching. In The Reality of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010, p. 23) she writes: The science underlying the Fourth Way is ancient, although it has been forgotten. It is a science that studies man not just as he is but as he can become. It regards man as having a possibility of evolving, and studies the facts, the principles and the laws of this evolution. This is an evolution of certain qualities that cannot develop by themselves. It cannot be mechanical. This evolution calls for conscious effort and for seeing . . . The Fourth Way is to be lived.

(5) Whithall Perry Gurdjieff in Light of Tradition (Bedfont, Middlesex: Perennial Books, 1978), p. 46. (6) Some followers of established religions, especially Christians, have been critical of what they perceive as Gurdjieff’s dismissal and contempt of religion. A closer examination of Gurdjieff’s writings reveals a more complex and sophisticated point of view. Gurdjieff always respected the founders of the great world religions and the spiritual principles they conveyed. Rather, he took issue with the way that religious values and beliefs were practised by the majority of the followers of certain faiths. In a talk to his students recorded by P.D. Ouspensky (In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949, p. 299) he elaborated: Religion is doing: a man does not merely think his religion or feel it, he ‘lives’ his religion as much as he is able, otherwise it is not religion

11

but fantasy or philosophy. Whether he likes it or not he shows his attitude towards religion by his actions and he can show his attitude only by his actions. Therefore if his actions are opposed to those which are demanded by a given religion he cannot assert that he belongs to that religion. The vast majority of people who call themselves Christians have no right whatever to do so, because they not only fail to carry out the demands of their religion but they do not even think that these demands ought to be carried out . . . No one has a right to call themselves a Christian who does not carry out Christ’s precepts.

(7) G.I. Gurdjieff Beelzebub’s Tales to His Grandson (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1950), pp. 702-703. (8) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 97. (9) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 304. (10) Luba Gurdjieff Everitt Luba Gurdjieff: A Memoir with Gurdjieff (Berkeley: California: SLG Books, 1997), p. 64. (11) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 302. (12) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), pp. 97-98. (13) Ernest Scott The People of the Secret (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 157-158. (14) Whithall Perry Gurdjieff: In Light of Tradition (Bedfont, Middlesex: Perennial Books, 1978), p. 9. (15) Philip Kapleau The Three Pillars of Zen (New York: Anchor Books, 1989), p. 139. (16) Thomas Cleary Transmission of Light (San Francisco: North Point Press, 1990), p. xx. (17) Omar Ali-Shah The Sufi Tradition in the West (New York: Alif, 1994), pp. 223224. (18) John G. Bennett Witness: The Autobiography of John G. Bennett (Tucson: Omen Press, 1974), p. 154. (19) In the late 1930s Ouspensky and some of his senior students attempted to make contact with representatives of certain Sufi Orders which they believed could lead

12

them to the source of Gurdjieff’s teaching. But with the outbreak of the Second World War the project was abandoned. (20) Omar Ali-Shah The Sufi Tradition in the West (New York: Alif, 1994), p. 226. (21) Rafael Lefort is widely believed in spiritual circles to be a pseudonym of Idries Shah, the Sufi author and teacher. His book The Teachers of Gurdjieff is clearly constructed as a series of fables and is not meant to represent factual reality. However, it does present an interesting Sufi perspective on the nature of Gurdjieff’s teaching mission and the sources of his knowledge. (22) Rafael Lefort The Teachers of Gurdjieff (London: Victor Gollancz, 1973), p. 32. (23) Rafael Lefort The Teachers of Gurdjieff (London: Victor Gollancz, 1973), p. 56. (24) Rafael Lefort The Teachers of Gurdjieff (London: Victor Gollancz, 1973), p. 131. (25) G.I. Gurdjieff Views From the Real World (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1973), p. 56. (26) Margaret Anderson The Unknowable Gurdjieff (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1962), p. 6. (27) Thomas de Hartmann in Our Life with Mr. Gurdjieff (London: Penguin Books, 1992, p. 183) recorded Gurdjieff’s response to a question by an English student at the Prieuré in the 1920s regarding the source of his ideas: Q: Does the teaching of Mr. Gurdjieff form part of some historical school still in existence? A: My teaching is my own. It combines all the evidence of ancient truth that I collected in my travels with all the knowledge I have acquired through my own personal work.

(28) John G. Bennett Gurdjieff: Making a New World (New York: Harper & Row, 1973), p. 80. (29) C.S. Nott Journey Through This World (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1969), p. 31. (30) John G. Bennett Gurdjieff: Making a New World (New York: Harper & Row, 1973), p. 173. (31) John G. Bennett Witness: The Autobiography of John G. Bennett (Tucson: Omen Press, 1974), p. 284.

13

(32) Jacob Needleman “Introduction” in The Inner Journey: Views from the Gurdjieff Work ed. Jacob Needleman (Sandpoint, Idaho: Morning Light Press, 2008), p. xxviii. (33) William Patrick Patterson Georgi Ivanovitch Gurdjieff: The Man, The Teaching, His Mission (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2014), p. 470. (34) Jeanne de Salzmann The Reality of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), p. xiv. (35) In his essay “Who is Mr. Gurdjieff?” (in Spiritual Survival in a Radically Changing World-Time (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2009, pp. 272-285)), William Patrick Patterson explores the challenge presented by his belief that Gurdjieff was a ‘Messenger from Above,’ arguing that “there is a certain danger in even pondering who Gurdjieff was and what his teaching was meant for, because the answers, if affirmative, impose a responsibility so serious that no one wishes to face them.” He elaborates: Who was George Ivanovitch Gurdjieff? How we relate to the teaching, its usefulness to us, depends on how we answer this question. If we take him as simply another spiritual teacher, say a crazy wisdom master, to borrow a category from the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, then of course, all is well. There are more than a few whose Pure Reason is developed to that level. Putting Gurdjieff among them makes no trouble for us. But if we move the level to that of a Messenger from Above, to use Gurdjieff’s terminology, then are we not forced to live in total question? For what are our criteria, what are our referents? Are we so confident in our own impartiality and level of spiritual development that we can really decide who Gurdjieff was? Can we really judge the understanding, composed of knowledge and being, of a man the stature of Gurdjieff? Many do, of course, but then this is a time when there is a scarcity of many qualities, selflove and vanity, unfortunately, not among them. Lacking revelation or recognition, we cannot say with good conscience who Gurdjieff was. But we can recognize who he took himself to be. We can agree that he saw his mission as bringing a teaching to save the world from destroying itself. His actions matched his aim. He voluntarily put himself into the swirl of abnormal conditions that make up contemporary life and was largely misunderstood, vilified, and he suffered accordingly . . . Let us recognize that our conception of the great spiritual messengers to mankind, such as Jesus Christ, Moses and Buddha, are idealized in the extreme. They are portrayed as perfect in a way no incarnation taking human form could be. Therefore, since our picture of them is essentially unreal, any who come afterward – whether his mission is to speak to all or a part of mankind – will fail greatly in comparison. So, the simple fact is, can any of us truly define, let alone discern or judge, a Messenger from Above? The experience lies outside all ordinary categories.

(36) C.S. Nott Journey Through This World (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1974), p. 47.

14

(37) Jeanne de Salzmann The Reality of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), p. xiii. (38) Jacob Needleman “Introduction” in The Inner Journey: Views from the Gurdjieff Work ed. Jacob Needleman (Sandpoint, Idaho: Morning Light Press, 2008, p. xiv.

15

CONTROVERSIAL REPUTATION1

During the 1920s Gurdjieff gained prominence in the West as a powerful teacher of esoteric ideas. Important writers, journalists and academics began paying attention to Gurdjieff and his students. As with many charismatic figures surrounded by an entourage of dedicated followers, rumour and innuendo swirled like dark clouds around Gurdjieff and his community at the Château du Prieuré in France: A certain ambivalence broods over the historical Prieuré, almost as if both White and Black Magician held sway there; perhaps – in unequal measure – they did. Bechhofer-Roberts detected signs of hoofs and horns all over the place; Clifford Sharpe, despite his fundamental sympathy, had Gurdjieff manipulating ‘with an ingenuity that is almost diabolical’; and Captain John Godolphin Bennett (a weekend guest) alleges: ‘Some people went mad. There were even suicides. Many gave up in despair.’ (1)

Even though many of the allegations were subsequently proven to be untrue or at least greatly exaggerated, an impression was created in the minds of many that Gurdjieff was disreputable or even dangerous. He was described by cynical journalists and members of the French metaphysical establishment as an authoritarian dictator who controlled and manipulated his followers: “Gurdjieff demanded and received absolute obedience from every one of his pupils. His word was law, and he reigned as a tyrant among devoted slaves.” (2) In subsequent years the press, outside observers and some of Gurdjieff’s own students continued to question and criticize his motives, scope of knowledge, unorthodox healing practices, personal behaviour and habits, patriarchal beliefs, gender attitudes and even his driving. And after his death in 1949 a number of critical articles and books appeared which vilified the man and his teachings, reinforcing the impression that Gurdjieff was at best misguided and at worst a charlatan and demagogue.

Criticism by Journalists and the French Metaphysical Community

The establishment of Gurdjieff’s Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man at the Château du Prieuré in 1922 attracted the attention of many journalists eager for a sensational story. Gurdjieff and his followers did not disappoint. A number of rumours quickly surfaced and circulated with little or no evidence to substantiate them. The popular press vied for the most outrageous article: Gurdjieff exercised occult powers; he seduced his female disciples; he was responsible for several deaths under suspicious circumstances. Gurdjieff was widely referred to as a ‘Black Magician,’ and one French critic labelled him “a false prophet, a pretentious ignoramus.” 1

Updated 2017/05/26

1

Gurdjieff’s controversial image followed him to North America. In 1933 well-known English writer Rom Landau visited Gurdjieff in a New York City hotel for an interview. According to Gurdjieff biographer James Webb, Landau was alarmed and agitated by the experience: The interview with Gurdjieff went badly. Landau was discomposed by having unwanted cigarettes pressed on him, and Gurdjieff clearly did not intend to answer his questions. Even worse, the journalist appeared to be falling under some “hypnotic influence” or “electric emanation” which deprived him of the power to move from his chair and gave him a feeling of “acute nervousness” in the pit of his stomach. Gurdjieff looked “the perfect Levantine, evasive in his answers, hyperbolic and anxious as to what effect he was producing.” (3)

Many of the rumours surrounding Gurdjieff during and after his life were wildly speculative without a shred of supporting evidence. James Webb claimed that Gurdjieff was once an agent for the Russian secret service, but supplied no convincing substantiation in his 1980 biography of Gurdjieff. A rumour, circulating in London émigré circles during the 1930s, suggesting Gurdjieff had been imprisoned for evading military service in his youth was, again, sheer speculation. Allegations by French writer Louis Pauwels in 1954 that Gurdjieff played an important role in shaping Nazi ideology, including having suggested the use of the reversed swastika, were subsequently refuted by credible historical sources. Some of the most serious allegations about Gurdjieff involved sexual misconduct and suspicious circumstances surrounding the deaths of some of his students. Biographer James Moore thoroughly reviewed these accusations and found virtually no supporting evidence. (4) Although the most outrageous allegations have been dispelled by Moore and others, the impression they created at the time left a cloud of suspicion that hung over Gurdjieff for the rest of his life. Gurdjieff was also opposed by the French metaphysical establishment. When he began teaching in France in 1922 there was already a long tradition of esoteric studies in that country. Proponents of these metaphysical schools quickly denounced Gurdjieff and his ideas as an affront to traditional spiritual teachings. He was labeled a charlatan and accused of leading his followers into a spiritual void. The chief critic of Gurdjieff and his teachings for much of the 1930s and 1940s was the leading French esotericist René Guénon, who advised his students to “flee Gurdjieff like the plague.” He strongly condemned Gurdjieff’s personal behaviour and perceived disregard for traditional spiritual transmission through established religions such as Christianity and Islam. (5)

2

Criticisms by Pupils of Gurdjieff

Students have expressed reservations about Gurdjieff from the earliest days of his teaching mission. His most famous pupil, P.D. Ouspensky, began to lose confidence in Gurdjieff as early as 1917. Finally, at a meeting in January 1924 with his English pupils, Ouspensky formally broke off all relations with Gurdjieff. He discussed his misgivings: Mr. Gurdjieff is a very extraordinary man. His possibilities are much greater than those of people like ourselves. But he can also go in the wrong way. I believe that he is now passing through a crisis, the outcome of which no one can foresee. Most people have many “I”s. If these “I”s are at war with one another it does not produce great harm, because they are all weak. But with Mr. Gurdjieff there are only two “I”s; one very good and one very bad. I believe that in the end the good “I” will conquer. But meanwhile it is very dangerous to be near him. (6)

Criticism of Gurdjieff’s domineering personality and confrontational teaching style also emerged in the 1920s at the Prieuré in France. Nikolai de Stjernvall, a biological son of Gurdjieff, spent his childhood at the Prieuré and describes the power of his personality and the fear among some of his students at that time: Gurdjieff surrounded himself with competent, intelligent and cultivated people. Nevertheless, it must be admitted that practically no one dared to defy, contradict, criticize or lead him into an argument, or even react to the humiliations which he forced occasionally his disciples to bear. The only one who could hold his head high by saying to his face, in Armenian, what he thought of him was his own brother Mido . . . At the end of violent confrontations between the two, the master could be seen leaving ashamed for having been opposed. Gurdjieff obviously had a personality out of the ordinary. The mastery which he exercised over his adepts was almost limitless. More or less everyone was subjugated to his will. Some admired G.I., some venerated him, while others openly hated him. His occult powers, the aura of mystery which surrounded him, his magnetic personality, his extraordinary intuition, were such that women of all rank and social standing could not resist him and succumbed to his charm, so much so that his detractors did not hesitate to qualify him as demonic. (7)

By the early 1930s Gurdjieff’s reputation among many of his students was in tatters. They were disillusioned by his seedy appearance, unprincipled behaviour, and his alleged use of hypnosis and unorthodox medical treatments as a source of income. By the summer of 1933 scandalous rumours about Gurdjieff had reached a crescendo: he was slovenly and debauched; he was afraid of the dark and of being alone; he was out of control and destroying everything; he was alienating even his closest students.

3

Even Jean Toomer, a loyal American follower of Gurdjieff for many years, began to experience doubts about his teacher: Was he the supreme egotist? Was he, as some claimed, insane? Did he, as some also claimed, know psychic laws but was essentially stupid in his practical dealings with people? If he knew anything at all about me, how could he fail to know that I was ready and willing to do all I possibly could as regards any real need of his that I could grasp and understand, whereas just these tricky manipulative tactics were sure to throw me off. (8)

Some of Gurdjieff’s pupils considered the litany of criticisms directed at him to be one-sided and unjust. Others believed that Gurdjieff was being scapegoated for anything negative that he happened to be proximate to: He is accused, blamed, for having been present, for having been absent, for helping and for refraining from helping, for talking and for being silent, when a variety of events ranging in people’s imagination from rape to taking the veil, from natural death to suicide, from bankruptcy to brilliant success took place in the lives of this one or that one of his followers. (9)

During the Second World War, Gurdjieff resided in occupied Paris, and although he kept a lower profile there his reputation was far from spotless. Despite widespread rationing, Gurdjieff maintained a very comfortable lifestyle: “His lavish hospitality struck a jarring note at a time of material privation: for even if the Master expended a great deal of time and money on his pupils, just how, in that occupied city, had he acquired the vodka and the delicacies which gave his feasts their memorable flavor?” (10) According to James Webb, authorities assembled a wartime dossier on Gurdjieff which was bulging with reports of unlawful activities. Webb claimed that Gurdjieff worked the black market and even collaborated with the Germans. Following the war, students of Gurdjieff from all over the world returned to their teacher. However, many were shocked by his bad language and outrageous behaviour. When John Bennett brought a large group of English students to meet Gurdjieff, he saw fit to prepare them for any manner of conduct by Gurdjieff: I must warn you that Gurdjieff is far more of an enigma than you can imagine. I am certain that he is deeply good, and that he is working for the good of mankind. But his methods are often incomprehensible. For example, he uses disgusting language, especially to ladies who are likely to be squeamish about such things. He has the reputation of behaving shamelessly over money matters, and with women also. At his table we have to drink spirits, often to the point of drunkenness. People have said that he is a magician, and that he uses his powers for his own ends . . . I do not believe that the scandalous tales told of

4

Gurdjieff are true: but you must take into account that they may be true and act accordingly. (11)

The final few years of Gurdjieff’s life were arguably the most fertile of his long teaching career. Students remember this time as one of bountiful giving as Gurdjieff drew from his vast spiritual resources to pass on his profound knowledge. Yet the critics continued to have their say. A 1946 article in the French periodical l’Illustration accused Gurdjieff of spell-binding powers which sent his pupils into a “cataleptic state.” Gurdjieff’s negative reputation even followed him to his grave. In the years following his death a number of critical articles were published in the French press which contributed to a distorted impression of Gurdjieff and his ideas. In the last few decades, however, a new generation of scholars have looked more objectively at information promulgated by critics and the press about Gurdjieff, and have challenged the veracity of many of their allegations.

Exaggerated Knowledge and Abilities

Although Gurdjieff undoubtedly possessed an understanding of the human condition far surpassing that of most people, his knowledge and capacities were perhaps more modest than he claimed. Critics have accused Gurdjieff of arrogance, exaggeration and even megalomania. Psychiatrist Anthony Storr questioned his claim in Meetings with Remarkable Men that he knew eighteen languages, noting that there is no evidence to support this. Author Louis Pauwels challenged Gurdjieff’s assertion in a 1923 pamphlet distributed in Paris that he had almost 5,000 adherents throughout the world and was conducting research in a number of scientific fields. According to Pauwels, “many of his statements were patently absurd . . . wholly misleading and untrue.” (12) Storr reproached Gurdjieff on a number of his pronouncements which contradicted accepted scientific knowledge: Gurdjieff’s arrogance and disregard of established experts were extraordinary. When he visited the caves of Lascaux, he told J.G. Bennett that he did not agree with the Abbé Breuil’s dating of the rock paintings at thirty thousand years ago because he had concluded that the paintings were the work of a brotherhood that existed after the loss of Atlantis some seven or eight thousand years ago . . . He said that he had invented a special means of increasing the visibility of the planets and the sun and also for releasing energies that would influence the whole world situation. Gurdjieff’s complete disregard for science and for the views of generally accepted experts is narcissistic in the extreme. (13)

Gurdjieff was not a certified doctor and did not possess any legitimate medical credentials. However, his followers were convinced that he had acquired a vast knowledge of the workings of the human body and mind. He frequently recommended

5

unorthodox treatments to his pupils, including lengthy fasts, dietary regimes, olive oil enemas and breathing exercises. He used hypnosis and other unconventional methods to treat alcoholism, drug addiction, depression and sexual dysfunction. During the 1920s and 1930s, when Gurdjieff began to rely on giving medical treatments and advice as a supplementary source of income, he found himself frequently in conflict with the medical establishment, who widely regarded him as a quack. In one instance, when one of his students vomited blood, Gurdjieff disputed the diagnosis of an intestinal ulcer by English physician James Young, but was subsequently proved wrong. In another case he interfered with the treatment of an alcoholic woman, which infuriated the attending physician. Some of Gurdjieff’s methods, like hypnosis, are no longer considered out of the ordinary by contemporary medical practitioners. However, Gurdjieff’s practices of diagnosing illness and prescribing treatment without any medical training were widely regarded by the medical authorities as irresponsible and dangerous. Despite his lack of official credentials, Gurdjieff was considered to be a genuine healer by many of his pupils and associates. Accounts by students like Fritz Peters and others indicate that Gurdjieff was able to transmit subtle healing energy and to influence the psychological and physiological functioning of those he treated. On balance, the avail-able evidence suggests that, while Gurdjieff possessed genuine healing abilities, he clearly overstepped ethical and professional boundaries in believing that he could provide appropriate medical treatment and advice to all who came to him for help.

Gender Attitudes

Gurdjieff’s attitudes about women and gender roles were complex and often contradictory. Commentators have noted how infrequently women are mentioned in his major writings. (14) It is difficult to pinpoint what he truly believed about women as opposed to what was merely self-serving or designed to shock or challenge prevailing attitudes and beliefs. When he did express views about women, they appeared to many to be at best simplistic and naïve, and at worst misogynistic. The role of women, he claimed, was to nourish men and bear children, and under no circumstances was domestic life to be considered more important than the work of self-transformation. A.R. Orage reported that Gurdjieff told him that “some women, whose proper roles are collaboratively spiritual and moral, need not bear and raise children in the interests of men, but others should do so to provide Earth with more seekers for truth.” (15) According to John Bennett, Gurdjieff regarded women as only a means to an end, sexual satisfaction. And Orage reported that on more than one occasion Gurdjieff remarked that “the cause of every anomaly can be found in woman.” (16) Gurdjieff advocated separating women from men during their menstrual periods due to his questionable belief that women’s personalities during their menses became intolerable

6

and even “psycho-organically harmful” to others. In Beelzebub’s Tales to His Grandson he quotes with approval the “unchangeable truths” supposedly enunciated by King Solomon: Women during their menstruation are, in the consecrated sense, unclean; and that during these periods, for others, and especially for their husbands, not only to touch them, but to speak with them, is the highest sacrilege and a crime. An unclean force or evil spirit will enter into those husbands or into men in general who touch or even speak with them during this period; in consequence of which there would be among men in their everyday relations and affairs only misunderstandings, quarrels, and enmity. (17)

Gurdjieff believed that the spiritual development of men and women proceed along fundamentally different lines. He taught that, in general, intellect is dominant in men and emotion in women; that women have a passive role in life compared to the active role natural to men. Gurdjieff sometimes asserted that the challenge for women is greater than for men because “women were more likely to allow their essential beings to be influenced by exterior considerations, so that women faced a more difficult task than men in ascending the scale of development from sensuous to emotional to intellectual to objective consciousness.” (18) Yet, when asked whether women can develop as well as men on the path of self-transformation, he responded that both genders had equal chances: He said very specifically that men and women have equal possibilities of inner development. He insisted on the difference in their types of natural energy, and the roles to be played in outer life in order to be in tune with them. But the work on oneself is the same for all, there is no difference. (19)

Gurdjieff made other seemingly contradictory statements regarding the possibilities of spiritual growth for men and women. He told A.R. Orage that for men the work of selfdevelopment was blocked by the distracting presence of women and their sexual allure. But, he also claimed that a woman could consciously collaborate with a man to promote the growth of both into spiritual wholeness: “It is absolutely necessary for every person, in the process of his responsible life, to have beside him a person of the opposite sex of corresponding type for mutual completion in every respect.” (20) In group teaching situations at the Château du Prieuré during the 1920s, the respective roles of male and female students differed: In the Study House men sat on the right and women sat on the left. On Saturdays, the men went alone with Gurdjieff to the Russian bath and there they heard many things that we were supposed not to repeat in the ears of women. After the Russian bath the men went privately to dine with Gurdjieff and the toasts, first of all, were given for men only . . . It was not until after his accident, when life at the Prieuré became more of a family affair than a work situation, that the segregation of men and women was modified. (21)

7

At his Institute at the Prieuré, Gurdjieff imposed strict rules for the women. They were only allowed to smoke in their rooms and not on the grounds or in the Study House. Jesse Orage, wife of A.R. Orage, shocked many of Gurdjieff’s pupils in the 1920s by dressing in trousers and smoking openly when she visited the Prieuré. She appears to be an exception among Gurdjieff’s female students at the time, as most of them diligently followed his rules for women. In his personal life Gurdjieff had numerous sexual liaisons with women, many of them his students, and fathered at least eight children. But these relationships seemed strangely detached, with little apparent emotional connection: “If Gurdjieff’s casual couplings ever turned his head, seriously engaged his heart, or deflected his course of action by a hair’s breadth – the evidence is peculiarly lacking.” (22) Gurdjieff’s relationships with the mothers of his children and his own offspring appear to be ambivalent. Some of the women (Elizabeta Stjernvall, Eva Taylor and Jessmin Howarth) were clearly confused, angry and resentful at Gurdjieff’s distance and lack of emotional support following the birth of their child. A number of his children, such as Nikolai de Stjernvall and Dushka Howarth, also expressed strong antipathy toward him as their father. Their relationship was sometimes affectionate, but also at times strained, as they resented his criticisms, demands for strict obedience to his wishes and attempts to control their lives. (23) Supporters of Gurdjieff have noted that, despite the gender inequalities evident at the Prieuré during the 1920s and Gurdjieff’s traditional conservative beliefs regarding women (24), many of his female students played significant roles in his teaching mission. Many of his most prominent and successful pupils were women, including respected authors Margaret Anderson and Kathryn Hulme. Olga de Hartmann was Gurdjieff’s personal secretary for many years and was integrally involved in the practical running of the Prieuré. He entrusted Jane Heap, Henriette Lannes and Jeanne de Salzmann to trans-mit his teachings to future generations. Jeanne de Salzmann, in particular, played a decisive role, having taught Movements classes for many years under Gurdjieff’s direc-tion, led study groups in Paris during the 1930s and 1940s and later assumed leadership in the continuation of Gurdjieff’s teaching after his death. Many observers have commented on the enigma of the women-only group known as ‘The Rope’ created by Gurdjieff in the 1930s. The members were all strong, successful women, largely lesbian, who did not subscribe to traditional gender roles for females. Yet, Gurdjieff placed great importance on the group and used its members to experiment with many innovative teaching methods, both individually and collectively. The exist-ence of ‘The Rope’ contradicts many of Gurdjieff’s written and stated beliefs regarding the possibilities of women’s spiritual development. It highlights the fact that Gurdjieff’s teaching relationship with women was complex and not easily understood by outside observers.

8

Travelling Adventures

The advent of the automobile age ushered in unexpected adventures for pupils of Gurdjieff and a new creative method of teaching. Gurdjieff learned to drive in 1923, and for the next 26 years he used automobiles for a succession of personal trips and excursions with pupils throughout the European countryside. By all accounts Gurdjieff was a terrible driver. (25) “In reality he was so dangerous a driver that his followers avoided being driven by him whenever possible.” (26) He taught himself entirely by personal experiment, accompanied by the sounds of grinding gears and squealing brakes. According to Gurdjieff’s niece Luba, his driving style was wildly erratic – he would speed up and slow down unpredictably and change course and direc-tion at a moment’s notice. He also drank alcohol before and during the motor trips, and at times was so drunk he was unable to drive. Pupils describe him as driving like a man possessed. Kathryn Hulme vividly captures the experience: He drove like a wild man, cutting in and out of traffic without hand signals or even space to accommodate his car in the lanes he suddenly switched to . . . until he was in them, safe by a hair . . . he always got away first on the green light even (so it seemed) when he was one or two cars behind the starting line . . . the chances he took overtaking buses and trucks were terrifying. I watched with suspended breath each time he swung out around a truck and headed directly into another coming toward him on the narrow two lane road. (27)

Gurdjieff was involved in at least four automobile accidents, many of them not his fault, but one of them so serious that it almost cost him his life. In July 1924 while returning home to the Château du Prieuré from Paris late at night he crashed his car at high speed. (28) He was found unconscious in his car the next morning and did not fully recover from his injuries for many months. Nevertheless, soon after the accident he attempted to get behind the wheel again. His secretary Olga de Hartmann thwarted his plan by surreptitiously cutting the car’s accelerator cable. During the last two decades of his life Gurdjieff took frequent trips by car, throughout France and neighbouring countries. These trips served a dual purpose. First, Gurdjieff used these excursions and the new impressions they brought to stimulate his writing and re-energize his body. He would work on the manuscripts of Beelzebub’s Tales to His Grandson and Meetings with Remarkable Men in cafés, wayside inns or in his car. The second purpose of his trips was to create deliberate difficulties and challenges for his pupils as food for self-observation and self-study. (29) Students have recounted the typical confusion and uproar surrounding Gurdjieff’s travel departures: His departures were always disconcerting. Very often he would fix a time for going and would be ready half an hour earlier when those invited to go with him had to drop their preparations and rush to join him in the car. At other times, he would suddenly decide to work on

9

Beelzebub and would sit at the wheel of the car for half an hour or an hour while everyone waited to know whether he would leave . . . Some people avoided going in his car [because of his notorious driving] and preferred to follow behind, which he only rarely permitted. (30)

James Webb describes some of the frequent and unnecessary problems on Gurdjieff’s journeys deliberately created by his “carelessness” or instigation: Gurdjieff would appoint a map reader – and decline to consult him. He would refuse to stop for gas until he ran out – whereupon one of the passengers would have to trudge back to the nearest village. He never carried a spare tire, and so, if a puncture occurred, the tire had to be repaired, not replaced. (31)

Gurdjieff’s intractable behavior on trips was not limited to automobile travel. Fritz Peters accompanied his teacher on a journey by train from New York to Chicago in the 1930s and was driven to the point of exasperation. His outrageous behaviour and wanton disregard for the sensibilities of his fellow passengers was classic Gurdjieff, as he was “smoking incessantly despite passengers’ complaints and threats from the porter, drinking heavily, and intermittently producing foods – mainly evil-smelling cheeses – all the time apologizing profusely to the irate passengers even while inventing new ways to annoy and offend.” (32) While tales of Gurdjieff’s wild and unpredictable behavior during trips may seem amusing, his dangerous driving, especially under the influence of alcohol, was clearly irresponsible.

Commentary

Gurdjieff, like many other historical and contemporary spiritual teachers, was shadowed by controversy throughout his life. It is important to separate fact from fiction, reality from imagination and objective reporting from subjective interpretation and personal motivation in evaluating the validity of the various accusations leveled against him. In hindsight, much of the controversy and criticism surrounding Gurdjieff during his lifetime was based on bias, selective reporting, misunderstanding and superficial assessment. The same holds true for many of the critical arrows directed at Gurdjieff by outside critics and commentators in the decades following his death. However, first-hand accounts expressing doubts and criticisms of Gurdjieff’s behaviour, beliefs and teaching methods by many of his pupils carry more weight and should not be dismissed out of hand. P.D. Ouspensky, Fritz Peters, Jean Toomer, John Bennett and others have voiced varying degrees of skepticism about Gurdjieff’s infallibility

10

as a teacher, a healthy counterbalance to the adulation, personality worship and unquestioning obedience of some of his followers. The limits of Gurdjieff’s knowledge, beliefs and abilities is also open to question. There is little doubt that in many instances Gurdjieff deliberately exaggerated or stretched the truth for teaching purposes, role playing or as part of the ‘Path of Blame.’ But in other cases he appeared to hold beliefs that were incorrect, suggesting that he was certainly not infallible. Perhaps the best example was his trip with John Bennett and other students to the Lascaux caves in France in 1949. When Bennett mentioned that the caves had been carbon dated to be at least 30,000 years old, Gurdjieff vehemently disagreed, citing a much later date which coincided with his beliefs about ancient history. Gurdjieff was so set in his beliefs that he was unable to adjust or modify them even when new, more accurate information was presented to him. Subsequent archeological research has confirmed the dates suggested by Bennett. The certainty with which Gurdjieff made medical diagnoses and provided his own interventions and treatments without any medical supervision is also open to valid criticism. Gurdjieff also held very strong, conservative, traditional beliefs regarding the role of women, patriarchal authority and other manifestations of a male-dominated cultural order. From the perspective of the 21st century many of these attitudes appear rigid and uncompromising. Were these attitudes and beliefs reflections of ‘objective knowledge’ or coloured by historical and cultural influences and conditioning? It is telling that many of his senior Russian students cautioned newcomers to the Prieuré to make a distinction between the spiritual teachings that Gurdjieff imparted and his own personal beliefs.

NOTES

(1) James Moore Gurdjieff: The Anatomy of a Myth (Rockport, Massachusetts: Element Books, 1991), p. 176. (2) Louis Pauwels Gurdjieff (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1972), p. 154. (3) James Webb The Harmonious Circle: The Lives and Works of G.I. Gurdjieff, P.D. Ouspensky, and Their Followers (Boston: Shambhala, 1987), p. 421. (4) Moore refutes the allegations in James Moore Gurdjieff: The Anatomy of a Myth (Rockport, Massachusetts: Element Books, 1991, p. 343): The aspersion that Gurdjieff abused Katherine Mansfield sexually need not be dignified by comment; the accusation that his Prieuré regime hastened her death gives insufficient weight to her extended pathological history . . . The allegation that Gurdjieff caused the death of his eminent French pupil René Daumal is at variance not only with the viewpoint of Daumal’s widow Vera but with the explicit letter of his brother Jack Daumal . . . And finally the charge that

11

Gurdjieff precipitated the ‘suicide’ of the young Irene-Carole Reweliotty conflicts both with her death certificate and her mother: both attribute her death to heart disease following a long history of pulmonary tuberculosis.

(5) Guénon’s denunciation of Gurdjieff is sometimes attributed to a meeting between Guénon and Alexander de Salzmann, a senior student of Gurdjieff. According to author James Webb, de Salzmann, who possessed a sharp wit, insulted Guénon by making fun of the latter’s feigned humility. (6) John G. Bennett Witness: The Autobiography of John G. Bennett (Tucson: Omen Press, 1974), p. 126. (7) Nikolai de Stjernvall My Dear Father Gurdjieff (Dublin: Bardic Press, 2013), pp.16-17. (8) James Webb The Harmonious Circle: The Lives and Works of G.I. Gurdjieff, P.D. Ouspensky, and Their Followers (Boston: Shambhala, 1987), pp. 422-423. (9) James Moore Gurdjieff: The Anatomy of a Myth (Rockport, Massachusetts: Element Books, 1991), p. 343. (10) James Webb The Harmonious Circle: The Lives and Works of G.I. Gurdjieff, P.D. Ouspensky, and Their Followers (Boston: Shambhala, 1987), p. 469. (11) John G. Bennett Witness: The Autobiography of John G. Bennett (Tucson: Omen Press, 1974), p. 244. (12) Louis Pauwels Gurdjieff (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1972), p. 165. (13) Anthony Storr Feet of Clay (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1996), p. 36. (14) Philosophy professor Henry Leroy Finch elaborates in “The Sacred Cosmos: Teachings of G.I. Gurdjieff” in Jacob Needleman and George Baker, eds. Gurdjieff: Essays and Reflections on the Man and His Teaching (New York: Continuum, 1996, p. 24): What bears further discussion is Gurdjieff’s attitude in general toward women. The whole cosmic fable, in both its heavenly and earthly dimensions, is virtually exclusively populated by men. Not even wives are mentioned. In fact, there is only one woman to be found anywhere in the Gurdjieff corpus, a woman named Vitvitskaia, and she, we are told, ‘dressed like a man.’ While Gurdjieff autobiographically has a lot to say about his father, he has almost nothing to say in writing about his mother . . . There are nowhere descriptions of affairs or relations with

12

women. Romance and sex do not exist in this atmosphere of religious importance.

(15) Paul Beekman Taylor Shadows of Heaven: Gurdjieff and Toomer (York Beach, Maine: Weiser Books, 1998), p. 144. (16) Paul Beekman Taylor Gurdjieff and Orage: Brothers in Elysium (York Beach, Maine: Weiser Books, 2001), p. 243. (17) G.I Gurdjieff Beelzebub’s Tales to His Grandson: An Objectively Impartial Criticism of the Life of Man (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1950), pp. 1112-1113. (18) Paul Beekman Taylor Gurdjieff and Orage: Brothers in Elysium (York Beach, Maine: Weiser Books, 2001), p. 243. (19) Pauline de Dampierre “The Search for Being” in Jacob Needleman, ed. The Inner Journey: Views from the Gurdjieff Work (Sandpoint, Idaho: Morning Light Press, 2008), p. 88. (20) G.I. Gurdjieff Meetings with Remarkable Men (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1963), p. 56. (21) John G. Bennett Gurdjieff: Making a New World (New York: Harper & Row, 1973), p. 231. (22) James Moore Gurdjieff: The Anatomy of a Myth (Rockport, Massachusetts: Element Books, 1991), p. 2. (23) Details of Gurdjieff’s complex relationship with some of his children can be found in Nikolai de Stjernvall’s My Dear Father Gurdjieff (Dublin: Bardic Press, 2013) and Jessmin and Dushka Howarth’s It’s Up To Ourselves: A Mother, A Daughter, and Gurdjieff (New York: Gurdjieff Heritage Society, 2008). (24) Gurdjieff’s conservative view of women and how they should or should not behave in pubic is vividly captured in an exchange between Gurdjieff and pupil Margaret Anderson (‘Kanari’) in a Paris café in 1936. (William Patrick Patterson Georgi Ivanovitch Gurdjieff: The Man, The Teaching, His Mission Fairfax, California: Arete Communication, 2014, pp. 317-318): Toward the end of dinner, Kanari casually brings out her compact and powders her nose. Gurdjieff erupts, making himself look terrifying, veins standing out on his forehead as he shouts: “I am Oriental and man. Never can I see woman making prostitute thing without my insides turning over. Never has woman sat in my presence and painted face. I see you make now six times and each time if I had had knife in my

13

hand I wish send it through your heart. This is seven times and finish. At Prieuré no woman ever dare smoke before me. This idiot fashion put paint on face exist only New York and in territory around Place Opéra. Only prostitute make in other places. If you wish make this thing, you must in water closet go. Now you must remember that you are one of Mr. Gurdjieff’s people and pupil. Me, I am Gurdjieff, and compared to me you are shit non-entity.”

(25) Nikolai de Stjernvall often travelled with Gurdjieff and describes his driving style in stark terms: Despite a first, and then a second serious car accident, G.I. loved to drive his many cars. He drove, alas, terribly. He neither had mechanical sense nor observed the rules of the road. He took little notice of distances between cars. Even when I was very young, each time I was a passenger in one of his cars, I closed my eyes and braked mentally as soon as I saw him start one of his crazy daring manoeuvers on the road in defiance of any caution.

(26) Anthony Storr Feet of Clay (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1996), pp. 41-42. (27) Kathryn Hulme Undiscovered Country: In Search of Gurdjieff (Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1966), p. 66. (28) Biographer James Moore discusses the mysterious circumstances this accident at length in Gurdjieff: The Anatomy of a Myth (Rockport, Massachusetts: Element Books, 1991), pp. 206-207. (29) Fritz Peters frequently travelled with Gurdjieff when he was a boy and has provided a memorable description of the multiple purposes of these motor trips in Boyhood with Gurdjieff (New York: Penguin, 1972), pp. 128-133. (30) John G. Bennett Gurdjieff: Making a New World (New York: Harper & Row, 1973), pp. 167-168. (31) James Webb The Harmonious Circle: The Lives and Works of G.I. Gurdjieff, P.D. Ouspensky, and Their Followers (Boston: Shambhala, 1987), p. 323. (32) Whithall Perry Gurdjieff: In Light of Tradition (Bedfont, Middlesex: Perennial Books, 1978), p. 81.

14

DRUGS, ALCOHOL AND FOOD1

Anthropological research suggests that human beings in virtually every culture in history have ingested chemical substances to alter their consciousness. Certain spiritual traditions celebrate inebriation as a metaphor for conscious transformation. Sufi mystics have spoken of being “drunk with the wine of love.” The Zen tradition has a history of poets and teaching masters who were spirited drinkers of saké. Other spiritual traditions have employed certain ‘power drugs’ and psychedelics in sacred rituals and ceremonies as an integral part of their teaching. In a conversation in 1915 with P.D. Ouspensky, Gurdjieff explained the theoretical premises to support the use of psychoactive substances such as opium and hashish by students of esoteric schools to aid their inner development: There are schools which make use of narcotics in the right way. People in these schools take them for self-study; in order to take a look ahead, to know the possibilities better, to see beforehand, ‘in advance,’ what can be attained later on as the result of prolonged work. When a man sees this and is convinced that what he has learned theoretically really exists, he then works consciously, he knows where he is going. Sometimes this is the easiest way of being convinced of the real existence of those possibilities which man often suspects in himself. (1)

Gurdjieff was very aware of the properties and effects of mind-altering substances and used them both personally and with many of his students. However, the use of drugs in a spiritual context is controversial and has been criticized even by some of Gurdjieff’s own pupils such as John Pentland. (2) Gurdjieff’s use of alcohol, both in his personal life and as a teaching method with his students, has also been a source of criticism. And, his elaborate and celebrated meals accompanied by ritual drinking, have been misunderstood by critics who failed to see their spiritual significance.

Gurdjieff’s Knowledge and Use of Drugs and Alcohol

Gurdjieff possessed an extensive and profound knowledge of psychoactive substances and their effects, much of it clearly based on personal experience. Rafael Lefort, who attempted to trace the sources of Gurdjieff’s knowledge, claims that Gurdjieff studied in Eastern esoteric schools, where he was taught “the science of pharmacy and pharmacology, how to plant and use plants of importance, how to extract their essences and how to use these essences.” (3) References to the use and properties of alcohol, cocaine, hashish and opium appear throughout Beelzebub’s Tales to His Grandson. One of Gurdjieff’s companions in his semiautobiographical Meetings with Remarkable Men is the character Soloviev, said to be “an authority on what is called eastern medicine in general, and on Tibetan medicine in particular, 1

Updated 2017/02/03

1

and he was also the world’s greatest specialist in the knowledge of the action of opium and hashish on the psyche and organism of man.” (4) James Webb, a biographer of Gurdjieff, speculates that Soloviev “probably never existed” and hints that his character may have been an oblique reference to Gurdjieff himself. Webb also notes that Gurdjieff was contemptuous of Western medicine and claimed that only three drugs from the whole Western pharmacopeia were useful – opium, castor oil and an unidentified substance extracted from a certain tree. Gurdjieff’s liberal use of caffeine, tobacco and alcohol throughout his long teaching career has been documented by biographers, journalists and students. Coffee and cigarettes were a daily fixture in Gurdjieff’s life and were effectively employed to energize his writing pursuits during the 1920s and 1930s. Gurdjieff’s drinking was one of the most discussed and controversial aspects of his life. There is little mention of alcohol in the Russian phase of his teaching and certainly no suspicion of alcohol abuse. Ouspensky notes that at times Gurdjieff “liked to arrange big dinners, buying a quantity of wine and food of which however he often ate or drank practically nothing.” (5) However, following his serious automobile accident in 1924 there seems to have been a dramatic change in his drinking habits. In a conversation with student Jean Toomer he revealed some of the reasons for his heavy use of drugs and alcohol in the years following 1924: He then told me that following his motor accident he had been compelled to produce energy artificially. To this end, during the few following years, he had consumed enough drink to have killed ten men and, in addition, forty pounds of opium. To my question, “Did you know in advance what you were doing, or was it an experiment attended by grave risk?” he replied, “It was necessary to create energy artificially, my condition and my means and aims were such. I knew it, yet it was also an experiment and a risk.” (6)

Gurdjieff’s consumption of spirits clearly played an important role in the dissemination of his teachings and interactions with students. He reportedly could drink very large amounts of alcohol without showing obvious signs of inebriation. According to A.R. Orage: “Gurdjieff, who had an unusual capacity for drink, made a careful distinction between ordinary drinking and conscious drinking which could free the ‘I’ to think, feel, talk and act; that is, to expose ‘essence’.” (7) That Gurdjieff was a heavy drinker for much of his life is indisputable. Whether or not he was an alcoholic, as esoteric teacher Oscar Ichazo and others suggest, is open to question. Although Gurdjieff did show some of the signs suggestive of alcoholism, such as daily drinking, drinking early in the day, and driving after drinking, he was clearly not impaired in any way that perceptibly prevented him from functioning at a very high level in all aspects of his life. The official medical cause of his death was cirrhosis of the liver and liver cancer. William Patrick Patterson, in his biography of Gurdjieff, makes some thought-provoking observations regarding the cause of Gurdjieff’s death:

2

His followers did not admit the real cause of Gurdjieff’s death in that he himself had said that cancer and heart disease “were almost always the inevitable results of living in an unharmonious atmosphere under constant strain and pressure.” But this was Gurdjieff’s great sacrifice: his own life. It must be remembered that he took a vow on 14 September 1911, “to live an artificial life in order to establish the ancient, esoteric teaching of the Fourth Way in the West.” [emphasis added.] Given the abnormal conditions and customs and deviations of our contemporary world, a constant and unflagging super-effort would be demanded that must, of course, be paid for in terms of constant strain and pressure. What was taken as a negative was really quite otherwise when truly seen. (8)

Use of Drugs and Alcohol with Pupils

According to Gurdjieff, certain drugs are sometimes employed in esoteric schools to separate personality from essence as a method of self-study: If personality and essence are for a time separated in a man . . . two beings, as it were, are formed in him, who speak in different voices, have completely different tastes, aims and interests, and one of these two beings often proves to be on the level of a small child . . . Certain narcotics have the property of putting personality to sleep without affecting essence. And for a certain time after taking this narcotic a man’s personality disappears, as it were, and only his essence remains. (9)

There is evidence that Gurdjieff consciously administered drugs of this nature, possibly hashish, on certain occasions in specific circumstances to some of his pupils. John Bennett was given access to the private unpublished memoirs of a number of female students (sometimes called the ‘Ladies of the Rope’) who wrote of their experiences during the 1930s: With these women, he carried through for two or three years a very intensive and extraordinary experiment, making use of methods that brought them into remarkable psychic states, and developed their powers far more rapidly than had been the case with the pupils who had been with him during earlier years . . . it throws a very vivid light upon Gurdjieff’s methods as a teacher and upon his use, for example, of drugs as a method of developing not only psychic experiences, but also opening the hidden channels of the human psyche. (10)

Alcohol was Gurdjieff’s primary agent of choice for producing effects on the consciousness of his students. He took advantage of the euphoric effects of alcohol to reveal sides of his pupils’ personalities that were usually hidden. Gurdjieff believed that alcohol drew one’s inner essence to the surface where it could be observed and studied: “Alcohol opens, it shows many aspects of your interior, it is very important for knowing one.” (11) Dr. Kenneth Walker, a longtime student of Ouspensky, visited Gurdjieff in 1948 at his Paris apartment and was forewarned about the importance Gurdjieff gave to drinking alcohol at his dinner table: A great many people are passing through Gurdjieff’s hands at the flat, and if they’ve had a drink or two they are much more ‘open,’ and I mean by this that Gurdjieff is able to see them much more readily after they have had a drink or

3

two. There is a great deal of truth in that old saying of the Arabs: ‘Wine makes a man more so.’ Alcohol uncovers a man so that he is much more readily perceived by those who are observing him. (12)

Gurdjieff’s use of alcohol in teaching situations and his emphasis on conscious drinking parallels that of the Tibetan Buddhist teacher Chogyam Trungpa (13) who regarded alcohol as a “weak poison” which could be transmuted into a medicine: Whether alcohol is to be a poison or a medicine depends on one’s awareness while drinking. Conscious drinking – remaining aware of one’s state of mind – transmutes the effects of alcohol . . . Thus alcohol can be a testing ground. It brings to the surface the latent style of the drinker’s neuroses, the style that he is habitually hiding. (14)

One of Gurdjieff’s most unusual methods of teaching was the ‘Toasts to the Idiots’ ritual. A number of Gurdjieff’s pupils have related the form, sequence and presumed metaphysical meaning of these alcoholic toasts. Biographer James Moore provides a detailed description of the ceremonial process which was first introduced by Gurdjieff in 1922 at the Prieuré. (15) Gurdjieff sat at the head of the table while the person seated to his left, designated the master of ceremonies, was responsible for proposing a series of toasts (usually Armagnac or vodka) to successive categories of ‘idiots.’ Each pupil was required to select their own idiot from among at least twelve types (ordinary idiot, super idiot, zigzag idiot, and so on), reflecting progressive gradations of spiritual development. (16) As the toasts were drunk, Gurdjieff closely observed each student as the alcohol, in Moore’s words, “rendered their natures ‘opaque’ to scrutiny.” William Patrick Patterson has described the challenges presented to the pupils during the course of the ritual: The toasts were said to rarely go beyond the first nine Idiots and often ended earlier. Still, this is a lot of drinking, especially as Gurdjieff demanded that the Armagnac not be sipped but drunk “honestly.” That is, in a single draught. No doubt it was difficult to stay present when the body had to absorb a series of alcoholic shocks to the system. It demanded a vigilant attention and discrimination. It was also a quick method of seeing people’s mechanicality and inner animal. (17)

Of course, critics have been quick to denounce Gurdjieff’s methods as contrary to traditional spiritual practices and designed to take advantage of his naive students. However, there is no evidence to suggest that anything untoward took place during or after the ritual toasts, and the most negative consequence to a pupil was likely no more than a severe hangover the following morning. (18)

Ritual Meals and Food as Sacraments

Gurdjieff taught that human beings take in three kinds of food: the ordinary foods and beverages we eat and drink, the air we breathe, and impressions. Each of these three foods, he explained, must be mixed in definite proportions and transformed within the body following an 4

alchemical process in which coarse substances are transmuted into fine substances, leading to the development of ‘higher being bodies.’ How these foods are absorbed and assimilated, whether consciously or unconsciously, has profound implications for the growth of the higher bodies. (19) Gurdjieff placed great importance on the health and well-being of the physical body, which he believed was the key to longevity. At his meals, he taught his students how to eat consciously and work with ordinary food and drink in order to influence the first octave of the development of the finer spiritual bodies. Pupils quoted him as saying “Man should eat, not as an animal but consciously” and “If one knows how to eat properly, one knows how to pray.” (20) Gurdjieff’s students believed that the foods he prepared for them according to “the science of dietary law” contained “active elements” which helped them assimilate his ideas and develop their spiritual being. Student Kathryn Hulme: “To give us the proper first food that would transform into the kind of energy required to digest his ‘idea foods’ is one of the reasons, I believe, why he cooked for his disciples.” (21) Hulme describes how Gurdjieff carefully prepared his meals so that they would have maximum spiritual effect: What a labor it was to produce the wonderful foods he created, rich with ‘active elements’ that fueled the body for thought. I saw him ‘composing.’ Once he was holding his long spice tray while he pitched no less than twelve different herbs into a ‘phenomenon soup,’ stirring it with a big wooden spoon from which at intervals he tasted, nodding and smacking, ‘I compose like symphony’ he told me; the spice tray was his keyboard. He waved his longhandled spoon like a baton. ‘Three hours after you eat this soup, you will experience I AM – will have sensing of how it is to have I AM.’ (22)

Unlike some religious and spiritual traditions, Gurdjieff taught that food should be enjoyed to the fullest and not restricted or arbitrarily rejected on cultural or moral grounds: Mr. Gurdjieff always accorded food, its preparation and distribution the greatest respect. There was nothing hedonistic in this attitude. It came from his esteem for our marvelous human bodies and a belief that we are obligated to provide them with the best possible care and nourishment, including sense impressions. He only advocated fasting for special people under special circumstances, closely supervised. (23)

Gurdjieff’s students, such as Thomas de Hartmann, recounted how he tried to expose them to a wide range of foods, herbs, spices and exotic dishes: To taste life fully was one of Mr. Gurdjieff’s principles. During our life with him we tried every sort of eastern dish, some very exotic. He told us that in the East they have always paid particular attention to the refinements of food elements. The aim is not to gorge oneself under the table, but rather to sample, in tiny portions, all kinds of variation of taste experience . . . I can still see him vividly, his muscles completely relaxed as always. Slowly he lifts to his mouth a very good pear, not peeled. Unhurried he takes a bite of it as if striving to absorb its entire aroma, its entire taste. (24)

Gurdjieff paid great attention to the preparation and creation of his meals, comparing himself to a “culinary doctor” who expressed the principles of harmony by “correctly blending elements 5

as a composition of music or the colors of a painting.” (25) Students were struck by the skill, assurance and care with which he prepared his amazing dishes: A large bowl having been placed in front of him he started to prepare a special treat for his guests. Into this bowl went chopped cucumber, pickles, red-pepper, onions, fragments of bread, contributions from a number of different bottles containing various kinds of preserve, pieces of dried fish and finally large spoonfuls of sour cream. This mixture he carefully stirred and occasionally tasted, in the manner of an old apothecary preparing a specially potent elixir of life. (26)

The meals themselves typically consisted of “tasty soups or hors d’oeuvres; and then meat and vegetables, usually cooked together for several hours, blending and caramelizing, intensifying the flavors enhanced with fresh herbs, spices, fruits, etc. and tenderizing ordinary cuts of meat or fowl into something of gourmet quality.” (27) On special occasions dinner guests would be offered exotic delicacies such as sheep’s head or a fully roasted lamb, reminiscent of a strange forgotten world of the mysterious past. Gurdjieff presided over the meals and the accompanying ritual toasts of alcohol with a jovial and expansive generosity, playing the role of benevolent host. Meals with Gurdjieff were unforgettable experiences, described by his students as a dizzying combination of excitement, serious philosophical discussion, humour, nervous tension, alcohol and exotic unaccustomed foods. But above all they were marvellously entertaining: Most of our time was spent in howls of laughter. G.’s gift of mimicry and masterly comic timing infected everyone, old and young, of every nationality. He could point out situations and special characteristics in people with a wit that was sharp, but an attitude that was so warm and affectionate that although we all laughed in immediate recognition it was with the person, not at them. (28)

But the ceremonial meals and ritual toasts also served a more sober and serious spiritual purpose, that of exposing his students’ inner being to objective scrutiny. Gurdjieff believed that he “could read the depth and breadth of personality from a person’s eating habits and comportment at the table.” (29) He used the meals as an opportunity for teaching his students in a way that impacted them both individually and collectively, and could be understood on different levels and in various ways by all those present: Throughout the meal he would prepare special small dishes from the array in front of him. “For Mother,” he would say, and the dish would be passed to the one indicated, for “Blondie,” for “Doctorina,” for “Miss Chapeau” . . . and with each dish an exchange of eyes took place, or a word or two, often lost on the others but with special impact on the one who received the plate. Somehow Gurdjieff managed to touch each one in a deeply personal way, while remaining himself impersonal yet concerned, remote and curiously just. It seemed to correspond with each one’s sense of aspiration and at the same time with the recognition of one’s own nothingness on the scale of eternity. (30)

6

Commentary

It is clear that Gurdjieff used food, alcohol and drugs as teaching instruments and “skillful means” to advance his pupils’ spiritual development. That his unconventional methods were misunderstood, misinterpreted and criticized is not surprising, as the consumption of food, alcohol and drugs is not generally recognized as part of a viable spiritual path. Yet, food and eating plays an important ritualistic and symbolic role in many of the world’s religions. Gurdjieff’s ceremonial meals and sense of hospitality mirrors similar practices in Sufi, Jewish, indigenous and other spiritual traditions. Gurdjieff’s ritual meals appear to have been consciously designed to create multiple effects on many different levels. The time of day, the environment of the room, the seating arrangements, the type and order of food served, the alcoholic toasts, the interaction between Gurdjieff and his guests and their individual interactions, combined to produce a complex net or mesh in which spiritual energy or baraka could be produced, projected and shared. The meals were also an opportunity for ‘self-observation’ and ‘self-remembering,’ cornerstones of Gurdjieff’s practical psychology. Gurdjieff’s personal use of alcohol attracted criticism as it seemed contrary to the qualities of behaviour usually expected of a spiritual teacher. In recent decades there have been numerous accounts of contemporary spiritual teachers with drug and alcohol problems which have seriously impacted their spiritual communities and relationships with individual students. (31) Some spiritual teachers have suggested that excessive alcohol use is a sign of “spiritual sickness” and a warning flag for potential seekers of wisdom: Excessive drinking reveals a craving that would not be there if one were fully realized. Enlightenment is about freedom – not freedom to play out one’s cravings, but freedom from one’s cravings. If one would uproot the dualistic sense of self and other, he or she would not feel the compulsion to drink to excess. That person would feel complete without needing a substance that is potentially destructive. Excessive drinking is destructive. (32)

Gurdjieff’s use of drugs, and especially alcohol, with his students raises important questions concerning the nature of the teacher-student relationship and the methods employed on the path of spiritual transformation. Substances which transform ordinary states of consciousness have been used throughout human history in the quest for spiritual enlightenment. While some believe that they open doors to higher realms of experience and spiritual possibilities, others argue that they create illusory states of mind based on subjective imagination. Gurdjieff may have employed alcohol and certain other drugs as “temporary means” to advance his students’ spiritual growth. He clearly placed importance on this approach, as the Toasts to the Idiots ritual was a fixture in Gurdjieff’s experiential teachings for more than 25 years. However, critics argue that there was an unhealthy element of coercion in the application of this “spiritual exercise.” Gurdjieff insisted that all guests present at his table must drink his powerful alcoholic toasts and he brooked no exceptions.

7

However, in his later years, Gurdjieff seems to have relaxed his strict admonition that everyone at his table drink. Student William Welch reports that in 1948 during the Toasts to the Idiots ritual “some did not drink at all, and stories to the contrary notwithstanding, when someone who knew his capacity or had a true disinclination to alcohol declined to drink, he was never, in my experience, treated with anything but consideration by Gurdjieff.” (33) Many pupils have revealed that they “cheated” at these toasts, using a variety of subterfuges to avoid drinking the full complement of toasts. And who can honestly blame them? Force and compulsion in matters of the spirit is inherently unhealthy, contrary to the principles of personal responsibility and conscience, and ultimately counterproductive. Unquestioning obedience to authority, whether secular or spiritual, deprives human beings of freedom of choice and provides fertile ground for the development of a cult. And some of Gurdjieff’s most virulent critics have accused him of leading a cult that manipulated and brainwashed his gullible and malleable followers. There is, of course, no real evidence to support this assertion. But certainly open to question is the way in which Gurdjieff forced his pupils to consume significant amounts of alcohol when it was clear that many of them objected to this practice for a variety of valid moral and personal reasons. Perhaps the ultimate lesson is that no human being, spiritual teacher or otherwise, is infallible in their knowledge, judgement or actions in the world.

NOTES

(1) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), pp. 8-9. (2) John Pentland, who was appointed by Gurdjieff to head the Work in America following his death, warned of the dangers of using drugs as a method of spiritual development in William Patterson Eating the “I” (San Anselmo, California: Arete Communications, 1992, p. 77): Lord Pentland had talked about how drugs weaken the will, burn up the fine energies of the body, create imagination in the higher emotional center, and keep one from doing the work. Sometimes, though, he said, they could show what the next step would be. “But one has to pay for it.”

(3) Rafael Lefort The Teachers of Gurdjieff (London: Victor Gollancz, 1973), p. 78. (4) G.I. Gurdjieff Meetings with Remarkable Men (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1963), p. 134. (5) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 33. (6) William Patterson “Gurdjieff & Money” www.gurdjieff-legacy.org/40articles/money.htm

8

(7) Paul Beekman Taylor Gurdjieff and Orage: Brothers in Elysium (York Beach, Maine: Weiser Books, 2001), p. 147. (8) William Patrick Patterson Georgi Ivanovitch Gurdjieff: The Man, The Teaching, His Mission (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2014), pp. 459-460. (9) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 162. (10) John Bennett Gurdjieff: Making a New World (New York: Harper & Row, 1973), p. 232. (11) William Patterson Voices in the Dark (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2000), p. 71. (12) Kenneth Walker The Making of Man (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1963), p. 114. (13) Trungpa even makes an allusion to Gurdjieff in describing the nature of conscious drinking in The Heart of the Buddha (Boston: Shambhala, 1991, p. 188): Mr. Gurdjieff, a spiritual teacher who taught in Europe, spoke of the virtues of ‘conscious drinking’ and insisted that his students do conscious drinking together. Conscious drinking is a real and obvious demonstration of mind over matter. It allows us to relate to the various stages of intoxication: we experience our expectations, the almost devilish delight when the effect begins to be felt, and the final breakdown into frivolity in which habitual boundaries begin to dissolve.

(14) Chogyam Trungpa The Heart of the Buddha (Boston: Shambhala, 1991), p. 189. (15) James Moore Gurdjieff: The Anatomy of a Myth (Rockport, Massachusetts: Element Books, 1991), pp. 353-355. (16) William Patrick Patterson provides insightful descriptions of the scale of Idiots, with 21 gradations ranging from ‘Ordinary Idiot’ to ‘Unique Idiot’ (God) in his essay “The Science of Idiotism” in his biography Georgi Ivanovitch Gurdjieff: The Man, The Teaching, His Mission (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2014), pp. 542-546. (17) William Patterson Ladies of the Rope (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 1999), pp. 259-260. (18) Kenneth Walker, who did not usually drink, provides a vivid portrait of his personal experience consuming alcohol during the Toast of the Idiots ritual in The Making of Man (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1963, pp. 121-122): The vodka was terribly powerful and soon my inner life and the outer room were engaged in unpleasant movements. I was forced to remind myself from time to time of where I was, and of what I was doing . . . here I was not allowed to go to sleep, but had to stay awake and to cling on to the one remaining point

9

of steadiness which remained within me . . . At long last the toasts came to an end and coffee cups and packets of cigarettes appeared on the table. I felt much as a shipwrecked sailor must feel when, after being buffeted about in a turbulent sea and all but drowned, he suddenly discovers that he is still alive and within sight of land.

(19) P.D. Ouspensky describes in In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & world, 1949, pp. 181-198) the complex process whereby the three foods enter the human organism (called the ‘three-story factory’) and are transformed into finer substances through the law of octaves. (20) Jessmin and Dushka Howarth It’s Up To Ourselves: A Mother, a Daughter, and Gurdjieff (New York: Gurdjieff Heritage Society, 2008), pp. 245-246. (21) William Patrick Patterson Georgi Ivanovitch Gurdjieff: The Man, The Teaching, His Mission (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2014), p. 353. (22) William Patrick Patterson Georgi Ivanovitch Gurdjieff: The Man, The Teaching, His Mission (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2014), pp. 322-323. (23) Jessmin and Dushka Howarth It’s Up To Ourselves: A Mother, a Daughter, and Gurdjieff (New York: Gurdjieff Heritage Society, 2008), p. 245. (24) Thomas and Olga de Hartmann Our Life with Mr. Gurdjieff (London: Arkana, 1992), p. 46. (25) Jessmin and Dushka Howarth It’s Up To Ourselves: A Mother, a Daughter, and Gurdjieff (New York: Gurdjieff Heritage Society, 2008), p. 246. (26) Kenneth Walker Venture with Ideas (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1972), pp. 145-146. (27) Jessmin and Dushka Howarth It’s Up To Ourselves: A Mother, a Daughter, and Gurdjieff (New York: Gurdjieff Heritage Society, 2008), p. 252. (28) Jessmin and Dushka Howarth It’s Up To Ourselves: A Mother, a Daughter, and Gurdjieff (New York: Gurdjieff Heritage Society, 2008), p. 450. (29) Paul Beekman Taylor Gurdjieff’s America (Lighthouse Editions, 2004), pp. 202-203 (30) William Welch What Happened in Between (New York: George Braziller, 1972), p. 124. (31) In some spiritual communities, substance abuse has led to public scandals, disgrace and disillusion. In some cases, where the teacher was alcoholic and encouraged drinking, many students followed suit. With some teachers, addiction to alcohol or drugs is hidden; with others, it is public and open. Clandestine alcohol and drug addiction is frequently combined with abuses of sexuality and power. Certain Buddhist and Hindu spiritual communities have even felt the need to start AA groups to deal with their addiction problems. Alcoholic and addicted teachers have led to the downfall of whole com10

munities and caused major suffering in the lives of students caught in the culture of addiction. For an insightful discussion of this problem see Jack Kornfield’s “The Emperor’s New Clothes: Problems with Teachers” in A Path with Heart (New York: Bantam Books, 1993, pp. 254-271) and “The Dirty Laundry” in After the Ecstasy, the Laundry (New York: Bantam Books, 2001, pp. 139-157). (32) Bodhin Kjolhede “What’s in the Mix?” Tricycle: The Buddhist Review Fall 1998, p. 82. (33) William Welch What Happened in Between (New York: George Braziller, 1972, p. 123).

11

SEXUAL BELIEFS AND PRACTICES1

By all accounts Gurdjieff was a vigorous, charismatic man with a robust sexual nature, described by biographer James Webb as “a sensual man who enjoyed the pleasures of the bed as much as those of the table.” (1) Gurdjieff's sexual conduct shocked many people in the 1920s and 1930s, especially in conservative America. There were rumours that he had a highly varied sex life and was involved in unusual sexual activities. Some claimed he was a master of exotic Tantric sexual practices learned in the East. While many of the stories surrounding Gurdjieff and sex were clearly fictitious or based on hearsay, there is a body of information on this subject gleaned from the written accounts of his pupils and research by biographers, scholars and academics that can be considered reasonably reliable. Gurdjieff held many traditional conservative beliefs and attitudes about sexuality, probably based on his upbringing and cultural conditioning. He strongly condemned masturbation, contraception and homosexuality as affronts to the proper order of nature. At the same time he clearly possessed a sophisticated and nuanced understanding of the role of sexuality in the process of spiritual transformation, and enunciated a complex model of the transmutation of sexual energy to a higher developmental level. Sometimes Gurdjieff created teaching situations which revealed to his students and others the hypnotic power of their conditioned attitudes and unconscious expression of sexuality. Gurdjieff’s personal sex life appears from all accounts to have been complex and sometimes contradictory, with varied expressions throughout his life. At times he was celibate, at other periods highly sexually charged. He fathered numerous children out of wedlock, including many with his own female disciples. Critics have roundly condemned Gurdjieff’s sexual behaviour as irresponsible and contrary to the actions of an authentic spiritual teacher. But teachers in many other spiritual traditions have engaged in exactly the same kind of sexual behaviour. (2) The notion that spiritual masters must always be celibate and beyond the “base desires of earthly sexuality” is clearly an idealized myth and not congruent with reality. However, the issue of a sexual relationship between a spiritual teacher and his or her student(s) raises a number of important ethical questions: Is a sexual relationship between a teacher and student harmful or beneficial from a spiritual perspective? Is there an imbalance of power between teacher and student that compromises the authentic expression of a loving relationship between two equal partners? Is it possible to separate an intimate sexual relationship from an objective impersonal transmission of spiritual knowledge?

1

Updated 2017/02/03 1

Gurdjieff's Beliefs About Sexuality

Gurdjieff discussed sex with his pupils both in his lectures and in their private conversations. He believed that the function of sex was twofold: to ensure the continuation of the human species, and to produce a ‘finer energy’ to nourish higher spiritual development. He regarded sexual energy as sacred and wrote in Beelzebub’s Tales to His Grandson that sex “constitutes and is considered everywhere in our Great Universe for beings of all kinds of natures, as the most sacred of all sacred Divine sacraments.” (3) In talks with his Paris students in 1943, Gurdjieff discussed the nature and function of sexual energy as it relates to human beings. He spoke of three “excrements” which must be eliminated to ensure physical well-being. The first is the elimination of food and liquids, while the third is the removal of “waste accumulated in the brain.” Finally, “The second excrement is rejected from you by the sexual function. It is necessary for health and equilibrium of the body and certainly it is necessary in some to do it each day, in others each week, in others again every month or every six months. It is subjective.” It is not necessary to mingle the acts of sex with sentiment. It is sometimes abnormal to make them coincide. The sexual act is a function. Love is love. It has no need of sex. It can be felt for a person of the same sex, for an animal even, and the sexual function is not mixed up here. Sometimes it is normal to unite them; this corresponds to one of the aspects of love. It is easier to love this way. But, at the same time, it is then difficult to remain impartial as love demands . . . The sexual act originally must have been performed only for the purpose of reproduction of the species, but little by little men have made of it a means of pleasure. It must have been a sacred act. One must know that this divine seed, the sperm, has another function, that of construction of a second body in us. Happy is he who understands the function of sex for the transformation of his being. Unhappy is he who uses it in a unilateral manner. (4)

Gurdjieff was of the opinion that sexual energy in the modern Western world was misused in the pursuit of personal pleasure and gratification. He claimed that, in general, the only two proper ways of expending sexual energy were through a conventional sex life or through spiritual transmutation. In 1916 Gurdjieff spoke to his Russian pupils about the misdirection of sexual energy in the pursuits of everyday life and the self-deception it can entail: Sex plays a tremendous role in maintaining the mechanicalness of life. Every thing that people do is connected with ‘sex’: politics, religion, art, the theater, music, is all ‘sex.’ Do you think people go to the theater to see some new play? That is only for the sake of appearances . . . What do you think brings people to cafés, to restaurants, to various f tes? One thing only. Sex: it is the principal motive force for all mechanicalness . . . Sex which exists by itself and is not dependent on anything else is already a great achievement. But the evil lies in the constant self-deception. (5).

2

The sex center rarely worked with its own energy, as the intellectual, emotional, instinctive and moving functions interfered and robbed it of its energy. (6) But when properly used, sex energy can play a pivotal role in spiritual development by creating and nourishing the ‘seed’ of an ‘astral body.’ “A new octave then develops within the organism, not outside it [as in conception]. This is the birth of the ‘astral body’ . . . Complete transmutation, the formation of the ‘astral body,’ is possible only in a healthy normally functioning organism.” (7) Right work on oneself, Gurdjieff taught, begins with “the creation of a permanent center of gravity,” a task which is supported by the correct use of sexual energy: The role of the sex center in creating a general equilibrium and a permanent center of gravity can be very big. According to its energy, that is to say, if it uses its own energy, the sex center stands on a level with the higher emotional center. And all the other centers are subordinate to it. Therefore, it would be a great thing if it worked with its own energy. This alone would indicate a comparatively very high level of being. And in this case, that is, if the sex center worked with its own energy and in its own place, all other centers would work correctly in their places and with their own energies. (8)

When his students inquired about the value of celibacy in the process of spiritual transformation to create an ‘astral body’ (the ‘alchemical transmutation’ of ‘coarse’ matter into ‘fine’ matter), Gurdjieff gave a very nuanced and informed answer: Sexual abstinence is necessary for transmutation only in certain cases, that is, for certain types of people. For others it is not at all necessary. And with yet others it comes by itself when transmutation begins. I will explain this more clearly. For certain types a long and complete sexual abstinence is necessary for transmutation to begin; this means in other words that without a long and complete sexual abstinence transmutation will not begin. But once it has begun abstinence is no longer necessary. In other cases, that is, with other types, transmutation can begin in a normal sexual life – and on the contrary, can begin sooner and proceed better with a very great outward expenditure of sex energy. In the third case the beginning of transmutation does not require abstinence, but, having begun, transmutation takes the whole of sexual energy and puts an end to normal sexual life or the outward expenditure of sex energy. (9)

Gurdjieff took a distinctly pragmatic approach to sex and its role in human life, insisting that sex should be separated from the intellect and the emotions: sex was sex. Gurdjieff linked sex to personal development and, as such, considered it to have a different function for each individual: His teaching about the transformation of the sexual energy is very personal and he was emphatic that there are no general rules that can be given. In some cases he regarded abstinence as desirable, in others encouraged strong sexual activity; in some cases self-control, in others the devotion of one man 3

and one woman to the creation of one single soul between them. In some cases, he demanded at least for a time a completely promiscuous sexual life in order to rid a man of obsession with sex . . . Gurdjieff did not wish to give any rules that people would take to be universally valid and that could lead not only to misunderstanding but even to disaster. (10)

Many of Gurdjieff's sexual beliefs run counter to contemporary thought and have been ridiculed by modern critics. For instance, he described masturbation as a harmful affliction and an evil, and even claimed in Beelzebub’s Tales to His Grandson that people were transformed into “psychopaths” by the practice. Further, he endorsed male and female circumcision as a means to prevent masturbation in youth: “This terrible children’s disease of onanism is scarcely ever found among those children upon whom this rite has been performed, whereas the children of those parents who fail to observe this custom are almost all subject to it.” (11) Gurdjieff also insisted that achieving an orgasm before reaching adulthood had serious consequences on an adolescent’s mental development: “If even once the sensation of the climax of what is called the ‘Oomonvanosinian process’ occurs in what is called the nervous system of their children before they reach majority, they will already never have the full possibility of normal mentation when they become adults.” (12) Gurdjieff's conservative ideas also manifested in a strong homophobia. Pupil Fritz Peters relates that “he was puritanical, even a fanatic about homosexuality, and condemned it vigorously . . . he felt that homosexuality – as a career – was a dead-end street.” (13) Ironically, many of Gurdjieff's female students, including his group ‘The Rope,’ were lesbian. It seems unlikely that Gurdjieff subscribed, in a practical way, to the belief that spiritual development was possible only with a “normal” sex life and orientation.

Gurdjieff's Sexual Behaviour

Gurdjieff was keenly interested in people’s sexuality and how it manifested in different personality types. Students report how he was able to describe in accurate detail, and often in vulgar and amusing terms, the sex lives and sexual history of some of his followers or the people who came to him for advice. Gurdjieff often took advantage of the sexual preoccupations of people to provide a teaching lesson. In 1933, Gurdjieff invited a number of influential New York writers and journalists to a party. Fritz Peters was able to observe first-hand Gurdjieff's striking demonstration of the role of sex in human behaviour: During the dinner party Gurdjieff subtly switched roles from that of the perfect host to that of satyr . . . The result was the beginning of an orgy. Gurdjieff eventually stopped proceedings by ridiculing his guests and directing them to see from their conduct what they really were. He told

4

them that, as this was an important lesson, he deserved to be paid; and according to Peters collected several thousand dollars. (14)

Gurdjieff's use of the power of sex as a teaching tool also had a light-hearted side, as some of his female students discovered. He would sometimes encourage young women to visit him late at night, implying that a “special kind of experience” awaited them. When they arrived, their expectations were usually exposed and dashed: Sometimes young women would come to Paris to visit him. He would flirt outrageously with them, and invite them to come back to the flat late at night when everyone had gone. Often thinking that this was some kind of mysterious test, or just frankly curious, they would go. In all cases that I heard of, Gurdjieff would open the door, look astonished and say: “Why you come now?” give them a handful of sweets and send them away. (15)

But not all female followers were treated to a gentle rebuke. In 1937, Gurdjieff’s biological son Nikolai de Stjernvall served as his personal attendant; he offers, in his book My Dear Father Gurdjieff, a first-person account of Gurdjieff’s nocturnal adventures at that particular time in his life: In the beginning, my sleep was troubled by the murmurs or the giggles of women who took part in the almost nightly parties which G.I. seemed to appreciate so much as any connoisseur of nocturnal pleasures. His sexual potency astounded me. Apropos, about once a week I would cross paths in the apartment with a certain Olga, who had a sly and furtive look, and was obviously the recruiter of pretty young girls. In the salon, as I retired graciously from the scene behind my screen, I would catch a sight of the attractive faces, tableaux vivants in the process of being prepared for the evening. More and more bothered and at the end of my patience, I took Gurdjieff aside one day before his afternoon nap and told him without equivocation that I would prefer to spend my nights anywhere else than Rue Colonels-Renard. At first he gave me a look of irritation but then the lines of his face relaxed almost immediately into a smile of affability. We had perfectly understood one another. (16)

The most reliable information about Gurdjieff's sexuality is provided by student John Bennett, who conducted extensive research on almost all aspects of his life: His sexual life was strange in its unpredictability. At certain times he led a strict, almost ascetic life, having no relation with women at all. At other times, his sex life seemed to go wild and it must be said that his unbridled periods were more frequent than the ascetic. At times, he had sexual relationships not only with almost any woman who happened to come within the sphere of his influence, but also with his own pupils. Quite a number of his women pupils bore him children and some of them remained closely connected with him all their lives. Others were just as close to him, as far as one could tell without a sexual relationship. (17) 5

A great many stories and pieces of gossip about Gurdjieff's reputed sexual activities surfaced over the years. While many of the claims were exaggerated, there is no doubt that Gurdjieff fathered a number of children. Gurdjieff did not believe in contraceptives and one result of his sexual behaviour was the birth of more than a half dozen children by various women, many of them his own students. (18) A member of a New York group wrote in the 1930s: “His women followers obviously adored him, and some of those who had found favor in his sight had visible mementos: swarthy and liquid-eyed children.” (19) John Bennett comments on the effect that Gurdjieff's sexual liaisons with some of his female pupils had on their teacher-student relationship: “There was a tendency on the part of some of the women to convey the impression that only women could really under-stand him and only those women who had slept with him were really initiated into his work.” (20) Although for some women the Work and sexual relationship were inseparable, for most female followers this was not the case. In the words of John Bennett, Gurdjieff could be “all things to all women.” The fact that Gurdjieff was sexually involved with pupils raises ethical issues and challenges our notions of the teacher-student relationship. James Webb examines some of the implications of Gurdjieff's behaviour in terms of his use and misuse of power: There is no doubt at all that Gurdjieff had sexual relations with many of his pupils. The important questions are: under what conditions did these relationships take place and what was the effect of Gurdjieff’s promiscuity on the women who became his sexual partners? If Gurdjieff merely used the power of his position to persuade girls to sleep with him, is this a serious offense? . . . but failure to comply with Gurdjieff’s plans often led to exclusion from the Work altogether. (21)

In ethical terms, many commentators argue that sex between a spiritual teacher and student is clearly inappropriate and cannot be justified under any circumstances. Others feel that a sexual relationship is permissible, but only if it is helpful to the pupil’s spiritual development. Regardless of which view is adopted, there remains the more troubling issue of whether Gurdjieff, with his tremendous power and authority over his female students, was engaging in sexual relations with them consensually or with some subtle or overt element of coercion. In his writings, especially the second and third series of All and Everything, Gurdjieff hints at a powerful inner conflict revolving around his sexual desires. On the one hand, there were the interiorized prohibitions inculcated during his upbringing and education recommending abstinence and sublimation of his sexual urges and, on the other hand, his natural sexual desires. Some have speculated that this early cultural conditioning created a sharply dualistic attitude and behaviour toward women and sexuality that manifested throughout his adult life.

6

Commentary

Gurdjieff’s sexual beliefs and personal sex life were certainly controversial and widely discussed both during and after his lifetime. His numerous liaisons with female pupils and resulting offspring were easy fodder for his critics and fuel for speculative rumour by his followers. But Gurdjieff’s sexual behavior raises deeper questions of power, authority, ethics, judgement and the nature of the teacher-student relationship. Jack Kornfield’s survey of the sexual behavior of a broad sample of contemporary spiritual teachers (see Note 2) provides a more universal perspective and is highly instructive: “In fact, teachers are likely to have active and complex sex lives. We have to re-examine the myth that enlightenment implies celibacy, and that sexuality is somehow abnormal or contrary to the awakened mind.” (22) Spiritual teachers are human after all, and sexuality is a powerful natural force and integral part of life. Sexual relationships between teachers and students can take a number of different forms. Some of the relationships are loving, conscious and freely chosen. Others, although lacking in emotional depth and commitment, are openly and harmlessly sexual. Instances of true tantric sex or the transmission of spiritual energy may also occur. But many have involved the exploitation of students, secrecy and deception, and clearly contradict the moral and ethical precepts of most spiritual traditions. Sexual exploitation can take the form of secret affairs, sex in exchange for access to the teacher, or serving a teacher with sexual favours in the name of a “special teaching” or “initiation into tantra.” In extreme cases, sexual misconduct has led to secret harems, abuse of underage boys and girls, and even the transmission of AIDS to male and female students by a teacher who told his unsuspecting partners that his special powers would serve as protection. (23) It is now recognized in the secular world that a sexual relationship between a person in a position of power (doctor, therapist, teacher) and a person who is dependent on them (patient, client, student) almost always involves an element of coercion and betrayal of trust. The standard code of ethics of universities and professional associations warn against “inappropriate sexual contact,” which can range from verbal sexual innuendo to a long-term sexual liaison with a student, patient or client. Jack Kornfield spoke with a sample of largely female students who were involved in a sexual relationship with their teacher. (24) Half the students reported that the relationship had harmed their spiritual practice and their relationship with their teacher. It also undermined their feelings of self-worth and caused a great deal of pain and confusion. Many of the teachers also suffered greatly as a result of the relationship. Female students from many spiritual traditions have admitted that they believed a sexual relationship with their teacher was part of their spiritual training and they felt privileged at having been chosen to service a teacher’s sexual needs. But many of them 7

were also ambivalent about unresolved issues of power, authority and male hierarchy. Some students concluded that relationships between teachers and students were more about power than about sex. (25) Gurdjieff’s sexual beliefs and behaviour are illustrative of both the complexity of human sexuality and the dynamics of a teacher-student relationship. Is it appropriate for a spiritual teacher to have a sexual relationship with a student? What are the implications on a personal and spiritual level of such a relationship? Are there consequences that cannot be foreseen and may carry long-term spiritual ramifications? These are serious, challenging questions and there are no easy answers.

NOTES

(1) James Webb The Harmonious Circle: The Lives and Works of G.I. Gurdjieff, P.D. Ouspensky, and Their Followers (Boston: Shambhala, 1987), p. 332. (2) In a study reported in Yoga Journal (July/August 1985, pp. 26-28), Buddhist teacher Jack Kornfield interviewed a sample of spiritual teachers from a variety of traditions about their sexuality. Almost three-quarters reported that they were sexually active while the rest were celibate. Of the teachers who were sexually active, 87% said that they had had at least one sexual relationship with one or more students. One of the most striking findings of the survey was that many spiritual teachers were no more enlightened or conscious about their sexuality than the average person. There were heterosexuals, homosexuals, bisexuals, exhibitionists, fetishists, monogamists and polygamists. There were teachers who were celibate and happy and those who were celibate and miserable. There were teachers who were married and monogamous and those who had many clandestine affairs. Some teachers were promiscuous and hid it, others were promiscuous and open about it. (3) G.I. Gurdjieff Beelzebub’s Tales to His Grandson: An Objectively Impartial Criticism of the Life of Man (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1950), pp. 794-795. (4) William Patrick Patterson Georgi Ivanovitch Gurdjieff: The Man, The Teaching, His Mission (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2014), p. 409. (5) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), pp. 254-255. (6) Gurdjieff elaborated on the misuse of sexual energy in a conversation recorded by P.D. Ouspensky in 1916 (In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 257.):

8

Only a person who is completely normal as regards sex has any chance in the work. Any kind of ‘originality,’ strange tastes, strange desires, or, on the other hand, fears, constantly working ‘buffers,’ must be destroyed from the very beginning. Modern education and modern life create an enormous number of sexual psychopaths. They have no chance at all in the work. Speaking in general, there are only two correct ways of expending sexual energy – normal sexual life or transmutation. All inventions in this sphere are very dangerous . . . You must understand where lies the chief evil and what makes for slavery. It is not in sex itself but in the abuse of sex. But what the abuse of sex means is again misunderstood. People usually take this to be either excess or perversion. But these are comparatively innocent forms of abuse of sex. And it is necessary to know the human machine very well in order to grasp what abuse of sex in the real meaning of these words is. It means the wrong work of centers in relation to sex, that is, the action of the sex center through other centers, and the action of other centers through the sex center; or, to be more precise, the functioning of the sex center with energy borrowed from other centers and the functioning of the other centers with energy borrowed from the sex center.

Gurdjieff then provided some examples of the wrong work of centers in relationship to sexual energy: Thinking center – arguing, criticizing, subjective opinions and theories, imagination about sex Emotional center – unbalanced asceticism and abstinence, fear of sin, obsession with hell and punishment, jealousy Moving center – preoccupation with sports, climbing mountains, wrestling, fighting, popular dancing (7) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), pp. 255-256. (8) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 259. (9) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 256. (10) John G. Bennett Gurdjieff: Making a New World (New York: Harper & Row, 1973), pp. 223-224. (11) G.I. Gurdjieff Beelzebub’s Tales to His Grandson: An Objectively Impartial Criticism of the Life of Man (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1959), p. 1008. (12) G.I. Gurdjieff Beelzebub’s Tales to His Grandson: An Objectively Impartial Criticism of the Life of Man (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1950), p. 1008. 9

(13) Fritz Peters Balanced Man: A Look at Gurdjieff Fifty Years Later (London: Wildwood House, 1979), p. 43. (14) James Webb The Harmonious Circle: The Lives and Works of G.I. Gurdjieff, P.D. Ouspensky, and Their Followers (Boston: Shambhala, 1987), p. 419. (15) John G. Bennett Witness: The Autobiography of John G. Bennett (Tucson: Omen Press, 1974), p. 258. (16) Nikolai de Stjernvall My Dear Father Gurdjieff (Dublin: Bardic Press, 2013), pp. 36-37. (17) John G. Bennett Gurdjieff: Making a New World (New York: Harper & Row, 1973), pp. 231-232. (18) Paul Beekman Taylor, whose mother Edith Taylor had a relationship with Gurdjieff that produced a child, attempted to constitute Gurdjieff’s family tree through available records and personal communications. In Gurdjieff’s America (Lighthouse Editions, 2004, pp. xiv-xv), he identified at least seven of Gurdjieff’s children, six of whom could be conclusively confirmed: Svetlana (Olga Ivanovna Milalova), Nikolai (Elizaveta de Stjernval), Michel (Jeanne de Salzmann), Sophia or “Dushka” (Jessmin Howarth), Sergei (Lily Galumnian) and Eve (Edith Taylor). Each of the mothers were pupils of Gurdjieff and some were married at the time. (19) James Webb The Harmonious Circle: The Lives and Works of G.I. Gurdjieff, P.D. Ouspensky, and Their Followers (Boston: Shambhala, 1987), p. 332. (20) John G. Bennett Gurdjieff: Making a New World (New York: Harper & Row, 1973), p. 232. (21) James Webb The Harmonious Circle: The Lives and Works of G.I. Gurdjieff, P.D. Ouspensky, and Their Followers (Boston: Shambhala, 1987), pp. 331-332. (22) Jack Kornfield “Sex Lives of the Gurus” Yoga Journal July/August 1985, p. 28. (23) Many high profile spiritual teachers were revealed to have hidden sex lives and exploitive relationships with some of their students in published reports which surfaced in the last 30 years:

• Swami Muktananda: William Radamar “The Secret Life of Swami Muktananda” The CoEvolution Quarterly Winter 1983. • Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh: James Gordon The Golden Guru: The Strange Journey of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh Stephen Greene Press, 1987. • Swami Rama: Katharine Webster “The Case Against Swami Rama of the Himalayas” Yoga Journal November/December 1990. 10

• Jiddu Krishnamurti: Radha Sloss Lives in the Shadow with J. Krishnamurti Bloomsbury, 1991. • Kalu Rinpoche: June Campbell Traveller in Space: In Search of Female Identity in Tibetan Buddhism George Braziller, 1996. • Richard Baker: Michael Downing Shoes Outside the Door: Desire, Devotion and Excess at the San Francisco Zen Center Counterpoint, 2001. • Maezumi Roshi: Anne Cushman “Under the Lens: An American Zen Community in Crisis” Tricycle: The Buddhist Review Fall 2003. • Chogyam Trungpa and Osel Tendzin: Jeremy Hayward Warrior-King of Shambhala: Remembering Chogyam Trungpa Wisdom Publications, 2008. • Sri Chinmoy: Jayanti Tamm Cartwheels in a Sari: A Memoir of Growing Up Cult Harmony Books, 2009. • Da Free John: William Patrick Patterson Adi Da Samraj: Realized or/and Deluded Arete Communications, 2012. (24) Jack Kornfield “Sex Lives of the Gurus” Yoga Journal July/August 1985, p. 28. (25) Longtime Zen student Perle Besserman writes in A New Zen for Women (New York: Palgrove MacMillan, 2007, p. 2) that: In the name of our spiritual quest . . . we surrendered to archaic patriarchal traditions (initially without complaint) by knuckling under and becoming handmaidens, caretakers, and/or concubines to our male teachers. Throwing away all our intellectual questioning and hard-won independence, impelled by the mistaken notion that we were “killing the ego,” we bowed our heads and submitted our better judgement to the enlightened minds of our masters.

11

GURDJIEFF'S PSYCHOLOGICAL IDEAS

The system of knowledge that Gurdjieff transmitted has psychological and cosmological components which illuminate and complement each other. Gurdjieff believed that integrated human development must be based on a thorough understanding of both the principles of human psychology and the metaphysical laws governing the functioning of the universe: In right knowledge the study of man must proceed on parallel lines with the study of the world, and the study of the world must run parallel with the study of man. Laws are everywhere the same, in the world as well as in man. Having mastered the principles of any one law we must look for its manifestation in the world and in man simultaneously. Moreover, some laws are more easily observed in the world, others are more easily observed in man . . . The parallel study of the world and of man shows the student the fundamental unity of everything and helps him to find analogies in phenomena of different orders. (1)

While Gurdjieff’s psychological teachings are generally considered more accessible and verifiable than his cosmological teachings, they have nevertheless been questioned by critics on a number of counts.

System is Fragmentary and Incomplete Some critics have focused on the subtitle of P.D. Ouspensky’s In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching to support their charge that Gurdjieff presented only a portion of an originally complete esoteric teaching. One of the main proponents of this position is Boris Mouravieff, an intellectual associated with the Eastern Orthodox Church. He argues that the System taught by Gurdjieff, and recorded by Ouspensky, has many missing links which render it ineffective as a means of transmitting esoteric knowledge. But others, like William Patterson, assert that the presentation by Gurdjieff to his students of fragmentary or seemingly incomplete information was intentional and an integral part of his teaching methodology. According to Ouspensky, Gurdjieff’s talks often touched upon as many as twenty subjects at a time, all too closely related to be easily understood as separate ideas. In a sense, each of Gurdjieff’s pupils had to “construct” a system of ideas based on their own understanding and experience: “No pupil would reproduce exactly the resolutions, discoveries and disillusionments which had been Gurdjieff’s lot; but he would be steered by Gurdjieff’s experience, directed within territory familiar to Gurdjieff.” (2) Ouspensky describes how Gurdjieff would initially present a “seed” idea, quite incomplete conceptually, then would subsequently expand on the concept to build a comprehensive understanding in the minds of his students. The most essential themes or 1

principles would be withheld from the students initially, and revealed to them only gradually over time. Each student had the responsibility to complete and synthesize the various ideas presented so their understanding would be truly their own. This method has been termed “self-initiation” as each student was required to take the initiative as a seeker to question, inquire and verify the teachings in order to reach a comprehensive understanding. Ouspensky describes the process used by Gurdjieff’s students to make sense of his fragmentary teachings: In the beginning in Russia Mr. Gurdjieff always insisted that it was not a system; it was just fragments and one had to make a system out of them. And he insisted that it should be given in this way . . . it is taught in fragments each of which is on a different scale. You have to put them together and at the same time correct the scale. It is like several geographical maps, each on a different scale, cut into pieces. You have to see which piece fits which, where the scale is very different and where it is less different. This is the only way to study the system. (3)

Critics have also questioned whether Gurdjieff’s teachings and methods could actually develop a student’s highest spiritual potential. Gurdjieff did not emphasize the attainment of mystical states of consciousness, and he tended to belittle pupils’ claims of such experiences. For this reason, some have argued that Gurdjieff’s System was incomplete and could not lead seekers to the highest realms of human spiritual development: Perhaps it is true psychologically, spiritually, or existentially that there is “something missing” from the System. If the sights of the pupil are fixed on a very lofty goal, Gurdjieff’s system may seem incomplete in the sense of spiritually incomplete . . . but it is evident that some of his pupils hoped he could lead them further. (4)

On the other hand, many other spiritual teachings also downplay the consuming quest for enlightenment through mystical states, emphasizing instead a focus and foundation of self-study and self-knowledge.

Pessimistic View of Human Nature One of Gurdjieff’s central ideas was that human beings are ‘asleep,’ living in a world of illusion and imagination, and closed to higher levels of being. In 1915 he told Ouspensky that almost all people are ‘machines’ devoid of free will and incapable of independent decision-making: “All the people you see, all the people you know, all the people you may get to know, are machines, actual machines working solely under the power of external influences.” (5)

2

Critics like scholar Whithall Perry object to Gurdjieff’s emphasis on negative human qualities and his lack of respect for human values: Gurdjieff came to a West of scattered values with a cynical eye that saw clearly -- almost -- the trash that is modern civilization, the mess that is modern man. This in itself is a positive “contribution.” But his vision was negative and destructive . . . For if he was keenly aware of man’s foibles, he suffered a corresponding blindness to man’s virtues. Beelzebub on the surface thus appears as a heavy-handed sneer at the human race. (6)

While Gurdjieff’s viewpoint is not unique, with many religions emphasizing humans’ inherent imperfections or separation from God, some critics consider Gurdjieff’s view of the human condition to be unbalanced and overly pessimistic. Boris Mouravieff accuses Gurdjieff of misrepresenting human nature, and of failing to acknowledge the importance of conscience and responsibility, which are central to the Christian doctrine of sin and salvation. William Patterson counters Mouravieff’s criticism by pointing out that Gurdjieff believed that our experience of sin, conscience and repentance are closely linked to our ability to make choices, and that one needs to be “awake” on a spiritual path to be able to make these choices. Those who have not achieved a certain degree of spiritual development are oblivious to these choices and, therefore, the concepts of sin and repentance are irrelevant to them. Gurdjieff’s critics may be misled by his use of terms like ‘asleep’ and ‘redemption,’ which have very specific meanings within the sphere of his teaching. Critics miss Gurdjieff’s subtle understanding of these and other technical terms. The context in which these terms are presented must also be taken into consideration. A student’s understanding of esoteric ideas will change during the course of their development as the many degrees of spiritual knowledge are gradually revealed. The initial understanding of concepts like ‘sin’ and ‘repentance’ may eventually be replaced by a more mature comprehension as higher levels of meaning unfold to the student.

Lack of Love One of the most common criticisms of Gurdjieff’s psychological System is the perceived lack of love in the teaching. Gurdjieff’s teachings appeared in many ways the opposite of some traditional spiritual paths, like Bhakti Yoga for example, which emphasize the transformative power of love and devotion. Ouspensky reports that during the Russian phase of Gurdjieff’s teaching many people, including Gurdjieff’s own students, remarked about the absence of love in the Work. Student John Bennett recalls that in the 1920s audience members at Ouspensky’s London lectures would sometimes storm out, protesting: “Mr. Ouspensky, there is no love in your system!” (7)

3

Although Gurdjieff clearly downplayed the more emotional and sentimental expressions of spirituality, the importance of love is by no means absent in his teachings. (8) Gurdjieff’s own writings contain many references to love and reveal a sophisticated understanding which may have easily been misinterpreted. Gurdjieff considered the ‘being-impulse’ of Love to be sacred and advised others to “love everything that breathes.” (9) Gurdjieff made an important distinction between real love and subjective love. Real love is an attribute of the higher self -- genuine, impartial and non-egoistic -- while subjective love is a form of slavery in which one is ruled by internal or external influences. Real love, Gurdjieff claimed, is conscious, not mechanical: “From looking at your neighbour and realizing his true significance, and that he will die, pity and compassion will rise in you for him and finally you will love him.” (10) As a teacher Gurdjieff practised a form of “tough love” in which he challenged and confronted those personality patterns in his students which prevented the emergence of genuine love. Fritz Peters commented after many years of close study with his teacher that “Gurdjieff practised love in a form that is unknown to almost everyone: without limits.” (11) Other students have also acknowledged the debt they owe Gurdjieff for having unlocked for them the power of spiritual love in their lives. They spoke of an impersonal kindness and benevolence, often hidden behind his inexplicable behaviour, that emanated from their teacher: The source of his actions, words and outlook on everything could only be described as something called love. It was not a personal feeling for another but rather one that came from somewhere else . . . it was an opening to a sense of the sacred that he shared with others. (12)

In many ways Gurdjieff’s life was a living example of service, compassion and love, as he endeavored to help others attain a higher level of spiritual understanding and being: Control of Negative Emotions One of Gurdjieff’s most controversial and misunderstood ideas was the importance of controlling unpleasant emotions such as anger, fear and irritation. A cornerstone of Gurdjieff’s practical teachings, the management of unpleasant emotions was considered crucial in the process of self-study and self-knowledge: In the sphere of the emotions it is very useful to try to struggle with the habit of giving immediate expression to all one's unpleasant emotions . . . Besides being a very good method for self-observation . . . it is one of the few directions in which a man can change himself or his habits without creating other undesirable habits. Therefore self-observation and self-study must, from the first, be accompanied by the struggle against the expression of unpleasant emotions. (13)

4

Gurdjieff believed that during the expression of strong negative emotions ‘finer substances’ produced by the human organism for the purpose of higher spiritual development are consumed and wasted. He even claimed that the expression of a violent emotion like anger could burn up these substances, leaving one emotionally and spiritually “empty,” possibly permanently. Students of the Work have frequently misinterpreted Gurdjieff’s teaching about negative emotions by adopting the practice of suppressing all emotions. Robin Skynner, a British psychologist and student of the Work, clarifies that Gurdjieff did not advocate a denial of intense feelings, but rather a closer examination and awareness of them: The most common mistake is to confuse his guidance about “not expressing negative emotions” with the concealment, denial, and repression of negative emotions . . . One main purpose of “not expressing negative emotions” in Gurdjieff’s sense, as I now understand it, is to make us more aware of them, to bring us more in touch with the truth about them, with the ultimate aim of transformation of the energy they contain. We have, as it were, to go toward them, to overcome our fear of them and see them clearly for what they are, before any separation from and transformation of them can become possible. (14)

Gurdjieff considered negative emotions to be the “raw material” to help his students work on themselves. He frequently provoked students to experience negative emotions so that they would become aware that they carried, and sometimes repressed, these emotions and then could begin to work on them. Gurdjieff believed that the key to controlling their expression of negative emotions was to achieve a state of ‘selfremembering’ in which the student remains fully conscious of himself and his situation and acts freely rather than mechanically. It is through ‘self-remembering’ that negative emotions can be transformed into positive ones. The issue is still the subject of debate in modern psychotherapy circles, where some support the expression of strong emotions to release underlying psychological patterns of repression and denial, while others believe it reinforces a self-centered absorption in unhealthy emotional states.

Emphasis on Effort and Struggle Gurdjieff placed a great deal of importance on sustained effort and struggle by his students. He explained that the Work sometimes demanded ‘super-efforts’ which he defined as an effort beyond what is normally required to achieve a given purpose. While working intensively with a small group of students at Essentuki in 1917, Gurdjieff provided a colourful example of a super-effort:

5

Imagine that I have been walking all day and am very tired. The weather is bad, it is raining and cold. In the evening I arrive home. I have walked, perhaps, twenty-five miles. In the house there is supper; it is warm and pleasant. But, instead of sitting down to supper, I go out into the rain again and decide to walk another two miles along the road and then return home. This would be a super-effort. While I was going home it was simply an effort and this does not count. I was on my way home, the cold, hunger, the rain -- all this made me walk. In the other case I walk because I myself decide to do so. This kind of super-effort becomes still more difficult when I do not decide upon it myself but obey a teacher who at an unexpected moment requires from me to make fresh efforts when I have decided that efforts for the day are over. (15)

At his Institute at the Château du Prieuré in France, Gurdjieff conceived a number of group projects designed to force his pupils to make super-efforts. One afternoon, Gurdjieff decided to re-seed the lawns of the Château and engaged every able-bodied person in the task. Soon a multitude of students and visitors were working feverishly on dozens of tasks simultaneously. The results were comic: “During this activity, Gurdjieff would march up and down among all the workers, criticizing them individually, goading them on, and helping to contribute a feeling of furious, senseless activity to the whole proceedings.” (16) Observers of the ant-like activity remarked that it appeared Gurdjieff and his students had taken leave of their senses. Some have criticized Gurdjieff’s emphasis on extraordinary effort and sacrifice. Idries Shah argues that mechanical effort is really just a form of conditioning with little value as a spiritual or developmental exercise. He observes that people have been trained to believe that action which requires a physical or financial investment or which involves a sacrifice of time or comfort is a true exercise. But those that require a more subtle change of behavior, like refraining from doing something, can be a more effective expenditure of “effort.” In many Eastern teachings, like Zen Buddhism, Taoism and Advaita Vedanta, effort expended to attain a projected goal is actually considered counter-productive to spiritual growth. Effort which issues from the ego or “I” is viewed as antithetical to a state of unconditioned, effortless awareness: The word “effort” implies intention, the will to achieve some end. But this end is a projection from the past, from memory, and so we miss being present to the moment at hand. It may be accurate to speak of “right attention” . . . but this attention is diametrically opposed to effort in that it is entirely free from direction, motivation and projection. (17)

Some of Gurdjieff’s students, in his defense, have stressed that the efforts he required of them were ‘conscious efforts’ based on understanding and self-awareness. Gurdjieff believed that a certain degree of effort must be made by the student at crucial times in their spiritual development, first under the guidance of their teacher until such time as the student can judge for themself what effort to make and when. Effort, when properly 6

focused and expended at the correct stages of a spiritual discipline, will eventually lead to a state of effortless action and awareness as the student matures spiritually. A few decades after Gurdjieff’s death, senior pupil Jeanne de Salzmann, with whom Gurdjieff entrusted the continuation of his spiritual work, introduced a new form of practice which was more passive and receptive than previous exercises and methods: The practice of sitting is difficult to characterize apart from observing that, in accordance with the overall aim of the work, it is not a “form” in and for itself, but is fundamentally a preparation for the inner search within the midst of life. With or without spoken guidance, the aim is ultimately to help individuals search for an embedded presence that sustains the attempt to enter more deeply into an awareness of all the opposing forces constantly moving within the body. Jeanne de Salzmann gave this special work to her older pupils in the way Gurdjieff had given it at the Prieuré. Later, in the 1960s, when groups had become more advanced, she gradually introduced it more broadly. (18)

In this group meditation, participants were instructed to remain quietly open to the descent of a spiritual force or “supernal grace” from a higher level of reality: “In regular communal ‘settings’ the highly energized ‘love from above’ professedly entered the pupil’s subtle body through an ‘aperture’ at his crown . . . as he waited with eyes closed in still, sustained, and intensely refined attention.” (19) The nature of this exercise was essentially contrary to Gurdjieff’s admonitions to his students for incessant struggle against ‘sleep’ and an active process of ‘working on oneself’ characterized by self-reliance, effort and constant struggle. While it has been argued that relentless effort and striving may be counter-productive to spiritual growth and lead to diminishing returns (called by some the ‘law of reversed effort’), critics of the practice such as James Moore have ridiculed “the naïve assumption extolled by many that one can simply sit passively in a meditative posture and dream, thinking that miraculous things will automatically happen.” (20) The efficacy and spiritual significance of meditative sitting continues to be debated in Work circles to this day.

Substituting Belief Systems Some critics argue that Gurdjieff’s followers turned his System into an alternative world view which merely substituted one set of limiting beliefs for another. Although conceding that a journey out of the ordinary world into a new vision of reality is a fundamental stage along the spiritual path, these critics question whether Gurdjieff’s new order was higher or superior to the world that he had sought to change.

7

In any valid spiritual teaching questions are raised at the outset of study concerning the adequacy of the students’ current understanding of themselves and the universe. Challenging pupils’ assumptions and suggesting other possibilities is a prerequisite to the development of higher perceptions. In many traditional spiritual teachings three stages in the spiritual journey are described: (1) recognition of the trance or ‘sleep’ of ordinary life; (2) destruction of the seeker’s limiting world view by experimenting with new ways of perceiving reality; and (3) reconciliation of the two previous stages through full participation in everyday living based on a higher level of understanding (‘Be in the world, but not of the world’). Although Gurdjieff believed it necessary to move through all three stages of development, many of his pupils became fixed at the second stage and unable to move beyond their conviction of the “truth” of the System. Author James Webb argues that these followers were no better off than before they embarked on Gurdjieff's path: For all the System’s advantages, it is still countering one form of hypnotism with another; and there is no guarantee that the revised world picture has anything to recommend it over the first. It may be that a magical or a religious view of the universe is just as tenable as that of the secondhand car salesman. But it is no more tenable. The verdict here depends upon whether one believes that Gurdjieff took his harmonial vision of the universe as a representation of absolute reality. Many of his followers have thought so -- and have stuck in the alternative universe he proposed to them. (21)

Ultimately, each seeker must understand that the language and ideas which express the theoretical side of a spiritual teaching are temporary frameworks and not “holy writ.” A living, organic teaching responds to the needs of particular ‘time, place and people’ by reformulating ideas and practices. Gurdjieff recognized this and made efforts to avoid the traps of conditioning and indoctrination. He deliberately separated from many of his most devoted followers, including senior pupils Alexander de Salzmann, Dr. Leonid Stjoernval and Olga and Thomas de Hartmann, who he believed needed to establish his teachings in their own lives independent of his powerful influence.

Commentary Gurdjieff’s psychological ideas are essentially similar to those of many other esoteric teachings. The psycho-spiritual nature of the human being as described by Gurdjieff is echoed in traditions such as Zen Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism, Taoism, Sufism, Esoteric Christianity, and Advaita Vedanta. (22) Perhaps Gurdjieff’s greatest genius was his ability to present Eastern spiritual ideas and practices in a form useful to the Western seeker. Gurdjieff expressed his psychological System in a style and terminology suitable to 20th century Western culture. He 8

used terms and examples familiar to most students versed in Western psychological concepts, but avoided overt religious or metaphysical references whenever possible. Modern scholars, like psychologist Charles Tart, have praised Gurdjieff as being one of the first to systematically translate Eastern esoteric knowledge for a Western audience, introducing psychological and spiritual formulations that would most effectively aid in the transmission. (23) The ways in which Gurdjieff expressed his ideas were clearly misunderstood and taken out of context by many of his critics. Gurdjieff’s ideas were directed towards seekers of varying levels of development and spiritual maturity; concepts which were intended for beginners may seem simplistic for those at an advanced level. Many of the terms used by Gurdjieff were used metaphorically, not literally. Other terms were endowed with precise technical meaning and were to be interpreted within the context of an esoteric teaching. To be useful and valid an esoteric teaching must be fluid rather than fixed and respond to the needs and potential of each individual pupil. With this in mind, Gurdjieff presented a psychological System that was deliberately incomplete, so that his students would be required to make an active effort to integrate the many ideas into a meaningful gestalt that speaks to their own understanding and level of development.

NOTES

(1) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 122. (2) James Webb The Harmonious Circle: The Lives and Work of G.I. Gurdjieff, P.D. Ouspensky, and Their Followers (Boston: Shambhala, 1987), p. 556. (3) P.D. Ouspensky The Fourth Way (New York: Vintage Books, 1971), pp. 400-401. (4) James Webb The Harmonious Circle: The Lives and Work of G.I. Gurdjieff, P.D. Ouspensky and Their Followers (Boston: Shambhala, 1987), p. 555. (5) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 19. (6) Whithall Perry Gurdjieff: In Light of Tradition (Bedfont, Middlesex: Perennial Books, 1978), p. 82. (7) James Webb The Harmonious Circle: The Lives and Work of G.I. Gurdjieff, P.D. Ouspensky, and Their Followers (Boston: Shambhala, 1987), p. 255.

9

(8) See Sophia Wellbeloved “G.I. Gurdjieff: Some References to Love.” Journal of Contemporary Religion vol. 13(3), 1998, pp. 321-2. and A.R. Orage On Love (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1974). (9) Gurdjieff contrasted ordinary subjective love with a more universal from of love that encompassed all life. He conveyed this notion in a talk to his students at the Prieuré in 1923 contained in Views From the Real World: Early Talks of Gurdjieff (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1973, pp. 251-252): Wherever there is life – beginning with plants (for they too have life), animals, in a word wherever life exists, there is love. Each life is a representative of God. Whoever can see the representative will see Him who is represented. Every life is sensitive to love. Even inanimate things such as flowers, which have no consciousness, understand whether you love them or not.

(10) G.I. Gurdjieff Views From the Real World: Early Talks of Gurdjieff (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1973), p. 194. (11) Fritz Peters Gurdjieff Remembered (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1971), p. 160. (12) Tcheslaw Tchekhovitch Gurdjieff: A Master in Life (Toronto: Dolmen Meadow Editions, 2006), p. 197. (13) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 112. (14) Robyn Skinner “Gurdjieff and Modern Psychology” in Jacob Needleman and George Baker, eds. Gurdjieff: Essays and Reflections on the Man and His Teaching (New York: Continuum, 1996), p. 139. (15) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 347. (16) Fritz Peters Boyhood with Gurdjieff (Baltimore: Penguin Books, 1972), p. 67. (17) Jean Klein The Ease of Being (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1984), p. 10. (18) Jacob Needleman “Introduction” in The Inner Journey: Views from the Gurdjieff Work ed. Jacob Needleman (Sandpoint, Idaho: Morning Light Press, 2008), p. xx. (19) James Moore “Moveable Feasts: The Gurdjieff Work” Religion Today vol. 9(2), 1994, p. 13. (20) Frank Sinclair Of the Life Aligned (U.S.A.: Xlibris, 2009), pp. 116-117.

10

(21) James Webb The Harmonious Circle: The Lives and Work of G.I. Gurdjieff, P.D. Ouspensky, and Their Followers (Boston: Shambhala, 1987), pp. 550-551. (22) Ravi Ravindra, a scholar and student of the Work, has commented on the essential similarities and differences between the teachings of Gurdjieff and other spiritual traditions in “Gurdjieff Work and the Teaching of Krishna” in Jacob Needleman and George Baker, eds. Gurdjieff: Essays and Reflections on the Man and His Teaching (New York: Continuum, 1996), p. 215. The Sufi mystic Halki describes the universal nature of traditional inner teachings in poetic language: “Numberless waves, lapping and momentarily reflecting the sun – all from the same sea.” (23) Charles Tart Waking Up (Boston: Shambhala, 1986), p. 286.

11

GURDJIEFF’S COSMOLOGICAL IDEAS

The system of knowledge that Gurdjieff taught has a psychological side and a cosmological side, which form twin halves of a comprehensive whole. Study of the psychological ideas is helpful in understanding the cosmological concepts, and vice versa. To a certain extent, a thorough grounding in Gurdjieff’s basic psychological ideas is a prerequisite to approaching his complex cosmology. Gurdjieff generally introduced his students to the psychological ideas and the need for personal self-study first, before he dealt with the cosmological principles. Many students of the Work have reported that they found the psychological component easier to understand than the cosmological. Gurdjieff’s cosmological teachings have attracted criticism since the earliest phase of his teaching in Russia. Pupils admitted that they found many of the cosmological principles incomprehensible and questioned their validity and relevance to their own lives. External observers noted that much of the cosmological teaching is difficult to verify on the basis of personal experience. Critics have stressed that many elements of Gurdjieff’s cosmological teachings lack scientific verification and directly contradict established scientific facts. The language that Gurdjieff used to present his cosmological ideas was also problematic for some. Gurdjieff used technical terms like ‘matter’ and ‘atoms’ in ways that were inconsistent with established definitions of the terms. Gurdjieff made the already daunting task of understanding his cosmological ideas more difficult by the style of his writing. Manuscripts like Beelzebub’s Tales to His Grandson abound in complex neologisms (invented words) and obscure expressions of ideas. In this way, Gurdjieff deliberately challenged his readers and forced them to make extended efforts of attention and comprehension. The validity of Gurdjieff’s cosmological teachings has been questioned on a number of grounds, ranging from their sheer implausibility to more substantive issues of definition, meaning and lack of scientific support.

Unbelievable and Incoherent Gurdjieff clearly intended that his teachings challenge his students’ existing world view. In the preface to his first series of writings, Gurdjieff wrote that his objective was “to destroy, mercilessly, without any compromise whatever, the beliefs and views, by centuries rooted in him, about everything existing in the world.” (1) This explains, to a great extent, the provocative nature of his teachings regarding the universe and the purpose of human existence. Critics have dismissed Gurdjieff’s conception of the universe, describing it as unbelievable, incoherent and even delusional. Psychiatrist Anthony Storr believes that 1

Gurdjieff’s cosmological teachings were an elaborate “confidence trick” that showed how gullible and impressionable his followers were. One of the major difficulties in approaching the written presentation of Gurdjieff’s cosmology is his complex writing style and his use of unusual terminology. This has caused critics like Anthony Storr to dismiss Gurdjieff’s cosmology out of hand: Gurdjieff’s cosmogony can only be described as fantastic. Reviewing his picture of the universe, it is hard to understand that any intelligent, educated person could believe in it. Yet disciples managed to read All and Everything as if its incoherence must contain esoteric wisdom; as if it was their fault if they did not understand it rather than the author’s inability to construct a credible picture of man and the universe or to write intelligibly. (2)

Storr goes further by suggesting that Gurdjieff’s use of language resembles that used by some psychiatric patients. He argues that chronic schizophrenics frequently invent words which carry a special meaning for them but which others find completely incomprehensible. However, Gurdjieff’s unusual writing style appears to have been consciously chosen. He employed unusual neologisms like ‘harnelmiatznel’ and ‘triamazikamno’ to challenge his readers’ linguistic assumptions and encourage deeper investigation. Gurdjieff’s students found it difficult to understand his cosmological writings and lectures, but believed that the obscurities in meaning were intentional. They were their teacher’s way of ensuring the students would invest significant effort to find meanings rather than being fed doctrines and ideas whole. Gurdjieff was aware that when discussing profound ideas, the depth of meaning and flexibility of expression were often sacrificed for the sake of clarity and precision. John Bennett, a senior student of Gurdjieff, writes: “As Gurdjieff’s ideas derive their significance far more from their breadth and depth than from logical consistency or even factual accuracy, he was almost compelled to express himself in new and startling terms.” (3) Bennett suggests that, in a sense, Gurdjieff’s writings were an experiment in a new literary form combining Eastern and Western modes of expression.

Lack of Scientific Validity Gurdjieff’s cosmological system has been criticized as completely unscientific, without any credible evidence to support it. Anthony Storr compared Gurdjieff’s ideas to science fiction, saying they were completely at odds with the principles of science and astronomy. On the surface Gurdjieff’s cosmological doctrine bears little resemblance to the tenets of modern science. The traditional divisions of scientific knowledge (physics, astronomy, chemistry, biology, and so on) do not exist in Gurdjieff’s schemata. Although scientific terms appear in Gurdjieff’s writings (‘vibration,’ ‘oxygen’) they are used in completely 2

different ways that bear no relationship to science. Further, Gurdjieff’s cosmological ideas are difficult if not impossible to verify using standard scientific methods of experiment and quantitative analysis. Some have questioned the validity of evaluating Gurdjieff’s cosmological teachings on the basis of scientific standards. They point out that the methodology, aim and perspective of metaphysical systems are very different from those of modern science. (4) Gurdjieff biographer James Moore enumerates some of these fundamental differences: Gurdjieff’s universe is sacred; science’s secular. Gurdjieff’s universe is essentially qualitative; science’s quantitative. Gurdjieff's universe has an ontological dependence on the Creator, and a hierarchy of subordinate levels; science’s universe is isotropic and value-free. Gurdjieff’s universe has a centrum (the ‘Holy Sun Absolute’); science’s universe is diffuse. Gurdjieff’s universe is growing in ‘being’; science’s growing in ‘space-time.’ Gurdjieff’s universe is living . . . science’s universe . . . is inert. Gurdjieff situates man at the periphery; science . . . clings to a psychological anthropocentrism. (5)

Others attempting to rationalize Gurdjieff’s unscientific assertions have gone beyond examining the limitations of the scientific model. Some have argued that Gurdjieff’s cosmological writings are essentially allegorical and cannot be evaluated in the context of contemporary scientific paradigms. (6) Others postulate that Gurdjieff’s cosmological teachings were deliberately intended to shock and undermine assumptions about the nature of reality and to challenge the authority and validity of science. Although Gurdjieff’s cosmological system is difficult to understand from the perspective of current scientific paradigms, it should not be dismissed out of hand. Gurdjieff brought a deeper meaning and a sense of the sacred to our understanding of the universe. It may not be possible to fairly evaluate his cosmological teachings within the confines of current scientific thinking or ordinary states of consciousness and perception. Perhaps the greatest value of Gurdjieff’s cosmology lies in its inherent power to challenge our assumptions about reality and our generally unquestioned acceptance of the scientific model. Materiality vs. Spirituality Some metaphysicians have described Gurdjieff as a ‘materialist’ who denied the reality of the spiritual dimension of existence. One of Gurdjieff’s central cosmological teachings was the concept of degrees of materiality permeating the universe: “Everything in the Universe is material: therefore the Great Knowledge is more materialistic than materialism.” (7) In conversations with his Russian pupils he further elaborated on his ideas of the material nature of the universe, which seem ironically scientific: Everything in this universe can be weighed and measured. The Absolute is as material, as weighable and measurable, as the moon, 3

or as man. If the Absolute is God it means that God can be weighed and measured, resolved into component elements, ‘calculated,’ and expressed in the form of a definite formula. (8)

Gurdjieff further claimed that knowledge, especially esoteric knowledge, possesses all the characteristics of materiality and, as such, is finite and cannot be freely distributed to everyone. This higher knowledge, to be effective as a spiritual nutrient, needs to be concentrated and “preserved among a small number of people and not dispersed among the masses.” (9) Traditionalist scholar Whithall Perry condemned Gurdjieff’s belief in the importance of concentrating esoteric knowledge in the hands of a chosen few: “Pure Knowledge, being an attribute of Divinity is Infinite – hence inexhaustible – and no more ‘partitionable’ than Pure Being or Pure Beatitude.” (10) Critics have argued that Gurdjieff’s theory of materiality is nothing but an updated version of the ancient teachings of the Greek philosopher Democritus. Some have charged that the theory directly contradicts traditional spiritual teachings. Whithall Perry points out that Gurdjieff’s materialistic cosmology is a form of atomism, a doctrine that is not supported by any traditional Eastern or Western spiritual systems, except for certain schools on the “heretical fringes.” Gurdjieff’s conception of materiality may be much more subtle and sophisticated than his critics are prepared to admit. His cosmological teachings also encompass the element of human consciousness which makes possible the perception of a continuum of energy and matter reflecting successive levels of refinement. Physicist Basarab Nicolescu concurs: “Gurdjieff’s ‘matters’ have multiple aspects, most of which totally escape the methodology of modern science since they concern, rather, the inner alchemy of man.” (11) The idea of degrees of materiality and fields of energy promulgated by Gurdjieff may ultimately find support in the future discoveries and emerging theories of quantum physics and related scientific disciplines.

Influence of the Moon For the vast majority of humanity the waxing and waning of the moon in the night sky is an occurrence devoid of any metaphysical meaning. Modern science describes the moon as a cold, lifeless satellite whose only real influence on the earth is a gravitational pull that produces the earth’s tides. Gurdjieff believed that the earth’s lunar companion creates a much broader range of effects than merely the tides. Critics, and even some of Gurdjieff’s own students like John Bennett and Robert de Ropp have considered Gurdjieff’s beliefs about the moon to be eccentric and bizarre.

4

In some instances Gurdjieff’s pronouncements about the moon were clearly made tongue-in-cheek and were not to be taken seriously. In Beelzebub’s Tales to His Grandson, he writes that the moon is inhabited by beings which resemble large ants “always bustling about, working both on and within their planet.” (12) In another passage he claims that the moon possesses an atmosphere, the development of which is being hindered by the undesirable earthly activity of human beings. Gurdjieff explained in Beelzebub’s Tales that the moon was created when the comet ‘Kondoor’ collided with the young earth, producing two fragments, ‘Loonderperzo’ (later known as the moon) and ‘Anulios.’ (13) Gurdjieff claimed that the moon remains an embryonic planet in the early stages of evolution, but that sometime in the future it would reach the same level of development as the earth. One of Gurdjieff’s more controversial teachings was the notion that organic life on the earth feeds the moon. Gurdjieff went even further, claiming that the growth of the moon is related to the death of living creatures on earth: The process of the growth and warming of the moon is connected with life and death on the earth. Everything living sets free at its death a certain amount of the energy that has ‘animated’ it; this energy, or the ‘souls’ of everything living -- plants, animals, people -- is attracted to the moon as though by a huge electromagnet, and brings to it the warmth and the life upon which its growth depends . . . The souls that go to the moon possessing perhaps even a certain amount of consciousness and memory, find themselves there under ninety-six laws, in the conditions of mineral life, or to put it differently, in conditions from which there is no escape apart from a general evolution in immeasurably long planetary cycles. (14)

Gurdjieff proposed that reciprocally the moon exerts widespread and profound influence on life on earth by controlling all of man’s actions and manifestations: “All evil deeds, all crimes, all self-sacrificing actions, all heroic exploits, as well as all the actions of ordinary everyday life, are controlled by the moon.” (15) Scientists dismiss the possibility that the moon has such an important influence on terrestrial life, or that it has a metaphysical significance or ontological ‘meaning.’ Yet, some of Gurdjieff’s followers have challenged this view by citing the evidence of science itself. James Moore writes: Interestingly, today’s science is conceding considerably more causality to the moon than when Gurdjieff propounded his idea in 1916. Biology is less distanced from Gurdjieff’s proposition that man is an evolutionary construct of the moon (and of course the sun). Thus: no land animals without prior amphibians; no amphibians without tides; and no tides without the moon. There also now emerges the moon’s putative effect on atmospheric ozone levels and wind-field tides; on geomagnetic activity and magnetotropism; and on the incidence of earthquakes, precipitation, and hurricane formation. Certain social scientists seriously debate statistical correlations between the moon’s synodic and sidereal phases and 5

official returns for the incidence of murder, suicide, epileptic attacks, hospital admissions, and certifications of insanity. (16)

Another school of thought believes that Gurdjieff intended his teaching about the moon to be taken allegorically, as a representation of the unconscious or ‘lunatic’ mind. There is also a belief in the metaphysical significance of the moon in certain traditional spiritual teachings. The Hindu Upanishads characterize the waxing moon as symbolic of access by humans to higher levels of being. In some esoteric teachings the moon represents a gateway between the higher and lower realms of consciousness. Robert de Ropp, who was a student of P.D. Ouspensky for many years and briefly of Gurdjieff, presents the possibility that Gurdjieff’s lunar myth was merely an allegory with a deeper meaning for mankind: How could anyone seriously claim that the Moon was growing and getting warmer? Men had travelled to the Moon, walked on its surface, brought back moon-rocks. The Moon was dead. There was not the slightest chance of its coming to life. The whole idea of the “Ray of Creation” was incorrect. The cosmos did not grow like a tree. New stars were formed out of the dust and gas in the spiral arms of the galaxies. Old stars died, the small ones shrinking into white dwarfs, the big ones exploding as supernovas. Out of the dust of those supernovas new stars were formed. Of course it was perfectly possible to argue that the whole moon-myth was an allegory, that the entity “moon” had no reference to the Moon in the sky. It described all those forces that work to keep Man enslaved and which prevent him from seeing the truth about his situation. But why disguise the truth in such an elaborate allegory? It only served to confuse people. (17)

Planetary Influences In his cosmological teachings Gurdjieff also postulated that the planets have a significant effect on organic life, particularly for human beings. Gurdjieff told P.D. Ouspensky that the planets were actually ‘living beings’ with a definite lifespan, sequence of development and possibility of transition to other planes of being. During talks with his students, he claimed that the planets have certain energetic emanations or vibrations which influence life on earth. Living organisms act as a ‘transmitting station of forces,’ playing a crucial role in the development of the earth: Organic life represents so to speak the earth’s organ of perception. Organic life forms something like a sensitive film which covers the whole of the earth’s globe and takes in those influences coming from the planetary sphere which otherwise would not be able to reach the earth. The vegetable, animal, and human kingdoms are equally important for the earth in this respect. A field merely covered with grass takes in planetary influences of a definite kind and transmits them to the earth. The same field with a crowd of people on it will take in and transmit other influences. The population of Europe take in one kind of planetary

6

influences and transmits them to the earth. The population of Africa take in planetary influences of another kind, and so on. (18)

Gurdjieff believed that human beings are highly sensitive to and affected by the simultaneous influences of the sun, moon and planets. Tensions and relationships between the planets are perceived and reflected by humans in their mass behaviour, and even produce events like acts of violence and wars. Gurdjieff was clearly aware of the historical significance of astrology. In Beelzebub’s Tales he wrote that the ancient Egyptian astrologers understood the influence of the planets on human life and often arranged marriages on the basis of astrological compatibility. Gurdjieff characterized contemporary astrology as a deterioration of ancient esoteric knowledge in which astrological signs were syntheses of a group of characteristics which formed the basis of an individual’s personal challenges during their lifetime. For many of Gurdjieff’s critics, the idea of planetary influences on human behaviour smacks of pseudo-science. Anthony Storr dismisses Gurdjieff’s claim of adverse planetary influences as a “bizarre notion.” Yet, principles of astrology are part of the cosmological teachings of many philosophical and spiritual traditions. Anthropological research suggests that many civilizations have based their customs and religious practices on the movements of the sun, moon, planets and stars. There is a growing body of statistical and empirical evidence to support many astrological claims that were formerly considered completely unfounded. (19) It may be that Gurdjieff’s principles of planetary influence are based more in reality than critics formerly believed.

The ‘Organ Kundabuffer’ Perhaps one of Gurdjieff’s strangest claims was the implantation and subsequent removal in human beings by higher powers of an organ called ‘Kundabuffer.’ The concept first appeared in written form in the early drafts of Beelzebub’s Tales to His Grandson, but was referred to by Gurdjieff in his earlier talks and lectures. Student John Bennett captures the essence of this theory: At a certain period in the history of the earth it was perceived by the Higher Powers that a very undesirable and dangerous situation was developing on the planet Earth which could endanger the equilibrium of the entire solar system and, in particular, the evolution of the Moon. For this reason, the Higher Powers intervened and brought about the insertion into man’s physical nature of an organ said to have been situated at the base of the spine and called by Gurdjieff the ‘Organ Kundabuffer.’ This prevented man from seeing the situation as it really was and led him to base his values solely on the satisfaction of his own desires and the pursuit of happiness. The organ had the effect of arresting the evolution of man and ensuring him a blissful though animal existence. (20)

7

Gurdjieff claimed that the Organ Kundabuffer was removed when the cosmic evolutionary danger passed. However, the Higher Powers had not foreseen that one of the consequences of implanting the Organ Kundabuffer in human beings for so many years was that its properties would become fixed as a predisposition and transmitted by heredity to subsequent generations, even though the organ was eventually removed. The result was the development by humans of negative characteristics like pride, envy, hate and egoism. In Beelzebub’s Tales Gurdjieff argues that a serious consequence has been the failure by humanity to reach its greatest potential for inner development and for serving higher spiritual purposes. Critics like scholar Whithall Perry have denounced the theory of the Organ Kundabuffer as bizarre and unbelievable. Although believing the theory was meant to be taken literally, John Bennett himself admits that there is no direct evidence to support and no means by which to independently verify the theory. It seems much more probable that Gurdjieff’s “theory” is a myth or metaphor for the human condition rather than a reflection of factual reality. It is possible that Gurdjieff created this concept as a tool to challenge his students’ prevailing beliefs about human motivation and evolution. (21)

The Development of a Human Soul The belief in the existence of a human soul is a fundamental tenet of many of the world’s spiritual traditions. Gurdjieff, however, claimed that human beings are born without a soul, though they have the possibility of developing a soul during the course of their spiritual development. (22) This position outraged many followers of traditional religions. Although Gurdjieff’s claim appears provocative, a closer examination reveals a complex and highly developed point of view. In a conversation with Professor Denis Saurat in 1923, he describes a hierarchy of possibilities for the development of a human soul: Few human beings have a soul. None have one at birth. Those who do not acquire one, die: their atoms are dispersed, nothing is left. A few make themselves a partial soul and are submitted to a kind of reincarnation which allows them to progress. And, finally, a very small number succeed in acquiring immortal souls. But this number is really very small indeed. Most of those who have achieved any success have only managed to acquire partial souls. (23)

Gurdjieff believed that a fully developed human being possessed four bodies of increasing degrees of refinement which “mutually interpenetrate one another, and form four independent organisms, standing in a definite relationship to one another but capable of independent action.” (24)

8

According to Gurdjieff, the most subtle body - usually referred to as the ‘divine body’ in esoteric Christianity - is the vehicle of the soul. But, contrary to traditional teachings, Gurdjieff claimed that humans are not born possessing the finer bodies, but have to develop them during their lifetime under the right internal and external conditions. To develop a soul it is necessary to accumulate a surplus of ‘fine matters’ in the human organism that can be crystallized to form a soul capable of surviving after the physical body expires. Gurdjieff likened the transformation of finer substances to an alchemical process: The possibility of the soul lies in the presence in man of a certain combination of substances which are without organization, but which carry all his potential for experience. These substances can be organized and, in the course of this, they are eventually transformed in the Kesdjan body which is the outer vehicle of the soul. Ordinary man in whom these substances have not ‘crystallized’ is not immortal, although there is a sensitive something in him that is able to survive the death of the physical body. This sensitive mass has no permanent form and eventually dissolves. Man becomes immortal only when he has created or built for himself his own complete soul. (25)

Consistent with traditional religious teachings, Gurdjieff taught that the soul in a fully developed human being can attain a degree of immortality following physical death on earth: “The fourth body is composed of material of the starry world . . . This means that a man possessing the fourth body is immortal within the limits of the solar system.” (26) Gurdjieff asserted that an individual who did not develop a ‘divine body’ through the process of inner development would lose the possibility of obtaining an immortal soul capable of surviving death. The way to acquire a soul is through ‘conscious labours and intentional suffering’ under the guidance of a spiritual master. Fourth Way author William Patterson concurs: “It is only when men begin to awaken to Being that they step out of the dream of ephemeral egotism and begin to have true substance.” (27) Gurdjieff’s followers are divided on whether his ideas about the nature of the human soul are literal or metaphorical. Some pupils like John Bennett believed they were factually true. Others wonder whether Gurdjieff merely intended to motivate his pupils to make greater spiritual efforts by postulating that a soul is not a human birthright, but must be developed through intense spiritual work.

Commentary The cosmological system that Gurdjieff taught is challenging, complex and vast in scope and vision, with an impressive subtlety and inner consistency of ideas. (28) However, the same could be said for an outstanding work of science fiction. The

9

question remains whether Gurdjieff’s cosmological ideas are a valid representation of the metaphysical nature of humanity and the universe. For Gurdjieff’s critics, the answer is a resounding “no” and they have ample material to support their arguments. Some of Gurdjieff’s ideas expressed in Beelzebub’s Tales to His Grandson – “The Sun neither heats nor lights” and “Apes are descended from humans” -- are obviously absurd and not meant to be taken literally. Other ideas conflict with traditional religious teachings or contemporary materialistic science. However, other cosmological principles from Gurdjieff’s teaching, such as the ‘law of three’ (29), are supported in other metaphysical traditions. Some scientists have remarked on the correspondence between Gurdjieff’s concept of ‘reciprocal maintenance’ (30) and the modern theory of ecology. Thoughtful scholars like Michel Waldberg argue that Gurdjieff’s ideas should be taken seriously: Gurdjieff’s ‘laws’ are definitely not as fantastic as one might think, and his cosmology may be less absurd than it seems. For the moment, though, this is not what matters: the important thing is to see the process through which Gurdjieff, so to speak, disabuses his reader, forces him to question what he never questions and -- last but not least -- makes him grasp at first hand what it is that produces that dismal mechanization of thought which lies at the root of so many of our troubles. (31)

The psychological and cosmological teachings that Gurdjieff transmitted directly to his students and through his writings integrated the apparent duality of matter and sprit, the world of phenomena and the metaphysical reality of consciousness and being. It revealed an underlying unity that reconciled science and religion, materialism and spirituality, and transcended our usual conceptual categories: This science viewed the world of visible matter as modern physics does, recognizing the equivalence of mass and energy, the subjective illusion of time, the general theory of relativity. But its inquiry did not stop there, accepting as real only phenomena that could be measured and proved by controlled experiment. This science also explored the mystic’s world outside sense perception, the vision of another reality, infinite beyond space and time. The aim was to understand the place of man in the cosmic order, the meaning of human life on the earth, and actually to know and experience in oneself the reality of both worlds at the same time. It was a science of being. (32)

Perhaps the greatest value of Gurdjieff’s cosmological teachings is the way in which they challenge our established ways of thinking about the world and ourselves. Gurdjieff’s universe was imbued with meaning and an evolutionary intent that engender a sense of awe and inspiration. To fully comprehend and appreciate Gurdjieff’s cosmology requires both a fundamental shift in perspective and the development of a heightened level of

10

consciousness. Gurdjieff was arguably ahead of his time with his esoteric description of the universe and the meaning of human life. Perhaps future generations will place more value on its depth and insights than Gurdjieff’s contemporaries did.

NOTES (1) G.I. Gurdjieff Beelzebub’s Tales to His Grandson: An Objectively Impartial Criticism of the Life of Man (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1950), preface. (2) Anthony Storr Feet of Clay (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1996), p. 41. (3) John Bennett Gurdjieff: Making a New World (New York: Harper & Row, 1973), p. 273. (4) Students of the Gurdjieff Work, such as theatre and film director Peter Brook, have argued in “The Secret Dimension” in Jacob Needleman and George Baker eds. Gurdjieff: Essays and Reflections on the Man and His Teaching (New York: Continuum, 1996), pp. 30-31) that the scientific model is fundamentally incomplete and unable to explain or describe the apparent duality of matter and spirit: Since the Renaissance, our own science has accurately pinpointed the detailed processes and mechanisms of the universe, from the infinitely large to the infinitely small, but it has failed disastrously to introduce into its equations the dimension of living experience. It omits consciousness; it cannot capture the meaning of perception, nor the specific taste of thought. The highly abstract and purely mental system of mathematical symbols has no way of evoking the humanity of artistic experience nor the spirituality of religion. As a result, we have two parallel interpretations of reality which can never meet: the scientific language of definition and the symbolic language of perception.

(5) James Moore Gurdjieff: The Anatomy of a Myth (Rockport, Massachusetts: Element Books, 1991), p. 346. (6) Historians of science point out that the theories and paradigms of science are constantly changing as new research modifies or refutes scientific “facts.” For further discussion see Thomas Kuhn The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1962). (7) G.I. Gurdjieff Views From the Real World: Early Talks of Gurdjieff (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1973), p. 21. (8) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 86. 11

(9) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 37. (10) Whithall Perry Gurdjieff: In Light of Tradition (Bedfont, Middlesex: Perennial Books, 1978), p. 47. (11) Basarab Nicolescu “Gurdjieff’s Philosophy of Nature” in Jacob Needleman and George Baker, eds. Gurdjieff: Essays and Reflections on the Man and His Teaching (New York: Continuum, 1996), p. 44. (12) G.I. Gurdjieff Beelzebub’s Tales to His Grandson: An Objectively Impartial Criticism of the Life of Man (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1950), p. 62. (13) There is scientific support for Gurdjieff’s contention. The hypothesis that the moon was created some four billion years ago by a cataclysmic collision between a large cosmic body and early earth is now accepted by many scientists. And in 1970 scientists reported the discovery of a small celestial object measuring less than two kilometers in diameter that they believed constituted a third member of the earthmoon system. (14) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 85. (15) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 85. (16) James Moore Gurdjieff: Anatomy of a Myth (Bedfont, Massachusetts: Element Books, 1991), p. 347. (17) Robert de Ropp Self Completion (Nevada City, California: Gateways/IDHHB, 1988), p. xxiv. (18) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 138. (19) The most intriguing evidence supporting a planetary influence on human behaviour is the extensive research of French statistician Michel Gaugelin, summarized in his books Cosmic Influences on Human Behavior (London: Garnstone Press, 1973) and Birthtimes (New York: Hill and Wang, 1983). For a review of the scientific debate regarding the validity of astrology see H.J. Eysenck and D.K. Nias Astrology: Science or Superstition (London: Pelican Books, 1984) and John Anthony West’s The Case for Astrology (London: Viking Arkana, 1991). (20) John Bennett Gurdjieff: Making a New World (New York: Harper & Row, 1973), p. 250. 12

(21) Rafael Lefort suggests that the term ‘Kundabuffer’ is “composed of two Persian words kund, to blunt, and farr, pomp or splendour, the combined word thus being a technical term meaning to blunt the perception by pompousness or self-love.” [The Teachers of Gurdjieff (London: Victor Gollancz, 1973), pp. 132-133.] (22) The idea that the human soul must be developed also appears in other spiritual teachings such as Sufism. In The Knowing Heart (Boston: Shambhala, 2000, pp. 211-212), Kabir Helminski writes: The world is a place for fashioning the soul, in the sense that soul is not given to us automatically, despite our assumptions to the contrary. Our interiority, our presence, must be created from within the distractions and forgetfulness of everyday outer life, from within the constant clash of pleasure and pain, happiness and loss.

(23) Louis Pauwels Gurdjieff (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1975), p. 177. (24) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 40. (25) John Bennett Gurdjieff: Making a New World (New York: Harper & Row, 1973), p. 246. (26) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 94. (emphasis in original quote) (27) William Patterson Taking with the Left Hand (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 1998), pp. 86-87. (28) Gurdjieff’s cosmological system is a vast, comprehensive model of the universe and the place of humanity in the cosmic order. It is an amazingly complex, detailed and internally coherent representation of the ancient dictum ‘As Above, So Below,’ which postulates that the complete human being is a microcosm or miniature replica of the universe or macrocosm. The essence of Gurdjieff’s cosmological teachings are presented in P.D. Ouspensky’s In Search of the Miraculous and Gurdjieff’s Beelzebub’s Tales to His Grandson. Further explorations and elaborations of these ideas can be found in Maurice Nicoll’s Psychological Commentaries on the Teachings of G.I. Gurdjieff and P.D. Ouspensky, Rodney Collin’s The Theory of Celestial Influence and Keith Buzzell’s Perspectives on Beelzebub’s Tales and Explorations in Active Mentation. (29) The ‘law of three’ is one of the fundamental principles forming the foundation of Gurdjieff’s cosmology. This law asserts that every event or action, on scales ranging from the molecular to the cosmic, is the result of three interacting forces, which he

13

termed ‘active,’ ‘passive’ and ‘reconciling.’ A similar concept of a trinity of forces or energies is found in Hinduism, Christianity, the Kabbalah, alchemy, astrology and Western occult traditions. (30) The ‘law of reciprocal maintenance’ proposes that the cosmic harmony of the universe is maintained by a mutual exchange of substances and energy through the interaction of different classes and levels of beings. This idea is similar to the notion of systems theory in many biological and ecological sciences. (31) Michel Waldberg Gurdjieff: An Approach to His Ideas (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1981), p. 24. (32) Jeanne de Salzmann The Reality of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), pp. 295-296.

14

POWERFUL AND MAGNETIC PERSONALITY1

Almost everyone who met Gurdjieff was struck by his powerful personality and commanding presence. Together his physical attributes, personal magnetism and immense knowledge created an impression of great strength and mastery. Gurdjieff possessed an enigmatic quality and a mystique that set him apart from other men. The widely-held belief that he possessed hypnotic and psychic powers only deepened his aura of mystery. His alleged use of these abilities as part of his teaching, condemned in some traditional spiritual circles, has always been a source of controversy. That Gurdjieff’s powerful personality made a strong impact on his students is without question. However, whether this impact was always positive is open to debate. Student Fritz Peters believed that Gurdjieff’s personal power did both harm and good to those around him. Writer Claude Bragdon made a similar assessment of Gurdjieff: “He impressed one as a man of power, but at the same time I was a little repelled; I did not want to be drawn into that particular net.” (1) Some have wondered whether Gurdjieff controlled or was controlled by his powerful personality. Author Gary Lachman claims that Gurdjieff possessed a psychological need to dominate others, evidenced by an attitude “that most people were incapable of appreciating their own genuine worth.” Other critics have argued that Gurdjieff’s personal magnetism diverted attention away from his teaching and was actually a detriment to his students, preventing them from developing their highest spiritual potential.

Personal Power and Presence

Gurdjieff possessed an undeniable personal power and magnetism. The sheer force of his presence made a lasting impact on others. Student Henriette Lannes describes the impression Gurdjieff made at their first meeting: I was struck by the impact of his force, very quiet, calm and controlled, yet almost frightening, but more than anything by the degree of his total presence, a presence which I felt extended to the tips of his fingers. It gave meaning to all his movements, which seemed so much more alive than ours. As alive as those of a cat or a tiger. I also felt very strongly his vast generosity – a generosity which I would call superhuman. (2)

P.D. Ouspensky was impressed by Gurdjieff’s inner simplicity and naturalness. Ouspensky considered him versatile and inventive in his practical dealings, indifferent to his own personal comfort, and willing to tackle whatever work was required in any situation. Student René Zuber, on first meeting Gurdjieff in 1943, noted that he 1

Updated 2017/03/10 1

possessed both an impressive calm and “the agility of a fencer capable of delivering a lightning thrust.” (3) Some went so far as to attach archetypal significance to Gurdjieff’s personal attributes: In him were combined no less than four sacred archetypes, all of them rare and all of them powerful . . . The odds are high against a human being having even one of these archetypes strongly developed in his essence. The odds are astronomical against anyone having all four. (4)

Gurdjieff’s physical qualities contributed to his impact on others. Although of only average height, he appeared physically powerful with a broad and sturdy build. When he moved he did so with extraordinary coordination, which students have described as feline in nature. Ouspensky noticed the remarkable assurance and precision in all of Gurdjieff's movements, and Zuber observed that “his gait and his gestures were never hurried, but followed in unison with the rhythm of his breathing like those of a peasant or a mountaineer.” (5) Even in his later years, Gurdjieff maintained an impressive physique. Students who saw him in the baths noted that his muscle tone remained firm despite the additional weight he carried. Perhaps the most compelling physical feature of Gurdjieff was the power of his eyes. Students have described them as ‘piercing’ and of unusual depth and penetration. John Bennett said that Gurdjieff had the strangest eyes that he had ever seen, with each being very different in expression from the other. Gurdjieff’s undeniable force of character acted as a magnet in attracting students, many of whom were soon in awe of their teacher's extraordinary power. René Zuber was among them: “He seemed to be filled with an experience – almost incommunicable – which set him at an unbearable distance from the common run of mortals.” (6) John Bennett speculates that Gurdjieff derived much of his personal power from his belief that he had a special mission to accomplish in the West. (7) This guiding principle gave Gurdjieff a powerful sense of purpose and direction. Psychiatrist Anthony Storr supports Bennett's assessment, believing that “it was his own conviction that he had discovered the answer which made him charismatic and persuasive.” (8) Perhaps Gurdjieff’s power resulted from an interplay between his own personality and the training he received during his esoteric study. When combined with the driving purpose to enhance the spiritual well-being of humanity, the ultimate effect was a personality of immense power and influence. Even in death, Gurdjieff’s personal power was clearly evident to some. At his funeral service, as his body lay in state, one of his pupils remembered: I was overwhelmed by the force that came from him. One could not be near his body without feeling unmistakably his power. He looked mag2

nificent; composed, content, intentional, for want of a better word. Not simply a body placed by someone else. He was undisguised, nothing was concealed from us. Everything belonging to him, his inner and outer life and all the circumstances and results of it, were there to be seen, if one could see. What force there was in him then! I have never seen anything in any way like it. This, I think, was what I had dreaded: I could not bear to see him with the force gone from him. Yet in fact I saw his power for the first time unobscured. (9)

Power of Attention and Awareness

Many spiritual traditions stress the importance of developing awareness or mindfulness and living with a sense of being fully present in every moment. In his teachings Gurdjieff placed great emphasis on the importance of properly focusing one's attention: When you do one thing, do it with the whole self. One thing at a time. Now I sit here and I eat. For me nothing exists in the world except this food, this table. I eat with the whole attention. So you must do – in everything. When you write a letter, do not at the same time think what will be the cost of laundering that shirt; when you compute laundering costs, do not think about the letter you must write. Everything has its time. To be able to do one thing at a time . . . this is a property of Man, not man in quotation marks. (10)

One of Gurdjieff’s most striking characteristics was his ability to direct his awareness to the reality of the present moment. Fritz Peters, who lived at the Prieuré in France during the 1920s, experienced Gurdjieff’s power of attention in their interactions: “He was fully aware of me, completely concentrated on whatever words he said to me; his attention never wandered when I spoke to him.” (11) French pupil Solange Claustres made a similar observation: What left the deepest impression upon me was that profound look when he was listening to someone, silently listening with his whole being. Answering with words only the question put in words and, through a particular attitude in the tone of his voice, by a smile, a look, he conveyed to one's feelings something which the ordinary mind could neither hear nor understand . . . I sensed and saw in him a quality of attention that nothing escaped. He looked heedless, like a dozing tiger of Turkestan, but he was always ready to pounce, to act, attentive to everything, even at rest. (12)

Gurdjieff’s ability to be fully present in his encounters with pupils contributed to his aura of magnetism and power. This extended even to apparently mundane situations. A.R. Orage and his wife were dining with Gurdjieff and a number of other students at the Prieuré when Gurdjieff suddenly snatched a locket belonging to Jessie Orage. After waiting patiently for an opportune moment to recover the locket, A.R. suddenly leaped 3

at Gurdjieff. But Gurdjieff, even though he had been drinking heavily, was fully present and quickly whisked the necklace away from Orage’s grasp, to the amazement of the pupils in attendance. Some critics of Gurdjieff have argued that he used his formidable capacity for attention to ensnare and manipulate his followers. They claim that many pupils became enamored of Gurdjieff, which allowed them to be highly suggestible or vulnerable to manipulation. However, the evidence to support this contention is sketchy. Gurdjieff was famous for making things difficult for his students, even driving them away when he felt they were becoming too attached to him. Psychic and Hypnotic Powers

There is no doubt that Gurdjieff possessed unusual abilities of a psychic nature. They reportedly ranged from autosuggestion and hypnosis to more advanced powers like telepathy and clairvoyance. Gurdjieff admitted that he possessed hypnotic abilities which he employed primarily in healing others. In Herald of Coming Good he revealed that he had previously practised as a professional hypnotist, a fact that caused consternation among many of his followers who were fearful that he was attempting to hypnotize them. While Gurdjieff admitted that he possessed hypnotic abilities, he claimed that he used hypnosis only to awaken subjects from their ‘sleep’ of conditioned everyday life. Gurdjieff claimed that in 1912 he took a personal oath to renounce the use of hypnotism to further his aims. He admitted that he found it very difficult to control his hypnotic power, which he called an “automatic influence over people.” As he told his student Jean Toomer in 1933: “Twenty-one years ago I vowed never to use hypnosis to effect my aims. Recent circumstances have made me struggle with myself to keep my vow . . . I do not want to break it.” (13) It is impossible to know the extent to which Gurdjieff employed hypnosis in the course of his work with students. None of Gurdjieff’s primary pupils have reported a first-hand experience of being hypnotized by their teacher. Although some pupils expressed concern that Gurdjieff used hypnotic abilities to manipulate others, most offered only indirect evidence or appeared to be reporting mere suspicions. However, Boris Mouravieff claimed that Gurdjieff hypnotically induced excessive suggestibility in his followers: “The effects of Gurdjieff's [hypnotic] influence upon his immediate sur-roundings were quite visible. He could have proposed any absurdity to his disciples . . . and be sure in advance that it would be accepted with the same enthusiasm as if it were a revelation.” (14) And, Dr. James Young, who was a student at the Prieuré in the 1920s, believed that Gurdjieff used hypnosis with him as well as with many other students, citing his heightened suggestibility as evidence.

4

It is evident that Gurdjieff possessed psychic powers beyond the realm of hypnosis which he used in certain situations when working with his students. The memoirs of Gurdjieff’s students contain a number of accounts of paranormal phenomena associated with him. In the summer of 1916, Gurdjieff worked closely with a small group of students in a country house in Finland. P.D. Ouspensky, one of the students at the time, describes an incident of telepathy in which he was able to hear Gurdjieff’s thoughts: Suddenly I noticed that among the words which he was saying to us all there were “thoughts” which were intended for me. I caught one of these thoughts and replied to it, speaking aloud in the ordinary way. G. nodded to me and stopped speaking. There was a fairly long pause. He sat still saying nothing. After a while I heard his voice inside me as if it were in the chest near the heart. He put a definite question to me. I looked at him; he was sitting and smiling. (15)

John Bennett reported that when he was a student at the Château du Prieuré in 1923 he attempted to perform demanding dance exercises while suffering from chronic dysentery. Just at the point where he was reaching exhaustion he perceived Gurdjieff concentrating on him, and felt a sudden infusion of an immense power which completely rejuvenated him physically. Margaret Anderson relates an incident in 1936 in which Gurdjieff exhibited his extraordinary psychic power. After instructing her to relax her body and allow her head or other body parts to move freely at will, he initiated an “experiment” in which he transmitted an energy force across a short distance: “In a few seconds, my head began to move from side to side and up and down, slowly. Then a wide hot ray or wave struck my neck with force and moved down, then up my spine . . . A minute later he said, ‘Now enough.’ He left the room with no explanation and never referred to this again.” (16) In a further example in 1945, Fritz Peters, in a state of acute nervous exhaustion following his difficult military service, experienced a powerful transference of energy from Gurdjieff to himself which Peters experienced as “a violet, electric blue light.” Gurdjieff's extraordinary abilities were often viewed with great suspicion. In some metaphysical circles Gurdjieff was regarded as a ‘black magician’ (17) who used supernatural powers to manipulate his followers. Gurdjieff claimed that he employed a substance related to animal magnetism that he called ‘hanbledzoin’ which he then transmitted to others through the force of his concentration. Most esoteric traditions acknowledge that spiritual teachers often possess extrasensory powers which are developed as by-products of their training. However, for a teacher who has not fully transcended ego identification, such powers can be easily abused when the motive is to manipulate, intimidate and control. Critics have argued that Gurdjieff’s use of hypnotic and psychic powers was not based on respect for his students’ spiritual integrity, but rather the desire to manipulate them. However, it seems more likely that Gurdjieff’s intention in deploying such powers was to benefit the inner development of 5

certain spiritual aspirants. The accounts of Gurdjieff’s pupils suggest that he used his psychic abilities only in selected cases to heal, reveal pupils’ developmental possibilities or prepare students to absorb further teachings. Personality Worship

Gurdjieff’s leadership abilities and powerful personality inspired widespread respect and admiration from his students. However, beyond a healthy attachment, many followers’ behaviour bordered on idolization and hero worship. For these devotees, any criticism of their master provoked disbelief and outrage or condescending dismissal. They attributed almost divine powers to Gurdjieff, even in the most mundane situations. For instance, some believed that Gurdjieff could learn to drive a car through sheer inspiration, or that he could instantly affect the health and physical functioning of visitors to the Prieuré. Even the most outrageous behaviour by Gurdjieff was rationalized by his students as having hidden meaning and significance beyond its surface. Even more seasoned students like Paul Beekman Taylor were captivated by Gurdjieff’s powerful personality: The sheer power of the man fascinated me. Increasingly as I saw and heard more of him . . . I could never, nor did I wish to, shake myself loose from the impact of his person upon me. From the moment I first met him, I wondered at his force of person. (18)

Some critics have argued that the force of Gurdjieff’s personality so overwhelmed his students that they lost all objectivity and discernment. Whithall Perry observed that Gurdjieff provoked strong reactions in everyone who met him. While some felt repulsed, others were drawn irresistibly to Gurdjieff and were totally enraptured. Students’ own accounts suggest that while many felt abject devotion, others were clearly intimidated by Gurdjieff. Paul Beekman Taylor noticed that many pupils were stone-faced and tense in Gurdjieff’s presence, appearing ill at ease or afraid. Fritz Peters observed that few of Gurdjieff’s students at the Château du Prieuré dared to oppose Gurdjieff, even in the face of insult and ridicule: “The rebellious did not stay at the Prieuré to exchange banter, and they were not permitted to stay to challenge or oppose him; the ‘philosophical dictatorship’ brooked no opposition.” (19) It is evident that Gurdjieff was aware of the effect of his powerful personality on his students and the dangers of personality worship. Fourth Way author William Patterson observes that Gurdjieff considered projection and transference to be natural developments in the student-teacher relationship, which the teacher is responsible to interrupt at the appropriate juncture: “The projection onto the teacher, the unconscious miming of the teacher, the taking of his every manifestation as law, is simply a step on the path of the student which the teacher will break at the necessary moment. And Gurdjieff did.” (20)

6

Paul Beekman Taylor believes that Gurdjieff deliberately shocked, destabilized and discouraged his pupils to prevent them from focusing on their teacher to the exclusion of the teaching: By his speech, dress, and postures, Gurdjieff seemed to do his utmost to maintain distance, as if he would encourage others to hear the teaching instead of seeing and sensing the man . . . He would turn pupils back into themselves as a first and necessary step towards positioning themselves for his teaching. (21)

The results of Gurdjieff’s attempts to disengage from his students and to redirect their focus to his teachings were mixed. Although many were unable to shake their attachment to Gurdjieff the man, others felt that Gurdjieff’s shocking behaviour forced them out of their pattern of hero worship.

Commentary

Gurdjieff is widely regarded as one of the most powerful and charismatic spiritual teachers of the 20th century. Almost everyone who came in contact with him felt that he possessed extraordinary presence and knowledge. Gurdjieff was clearly aware of his great personal power but was under no illusions about his human weaknesses or level of spiritual development. Speaking to a group of Paris students in the 1930s, he admitted: “Thousands more complete than me on earth. I have far to go.” (22) But many of Gurdjieff’s students were blinded by his personal power and magnetism and became ensnared in the trap of personality worship. Gurdjieff’s hypnotic and psychic abilities further contributed to his mystique. Unable to separate the teacher from the teaching, many students failed to grasp the significance and value of his teachings. When a spiritual teacher possesses a commanding presence and immense personal power he or she must exercise great care when interacting with pupils. The temptation to dominate or control the lives of students is always a very real possibility which, if manifested, is clearly detrimental to students’ spiritual progress. Gurdjieff must be given credit for recognizing how the powerful influence of his personality could negatively affect his students. Much of his role-playing and unconventional behaviour was designed to force his students to penetrate beyond his personality to the heart of the Fourth Way teaching he was trying to transmit. Charismatic spiritual teachers like Gurdjieff raise many serious questions for their followers. When the teacher's personality is so strong, how does a student distinguish between behaviour which is consciously directed for teaching purposes and that which is

7

ego-based? When working with a powerful teacher, is the onus on the teacher or the pupil to establish a balanced and effective learning relationship? There are no simple answers to these questions. Each seeker must make an independent assessment of the teacher and the teaching situation. Students who worked with Gurdjieff often had serious doubts about their powerful teacher and were sometimes shocked by his unconventional behaviour. Yet, those who persevered in their work with Gurdjieff ultimately believed they had obtained something of inestimable value which changed their lives forever. NOTES

(1) James Webb The Harmonious Circle: The Lives and Works of G.I. Gurdjieff, P.D. Ouspensky, and Their Followers (Boston: Shambhala, 1987), p. 269. (2) Henriette Lannes “To Recognize a Master” in Jacob Needleman and George Baker, eds. Gurdjieff: Essays and Reflections on the Man and His Teaching (New York: Continuum, 1996), p. 363. (3) René Zuber Who Are You, Mr. Gurdjieff? (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1980), p. 2. (4) Robert de Ropp Warrior's Way (Nevada City, California: Gateways, 2002), pp. 180-181. (5) René Zuber Who Are You, Mr. Gurdjieff? (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1980), p. 3. (6) René Zuber Who Are You, Mr. Gurdjieff? (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1980), p. 4. (7) John Bennett, after carefully researching Gurdjieff’s life, concluded that Gurdjieff had contacted a higher source of wisdom and was engaged in an enterprise to transmit ancient esoteric teachings to the West. In Gurdjieff: Making a New World (New York: Harper & Row, 1973, p. 132) he discusses Gurdjieff’s mission: We can see that Gurdjieff was pursuing a clear and consistent plan. To others, his actions may have appeared eccentric and inconsequent, but he was evidently driven by the conviction that his mission was important for mankind, and that the Higher Powers would provide the means to fulfill it . . . He gave me the impression of a man who had a well-defined programme. He said that he was able to call on help from people who knew the importance of his task.

(8) Anthony Storr Feet of Clay (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1996), p. 43. 8

(9) William Patrick Patterson Georgi Ivanovitch Gurdjieff: The Man, The Teaching, His Mission (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2014), p. 460. (10) Kathryn Hulme Undiscovered Country: In Search of Gurdjieff (Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1966), p. 91. (11) Fritz Peters Boyhood with Gurdjieff (Baltimore: Penguin Books, 1964), p. 32. (12) Solange Claustres “The Dessert” in Jacob Needleman and George Baker, eds. Gurdjieff: Essays and Reflections on the Man and His Teaching (New York: Continuum, 1996), p. 400. (13) James Webb The Harmonious Circle: The Lives and Works of G.I. Gurdjieff, P.D. Ouspensky, and Their Followers (Boston: Shambhala, 1987), p. 91. (14) Boris Mouravieff Gurdjieff, Ouspensky and Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (Chicago: Praxis Institute Press, 1997), p. 16. (15) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 262. (16) William Patrick Patterson Georgi Ivanovitch Gurdjieff: The Man, The Teaching, His Mission (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2014), p. 315. (17) Gurdjieff made frequent reference to the figure of a black magician in his teachings. A black magician was one of the central characters of Gurdjieff's ballet Struggle of the Magicians, and he taught his students an Eastern tale of a magician who hypnotized his flock of sheep. In P.D. Ouspensky’s In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949, p. 227) Gurdjieff warned of the dangers of black magic: Black magic is based on infatuation and on playing upon human weaknesses . . . Black magic has always one definite characteristic. This characteristic is the tendency to use people for some, even the best of aims, without their knowledge and understanding, either by producing in them faith and infatuation or by acting upon them through fear.

(18) Paul Beekman Taylor Gurdjieff’s America (Lighthouse Editions, 2004), p. 6. (19) Fritz Peters Boyhood with Gurdjieff (Baltimore: Penguin Books, 1964), p. 119. (20) William Patterson Taking With the Left Hand (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 1998), pp. 70-71.

9

(21) Paul Beekman Taylor Shadows of Heaven: Gurdjieff and Toomer (York Beach, Maine: Samuel Weiser, 1998), p. 182. (22) Paul Beekman Taylor Gurdjieff’s America (Lighthouse Editions, 2004), p. 1.

10

DECEPTION AND ROLE-PLAYING1

George Ivanovitch Gurdjieff was an enigma, impossible to define or fully understand. No two people who met Gurdjieff came away with the same impression of the man or his teaching. Robert de Ropp, a student of P.D. Ouspensky, met Gurdjieff in 1948 and was immediately struck by Gurdjieff's otherworldly nature: “He was, without doubt, the most extraordinary human being I have ever met . . . Gurdjieff, like his own creation Mr. Beelzebub, seemed not only a being from a different planet but also from a different solar system.” (1) Biographer James Webb observed that Gurdjieff seemed to play a variety of roles at any given moment, including “the big role of the Teacher, the small immediate role which is designed to produce a particular effect on a particular pupil, and a generalized role to ensure a relationship of meaning with the whole milieu in which he chances to be operating.” (2) Never sure if he was behaving genuinely or playing a role, Gurdjieff’s students noticed that Gurdjieff often seemed to be “acting” when he was working with them: Our feeling of this ‘acting’ in G. was exceptionally strong. Among ourselves we often said we never saw him and never would. In any other man so much ‘acting’ would have produced an impression of falsity. In him ‘acting’ produced an impression of strength, although, not always; sometimes there was too much of it. (3)

The various roles that he played allowed Gurdjieff a certain advantageous fluidity of movement and even invisibility. While most people act or play roles with little awareness that they are doing so, Gurdjieff role-played with the conscious intent to fulfill his mis-sion to transmit esoteric teachings to the West. Unfortunately, Gurdjieff’s method frequently involved deceptive or deliberately manipulative behaviour. This made it difficult for his students to assess his true intentions and for his critics to judge the value of his work and effectiveness of his teachings.

Secrecy and Deception

Much of Gurdjieff’s life was shrouded in mystery and secrecy. Gurdjieff rarely revealed details of his early life and background, which has led biographers to debate the date of his birth and details concerning his upbringing, education, friends, fellow seekers and the chronology of his travels. In fact, there is no independent corroboration of any of the events of his life before 1912 when he began teaching publicly in Moscow. Gurdjieff’s extensive search for esoteric knowledge preceding that date remains largely a mystery. When students questioned Gurdjieff about his travels and the sources of his esoteric knowledge, Gurdjieff’s answers were always vague and superficial. 1

Updated 2017/03/10 1

In the early 1930s, Gurdjieff mysteriously burned almost all of his official documents and passports, which created an aura of suspicion, not to mention a huge evidentiary void for Gurdjieff scholars and biographers. Gurdjieff’s writing, especially Meetings with Remarkable Men, provides the only details of his early life. Meetings is clearly semiautobiographical, though much of its narrative could be considered allegorical rather than entirely factual. (4) Biographer James Webb believes that most of the characters in the book did not actually exist historically and were merely composite portraits created by Gurdjieff to serve as illustrations of various human types and seekers of wisdom. Beyond concealing the facts of his life, Gurdjieff promulgated misinformation about himself. Gurdjieff, whom some critics even considered to be a megalomaniac, was notorious for spinning wild, unbelievable stories and making patently absurd statements. Gurdjieff mixed truth and invention to such a degree that it was impossible to tell what was fact and what was fiction: “He invented and reinvented himself so many times, left so many false trails, and encouraged so many myths and mistakes about exactly who he was that uncovering the truth about his past would take a lifetime.” (5) Gurdjieff was an expert at devising schemes to deceive others to extract money from them. In his portrait of Gurdjieff, psychiatrist Anthony Storr exposes Gurdjieff’s penchant for playing the confidence trickster: His own account of how he survived his early wanderings reveals how expert he was at deception . . . When people brought him sewing machines and other mechanical objects for repair, he was often able to see that the mere shift of a lever would cure the problem. However, he was careful to pretend that such repairs were time-consuming and difficult, and charged accordingly. He also wrote that he found out in advance which villages and towns the new railway would pass through, and then informed the local authorities that he had the power to arrange the course of the railway. He boasted that he obtained large sums for his pretended services, and said that he had no pangs of conscience about doing so. (6)

James Webb rationalizes Gurdjieff’s slippery dealings by claiming that he never took money from the poor but deceived only those who engaged in dishonest practices themselves. Student Fritz Peters argues that on many occasions Gurdjieff was merely being mischievous, toying with people for his own diversion and amusement. Perhaps the most likely explanation is that Gurdjieff’s deceptive behaviour was calculated to test potential seekers: Gurdjieff himself wore a very evident ‘disguise’ which, as it seems, automatically excluded those people who could not see through it. It was just the disguise of the ‘charlatan’ which kept the largest numbers away . . . Such a faint aura of distrust (around the one man in all the world who could perhaps, when it came down to it, be most surely trusted!) served its purpose. Only the real searchers could see through it. (7)

2

In a person as complex as Gurdjieff, it is almost impossible to separate actions which are deliberately deceptive from those based on higher motives. It is clear that in many situations playing a role facilitated the transmission of his teachings. To teach others effectively, he often felt it necessary to mask his real intentions and disguise his methods. This enabled him to test the resolve of his students to discover the essential knowledge of human spiritual transformation that he possessed.

Manipulating Atmosphere and Environment

There is an ancient tradition in many Eastern spiritual teachings of modifying atmosphere or environment to produce particular effects on human consciousness and perception. This science employs design, colour and texture in specific patterns or combinations to communicate knowledge of spiritual importance. Gurdjieff was well aware of the impact of environment on human consciousness, and altered his surroundings accordingly. In Views From the Real World there is a vivid description of Gurdjieff’s living quarters in a country house outside of Moscow: There was no area not covered, either by carpets or hangings of some sort. A single enormous rug covered the floor of this spacious room. Even its walls were hung with carpets which also draped the doors and windows; the ceiling was covered with ancient silk shawls of resplendent colours, astonishingly beautiful in their combination. These were drawn together in a strange pattern toward the center of the ceiling. The light was concealed behind a dull glass shade of peculiar form resembling a huge lotus flower, which produced a white diffused glow. (8)

Ouspensky described the effect that the special atmosphere of Gurdjieff’s Moscow apartment had on the students who visited: First of all the people who came there – who were all G.’s pupils – were not afraid to keep silent. This alone was something unusual. They came, sat down, smoked, they often did not speak a single word for hours. And there was nothing oppressive or unpleasant in this silence; on the contrary, there was a feeling of assurance and freedom from the necessity of playing a forced and invented role. (9)

Gurdjieff continued to create and use environmental effects for teaching purposes throughout his long stay in the West. At the Château du Prieuré in France he supervised the construction of a Study House from the materials of a used aircraft hangar and decorated it with great effect. The windows were stained in a harmony of colours and the floors and walls were covered with carpets from Eastern countries whose designs were believed to contain ancient wisdom. (10) Stanley Nott, a student at the Prieuré, describes the impact of the Study House on visitors:

3

The atmosphere was that of a holy place, partly due to the effect of the combination of colours on the senses and feelings (for Gurdjieff understood how to produce definite effects by means of colours, as well as by sound and movements) and partly due to the vibrations of the pupils who practised the sacred dances and movements there. (11)

In the 1930s and 1940s, Gurdjieff resided in a Paris flat where he used drawn curtains and other decorations to shut out the external world. Here, day and night no longer existed. James Webb believes that Gurdjieff deliberately established this atmosphere to isolate his students from the outside world and create a sanctum where all ordinary norms and rules of behaviour were suspended. Each phase of Gurdjieff’s teaching was associated with a particular environmental atmosphere. The Eastern patterns and motifs of the Russian period, the majesty of the Study House at the Prieuré and the otherworldly ambience of his Paris apartment, were all consciously designed to create a particular spiritual impact by influencing the perceptions and feelings of his students.

Playing Roles

Gurdjieff’s whole life seemed to consist of a series of roles in a great drama: seeker of esoteric knowledge, hypnotist, healer, professional occultist, rare carpet dealer, explorer, traveller, businessman, teacher. He was able to play a different role with everyone he met, and was very adept at concealing his genuine self under many guises. A 1952 article in Time magazine described Gurdjieff as “a remarkable blend of P.T. Barnum, Rasputin, Freud, Groucho Marx and everybody's grandfather.” (12) To some he was the archetypal Fool or Trickster. Ouspensky formed his first impression of Gurdjieff when they met at a small café in Moscow in 1915. Ouspensky was astonished by the strange and unexpected character of Gurdjieff, who appeared to be in disguise and utterly at odds with his surroundings. In time, Ouspensky and his friends noticed that Gurdjieff often seemed to be acting, whether selling carpets or entertaining over large dinners. This acting created perplexity and confusion among his students, who found his image and behaviour so unpredictable that they didn’t know what conclusions to draw. (13) Gurdjieff’s unpredictable and sometimes irrational behaviour bothered many of his pupils. Ouspensky concluded that Gurdjieff had two sides to his personality, one genuine and the other false. Ouspensky felt that Gurdjieff’s acting was not always practical and was often counterproductive, driving away many potentially valuable people: After “demands” the most difficult point was G.’s “acting.” He confused and muddled people so much that they finally lost all sense of the right and the left side. This was the system. And sometimes G. even explained it. 4

He said that a man ought to be so sure of his right and his left sides that it should be quite impossible to confuse him. And so long as he could be confused, he must be confused. But it was strange that in many cases he evidently could not stop himself and continued to “act” even when his “acting” had become too obvious and produced results directly opposed to the ones he expected. It was still more strange when his “acting” extended to people who had nothing to do with our work who crossed our path by accident or who joined us for a short time and, having left, protested loudly and unequivocally against this “acting” which they called by quite a different name. Altogether, G.’s “acting” was the most difficult point. Many people remained with him so long as they believed in “acting” and left when they ceased to see “acting” and began to see the “genuine thing” and many things that passed as “acting.” On the whole people around G. fell into two categories – those who saw “acting” in all G.’s strange actions and those who did not see it. I do not propose to decide which of them was right. (14)

The role Gurdjieff played varied with the circumstances. With people who might donate money or help him in his work he would be friendly and solicitous. But with those who were arrogant or pretentious he could be insulting and rude, not caring what impression he made. Gurdjieff enjoyed deceiving visitors to the Château du Prieuré, especially public officials, by playing the role of a simpleton. His role-playing gave him the ability to become almost invisible: When visitors were being shown round the grounds they would sometimes pass him with only a glance, like an American who was talking to me about what a wonderful man Mr. Gurdjieff must be, and that he would like to meet him . . . Just then Gurdjieff passed by and went into the house. ‘That is Mr. Gurdjieff,’ I said. ‘Well,’ he replied, ‘isn't that queer! I spoke to him in the grounds and thought he was the gardener.’ (15)

John Bennett recounts a story of Gurdjieff’s arrest by the French police following World War II for keeping foreign currency in his flat. When he appeared before the magistrate he “played to perfection the part of a poor old man who understood nothing about foreign money and could scarcely speak French.” (16) With his students Gurdjieff often adopted a very disagreeable and unpleasant role, as if testing their resolve to work with him under any conditions. (17) With prospective and new students Gurdjieff’s behaviour bordered on the bizarre. One new student was prevented from approaching Gurdjieff during his first day, as each time the student came near Gurdjieff the teacher would shout at him. Fritz Peters, when just a young boy, witnessed an unforgettable scene involving Gurdjieff and A.R. Orage, the English literary critic and a student at the Prieuré: Gurdjieff was standing by his bed in a state of what seemed to me to be completely uncontrolled fury. He was raging at Orage, who stood impassively, and very pale, framed in one of the windows . . . Suddenly, in the 5

space of an instant, Gurdjieff’s voice stopped, his whole personality changed, he gave me a broad smile – looking incredibly peaceful and inwardly quiet – motioned me to leave, and then resumed his tirade with undiminished force. This happened so quickly that I do not believe that Mr. Orage even noticed the break in the rhythm. (18)

What struck Peters was the realization that Gurdjieff's “rage” was in fact firmly controlled and consciously projected. It seems likely that Gurdjieff employed role-playing and acting as a means of teaching his students by manifesting behaviour that did not appear at all “spiritual.” One of Gurdjieff’s earliest students, Thomas de Hartmann, was able to perceive the underlying purpose of his teacher’s apparently contradictory behaviour: “The outer behavior of Mr. Gurdjieff was so different on different occasions – depending on the person concerned, the level on which this person stood, and which side of him Mr. Gurdjieff wished to approach at a given moment – that it seemed as if Mr. Gurdjieff was very changeable. But it was not so. He was always the same – only the impression he deliberately created was different.” (19): Mr. Gurdjieff felt that a man should not have to depend only on life to bring him all kinds of impressions of happiness and unhappiness, sorrow and joy. Mr. Gurdjieff wished to create special places where he could consciously provide them. Work would help, so to speak, the growth of the ‘Kingdom of Heaven’ within us, the growth of the divine quality that distinguishes men from animals. But as the basis of Mr. Gurdjieff’s Work was to create every kind of impression in a pupil for this transformation, he could accomplish it only through playing roles. For instance, if he wished to make someone experience injustice, he had to play the part of an unjust man – and he knew how to do it superbly! Then one had to hold back from reacting badly and not be resentful. Mr. Gurdjieff told me once that it caused him pain when I was resentful. In other words, a man had to accept intentional suffering. Mr. Gurdjieff could not say: ‘Don’t you see that it is done on purpose?’ The whole sense of his Work would then have been lost. There is a constant temptation for the teacher to show his true self, the way he is in reality. But Mr. Gurdjieff knew full well that then everyone would run after him and become his adoring slave. He did not wish to create slaves but, on the contrary, conscious, voluntary, individuals, the seeds of which he sought to plant in his pupils. (20)

However, Gurdjieff’s erratic behaviour caused suspicion and doubt in some pupils like Ouspensky, who sensed a secret intent behind the constant role-playing: The most unexpected was his eternal and continual playing. He was never simple and natural; one always felt in him some secret, hidden intent. Some people were attracted to him by this playing as one would be attracted by anything incomprehensible, strange and dangerous . . . In connection with this play we saw perfectly clearly in him two men, and those who the 6

one attracted did not doubt that the other was surely a mask or part adapted for some definite aim. (21)

James Webb argues that Gurdjieff’s acting can only be understood in the context of his whole life. Webb likens the various events of Gurdjieff’s life to a series of disconnected snapshots which represent roles through which occasionally the man behind the roles can be glimpsed. He points out that outside observers are incapable of judging Gurdjieff’s actions because they do not understand that role-playing was merely a technique to help him maintain his detachment and to expand his emotional range. Gurdjieff revealed that in 1911 he vowed to lead what some would consider an artificial life in order to fulfill his task as a teacher. In his unpublished A Letter to a Dervish, Gurdjieff explains that playing a role or part can lead to inner freedom: “The mark of the perfected man is his ability to play to perfection any desired role in his external life while inwardly remaining free and not allowing himself to ‘blend’ with anything proceeding outside of him.” (22) John Bennett believes that around 1935 Gurdjieff largely ceased his habitual roleplaying as he began a new stage of work preparing a select group of students to carry on his legacy after his death.

The ‘Path of Blame’

Much of Gurdjieff’s outrageous behaviour and acting might seem strange to Westerners conditioned to believe that a spiritual teacher must always act in a truthful and pious manner. However, there is a long history in many Eastern esoteric traditions of teachers deliberately behaving in unexpected or bewildering ways in order to facilitate the learning and growth of their students: The behaviour of the teacher may appear at times bizarre, unpredictable or meaningless; he may act in ways that are flippant, domineering, cold, manic or tyrannical, he may scream as though gripped by fury, sit in disapproving silence or set the disciple a flurry of apparently inconsequential tasks. Any outsider might well conclude from his behaviour that he is mad; even the novice himself may realize only long afterwards what the teacher’s true intentions were. (23)

The teacher hides his or her real self behind a mask of behaviour to deliberately shock or challenge students. John Bennett believes that to advance his teaching mission, Gurdjieff consciously used this technique, sometimes called the ‘Way of the Trickster’ or the ‘Path of Crazy Wisdom.’ (24) In the Sufi tradition, it is known as the ‘Path of Blame’ or ‘Malamati’ behaviour: The Path of Blame is known in Persian as the Rahimalamat. Although called a ‘Path’ it is in fact a phase of activity, and has many applications. 7

The teacher incurs ‘blame.’ He may, for instance, attribute a bad action to himself, in order to teach a disciple without directly criticizing him. . . . Many people follow Malamati (blameworthy) behaviour, even making themselves out to be wrongdoers, in order to highlight these characteristics in others. The reason for this is that when a person sees someone saying or doing something, he will tend to judge him by himself. This is what Rumi and others call ‘Holding up a mirror to oneself and calling the image the other person.’ . . . Malamati behavior can only be used with great care. (25)

One of the ways that Gurdjieff seemed to be using Path of Blame behaviour was with his appearance and personal habits, including his table manners and eating habits, use of alcohol, foul language and hygiene. Gurdjieff began gaining weight in the late 1920s and by the end of 1932 he was obese and, according to some students, looked “terrible.” Rather than being concerned about his looks and image, Gurdjieff drew attention to his appearance in his later years by passing out unflattering photographs of himself in profile. Although at times Gurdjieff could dress with great taste and elegance, on many occasions he appeared seedy and unkempt, dressed in cheap, food-stained suits, or dressed inappropriately in public, such as the time he attended a posh restaurant in pyjamas, dressing gown and slippers. His table manners were atrocious by Western standards and his personal hygienic habits were considered disgusting by some of his personal assistants. (26)

It appears likely that these personal habits, together with Gurdjieff’s difficult and provocative behavior, were part of his role as a teacher following the Path of Blame. Gurdjieff recognized that his powerful, magnetic personality, if allowed its full force of expression, could be an impediment to his students’ spiritual potential and independent development. To prevent his students from forming too close an attachment to him or developing a dependency on him, he would repel or shock them with these unusual habits and behaviour. Even when newcomers approached him, rather than trying to create a good first impression, Gurdjieff often did everything possible to rebuff or frighten them. The evidence suggests that Gurdjieff used the Path of Blame throughout much of his teaching career in the West.

Commentary

Many students were baffled or discouraged by Gurdjieff’s role-playing and deceptive methods. Gurdjieff did not make it easy to study with him or assimilate his ideas; on the contrary, he presented a series of obstacles which the serious seeker had to overcome. Gurdjieff believed that one does not value anything, including knowledge, which can be acquired too easily. By observing their own reactions to his behaviour, Gurdjieff’s pupils were forced to see aspects of themselves that they did not wish to see, which helped them develop their essence and diminish their conditioned mechanical personality. 8

Gurdjieff’s role-playing and acting suggest a teacher consciously masking a higher, more genuine self. Some of Gurdjieff’s closest students recalled rare occasions during which he abandoned his role-playing and revealed his authentic self. John Bennett recounts that following a serious automobile accident in 1948, he and his wife observed that Gurdjieff was no longer hiding behind a mask: My wife and I both observed an extraordinary change. Before the accident, he had been the enigmatic Gurdjieff that we had known, and of whom so many stories are told. For four or five days after the accident, it seemed that he either could not or did not feel the need to play a role, to hide himself behind a mask. We then felt his extraordinary goodness and love for humanity . . . I believe that, for a few days, we caught a glimpse of the real Gurdjieff, and that all his strange and often repellent behaviour was a screen to hide from people who would otherwise have idolized his person instead of working for themselves. (27)

Georgette Leblanc, a member of the French study group ‘The Rope,’ records a profound meeting with Gurdjieff shortly before her death where she witnessed the true man revealed: When I arrived at his apartment, he opened the door himself . . . The light coming from the little salon shone on him brightly. Instead of concealing himself, he abruptly stepped back and leaned against the wall. For the first time, he allowed me to see what he really was . . . as if he had suddenly stripped away the masks behind which it is his duty to hide. His face was imprinted with a charity that embraced the entire world. Standing rigidly before him, I saw him with all my strength and I experienced a gratitude so deep, so painful, that he felt the need to quiet me. With an unforgettable look, he uttered: ‘God helps me.’ (28)

NOTES

(1) Robert de Ropp Warrior’s Way (Nevada City, California: Gateways, 2002), p. 174. (2) James Webb The Harmonious Circle: The Lives and Works of G.I. Gurdjieff, P.D. Ouspensky, and Their Followers (Boston: Shambhala, 1987), p. 190. (3) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 33. (4) Gary Lachman argues in In Search of P.D. Ouspensky (Wheaton, Illinois: Quest Books, 2004, p. 88) that what Gurdjieff reveals about himself in his writing is open to multiple interpretations: “Gurdjieff’s account of his formative years can be read on a variety of levels: metaphor, allegory, pure tall tale, metaphysical fiction, autobiography, or simply invention.” 9

(5) Gary Lachman In Search of P.D. Ouspensky (Wheaton, Illinois: Quest Books, 2004), p. 82. (6) Anthony Storr Feet of Clay (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1996), pp. 33-34. (7) Henry Leroy Finch “The Sacred Cosmos: Teachings of G.I. Gurdjieff” in Jacob Needleman and George Baker, eds. Gurdjieff: Essays and Reflections on the Man and His Teaching (New York: Continuum, 1996), p. 23. (8) G. I. Gurdjieff Views From the Real World: Early Talks of Gurdjieff (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1973), p. 11. (9) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 271. (10) Paul Beekman Taylor writes in Gurdjieff’s America (Lighthouse Editions, 2004, p. 206) that Gurdjieff regarded the art of carpet design as a means of transmitting traditional wisdom: Few have said much about Gurdjieff's rugs as a form of encoded texts, but more than once in my hearing he indicated that the rugs on his floors and walls were to be read. They were scripts containing a definite piece of knowledge. When someone asked him why he identified himself as a rug merchant he laughed: “Why dealer in rugs? Answer simple. I sell knowledge. All is in rugs around you. Read! All life is hidden in design.” I learned to appreciate that rug or carpet design, like folk stories, transmit traditional cultural lore from one generation to another.

(11) C.S. Nott Teachings of Gurdjieff: The Journal of a Pupil (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1962), p. 46. (12) James Webb The Harmonious Circle: The Lives and Works of G.I. Gurdjieff, P.D. Ouspensky, and Their Followers (Boston: Shambhala, 1987), p. 328. (13) For instance, Ouspensky grew to believe that Gurdjieff had two distinct personalities which contradicted one another, as discussed in William Patrick Patterson Georgi Ivanovitch Gurdjieff: The Man, The Teaching, His Mission (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2014), p. 42: Gurdjieff’s unpredictable actions, some seemingly so irrational, continues to bother Uspenski. Rather than suffer his reactions and identifications, the idea gradually forms in him that there are two sides, or two personalities, to Gurdjieff. One is a serious or positive side; the other “plays.” People around Gurdjieff are ‘sorted out’ by these two sides. Some see his serious side that displays his knowledge, his disinterestedness, his Work. In them, 10

Gurdjieff’s “play” produces a struggle of “yes” and “no.” Others, seeing the negative or play side, view the positive side as a pretense for getting influence and power over people. Still others are attracted by the negative side. Uspenski believes it keeps them close to Gurdjieff because it corresponds to their own desires and predilections.

(14) William Patrick Patterson Georgi Ivanovitch Gurdjieff: The Man, The Teaching, His Mission (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2014), pp. 499-500. (15) C.S. Nott Teachings of Gurdjieff: The Journal of a Pupil (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1962), p. 111. (16) John Bennett Witness: The Autobiography of John G. Bennett (Tucson: Omen Press, 1974), p. 249. (17) Thomas and Olga de Hartmann Our Life with Mr. Gurdjieff (London: Penguin Books, 1992), p. 55. (18) Fritz Peters Boyhood with Gurdjieff (Baltimore: Penguin Books, 1964), p. 31. (19) Thomas and Olga de Hartmann Our Life with Mr. Gurdjieff (London: Penguin Books, 1992), p. 1. (20) Thomas and Olga de Hartmann Our Life with Mr. Gurdjieff (London: Penguin Books, 1992), pp. 69-70. (21) William Patterson Struggle of the Magicians (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 1996), p. 31. (22) John Bennett Gurdjieff: Making a New World (New York: Harper & Row, 1973), p. 113. (23) Peter Brent “Learning and Teaching” in Idries Shah, ed. The World of the Sufi (London: Octagon Press, 1979), p. 216. (24) Ernest Scott summarizes the qualities of teachers following the Path of Crazy Wisdom in The People of the Secret (London: Octagon, 1983, pp. 229-230). They bear an uncanny resemblance to many of Gurdjieff’s characteristics, including: • • • • • • •

Supernatural powers Ability to heal others Physical indulgences Takes money from others Redistributes money and gifts Never refrains from action because of lack of money Rejects the norms of the society in which he lives and works 11

• • • • • •

Is misunderstood because his "excesses" are considered as quirks and not as an essential part of his operations to illustrate the weaknesses of others Is opposed by the orthodox authorities, civil and religious Attracts many people who follow only the lure of the strange, creating an incorrect impression of his activities and associates Has dance, music, or other physical movements Has spent a great deal of time in mortification and also in indulgence, creating through this polarity a strange power Usually only a small (“acceptable”) part of what he says and does is reported, and this becomes respectable and admired by his followers. He may even come to be considered, after his death, as a saint by the orthodox authorities.

(25) Idries Shah The Commanding Self (London: Octagon Press, 1994), p. 323. (26) Fritz Peters, who was assigned as a youth to clean Gurdjieff’s quarters at the Château du Prieuré, described the shocking state in which he found the rooms in Boyhood with Gurdjieff (Baltimore: Penguin Books, 1964, pp. 29-30): What he could do to his dressing-room and bathroom is something that cannot be described without invading his privacy. I will only say that physically, Mr. Gurdjieff, at least so I gathered, lived like an animal . . . the disorder was frequently so great that I had visions of great, hygienic dramas transpiring nightly in the dressing room and bathroom.

(27) John Bennett Witness: The Autobiography of John G. Bennett (Tucson: Omen Press, 1974), p. 243. (28) Margaret Anderson The Unknowable Gurdjieff (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1973), p. 149.

12

CHALLENGES AND DIFFICULTIES FOR STUDENTS1

The methods Gurdjieff used to teach his students have attracted both admiration and condemnation. Critics have accused Gurdjieff of using his pupils as mere guinea pigs for his own experimentation, exposing them in the process to unreasonable and even dangerous conditions. But others view his actions in another light, seeing in them an uncompromising attempt to awaken the full potential of each student. Gurdjieff played roles and devised situations that stirred negative emotions in his students and created friction between them. His manipulation of people and situations was designed to challenge his students’ conditioned beliefs and behaviour patterns, to allow them opportunities for obtaining self-knowledge. In a conversation with pupil Thomas de Hartmann, Gurdjieff described his methodology: When working with pupils, I am like a coachman. If the horse follows the road, I give him free rein. If he goes to the right towards the ditch, I pull the left rein. If he goes to the left towards the hillside, I pull on the right one. (1)

Gurdjieff’s methods were sometimes harsh and unpleasant, as he was adroit at discerning students’ sensitive points and then ‘stepping on their corns.’ In doing so, he created conditions in which students could observe their own automatic reactions and negative emotions. Gurdjieff once explained that his actions were intended to produce in his students a sense of their own nothingness: “I wish you to not be like merde, so I first make you feel like merde, only from there can one begin.” (2) Gurdjieff’s intense demands and challenges in his work with students has been criticized by some as inappropriate for a spiritual teacher. He has been accused of misusing techniques that require great care and sensitivity in their application, to the detriment of his students. However, many of Gurdjieff’s pupils have argued that his unorthodox methods helped them access their authentic self and essential inner being. In their view, Gurdjieff’s challenges to them were actually a healing balm born of genuine love and compassion. Jacob Needleman describes the intention behind these controversial methods: Gurdjieff always gave his ideas to his pupils under conditions designed to break through the crust of emotional and intellectual associations which, he taught, shut out the small voice of conscience in man. The often awesome precision with which he was able to break through that crust – ways of behaving with his pupils that were, in turn, shocking, mysterious, frightening, magical, delicately gentle, and clairvoyant – remains one of the principal factors around which both the Gurdjieff legend and the misunderstandings about him have arisen, as well as being the element most written about by those who came in touch with him. (3) 1

Updated 2020/07/17

1

Experimentation with Students and Others

One of the areas for which Gurdjieff was most frequently criticized was his experimentation with both pupils and lay persons. In Herald of Coming Good, Gurdjieff disclosed that in the period before he began teaching in Russia he sought out a variety of people as subjects for his investigations into human psychological types: “I began to observe and study various manifestations in the waking state of the psyche of these trained and freely moving ‘Guinea Pigs,’ allotted to me by Destiny for my experiments.” (4) When questioned by C.S. Nott about his work with students, Gurdjieff declared, rather baldly, that he needed rats for his experiments. Around 1908, Gurdjieff established himself in Tashkent, Turkestan as a healer, hypnotist and wonder-worker. At the occult organizations that he frequented at the time, he found ready-made subjects for psychological study, but quickly realized that these groups did not provide a broad enough cross-section of human types for his observations. Student John Bennett believes that during this period Gurdjieff conducted experiments to ascertain which ideas and teaching methods would be effective in the West. Bennett argues that, in order for Gurdjieff to introduce Eastern esoteric teachings to Western society with any measure of sensitivity, he needed to familiarize himself with the differences in culture and psychology between East and West. (5) In light of the need to adapt Eastern teachings to the Western milieu, Gurdjieff conducted a number of experiments which may not have been recognized as such at the time. In the summer of 1917, he gathered a small group of students at Essentuki near the Black Sea, where he worked with them intensively for six weeks. One of these students, P.D. Ouspensky, relates that Gurdjieff revealed the whole plan of his work with them, but then abruptly dismissed the group. The following year at nearby Tuapse, he collected a group of ten senior pupils and engaged them in activities of a completely different nature. Strict rules were imposed, and for the first time Gurdjieff introduced the group to movements and dances of dervish origin. Later, in 1922, when Gurdjieff established his Institute at the Château du Prieuré in Fontainebleau, many of the techniques and exercises tested at Essentuki and Tuapse formed the core of his program. However, following his serious automobile accident in 1924, Gurdjieff again changed course. He greatly reduced the activities at the Prieuré and concentrated on writing. In the mid-1930s he re-established his teaching in Paris and began a new phase of work which continued until his death in 1949. During the final period of his teaching, Gurdjieff’s methods departed significantly from those during the years at Fontainebleau. He assumed the more humble role of “servant” to his pupils, using as his teaching tools the ordinary situations of everyday living – preparing food, eating, drinking, playing music and travelling with his students.

2

The many different phases of Gurdjieff’s teaching suggest that he was continually experimenting with the most effective methods and techniques for awakening higher levels of consciousness in his students. Methods which were ineffective were discarded, and others introduced, in a succession of trial-and-error experiments. And, when one successful method or phase of work had served its purpose, it was abandoned in favour of something new. His constant aim was to awaken his students to the reality of their being: Gurdjieff knew how to make use of every life circumstance to have people feel the truth. I saw him at work, attentive to the possibilities of understanding in his different groups and also to the subjective difficulties of each pupil. I saw him deliberately putting the accent on a particular aspect of knowing, then on another aspect, according to a very definite plan. He worked at times with a thought that stimulated the intellect and opened up an entirely new vision, at times with a feeling that required giving up all artifice in favour of an immediate and complete sincerity, at times with the awakening and putting in motion of a body that responded freely to whatever it was asked to serve. (6)

Much of Gurdjieff’s seemingly erratic and inconsistent behaviour as a teacher can be explained by his experimentation with different approaches to spiritual development. He was constantly improvising as individuals and conditions changed, starting projects, dissolving them, or suddenly changing direction: A striking characteristic of Gurdjieff’s teaching and methods is that he never stood still. To the very end of his life he was experimenting and there was no stationary period . . . Experimentation can lead to misunderstanding because people acquainted with one particular period of his life may take it as being representative of the whole, and find themselves in complete contradiction with people who know a different period of his life. This also concerns statements which he made at one time, which might be thrown aside and contradicted thirty years or even thirty days later. (7)

Physical Demands

For Gurdjieff’s students, uncertainty and ceaseless change to their physical routine and scheduled activities were the order of the day. As a result, many critics have accused Gurdjieff of being dictatorial, a person who enjoyed the exercise of power and demanded unquestioning obedience to his commands. One of his favorite maxims was “The greater the efforts that are made, the greater the new demands.” P.D. Ouspensky describes some of the deliberate challenges that Gurdjieff created for his students during the period in Russia. He would suddenly convene a meeting at short notice. Sometimes he would quickly change plans, announce he was returning to Moscow and then reverse his decision. Gurdjieff’s moods were also subject to sudden change; sometimes he would talk of abandoning his work altogether. His behaviour alternately

3

confused, discouraged and exasperated his followers. Ouspensky was initially baffled by Gurdjieff’s behaviour but later concluded that any student, once faced with and having successfully met these challenges, would value his ideas and teachings. At the Château du Prieuré Gurdjieff would sometimes rouse his students in the early hours of the morning to practise an exercise or perform a new task. Projects such as landscaping a kitchen garden would begin with a flurry of activity, only to be abandoned shortly thereafter. Gurdjieff claimed that the aim of these activities was never the attainment of outer results but rather to develop students’ inner resources. Gurdjieff’s behaviour to newcomers could be especially cruel if he was trying to discourage a would-be student whom he deemed unsuitable. To increase their level of frustration no one, least of all Gurdjieff, would answer their questions or explain the purpose of their work. And in one instance he suggested to an adoring female follower that she eat ice cream with mustard. When she dutifully obeyed, Gurdjieff thundered: “You see what is round idiot. She all the time idiot. Why you here?” (8) At this, the pupil burst into tears, packed her bags and left the Prieuré. When new pupils arrived at the Prieuré they were inevitably assigned tasks involving hard physical labour. Gurdjieff placed great importance on awakening the body through physical work and practical activities: The prospective pupils no doubt have come expecting to be initiated into the esoteric world, but, says Gurdjieff, “Everything is body.” Though none realize it, no one consciously inhabits their body. The body is taken for granted, only noticed in fear, desire or disease, and quickly dismissed once these pass. The head and heart’s relationship to the body is practically nil. Hard physical work helps to center and reconnect the pupils with their bodies, allowing their bodies to begin to breathe and eat normally. The pupils then learn what it is to actually inhabit a living, breathing body. Such work also allows pupils to struggle with reactions and attitudes of self-pity, sloth, superiority. The pupils are put to work scrubbing latrines, felling trees, digging ditches, doing farm work, gardening, housework, laundry and the like. (9)

Gurdjieff frequently required his pupils to make extended physical efforts which often led to their exhaustion. He believed that by driving students to the limit of their physical capacity, he could get them to understand that they possessed greater powers of endurance than they realized. One example was an incident in 1918, when Gurdjieff led Thomas and Olga de Hartmann and other students on a perilous journey through moun-tainous terrain near the Black Sea. Despite the students’ unsuitable clothing, injuries and exhaustion, Gurdjieff ordered them to continue, which they obeyed without question and without regard for their own safety and well-being. Later, at the Prieuré in France, Gurdjieff established daily work routines that tested his pupils’ physical capacities to their limit. (10) Physical work was employed by Gurdjieff as

4

fodder for self-observation and as a means of inner development and transformation. Student Jean Toomer: Manual work is usually done for the sake of outward results, for the products, that is, a farmer works to grow crops, a carpenter to build a house. Here at the Prieuré we were to work chiefly for the sake of purification, growth, increased ability and consciousness. Each job, to be sure, was to be done as well as we could do it. Work standards were anything but lax. Each of us was to improve as a workman, acquiring confidence and skill. Tools and materials were to be cared for as real craftsmen care for them. But we were not to be attached to the fruits of our labor. The aim was the same as that expressed in the Bhagavad Gita, “Be free from attachment to results.” People who became overly egotistical about their accomplishments were likely to find their pet projects mysteriously interrupted. (11)

Intellectuals unaccustomed to physical labour were often given work tasks when they arrived at the Prieuré. The well-known English editor and literary critic A.R. Orage describes the challenges and eventual benefits of such treatment: My first weeks at the Prieuré were weeks of real suffering. I was told to dig, and as I had had no real exercise for years I suffered so much physically that I would go back to my room, a sort of cell, and literally cry with fatigue . . . When I was in the very depths of despair, feeling that I could go on no longer, I vowed to make extra effort, and just then something changed in me. Soon, I began to enjoy the hard labour, and a week later Gurdjieff came to me and said, “Now Orage, I think you dig enough. Let us go to café and drink coffee.” This was my first initiation. The former things had passed away. (12)

The challenging conditions that Gurdjieff created for his students were based on the principles of ‘conscious labour’ and ‘intentional or voluntary suffering.’ (13) Student Fritz Peters: I had a fairly good idea of how Gurdjieff induced ‘conscious effort’ and ‘intentional suffering’ in his pupils – or perhaps I should say how they were exposed to it. For the average person, it consisted largely in a preliminary period in joining in reasonably hard manual labour in a group. It could be anything from building a house to working in a garden, and, at the beginning, it was simply hard work that was supposed to be done conscientiously. After a while, one became conscious of being thrust into somewhat frustrating circumstances having to do with the work – such as being forced to work with someone whose temperament clashed with yours; being taken off a job as soon as you became too interested in it, etc. Most of the novice students seemed to be put through a period of purposeful frustration. Inevitably, they began to wonder just exactly what was being accomplished by doing physical labour, and nothing else. The frustration would usually increase because no one, including Gurdjieff, would answer their questions – they were simply told that for the time being they were to do as they were told. When they reached some kind of breaking point,

5

they would suddenly be given some exercise – usually being told that they should observe themselves consciously while they worked and learn more about themselves. (14)

Some critics argue that the physical demands required of pupils was just a convenient way for Gurdjieff to obtain free labour and, further, that keeping his students in a state of physical exhaustion made them more susceptible to his hypnotic power. But Thomas and Olga de Hartmann claimed that these extreme demands taught them to transcend their physical and emotional limitations: “We suffered and would have been only too happy to rest; but there was no protest in us, because the one thing we really wished to do was to follow Mr. Gurdjieff.” (15) Thomas de Hartmann also stressed that Gurdjieff closely monitored each student’s physical efforts and never permitted them to overextend their capacities: “Once when I was doing something very strenuous, which was probably too much for my heart, he said unexpectedly, ‘Thoma, now go and burn some leaves.” (16)

Emotional Demands

Gurdjieff believed that unpleasant emotions and unhappy life experiences could move people forward spiritually. To this end, he deliberately created pressure on his pupils in order to produce a range of emotional reactions: “He constantly manipulated people and situations so as to provoke friction, to create negative emotions between people and give them an opportunity of seeing something in themselves.” (17) Acting as a provocateur, Gurdjieff intentionally caused tension and strong emotional reactions among his students by alternately praising and insulting them. Some students were moved to anger and outrage, others to overweening pride and ambition. Gurdjieff told them that they should not be resentful when he aroused in them these negative emotions, but rather should consider it a “healing medicine.” He believed that this technique gave his students the opportunity to reflect on their own emotions, reactions and motivations, which ultimately enabled them to become more conscious, authentic and responsible human beings. In order to reveal a pupil’s ‘chief feature’ to themself, Gurdjieff would administer emotional shocks by creating conditions in which they were compelled to see their automatism. A favourite ploy of his was to purposely place a student in a situation where he or she would experience a loss of face or was forced to defend themself against a false accusation. Another means of emotionally manipulating his students was through angry outbursts, for which Gurdjieff was infamous. Pupils have described his verbal onslaughts as frequent and terrifying. (18) The force of his verbal tirades was such that, according to his pupil Tcheslaw Tchekhovitch, “some even fainted on the spot.” Those who have witnessed Gurdjieff’s rages can understand what it means to be exposed week after week to them. His entire body would shake, his

6

face grow purple and a stream of vituperation would pour out. It cannot be said that the anger was uncontrollable, for Gurdjieff could turn it off in a moment – but it was unquestionably real. (19)

In one famous incident, witnessed by Fritz Peters who was a young boy at the time, Gurdjieff berated A.R. Orage with what appeared to be uncontrolled rage: When I reached the doorway of Gurdjieff’s room with my tray of coffee and brandy, I hesitated, appalled at the violent sounds of furious screaming from within. I knocked and, receiving no reply, entered. Gurdjieff was standing by the bed in a state of what seemed to me to be completely uncontrolled fury. He was raging at Orage, who stood impassively, and very pale, framed in one of the windows. I had to walk between them to set the tray on the table. I did so, and then retreated, attempting to make myself invisible . . . Suddenly, in the space of an instant, Gurdjieff’s voice stopped, his whole personality changed, he gave me a broad smile and, looking incredibly peaceful and inwardly quiet, motioned me to leave, and then resumed his tirade with undiminished force. When I had first heard the sound of Mr. Gurdjieff’s voice from outside the room I had been horrified . . . Now, leaving the room, my feelings were completely reversed. I was still appalled by the fury I had seen in Gurdjieff; terrified by it. In a sense, I was even more terrified when I left the room because I realized that it was not only not “uncontrollable,” but actually under great control and completely conscious on his part. (20)

In communal living situations, Gurdjieff would deliberately make things difficult by constantly changing the students’ living arrangements and routines. Frequently he separated the men from the women. Sometime he imposed fasting for periods up to a week or a complete ban all on all verbal communication. All the time he kept a watchful eye on the proceedings, observing how his pupils reacted to his announcements of the often unpleasant daily activities he devised. Gurdjieff’s students must have felt that they were on an emotional rollercoaster. One of them, Dr. Michel Conge, captures the experience of being manipulated by Gurdjieff: With a minimum of means, he flipped you over like a pancake, led you left or right, and then left you stuck. And you realized you were no longer on the same track and tried to learn the lesson. It always produced a strange feeling: one would show up at his place in a certain mood and a quarter of an hour later one would find oneself in another mood. It was rather weird, and one always wondered how it could have happened. Each time one swore never to get caught like that again, and yet . . . (21)

Gurdjieff believed that the dynamics of group work provided exceptional opportunities for self-observation. He created situations in which students with very different temperaments were forced to interact and work together, and the inevitable clash of

7

personalities that resulted was rich food for their self-study. At the Prieuré one of Gurdjieff’s favoured followers was a former lawyer, a Russian named Rachmilievitch, who constantly created friction when interacting with other people. Gurdjieff claimed that he actually paid Rachmilievitch to stay at the Prieuré for the express purpose of annoying everyone else, as this individual was unparalleled in his ability to produce upset and anger in others without any apparent effort. (22) Gurdjieff would often give orders to his pupils in a stern tone reminiscent of an army commander. The temptation for them was to resist or disobey, which created an inner struggle: “At the same time there was a demand not to answer back, either by raised tone of voice or show of hurt feelings, and never to hold a grudge.” (23) Mr. Gurdjieff once told me that one should never be resentful of such comments in the Work, but to consider them a healing medicine. With him it was always necessary to ‘listen with all one’s ears’ and respond correctly to his ‘chess moves.’ However, the art with which he brought us this pain was so great, his mask so well assumed, that in spite of our having decided in advance not to react and to remember that it was being done to help us, when the experience took place we were quite sure that there stood before us a cold and even cruel man. We were outraged and, against our will, protests exploded like gunshots. Mr. Gurdjieff’s face would at once begin to change. He resumed his usual expression, but looked very sad and would walk away without a single word. We were then consumed by a feeling of terrible dissatisfaction with ourselves. We had ‘forgotten’ not ‘remembered,’ why we came here and had reacted in an unsuitable way. Every activity in the Work showed clearly that the aim was never for outer results, but for the inner struggle. (24)

Although many students did not understand the connection between the various demands and intentionally created situations devised by Gurdjieff, they realized that they were intended to develop their essential selves. Thomas de Hartmann, for one, ultimately understood that emotional difficulties were set up by his teacher to force his students to face and overcome a ‘ladder of obstacles’ so that they might achieve a higher level of spiritual development. This required that they undergo a fundamental shift in attitude, to develop a deeper and more conscious understanding of themselves: “Experiences of real suffering can be provided without causing harm. When we accepted such suffering willingly and consciously, we had the possibility of creating in ourselves the real ‘Master’.” (25)

De Hartmann also realized that some of Gurdjieff’s more unreasonable demands were a test of the student’s ability to make rational choices and to resist mechanical obedience to their teacher. (26) Years later, John Bennett reached the same conclusion when re-flecting on his eight months of intense study with Gurdjieff in 1949, which he described as the most difficult and painful of his life. Gurdjieff exposed one of Bennett’s personal weaknesses – an inability to say “no” – through pushing him to his breaking point and

8

interfering with his closest relationships. Bennett learned through these challenges how to stand up for himself and to set better personal boundaries.

Financial Demands

Gurdjieff’s reputation for coaxing money from people was notorious. He often described obtaining money from his followers as “shearing sheep,” which contributed to a reputation for unbridled greed and lack of conscience. (27) He once told his students that he was especially interested in those who had “fat cheque books.” John Bennett admits that Gurdjieff was expert at wheedling money out of people, and even described him as a “shark.” Biographer James Webb did not entirely disagree: “Sometimes he may have been teaching the penny-pinching or gullible lessons in the use of money; sometimes, no doubt, the sheer pleasure of the game impelled him to see how far he could push his luck.” (28) Early in the Russian phase of his teaching Gurdjieff made very clear his attitude towards money. He believed that people do not value something, including knowledge, unless they pay for it. He explained to P.D. Ouspensky why he charged money to teach his students: Nothing shows up people so much as their attitude towards money. They are ready to waste as much as you like on their own personal fantasies but they have no valuation whatever of another person’s labor. I must work for them and give them every thing that they vouchsafe to take from me, ‘How is it possible to trade in knowledge? This ought to be free.’ It is precisely for this reason that the demand for this payment is necessary. Some people will never pass this barrier. And if they do not pass this one, it means they will never pass another. (29)

Some of Gurdjieff’s pupils clearly understood why it was appropriate for them to contribute money to aid his work. Kathryn Hulme: “His Work was not a charitable enterprise; it was not meant for people too unsuccessful in life to be able to pay for the kind of teaching he gave. Also, he had often observed that people never valued a thing if they did not pay something for it.” (30) His students also recognized that Gurdjieff had multiple sources of income: “His extravagant scale of living – deliberately exaggerated to show his scorn for money per se – indicated nevertheless sources of income of considerable magnitude. Certainly, the individuals he was “curing” at this time – of alcoholism, psychic depression or of visible maladies like a crippling arthritis – accounted for some of it.” (31) At the same time, Gurdjieff is reported to have taken students who could not afford his fees and even to have financially supported many of his pupils, as well as a number of Russian refugees who followed him to the Prieuré in the early 1920s. Ouspensky attested to these facts: “Many people indeed could not pay. And although in principle G. put the

9

question very strictly, in practice he never refused anybody on the grounds that they had no money. And it was found out later that he even supported many of his pupils.” (32) In addition, during the Second World War in Paris, he fed the neighborhood poor, elderly and infirm, and even paid the rent and medical expenses of some of the most needy. Almost all of this was done in secret and only surfaced after Gurdjieff’s death. (33) Gurdjieff frequently used money and material possessions as teaching tools. On one occasion he asked Olga de Hartmann, who was very attached to her family jewelry, to turn them over to him. After a night of great turmoil and inner struggle, she finally complied. As soon as she handed over the jewels to Gurdjieff he promptly returned them to her. A woman who later heard the story from Olga decided to turn over her valuables to Gurdjieff, but she never saw hers again. Gurdjieff’s attitude to and use of money was consciously chosen, as he used it partly as a test for pupils (34) as well as for practical matters: There were two touchstones to character of which he made special use, a man’s reactions to money and to sexuality, and it is not surprising that the resentments he aroused in his victims in connection with these two tests led to the belief that he was without moral principles. He required a great deal of money for his work and for the support of his numerous dependents. People, he said, only valued what they paid for and he had no hesitation in extracting from his followers as much as, or often more than, they could afford. This painful process of reducing bank balances was always referred to as ‘shearing’ and was accompanied by much badinage and mirth. Money poured out of his pockets as quickly as it entered it, for he was princely in his gifts. He would pay the expenses of people who were insufficiently well off to come to Paris to see him and support others of his followers who had fallen on bad times. He was well acquainted with poverty and although little attempt was made to reduce the cost of his entertaining in his flat – to some of us it seemed unnecessarily extravagant – he spent comparatively little on himself. Money was of no interest to him except as a means to the carrying out of his work. (35)

Sometimes Gurdjieff would ask followers for large sums of money and then spend it on seemingly trivial items. Once he bought bicycles for everyone at the Prieuré. On another occasion he purchased opera glasses for them. Occasionally he would spend donated money on extravagant meals or trips throughout the countryside. A well-to-do pupil from New York once gave Gurdjieff a cheque valued at fifty American dollars but written in francs to make the sum appear larger. After cashing the cheque, Gurdjieff invited her to dinner. After dinner he brought a number of children into the dining room and proceeded to distribute all the woman’s donated money to the children. C.S. Nott relates another incident involving a rich donor who gave Gurdjieff a gift of one hundred dollars towards his “great work” with an air that he was conferring a great favour. Gurdjieff responded by inviting the benefactor to dinner at a restaurant the

10

next day, where he used the money to pay the waiter for a bill that came to exactly one hundred dollars. Gurdjieff’s incessant demands for money from his followers reached their peak in the late 1920s and early 1930s. A.R. Orage, in charge of Gurdjieff’s New York groups, was subject to persistent and ongoing requests by him for large sums of money. These demands severely tested Orage’s allegiance to Gurdjieff; on one occasion, after his teacher had sailed back to France, he reportedly exclaimed: “Thank God I’m free again.” By 1933 Gurdjieff had exhausted the patience and goodwill of many of his American followers, who were convinced that their teacher was using his powers to extract money from them again and again. (36) Critics of Gurdjieff have expressed outrage that a spiritual guide would use his influence with followers to obtain money. Gurdjieff defended his practice by asserting that his benefactors gave willingly and freely, and always received value in exchange: I not make money like others make money, and when I have too much money I spend. But I never need money for self . . . I ask for money and people always give, and for this I give opportunity study my teachings, but even when they give money still almost always impossible for them learn anything. Already, they think of reward – now I owe them something because they give me money. When think of reward in this way, impossible learn anything from me. (37)

Gurdjieff also generated income through a variety of businesses, ranging from selling Oriental rugs to making false eyelashes. This supported both his personal needs and those of his extended family. He once told Fritz Peters, “My family very big, as you see, because old people who come every day to my home are, also, family. They my family because have no other family.” (38) Gurdjieff’s students agree that, except for the occasional purchase of clothes, he never spent money he obtained from others on himself. Money was a means and not an end – fuel to further the aim of his teaching mission – and he was not attached to it. Gurdjieff also contributed significant amounts of money to establish his institute in Russia. (39)

Aim and Purpose of Testing Students

Gurdjieff told his pupils at the Prieuré that the aim and purpose of the difficult circumstances he created was to develop their own inner essence, which was buried beneath a conditioned false personality. By attacking and revealing his students’ false personalities he forced them to see what was authentic and real in themselves: “I cannot change your being, but I can create conditions, thanks to which you can change yourselves.” (40) When a man arrives at the Institute, difficult conditions are created and all sorts of traps laid for him intentionally, so that he himself can find out whether he came because of his own interest or only because he heard

11

about the interest of others. Can he, disregarding the outside difficulties that are made for him, continue to work for the main aim? And does this aim exist within him? When the need for these artificial difficulties is over, then they are no longer created for him. (41)

The experiences that Gurdjieff created for his students were very different from their ordinary lives. (42) Pupils spoke of reaching a higher dimension of existence and seeing another possibility of ‘being.’ As a result of her experiences, Genevieve Lief wrote: “Mr. Gurdjieff unveiled to me, to the extent to which I was capable of receiving it, the mystery of true love.” (43) Fourth Way author William Patterson suggests that Gurdjieff was offering an “active manifestation of Divine Love” cloaked in the garment of outrageous or offensive behaviour: “The real food Gurdjieff served at his daily luncheons and dinners was prepared in Being. The role he might play, his words, his actions – these were its mere surface reflections.” (44) Gurdjieff taught that most things in life could not be learned merely with the mind, but only through the direct participation of all aspects of one’s being, including feelings and sensations. Many students felt that when they were with Gurdjieff they entered a state much closer to their true essence. Thomas de Hartmann contrasted the experiences Gurdjieff created at the Prieuré with those in a more traditional monastic setting: At the Prieuré all these constantly changing works engulfed the whole person. Life outside somehow ceased to exist. Reclusiveness of life in the Prieuré was totally unlike that of a monastery, where external life is rejected and there is concentration on prayer, abstinence and elevation of thought. In the Prieuré the life of a person, like a ball, was thrown from one situation into another. Our prayer was the Work, which concentrated together all spiritual and physical forces. The variety and constant change of tasks continually reawakened us. We were given minimal hours of sleep, just enough to give strength for the following day. Instead of abstinence, there was spending of forces to the utmost, attentive work renewing energies as they were spent, in the manner of a rhythmic flywheel. There was no rejection of life within the Prieuré. On the contrary, life was expanded in the utmost intensity and spirituality. (45)

Although some students found Gurdjieff to be gentle and kind (46), he was unsparing toward those aspects of behaviour connected with the ‘chief feature’ or primary defect of an individual’s personality. Gurdjieff challenged his pupils to more deeply examine their own weaknesses and develop their authentic selves through acknowledgment of, and then release from, their conditioned personalities. In some cases, this involved creating unpleasant or challenging conditions that exposed the worst sides of people so that they could honestly see their defects and then work to correct them: There was meaning in everything, particularly in one’s own reactions to unusual situations, hard work, and extraordinarily complicated exercises. From the moment of entrance into the community, conditions were arranged so as to grate against a pupil’s “mechanism.” Maurice Nicoll was

12

forbidden to read, another pupil who could not bear the sight of blood was given the task of slaughtering animals for food. And the most humdrum situations – which in ordinary life would have been ignored or accepted – could provide material out of which to build new meanings. Dislikes to be overcome, pettiness borne in silence, one’s own worst impulses encountered face to face; every event of the day provided material for “work on oneself.” (47)

Gurdjieff encouraged his pupils to become aware of their identifications and negative emotions, to see themselves as they really were, then to transform the sides of themselves that inhibited their spiritual growth. By creating situations in which they could observe the reactions and behaviour of themselves and others, he accelerated their process of inner development: “The teacher trying to trap his students into identification, the students working not to identify, to remain free of their reactions – that was part of the taxing, frustrating, maddening and ingenious conditions Gurdjieff created.” (48) Gurdjieff’s goal was to help his students confront their weaknesses, overcome them and ultimately stand on their own two feet as independent, mature adults. In the words of Solange Claustres: When he was there, truth was carved out as with a knife. The least cowardice, the slightest deviation, the smallest lie – albeit by omission and however insignificant – was detected with incredible firmness, merely through his presence. He encouraged sincerity and confronted you with your own weakness, your inability to be sincere even towards yourself. “Become an adult” was a phrase I often heard. It was one of the essential ideas of his work: to become an adult by one’s own efforts. (49)

Much of Gurdjieff’s unusual behaviour, including role-playing, insults, shocks, bursts of temper and intentional deception, can be understood as forms of ‘indirect teaching.’ In this teaching method, the teacher does not instruct the pupil directly but is able to create situations and provide experiences from which the students come to their own understanding, and ultimately self-knowledge. Many spiritual traditions have employed the method of indirect teaching. Idries Shah describes its use within the Sufi tradition: Many aspects of higher human development can only take the form of communicating knowledge and experience in a disguised manner rather as we teach our children by involving them in activities which they consider to be amusements rather than lessons in (say) counting or co-ordination, or manners. One method of accustoming people to a ‘higher pattern’ is to involve them in activities and enterprises which are equivalents of higher things. (50)

Gurdjieff taught not only a system of ideas but also an attitude towards life and a set of values based on higher knowledge and understanding. Students have reported that the knowledge Gurdjieff transmitted to them was their most precious possession. It often took students many years, even decades, to fully appreciate the value of his teaching. Michel Conge concludes: 13

The behavior of a man like Gurdjieff . . . is incomprehensible for most people; it took several years of striving, of contact, and of, at last, untrammeled experience to begin to understand the goodness of behavior that was sometimes, apparently, insensitive, harsh, cruel, and which, in the last analysis, was nothing of the sort. (51)

The testimony of Gurdjieff’s students is compelling evidence that they received great value from his teachings. Kathryn Hulme: “The discipline under which we put ourselves voluntarily and gratefully was the most intense kind of inner struggle we had ever experienced – simply to discover what we were. In shortcuts, sometimes merciless, sometimes compassionate, Gurdjieff showed us our nonentity-ness, thus helping us to die to the artificial selves which our worldly past, our materialistic heritage, from a spiritually stagnant West, had made us.” (52) In many cases their lives were greatly transformed by their encounter with Gurdjieff and his ideas. Despite Gurdjieff’s unorthodox methods, many of his pupils confirm that they were profoundly impacted by the man and his teaching.

Commentary

Gurdjieff’s practical methods of teaching were carefully developed and refined over the course of many years, after deliberate experimentation and testing. They were specifically designed for the Western psyche and culture, and embody a wide range of specific techniques and approaches to further the development of higher human potential. Some of Gurdjieff’s methods and actions were clearly meant to challenge and confront his pupils by creating situations which revealed their identifications, mechanical reactions and negative emotions. Similar techniques have been employed with success in other spiritual traditions, like Zen Buddhism and Advaita Vedanta: There are certain definite cases where the use of force, of compulsion, even violence, is imperative. In such cases the egoless man or woman will make use of such force and may apparently act with violence. But it goes without saying that this will be mere appearance since their action is completely devoid of desire or fear. (53)

However, some scholars, such as Whithall Perry, warn that the sometimes outrageous behaviour of Zen roshis functions within the framework of traditional Buddhism and should not be applied outside that particular context. Gurdjieff was clearly not operating under any such umbrella of protection, and his pupils could not be sure whether the treatment they were receiving was based on tried-and-true traditional methods, or merely the whim of their teacher.

14

Gurdjieff’s confrontational approach to helping his students overcome their selfimposed limitations required extreme care and sensitivity in its application. Psychologist Charles Tart sounds a cautionary note about the danger of applying psychological pressure to push through a pupil’s resistance: “There is always a risk that the teacher’s understanding is faulty or that the push won’t be effective and may even backfire and increase resistance, or that the pain involved in pushing through may be too much for the student, so he will quit the work rather than see it through.” (54) The Sufi teacher Omar Ali-Shah is especially critical of Gurdjieff’s unconventional methods. He argues that many of the ‘shock’ techniques used by Gurdjieff were not properly learned and were applied at random or in circumstances that were inappropriate: “You have to be conscious of time, need, place and people; if any of these factors are absent, the result is confusion, and at its maximum, it is damage.” (55) The concerns raised by Tart and Ali-Shah are important and certainly relevant in assessing Gurdjieff’s use of confrontational and challenging techniques in his work with students. Many students strongly believed in Gurdjieff’s infallibility and were reluctant to criticize his methods even when, in some cases, they appeared to be ineffective or counterproductive. Techniques which involve challenge and psychological pressure may be open to abuse and misapplication even by the most careful and sensitive teacher. Although Gurdjieff’s motivation for using these methods was arguably well-intentioned and his results frequently successful, there may have been instances where they did psychological harm to pupils who were unprepared for his dynamic teaching methods. According to Jeanne de Salzmann, Gurdjieff worked with his students in two directions simultaneously. These two approaches operated functionally as a “carrot” and a “stick.” On the one hand he tried to awaken “the possibility of approaching a higher level of being … [while] at the same time he made us suffer terribly by making us see our actual state, the way we really were.” (56) This strange duality created a friction in each student which compelled them to choose between remaining as they were, as a slave to their conditioning, or rise to a higher level: Most of the misunderstandings and disagreements about Gurdjieff’s methods and behavior come from the fact that he worked at the same time on our two natures. On the one hand Gurdjieff worked on our essence. He listened to our inner needs with tireless patience and kindness . . . He took an interest in our difficulties. He gave practical help to take the next step. With unbelievable exactness he indicated the definite inner act that each had to carry out at the given moment to free himself further from his automatism. On the other hand, Gurdjieff worked on our functions in a relentless way – continual pressure, greater and greater demands, putting us in horrible situations, shocks of all kinds. Not only did he not attract us but, in pushing us to extreme limits, he forced us to resist him, to react against him. And he did this without mercy. By his Presence he obliged us to come to a decision, to know what we wanted. One could always refuse and go away. (57)

15

The demands and challenges Gurdjieff imposed on his students raise a number of very important questions: Under what conditions are ‘shock’ methods justified in an esoteric teaching? What safeguards need to be in place to prevent damage or confusion? Are pupils capable of evaluating the appropriateness of their teacher’s actions and methods? Is a teacher always in full control of the consequences of their behavioural techniques? Many of Gurdjieff’s students were convinced that he transformed their lives and that his unusual teaching methods were integral to this process. Critics wonder if he did more harm than good. Although many students who embraced Gurdjieff’s challenges as learning opportunities were able to greatly advance their own process of spiritual development, it remains an open question whether the unorthodox methods always justified the end. NOTES

(1) Thomas and Olga de Hartmann Our Life with Mr. Gurdjieff (London: Arkana, 1992), p. 27. (2) William Patterson Ladies of the Rope (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 1999), p. 249. (3) Jacob Needleman “Introduction” in Jacob Needleman, ed. The Inner Journey: Views from the Gurdjieff Work (Sandpoint, Idaho: Morning Light Press, 2008), p. xxiv. (4) G.I. Gurdjieff Herald of Coming Good (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1974), p. 22. (5) John G. Bennett explains in Gurdjieff: Making a New World (New York: Harper & Row, 1973, pp. 81-82) why the task of transferring Eastern wisdom to a Western environment requires great care and sensitivity: There have been various premature attempts at bringing to the West notions and methods that have come from India, from China, from Japan. From the Middle East – from Buddhist, Hindu, Tantric, Zen, Sufi, and other sources. Really serious difficulties have arisen, because those who have made the attempt to bring this wisdom to the West have either been Europeans who had imperfectly assimilated what the East had to give, or Asiatics who did not understand the European and American environment. In nearly every case they made serious mistakes, either in attempting to transfer exactly what worked extremely well under certain Asiatic conditions into quite different conditions, or in adapting it to the West without really understanding the new environment.

(6) Jeanne de Salzmann The Reality of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), pp. 2-3. (7) John G. Bennett Gurdjieff: A Very Great Enigma (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1973), p. 70. 16

(8) John G. Bennett Witness: The Autobiography of John G. Bennett (Tucson: Omen Press, 1974), p. 111. (9) William Patrick Patterson Georgi Ivanovitch Gurdjieff: The Man, The Teaching, His Mission (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2014), p. 121. (10) John G. Bennett describes the regime in Gurdjieff: Making a New World (New York: Harper & Row, 1973, p. 154): We woke up at five or six in the morning and worked for two hours before breakfast. Afterwards there was more work building: felling trees, sawing lumber, caring for the animals of almost every domestic species, cooking, cleaning, and every kind of domestic duty. After a quick, light lunch and a period of rest, one or two hours were devoted to ‘exercises’ and ‘rhythms’ accompanied by music usually played by Thomas de Hartmann on the piano. Sometimes there would be fasts lasting one, two, three or even up to seven days during which all the work continued as usual. In the evenings, there would be classes in rhythms and ritual dances which might go on for three, four or five hours, until everyone was totally exhausted.

(11) William Patrick Patterson Georgi Ivanovitch Gurdjieff: The Man, The Teaching, His Mission (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2014), p. 179. (12) C.S. Nott Teachings of Gurdjieff: The Journal of a Pupil (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1962), pp. 27-28. (13) In a talk to his Paris pupils in 1941, Gurdjieff stressed the importance of the concept of ‘intentional suffering’ in the process of spiritual transformation (William Patrick Patterson Georgi Ivanovitch Gurdjieff: The Man, The Teaching, His Mission Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2014, p. 405): One needs fire. Without fire, there will never be anything. This fire is suffering, intentional suffering, without which it is impossible to create anything. One must prepare, must know what will make one suffer and when it is there, make use of it. Only you can prepare, only you know what makes you suffer, makes the fire which cooks, cements, crystallizes. Suffer by your defects, in your pride, in your egoism. Remind yourself of the aim. Without prepared suffering there is nothing, for by as much as one is conscious, there is no more suffering. No further process, nothing. That is why with your conscience you must prepare what is necessary. You owe to nature. The food you eat which nourishes your life. You must pay for these cosmic substances. You have a duty, an obligation, to repay by conscious work.

(14) Fritz Peters Gurdjieff Remembered (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1971), p. 126.

17

(15) Thomas and Olga de Hartmann Our Life with Mr. Gurdjieff (London: Arkana, 1992), p. 26. (16) Thomas and Olga de Hartmann Our Life with Mr. Gurdjieff (London: Arkana, 1992), p. 176. (17) William Patrick Patterson Georgi Ivanovitch Gurdjieff: The Man, The Teaching, His Mission (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2014), p. 122. (18) Sometimes Gurdjieff’s angry outbursts seemed pointless without any obvious teaching function. Louise March recalls one particular incident involving one of his oldest and most respected students, Olga de Hartmann, which she witnessed. (The Gurdjieff Years 1929-1949 Utrecht, The Netherlands: Eureka Editions, 2011, p. 48): The more Gurdjieff valued a pupil, the more difficult he made the conditions. Mr. and Mme. de Hartmann had left the Prieuré shortly before I arrived, but she came back to see Gurdjieff from time to time. When she did, Gurdjieff shouted at her until the house shook. It was relentless, endless, at all hours of day and night. At first, I thought that Olga de Hartmann was a terrible person. Later I came to think that he did her an honor by that. One day Dr. Stjoernval said to me, “May I say something to you? How to explain it? Gurdjieff tries something that no one has tried. He tries to take a person born under one star and change their destiny to that corresponding to another constellation. And that is, in general, impossible.”

(19) John G. Bennett Gurdjieff: Making a New World (New York: Harper & Row, 1973), p. 217. (20) Fritz Peters Boyhood with Gurdjieff (Baltimore: Penguin Books, 1972), p. 31. (21) Michel Conge “Facing Mr. Gurdjieff” in Jacob Needleman & George Baker, eds. Gurdjieff: Essays and Reflections on the Man and His Teaching (New York: Continuum, 1996), p. 356. (22) Fritz Peters recounts Gurdjieff’s reasoning in his own words: “Rachmilievitch have such personality that he constantly cause friction whatever he do, wherever he live. He not make serious trouble, but he make friction on surface of life, all the time . . . I know no person like him, no person who just by existence, without conscious effort, produces friction in all people around him.” (Boyhood with Gurdjieff Baltimore: Penguin Books, 1972, pp. 71-72) (23) Thomas and Olga de Hartmann Our Life with Mr. Gurdjieff (London: Arkana, 1992), p. 194.

18

(24) Thomas and Olga de Hartmann Our Life with Mr. Gurdjieff (London: Arkana, 1992), p. 176.

(25) Thomas and Olga de Hartmann Our Life with Mr. Gurdjieff (London: Arkana, 1992), p. 68. (26) Other pupils have reported that in certain situations they did not automatically acquiesce to Gurdjieff’s demands. Ethel Merston makes this point in Jessmin and Dushka Howarth’s It’s Up to Ourselves: A Mother, A Daughter, and Gurdjieff (New York: Gurdjieff Heritage Society, 2010, p. 184): Several of the old students did not worship blindly, but stood up to him, including myself, using our own judgment . . . Gurdjieff as he himself said, was no God, but was himself learning – we were often his guinea pigs. But that he knew more than we did is unquestionable, he was a marvelous instrument, even with occasional mistakes, for making us more awake, a necessary preliminary stage before real work. That he did fail sometimes for himself and others is for me equally undoubted.

(27) In The Gurdjieff Years 1929-1949 (Utrecht, The Netherlands: Eureka Editions, 2011, p. 75), Louise March reported that Gurdjieff provided this rationale for ‘shearing sheep’: “Someone has too much, why not take? The sheep is always glad when it gets its wool taken. So, the one who has too much money, should give. Better way than hoarding.” (28) James Webb The Harmonious Circle: The Lives and Works of G.I. Gurdjieff, P.D. Ouspensky, and Their Followers (Boston: Shambhala, 1987), p. 331. (29) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, 2001), pp. 165-166. (30) Kathryn Hulme Undiscovered Country: In Search of Gurdjieff (Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1966), p. 99. (31) Kathryn Hulme Undiscovered Country: In Search of Gurdjieff (Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1966), p. 100. (32) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, 2001), p. 166. (33) Tcheslaw Tchekhovitch was a pupil of Gurdjieff from 1920 until his death in 1949. In Gurdjieff: A Master of Life (Toronto: Dolmen Meadow Editions, 2006, pp. 198200), he shares an account of Gurdjieff’s “impersonal kindness” during the war years in Paris:

19

Mr. Gurdjieff often did his own shopping when he took his morning stroll. As soon as he returned, he started working in the kitchen. During this time, he would not receive any of his pupils, and the door opening onto the main staircase remained closed. It was quite another story, however, at the back stairs. One had to see it to believe it: from the bottom of the stairs to the top, there was a long procession of beggars. One had his bowl, another his tin plate, still another an old pot, all coming solemnly to receive a full ration of soup accompanied by some kind words. Mr. Gurdjieff himself served from enormous cooking pots while asking after the health of everyone, not forgetting those who could not come because of illness . . . Here was an old woman who came for herself and also for her husband, who could no longer walk there; there, an undernourished and sick man who said he was unable to work; then children from a large poverty-stricken family; and their concierge from a neighbouring building, who had looked after a bedridden tenant on the seventh floor for a long time . . . After Mr. Gurdjieff’s death, I witnessed many touching scenes. For example, an old woman came to the apartment about three weeks later. Overcome by the news that he was no longer there, she could only say, “And now, how shall I pay my rent?” Someone else came and said, “I would so much like to have thanked him. He paid for my daughter’s treatment, and she has just come out of the sanatorium cured.”

(34) Roger Lipsey Gurdjieff Reconsidered: The Life, the Teachings, the Legacy (Boulder: Shambhala, 2019), p. 269. (35) Kenneth Walker Venture with Ideas (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1972), pp. 176177. (36) Many of Gurdjieff’s pupils were frustrated by his incessant demands for money. Jean Toomer’s reaction is typical: “I had the same disgusting feelings aroused in me by similar situations in the past when he had worked on me for money, feelings similar to those he had arouse in others, feelings which in some instances had driven them off from him with disgust and anger and the conviction that he was using his power merely in order to obtain money, money, and more money without cease.” (William Patrick Patterson Spiritual Survival in a Radically Changing World-Time, Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2009, pp. 311-312.) (37) Fritz Peters Gurdjieff Remembered (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1971), pp. 89-90. (38) Fritz Peters Gurdjieff Remembered (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1971), p. 90. (39) The remarkable efforts he expended to finance and develop his enterprises are detailed in “The Material Question,” where he expounded in depth in a talk with his New York pupils in April 1924. (G.I. Gurdjieff Meetings with Remarkable Men London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1971, pp. 247-303) (40) William Patrick Patterson Georgi Ivanovitch Gurdjieff: The Man, The Teaching, 20

His Mission (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2014), p. 124.

(41) William Patrick Patterson Georgi Ivanovitch Gurdjieff: The Man, The Teaching, His Mission (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2014), p. 126. (42) Gurdjieff transmitted his teachings in a manner which required his pupils to make deliberate efforts to understand and complete the material he presented: “Gurdjieff teaches using declarations without examples, apparent contradictions, hints, and nuances of all kinds, all of which keeps the group on edge and creates friction. Teaching in this way makes a demand on the group to become active, to inquire, explore, to think and act independently, to take nothing and no one for granted.” (William Patrick Patterson Georgi Ivanovitch Gurdjieff: The Man, The Teaching, His Mission Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2014), p. 33.) (43) Genevieve Lief “How I learned Who He Was” in Jacob Needleman & George Baker, eds. Gurdjieff: Essays and Reflections on the Man and His Teaching (New York: Continuum, 1996), p. 406. (44) William Patterson Ladies of the Rope (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 1999), p. 248. (45) Thomas and Olga de Hartmann Our Life with Mr. Gurdjieff (London: Arkana, 1992), pp. 191-192. (46) Many students have recorded that the times they spent with Gurdjieff were generally warm and filled with gratitude. As Solange Claustres writes in “The Dessert,” in Jacob Needleman & George Baker, eds. Gurdjieff: Essays and Reflections on the Man and His Teaching (New York: Continuum, 1996, p. 399): He was gentle but firm, putting my possibilities to the test in order to make me understand them, and all the while giving me confidence. That was what I most needed. He was, simply, a human being full if wisdom and common sense towards everyday reality, the reality of life with no trimmings; he was a good and strict teacher, never weak, never unjust, but never letting anything slip by unnoticed, his attention always alert. I never sensed any sort of manipulation or the application of a ‘system’; his behavior was instantaneous, flawless and faultless – and above all devoid of any judging. He was always inwardly serious, with a smile and a gentle expression.

(47) James Webb The Harmonious Circle: The Lives and Works of G.I. Gurdjieff, P.D. Ouspensky, and Their Followers (Boston: Shambhala, 1987), pp. 241-242. (48) William Patterson Ladies of the Rope (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 1999), p. 248.

21

(49) Solange Claustres “The Dessert” in Jacob Needleman & George Baker, eds. Gurdjieff: Essays and Reflections on the Man and His Teaching (New York: Continuum, 1996), p. 401. (50) Idries Shah Caravan of Dreams (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 193-194. (51) Michel Conge “Facing Mr. Gurdjieff” in Jacob Needleman & George Baker, eds. Gurdjieff: Essays and Reflections on the Man and His Teaching (New York: Continuum, 1996), pp. 357-358. (52) William Patrick Patterson Georgi Ivanovitch Gurdjieff: The Man, The Teaching, His Mission (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2014), p. 315. (53) Jean Klein Be Who You Are (London Watkins, 1978), p. 66. (54) Charles Tart Waking Up: Overcoming the Obstacles to Human Potential (Boston: Shambhala, 1986), p. 248. (55) Omar Ali-Shah The Sufi Tradition in the West (New York: Alif Publishing, 1994), p. 225. (56) Jeanne de Salzmann The Reality of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), p. 3. (57) Jeanne de Salzmann The Reality of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), pp. 3-4.

22

INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP WORK

Gurdjieff’s teaching approach was far different from any conventional educational initiative. It was not static or logically structured; rather it was organic and adaptive. Over the years he continued to develop his teaching, changing the outer forms and inner exercises to meet the needs of his students. But the aim – establishing a permanent ‘I’ – was always the same. Professor Jacob Needleman: “Gurdjieff always gave his ideas to his pupils under conditions designed to break through the crust of emotional and intellectual associations which, he taught, shut out the small voice of conscience in man. With exquisite and often awesome precision he was able to break through that crust; ways of behaving with his pupils were, in turn, shocking, mysterious, frightening, magical, delicately gentle, and omniscient.” (1) The structure of Gurdjieff’s teachings was never fixed or unvarying, as he was constantly adapting the nature and emphasis of his work with students. Thus, as circumstances changed, he reshaped his teachings to accord with the principle of appropriate ‘time, place and people.’ His senior pupil Jeanne de Salzmann writes: While the truth sought for was always the same, the forms through which he helped his pupils approach it served only for a limited time. As soon as a new understanding had been reached, the form would change. Readings, talks, discussions and studies, which had been the main feature of work for a period of time and had stimulated the intelligence to the point of opening it to an entirely new way of seeing, were for some reason or other suddenly brought to an end. This put the pupil on the spot. What his intellect had become capable of conceiving had now to be experienced with his feeling. Unexpected conditions were brought about in order to upset habits. The only possibility of facing the new situation was through a deep self-examination, with that total sincerity which alone can change the quality of human feeling. Then the body, in its turn, was required to collect all the energy of its attention so as to attune itself to an order which it was there to serve . . . As Gurdjieff himself used to say: “All the parts which constitute the human being must be informed – informed in the only way which is appropriate for each of them – otherwise the development will be lopsided and unable to go further.” (2)

At various times, Gurdjieff employed a wide range of teaching modalities: talks and lectures, readings from his writings, movements and sacred dances, music, work tasks and activities, individual exchanges and oral teachings, group work, inner exercises, meals and drinks, teaching journeys and, even, telepathic transmission. Gurdjieff’s vast psychological and cosmological teachings were specifically adapted to the needs of contemporary Western thinking. Unlike many traditional spiritual paths, he did not advocate a withdrawal from or rejection of everyday life. Rather, he embraced the

1

challenges and vicissitudes of day-to-day living as “food” for self-study and inner growth and transformation. Gurdjieff brought us a knowledge of consciousness, a science that shows what we are and our potential capacity, what needs to be developed. It is a real understanding of the energies in us, of their relation in ourselves and with everything around us. He came to bring a teaching, show a way toward consciousness . . . Gurdjieff’s teaching speaks to contemporary man, that is, to someone who no longer knows how to recognize the truth revealed in different forms since earliest times, someone with a deep sense of dissatisfaction, who feels isolated, meaningless. (3)

One of Gurdjieff’s French pupils once summarized the fundamental tenets of his teaching of spiritual transformation in these terms: “conscious effort, intentional suffering, struggle against one’s own negative principle, through the practices of remorse of conscience, relaxation and ‘self-remembering’.” (4) Above all else, he demonstrated its practical application to his pupils’ lives: Week after week, Gurdjieff interacted with his students – listening, questioning, challenging, explaining, humoring, consoling, demanding, and always insisting on the need for inner struggle. However difficult the tasks and exercises Gurdjieff gave, they were always proposed in the clear expectation that their fulfillment was truly possible. Gurdjieff’s guidance to his pupils gives us valuable insight into the correspondences between his written and oral teaching through several recurring themes: the requirement to become aware of our automatism and the lack of unity between our centres, the obligation to struggle against laziness and the habits of the body, the need to experience the organic sense of ‘I am’, the arousal of conscience through the practice of remorse, and the possibility of the formation of an unchangeable ‘I’. (5)

Gurdjieff’s Teaching Style

Gurdjieff did not convey his teachings to pupils in a traditional manner. In both oral and written works (especially Beelzebub’s Tales to His Grandson) he employed multiple meanings, anomalies, contradictions and symbols and to reveal spiritual truths. He believed that myths and symbols could convey certain esoteric knowledge in ways that words could not: “The aim of ‘myths’ and ‘symbols’ was to reach man’s higher centers, to transmit to him ideas inaccessible to the intellect and to transmit them in such forms as would exclude the possibility of false interpretations. ‘Myths’ were destined for the higher emotional center; ‘symbols’ for the higher thinking center.” (6) Gurdjieff’s early exposition of his teaching was unfamiliar to most of his Russian students. Rather than a logical linear presentation of his ideas, pupils were forced to connect the various elements together to form a coherent whole. Biographer William Patterson: “Though he can be totally lucid and coherent, Gurdjieff often speaks in ways 2

that seem to confuse. Gurdjieff teaches using declarations without examples, apparent contradictions, hints, and nuances of all kinds, all of which keep the group on edge and create friction. Teaching in this way makes a demand on the group to become active, to inquire, explore, to think and act independently, to take nothing and no one for granted.” (7) Our ordinary European logical method of thinking makes us inclined to accept everything literally, that is, if we trust the author, we suppose that with every word, he says exactly what he meant. Eastern thought, however, often uses methods of exposition totally different from ours. Eastern authors often do not define their subject as a whole. They are apt to give only one instance of the possible meaning of the given subject or phenomenon without saying that it is merely an instance so that readers are left to understand their words as they like or as they can. Gurdjieff very often did the same thing. (8)

The words and phrases employed by Gurdjieff to convey his teachings range from simple to complex, linear and non-linear with layers of meaning. Student Annie Lou Staveley: “The best thing for the would be pupil to do was to abandon trying to ‘understand’ in the usual way what was said and done, to give up all pretense of being able to relate it to the mishmash of ideas left by conditioning, and to absorb it all, the way a sponge absorbs water or a normal child absorbs fairy tales and myths – no effort, no evaluation, no judgment at the time.” (9) Gurdjieff’s teaching consisted of theory as well as practice. French pupil Henri Tracol: “It was as far away as it is possible to get from all didactic formalism. With him, in him, doctrine and method formed a close indissoluble union. He spoke of his ‘system,’ and yet opposed all systematization.” (10) In order to bring the theory, the ideas to a living reality, Gurdjieff forced his students to see themselves as they actually were: He pitilessly shattered all pride and pretense by constantly and mercilessly treading on “the most sensitive corn” of those who came to sit at his feet. He always knew exactly where to “dig in the knife,” creating all sorts of friction and shock waves around him – but not in the way of malice: his aim was to use every happening as raw material, so that each circumstance in life became a lesson. On the other hand, when necessary, he gave away his own life-energy to help someone in need To those who wanted to learn and spared not their efforts to do so, nothing was given predigested or on a platter: one had to struggle to acquire and connect together the elements of his teaching, and this made what one found truly one’s own. Every hard-won bit of knowledge had to be understood, not just picked up and recited parrot-fashion, or accepted on hearsay, but tested by every possible means. To be effective Mr. G.’s teaching must become an integral part of the pupil, because only then is it his own actual experience – reality, not mere words or only intellectual concepts. (11)

3

Gurdjieff’s behaviour with his students had a conscious, deliberate purpose. By creating emotional reactions and discord, contradictory impulses, and a struggle between “yes” and “no,” the pupil was forced to confront their ‘mechanical selves’ and gain insight into their habitual patterns of thinking, feeling and sensing. In a certain sense, Gurdjieff acted as an impersonal physician treating a patient with a serious illness: It was a way that did not isolate his pupils from life but engaged them through life, a way that took into account the yes and the no, the oppositions, all the contrary forces, a way that made them understand the necessity of struggling to rise above the battle while at the same time taking part in it. One was brought to a threshold to be crossed, and for the first time one felt that complete sincerity was required. Passing over might appear to be difficult, but what was being left behind no longer had the old attraction. In front of certain hesitations, the picture Gurdjieff gave of himself provided a measure of what it was necessary to give and what had to be given up in order not to take a wrong turn. Then it was no longer the teaching of doctrine but the incarnate action of knowledge – the action of a master. In Gurdjieff’s own Presence, and because of his Presence, one knew a moment of truth and was capable of sacrificing everything for it. It was a miracle, something of a force from a dimension above what we know. What Gurdjieff brought us was the possibility of approaching a higher level of being. By his words, by the relations he established with us, by his Presence alone, he made us feel human qualities that awakened in us the wish to go in this direction. He drew us toward him, toward another level. (12)

Personal interactions with Gurdjieff were more like a chess match than a conventional conversation. (13) At times, he would mimic a pupil’s behaviour to point out a personality trait that he or she was unaware of. To disturb the self-esteem of a pretentious young man, whom he called a “turkey-cock pretending to be a real peacock,” he began extending his neck, rearing his head and crowing “gobble-gobble.” When another student exhibited a challenging expression, Gurdjieff responded, “Why do you look at me as one bull looks at another bull?” He then proceeded to imitate a raging bull by altering the position of his head, the expression of his eyes, and the line of his mouth. The lesson was indelibly received by the surprised and embarrassed pupil. Pupils quickly discovered that Gurdjieff could “read people like a book.” Kathryn Hulme, a member of the all-women group ‘The Rope’, recounts a typical encounter at Gurdjieff’s table: “With more educated eyes, as our understanding stretched, we were able to watch what Gurdjieff deliberately made for us to watch – pretentions and vanities sheared away from the pretentious and the self-proud, like wool of a sheep, in short, the human psyche stripped bare as only this master of the psyche could strip it.” (14) The new arrivals at Gurdjieff’s table were seldom introduced to the Rope, but we quickly learned through the master’s reception of them which were curiosity seekers and which sincere seekers of his teaching. For the former

4

he often played one of his humoristic roles exploding mirth around the table, revealing himself as the eccentric old magician they had come prepared to find, precisely as some rumors had depicted him. The serious guests he frequently complimented by attacking them, “stepping on their corns,” as he expressed it, making them squirm and see things about themselves (vanities, prides, mental pretensions they had never realized were part of their makeup). We on the Rope watched with fascinated attention what he had made for us to watch – revelations of the human psyche. (15)

Gurdjieff explained to his students that his teaching was based on conscience rather than subjective morality. In a talk to his Russian pupils he elaborated: “We do not teach morality. We teach how to find conscience. People are not pleased when we say this. They say that we have no love. Simply because we do not encourage weakness and hypocrisy but, on the contrary, take off all masks.” (16) This may explain the reason for much of his unconventional behaviour and unorthodox teaching methods: When he assumes this role, the master becomes a mirror in which the disciple sees himself. He caricatures and exaggerates the disciple’s weaknesses, feigning anger, arrogance or decadence when necessary, shocking the disciple who has a long way to go before understanding that the odious character the master is showing him is himself. When he finally sees himself in the mirroring master, many apparent contradictions are resolved; reproaches and bitterness fade away. (17)

When working with pupils, Gurdjieff would often assume a “role” in which he challenged them to overcome their conditioned personality in order to reach their authentic ‘real I.’ In these situations, he was “sometimes agreeable, sometimes very disagreeable – a man one often wished to run away from, and with whom one stayed only because one’s own work depended on it.” (18) Thomas de Hartmann speaks to his own experience during a period in which many of his pupils fled from Russia during the revolution in 1918: Soon after the Moscow people arrived Mr. Gurdjieff began to make heavy demands on some of them. We often did not understand, but the explanation can be found in the fundamental principle of the Work of this second period: to try to stay with him in spite of all the obstacles and to remember why we came to him. He often said that, in life, great unhappiness or even insults can move people forward. On the way we were following, the teacher deliberately contrives such insults, but under his observation, they cannot bring objective harm to those he is working with . . . In our case the suffering was intentional, to test our resolve to hold to our aim. And the more the person was advanced, the more Mr. Gurdjieff would press him. (19)

Gurdjieff’s teaching style has sometimes been termed “the way of blame” in which he played the role of a ‘crazy wisdom’ teacher, disregarding all normal social conventions and behaviour – reminiscent of certain Zen and Tibetan Buddhist masters: “Gurdjieff had

5

decided long ago that he would need to be unsettling, at times severe, even unreasonably difficult or offensive when he thought that approach would best serve his students. On the other side, he would give his all to help people when the person and moment called for that. He rarely revealed his motives for acting in one way or another.” (20) Critics have accused Gurdjieff of propounding a cold, sterile and heartless path of spiritual development. They often described him as a power seeker, a cynic with contempt for the whole of humanity. This perception reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of his true teaching mission: “The way he proposes, the way of consciousness, seems arrogant to the ordinary eye, and he is reproached for not yielding its place to love. In contrast to the “humanity” of the understanding and compassionate master, Gurdjieff is accused of “inhumanity” because he exposes what he calls ‘the terror of the situation,’ and proposes a ‘dry’ path to his disciples.” (21) It must be emphasized that ordinary language is quite mistaken when it associates the notions of benevolence or compassion with the notion of sweetness. Gurdjieff is less isolated than is commonly believed when he rejects common paths, received ideas, and morality in the ordinary sense of the word. In order to work on men’s minds effectively, he employs humour and bad taste: the ‘way of blame.’ No matter what has been said of him, benevolence, compassion and – above all – goodness are qualities which he developed in himself to the highest degree, while never allowing them to be associated with any useless and harmful gentleness . . . To love the disciple means not to console but to heal them. And the more serious the disease, the more violent the cure. Sometimes, in fact, amputation is necessary. But Gurdjieff is not only a doctor, or a surgeon. He also points men towards paths to wisdom and happiness. There exists the way of life, of ‘popular’ wisdom whose importance Gurdjieff always stressed. (22)

Group Work

In both the Russian phase of Gurdjieff’s teaching and later at the Prieuré in France, group work – in which students of different levels of development and understanding studied and worked together – was the principal method of transmitting his teachings: He strongly emphasized that guidance was indispensable and that no one individual could hope to attain liberation working alone. A “school,” considered to be a dynamic ordering of precise moral, psychological and physical conditions within which a relatively small number of individuals can interact for the sake of self-development, became the principal form of transmission. Only such conditions, Gurdjieff taught, could allow older, more experienced pupils to pass on their understanding as part of their own inner work, while enabling all parties to take into account the ever-present tendencies to inattention, suggestibility, and fantasy. The Gurdjieff “school” thus represents an attempt to establish a school of

6

awakening specifically adapted to modern life – with all the tension and paradox that phrase suggests when taken within the overwhelming and omnipresent tendency to draw men and women out of themselves towards externals, instead of calling them back to the sources of the spirit. (23)

Fritz Peters provides a vivid description of group work at the Prieuré in the 1920s in Boyhood with Gurdjieff: The tasks assigned to the students were invariably concerned with the actual functioning of the school: gardening, cooking, house-cleaning, taking care of animals, milking, making butter; and these tasks were almost always group activities. As I learned later, the group work was considered to be of real importance. Different personalities, working together, produced subjective, human conflicts; human conflicts produced friction; friction revealed characteristics which, if observed, could reveal “self.” One of the many aims of the school was “to see yourself as others saw you,” to see oneself, as it were, from a distance; to be able to criticize that self objectively; but, at first, simply to see it. An exercise that was intended to be performed all the time, during whatever physical activity, was called “self-observation” or “opposing I to it” – “I” being the (potential) consciousness, “it” the body, the instrument. (24)

Gurdjieff used naturally occurring events and situations to impart teachings to his pupils. (25) At other times, he created situations himself to produce certain reactions which provided “fodder” for self-observation and self-study: Gurdjieff constantly manipulated people and situations so as to provoke friction, to create negative emotions between them and give them an opportunity of seeing something in themselves. He asked Orage [a noted editor and literary critic] to put into good English a talk that had been translated from the Russian; he then gave it to Madame de Hartmann to correct, and told someone to let Orage know. Orage, when told about this, for a moment looked annoyed, but then began to smile. (26)

Following a serious automobile accident in 1924, Gurdjieff focused on writing and there was less emphasis on group work. But in the mid-1930s he began again to work with groups in Paris, such as ‘the Rope.’ During this period, and later in the 1940s, he did not mix groups, providing each with a different level of inner work depending on their level of development and understanding. Solange Claustres, a member of a Paris group in the 1940s, conveys how he worked with different individuals in the group, tailoring his teaching to their own specific needs: His teaching was never given through speeches or lectures. We asked questions relating to what we felt, what we had observed of ourselves, to our exercises in becoming conscious. And, following our observa-

7

tions and constatations he sometimes asked a question to make us more precisely aware of something, guiding our search, through a task or a simple observation which brought us face to face with ourselves. In his words he answered only the question asked, but with an attitude, an expression, a tone of voice, he conveyed something emotionally which ordinary thought could not hear or understand, as with words the intellect and its associative mechanism of thought would have begun arguing and rationalizing. Sometimes he tackled an attitude, a gesture or a word head on. What he said at that moment was not understood right away. You received the shock, you couldn’t explain it, or understand it, but it was so true you could not argue, you were disarmed, the usual means of defence were rendered useless. I observed him helping each person individually, with a remark, an exercise, mercilessly hunting down certain aspects of the behaviour of the personality, and at the same time giving out a warmth, stimulating our feelings. All this simultaneously, for everyone. (27)

In order to extract maximum benefit from Gurdjieff’s interactions with a group, pupils needed to maintain discipline, attention, clarity of mind and genuine hope: “Gurdjieff was deliberately and often provocative; this was both a principle of his approach to those who worked with him and a daily practice. He set traps. It was an integral part of his method, a means of revealing pupils to themselves in a new, strictly honest light, which they themselves could recognize.” (28) Henri Tracol suggested a number of qualities of mind that should shape the students’ attitude. His principal injunction was to be open to Gurdjieff but psychologically free and self-possessed: Never forget what one is seeking from him. Never lose sight of the fact that he is the master, but also that he is a man. And keep a tight rein on any subjective reaction with regard to him. Be always on the alert. Do not let yourself be caught in the traps he sets. Know how to be open to him without abandoning yourself. Know how to exact from him the Word. (29)

Gurdjieff also taught his students how to transmute the negative energy stirred up by the inevitable tensions between group members for use in their own inner development: Friction, which is the result of tension, can be of great use if only we can remember ourselves at the moment. At the Prieuré Gurdjieff frequently organizes friction between pupils when they appear to be going through a period of sleep. For example, a pupil, a former army officer, whose way of giving orders was rather peremptory, was in charge of the physical work. He understood much of Gurdjieff’s teaching. Another pupil, a young man, not very intelligent, who understood very little, resented being told what to do by the older pupil. There was a clash of vibrations, and he refused to obey. The older one told Gurdjieff, who said, “Next time he refuses, insult him.” Gurdjieff foresaw the result. It happened, and so much friction, so much negative emotions, was stirred up that we all had enough stimulus for self-remembering for several days. Gurdjieff said that when

8

we had a row with someone we should at once use the energy so generated in useful work . . . In ordinary life, in a mechanical way, it is beneficial to be able to use this release of energy in doing something that one has put off doing, even tidying up a room, otherwise it turns to hatred and resentment, or sulking and brooding. (30)

Gurdjieff was acutely aware of the inner state of each individual in a group. When someone was inattentive or expressing their false personality, he could be harsh in his rebuke. But when a pupil manifested inner composure in the face of his provocations he would acknowledge their ‘real I’ accomplishment: It used to be said that not to be aware of oneself in his presence could be dangerous. And it was true that those who tried, and came to a place in themselves of clarity or to an inner flash of understanding, were struck by the invariable acknowledgment of that experience by Gurdjieff. A word of recognition, a sudden look of warmth or a muted “Bravo” would bring one up short with the sense of the companionship of the search and the acknowledgment of effort. I never knew, among those who followed Gurdjieff, anyone who having had such an exchange did not treasure the moment or doubted its validity. No sentimentality emerged, no presumption of spirituality, for the ego being what it is, it is recognized full well as the devil who could turn a crow’s feather into that of a peacock. (31)

Louise Welch relates just such an episode following a reading from Beelzebub’s Tales to His Grandson during which she experienced a very fine quality of attention and sensitivity. As she made her way out of the room, Gurdjieff said to her, “You hear it tonight for first time.” This was my first experience of Gurdjieff’s lightning perception of another’s inner event. From then on it was evident that almost never did he fail to see, and in some way remark, the onset of a change in state in another. He might even murmur ‘Bravo!’ when for a moment someone waked up to the real world, though there had been no sign that the rest of us could distinguish. (32)

Individual Work

Gurdjieff employed a wide range of methods and approaches to awaken students to a higher level of reality and being. He placed the onus on each pupil to evaluate and verify the ideas he was transmitting to them, even creating difficulties to test their determination and resolve. Thomas de Hartmann: “The teacher, while constantly directing and observing the pupil, at the same time changes his course, diverts him, even provokes him with apparent contradictions, in order to lead him to find out for himself what is true. This is possible only if the pupil has within him the strongest urge to persevere, a burning wish that will not permit him to be stopped by any obstacle.” (33) One of his senior pupils, Pauline de Dampierre, describes the relationship between teacher and student:

9

In order to put the pupil in front of the reality of what he has, what he can expect, what is possible for him, the obstacles, and so forth, the teacher will use all sorts of means. He may be very demanding; perhaps he will show himself as severe, hard, perhaps he will provoke public scenes. And many people will not understand that, but the teacher knows the price that has to be paid, he knows what the pupil has to go through in order to understand; and if one can see through this apparent hardness, there is always a “maybe” to soften the outburst and help him endure it. Or the relationship may take the form of a private conversation, and in spite of the importance of the situation, it may be quite down-to-earth, familiar. The pupil may feel himself completely recognized and accepted, even chosen by the teacher. And there is no reason for that, because he is taking part in a relation he has never known before: a relation of being to being, although the teacher has had to hide himself behind a language that the pupil can understand. Really no one knows what the teacher has to demand of himself so that the pupil will understand something. (34)

When first meeting a pupil, Gurdjieff would often create unfavourable conditions designed to repel rather than attract them to his teachings. For instance, with both P.D. Ouspensky and Thomas de Hartmann, both of whom were sophisticated and worldly professionals, he would initially meet them in a disreputable café frequented by prostitutes. Gurdjieff often placed himself in a bad light to discourage unsuitable newcomers or to test the determination of older students to work and remember their aim despite their teacher’s often outrageous behaviour: Teachers usually surround themselves with an atmosphere of great seriousness and importance to give newcomers a good impression. With Mr. Gurdjieff it was just the opposite: everything that could repel, even frighten, a new man was always produced. A newcomer had the opportunity to meet Mr. Gurdjieff and talk with him, but at once there was put before him some obstacle to be surmounted. On the other hand, Mr. Gurdjieff never let a newcomer go away empty-handed if he came with real questions and spoke about something that was of genuine importance to them. (35)

He also tried to screen potential pupils by creating obstacles and difficulties for them to overcome. This separated “the wheat from the chaff” – those with a genuine desire for spiritual growth from those influenced by the opinion of others or their own subjective preconceptions: A man generally lives with a ‘foreign’ mind. He has not his own opinion and is under the influence of everything that others tell him. For example, a man thinks badly of another person only because someone else has said bad things about that person. In the Institute you have to learn how to live with your own mind, how to be active, to develop your own individuality. Here in the Institute many people come only on account of their ‘foreign’ mind; and they have no interest of their own in the Work at all. That is why when a man arrives at the Institute, difficult conditions are 10

created and all sorts of traps laid for him intentionally, so that he himself can find out whether he came because of his own interest or only because he heard about the interest of others. Can he, disregarding the outside difficulties that are made for him, continue to work for the main aim? And does this aim exist within him? When the need for these artificial difficulties is over, then they are no longer created for him. (36)

Gurdjieff’s unorthodox teaching methods baffled many of his students. In order to make them aware of their mechanical behaviour, identifications and negative emotions, he created conditions in which they experienced a roller-coaster of emotional reactions to help them to see themselves objectively: “We often do not know what he is up to or how to take his tricks and turns, including methods of disguise, role-playing, intentional misrepresentations, elaborately staged scenes and demonstrations, and even more difficult to deal with, insults, shocks, and wild bursts of controlled temper.” (37) Gurdjieff did not wish to play the role of the traditional guru. Nor could he be simply a counselor or priest. He was on a different level of being from his students, and time and again demonstrated this by his ability to “see right through” them. They knew that he had a mastery and understanding of human behavior which they did not have and could not hope to have without his assistance. If they wanted to have the kind of understanding which he had, they would have to earn it for themselves. He saw it as part of his task to make things difficult for them, to drive them into what he frequently referred to as “conscious labor and intentional suffering.” His wisdom could not be communicated directly; it had to be put in a form where it would arise in the being of the student as their own understanding . . . Students might spend weeks or even months without apparently even being noticed by Gurdjieff, and then one day might be given a single word or thought so exactly right that it unlocked their whole development and later was never forgotten. The shrewd man knows how to go to the heart of matters even in ways which may be completely unorthodox. (38)

When Gurdjieff worked with a pupil, he frequently put them in an uncomfortable position whereby their habitual conditioned mental and emotional postures and reactions were confronted and revealed (39). His objective was to expose the ‘false personality’ of each student, which obscured their essential authentic self. Pupil Annie Lou Staveley: “Mercilessly he showed us ‘as we are.’ He held the mirror up and one was helplessly exposed in the flimsy combination of notions, prejudices, fragments of conditioning by parents and teachers, as well as hypocrisy, pretensions, featherweight thoughts, and so on.” (40) French pupil Solange Claustres was struck by Gurdjieff’s demeanor and presence, likening him to “a samurai, a Zen master, a wandering sage, a very great artist, a grandfather, and in many other roles. He was ever ready for whatever action the situation might require: changing his role, his facial expression, adapting, flowing, with extraordinary art like the impeccable warrior.” (41)

11

He was open to everyone, always, but he never spared aspects of behavior connected with the chief feature of a person’s character, with one’s personality – attitudes acquired by imitation, reactions rising up and deforming essence. It was on these that one had to “work,” one had to become aware of them in order to be oneself and not a machine functioning automatically – and in order to learn how to release oneself from the prison of repetition. What left the deepest impression upon me was that profound look when he was listening to someone, silently listening with his whole being. Answering with words only the question put in words and, through a particular attitude in the tone of his voice, by a smile, a look, he conveyed to one’s feelings something which the ordinary mind could neither hear nor understand – for, had there been words, the mind, with its habitual associative mechanism, would have set about reasoning without a more all-around understanding. Sometimes he attacked someone head-on, clashing with an attitude, a way of behaving, a gesture or a word spoken. What he said at that moment was not immediately grasped. You took the shock, you felt that it was true. You could not explain it or understand it, but it was so true that no discussion was possible and you were left nonplussed. (42)

Through his spiritual force, Gurdjieff was able to temporarily awaken a student to a higher level of being. One of his earliest pupils, Alexander de Salzmann, alluded to such an experience in a conversation with another student, Louise March: “He said that once Mr. Gurdjieff had picked him up and put him above the world where he could see everything as it really is. Then he fell back down to crawl in the earth’s dust again. He yearned for the larger view until the end of his days.” (43) Thomas de Hartmann also reported that Gurdjieff was able to bring a person from their ordinary state to a higher level: “In Essentuki, he told us, ‘I can lift you to Heaven in a moment, but as quickly as I lifted you up, you would fall back down, because you would be unable to hold on,’ and added, ‘If water does not reach 100 degrees Celsius, it is not boiling.’ So in our development we had to reach the boiling point or nothing would be crystallized in us and we would fall back again.” (44)

Teaching Children

Children were an integral part of Gurdjieff’s world throughout his long teaching mission, from 1914 until his death in 1949. They included his own children, nephews and nieces, and the children of his followers. He was able to impart valuable life lessons to them through example, conversations, group work, tasks and exercises, play and games, and role-playing. (45) Rather than presenting “facts” and book knowledge, he employed analogies, imagination and practical advice to develop each child’s unique potential. At the Prieuré, children were an essential part of the educational fabric of the Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man:

12

Besides his study and teaching, Gurdjieff spent time with children whom he invited to attend Institute classes designed for them. It is noteworthy that a children’s section (for ages 4-10) offered classes in music, dance, song, gymnastics, manual work, games and languages which included English, German, French, Russian, Italian, Greek, Polish and Armenian . . . In his own youthful social and intellectual engagements with children, Gurdjieff developed a curiosity that spurred him into adopting other cultural modes and their languages. In short, Gurdjieff played roles and taught the art of self-transformation. Every experience was, in effect, a lesson in acting that can be developed by the coordination of observation and participation. The later instruction of the children about him consisted largely of guidance in these particular skills. (46)

Fritz Peters describes his experience, and those of other children at the Prieuré in the early 1920s (47). He was particularly struck by Gurdjieff’s presence and unpredictable behaviour, especially compared with other adults: “With Gurdjieff, we never knew what was going to happen next, and when it did, it was usually exciting and almost always amusing; sometimes he made it a magical world for children; imagine a man wild and wonderful enough to buy one hundred bicycles and make everyone ride them. What child could resist that alone.” (48) The Prieuré was an outgoing, happy place for all children. Whatever torments may have been suffered by residents or visiting adults, were not obvious to the children. We were treated – except by Gurdjieff – as children, and with a good deal of love, affection and warmth. Unlike the other adults, Gurdjieff was the “boss” and, as such, entitled to exceptional behaviour and exceptional obedience. We thought of him as a kind of god – or perhaps an all-powerful king. Despotic, certainly, but also humorous, kind, affectionate, and frequently very funny. More than that – he seemed absolutely trustworthy and, to us, logical and right. If, at eleven, I could have understood what was supposedly taught at the Prieuré, I might have been baffled and confused. Since I didn’t, I was only aware of being in a “good” place, with a good man. I had a natural child’s respect for his unquestioned authority and for his eccentricities – they merely made him that much more interesting. Also, he was unpredictable which, contrary to popular belief, was not at all frightening. It was far more stimulating than the activity of all the predictable adults. (49)

Gurdjieff described contemporary education as “a factory turning out servants for a social system, when it should be an avenue toward a realization of self.” (50) He decried rote learning or the influence of parents and educators in inculcating societal and cultural norms which deprived a child of their own initiative and individuality. He stressed to parents the importance of avoiding influencing their children in deleterious ways due to their innate sensitivity: “In children crystallization is a thousand times more than in you. That is the danger of suggesting something bad to a child whose sensitiveness is a thousand times stronger than yours.” (51)

13

Gurdjieff chided some of the children for their dress. All the boys wore jackets and ties and the girls wore dresses or skirts or blouses. He asked if they dressed like that because their parents were concerned with their appearance. To a positive reply from a child, he said that Americans are obsessed with appearance, both verbal and material. “Do not follow rules your parents give. Make your own rules. Do not identify with roles your mother or father wishes you to play for their sake. When you thank someone, thank for what you understand, not for what your parents think they understand and want you to understand. And, learn the difference between what you need and what you want.” Gurdjieff said that one can learn to want what one needs, instead of needing what one wants. (52)

Gurdjieff was especially annoyed when parents forced their children to follow social conventions that were incongruent with their own authentic inner feelings: “Gurdjieff understood that adults interfere with the young child’s genuine inner experience of gratitude by making them externalize it with words.” (53) In a talk with his French pupils in 1942, he made this point clear: I always have bonbons in my pocket. When I see a child I give some to it. With a child there is always someone, father, mother, aunt. Without exception they all say the same thing to the child: “What do you say?” Automatically, little by little, the child says thank you to everyone and feels nothing any more. This is idiot thing. This is merde. When a child wishes to say thank you to me, I understand it. It speaks a language which I understand. And it is that language that I love . . . People prepare everything automatically, they make children function like bells which ring when one presses them, like an electric push button. One presses one button or the other. (54)

Gurdjieff admonished children to realize that nothing need bother them unless they allowed it to do so. He counseled them to be true to themselves and not automatically meet the expectations of others, including their parents, and not to forfeit their own dreams and possibilities consistent with their own essential self. And sometimes he devised activities involving money to teach a certain lesson or attitude which would be beneficial in later life. Lillian Firestone recalls Jeanne de Salzmann’s recollection of one such incident: One day when her young son Michel wanted money to buy some special treat, Mr. Gurdjieff happened to hear the request and said: “Michel, you can keep anything I give you as long as you can add it up.” Michel was eager for the challenge. “Put out your hand,” Mr. Gurdjieff said, and he began slowly laying money in the boy’s open palm. First, there were coins, one franc, two francs. Michel added them up and happily sang out the total. Then Mr. Gurdjieff increased the pace. He added five, ten, twenty franc notes while Michel struggled to keep the addition going. As long as he kept his attention, Michel knew he could continue to count. But as the pace of cascading money quickened, fear of losing it began

14

distracting him. Faster and faster the notes came until his eyes almost bulged with the effort. When he finally lost count, the game ended with what he had been able to tally. He also kept for a lifetime the impression of that struggle within him of greed and fear – something else was able to observe the battle. (55)

In his conversations with the children of the Prieuré, Gurdjieff also gave them advice regarding certain physiological processes – sleeping, correct breathing, speaking, and dealing with pain. (56) He also encouraged the children to learn to tell stories (“story make truth”) and to play roles as a way of self-understanding through experiment and creative imagination. Gurdjieff’s advice to parents was grounded in common sense and psychological insight. Louise March: “Mr. Gurdjieff was also opposed to the modern habit of praising children indiscriminately for all and sundry accomplishments. He said that if the child hadn’t worked with a special intent, praise weakened the child’s capacity to make efforts. And if the child had made a real effort, praise was not needed. Find another way to affirm the action, he advised.” In a dialogue with his French students during the War, he offered sensible advice for a common challenge in rearing children: Questioner: I wanted to ask your precise advice. My little boy wishes to affirm himself more and more. He always says no and he is always opposing. To make him give up, I have two means. Either to speak to him a long time, to reason with him, which is not always possible; or to distract him, to give him a plaything, which is very easy, but which does not seem to me very good. Gurdjieff: The second is bad and the first is good. Reason with him, using analogies; children like analogies very much. Questioner: But it is difficult. Gurdjieff: That is another question. You must do it. The second means you must not use. The child understands very well, it is more intelligent than the grown-ups, but it needs a very simple logic. What it has understood it never forgets. (57)

Louise March, as well as many of Gurdjieff’s pupils who were parents, tried to put into practice his sound guidance about rearing children: As I tried to apply what I had learned from Gurdjieff within our family, I came to believe that the right education of children is one of life’s most difficult tasks. I struggled to live what I understood to be the fundamental principle of right education: to respect the individuality of each life without imposing my expectations on the child. I questioned, how to teach the children to obey without making too many rules? How to provide activities which challenge their ingenuity? How to protect them from the many automatic and dulling impressions of the modern world? How to help a child to find his or her own interest? How to foster honesty? The list of questions was endless. I learned that it isn’t easy to love even one’s

15

own children rightly. I accepted the fact that to be a mother is to have a bad conscience. Gurdjieff often said, “For us ‘impossible’ does not exist.” (58)

Gurdjieff’s Presence and Being

Many of Gurdjieff’s pupils were struck by the palpable spiritual force emanating from him. Kenneth Walker: “To sit near him is like sitting near a power-house containing dynamos. A sense of collected power seems to radiate from a more highly developed type of man.” The more I saw of Gurdjieff, the more convinced I became of my teacher’s uniqueness. I had met famous and unusual men before, but I had never come across anybody who resembled him. He possessed qualities that I had never seen before. Insight, knowledge, control and ‘being’ are the words that flow into my mind when I begin to think what those qualities actually were . . . Of his wide range of knowledge, and particularly of his knowledge of things which could not be found in books there could be no doubt. And the knowledge which he had given us was knowledge of an entirely practical nature, that is to say, it was knowledge which had not to be blindly accepted but which had to be submitted to a practical test . . . It was Gurdjieff’s being rather than his knowledge which made the greatest impression on me. The word ‘being’ is a difficult word to define. It is the quality in a ‘man’ which chiefly distinguishes him from a man-machine. It is also the quality which accompanies the change from the waking-sleep of an ordinary man to the level of consciousness of a man who is ‘present to himself.’ ‘Being’ is a quality of which other people usually become aware when it is present in a man, but which they usually find it impossible to put into words. We all emit different forms of energy into space, and although I was never told this by Mr. Gurdjieff himself, I am disposed to think that the energies that are radiated by a conscious man differ from those which emanate from a man in a lower state of consciousness. (59)

Many other students also sensed the depth of Gurdjieff’s knowledge and the force of his presence and being. Annie Lou Staveley: “When I say that Gurdjieff was a teacher I mean just that. It was not what he did but what he was – his expression, his gestures, his tone of voice, as well as the words he said. In his presence one had the sense of being fed a new food for which one had been starved all one’s life.” (60) Paul Beekman Taylor: Knowing Gurdjieff personally was an experience that gives a force to his teaching that I cannot put into words. Gurdjieff was at once the exemplar and the denying example of everything he said. He was to me a Dostoyevskian figure, that is, one who reveals the truth by exposing the false. He seemed demonic, but he suggested that though God can play the devil, the devil cannot play God . . . To me as a young man, Gurdjieff was everything, but at no one moment could I be sure who or what he was. He was

16

an example of all things one could be. In memory he remains the fullest human being I have ever known or of whom I will ever be able to conceive. (61)

A.R. Orage once observed that Gurdjieff seemed to be in two worlds at once, and in his presence no one could imagine wishing to be anywhere else. In Orage with Gurdjieff in America, Louise Welch writes: Orage reminded us that we were in the presence of Being – hitherto an abstract word to most of us. We made efforts to describe our impressions. For me, it was not unlike being in the presence of a great natural phenomenon . . . Since those days I have had the good fortune to be in the presence of great teachers in the fields of psychiatry, Vedanta, Buddhism, Samkya, Islam, Tibetan yoga, and whatever category Zen will allow. Each of them was unique: Carl Gustav Jung, Daisetz Suzuki, Jiddu Krishnamurti, Sri Anirvan, Karmapa – and others who like them exemplify great and universal being. What good would it do to compare them, since each has his own special quality? But to give words to the specificity of Gurdjieff: he was a spiritual giant in whose presence we felt the limitations of our own personal world. (62)

Fritz Peters observed that Gurdjieff had an enormous power over his listeners when he spoke to them, which made a deep and lasting impression: One of the most important things about Gurdjieff’s pronouncements, talks, lectures, or discursions, was the enormous sway he had over his listeners. His gestures, his manner of expressing himself, the incredible range of tone and dynamics in his voice, and his use of emotion, all seemed calculated to spell-bind his auditors; perhaps to mesmerize them to such an extent that they were unable to argue with him at the time. Unquestionably, however many questions might come to a listener’s mind when Gurdjieff had finished speaking, a deep and lasting impression had always been made before such questions arose. Not only did we not forget what he said to us, it was usually impossible to forget what he had said, even if one wished to forget. (63)

Students have remarked that of all the ‘skillful means’ Gurdjieff employed to awaken them to their essential nature, his actual presence and being was the most effective instrument of transformation. They reported that merely being in his presence, if one was properly prepared and open, was itself a source of understanding and benediction. Henri Tracol: “The simplest and most evident was his own presence – the silent influence he exercised on all who came to him, which sometimes assumed a very direct form, as a sort of osmosis.” (64) Gurdjieff’s magnetic presence was a call, and a catalyst, which empowered pupils to awaken to their own inherent spiritual capacities and possibilities. The state of con-

17

sciousness and being which flowed from him was more effective than spoken or written words in furthering their spiritual development. Biographer Roger Lipsey: At the rue des Colonels Renard, changes in awareness and one’s sense of oneself were a matter of vivid experience. Such experiences were among the most potent lessons Gurdjieff offered; they reached far inside, demonstrated possibilities, inspired search and effort. The catalyst was his state, not confined to himself but invisibly radiant and capable of creating a field of awareness for others in which they could explore what it is to be more awake at last. Further, his state was natural to him. He surely had to renew it, but it was in and of the man. It was not selfish, not a display of superiority, but rather a foretaste of one’s own best, of one’s own awareness taking its first few breaths of freedom. The way opened from there, a way to be traveled by one’s own efforts, though in good company. A striking feature of the awareness and emotional depth Gurdjieff made possible for others is that one instinctively felt more normal, more oneself, and incomparably more self-possessed, as if one had been living in a dream and had awakened. In Gurdjieff’s practice, awakening is towards oneself, not towards superhuman something; and the human self, the microcosm, is understood to be endowed with possibilities that need a lifetime to discover and nurture. (65)

Some of his pupils sensed that Gurdjieff was a conduit between them and a higher order of reality, enabling them to enter an alchemical process of inner transformation – the transmutation of base metals (false personality) into gold (essence). French pupil François Grunwald was witness to such a process: He was sitting perfectly upright; an irresistible calm emanated from him. A silence progressively made itself felt, becoming more and more dense; a majestic grandeur confined by no material or psychological limit circulated in the space, inner as much as outer, and established itself in us. One’s attention became keener as all sensation of time disappeared. Each one of us, better and better established in himself, in herself, was looking at him. Today I am convinced that what we clearly experienced as an inner majesty did not emanate from his person as such, rather that he was a channel, a way of access to a “higher” which, without the least doubt, he rendered perceptible. His presence was the necessary transformer, permitting the plunge into a vastness, an immensity in which my own thoughts no longer importuned me as they ordinarily do, but withdrew. He offered passage to that inner grandeur, and that is why I venerate him. (66)

In 1948, after nearly a decade, Margaret Anderson was reunited with Gurdjieff. Although older, he still radiated his formidable spiritual power: “There was teaching in all that he did or said, only its form had changed: he was teaching now chiefly through his presence – from his ‘being,’ he might have said.” (67)

18

Gurdjieff was able to play multiple roles in his interactions with pupils. Yet behind his sometimes bewildering behaviour, there was a core of silent presence and other- worldly being. Frank Sinclair, who in later years became president of the Gurdjieff Foundation of New York, relates his impressions of his teacher in 1948 during a visit to New York: The most amazing thing about Gurdjieff was that at one moment he was most amusing, but then, as you looked again, he appeared to be in touch with something greater – God? – and with apparently no obvious transition from his role playing. You saw all this in his eyes, turned slightly upward. Everyone felt this other level – of love, divine love. Perhaps this is why we were able to take so many of his shocks and insults. (Later, so many group leaders tried giving similar shocks, but people reacted. That great sense of love that you experienced in Gurdjieff was not there.) (68)

Commentary

The centre of gravity of Gurdjieff’s teaching is the development of the quality and level of a person’s being. This opens up the possibility of experiencing a higher level of spiritual energy and consciousness that exists within the human being and the universe: There exists a particular Gurdjieffian “atmosphere” in his own writings and in most accounts of his work with pupils, which evokes in some readers the same overall feeling and intellectual intuition that accompanies these unique experiences in life in which the whole sense of oneself, including one’s familiar religious sense and sense of mystery breaks down and when for a moment an unnameable emptiness and silence are experienced. The Gurdjieff teaching may perhaps be understood as a journey into and beyond that silence along with and by means of the demand to attend to the ordinary life of ourselves as we are. In any case, this central aspect of his teaching explains in part why at a certain level no comparison of his teaching with traditional spiritualities is possible. (69)

Gurdjieff’s unconventional methods and often outrageous behaviour were, in part, a tautological device to prevent “personality worship.” Ultimately, it was intended to prepare pupils to stand on their own two feet independent of him: He never hesitated to arouse doubts about himself by the kind of language he used, by his calculated contradictions and by his behaviour – to such a point that people around him, particularly those who had a tendency to worship him blindly, were finally obliged to open their eyes to the chaos of their own reactions. This shock could be brought about in all sorts of ways – by an abrupt change of attitude, by direct provocation or an unexpected smile, by a redoubling of exacting requirements or a sudden mollifying gesture . . . It is no part of the Master’s role to take over the disciple’s efforts of understanding; the latter, and he alone, must make it for himself. The shocks, suggestions and situations calculated to provoke the disciple’s awakening are there solely to prepare and train him

19

to do without his master, to go forth under his own steam as soon as he shows himself capable of doing so. By its very nature, the inner search is inevitably an individual matter. The suggestion is put, the call is made. The rest is up to each of us to join in the game. (70)

Perhaps the most enduring testament to Gurdjieff’s impact on his students is their own heartfelt words. Paul Beekman Taylor: “My personal experience with him displayed his immense generosity of character. It is usual for me to discover traces of numerous examples of the force of his teaching and ideas on my thoughts and actions.” (71) And Dorothy Caruso paid tribute to her teacher with these poignant words: “Gurdjieff was gentle with my soul. From his mysterious and conscious world, he guided it with the kind of understanding he called ‘objective love’ – the ‘love of everything that breathes’: and ‘it’ responded with unlimited trust – the highest type of love there is.” (72) Students admired and appreciated Gurdjieff’s qualities as a teacher (73) and were deeply thankful for the assistance he provided in their own spiritual journey. When Solange Claustres met Gurdjieff in Paris in 1941, she was experiencing a spiritual crisis in her life and found in him an oasis of understanding and genuine hope: He was gentle but firm, putting my possibilities to the test in order to make me understand them, and all the while giving me confidence. That was what I most needed. He was, simply, a human being full of wisdom and common sense toward everyday reality, the reality of life with no trimmings; he was a good and strict teacher, never weak, never unjust, but never letting anything slip by unnoticed, his attention always alert. I never sensed any sort of manipulation or the application of a “system”; his behavior was instantaneous, flawless and faultless – and above all devoid of any judging. He was always inwardly serious, with a smile and a gentle expression . . . He was fully present, while leaving you your complete individuality; but that didn’t prevent him from striking you, precisely and with unbelievable force, with a simple look that stopped you in your tracks, catching a weakness at the exact moment it appeared. Sometimes he made a joke or a remark, sometimes he unleashed anger with the force of a storm . . . when you were with him, every attitude, every gesture was very different from everyday life; he made you feel another dimension, another possibility of “being.” Close to him, I was at home. There was no longer any fear, any doubt, any question in me, everything was simple and natural. There was no mystery about it; it was simply “living.” Everything was wide awake, as though I had found a lost paradise. (74)

Many pupils noted that Gurdjieff’s way of teaching the path to spiritual knowledge and awakening was truly unique, especially compared to their own experiences with other teachers. Kenneth Walker met Gurdjieff in 1924 at the Prieuré and subsequently studied with P.D. Ouspensky for many decades in England. When he travelled to Paris in 1948 to work with Gurdjieff following Ouspensky’s death, he was struck by the sharp differences

20

in their teaching styles. Working with Gurdjieff was far less structured, more spontaneous, and even ribald: I was convinced by now that Gurdjieff did everything for a definite purpose. I felt, therefore, that his heavy lunches and dinners were not designed merely for the enjoyment of eating and drinking. They were used for the purpose of jolting us all out of our set routines, and I noticed that the abrupt change in our manner of living was already having a beneficial effect on those of us who had come to Paris from London. We English followers of Ouspensky had become a little grim and rigid in our demeanor, and we were in danger of acquiring what I regarded as being ‘chapel-going expressions.’ In my opinion we had been subjected, for too long a period, to Ouspensky’s rules and regulations, and we were in need for a loosening-up process. No one was better equipped for administering this corrective treatment than Gurdjieff. As the days passed, I noted with satisfaction that the treatment we were receiving was beginning to have a beneficial effect on us members of the Ouspensky group. Our faces were becoming more relaxed, our speech less calculated, and our behaviour more friendly and spontaneous. Gurdjieff had said, more than once, that it was necessary for everybody to know when to be serious and when to laugh. (75)

William Patrick Patterson succinctly describes how effectively Gurdjieff worked with his pupils: “The role he might play, his words, his actions – these were its mere surface reflections. The deep nourishment was in the substance. To identify with his machinations, to be put ‘in galoshes,’ as he said, immediately disconnected heart from head, cut one’s lifeline to the living silence of the real world.” (76) The teacher trying to trap his students into identification, the students working not to identify. To remain free of their reactions – that was part of the taxing, frustrating, maddening and ingenious conditions Gurdjieff created. The teaching he brought is not a way of devotion but of self-development, of conscience and understanding. What is being developed is individuality in the real meaning of the term – one who forges within the integrity to withstand the heat of opposites, the “yes” and “no” that keep one a slave of psychic and vital forces. What Gurdjieff offered was the active manifestation of Divine Love. (77)

Some of Gurdjieff’s pupils sensed a sadness and disappointment in their teacher at certain times, especially in his final years. Jane Heap once expressed such a sentiment in a conversation with other members of ‘the Rope’: “Today he is sorrowing because of us, what we’ve done. We haven’t been able to take enough of what he gives us. We’ve failed him somewhere.” (78) Kathryn Hulme concurred: It was a thought that had often entered my mind during the year of trying to take enough of what he gave. I knew that we must have failed him, not only when he had roared at us and told us so, but many another time when it had not been worth his while to point out the obvious. And, I thought,

21

we would fail him again and again, despite all our unrealizable efforts. Yet I believed that some of Gurdjieff’s teaching must surely have become a part of us, even organically. So that later, though we might appear to be running wild in forgetfulness, I believed there would always be the warning note from the small inviolate place he established within us to hold the single ‘I’ we struggled to unify – a place no one could touch, the place to retreat to in times of stress . . . I believed that such a sanctum now existed in the depths of my being. (79)

Many decades later, in a conversation with her close student Ravi Ravindra, Jeanne de Salzmann also described a poignant exchange with Gurdjieff shortly before his death. Ravindra records her vivid recollection in Heart Without Measure: Madame de Salzmann told of an incident, late in Gurdjieff’s life, when she came upon him in a place in Switzerland. He was sitting, looking very sad and discouraged. She asked him: “Are you discouraged because we are not working hard enough? Is there something we don’t do? With great feeling he described his sadness as he conveyed to her the immense distance between what was needed and what was being done. He felt compassion for his pupils, as well as his inability to do it for them. Then he waved to her to go and play the piano. Madame de Salzmann spoke about this with such vividness and feeling, and with moisture in her eyes, that I instinctively reached over and held her hand. She smiled very warmly, I sensed that she was feeling for me what she remembered Gurdjieff feeling for her – the great gulf between what was needed and what was accomplished. I felt my inadequacy, my nothingness. I saw that I do not undertake what is needed. (80)

NOTES

(1) Antoine Faivre and Jacob Needleman (eds.) Modern Esoteric Spirituality (United States: Crosswords Publishing, 1992), p. 362. (2) G.I. Gurdjieff Views from the Real World: Early talks of Gurdjieff (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1973), pp. v-vi. (3) Jeanne de Salzmann The Reality of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), p. 2. (4) Roger Lipsey Gurdjieff Reconsidered (Boulder: Shambhala, 2019), p. 204. (5) G.I. Gurdjieff Paris Meetings 1943 (Toronto: Dolmen Meadows Editions, 2017), p. xiv. (6) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, 2001), p. 279.

22

(7) William Patrick Patterson Georgi Ivanovitch Gurdjieff: The Man, The Teaching, His Mission (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2014), p. 33. (8) William Patrick Patterson Georgi Ivanovitch Gurdjieff: The Man, The Teaching, His Mission (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2014), p. 33. (9) A.L. Staveley Memories of Gurdjieff (Aurora, Oregon: Two Rivers Press, 1978), p. 72. (10) Henri Tracol The Taste of Things That Are True (Shaftesbury, Dorset: Element Books, 1994), pp. 113-114. (11) Nicolas Tereshchenko Mister Gurdjieff and the Fourth Way (Austin, Texas: Kesdjan Publishing, 2003), pp. 33-34. (12) Jeanne de Salzmann The Reality of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), p. 3. (13) Henri Tracol provides a memorable example of how his teacher revealed aspects of himself that he was not aware of (The Taste of Things That Are True Shaftesbury, Dorset: Element Books, 1994, p. 109): Mr. Gurdjieff had invited the two of us to lunch in the rue des Colonels Renard, and we found ourselves alone with him – a rare enough event and one not to be missed. I arrived, full of burning questions, and found him so benevolent, so manifestly disposed to listen that I watched eagerly for the first opportunity to put them to him. But the opportunity never came. Obviously he had detected my impatience and so proceeded to play with me as a cat plays with a mouse. He was disarmingly gentle and benign but the moment he sensed I was ready to return to the charge, he ingeniously side-tracked me, either with some malicious comment or a witty anecdote, or by challenging me to detect a specific flavour or to guess the exact quantity of spices used in a certain dish. I was at a loss to understand where all these manoeuvres were leading. My questions suddenly lost all their weight. Never shall I forget his look of amusement as he watched the skirmishes of the battle surging in me, nor my feelings of frustration and distress that were nevertheless permeated by a strange gratitude

for this lesson. (14) Kathryn Hulme Undiscovered Country: In Search of Gurdjieff (Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1966), p. 78. (15) Kathryn Hulme Undiscovered Country: In Search of Gurdjieff (Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1966), p. 97. (16) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, 2001), p. 157.

23

(17) Michel Walberg “The Way of Blame” in Jacob Needleman (ed.) The Inner Journey: Views from the Gurdjieff Work (Sandpoint, Idaho: Morning Light Press, 2008), p. 153. (18) Thomas and Olga de Hartmann Our Life with Mr. Gurdjieff (New York: Penguin Books, 1992), p. 41. (19) Thomas and Olga de Hartmann Our Life with Mr. Gurdjieff (New York: Penguin Books, 1992), p. 47. (20) Roger Lipsey Gurdjieff Reconsidered (Boulder: Shambhala, 2019), p. 26. (21) Michel Walberg “The Way of Blame” in Jacob Needleman (ed.) The Inner Journey: Views from the Gurdjieff Work (Sandpoint, Idaho: Morning Light Press, 2008), p. 143. (22) Michel Walberg Gurdjieff” An Approach to His Ideas (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1981), pp. 1-2. (23) Antoine Faivre and Jacob Needleman (eds.) Modern Esoteric Spirituality (United States: Crosswords Publishing, 1992), p. 376. (24) Fritz Peters Boyhood with Gurdjieff (Baltimore: Penguin Books, 1972), p. 10. (25) In Teachings of Gurdjieff (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1974, p. 50), C.S. Nott relates one such teaching moment at the Prieuré: Gurdjieff sometimes took drastic measures to bring home to us how we were attached to, or identified with, our work and its results. Two Englishwomen, keen gardeners, had worked intensely in the flower garden and produced a fine show of blooms. Young pupils – and especially children – were often shooed away for fear harm might be done. When the garden was at its best, they asked Gurdjieff o come and see it. He did so, and it was arranged that everyone else should come too. He looked round, and nodded and smiled and said: ‘Very nice, very nice,’ and went away. That evening the gate ‘happened’ to be left open and the calves and sheep were browsing in the precious garden.

(26) C.S. Nott Teachings of Gurdjieff (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1974), pp. 54-55. (27) Solange Claustres Becoming Conscious with G.I. Gurdjieff (Utrecht, The Netherlands: Eureka Editions, 2009), pp. 25-26. (28) Roger Lipsey Gurdjieff Reconsidered (Boulder: Shambhala, 2019), pp. 16-17.

24

(29) Roger Lipsey Gurdjieff Reconsidered (Boulder: Shambhala, 2019), p. 16. (30) C.S. Nott Teachings of Gurdjieff (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1974), p. 202. (31) William Welch What Happened in Between (New York: George Braziller, 1972), p. 125. (32) Louise Welch Orage with Gurdjieff in New York (Boston: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1982), p. 91. (33) Thomas and Olga de Hartmann Our Life with Mr. Gurdjieff (New York: Penguin Books, 1992), p. 14. (34) Pauline de Dampierre “The Search for Being” in Jacob Needleman (ed.) The Inner Journey: Views from the Gurdjieff Work (Sandpoint, Idaho: Morning Light Press, 2008), p. 96. (35) Thomas and Olga de Hartmann Our Life with Mr. Gurdjieff (New York: Penguin Books, 1992), pp. 74-75. (36) Thomas and Olga de Hartmann Our Life with Mr. Gurdjieff (New York: Penguin Books, 1992), p. 180. (37) Henry Leroy Finch :The Sacred Cosmos: Teachings of G.I. Gurdjieff” in Jacob Needleman and George Baker (eds.) Gurdjieff: Essays and Reflections on the Man and His Teaching (New York: Continuum, 1996), p. 20. (38) Henry Leroy Finch “The Sacred Cosmos: Teachings of G.I. Gurdjieff” in Jacob Needleman and George Baker (eds.) Gurdjieff: Essays and Reflections on the Man and His Teaching (New York: Continuum, 1996), pp. 20-21. (39) Michel Conge vividly describes his own personal encounter with his teacher in his essay “Facing Mr. Gurdjieff” in Jacob Needleman and George Baker (eds.) Gurdjieff: Essays and Reflections on the Man and His Teaching (New York: Continuum, 1996), pp. 360-361): I received an avalanche of shocks – not always unpleasant, far from it – and such a supply of energy that I did not know what to do with it all. But something was at work within me. He put us in conditions which turned us upside down. And that was good thing! For how can we get out of the closed circuit we are in without being shaken up a bit? It is impossible. We are forever singing the same old refrains over and over again . . . When the shock is well received, you cannot but be grateful. A whole length of wall has collapsed, and no amount of lecturing could have achieved that. The role of the master is to shake the prisoner’s cage. He takes hold of what you bring him, throws it back at you, and your whole edifice crashes to the ground. Mr. Gurdjieff

25

always wanted something. He would put it to you in such a way that you wondered sometimes what was meant. At first sight it looked like a blatant pretext – or even bluffing – but that was to make you grasp the problem. He did not want you to identify with him. He would get your back up so that you would not worship him. He always went about things in that way. It was a trick – to arouse anxiety towards himself the better to turn you towards Truth. You must understand the aim he pursued: never to succumb to the power of “the god of self-calming.” No place was left for lying – he wanted the truth.

(40) A.L. Staveley Memories of Gurdjieff (Aurora, Oregon: Two Rivers Press, 1978), pp. 70-71. (41) Solange Claustres “The Dessert” in Jacob Needleman and George Baker (eds.) Gurdjieff: Essays and Reflections of the Man and His Teaching (New York: Continuum, 1996), p. 400. (42) Solange Claustres “The Dessert” in Jacob Needleman and George Baker (eds.) Gurdjieff: Essays and Reflections on the Man and His Teaching (New York: Continuum, 1996), p. 400. (43) Annabeth McCorkle The Gurdjieff Years 1929-1949 (Utrecht, The Netherlands: Eureka Editions, 2011), p. 33. (44) Thomas and Olga de Hartmann Our Life with Mr. Gurdjieff (New York: Penguin Books, 1992), p. 55. (45) An informative description of some of the exercises Gurdjieff prescribed for the children at the Prieuré appears in Paul Beekman Taylor’s Real Worlds of G.I. Gurdjieff (Utrecht, The Netherlands: Eureka Editions, 2012, p. 129): Nikolai de Stjernvall spoke of an exercise in attention that the children would play at the Prieuré. Gurdjieff, or another person, would send a child out to a certain spot where he or she was to stand for the count of ten, and then come back and report what he or she had observed. Five or six children would go to the same spot for the same amount of time, and then return and report what he or she observed. Then the dispatcher would tell the children the differences reported in observations. One might be asked why he did not see what another did. To observe well requires attention and memory. Gurdjieff admonished children who seemed to lack attention with the expression “remember your self.” It is curious that no child remembers having difficulty communicating with others during these exercise or during play time. It would seem that in the context of Gurdjieff’s teaching, the various languages of communication never excluded anyone.

(46) Paul Beekman Taylor Real Worlds of G.I. Gurdjieff (Utrecht, The Netherlands:

26

Eureka Editions, 2012), p. 127. (47) Paul Beekman Taylor captures the flavour of Gurdjieff’s interactions with the children at the Prieuré in Real Worlds of G.I. Gurdjieff (Utrecht, The Netherlands: Eureka Editions, 2012, p. 129): All the children responded to the power he manifested in the carriage of his person and the thrust of his teaching. No child, as well as adult, who was ever in his presence was left indifferent to his power of being. Children came to him relatively unburdened with interfering social and intellectual influences. They appeared open without reservation, question or distrust. They took him for what they experienced with him. Small children at the Prieuré played games together on the spacious lawn in front of the main house. The practice of stopping his or her motion suddenly prepared one for the more advanced “movements” and sacred dances. Often Gurdjieff would watch the children’s play from the steps of the Prieuré.

(48) Fritz Peters Gurdjieff Remembered (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1971), pp. 140141. (49) Fritz Peters Gurdjieff Remembered (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1971), p. 140. (50) Paul Beekman Taylor Real Worlds of G.I. Gurdjieff (Utrecht, The Netherlands: Eureka Editions, 2012), pp. 16-17. (51) William Patrick Patterson Voices in the Dark (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2001), p. 145. (52) Paul Beekman Taylor Real Worlds of G.I. Gurdjieff (Utrecht, The Netherlands: Eureka Editions, 2012), p. 136. (53) Annabeth McCorkle The Gurdjieff Years 1929-1949 (Utrecht, The Netherlands: Eureka Editions, 2011), p. 52. (54) William Patrick Patterson Voices in the Dark (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2001), pp. 141-142. (55) Lillian Firestone “Gurdjieff and Money” Gurdjieff International Review Volume IX, 2005, p. 17. (56) In 1948 in New York City, Gurdjieff answered a question from a young boy about dealing with pain. (Paul Beekman Taylor Real Worlds of G.I. Gurdjieff Utrecht, The Netherlands: Eureka Editions, 2012, p. 136): One boy, Wim Nyland’s son, dared ask how to endure pain. He had had a terrible toothache once and tried to arrest the pain by trying to ignore it.

27

Gurdjieff replied that one must do the opposite; that is, concentrate on pain. Pain is a language that the body is speaking to the mind. Listen to it, learn to speak to it. Pain demands attention and concentration. It incites the body’s recognition of something that is askew and demands collaboration with the mind to get it right. When concentrating on pain all things outside disappear. “Make friends with pain and make friends with inside self.”

(57) William Patrick Patterson Voices in the Dark (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2001), p. 145. (58) Annabeth McCorkle The Gurdjieff Years 1929-1949 (Utrecht, The Netherlands: Eureka Editions, 2011), p. 97. (59) Kenneth Walker The Making of Man (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1963), pp. 131-133. (60) A.L. Staveley Memories of Gurdjieff (Aurora, Oregon: Two Rivers Press, 1978), p. 72. (61) Paul Beekman Taylor Real Worlds of G.I. Gurdjieff (Utrecht, The Netherlands: Eureka Editions, 2012), pp. 17-18. (62) Louise Welch Orage with Gurdjieff in New York (Boston: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1982), p. 90. (63) Fritz Peters Boyhood with Gurdjieff (Baltimore: Penguin Books, 1972), p. 114. (64) Henri Tracol The Taste of Things That Are True (Shaftesbury, Dorset: Element Books, 1994), p. 131. (65) Roger Lipsey Gurdjieff Reconsidered (Boulder: Shambhala, 2019), p. 198. (66) Roger Lipsey Gurdjieff Reconsidered (Boulder: Shambhala, 2019), pp. 201-202. (67) Margaret Anderson The Unknowable Gurdjieff (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1973), p. 172. (68) Frank Sinclair Without Benefit of Clergy (United States of America: Xlibris, 2005), p. 126. (69) Antoine Faivre and Jacob Needleman (eds.) Modern Esoteric Spirituality (United States: Crosswords Publishing, 1992), p. 368. (70) Henri Tracol The Taste of Things That Are True (Shaftesbury, Dorset: Element Books, 1994), pp. 113-114.

28

(71) Paul Beekman Taylor Real Worlds of G.I. Gurdjieff (Utrecht, The Netherlands: Eureka Editions, 2012), p. 18. (72) Margaret Anderson The Unknowable Gurdjieff (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1973), p. 192. (73) Solange Claustres testified to his acumen as a teacher: “One would have to have been in Gurdjieff’s presence to be able to fully understand his great knowledge, his deep understanding, his benevolence, his love of others, his simplicity. His strictness as a teacher enabled us to think, wake up and become fully developed.” In Becoming Conscious with G.I. Gurdjieff (Utrecht, The Netherlands: Eureka Editions, 2009, pp. 26-27), she writes: The acuity of his attention incited sincerity towards ourselves, put us in front of our weakness, the very inability to be sincere in relation to ourselves. His attitude, his words, opened up new perspectives for us, our understanding was widened by another point of view or an aspect that we had not seen, putting back into question our judgement of ourselves, of others, of a situation, of our way of living, of life itself . . . I also felt his suffering for others, his sadness before their inability to understand, or wish to understand, but also his joy for a person who was truly searching. One needed to be very watchful to perceive this, as G. gave nothing away; I was always very attentive to G.’s expression and those of others.

(74) Solange Claustres “The Dessert” in Jacob Needleman and George Baker (eds.) Gurdjieff: Essays and Reflections on the Man and His Teaching (New York: Continuum, 1996), pp. 399-400. (75) Kenneth Walker The Making of Man (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1963), pp. 124-125. (76) William Patrick Patterson Ladies of the Rope (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 1999), p. 248. (77) William Patrick Patterson Ladies of the Rope (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 1999), p. 248. (78) Kathryn Hulme Undiscovered Country: In Search of Gurdjieff (Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1966), p. 149. (79) Kathryn Hulme Undiscovered Country: In Search of Gurdjieff (Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1966), pp. 149-150. (80) Ravi Ravindra Heart Without Measure: Work with Madame de Salzmann (Halifax: Shaila Press, 1999), p. 117.

29

NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON STUDENTS1

The methods and techniques employed by Gurdjieff in his teaching, especially the difficult physical and emotional demands he made on his students, adversely affected some of them. There are accounts of students experiencing psychological breakdown or the dissolution of their marriage. Gurdjieff was even accused of contributing to the suicide of certain students, although a causal connection was never ultimately proven. Gurdjieff’s methods and behaviour throughout the course of his career often aroused doubt even in his most dedicated students. Early in their relationship P.D. Ouspensky expressed reservations about Gurdjieff as a teacher. His doubts grew over the years until finally, in 1924, Ouspensky formally broke off all relations with Gurdjieff. Many other students left the Work, some voluntarily and others at Gurdjieff’s instigation. In the years following his serious automobile accident in 1924, Gurdjieff deliberately applied pressure to his most trusted and skilled students, driving many of them away, including Thomas and Olga de Hartmann, Alexander de Salzmann and A.R. Orage. Gurdjieff’s motives for alienating his followers have been food for speculation in Work circles for many decades. The accounts of his closest students and research by independent scholars suggest several possible explanations for Gurdjieff’s puzzling conduct: it was a means to force pupils to shed their dependence on him; he was creating conditions to assist his own spiritual development; it assisted his mission to transmit esoteric wisdom to the West. Although no clear answers are forthcoming, there is evidence to suggest that much of his behaviour, though difficult for many to understand in the moment, was consciously calculated to facilitate his task to bring an ancient Fourth Way teaching to the contemporary world.

Adverse Consequences of Gurdjieff’s Methods

In the early 1950s, French writer Louis Pauwels published an article and book which criticized Gurdjieff's teaching methods and exposed their adverse effects on many of his pupils. Pauwels’ publications were roundly condemned by the Gurdjieff establishment and many of his most serious accusations were subsequently refuted. However, a number of other reports exist documenting the negative effects of Gurdjieff’s methods which do appear credible. In his biography of Gurdjieff, James Webb raises serious concerns about Gurdjieff’s unconventional methods of working with students: In administering his “shocks,” he could often be brutally harsh – and sometimes he overstepped his limits. Even if we admit the validity of his objectives, it must also be admitted that in a number of cases 1

Updated 2017/04/21

1

Gurdjieff’s methods ended in tragedy. Either he made a false assessment of a particular pupil, or he was guilty of criminal negligence toward him. He was playing with fire and the game in which he invited his pupils to take part was a dangerous one. (1)

As early as 1922, reports circulated in the press that Gurdjieff was a “black magician” who hypnotized his students and caused them irreparable harm. The most sensational stories were more imagination than fact, but there is evidence from more credible sources that some of Gurdjieff’s followers experienced serious psychological damage. John Bennett was a student at Gurdjieff’s Institute at the Prieuré in Fontainebleau in 1923, and at the time witnessed an extraordinary state of tension there: “Some people went mad. There were even suicides. Many gave up in despair.” (2) In 1948, Bennett returned to work with Gurdjieff in Paris after an absence of more than twenty years. Again, the atmosphere surrounding Gurdjieff was charged and intense, with the effect being too powerful for many students. Bennett reports that several pupils were so shattered by their experiences with Gurdjieff that they required treatment in mental institutions. Central to Gurdjieff's teaching approach was his belief that the path of spiritual transformation was more important than any human relationship. He often put intense pressure on couples and forced them to make choices that placed them in conflict with each other. Breakups of partnerships and marriages among his students became commonplace. In Our Life with Mr. Gurdjieff, Thomas and Olga de Hartmann write poignantly of their deep love for each other and the stress created by Gurdjieff on their marriage. They reveal that despite emotional demands made by Gurdjieff that were so intense they felt like leaving, they remained with him because of the great value of his spiritual work with them. John Bennett has also written of the tremendous pressure he felt from Gurdjieff’s interference in Bennett's relationship with his future wife. Perhaps most extreme was Gurdjieff’s negative influence on the relationship between Jessie and A.R. Orage. A.R. Orage conducted groups for Gurdjieff in New York and was a frequent visitor to the Prieuré. Gurdjieff never approved of A.R.’s wife Jessie and resented her influence over A.R., whom Gurdjieff called his “super-idiot.” Gurdjieff’s interference resulted in numerous quarrels between the two and tested their commitment both to their marriage and to Gurdjieff’s teaching. By the late 1920s, the relationship between the Orages and their teacher had deteriorated irreparably: Gurdjieff grew increasingly impossible, and the final straw was a terrifying experience when the couple were leaving Paris for New York in February 1929. Gurdjieff transfixed Jessie Orage with his gaze. He seemed to immobilize her, and she could not breathe; for a moment she was convinced that he was going to make her lose consciousness altogether. Then he spoke: “If you keep my super-idiot from coming back to me, you burn in boiling oil.” (3)

2

This incident marked a turning point for the Orages. They left France and never returned to the Prieuré. A few years later, A.R. Orage broke off his relationship with Gurdjieff and did not see him again for the rest of his life. By far the most serious allegation against Gurdjieff is that he directly contributed to the suicide of certain followers. Biographer James Webb investigated this accusation thoroughly. The first case of suicide involved a British diplomat who studied at the Prieuré in 1924. The accounts of his fellow students from this time period indicate that he was clearly distraught and in the midst of a psychological or spiritual crisis. Shortly after his last visit to the Prieuré in 1925 he was posted to the Middle East. He shot him-self two days after his arrival. In his analysis of this case, Webb posits that this individual had a pre-existing psychological imbalance, which cast doubt on the claim that Gurdjieff “caused” his death: “Gurdjieff’s teaching cannot be shown to have played any specific part in this suicide; and Gurdjieff might merely have been one ingredient in a personal crisis whose main constituents were quite different.” (4) A second suicide linked to Gurdjieff occurred in 1927. A former dancer with the Paris Opéra who was interested in Gurdjieff’s movements stayed at the Prieuré in 1923. She was involved in an incident with Gurdjieff that biographer James Webb describes as a “near rape,” which caused a scandal in the Gurdjieff community. Others strongly refute this accusation. Nevertheless, Webb suggests that the experience, compounded by Gurdjieff’s subsequent rejection of her, left the woman mentally unstable. After unsuccessfully attempting to return to the Prieuré in 1927, she committed suicide while she was, in the words of the coroner, “of unsound mind.” Fritz Peters relates another case of suicide involving a young American woman who was infatuated with Gurdjieff. During the 1930s, she followed Gurdjieff to New York from Chicago against the wishes of her family. When family members arrived in New York they accused Gurdjieff of having “immoral sexual relations” with the woman and they proceeded to confine her in a mental institution. A week later the despondent woman took her own life. According to Peters, Gurdjieff was taken into custody by the authorities for questioning but was subsequently released. James Webb brings some perspective on these suicides, by placing them within a broader context and stressing a teacher’s responsibility when working with students who may be psychologically fragile: The cases of suicide which are from time to time linked with the Work do not prove a great deal. The unstable people attracted to “occult” theories include numerous potential suicides. On the other hand, the teacher must be considered responsible for any pupil whom he accepts and he must be aware that he will attract people in dangerous psychological states. The teacher should be able to monitor his pupils with the skill of a psychological technician; he has to know

3

precisely what pressure to apply and when; he must be an exceptionally sensitive person, and he should certainly have undergone lengthy training in the skills needed by a manipulator of the Fourth Way. (5)

Attempting to determine causality with something as complex as an act of suicide is speculative at best. It is impossible to isolate one potential cause from another or to assess the relative contribution of factors like hereditary predisposition or underlying depression. Those students of Gurdjieff who resorted to suicide were clearly strongly influenced by him. However, each appeared to have reached a particularly difficult stage in their life when they came to Gurdjieff. To determine what responsibility to assign to Gurdjieff and his treatment of these individuals would be impossible, as would be an attempt to assess the likelihood that these individuals would have chosen to end their lives in any event, with or without the influence of Gurdjieff.

Questions and Doubts

The force of Gurdjieff’s personality and his unconventional methods raised many serious questions. To some, Gurdjieff’s powerful influence over his followers was nothing short of sinister. Doubt and distrust grew among a large number of Gurdjieff’s students, whose rejection of his teachings led to their expulsion by Gurdjieff or to their voluntary departure. Early in their relationship P.D. Ouspensky expressed misgivings about Gurdjieff, but he believed in the authenticity of Gurdjieff’s vision and esoteric teachings. As the years went on, his respect for Gurdjieff’s ideas remained strong, but he found Gurdjieff himself less and less tolerable. Observers like journalist Carl Bechhofer-Roberts, who first met Gurdjieff in 1919, also mistrusted certain aspects of Gurdjieff’s enterprise. In 1924, Bechhofer-Roberts published an article which questioned Gurdjieff’s excessive self-promotion, exaggerated claims for his Institute and practice of collecting fees for his teaching. By the time he visited the Prieuré a few years later, his doubts about Gurdjieff’s legitimacy as a spiritual teacher had escalated: In my own mind lies no longer any faintest doubt about Gurdjieff and his Institute. Signs of hoofs and horns are all over the place, and my deep and instant distrust, which increased with every day I spent there, find confirmation now wherever I turn. Much, of course, remains inexplicable, and will always remain so. Gurdjieff, with reason, is aloof and inaccessible, and the full truth of his motive we shall never know. That it is wholly selfish motive, I am convinced . . . The note of fear, rather than love, is too conspicuous to miss. (6)

4

During this same period one of Gurdjieff’s English pupils, psychiatrist James Young, became increasingly skeptical of Gurdjieff and his management of the Institute. Young’s disillusionment eventually led to his decision to leave the Prieuré, but the catalyst was a disagreement between Dr. Young and Gurdjieff over an ill student. When a student one day began to vomit blood, Young diagnosed her with an intestinal ulcer. Gurdjieff disagreed and even denied that the woman had vomited blood. A subsequent operation in a London hospital confirmed Young’s diagnosis. When Young challenged Gurdjieff he was criticized for lacking trust. Some of Gurdjieff’s followers in their unquestioning support claimed the entire incident had been a test for Young. Even James Webb supports this view and appears to place the onus on Young for the safe resolution of the medical emergency: It could well have been that the lesson Gurdjieff was trying to teach was that you should assert yourself more – rely on his professional competence when he knew himself to be right. There remains an element of doubt; but the evidence is weighted on Gurdjieff’s side. It was not necessarily Young’s diagnosis with which he took issue, but with the doctor’s own psychology. The fact is that, whatever Gurdjieff said, the sick woman was operated upon, and his pronouncement did not prevent her from having medical treatment. It may have delayed treatment; in which case Gurdjieff is certainly to be blamed – but, as he told his pupils, they were supposed to take no account of his expressed opinions except as a stimulus to their psychological work. The trouble was, as he himself recognized, that he was naturally a figure who inspired uncritical obedience and attracted to himself people in search of a pair of shoulders broad enough to carry their burdens. (7)

Fritz Peters, who was a child at the Prieuré in the 1920s and maintained a relationship with Gurdjieff until his death in 1949, provides an inside perspective on Gurdjieff. As Peters observed Gurdjieff over the years, a number of troubling questions emerged, and his respect for Gurdjieff was gradually supplanted by doubt and cynicism. Peters acknowledged Gurdjieff’s power over him and even admitted to a genuine fear of Gurdjieff. Yet, he maintained a great affection for Gurdjieff, much as a child feels for a loving parent. Gurdjieff acknowledged the profound effect he had had on Peters: You not learn my work from talk and book – you learn in skin, and you cannot escape . . . If you never go to meeting, never read book, you still cannot forget what I put inside you when you child . . . I already in your blood – make your life miserable forever – but such misery can be good thing for your soul, so even when miserable you must thank your God for suffering I give you. (8)

Peters’ ambivalent feelings towards Gurdjieff are echoed in the accounts of many other students who, despite serious doubts and reservations about their teacher, are nevertheless deeply thankful for the spiritual knowledge and wisdom he transmitted to them.

5

Separation From Gurdjieff

During the course of Gurdjieff’s lengthy teaching mission in the West, many pupils voluntarily left the Work. Others were forced to leave by Gurdjieff, often under unpleasant circumstances. In the early phase of his teaching in Russia, Gurdjieff frequently created conditions which made it impossible for certain students to stay with him. The long journey with his students from Russia to France, where in 1922 Gurdjieff ultimately established his Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man at the Prieuré, was a natural sorting process. Many students left Gurdjieff at this time, but a loyal retinue of followers stayed with him and later became his most important assistants. Among them were composer Thomas de Hartmann and his wife Olga, and stage designer Alexander de Salzmann and his wife, dancer Jeanne de Salzmann. At the Prieuré, Gurdjieff attracted an influx of new students, mainly from Britain and North America. Those prospects whom Gurdjieff deemed unsuitable for the Work were quickly rejected. In August 1923, he challenged his pupils to “remember why you came” and asked those who were not making use of the conditions he created for inner work to leave at once and stop “wasting his time.” Following his serious automobile accident in 1924, Gurdjieff appears to have deliberately alienated many students at the Prieuré. In Life is Real Only Then, When “I Am,” Gurdjieff relates that in 1928 he took a sacred oath: “to remove from my eyesight all those who by this or that make my life too comfortable.” (9) In keeping with his resolution, Gurdjieff deliberately tested his students and their commitment to his teaching by placing insurmountable obstacles in their path which caused many to leave: The teacher’s role is to present certain barriers that the student has to surmount. At first they are small, but as he progresses more is required of him. Finally he gets to a point where he can no longer return to life, to sleep, and yet he is not yet awake. He is presented with a difficult barrier, and he cannot get over it. He may then “turn against the work, against the teacher, and against other members of the group.” . . . Sometimes he may be made to leave it intentionally; he may be put in such a position that he is obliged to leave, and for good reason. He is then watched to see how he will react. Generally, in such cases, the one who leaves turns against the work. When a student asked Gurdjieff what happens to such people, he replied, “Nothing.” There is no need for anything to happen. They are their own punishment. (10)

John Bennett considers this process to have been essential to the ultimate fulfilment of Gurdjieff’s teaching mission, that Gurdjieff needed to separate from many of his closest students and friends. What appeared to them to be practical and immediate actions to impose the suffering that would aid in their development were actually calculated steps on a deliberate course charted by Gurdjieff to send them on their way permanently.

6

Within the span of a few years, Gurdjieff lost one of his oldest pupils, Dr. Leonid Stjoernval, as well as Alexander de Salzmann and Thomas and Olga de Hartmann. The departure of the de Hartmanns was particularly telling. According to John Bennett, when Gurdjieff recognized that the de Hartmanns had developed a dependency on him, he began to make life very difficult and unpleasant for them. Their relationship with him became very strained. Finally, in October 1929, Gurdjieff made an impossible demand which forced the de Hartmanns to leave the Prieuré. The couple was devastated and Olga was so emotionally overcome that she could not get up from her bed for four days. Gurdjieff also engineered a situation which led to A.R. Orage’s ultimate split from Gurdjieff in 1931. Gurdjieff visited Orage’s groups in New York and perceived that the groups had become stuck and needed a shock to recover their spiritual momentum. He decided to ask the group members to sign a letter repudiating Orage as their leader. Ironically, Orage also signed the letter, sensing some hidden intent to Gurdjieff's actions. Eventually, Orage’s relationship with Gurdjieff deteriorated and he saw Gurdjieff for the last time in May 1931. Despite a number of attempts by Gurdjieff to resume their relationship, they never spoke to each other again. In a conversation with fellow student Stanley Nott, Orage revealed his feelings about breaking with his teacher, saying that “he felt that his work with groups in America had come to an end, and another phase was beginning; that to every pupil the time comes when he must leave his teacher and go into life and work out, digest, what he has acquired.” (11) The gratitude Orage felt for his teacher overshadowed his pain at their separation. Nott observes that the host of other students from his inner circle who were pushed to separate from Gurdjieff – de Hartmann, Stjoernval, de Salzmann and others – remained influenced by Gurdjieff and his teachings for the rest of their lives. John Bennett believes that Gurdjieff’s separation from his students served a much broader purpose than their own individual development. Bennett posits that Gurdjieff drove students away as part of his own spiritual development and to further his aim of transmitting esoteric teachings to the West: It was not until much later that he revealed his own personal reasons for these traumatic actions. They were necessary to enable him to gain the bodily and mental energy for completing his task. It is a very remarkable fact that no one who has written about Gurdjieff – even from the most intimate acquaintance like the Hartmanns – seems to have understood what he himself had to suffer at that time. They saw him always as their teacher, concerned with the spiritual progress of his pupils, whereas, he was concerned with the fulfillment of his mission, which he saw upon a very much larger scale than those around him. He was not concerned with the immediate present but with the impact which his work and his ideas could have on the world over a long period of years. (12)

7

Bennett’s assessment appears essentially correct. Most likely the real motivation behind Gurdjieff’s decision to force students to leave him involved a combination of factors: the pupils’ need for independence to further their own spiritual development, the creation of favorable conditions for Gurdjieff’s teaching mission in the West, and the generation of obstacles for the benefit of Gurdjieff’s own inner development.

Ouspensky’s Break with Gurdjieff

P.D. Ouspensky’s break with Gurdjieff is one of the most significant and controversial events in the history of the Work. (13) Ouspensky’s disillusionment with and eventual separation from Gurdjieff led to a splitting of the Work into two major streams, one led by Ouspensky and the other by Gurdjieff. For many decades the two lines of teaching existed independently of one another with virtually no communication between their respective proponents. Ouspensky met Gurdjieff in Russia in 1915 and shortly thereafter began working with him intensively. Gurdjieff recognized Ouspensky’s intellectual gifts and spiritual potential, seeing in his student a possible co-creator of a Fourth Way school in the West. (14) Almost from the beginning of his work with Gurdjieff, Ouspensky acknowledged the importance of what he was learning from his teacher: “I began to realize what an immense value these ideas had for me. I became almost terrified at the thought of how easily I could have passed them by, how easily I could have known nothing whatever of Gurdjieff’s existence, or how easily I could have again lost sight of him.” (15) A turning point in their relationship occurred in the summer of 1917 at Essentuki, when Gurdjieff suddenly announced he was disbanding his group and ending all work. Ouspensky would later write that at this juncture his confidence in Gurdjieff began to waver and that for the first time he had begun to separate Gurdjieff the man from Gurdjieff’s ideas. Ouspensky was struck by a “queer duality” in Gurdjieff’s behaviour: “He was both a very astute man and a very naïve. He understood and saw right through many things and at the same time, many things he judged like a child.” (16) In him was much of the strange: side by side with traits which attracted people to him and disposed them favorably, were other traits which I refrain from calling vulgar only by a great effort of will. Many of us noticed these traits but when we spoke of them we explained to each other that this was done for us, that he wished to show himself worse than he was, in order that we should value the ideas better. That it was “acting” and so on. And it was remarkable that in certain cases this was true and in other cases another thing was true. (17)

By 1918, Ouspensky’s doubts had grown to the point where he found it impossible to continue working with Gurdjieff:

8

I had no doubt about the ideas. On the contrary, the more I thought of them, the deeper I entered into them, the more I began to value them and realize their significance. But I began very strongly to doubt that it was possible for me, or even for the majority of our company, to continue to work under G.’s leadership . . . I saw clearly at that time that I had been mistaken about many things that I had ascribed to G. and that by staying with him now I should not be going in the same direction I went at the beginning . . . I had nothing to say against G.’s methods except that they did not suit me. (18)

Although Ouspensky continued to support Gurdjieff’s ideas and maintained cordial relations with him, he felt he had no choice but to leave Gurdjieff’s community. In 1921, Ouspensky emigrated to London and gave a series of public lectures based on Gurdjieff’s ideas. He quickly gathered a nucleus of students including many prominent members of the intelligentsia, like literary critic A.R. Orage. Gurdjieff made two visits to London in early 1922, where he publicly criticized Ouspensky and asserted his own authority in the transmission of Fourth Way teachings. (19) Many of Ouspensky’s students reacted by aligning themselves with Gurdjieff and providing financial support for the purchase of the Prieuré in France. Despite this, Ouspensky maintained a surprising degree of loyalty to Gurdjieff in public, sending pupils to the Prieuré and collecting money for his Institute. Ouspensky would later state that the efforts he made on behalf of Gurdjieff at this time constituted one final test to see if Gurdjieff’s attempt to establish his Institute in France would bear fruit. Ouspensky’s concern with Gurdjieff’s conduct and the direction of the Work intensified throughout 1923, at which time Gurdjieff was implicated in a sexual scandal involving a female follower. Ouspensky objected to the way new students were selected and integrated into the Institute's program (20) and felt that Gurdjieff, by his own behaviour, was contradicting the most fundamental tenets of his own teaching. Where formerly Gurdjieff had required his students to act only with full understanding and after verification through their own experience, he now appeared to be demanding their obedience and their blind faith in his word: “Gurdjieff began by demanding consciousness in work, and passed to the demand of submission. He lowered the standards of his demands, became satisfied with mechanical submission.” (21) To Ouspensky, this was a clear abuse by Gurdjieff of his authority as a teacher. (22) January 1924 marked a critical turning point in the relationship between Gurdjieff and Ouspensky. At a meeting in London with some of his senior students, Ouspensky announced that he had decided to end completely his association with Gurdjieff. His students would have to choose between him and Gurdjieff as their teacher. Students who decided to remain with Ouspensky were ordered to avoid communicating in any way with Gurdjieff and his pupils. Ouspensky’s break with Gurdjieff had many serious consequences for the future of the Work: “The octave broken, the die now cast, there will be not one work, but two – Gurdjieff’s Fourth Way and Ouspensky’s ‘System.’ And so, less

9

than a year and a half after Gurdjieff founded his Institute at the Prieuré to establish the Fourth Way in the West, the octave is deflected, the force of the teaching halved.” (23) There is considerable evidence that after the official break in 1924, Ouspensky remained in contact with Gurdjieff for many years. Biographer James Webb describes a number of visits by Ouspensky to the Prieuré from 1924 to 1926 which were witnessed by some of Gurdjieff’s pupils. Webb notes that Gurdjieff was careful to conceal Ouspensky’s visits from the other students. The final meeting between the two occurred in 1931 on the terrace of the Café Henri IV in Fontainebleau. The nature of the meeting and the content of their conversation is unknown, but some have speculated that it ended in a deadlock. Later that year, Ouspensky told his students that he broke with Gurdjieff because he felt that Gurdjieff had changed in a significant way and was no longer a teacher with whom he could effectively work. Later, in 1935, he revealed in greater detail some of the specific reasons for breaking with Gurdjieff: When Gurdjieff started his Institute in Paris I did everything I could for him. I raised money for him and sent him pupils, many of them influential people. When he bought the Prieuré I went there myself and Madame stayed for some time. But I found that he had changed from when I knew him in Russia. He was difficult in Essentuki and Constantinople but more so in Fontainebleau. His behavior had changed. He did many things that I did not like, but it wasn’t what he did that upset me, it was the stupid way he did them. He came to London to my group and made things very unpleasant for me. After that I saw that I must break with him, and I told my pupils that they would have to choose between going to Fontainebleau or working with me. (24)

Even after their official break, Ouspensky appeared to remain fascinated with and conflicted about Gurdjieff. Robert de Ropp met Ouspensky in 1936 and during an exchange commented that Gurdjieff must have been a very strange man. Ouspensky replied: “Strange! He was extraordinary! You cannot possibly imagine how extraordinary Gurdjieff was.” (25) De Ropp was struck by Ouspensky’s tone and many years later commented: So many emotional elements entered into that simple statement: wonder, admiration, regret, bewilderment. I had the feeling that in his relationship with Gurdjieff, Ouspensky had confronted a problem that was absolutely beyond his power to solve. He had played the great game with a master and had been checkmated, but he still could not figure out quite how it had happened. (26)

Although Ouspensky clearly understood the importance of obedience to and trust of one’s teacher, he also recognized the student’s need to take ultimate responsibility for his or her own spiritual development. (27) In In Search of the Miraculous he describes the conflict that was inherent in his relationship with Gurdjieff:

10

All work consists in doing what the leader indicates, understanding in conformance with his opinions even those things that he does not say plainly, helping him in everything that he does. There can be no other attitude towards the work. And G. himself said several times that a most important thing in the work was to remember that one came to learn and to take no other role upon oneself. At the same time this does not at all mean that a man has no choice or that he is obliged to follow something which does not respond to what he is seeking. (28)

One of the primary reasons given by Ouspensky for leaving Gurdjieff was that he began to separate the teaching from Gurdjieff the teacher. The former he supported, the latter he could not. William Patterson questions whether one can in fact separate the teacher from the teaching, since the teacher embodies the teaching. And Rafael Lefort believes that Ouspenky’s intellectual approach to the teaching blocked his understanding of what his teacher was attempting to transmit: “Gurdjieff wanted to teach Ouspensky to ‘pick up’ the teaching by establishing a bond between them by virtue of which the teacher could transmit to the pupil; but Ouspensky, always the correct and classic intellectual, wanted to be given the ‘principles’ from which to work out the most ‘efficient’ method.” (29) Patterson believes that it was intellectual arrogance on Ouspensky’s part that led him to separate himself from Gurdjieff. (30) Much of Gurdjieff’s behaviour as a teacher could only be understood in relation to his larger aim of transmitting wisdom to future generations, a goal that transcended any individual teaching situation. It is clear that Gurdjieff valued Ouspensky’s intellectual abilities and potential as a “helper-instructor” and tried to confine him to that role. In the end, Gurdjieff’s efforts were ineffective in the face of Ouspensky’s resistance and ambitions. Other observers present an alternate perspective. Gary Lachman argues that Gurdjieff contributed to the breakdown of the relationship by undermining and humiliating Ouspensky, behaviour which he suggests was motivated by Gurdjieff’s need to dominate his colleagues: Either Gurdjieff was unable to see Ouspensky’s own powers and abilities, or his need to dominate was too great. It is true, Ouspensky could have left whenever he wanted to. Some need, some weakness prevented him from cutting the ties earlier or, indeed, ever: although physically separated from Gurdjieff, it’s clear that Ouspensky was never very far from him in his mind or heart . . . And if the object was to get Ouspensky to stand on his own two feet, then why did Gurdjieff undermine all of Ouspensky’s efforts to do that, why did he go out of his way to humiliate him? Gurdjieff, too, perhaps had a weakness, a need to dominate and master the people around him. Like some sadly dysfunctional relationships, in many ways the two were made for each other. (31)

11

Commentary

Gurdjieff’s stated purpose in working with his students was to reveal, without compromise, each pupil’s fundamental weakness or ‘chief feature’ in an effort to ‘awaken’ them to a higher level of being. Gurdjieff’s confrontational methods, when not properly employed, carried the risk of serious consequences. Students who could not handle Gurdjieff’s physical and emotional demands often suffered psychological trauma. Some were forced to leave their teacher when his psychological pressure became too much to bear. Others experienced the breakdown of their closest relationships. Gurdjieff’s manipulation of his students and the impact of his powerful personality raise serious ethical questions. While in some spiritual circles casualties are considered unavoidable in the course of serious inner work, most condemn the misuse of powerful spiritual techniques. Sufi teacher Omar Ali-Shah writes: “The amount of confusion and damage which was caused and still is being caused by Gurdjieff and his followers can be measured only in terms of human suffering and pain.” (32) Ali-Shah argues that Gurdjieff had an incomplete knowledge of many of the potent psychological and spiritual methods he employed with students and ignored the injunc-tion of proper ‘time, place and people’ in their application: If you follow and analyze some of the techniques and tactics employed by Gurdjieff, you can see how they were half-learnt. There is a great difference between learning a technique and knowing when to use it. You can learn the best technique in the world, but if you apply it at the wrong time and under the wrong circumstances, it will fall to the ground. (33)

On the other hand, there is evidence that Gurdjieff, well aware of the potential pitfalls of his powerful methods, monitored the physical and emotional states of his students (34) and took care not to push them past their breaking point: Though Gurdjieff often pushed his students past what they had supposed was their limits of endurance . . . he always knew when they had reached their actual limits, and he then rewarded their organism with food and sleep. He followed the same course in his assaults on his students’ psychological mechanicality: he would role-play seamlessly, appearing to be enraged; he would shout at people, “press their corns,” going right for their psychological weakness, pushing them to their apparent limits and just beyond, but he always, later, gave them ease and support, and they understood that what they'd endured had been an exercise, not some dictatorial cruelty. (35)

Biographer James Webb argues that the essential element in any evaluation of Gurdjieff’s methods is his motives. Webb believed that Gurdjieff had begun to identify with his students’ view that he was omniscient and incapable of misjudgment, and thus lost perspective and any sense of caution. His conviction grew stronger that his unorthodox

12

and risky methods were necessary to help his students, and he disregarded the possibility that his actions would cause serious harm. The acrimonious split between Gurdjieff and P.D. Ouspensky is a case in point. There is no doubt that Ouspensky was profoundly impacted by his decision to leave Gurdjieff and remained bitter for the remainder of his life. Gary Lachman argues that Gurdjieff must share some of the responsibility for the break with Ouspensky and that Ouspensky has not received sufficient credit for his own independent spiritual knowledge and development: Ouspensky was no stranger to the realms of higher consciousness, and to the readers of his early books, it's clear he already knew a great deal before his fateful meeting with Gurdjieff. His introduction to Gurdjieff was without doubt the central experience of Ouspensky’s life. Yet some, like myself, may wonder if his meeting with his master wasn’t perhaps the worst thing that ever happened to him. (36)

Gurdjieff was one of the most unusual and powerful spiritual teachers of the 20th century. More that sixty years after his death many of his ideas and methods have percolated into the mainstream of contemporary spiritual teachings. Yet, no one has been able to duplicate the profound effect he had on his students and followers. His case is both an example and a warning of the inherent power of esoteric teaching methods. In the hands of enlightened teachers they can lead students to new levels of self-knowledge and inner development. Used incorrectly they can cause irreparable damage and unnecessary suffering. NOTES

(1) James Webb The Harmonious Circle: The Lives and Works of G.I. Gurdjieff, P.D. Ouspensky, and Their Followers (Boston: Shambhala, 1987), pp. 332-333. (2) John Bennett Witness: The Autobiography of John G. Bennett (Tucson: Omen Press, 1974), p. 113. (3) James Webb The Harmonious Circle: The Lives and Works of G.I. Gurdjieff, P.D. Ouspensky, and Their Followers (Boston: Shambhala, 1987), p. 363. (4) James Webb The Harmonious Circle: The Lives and Works of G.I. Gurdjieff, P.D. Ouspensky, and Their Followers (Boston: Shambhala, 1987), p. 334. (5) James Webb The Harmonious Circle: The Lives and Works of G.I. Gurdjieff, P.D. Ouspensky, and Their Followers (Boston: Shambhala, 1987), p. 567. (6) Louis Pauwels Gurdjieff (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1972), p. 212. (7) James Webb The Harmonious Circle: The Lives and Works of G.I. Gurdjieff, P.D. Ouspensky, and Their Followers (Boston: Shambhala, 1987), p. 259.

13

(8) Fritz Peters Gurdjieff Remembered (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1971), pp. 25-26. (9) G.I. Gurdjieff Life is Real Only Then, When “I Am” (New York: Triangle, 1975), p. 45. (10) Gary Lachman In Search of P.D. Ouspensky (Wheaton, Illinois: Quest Books, 2004), p. 131. (11) C.S. Nott Journey Through This World (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1969), p.28. (12) John Bennett Gurdjieff: Making a New World (New York: Harper & Row, 1973), pp. 172-173. (13) The reason behind the split between Ouspensky and Gurdjieff has been a source of speculation for many decades. Students and historians of the Fourth Way have raised many questions and explored many possibilities, but provide few satisfactory answers: Did Ouspensky misunderstand the nature and importance of Gurdjieff’s mission in the West? Did Ouspensky’s independence and egoism prevent him from working effectively on Gurdjieff’s behalf? Did an opportunistic Ouspensky appropriate Gurdjieff’s ideas in order to establish himself as a rival teacher? Or did Ouspensky attempt to save the teaching from a man he perceived as increasingly erratic and misguided? (14) Boris Mouravieff, who knew both men, argues in Ouspensky, Gurdjieff and Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (Chicago: Praxis Institute Press, 1997, p. 12) that Gurdjieff exerted a powerful dominating influence on Ouspensky and used Ouspensky for his own advantage: “Without Ouspensky, Gurdjieff’s career in the West would probably not have gone beyond the stage of endless conversations in cafés.” (15) William Patrick Patterson Georgi Ivanovitch Gurdjieff: The Man, The Teaching, His Mission (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2014), p. 34. (16) William Patrick Patterson Georgi Ivanovitch Gurdjieff: The Man, The Teaching, His Mission (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2014), p. 34. (17) William Patrick Patterson Georgi Ivanovitch Gurdjieff: The Man, The Teaching, His Mission (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2014), p. 35. (18) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 374. (19) Biographer William Patrick Patterson speculates that in 1922 in London Gurdjieff confronted Ouspensky and criticized him for his lack of qualifications to teach (Georgi Ivanovitch Gurdjieff: The Man, The Teaching, His Mission Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2014, p. 113):

14

Speaking in private with Uspenskii, Gurdjieff finally delivers an all-out assault. He is working on the wrong lines. He is too intellectual. He lacks an understanding of the real purpose of the Work and of the purpose of himself. All his vast knowledge would be useless unless he works on himself so as to understand basic principles. If Uspenskii truly wishes to understand, he must stop teaching and begin again – work again with Gurdjieff. It is a scorching appraisal. How could Uspenskii not hear it? Not understand his identification? How could he believe he was a spiritual equal, or near equal, to Gurdjieff? But Uspenskii didn’t hear the appraisal – he heard the assault. Although a man of rare intellect, honest and uncompromising in his search for real knowledge, Uspenskii’s blindness here and elsewhere shows the strength of buffers.

(20) In the early Russian phase of his teaching (1915-1916), Gurdjieff gave Ouspensky the responsibility for screening potential pupils in St. Petersburg while Gurdjieff was in Moscow. But in subsequent years many students were admitted to the Work from St. Petersburg without Ouspensky’s prior approval. Gurdjieff later blamed Ouspensky for the unsuitability of many of these pupils, a charge Ouspensky felt was unfair and unjustified. (21) William Patrick Patterson Georgi Ivanovitch Gurdjieff: The Man, The Teaching, His Mission (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2014), p. 504. (22) Although at first Ouspensky accepted the demands that Gurdjieff made on him, he eventually refused to accept new demands which he deemed unacceptable. In his essay “Why I Left Gurdjieff,” written in 1926, and published in William Patrick Patterson Georgi Ivanovitch Gurdjieff: The Man, The Teaching, His Mission (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2014, pp. 497-498.) he elaborated: The first of these demands was the fact that I had to work in a group with people who seemed to me quite unprepared for work; then, the fact that I had to accept theories which seemed absurd at first; the next was the fact that I had to introduce people to G. and to take upon myself the responsibility for doing so without the slightest idea of what he intended to do with them. Further, my work with G. actually demanded that I should abandon my own work, that I should remain in Russia after the revolution, in spite of my thinking it absurd, and so on. Besides this, at a certain definite moment in 1916 I had to accept a series of demands of a very difficult personal character. All this was not at all easy, but I realized perfectly that everything I received from G. was only due to my submitting to his demands. Yet, in spite of this I decided to leave him, because later his demands acquired a character to which I could not agree . . . Apart from these demands which I refused to accept there were two kinds of demands which I also resisted although for different reasons. The first category included all demands which were insignificant in themselves, but which forced me to do things that went very much against my nature. At times my resistance to these demands may perhaps have seemed ridiculous to anybody not concerned, but on several

15

instances these demands touched upon those sides of my nature which I was unable to overcome . . . Then there were other demands about which I can say candidly that I never understood them and do not understand them even to this day.

(23) William Patrick Patterson Georgi Ivanovitch Gurdjieff: The Man, The Teaching, His Mission (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2014), p. 151. (24) C.S. Nott Journey Through This World (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1974), p. 97. (25) Robert de Ropp Warrior’s Way (Nevada City, California: Gateways, 2002), p. 91. (26) Robert de Ropp Warrior’s Way (Nevada City, California: Gateways, 2002), p. 92. (27) In the essay “Why I Left Gurdjieff,” in William Patrick Patterson Georgi Ivanovitch Gurdjieff: The Man, The Teaching, His Mission (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2014, p. 497), Ouspensky writes: “To leave even a perfectly organized school may sometimes be quite right and legitimate. A man always approaches a school with his eyes closed. At school his eyes open and he may see that this school is not for him.” (28) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 374. (29) Rafael Lefort The Teachers of Gurdjieff (London: Victor Gollancz, 1973), pp. 6-7. (30) In a telling admission, Ouspensky would later admit that he chafed at the demands Gurdjieff imposed on him: “If I submitted to him in any particular thing he very soon demanded something more of me, if I accepted this, immediately a new and still more greater demand appeared. When I refused anything, it was always taken as extraordinarily tragical. In fact, I always resisted everything. I could never overcome my obstinacy. I never made any effort.” (William Patrick Patterson Georgi Ivanovitch Gurdjieff: The Man, The Teaching, His Mission Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2014, p. 72). (31) Gary Lachman In Search of P.D. Ouspensky (Wheaton, Illinois: Quest Books, 2004), pp. 279-280. (32) Omar Ali-Shah The Sufi Tradition in the West (New York: Alif, 1994), p. 226. (33) Omar Ali-Shah The Sufi Tradition in the West (New York: Alif, 1994), p. 225. (34) In one instance, related in Frank Sinclair’s Without Benefit of Clergy (U.S.A.: Xlibris, 2005, p. 126), a pupil watched Gurdjieff verbally assault and reprimand another student for their mechanical unconscious behavior. Seeing the observing pupil’s obvious distress, Gurdjieff offered a gentle reassurance: “Not to worry . . . She like duck; shed water from feathers.”

16

(35) John Shirley Gurdjieff: An Introduction to His Life and Ideas (New York: Jeremy Tarcher, 2004), p. 180. (36) Gary Lachman In Search of P.D. Ouspensky (Wheaton, Illinois: Quest Books, 2004), p. 3.

17

DISSEMINATION OF THE WORK DURING GURDJIEFF’S LIFETIME

Throughout the course of his teaching Gurdjieff employed deputies or “helperinstructors” to assist with disseminating his ideas. During the Russian phase of the teaching, P.D. Ouspensky and other senior students would often give introductory lectures to newcomers as preparation for Gurdjieff’s presentation of more advanced material. A.R. Orage was responsible for introducing Work ideas to Gurdjieff’s New York groups in the 1920s. Under Gurdjieff’s direction Jeanne de Salzmann organized and led French groups during the 1930s and was largely responsible for teaching Gurdjieff’s sacred dances. Gurdjieff realized that if his teaching was to take root in the West he needed to train and teach students with a Western background who could assist him in making the teaching culturally appropriate. Gurdjieff’s efforts to train his assistants may also have come from a desire to develop them into independent teachers in their own right. During a period of physical incapacity following his serious automobile accident in July 1924, Gurdjieff’s Institute at the Prieuré in Fontainebleau virtually ground to a halt. It was then that Gurdjieff realized that none of his students possessed the degree of inner development or the leadership capacity to carry his work forward in his absence: He had to acknowledge what for him was a devastating realization: that the Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man had failed insofar as not a single pupil, nor even all of his students collectively, possessed the inner resources required even temporarily to sustain the momentum of life he had set into motion. This school, even in the temporary absence of its teacher, was no longer a school in the living sense of the word; apart from the consciousness of the master, it was reduced to an estate that housed so many separate entities engaged in solitary and unrelated tasks. What then was the point, if the purpose of existence there depended completely on the consciousness of one person? (1)

Gurdjieff’s accident marked a turning point in the way in which he presented his teachings to the world. At that time, he began to limit his interactions with individual students and groups so that he could concentrate his energy on his writing. It was not until the 1930s that he resumed intensive group work in Paris, although he travelled frequently to America to raise money and supervise groups established there before his accident. In 1924, Gurdjieff authorized A.R. Orage to formally teach his ideas to New York groups. Orage later gave permission to some of his own students like Jean Toomer, Daly King and Jane Heap to establish their own groups. In France, Jeanne de Salzmann was encouraged to form her own groups during the 1930s. (2) Olgivanna Wright, in conjunction with her husband, architect Frank Lloyd Wright, established a Fourth Way community in Wisconsin in 1932. In England, Ouspensky broke off relations with 1

Gurdjieff in 1924 and began teaching independently. He later gave his student Dr. Maurice Nicoll permission to establish his own groups in England. At the same time, student John Bennett, without Ouspensky’s permission, began teaching on his own. With the establishment of these disparate teaching initiatives, the Work began to fractionalize from its original source and take on a variety of colours. Figure 1 diagrams the many groups that were established in France, England and America during Gurdjieff’s lifetime.

Figure 1: Gurdjieff’s Teaching Lines During His Lifetime

By the end of the Second World War many of Gurdjieff’s former students were at odds, each teaching their own version of the Work in isolation from Gurdjieff’s inspiration and direction. Biographer James Moore colourfully describes the divisiveness that developed between the many proponents of the Work: The Oragean old guard holds New York tenaciously against Ouspensky’s repeated sallies from Mendham, New Jersey. At Lyne Place, Virginia Water, the dignitories of the Historico-Psychological Society (Kenneth Walker, R.J.G. Mayor, and Dr. Francis Roles) protect the ‘System’ within a grim stockade of rules and regulations -- one of which forbids the very utterance of Gurdjieff’s name. Behind their respective ramparts at Great Amwell house, Ware, and Coombe Springs, Kingston-on-Thames, Dr. Henry Maurice Dunlop Nicoll and John Godolphin Bennett nurse a satisfying mutual disapproval; Jane Heap is mewed up in spiritual quarantine; 2

and Ouspensky has actually retained a solicitor to communicate with his protégé Bennett. (3)

When Gurdjieff heard of Ouspensky’s death in 1947 he sent a telegram to Ouspensky’s American students with the summons, “You are sheep without a shepherd. Come to me.” (4) Gradually over the next year, students from around the globe returned to the Master’s fold, including pupils taught by Ouspensky, Orage and Bennett. In many cases Gurdjieff had to repair the damage caused by well-intentioned but unauthorized teachers of his ideas. In the years before his death in 1949, Gurdjieff attempted to reestablish a balance between intellectual, emotional and physical work and correct the distortions to the Work that had occurred at the hands of his students. Many observers consider this period to be the most significant and fertile phase of Gurdjieff’s long teaching mission in the West.

P.D. Ouspensky in England and America In 1921, after a lengthy period of study with Gurdjieff in Russia, Constantinople and elsewhere, Ouspensky emigrated to England and quickly established himself as a lecturer, philosopher and writer. He initiated a series of public lectures on Gurdjieff’s ideas that attracted large audiences and widespread attention. Important members of the British cultural and academic elite were attracted to Ouspensky and many became his students. Ouspensky maintained cordial relations with Gurdjieff and invited him to London in the winter of 1922 to give public talks. Following a second visit to London later that spring, Gurdjieff called his eminent pupil to task. Gurdjieff believed that while Ouspensky had an intellectual appreciation of the essential theory, he lacked the human qualities and the experience to effectively transmit the teachings: To transmit Gurdjieff’s teaching in all its complementary modalities he was neither mandated nor qualified; he had enjoyed in total only three years of direct contact; he knew nothing of the music; he had had only a perfunctory fling at the Sacred Dances; and, not least, he lacked the essential human warmth to insulate his pupils from the bleak ideological climate of the ‘System.’ In addition there arose the separate matter of his own development. (5)

Gurdjieff’s message to Ouspensky was unequivocal: Ouspensky was not qualified to transmit the teachings without permission and further study. Ouspensky refused to heed Gurdjieff’s demand that he discontinue teaching. And, when invited by Gurdjieff to live and study at the Prieuré, Ouspensky declined. (6) As a result, the relationship between Gurdjieff and Ouspensky deteriorated over the next few years until, in 1924, Ouspensky announced that he was ending formal relations with Gurdjieff. Further, he forbade his students from having any contact with Gurdjieff.

3

Over the course of the next few decades, the number and size of Ouspensky’s groups increased dramatically. He authorized Maurice Nicoll, who had worked with Gurdjieff at the Prieuré and studied with Ouspensky for many years, to start his own study groups in London in 1931. In 1934 Ouspensky began expanding his work activities by writing a set of introductory lectures for new students (later published as The Psychology of Man’s Possible Evolution), and a year later he acquired a country estate at Lyne Place near London where practical work activities were introduced. In 1941, Ouspensky moved to the United States and established a community at Franklin Farms near Mendham, New Jersey. He attracted a large American audience including many members of Gurdjieff’s New York group. He also lectured in New York at the private residences of pupils. Ouspensky taught his version of the System in complete isolation from Gurdjieff, even prohibiting students from mentioning Gurdjieff’s name in his presence. Accounts of Ouspensky’s pupils during this period reveal a highly structured, deadly serious presentation of Gurdjieff’s ideas. Meetings were humourless affairs with a rigid question-and-answer format. The emphasis was on an intellectual understanding of the System, supplemented with practical work in a retreat setting. Ouspensky’s school was dominated by rules. Some rules derived from the Work itself, such as the proscription against students talking to others about their esoteric studies. Other rules reflected Ouspensky’s character and Russian upbringing. For instance, students were not allowed to address each other by their Christian names. In some cases, the rules were taken to extremes: “if a member of a group decided to leave, he should be ostracized by the remaining members . . . in the later stages of Ouspensky’s own work and under his successors, this rule was applied so that the offenders found themselves cut dead by numbers of people whom they regarded as their friends.” (7) Students of Ouspensky like C.S. Nott felt that something crucial was lacking in Ouspensky’s presentation of the teachings: “The work was too theoretical, too onecentered, intellectual-centered, and often I would leave with a feeling of emptiness and emotional hunger . . . I get more from inner work with one lunch with Mr. Gurdjieff than from a year of Mr. Ouspensky’s groups.” (8) As time went on, Ouspensky’s elucidation of the System became more and more mechanical. Visitors to his New Jersey country house observed that his students were joyless, fearful and closed. The atmosphere lacked the sense of warmth, humour and compassion that was characteristic of Gurdjieff circles. After two decades of teaching, Ouspensky had become well aware of his school’s shortcomings and his own. In a conversation with his secretary and pupil Marie Seton just before he died, he frankly admitted his limitations as a teacher and leader: I took over the leadership to save the System. But I took it over before I had gained enough control over myself. I was not ready. I have lost 4

control over myself. It is a long time since I could control my state of mind . . . The System has become a profession with me. (9)

Seton recognized that Ouspensky was a teacher with many good qualities but had succumbed to the special conditions of the time and the particular challenges of leadership: “If a man of the undeniable qualities of Ouspensky can go off the track and become absorbed in egotism and dependent on easy living, and become callous as to the effects on himself and on others, what of the gurus who were less basically honest?” (10) Following Ouspensky’s death in 1947, his English and American students fractured into separate groups led by some of his senior pupils. Many of his students journeyed to Paris to meet with Gurdjieff. John Bennett recalls that Gurdjieff spoke of Ouspensky in scathing terms, asserting that Ouspensky had exploited his ideas and damaged his pupils with his overly intellectual approach. However, when Gurdjieff was read the manuscript of Ouspensky’s In Search of the Miraculous, he praised Ouspensky for the accuracy of his reporting: “Before I hate Ouspensky: now I love him. This very exact, he tell what I say.” (11) Gurdjieff eventually gave permission to publish the book and today it is considered a masterpiece of spiritual literature. This publication may well be considered Ouspensky’s greatest legacy to the Work.

A.R. Orage in America Alfred Richard Orage was a distinguished English editor and literary critic when he first met P.D. Ouspensky in 1921. After a year of study with Ouspensky, Orage was introduced to Gurdjieff. Orage became Gurdjieff’s pupil and worked intensively with him at the Château du Prieuré beginning in October 1922. Gurdjieff recognized Orage’s great potential and challenged him physically, emotionally and intellectually: No other pupil . . . served Gurdjieff with a more implicit spiritual obedience than Orage. In general, it seems that the severity of an apprenticeship under Gurdjieff was proportional to the maturity and development of a pupil’s personality . . . The rigors Orage endured included the kind of psychological bullying undergone by a monk in certain monastic disciplines, or by the chela of an Indian guru. (12)

Orage held his teacher in great esteem and the harsh treatment he received at Gurdjieff’s hands inspired both growth and gratitude. At one point, after receiving scurrilous criticism from someone, he remarked: “That sort of thing could not upset me now. But then, I have been insulted by an expert.” (13) In early 1924, Orage accompanied Gurdjieff to New York City where his followers performed public demonstrations of Gurdjieff’s sacred dances and movements. There, with Gurdjieff’s permission, Orage began to give public lectures and private classes in which he introduced Gurdjieff’s ideas to a wider audience. For the next six years Orage lived and taught in New York, returning each year to the Prieuré for a few weeks to work 5

with Gurdjieff. During this period he also assisted with the English translation of Gurdjieff’s first book, Beelzebub’s Tales to His Grandson. Orage also authorized a number of his most capable students to establish their own study groups in New York. Jane Heap, who was co-editor with Margaret Anderson of the avant-garde literary magazine The Little Review, met Gurdjieff in 1924 and later studied with Orage. In 1926, with Orage’s permission, she began leading groups of her own. On a visit to the Prieuré in 1928, Heap was directed by Gurdjieff to give weekly talks of his ideas in Paris and in 1935 Heap was sent to London by Gurdjieff to teach. Her low-key London group worked independently of the much larger English groups associated with Ouspensky, Nicoll and Bennett. Orage also encouraged Jean Toomer and Daly King (14) to lead study groups in New York, although only Toomer was recognized by Gurdjieff as a legitimate teacher of his ideas. In his public and private talks Orage stressed the importance of ‘self-observation without identification.’ This idea became a cornerstone of his approach to spiritual development: Self-Observation implies the separation of the sense of “I” from the physical body. The observing “I” must not “identify” -- in Gurdjieff’s phrase -- with the thing observed. Neither must there be any inclination for the observer to criticize what it sees, to alter what it dislikes, or to analyze what it finds. Self-Observation must take place in all conditions at all times; for this is the Method of the man in the world, the Fourth Way. Orage enumerated the various aspects of human activity to which Self-Observation might be applied. The recommended categories were posture, gesture, movement, facial expression, and tone of voice. The exercise was also to be conducted with all possible senses. (15)

In 1927, Orage introduced to his teaching a series of complicated psychological exercises, largely of his own devising. (16) When Gurdjieff heard of this innovation he was furious and accused Orage of altering the dynamics and direction of his Work. He felt that Orage was overly intellectual and did not place sufficient emphasis on physical, emotional and practical activities. In November 1930, Gurdjieff met with Orage’s groups in New York. He quickly observed that the students, almost without exception, had misinterpreted much of his teachings and had become fixated with the practice of self-observation. He placed the blame for this and other misunderstandings directly on Orage. Jeanne de Salzmann, writing many years later, reflected on the incident: Orage worked at his task with ardor . . . But no movement continues for long in the same direction -- this is an inevitable law. The skillful use of ideas which have become familiar, and the sense of security they bring, weaken the quality of perception little by little -- and then the words spoken no longer have the same action, even though one doesn’t see it oneself. (17)

6

Gurdjieff recognized Orage’s intellectual and organizational gifts but realized that Orage had become stuck and needed a shock to make him aware of a state of affairs that he was unable to perceive. While Orage was away in England, Gurdjieff summoned leading members of the New York groups to a secret meeting. He told them that the current groups must be reorganized and certain students would have to leave. In a masterful piece of theatre, Gurdjieff required members of the new group to sign an agreement prohibiting them from having anything more to do with Orage. The New York groups were in shock. Word of this activity reached Orage, who quickly returned to New York. When he arrived and saw what had taken place, he renounced his role as leader of the group and, surprisingly, joined the others in signing the agreement. Although Orage continued to work with Gurdjieff in this diminished capacity, the relationship between the two deteriorated. In May 1931, Orage broke with Gurdjieff and returned to England. Although Gurdjieff attempted to communicate with him, Orage maintained a clear distance from his former teacher. When Gurdjieff wrote him in 1932 requesting a meeting, Orage replied: “There was a time when I would have crossed oceans at your bidding. Now I would not even cross the Channel.” (18) A.R. Orage died on November 5, 1934. Upon hearing the news Gurdjieff was griefstricken and stopped writing for two months. He later remarked that he had considered Orage to be like a brother.

Jean Toomer in New York and Chicago American writer Jean Toomer, who wrote the critically acclaimed novel Cane, attended Orage’s groups in New York beginning in 1924. He later travelled to the Prieuré on a number of occasions where he studied with Gurdjieff between 1924 and 1929. When Toomer returned to New York from his first visit to the Prieuré, Orage authorized Toomer to conduct a group in Harlem in 1925. (19) Orage felt that with his literary background and speaking skills, Toomer would be well equipped to disseminate Gurdjieff’s ideas in America. However, it quickly became apparent that Toomer lacked the qualities of an effective leader: “Toomer assumed a disarming emotional detachment from his pupils in his meetings, and displayed what seemed to others an unnatural control of his emotions even in the most tragic circumstances.” (20) Toomer’s first groups were deemed a failure. However, Toomer did have success in raising money for Gurdjieff and for much of the next decade he provided a steady source of funds for the continuation of Gurdjieff’s work. In 1926, Toomer established a study group in Chicago. Gorham Munson, a student of Orage, visited Toomer’s groups. His impression was decidedly negative. Rather than developing his own speaking style, Toomer imitated Gurdjieff’s mannerisms and behaviour and even mimicked Gurdjieff’s broken speech. Munson accused Toomer of playacting the role of spiritual teacher: “He assumed the development and psychology beyond the 7

point that he had ever reached; he ascribed to himself powers and knowledge which he had not really attained.” (21) Undaunted by his critics, Toomer continued to lead his Chicago group well into the 1930s. In 1931, Fritz Peters, a student of Gurdjieff from the Prieuré, visited Chicago and attended one of Toomer’s group meetings. Peters was unimpressed, having observed the negative effects of attempting to transmit Gurdjieff’s ideas without proper supervision. Moreover, he found Toomer’s groups lacked the characteristic humour and openness of Gurdjieff’s groups, their meetings “charged with an atmosphere of grim, humourless, devotion -- and a consequent lack of perspective . . . The very posturing and attitudinizing of the group members was evidence of a certain misplaced seriousness.” (22) In the summer of 1931, Toomer attempted to conduct an “experiment in living” in a small Wisconsin town. Toomer introduced his own ideas and practices to supplement Gurdjieff’s teachings, but the behaviour of his students generated controversy and scandal in the small conservative community. Toomer was accused of advocating “free love” and quickly attracted notoriety which the local press fuelled in a series of damning articles. Toomer continued to lead groups in Chicago and raise money for Gurdjieff until the mid-1930s. However, he was growing increasingly disillusioned with Gurdjieff’s outrageous behaviour and incessant money demands. Finally, in 1936, he broke with Gurdjieff and ceased teaching groups altogether. After more than a decade of contact with Gurdjieff, he wrote: “I do not know G. I have never known G. I never will.” (23)

The Taliesin Fellowship of Wisconsin Architect Frank Lloyd Wright and his wife Olgivanna directed a community in Spring Green, Wisconsin along lines inspired by Gurdjieff, beginning in 1932. Olgivanna was a former student of Gurdjieff at the Prieuré and an accomplished dancer. She had accompanied Gurdjieff to New York in 1924 for demonstrations of the sacred dances, and later that year met Wright in Chicago. They married in 1928, and in 1932 the couple opened a school of architecture called the Taliesin Fellowship. Olgivanna introduced her husband to Gurdjieff’s ideas and provided many of the practical activities and disciplines at Taliesin, patterned after her experiences at the Prieuré. C.S. Nott, a long-time student of Gurdjieff, visited Taliesin in the 1930s and was impressed with the atmosphere and the dedication of the students: The aim was to produce an organic architecture in an organic life; the idea being, that to bring about an organic state of society, men and women must begin by living a three-fold life, a life simultaneously of the instincts, the feelings and the mind. Their feet must be firmly planted on the earth and they must be able to use the hands; they must be able to appreciate the things of the feelings -- music, poetry, paint8

ing, and so on; and they must be able to be interested in ideas, be able to think. This three-fold activity gave the place an extraordinary vitality. (24)

Gurdjieff visited Taliesin in 1934 and his formidable presence made a great impression on the pupils there. During his visit he cooked, played his own music and held readings from Beelzebub’s Tales. By all accounts, Gurdjieff and Wright held each other in high regard, but there is no doubt who held seniority in matters metaphysical. Although Wright was a brilliant architect, he overestimated his knowledge in fields beyond architecture. Following dinner one evening a memorable exchange took place between Gurdjieff and Wright: Gurdjieff was talking to the pupils who were listening with attention. Wright said, ‘Well, Mr. Gurdjieff, this is very interesting. I think I’ll send some of my young pupils to you in Paris. Then they can come back to me and I’ll finish them off.’ ‘You finish! You are idiot,’ said Gurdjieff angrily. ‘You finish! No. You begin. I finish.’ (25)

Olgivanna Wright was the mainspring behind the introduction of Gurdjieff’s ideas to the Taliesin community. Her husband limited his role to architectural matters but clearly encouraged Olgivanna to introduce Gurdjieff’s teachings to his students. Although Gurdjieff did not directly authorize Olgivanna to teach his ideas through the framework of the Taliesin Fellowship, he clearly approved of the enterprise. Olgivanna had adopted many of the practices she had learned at the Prieuré, even dressing the architectural students in costumes similar to those Gurdjieff’s pupils wore for demonstrations of the sacred dances and movements. However, in the North American context, the adoption by Olgivanna of Gurdjieff’s autocratic teaching style was not well received: “Draftsmen, apprentices and their wives were supposed to sit at Olgivanna’s feet whilst she gave them instructions and mercilessly criticized their failings.” (26) Taliesin continued functioning as a Gurdjieff-inspired community even after the death of Frank Lloyd Wright in 1959. But gradually, over the years, the original spirit animating the community disappeared and Taliesin ceased to function as a quasi-esoteric school (27). Although the influence of Taliesin on Fourth Way studies in America was slight, it serves as an example of an interesting experiment in the cross-fertilization of Gurdjieff’s ideas with a practical discipline like architecture.

9

John G. Bennett in England John Godolphin Bennett first met Gurdjieff in Constantinople in 1920 while Bennett was serving as an officer for British Intelligence. Three years later, Bennett decided to study with Gurdjieff at the Prieuré, having been impressed with Gurdjieff’s powerful personality and deep knowledge of esoteric matters. After only a month, Bennett decided to leave Gurdjieff and study with Ouspensky in London, whom he had met earlier in Constantinople. During their early association, Bennett assisted Ouspensky by reading introductory lectures to new pupils. In 1930, he formed his own study group in London without permission from Ouspensky. He rationalized his decision by promising to send full reports of each meeting to Ouspensky. Bennett disagreed with Ouspensky’s belief that a systematic presentation of Gurdjieff’s teaching was impossible and he began summarizing the System in written form. When Ouspensky was told of Bennett’s writing he instructed his solicitor to request Bennett return all of Ouspensky’s materials and directed his English pupils to break off all relations with Bennett. This marked the end of Bennett’s formal relationship with Ouspensky and the two men never spoke again. Following the end of the Second World War, Bennett continued with his groups which were expanding rapidly. He believed that a new approach to spiritual study was needed which incorporated more dynamism and creativity. Bennett began to employ methods he had studied but not fully understood and assimilated during his brief stay at the Prieuré in 1923: “I was consumed with zeal to encourage effort and more effort -- mental, physical and emotional.” (28) Students at his Coombe Springs community would rise early and face a day of strenuous physical labour, complicated mental exercises, periodic fasts and hours of Gurdjieff’s rhythmic exercises. However, in the name of spiritual development, Bennett created conditions that inspired fear and intimidation in his followers by openly exposing their weaknesses: “The most outrageous attacks were accepted as necessary means for self-study, and no one complained. Indeed, as I learned later, the members of the community . . . felt themselves to be so inadequate that their one fear was of being sent away.” (29) Bennett subsequently realized that he had been prescribing spiritual exercises without adequate understanding and foresight: “I am doubtful whether I did any good to myself or to others by devising various spiritual exercises. Though their purpose is to provide a fulcrum through which our desires for perfection can exert its pressure, they can easily become ends in themselves.” (30) Bennett recognized his own limitations as a teacher, calling himself “weak” and “riddled with inconsistencies” in his role as a spiritual director of others: When I found myself in the position of a spiritual teacher, and saw that my most ill-conceived suggestions were taken as inspired utterances, I became aware of the necessity for anyone who has the task of guiding others in spiritual matters to abstain from hiding his own defects and 10

mistakes, and to make sure that no one shall look upon him as an ‘authority’ in his own right. (31)

In 1948, Bennett returned to Gurdjieff in Paris and brought with him many of his pupils. Gurdjieff was frank about Bennett’s limitations, telling his students that Bennett was “immature, ignorant and useless to them as a teacher.” Following Gurdjieff’s death in 1949, Bennett assumed a significant though controversial role in transmitting Gurdjieff’s teachings to a new generation of seekers.

Commentary During his lifetime Gurdjieff authorized a number of his senior pupils to introduce his ideas to new students as preparation for more advanced studies. He intended that these “helper-instructors” would transmit his basic teachings in their original form without modification or personal interpretation. But those entrusted with introducing Gurdjieff’s teachings to a wider audience failed in many respects to properly carry out this task. It may seem surprising that students who studied directly under Gurdjieff were unable to transmit the essence of his teachings without distortion. Well-intentioned students with undeniable intellectual gifts -- such as Ouspensky, Orage, Bennett and Toomer -made serious mistakes in their presentation of Gurdjieff’s ideas, and inevitably passed on their own subjective biases and interpretations. Ouspensky’s lectures were too intellectual while Orage overemphasized the practice of self-observation. Bennett added ideas and exercises based on his own independent spiritual studies. Jean Toomer, by imitating Gurdjieff’s mannerisms and behaviour, confused the transmission of Gurdjieff’s ideas by emphasizing the messenger rather than the message. In retrospect, Gurdjieff must assume some degree of responsibility for the distortion of his teachings for not having properly supervised his designated instructors. It was not until 1930, when Gurdjieff realized that Orage was incorrectly presenting his teachings to his New York groups, that he acknowledged his own role. Gurdjieff attributed his neglect to his decision to shift his time and energy to writing rather than individual or group work following his automobile accident in 1924. To impart a teaching as subtle and sophisticated as Gurdjieff’s Fourth Way requires constant monitoring and feedback by a specialist to prevent an unbalanced or overly literal understanding by the pupil. The teacher must also have the flexibility and sensitivity to present the teaching according to the requirements of ‘time, place and people.’ What works for one person at a certain time and in a specific situation does not necessarily work for others or across different conditions. Gurdjieff knew how to work with each student according to his or her individual needs and capacities in a way that his successors were unable to replicate: Another remarkable feature of his teaching was that it addressed each according to his particular capacities, weaknesses, and needs . . . In the 11

midst of general conditions, identical for all, for each person there was the opportunity for a “personalized” work and relationship. There seemed to be no limits to the possibility of transforming daily life into meaningful conditions for inner work. Furthermore, seeing around him a representation of humanity “in toto” provided the student a powerful antidote for an overly personal and rigid view of things. Some of his students did not follow this example and later, imitating Ouspensky, created groups of a more elitist character. (32)

However flawed in their execution, the attempts by students like Ouspensky, Orage and Bennett to transmit Gurdjieff’s teachings were no doubt sincerely motivated. Each seriously endeavoured to transmit what he had learned from Gurdjieff and each was limited by his own capacity and stage of development. All were attempting to follow one of the key tenets of the Fourth Way: the responsibility of each individual to raise others to one’s own level of understanding. (33) The Fourth Way, as conceptualized and realized by Gurdjieff, was clearly not meant to exist as a solitary path pursued in isolation from fellow seekers or the outside world. Its teachings recognize the interdependent relationship of the teacher, the students and the broader community. In light of each student’s obligation to help others in their spiritual studies to the extent of their knowledge and capacity, it was appropriate for Gurdjieff to encourage key pupils to carry on responsibility for transmitting his teachings. Some have argued that Gurdjieff’s greatest failure was his inability to elevate any of his students to his own level of spiritual development. But perhaps this criticism is misguided. Many of Gurdjieff’s successors like Ouspensky, Orage and Bennett taught their students much of value. Whatever each individual mentor’s alleged shortcomings or imperfections, collectively they transmitted a basic grounding in Gurdjieff’s ideas to thousands of students in several countries. The ultimate result is that Gurdjieff’s Fourth Way teachings remain alive today over 50 years after his death.

NOTES

(1) Anna Challenger Philosophy and Art in Gurdjieff’s Beelzebub (London: Rodopi, 2002), p. 4. (2) In 1929, Gurdjieff sent Alexander and Jeanne de Salzmann away from his Institute at the Prieuré in France to “fend for themselves.” Alexander de Salzmann established a group in the early 1930s that included the poet-novelist René Daumal and a number of other prominent writers, artists and intellectuals. Following her husband’s death, Jeanne de Salzmann took charge of the group and received prospective pupils sent to her by Gurdjieff. Later in the 1940s, many of these pupils were amalgamated into groups directed by Gurdjieff himself.

12

(3) James Moore Gurdjieff: Anatomy of a Myth (Bedfont, Massachusetts: Element Books, 1991), p. 287. (4) James Webb The Harmonious Circle: The Lives and Works of G.I. Gurdjieff, P.D. Ouspensky, and Their Followers (Boston: Shambhala, 1987), p. 461. (5) James Moore Gurdjieff: Anatomy of a Myth (Bedfont, Massachusetts: Element Books, 1991), p. 163. (6) Many years later, Ouspensky explained that he did not accept Gurdjieff’s invitation to live at the Prieuré because he did not understand the direction of the work and felt that there were elements of instability in the way the Institute was organized. (7) James Webb The Harmonious Circle: The Lives and Works of G.I. Gurdjieff, P.D. Ouspensky, and Their Followers (Boston: Shambhala, 1987), p. 387. (8) C.S. Nott Journey Through This World (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1969), p. 110. (9) William Patterson Struggle of the Magicians (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 1996), p. 176. (10) William Patterson Struggle of the Magicians (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 1996), p. 176. (11) John Bennett Witness: The Autobiography of John G. Bennett (Tucson: Omen Press, 1974), p. 252. (12) Philip Mairet A.R. Orage: A Memoir by Philip Mairet (New Hyde Park, New York: University Books, 1966), p. xxviii. (13) Philip Mairet A.R. Orage: A Memoir by Philip Mairet (New Hyde Park, New York: University Books, 1966), p. xxix. (14) C. Daly King studied psychology at Columbia University and attended Orage’s meetings in 1924. A year later, Orage authorized King to lead a group in New York. King, who was never a direct student of Gurdjieff and did not meet him until 1929, was never acknowledged by Gurdjieff as a teacher of the Work. King continued to teach groups in New York and later in New Jersey until Orage’s death in 1934. King did not hide his antipathy towards Gurdjieff and even believed that Gurdjieff suffered a frontal lobe injury from his 1924 accident that reduced his capacities and irrevocably changed him. King took detailed notes of Orage’s lectures during the 1920s and eventually systematized Orage’s transmission of Gurdjieff’s teaching in an unpublished manuscript The Oragean Version which continues to be circulated in Work circles today.

13

(15) James Webb The Harmonious Circle: The Lives and Works of G.I. Gurdjieff, P.D. Ouspensky, and Their Followers (Boston: Shambhala, 1987), p. 307. (16) These psychological exercises were subsequently published as Psychological Exercises and Essays (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1974). They consist of over 200 exercises in the “conscious and deliberate manipulation of one’s mental resources” and are designed to increase the flexibility and scope of the mind. They call upon logic, mathematics, language and spatial perception. Examples include reading by sight a passage in which all spaces between words have been removed and reciting numbers backwards in a constantly changing sequence. (17) Foreword to G.I. Gurdjieff Life is Real Only Then, When ‘I Am’ (New York: Triangle Editions, 1975), p. xii. (18) James Webb The Harmonious Circle: The Lives and Works of G.I. Gurdjieff, P.D. Ouspensky, and Their Followers (Boston: Shambhala, 1987), p. 371. (19) There are contradictory views regarding the circumstances of Toomer’s establishment of his Harlem group. Some reports claim that Orage was dismayed by Toomer’s decision. But research by Paul Beekman Taylor in Gurdjieff’s America (Lighthouse Editions, 2004, p. 96) suggests that Orage approved of the group: “As soon as he started his Harlem group, Orage made it a point to attend his meetings and discuss them with Toomer afterwards.” (20) Paul Beekman Taylor Gurdjieff’s America (Lighthouse Editions, 2004), p. 127. (21) William Patterson Struggle of the Magicians (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 1996), p. 118. (22) Fritz Peters Gurdjieff Remembered (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1971), p. 21. (23) James Webb The Harmonious Circle: The Lives and Works of G.I. Gurdjieff, P.D. Ouspensky, and their Followers (Boston: Shambhala, 1987), p. 20. (24) C.S. Nott Journey Through This World (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1969), p. 144. (25) C.S. Nott Journey Through This World (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1969), p. 152. (26) Anthony Storr Feet of Clay (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1996), p. 40. (27) For a fascinating account of the Taliesin community or Fellowship see Roger Friedland and Harold Zellman The Fellowship (New York: Harper Perennial, 2007).

14

(28) John Bennett Witness: The Autobiography of John G. Bennett (Tucson: Omen Press, 1974), p. 211. (29) John Bennett Witness: The Autobiography of John G. Bennett (Tucson: Omen Press, 1974), p. 212. (30) John Bennett Witness: The Autobiography of John G. Bennett (Tucson: Omen Press, 1974), pp. 212-213. (31) John Bennett Witness: The Autobiography of John G. Bennett (Tucson: Omen Press, 1974), p. 160. (32) Michel de Salzmann “Footnote to the Gurdjieff Literature” in Walter Driscoll, ed. Gurdjieff: An Annotated Bibliography (New York: Garland, 1985), pp. xxiii-xxiv. (33) Gurdjieff himself alluded to this principle of a ‘stairway’ in a conversation with Ouspensky recorded in In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949, pp. 203-204): On the fourth way there is not one teacher. Whoever is the elder, he is the teacher. And as the teacher is indispensable to the pupil, so also is the pupil indispensable to the teacher. The pupil cannot go on without the teacher, and the teacher cannot go on without the pupil or pupils. And this is not a general consideration but an indispensable and quite concrete rule on which is based the law of man’s ascending. As has been said before, no one can ascend onto a higher step until he places another man in his own place. What a man has received he must immediately give back; only then can he receive more. Otherwise from him will be taken even what he has already been given.

15

GURDJIEFF'S SUCCESSORS AND TEACHING LINES

George Ivanovitch Gurdjieff died in Paris on the morning of October 29, 1949. The impact on those closest to him was immediate and overwhelming. According to biographer James Moore, Gurdjieff’s death, although long anticipated, “registered on his pupils like some primordial catastrophe, a monstrous reversal of nature.” (1) During the days before he died, the instructions Gurdjieff imparted to his closest students were contradictory and subject to multiple interpretations. His last words are reported to be, “Now I leave you all in a fine mess.” Gurdjieff recognized that many influences could potentially deflect the trajectory of his teaching and dilute and compromise its substance and integrity: He not only expected change, he prepared for it. He knew that -- as with all things in time -- the sacred teaching he brought must come to moments, intervals, where counter currents could deflect it from its original impulse. To maintain the integrity of its movement, the dispersive influences of the ordinary world would have to be resisted and rightly absorbed. (2)

Gurdjieff clearly foresaw the task confronting his students and took measures to ensure the preservation and transmission of his Fourth Way teachings. According to his attending physician, Dr. William Welch, Gurdjieff spoke with his closest pupil Jeanne de Salzmann two days before his death and issued instructions for the continuation of his work and the publication of his writings. Most important to Gurdjieff was for de Salzmann to assemble a core group of followers capable of and responsible for preserving Gurdjieff’s Work and moving it forward. Many years later she wrote that “the truth became clear to me: at the same time that the First Series was being published, it was necessary to work without respite to form a nucleus capable of sustaining, through its level of objectivity, devotion and the demands it would make on itself, the current which had been created.” (3) On the evening of Gurdjieff’s burial in Avon, France, Jeanne de Salzmann addressed a large group of his former pupils. While acknowledging that a teacher of Gurdjieff's magnitude could never be replaced, she urged the group to consider working together to preserve and transmit his teachings. While he was alive, Gurdjieff had not designated any one individual to be his successor. On this critical issue he remained true to form, making contradictory pronouncements appointing one student or another as the “only one” who could carry on his legacy. (4) This left his students confused and uncertain as to who among them was to carry on the Work as Gurdjieff’s appointed successor.

1

Shortly before his death, Gurdjieff nominated three literary executors to oversee the publication of his books: René Zuber for France, John Bennett for England and John Pentland for America. He also appointed three individuals to lead his Work: Pentland in America, Bennett in England and de Salzmann in France. John Bennett believes that Gurdjieff divided the responsibility for maintaining the Work among several pupils as a deliberate means to prevent any one individual from claiming to inherit the title of Gurdjieff'’s successor. According to Bennett he provided each of them with an incomplete formulation of his ideas so that no one could claim that they had the final definitive teaching. He did not leave behind him either an embryo organization, or a fixed teaching or a designated successor. He did leave a small group of loving and devoted pupils who have set themselves to keep his work in the form in which they received it, passing it on to those who are prepared to accept it without modifying it or adding anything from other sources. (5)

The first generation of Gurdjieff’s students strove to faithfully transmit Gurdjieff’s teachings without distortion. In France, England and America teaching organizations were created to continue the original impulse. Gurdjieff-inspired groups, some under the direction of Mme de Salzmann, were widespread in Central and South America in the 1950s, with groups in Mexico, Peru, Venezuela, Argentina, Uruguay and Chile. Other groups were established in Australia and South Africa. However, amongst the numerous teaching groups none appeared to have “the authoritative knowledge, influence and gifts to carry things further.” (6) Other sources appear to confirm that no one student of Gurdjieff had the mandate or capacity to teach. Rafael Lefort, who travelled throughout the East in search of the sources of Gurdjieff’s knowledge, claims he was told by the Sufi Sheikh ul Mashaikh that when Gurdjieff died the residual ‘baraka’ in his teachings died with him. Baraka is subtle enabling energy considered to be essential for effective spiritual transmission from teacher to student. (7) Gurdjieff clearly possessed the ability to transmit baraka, but it is unlikely that any of his students attained the degree of spiritual development required to transmit baraka to their own followers. While the energy and resources expended to carry on Gurdjieff’s Work were immense, the results were clearly mixed. While some of Gurdjieff’s successors tried to preserve his teachings to the letter, others began to experiment and add new ideas and emphases. This led to confusion about the authenticity and value of the various organizations and schools claiming to be legitimate successors of Gurdjieff. Although Gurdjieff’s successors arguably did not reach his level of spiritual development, their contributions were nevertheless significant: “many of them, living to an advanced age, went on to become the source of direct inner guidance for hundreds of individuals throughout the Western world.” (8) They endeavoured to transmit Gurdjieff's teachings as faithfully as possible within the limits of their capacity and vision, and without their efforts the Work would have died with Gurdjieff. 2

Jeanne de Salzmann and the Gurdjieff Foundation Following Gurdjieff's death, various groups from France, England and America organized themselves around Jeanne de Salzmann. De Salzmann had worked with Gurdjieff since 1919 and was his most trusted and experienced pupil. During the 1930s and 1940s she led Work groups in France and assisted Gurdjieff in many aspects of his teaching enterprise. Immediately after Gurdjieff died, she addressed a large group of French pupils, suggesting that they unite to carry on his Work: When a teacher like Mr. Gurdjieff goes, he cannot be replaced. Those who remain cannot create the same conditions. We have only one hope: to make something together. What no one of us could do, perhaps a group can. We no longer have a Teacher, but we have the possibility of a group. Let us make this our chief aim in the future. (9)

The majority responded by accepting de Salzmann as their new leader. A number of them, however, turned to John Bennett as an alternative. Others believed that none of Gurdjieff’s successors was worthy of leading the Work. Kathryn Hulme, a member of Gurdjieff’s group ‘The Rope,’ echoed the sentiment of many former students when she commented that it was wholly unsatisfactory to study with Gurdjieff’s successors “once having fed at the source.” (10) In late 1949, Mme de Salzmann assumed direction of the Work in France. She endeavoured to protect the authenticity of the Work by ensuring that Gurdjieff’s teaching was structured in such a manner that it could be entrusted to trained and authorized instructors. During the early 1950s, de Salzmann supervised the organization of scattered groups throughout the world into a network of formal Gurdjieff foundations, societies and institutes based primarily in Paris, London and New York. The task of uniting the various Gurdjieff groups was formidable, calling forth de Salzmann's skills as mediator and leader. Many feel that she succeeded by keeping the disparate factions all focused on the common goal of carrying on the master’s work as if he were only temporarily away from them. These organizations were registered as the Institut Gurdjieff in France, The Gurdjieff Society in England and The Gurdjieff Foundation in the United States. Today, they are collectively referred to as the Gurdjieff Foundation and, as the direct line of transmission of the teachings from Gurdjieff himself, are considered the authoritative source of the Work. In the early 1950s, criticism of the Paris-based Institut Gurdjieff surfaced in articles and books. Pupils expressed concern about the practices and general atmosphere of the institution. French writer Louis Pauwels described cases of manipulation, rigidity, highhandedness and ostracism of former members in groups under the direction of Mme de Salzmann.

3

A decade later, Rafael Lefort closely observed the workings of the Institut Gurdjieff in Paris. His assessment was not favourable. His impression was that students were learning by rote, were not properly processing and integrating ideas, and were assimilating practices which were no longer productive. Moreover, they appeared to be kept in line by a hierarchy of teachers who Lefort believed lacked the essential qualifications to transmit Gurdjieff’s teachings. He concluded that what was needed was a return to the original source or school from which Gurdjieff had originally received the teachings: I had tried to follow the meaningless pattern of repetitive activity kept up by the inheritors of Gurdjieff’s mantle in Paris, and at length disillusioned, had decided to seek the source or sources, school or teachers who had given him a glimpse of what man's destiny really is, really can be. . . It was easy to be sidetracked from this by the very monolithic nature of the ‘activities’ in Paris and the USA, to be blinded by their claims and brainwashed by their ‘movements.’ (11)

For many years following Gurdjieff's death, de Salzmann appeared to adhere closely to Gurdjieff original teachings. (12) But, as time passed, she began to innovate by shifting her emphasis and adding new exercises. For example, pupils were instructed in a form of meditation to visualize fine spiritual energy entering and flowing through the body. This practice was a significant departure from Gurdjieff’s insistence on effort rather than passive receptivity in spiritual matters: The teaching introduced by de Salzmann in Paris in the late 1960s or early 1970s . . . emphasized the notion of reception, of 'being worked on', 'being remembered'. Although Gurdjieff may have introduced new teachings at the end of his life about which no records are available, de Salzmann's teaching differs from Gurdjieff’s demands for unremitting struggle and effort that are echoed in his pupils' writings of their experience with him. Gurdjieff stressed that active man serves evolution but passive man serves involution. (13)

The idea of passively opening to a new movement and circulation of higher spiritual energy was derided as a “new quietism” that “strayed from Gurdjieff’s effort-driven path” (14) and was met with resistance by many traditional Work practitioners: “this kind of language seemed not only difficult to accept but also impossible to understand. It also required a new category of effort not readily comprehensible to the literal mind.” (15) In the 1980s, de Salzmann decided to publish a revised edition of Beelzebub’s Tales to His Grandson. The new edition was an attempt to make Gurdjieff's complex and difficult text more accessible by “clarifying the verbal surface while respecting the author's thought and style.” Her revision created a controversy in Work circles. De Salzmann was accused of diluting the impact of Beelzebub’s Tales by softening many of the demands and difficulties in Gurdjieff’s original wording. She was also criticized for failing to adequately consult with other Gurdjieff groups during her rewriting process.

4

Despite the criticisms she attracted on many counts, de Salzmann made a number of singular contributions to the Work that received widespread praise. She brought together the many disparate Gurdjieff groups under the umbrella of a central authoritative organization -- the Gurdjieff Foundation -- and established a sense of continuity and stability in the transmission of the Work. She was responsible for creating an archive of ten films of the Gurdjieff movements as an authentic record for future generations. Under her initiative the Gurdjieff Foundation financed the production of a film to introduce Gurdjieff and his ideas to a broader international audience. She collaborated with director Peter Brook to write the screenplay for a film adaptation of Meetings With Remarkable Men. (16) Released in England in 1978 and in America in 1979, the latter film contains the only publicly available images of the Gurdjieff movements. Gurdjieff considered Jeanne de Salzmann to be his most spiritually evolved pupil, at one point describing her as “going out of idiocy.” (17) Throughout her long life (she died in 1990 at the age of 101, fulfilling Gurdjieff’s admonition to live to be “over 100”) she faithfully preserved and transmitted Gurdjieff’s teachings in their original form. The recently published The Reality of Being, drawn from her personal notebooks, is a masterful presentation of the living expression of the Work and attests to her very high level of being and spiritual understanding. She also guided countless students in their own personal work, although never claiming to be a spiritual teacher in her own right. Many of her students disagreed: Mme de Salzmann disclaimed any pretense of being a teacher. For her, Gurdjieff was the teacher, the master, and every action of hers bore witness to her total dedication and devotion to his work. Yet we all accepted unquestioningly that she had a greater understanding than we had . . . For all of us who were able to approach her without any intermediary, Madame de Salzmann was our teacher. (18)

The Work in England Before his death Gurdjieff appointed John Bennett to lead the Work in England. The choice of Bennett was not popular among many of Gurdjieff’s followers, as the mercurial Bennett lacked their trust and respect. Beyond Bennett’s own personal shortcomings, the climate in England for the continuation of Gurdjieff’s Work was challenging in the wake of many divisive actions taken by Gurdjieff himself. About the formidable obstacles confronting him, Bennett was realistic: The situation in England was not easy. People had gone to Gurdjieff from various groups that had been closed, and even hostile, towards one another. There were still sharply conflicting loyalties and differences of understanding. Gurdjieff had done nothing to harmonize these differences. On the contrary, his very method of work often required that people should needlessly be set in conflict. Again and again, he would give two or more people, without telling the others, authority to act for 5

him in a particular matter. They would all set to work, and find the others in the field. Each was sure that he alone was the one Gurdjieff had intended to do the job. This led to endless friction and misunderstanding, which we accepted as the stimulus that would make us search within ourselves for a deeper understanding. (19)

A further complicating factor was the tension between Bennett and members of groups previously established in England by P.D. Ouspensky (20) and his student Maurice Nicoll. Many of these groups remained aloof from Gurdjieff’s named successor, choosing to preserve the Work exactly as taught by Ouspensky and Nicoll. During the 1930s and 1940s, Maurice Nicoll emerged as an important teacher of the Work in England. Ouspensky had authorized Nicoll to hold his own study groups in London in 1931 which, by the time of Gurdjieff’s death in 1949, had grown to many hundreds of pupils. In the early 1950s, Nicoll published his five-volume Psychological Commentaries on the Teaching of G.I. Gurdjieff and P.D. Ouspensky. The Commentaries met with immediate approval from Jeanne de Salzmann, who praised them as “the exact formulation of Gurdjieff's ideas without distortion.” (21) After Nicoll’s death in 1953 efforts to unite Nicoll’s students with the more orthodox Gurdjieff groups were successful, and by the end of the decade many of Nicoll’s pupils had joined the Gurdjieff Society of London. Another important figure who taught groups in England was American-born Jane Heap. Heap met Gurdjieff in 1924, studied with A.R. Orage in New York and was directed by Gurdjieff in 1928 to give weekly talks on his ideas in Paris. Members of her Paris group eventually formed ‘The Rope’ (22) which worked intensively with Gurdjieff in the 1930s. In 1935, Heap was sent by Gurdjieff to London to teach, and there she quietly formed a study group that worked independently of the much larger English groups associated with Ouspensky, Nicoll and Bennett. In 1946, members of Heap’s group travelled to Paris where they studied with Gurdjieff for the next three years. Following Gurdjieff’s death in 1949, Heap continued to teach, aligning her group with the Gurdjieff Society of London and accepting Jeanne de Salzmann as the ultimate authority in preserving the authentic transmission of Gurdjieff’s teaching. Jane Heap died in 1964. As early as 1950, John Bennett’s role as the leader of the Work in England was in question. (23) Always prone to experimentation with other spiritual systems and teachings, Bennett was considered unpredictable and a threat to the established Work. In the spring of 1950, Jeanne de Salzmann appointed Henriette Lannes as her representative in England. Lannes had joined a group led by de Salzmann in 1938 and later studied with Gurdjieff in Paris in the 1940s. She conducted groups in England and headed the Gurdjieff Society of London until her death in 1980. For his part, Bennett was prepared to begin experimenting with new methods and ideas within the fundamental tenets of Gurdjieff’s teachings. In the early 1950s, Bennett expanded the size and scope of his community at Coombe Springs outside of London, and planned a series of public lectures on Gurdjieff’s ideas. This initiative to publicly 6

promote Gurdjieff's teachings met with strong disapproval from Jeanne de Salzmann. In 1955, she travelled to London and removed Bennett from any role as an authorized teacher of the Work in England. As a result, Bennett was ostracized by the more orthodox followers of the Work in England. However, Bennett was undeterred and continued leading groups in England in the ensuing years. His work became increasingly independent, incorporating strands of teachings from the many spiritual traditions that Bennett had studied in his extensive journeys in the East. In 1971, Bennett founded his own institute, the International Academy for Continuous Education, at Sherborne House, Gloucestershire. Much of the program of the Academy was based on Gurdjieff’s teachings, but Bennett added many of his own ideas as well as methods and exercises drawn from a wide range of metaphysical schools and traditions. The Sherborne Academy closed in 1975 following Bennett’s death. Bennett was widely viewed by many students of the Work as a controversial figure. An essential duality in his nature appeared to lessen his effectiveness as a leader and to undermine his role as a successor to Gurdjieff. Robert de Ropp, a student of Ouspensky for many years, met Bennett in the early 1970s and observed two contradictory sides to Bennett that prevented him from fully disseminating Gurdjieff’s teachings in their original form. (24) Fourth Way author William Patterson believes that, despite his shortcomings, there was a great deal about Bennett that was praiseworthy. However, although Patterson considers Bennett the most promising of all of Gurdjieff’s principal students, his ultimate effectiveness as a successor was thwarted by his own ego and ambition: Whatever his human failings, many of his ideas are potent, visionary, and bring a perspective not to be dismissed . . . His insights and assessments are mostly on target and his recognition of what was needed following Gurdjieff’s death seems now, in hindsight, to be largely true. Many of his ideas could have been helpful. But he could not subsume himself for long to any group effort which he did not lead. He was a slave to his own brilliance . . . Whether Bennett helped or hindered the Work after Gurdjieff’s death remains a matter of heated opinion. (25)

The Work in America Gurdjieff travelled to the United States nine times between 1924 and 1949, meeting with followers and members of groups established in the 1920s by his deputy A.R. Orage. During his final visit, Gurdjieff appointed John Pentland to lead the Work in America. Pentland had been a student of Ouspensky for many years in England and America but had not met Gurdjieff until 1948. He was admired by many of Gurdjieff’s students for his organizational and leadership skills. Following Gurdjieff’s death, Pentland worked

7

closely with Jeanne de Salzmann, who had assumed overall leadership of the Work in both Europe and America. At the time, there were a large number of former students of P.D. Ouspensky in New York and New Jersey, working either independently or under the direction of Ouspensky’s wife Sophie. Sophie Grigarievna Maximenko met P.D. Ouspensky in 1915 and was introduced to Gurdjieff and his teachings shortly thereafter. When Ouspensky left for London in 1921, Sophie stayed with Gurdjieff and later resided and studied at the Prieuré in France. At Gurdjieff’s insistence she rejoined Ouspensky in London in 1927 and became an integral component in the running of Ouspensky’s school at Lyne Place. “Madame,” as she was called, provided ‘work for the emotional center’ and patterned her methods after those she learned from Gurdjieff. She was adroit at exposing an individual’s weaknesses and conditioned personality and often reduced pupils to tears. She accompanied Ouspensky to the United States in 1941 where she helped establish a Work community at Franklin Farms, New Jersey. Robert de Ropp was a frequent visitor to Franklin Farms and provides a taste of the experience of working with Mme Ouspensky: She could, in the space of one half hour, lead the student through a whole spectrum of emotions ranging from despair to exaltation. My own feelings toward her could range from overwhelming dislike to something that came close to adoration. Of all my teachers she gave me the most direct experience of awakening and of the kind of effort that awakening involves. (26)

Following her husband’s death in 1947, Mme Ouspensky directed her pupils to contact Gurdjieff in Paris. Many did so and eventually a number of them worked directly with him until his death in 1949. Mme Ouspensky, although greatly restricted by illness, continued to supervise students until her death in 1963. Relations between the Ouspensky-inspired groups and the New York groups formerly led by Orage were strained and there was little sense of cooperation or common purpose between them. In 1950, Jeanne de Salzmann met with senior members of these groups to attempt to bridge their differences and unite them. De Salzmann’s efforts were largely successful, and gradually over the next three years the competing groups became integrated. In 1953 the Gurdjieff Foundation of New York was formed with trustees appointed from each of the American groups and John Pentland as President. In 1955, Pentland founded the Gurdjieff Foundation of California, with centres in San Francisco and Los Angeles. The New York Foundation was modelled on the Paris Foundation and included a similar program of studies and activities: lectures, music, movements, group work, drama and crafts. The weekly group meetings served as an introduction to the Work and were tightly structured. The format of the group meetings and subsequent order of studies has remained unchanged to the present day:

8

The weekly group meetings at the Foundation are almost ritualized. There is silence until someone asks a question that is answered by a group leader, and silence between questions. Students are taught to do the “morning exercise” daily and discuss their attempts to maintain awareness throughout daily life. Because the topics arise from members rather than from the leader, it is theorized that people receive just as much as the collective level of understanding permits and no more. After a few months of discussion students are usually allowed to study the movements. In addition there may be readings of Gurdjieff’s works, published and unpublished, that are open to all members, and work periods at some country retreat where small crews labor under the guidance of teachers and elder students. (27)

Within the Gurdjieff Foundation in the United States there was some degree of tension between those who wished to preserve Gurdjieff’s teachings in the exact form they were transmitted and those who sought to evolve and innovate. In the end, the traditionalists carried the day: “The prevailing sense that nothing must change, that a treasure in their safekeeping must at all costs be preserved in its original form, was stronger than any wish for a new wave of inspiration.” (28) Another area of dissension concerned the secret or esoteric nature of the teaching. Reservations were expressed about the pervasive secrecy surrounding the Foundation and its activities, considering it a direct reversal of Gurdjieff’s open door practice for anyone seriously approaching the Work. Many older pupils of Gurdjieff were especially troubled by the issue of secrecy of the Work. Solito Solanao, who donated Work-related papers and letters to the Library of Congress, was criticized by John Pentland on the basis that such gifts would give “outsiders” access to private Work material. Some commentators have speculated that the confidentiality which was ostensibly there to protect the teaching from outside influence was actually motivated by the desire by group leaders to protect themselves from criticism. The wish to keep the teaching “pure” and free of distortion even extended beyond the confines of the Gurdjieff Foundation. The Work was seen as sacrosanct and in need of protection from outsiders and the uninitiated. Senior members clashed with academics who tried to explore the Work objectively (29) and even tried to prevent certain researchers such as biographer James Webb from making their work available to the general public. Some students who attended the Gurdjieff Foundation during the 1960s and 1970s have commented on the serious, often tense atmosphere (30) and the hierarchical structure of the organization. (31) David Kherdian, who was a student at the time, criticized the Foundation for the absence of love and compassion in the groups led by senior members, the practice of basing seniority in studies on length of time in the Work rather than actual capacity, and the apparent lack of purpose or function of many of the practical activities. Kherdian’s strongest criticism is directed at the question-and-answer exchanges which are the focus of the weekly study groups: “Both the questions and the answers seemed forced, without any urgency on the part of the questioners, or any feeling on the part of those 9

who were replying.” (32) He also felt that many of the answers failed to connect with the developmental needs of the pupils. (33) Although the Gurdjieff Foundation is generally considered to be the authoritative institution responsible for the dissemination of the Gurdjieff teaching in America, many pupils of Gurdjieff established their own separate study groups and teaching centres in the United States. Figure 2 depicts the numerous lines of transmission that emerged as the Work developed in America after Gurdjieff’s death:

Figure 2: Gurdjieff’s Teaching Lines in the Americas

Thomas and Olga de Hartmann Following Gurdjieff’s death, Thomas and Olga de Hartmann moved to New York where they assisted Mme Ouspensky at Franklin Farms. After her husband died in 1956, Olga established the first Canadian Gurdjieff study group in Toronto. She subsequently relocated to Santa Fe, New Mexico where she lived until her death in 1979. There a group of friends and musicians gathered around her for discussion and Movements sessions based on her experience from her many years of study with Gurdjieff. The major focus of the community was the performance of the music composed by Thomas de 10

Hartmann and Gurdjieff. In fact, performers of the de Hartmann and Gurdjieff musical legacy often travelled to Mme de Hartmann for study and coaching before concerts. John Bennett In 1975, students of the late John Bennett established the American Institute for Continuous Education at Claymont, West Virginia. The school had a similar structure and programming as Bennett’s International Academy for Continuous Education at Sherborne House in England which he established in 1971. The Claymont Institute was initially directed by Pierre Elliott, a senior student of Bennett from England. The curriculum was a mixture of Gurdjieff’s teachings and Bennett’s own ideas derived from his many years of study of Eastern esoteric teachings. William and Louise Welch Dr. William Welch and his wife Louise were introduced to the Work in New York in 1924 by A.R. Orage and met Gurdjieff in 1948. Dr. Welch was consulted and flew to Paris during the last days of Gurdjieff’s life in October 1949, presiding at his bedside. He became president of the Gurdjieff Foundation of New York following John Pentland’s death in 1984. For many years he and his wife led groups in New York City where they were highly regarded as group leaders. Recollections of their time spent with Orage and Gurdjieff are contained in William Welch’s What Happened in Between and Louise Welch’s Orage with Gurdjieff in America. John Pentland Henry John Sinclair or Lord Pentland was introduced to P.D. Ouspensky in 1937 in London and for the next decade studied with him in England and later in America. In 1948, Sinclair met Gurdjieff and worked closely with him until his death a year later. Pentland eventually played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Work in North America and was dedicated to ensuring that Gurdjieff’s teachings were preserved and transmitted in their original form, so as to retain their true power and value. (34) He was also closely involved with the publication of posthumous books by Gurdjieff and Ouspensky. Pentland’s own book Exchanges Within is highly regarded in Work circles. Paul Anderson Paul Anderson studied with A.R. Orage and was a resident at the Prieuré in the 1920s. He acted as Gurdjieff’s American secretary during visits to New York in 1948 and 1949. After Gurdjieff’s death, Anderson was a leading member of the Gurdjieff Foundation of New York but eventually left to establish his own groups. His most important group, which he directed with his wife Naomi, was located in Conway, Massachusetts and was later incorporated as the American Institute for Continuing Education. In the final years of his life, Anderson became deeply involved with Tibetan Buddhism and introduced many of his students to the ideas and practices of the Nyingma sect.

11

Willem Nyland Willem Nyland was a Dutch chemist and musician who studied with A.R. Orage for many years. He was directed by Gurdjieff in 1949 to start a study group in America. Nyland was a senior member and trustee of the Gurdjieff Foundation of New York, but in the mid 1960s he distanced himself from the activities of the Foundation. In the late 1960s he established a Work center in Warwick, New York which later became formalized as The Institute for Religious Study. Nyland also established groups in a number of cities throughout the United States. Following Nyland’s death in 1975 his pupils sought out and worked with members of the Gurdjieff Foundation both in New York and California. Louise March Louise March studied with Gurdjieff at the Prieuré between 1929 and 1932 when she returned to the United States. She was asked by Gurdjieff in 1929 to do a German translation of Beelzebub’s Tales and she served as his secretary when he visited America during the 1930s and 1940s. After working with the Gurdjieff Foundation of New York for a number of years, March established the Rochester Folk Guild in 1957, a community founded on Gurdjieff’s ideas and engaged with the making of crafts and other communal physical work. In 1967, she founded East Hill Farm near Rochester, a self-sustaining community of farmers and craftspeople which was based on the same model as the Rochester Folk Guild. March directed these activities until her death in 1987 and they have continued to the present day under the guidance of senior pupils. Annie-Lou Staveley The Two Rivers Farm was a Work group established in rural Oregon in the 1970s under the direction of Annie-Lou Staveley. She had studied with Jane Heap for many years and visited Gurdjieff in Paris frequently following the Second World War. The community was largely self-sustaining and emphasized physical labour, group meetings and Movements classes. The relationship between Staveley and the Gurdjieff Foundation was often strained as Staveley was considered somewhat unorthodox in her approach to the dissemination of Gurdjieff’s teachings. (35) Olgivanna Wright Olgivanna Wright was trained by Gurdjieff in the Movements and sacred dances and was a principal performer in public presentations in the 1920s in France and America. She married architect Frank Lloyd Wright and they established the Taliesin Fellowship with centres in Wisconsin and Arizona where Olgivanna attempted to duplicate Gurdjieff’s community at the Prieuré. Although at first embraced by many of Gurdjieff’s principal students, she soon raised the ire of the orthodox Gurdjieff establishment by giving public performances of the Movements in the 1950s and 1960s. Following Gurdjieff’s example, Olgivanna became adroit at manipulating individuals and situations in order to create opportunities for self-study. She was described by her students as powerful, imperious and controlling with a penchant for becoming involved in the per12

sonal lives of her followers. In her later years she was accused of abusing her power and position and even created a network of informers to report on virtually every aspect of life at the Taliesin communities. Robert de Ropp Robert de Ropp met P.D. Ouspensky in 1936 and studied with him for many years before briefly meeting Gurdjieff in 1948. De Ropp was a scientist who was deeply interested in the ecological movement as well as the process of spiritual transformation. His book The Master Game influenced many Western seekers to explore Gurdjieff’s ideas and teachings. In the 1970s he formed a Gurdjieff group in northern California called The Church of the Earth, a self-sustaining eco-farming community with utopian visions of harmonious co-existence with nature. Unfortunately, the experiment was not a success and de Ropp, disillusioned with his inability to effectively teach others, eventually disbanded the school. Rodney Collin Rodney Collin began studying with Ouspensky in London in 1936 and became one of his closest students. He accompanied Ouspensky to the United States and was encouraged by his teacher to investigate the connection between the cosmological principles of the Work and contemporary scientific knowledge. The fruit of Collin’s extensive research was the publication in the 1950s of The Theory of Celestial Influence and The Theory of Eternal Life. Following Ouspensky’s death in 1947, Collin emigrated to Mexico and established several communities dedicated to the study of the Work. His incorporation of the ideas and practices of many other spiritual traditions in his teaching, including Roman Catholicism, was met with disapproval from the orthodox Gurdjieff establishment. After Collin's death in 1956, the Mexican groups that he founded eventually dissolved. (36) All of the first-generation students of Gurdjieff have died and many of the groups and organizations they founded are no longer in existence. Some groups have continued under the leadership of pupils who studied under Gurdjieff’s own students, while others are directed by individuals with no direct connection to the original Gurdjieff Work.

Commentary More than half a century has elapsed since Gurdjieff’s death, but the spiritual current he created lives on, albeit in a modified form. Gurdjieff’s immediate successors faced the great challenge that a teacher of his magnitude can never be replaced. They forged ahead into uncharted territory while trying to remain faithful to Gurdjieff’s original vision and teachings. The results of their efforts were clearly mixed, and it is apparent that none of Gurdjieff’s primary students were able to maintain the level of teaching that Gurdjieff had initiated.

13

A number of factors contributed to the dilution of the Work during this period. Once potent ideas and methods can lose their power to challenge and transform if transmitted through mechanical repetition or if not adapted to the conditions and requirements of ‘time, place and people.’ Organizations designed to maintain the purity of a teaching can easily degenerate into hierarchical, authoritarian institutions lacking flexibility, openness and innovation. (37) However, a valid spiritual teaching is not merely a series of ideas, practices and exercises but a way of being which requires a human exemplar or guide to make it a living reality. It is doubtful whether any of Gurdjieff’s first-generation students attained the level of development required to transmit the teachings with the same effectiveness and impact as Gurdjieff. Gurdjieff, unlike his successors, was able to adapt the form and focus of his teaching to reflect the contemporary social, cultural and political milieu. Jeanne de Salzmann describes how Gurdjieff’s presentation of his teaching changed in accordance with circumstances and the needs of individual students: “While the truth sought for was always the same, the forms through which he helped his pupils approach it served only for a limited time. As soon as a new understanding had been reached, the form would change.” (38) All spiritual traditions throughout history have undergone some measure of transformation in doctrine and practice, becoming increasingly diluted or divergent from their original source. Michel de Salzmann, who succeeded his mother Jeanne as the leader of the Institut Gurdjieff following her death in 1990, acknowledges this reality: Wherein lies the integrity of a teaching? What are the conditions which will ensure that it is transmitted, actually continued? Cut off from the principal influence from which it originates . . . and which is the only source that can keep it alive, a teaching is bound to be transformed, essentially and substantially, into a different “apparatus,” unfitted for fulfilling the same purposes. Even if there are no significant changes in form, what is called a spiritual teaching can easily become no more than a moral or psychological doctrine. Whether or not it survives depends, in any case, on the level of spirituality attained by those who are supposed to be carrying it on. (39)

New students who approach the Work today are justified in questioning the legitimacy and authenticity of many of the schools and groups which have survived following Gurdjieff’s death. Gurdjieff and the Fourth Way have entered the “spiritual marketplace” where authentic teachings and groups issuing from Gurdjieff’s primary first and second generation students stand side by side with well-intentioned but ineffectual imitators, misguided experimentalists and outright charlatans. The hope is that Gurdjieff’s legacy of a transformative body of ideas and practices, although having evolved and changed over time, will continue to inspire all who seek its wisdom.

14

NOTES (1) James Moore Gurdjieff: Anatomy of a Myth (Bedfont, Massachusetts: Element Books, 1991), p. 316. (2) William Patterson Taking With the Left Hand (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 1998), pp. 7-8. (3) Jeanne de Salzmann “Foreword” in G.I. Gurdjieff Life is Real Only Then, When “I Am” (New York: Triangle Editions, 1975), pp. xiii-xiv. (4) A typical example is an incident in 1945, when Gurdjieff ended a meal by rising and making a dramatic announcement to the assembled audience. After indicating that his life’s work was now complete, he stated that he had finally found “one person to whom can give results my life's work.” He then pointed a finger directly at a stunned Fritz Peters. There was an enormous silence as Gurdjieff left the room. Peters was baffled and later tried to interpret the experience in Gurdjieff Remembered (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1971, p. 114): It is at least possible that he was actually referring to me as his “successor.” It was possible on many counts: (a) It was actually true; (b) It was intended to “expose” my ego to myself; (c) It was intended to produce various reactions in the other persons present; (d) It was a huge joke on the devout followers.

(5) John Bennett Gurdjieff: Making a New World (New York: Harper & Row, 1973), p. 6. (6) Paul Beekman Taylor Shadows of Heaven: Gurdjieff and Toomer (York Beach, Maine: Samuel Weiser, 1998), p. 223. (7) ‘Baraka’ is sometimes defined as an impalpable force possessed by certain spiritual masters and imparted to people, places and objects for a specific reason. John Bennett describes the influence of ‘baraka’ or ‘hanbledzoin’ (as Gurdjieff termed it) in Gurdjieff: Making a New World (New York: Harper & Row, 1973), p. 219: The Sohbat -- communication by mastery is probably the literal meaning -- is associated with the transmission of baraka, the ‘enabling energy’ by which the Work of the pupil is greatly enhanced. This he refers to in another terminology as ‘higher-emotional energy’ or, as in Beelzebub, as hanbledzoin. This transmission of a higher energy that can be assimilated to the energy of the pupil is a vital part of the whole process, and in this sense it certainly can be said that Gurdjieff, at all times, was a teacher. Everyone who met him reported the sense of mastery, of a power which acted upon them, in much the same way as those who have been in the presence of the great Indian or Zen Masters, of whom it is said that by their presence alone the pupil had been transformed. 15

(8) Jacob Needleman “Introduction” in The Inner Journey: Views from the Gurdjieff Work ed. Jacob Needleman (Sandpoint, Idaho: Morning Light Press, 2008), p. xvi. (9) John Bennett Witness: The Autobiography of John G. Bennett (Tucson: Omen Press, 1974), p. 274. (10) Kathryn Hulme Undiscovered Country (Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1966), p. 295. (11) Rafael Lefort The Teachers of Gurdjieff (London: Victor Gollancz, 1973), pp. 11-12. (12) There is evidence which suggests that Mme de Salzmann sensed something was incomplete in the teaching she and other students received from Gurdjieff. Shortly after Gurdjieff’s death she met with the French esotericist René Guénon in Cairo. The ostensible purpose of the meeting was to elicit Guénon’s opinion on the direction in which the Work should proceed. That she would approach Guénon for counsel seems ironic since Guénon was an open critic of Gurdjieff and often advised others to “flee Gurdjieff like the plague.” (13) Sophia Wellbeloved Gurdjieff: The Key Concepts (London: Routledge, 2003), p. 154. (14) Gurdjieff biographer James Moore has been the strongest critic of the meditation practice introduced by Jeanne de Salzmann. He forcefully outlines his objections in “Moveable Feasts: The Gurdjieff Work” Religion Today Vol. 9(2), 1994, pp. 11-15. (15) Frank Sinclair Without Benefit of Clergy (Xlibris, 2005), p. 228 (16) The making of the film was not without its share of controversy. Kathryn Hulme, who had studied with Gurdjieff in the 1930s and 1940s and was an accomplished writer, was approached by Jeanne de Salzmann to prepare a script based on Gurdjieff's original text. However, a dispute arose between senior members of the Gurdjieff Foundation concerning the advisability of making the film available to the general public. Hulme withdrew from the project and stage and film director Peter Brook, in conjunction with de Salzmann, wrote the final script. The film received a less than enthusiastic reception from critics and audiences and was considered a disappointment by many students of the Work. (17) Beth McCorkle The Gurdjieff Years, 1929-1949: Recollections of Louise March (Walworth, New York: The Work Study Association, Inc., 1990), p.76. (18) Frank Sinclair Without Benefit of Clergy (Xlibris, 2005), p. 26.

16

(19) John Bennett Witness: The Autobiography of John G. Bennett (Tucson: Omen Press, 1974), p. 274. (20) Ouspensky severed relations with Bennett in 1945 and instructed his students to avoid Bennett and members of his English groups. Following Ouspensky’s death in 1947, his own groups splintered into several factions, none of which recognized Bennett as a legitimate teacher of the Work. (21) Andrew Rawlinson The Book of Enlightened Masters (Chicago: Open Court, 1997), p. 300. (22) The Rope was a female-only group which began working with Gurdjieff in 1935. The name of the group is an allusion to the connecting rope which provides mutual support and security to mountain climbers. For an insightful account of the group's history and the impact on the members of Gurdjieff’s teaching, see William Patterson Ladies of the Rope (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 1999). (23) Jeanne de Salzmann had always been ambivalent about Bennett’s role as a Work leader. While recognizing his energy, commitment and persuasive speaking ability, she lacked confidence in Bennett and questioned his allegiance to the Paris-based leadership. (24) Robert de Ropp called the two sides of Bennett the “Seeker After Truth” and the “Arch-Vainglorious Greek.” In Warrior’s Way (Nevada City, California: Gateways, 2002, p. 290) he writes that “The Seeker After Truth was basically humble and sincere, content with little, modest and retiring. But the Greek was ambitious, full of great schemes, always liable to overextend himself, to attempt too much.” The “Arch-Vainglorious Greek” is a reference to a phrase used by Gurdjieff in Beelzebub’s Tales to His Grandson to describe Alexander of Macedonia, “the strutting hero who had spread havoc all the way from Greece to India and then expressed regret that there were no more worlds to conquer.” (25) William Patterson Struggle of the Magicians (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 1996), p. 211. (26) Robert de Ropp Warrior’s Way (Nevada City, California, 2002), pp. 96-97. (27) Kathleen Speeth The Gurdjieff Work (New York: Jeremy P. Tarcher, 1989, 2nd edition), pp. 99-100. (28) Kathleen Speeth The Gurdjieff Work (New York: Jeremy P. Tarcher, 1989, 2nd edition), p. 105. (29) Michel de Salzmann has strongly resisted presenting Work ideas in the context of an academic setting, arguing that Gurdjieff’s teaching would lose its spiritual potency 17

and influence if removed from a Work setting and introduced into an academic milieu. Although it may legitimize the teachings in the minds of the public, it would also distort the true nature of the Work. (30) William Patterson, who studied with John Pentland for many years at the Gurdjieff Foundation of New York, has remarked on the mood of somber seriousness during group meetings: In all the group meetings and lectures I had attended over the years, I could recall only a handful of times when there was any laughter. I had always assumed that anything that had to do with the teaching had to be serious and somber: the Work was no place for laughter . . . Certainly the Work is no place for laughter in the sense of wiseacring. But that does not preclude warmth, good feeling and camaraderie among spiritual friends called to this esoteric path of understanding and conscience.

(31) In the words of Frank Sinclair (Without Benefit of Clergy, Xlibris, 2005, pp. 20-22): The New York Foundation could indeed seem old-line, conservative and reactionary, unfeeling and inconsiderate . . . just another setting for endless ego gratification, the play of great and small ambition, divisive personal agendas, boorishness, inconsiderateness, crass exploitation, and even brazen intimidation. That behavior would be a far cry from the ‘conscious egoism’ that Gurdjieff encouraged as the ground of one’s work. Conscious egoism refers to the inner life.

(32) David Kherdian On a Spaceship with Beelzebub (Rochester, Vermont: Inner Traditions, 1998), p. 53. (33) William Patterson, a contemporary of Kherdian’s at the Gurdjieff Foundation, argues in Eating the “I” (San Anselmo, California: Arete Communications, 1992, p. 356) that many former students who have criticized the Foundation do not fully understand the underlying purpose and principles of the Work: People who have left the Work sometimes criticize the Foundation as being too organized and authoritarian. Rather than explore their reactions and resistance and try to see what part the Work’s structure plays in helping the students to awaken, they speak and act as if they know what the Work is about. They forget why they came to the Work, e.g., they were asleep and wanted to awaken . . . The pertinent question is not about structure and so forth but about one's being, or lack of it.

(34) William Patterson, who studied with Pentland for many years, describes Pentland’s importance in maintaining the integrity of the Work in America in Taking With the Left Hand (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 1998, p. 130):

18

As Gurdjieff taught, in time all is deflected from its original course if not adequately resisted, and in Lord Pentland’s day -- as ours -- the predominant deflections took the form of syncretism, eclecticism and other isms. These he stood resolutely against and for that was cast by some as being too doctrinaire.

(35) For an interesting glimpse into the day-to-day workings and interpersonal conflicts characterizing the Farm during the 1970s, see David Kherdian’s On a Spaceship with Beelzebub (Rochester, Vermont: Inner Traditions, 1998). (36) The circumstances of Rodney Collin’s death are controversial and shrouded in mystery. Some of the rumours that surfaced in Work circles are reported by Frank Sinclair in Without Benefit of Clergy (Xlibris, 2005, pp. 173-174): His death in South America – where he fell from the bell tower of Lima Cathedral – was attributed to his alleged messianic ambitions: the story around Mendham was that his death was not an accident but that he had deliberately walked out into space, believing himself superhuman.

(37) This is a problem which faces any organization, whether religious or secular. David Kherdian argues in On a Spaceship with Beelzebub (Rochester, Vermont: Inner Traditions, 1998, p. 274) that the Gurdjieff establishment was not able to see this reality: There would need to be a leap of faith, a journey into the abyss of which all the great teachings speak. One had to give up what one had made, to let go completely, to risk everything before something new could enter. This is exactly what had not been done by those whom Gurdjieff had instructed and who had been charged with passing on the teaching to us. Perhaps they could not make that step.

(38) Jeanne de Salzmann “Foreword” in G.I. Gurdjieff Views from the Real World: Early Talks of Gurdjieff (New York: E.P.Dutton, 1973), p. v. (39) Michel de Salzmann “Footnote to the Gurdjieff Literature” in Walter Driscoll, ed. Gurdjieff: An Annotated Bibliography (New York: Garland, 1985), p. xix.

19

CONTEMPORARY STATUS OF THE WORK1

Although almost 70 years have elapsed since Gurdjieff’s death, his life and teachings continue to challenge and intrigue contemporary seekers of spiritual wisdom. Interest in Gurdjieff’s teachings is also growing in the secular world, and many of his psychological and cosmological ideas have influenced various “Human Potential” and “New Age” movements and even entered the cultural and academic mainstream. His name and ideas appear in a surprising array of current cultural expressions:

• • • • • • • • • •

CDs and Internet downloads of the music of Gurdjieff and Thomas de Hartmann DVDs and videos of the Movements the emergence of the enneagram symbol as a type of cultural icon films, TV documentaries, radio interviews theatre, dance, drama, literature books, journals, magazines, periodicals scholarly study in academic fields as diverse as psychotherapy, ecology, comparative religion and quantum physics conferences, seminars, weekend workshops business applications, management training countless websites

The popularization of Gurdjieff’s teachings is arguably a mixed blessing. Although larger audiences are now exposed to his ideas and practices, there is the real possibility that those who study his ideas outside the framework of an esoteric school with qualified teachers will experience little spiritual benefit, and may in fact misunderstand the teachings. Fourth Way author William Patterson sounds a cautionary warning about the consequences of injecting esoteric teachings into the mainstream, as “these ideas and practices are powerful in themselves, and when introduced into secular life they will necessarily be taken over by the ego and used for its own glorification and the domination of others.” (1) Gurdjieff himself clearly recognized that spiritual teachings could deviate from their original impulse toward serious distortion: Think how many turns the line of development of forces must have taken to come from the Gospel preaching of love to the inquisition; or to go from the ascetics of the early centuries studying esoteric Christianity to the scholastics who calculated how many angels could be placed on the point of a needle. (2)

Gurdjieff took a number of steps to ensure the accurate transmission of his ideas to future generations. He preserved his teachings in written form, through music and the Movements, and trained a core group of pupils that he deemed capable of teaching and guiding others. 1

Updated 2017/07/07 1

In the years following Gurdjieff’s death in 1949, senior students under the direction of Jeanne de Salzmann continued the Work and established the Gurdjieff Foundation as the official body responsible for the dissemination of Gurdjieff’s teachings. But despite the efforts of those entrusted with the preservation of Gurdjieff’s teaching in its original form, divisions among his students developed as differing interpretations of his ideas emerged. As John G. Bennett observes, this is a common, if not inevitable, pattern: History shows that whenever a spiritual leader, small or great, leaves the earthly scene, his followers invariably divide into factions. Each claims to preserve and transmit what the teacher has brought to it, but one faction understands this duty literally; preserving every word, every memory, every injunction as if they were crystallized and fixed forever. Another faction secretly or overtly rejoices to be set free from the constraint of the teacher’s presence, and goes off to do whatever their own impulses dictate. Yet another seeks to keep alive the spirit of what has been given, and is prepared to see the outward forms changed and even distorted if only something new can grow. (3)

Divisions that developed between Gurdjieff’s successors have continued up to the present day. (4) Although the Gurdjieff Foundation is generally regarded as the authoritative source for the transmission of Gurdjieff’s teachings, many other groups, organizations and centres associate themselves with Gurdjieff’s name. Some of these are led by individuals who studied with students of Gurdjieff, while others have no connection with a recognized line of transmission originating from Gurdjieff. Other groups, schools and organizations have co-opted his name, including “implicit and explicit pretenders to Gurdjieff’s mantle . . . who in fact never met him.” (5) And some who claim to be Fourth Way “teachers” are clearly fraudulent. This proliferation of groups, teachers and organizations associated with the name of Gurdjieff poses a significant challenge to the discriminating spiritual seeker who is in search of authentic teachings.

Current Gurdjieff Groups and Organizations

Following Gurdjieff’s death, his appointed successors in Europe and America endeavoured to ensure the faithful transmission of the Work. The establishment of the Gurdjieff Foundation and the publication of Gurdjieff’s writings were important steps in preserving the essence of Gurdjieff’s teachings for future generations. Today, the officially sanctioned Gurdjieff foundations form a worldwide network with branches throughout North America, Europe, South America, Australia, Africa, Asia and the Middle East. (6) Reliable information on the membership of the Gurdjieff Foundation is difficult to ascertain, but some have speculated that there are approximately five to ten thousand adherents worldwide with “considerable diversity with respect to social class, age, occupation and educational background.” (7) Other observers dispute this characteriza-

2

tion, describing the U.S. membership, for instance, as relatively homogeneous: white, urban, middle-class and college-educated. Professor Jacob Needleman provides a succinct description of the current activities and teaching structure of the Gurdjieff Foundation: The activities of the Foundation include the study of Gurdjieff’s ideas, group meetings, study of the movements and sacred dances left by Gurdjieff, music, crafts and household work, the study of traditions, public demonstrations of work, and work with children and young people. In group meetings students verify the authenticity of their observations through expressing them in the presence of others. The place of group leader is taken by one or several experienced pupils, and great care is taken that these meetings do not revolve around the person of the leader or turn into speculative, psychological discussion or encounters . . . Group meetings and, where they are taught, the movements are comparatively invariant forms of practice of the Gurdjieff Foundation. The numerous other forms show more variety from center to center, depending on the makeup of the group and the specific line of inquiry that is held to be most useful at a given time or place. (8)

Gurdjieff’s teachings are widely studied in a variety of contexts and have influenced the contemporary fields of education, psychology, science, art, entertainment and even business. The diffusion and impact of Gurdjieff’s ideas can be gauged by the large body of literature (9) and the number of websites devoted to Gurdjieff and the Fourth Way. Although many welcome the wide public exposure of Gurdjieff’s teachings, some senior Work students have expressed concern about the proliferation of workshops, seminars, conferences and videos on Gurdjieff and the Fourth Way, sensing that “something intrinsically precious is slowly and inexorably being eroded through this process of dispersion into the marketplace of that which has always been so carefully protected from the eyes of the casually curious and acquisitively oriented.” (10) The tension between orthodox Gurdjieffians who believe that the Work should not be publicly promoted and those who feel that Gurdjieff’s ideas should be made available to the widest possible audience has produced a significant division within the Fourth Way community. (11) Conflict between certain Gurdjieff groups has manifested as doctrinal quarrels, personal attacks and even threats of lawsuits. In the 1980s and 1990s some experienced second-generation Gurdjieff students broke their ties with the Gurdjieff Foundation and formed their own independent groups, much to the consternation of senior directors of the Foundation. In other instances, when the authority and judgement of the leaders was publicly questioned by students of the Foundation, the offending individual was expelled. (12) The second half of the twentieth century closed a significant chapter in the development of the Work with the death of almost all of Gurdjieff’s primary pupils. Following Jeanne de Salzmann’s passing in 1990, representatives from a number of North American Gurdjieff groups attended a gathering in California to explore the current state of the 3

Work. (13) Many participants at this meeting had the distinct sense that the death of Jeanne de Salzmann, who was directly entrusted by Gurdjieff with the preservation of his teachings, marked a turning point in the Work, and that the continuation and future direction of the Work was now in the hands of the senior students who remained. The challenge confronting those who wished to preserve Gurdjieff’s teachings was clear: “How to preserve the Gurdjieff canon from possible death or from dilution or distortion, while at the same time making it available to a wider populace and invigorating it with forces and in directions appropriate to the times.” (14) The task of maintaining the trajectory of Gurdjieff’s teachings in the direction of higher development was formidable. (15) New teachers, groups and organizations associating themselves with Gurdjieff sprouted throughout the Western world in the 1980s and 1990s. They presented many different faces to spiritual seekers attracted to their Gurdjieffderived teachings: Some organizations are like Protestant sects dissenting from what they feel is an atmosphere of frigid severity and timid spiritual conventionality within the Gurdjieff orthodoxy. Others have been formed with more goodwill and imagination than direct or indirect connection with Gurdjieff. Some groups are just plain imitators; others are probably sincere . . . Certain organizations promulgating what they claim to be fourth way teaching have not been above the cult phenomena of rationalized violence, coercion, and sexual exploitation, but this has been relatively uncommon. What usually afflicts Gurdjieff-inspired groups is a sort of muddled stagnation and humorless rigidification, not outright banditry. (16)

The countless groups throughout the world who are studying and attempting to practise Gurdjieff’s teachings fall into a number of broad categories:

•

Groups authorized by and under the direction of the Gurdjieff Foundation, based in North America, South America, Europe, Australia and elsewhere

•

Groups led by students who studied with the Gurdjieff Foundation but who have not been mandated by the Foundation to teach independently

•

Groups led by individuals who were students of direct pupils of Gurdjieff

•

Groups led by individuals with no direct line of transmission from Gurdjieff or his students but who claim they are “inspired” by Gurdjieff and his ideas

•

Groups who combine Gurdjieff studies with other spiritual traditions

•

Groups which are essentially leaderless and take the form of informal reading and discussion circles

•

Groups and individuals who associate themselves with Gurdjieff’s name for commercial or financial gain

4

•

Groups run by individuals who use Gurdjieff’s name and style of teaching as a means to exploit others

The fragmentation of Gurdjieff’s teaching by so many different groups and organizations has raised concern both within and outside the Gurdjieff community. Critic Robin Amis argues that the current manifestation of the Work is merely a “mechanical reiteration” of Gurdjieff’s original teaching and has failed to produce any teacher of Gurdjieff’s magnitude. His claim is probably true to some degree, although it can be argued that many current Work teachers are able to transmit Gurdjieff’s teachings effectively even though they have not attained Gurdjieff’s degree of spiritual development. (17) It is unclear what qualifications are required to transmit Gurdjieff’s teachings, since there is no formalized chain of transmission that is universally recognized by all segments of the Gurdjieff community. Teachers associated with the Gurdjieff Foundation are the most likely to have received instruction from individuals who worked with Gurdjieff or his direct pupils. However, many other leaders of current Gurdjieff groups are either selfappointed or base their knowledge merely on study from books. (18) Others, although grounded in the ideas, have only limited first-hand experience with Gurdjieff’s exercises and practices. The landscape of the Work has been populated by both officially sanctioned groups guided by the Gurdjieff Foundation and a conglomeration of self-proclaimed teachers, groups, centres, organizations and websites. Non-aligned groups typically promote themselves through public forums, retreats, videotapes and DVDs, newsletters, journals, books and websites. Contemporary groups of both stripes have been accused of secretiveness, sectarianism, incessant gossip and “Work-faced funereal solemnity” and bear virtually no resemblance to the vibrant way in which Gurdjieff projected his teachings to his groups: “In its seriousness and sobriety, the typical Work group today bears more resemblance to a Quaker meeting than to the master’s vodka-laced banquets.” (19) What period of study is sufficient to allow one to master the complexities of Gurdjieff’s teaching and to effectively transmit them to others is an open question. John Bennett comments on the difficulty of selecting and training potential group leaders for the Work: His pupils are generally agreed that at least seven years of intensive training are needed to form a group leader. The majority of those who attempt this training fall by the way or become so acutely aware of their own defects that they refuse to take responsibility for others. In consequence, those who have at different times accepted the task of guiding others have been overworked and overstrained. Dependence upon highly trained and rarely equipped teachers is a serious defect for which it is difficult to see a remedy. (20)

There may be inherent dangers in becoming involved with a group led by someone who has not been properly trained. (21) The techniques used by some “teachers” to transmit Work ideas can have a powerful and potentially negative effect on students if not properly 5

employed: “It has been reported that in an effort to provide the ‘friction’ or difficulties that are deemed necessary to the Work, ‘teachers’ have made their unwitting students endure extreme periods of sleeplessness, fasting, silence, irrational and sudden demands, extraordinary physical efforts, and so on.” (22) A more extreme distortion of the Gurdjieff group dynamic occurs in the case where the leader manipulates students for ego satisfaction or personal gain. (23) Some of these groups have all the characteristics of a cult. (24) Psychologist Charles Tart warns of the dangers of becoming involved in such groups: Gurdjieff’s ideas readily lend themselves to authoritarian interpretations that turn work based on them into cults (in the worst sense of the term), giving great power to a charismatic leader . . . Some of these leaders are deluded about their level of development but are very good at influencing others. Some are just plain charlatans who appreciate the services and money available from devoted followers. It is dangerous to get involved with any group teaching Gurdjieff’s ideas. It may be led by a charlatan, it may be only a social group with no real teaching effect, it may be riddled with pathological group dynamics that hurt its members. (25)

Although some Gurdjieff-inspired groups have exhibited cult-like characteristics, this appears to be the exception rather than the rule as “they have been manifested at the margins of the teaching, where it is in contact with the ordinary world. These deflections, however noxious, have had their use in that they have served to test a seeker’s sincerity, intent and discrimination.” (26) The majority of credible Gurdjieff groups remain close to Gurdjieff’s original intent, and appear to bring significant benefits to their participants. (27) Most groups meet privately and avoid publicity and proselytizing, consistent with Gurdjieff’s caution that esoteric ideas are prone to distortion if they are shared too soon or indiscriminately. Legitimate groups carefully screen and even discourage certain people from approaching the Work. Personal responsibility, sincere self-study and engagement with everyday life are actively encouraged. (28) The challenging, uncompromising and “adult” qualities of the authentic Work set it apart from many other spiritual paths: “It’s an extremely difficult way: if it is approached wrongly or by a temperament which is not suited to it, there is a risk it may disrupt more than it may help.” (29) C.S. Nott, who studied with Gurdjieff for many years, warns of the unexpected challenges inherent in the Work and the necessity for a genuine commit-ment to the path of self-study and self-knowledge: Many people now are becoming interested in Gurdjieff’s Teaching, and most want just to be interested. When their vanity and self-love begins to be hurt, as it must in any real group, pupils take offense and leave. Yet those who can compel themselves to see themselves as they are, whatever the suffering, reap a rich reward – they begin really to live, they become the twice-born. The practice of this Teaching, which at first appears easy, ‘just 6

what I was looking for,’ is the most difficult thing in the world. Everything is against – both inside and out – the knowing of ourselves, against efforts to be conscious of ourselves . . . but by following the path and crossing the bridge a man receives blessings beyond price. (30)

The Enneagram Phenomenon

The enneagram symbol has been singled out from the whole body of Gurdjieff's teaching for special attention. Over the last three decades the enneagram has gained favour with psychotherapists, self-help groups, business consultants and New Age enthusiasts, and has entered the cultural mainstream through lectures, workshops, conferences, audio and video tapes, books and articles. Gurdjieff’s name or photo is often associated with these ventures to establish credibility and authenticity. Today the enneagram symbol is something of a cultural icon, adorning jewelry, clothing and coffee mugs, and appearing in films, music videos and books. Very few who are familiar with the enneagram know that it originated from the teachings of Gurdjieff. He first presented the enneagram to his Moscow and St. Petersburg pupils in 1916. While he taught that the enneagram was a unique and special symbol, Gurdjieff did not reveal its source: “This symbol cannot be met with anywhere in the study of ‘occultism,’ either in books or in oral transmission. It was given such signifi-cance by those who knew, that they considered it necessary to keep the knowledge of it secret.” (31)

7

The symbol integrates two of Gurdjieff’s most important cosmological principles: the ‘Law of Three’ and the ‘Law of Seven.’ Gurdjieff linked the enneagram to the assimilation of food, air and sensory impressions and the position of the planets within the solar system. Many of his sacred dances and Movements were based on the patterns of the enneagram. Gurdjieff referred to the enneagram as a universal symbol which synthesizes and helps interpret knowledge: “The enneagram is the fundamental hieroglyph of a universal language which has as many different meanings as there are levels of men.” (32) Gurdjieff emphasized that only initiates in genuine esoteric schools knew how to interpret the enneagram and understand its symbolism: The knowledge of the enneagram has for a very long time been preserved in secret and if it now is, so to speak, made available to all, it is only in an incomplete and theoretical form of which nobody could make any practical use without instruction from a man who knows. In order to understand the enneagram it must be thought of as in motion, as moving. A motionless enneagram is a dead symbol; the living symbol is in motion. (33)

Nothing was publicly known about the enneagram until the publication of P.D. Ouspensky’s In Search of the Miraculous in 1949. Although the symbol was discussed in several books written by students of Gurdjieff during the next two decades (Maurice Nicoll, Rodney Collin, Kenneth Walker, John G. Bennett), it remained virtually unknown in metaphysical circles until the late 1960s. Oscar Ichazo, a Bolivian esotericist, is generally credited with introducing to the West a theory of personality based on the enneagram. Ichazo travelled widely throughout the East in the 1950s and 1960s studying mystical teachings. In 1968, he presented what he termed “the enneagon of the fixations” to a group in Arica, Chile. One year later a number of prominent psychologists and psychotherapists gathered in Arica for intensive training in the enneagram and other esoteric ideas under the direction of Ichazo. One of the participants, Dr. Claudio Naranjo, carefully studied the personality typology associated with the enneagram, but broke with Ichazo and did not complete the training. Naranjo returned to the United States and further developed the ideas into a system, the “enneagram of personality,” which he taught to classes in the San Francisco area in the 1970s. He explicitly requested that group members not teach his ideas publicly without his permission. But, within a few years, students of Naranjo began to teach the enneagram personality system in classes and workshops, and starting in the 1980s a steady stream of books devoted to the enneagram began to appear in print. The symbol gained further prominence when the personality typology based on it was linked to the diagnostic categories of the American Psychiatric Association (DSM schemata) and the traditional Seven Deadly Sins of Christianity. It became a topic of study at Jesuit theological seminaries, especially at the University of California at Berkeley and Loyola University in Chicago.

8

Central to the enneagram-based theory of personality is the identification of nine basic personality types, each of which is generally identified by a number from one to nine. Various interpretations of these nine types led to the formation of different schools of thought, resulting in doctrinal disputes and questions surrounding the qualifications of those teaching the enneagram typology. Meanwhile, Ichazo, who established the Arica Institute in New York in the 1970s, where he further elaborated his idea of “character fixations,” denounced Naranjo and strongly criticized the burgeoning enneagram movement as “dogmatic and irrational.” Ichazo became involved in bitter legal battles with the Jesuit community and authors of enneagram books over copyright to the enneagram personality system, cases which he eventually lost in court. The orthodox Gurdjieff community watched these developments with a sense of disapproval and growing unease. They were alarmed at the way the esoteric enneagram symbol was reduced to the level of a simplistic descriptor of human personality not unlike newspaper sun-sign astrology: “The symbol’s exterior form has been copied without the smallest grasp of its interior dynamic: a conceptual instrument developed to transport objective ideas, is flatly reproduced as a means for coaxing down some personal advantage.” (34) Those involved with the Gurdjieff Work had a number of objections to the popularization of the enneagram as a psychological tool. The first concern was the lack, in most cases, of any acknowledgement of Gurdjieff as the source of the enneagram. The enneagram teachers were also criticized for ignoring the established tradition of esoteric transmission which prohibits students from teaching esoteric ideas without authorization. (35) Another concern was that “seed” ideas become impotent when isolated from the greater teaching of which they are an integral, though limited, part. Teachers from other spiritual traditions have also warned of the danger of fragmenting comprehensive teachings by focusing on one concept. (36) A final objection is the relatively shallow use of the enneagram as a map of personality types rather than as a means of spiritual development. (37) Gurdjieff could clearly foresee how symbols like the enneagram were susceptible to misuse, and warned that they must be understood in the proper context: In the hands of the incompetent and the ignorant, however full of good intentions, the same symbol becomes an ‘instrument of delusion’ . . . Symbols which are transposed into the words of ordinary language become rigid in them, they grow dim and very easily become ‘their own opposites,’ confining the meaning within narrow dogmatic frames, without giving it even the very relative freedom of a logical examination of a subject. (38)

9

Gurdjieff’s words foreshadow the contemporary misuse of the enneagram as a mere personality descriptor or mysterious occult symbol. Today, the enneagram’s multiple levels of meaning and inter-dependent relationship with a comprehensive system of spiritual ideas are largely ignored.

Challenges Facing the Work

In the transmission of a spiritual teaching, especially following the death of its leader, there are inevitable challenges and significant turning points. John Pentland, whom Gurdjieff entrusted to direct the Work in America, believed that there were critical stages in the development of an esoteric teaching where the life and inner dynamic of the teaching must be redefined and reinvigorated or else it will die. The current period with the widespread proliferation of Gurdjieff groups, books and websites, may present just such a challenge: “There are so many great forces at play now in the Gurdjieffian ‘world’ – so many different visions, or lack of vision; so many different agendas at so many levels, so many opportunities to lose the thread, to become identified with some confining perspective; so many people who do not see the scale of the difficulty but feel nevertheless that they are chosen to ‘protect the faith’.” (39) Gurdjieff’s current successors and supporters are faced with the dilemma of how to carry on his legacy in a way that remains faithful to his original intent yet is responsive to the changing circumstances and possibilities of the contemporary world. Gurdjieff studies today take many forms (academic, institutional, experimental, organic) each of which presents its own particular challenges. Gurdjieff derided a strictly intellectual approach to higher knowledge as merely “pouring from the empty into the void.” Nevertheless, in the contemporary world no subject, no matter how esoteric, is immune to some form of academic study and assessment and the Gurdjieff Work is no exception. Academic-based Gurdjieff studies generally take the form of books, monographs, scholarly articles, conferences, discussion groups and websites. Very few working in the field have any actual experience of the Work and their perspective is clearly a “view from outside.” (40) The pedagogical or ivory tower approach to Gurdjieff’s teachings has been characterized by his followers as “a destination often fatal to the transmission of essential meaning.” (41) At the other end of the spectrum are those who have been entrusted by Gurdjieff and his direct successors to preserve the Work in the form and manner in which it was transmitted by him. Yet the task of preserving the essence of an authentic spiritual path is immense and trying to maintain a teaching in its exact form may make it rigid and unresponsive to changing needs and circumstances. Robert de Ropp discusses this problem of “fossilization”: No matter how powerful the teacher, his followers can always be trusted to make a mishmash of his teachings and bring his world to a halt. This they generally do by creating a cult of personality around the teacher him10

self, and fossilizing everything in exactly the form in which it was given. Using this fossilized teaching they engage in mechanical repetitions of certain patterns of behavior, assuring themselves and each other that they will attain liberation and higher consciousness as long as they never, never make the slightest change in anything the master taught. But life is change, and what is appropriate for one period is not necessarily valid for another. So all this effort to hold on to certain forms only results in the arrest of development. (42)

The Gurdjieff Foundation and its affiliates are organized in an essentially hierarchical pyramid structure where authority flows from the top to the bottom. Critics have accused the Foundation of institutionalized secrecy, rigidity, insularity, control and “doctrinal fixations,” in their attempts to remain true to Gurdjieff’s original vision. The challenge for orthodox Gurdjieff exponents is to recognize the powerful process of “entropic descent” (described by the ‘Law of Octaves’) and try to resist this downward spiral by returning to the timeless universal heart of the teaching. Other groups and organizations have tried to counter this natural dilution of an esoteric teaching over the course of time by experimenting, adapting and innovating, often mixing Gurdjieff’s ideas with other spiritual teachings. (43) John G. Bennett in particular exemplifies the integrative, experiential approach to transmitting Gurdjieff’s ideas and practices: In the transmission of “method” Bennett introduced the cybernetic idea of “process correcting process” as a way of understanding Gurdjieff’s teaching about the deviation of the octave. In this regard, Bennett’s own voyage of discovery was an illustration. He saw that any given system that comes into operation with a group of people tends to become a law unto itself (i.e. autonomous) and gradually runs down. The only way for this not to happen was by allowing in “information” from another source. I believe he understood this in a way that cannot be equated with Ouspensky’s hope of contacting the “inner circle of humanity” – that is, the special people behind the scenes who had all the answers – but was much more pragmatic and scientific. For years many of his pupils listened to Krishnamurti – as strong a contrast to Gurdjieff as one can possibly imagine – and Bennett himself made the radical and extremely hazardous step of engaging with Subud, Idries Shah, Hasan Shushud and many others in a series of interweaving “corrections.” Decried by outsiders and critics as a mere “drunkard’s walk” it may well have been a demonstration of how to keep waking up (which one cannot do alone, anyway, according to Gurdjieff.) (44)

However, others argue that this open-ended approach can lead to abandoning the integrity and “true centre” of a spiritual teaching and creating a mishmash of teachings that leads nowhere. Innovation and creative experimentation, if they are to be productive and beneficial, require both comprehensive knowledge of potential effects and skillful application. Change for the sake of change leads to confusion and disorder. Adaptations 11

designed to make challenging esoteric teachings more comprehensible often result in the dilution and oversimplification of powerful ideas. If the Gurdjieff Work is to retain its power to transform lives, individuals with exceptional qualities will need to emerge as conscious and responsible custodians of the teaching. Those entrusted with the responsibility of keeping a teaching alive require the proper intention, knowledge and foresight. (45) They must strike a difficult but essential balance: “How to infuse the original vibration of the teaching with new forces and energies appropriate to the present era without distorting the vibration.” (46) To protect the accurate transmission of Gurdjieff's knowledge to future generations, the guardians of the Work must remember that the teaching is based upon critical thinking and personal verification. Gurdjieff insisted that his students continually question his ideas and judge for themselves the truth of his teachings based on their own personal experience. And, Gurdjieff’s teachings are not an end in themselves but a conduit to a higher level of reality and understanding. When the river is crossed the boat can be left behind: “The Teaching remains the same; its outer manifestations change. Gurdjieff, when a phase of his work had served its purpose, liquidated and began something new.” (47)

Commentary

The Mulla Nasrudin story “The Duck Soup” aptly illustrates how a viable spiritual teaching becomes progressively weakened with the passage of time: A kinsman came to see the Mulla from somewhere deep in the country, bringing a duck as a gift. Delighted, Nasrudin had the duck cooked and shared it with his guest. Presently, however, one country-man after another started to call, each one the friend of the friend of the “man who brought you the duck.” No further presents were forthcoming. At length, the Mulla was exasperated. One day yet another stranger appeared. “I am the friend of the friend of the friend of the relative who brought you the duck.” He sat down, like all the rest, expecting a meal. Nasrudin handed him a bowl of hot water. “What is this?” “That is the soup of the soup of the soup of the duck which was brought by my relative.” (48)

Many current Gurdjieff groups are undoubtedly serving the “soup of the soup of the soup” to their followers, providing a weakened taste of Gurdjieff’s original potent formula. (49) Yet even these diluted forms of the Work may serve a useful function, as Gurdjieff himself recognized: Pseudo-esoteric systems also play their part in the work and activities of esoteric circles. Namely, they are intermediaries between humanity which is entirely immersed in the materialistic life and [real] schools . . . 12

The very idea of esotericism, the idea of initiation, reaches people in most cases through pseudo-esoteric systems and schools; and if there were not these pseudo-esoteric schools the vast majority of humanity would have no possibility whatever of hearing and learning of the existence of anything greater than life. (50)

Contemporary Gurdjieff groups and teachers do not seem to be able to creatively adapt their teachings to the realities of the 21st century. (51) Gurdjieff continually modified the form and presentation of his teaching as external conditions changed. In the early Russian phase of his teaching career he utilized an occult-mystical terminology that resonated with contemporary cultural interests. In the decade following his 1924 auto-mobile accident he concentrated on preserving his teaching in written form as a legacy for future generations. The mid-1930s saw the establishment of small groups in Paris in which he worked intensively with carefully selected pupils. The final years of his life were devoted to teaching through service and example: “He adopted the role of servant, of doing for others, and reverted to simple, everyday circumstances as his tools for instruction.” (52) Jacob Needleman stresses the organic nature of a spiritual teaching which can adapt to changing circumstances and the needs of individual students: The process of awakening requires not only an understanding of the constituent forces and laws which govern man’s psyche and actions, but also a deep sensitivity to and appreciation of individual subjective needs and conditions. In other words, for an effective guidance, the principle of relativity must be recognized in the transmission of the teaching: individuals must be approached according to their respective levels of development and experience. Gurdjieff might have stressed one view to a student at a certain level of understanding and quite another view when that student had reached another level. This might give the appearance of contradiction, but in fact it was consistent in applying only those aspects of the whole teaching truly necessary at a given moment. The same principle applies to the ideas, some of which seemed more accessible at one period while others still remained to be revealed in the unfolding life of the teaching. (53)

The ability to teach in multiple modalities is one of the hallmarks of a genuine teacher. Perhaps this is the crux of the dilemma facing the current leaders of the Work. None appear to have attained the level of development whereby they can tailor their teachings to the needs of the contemporary world and the changing circumstances of ‘time, place and people.’ Most of Gurdjieff’s successors were limited in their knowledge and being and were unable to effectively teach “the method of inner development through self-sensing, self-remembering and self-observation; Conscious Labour and Voluntary Suffering, and the five strivings of Objective Morality, which are the basis for all inner work.” (54) Traditionally, an authentic spiritual teacher had passed through the various stages of inner development and was authorized to teach by his or her own teachers. This ancient tradition is largely ignored in the cultural climate of the contemporary Western world: 13

The Eastern tradition that one learns until one is permitted by a teacher to teach (an ancient tradition perpetuated in apprenticeship and the granting of degrees in the West), is not adhered to in many non-academic areas of the West. The reason for this is not far to seek. In the West, the prevailing culture’s emphasis is on haste, on getting something and passing it on . . . This has taken the form, in spiritual, psychological and other areas, of people trying to teach, to expound, to treat or cure, to communicate before they are properly fitted to do so. The fact that, in the West, anyone can set up as an expert, a teacher, a therapist or an advisor, compounds this error. (55)

Many of the contemporary “teachers” of the Work are self-appointed and lack the essential qualities to guide others on their spiritual path. They may be sincere, committed, well-versed in Gurdjieff’s teachings and generous with their time and resources. But guiding others on their own unique spiritual journey requires a sophisticated knowledge of the human psyche, and training and support from a genuine school of inner development. The Work has great transformative power, but it requires a teacher of exceptional quality to unlock its inherent potential. Gurdjieff was clearly such a teacher. Whether Gurdjieff will ever have a successor with a comparable level of mastery capable of transmitting the essence of the Work to future generations remains an open question.

NOTES

(1) William Patterson Taking With the Left Hand (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 1998), p. 40. (2) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p.129. (3) John G. Bennett Witness: The Autobiography of John G. Bennett (Tucson: Omen Press, 1974), p. 233. (4) Writer and scholar John Anthony West studied with the Gurdjieff Foundation of London for seven years and describes some of the divisions he observed in his article “Encountering Gurdjieff” in David Kherdian (ed.) A Stopinder Anthology (Mount Desert, Maine: Beech Hill Publishing, 2014, p. 58): While in the Foundation, one of the most irritating characteristics was the incessant gossip, and the internal friction between the various “schools” all claiming to be the inheritors of the “true Work.” The Foundation-ites disparaged the Bennett people, and vice-versa while the various splinter groups in America, England and Paris were all increasingly at odds with each other. Twenty-five years later, that situation has become worse, rather than better, as the splinter groups themselves split into toothpicks and then matches. It seemed so unnecessary and I, like so many, wondered why it had to be like this. 14

(5) James Moore Gurdjieff: The Anatomy of a Myth (Rockport, Massachusetts: Element Books, 1991), p. 370. (6) Jacob Needleman describes the structure of the Gurdjieff Foundation in the web document “G.I. Gurdjieff and His School” (www.gurdjieff.org/needleman2.htm): The main centers of study remain Paris, New York and London because of the relatively large concentration of first-generation Gurdjieff pupils in these cities. Most of the groups maintain close correspondence with the principal centers, usually in relationship to one or two of the pupils who travel to specific cities in order to guide the work of these groups. The general articulation of these various groups, both within America and throughout the world, is a cooperative one, rather than one based on strictly sanctioned jurisdictional control. There are also groups who no longer maintain close correspondence and operate independently.

(7) J. Needleman “G.I. Gurdjieff and His School” (www.gurdjieff.org/needleman2.htm) (8) J. Needleman “G.I. Gurdjieff and His School” (www.gurdjieff.org/needleman2.htm) (9) See Walter Driscoll, ed. Gurdjieff: An Annotated Bibliography (New York: Garland, 1985). (10) Don Hoyt “The Movement of Transmission” (www.gurdjieff.org/editorial.7-1.htm) (11) Anthony Blake, a longtime student of John Bennett, articulates the position that Gurdjieff’s teachings should not be limited to orthodox Gurdjieff groups in his article “A View of the Work in the Year 2000” in David Kherdian (ed.) A Stopinder Anthology (Mount Desert, Maine: Beech Hill Publishing, 2014, pp. 15-16): Now that “the work” is in the public domain and no longer just for the privileged few – as it was up until fifty years ago – what it is must change. I have always valued Bennett’s honesty and open-mindedness in this regard, while remaining suspicious of his utopian dreams for social reform. He always emphasized that the work was not anyone’s possession, including Gurdjieff’s. He saw the substance of the work in the perfection of doing and that people who had never heard of Gurdjieff can be “in the work” more than those who identify themselves with Gurdjieff’s ideas. The criterion for “belonging” to the work is not dependent in fact on any line of transmission from the past, but concerns the nature of the present moment. When “the work” manifests in the present moment, it does so in a unique and creative way and one has then a natural affinity with others who have come to this moment. Gurdjieff put it in his own inimitable way by saying, “If a man can make shoes one can talk to him.” Doing anything well is the price of admission.

15

(12) James Moore, author of the biography Gurdjieff: The Anatomy of a Myth, was cast out of the Gurdjieff Society of London in 1994 after penning an article in a scholarly journal (“Moveable Feasts: The Gurdjieff Work” Religion Today, Volume 9(2), 1994) which sharply criticized both innovations introduced by Jeanne de Salzmann emphasizing meditative sitting and a passive opening to higher energies and the 1992 revision of Beelzebub’s Tales to His Grandson spearheaded by de Salzmann and senior leaders of the New York Foundation. Interestingly, the revision was also met with a strong negative reaction by many Work groups and teachers, notably A.L. Staveley of Two Rivers Farm, Oregon. (13) Dr. Michel de Salzmann succeeded his mother as head of the Institut Gurdjieff in Paris following her death in 1990. During the next decade, until his death in 2001, he convened a number of international conferences in Europe and America to coordinate the activities of disparate Gurdjieff groups. However, some felt uncomfortable with his succession as it seemed to solidify the existence of an “extensible dynastic line.” (14) Anna Challenger Philosophy and Art in Gurdjieff’s Beelzebub (Amsterdam: Rodopi, 2002), p.114. (15) Scholar Anna Challenger explores these issues in Philosophy and Art in Gurdjieff’s Beelzebub (Amsterdam: Rodopi, 2002, p.114): Gurdjieff frequently emphasized that no living organism, such as a teaching is, remains in a state of stasis: all organic systems are perpetually in flux, either decaying or evolving, degenerating or regenerating; but nothing living remains of its own accord in a stable state over time. And only devolution occurs mechanically according to the natural laws of entropy. “Each teaching is subject to the ravages of time unless great care is taken in maintaining the original vibration.”

(16) Kathleen Speeth The Gurdjieff Work (New York: Jeremy Tarcher, 1989), p. 113. (17) Some practitioners of the Work point to the apparent inability of contemporary Fourth Way teachers to tailor their teaching to the individual requirements of their students. Francois Stahly examines this problem in his essay “An Exacting Way” in Jacob Needleman and George Baker, eds. Gurdjieff: Essays and Reflections on the Man and His Teaching (New York: Continuum, 1996), p. 413: To my knowledge, today nobody in the teaching allows himself to intervene directly with people, in a different way for each one. A specific shock, destined for a certain person, such as are described in the writings about Gurdjieff – I don't see anyone practicing that today.

16

(18) Gurdjieff himself clearly indicated that it was not possible to transmit the essence of his teaching by or from books alone. (19) Richard Smoley and Jay Kinney Hidden Wisdom (New York: Penguin/Arkana, 1999), p. 224. (20) John G. Bennett Witness: The Autobiography of John G. Bennett (Tucson: Omen Press, 1974), p. 246. (21) Gurdjieff biographer James Webb warns of the possible adverse effects of Fourth Way psychological methods when applied by a leader who is only partially developed in The Harmonious Circle: The Lives and Works of G.I. Gurdjieff, P.D. Ouspensky and Their Followers (Boston: Shambhala, 1987, pp. 567-568): For the Work to work, the pupil must be hit from his blind side; indeed part of the process will be to point out that he has a blind side . . . The Work operates by surprise attack, and if this attack is overdone, it may merely shock the pupil into a position of dependence which he or she will never be able to break. There must have been numerous unfortunates temporarily or semi-permanently warped for ordinary life by their experiences in the Work.

(22) Joel Friedlander “The Work Today” Gnosis No. 20, Summer 1991, p. 40. (23) Frank Sinclair, a past president of the Gurdjieff Foundation of New York, with many years experience observing various Work groups, writes in Without Benefit of Clergy (Xlibris, 2005, p. 15) that many group leaders are “subject to weaknesses and sins, not to speak of downright ignorance, appalling self-conceit, unexamined arrogance, and presumptuous elitism: how many there are who profess to have been ‘specially prepared’ and singled out (often only by themselves) to carry the torch.” (24) An example of a cult masking as a Fourth Way group is the Gurdjieff Ouspensky Center, also known as the Fellowship of Friends. The organization refers to its studies as a Gurdjieff/Ouspensky teaching (although Ouspensky is clearly their major inspiration) and claims that it has expanded the scope of these teachings by introducing cultural and philosophical material from the world’s great spiritual traditions and thinkers. This organization differs from most Gurdjieff groups in their active recruitment of followers; and there have been a number of serious allegations about the organization and in particular the leader of the movement, Robert Burton. See James Moore “Gurdjieffian Groups in Britain” (Religion Today, Volume 3(2), 1986, pp. 1-4), Theodore Nottingham “The Fourth Way and Inner Transformation” (Gnosis No. 20, Summer 1991, p. 22) and William Patterson Taking With the Left Hand (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 1998). (25) Charles Tart Waking Up: (Boston: Shambhala, 1986), pp. 288-289.

17

(26) William Patterson Taking With the Left Hand (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 1998), pp. 9-10. (27) Fourth Way author John Shirley believes that Gurdjieff’s teaching is still vibrant and responsive to humanity’s current needs. In Gurdjieff: An Introduction to His Life and Ideas (New York: Jeremy Tarcher, 2004, p. 274), he writes: The benefits of the Gurdjieff Work are quite real . . . People working on themselves keep things more in perspective in times of crisis . . . and they don’t identify so easily with every apparent insult or emotional upset that comes along. Objective about themselves, they’re likely to be more compassionate to other people, and that benefits everyone.

(28) Jacob Needleman discusses these qualities in the web document “G.I. Gurdjieff and His School” (www.gurdjieff.org/needleman2.htm): By voluntarily subjecting oneself to such a work of self-study, the student may come to realize that not only is one responsible for one’s own work, and that on one level the student can and must rely only on himself or herself but also that on a larger scale the student is entirely dependent on the help of others similarly engaged . . . Related to this orientation is the basic Gurdjieff idea of a “Way in Life.” As practiced by the Foundation, it means that the student seeks to understand life as it is, without attempting to alter anything in the name of inner development. Relationships to family, vocation, personal ties, and obligations are, at least to start with, left intact both for the material they provide for self-understanding and for the ultimate value and force that all human relationships contain when they are engaged in with a more central and harmonious attention.

(29) Francois Stahly “An Exacting Way” in Jacob Needleman and George Baker, eds. Gurdjieff: Essays and Reflections on the Man and His Teaching (New York: Continuum, 1996), p. 412. (30) C.S. Nott Journey Through This World (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1969), p. 248. (31) P.D Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 287. (32) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 294. (33) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 294. (34) James Moore “The Enneagram: A Developmental Study” Religion Today Vol. 5(3), 1990, p. 3. 18

(35) Claudio Naranjo concurred with this position in an interview published in Gnosis magazine (“The Distorted Enneagram: The GNOSIS Interview with Claudio Naranjo” Gnosis No. 24, Fall 1996, p. 24.): You ask me what I think about the enneagram being taught “outside the laws of the oral tradition” and “reduced to a mere psychological point of view.” Certainly no one in the genuine esoteric tradition would think of teaching without permission to do so; and such permission traditionally does not come from years alone, courses taken, or passing exams, as in secular universities. It surely requires personal readiness and right relationship to the teacher.

(36) Idries Shah writes in The Commanding Self (London: Octagon Press, 1994, pp. 286287) that: It is, however, only if you are in harmony with the meaning of the enneagon (and the great diagram of which it is a part) that you can know what you are looking for. Merely to seek familiar representations for an enneagon which you can recognize by its shape as your ‘enneagram’ is ridiculous. Numbers and diagrams are meaningful to us only when we are associated with their reality.

(37) Gurdjieff described the distinction between essence and personality in a conversation with his students recorded by C.S. Nott in Teachings of Gurdjieff: The Journal of a Pupil (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1962, p. 65): Essence is everything that we are born with: heredity, type, character, nature; essence is the real part of us. Essence does not change . . . Personality is an accidental thing, which we begin to acquire as soon as we are born; it is determined by our surroundings, outside influences, education, and so on; it is like a dress you wear, a mask; an accidental thing changing with changing circumstances. It is the false part of man.

(38) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), pp. 283-284. (39) Frank Sinclair Of the Life Aligned (U.S.A.: Xlibris, 2009), p. 20. (40) Scholarly studies of Gurdjieff’s life and his teachings are not without value and should not be summarily dismissed. Many students of the Work have written or edited books based on original research and utilizing standard academic methods of investigation and reporting [Rodney Collin The Theory of Celestial Influence; John G. Bennett Gurdjieff: Making a New World; James Moore Gurdjieff: The Anatomy of a Myth; William Patterson Ladies of the Rope; Paul Beekman Taylor Gurdjieff and Orage: Brothers in Elysium; Keith Buzzell Explorations in Active Mentation; Jacob Needleman The Inner Journey: Views From the Gurdjieff Work]. A number of independent scholars have also made meaningful contributions to the 19

Gurdjieff corpus [James Webb The Harmonious Circle; Michel Waldberg Gurdjieff: An Approach to His Ideas; Charles Tart Waking Up; Anna Challenger Philosophy and Art in Gurdjieff’s Beelzebub]. (41) Frank Sinclair Without Benefit of Clergy (U.S.A.: Xlibris, 2005), p. 224. (42) Robert de Ropp Church of the Earth (New York: Delta Books, 1974), pp. 156-157. (43) Adaptation and innovation would seem at first glance to be a most promising approach. A meaningful spiritual teaching should be responsive to the needs of contemporary humanity and relevant to the social and cultural frameworks of the time. In the words of Charles Tart (Waking Up (Boston: Shambhala, 1986, p. 247)): To be effective, a Fourth Way teacher has to transcend fixed forms. To simply lecture in a traditional way in “time-honored” words or to perform demonstrations or exercises the way “it has always been done” is often to lose much effectiveness. Individuals can be very different from one another. The general structure of people’s consensus consciousness in the same culture can vary greatly from generation to generation. A formulation or exercise that was very effective for your own teacher or for you may now work well for some people but be completely ineffective or even misleading for others.

(44) Anthony Blake “A View of the Work in the Year 2000” in David Kherdian (ed.) A Stopinder Anthology (Mount Desert, Maine: Beech Hill Publishing, 2014, p. 13 (45) Anna Challenger has carefully explored the possible future direction of the Work in Philosophy and Art in Gurdjieff’s Beelzebub (Amsterdam: Rodopi, 2002, p. 115): The only viable option, then, for those who would preserve this extraordinary body of lived wisdom and keep it flowing along the lines of its original vibration, is continually and consciously to rethink, regauge, and reapply it; or, in the words of Lord Pentland: “It means organizing it; and re-organizing it; and re-organizing it, in accordance with the appearance of new pressures and forces in the environment, both from very high up and from the general environment.”

(46) Anna Challenger Philosophy and Art in Gurdjieff’s Beelzebub (Amsterdam: Rodopi, 2002), p. 114. (47) C.S. Nott Journey Through This World (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1969), p. 249. (48) Idries Shah The Sufis (London: Octagon Press, 1984), p. 61. (49) C.S. Nott comments about this situation in Journey Through This World (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1969, pp. 248-249): 20

As a body of real ideas spreads and more people become interested, groups increase, and they have to be organized. The ‘Teaching’ is one thing, organization another. There must be organization but inevitably some become identified with it, become identified with their own attitude to what they call ‘the Work’; some even forget what the organization is for. This is also according to law. But serious strivers, while recognizing the necessity for regulations, can remain unidentified with organization and remember their real aim. Where the soil is rich weeds grow in plenty. Already there are appearing those who profess to expound Gurdjieff’s ideas and to teach the movements – people who do not have the smallest idea of the inner teaching; whom Gurdjieff calls ‘stealers of essence values.’

(50) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 313. (51) Some argue that Gurdjieff’s teachings were transmitted and intended for certain people, in a certain form, at a certain time and for a specific purpose. Idries Shah describes the inability of most current Work practitioners to make the teaching relevant to contemporary times in Knowing How to Know (London: Octagon Press, 1998, p. 120): People take ‘ideas’ which were intended to be ‘prescribed’ for specific situations and groups to enable them to learn. These they imagine are ‘laws’ or perennial truths. The result is a mechanical system which is next to useless.

(52) Anna Challenger Philosophy and Art in Gurdjieff’s Beelzebub (Amsterdam: Rodopi, 2002), p. 9. (53) Jacob Needleman “Introduction” in Jacob Needleman, ed. The Inner Journey: Views from the Gurdjieff Work (Sandpoint, Idaho: Morning Light Press, 2008), pp. xx-xxi. (54) C.S. Nott Journey Through This World (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1969), p. 238. (55) Idries Shah The Commanding Self (London: Octagon Press, 1994), p. 6.

21

WRITINGS1

Gurdjieff left an enduring legacy of great value for future generations in the form of his writings, Movements and sacred dances, and music. In a sense, these three facets of his teaching represent a living expression of the ‘law of three,’ whereby the Movements can be equated with the active, affirming force, music with the passive, receptive force and his writings with the reconciling, harmonizing force. Each form engages all three aspects of the human being while focusing their centre of gravity in one primary function: Movements (body), music (feelings) and writings (mind). But the full appreciation and ability to receive the spiritual nourishment inherent in each form requires the active, simultaneous participation of all three functions in a state of harmonious balance. The written teachings imparted by Gurdjieff and his students have their roots in ancient oral traditions. The storytelling traditions of the Middle and Far East, which greatly influenced Gurdjieff in his search for objective knowledge, are essentially an oral transmission of esoteric knowledge. In the context of a spiritual teaching, oral transmission is an example of a direct conscious influence from one person (teacher) to another (student). But such an oral teaching, which plays a primary role in many of the world’s spiritual traditions, is often misunderstood: It is not simply a question of words spoken, rather than written down. The oral tradition may here be seen to be the entire work of often invisible psychological, social and physical conditions created by a master, not the least of which is the specific, often silent intensity of the atmosphere created by the being of the teacher and the community of pupils. It is an indispensable aspect of all spiritual transmission. (1)

Gurdjieff was introduced to the oral transmission of ancient knowledge by his father, who was a renowned ashokh (bard, storyteller), and clearly assimilated various oral teachings from many different spiritual traditions during his extended search for esoteric knowledge. With his students, Gurdjieff placed great significance on a direct transmission of higher knowledge from teacher to pupil, believing that the inner sense of certain ideas and exercises could only be communicated in the context of oral tradition: A definitive characteristic of a living teaching or way is that it cannot be found in any book. Many books may make us sensitive to the existence of the path and help us find the threshold, but rare are those which can go further to serve as a precise map for orientation along the way . . . The word “teaching” should refer strictly to a direct relational experience that takes place in the presence of a teacher, in particular through oral transmission. (2) 1

Updated 2017/07/07

1

Students have reported how Gurdjieff would privately share teachings and exercises with individuals or small groups based on their current situation and level of spiritual development. In these encounters he would provide specific teachings, exercises or tasks, challenge and shock pupils, or redirect their efforts along more productive lines. Gurdjieff was always careful to stress to his students that they should not share the teachings and exercises he transmitted to them: “This that I tell you is for you alone, and it must not be discussed with other people.” (3) Gurdjieff’s oral instructions made a deep impression on his students: He would speak with the exactitude of an old and experienced physician prescribing treatment to his patients, choosing his words very carefully and talking in grave and convincing tones. At such times, his words fell on our ears with immense weight for they seemed to be backed not only by his own wisdom, but by the authority of a long line of unseen and unknown teachers stretching back into a distant and misty past. (4)

When Gurdjieff began writing in the mid-1920s, he would have drafts of his chapters read aloud to his students. In many ways his writings, especially Beelzebub’s Tales to His Grandson, are constructed in a way that mirrors the storytelling and oral traditions of his past. He placed great importance on the proper cadence, rhythm and pronunciation of the often complex words and sentences comprising the text. (5) Readings of Gurdjieff’s three series of writings, All and Everything, remained a mainstay of his teaching until his death in 1949. Today, the Gurdjieff Foundation includes group readings of Beelzebub’s Tales and Meetings with Remarkable Men as well as oral teachings transmitted by senior students to novice practitioners, as essential components of the Work: “The Gurdjieff Work remains above all an oral tradition, transmitted under specially created conditions from person to person, continually unfolding, without fixed doctrinal beliefs or external rites, as a way towards freeing humanity from the waking sleep that holds us in a kind of hypnotic illusion.” (6) In keeping with Work tradition, these ‘inner work’ oral teachings are communicated strictly under the supervision of the Foundation and are not shared with the general public. In the early phases of his teaching, before his serious automobile accident in 1924, Gurdjieff transmitted his ideas through lectures, discussions, conversations and individual instruction. To focus their attention on the immediate content of his talks, he did not allow students to take notes. But records of his teaching during this period have survived and form the basis of many of the books written by his students which were published following his death: A few far-sighted listeners – with astonishing powers of memory and in most cases without Gurdjieff’s knowledge – made notes afterwards, either alone or with some of the others, of whatever they had heard. The notes kept by different people were gradually collected and have been compared, translated where necessary, and tested by reading them aloud to some of those who heard the original talks. Incomplete as they are, even fragmentary

2

in some cases, they are an authentic rendering of Gurdjieff’s approach to work on oneself, as it was developed informally at the necessary moment. (7)

While some of the accounts of Gurdjieff’s pupils have been published and have entered the public domain, others remain unpublished in national, university and private libraries. During Gurdjieff’s lifetime, unpublished records of his talks and meetings were quietly circulated among his closest pupils and drafts of his writings were regularly read aloud by his students. With the exception of The Herald of Coming Good, which was privately printed in 1933 and withdrawn by the author a year later, none of Gurdjieff’s writings were published during his lifetime. The first authoritative, comprehensive exposition of Gurdjieff’s vast system of psychological and cosmological ideas, P.D. Ouspensky’s In Search of the Miraculous, appeared in print in October 1949, shortly before Gurdjieff’s death. In 1950 Beelzebub’s Tales was published in New York by Harcourt Brace and in London by Routledge & Kegan Paul. Meetings with Remarkable Men was published in 1963 by Dutton and Routledge & Kegan Paul and the third series, Life is Real Only Then, When “I Am,” was issued in 1975 by Triangle Editions. Accounts and memoirs by Gurdjieff’s pupils began to appear in print shortly after his death and have continued unabated to the current day. There are now hundreds of books and countless articles devoted to Gurdjieff’s life and teachings. The corpus of literature by and about Gurdjieff may be placed into four general categories:

• • • •

Books written by Gurdjieff himself Books written by students of Gurdjieff Books, monographs and articles produced by outside observers, journalists, scholars, critics and current ‘Work’ students Biographies of Gurdjieff

A number of guides and annotated bibliographies of this literature have been published (8), the most extensive and reliable being Walter Driscoll’s Gurdjieff: An Annotated Bibliography.

Writings of Gurdjieff

Following his serious automobile accident in July 1924, Gurdjieff decided to transmit his teachings in written form in a series of books. He recounts how his accident forced him to completely change his previous teaching plans: “Since I had not, when in full strength and health, succeeded in introducing in practice into the life of people the beneficial truths elucidated for them by me, then I must at least, at any cost, succeed in doing this in theory, before my death.” (9) During his recovery period after the accident, Gurdjieff planned the design, structure and content of his future writings. He began formally writing in December 1924 and 3

continued almost without interruption until May 1935, when he suddenly stopped writing altogether. Gurdjieff typically wrote in pencil in ruled notebooks, fuelled by strong black coffee, cigarettes and Armagnac. Although he sometimes composed quietly in his room at the Prieuré or outdoors on the terrace, his preferred location was in a public place like the Café de la Paix in Paris or the Café Henri IV in Fontainebleau. During motor trips with his students he would frequently stop and write by the roadside or at neighbourhood cafés and restaurants. He completed a rough draft of his first series of writings, entitled Beelzebub’s Tales to His Grandson, in 1927 but decided to rewrite the manuscript and it was not until 1930 that it was more or less finished. He began his second series, Meetings with Remarkable Men, in 1928 and completed it in the early 1930s. He turned his attention to a third series, Life is Real Only Then, When “I Am,” but left it unfinished when he decided to stop writing altogether in May 1935. There are a number of different accounts by his pupils of the process of writing, translating and editing his texts. The general sense is that Gurdjieff wrote brief notes in Armenian which led to extended dictations in Russian to a pupil or secretary, usually Olga de Hartmann. These were then roughly translated into English or French by Russian- or Armenian-speaking pupils and then sent to noted English editor and literary critic A.R. Orage in New York for a more polished translation. When the first draft of Gurdjieff’s writing was sent to Orage in 1925, he was “baffled” and they were returned as “completely unintelligible.” Subsequent efforts were more successful, and soon Orage was an enthusiastic editor. Gurdjieff continued to write prodigiously, but in 1927 he realized that the first version of Beelzebub’s Tales was completely inaccessible and incomprehensible to anyone but the most perceptive and discerning student. Virtually no one who had read or heard the manuscript could fathom his intended meaning, and he decided to completely rewrite the text. By 1930 he was satisfied with a provisional typescript and had 102 copies privately printed. But he continued to revise the manuscript as he carefully observed listeners’ reactions to oral readings of the book: If Gurdjieff had Beelzebub’s Tales read aloud to his pupils and the meaning was too readily understood, he would alter the offending passage in the book, lengthen his already endless sentences, and conceal entirely the already obscure symbolism. “Must dig dog deeper,” he would say; and his students would have to scrabble for the bone. (10)

Finally, in January 1949 in New York City, Gurdjieff announced to his students that he had decided to publish Beelzebub’s Tales. Some of his followers were against the decision, arguing that there were numerous mistakes, grammatical errors and faulty punctuation, and that the text required proper editing. But Gurdjieff disagreed: “It is a rough diamond. There’s not time now to edit it. It will have to go.” (11) Beelzebub’s 4

Tales was eventually published in February 1950, followed by Meetings with Remarkable Men in 1963 and Life is Real Only Then, When “I Am” in 1975. Gurdjieff stipulated that his writings should be read in order, as it was important to be acquainted with earlier works before proceeding to later ones. And in the opening to the first series, “Friendly Advice,” he counselled his readers: Read each of my written expositions thrice: First – at least as you have already become mechanized to read all your contemporary books and newspapers; Second – as if you were reading aloud to another person; And only third – try to fathom the gist of my writings. Only then will you be able to count upon forming your own impartial judgment, proper to yourself alone, on my writings. And only then can my hope be actualized that according to your understanding you will obtain the specific benefit for yourself which I anticipate, and which I wish for you with all my being.

Gurdjieff made it clear that the explicit aim of his writings was to transmit his teachings to future generations, what he called a ‘Legominism.’ Each of his books was written for a different purpose, as is reflected in the writing style and terminology of each. In his preface to the first series, he describes his intention: FIRST SERIES: To destroy, mercilessly, without any compromises whatsoever, in the mentation and feelings of the reader, the beliefs and views, by centuries rooted in him, about everything existing in the world. SECOND SERIES: To acquaint the reader with the material required for a new creation and to prove the soundness and good quality of it. THIRD SERIES: To assist the arising, in the mentation and in the feelings of the reader, of a verifiable, nonfantastic representation not of that illusory world which he now perceives, but of the world existing in reality. Gurdjieff intended his writings to challenge readers by demanding “special attention, time, dedication and real effort to master his style, to separate allegory from fact, as well as truly absorb his new and difficult ideas – both spiritual and practical – so as to use them as tools for self-study.” (12) His writings were designed to operate on many levels and touch all aspects of the human being: The principal aim of Gurdjieff’s writings was not to provide historical information, but to serve as a call to awakening and as a continuous source of guidance for the inner search that is the raison d’être of his teachings. His writings are cast in forms that are directed not only to the intellectual function but also to the emotional and even subconscious sensitivities that, all together, make up the whole of the human psyche. His writings therefore demand and support the search for a finer quality

5

of self-attention on the part of the reader, failing which the thought contained in them is unverifiable at its deeper levels. (13)

Although the three series of All and Everything were published posthumously, Gurdjieff did make one abortive effort to publicly disseminate his ideas during his lifetime. In September 1932, he began hastily crafting The Herald of Coming Good, subtitled “First Appeal to Contemporary Humanity.” It contained the first public information about Gurdjieff’s life and search for esoteric knowledge, including the fact that at one time he was a professional hypnotist and used some of his early pupils as guinea pigs for his “experiments.” Some of his current followers were shocked and appalled by this revelation. The book was eccentrically written and replete with preposterous and unverifiable assertions. Gurdjieff was unable to find a publisher and distributed copies privately to his followers and to journalists. The latter quickly dismissed its “abysmal” literary quality and some even characterized it as “the work of a man who was no longer sane.” Even some of his own followers reached the same conclusion: “Hundreds of copies were sent to Ouspensky who had them burned (hypothesizing that the author had contracted syphilis and gone mad).” (14) Gurdjieff later had regrets about publishing it: “If you have not yet read this book entitled The Herald of Coming Good then thank the circumstances and do not read it.” (15) Beelzebub’s Tales to His Grandson, Gurdjieff’s magnum opus, is considered by his followers and many others as a masterpiece of spiritual literature and “the first truly comprehensive modern myth.” Its 1200-plus pages are a vast and epic platform for the transmission of his profound psychological and cosmological ideas: This book is without doubt one of the most extraordinary books ever published. Its title is no exaggeration, for the book not only touches on all and every conceivable subject, but it also is all and everything – that is, a collection of science fiction tales, an allegory, a satire, a philosophical treatise, a sociological essay, an introduction to psychology, a cryptogram and, for those who follow Gurdjieff’s teaching, a bible. It is a highly unusual mixture of entertainment and esotericism, humor and seriousness, obscurity and clarity. (16)

Yet when Beelzebub’s Tales was first published in 1950, it was ridiculed and misunderstood by literary critics who described the book as “unreadable,” “insufferable nonsense” and “a paranoid fantasy.” However, over the last 60 years critical perceptions have changed, and Beelzebub’s Tales is now recognized by many in the literary and academic worlds as a monumental achievement. The book takes the form of a science fiction epic in which, on a long spaceship journey, the wise fallen angel Beelzebub imparts to his young grandson Hassein his understanding of the “peculiar three-brained beings” living on Earth. In a series of extended visits to the planet ranging from prehistoric to current times, Beelzebub provides 6

“an objectively impartial criticism” of the human condition and the direction of conscious evolution and spiritual awakening. Embedded in the vast narrative, in encoded form, are Gurdjieff’s fundamental psychological and cosmological ideas, with special attention paid to the Law of Three and the Law of Seven. Beelzebub’s Tales operates on many levels, from the literal to the purely symbolic and allegorical. One of the great challenges for the reader is to distinguish the one from the other. In the first chapter of the book, “The Arousing of Thought,” Gurdjieff warns against taking all that he writes as literal. And clearly, some of the assertions he makes in Beelzebub’s Tales are not to be taken seriously (“the sun neither lights nor heats” and “apes descended from humans”).

In a conversation recorded by Ouspensky, Gurdjieff stipulated that esoteric knowledge cannot be transmitted strictly through logic or ordinary language: “The people who have possessed objective knowledge have tried to express the idea of unity in ‘myths,’ in ‘symbols,’ and in particular ‘verbal formulas’ which having been transmitted without alteration, having carried on the idea from one school to another, often from one epoch to another.” (17) In Beelzebub’s Tales Gurdjieff used a variety of linguistic devices (myth, allegory, metaphor, symbolism, parable, aphorism and pictorial image) to reach the inner world of the reader or listener. He took advantage of paradox, contradiction, ambiguity and repetition to disrupt automatic patterns of thinking, reasoning and assessment. He also employed other non-linear techniques such as wit and humour in his narrative, often by quoting wise sayings from the legendary Eastern “wise fool” Mullah Nassr Eddin. Gurdjieff’s style of writing was deliberately challenging to the reader or listener: The periods are few and far between, and to reach Gurdjieff’s meaning, the reader has to hack through a jungle of verbiage apparently arranged so as to lose him in a thicket of subordinate clauses. The whole is spiced with Gurdjieff’s cumbrous sense of humor and flavored with terms coined from every language under the sun . . . this book can have no casual reader as it is frankly impenetrable. (18)

His often outlandishly long sentences are laden with subsidiary clauses and parenthetical ideas that require a great effort of attention on the part of the reader to discern their meaning. At first sight these digressions appear rambling and disconnected, but closer study adds new insights and dimensions to the ideas being explored. Further complicating the matter is Gurdjieff’s ample use of odd-sounding neologisms (invented words) like ‘soliakooriapa.’ While some of the roots of these multisyllabic words are sometimes traceable (e.g. ‘Triamazikamno’ where tri = three), generally their overt meaning escapes easy comprehension. Gurdjieff’s unusual vocabulary and sentence structure forces the reader to abandon normal verbal associations, open up to new ideas and possibilities, and develop fresh perspectives. Anna Challenger argues that Gurdjieff chose his challenging writing style

7

based on his belief that the harder people worked for something the more they would benefit: The casual reader, first confronted with the intimidating length of the work and then prevented from easily understanding it because of the difficult style and idiosyncratic terminology, is in no position either to agree or disagree, accept or reject what is written. The struggle that takes place in the reader of Beelzebub’s Tales is with his or her inner nature: whether to take the easier path of giving way to the law of inertia, justifying the decision on the basis of the length and extreme difficulty of the work, or whether to make the effort of will required by the task of trying to fathom such a writing . . . Gurdjieff’s insistent style demands constant affirmation from the reader and each affirmation results in a victory of will over inertia. In this way, Gurdjieff creates the possibility for the reader to strengthen will and create being. (19)

Perhaps the greatest challenge in reading and understanding the book is its richness of content and multiple levels of meaning. In a talk to his students in 1943, Gurdjieff addressed this point: It is a very interesting book. Everything is there. All that exists, all that has existed, all that can exist. The beginning, the end, all the secrets of the creation of the world; all is there. But one must understand, and to understand depends on one’s individuality. The more man has been instructed in a certain way, the more he can see. Subjectively, everyone is able to understand according to the level he occupies, for it is an objective book, and everyone should understand something in it. One person understands one part, another a thousand times more . . . In Beelzebub there is everything, I have said it, even how to make an omelet. Among other things, it is explained; and at the same time there isn’t a word in Beelzebub about cooking. (20)

Gurdjieff recommended reading Beelzebub’s Tales at least three times before trying to “fathom the gist” of it. Repeated and attentive reading of the book yields progressively deeper insights and understanding, especially if one avoids premature interpretations and the tendency to evaluate the text from the standpoint of habitual associations and previous knowledge: Gurdjieff advised us to read, reread and then read this Book again many, many times. Read it aloud with others and read it to yourself. Even if you read it thirty, even fifty times, you will always find something you missed before – a sentence which gives with great precision the answer to a question you have had for years – a connection to quite another part of the Book. You will eventually build up a network of real ideas that will be your own knowledge, not second-hand, but the priceless, hard-won fruit of your own struggle for understanding. (21)

8

A revised edition of Beelzebub’s Tales to His Grandson was published in 1992, initiated and directed by Jeanne de Salzmann in collaboration with senior members of the Gurdjieff Foundation. It was based on the “greater ease of expression” of the 1956 French translation and study of the original Russian manuscript, which was eventually published in 2000 by Traditional Studies Press of Toronto. The stated purpose of the revision was to render a somewhat simpler and more contemporary English version than the original 1950 publication: “to clarify the verbal surface while respecting the author’s thought and style.” (22) The publication of the new edition was controversial in Work circles. The editors of the new version were criticized for their failure to consult with other Gurdjieff groups and for the perceived liberties they took with the original English manuscript. In retrospect, the controversy seems somewhat overblown. The new edition closely follows the original text in most places, with relatively minor stylistic and cosmetic changes which modify some of the more awkward sentence structures and recasts the cultural and time- bound expressions of Gurdjieff’s teachings in a more contemporary framework. The general consensus is that both versions are reliable, but that the original 1950 translation should be considered the definitive exposition of Gurdjieff’s teachings. A number of commentaries on Beelzebub’s Tales have been written by students of Gurdjieff and by scholars. (23) Commentaries by students, especially A.R. Orage and John G. Bennett, naturally carry more weight, as they were directly involved in Gurdjieff’s work and have a deeper appreciation and understanding of the ideas he was trying to convey in his book than independent observers. At their best, the commentaries can offer insightful observations, illuminate certain passages and chapters and provide fresh avenues to explore. Readings from Beelzebub’s Tales formed an important part of Gurdjieff’s teaching to his groups in France, England and America for almost 25 years. Today, they continue to be a mainstay of the activities of the various groups associated with the Gurdjieff Foundation as well as other independent groups and organizations. Generally, discussion of the meaning of the book is discouraged, as it tends to dilute the direct impact of reading or hearing Gurdjieff’s own words. The second series, Meetings with Remarkable Men, was completed by Gurdjieff in the early 1930s but not published until 1963, in part because at that time interest in Gurdjieff and his teachings was rapidly growing throughout the world. Meetings is much more readable and easier to approach than Beelzebub’s Tales. On the surface, it seems like a grand adventure through exotic lands, cultures and times: It is an adventure based on the extraordinary early life of G.I. Gurdjieff and his search through remote and uncharted regions for those ancient truths which might serve to develop the consciousness of contemporary man. It receives its substance from the exciting and often deeply moving accounts of those who reared and trained him, and of those who shared his unusual journey. It is an adventure of the mind – growing, being formed, setting 9

out after inner knowledge, discovering it and putting it to the test of practice. Thus, it is an adventure in two worlds, and it will be the reader’s delight and enrichment to discern where one world ends and the other begins. (24)

But the book also reflects deeper levels, as it blends autobiography, travelogue, parable and allegory to tell the story of his childhood, education and travels in search of ancient esoteric knowledge. The autobiographical content may not be entirely factual and many of the details are impossible to verify. He was not alone in his search, as he was accompanied by a group of fellow seekers – doctors, priests, archaeologists, engineers – who were called the “Seekers of Truth.” Following a lengthy introduction, the book is structured as a series of stories, each chapter titled with the name of one of the “remarkable men” he knew in his early life, including his father, companions of early adulthood and fellow seekers. The various characters of the narrative are presented almost as role-models, each remarkable for a certain characteristic or quality – courage, endurance and perseverance in the face of difficulties, ingenuity, resourcefulness, overcoming laziness, self-restraint, tolerance, compassion. Yet each has normal human weaknesses and failings. They worked with the normal circumstances of everyday life to create within themselves a new level of being. All were serious seekers who were not easily satisfied with the answers they received for their burning spiritual questions. Whether these remarkable men (and one woman) ever existed is open to question, and they may represent composite portraits of individuals Gurdjieff met in the course of his travels who illustrate fundamental human types and their individual searches for spiritual truth. The foundation of the book is the nature of the search for objective truth, the obstacles preventing a full actualization of our latent spiritual possibilities, and the means to accomplish this sacred task. In Meetings Gurdjieff provides “the material required for a new creation” that would lead to the development of being, presence and conscience congruent with the reality of everyday life and appropriate for the conditions of our contemporary world. The book ends with a lengthy epilogue, “The Material Question,” that was added to the original manuscript. It is an account of Gurdjieff’s response to a question at a meeting in New York City in 1924 about how he financed his extensive searches for esoteric knowledge and the establishment of his Institute. With frank honesty Gurdjieff reveals the considerable ingenuity, versatility and sustained initiative that he exercised in order to achieve his aims. In the late 1970s, Jeanne de Salzmann and senior members of the Gurdjieff Foundation initiated a Work project to create a film adaptation of Meetings with Remarkable Men. Directed by Peter Brook, the full-length feature film was commercially released in 1979.

10

In the early 1930s Gurdjieff began work on the third series of All and Everything, which he titled Life is Real Only Then, When “I Am” (the title itself teaches). In May 1935 he suddenly stopped writing; the manuscript was never completed and part of it was lost. (25) Many of Gurdjieff’s followers have wondered why his last work was left unfinished. In the Foreword to the third series Jeanne de Salzmann writes: Why did Gurdjieff prepare only a few chapters – to which he attached a special significance – and then completely stop writing in order to devote himself to a small group of pupils, with whom he worked until the end? . . . Gurdjieff had an indirect way of making people feel the truth. He only gave out these chapters to be read aloud at a precise moment in his presence, to a particular group, or to certain persons he had designated, bringing them suggestions or images which made them face themselves and their inner contradictions. This then, was no longer the teaching of the doctrine, but the incarnate Presence of a knowledge, of a reality, which touched one directly and inevitably evoked a response. After this, the chapters were put away. (26)

Gurdjieff did not feel that it was absolutely necessary to publish the third series and instructed Mme de Salzmann shortly before his death: “To publish the Third Series is not necessary. It was written for another purpose. Nevertheless, if you believe you ought to do so one day, publish it.” (27) The book is very revealing about Gurdjieff’s inner life, as he describes some of the struggles and intense suffering he experienced to realize his aim. A lengthy prologue and introduction are followed by five chapters dealing primarily with A.R. Orage’s New York groups and the shocks administered by Gurdjieff to reorient the direction of their work. The enigmatic final chapter, “The Inner and Outer World of Man,” ends in mid-sentence and, according to John Bennett, were the last words Gurdjieff ever wrote. Gurdjieff intended that the third series be made available only to selected individuals who had thoroughly assimilated the contents of his earlier books. Mme de Salzmann discusses his purpose in writing the third series: Gurdjieff had not intended it for publication. It had other ends to serve. Moreover, he never finished writing it, considering that it had already played its part – which was to show to his more advanced pupils, who could understand because it was their own question, the personal subjective sufferings, moral and physical, through which a man must pass; and what he must, in spite of everything, sacrifice if he would attain the aim that he had set himself and that needs to be stronger than all else. Furthermore, he never read any of it to unprepared people. Only the pupils who had been with him the longest could understand. (28)

A final book, although not written by Gurdjieff, expresses his teachings in his own words. Views From the Real World: Early Talks of Gurdjieff, published in 1973, is a collection of 40 wide-ranging talks and lectures given by Gurdjieff to his students between 1917 and 1930. Collected by Jeanne de Salzmann, the talks were reconstructed from the 11

memories of students (who were not permitted to take verbatim notes) and verified for authenticity by Olga de Hartmann, who was present at all the meetings. The words issuing from the pages of the book are clearly Gurdjieff’s authentic voice and have an unmistakable power, as we hear how he directly instructed his students and outlined his approach to work on oneself. The volume also contains a long essay, “Glimpses of the Truth,” briefly mentioned in Ouspensky’s In Search of the Miraculous, and written by one of Gurdjieff’s Moscow pupils around 1914. Although not as definitive an expression of his teachings as his written works, Views From the Real World serves as excellent supplementary reading for those familiar with his ideas.

Books Written by Students of Gurdjieff

Books and memoirs by Gurdjieff’s primary students are second in importance only to Gurdjieff’s own writings. The books span a 35-year period of work and study with Gurdjieff, from 1914 to 1949, and range in geographical setting from Russia to New York City. Collectively, these voices create a composite portrait of their teacher and his mission, and show the staggering depth and power of the ideas and the teaching techniques employed by Gurdjieff to reach the innermost consciousness of his students. Although the accounts of students often seem, in the words of James Webb, “like a series of disconnected snapshots,” others sense an underlying element behind the variety of impressions: It is therefore not surprising that the personal accounts about Gurdjieff can have such a diversity of expression. But all of them – although they often fall into awkward misinterpretations, or gossip, or even vanity and name-dropping – give flashes or flavors of the same fundamental experience. One cannot remain indifferent to the intimate happenings of these accounts. And depending on the reader’s own capacity to separate the wheat from the chaff, he can find some wonderful glimpses of Gurdjieff. (29)

The books penned by Gurdjieff’s pupils focus primarily on either the ideas or on personal interactions and learning experiences provided by their teacher. Some combine both aspects. By far the best exposition of the theoretical side of the teaching is P.D. Ouspensky’s In Search of the Miraculous, which presents Gurdjieff’s psychological and cosmological teachings clearly and in great depth. Many of the theory books which followed, by Maurice Nicoll, Kenneth Walker, C.S. Nott, John G. Bennett and others, closely mirrored Ouspensky’s presentation and, with the exception of Nicoll’s five volume Psychological Commentaries on the Teaching of Gurdjieff and Ouspensky, added little that was new. The more personal memoirs of pupils capture the flavour of Gurdjieff’s style of teaching and provide insights into how he taught through example, working with the ordinary events of daily life, and challenging his students’ conditioned mechanical 12

behaviour. The latter, as many students have testified, involved “treading heavily on the most sensitive corns of everyone he met.” (30) There is, however, a subjective component to their narratives, as Gurdjieff worked with each pupil individually according to their temperament, needs and level of development:

Scores of personal accounts of the impression made by Gurdjieff on those who worked with him for many years, or even met him only casually, have appeared in books and periodicals. Each is necessarily subjective, for Gurdjieff was an enigma presenting a different face to every person and to every occasion . . . The principal reason why personal impressions have so little value is that Gurdjieff was from start to finish a seeker experimenting with different ways of living and behaving and with different means for accomplishing his life’s work. (31)

Selective memory and factual inaccuracy also enter into each student’s account. Paul Beekman Taylor documents “erroneous dates and movements, speculation based on hearsay evidence and unfortunately pure invention.” (32) He specifically identifies Fritz Peters, C.S. Nott and John G. Bennett as sources of exaggerations, subjective interpre-tations of events and factual transgressions. Gurdjieff’s level of being and spiritual development also impacted the nature of his relationships with pupils and their recollections of interactions with him: Another aspect, and not the least as regards the specific character of Gurdjieff’s teaching, was the special awakening influence conveyed by his own presence. All who approached him on a right basis were unforgettably marked by it. Though he certainly made a strong impact on people in general, it is particularly interesting to consider the different and special relationships that he established with his pupils . . . The only purpose of an authentic teacher is to awaken others. And this awakening always takes place through laws – simple but difficult to apply – according to which real consciousness awakens consciousness just as true love awakens love. (33)

A further complicating factor was Gurdjieff’s frequent role-playing or “conscious acting,” following his admonition to “outwardly play a role but inwardly remain free.” Many of his students admitted that they did not really know him. (34) First-hand accounts of Gurdjieff’s encounters with his pupils shed light on the sophistication and variety of means he employed to awaken them to their higher possibilities: “According to traditional conceptions, the function of a master is not limited to the teaching of doctrines, but implies an actual incarnation of knowledge, thanks to which he can awaken others, and help them in their search simply by his presence.” (35) One of the most interesting aspects of these books is their clear illustration of how

13

Gurdjieff’s teaching methods changed in response to the requirements of ‘time, place and people,’ while remaining faithful to the inner essence and dynamic of the Fourth Way: What was furthermore remarkable was his way of teaching and addressing each one according to his particular capacities, inadequacies, and needs. He evidently gave Ouspensky more material about ideas than most of the others; with Thomas de Hartmann, the Russian composer, he specially developed a certain work on music; with some others he went more deeply into the study of the flow of energies through intensive work on various exercises and “sacred movements.” Along with the conditions provided in common, everyone received an appropriate food. More generally speaking, near him there seemed to be no limits for transforming daily life into meaningful conditions for inner work. (36)

Before his death there was only a scattering of articles about Gurdjieff and his teachings in newspapers, periodicals and the occasional book chapter penned by writers and journalists. His pupils generally remained silent. But in October 1949, with Gurdjieff’s authorization, Ouspensky’s In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching was published. When the typescript was first read to Gurdjieff, he was astonished, as Ouspensky had captured in print exactly what he had been taught: “It was as if I hear myself speaking.” (37) In Search of the Miraculous was destined to become the most comprehensive and accessible record of Gurdjieff’s teaching by a pupil. Ouspensky’s level of objectivity and honesty is remarkable. He presents the psychological and cosmological ideas in a specific sequence, often elaborating in later passages. In Search is unparalleled in its descriptions of authentic group work and the nature of the teacher-pupil relationship. Many Work teachers recommend that students read In Search before tackling the more challenging Beelzebub’s Tales to His Grandson.

Thomas and Olga de Hartmann were among Gurdjieff’s earliest students and accompanied him on a perilous journey from Russia across the Caucasus mountains to Tiflis. Thomas de Hartmann collaborated with Gurdjieff in hundreds of musical compositions, and his wife served as his secretary and personal assistant for many years. Their intimate, poignant memoir Our Life with Mr. Gurdjieff is considered a classic of the Gurdjieff literature. In simple yet moving prose they share their vivid experiences with Gurdjieff and how he used every conceivable event in life for inner work and self-understanding. Fritz Peters, from the age of eleven, lived for four years at Gurdjieff’s Institute in France. Peters viewed Gurdjieff, for whom he had great respect and affection, and daily life at the Prieuré, through the eyes of a boy. His account of those years reveals Gurdjieff’s natural rapport with children and his insistence on a practical education which developed all sides of their being. Boyhood with Gurdjieff, with its humour, innocence and colourful impressions, is unique in the literature surrounding Gurdjieff.

14

Englishman Charles Stanley Nott studied with both Ouspensky and Gurdjieff, but clearly regarded the latter as his real teacher. He wrote two important books, Teachings of Gurdjieff: The Journal of a Pupil, published in 1961, and Journey Through This World, published in 1969. The first book also contains a valuable set of notes on A.R. Orage’s commentaries on Beelzebub’s Tales. Nott had travelled the world working at many trades, and brought a different background to his studies with his two teachers than many of their more intellectual followers. The books powerfully convey both his inner and outer experiences with Ouspensky and Gurdjieff, especially the intensity of working under the guidance of Gurdjieff, for whom he felt a deep bond and appreciation throughout his life. In the 1930s Gurdjieff formed a women’s group in Paris that became known as “The Rope.” (38) Two of its members were the writers Margaret Anderson and Kathryn Hulme, famous for her novel The Nun’s Story. Both wrote memoirs of this period: Anderson, The Unknowable Gurdjieff and Hulme, Undiscovered Country. Their detailed accounts of their parallel experiences with Gurdjieff richly evoke the atmosphere of his Paris flat, with its otherworldly ambience, splendid meals and searching conversations. The two books convey how Gurdjieff worked with the emotional centre and challenged his students to observe and overcome their conditioned selves, in part by the perceptive nicknames he gave each of the members of The Rope. The books show how Gurdjieff was able to work with all types of students and adapt his teachings to the possibilities of the situation. During the 1930s and 1940s Gurdjieff worked intensively with a number of French groups. One of his students was the gifted writer and spiritual seeker René Daumal. During that time, he wrote the unfinished masterpiece Mount Analogue, inspired by Gurdjieff’s teachings, but not published until 1959. This brilliant allegory describes the experiences of a group of men and women searching for and ascending a sacred mountain together. Their many perils and adventures are metaphors for the stages and challenges of the spiritual path. During the German occupation of France in the 1940s, film director René Zuber studied with Gurdjieff and recorded his impressions and experiences in Who Are You, Monsieur Gurdjieff? Zuber was deeply affected by Gurdjieff’s challenging teachings and enigmatic presence. His artful observations illustrate how Gurdjieff spontaneously taught through everyday life experiences and interactions and dialogues with his pupils, exposing their mechanical reactions and automatic patterns of behaviour. Noted French surgeon Jean Vaysse studied Gurdjieff’s teachings under the supervision of Jeanne de Salzmann for over 25 years and was authorized to lead groups of his own. In Toward Awakening he examines some of the central psychological concepts of the teaching from a fresh perspective and illuminates them with practical examples from everyday life. Of special interest is his chapter discussing specific exercises in attention leading to heightened awareness of bodily sensations.

15

In 1941 Solange Claustres was introduced to Gurdjieff by Jeanne de Salzmann, and worked closely with him until his death in 1949. Since that time, she has conducted Movements classes in Europe and America and led her own Work groups. Although encouraged by Mme de Salzmann to write about her experiences with Gurdjieff, she was reluctant, and her first book, Becoming Conscious with G.I. Gurdjieff, was not published until 1999 in France – later translated into English in 2005. Her memoir is a testament to her deep understanding of Gurdjieff’s practical teachings and provides real insight into how he worked with his pupils to lead them to a realization of their current state and the possibilities that awaited them when they awakened to their real natures as conscious human beings. In this important Work book, she weaves accounts of her experiences with Gurdjieff with descriptions of the Movements and discussions of his inner exercises and psychological teachings. Her meeting with Gurdjieff in 1941 changed her life forever: “I want to bear witness in my writing to my profound gratitude to this man who nourished me in such a substantial way.” (39) One of the most perceptive accounts of Gurdjieff’s work with individuals and groups in the period following the Second World War is Annie Lou Staveley’s Memories of Gurdjieff. Staveley studied with Jane Heap in London for two decades and, along with other members of the group, met Gurdjieff for the first time in 1946. Her slim volume wonderfully captures the atmosphere of Gurdjieff’s Paris flat and his ingenious methods of teaching his students, often in subtle, indirect ways that would not normally be recognized as a spiritual teaching. When asked by someone, “What do you teach?” he responded “I wish you to know that when rain falls streets are wet.” (40) Gurdjieff attracted a number of notable students from England, each of whom also worked with Ouspensky for extensive periods of time. Jungian psychiatrist Maurice Nicoll met Ouspensky in 1921 and studied with Gurdjieff at the Prieuré. In 1931 Ouspensky gave him permission to teach, and he led groups in England until his death in 1953. He wrote hundreds of weekly papers, letters and commentaries for members of his groups. These were later collected for the five-volume Psychological Commentaries on the Teachings of Gurdjieff and Ouspensky. The volumes are very focused and exact in their description of Work ideas and provide many practical insights into how to work with the teachings. When the books were published in the 1950s they were warmly received by Jeanne de Salzmann, Gurdjieff’s principal successor following his death. Nicoll possessed a brilliant mind and his own original books such as The New Man and Living Time are excellent and highly recommended. (41) Kenneth Walker was a London physician who studied with Ouspensky for 24 years before meeting Gurdjieff in 1948. Walker was immediately struck by Gurdjieff’s presence and vast knowledge. He wrote three well-received books, Venture with Ideas, A Study of Gurdjieff’s Teaching and The Making of Man, which combine autobiograph-ical content, important elements of the teachings he received from Ouspensky and Gurdjieff, and personal reminiscences of the two men. Walker’s intelligence, keen perception and good sense radiate throughout these books.

16

John G. Bennett worked briefly with Gurdjieff at the Prieuré and more extensively in the late 1940s, following many years of study with Ouspensky. He produced a number of books and numerous monographs on Gurdjieff and his teachings. His most significant books, and most useful from a Work perspective, are Gurdjieff: Making a New World, Witness and Idiots in Paris. The first is an in-depth, extensively researched study of Gurdjieff’s life and mission, the sources of his teaching and a discussion of many of his most important ideas. It is undoubtedly Bennett’s best book. Witness is an autobiography that includes a number of revealing chapters on his experiences with Gurdjieff. Idiots in Paris combines the diaries of Bennett and his wife Elizabeth to chronicle their life-altering experiences with Gurdjieff in 1948-49. John Pentland was a member of the British aristocracy who met Ouspensky in 1936, but later admitted that his years of study with him had yielded nothing of real value. That changed when he met Gurdjieff in 1948 and they soon developed a fruitful teacherstudent relationship. Gurdjieff appointed Pentland to lead the Work in America follow-ing his death; this he did with distinction, serving for many years as president of the New York and California Gurdjieff Foundations and guiding many pupils in their Fourth Way studies. Exchanges Within is a collection of his talks and dialogues during meetings with students covering a span of many years. The emphasis is more on the practical, exper-iential side of the Work than on the theoretical underpinnings. Pentland’s insightful analysis of the role of attention, sensation and flow of energy in the process of human transformation are especially helpful for the serious student. Jacob Needleman is a professor of philosophy at San Francisco State University and a longtime student of the Work. He has edited two excellent collections of writings by direct students of Gurdjieff and others who have studied his teachings. Gurdjieff: Essays and Reflections on the Man and His Teaching, co-edited by George Baker, is an impressive volume of scholarly studies, discussions of Gurdjieff’s music and Movements and portraits of personal teaching encounters with Gurdjieff. The latter form the heart of the book, and include many previously unpublished accounts by pupils such as Solange Claustres, Michel Conge, Pauline de Dampierre, Marthe de Gaigneron, Henriette Lannes, Genevieve Lief and Henri Tracol. The Inner Journey: Views from the Gurdjieff Work, published in 2008, is an anthology of articles selected from the journal Parabola: Myth, Tradition and the Search for Meaning. The collection is broad in scope and interweaves the writings of Gurdjieff and Ouspensky with contributions by many senior Work practitioners such as Peter Brook, Margaret Flinsch, Christopher Fremantle, John Pentland, Ravi Ravindra, Paul Reynard, Michel de Salzmann, William Segal and P.L. Travers. The volume is a significant addition to the Gurdjieff literature and shows the growing influence of Gurdjieff’s ideas in the contemporary world. Jeanne de Salzmann is widely regarded in Work circles as Gurdjieff’s greatest student. Before he died he entrusted her with the preservation and continuation of his teachings, a task she performed admirably until her death in 1990 at the age of 101. The Reality of Being, published in 2010, is based on notebooks of her reflections on Gurdjieff’s teachings over the course of many decades, carefully edited by a small group of her family and 17

followers. The chapters are arranged according to themes which give the book a unifying structure. The Reality of Being is unlike any other book in the Gurdjieff literature and potentially ranks with Beelzebub’s Tales to His Grandson, Meetings with Remarkable Men and In Search of the Miraculous as a masterful exposition of the nature of ‘work on oneself.’ De Salzmann makes only passing reference to the theoretical side of Gurdjieff’s teachings, instead focusing on the central core of the practical work of self-observation, self-remembering, attention and flow of energies throughout the organism. In a sense, the book is a contemplative inquiry into the nature of what it means to be fully human, and a testament to the depth of her spiritual understanding and development.

Secondary and Ancillary Literature

The last few decades have witnessed a proliferation of books and articles about Gurdjieff by people who in fact never met or worked with him. This literature falls into three broad categories: critical appraisals, scholarly and academic works, and offerings by practitioners of the Work who studied with direct students of Gurdjieff. As would be expected with such a wide range of written works, there is a great disparity in terms of quality, value, relevance and level of understanding of Gurdjieff and his teachings. Some books are valuable additions to the Gurdjieff corpus, while others make marginal contributions or are merely polemical axe-grinding efforts. Michel de Salzmann sounds a warning about subjective, ill-informed commentators who distort the reality of Gurdjieff’s teachings: One cannot blame premature attempts for their failure to meet an almost impossible challenge, for their failure to convey, outside its proper ground, the metaphysical essence of the teaching, which is self-realization and the correlative capability for true action. But did those responsible for these attempts ever consider that naïve and pretentious intentions in this realm could very well engender in others thought and reactions that are deeply misleading? (42)

Books penned by authors critical of Gurdjieff and his spiritual perspective tend to be the most likely to offer mystification, distortion and misunderstanding to their readers. A prime example of this approach is Louis Pauwels’ Gurdjieff, published in France in 1954. The book caused an immediate uproar in Gurdjieffian circles, and not without reason. By turns sensational, biased, indiscriminate and implausible (linking Gurdjieff with Nazi ideology), Gurdjieff can be assigned to the garbage bin of amateurish speculation. Years later Pauwels acknowledged the book’s failings, calling it a “sin of youth.” A much more sophisticated critique of Gurdjieff and his teachings is Gurdjieff: In the Light of Tradition by scholar Whithall Perry. Originally published in the journal Studies in Comparative Religion, it appeared in book form in 1978. Perry writes from the perspective of the traditionalist school of René Guenon and Frithjof Schuon, who disclaimed Gurdjieff’s Fourth Way as contrary to traditional spiritual teachings. (43) Although on the surface Perry’s arguments appear to carry weight, deeper investigation 18

reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of Gurdjieff and his work, and the book can best be classified as a polemic. Perhaps the most interesting critique of Gurdjieff and his successors is The Teachers of Gurdjieff (1966) by Rafael Lefort, widely believed to be a pseudonym of Sufi author and teacher Idries Shah. (44) Gurdjieffians immediately attacked the book as a “distasteful fabrication” and “intentionally abusive invention.” The book relates the journeys of seeker Lefort in search of the source of Gurdjieff’s teachings, concluding that they were of Sufi origin. Many of the events described in the book are factually impossible (Gurdjieff’s imputed teachers were long dead by the 1960s when Lefort reportedly met them). But John Bennett insightfully argues that the book “is recognizable as a set of fables written to express a point of view and not in any sense a factual account.” (45) A careful reading of the book reveals that Lefort regards Gurdjieff as an authentic teacher who was sent to the West to prepare the ground for a more comprehensive spiritual teaching appropriate for the 20th century. But Lefort also argues that Gurdjieff’s successors created a rigid mechanical system of ideas and practices, based on their incomplete understanding of his teachings, which conditioned people and prevented real spiritual growth. Although Gurdjieff brought a complex, thought-provoking system of psychological and cosmological ideas to the West, his teaching is essentially experiential at its heart and can lose its meaning and centre of gravity when approached from a strictly intellectual or scholastic perspective: “When this background in experience is lacking, one is unable to give the Work ideas their real weight; they become abstract, lose their depth, and are manipulated more or less happily under the sole control of subjective appreciation.” (46) The academic mind has been trained to quantify, systematize and create taxonomic categories to explain any phenomenon under study. Practical, experiential study in a field is not a necessary requirement, and when the scholarly approach is applied to esoteric and spiritual ideas it leads to an inability to properly value the subtlety and depth of these transformative teachings: We must agree that in all fields ideas can be well conveyed by properly prepared people. It is, however, evident that in the case of “experiential” disciplines, which are normally included in spiritual teachings at a very high degree of sophistication, ideas taken too literally can only lead to sterile theorizing and distortion when their symbolic or practical significance is not understood. And we should not forget that the most important part of Gurdjieff’s teaching is necessarily conveyed under the cloak of analogy and symbolism. (47)

Although scholars and academics may lack actual involvement in a living school, their work is not entirely without value and may have a useful, though limited, function in introducing the teaching to a wider audience or clarifying certain ideas and concepts by providing a fresh, quasi-objective perspective.

19

Perhaps the best example of the confluence of scholarly expertise and genuine insight is Michel Waldberg’s Gurdjieff: An Approach to His Ideas. Based on a 1966 lecture at the Musée de l’Homme in Paris, the book presents Gurdjieff’s major psychological and cosmological teachings by creatively synthesizing material from Beelzebub’s Tales and In Search of the Miraculous. Especially helpful is his treatment of the complex structure and content of Beelzebub’s Tales by a detailed analysis of key passages from the book. Waldberg’s effort has been widely applauded and his book is recommended by many Work practitioners. Waking Up, by well-known transpersonal psychologist Charles Tart, is also a useful introduction to Gurdjieff’s teachings, especially his psychological system. Tart has a solid practical grounding in Gurdjieff’s ideas and integrates them with many current findings in the fields of psychology and psychotherapy.

A third academic book of interest is Philosophy and Art in Gurdjieff’s Beelzebub by Dr. Anna Challenger. The text is an outgrowth of her PhD dissertation, and provides an in-depth and thoughtful analysis of Beelzebub’s Tales, Gurdjieff’s theory of art and the possible sources of his teaching. Her Sufi perspective colours some of her interpretations but does not fundamentally detract from her generally intelligent insights and overriding respect for Gurdjieff and his teaching mission. A final category of ancillary literature consists of works by individuals who studied with direct students of Gurdjieff. Many of Gurdjieff’s pupils were very gifted in their own right, had assimilated the essence of his theoretical and practical teachings, and were given permission by him to teach others. They passed on their knowledge to a new generation of students who in turn have shared what they have experienced and learned. These books vary widely in quality and significance. Many reflect the “law of diminish-ing returns,” whereby the transmission of a valid spiritual teaching is progressively weakened with the passage of time. But others have real substance and constitute a sig-nificant contribution to the Work. Rodney Collin was a student of Ouspensky in the 1930s and 1940s who was given a Work task to reconstruct the system of ideas he had learned from his teacher in the framework of the natural sciences and historical record. The result was The Theory of Celestial Influence, published in 1954. Collin’s vision in writing the book was to show the underlying unity and archetypal pattern of laws and influences at work at all levels of the universe. In his effort to harmonize the scientific world view with traditional esoteric teachings (principally those of Gurdjieff and Ouspensky), he explores the ideas of scale, time and dimension, the rise and fall of civilizations, physiological processes in the human body, and many other fascinating topics. Although Collin does not completely succeed in his task – partly because the scientific knowledge available to him at the time has been expanded and in some cases superseded – his ambitious book is impressive in its scope and vision and presents a universe imbued with purpose and metaphysical meaning.

20

Another author who has attempted to connect scientific concepts with Gurdjieff’s teachings is Dr. Keith Buzzell, a physician and longtime student of the Work. His primary teachers were Irmis Popoff, who studied with Ouspensky and Gurdjieff, and Annie Lou Staveley, the founder of Two Rivers Farm in Oregon. Buzzell has written a series of impressive books: Man – A Three-Brained Being, Perspectives on Beelzebub’s Tales, Explorations in Active Mentation, Reflections on Gurdjieff’s Whim and A New Conception of God. He cites as his inspiration in writing the volumes, Gurdjieff’s ‘third obligonian striving’: “To know ever more and more concerning the laws of World-creation and World-maintenance.” The focus of his books is the vast cosmological teaching presented in Beelzebub’s Tales, interpreted in light of modern scientific knowledge. The books are very challenging, offering original insights and a highly creative exploration of Gurdjieff’s central psychological and cosmological ideas. Many of his books are accompanied by exceptional, high quality diagrams and illustrations, which illuminate the text and encapsulate the complex ideas the author so carefully explores. William Patterson is a prolific writer of Fourth Way books and a student of John Pentland. Patterson has also written, directed and produced an award-winning trilogy of films on Gurdjieff’s life and mission. His first book, Eating the “I”, is a frankly autobiographical narrative of his involvement in the Work, revealing for its depiction of the tense, humourless atmosphere of the Gurdjieff Foundation of New York. Patterson is a skilled and absorbing writer who is very knowledgeable about Gurdjieff’s teachings and carefully researches and documents his books. At their best, they are major contributions to the Gurdjieff literature. Notable titles include Taking with the Left Hand, Ladies of the Rope, and his latest offering, Spiritual Survival in a Radically Changing World-Time. However, some other books, especially Struggle of the Magicians, which is sharply critical of three of Gurdjieff’s important students – P.D. Ouspensky, A.R. Orage and John G. Bennett – are less successful. The main fault of the book is Patterson’s excessive canonization of Gurdjieff and judgemental assessment of Ouspensky, Orage and Bennett, by all accounts brilliant, though flawed, students. (48) Biographies of Gurdjieff

The would-be biographer of Gurdjieff is faced with a number of daunting challenges. The first difficulty, common to many biographies of exceptional people, can be encapsulated by the dictum “the lesser cannot measure the greater.” This highlights the inherent problem for any biographer to capture in the written word a person of Gurdjieff’s great complexity, magnitude and spiritual evolution. Gurdjieff’s own personal history also poses a significant challenge to a biographer. There is virtually no independent verification of any of the events of Gurdjieff’s life before he began publicly teaching in Russia in 1912; the researcher has to rely on his own account 21

of those years in his semi-autobiographical Meetings with Remarkable Men and other writings. Factual biographical investigation and evaluation is also hindered by Gurdjieff’s decision in 1930 to burn his passports, correspondence and other items of evidentiary value. Throughout his life he made ambiguous and contradictory statements about many aspects of his life, including his age and date of birth (scholarly opinion ranges from 1866 to 1877). Some believe that Gurdjieff deliberately “covered his tracks” as an integral part of his teaching mission. Gurdjieff was also notorious for spinning wild improbable tales, playing roles and engaging in controversial, often shocking, behaviour, much in the manner of teachers following the ‘Path of Blame.’ He was quoted many times as saying that “truth can sometimes be served by lies.” Separating the reality from the “acting” and dissimulation is a major, if not impossible, hurdle for any serious biographer or researcher. Academics and biographers have often turned to Gurdjieff’s writings for valid autobiographical information, but have been confronted by the very real possibility that many of the events described in his books are more “mythological” than literal: Gurdjieff mythologized his life and so it is not possible to accept these events and dates as accurate. Each of his texts contain autobiographical material, but this is shaped according to the function of the specific text. Thus the roles that Gurdjieff presents himself playing vary in all four texts. Gurdjieff gives his readers clues to this unreliability, through anomalies and contradictions in his texts. (49)

Meetings with Remarkable Men has been the primary source of information about Gurdjieff’s early life and his search for ancient esoteric knowledge. James Moore discusses some of the challenges confronting the biographical analysis of this book: Gurdjieff confides an impressionistic version of his early manhood, unrolling the lands of Transcaucasia and Central Asia before us, even while he hints at a parallel geography of man’s psyche and the route he followed to penetrate it. Well and good on the level of essential meaning. Yet judged by more straight-laced historical criteria the book is unhelpful. The disciplined biographic mind stands aghast at its contradictions and omissions: dates quiver and dance in the heat; the hero’s footprints are lost in the shifting sand, and frequently enough the entire narrative disappears over the rim of some telling allegory. (50)

Biographers have also turned to students and followers of Gurdjieff for biographical details, but with decidedly mixed results. Some who were approached were forthcoming and supplied letters, notes, diary entries and other generally unavailable material. But others presented a palpable barrier of secrecy and silence, and were reluctant to share unpublished texts, be personally interviewed or questioned by correspondence. James

22

Webb even accuses the circle around Gurdjieff of withholding information, mystification and deliberate or unconscious distortion, creating serious problems for a biographer: They result from a deliberate policy of obstruction on the part of some of Gurdjieff’s followers. There can be no real quarrel with this, because these followers are acting in complete good faith, protecting what they see as the integrity of the ideas with which they have been entrusted. There is no reason whatever for someone to cooperate in an undertaking of which he or she may thoroughly disapprove. I have been refused permission to quote from certain unpublished writings, and it is also probable that a large quantity of potentially useful information has been withheld or suppressed. (51)

Even cooperative, well-intentioned students may be unreliable sources of historical information. Professor Paul Beekman Taylor argues that many of the accounts of Gurdjieff’s pupils are biased, misleading, contradictory, speculative and in some cases pure invention. (52) Despite these formidable obstacles, there have been a number of well-researched comprehensive biographies of Gurdjieff which, although not without flaws, contribute to a meaningful understanding of his life, teachings and spiritual significance. John G. Bennett met Gurdjieff in Constantinople in 1921, studied briefly with him at the Prieuré and later more extensively in Paris in 1948-49. Bennett’s Gurdjieff: Making a New World (1973) is not a biography in the traditional sense but has been creatively described as an “interpretive biography.” He conducted original research with the support of Gurdjieff’s family and close students and his writing is knowledgeable, informative and insightful. Even biographer James Moore, who is a frequent critic of Bennett, acknowledges the strengths of the volume: His biographical contribution Gurdjieff: Making a New World is a noble failure: its geographical, historical, and linguistic allusions are exciting; it is unsurpassed in differentiating epochs in Gurdjieff’s life; and it conveys a strong and restless interest in his purpose and evolving methods and paradigms. Bennett takes Gurdjieff’s stature and crucial importance for granted, and develops his exegesis fearlessly – as though with an eye to a 21st century which has set Gurdjieff high in the pantheon of innovative thinkers. (53)

However, Bennett’s book is certainly open to the valid criticism that some of his material concerning Gurdjieff’s travels, sources of knowledge and life mission are purely speculative and coloured by the author’s own subjective preoccupations. James Webb’s 1980 biography of Gurdjieff, The Harmonious Circle: The Lives and Works of G.I. Gurdjieff, P.D. Ouspensky, and Their Followers, has been surrounded with controversy since its publication. His 608-page tome was ambitious in scope, extensively 23

researched, and scholarly and detached in its approach. Much of the content was based on original archival research and personal interviews with many of Gurdjieff’s principal students and followers. James Moore complimented Webb shortly after the publication of his book for his “pioneer achievement.” He wrote: “Accept my sincere congratulations on your attainment: the intricate research, the scrupulous drafting, the exciting new perspectives, your patient struggle against unprecedented delays.” (54) But others have not been so kind. Paul Beekman Taylor has accused Webb of factual inaccuracies, accepting rumour as reality, refusing to reveal anonymous unpublished sources, and misquoting and misrepresenting some of the people he interviewed. Critics have also assailed Webb for taking quotations out of context, subjectively interpreting Gurdjieff’s actions and intentions, and engaging in wild unsubstantiated speculation. Webb was strongly impacted and deeply troubled by his experiences writing “a definitive biography” of Gurdjieff and his followers. By 1978, two years before the publication of his book, he was exhibiting symptoms of schizophrenia and paranoid delusions. (55) In May 1980, shortly after the publication of his biography, James Webb tragically committed suicide. James Moore’s 1991 Gurdjieff: The Anatomy of a Myth is an ambitious and wellresearched biography of Gurdjieff. Moore had previously published Gurdjieff and Mansfield in 1980, which detailed the relationship between Gurdjieff and writer Katherine Mansfield at the Prieuré shortly before her death in January 1923. Moore was introduced to Gurdjieff’s ideas by Dr. Kenneth Walker and studied at the Gurdjieff Society of London with Henriette Lannes beginning in 1956. Moore has always been something of an iconoclast and a controversial figure. He was even expelled from the London society in 1994 after writing an article in a scholarly religious journal criticizing innovations in the Work initiated by Jeanne de Salzmann and senior members of the Gurdjieff Foundation. For his biography, Moore drew upon published and unpublished sources and conducted interviews with many of Gurdjieff’s senior students. His scholarship and mastery of the English language is impressive and the book is certainly an interesting and entertaining read. Moore’s writing style is unique; and he even admits that while some readers respond “warmly” to his syntactic gymnastics, “others hate it.” His writing is replete with obscure metaphoric allusions, witticisms and dry English humour. But behind the unorthodox stylistic veneer there is a solid foundation of conscientious scholarship and thoughtful weighing of evidence. A more serious concern is the author’s unapologetic lionization of Gurdjieff which clouds his objectivity. His portrait of Gurdjieff is overwhelmingly sympathetic, leading one reviewer to describe the book as “a hagiography,” as he makes every excuse possible for Gurdjieff’s sometimes outrageous behavior.

24

The most recent biography of Gurdjieff was published in 2014. William Patrick Patterson’s Georgi Ivanovitch Gurdjieff: The Man, The Teaching, His Mission is by far the most comprehensive, well-researched and scholarly endeavor to date to describe and evaluate Gurdjieff’s life, teaching and spiritual mission. Patterson has written extensively on the Fourth Way and studied with John Pentland, who was authorized by Gurdjieff to lead the Work in America following his death. This 650-plus page volume is structured chronologically, as the author integrates oral and written accounts of Gurdjieff’s life and teaching with previously unpublished material from the library archives of some of his most important students, including P.D. Ouspensky, Kathryn Hulme and Margaret Anderson. Also included in the book is the complete scenario of Gurdjieff’s ballet The Struggle of the Magicians, and a series of essays by Ouspensky (most notably “Why I Left Gurdjieff”), other direct pupils of Gurdjieff, and Patterson himself. Patterson writes clearly and thoughtfully, and skillfully embeds the key ideas of Gurdjieff’s Fourth Way teaching within the narrative of his life. The author, much like biographer James Moore, clearly holds Gurdjieff in the highest regard and rejects any criticism of his personal behaviour or sometimes controversial teaching methods. This colours his evaluation of many of Gurdjieff’s primary students who, at times, questioned their teacher’s motivations and actions. But overall, this impressive volume is an exceptional accomplishment and sets a new “gold standard” of biographical excellence. Ultimately, a definitive biography of Gurdjieff may be an impossibility, or must await a new generation of scholars and students of the Fourth Way who can more successfully accomplish this daunting task. NOTES

(1) Jacob Needleman “Introduction” in Lizelle Reymond and Sri Anirvân To Live Within (Sandpoint, Idaho: Morning Light Press, 2007), p. xi. (2) Michel de Salzmann “Footnote to the Gurdjieff Literature” in Jacob Needleman , ed. The Inner Journey: Views from the Gurdjieff Work (Sandpoint, Idaho: Morning Light Press, 2008), pp. 165-166. (3) Kenneth Walker Venture with Ideas (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1972), p. 157. (4) Kenneth Walker Venture with Ideas (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1972), p. 157. (5) Guide and Index to G.I. Gurdjieff’s Beelzebub’s Tales to His Grandson (Toronto: Traditional Studies Press, 2003).

25

(6) Jacob Needleman “Introduction” in Lizelle Reymond and Sri Anirvân To Live Within (Sandpoint, Idaho: Morning Light Press, 2007), p. xviii. (7) “Editor’s Note” in G.I. Gurdjieff Views from the Real World: Early Talks of Gurdjieff (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1973), p. x. (8) A number of previous bibliographic compilations and guides to the literature have been published or are available on websites devoted to the study of Gurdjieff and his system. These include:

•

Walter Driscoll Gurdjieff: An Annotated Bibliography (New York: Garland, 1985

•

“Annotated Bibliography” (Gurdjieff International Review, 1998) www.gurdjieff.org/bibliography4.htm

•

James Moore “Gurdjieff: The Man and the Literature” (Gurdjieff International Review, Fall 1998, Vol. II No. 1) www.gurdjieff.org/moore1.htm

•

Walter Driscoll “An Introduction to the Writings of G.I. Gurdjieff” (Gurdjieff International Review, Fall 1999, Vol. III No. 1) www.gurdjieff.org/driscoll3.htm

•

Michel de Salzmann “Footnote to the Gurdjieff Literature” in Jacob Needleman, ed. The Inner Journey: Views from the Gurdjieff Work (Sandpoint, Idaho: Morning Light Press, 2008)

(9) G.I. Gurdjieff Life is Real Only Then, When “I Am” (New York: Triangle Editions, 1975), p. 4. (10) James Webb The Harmonious Circle: The Lives and Work of G.I. Gurdjieff, P.D. Ouspensky, and Their Followers (Boston: Shambhala, 1987), p. 430. (11) C.S. Nott Journey Through This World (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1969), p. 242. (12) Jessmin and Dushka Howarth It’s Up to Ourselves: A Mother, A Daughter, and Gurdjieff (New York: Gurdjieff Heritage Society, 2008), p. xiv. (13) Jacob Needleman, ed. “Introduction” to The Inner Journey: Views from the Gurdjieff Work (Sandpoint, Idaho: Morning Light Press, 2008), pp. xxi-xxii. (14) James Moore Gurdjieff: The Anatomy of a Myth (Rockport, Massachusetts: Element Books, 1991), p. 249. (15) G.I. Gurdjieff Life is Real Only Then, When “I Am” (New York: Triangle Editions, 1975), p. 50. 26

(16) Terry Winter Owens and Suzanne Smith “A Commentary on Beelzebub’s Tales” (Gurdjieff International Review, Winter 1997/1998, Vol. I No. 2) www.gurdjieff.org/owens1.htm (17) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 279. (18) James Webb The Harmonious Circle: The Lives and Work of G.I. Gurdjieff, P.D. Ouspensky, and Their Followers (Boston: Shambhala, 1987), pp. 310-311. (19) Anna Challenger Philosophy and Art in Gurdjieff’s Beelzebub (Amsterdam: Rodopi Press, 2002), p. 74. (20) G.I. Gurdjieff “On Attention and Understanding of Beelzebub’s Tales” (Gurdjieff International Review, Fall 1998, Vol. II No. 1) www.gurdjieff.org/gurdjieff1.htm (21) A.L. Staveley “Commentary on Beelzebub’s Tales” (Gurdjieff International Review, Spring 1999,Vol. II No. 3) www.gurdjieff.org/staveley2.htm (22) Dust cover of G.I. Gurdjieff Beelzebub’s Tales to His Grandson (New York: Viking Arkana, 1992). (23) A number of insightful commentaries on Beelzebub's Tales have been published or are available on the Internet. They are useful to anyone approaching this difficult text, providing a basic orientation to Gurdjieff's unusual language and challenging ideas:

•

A.R. Orage “Commentary on Beelzebub’s Tales” in C.S. Nott Teachings of Gurdjieff: The Journal of a Pupil (York Beach, Maine: Samuel Weiser, 1962)

•

Kenneth Walker “A Commentary on All and Everything” in The Making of Man (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1963)

•

John G. Bennett “Gurdjieff's Style and Terminology” in Gurdjieff: Making a New World (New York: Harper & Row, 1973)

•

John G. Bennett Talks on Beelzebub’s Tales (Sherborne: Coombe Springs Press, 1977)

•

Michel Waldberg Gurdjieff: An Approach to His Ideas (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1981)

•

Henri Tracol “Thus Spake Beelzebub” The Taste For Things That Are True (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1994)

27

•

Terry Winter Owens and Suzanne Smith “Commentary on Beelzebub’s Tales” (Gurdjieff International Review, Winter 1997/1998, Vol. I. No. 2) www.gurdjieff.org/owens1.htm

•

Terry Winter Owens “The Struggle to ‘Fathom the Gist’ of Beelzebub’s Tales” (Gurdjieff International Review, Winter 1997/1998, Vol. I No. 2) www.gurdjieff.org/owens3.htm

•

John G. Bennett “Gurdjieff's All and Everything: A Study by J.G. Bennett” (Gurdjieff International Review, Spring 1999, Vol. II No. 3) www.gurdjieff.org/bennett3.htm

•

Manuel Rainoird “Beelzebub, A Master Stroke.” (Gurdjieff International Review, Spring 2000, Vol. III No. 2) www.gurdjieff.org/rainoird.htm

•

Anna Challenger Philosophy and Art in Gurdjieff's Beelzebub (Amsterdam: Rodopi Press, 2002)

•

Keith Buzzell Perspectives on Beelzebub’s Tales (Salt Lake City: Fifth Press, 2005)

•

Keith Buzzell Reflections on Gurdjieff’s Whim (Salt Lake City: Fifth Press, 2012)

•

Michael Pittman “Gurdjieff’s Discourse on the Soul: Beelzebub’s Tales and Sufism” in Michael Pittman Classical Spirituality in Contemporary America (New York: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2012)

(24) Terry Winter Owens “A Commentary on Meetings with Remarkable Men” www.gurdjieff.org/owens2.htm (25) In his biography The Harmonious Circle: The Lives and Work of G.I. Gurdjieff, P.D. Ouspensky, and Their Followers (Boston: Shambhala, 1987), p. 544, James Webb discusses this question: At Gurdjieff’s death the Third Series was left in a fragmentary state. Two chapters alone seem to have been completed, and others exist only in note form. A chapter on “The Four Bodies of Man” which Gurdjieff announced in Meetings with Remarkable Men is said to have been destroyed by the author himself. What remains of the Third Series is too incomplete to give any real idea of Gurdjieff’s intentions for the book.

(26) Jeanne de Salzmann “Foreword” to Life is Real Only Then, When “I Am” (New York: Triangle Editions, 1975), p. xi.

28

(27) Jeanne de Salzmann “Foreword” to Life is Real Only Then, When “I Am” (New York: Triangle Editions, 1975), pp. xiii-xiv. (28) Jeanne de Salzmann “Foreword” to Views From the Real World: Early Talks of Gurdjieff (New York: E.P. Dutton & Co., 1973), p. vii. (29) Michel de Salzmann “Footnote to the Gurdjieff Literature” in Jacob Needleman (ed.) The Inner Journey: Views from the Gurdjieff Work (Sandpoint, Idaho: Morning Light Press, 2008), p 172. (30) John G. Bennett Gurdjieff: Making a New World (New York: Harper & Row, 1973), p. 3. (31) John G. Bennett Gurdjieff: Making a New World (New York: Harper & Row, 1973), pp. 1-2. (32) See the web document by Paul Beekman Taylor, “Inventors of Gurdjieff” www.gurdjieff.org/taylor1.htm (33) Michel de Salzmann “Footnote to the Gurdjieff Literature” in Jacob Needleman, ed. The Inner Journey: Views from the Gurdjieff Work (Sandpoint, Idaho: Morning Light Press, 2008), pp. 171-2. (34) A number of students have written about this “unknowable” aspect of Gurdjieff: •

P.D. Ouspensky: “Our feelings of this ‘acting’ in G. was exceptionally strong. Among ourselves we often said we never saw him and never would.”

•

Margaret Anderson: “Gurdjieff is not only unknown. Perhaps he is unknowable.”

•

Jean Toomer: “I do not know G. I have never known G. I never will.”

•

Sophia Ouspensky: “I do not pretend to understand Georgy Ivanovitch. For me he is X . . . No one knows who is the real Georgy Ivanovitch, for he hides himself from all of us. It is useless to try to know him.”

(35) G.I. Gurdjieff “Translator’s Note” in Meetings with Remarkable Men (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1963), p. x. (36) Michel de Salzmann “Footnote to the Gurdjieff Literature” in Jacob Needleman (ed.) The Inner Journey: Views from the Gurdjieff Work (Sandpoint, Idaho: Morning Light Press, 2008), p. 172. (37) C.S. Nott Journey Through This World (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1969), p. 243. (38) For an excellent overview of the group see William Patterson’s Ladies of the Rope (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 1999). 29

(39) Solange Claustres Becoming Conscious with G.I. Gurdjieff (Utrecht, Netherlands: Eureka Editions, 2009), p. 17. (40) A.L. Staveley Memories of Gurdjieff (Aurora, Oregon: Two Rivers Press, 1978), pp. 71-72. (41) The New Man (London: Stuart & Watkins, 1950) is a unique interpretation of the parables and miracles of Christ from an esoteric perspective. In Nicoll’s own words, “All sacred writings contain an outer and an inner meaning. Behind the literal words lies another range of meaning, another form of knowledge.” Living Time (London: Stuart & Watkins, 1952) contains a series of thought-provoking essays and insightful reflections on the meaning of time and the different levels of reality existing in the human being and the universe. Dr. Nicoll draws from an impressive range of Eastern and Western metaphysical and philosophical traditions to support his arguments. (42) Michel de Salzmann “Footnote to the Gurdjieff Literature” in Jacob Needleman, ed. The Inner Journey: Views from the Gurdjieff Work (Sandpoint, Idaho: Morning Light Press, 2008), p. 164. (43) Frithjof Schuon and René Guénon are associated with a metaphysical school sometimes referred to as the ‘Primordial Tradition.’ They believed that authentic spiritual transmission could only take place through initiation into a formal religious tradition like Christianity or Islam. Gurdjieff’s unorthodox approach and unconventional behaviour were anathema to René Guénon and his followers and subject to their frequent criticisms and attack. (44) Idries Shah has come under attack by a number of Gurdjieff’s followers, none more virulent than James Moore (“Neo-Sufism: The Case of Idries Shah” Religion Today Vol. 3(3), 1986, pp. 4-8). Ironically, many of the accusations hurled by Moore at Shah (misdirection, dissimulation, obfuscation) could also apply to Gurdjieff. For a more balanced and nuanced critique of Idries Shah and his work see Yannis Toussulis Sufism and the Way of Blame: Hidden Sources of a Sacred Psychology (Wheaton, Illinois: Quest Books, 2010) and Michael Pittman Classic Spirituality in Contemporary America (London: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2012). In fairness to Shah, his numerous books of Sufi teachings – especially his collections of traditional teaching stories and Mulla Nasrudin tales – are highly regarded by many students and teachers from a wide variety of spiritual traditions. (45) John G. Bennett Gurdjieff: Making a New World (New York: Harper & Row, 1973), p. 81. (46) Michel de Salzmann “Footnote to the Gurdjieff Literature” in Jacob Needleman, ed. The Inner Journey: Views from the Gurdjieff Work (Sandpoint, Idaho: Morning Light Press, 2008), p. 168.

30

(47) Michel de Salzmann “Footnote to the Gurdjieff Literature” in Jacob Needleman, ed. The Inner Journey: Views from the Gurdjieff Work (Sandpoint, Idaho: Morning Light Press, 2008), p. 169 (48) Patterson is not without his detractors and has a controversial reputation in Work circles. He has been accused of self-inflation and excessive self-promotion through his website, book advertising, public seminars and workshops, DVDs and in-house journal. Patterson routinely criticizes and attacks other spiritual teachers and teachings, lionizes Gurdjieff as a “Messenger from Above,” implying he is at the level of Jesus, Buddha and Mohammed. And he characterizes Gurdjieff’s magnum opus All and Everything as the last great spiritual message in a line that includes the Old and New Testaments, the Rig-Veda, the Koran, and other sacred texts. Such unverifiable pronouncements diminish his stature as a writer and, to some degree, call into question his spiritual authority as a self-appointed teacher of the Fourth Way. (49) Sophia Wellbeloved Gurdjieff: The Key Concepts (London: Routledge, 2003), p. 21. (50) James Moore Gurdjieff: The Anatomy of a Myth (Rockport, Massachusetts: Element Books, 1991), p. 24. (51) James Webb The Harmonious Circle: The Lives and Work of G.I. Gurdjieff, P.D. Ouspensky, and Their Followers (Boston: Shambhala, 1987), p. 13. (52) See the web document by Paul Beekman Taylor “Inventors of Gurdjieff” www.gurdjieff.org/taylor1.htm (53) See the web document by James Moore “Gurdjieff: A Biographer Digresses” www.Gurdjieff-Bibliography.com (54) See the web document by James Moore “Gurdjieff: A Biographer Digresses” www.Gurdjieff-Bibliography.com (55) Hints of Webb’s precarious mental state can be surmised from the Preface to his book: It eventually became clear that an attempt was being made to ensnare me forcibly in the sort of activities about which I had hoped to write from a detached point of view. I must admit that this attempt was temporarily successful, and I am certain that it greatly helped me to understand the nature of Gurdjieff’s curious disciples. Yet the ethics of the situation continue to puzzle me. At one point, I suspected that I had been manipulated into writing the sort of book that the hierarchy wanted written: at another that the attempt to engage me in the Work was designed to ensure that no book would be written at all. 31

THE MUSIC OF GURDJIEFF AND DE HARTMANN1

One of Gurdjieff's greatest legacies is the body of music he created collaboratively with his musically gifted pupil Thomas de Hartmann. In the span of a decade, from 1919 to 1929, they composed more than 300 pieces of music based on traditional and religious songs, chants, hymns and prayers that Gurdjieff encountered during his extensive travels throughout the Middle East and Asia. Gurdjieff's music was an integral component of his teachings. It was played to accompany the Movements, before and after readings of his books, during group meetings and on special occasions. Music was one of the three principal forms through which Gurdjieff conveyed his teachings, and it reflected his concept of harmonious human development. He offered ideas for expansion of the mind, Movements and exercises to challenge the body, and music to arouse a deeper awareness of the inner world of emotions. Gurdjieff employed the language of music to communicate fundamental cosmic laws which govern the development of vibrations and flow of energy in the phenomenal world. Gurdjieff believed that certain forms of music, which he called “objective” music, were the repositories of ancient esoteric knowledge and had the capacity to influence the spiritual development of human beings who were receptive to it. Gurdjieff may have played such music to heal or transmute the inner essential being of his pupils. His students attested to the powerful effect of the simple recurring melodies Gurdjieff played on his hand-held harmonium, music which seemed to have pierced the depths of their being: “This was the music of prayer – haunting, disturbing, indescribably beautiful, a music calculated to arouse the deepest longings hidden in the heart of man.” (1)

But it is the music composed by Gurdjieff and Thomas de Hartmann that commands the greatest attention of the contemporary world, thanks to recordings of their compositions made by de Hartmann and others following Gurdjieff’s death. While some listeners find the music trivial or monotonous, others perceive a deeply moving and sacred quality in the music which creates a mysterious sense of longing and transcen-dence. Whatever the listener’s reaction, there is no doubt that Gurdjieff’s music is powerful, fascinating, and deeply affecting.

Objective Art and Music

Gurdjieff, after studying both Western art and traditional Eastern art, made a distinction between what he called sacred or “objective” art and “subjective” art. He dismissed almost all contemporary art as imitative, derivative and subjective. He believed 1

Updated 2017/01/06

1

that contemporary artists, lacking higher knowledge and perceptions, do not create but merely imitate: Either the shoemaker’s craft must be called art, or all contemporary art must be called craft. In what way is a shoemaker sewing fashionable custom shoes of beautiful design inferior to the artist who pursues the aim of imitation or originality. With knowledge, the sewing of shoes may be sacred art too, but without it a priest of contemporary art is worse than a cobbler. (2)

Gurdjieff claimed that objective art exists on a much higher level than ordinary art and is a means of preserving and transmitting esoteric knowledge. He believed that sacred art is based on precise mathematical laws, which he characterized as a “script” which encodes essential laws of the structure and design of the universe. Through their objective art, artists from the past were able to consciously transmit their ideas and discoveries to future generations as food for spiritual growth and evolution. (3) When students asked for examples of objective art, Gurdjieff referred to the Sphinx, the Gothic cathedrals of Europe, certain Sufi works of architecture, and a number of Eastern figures of gods and goddesses. He also spoke of encountering works of objective art in the course of his travels. One example was a building in Persia whose specially designed architecture produced mathematically precise vibrations of sound that had exactly the same emotional effect on each person who entered – spontaneous weeping. One important form of objective art is sacred music. This kind of music, which may be called ‘objective music,’ is based on mathematical laws governing the vibration of sound and its relationship to the human psyche: “Objective music affects all people in the same way . . . it not only touches the feelings but transforms them, bringing the listener to a unified or ‘harmonious’ state within himself and thus to a new relation with the universe which is itself a field of vibrations.” (4) Objective music is based on melodies of “inner octaves” which are not audible to the human ear but produce predictable effects on the listener’s emotional center. (5) Although objective music is believed to be relatively rare, some of Gurdjieff’s students have identified some possible examples: the chants of Gregorian and Tibetan Buddhist monks, the recitations of the Sufi zikr, the songs of harmonic singers of Tuva and Mongolia, the music of Indian ragas and certain pieces of Bach, Mozart and some other classical composers. Gurdjieff makes frequent references in his writings to the unusual physical effects produced by objective music. In Meetings with Remarkable Men he relates that the Essenes were able to make plants grow in half an hour by playing ancient Hebraic music. And, in Beelzebub’s Tales to His Grandson, the dervish character Hadji Asvatz Troov, by playing certain musical notes, was able to influence the health of flowers and produce, and then quickly heal, a boil on the leg of another dervish.

2

Gurdjieff also stipulated that the creation of objective music required certain conditions and precise knowledge of the human psyche to be effective. He claimed that different spiritual effects were produced by stringed instruments and by wind instruments, and that the tuning of the musical instruments needed to take into account a number of factors, including local geographical conditions, atmospheric pressure, ambient temperature, the form and dimensions of the interior space where the music is performed and even the quality of the energy, individually and collectively, of audience members.

Source and Creation of Gurdjieff's Music

Gurdjieff's earliest exposure to music was probably through his father who, as a bard, recited in verse and song, ancient legends and teaching tales. Gurdjieff spent his childhood in Armenia, a region of great ethnic and musical diversity, and as a young choir boy received musical training at Kars Cathedral. Some of the melodies and rhythms of his compositions clearly reflect the music of his youth: “The sources, quite rich and varied, include the folk tunes and dances of Armenia, the songs of the Persians and Kurds, the rhythms of the Turks, the chants of the Sayyids and the Dervishes, the liturgy of the Orthodox church, and other traditional forms.” (6) Later, during his extensive travels as an adult, Gurdjieff encountered and assimilated a rich variety of music from many ethnic traditions which he later incorporated into his own compositions: “They echo all manner of folk songs and dances, religious chants of various holy orders, as well as the sacred choral music he heard in temples and monasteries in Egypt, throughout Central Asia, and as far as Tibet.” (7) Influenced largely by the music of the Middle East and Central Asia, Gurdjieff's musical language is typically monophonic, whereby the melody is expressed with minimal harmonic underpinning and is accompanied by either a persistent drone or rhythmic percussion, or both. What is truly remarkable is that Gurdjieff never wrote down or notated the music he heard during his travels. He had an extraordinary ability to remember the intricate melodies and rhythms from the vast range of music he encountered over the course of many years. Gurdjieff was neither a trained musician nor a composer, and his instrumental capacities were modest, limited to guitar, piano and harmonium. But his senior pupil Thomas de Hartmann was endowed with a highly developed musical ability and abundant creative energy, both of which were critical in bringing Gurdjieff’s musical ideas to fruition. (8) Gurdjieff recognized that de Hartmann, who was raised in the European musical tradition, required time and special preparation to become attuned to the nuances of Eastern music. Beginning in 1919, Gurdjieff began to expose de Hartmann to various forms of Eastern music to sensitize him to how he wanted his own music to be written and interpreted. Within a year de Hartmann was able to improvise music to accompany 3

Gurdjieff’s Movements and sacred dances. In de Hartmann’s words, “He gave me the tempo of the exercise and a melody he himself had written on paper, from which I was expected to improvise the music on the spot.” (9) The process was the prototype for all further musical collaborations between the two men. After moving to the Château du Prieuré in France, Gurdjieff began an intensive period of creative work with de Hartmann in July 1925 that was to last for the next two years. The music that Gurdjieff created during this period was of a different type than the music composed to accompany the Movements. Many of these new pieces were based on Eastern religious themes and were often played at the Prieuré preceding or following readings from Beelzebub’s Tales to create a certain mood or inner vibration which would sensitize pupils to the ideas in the text. De Hartmann describes the process of his collaboration with Gurdjieff in Our Life with Mr. Gurdjieff: I had a very difficult and trying time with this music. Mr. Gurdjieff sometimes whistled or played on the piano with one finger a very complicated sort of melody . . . To grasp this melody, to transcribe it in European notation, required a tour de force . . . While listening to him play, I had to scribble down at feverish speed the torturous twists and turns of the melody, sometimes a repetition of just two notes. But in what rhythm? How to mark the accentuation? There was no hint of conventional Western metres and tuning. Here was some sort of rhythm of a different nature, other divisions of the flow of melody, which could not be interrupted or divided by bar-lines. And the harmony – the Eastern tonality on which the melody was constructed – could only gradually be guessed. (10)

Together, Gurdjieff and de Hartmann composed more than 300 pieces of music during their working relationship. This prodigious output is surprising considering the technical challenges inherent in the process, yet it attests to the strength of their collaborative spirit and creativity (11), which has been called “an uncanny phenomenon, producing a result which would have been patently impossible for either one of them alone.” (12) Some have argued that the importance of de Hartmann’s contribution to Gurdjieff’s music deserves greater recognition, since he arranged, scored and first played the compositions based on Gurdjieff’s inspiration and suggestions. It is generally recog-nized that Gurdjieff provided the melodies and rhythms for their pieces and de Hartmann developed the themes and structure and transcribed the pieces to a definitive musical form. Even considering de Hartmann’s creative and technical contributions to these pieces, the ultimate source of the music was Gurdjieff. (13) Despite de Hartmann’s own highly developed musical talent and extensive experience composing his own musical work, he was able to channel his talents into serving Gurdjieff’s purposes and intentions with each new piece. The result was music whose essential impulse and quality of feeling were distinctly Gurdjieff’s.

4

Classification and Description of the Music

Musicologists have attempted to classify Gurdjieff's music on the basis of title, content or musical idiom. Although the titles of many compositions allude to particular ethnic folklore or Christian, Gnostic and Islamic traditions, they may not be accurate representations of these musical modalities. Titles such as Song of the Aisors or Hymn for Easter Thursday may be more evocative and impressionistic than literal in terms of reflecting traditional religious or folk themes.

• • • •

Musicologists analyzing Gurdjieff's music have identified some of its essential features: The music is largely modal with minimal modulation. Rhythms are straightforward and pronounced. Melodies are developed within limited, predetermined harmonic schemes. The use of textures or embellishments for expressive effect is minimal. Laurence Rosenthal, who composed the musical score for the film adaptation of Meetings with Remarkable Men, describes the style and structure of the music: The external form of Gurdjieff's music is for the most part simple, direct, and modest. The pieces are generally short. They lack any pretension to elaborate formal construction; their shapes often follow traditional modes. But they may also turn in unexpected directions, allowing the musical elements to seek their own unique musical resolution . . . The general style or idiom could be described as a particular blending of Eastern and Western elements, the oriental modes modified by the tempered scale, while the more European pieces are often infused with a degree of Near Eastern color. (14)

Ultimately, Gurdjieff's music defies easy definition or direct comparisons with other musical forms. Rosenthal argues that the best of Gurdjieff’s music falls into the rare category of music which is both profound and sublime while at the same time “bafflingly simple.” (15) Musicologists, however, generally agree that Gurdjieff's musical compositions can be classified into five broad categories: 1. Music for the Movements The musical pieces in this category, among the first created by Gurdjieff and de Hartmann, were specifically composed to accompany the Movements, with piano or percussion setting the rhythm and emotional tone of each particular exercise. This music was performed by Thomas de Hartmann and an orchestra at public demonstrations of the Movements and sacred dances in Constantinople, Paris and America between 1920 and

5

1924. Gurdjieff believed that music played an important role in the practice of the Movements: The only music that Gurdjieff ever specified should be played for his Movements were the orchestrations he himself dictated and worked out with de Hartmann for the first demonstrations in 1923. He was greatly concerned with the effects of different instruments, their individual tones and special vibrations, not so much on the ears of the audience, but much more importantly, on different parts of the performers’ bodies. His music was exactly “right” in every way to help inspire the necessary physical responses. (16)

2. Folk-derived Music The compositions in this group are drawn from the ethnic folk songs, dances and melodies of many of the regions to which Gurdjieff travelled. Rather than reproducing traditional folk music, they seem to reflect personal impressions or feelings of particular places or people. The pieces vary greatly in length, complexity, tempo and mood: “Their tone covers a wide range of feeling, sometimes inward and tranquil, sometimes full of charm and vitality, and in a few instances in major keys, highly charged with exhilaration.” (17) For example, some of the Kurdish pieces project an elusive, underlying sadness while the Armenian pieces radiate a directness and natural human warmth. The Persian songs convey a mood of mystery and introspection with their long, searching melodic lines and subtly shifting chromatic harmonies. 3. Music of the Sayyids and Dervishes A third category encompasses the Middle Eastern music of the Sayyids and Dervishes. The exact source of Gurdjieff’s inspiration for this music is uncertain, since the Sayyids, descendants of the Prophet Mohammed, left no music that can be directly traced to them. (18) Gurdjieff's intention with the music may well have been to evoke the spirit of the Sayyids and Dervishes. The Sayyid pieces are more intimate and deeply emotional than the folkloric music. Some of the melodies are heartfelt expressions of great warmth and humanity. Others are more poignant and sad. The Dervish pieces, which often reflect the patterns of the zikr (Sufi recitations), are generally characterized by forceful expression, dynamic rhythms and intense passion. 4. Sacred Hymns and Prayers Gurdjieff's sacred hymns and prayers are perhaps the most distinctive of his musical work. They draw from Russian Orthodox liturgy and echo music that Gurdjieff heard in remote Asian temples and monasteries. The compositions are solemn, contemplative, and

6

deeply moving. However, as pianist and composer Laurence Rosenthal points out, they are unlike conventional hymns in structure and content:

Each hymn, each prayer, is an interior journey, a search, an inner vision, a state. The language remains essentially simple. The melody may trace a long arc with the plainest of accompaniments, suggesting voices or stringed instruments. Or it may be fragmentary, with dissonant, bell-like interjections. Sometimes the hymn is entirely chordal, with powerful progressions of intense and poignant harmonies, often surprising, or ending unexpectedly on an unresolved sound, a questioning combination of notes, far from the reassuring tonic. Somehow, the special nature of these hymns and prayers, their seeming to speak to another quality of being, their capacity to express simultaneously depths of joy and sorrow, of searching and questioning, establishes a level of musical expression which transcends the simplicity of its speech. (19)

5. Harmonium Improvisations Perhaps the most intriguing of Gurdjieff’s musical creations are those he improvised on his small harmonium. Memories of his students indicate that he played the harmonium as early as 1926 at the Prieuré. His melodic improvisations were usually in minor chords augmented by haunting single notes. G.J. Blom, a Dutch musician, producer and musical producer who compiled and produced re-mastered recordings of Gurdjieff’s improvisations from 1948-1949, describes his style of playing: “It never changed. The music was always described as slow, sad and in a minor key. Technical virtuosity on the instrument was never a big concern for Gurdjieff. His technique consisted of the intensity with which he played.” (20) On rare occasions Gurdjieff explained to pupils his intention and the great effort expended in these improvisations: “He said: ‘Ears are no good for this music, the whole presence must be open to it. It is a matter of vibrations.’ He also said he had to put the whole of himself into these vibrations, it was very difficult for him. He is always exhausted after playing.” (21) Pupils recount that the seemingly simple music has a strange quality and emotional power unlike any other music that they had ever heard:

•

“Mr. Gurdjieff began to play on the small organ those strange haunting melodies that speak in an unknown tongue to something buried deep within.” (22)

•

“A strange melody flowed into the room. It produced a quite extraordinary effect as if I were listening to an echo of a ceremony from the remote past.” (23)

•

“Gurdjieff took his small harmonium and improvised music which evoked the sense of a story, a legend, poetry itself, a prayer or an appeal to develop more ‘feeling.’ 7

These improvisations had a sweetness which no language could ever express so directly and surely.” (24)

•

“He then makes the strangest music – the most wonderful music. He says that it is ‘objective’ – that is, the vibrations he produces have a definite effect on people, both organically and psychologically. It affects people in different ways, tough businessmen and scientists sit with tears streaming down their faces, others are merely bored or puzzled, others again are moved but do not know why.” (25)

•

“One can see the music ‘pass’ through him. He plays it, but is not the player. He is the direct means of expression of an ‘impersonal thought’ – the perfect expression of an idea . . . One hears a language that borrows its very essence from art, in order to adjust itself exactly in the form to be communicated.” (26)

•

“One night he played a different kind of music, although whether the difference lay in its sorrowful harmonies or in the way he played I do not know. I only know that no music has ever been so sad. Before it ended I put my head on the table and wept.” (27)

Influences of the Music on the Listener

Scientists now recognize the relationship between the properties of music and its psychological and physiological effects on the listener. Research suggests that music influences human beings in three ways: rhythm primarily affects the body, melody and harmony the feelings, and musical form and structure the mind. (28) Interestingly, this triad of effects corresponds to Gurdjieff’s emphasis on the harmonious development of the physical, emotional and intellectual sides of an individual. De Hartmann would play Gurdjieff’s music on the piano or organ almost every afternoon and evening in the salon at the Prieuré. The effects on the students were profound: Some of them were so moving as to be almost unbearable, and the tears would stream involuntarily down our cheeks; one had to remember oneself with all one’s might in order not to have to go out. Hartmann said that he himself found some of the pieces almost too difficult to play. One of the pieces consisted of slow and solemn chords of the most divine harmony, and in the overtones one could hear a sort of joyful singing as of the voice of a seraph. I have never heard anything like these hymns of Gurdjieff, except perhaps some of the very early church music such as can be heard in Notre Dame, and some of that of Bach, who at times touches the higher emotional centre. (29)

Some students felt that the haunting, enigmatic quality of the music brought them into greater touch with their inner being: “What is the source of its compelling force, its 8

ineffable atmosphere, its capacity to cast a spell on the listener while bringing him more intensely into contact with himself.” (30) Students also reported that the music produced a sense of meditative calm, a feeling of transcendence and a call to something higher. The music clearly captivated listeners in new and unexpected ways: “It engaged my emotions in an unaccustomed way, a way I was not able to define . . . It moved me – not to abandonment or forgetting – but to remembering something that I had long forgotten.” (31)

Not all listeners are enchanted by Gurdjieff's music. Music critic Philip Kennicott, in an article for the Washington Post, dismissed Gurdjieff's music as “vaporous,” “repetitious and vague,” “desperately simple-minded” and “childish.” (32) Other critics have described his music as absent of musical ideas and irredeemably kitsch. Laurence Rosenthal points out that the simplicity and the eccentricities of rhythms and harmonics in Gurdjieff’s music takes it far from the Western musical model, which may cause musically trained listeners to dismiss Gurdjieff’s music as trivial or derivative. He suggests that listeners without musical training may be more receptive to the music, as they are less likely to concentrate on its technical elements and more likely to respond directly to the emotional quality of the music, absorbing the intent of the pieces. Gurdjieff acknowledged that Westerners may have difficulty with his music by virtue of their inexperience with the character and colour of Eastern music: “To foreigners, Eastern music seems monotonous, they only wonder at its crudity and musical poverty. But what sounds like one note to them is a whole melody for the local inhabitants – a melody contained in one note.” (33) Listeners able to transcend these cultural barriers sense a depth and power in Gurdjieff's music that touches their innermost being: “He played music which spoke to the depths of my heart, like a whispered fairy-tale, resounding, vibrating, compelling one to listen, music that feeling understands without words.” (34) Some believe that Gurdjieff's music is a form of objective art. When student Margaret Anderson began to weep after Gurdjieff played particularly sorrowful harmonies on his harmonium, he remarked: “I play objective music to make you cry.” (35) C. S. Nott recounts an incident where his emotional state was dramatically altered by listening to Gurdjieff's unusual music: For a few minutes we just sat quietly, then he took up his hand-harmonium, and keeping his eyes fixed on me with a look of deep compassion and power, began to play a simple melody with strange harmonies, repeating and repeating yet all the time with different combinations of notes. Little by little I became aware that he was conveying something to me both through the music – the combination of notes – and by the telepathic means which he understood so well. A change began to take place in me; I began to understand something, and a feeling of conscious hope and conscious faith began to displace the dark hopeless depression. (36)

Many of Gurdjieff's followers believe that this an example of the power of objective music to heal the mind and spirit. Laurence Rosenthal concludes that Gurdjieff cons9

ciously composed and played a type of sacred music unique to the contemporary world: “It seems to have been created with a special aim, a special intent . . . It makes statements and asks questions not to be found elsewhere.” (37) Today, various recordings of the music of Gurdjieff and de Hartmann are commercially available or can be accessed on the Internet. The most definitive collection of Gurdjieff's music is The Music of Gurdjieff and Thomas de Hartmann (G-H Records, 1989). The original tapes were recorded informally by de Hartmann on piano in the 1950s and have recently been digitally re-mastered. The two-CD album is an authentic rendition by de Hartmann of the music composed with his teacher, and it beautifully captures the power and mystery of the music. Recordings of Gurdjieff’s improvisations on his lap harmonium during the last few years of his life have been issued as Harmonic Development: The Complete Harmonium Recordings 1948-1949. Other authentic renditions of his music are Oriental Suite, a full orchestra recording of the music accompanying the 1923 and 1924 public performances of the Movements, and a four-volume compilation of the piano music, Gurdjieff/ de Hartmann Music for the Piano, under the auspices of Wergo-Schott Recordings. NOTES

(1) Kathryn Hulme Undiscovered Country: In Search of Gurdjieff (Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1966), p. 115. (2) G.I Gurdjieff Views From the Real World: Early Talks of Gurdjieff (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1973), p. 36. (3) In a conversation recorded by P.D. Ouspensky in In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949, p. 27), Gurdjieff described a sculpture he encountered in Central Asia which he believed to be an example of objective art: In the course of our travels in Central Asia we found, in the desert at the foot of the Hindu Kush, a strange figure which we thought at first was some ancient god or devil. At first it produced upon us simply the impression of being a curiosity. But after a while we began to feel that this figure contained many things, a big, complete, and complex system of cosmology. And slowly, step by step, we began to decipher this system. It was in the body of the figure, in its legs, in its arms, in its head, in its eyes, in its ears; everywhere. In the whole statue there was nothing accidental, nothing without meaning. And we gradually understood the aim of the people who built this statue. . . We grasped the meaning of what they wanted to convey to us across thousands of years, and not only the meaning, but all the feelings and the emotions connected with it as well. That indeed was art! 10

11

(4) Thomas Daly The Music of Gurdjieff and Thomas de Hartmann G-H Records, 1989. (5) Gurdjieff describes some of the effects of objective music in P.D. Ouspensky’s In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949, p. 297): Objective music is all based on ‘inner octaves.’ And it can obtain not only definite psychological results but definite physical results. There can be such music as would freeze water. There can be such music that would kill a man instantaneously. The Biblical legend of the destruction of the walls of Jericho by music is precisely a legend of objective music . . . In the legend of Orpheus there are hints of objective music, for Orpheus used to impart knowledge by music. Snake charmers’ music in the East is an approach to objective music, of course very primitive. Very often it is simply one note which is long drawn out, rising and falling only very little; but in this single note ‘inner octaves’ are going on all the time and melodies of ‘inner octaves’ which are inaudible to the ears but felt by the emotional center . . . The same music, only a little more complicated, and men would obey it.

(6) Laurence Rosenthal “Gurdjieff and Music” in Jacob Needleman and George Baker (eds.) Gurdjieff: Essays and Reflections on the Man and His Teachings (New York: Continuum, 1996), p. 307. (7) Laurence Rosenthal “Gurdjieff and Music” in Jacob Needleman and George Baker (eds.) Gurdjieff: Essays and Reflections on the Man and His Teachings (New York: Continuum, 1996), p. 305. (8) Thomas Alexandrovich de Hartmann was born in 1885 in the Ukraine to a family of Russian aristocrats. At an early age de Hartmann showed musical talent by improvising melodies on the piano. Following the death of his father in 1894 he was sent to the military academy at St. Petersburg. The director of the academy quickly recognized de Hartmann's musical gifts and he was allowed to pursue informal musical studies alongside his military training. At age eleven de Hartmann began formal musical training and eventually received his diploma from the St. Petersburg Conservatory in 1903. At twenty-one he wrote a highly acclaimed ballet, The Pink Flower, that was performed at the Imperial Opera and quickly established himself in the elite cultured circles of Russia. Beginning in 1908, working closely with a number of avantgarde artists, including Wassily Kandinsky in Munich, he developed a deep interest in spirituality and its relationship with art. De Hartmann returned to St. Petersburg in 1912 where his musical career flourished. His 1916 meeting with Gurdjieff was a pivotal event that completely changed the direction of his life. He and his wife Olga studied and worked with Gurdjieff intensively and continuously until 1929.

12

(9) Thomas and Olga de Hartmann Our Life with Mr. Gurdjieff (London: Arkana, 1992), p. 155. (10) Thomas and Olga de Hartmann Our Life with Mr. Gurdjieff (London: Arkana, 1992), p. 245. (11) A first-hand account of this creative process is provided by Tcheslaw Tchekhovitch in Gurdjieff: A Master in Life (Toronto: Dolmen Meadow Editions, 2006, p. 104): Mr. Gurdjieff would give a certain rhythm, which Thomas de Hartmann played on the piano. Gyorgi Ivanovitch listened attentively, then indicated the accents by tapping his fingers on the piano. Next, the tonality was modified until a definite inner state was evoked. Only at this point did he begin to hum a melody of an oriental character, which Thomas de Hartmann reproduced while trying out different harmonies one after another. In the silence that followed each attempt, he would turn to Mr. Gurdjieff as if to measure his reaction. It was fascinating to see how the collaboration of these two gifted men could in a few moments give birth to an original work fulfilling precise demands and conditions.

(12) Laurence Rosenthal “The Sound of Gurdjieff” in Jacob Needleman (ed.) The Inner Journey: Views from the Gurdjieff Work (Sandpoint, Idaho: Morning Light Press, 2008), p. 154. (13) Some of Gurdjieff’s students have attested to his primary role in the creation of the music (Jessmin and Dushka Howarth It’s Up to Ourselves: A Mother, a Daughter, and Gurdjieff New York: Gurdjieff Heritage Society, 2009, p. 475): The creativity and special character of both the orchestral music for the Movements Demonstrations and the piano solos from the Twenties also attest to Gurdjieff’s active participation. One has only to compare them to de Hartmann’s own work through the years. All de Hartmann’s training was classical and European. As he himself confesses, it was only when they were all in the Caucasus and Mr. Gurdjieff sent him out specifically to listen to and study local mid-Eastern music that he began to understand and correctly notate what Mr. G. was passing on to him. De Hartmann also credits Mr. G. with some of the most interesting effects in the orchestrations and actually describes him writing out in manuscript specific parts for certain instruments which he explained were needed to achieve special vibrations, harmonic effects or voicings.

(14) Laurence Rosenthal “Gurdjieff and Music” in Jacob Needleman and George Baker (eds.) Gurdjieff: Essays and Reflections on the Man and His Teachings (New York: Continuum, 1996), p. 306.

13

(15) Laurence Rosenthal “Gurdjieff and Music” in Jacob Needleman and George Baker (eds.) Gurdjieff: Essays and Reflections on the Man and His Teachings (New York: Continuum, 1996), p. 310. (16) Jessmin and Dushka Howarth It’s Up to Ourselves: A Mother, a Daughter, and Gurdjieff (New York: Gurdjieff Heritage Society, 2009), p. 476. (17) Laurence Rosenthal “Gurdjieff and Music” in Jacob Needleman and George Baker (eds.) Gurdjieff: Essays and Reflections on the Man and His Teachings (New York: Continuum, 1996), p. 308. (18) In The Sufi Tradition in the West (New York: Alif Publishing, 1994, p. 226) the Sufi teacher Omar Ali-Shah writes: “It is quite remarkable that among this music is a piece called ‘Dance of the Sayeds’ – I am a Sayed, and I've never heard of it.” (19) Laurence Rosenthal “Gurdjieff and Music” in Jacob Needleman and George Baker (eds.) Gurdjieff: Essays and Reflections on the Man and His Teachings (New York: Continuum, 1996), p. 309. (20) G.J. Blom Harmonic Development: The Complete Harmonium Recordings 19481949 (Netherlands: Basta Audio Visuals, 2004), p. 21. (21) William Patrick Patterson Georgi Ivanovitch Gurdjieff: The Man, The Teaching, His Mission (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2014), p. 447. (22) A.L. Staveley Memories of Gurdjieff (Aurora, Oregon: Two Rivers Press, 1978), p. 60. (23) Robert de Ropp Warrior’s Way (London: George Allen & Unwin, 1980), pp. 198199. (24) Solange Claustres “Introduction to CD” The Music of G.I. Gurdjieff: Wim van Dullemen, piano (Amsterdam: Stichting Ars Floreat, 1996). (25) Cecil Lewis All My Yesterdays: An Autobiography (Shaftesbury, UK: Element Books, 1993), p. 146. (26) G.J. Blom Harmonic Development: The Complete Harmonium Recordings 19481949 (Netherlands: Basta Audio Visuals, 2004), p. 21. (27) Dorothy Caruso A Personal History (New York: Hermitage House, 1952), p. 178. (28) Professor D.B. Fry discusses these effects in relation to Western classical music in his monograph “Some Effects of Music” (Kent, England: Institute for Cultural Research, 1971). (29) C.S. Nott Teachings of Gurdjieff (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1962), p. 107. 14

(30) Laurence Rosenthal “The Sound of Gurdjieff” in Jacob Needleman (ed.) The Inner Journey: Views from the Gurdjieff Work (Sandpoint. Idaho: Morning Light Press, 2008), p. 156. (31) David Kherdian On a Spaceship with Beelzebub (Rochester, Vermont: Inner Traditions, 1998), pp. 61-62. (32) Philip Kennicott “The Composer, the Cult and the Musical Guru” (Washington Post, March 26, 2000). (33) G.I. Gurdjieff Views From the Real World: Early Talks of Gurdjieff (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1973), p. 186. (34) Solange Claustres Becoming Conscious with G.I. Gurdjieff (Utrecht, Netherlands: Eureka Editions, 2009), p. 20. (35) Margaret Anderson The Unknowable Gurdjieff (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1973), p. 183. (36) C.S. Nott Journey Through This World (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1969), pp. 118-119. (37) Laurence Rosenthal “The Sound of Gurdjieff” in Jacob Needleman (ed.) The Inner Journey: Views from the Gurdjieff Work (Sandpoint. Idaho: Morning Light Press, 2008), p. 154.

15

GURDJIEFF’S MOVEMENTS AND SACRED DANCES1

Gurdjieff’s Movements and sacred dances were an essential component of his teaching on human transformation and development. (1) To many of his students they represent “the Work’s immaculate heart – a spiritual legacy of incalculable significance.” (2) Gurdjieff spent much of his life studying and mastering the art of sacred dance, and in his later years often described himself as a “teacher of dancing.” He believed that certain traditional dances were a form of sacred art whose purpose was to preserve and transmit esoteric knowledge: Gurdjieff held that millennia ago Sacred Dance was essentially a mode of communication, a universal language with its own grammar, vocabulary and semantic usage. Each dance was a book, each sequence or rhythm a phrase, each gesture or posture a word. (3)

Although Gurdjieff created many of the Movements himself, the majority of the more than 200 Movement exercises originated from sacred dances and religious ceremonies preserved in temples and monasteries that Gurdjieff visited during his extensive travels in Central Asia and elsewhere: The dances and movements which Gurdjieff taught were partially a result of his research in the monasteries and schools of Asia, and are of a nature that seems unique in the modern Western world. In certain respects, they are comparable to sacred dances in traditional religious systems (for example, the ’Cham dances of Tibetan Buddhism or the dervish dances of the Sufis). Like them, the Gurdjieff Movements are based on the view that a series of specific postures, gestures, and movements, supported by an intentional use of melody and rhythm and an essential element of right individual effort, can help to evoke an inner condition which is closer to a more conscious existence, or a state of unity, which can allow an opening to the conscious energy of the Self. (4)

Gurdjieff first taught rhythmic exercises and dervish dances to his students in 1918, after which they assumed a major role in his teaching program. Gurdjieff worked with Thomas de Hartmann to compose music to accompany the exercises and trained a number of promising students to teach the dances to beginners. Public demonstrations of the Movements and sacred dances were subsequently performed in a number of cities, including Paris and New York. Following his serious automobile accident in July 1924, Gurdjieff shifted his focus to writing and entrusted the teaching of the Movements to senior pupils. By the Second World War, Gurdjieff resumed Movements classes in Paris and from then on ener-getically created new exercises until a month before his death in 1949. Students have attested to his remarkable ability as a teacher of dance, able to convey the significance of the 1

Updated 2017/01/06 1

movements and their relationship to the participant’s state of consciousness “more by his presence and the influence it exerted than by explanations.” (5) The Movements demand great effort and sustained attention, as participants are required to combine complicated arm, leg and head movements with mental exercises, all the while maintaining a sense of presence and awareness. On one level they are a means to reveal to students the power of conditioned habits, postures and gestures. On another level they enable students to access a higher level of energy that facilitates the spiritual search: “The farthest limits of one’s endurance are reached through the combination of non-natural and non-habitual movements, and by performing them a new quality of sensing is obtained, a new quality of concentration and attention and a new direction of the mind.” (6) Following Gurdjieff’s death, senior pupils continued to teach the Movements in exactly the same way that he had instructed them, stressing “the need for exactitude and a special quality of feeling, without which the Movements cannot provide the help for which they were brought.” (7) Today, the Movements remain an essential feature of the Work and have gained widespread attention in spiritual circles and curious interest in the larger community.

Significance of Sacred Dance

For countless centuries dance has played a significant role in the community life of cultures around the world. The yearly cycle of the seasons was celebrated in planting and harvest dances, and some dances even embodied recipes in their patterns and rhythms. Tasks such as weaving carpets, combing wool and spinning thread were often performed as rhythmic movement to the accompaniment of music. During his travels, Gurdjieff familiarized himself with folk dances and ceremonies from a wide variety of cultures. Many of these dances were later incorporated into the Movement exercises he taught his students. Wim Van Dullemen: “All ancient cultures relate dance to manifestations of God, Creation and its Mysteries. In those cultures, dances invariably accompany and assist men and women in their critical steps towards physical and psychological growth. Movements represent the result of an ultimate effort by Gurdjieff to re-install in the life of people – especially those living in Western cultures – the importance of dance and physical exercises in the process of self-development. He introduced and implanted in our culture a new liturgy, a new ritual to stimulate and assist transformation of individual people and of society as a whole.” (8) But Gurdjieff also encountered a more profound kind of dance in the temples and monasteries of the East. (9) He was astounded by the precision of movement and purity of feeling of the dancers and the quality of knowledge they transmitted. These dances were developed and performed by esoteric schools as a non-verbal language which encoded and transmitted information about cosmic laws and human spiritual development:

2

This language is mathematical, according to exact measure. Every movement has its appointed place, its duration and weight. The combinations and sequences are mathematically calculated. Postures and attitudes are arranged to produce definite, predetermined emotions. In these, he who is watching them may also participate – he may read them as a script, in which the higher emotions and higher mind can take part. (10)

In the scenario to his ballet The Struggle of the Magicians, Gurdjieff explains the purpose of sacred dances in the context of a school of inner development: These ‘sacred dances’ are considered to be one of the principal subjects of study in all esoteric schools of the East, both in ancient times and at the present day. The movements of which these dances consist have a double purpose; they express and contain a certain knowledge and, at the same time, they serve as a method of attaining a harmonious state of being. Combinations of these movements express different sensations, producing varying degrees of concentration of thought, create necessary efforts in different functions and show the possible limits of individual force. (11)

In talks with his students, Gurdjieff provided an interesting analogy to describe the deeper meaning of certain sacred dances. Imagine a mechanism, he said, in which the movements of the planets were visually represented by spheres of different sizes placed at different distances from a central sphere representing the Sun. When the mechanism is set in motion, the spheres begin to rotate and move along prescribed paths, reproducing in visual form the laws which govern the movements of the planets. In a similar manner, sacred dances visually reproduce certain cosmic laws through the carefully defined movements and combinations performed by the dancers. In traditional spiritual teachings, sacred dances have other functions in addition to encoding and transmitting esoteric knowledge, including:

• • • • • • • •

exercising the body, mind and emotions in unfamiliar ways developing the power of attention and concentration and the capacity for will and patience producing various psychological states corresponding to particular postures acting as a precise means of self-study and self-knowledge giving an organic experience of the essential aim of authentic inner work – self-remembering preparing students for heightened perception and higher states of consciousness accessing, assimilating and transmitting a subtle refined spiritual energy connecting to and harmonizing with the ‘mystical current.’

Gurdjieff believed that the ordinary person’s postures and movements, as well as their thoughts and feelings, were habitual and conditioned, not conscious (12). The fact that so much of our behaviour is involuntary means that achieving real change of being is very difficult. By requiring the participants to make non-habitual postures and movements, 3

sacred dances can establish a new, more harmonious relationship between the body, mind and feelings. This integration creates conditions in which the student can access higher energies for the purpose of spiritual development. For Gurdjieff, the Movements and sacred dances he taught his students were both a means of self-study and a catalyst for inner growth: You have seen our movements and dances. But all you saw was the outer form – beauty and technique. But I do not like the external side you see. For me, art is a means for harmonious development . . . Ordinary gymnastics and dances are mechanical. If our aim is a harmonious development of man, then for us dances and movements are a means of combining the mind and the feeling with movements of the body and manifesting them together. In all things, we have the aim to develop something which cannot be developed directly or mechanically – which interprets the whole man: mind, body and feeling. The second purpose of dances is study. Certain movements carry a proof in them, a definite knowledge, or religious and philosophical ideas. In some of them one can even read a recipe for cooking some dish . . . Thus movements have two aims: study and development. (13)

Development and Presentation of the Movements

Although Gurdjieff referred to sacred dances as early as 1914 in the prospectus for his ballet The Struggle of the Magicians, he did not begin teaching rhythmic exercises and dervish dances to his pupils until 1918 in Essentuki. A year later, in Tiflis, he began rehearsals for the staging of The Struggle of the Magicians by teaching his students a number of Eastern ethnic dances accompanied by music improvised by Thomas de Hartmann. As a means of self-study, Gurdjieff required his dancers to make both the beautiful movements of the followers of the White Magician and the ugly, deformed movements of the followers of the Black Magician. Concurrently, Gurdjieff formed a women’s class composed of the most gifted dancers and prepared them as instructors to teach the Movement exercises to new pupils. He arranged for public performances of the Movements and sacred dances in Tbilisi in 1919 with the carefully prepared women’s group forming the nucleus of his dance troupe. The public performances served many objectives for Gurdjieff: “His chief purpose was evidently to plunge participants into intense and formative experiences, his secondary aims being to ‘nourish the times’ and attract suitable pupils.” (14) When Gurdjieff established the Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man in Constantinople in 1920, the Movements became central to the teaching program there. With the re-establishment of the Institute in France in 1922, further intensive Movements work was undertaken. Gurdjieff’s method of creating new exercises and dance patterns was characterized by an inspired but bewildering spontaneous process: 4

Gurdjieff would teach the postures and gestures of the exercises partly by doing them himself; or, if they were complicated, involving different movements by different rows or positions, he would walk round and place each pupil in the desired posture. There would be vehement arguments. The stage became a chaos of dispute, gesticulation and shouting as the pupils tried to work out the sequence required. Suddenly, Gurdjieff would give a peremptory shout and there would be dead silence. A few words of explanation, and de Hartmann would play the theme, which by then he had worked into a rich harmony. Sometimes the result was spectacular: a beautiful ensemble never seen before would appear as if by magic. At other times, the task was too difficult and the exercise broke down, to be worked over for hours during the succeeding days. (15)

Gurdjieff decided to prepare his pupils for a much more extensive program of Movements which would be publicly performed. On December 16, 1923 at the Théâtre des Champs Elysées in Paris, a curious audience witnessed the premiere. (16) Reviews were decidedly mixed. Most theatre critics and journalists viewed the dances as mere exotic entertainment devoid of aesthetic appeal. Others disparaged the highly disciplined structure of the dances and the unsmiling faces of the performers. But many found the presentation startlingly beautiful and strangely moving. Gurdjieff and his troupe travelled to America in 1924 and gave public performances in New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Chicago to generally appreciative audiences. Following his automobile accident in 1924, Gurdjieff ceased teaching the Movements and devoted the majority of his time and energy to writing. The Movements classes continued, however, sustained by senior pupils like Jeanne de Salzmann, Rosemary Nott and Jessmin Howarth. The Movements were regularly practised in the New York groups led by A.R. Orage, and later in the 1930s by Ouspensky’s English groups and the Paris group of Jeanne de Salzmann. Gurdjieff did not resume teaching the Movements until 1939, and from that time continued to create new exercises until a few weeks before his death in October 1949. Even in the last years of his life, Gurdjieff impressed his students as an inspired teacher: [We] were struck by his extraordinary sense of rhythm and precision in movement and by his suppleness and inventiveness. It was astonishing to discover so great a knowledge of this art in someone whose teaching was already so vast. Everyone had the feeling that they were in the presence of something unique coming from very far away and from very high: an ancient knowledge of the laws of the universe, of the laws governing movements and postures, and of the laws relating to the harmony of the body and to feelings of a higher order. Each gesture, each tempo, had to be executed with great precision. Gurdjieff often used the expression “to do exactly.” When this “to do exactly” was there each posture resonated in us like the precise echo of something much higher. Forces long forgotten within sprang forth. (17)

5

During the final two years of his life, Gurdjieff worked tirelessly to create literally hundreds of new Movement exercises: “He created scores of exercises, combinations and sequences, mathematically calculated, designed to help sustain attention and to understand what we now call ‘sensation’; to provide shocks and new impressions, and to induce intentionally certain feelings and more ‘collected’ states.” (18) Gurdjieff was constantly experimenting and observing the effect of the Movements on his students, often to their surprise: “Sometimes, having given us a fascinating new Movement that we finally learnt and really did well, exactly as he had instructed, he would nevertheless stop us and say gravely: ‘No! Never again!’” (19) And when an especially difficult Movement was properly executed he would call out “Bravo! Bravo!” Gurdjieff placed great importance on a certain series of Movements he created with his French and American pupils. These completed Movements consist of 39 exercises worked out in Paris (called “The Thirty-nine”) and an additional seven exercises developed in New York (the “American series”). Each Movement was usually referred to by a number or a descriptive name such as “Multiplication No. Five.” Ultimately, Gurdjieff considered only 46 of the Movements to be complete and fixed, with no further changes or adjustments required. When he was satisfied with a given Movement he would announce to the class: “This now you may continue to work with.” (20) If we compare the “39” with Gurdjieff’s earlier Movements, we basically see the same components: strong dervish dances, beautiful and quiet women’s, powerful geometrical patterned Movements, as well as sacred prayer rituals. However, the ancient religious and ethnological components are remarkably reduced, while abstract gestures and positions, performed in mathematical displacements, now prevail. It is as if during the fifteen year time span since his first efforts, Gurdjieff had digested his earlier impressions and reflected upon them to reappear with an even more personal style, in which mathematical and geometrical crystallizations were now dominant. The drama of the human condition, so poignantly captured in a number of old Movements, seems to have given way to a more abstract construction, but one that gives immediate and plentiful opportunity for work on oneself and work for the class as a whole. The later Movements were even more difficult to perform than the earlier ones and demanded a huge effort from a class in their demands on precision, quickness, discipline and sustained attention for their entire duration. The “39” Movements have been called Gurdjieff’s Magnum opus, and many have felt that in this series he summarized his whole teaching in this final and most powerful message to humankind. (21)

Following his death, senior students under the direction of Jeanne de Salzmann took responsibility for teaching the Movements to future generations of students of the Work. They took great care to transmit the Movements exactly as they had been taught without embellishment or distortion. Some of the original Movements have disappeared because Gurdjieff did not allow students to transcribe them. (22) The preservation of the remaining exercises is a testament to the initiative and power of recollection of his successors. In the 1950s, wanting to create a permanent visual record of the Movements, Jeanne de Salzmann directed ten archival films. These films are not available for viewing 6

by the public. The only publicly released footage of the Movements is contained in the final ten minutes of Peter Brook’s film Meetings with Remarkable Men, released in the United States in 1979.

Nature of the Movements

In program notes for the public performances of the Movements, Gurdjieff identified the ethnic, ritual and temple dances as having a variety of origins, including Turkestan, Afghanistan, Kafiristan, Chitral, Transcaspia, Turkey and Tibet. However, there is no independent verification of his attributions of these structured dances by any contemporary Central Asian ethnologist or anthropologist. It is possible that these dances are adaptations of dances Gurdjieff had witnessed in his travels. Scholars and pupils of Gurdjieff have attempted to place the diverse collection of Movements into a series of categories as follows:

•

The ‘Obligatories,’ a series of six preliminary exercises in attention and coordination which are learned by all students before progressing to more complex exercises

•

Work movements and rhythms, characterized by action and precision, which often reflect a specific occupation (e.g. “The Shoe-Maker”)

•

Dervish dances and exercises, usually performed by men and distinguished by dynamic rhythms and an intensity that is consciously controlled

•

Women’s dances in which the soft, gentle movements of the dancers embody the feminine principle and suggest service to a higher truth

•

Sacred Eastern dances, often of ancient origin, typified by a slow tempo and reverent atmosphere

•

Ritual prayer movements or ‘prayer in motion,’ whose beautiful choreography suggests a deeper significance and symbology. In some cases, spoken word is added, including phrases like “Lord Have Mercy”

•

Movements, known as “Multiplications,” based on Gurdjieff’s cosmological laws of Three and Seven which are encapsulated by the enneagram. The dancers move along mathematically predetermined paths in accordance with the laws being represented

Each of the Movements is accompanied by specially composed music usually played on piano. (23) The music plays a critical role in supporting the Movements, both in their physical expression and their ability to effect inner transformation in the dancers. The

7

quality of the musical structure, rhythm, melody and harmony awakens an inner response in the dancers which touches their inner essence or being: Q: How does this music act on the dancers? A: Through the harmonies – but above all, through the composition of the music. Music can also belong to different orders of laws. Its structure, its harmonies, its melody, and its rhythm must accompany not only the outward movements but also the inner impulses which develop progressively in the course of the exercise. If the quality of vibration is right, it will awaken its counterpart in the dancers; it will not carry them away nor distract them. It constantly brings them back to themselves and to their need to be open. (24)

The Movements created an indelible impression on many viewers seeing them for the first time. (25) Yet, students of the Work agree that it is virtually impossible to convey the nature of the Movements to an outsider. A surprising degree of effort is required to perform the Movements correctly, which must be executed exactly as taught with a high degree of mental attention, relaxed presence and precision of movement: Each Movement’s external form is ‘mathematically’ predetermined from beginning to end . . . Every posture, gesture, rhythm, has its appointed place, duration and weight. Reliance on habit, reflex functioning, and symmetry is minimal; the participant’s arms, legs and head must often conform to independent contrapuntal rhythms; interior exercises in sensation and counting in canon may be added, and silent or spoken prayer. These diverse demands are reconcilable only by the dancer’s mobilized attention equiposed among intellect, feeling and body. (26)

In learning the Movements, students must do a great deal of preparatory work with exercises of increasing difficulty – disassociated or unnatural movements; complicated movement sequences – developed to strengthen the power of attention and concentration. (27) Once students have mobilized sufficient attention to perform the correct postures and sequence of gestures and movements, they are challenged to make a second effort of attention by doing inner exercises of counting or sensing: At the very beginning of the practice of the preliminary exercises the effort of the attention to memorize different postures seems to be solely formal and to depend mainly upon physical aptitude. But as the exercises become progressively more and more complex, the difficulty of facing the growing demand for coordination of different speeds, different tempos, and different rhythms associated with complicated displacements and canons, calls for a new attentiveness never experienced before. (28)

The final requirement of attention is to sense one’s presence or being, the sensation of oneself as a whole. The Movements have their full effect only when all three degrees of

8

attention are engaged, which gives rise to a higher spiritual energy that reveals another level of being: At first the only problem that arises in working on the movements is the establishment of the correct posture and the succession of gestures and displacements that go with it. At this stage, the attention must be focused on the parts of the body that have to perform the various movements, either simultaneously or in rapid succession. This is difficult enough, but soon another effort is needed – the turning of the most refined quality of attention one can achieve towards the sensation of oneself as a whole. For a long time one’s approach to this additional demand cannot but be very clumsy. Nevertheless, the double effort of attention does sometimes appear, bringing with it a fleeting taste of liberty which, however short its duration, is so unforgettable that it is eagerly sought for again. Once this kind of work begins to be possible, the movements are no longer controlled by reference to a mental image alone – they depend on the acute sensation of oneself that springs from this more active level of attention. One can say now that the movement is made through and not by me. This changes everything. (29)

When properly performed within a group ensemble, the Movements take on new meaning and significance. Each dancer is a single cog in a complex machine, moving within a row or block of dancers, interchanging positions with mathematical precision in a unified flow of movement. The Movements which derive their meaning from their specific form and pattern, such as the enneagram flow of energy, then take on the symbolism of hieroglyphs or pictograms, physical codifications of knowledge.

Effects of the Movements

In his practical teachings Gurdjieff treated the study of his ideas and the practice of the Movements as complementary. Many students of the Work have reported that their experience of the Movements was invaluable in helping them understand aspects of the Work beyond a purely theoretical perspective. But pupils are unanimous that performing the Movements properly is remarkably demanding, and often frustrating and exhausting. (30) The dancers are pushed to the limits of their endurance as they struggle to master the sequence of postures while maintaining attention and presence. In the words of Thomas de Hartmann: “I was like an old, rusted, revolving machine, with no attention for the transition from one pose to the next.” (31) Students are instructed to use the Movements as a means to study themselves and observe their habits. The unusual postures and movements challenge their habitual patterns of physical expression, allowing pupils to acquire insight into the limitations of their bodies as a result of habit and conditioning. They show the degree to which the body is an obstacle to the spiritual search through its inertia, tensions and automatism. The difficulties the student experiences in the Movements is a mirror of the experiences of 9

everyday life: “It is not only when faced with the demands of the exercises that he is heavy, clumsy, incapable of giving himself fully – that is how he lives all the time. He discovers his real situation.” (32) The Movements provide a method for students to experience directly two co-existing realities within themselves: “One pole corresponds to one’s real possibility – the awakening of consciousness, the development of being, presence to oneself. The other pole corresponds to the way we actually live, enslaved by our own automatism, our passivity, our sleep.” (33) In this sense the Movements are a means of self-observation and self-study: We realize in Movements that we rarely awaken to our own life – inner and outer. We see that we always react in a habitual and conditioned way; we become aware that our three main centres, head, body, feelings rarely work together or in harmony; we begin to try to move always intentionally, not mechanically. And we discover in ourselves many hitherto unexpected possibilities; we find that one can collect one’s attention, that one can be ‘awake’ at times and have an overall sensation of oneself. That quietness of mind, an awareness of body and an interest of feeling can be brought together and that this results in a more complete state of attentiveness in which the life force is freed and one is sensitive and open to higher influences. Thus, one has a taste of how life could be lived differently. (34)

When viewed from this perspective, the Movements are understood as a means not an end – it is not how well the Movements are technically executed, but rather “the inner state of attentiveness and impartial watching that is essential.” (35) One of Gurdjieff’s aims in teaching the Movements was to help students achieve balance and integration between body, mind and feelings. Each of the three centres has its own intelligence, attention and role to play in the proper execution of the Movements, and when they harmonize and support each other a special state of unitary attention appears. (36) Students have reported that after practising the Movements for many years they sometimes experience a transformative state where body, mind and feelings are unified and purified: The Movements show us the profound effect that efforts can have when they are made under conditions created on the basis of precise knowledge. When seemingly insurmountable difficulties are overcome, the inner state of being changes. Fatigue and other obstacles vanish . . . Feeling becomes more confident, thought clearer, the body lighter. And when the experience is over, the body retains a trace of it. It is no longer quite the same. It has been baptized, initiated. It is in a state of balanced well-being. (37)

The effort to perform the Movements correctly leads to the development of a finer, more refined quality of attention in which the mechanical flow of associations ceases. When inner attention is maintained there is a free flow of energy through the body, so that the Movements can be performed with a sense of ease and freedom. New currents of 10

energy, previously inaccessible, can be received and transformed by the dancer. Those who have worked with the Movements for an extended period of time sometimes report being aware of a finer, higher quality of spiritual energy which reflect an experience which is beyond words or verbal formulation. (38) Contact with a finer spiritual energy develops a special sensitivity of consciousness and a state of awakened presence. At this point the Movements become truly sacred, both in their inner content and their outer manifestation. (39) They have fulfilled their function as embodiments of esoteric knowledge and conductors of spiritual energy.

The Movements Today

Spiritual exercises are a means to an end, not an end in themselves. Like all techniques they can be useful when correctly applied at appropriate times in the context of a comprehensive teaching. Although the Movements played a major role in Gurdjieff’s teaching, they were not intended to be practised continuously year after year. They were primarily directed toward producing a particular result or change in the pupil. Like other spiritual exercises they were meant to be carried out for a certain time until their purpose had been accomplished, and then changed or abandoned. The Movements can become a spectacle with their great beauty and compelling effect on onlookers. But the beauty of the dances is secondary and, in fact, not all of the movements are beautiful or harmonious. (40) Nor are the Movements designed to promote physical fitness, physiological healing or altered states of consciousness. They are a way of understanding and experimenting with the oral and written knowledge Gurdjieff transmitted to his pupils. When deprived of this fundamental connection with Gurdjieff’s essential ideas, the Movements lose much of their meaning. Gurdjieff’s successors endeavoured to teach the Movements in exactly the way they were transmitted by Gurdjieff. However, as with many teaching enterprises, distortions, simplifications and wrong emphases have entered the equation in the form of unprepared instructors, inaccurate instructions, pointless repetitions of exercises and an insistence on memory by rote or performing feats of endurance. Some senior teachers of the Movements have sounded a dire warning: “We have seen more and more miscon-ceptions develop around the Movements, their use, validity, precise content, even their comparative authenticity considering the constant influx of ersatz imitations, and amateur ‘preparatory exercises’.” (41) Following Gurdjieff’s death in 1949, some of his students such as John Bennett made “additions” and “improvements” to the original set of Movements, including the recitation of Islamic prayers and instructing dancers to “feel” specific emotions in certain physical postures. Others, like Olgivanna Wright, tried to “develop” and add “choreography” to the Movements in ill-advised public performances in the United States in the 1950s. Of greater concern is the proliferation of self-appointed, independent Movements 11

teachers who openly advertise classes and workshops to anyone willing to pay an often hefty fee regardless of their preparation and understanding of the purpose of the Movements. The problem is compounded when these so-called “teachers” combine the Movements with an indiscriminate mixture of other spiritual teachings and practices. Today, the Movements are practised throughout the world by groups and organizations with no formal connection to the Work. Unauthorized videos of the Movements performed by these groups are routinely sold over the Internet or screened at workshops, gatherings and retreats. The result is usually harmless but spiritually unproductive. However, in some cases there are serious consequences as participants are unable to properly integrate their experiences, as they lack the support of teachers who understand the purpose and dynamics of the Movements. Wim Van Dullemen has been involved in Movements classes in both Europe and America for many decades, principally as a pianist accompanying the Movements. He presents some of the essential criteria for evaluating the quality and authenticity of groups teaching the Movements: Movements can only be learned in an authentic line of transmission. Study of them will take years of determined effort. Not only in Movements, but in Gurdjieff’s teaching as a whole. Any learning process has stages. It requires the acquisition of new knowledge, the absorption and digestion of this material, and finally, the application in practice of what has been learned in theory. In learning Movements these stages add up to a minimum of seven years. It only makes sense to study with a teacher who knows the Movements, is willing to give the whole Movement and not just in fragments, and is able to stimulate the class in its inner work. A transmission is authentic when founded by a personal pupil of Gurdjieff. These pupils often co-operated with one another, at least in the years immediately after Gurdjieff’s death, and amidst the labyrinth formed by these lines, the Institut Gurdjieff in Paris and the related Foundations stand out because of their historical bonds, their competence, the size of their organization, and because all were led by their founder, Mme. Jeanne de Salzmann. Several other lines independent from the above mentioned organizations and smaller in size, can also be qualified as authentic because they too were founded or guided by direct pupils of Gurdjieff who themselves stood in the Movements classes. From this last group, the original Ouspensky and Bennett lines seem the most important, insofar as comparative study of Movements transmission is concerned. They are by no means the only ones . . . To compare these aforementioned lineages, the following criteria seem relevant: - whether or not the Movements are presented in conjunction with the study of Gurdjieff’s teaching as a whole. - the number and type of Movements being transmitted. - the relation between their form and content. - to whom they are taught. - whether whole Movements, or only fragments of Movements are presented. Application of these criteria will quickly bring the strengths and weaknesses 12

of the different lines of transmission to the surface. Both the Foundation and the Ouspensky line teach Movements only to members of their organizations as an integrated component of the whole teaching they are supplying. The Bennett line experiments with short seminars, open to everybody, where the Movements dominate all other activities. (42)

The Movements, as originally intended, are a complex and sophisticated instrument which encode esoteric principles and knowledge. Many of Gurdjieff’s students believe that the Movements constitute a form of objective or sacred art that transmit esoteric knowledge: Works of art of this quality are not isolated creations. They are part of a whole, of a knowledge concerned entirely with man's development, with his evolution. They speak to us about the realities of a higher level. Although the mind does not understand them, they touch and awaken certain parts of our subconscious. The forms they take constitute a language . . . Neither these works of art nor the Movements were created for their beauty, nor does the main aim of the Movements have to do with the skill required to do them: They were created for the quality of energy they could convey. (43)

Gurdjieff's Movements, along with his music and his writings, form a triad of spiritual influences which were designed to nourish the body, mind and heart of his students. Each has been preserved by Gurdjieff’s legitimate successors in the same form in which they were transmitted to them and constitute an enduring legacy to the world. NOTES

(1) Gurdjieff used a number of interchangeable terms to describe his movement exercises: “sacred gymnastics,” “rhythmic exercise,” “sacred dance” and “Movements.” The term “Movements” was first used in France in 1922 and is now the most widely accepted of them. (2) James Moore Gurdjieff: Anatomy of a Myth (Rockport, Massachusetts: Element Books, 1991), p. 351. (3) James Moore Gurdjieff: Anatomy of a Myth (Rockport, Massachusetts: Element Books, 1991), p. 352. (4) Jacob Needleman “Introduction” in Jacob Needleman (ed.) The Inner Journey: Views from the Gurdjieff Work (Sandpoint, Idaho: Morning Light Press, 2008), p. xix. (5) Pauline de Dampierre “Sacred Dance: The Search for Conscious Harmony” www.gurdjieff.org/dampierre1.htm

13

(6) C.S. Nott Teachings of Gurdjieff (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1962), p. 8. (7) Jacob Needleman “Introduction” in Jacob Needleman (ed.) The Inner Journey: Views from the Gurdjieff Work (Sandpoint, Idaho: Morning Light Press, 2008), p. xix. (8) Wim Van Dullemen “A Taste of the Sacred: Gurdjieff’s Movements” in David Kherdian (ed.) A Stopinder Anthology (Mount Desert, Maine: Beech Hill Publishing, 2014), p. 250. (9) During his stay at the Sarmoung monastery in Central Asia, Gurdjieff witnessed a performance of sacred dances. In Meetings with Remarkable Men (London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1963, pp. 162-163) he writes: Everyone in the monastery knows the alphabet of these postures and when, in the evening in the main hall of the temple, the priestesses perform the dances indicated for the ritual of that day, the brethren may read in these dances one or another truth which men have placed there thousands of years before. These dances correspond precisely to our books. Just as is now done on paper, so, once, certain information about long past events was recorded in dances and transmitted from century to century to people of subsequent generations.

(10) C.S Nott Journey Through This World (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1969), p. 240. (11) William Patrick Patterson Georgi Ivanovitch Gurdjieff: The Man, The Teaching, His Mission (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2014), pp. 483-484. (12) In Views From the Real World: Early Talks of Gurdjieff (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1973, p. 157) Gurdjieff explains how each individual’s physical postures and movements are inextricably linked with his or her thoughts and feelings: We do not recognize to what an extent the intellectual, emotional and moving functions are mutually dependent, although, at the same time, we can be aware of how much our moods and emotional states depend on our movements and postures. If a man assumes a posture that corresponds, in him, to a feeling of grief or dejection, then within a short time he will actually feel grief or dejection. Fear, indifference, aversion and so on may be created by artificial changes of postures. Since all the functions of man – intellectual, emotional and moving – possess their own definite repertory of postures and are in constant reciprocal action, it follows that a man can never depart from his own repertory.

(13) G.I. Gurdjieff Views From the Real World: Early Talks of Gurdjieff (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1973), p. 183.

14

(14) James Moore Gurdjieff: Anatomy of a Myth (Rockport, Massachusetts: Element Books, 1991), p. 352. (15) John Bennett Witness: The Autobiography of John G. Bennett (Tucson: Omen Press, 1974), p. 112. (16) For the rhythmic exercises the dancers were dressed in white tunics over full white trousers belted with sashes reflecting the seven colours of the spectrum. In the Oriental dances the students wore colourful costumes designed by Gurdjieff intended to capture the flavour of the East. The dancers stood in lines and at a command by Gurdjieff stretched their arms straight out to their sides and began to beat out complicated rhythms with their feet. This was followed by smaller groups of dancers performing various postures and movements based on intricate designs and patterns. A series of Dervish dances were performed by male dancers, with vigorous rhythms. In sharp contrast, the women’s dances which followed had qualities of gentle beauty and grace. Perhaps the most unusual event of the evening was a demonstration of the “Stop” exercise. The dancers lined up at the back of the stage and, when Gurdjieff shouted an order, rushed at full speed towards the audience. Suddenly Gurdjieff shouted “Stop!” and everyone became immobilized, frozen like statues in various postures. Many were carried by the momentum of the rush and fell and rolled over on the floor, becoming rigid as they came to rest. After a minute or so Gurdjieff gave another command and the dancers relaxed and resumed their positions in the original ranks. (17) Pauline de Dampierre “The Role of the Movements” in Jacob Needleman and George Baker (eds.) Gurdjieff: Essays and Reflections on the Man and His Teachings (New York: Continuum, 1996), p. 294. (18) Jessmin and Dushka Howarth It’s Up to Ourselves: A Mother, a Daughter, and Gurdjieff (New York: Gurdjieff Heritage Society, 2008), p. 462. (19) Jessmin and Dushka Howarth It’s Up to Ourselves: A Mother, a Daughter, and Gurdjieff (New York: Gurdjieff Heritage Society, 2008), p. 469. (20) Jessmin and Dushka Howarth It’s Up to Ourselves: A Mother, a Daughter, and Gurdjieff (New York: Gurdjieff Heritage Society, 2008), p. 477. (21) Wim Van Dullemen “A Taste of the Sacred: Gurdjieff’s Movements” in David Kherdian (ed.) A Stopinder Anthology (Mount Desert, Maine: Beech Hill Publishing, 2014), pp. 255-256. (22) There are conflicting reports on this matter, with some pupils such as Jessmin and Dushka Howarth indicating that Gurdjieff approved to some degree of “note taking” to safeguard the accurate transmission of the Movements to future generations. 15

(23) Gurdjieff and Thomas de Hartmann composed the original music for the Movements. Following Gurdjieff’s death, musicians and students of the Work such as Alain Kremski enlarged the repertoire. (24) Pauline de Dampierre “Sacred Dance: The Search for Conscious Harmony” www.gurdjieff.org/dampierre1.htm (25) The effect of the Movements on others is vividly described in John Shirley’s Gurdjieff: An Introduction to His Life and Ideas (New York: Jeremy P. Tarcher, 2004), pp. 184-185: Visually, the Gurdjieff Movements are startling. One has a sense of each dancer’s sharply defined individuality paradoxically contained in a conscious uniformity of purpose. The Movements rarely involve solo dancers – picture them always as rows of dancers wearing identical white costumes with sashes, moving either identically and simultaneously as a whole, or identically in their own section; sometimes the dancers are divided into rows that move differently with respect to one another but always in an overall symmetry. Other formations beside rows are adopted, at times, with equal precision. The effect of this collective replication of symbolic movement is eerie and enigmatic.

(26) James Moore Gurdjieff: Anatomy of a Myth (Rockport, Massachusetts: Element Books, 1991), p. 352. (27) Paul Reynard describes this initial challenge in “Dances are for the Mind” www.gurdjieff.org/reynard1.htm (28) Paul Reynard “Dances are for the Mind” www.gurdjieff.org/reynard1.htm (29) Henri Thomasson “Working with the Movements” www.gurdjieff.org/thomasson1.htm (30) Hugh Ripman describes the challenge of trying to master the Movements in Jessmin and Dushka Howarth It’s Up to Ourselves: A Mother, a Daughter, and Gurdjieff (New York: Gurdjieff Heritage Society, 2008), p. 106: From the very beginning, the ‘Movements’ as they were called made a demand on my attention that was different from anything I had ever experienced – one couldn’t hide, one couldn’t go to sleep. The moment my attention wandered, I made a mistake. It was in this way that I first tasted in my own experience the force that is generated by attention which is directed by an effort of will for a long time. For myself I could hold my attention steady for a few minutes: but here, where the outside demand was added to my own efforts, and constantly renewed for an hour or an hour and a half, the results were of quite a different order. 16

(31) Thomas and Olga de Hartmann Our Life with Mr. Gurdjieff (London: Arkana, 1992), p. 139. (32) Pauline de Dampierre “The Role of the Movements” in Jacob Needleman and George Baker (eds.) Gurdjieff: Essays and Reflections on the Man and His Teachings (New York: Continuum, 1996), p. 291. (33) Pauline de Dampierre “Sacred Dance: The Search for Conscious Harmony” www.gurdjieff.org/dampierre1.htm (34) Jessmin and Dushka Howarth It’s Up to Ourselves: A Mother, a Daughter, and Gurdjieff (New York: Gurdjieff Heritage Society, 2008), p. 106. (35) Jessmin and Dushka Howarth It’s Up to Ourselves: A Mother, a Daughter, and Gurdjieff (New York: Gurdjieff Heritage Society, 2008), p. 465. (36) The functioning of the three centres is described in Jessmin and Dushka Howarth, It’s Up to Ourselves: A Mother, a Daughter, and Gurdjieff (New York: Gurdjieff Heritage Society, 2008), p. 463: In the Movements, my head knows what the next attitude is supposed to be. It tries to help my body to get there directly. My BODY feels the different positions. It senses how it should be. It knows that it changes the tonicity of its muscles according to the various positions. So it has an attention as well as the head. And in myself I’m eager to do the Movements . . . to learn what they can bring and so there’s also an attention in the FEELING. And when all of these are present, somehow I’m aware of all my energies being used in the right way. I feel myself collected. Somehow, a kind of life force in me is released and I can become more open, more sensitive, and perhaps receive impressions of a finer quality than usual.

(37) Pauline de Dampierre “The Role of the Movements” in Jacob Needleman and George Baker (eds.) Gurdjieff: Essays and Reflections on the Man and His Teachings (New York: Continuum, 1996), p. 290. (38) This process is described by Henri Thomasson in “Working with the Movements” www.gurdjieff.org/thomasson1.htm: A very special level of attention can be reached, and it brings with it a distinct feeling of the two natures of man; the one belonging to the external world and the other to the mysterious source of life itself. All the physical processes that take place in the ordinary life of the body belong to the first nature. Once we recognize the ease with which we slide from most of our efforts of attention into the habitual functioning of our thoughts and accept the whole range of 17

our everyday joys and sufferings, we have a clear indication of the taste and quality of the lower world. When all thoughts and imagination drop away and only the vibrations of the living body are the centre of attention, the other world becomes accessible. Here all accustomed motives of desire and curiosity become completely unreal and a new kind of thought, liberated from form and composed of a pure but very fragile energy, appears. It is possible to belong to both of these worlds at once, but for this a new relationship between them must be established and the present state of affairs, where the external takes everything for itself, must be reversed. The lower nature should be at the service of the higher.

(39) A group of students performing the Movements can produce an energy or force which is perceptible to external observers, according to Henri Thomasson (“Working with the Movements” www.gurdjieff.org/thomasson1.htm): The strange power of the movements to materialize forces of a higher order is not experienced only by those who act as vehicles for these forces. The unfolding of the figures brings into play special inner relationships that are perfectly visible and offer perceptible evidence that the performers are the bearers of forces inherent in the movements themselves and are charged with an influence the effects of which can be felt by onlookers. A movements class which has practised together for a long time radiates a ‘substance,’ the reality of which, subtle though it be, can be received at an inner level in the same way as colour and sound are received by our ordinary instruments of perception.

(40) Gurdjieff held that ugly and discordant movements were useful in liberating students from obsession with their own appearance. He sometimes required the dancers to make ugly faces or awkward movements for the purpose of self-development. (41) Jessmin and Dushka Howarth It’s Up to Ourselves: A Mother, a Daughter, and Gurdjieff (New York: Gurdjieff Heritage Society, 2008), p. 470. (42) Wim Van Dullemen “A Taste of the Sacred: Gurdjieff’s Movements” in David Kherdian (ed.) A Stopinder Anthology (Mount Desert, Maine: Beech Hill Publishing, 2014), pp. 260-262. (43) Pauline de Dampierre “The Role of the Movements” in Jacob Needleman and George Baker (eds.) Gurdjieff: Essays and Reflections on the Man and His Teachings (New York: Continuum, 1996), p. 293.

18

THE HUMAN CONDITION ‘Humanity is asleep, concerned only with what is useless, living in a wrong world.’ Sanai

Humanity is Asleep Human beings are described by many spiritual traditions as ‘blind’ or ‘asleep’ or ‘in a dream.’ These terms refers to the limited attenuated state of consciousness of most human beings caught up in patterns of conditioned thought, feeling and perception, which prevent the development of our latent, higher spiritual possibilities. In the words of Idries Shah: “Man, like a sleepwalker who suddenly ‘comes to’ on some lonely road has in general no correct idea as to his origins or his destiny.” In some religious traditions, such as Christianity and Islam, the myth of the ‘Fall from the Garden of Eden’ symbolizes the loss of the primordial state through the veiling of higher consciousness. Other traditions use similar metaphors to describe the spiritual condition of humanity: The Sufis characterize ordinary consciousness as a state of “deep sleep” or “blindness” – an overconcern with the irrelevant dimensions of the world. Gurdjieff’s image is that man places shock absorbers between himself and the world. “We must destroy our buffers; children have none, therefore we must become like little children.” In Indian thought, personal consciousness is compared to a “drunken monkey” living solely in his constructs – the world of “illusion.” This same thought is a metaphorical meaning of the “fall” of man in the Christian tradition. (1) The state of ‘waking sleep’ has been likened to a form of hypnosis induced by our family, culture and other external forces and influences. “We do not perceive ourselves and the world about us as they are but as we have been persuaded to perceive them.” As he is organized, that is, being such as nature has created him, man can be a self-conscious being. Such he is created and such he is born. But he is born among sleeping people, and, of course, he falls asleep among them just at the very time when he should have begun to be conscious of himself. Everything has a hand in this: the involuntary imitation of older people on the part of the child, voluntary and involuntary suggestion, and what is called ‘education.’ Every attempt to awaken on the child’s part is instantly stopped. This is inevitable. And a great many efforts and a great deal of help are necessary in order to awaken later when thousands of sleep-compelling habits have been accumulated. And this very seldom happens. In most cases, a man when still a child already loses the possibility of awakening; he lives in sleep all his life and he dies in sleep. Furthermore, many people die long before their physical death. (2) 1

The normal waking state of an ordinary human being is completely subjective, conditioned and based on imagination, largely devoid of higher awareness and insight. As Gurdjieff so forcefully stated: “He cannot stop the flow of his thoughts, he cannot control his imagination, his emotions, his attention. He lives in a subjective world of ‘I love,’ ‘I do not love,’ ‘I like,’ ‘I do not like,’ ‘I want,’ ‘I do not want.’ He does not see the real world [which] is hidden from him by the wall of imagination. He lives in sleep.” Buddhist teachings consider suffering and the unsatisfactory condition of ordinary life as the ‘First Noble Truth’ and point to the imperfections of the human mind as the root cause: The Buddha taught that this life is an ocean of suffering. Everything is impermanent, so everything is always changing, changing, changing. Because we attach to things, we constantly suffer, since despite however much we love things they must always change and disappear and return to emptiness . . . this suffering is made entirely by our minds and it can be taken away the very moment we gain true insight into the nature of our mind. (3) In most human beings suffering and happiness alternate in response to the play of external conditions and circumstances. But when there is an inner freedom from outer events and circumstances this reactive state drops away: You have not seen how painful the life you live is. You are like a child sleeping with a lollipop in its mouth. You may feel happy for a moment by being totally self-centered, but it is enough to have a good look at human faces to perceive the universality of suffering. Even your own happiness is so vulnerable and short-lived, at the mercy of a bank-crash, or a stomach ulcer. It is just a moment of respite, a mere gap between two sorrows. Real happiness is not vulnerable because it does not depend on circumstances. Look at yourself fearlessly and you will at once realize that your happiness depends on conditions and circumstances, hence it is momentary, not real. Real happiness flows from within. (4) Much of the pain and suffering experienced by human beings is self-created through resisting the natural flow of life: Q: Nobody’s life is entirely free of pain and sorrow. Isn’t it a question of learning to live with them rather than trying to avoid them? A: The greater part of human pain is unnecessary. It is self-created as long as the unobserved mind runs your life. The pain that you create is always some form of non-acceptance, some form of unconscious resistance to what is. On the level of thought, the resistance is some form of judgment. On the emotional level, it is some form of negativity. The intensity of the pain depends on the degree of resistance to the present moment, and this in turn depends on how strongly you are identified with your mind. The mind always seeks to deny 2

the Now and to escape from it. In other words, the more you are identified with your mind, the more you suffer. Or you may put it like this: the more you are able to honor and accept the Now, the more you are free of pain, of suffering – and free of the egoic mind. (5) The outer events of the world are a reflection of the inner condition of humanity. Change must come from within not from without: Q: Are you not at all concerned about the state of the world? A: I am reading newspapers. I know what is going on! But my reaction is not like yours. You are looking for a cure, while I am concerned with prevention. As long as there are causes, there must also be results. As long as people are bent on dividing and separating, as long as they are selfish and aggressive, such things will happen. If you want peace and harmony in the world, you must have peace and harmony in your hearts and minds. Such change cannot be imposed; it must come from within. Those who abhor war must get war out of their own system. Without peaceful people how can you have peace in the world? As long as people are as they are, the world must be as it is. (6) Gurdjieff related an Eastern teaching story known as “The Magician and the Sheep” that suggests that human beings are hypnotized into a state of ‘sleep’ which prevents them from seeing their true condition: There is an Eastern tale which speaks about a very rich magician who had a great many sheep. But at the same time this magician was very mean. He did not want to hire shepherds, nor did he want to create a fence about the pasture where his sheep were grazing. The sheep consequently often wandered into the forest, fell into ravines, and so on, and above all they ran away, for they knew that the magician wanted their flesh and skins and this they did not like. At last the magician found a remedy. He hypnotized his sheep and suggested to them first of all that they were immortal and that no harm was being done to them when they were skinned, that, on the contrary, it would be very good for them and even pleasant; secondly he suggested that the magician was a good master who loved his flock so much that he was ready to do anything in the world for them; and in the third place he suggested to them that if anything at all were going to happen to them it was not going to happen just then, at any rate not that day, and therefore they had no need to think about it. Further the magician suggested to his sheep that they were not sheep at all; to some of them he suggested that they were lions, to others that they were eagles, to others that they were men, and to others that they were magicians. And after this all his cares and worries about the sheep came to an end. They never ran away again but quietly awaited the time when the magician would require their flesh and skins. This tale is a very good illustration of man’s position. (7) 3

The Heritage of Human Evolution The human animal, unlike other creatures, is estranged from his or her natural being and essential nature. The great classical Sufi sage Al-Ghazalli stated: “Man has been created with animal qualities as well as angelic qualities; the latter constitute his real essence, while the former are merely accidental and transitory.” Human beings think that human beings are very clever animals. But despite all their intelligence, if you look closely at what has happened in the world you would see that human beings are actually the stupidest animals, because human beings don’t understand human beings. A dog understands what a dog should do, and cats understand what cats should do. All animals understand their job and only do it. But we don’t understand our correct job and correct way in this world, and instead we live only for ourselves. (8) The structure and evolution of the human brain suggest that the modern neo-cortex and the more primitive regions of the brain have a strangely antagonistic, yet complementary, relationship: Living an uneasy coexistence within us are our older emotional nature, dating back to the origin of our species and our cognitive or rational nature with its relatively new neo-cortex (only about five hundred thousand years old, some neurologists say). Our unfinished business, then, is to reconcile and harmonize our emotional and intellectual sides. (9) A great deal of the social and interpersonal behaviour of human beings is rooted in the more primitive animal level of behaviour, and can only be understood from that perspective. For example, human beings resemble animals in being drawn to those aspects of things which immediately attract them, whether these things are suitable for them or not. This parallel of unregenerate man as largely animal, endowed with faculties which he cannot yet properly use, is frequent in Sufi teaching: “The more animal the man, the less he understands of teachership. To him the guide may seem like the hunter, requiring him to enter a cage. “I was like this,” states Aali-Pir. “The untrained hawk thinks that if he is captured, as he calls it, he will be enslaved. He does not realize that the hawk-master will give him a fuller life, perched freely on the wrist of the King, without the perpetual preoccupation of food and fear.” (10) Human ignorance, foolishness and outright stupidity are reflected in a wide variety of individual, group and cultural behaviour whose roots are pre-human rather than human. An analogy is the observed fact that many grown adults behave as though they were infants or children:

4

Many problems arise in current cultures because numerous adults behave like infants, while it is part of the convention to treat such behaviour as that of adults. But parents would not allow it in their own children. These people are still educable, even though their education might have to be similar to that given to children. We make few facile assumptions about ‘natural’ or ‘basic’ knowledge being already in children. Oddly, we assume that adults know a lot of things which they do not. (11) The term ‘mass psychosis’ has been coined to describe “aberrations characteristic of all or most members of the functioning society, aberrations considered by everyone to be “normal.” We are living in a world where honesty and the correct assessment of situations often seem like insanity, at best like humour.” Much of the behaviour of past and contemporary humanity, especially war and destruction, makes a mockery of such notions as “civilization” and “progress.” It is wisely said that “human beings have an infinite capacity for both self-development and self-destruction.” People believe in progress and culture. There is no progress whatever. Everything is just the same as it was thousands, and tens of thousands, of years ago. The outward form changes. The essence does not change. Man remains just the same. ‘Civilized’ and ‘cultured’ people live with exactly the same interests as the most ignorant savages. Modern civilization is based on violence and slavery and fine words. But all these fine words about ‘progress’ and ‘civilization’ are merely words. (12)

Human Beings as ‘Machines’ Most people tend to react mechanically to external influences and impressions, much like a machine. Without conscious attention and presence, life is experienced “in exactly the same way as rain falls as a result of a change in the temperature in the higher regions of the atmosphere or the surrounding clouds, as snow melts under the rays of the sun, as dust rises with the wind.” Gurdjieff articulated this idea in stark terms: Man is a machine. All his deeds, actions, words, thoughts, feelings, convictions, opinions, and habits are the results of external influences, external impressions. Everything he says, does, thinks, feels – all this happens . . . to establish this fact for oneself, to understand it, to be convinced of its truth, means getting rid of a thousand illusions about man, about his being creative and consciously organizing his own life, and so on. (13) The analogy of “people as machines” suggests that most individuals react to external circumstances “like a marionette pulled here and there by invisible strings.” To a visitor from another

5

planet, human behaviour would seem to appear oddly homogeneous, mechanical, unconscious and reactive: The human being is so intensely standardized that an outside observer, noting his reaction to various stimuli, need not infer an individual controlling brain in each person. He would be more likely to infer the existence of a separate, outside brain, and the people as mere manifestations of its will. (14) The consequences of automatic and reactive behaviour have serious implications for humanity, both individually and collectively. In many ways the structure, influence and belief systems of contemporary societal institutions resemble a vast machine which enslaves human beings through imitation, conditioning and conformity. “Man is becoming a willing slave who no longer needs chains. He begins to grow fond of his slavery, to be proud of it.” Think only of the world of politics, advertising, entertainment and mass media: Contemporary man is dragged along in a producing and consuming cog-wheel system to the point where he begins to become part of the machine and loses mastery of himself. Daily life dissipates our spirit, eats up our time and thus does not leave the opportunity to become aware of ourselves and return to our deepest self. Accustomed as we are to being constantly “occupied,” if these occupations should happen to be taken from us, we find ourselves empty and abandoned. (15) Most individuals are unable to recognize the automatic, mechanical nature of much of their behaviour and the misleading attributions they assign to their perceptions. “We quite clearly see a growth of personality at the cost of essence, a growth of the artificial, the unreal, and what is foreign, at the cost of the natural, the real, and what is one’s own.” The pervasive mechanical, machine-like behaviour of human beings prevents the development of higher consciousness and access to subtle spiritual energy. What is the source of this mysterious energy, which animates us and all our manifestations, from birth to death, and even beyond? The aim of the teaching is to rediscover this source of life through the development of consciousness. But consciousness hides behind a “mask” – it is the prisoner of human conditioning. In reality, our perception of this primal energy is veiled and obscured by the vast disorder of our functions. This disorder is created by a multitude of tensions and complex automatized reactions, which themselves are the result of deeper layers of conditioning . . . We remain unaware of this primal energy – even though we sometimes get closer to it by intuition. We are trapped in the straightjacket of our automatism, unable to escape from its confines, from the inextricable relation between the habitual movements of our mind and the automatized functioning of our personality . . . This machine creates delusions and it is not possible for us, in the ordinary course of our life, to realize the extent to which we are prisoners to our automatism. Very special conditions are necessary to 6

recognize this, so that another quality of attention and self-awareness may appear. (16)

Heedlessness and Inattention Lack of attention is one of the major characteristics of human life. “Heedlessness, confusion and inattention must be set aside as they interfere with both effectiveness in ordinary life situations and the attainment of higher, more refined, perceptions.” One of the major forms of heedlessness in everyday life occurs when a person’s awareness is trapped by dwelling on the past or generating expectations of the future: Q: Here is something which strikes me as being rather significant, and it happens every day; one does one thing while thinking about another. For instance, I often happen to put my keys down somewhere, and the next moment I can’t remember where they are, because I was thinking of something else and I was not really present. Is this not a very ordinary example showing that most of the time we are not present to ourselves? A: Yes it is. We are always somewhere else, living ahead or behind in time, we long for the future or we regret the past. We are never really here. This flight in time is of great significance. If we turn away from the present, or rather if the present is so often unable to hold our attention, it is because we conceive of it as being a known and registered reality, therefore devoid of interest, or as a disappointing one. Just so long as we have not understood that true bliss is not in objects but in us, we continue to place our hope in the future and keep racing ahead. We thus live in a state of imbalance, bent upon, and striving endlessly towards the future. What we must come to understand is that awareness in the present is the only true starting point and that this starting point is at the same time the point of arrival. (17) Faulty perception and misunderstandings play a major role in everyday human life. “People ordinarily are prone to considerable mistakes in perception and understanding, and are easily misled by wrong information . . . It is precisely because of the unreliability of vision, of memory, of wanting to believe, of induced belief that an objective perception must be acquired before even familiar things can be seen as they are.” A Sufi teaching story, “Seeing and Understanding,” describes the condition of people who in ordinary life are unable to perceive things which are obvious because their awareness and attention are directed elsewhere. A powerful King was annoyed when a wise Sufi stated that most people were ‘blind’ and could not understand what they saw, and offered the King a demonstration: “What do I have to do?” asked the King. “You will sit for one day in the bazaar, the local market, in your robes and 7

wearing your crown, hammering upon a brass tray.” And so the King sat there all day with the Sufi beside him. Every few minutes someone stopped and asked, “What are you doing?” and the Sufi, sitting nearby, took down his or her name. At the end of the day, the Sufi said: “Your Majesty – here is the list of all the people who stopped and were so blind that they could not see what you were doing, hammering a brass tray, and had to ask.” The King was quite impressed; but then a thought struck him. “Yes, but what about a list of people who are not blind but still cannot understand what they see?” “That’s easy” said the Sufi, “all you have to do is make a copy of the same list and it will do just as well.” (18) Gurdjieff’s concepts of ‘identification’ and ‘considering’ explain a number of human manifestations of heedlessness, inattention and mechanical behaviour such as lying, imagination, unnecessary talking and the expression of negative emotions: ‘Identifying’ or ‘identification’ is a curious state in which man passes more than half his life. He ‘identifies’ with everything: with what he says, what he feels, what he believes, what he does not believe, what he wishes, what he does not wish, what attracts him, what repels him. Everything absorbs him, and he cannot separate himself from the idea, the feeling, or the object that absorbed him. This means that in the state of identification man is incapable of looking impartially on the object of his identification . . . The second sleep-producing state, akin to identification, is considering. Actually, ‘considering’ is identification with people. It is a state in which man constantly worries what other people think of him; whether they give him his due, whether they admire him enough, and so on. ‘Considering’ plays a very important part in everyone’s life, but in some people it becomes an obsession. All their lives are filled with considering – that is, worry, doubt and suspicion – and there remains no place for anything else. Both of these, ‘identifying’ and ‘considering,’ must be observed most seriously. Only full knowledge of them can diminish them. If one cannot see them in oneself, one can easily see them in other people. But one must remember that one in no way differs from others. In this sense all people are equal. (19) A common human mistake is to confuse the secondary with the primary and vice versa. People generally have no sense of the relative importance and significance of individuals and events. They believe that important things are unimportant, and trivial ones vital. Our fascination with the phenomenal world obscures the perception of our fundamental unconditioned nature as pure awareness and being. The cure for heedlessness, inattention and forgetfulness is a choiceless objective awareness which reveals the nature of our mechanical physical, emotional and mental functioning.

8

Q: Why should I imagine myself so wretched? A: You do it by habit only. Change your ways of feeling and thinking, take stock of them and examine them closely. You are in bondage by inadvertence. Attention liberates. You are taking so many things for granted. Begin to question. You have put so much energy into building a prison for yourself. Now spend as much on demolishing it. In fact, demolition is easy, for the false dissolves when it is discovered. (20)

Enlarging the Human Perspective According to traditional spiritual teachings, the human soul is cut off from its ‘parent stem’ and must re-establish its natural harmonious connection with creation through a process of self-examination and inner development. The experiences of ordinary life are only a small portion of the many dimensions of existence. “The whole array of mundane experiences are reflections of an ultimate reality.” The meditations of Rumi include some remarkable ideas, designed to bring the Seeker into an understanding of the fact that he is temporarily out of contact with complete reality, even though ordinary life seems to be the totality of reality itself. What we see, feel and experience in ordinary, unfulfilled life is only a part of the great whole. There are dimensions which we can reach only through effort. Like the submerged portions of the iceberg, they are there, though unperceived under ordinary conditions. Also like the iceberg, they are far greater than could be suspected by superficial study. (21) According to Gurdjieff, the ability to act consciously and with a higher intention separates the developed human being from the ordinary man or woman: Man is the being who can “do,” says this teaching. To do means to act consciously and according to one’s will. All the differences which strike us among men can be reduced to the differences in the consciousness of their actions. Men seem to us to vary so much just because the actions of some of them are, according to our opinion, deeply conscious, while the actions of others are so unconscious that they even seem to surpass the unconsciousness of stones, which at least react rightly to external phenomena. The question is complicated by the mere fact that often one and the same man shows us, side by side with what appears to us entirely conscious actions of will, other quite unconscious animal-mechanical reactions. In virtue of this, man appears to us to be an extraordinarily complicated being. This teaching denies this complication and puts before us a very difficult task in connection with man. Man is he who can

9

“do” but among ordinary men, as well as among those who are considered extraordinary, there are few who can “do.” (22) Spiritual development brings a perception of the inner aspect of existence that is normally invisible to the majority of humanity, whose perception of their potential and of objective Reality is full of subjective imaginings and conditioning. Those who can participate in ‘conscious evolution’ are able to perceive the complexity and inter-relationship of all aspects of reality: The Sufis maintain that man, like all living things, is included in a continual and evolutionary process within the Universe. It is man’s duty to take part harmoniously in this process and to participate in the advancement of this evolution. But because of his way of seeing things, he can only become partially aware of the process. His perceptions are faulty because they are subjective and relative and are conditioned by the outside world; therefore man interprets things according to limited patterns that are not objective and consequently he has little capacity for judging things correctly. The most complex interrelation of cause and effect that would explain reality cannot be transcribed into the language of the mind in its present state. “What we take to be reality is really more primitive short-term rule of thumb. For example, we tend to look at events one-sidedly. We also assume, without any justification, that an event happens as it were in a vacuum. In actual fact, all events are associated with all other events . . . If you look at any action which you do, or which anyone else does, you will find that it was prompted by one of many possible stimuli; and also that it is never an isolated action – it has consequences, many of them ones which you would never expect, certainly which you could not have planned . . . It is only when we are ready to experience our interrelation with the organism of life that we can appreciate mystical experience. That is to say a direct and total perception of truth.” (The Sufis). Meanwhile man is in a state that is called ‘a dream.’ (23) The fully developed human being is awake to the truly important aspects of life while ignoring the transient and secondary. “Humanity is circling around reality. It must enter the circle instead of following its perimeter.” Q: What is the right use of mind? A: Fear and greed cause the misuse of the mind. The right use of the mind is in the service of love, of life, of truth, of beauty. Q: Easier said than done. Love of truth, of man, goodwill – what luxury! We need plenty of it to set the world right, but who will provide? A: You can spend an eternity looking elsewhere for truth and love, intelligence and goodwill, imploring God and man – all in vain. You must begin in yourself, 10

with yourself – this is the inexorable law. You cannot change the image without changing the face. First realize that your world is only a reflection of yourself and stop finding fault with the reflection. Attend to yourself, set yourself right – mentally and emotionally. The physical self will follow automatically. You talk so much of reforms; economic, social, political. Leave alone the reforms and mind the reformer. What kind of world can a man create who is stupid, greedy, heartless? (24)

References (1) Robert Ornstein The Psychology of Consciousness (New York: Viking Press, 1972), p. 132. (2) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), p. 144. (3) Seung Sahn The Compass of Zen (Boston: Shambhala, 1997), pp. 97-98. (4) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), pp. 472473. (5) Eckhart Tolle The Power of Now (Vancouver: Namaste Publications, 1997), p. 27. (6) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 225. (7) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), p. 219. (8) Seung Sahn The Compass of Zen (Boston: Shambhala, 1997), p. 2. (9) Philip Kapleau The Wheel of Life and Death (New York: Doubleday, 1989), p. 42. (10) Idries Shah The Sufis (New York: Anchor Books, 1971), p. 391. (11) Idries Shah Reflections (Baltimore: Penguin Books, 1972), p. 16. (12) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), p. 51. (13) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), p. 21. (14) Idries Shah Learning How to Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 157-158. (15) Thich Nhat Hanh Zen Keys (New York: Anchor Books, 1974), pp. 142-143. (16) Marthe de Gaigneron “Sacred Dances” in Gurdjieff: Essays and Reflections on the Man and His Teachings (Jacob Needleman & George Baker, eds.) (New York: Continuum, 1996), pp. 296-297. (17) Jean Klein Be Who You Are (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1989), pp. 13-14. (18) Idries Shah A Perfumed Scorpion (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 54. (19) P.D. Ouspensky The Psychology of Man’s Possible Evolution (New York: Vintage Books, 1974), pp. 51-52. (20) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 298. (21) Idries Shah The Sufis (New York: Anchor Books, 1971), p. 139. (22) G.I. Gurdjieff Views From the Real World: Early Talks of Gurdjieff (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1973), p. 69. (23) Giovanna de Garayalde Jorges Luis Borges: Sources and Illumination (London: Octagon Press, 1978), pp. 13-14. (24) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), pp. 128129.

11

ESSENCE AND PERSONALITY ‘The touchstone it is which knows the real gold.’ Saadi

The Secondary Personality or ‘Commanding Self’ In many spiritual traditions an important distinction is made between the essence or real self of a human being and the secondary self or false personality. The Sufis teach that it is “the Commanding Self, the subjective mind, which stands between the ‘gold’ and the ‘touchstone’ in everyone.” Gurdjieff stressed the intrinsic difference between essence and personality: Man consists of two parts: essence and personality. Essence in man is what is his own. Personality in man is what is ‘not his own.’ ‘Not his own’ means what has come from outside, what he has learned, or reflects, all traces of exterior impressions left in the memory and in the sensations, all words and movements that have been learned, all feelings created by imitation – all this is ‘not his own,’ all this is personality. A small child has no personality as yet. He is what he really is. He is essence. His desires, tastes, likes, dislikes, express his being such as it is. But as soon as so-called ‘education’ begins, personality begins to grow. Personality is created primarily by the intentional influences of other people, that is, by ‘education,’ and partly by involuntary imitation of them by the child himself. In the creation of personality a great part is also played by ‘resistance’ to people around him and by attempts to conceal from them something that is ‘his own’ or ‘real.’ (1) For most people the primary area of psychological activity is that of the secondary, raw or subjective self. It is a mixture of primitive and conditioned responses, of training and imagination, of emotional and other factors, which seek to protect existing ways of thinking, feeling and perceiving: The secondary self is the false personality, which, although enabling people to handle many of the circumstances of life, has as its objective the maintenance of itself; not the progress of the individual beyond quite narrow and shallow limits. This commanding Self is manifested by reactions, hopes and fears and various opinions and preoccupations. (2) In Sufi terminology the dominating or commanding self is known as ‘nafs’ – the basic but selfish impulses and desires which control the behaviour of most human beings: The term nafs or ‘self’ is something like the ‘ego’ of western psychology: the provisional ‘consensus reality’ which we passively allow environment, culture 1

and experience to erect around us since birth. This self is an entirely illusory entity, constantly changing, full of contradictions which only habit prevents us from discerning. But above all the self is – selfish. As if flying in panic from any recognition of its own nothingness, it feverishly erects edifices of self-importance, self-aggrandizement, self-love. More binding than any prison, since we unthinkingly take its very walls for reality, it prevents us from ever realizing the true significance of our being here. (3) The commanding self or secondary personality has a number of negative manifestations and consequences: • Dominates and controls human behaviour • Leads to actions which are mechanical, automatic and uncontrolled • Tends to make decisions based on habit, obedience to authority or lack of information • Is easily conditioned and operated by primitive logic • Rules and limits the scope and possibilities of human functioning • Inhibits and distorts human flexibility, progress and understanding • Stifles intuition and blocks recognition of spiritual truth • Acts as a barrier to higher or extra-dimensional perceptions and experiences The secondary personality develops early in life and forms a sort of mask or ‘persona’ which covers the true inner being or essential self: Personality is an accidental thing, which we begin to acquire as soon as we are born; it is determined by our surroundings, outside influences, education and so on; it is like a dress you wear, a mask, an accidental thing changing with changing circumstances. It is the false part of man; and can be changed artificially or accidentally – in a few minutes by hypnosis or a drug. A man with a “strong personality” may have the essence of a child, overlaid by personality. (4) One of the qualities of the false personality is that it is constantly changing as it reacts to external influences and events. “The false or secondary self tends to filter and distort impressions from the external world by processing outside impacts and situations from an entirely subjective viewpoint.” Personality is an accidental thing – upbringing, education, points of view – everything external. It is like the clothes you wear, your artificial mask, the result of your upbringing, of the influence of your surroundings, opinions consisting of information and knowledge which change daily, one annulling the other. Today you are convinced of one thing – you believe it and want it. But tomorrow under another influence, your belief, your desires become different. All the material constituting your personality may be completely changed artificially or accidentally with a change in your surrounding conditions and place, and this in a very short time. (5) 2

The energy, impulses and desires of the secondary self should not be suppressed or denied as they have an important function in human life. Rather, they should be consciously controlled and directed in ways which support the search for higher understanding and development: Q: Isn’t the personality also a part of biological survival? A: You bring with you into the world certain characteristics that belong to your biological survival in this existence. But what we call the personality is acquired early in life. It is an accumulation of experiences and information born from your interaction with society. We are the result of our surroundings. We have believed what we have been told, crystallized it and identified with it. But the apparent continuity of the personality is only memory reinforced by society. See that the personality can be perceived like anything else. The perceiver is your wholeness, consciousness. The personality is only a fraction of what we really are. A fraction can only see a fraction. It can never be harmonious. All acting which comes out of the fractional point of view is reaction. (6) Although the secondary self is very useful when used for certain purposes, its operation may be useless or even harmful when applied to areas which are not appropriate to it. For example, individuals may set themselves up as teachers, guides, therapists, trainers or counsellors before being qualified to do so: The Commanding Self, always agile in its sophistication, conceals from the individual that he/she is trying to run before being able to walk. When people start to approve of what the individual is doing, this is misread as a validation of his or her role. In fact, it is usually only the fact that some people are dependent characters by nature or formation. The answer? Time and service rather than wanting to take a place on the totem-pole. It is for this reason that Sufi teachers divert vanity from the spiritual area, by encouraging their disciples to channel the Commanding Self’s activities to any worthy worldly ambition; while continuing to study the Sufi Way in a modest and non-self promoting way. (7)

Personality and ‘Roles’ The issue of identity and self-image is a major preoccupation and concern of most human beings. The personality of many people is an artificial one, almost a series of ‘roles’ which they play in social and interpersonal situations. In fact, the behaviour of most people in customary social situations is based on particular roles that they play. “As soon as we define ourselves in relation to another we feel more comfortable, because now we know how to be and act.” If you are awake enough, aware enough, to be able to observe how you interact with other people, you may detect subtle changes in your speech, attitude, and 3

behaviour depending on the person you are interacting with. At first, it may be easier to observe this in others; then you may also detect it in yourself. The way in which you speak to the chairman of the company may be different in subtle ways from how you speak to the janitor. How you speak to a child may be different from how you speak to an adult. Why is that? You are playing roles. You are not yourself, neither with the chairman nor with the janitor or the child. A range of conditioned patterns of behaviour come into effect between two human beings that determine the nature of the interaction. Instead of human beings, conceptual mental images are interacting with each other. The more identified people are with their respective roles, the more inauthentic the relationship becomes. (8) The average person has a limited repertoire of roles, drawn from the secondary personality, which he or she exhibits in ordinary life: You must realize that each man has a definite repertoire of roles which he plays in ordinary circumstances. He has a role for every kind of circumstance in which he ordinarily finds himself in life; but put him into even only slightly different circumstances and he is unable to find a suitable role and for a short time he becomes himself. The study of the roles a man plays represents a very necessary part of self-knowledge. Each man’s repertoire is very limited. One or two for his family, one or two at his office (one for his subordinates and another for his superiors), one for his friends in a restaurant, and perhaps one who is interested in exalted ideas and likes intellectual conversations. And at different times the man is fully identified with one of them and is unable to separate himself from it. To see the roles, to know one’s repertoire, particularly to know its limitedness, is to know a great deal. But the point is that, outside his repertoire, a man feels very uncomfortable should something push him if only temporarily out of his rut, and he tries his hardest to return to any one of his usual roles. Directly he falls back into the rut everything at once goes smoothly again and the feeling of awkwardness and tension disappears. This is how it is in life. (9) Most people are unable to live without roles, preventing the real self from emerging. “When we see clearly how we function, how we contact our surroundings through memory from the point of view of separate roles and patterns, the already known, we can only be astonished.” When you are free from the concept “mother,” you are really a mother. Then when circumstances call on you to be a mother, when the child asks for a mother, you are a mother. But don’t live in mothering. You are nothing, and in this nothingness the mother comes and goes. Then there is a current of love. The problem is not biology but psychology. To take yourself as a father, mother, lawyer or businessman is fractional living. Then you act according to certain patterns. When you are established in your wholeness, the father or mother appears in 4

this wholeness. Similarly, conception, memory, is an essential tool of our brain, but to live in memory is the problem. (10) In some spiritual teachings the importance of identifying and being aware of unconscious role-playing is the initial step in restoring elements of the personality to their proper functions as “servants rather than masters of the mind.” Human beings play different roles in life, and relate differently to different people and situations through these different roles. The question is this: “Who and what is the real self underlying and undertaking these roles? The Zen point is that these roles are not the real self, but are more properly like guests or servants of the real self. Confusion and loss of freedom arise from a fundamental misapprehension: Identifying with a role, people can forget and lose the rest of their potential; shifting from role to role unconscious of the central “pivot” of the essential self, people can experience stultifying conflicts among their commitments to different roles. (11)

Essence or Essential Self The powerful influences of contemporary culture and civilization exert a profound effect on the human being. One of the negative consequences is a one-sided development away from one’s essential, natural type and real individuality: The life of our times has become so complex that man has deviated from his original type – a type that should have become dependent upon his surroundings: the country where he was born, the environment in which he was brought up, and the culture in which he was nurtured. These conditions should have marked out for a man his path of development and the normal type which he should have arrived at; but our civilization, with its almost unlimited means of influencing a man, has made it almost impossible for him to live in the conditions which should be normal to him. While civilization has opened up for man new horizons in knowledge and science and has raised his material standard of living, thereby widening his world-perception, it has, instead of lifting him to a higher level all round, only developed certain faculties to the detriment of others; some it has completely destroyed. Our civilization has taken away from man the natural and essential qualities of his inherited type, but it has not given him what was needed for the harmonious development of a new type, so that civilization, instead of producing an individually whole man adapted to the nature and surroundings in which he finds himself, has produced a being out of his element, incapable of living a full life and at the same time a stranger to that inner life which should by rights be his. (12)

5

Essence grows and develops under favourable conditions, but in most cases any real inner development stops at an early age. “As long as one regards what are in fact secondary things (including one’s secondary, conditioned self) as primary, the subtler but more real primary element – Reality and the Essence of the individual – will not be perceived.” With most people, essence continues to receive impressions only until it is five or six years old. As long as it receives impressions it grows, but afterwards all impressions are taken by personality and essence stops growing. Sometimes if education is not too unfavourable, the essence may continue to grow, and a more or less normal human being can result. But normal human beings are the exception. Nearly everyone has only the essence of a child. It is not natural that in a grown-up man the essence should be a child. Because of this, he remains timid underneath and full of apprehensions. This is because he knows that he is not what he pretends to be, but he cannot understand why. (13) The essential being or essence of a person has an inner hunger and capacity for spiritual growth. But in the majority of undeveloped humanity, the essence operates in such a way that it gives its potential (the development of higher consciousness) to the secondary self: Take the case of a young child. The sense of ‘I-am’ is not yet formed, the personality is rudimentary. The obstacles to self-knowledge are few, but the power and the clarity of awareness, its width and depth are lacking. In the course of years awareness will grow stronger, but also the latent personality will emerge and obscure and complicate. (14) An analogy by the great Sufi mystic Rumi alludes to the hidden nature of the essence within the dominating structure of the secondary self: In Fihi ma Fihi, Rumi says that there is a minute insect in a field, which cannot be seen at first. But as soon as it makes a sound, people are alerted and see it. People, similarly, are lost in the field of this world, their surroundings and preoccupations. The human essence within is concealed by all this disturbance. (15) The essence or inner being exists at birth as latent pure potentiality but requires appropriate circumstances and conditions in order to ripen, unfold and ultimately harmonize with sources of higher energy, knowledge and wisdom. Essence works in subtle, refined ways through intuition, sudden insights, necessity (times of danger) and selfless actions. Signals from essence are optimally received in states of relaxed awareness and openness and may be communicated in the form of physical manifestations, strong compelling ideas or even dreams: Essence is a subtle substance that has physical characteristics. This means that In order to experience essence the physical organism has to become sensitive enough to perceive these physical characteristics, which are usually coexistent with the ordinary physical sensations. The physical characteristics of essential 6

substance are very subtle, in the sense that they are quiet and silent compared to the sensations of the body and its feelings. Usually, they are drowned out by the grosser sensations. So his awareness will have to become refined enough to be sensitive to the subtler and finer sensations of the essence. (16) In many spiritual teachings individuals are classified into various ‘essence types’ based on common similarities and patterns of behaviour. “If you observe yourself and note the things that attract you, what you like to see, to hear, to taste, to touch, you may discover your type.” Each one of you has probably met in life people of one and the same type. Such people often even look like one another, and their inner reactions to things are exactly the same. What one likes the other will like. What one does not like the other will not like. You must remember such occasions because you can study the science of types only by meeting types. There is no other method. ‘How many fundamental types are there in all?’ asked someone. ‘Some people say twelve,’ said G. ‘According to legend the twelve apostles represented the twelve types. Others say more.’ (17) The concept of ‘types,’ which is related to the essence or real individuality of people, plays a major role in human life in the attraction and relationship between the sexes: If people were to live in essence one type would always find the other type and wrong types would never come together. But people live in personality. Personality has its own interests and its own tastes which have nothing in common with the interests and the tastes of essence. For this reason personality can dislike precisely what essence likes – and like what essence does not like. Here is where the struggle between essence and personality begins. Essence knows what it wants but cannot explain it. Personality does not want to hear of it and takes no account of it. It has its own desires. And it acts in its own way. But its power does not continue beyond the moment. After that, in some way or other, the two essences have to live together. And they hate one another. No sort of acting can help here. In one way or another essence or type gains the upper hand and decides. (18) According to some esoteric teachings the laws of ‘fate’ and ‘accident’ play a fundamental part in the life of humanity – although affecting different aspects of the human being. It is said that personality corresponds to the workings of ‘accident’ and essence to that of ‘fate’: Most people are separated from their fate and live under the law of accident only. Fate is the result of planetary influences which correspond to a man’s type. A man can have the fate which corresponds to his type but he practically never does have it. This arises because fate has relation to only one part of man, namely to his essence. (19)

7

Relationship Between Essence and Personality There is a mutual, parallel and interdependent relationship between the two fundamental aspects of the human being – the essence and the secondary self or false personality. In most instances it is difficult to distinguish between the workings of essence and that of the personality: Only a conscious man can tell which are the manifestations of essence and which are personality. The ordinary role we play in life is personality, and with some people it becomes a fixed habit and is no longer even a role. Yet personality can react differently with different surroundings and people. Essence, when it does react, will always react in the same way. Essence means being, intrinsic nature, the thing in itself, inborn character, something that is. The opposite is personality, persona, a mask, that which is not ours. But essence can be spoiled and warped: ‘Man, most ignorant when he’s most assured. His glassy essence plays such fantastic tricks.’ (20) For most human beings their secondary conditioned personality dwarfs and dominates their essence or real self. “Essence is truth in oneself, personality is the false. But in proportion as personality grows, essence manifests more and more rarely and may stop its growth at a very early age and grow no further.” However, in certain instances essence emerges fully grown and developed in an individual and naturally connects and harmonizes with the higher spiritual elements of life. Yet this is rarely the case and for the majority of humanity personality is the active element while essence is the passive element in their life. “Inner growth cannot begin so long as this order of things remains unchanged. Personality must become passive and essence must become active.” The proper development of essence requires serious ‘work on oneself.’ In order for essence to mature naturally it is necessary to weaken and reduce the effects of personality: For inner growth, for work on oneself, a certain development of personality as well as a certain strength of essence are necessary . . . Without some store of knowledge, without a certain amount of material ‘not his own,’ a man cannot begin to work on himself, he cannot begin to study himself, he cannot begin to struggle with his mechanical habits, simply because there will be no reason or motive for undertaking such work . . . Thus evolution is equally difficult for a cultured and uncultured man. A cultured man lives far from nature, far from natural conditions of existence, in artificial conditions of life, developing his personality at the expense of his essence. A less cultured man, living in more normal and more natural conditions, develops his essence at the expense of his personality. A successful beginning of work on oneself requires the happy occurrence of an equal development of personality and essence. (21)

8

The secondary self is interposed between objective reality and the real self or essence. In a sense personality hides behind essence and essence hides behind personality. They mutually screen one another in such a way that “while the Commanding Self says: ‘Give me what I want,’ the Real Self, which lies beyond it, is saying ‘Give me what I need’.” The essence or real self must re-establish a living contact with the Divine. In most human beings the inner self is trapped by the operation of the secondary self and the strong chains and fluctuating tides of conditioning and environment: The secondary (‘commanding’) self in everyone is the false self which everyone takes to be the real one. It stands in relation to the real being of the person as the face does to the person: virtually a persona. Everyone, says Rumi in Fihi ma Fihi, likes a mirror, and is enamoured by the reflection in the mirror of his attributes and attainments: though he does not know the real nature of his face. The veil which he sees on the looking-glass he imagines to be his face. ‘Take the covering from your face, so that you may see me as the mirror of your real face.’ (22) Gurdjieff related that in schools of higher development precise methods exist which are applied to separate essence from personality and experimentally verify the relation of personality to essence. “In Eastern schools ways and means are known by the help of which it is possible to separate man’s personality from his essence. For this purpose they sometimes use hypnosis, sometimes special drugs, sometimes certain kinds of exercises.”

References (1) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), p. 161. (2) Idries Shah Learning How to Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 42. (3) David Pendlebury The Walled Garden of Truth (London: Octagon Press, 1984), p. 65. (4) C.S. Nott Teachings of Gurdjieff: The Journal of a Pupil (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1974), p.65. (5) G.I. Gurdjieff Views From the Real World: Early Talks of Gurdjieff (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1973), p. 143. (6) Jean Klein The Ease of Being (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1986), p. 93. (7) Idries Shah The Commanding Self (London: Octagon Press, 1994), p. 116. (8) Eckhart Tolle A New Earth (New York: Dutton, 2005), p. 93. (9) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), pp. 239-240. (10) Jean Klein Open to the Unknown (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publications, 1992), p. 17. (11) Thomas Cleary No Barrier: Unlocking the Zen Koan (New York: Bantam Books, 1993), p. 163. (12) C.S. Nott Teachings of Gurdjieff: The Journal of a Pupil (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1974), pp. 2-3. 9

(13) J.G. Bennett Gurdjieff: Making a New World (New York: Harper & Row, 1973), pp. 134-135. (14) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 417. (15) Idries Shah Learning How to Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 177. (16) A. H. Almaas Essence (York Beach, Maine: Samuel Weiser, 1986), p. 130. (17) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), p. 246. (18) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), p. 254. (19) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), p. 161. (20) C.S. Nott Journey Through This World: The Second Journal of a Pupil (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1974), pp. 84-85. (21) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), pp. 163-164. (22) Idries Shah Learning How to Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 289.

10

THE NATURE OF THE HUMAN EGO ‘As long as you take yourself to be a person, a body, a mind, separate from the stream of life, having a will of its own, pursuing its own aims, you are living merely on the surface and whatever you do will be shortlived and of little value, mere straws to feed the flames of vanity.’ Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

Multiple Selves or ‘I’s’ Most people lack a stable, unified consciousness and are prey to the fluctuations of their minds. Because they are at the mercy of outer and inner influences, their behaviour will vary as a function of their mood and their state of health. Ramana Maharshi: “An ‘I’ rises forth with every thought and with its disappearance that ‘I’ disappears too. Many ‘I’s’ are born and die every moment.” Yet it is characteristic of undeveloped humanity to assume that they have a coherent, stabilized personality. In actual fact they have a multiple and changing personality. “You have to know, and to feel, how many ‘people’ there are in you. You may feel like one person, but in reality you are many.” The Commanding Self is composed of a complex of “selves.” This is the totality of what the ordinary (raw) man or woman considers their personality. It is characterized by a shifting series of moods and personalities whose rapidity of movement gives the individual the impression that his consciousness is constant or a unity. It is not in fact so. (1) One of the starting points in many esoteric teachings is the proposition that there is an absence of unity and a permanent ‘I’ in almost all so-called normal human beings. “You have been continually changing; you are in a state of flux. No identity of yours has remained as a permanent feature.” Gurdjieff forcefully articulated this vital idea: In reality there is no oneness in man and there is no controlling center, no permanent “I” or Ego. This is the general picture of man. Every thought, every feeling, every sensation, every desire, every like and dislike is an “I.” These “I’s” are not connected and are not coordinated in any way. Each of them depends on the change in external circumstances, and on the change of impressions. Some of them mechanically follow some other, and some appear always accompanied by others. But there is no order and no system in that. Each of these “I’s” represent at any given moment a very small part of our “brain,” “mind” or “intelligence,” but each of them means itself to represent the whole. When man says “I” it sounds as if he meant the whole of himself, but really when he himself thinks that he means it, it is only a passing thought, a passing mood, or passing desire. In an hour’s time he may completely forget it, and with the same conviction 1

express an opposite opinion, opposite view, opposite interests. The worst of it is that man does not remember it. In most cases he believes in the last “I” which expressed itself, as long as it lasts: that is, as long as another “I” – sometimes quite unconnected with the preceding one – does not express its opinion or its desires louder than the first. (2) Teachers from many spiritual traditions assert that our states of mind are in constant flux and forever changing. A permanent unchanging self does not exist except conceptually: Each of you has different roles in this life, each of you wears many different hats, but are you fundamentally aware of your own true person? Who is the real you? There is no unchanging ego, there is no entity called a soul. Everything is constantly changing in the stream of cause and effect. What has appeared vividly one moment is gone the next. Moment after moment, it streams along. Beyond this coming and going, this appearing and disappearing, there is nothing else. Phenomena are coming and going, and when you ask what is real, you have already missed it. It’s gone. We pass from one conditioned state of mind to another. (3) The many contradictory “I’s” in a person cause all sorts of problems in the everyday life of the raw, undeveloped individual. “This explains why people so often make decisions and so seldom carry them out . . . or a small accidental “I” may promise something to someone else at a certain moment simply out of vanity or for amusement and the person may have to pay for it all their life.” Allegories are employed in certain spiritual teachings to convey the idea of multiple “I’s” and lack of overall conscious coordination in most human beings. For instance, Gurdjieff compared the chaotic state of most people’s inner life to a house with servants but no master: Eastern teachings contain various allegorical pictures which endeavour to portray the nature of man’s being from this point of view. Thus, in one teaching, man is compared to a house in which there is a multitude of servants but no master and no steward. The servants have all forgotten their duties; no one wants to do what he ought; everyone tries to be master, if only for a moment; and, in this kind of disorder, the house is threatened with grave danger. The only chance of salvation is for a group of the more sensible servants to meet together and elect a temporary steward, that is, a deputy steward. This deputy steward can then put the other servants in their places and make each do his own work; the cook in the kitchen, the coachman in the stables, the gardener in the garden, and so on. In this way the ‘house’ can be got ready for the arrival of the real steward who will, in his turn, prepare it for the arrival of the master. The comparison of a man to a house awaiting the arrival of the master is frequently met with in Eastern teachings which have preserved traces of ancient knowledge, and, as we know, the subject appears under various forms in many of the parables in the Gospels. (4) 2

Since each individual is composed of countless “I’s” which alternate as circumstances and external conditions change, any attempt to find a single, unchanging “I” in the undeveloped human being is fruitless. Yet behind this kaleidoscope of “selves” there remains the substratum of our Real Self, the eternal timeless state of presence and being: Q: So the individual does not exist as an isolated entity. But does not the personality exist as a unique part of the whole? A: The person is really only persona, mask, but it has come to be synonymous with the idea of an individual, separate and continuous entity. The personality is not the constant we imagine it to be. In reality it is only a temporary reorchestration of all our sense, imagination and intelligence, according to each situation. There is no repetition in life and each reorchestration is unique and original like the design in a kaleidoscope. The mistake is to identify with the personality, to conceptualize it in memory and then take ourselves for this collection of crystallized images rather than letting all emotions, perceptions and thoughts arise and die within us. We are in the theatre watching our own play on stage. The actor is always ‘behind’ his persona. He seems to be completely lost in suffering, in being a hero, a lover, a rascal, but all these appearances take place in global presence. This presence is not a detached attitude, a witnessing position. It is not a feeling of separateness, of being ‘outside.’ It is the presence of wholeness, love, out of which all comes. When no situation calls for activity we remain in emptiness of activity, in this presence. (5)

The Self-Enclosed Ego Most of our relationships with other people and with our environment are based on a sense of separateness, thereby blocking the awareness of wholeness and the unity of all existence. “The only hindrance to the clear perception of our natural state is the forceful idea of being a separate individual living in a world with other separate beings. This fanciful idea of a self is a contraction, a limitation of wholeness, real being.” The sense of a personal existence – “I-amso-and-so” – obscures the changeless state of pure awareness, producing alienation and suffering. “Diversity in unity is natural and good. It is only with separateness and self-seeking that real suffering appears in the world.” In many traditional spiritual teachings the human ego is identified as the major impediment to self-realization. The illusion of a separate “I” or ego disconnected from the rest of life and the universe causes ignorance and suffering: The Bliss of Self is always yours and you will find it if you seek it earnestly. The cause of your misery is not in your outer life; it is in you, as your ego. You impose limitations on yourself and then make a vain struggle to transcend them. All 3

unhappiness is due to the ego. With it comes all your trouble. What does it avail you to attribute the cause of misery to the happenings of life when the cause is really within you? What happiness can you get from things extraneous to yourself? When you get it how long will it last? If you would deny the ego and scorch it by ignoring it you would be free. (6) Buddhist teachings assert that the fundamental cause of human suffering is the sense of a separate self -- human beings are prisoners of their egos, which create a false duality of self and others: Your mind can be compared to a mirror, which reflects everything that appears before it. From the time you began to think, to feel, and to exert your will, shadows are cast upon your mind which distort its reflection. This condition we call delusion, which is the fundamental sickness of human beings. The most serious effect of this sickness is that it creates a sense of duality, in consequence of which you postulate “I” and “not-I.” The truth is that everything is One, and this of course is not a numerical one. Falsely seeing oneself confronted by a world of separate existences, this is what creates antagonism, greed, and, inevitably, suffering. The purpose of Zen is to wipe away from the mind these shadows or defilements so that we can intimately experience our solidarity with all life. Love and compassion then naturally and spontaneously flow forth. (7) Human suffering arises from the creation of a separate self which is a mere fraction of our real nature. The dominant role of the ego gives rise to all the myriad problems of life. Until we clearly observe the workings of the ego, real human transformation is impossible: Ego is the unobserved mind that runs your life when you are not present as the witnessing consciousness, the watcher. The ego perceives itself as a separate fragment in a hostile universe, with no real inner connection to any other being, surrounded by other egos which it either sees as a potential threat or which it will attempt to use for its own ends. The basic ego patterns are designed to combat its own deep-seated fear and sense of lack. They are resistance, control, power, greed, defense, attack. Some of the ego’s strategies are extremely clever, yet they never truly solve any of its problems, simply because the ego itself is the problem. (8) Human unhappiness is largely self-created and a reflection of the workings of the ego, which is constantly reacting to other people and events, blocking and distorting the natural flow of life. Memories of past events leave traces which act as conditioning elements and reinforce the self-centered activity of the ego: The ordinary man’s activity is made up of reactions which are the expressions of his egotistic makeup. He is a self surrounded by pleasant and unpleasant, 4

friendly or hostile objects, and everything which impinges on him incites him to react according to his desires and his fears. Consequently, all his reactions are false, fragmentary, inadequate, because they are rooted in his egoistic outlook which is born of his delusion that he is a separate self. All the traditional doctrines teach us methods by which we may come to discard this state of reaction and reach an ego-less state where all reactions cease to be, giving place to impersonal actions which are true, impartial and adequate. (9) The operation of the self-centered ego is the chief obstacle to wholeness and self-realization. In order to embark on the journey of self-transformation, it is necessary to objectively examine and question why we think, feel and act as we do: As long as the egoic mind is running your life, you cannot truly be at ease; you cannot be at peace or fulfilled except for brief intervals when you obtained what you wanted, when a craving has just been fulfilled. Since the ego is a derived sense of self, it needs to identify with external things. It needs to be both defended and fed constantly. The most common ego identifications have to do with possessions, the work you do, social status and recognition, knowledge and education, physical appearance, special abilities, relationships, personal and family history, belief systems, and often also political, nationalistic, racial, religious, and other collective identifications. None of these is you. (10)

The Ego is an Illusion For most people the sense that they are a separate individual distinct from other people and surrounded by a world external to themselves is a self-evident truth. “The ego-I can be defined as the sense of oneself as an isolated being set apart from other selves – in other words, the unshakable belief that ‘I am here and the world stands outside me’.” Many languages are constructed in such a fashion as to reinforce the notion of a separate self acting independently and autonomously. For example, the structure of the English language strongly emphasizes the sense of a personal “I” whose existence is responsible for our thoughts, emotions and actions: Of the many devices employed by Ego to keep us in his power, none is more effective than language. The English language is so constructed that it demands the repeated use of the personal pronoun “I” for grammatical nicety and presumed clarity. Actually this I is no more than a figure of speech, a conventional convention, but we talk and act as though it were real and true. Listen to any conversation and see how the stress inevitably falls upon the “I” – “I said . . .” “I did . . . “ “I like . . .” “I hate . . .” All this plays into the hands of the Ego, strengthening

5

our servitude and enlarging our sufferings, for the more we postulate this I the more we are exposed to Ego’s never-ending demands. (11) The ego is sustained by memory and habit and has no independent or continuous reality. “Thoughts, feelings and actions appear and disappear indefinitely, creating an illusion of continuity. The idea of being a person, is nothing other than an image held together by memory.” Q: If the ego is not real – that is, autonomous and continuous, what is it that functions in everyday life? A: The ego has no concreteness, no substance, no continuity. It is a collection of thoughts held together by memory. The person appears when you think of it. When the body wakes in the morning, awareness is already there. You may not have noticed it but it is so. This awareness is not a thought, not a subject, nor a feeling. It finds no concretization. Moments later, habit associates awareness with a body and a personality. Then you say, ‘I am this. I am that.’ (12) The belief in a separate ego creates a false duality which masks the ultimate unity of all existence. Zen teacher Philip Kapleau: “If we could see beyond the ever-changing forms into the underlying reality, we would realize that fundamentally there is nothing hut harmony and unity and that this perfection is no different from the phenomenal world of incessant change and transformation. But our vision is limited and our intuitions, weak.” In traditional spiritual teachings the existence of the ego is regarded as an illusion created by dualistic thinking: According to Buddhism, the notion of an ego, that is, awareness of oneself as a discrete individual, is an illusion. It arises because, misled by our bifurcating intellect into postulating the dualism of “myself” and “not-myself,” we are led to think and act as though we were a separate entity confronted by a world external to us. Thus in the unconscious the idea of “I,” or selfhood, becomes fixed, and from this arise such thought patterns as “I hate this, I love that; this is mine, that is yours.” Nourished by this fodder, the ego-I comes to dominate the personality, attacking whatever threatens its position and grasping at anything which will enlarge its power. Antagonism, greed and alienation, culminating in suffering, are the inevitable consequences of this circular process. (13) Thoughts, emotions and perceptions exist as a constant stream projected onto the field of awareness. The content of the mind is ever-changing, but the universal ground of Being and the sense of awareness or presence is timeless and changeless: Q: You cannot possibly say that there are no differences between people. I have my character and capacities just as others have theirs. A: You live in contraction, thinking of yourself as an individual. Where do the terms ‘me’ and ‘mine’ find meaning? When you really look into yourself you 6

cannot say that the body belongs to you. You are the result of two people and each parent had two parents and so on. All humanity is in you. You are what you absorb. You eat vegetables, fish, meat, and these things are dependent on light, the sun, warmth. There is nothing personal in us. The body is in organic relationship with the universe. It is made of the same elements as everything else. The composition of the elements varies but this variation is almost negligible in human beings. There may be differences in structure and colour but the constitution and functioning are the same in all of us. There is nothing personal in the heart, liver, kidneys, the eyes, ears or skin, nor in the elements which build patterns of behaviour, thinking, reactions, anger, jealousy, competetion, comparison, and so on. These are the same emotional states. The bodymind functions in a universal way and the care that has to be taken is the same in all. (14) Behind the illusion of separate egos lies the timeless background of pure awareness. The Indian sage Ramana Maharshi taught that “the ego functions as the knot between the Self, which is pure Consciousness, and the physical body, which is inert and insentient.” As long as we imagine ourselves to be separate personalities, one quite apart from another, we cannot grasp reality which is essentially impersonal. First we must know ourselves as witnesses only, dimensionless and timeless centres of observation, and then realize that immense ocean of pure awareness, which is both mind and matter and beyond both. Q: Whatever I may be in reality, yet I feel myself to be a small and separate person, one amongst many. A: Your being a person is due to the illusion of space and time; you imagine yourself to be at a certain point occupying a certain volume; your personality is due to your self-identification with the body. Your thoughts and feelings exist in succession, they have their span in time and make you imagine yourself, because of memory, as having duration. In reality time and space exist in you; you do not exist in them. They are modes of perception, but they are not the only ones. Time and space are like words written on paper; the paper is real, the words merely a convention. (15)

Estrangement from the Source The phenomena of the natural world provide many examples of separation and eventual return to the source of life: “The waters of the ocean evaporate, form clouds which are moved by winds, condense into water, fall as rain and the water rolls down the hill in streams and rivers, until they reach their original source, the ocean, reaching which they are at peace.” In a 7

similar vein, traditional spiritual teachings speak of a forgetting or turning away from the Self or ground of Being, leading to a sense of alienation and suffering. This idea often appears in the form of an allegory such as the Gilgamesh epic or the legend of the Holy Grail. “We are completely unaware of our true nature because we constantly identify ourselves with our body, our emotions and our thoughts, thus losing sight of our unchanging centre which is pure consciousness and happiness”: We live in a world of objects which are forever changing. Even our mind is in a state of perpetual change. We have an impression of universal becoming. This is because we have completely forgotten that the Self (the supreme subject) underlies the ego and the world of which it is an unmoving motive power and the ultimate knower. Sadhana (spiritual practice) is nothing else but a return to the consciousness of the unmoveable and blissful Self which is the root of ourselves and all objects. This losing sight of the consciousness of Self is described in the Vedantic tradition as a process of identification with objects. It is a kind of forgetfulness, of fascination, of attraction. From this moment onwards, the Self has forgotten itself, paradise is lost and an ego arises, an ego which says: “I do this, I suffer, I think.” By virtue of this identification, what is impersonal becomes mistakenly personal. The search for happiness becomes a desperate search, for the ego – having lost its consciousness of the Self, of perfect bliss – now seeks happiness in finite and passing objects. Sooner or later, however, the ego will be impelled to see the impossibility of finding true happiness in objects and in separate beings. (16) The major obstacle to self-realization is the habitual identification of the mind and body with the experiences and phenomena of life rather than the underlying source of all existence. “When the mind merges in the Self, the body presents no problems. It remains what it is, an instrument of cognition and action, the tool and the expression of the creative fire within.” Buddhist teachings point to the separation of human beings from the greater dimensions and significance of the One Reality as the fundamental cause of human suffering: Our estrangement from the real Self is reflected in the unsatisfactory quality of our life – the pain, the existential anxiety, the unfulfillment. The human predicament can be compared to a wheel not running true on its axle and thus grinding. Fragmented and frustrated, we long for wholeness and freedom. We are split off from our true Self in yet another way. Even as we exist in time and space, in a world that is finite, impermanent, and material, simultaneously we inhabit a world that is infinite, eternal and formless. Owing to our bifurcating intellect, which divides and separates, we are alienated from our Essential-mind. This Mind cannot be perceived until we are in an awakened state. Thus we are the flawless children of Mother Earth and Father Spirit. Living in our temporary home, the biosphere, with its pain, its beauty, its joy, we are estranged from our permanent abode, the Void. (17)

8

When ignorance of our real nature is dissolved in the light of understanding, the sense of separation from the Self or Source vanishes. There is really nothing to add to our lives, only self-imposed obstacles to be removed in the realization of our true Being or the Self: Truly there is no cause for you to be miserable and unhappy. You yourself impose limitation on your true nature of infinite Being and then weep that you are but a finite creature. Hence I say that you are really the infinite, pure Being, the Self-Absolute. You are always that Self and nothing but that Self. Therefore, you can never be really ignorant of the Self; your ignorance is merely a formal ignorance. Know then that true Knowledge does not create a new Being for you; it only removes your “ignorant ignorance.” Bliss is not added to your nature; it is merely revealed as your true and natural state, eternal and imperishable. (18)

Transcending Ego and Uniting with Spirit Our self-image is based on memory and conditioning and therefore lacks a truly spontaneous, creative and flexible approach to life. “When you live from moment to moment without memory, the real personality has the opportunity to emerge. It is perfectly appropriate to each situation and the moment the situation ends it dissolves back into emptiness.” The ego-based misconception that human beings are separate and distinct entities is conveyed through our subjective perception of the phenomenal world of space and time: As human beings we see life by means of certain sensory apparatus and because people and objects seem external to us, we experience such misery. Our misery stems from the misconception that we are separate. Certainly it looks as though I am separate from other people and from all else in the phenomenal world. This misconception that we are separate creates all the difficulties of human life. Now the truth of the matter is that we’re not separate. We are all expressions or emanations of a central point – call it multi-dimensional energy. We can’t picture this; the central point or energy has no size, no space, no time. I’m speaking metaphorically about what can’t be spoken of in ordinary terms. Following this metaphor, it’s as though this central point radiates out in billions of rays, each thinking that it’s separate from all others. In truth, each of us is always that center, and that center is us. Because everything is connected to that center, we’re all just one thing. (19) By not identifying with the “I-image” we are free to deal with the experiences of life in a much more natural and effective manner. We then use the personality as a functional tool. “In living free from memory there is spontaneity, and in this spontaneity you are completely adequate to every situation.” Interpersonal relationships provide many opportunities for transcending the ego if one remains in open awareness without reacting automatically to the manifestations of others: 9

Nonreaction of the ego to others is one of the most effective ways not only of going beyond the ego in yourself but also of dissolving the collective human ego. But you can only be in a state of nonreaction if you can recognize someone’s behaviour as coming from the ego, as being an expression of the collective human dysfunction. When you realize it’s not personal, there is no longer a compulsion to react as if it were. By not reacting to the ego, you will often be able to bring out the sanity in others, which is the unconditioned consciousness as opposed to the conditioned. At times you may have to take practical steps to protect yourself from deeply unconscious people. This you can do without making them into enemies. Your greatest protection, however, is being conscious . . . Nonreaction is not weakness but strength. Another word for nonreaction is forgiveness. To forgive is to overlook, or rather to look through. You look through the ego to the sanity that is in every human being as his or her essence. (20) The existence of the sense of a limited ego prevents a direct, all-embracing intuitive awareness of reality. “The egocentric self creates its own world instead of perceiving the world as it really is. The aim of spiritual training is to see into the ultimate unreality of the ego-I and transform the confused and unenlightened mind into enlightenment, or selfless-I.” In order to live in a state of open awareness we need to let go of the conditioned ego which binds us to the past. When we cease to identify with the ego we are open to the light of conscious awareness and presence. “Without a self-image you are really one with life and with the movement of intelligence. Only then can we speak of spontaneous action. We all know moments when pure inteligence, freed from psychological interference, arises, but as soon as we return to an image of being somebody we question this intuition by asking if it is right or wrong, good or bad for us, and so on.” Your real nature is stillness, light, expansion, without center or periphery. It is unconditional being, love. But you do not see it for you are a prisoner of your imagination and of second-hand information. You have enclosed yourself in a universe of concepts and beliefs. The ego is only a function, and to identify with it is a lack of true vision. Thoughts, feelings and actions appear in succession before the witness, leaving their imprint in your brain. Recalling them makes you believe in a continuity which is actually non-existent. But memory is a present thought, thoughts of the past occur in the present. In reality there is only presence, non-dual consciousness. We mistakenly take ourselves to be this or that, but there is only the true “I am” beyond time and space. (21) The absence of an ego or self-image allows a deeper intelligence to emerge which responds skilfully to the changing situations and challenges of everyday life. Simple awareness and mindfulness is the key to transforming the self-enclosed ego: To become free of the ego is not really a big job but a very small one. All you need to do is to be aware of your thoughts and emotions – as they happen. This 10

is not really a “doing,” but an alert “seeing.” In that sense, it is true that there is nothing you can do to become free of the ego. When that shift happens, which is the shift from thinking to awareness, an intelligence far greater than the ego’s cleverness begins to operate in your life. Emotions and even thoughts become depersonalized through awareness. Their impersonal nature is recognized. There is no longer a self in them. They are just human emotions, human thoughts. Your entire personal history, which is ultimately no more than a story, a bundle of thoughts and emotions, becomes of secondary importance and no longer occupies the forefront of your consciousness. It no longer forms the basis for your sense of identity. You are the light of Presence, the awareness that is prior to and deeper than any thoughts or emotions. (22)

References (1) Idries Shah The Sufis (New York: Anchor Books, 1971), p. 333. (2) P.D. Ouspensky The Psychology of Man’s Possible Evolution (New York: Vintage Books, 1974), pp. 14-15. (3) Maurine Stuart Subtle Sound: The Zen Teachings of Maurine Stuart (Boston: Shambhala, 1996), pp. 93-94. (4) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), pp. 60-61. (5) Jean Klein Who Am I? (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1988), p. 3. (6) Ramana Maharshi The Teachings of Ramana Maharshi (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1978), pp. 36-37. (7) Philip Kapleau The Three Pillars of Zen (New York: Anchor Books, 1989), p. 103. (8) Eckhart Tolle The Power of Now (Vancouver: Namaste Publishing, 2003), p. 152. (9) Jean Klein Be Who You Are (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1989), p. 2. (10) Eckhart Tolle The Power of Now Vancouver: Namaste Publishing, 2003), pp. 37-38. (11) Thich Nhat Hanh Zen Keys (New York: Anchor Books, 1974), pp. 7-8. (12) Jean Klein Who Am I? (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1988), p. 21. (13) Philip Kapleau The Three Pillars of Zen (New York: Anchor Books, 1989), pp. 363-364. (14) Jean Klein Who Am I? (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1988), p. 2. (15) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 205. (16) Jean Klein Be Who You Are (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1989), pp. 45-46. (17) Philip Kapleau The Wheel of Life and Death (New York: Doubleday, 1989), p. 41. (18) Ramana Maharshi The Spiritual Teachings of Ramana Maharshi (Boston: Shambhala, 1989), p. 79. (19) Charlotte Beck Nothing Special: Living Zen (San Francisco: Harper, 1993), pp. 75-76. (20) Eckhart Tolle A New Earth (New York: Dutton, 2005), pp. 62-63. (21) Jean Klein I Am (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publications, 1989), p. 123. (22) Eckhart Tolle A New Earth (New York: Dutton, 2005), pp. 117-118.

11

HUM AN CENTERS AND FUNCTIONS I

‘The w olf must be sat isfied and t he sheep safe.’ G.I. Gurdjieff

G.I. Gurdjieff has proposed a model of the physiological and psychological structure of the human being that is both comprehensive and, to a certain extent, verifiable by personal observation and study. He described the human ‘machine’ as having three main levels or stories, metaphorically expressed as head, heart and body. Each level is characterized by a number of ‘centers’ or ‘brains’ which are the source of each of the major human functions – thinking, feeling, sensing, and so forth. Centers and functions are not synonymous terms: the various organic and psychological functions of a human being are directed by corresponding centers which provide the basic vital energy appropriate for each function. “The functions are the expression in life of the centers, their manifestation; taken together they give each human being his or her own particular character. The functions are more accessible to us than the centers, so self-study must begin with them: they are our way of responding to life, and therefore we can observe them.” There are seven basic centers, each with its own unique functions and evolutionary purpose. The structure of the centers at each level is represented by the diagram below:

_____________________________________________________

“HEAD”

“HEART”

THE HIGHER INTELLECTUAL INTELLECTUAL CENTER CENTER _____________________________________________________ THE EM OTIONAL CENTER

HIGHER EM OTIONAL CENTER

_____________________________________________________

“BODY”

THE INSTINCTIVE CENTER

THE M OVING CENTER

THE SEXUAL CENTER

______________________________________________________

1

Qualities of the Centers

Although the centers are analogues of the spiritual dimension of the whole human organism, some of the centers are associated with specific areas of the body: the intellectual center with the cerebral hemispheres; the emotional center with the solar plexus and sympathetic nervous system; the moving center with the base of the spinal column and certain regions of the brain. Each center has its own memory, habitual patterns and associations, as well as its own forms of imagination and daydreaming. Our behaviours are reflections of past experiences ingrained and conditioned in memory. For instance, the way in which we walk is a moving center activity which consists of a number of habits – walking at a certain speed with steps of a certain length. Our emotional life is also governed by memory and habits: “Many people find it very difficult to refrain from expressing their feelings about bad weather. It is still more difficult for people not to express unpleasant emotions when they feel that something or someone is violating what they conceive to be order or justice.” A vital universal energy or force feeds and energizes the centers, which then passes into physical manifestation when activated by external impulses and influences: The centres function with energy. When the centres don’t function properly there is a displacement of energy. When I am in a conflicted state, for example, the emotional centre takes most of the energy and I am invaded by fear or grief. In other situations, the body is left to solve the problem. Since the body does not like compromises, it simply moves to avoid facing the issue, either with explosions of tears, or with laughter, sleep, hunger, forgetting. The flow of energy in each centre follows an undulating line: sometimes the energy of one centre increases, become more active, reaches it height, and then descends. Each centre has its own line. It would be more sensible for us to take advantage of an ascending movement of a given centre and, when the movement begins to descend, jump over to the ascending movement of another centre, and thus remain active. (1) Each center receives information, processes it and decides on a response. “Information comes to us from outside: we receive, assemble, assess and compare it. This takes place by means of a double movement from the outside toward the inside, and from the inside toward the outside.” For example, the intellectual center gathers a certain amount of data from the external world, reflects on it, and then either react s mechanically or responds consciously. The centers work at different speeds. The slowest is the intellectual center, while the instinctive and moving centers work much faster. For example, when driving a car, the moving center is able to make a complicated series of perceptual and muscular adjustments to avoid a collision, even before the driver “has time to think.” The emotional center has two speeds. One corresponds to the mechanical part of this center and works at the same speed as the instinctive and moving centers. However, the intellectual part of the emotional center operates 2

at the same speed as the sex center and the higher emotional center. The higher intellectual center is even faster in its operation and seems almost timeless, as it is under laws of a world where there is no distinction between time and eternity. The lower three – intellectual, emotional and moving-instinctive – are capable of forming a t riad in which they can act as conductors of the three primal forces (affirming, denying and reconciling) of the Law of Three. “’Yes’ is of the mind, ‘No’ is of the body, and the reconciling is the emotions. Body knows the how of things, mind knows the w hat of things; emotion plus mind and body, understand the w hy of things.” Each center is not only an active manifesting energy, but also a ‘receiving apparatus’ for external influences. Gurdjieff suggested that these influences could be very distant, originating from a planetary or galactic level of the universe. His student, P.D. Ouspensky, expanded on this notion: When I thought of what had been said of wars, revolutions, migrations of people, and so on; when I pictured how masses of humanity could move under the control of planetary influences, I began to understand our fundamental mistake in determining the actions of an individual. We regard the actions of an individual as originating in himself. We do not imagine that the “masses” may consist of automatons obeying external stimuli and may move, not under the influence of the will, consciousness, or inclination of individuals, but under the influence of external stimuli coming possibly from very far away. (2) Each center has the possibility of a higher quality of attention which optimizes the functioning of that center. For the intellectual center, the attention acquires a power of vision or illumination; the emotional center acquires a warmth and openness; on the level of the body there is a heightened sensation of oneself: Sometimes when a problem or great difficulty comes up, my attention can be concentrated, condensed; its quality changes, it acquires more force, it is sustained by an element of desire or interest. No longer vagrant, it is captured. There is, however, a very different kind of attention, an attention that is more conscious, more voluntary. Sometimes, on rare occasions, I discover the taste of it. If this occurs in my thought, I see that my thinking becomes clear. And if this occurs in my feeling, I know the feeling of being completely free from my habitual emotions. As for my body, I can also experience in a new way what is happening at its level. (3) The centers are not independent in their functioning, as their abilities overlap to some extent. “They influence one another, interfere with one another and may even, at times, seriously damage one another.” As well, the same behaviour can originate in two different centers. An example would be a novice primarily using their thinking center when learning a 3

complex task such as juggling, while an expert performs the same task with their moving center, which does it much more effectively. The functions of the centers vary in their operation and importance from person to person: Attentive observation shows that the five functions on which our everyday life depends are constantly in action but at different degrees of activity; generally, we see that one of them is more active, dominates and leads the others, but this predominance often changes as a result of outer and inner events. There is nevertheless a habitual dominance by one of them, always the same one, according to the type of the individual. Despite our notion to the contrary and our belief in a degree of freedom within ourselves, correct observation also shows that our functionings are linked together. This dependence – in reality this connection – is evidently very different in each case. Sometimes the connection appears to be so close that it is difficult to separate the functions, owing to our conditioning, our ingrained habits, and our masks. Sometimes the relationship between different functions is so distant that they appear to be independent of each other and become part of the unconscious, apparently inaccessible to our direct observation. (4) Typically, one of the centers is dominant in a given individual and they tend to view reality through this particular prism. This helps to explain why different people react and manifest themselves differently in everything they do. Since each person sees life from their own perspective, misunderstandings, conflicts, quarrels and the like predictably arise. The human types are defined by which center is dominant in a given individual. When one center predominates, it suggests that the other centers are underdeveloped. “Almost all great thinkers reach their pre-eminence at the expense of motor and emotional centers. We have grown accustomed to the artist with the mentality of a child; and to the athlete with neither mind nor heart.” Those whose primary mode of experience is in the moving and instinctive centers are largely concerned with the health, wellbeing and activities of the physical body. Emotional types are focused on relationships, artistic and creative pursuits and helping others. The third type experiences the world through ideas and intellectual constructs. The three archetypal human types are the athlete, the artist and the scholar. These types are also reflected in their corresponding bodies – muscular, visceral and cerebral. As well, each type has its own opposing manifestations: “Positive muscular dominant is physically active and energetic; negative is physically lazy. Emotional positive means optimistic; negative is the opposite – pessimistic. Positive intellectual is the constructive criticizer, the one who as a rule finds themselves in agreement with proposed statements; the negative is the destructive critic.” There are significant differences between individuals in terms of how they view reality and perceive their functions. For instance, a person may confuse their thoughts with feelings or 4

their feelings with sensations, leading to confusion. Gurdjieff: “If two people perceive the same thing differently, let us say that one perceives it through feeling and another through sensation – they may argue all their lives and never understand in what consists the difference of their attitude to a given object or subject. Actually, one sees one aspect of it, and the other a different aspect.” We take people to be much more alike than they really are. In reality, however, there exists between them great differences in the forms and methods of their perception. Some perceive chiefly through their mind, others through their feeling, and others through sensation. It is very difficult, almost impossible for men of different categories and of different modes of perception to understand one another, because they call one and the same thing by different names, and they call different things by the same name. Besides that, various other combinations are possible. One man perceives by thoughts and sensations, another by thoughts and feelings, and so on. One or another mode of perception is immediately connected with one or another kind of reaction to external events. The result of this difference in perception and reaction to external events is expressed in the first place by the fact that people do not understand one another and in the second by the fact that they do not understand themselves. (5) Each center provides a unique way of viewing reality. A complete picture of reality must include all possible perspectives. P.D. Ouspensky provides an apt analogy: “We are like a house with windows opening on to different sides. You look through a window facing south, and then through a window facing north, and then east, and then west. A balanced person, who can use all ordinary centers, can see as it were out of all windows. The truth which is transmitted from each window is then joined into a whole view.” You can look at a beautiful picture or scene in quite different ways. You can look at a mountain as a beautiful object in which case you have an emotional relationship to it. Or you can look at it from the standpoint of a geologist noticing what kinds of rock it is composed of, in which case you have an intellectual relationship to it. Or you could look at it from the standpoint of a climber planning the line of ascent and the amount of effort necessary, in which case you will have a predominantly moving center relationship to it. Our intelligence, in short, is made up of many different intelligences that connect with quite different meanings of the same thing. (6) Traditionally, spiritual practices have been given to different individuals based on their psychological ‘type,’ i.e. the predominance of one of their centers over the others. However, in our contemporary world a more holistic approach is warranted which simultaneously develops all of the centers. Unlike the traditional paths emphasizing one function – body, emotion or mind, the Fourth Way espoused by Gurdjieff seeks a balanced development:

5

These traditional separate ‘ways’ have always existed for people whose natures were predominantly intellectual or emotional or physical – the ways of knowledge, devotion and action – and all three usually demanded some form of purposeful renunciation and an imposed discipline, such as obedience, silence, celibacy, solitude, physical regime, dietary regulation, mental discipline, and so on. Nowadays, at least in the initial stages, a ‘whole person’ approach is not only more appropriate but actually more possible. The voluntary suffering and effort based on a blind belief often demanded by the traditional ways required a capacity that modern, civilized people now only rarely possess. The Fourth Way is just such a ‘whole person’ approach, providing wisdom and enlightenment for ‘householders,’ ordinary people fully engaged in the hurly-burly of modern life . . . On this Way, the faculties of ‘head, heart and hand’ are regarded equally and are addressed simultaneously. All the practices and disciplines, whether intellectual, emotional or physical, are progressively and voluntarily self-imposed. Understanding comes first and then gives rise to action. By this method, ideas and theory are demonstrated and confirmed by action, which in turn gives rise to emotional development. (7) It is quite possible to be unbalanced with regard to the centers – highly developed in one center, rudimentary in another, and atrophied in a third. “Ideally, ‘I’ should have power over my thoughts, feelings, sensations and my bodily reactions. But in ordinary people the impulse for their thoughts, feelings and bodies comes from their desires, their attractions and aversions. In so far as t hese control us, we control nothing, for they are without our will or intention.” The work of bringing the three main centers into a harmonious balance is the goal of inner work. But some centers are more challenging and difficult to work with and require greater and more effectual efforts. When the three centers are harmonized, it is then possible to create an enduring ‘I’: “Be conscious of your body, aware of your emotions and mindful of your thoughts. Feel with the mind, think what you feel – this is insurance against self-deception.” The essence of correct work is in the working together of the three centers – moving, emotional and thinking. When all three work together and produce an action, this is the work of a man . There is a thousand times more value even in polishing the floor as it should be done than in writing twenty-five books. But before starting to work with all centers and concentrating them on the work, it is necessary to prepare each center separately so that each is able to concentrate. It is necessary to train the moving center to work with the others. Our moving center is more or less adapted. The second center, as difficulties go, is the thinking center and the most difficult the emotional. We already begin to succeed in small things with our moving center. But neither the thinking nor the emotional center can concentrate at all. (8)

6

With conscious, directed attention a higher level of energy enters and supports the working of the centers, enabling greater control of them. Each center vibrates at a different rate and to develop we need to bring them to a similar rate of vibration: “When all centers vibrate uniformly, then ‘I’ can act, and not just one part. Thought can create emotion, and then action – observe all three in action.” Man has three brains, three nervous machines with which he can experience because there is in him the energy of attention. So long as his energy of attention is not controlled from within, his experience is quite automatic and passive. What attracts his attention, he experiences; he is not his own master, but the slave of whatever happens to catch and hold his attention. His experience depends on the accidental activity of his nervous system. When he begins to control and direct his attention, then to some extent he experiences what he wants to experience. For example, if I direct my attention towards my thought, I can think what I decide to think and not what happens to come into my mind, but if I do not make this effort of attention, my thoughts can only be automatic associations, verbal associations and so on, and what I will be thinking a minute hence is quite unpredictable. It is by attention that intentional experience comes, and therefore change becomes possible. (9) When every center participates in our living experience, there is a natural expansion of awareness. When the centre of gravity of our attention is in the intellectual center mental activity dominates. But when the attention expands to include awareness of the body, a new balance appears, creating a subtle sensation of an inner presence. The next step is the awakening of feeling, which brings a third dimension to our awareness. Michel de Salzmann: Each of these functional apparatuses (thought, sensation, and feeling) carries a specific energy and a specific attention and sensitivity. When mobilized together by virtue of questioning, they potentialize each other and contribute to the rare experience of being really present, aware of oneself. Everyone has tasted more or less strongly such a state of awareness in certain occasions or events of his or her life. When more aware of ourselves, we are able to contain our energy and at the same time be open, permeable, seeing and yet not interfering in whatever has to take place in ourselves. This is already a great inner change. Total awareness means being present to everything within ourselves at the same time. (10)

Subdivisions of the Centers

Many of the centers are divided into positive and negative parts, but this division is not identical for all the centers. In the instinctive, moving, intellectual and emotional centers there are two components – positive and negative – but in the sex center and higher emotional and higher intellectual centers there is no negative side. 7

The positive and negative aspects of the four main centers express their duality: •

Instinctive center: (+) pleasant sensation, (-) unpleasant sensation

•

Moving center: (+) active, energetic, (-) inactive, inert

•

Intellectual center: (+) affirmation, support, (-) negation, criticism

•

Emotional center: (+) attraction, like, (-) repulsion, dislike

In addition to the binary division of centers (positive, negative), there is a threefold division (mechanical, emotional, intellectual), creating a total of six subdivisions for each of the four main centers. Each center is capable of expressing both a complementary aspect (duality) and a unifying principle as exemplified by the trinity (harmonization). Each of these parts of centers has its own characteristics, its own role, and functions with its own particular kind of attention. Greater attention means more receptivity to the needs of the moment. Typically, a person is only aware of one part and is unable to perceive the other two parts, thereby limiting other possibilities of understanding. The mechanical part works automatically with little attention required, but lacks the ability to adapt to changing circumstances. With the emotional part, attention is captive, attracted without effort. In the intellectual part attention is consciously directed and under the control of the will. The quality of attention determines the nature and possibilities of the functioning of each center. “The centers can work in very different states of attention and these correspond to some extent to the state of consciousness because one’s relation to attention changes as the state of consciousness changes.” Characteristically, in the moving part of centers action goes on by habit and can go on more or less without attention, and this way of acting has a perfectly useful part to play in our lives; we need to learn all sorts of habits to navigate in life at all. If we had to do consciously everything we do by habit, we wouldn’t have time for anything else. The middle part in any center, the emotional part, is active when the center functions with the attention drawn and held. It is this state of the attention that often gives us the illusion we have control of our attention, because our attention is held in a definite direction for a long time. And the intellectual part of centers, the highest of the three parts, is the state in which functions are performed when attention is collected and directed consciously and voluntarily. (11)

8

The Instinctive Center

The physical body has its own intelligence, independent of the mind. It naturally breathes, digests food and regulates myriad physiological processes of amazing complexity – all without the conscious participation and direction of the mind. The instinctive functions are concerned with the maintenance of the organism and all its internal processes. “Its perceptions are expressed through satisfaction or need. It is the center of ‘instinctive’ attractions and repulsions, the center of organic impressions of ‘good’ or ‘bad’ which regulate the life of the body and which taken all together make for organic well-being or discomfort, and even pain.” The complex operations of the instinctive center are a marvel of innate intelligence, which we call the “wisdom of the body”: An elementary acquaintance with physiology is enough to inspire us with wonder at the power possessed by the body to control and coordinate the most complicated chemical and physical processes necessary for the maintenance of life. Every advance in physiological science only serves to strengthen the conviction that we are in the presence of a mechanism which greatly transcends the construction of the human mind. The ingenuity of a thousand chemists with all the resources of modern science could not maintain the complicated system of superimposed equilibria present in the blood against the manifold disturbing influences which play on it varying from moment to moment, each of which have secondary, tertiary and even more indirect repercussions upon the remainder. Taken separately, many physiological processes are tolerably easy to explain, but when, with our minds, we attempt to grasp as a whole the system of regulating devices, we are driven to the conclusion that without consciousness the mechanism could not possibly operate as harmoniously as it does day and night from birth to death. (12) Most of the time we are not aware of the internal functioning of the body and take it for granted: “The functions of the body – defecation, urination, menstruation – remind us of a part of ourselves we’d rather not have. Only with these unavoidable functions and times of physical shock, hunger, pain, lust, desire, is the supremacy of the body at this level realized. And when these pass: what happens? The body is forgotten again.” The instinctive center is responsible for the regulation and coordination of all inner physiological processes: • Digestion and assimilation of food • Circulation of the blood • Respiration and pumping of the heart • Creation of new cells • Healing wounds • Regulating body temperature

9

• • • • •

Alimentary and urinary tract processes Regulating water and sugar balance Hormonal and glandular processes Growth and maintenance of cells Immune system functioning

The instinctive center is in charge of the functioning of the five senses (sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch), as well as other sensations such as temperature, humidity, pressure, pain, hunger, thirst, balance, sense of space and proprioception. It is also responsible for physical memory of taste, smell and pain, as well as inner reflexes, even the most complicated such as yawning and laughter. The positive and negative sides of the instinctive center correspond to what is beneficial and what is harmful to the organism: Its office also includes the task of looking after external influences, avoiding those that are dangerous or harmful, and seeking to augment those that are beneficial. It does this by distinguishing between pleasant and unpleasant sensations. When the instinctive center is working normally, it takes pleasure in tastes, smells, sounds and sights which corresponds to conditions favorable to life and it is ill at ease when exposed to sensations which indicate conditions that are dangerous or detrimental to our physical welfare. (13) The instinctive center is subdivided into three parts – mechanical, emotional and intellectual. Each part has specific functions and qualities: Mechanical • • • •

Pleasant and unpleasant sensations Inner and outer reflexes Regulation of all physiological processes within the body Habitual sensations which serve, often unnoticed, as background to other sensations operating in the body

Emotional • • • • •

Protection against danger and disease Adaptation of the body to the rhythms and processes of the external world Transformation of sense perceptions into representations of the outer world Instinctive love and nurturing Animal rage and jealousy

10

Intellectual • • •

Intuitions of a higher order In the state of self-consciousness, it is possible in this part of the instinctive center to directly understand the functioning of the body and all its possibilities The emergence of new forms of cognition and paranormal powers. Gurdjieff: “If you were conscious in this part of the instinctive center you could talk with animals” The true working of Will in the Instinctive Centre is in the intellectual part, where the almost miraculous power which the body possesses of cognition and regulation can be exercised consciously. This is the true ‘Communion with Nature’ of which the poets dream. It has also the power of discerning and curing disease, and for this purpose is able to control sources of energy in the body immensely greater than usually available to the Centres. These powers, external manifestations of which have often been described, are acquired by means of special exercises, the knowledge of which is confined to hidden schools. Unfortunately, however, so much charlatanism surrounds these manifestations that it is almost impossible to distinguish between real and false descriptions. While these powers require special training, they are not in any sense supernatural, nor, taken alone, does their possession necessarily imply a higher level of being. (14)

The most compelling self-evident truth is that we exist now, in the present moment. We are embodied within a physical sheath that is connected to the forces and energies of the cosmos. “Everything passes through me. I am the only one who can experience or live my life. It is not a second-hand life.” My life? I may say, in a way it was given to me. I have done nothing for that. It is now given to me as an existential fact. I can become aware of it. It operates through my body. This body given to me works by itself according to definite laws. It is the site of myriads of processes and constant exchanges with the outer world. Various determining influences have given it its peculiarities: race, heredity, climate, food, and also more distant influences: astrological, cosmic, etc., of which we know very little. Anyhow, it works, and most of the time I am unconscious of it . . . Thus animated, the body goes and comes, eats, sleeps, evacuates, and sometimes calls on me to be recognized, to be taken care of; but it usually works as well without me. In the best moments of awareness it appears to me as an integrated part of a greater whole, from which it is inseparable. Made of matter, my body obeys the causality of what we call the physical world. (15) The quest for self-knowledge often begins with the study of the physical body, as it is more highly developed through nature than the emotional and intellectual centers. This is largely because its inborn intelligence automatically performs its functions without the intervention of 11

other centers. For this reason, many spiritual traditions begin the inner work of transformation with the body, rather than the mind or feelings. “If we wish to study our body, we must first of all be related to it. What relates us to the body is the sensation we have of it – the inner perception of my physical being, the physical sensation of myself. If our aim is eventually to develop a stable presence in ourselves, the sensation of our physical being is an inherent part of this. It is the most concrete and easily controlled part.” There is the organic level – our body. It is solid and concrete, with an apparent stable form which can, in any case, be relied on to some degree. It is the instrument through which we perceive and our means of action. It can stay still voluntarily and thus is easier than the other parts for us to observe. It is relatively obedient, and we have a certain amount of control over it. In addition, it is the one solid material base in us, and as a general rule everything undertaken on earth, whether human or not, must first be established on a solid and firm foundation. Finally, it is through the body that all the exchanges of life take place and through which we receive all the energies we need. (16) In many spiritual traditions ‘sensing exercises’ are employed to enable a practitioner to consciously inhabit their body through an awakened presence. In Perspect ives on Beelzebub’s Tales, Fourth Way student Keith Buzzell relates his experience with such an exercise: I begin to inhabit my body with my first efforts to ‘sense’ the body. The great variety of sensing exercises have, as one aim, the gaining of increasing consciousness of, and presence within, the planetary body. The deeper and more subtle the sensing becomes, the vaster and more varied the world of this body is discovered to be. It is similarly so when we begin to inhabit the external sensory instruments of this physical body, for we bring a new state of awareness to the outside world images created by our first brain. Each of our external senses participate in the creation of images of portions of the forms and energies of the external world. Through these images, melded into a flowing ‘present moment’ of perception, we can begin, with presence, to properly inhabit the vast world that our first brain opens to. (17) The body is capable of connecting with higher levels of reality and acting as a conduit to a subtle spiritual energy. Professor of philosophy Jacob Needleman: “There are many images and symbols in the wisdom traditions that show us the human body irradiated by a finer energy, a vibrant sensation, a body full of light. That’s the true human body, and everything may very well be in that body.” There’s something about the body that’s absolutely essential to the development of man’s possibilities, of why we are on earth. If we are on earth for a reason, for a purpose, then the body must be there to serve that purpose. There’s an idea that God’s love, God’s creation, God’s purpose requires man – a being who is able to intentionally allow the purposes of the higher 12

to go toward the world of matter and life. And, of course, if a human being can allow that, he can also not allow that. If we weren’t able to block it we wouldn’t be able to allow it. Here we are faced with the age-old drama of human freedom. Man is free, which means there’s a certain freedom that makes it possible to become what we were meant to be. To me, it has to do with the possible freedom of our attention, which is perhaps the only free element of human beings. Such as we are, the possibility of human freedom exists in the attention, and that can carry an influence down into our bodies and into the life of the earth. We become instruments of God. And in the process we become truly human. (18)

The M oving Center

Both the instinctive center and moving center involve the physical body. At times the moving center is active and the instinctive is passive. At other times the reverse is true; they alternate in their activation. As well, some people naturally have a more active moving center, while for others the instinctive center is more active. The functions of the moving center are not innate and must be learned . This is the principal characteristic differentiating it from the instinctive center: The difference between instinctive and moving functions is as follows: the moving function of man, as well as of animals, must be learned , but instinctive functions are inborn. One of the chief properties of the moving center is its ability to imitate. The moving center imitates what it sees without reasoning . . . The idea of an independent moving center, which, on the one hand, does not depend upon the mind, and which is a mind in itself, and which, on the other hand, does not depend upon instinct and has first of all to learn, explained many observations in nature. The existence of a moving center working by means of imitation, explained the preservation of the “existing order” in beehives, termitaries, and ant-hills. Directed by imitation, one generation has had to shape itself absolutely upon the model of another. There could be no changes, no departure whatever from the model. (19) In a newborn child, the initial movements are all instinctive. As the child develops, they begin to imitate other people. By the end of the first year, the moving center is already quite independent from the instinctive center. The moving center functions are educated from birth to perform an array of tasks: at the right moment, the baby learns to hold its own bottle, the toddler learns to walk. These achievements usher in a new stage of motor development: The continued development of the Moving Centre goes at an accelerated pace, and as the Intellectual Centre comes into play, a new method of learn13

ing becomes available. The Intellectual Centre is able to control some of the most important groups of muscles which usually work through the Moving Centre and so teach them without an external model. The Moving Centre then imitates the Intellectual Centre and gradually takes control of the movement. As it does so, there is an unmistakable gain in fluency, because the Intellectual Centre is quite incapable of that intimate coordination which is required by complex movements. The ability of the Moving Centre to learn by imitation is retained long after childhood by people whose conditions of life require this power, but under the conditions of socalled civilization, the development of the Moving Centre stops at an early age, or is directed into restricted channels by such activities as athletics and the tending of specialized machines. (20) Moving functions encompass all outer activities of the organism, movement in space and learned behaviours. It controls not only simple movements, but also complex processes involving adaptation and coordination. “The moving function includes in itself all external movements such as walking, writing, speaking, eating, and memories of them. To the moving function also belong those movements which in ordinary language are called ‘instinctive,’ such as catching a falling object without thinking.” Also included in the moving functions are uncontrolled manifestations which represent useless activity not intended by nature and which waste energy: imagination, daydreaming, talking for talk’s sake or talking with oneself: All these movements are responses to programmes which have had to be learned by trial and error. Initially a small amount of conscious direction is required but once the technique has been acquired the relevant associations are established and thereafter operate automatically, as for instance in riding a bicycle – a skill which once acquired is never forgotten. Throughout the day the body makes innumerable movements which we take entirely for granted, all directed by the intelligence of the Moving Centre. We ought to be more appreciative of the speed and efficiency with which it reacts to our (mostly unconscious) desires. (21) The moving center has both a positive side (activity, excitatory impulses) and a negative side (rest, inhibitory impulses). These two aspects of the moving center combine to produce the smooth and harmonious working of the normal healthy body. The moving center is also subdivided into three parts (mechanical, emotional and intellectual). Each part has specific qualities and functions: Mechanical • • •

Automatic reflexes and movements Repetitive actions and behaviours Capacity for imitation 14

• •

Acquired and learnt movements which are not dependent on consciousness Limited ability in learning new movements

Emotional • • • • • •

Pleasure in movement Love of sports and games Feelings of interest and excitement Movement involving purposeful adaptation to new circumstances Ceremonial and festive dances involving coordination of the muscles in a smooth series of movements Occupational rhythms and artistic crafts

Intellectual • • • •

Capacity for invention, innovative methods of doing things Overcoming difficulties, improvisation A feeling for the working of the laws of nature Imitating at will the voice, intonations and gestures of other people such as actors can do

Over time, the body develops many ingrained habits and unconscious postures which rob it of vitality, flexibility and free expression. This can also affect the emotional and intellectual functions. In a sense, we become “imprisoned” in our bodies: “Our body is exactly what we disappear into all the time. I can’t even sit still, without wanting more water, more coffee, without scratching myself, wanting to move my chair – the body is a very big devil for us. The body is, more or less all the time, the principal reason why I am lost in sleep.” We rarely take notice of our bodies; instead, all of our attention is centred in our head, which tends to ignore the body and allows it to remain passive or indulge itself. “All that dulls the mind to the sensitivity needed to connect it with the body. So, this connection involves a certain reduction in the animal requirements of the body. If the body and mind want to team together, there are various conditions that have to exist in each.” One of these requirements is the ability to directly sense the body with a conscious attention. John Pentland suggests a simple exercise to establish a sense of presence of our body: Try to prepare before you start your day. For the next day or two try to establish conscious contact with your body. Sit for ten or twelve minutes and try to realize it plays a very important part in your life. You take your attention away from your thoughts and try to be aware of sensation, something higher than thought. (22)

15

In the process of self-development, it is important to have a deep organic sensation of the body. Physical tension is an impediment to inner growth. “The body needs to be in the right posture and completely relaxed in order for one to be free of it. Otherwise, in general, the body controls us completely. One needs to break the hold of the body.” The unnecessary tension stored in the body can be released by conscious deep relaxation. Then we can contact a higher level of energy, allowing real growth and development to occur. Jeanne de Salzmann: “Your body is not only yours. You need to work to relate the higher with the lower. That is the purpose of human existence.” The body is where everything happens, where unconscious forces play, where intelligence vies with habits, where comfort competes with ambition and where personal likes and dislikes rule the kingdom. Most important is to make a new relationship with it, a conscious one that replaces our automatic associations. According to Madame de Salzmann, “higher energies are in the body, but they are not of the body. Our attention is so scattered that it needs to be trained to be contained in the body, to relate with it, to remain anchored.” The primary effort in work with the body is to anchor the attention of all our parts here in the flesh. When we try, the first thing we notice is the constant state of exaggerated tension. We don’t realize how deeply it imprisons us. Work with only one center drains our energy. Why do I use so much force washing dishes that the glass in my hand breaks? Why am I more exhausted after a day spent solving a problem at the computer than if I had been out chopping firewood? It becomes clear that I am holding in or holding on to something. What would happen if I let go? (23) Because the body is the instrument of movement and action in the world, it is important to have a direct understanding of its possible states. Jacob Needleman: “There is a meaning and a purpose of the human body for which we have no names and of which we only have misunderstanding glimpses in the course of our lives. Such glimpses of the finer life within the body can help us to interpret them in relation to the great possibilities of human life.” What we are seeking is a body, a life on earth, in which our actions and behavior serve the higher impulses and intentions, the higher feelings that constitute the heart of true human virtue. In a breathtaking real sense, we are searching for a new kind of body, a body that has a new aim, a new purpose: voluntarily to serve the Good. And to compound the mystery, in the search for a new kind of body within ourselves, there exists the possibility of discovering a new heart, a source of love within ourselves that we have perhaps glimpsed in our lives . . . Above all, we will need to discover how actually to communicate our understanding and our ideals to the body. We need to study the possibility of establishing an enduring and intentional relationship to the body, the 16

physical instrument of our life and action in the world. That will be the next stage of our work toward becoming a full human being – that is to say, a real human being, in whom the body with its immense energies of life obeys the conscience which calls to us from within ourselves. (24) Many traditional spiritual teachings emphasize the importance of understanding the forces and energies of the physical body. “It is in the body and through the body that all the energies of man move and live and communicate with each other, and it is in the body that all the energies of human life can be studied, discriminated and eventually, as a result of inner struggle, come into harmonious relationship, thereby allowing the entry into human life and action of a spiritual force of great power and much efficacy.” It is essential to take account of one’s own relationship to the body, that is, to the current of organic life that is always present in the tissues of our body but which we are usually aware of only in rare moments of passion or physical pain. There is in the body a flowing river of tangible sensitivity about which our culture has told us nothing. A human being’s intentional relationship to this current determines a great deal about both the normality of our day-to-day experience and the real possibilities of the inner search; it is necessary to see, personally, how even a faint and fleeting intentional opening to this current of organic sensitivity frees us from so much of the tyranny of time. One also sees, much more deeply, how often we lose this relationship to the body, and how much of deeper life, deeper feeling, more balanced intelligence we lose when we are under the sway of the temporality of the world – the temporality of a world without a life-inside-the-body. (25) In a conversation with his pupil John G. Bennett, Gurdjieff stressed the importance of mastery of the body and the support and guidance that is required in the process of inner development and transformation: “The Institute exists to help people to work on themselves. You can work as much or as little as you wish. If they come to get Being, then they must do the work themselves. No one else can do the work for them, but it is also true that they cannot create the conditions for themselves. Therefore, we create conditions.” You have already too much knowledge. It will remain only theory unless you learn to understand not with mind but with heart and body. Now only your mind is awake: your heart and body are asleep. If you continue like this, soon your mind will also go to sleep, and you will never be able to think any new thoughts. You cannot awaken your own feelings, but you can awaken your body. If you can learn to master your body, you will begin to acquire Being. For that, you must look on your body as a servant. It must obey you. It is ignorant and lazy. You must teach it to work. If it refuses to work, you must have no mercy on it. Remember yourself as two – you and your body. When you are master of your body, your feelings 17

will obey you. At present nothing obeys you – not your body, nor your feelings, nor your thoughts. (26)

The Sex Center

The main function of the sex center is the expression of the masculine (‘yang’) and female (‘yin’) principles in all their manifestations, especially procreation. It is directed by a higher level of intelligence than the other centers and is concerned with the integration of opposing principles. “This is the basis of real growth, as one sees in Nature by the conjunction of male and female elements. Part of the function of the sex centre is the direction of physical attraction and consummation but its more important aspects are psychological. One of its concerns is the transformation of negative emotions into useful material for the creation of the ‘astral body’.” In Gurdjieff’s schema the sex center is located in the ‘lower story’ of the human structure, along with the instinctive and moving centers. The sex center is the mediating or neutralizing force in relation to the moving and instinctive centers which transmit the affirming and denying forces of the Law of Three. “The lower story can exist by itself, because the three centers in it are the conductors of the three forces (Law of Three). The thinking and emotional centers are not indispensable for life.” A difference between the sex center and the other lower centers is that it is not, in reality, limited to their level alone, but gives a color to the whole human individual, whatever degree of evolution has been reached, so long as any trace of individuality remains. But ordinary man lives only at the lower, organic level of his sex center. At this level, the instinctive, moving and sex centers form a balanced unit, working on the same plane and able to receive the corresponding impulses of the three fundamental forces. Thus, the organic life of the machine is able to continue indefinitely on its own. The sex center plays the neutralizing role here in relation to moving and instinctive centers, sometimes one and sometimes the other of these is active or passive, according to states and circumstances. (27) The sex center is fully active in normal human beings and works much faster and with a finer quality of energy than the other lower centers. When properly used, the energy of the sex center is at the same level as the higher emotional center (’hydrogen 12’) and contributes to the general equilibrium of all the psychic centers, as all the other centers are subordinate to it. But, in many cases, the sex center is influenced by other centers which interfere with its work. Gurdjieff: “It would be a great thing if it worked with its own energy. This alone would indicate a comparatively very high level of being in which all other centers could work correctly in their place and with their own energies.”

18

P.D. Ouspensky held that the study and understanding of the sex center should only occur after the workings of the first four centers were correctly understood: Self-study must begin with the study of the four functions, thinking, feeling, instinctive function, and moving function. Sex functions can be studied only much later, that is, when these four functions are already sufficiently understood. Contrary to some modern theories, the sex function is really posterior; that is, it appears later in life, when the first four functions are already fully manifested, and it is condit ioned by t hem . Therefore, the study of the sex function can be useful only when the first four functions are fully known in all their manifestations. (28) The sex center is influenced by many of the other centers and, in turn, impacts the instinctive, moving, emotional and intellectual centers. The sex center rarely works completely independent of the other centers, which tend to rob it of its energy and make use of this energy in ways that corrupt the given center: The sex function differs from the others in the sense that it derives support from and participates with the four of them, takes in their emanations and even goes beyond them to be the support of the creative aspect of the human being at every level, with the proper polarity in each case. All our education leads us to think only of the organic aspect of this function. Even from this point of view, we shall see that it cannot be studied in isolation. Since the sex function relies on the other functions, the study of these functions must come first, and this brings into our study the entire level of organic life. But sexual polarity and its functioning involves the entirety of the human being, and since this includes levels of life other than the organic level, they also participate in this function. Thus, a study of the sex function on the organic level only will result in a partial and inadequate view. A balanced study is not possible until the higher levels of the human being are sufficiently known. (29) When the energy of the sex center is “stolen” by other centers it can be misused and abused, often through imagination, projection and identification. “The role of the sex center is to create an equilibrium among the other centers which should be subordinate to its direction; but in the absence of conscious control its high-quality energy is stolen by the lower centers which then work with undue fervour.” The transmutation of sexual energy in the development of a higher level of being may create an excess of energy that can be misused: “The excess has to be used up in a natural way because its accumulation results in abnormal usages and irregular intrusions of this energy in the other functions of the machine. If allowed to become established as automatic habits of the mechanism, these irregular usages of sex energy may become predominant and monopolize it so much that all hope of a man’s evolution to a higher level becomes impossible.” This is 19

consistent with Ouspensky’s belief that any significant irregularity or abnormality in the sexual function prevents proper self-development. In the culture of the West, a preoccupation with sex and the abuse of sexual energy is more prevalent than in Eastern cultures: From an objective point of view the purpose of sex is twofold, procreation and self-creation – the procreation of planetary bodies, and the creation in ourselves of the body ‘Kesdjan’ and the mental body. Thanks to the Romans we find ourselves using sex objectlessly, substituting the pursuit of pleasure derived from the sexual process for the real satisfaction derived from its use as an end. Or, under the influence of organized puritan religion, we deny sex, regard it as an evil, as the great sin; people then indulge in sexual fantasies. Why the enormous amount of thought in the West directed to the study of the results of the misuse or non-use or misdirection of sex energy? Sex problems do not arise in the East except where people have been influenced by Western puritanism. With the rest of organic life we have a right to the pleasure derived from sexual union, but as human beings we must use this force, or part of it, for a conscious aim. And when sex energy is not so used it becomes diverted to purposes much more harmful than what we call “abnormalities.” (30) The misuse of sexual energy is characterized by a particular vehemence and improper use of its force by one or more of the centers: Moving Center • • • • •

Frenzied competition Attempting to set sports records Excessive tension Exaggerated gestures Endurance activities without any useful purpose

Emotional Center • • • • • •

Preaching about sinfulness, hell and damnation Fear of imagined dangers Religious persecution, bigotry Cruelty and sadism Jealousy Sentimentality

20

Intellectual Center • • • • •

Arguments, disputes Fanaticism, advancing disruptive ideas Rabid criticism, vitriol Sarcasm, bullying Hostility, anger

Although the primary purpose of sex is reproduction of the species, it can also be used through sublimation as an energy for creativity and creation of higher ‘bodies’ which are in touch with the subtle spiritual levels of reality. The sex center can work with the finest energy in the organism (‘hydrogen 12’) and thus serve the highest function of a human being – namely, participation in the work of creation: As soon as it comes into play, the sex center, thanks to the fine quality of the energy it uses, brings much more subtlety, acuity and speed to sensory perceptions, impressions and the functions. It is also clear that sexual fulfillment leading to the reproduction of life is the crowning achievement of the organic activity of the human being, and without this fulfillment all of this activity, from the organic and natural point of view, is so to speak cut short. But this does not exclude the possibility, from the point of view of higher development of the human being, that this same sexual energy, the finest and most active of the energies which are available to man, should serve not for the reproduction of organic life but for the realization of a higher order of life (a new birth, the opening up of another level of life) which can only come about starting from energy of this quality, from whatever there is of “creative” energy in man. (31)

References

(1) Ricardo Guillon Record of a Search (Toronto: Traditional Studies Press, 2004), p. 177. (2) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of t he M iraculous: Fragment s of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, 2001), p. 115. (3) Ricardo Guillon Record of a Search (Toronto: Traditional Studies Press, 2004), pp. 113-114. (4) Jean Vaysse Tow ard Aw akening (New York: Harper & Row, 1979), p. 29. (5) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of t he M iraculous: Fragment s of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, 2001), p. 115. (6) Maurice Nicoll Psychological Comment aries on t he Teaching of Gurdjieff and Ouspensky (London: Robinson & Watkins, 1974), p. 395. (7) Gerald de Symons Beckwith Ouspensky’s Fourt h W ay (Oxford: Starnine Media, 2015), pp. 2-3. (8) G.I. Gurdjieff Gurdjieff’s Early Talks 1914-1931 (London: Book Studio, 2014), pp. 194-195.

21

(9) J.G. Bennett Is There Life on Eart h? (New York: Stonehill Publishing, 1973), pp. 87-88. (10) Michel de Salzmann “Man’s Ever New and Eternal Challenge” in Jacob Needleman and Dennis Lewis (eds.) On t he W ay t o Self-Know ledge (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1976). pp. 72-73. (11) Hugh Brockwill Ripman Quest ions and Answ ers Along t he W ay (Washington, D.C.: Fourth Way Center Press, 2009), p. 180. (12) Dorothy Phillpotts Discovering Gurdjieff (United Kingdom: AuthorHouse, 2008), p. 81. (13) Dorothy Phillpotts Discovering Gurdjieff (United Kingdom: AuthorHouse, 2008), pp. 82-83. (14) Dorothy Phillpotts Discovering Gurdjieff (United Kingdom: AuthorHouse, 2008), pp. 84-85. (15) Michel de Salzmann “Man’s Ever New and Eternal Challenge” in Jacob Needleman and Dennis Lewis (eds.) On t he W ay t o Self-Know ledge (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1976), p. 55. (16) Jean Vaysse Tow ard Aw akening (New York: Harper & Row, 1979), p. 160. (17) Henriette Lannes The Fundament al Quest (San Francisco: Far West Institute, 2003), p. 25. (18) Jacob Needleman “The True Human Body” in Jacob Needleman (ed.) The Inner Journey: View s from t he Gurdjieff W ork (Sandpoint, Idaho: Morning Light Press, 2008), p. 343. (19) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of t he M iraculous: Fragment s of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, 2001), p. 114. (20) Dorothy Phillpotts Discovering Gurdjieff (United Kingdom: AuthorHouse, 2008), pp. 76-77. (21) J.H. Reyner Gurdjieff in Act ion (London: George Allen & Unwin, 1980), p. 31. (22) John Pentland Exchanges W it hin (New York: Jeremy P. Tarcher, 1997), p. 17. (23) Patty de Llosa The Pract ice of Presence (Sandpoint, Idaho: Morning Light Press, 2006), p. 24. (24) Jacob Needleman W hy Can’t W e Be Good? (New York: Jeremy P. Tarcher, 2008), pp. 206208. (25) Jacob Needleman The W isdom of Love (Sandpoint, Idaho: Morning Light Press, 2005), pp. 52-53. (26) John G. Bennett W it ness: The Aut obiography of John G. Bennet t (Tucson: Omen Press, 1974), p. 106. (27) Jean Vaysse Tow ard Aw akening (New York: Harper & Row, 1979), p. 91. (28) P.D. Ouspensky The Psychology of M an’s Possible Evolut ion (New York: Vintage Books, 1974), p. 25. (29) Jean Vaysse Tow ard Aw akening (New York: Harper & Row, 1979), p. 25. (30) C.S. Nott Teachings of Gurdjieff (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1974), p. 185. (31) Jean Vaysse Tow ard Aw akening (New York: Harper & Row, 1979), p. 89.

22

HUM AN CENTERS AND FUNCTIONS II

‘W e can have no bread w it hout baking: know ledge is t he w at er, emot ions t he flour, and suffering t he fire.’ G.I. Gurdjieff

In Gurdjieff’s model of the structure of the human being, the intellectual center and the higher intellectual center are situated in the upper story represented by the ‘head.’ The emotional center and the higher emotional center are located in the middle story or ‘heart.’ In terms of their functioning, both the intellectual center (thinking) and the emotional center (feeling) are equal partners in how we experience the world and process impressions. Each provides a different, yet complementary, view of reality which together form a more complete holistic view of the world. The two higher centers operate at a higher level than their two lower counterparts – the intellectual center and the emotional center. But when these two lower centers, and the instinctive and moving centers, are in balance and harmony, access to the higher centers is possible. Glimpses of both the higher emotional center and the higher intellectual center may also occur in ordinary individuals who have not undergone a process of self-development and inner transformation.

The Intellectual Center

The intellectual center plays a major role in how we understand the nature of reality. The functions of this center are numerous and varied: • • • • • • • • •

Thinking, reasoning Concepts, ideas and representations Speech, creation of words and language Memory and recall Affirmation and negation Classification, comparison, judgement, analysis Theories, abstractions, mental constructions Imagination, visualization Planning and coordinating future actions

The intellectual center does not directly experience reality in the way the senses do, as it works in a different sphere, involving higher order reasoning and abstraction: “Our illusions as to the value of the intellectual mind arise from confusion of truth with reality. The Intellectual

1

centre has no immediate access to the external world, and it does not deal directly with facts but, rather, with thoughts and ideas.” Our ideas are for the most part, though not necessarily, expressed in words, so that words or symbols equivalent to words, are the currency of our intellectual commerce. This does not mean that ideas or thoughts have some kind of reality of their own, or that we think by means of fixed ‘unit ideas’ which are permanent and unchanging. Ideas and words are merely signs, which correspond more or less closely to groups of presentations from external experience, or to combinations produced by the intellectual process itself. They are abstractions which only gain substance by their relation to recurrent elements of experience. The work of the Intellectual Centre is essentially logical and it must be clearly understood that it is to this Centre, and to this Centre alone, that the laws of logic apply. The Intellectual Function consists in such processes as associations and comparisons, affirmation and negation. In its commonest and most familiar form, the activity of the Intellectual Centre is dualistic, that is, the association and comparison of ideas – two at a time. A characteristic manifestation is seen in what are called ‘trains of thought,’ or series of associations, in which each idea arises successively out of the ones which precede it. Typical work of the Intellectual Centre consists in dealing with numbers, which constitute the most abstract relation which we can have with the external world. (1) The intellectual center is much slower than the other centers and works with ‘hydrogen 48.’ P.D. Ouspensky offers an example to illustrate the relative speed of centers in performing normal activities: “The intellectual center is never able to follow the work of the moving center (‘hydrogen 24’). We are unable to follow either our own movements or other people’s movements unless they are artificially slowed down.” In the culture of the West there is an overemphasis on the intellect, on rationality, which cuts us off the from the intelligence of the body and feelings. Mental knowledge, disconnected from the sensitivity of the body and feelings, dominates our life and our sense of identity. Since concepts alone can only represent an incomplete picture of reality, they cannot be fully assimilated into the whole of ourselves. Professor of philosophy Jacob Needleman: “They therefore foster the illusion that the fundamental questions of life can be approached and even solved by one small part of the human psyche – the isolated intellect. And they foster the further illusion that ultimate truth about man and the universe can penetrate into the unconscious emotions and instinctive parts of ourselves without a long, difficult, and carefully guided inner struggle.” Concepts require little more than careful verbal formulation in order to be communicated. They are, as it were, messages from the intellect to the intellect. To be understood, they require the analytic and combinatory 2

powers of the mind, functions which are now being duplicated with increasing success by computers. In fact, one of the most important lessons that the technological revolution is now offering modern man, is the realization of the automatic quality of those mental processes . . . Concepts are problem-solving devices, the internal equivalent of technologies. Concepts, theories, hypotheses, distinctions, comparisons – all these may be taken ultimately as instruments for organizing perceptions into logically consistent patterns called explanations. But they do not and cannot awaken in man a new quality of feeling or perceiving, a new organ or faculty of awareness. Concepts are no more nor less than tools by which man combines or analyzes that which he already knows through perceptions. If man’s perceptions are limited mainly to the external senses, concepts can do no more than organize the material collected by the senses. Concepts can never reach beyond the level of perception or awareness of which man lives. (2) The operation of the intellectual center is divided into two parts: affirmation (‘yes’) or negation (‘no’). In The Psychology of M an’s Possible Evolut ion , P.D. Ouspensky elaborates: “In every moment of our thinking, either one outweighs the other or they come to a moment of equal strength in indecision. The negative part of the center is as useful as the positive part, and any diminishing of the strength of one in relation to the other results in disorder.” Like the other main centers, the intellectual center is subdivided into three parts, which reflect a gradation of the quality and effectiveness of the functioning of the center, as well as the degree of conscious attention: Mechanical • • • • • • •

Representations of impressions, memories and associations Dualism, division of things into two poles Classification of forms and impressions into categories Automatic, stereotyped responses to the impressions of the moment Ready-made phrases and slang expressions, jokes Mechanical talking, repetition of words and phrases Undirected or wandering attention The mechanical part of the intellectual centre plays a pivotal role in keeping us asleep. It has a special name, the ‘formatory apparatus,’ and its inability to understand anything except in pairs of opposites maintains, more than anything else, the illusion of duality. It has a valid role in receiving impressions but constantly exceeds its authority and becomes an impenetrable barrier to understanding by preventing any creative level of thought. It thrives on labels, catchwords and popular theories. Both hemispheres are subject to this malady in their own separate ways. In the inward-looking hemisphere it produces

3

primitive superstitions and defective thinking; the dominant outward hemisphere becomes fixated by a rigid logic, blind to its own limitations. (3) Emotional • • • • • •

Pleasure in learning and discovery Curiosity, desire to know and understand Artistic, political and scientific interests Interest, enthusiasm, novelty and excitement Gossip, reading newspapers, random chatter Attention is naturally attracted to and focused on the subject itself, without any effort or conscious will

Intellectual • • • • • •

Capacity for creation and construction Discovery and invention Creative thought Seeing connections, bringing order and unity to diversity Education and sense of morality influencing choice Attention is voluntary, consciously controlled by will and effort

Our thoughts clearly have different qualities, ranging from the mechanical and associative to the directed and conscious. Unfortunately, lower level thinking is far more prevalent than higher-order thoughts. “Because of their automatic arising in the face of every impression that emerges in the mind, their unceasing flow, their continual associations, their comparisons and systematically reactive responses, they make up in us what can be called the ‘formatory apparatus,’ with which we habitually respond to almost all life situations.” If it directly registered impressions, if it were actively-passive, it would function properly; helping further refine energy to make the connection to the higher emotional and thinking centers. Instead the formatory mind takes itself for the authority in all matters. It weighs, labels and judges all impressions, internal and external, by means of memory. In this wrong functioning it is highly dualistic, immediately dividing everything into two parts. Then it compares and contrasts, running out long strings of association, taking things to extremes. It is a fount of clichés and ready-made opinion. Among its many peculiarities, it always looks for the opposite. If “black” is being discussed, it brings up “white.” Staying on the surface in this way, it avoids penetrating deeply into a subject. All this it calls “thinking.” (4)

4

Real knowledge of human transformation encompasses both thought and emotion. Thinking, by itself, cannot necessarily bring about a change in human nature: what the intellect knows may not be what the heart feels. “Thoughts, perhaps especially thoughts about the greatest truths, have the property of absorbing all our awareness, leaving us blind to the actual quality of the emotional and physical impulses that govern the whole of our everyday lives.” The history of Christianity illustrates this conundrum: A wrong dichotomy between belief and reason has gradually established itself in the Western approach to both the meaning of religion and, indeed, the meaning of life itself. The message of Tradition, in this respect, is that there is in man a force that draws him toward Truth. This force is neither the thinking function nor the emotional function as they are commonly understood . . . A far-reaching error seems to have crept into the understanding of Christianity when one part of the ordinary, or “fallen,” mind, the thinking function, was distinguished from another part of the ordinary mind, the emotional function, and when this distinction was presented as exhaustive and central to the human condition. Man was asked to choose between belief and reason. But, from the present point of view, the enemy of faith is neither belief nor reason as such. The real enemy is man’s tendency to give his trust to what is only a part of the mind or self, to take a subsidiary element of human nature as the bringer of unity or wholeness of being. (5) A truly comprehensive understanding of reality must include the organic knowledge and wisdom of the body. Only when the three functions of thinking, feeling and sensing merge in a unified integration or ‘gestalt’ is there a real perception of truth. In A Guide for t he Perplexed , E.F. Schumacher writes: “Every craftsman realizes that his power of knowing consists not only of the thinking in his head but also of the intelligence of his body: his fingertips know things that his thinking knows nothing about, just as Pascal knew that ‘The heart has its reasons which reason knows nothing about’.” It is possible for the intellectual center to operate on a higher, more refined level: “We must come to look at our minds, not as the gateway to reality, but as the point of exit from illusion. Between the abandonment of illusion and the attainment of reality there is a long and arduous path which we can only traverse if all our functions can be made to contribute their own understanding.” In Tow ard Aw akening , Jean Vaysse writes: At all levels, the function of the intellect is affirmation and negation: yes or no. The intellect receives the data, compares them with what it knows, coordinates, conceptualizes, and looks ahead. On the lowest level, it is automatic critical judgment and imagination; on a higher level, it is logical confrontation and foresight . . . Indeed, for the intellectual center to become capable of other than purely reactive and automatic thinking, it has to function on another level, the level of a presence and of a stable, all-enveloping, soundly established I. Then 5

independent thoughts are possible with a development, true “reflection,” and foresight that conform with our overall sense of individuality and which characterizes real thought. (6) Gurdjieff taught that the proper role of the intellect is to be impartial and watch over the other two functions – feeling and sensation: “Your head is capable of observing only if you put your attention on it. It is only with a special attention that the head can observe. The head is like an apparatus; it plays the role of a policeman.” Your head is your ‘self.’ It is your reason. That is where your intelligence is. This is your individuality. Everyone has a body, everyone has feeling, but rare are those who have a head that lives an independent life – free, never influenced. Only the head can be just; only the head can be impartial. The head must have the initiative, whereas with you at present, it’s all the rest that has the initiative. For you, at present, the head must be like a policeman, always turned inward to see with inner sight and to know these two parts: body and feeling. It must watch with a strong attention, but without tensing, and know where the impulses come from. Are they unintentional or conscious and intentional? Only then will it be able to play its role, which is to direct, to initiate. (7) It is possible to become free of the endless cycle of thoughts and images that rob our attention and energy, and divert us from fulfilling our true intellectual capacity. But we have the power not to be devoured by our thoughts. Jacob Needleman: “We are called to free our mind, our attention, from its absorption in its own automatic functioning. We are called to step back in ourselves and allow the entrance of something that is incomprehensible to the egodriven mind. This incomprehensible ‘something’ is not the plaything of time . . . The kind of thought that emerges from the whole being, the kind of vision and mentation is a property of the Self. What we experience as thought when our minds are on automatic is worlds apart from the intelligence that resides in the Self.” In Time and t he Soul, Needleman explores the ramifications of a free attention when observing the workings of the intellectual mind: To those of us who are too busy, the very least thing that wisdom tells us is that we can step back, not so much from our activities, but from our thoughts. When we try this, we may find a hint of the next step that we can take. In that space that appears when we try to see our thoughts instead of letting them frighten us or goad us, we may sense that our living body is there asking for our calm attention. No man or woman can be too busy when there is even the beginning of a calm relationship between the mind and the body. When the mind and body quietly move toward each other, a man or woman begins to become a grownup. And, whatever it may mean to be a wise man or woman, surely the first step is to become a grownup. A grown-up man or woman may have to move very fast and do many things, but he or she is never in a hurry. (8) 6

The Emotional Center

The functions of the emotional center include a wide range of emotions and feelings, as well as the ability to appreciate and value people and things in relation to ourselves. At one end of the spectrum are positive emotions such as joy, wonder and compassion, while at the other pole we see fear, anger and sorrow. The speed of emotional reactions is much faster than that of the intellectual center. The emotional center has the potential to work with ‘hydrogen 12,’ but in reality rarely works with this fine energy, using instead a coarser energy which prevents the possibility of more refined or purer emotions. Sometimes the action of another center is incorrectly interpreted as an emotion. For instance, a sudden shock to the body, such as instinctive fear in the face of danger, is often interpreted as similar to an emotional shock (“I lost my job”). In our ordinary daily lives, we often confuse thinking and feeling, or sensation and feeling. The opposite situation can also occur when, for instance, the emotional center makes use of the intellectual center for daydreaming. This is because the emotional center has a tendency “to repeat, to keep alive or to recreate experiences, both pleasant and unpleasant, that have been previously lived through or imagined.” For most people, the emotional center is only partly developed. As a consequence, many of the problems and difficulties that we encounter in life are emotional in nature. In a conversation with a young student, Fritz Peters, Gurdjieff asserted that “we did not know how to use emotions properly in the course of our lives, and had only learned to form improper emotional habits from the moment we are born. We did not understand what our emotional needs were and how to satisfy them.” In Boyhood w it h Gurdjieff , Peters relates more of the conversation: All existing emotions, all feelings have purpose; there was a reason for their existence and a proper use for each of them. But without consciousness or knowledge we used them blindly, compulsively and ignorantly, without any sort of control, producing the same effect in our emotional life as would have been produced, musically, by playing a pipe-organ as an animal might play it, without any knowledge, and without music – simply at random. The great danger of uncontrolled emotion was that “shock” generally produced effects in oneself and in others, and the force of shock was emotional. If from lack of consciousness or knowledge, one felt – mechanically – anger instead of, for instance, compassion at a time when compassion was the proper emotion, only havoc and chaos could be produced. Most of the problems in communication and understanding between individuals resulted from just such emotional shocks which were inappropriate, unexpected, and therefore usually harmful and destructive. (9)

7

The emotional center directly experiences situations and events, and whenever an external impression reaches it, there is a feeling of either like or dislike, approval or disapproval, agreement or refusal. Emotions are felt as either pleasant or unpleasant, but never indifferent. The emotional center is also subdivided, like the other main centers, into three parts: Mechanical • • • • •

Stereotyped expression of emotions Habitual and personal likes and dislikes Love of pageantry and spectacle Sentimentality, laughing and crying Primitive or base emotions such as cruelty and jealousy This part of the Emotional Centre plays a very great part in our lives, for it operates all the ordinary judgements of value which determine our actions. Thus, love of praise, dislike of blame, pleasure of achievement, distress at failure, the excitement of a crowd, the boredom of solitude and a thousand other desires and aversions, attractions and repulsions, control a man’s actions. These are acquired by the growing child through imitation of his elders and companions. They are accentuated by the conditions of his life and by the features of his Intellectual, Moving and other Centres. This positive and negative working of the Emotional Centre is so gravely distorted by the presence of negative emotions that only patient study of oneself and other people enables the natural working of the Centre to be discerned. (10)

Emotional • • • • • •

Religious and moral values and emotions Natural emotional judgement free of acquired habits Emotional attitudes appropriate to the situation Power of discernment based on consciousness Sense of humour and the comical Sarcasm, derision This working of the emotional part of the Emotional Centre may sometimes be recognized in our judgement of other people. Many people have the power – some to a marked degree – of forming a total judgment of the ‘character’ of a person at the first meeting. Such judgements may be mistaken, indeed they almost always require correction after fuller acquaintance, but their outstanding character is their ‘organic completeness and simplicity.’ Thus the whole of our reaction may be expressed by the simple feeling ‘I like that man.’ With some people this power of emotional judgement is so great,

8

and can be developed so that they can predict with considerable accuracy the tastes and inclinations of a person, with their views on many subjects, and their behaviour in a variety of circumstances, after a short acquaintance. (11) Intellectual • • • • • • •

Respect for knowledge and learning Aesthetic appreciation and artistic creation Dreams, reveries Seat of the ‘magnetic center’ guiding one’s spiritual search Awakened conscience crucial to self-development Gateway or bridge to the higher emotional center Clairvoyance and psychic sensitivity The work of conscience is to see ourselves as we really are, to feel all our contradictions and meanness, and, worst of all, to know that besides these things, we are not hing . We are not strong enough to bear the seat of conscience, for until we begin to move on the path of self-creation, the vision which it reveals is too appalling to be endured. Conscience is to the Emotional Centre what self-consciousness is to the Intellectual. It is the working of the second part of the Centre – the union of function and consciousness. This leads to emotional self-knowledge, which means knowledge and judgement combined. Through conscience one not merely knows oneself, but assesses one’s own value and level of being objectively. Conscience, in the highest part of the Emotional Centre, has power over all the Centres. This is the Steward in the full exercise of his authority, preparing the whole of the house for the Master’s advent. Then conscience is no longer terrifying, but on the contrary gives the first taste of the positive emotions which belong to the Higher Emotional Centre, emotions which in our present state we should not presume even to name. (12)

According to Gurdjieff, emotions may be pure or impure, unmixed or mixed with a personal element which distorts the purity of real genuine emotion. “As soon as one wishes to draw a personal profit, the sentiment becomes impure. This is what happens to our most elevated feelings – love, faith, charity. They become mixed with personal elements; they become impure.” The sign of the growth of emotion is the liberation from the personal element. Personal emotion fools, is partial, unjust. Greater knowledge is in proportion to fewer personal elements. The problem is to feel impersonally. Not all emotions are easily freed of the personal. Certain ones by their nature corrupt, separate. Others, like love, lead man from the material to the spiritual . . . There can be an impersonal hate, for example: the hate

9

of injustice, of brutality. Impersonal anger – against stupidity, hypocrisy. A pure emotion is one which is not mixed, which never seeks personal profit. An impure emotion is always mixed, it is never one; it is mixed with personal elements; it has sediments of other emotions. Love of science can be pure, or mixed with personal profit. The same is true in art, literature, etc. (13) The traditional wisdom teachings of the world use different terminologies to describe emotional reactions. Both Hinduism and Buddhism characterize emotional states as manifestations of “the ego.” Early Christianity identified the “seven deadly sins”: pride, anger, lust, avarice, gluttony, sloth and envy. Psychologically these are seen as patterns of emotional reactions which “unnecessarily diminish or destroy the capacity of the human psyche to be free.” What these teachings have in common is an approach which acknowledges these emotions, but also offers a way of consciously working with and ultimately transforming them. Philosopher and pupil of Gurdjieff, P.D. Ouspensky, describes how emotions can be transformed from the personal to the impersonal, where they become emotions of a higher order: The sign of growth of the emotions is their liberation from the personal element and their transition to higher planes. The liberation from personal elements enhances the cognitive power of emotions, because the more personal elements there are in an emotion, the more capable it is of leading into delusion. A personal emotion is always biased , always unfair , if only for the reason that it opposes itself to everything else. Just as it is wrong in relation to oneself to evaluate everything from the point of view of one emot ion , opposing it to all the rest, so it is wrong in relation to the world and its people to evaluate everything from the point of view of some one accidental “I” of one’s own. Thus, the problem of right emotional knowledge is to feel in relation to people and the world from a point of view ot her than the personal. And the wider the circle for which a given person feels, the deeper the knowledge which his emotions give. (14) It is possible to develop a purity of feeling that transcends our normal emotions and brings us closer to the true reality of life. “Deep feelings, like a sense of wonder, are outside time and beyond our daily concerns: they are impersonal and impartial yet powerfully experienced within ourselves. They connect us with a sense of joyous obligation to something that shows us why we are here. Real love, deep joy, or genuine grief all have this transcendental quality.” Children often naturally possess this subtle refined emotional perception as they view the world through a pristine untainted lens. In An Unknow n W orld , Jacob Needleman speaks of his own childhood experiences: Elias and I were often in touch with this invisible element of feeling when we contemplated the heavens and the Earth. But we had absolutely no idea, no conception at all – How could we? We were children – that this quality of feeling, this pure sense of wonder, was a seed of something even greater, far greater. We had no idea at all of what the sense of wonder is meant to be10

come in us, how it is meant to develop in man. And the invisibility of this potential, after all, lies at the root of the whole human condition, the whole fate of mankind and, very possibly, of the Earth itself. How could we know the existential price that has to be paid before the heart of man can play its necessary role in the awakening of consciousness and its power to see reality as it is in itself? We are speaking of the role of feeling, an unknown, invisible level of feeling that is an indispensable component in the attainment of objective knowledge. This higher feeling has to be paid for by inner sacrifice and struggle. (15) Understanding our inner emotional world is a prerequisite for a balanced development of the centers. Observing and then transforming negative emotional states open up new possibilities of a freer and less reactive expression of them: “The word-based reminding factors of remorse, suffering, effort and hope begin to initiate the actual states pointed to by these words, gains dimension, subtlety and a remarkable new reality. ‘I’ as a separated presence, begin to truly inhabit my interior world. All real work on negative emotions depends on this separated presence.” The awakening of the emotional center then allows a redistribution of the inner energies flowing through the body. Michel de Salzmann: The opening of the feeling can only take place when one begins to understand, through experience, the necessity of a balanced state in the distribution and circulation of our inner energy. It involves a new center of gravity of attention, its withdrawal from the mind, and the revelation here and now, through my entire body, of my existential participation in life. In that state, for instance, the act of breathing can be in itself an entirely new experience. It engenders a specific shock and mobilization of energy when I discover that ‘it breathes through me.’ And if I can let it be and am able not to interfere, not to react in any manner to it, it awakens a new kind of sensitivity. This, for instance, can open in me something quite unusual, but it comes through a special balance. (16) As human beings we have the capacity to consciously and intentionally manage the myriad impressions and experiences that life brings us. The key is to separate ourselves from the disorder and confusion of egoistic reactions that are so harmful in our relationships with others and the natural world: Emotional reactions are part of human nature. Take almost any man or woman you know or know of, including the towering historical figures and moral heroes of the past: they, too, quarreled with their spouses. They too, without doubt, sometimes manifested themselves as petty or spiteful or sullen or beside themselves with rage or sunk in the histrionics of self-pity. So it is a nearly universal phenomenon . . . Obviously, if we are searching for inner growth, we must face the question of what to do about the emotions of the ego. And the answer that comes to us from every great inner teach11

ing is that there is something in ourselves that can be free from these emotions. There is a capacity of the mind that can step back from them, a capacity of consciousness to exist independently of the egoistic emotions. We are advised not to seek to destroy these emotional reactions, but to allow their existence within the light of our free awareness, without seeking to suppress them, or on the other hand, indulging in their expression. Awareness or pure seeing can eventually free the human psyche from the pain and disorder of the egoistic emotions. (17) Each center perceives a certain aspect of reality and only the simultaneous contribution of all centers can provide a full picture of the world. The emotional center is the primary instrument for perceiving values and qualities, and complements the conceptual knowledge obtained by the intellectual center. “Values are to be felt, not merely logically demonstrated. Feeling brings access to an aspect of reality, just as surely as rationality; one without the other gives only a one-dimensional vision.” In denying ordinary emotions any significant cognitive value, modern thought has ignored the possibility within man of a quality of feeling that does indeed have immense cognitive value. It is true that “sleeping” man’s emotions are mainly egoistic and subjective and that the enterprise of objective knowledge needs to separate itself from their influences. But that necessity need not blind us to the existence within us of an entirely different quality of feeling which reveals to us aspects of reality that purely mental and sense-based knowledge cannot grasp. This quality of feeling must be brought more into relationship with intellect, not less. Indeed, it is one of the tragedies of the modern mind that it knows things without feeling their meaning and relationship to the whole of human life. Fundamental questions such as “Why is man on earth?” – indeed, any ultimate w hy – are a matter of feeling, not only of logic. (18) When the emotional center works correctly it has a sensitivity and intelligence to quickly evaluate any situation or experience and see it as a w hole. By building up an orderly set of values which correspond to both inner and outer reality, it can extend our participation in, and understanding of, the world and provide an opening to higher levels of consciousness. “The emotional centre is concerned with awareness of harmony and truth. This finds expression in the appreciation of beauty and more significantly in the recognition of connections and relationships beyond the perceptions of the ordinary senses. We have all experienced the occasional flash of intuition which conveys a feeling of rightness in a situation or perhaps provides a solution to a problem which has puzzled us for days, or even longer.” Emotional Centre is really the most valuable of the tools at our disposal because it is programmed by a level of the mind that can recognize the relationships in the real (unmanifest) world. It can see as a w hole the pattern from which the transit of time creates the successive events of life. It can be aware 12

objectively of all the activities of the body, both physical and psychological, and can see their place and use. Most important of all, it can create conscious associations through which we can begin to make contact with inestimably higher levels of intelligence in the Universe which Gurdjieff called Higher Centres. But in practice we misuse this remarkable Centre for the gratification of personal desires and which is not only wasteful but can be very dangerous. (19)

The Higher Centers

In Gurdjieff’s model of the human body there are two higher centers – the higher emotional and the higher intellectual. The higher emotional center is located in the middle story (‘heart’), while the higher intellectual center is found in the upper story (‘head’). Unlike the lower centers, there is no division into positive (“yes”) and negative (“no”). Both of the higher centers are said to be fully developed and operational. Although working all the time, their functioning normally does not reach our ordinary consciousness as they are not properly connected to the lower centers: “It is the lower centers that are undeveloped. And it is precisely this lack of development, or the incomplete functioning of the lower centers, that prevents us from making use of the work of the higher centers.” The higher emotional center works with ‘hydrogen 12,’ a more refined energy than the energy of the lower centers. However, the emotional center is capable of working with ‘hydrogen 12’, and when it does it can be connected with the working of the higher emotional center: “The intellectual part of the emotional center is open to the higher emotional center and capable of receiving, in a fragmentary way, its vibrations of higher meaning. The working or vibrations of a higher center become conscious to us as meanings on different levels. Where with a lower center we see only one meaning, we see many interblending meanings with a higher center.” When a temporary connection with the higher emotional center is made, we experience new emotions and impressions previously unknown to us, but we are unable to express them in words. For this reason, myths, fables and teaching stories are often employed to convey the meaning of the higher emotional center influences. But generally, for most people, there is no connection between the lower and higher emotional centers and they are unable to hear the voice of the higher emotional center calling to them. The higher emotional center is the gateway to a higher, more vivid state of consciousness – self-awareness or self-consciousness, the state of being present to oneself. “When a higher and permanent ‘I’ is present, forming a stable individuality endowed with the corresponding faculties of self-consciousness, attention and will, then real feelings appear – that is, a true feeling of self and feelings of a higher order that are linked with it.” In Spirit ual Survival in a Radically Changing W orld-Time, William Patrick Patterson provides an eloquent description of this state:

13

As the sense of self-consciousness reveals and informs the triadic functioning (the instinctive-moving, emotional and intellectual organism), its duration and depth proportionately increase. We say “yes” to Being – that which is consciously aware of itself and its contents, gross and subtle. Before, we lived in psychological time and space. We lived in the foreground. Life was all biography, not biology. But when attention shifts to include both foreground and background then the experiencing of ourselves, others, the environment, and time and space, changes, becomes dynamic. Time seems to stop, space expands. Silence, the ever-present background of all that is, is tasted. Released from the self-talk of the make-believe world, the ongoing societal hypnotism, we experience the primary – that is, the sensation of ourselves, the breath, the attention, perhaps an interior sound . . . In embodied presence one experiences – sees, feels, intuits – what-is. No longer is this static and fixed, but materiality converting into energy and energy into materiality, the world is experienced as it really is: dynamic, fluid, spatial, still, empty, solid, alive. And what is present is both the subject, the perceiver, and the object, what is perceived, that is, subject-object consciousness. (20) The higher emotional center can sometimes be reached through the development of “mystical powers” or by a sudden challenging experience of a life-or-death nature. At other times the center is opened by a rapture induced by the wonder of nature. The main obstacle to accessing the higher emotional center is the presence of negative emotions in the lower emotional center, such as imagination, vanity or self-love: The Higher Emotional Centre, when reached by the normal and legitimate processes of self-development, confers powers and experiences which are entirely positive. It is at one and the same time the seat and organ of the perfected individuality. It is the permanent ‘I,’ for when consciousness joins it with the lower Centres, the whole being is unified. Everything that can be known and experienced, both inwardly and outwardly, by a perfected individual belongs to the Higher Emotional Centre and the Higher Emotional, when joined with the lower Centres, enables them to perceive reality beyond the here and now of their usual experience. Authentic clairvoyance and all supra-normal cognition belongs to it . . . When consciousness in the Higher Emotional Centre is actually attained, all the self-centered motives which arise in the lower Centres are made subservient to the objective motives beyond self or nonself. (21) When John G. Bennett was studying with Gurdjieff at his institute in France, he entered a higher state of consciousness following an intense series of exercises: “Suddenly I was filled with the influx of an immense power. My body seemed to have turned into light. My state was blissful beyond anything I had ever known. It was quite different from the ecstasy of sexual union, for it was altogether free and detached from the body. It was exultation in the faith that can move mountains.” 14

I experienced a clarity of thought that I had only known involuntarily and at rare moments, but which now was at my command. The phrase ‘in my mind’s eye’ took on new meaning as I ‘saw’ the eternal pattern of each thing I looked at, the trees, the plants, the water flowing in this canal, and lastly my own body. I recognized the changing relationship between ‘myself’ and ‘my pattern.’ As my state of consciousness changed, ‘I’ and ‘my pattern’ grew closer together or separated and lost touch. Time and eternity were the conditions of our experience, and the Harmonious Development of Man towards which Gurdjieff was leading us was the secret of true freedom . . . It is not enough to know that another world exists: one must ne able to enter it at will. Now I was living in Eternity and yet I had not lost my hold on Time. I was aware that Life itself is infinitely richer and greater than all our thinking mind can possibly know about it. (22) Later, Gurdjieff explained the nature of Bennett’s experience of higher consciousness: There is a certain energy that is necessary for work on oneself. No man can make efforts unless he has a supply of this energy. We can call it the Higher Emotional Energy. Everyone, by a natural process, make a small amount of this energy every day. If rightly used, it enables man to achieve much for his own self-perfecting. But he can only get to a certain point in this way. The real complete transformation of being requires a very much greater concentration of Higher Emotional Energy than that which comes to him from nature. There are some people in the world, but they are very rare, who are connected to a Great Reservoir or Accumulator of this energy. Those who can draw upon it can be a means of helping others. (23) The higher intellectual center works with the finest energy (‘hydrogen 6’) and can only be accessed through the higher emotional center, as the work of the lower centers is too slow to make a connection with such a subtle energy. Symbols are designed to reach the higher intellectual center “to transmit ideas inaccessible to the intellect and to transmit them in such a form as would exclude the possibility of false interpretations.” If we could connect the centers of our ordinary consciousness with the higher thinking center deliberately and at will, it would be of no use to us whatever in our present general state. In most cases where accidental contact with the higher thinking center takes place a man becomes unconscious. The mind refuses to take in the flood of thoughts, emotions, images, and ideas which suddenly burst into it. And instead of a vivid thought, or a vivid emotion, there results, on the contrary, a complete blank, a state of unconsciousness. Only rarely are there memories of moments of unusual shades and colors. This is usually all that remains from so-called ‘mystical’ and ’ecstatic’ experiences, which represent a temporary connection with a higher center. 15

Our ordinary centers, in transmitting the impressions of the higher centers, may be compared to a blind man speaking of colors, or to a deaf man speaking of music. (24) The way to the higher intellectual center begins with the purification and harmonization of the lower centers, eventually leading to the attainment of self-consciousness in the higher emotional center. Then a gateway is prepared for the eventual connection with the higher intellectual center. “Beginning with the unification of the lower centers, a great extension occurs in the ecstatic experiences which belong to the higher emotional center. However, the distinction between ‘I’ and ‘not-I’ remains, even though in the full working of the higher emotional center all self-centered separate motives have disappeared. But in the higher intellectual center the last distinction between any form of existence and all sense of separate individuality vanishes entirely.” The higher intellectual center is functionally expressed as a very high order of objective thinking and the attainment of the state of objective consciousness: “It is connected with a state of universal being and presence, endowed with objective consciousness and with feelings which ordinary people scarcely know.” P.D. Ouspensky notes that we only know of such a connection with higher reality from descriptions of mystical experiences and transcendental states from adepts from many different spiritual traditions across cultures and throughout history: “These states can occur on the basis of religious emotions, or, for short moments, through particular narcotics, or in certain pathological states such as epileptic fits or accidental traumatic injuries to the brain, in which case it is difficult to say which is the cause and which is the effect, that is, whether the pathological state results from this connection or its cause.” In Tow ard Aw akening , Jean Vaysse provides a succinct account of the state of consciousness associated with the higher intellectual center: The highest state of presence is the state of “objective” consciousness. In this state a man could come in touch with the real objective world (which he is separated from by his senses, his dreams and his subjective states of consciousness), and thus he could see and perceive things as they are. But this state is not given to him by nature and can come only as the end result of a process of inner transformation and of a long work on himself. As in the case of self-consciousness, ordinary man only has flashes of objective consciousness, which he does not even notice and can remember only when he is in the state of self-consciousness. But ordinary man has a great deal of theoretical information about this fourth state on the basis of which he imagines he is able to reach it directly. Quite apart from fraud and charlatanism, every religion includes descriptions and accounts of what it calls ecstasy, enlightenment, and so on. And man often sets out in search of this without understanding that the only right way toward objective consciousness leads through the development of self-consciousness. Moreover, it is one of the character16

istics of the state of ordinary consciousness that the authentic knowledge which it can contain is constantly mixed with dreams and imagination which in the end submerge it. (25) The two higher centers cannot be comprehended intellectually as they are beyond the perception of our ordinary senses. The similar descriptions of higher states of consciousness by mystics and spiritual masters of many traditions throughout history testify to the reality of these experiences, even though they are difficult to express in our usual linguistic forms. However, these experiences of a higher level of reality are not common: “We must not be misled by the descriptions given of the higher parts of centers, and the glimpses which they disclose of our latent possibilities, into thinking that they play an important part in the life of humanity.” Since these higher states can only be understood through direct experience, we can learn about them only indirectly from those who have actually experienced them and written about their experience. This explains why there is so much confusion about the functioning of the two higher centers and their corresponding states of consciousness. P.D. Ouspensky speaks of this misunderstanding in The Psychology of M an’s Possible Evolut ion : In the religious and early philosophical literature of different nations there are many allusions to the higher states of consciousness and to higher functions. What creates an additional difficulty in understanding these allusions is the lack of division between higher states of consciousness. What is called samadhi or ecst at ic st at e or illuminat ion , or in more recent works “cosmic consciousness,” may refer to one and may refer to another – sometimes to experiences of self-consciousness and sometimes to experiences of objective consciousness. And, strange though it may seem, we have more material for judging about the highest state, that is, object ive consciousness, than about the intermediate state, that is, self-consciousness, although the former may come only aft er the latter. (26) The main impediment to the opening of the two higher centers is the imbalance of the lower centers. A new harmonious balance and alignment between the centers is a prerequisite for the appearance of higher energy in the human organism. This requires work on oneself: “For most people a whole preliminary work of putting in order is generally necessary before real work on oneself can begin. To economize the energy of our organism and to balance and regulate the work of our centers – whose functions constitute our life – is the first stage in the re-establishment of the rhythm of right work and of contact with the higher centers which is the basis for all evolution of man.” Underlying the wrong functioning of the human machine and the rupture between the centers used for ordinary life and the two higher centers is the insufficient development of the lower centers. It is precisely this lack of development of the lower centers, or their faulty functioning, which prevents 17

man from making use of his higher centers by hindering the establishment of connections with them. But if by his personal work (which is only possible in a school) a man begins to develop his lower centers and to balance them, the emotional center may find its normal level of functioning again; and, as it becomes purified and more developed, contact is established with the higher emotional center. Later, through this, a new contact may come to be established with the higher intellectual center. No direct contact is possible between the lower intellectual center and the higher intellectual center. The axis of development of the human being is founded in an emotional development, and evolution of the feeling of self – its awakening, development and transcendence. (27) When the lower centers are purified and balanced, they can be receptive to the finer vibrations coming from the higher emotional center (‘hydrogen 12’) and the vibrations of the higher intellectual center (‘hydrogen 6’). Although the higher centers are fully operational, most people are not conscious of their activity – receiving influences from higher levels and realms of the cosmos. “If the higher centers become active they begin to serve the higher nature. I discover that a new structure is gradually taking shape, imbued with qualities of thought, feeling and sensation which I did not know before. This structure – a new body forming, condensing, organizing – is the previously missing intermediary element capable of uniting the higher and lower natures.” To receive and utilize the energy and perceptions emanating from the higher centers, a certain attitude of mind and mobilization of attention is necessary. This is because the lower centers have a vibrational pattern which needs to be quickened and then stabilized in order to connect with the finer quality of vibrations of the higher centers: “In order to be open and permeable to this higher quality, they have to unite and become more active so that their vibrations intensify. The work is to increase the intensity of the lower centers in order to allow a contact with the higher centers.” In The Realit y of Being , Jeanne de Salzmann elaborates: When I come to a quiet state, free of all tension, I discover a very fine vibration, a reality I could not perceive before. It comes from another level to which I am usually closed, from a higher center that cannot come into play unless the other centers let go, become quiet. I can be related to the highest energy if I accept voluntarily opening to it . . . In opening to this new energy, I experience an inner order in which this Presence, experienced as a whole, can see all the parts. It can act through them provided my attention remains active with the same intensity everywhere. This inner order requires a total attention. The new current of energy, which all the rest must obey, needs to take on force and become permanent. The connection between my inner Presence and my body is the connection between this Presence and life. (28) A harmonious balance between the lower centers and the activation of a conscious attention creates the conditions in which the influences of the higher centers can be transmitted to and 18

received by the lower centers. Jeanne de Salzmann: “In order for transformation to take place, there must be a total attention, that is, an attention coming from all parts of me. In order for a certain blending to occur, my thinking, my feeling and my sensations must be together.” Attention is the conscious force, the force of consciousness. It is a divine force. The search is for contact with an energy coming from the higher parts of our centers. At times we have an intuition of it that is less strong or more strong. This intuition is the action on us of higher centers from which we are separated by our attachment to our functions. When this action is felt, it affects the body which then receives more subtle and alive sensations. It affects the thought, which becomes capable of holding under its look what is immediately present. It affects the emotions, giving rise to a new feeling . . . In order for this action to be felt by my body, mind and feeling, there must be a certain state of availability. (29) Within each human being there is an embryonic wish for truth, for a taste of true reality. Normally this desire is largely dormant, activated only by special circumstances such as states of wonder, or organic grief, or authentic remorse. Spiritual ideas and guidance can support this wish as a first stage in the search for truth. “Beyond this threshold lies the work of consciously strengthening the power of my attention to truth, which in its mature form, is the only power in us worthy of the ancient name of M ind .” Many spiritual traditions speak of a higher guiding principle of consciousness residing in the mind. For this latent possibility to effectively actualize and function in life it needs to be developed: “There is such a thing as higher influences. But the way they act on us is always new and unanticipated in ourselves – namely need. To act on us, truth requires need.” The higher energies of the cosmos require a suitable vessel through which this sacred impulse can manifest. In The Heart of Philosophy, Jacob Needleman shares his reflections on this idea: This principle awakens in the moment of the desire for truth. When this need is activated, I observe that in myself something quite still appears and is obeyed by other parts of my inner nature that ordinarily go their own way, taking the rest of me with them. In the ordinary life of people, no one, man, woman or child, is closer to the possession of moral power than when he or she is in the state of wonder or in any of the other states related to it. This need for truth is the embryo of the ruling principle. It is delicate, fragile, weak, shy, easily covered over. It is not yet the inner master spoken of in the ancient teachings. It is quite far from that immense force. But it is the beginning of it. When it is activated, “inner morality” is, for the moment, a fact. Higher influences – such as authentic philosophy, myths, religious ideals, certain kinds of art, ritual, and custom handed down from ancient times – act upon us to support the condition of “inner morality” in which the parts of human nature do not seek gain from the other parts, but these influences cannot create this internal state of affairs directly. The direct cause is the desire for truth and being. 19

These higher influences speak directly to this special impulse in humans and support it. (30) As human beings, we often have moments of quiet self-reflection about our possibilities and destiny which lie beyond the realities of ordinary life. “Such thoughts can be more than solace and can do more than lead us into a more ‘spiritual’ mood. They can inform our mind and body and emotions that there is, as it were, ‘something else’ in our house. That is, there is another aim possible in my life.” We have, as awakened human beings, the possibility and capacity to experience realms of existence beyond physical sensations, emotions and thoughts. Jacob Needleman: “A man or woman, a human being, is built, structured for the happiness that comes from the cultivation of a deeper power of mind and feeling than is offered to us by our normal automatic processes.” Before anything else, we are human beings in search of our Self. We are human beings, this cosmically unique being whose essence contains the whole of nature and nature’s God. We are built to contain very fine, very subtle, and creative elements, the current that sustains worlds; we are also built to contain all the powers and urgings of the animal and of the matter of earth. Wisdom tells us we are both – god and animal, heaven and earth – at one and the same time, and through the existence together of these levels something of God is meant to enter into the world of humanity and the world of our planet. That is what we are, cosmically, as human beings. And we are two in another sense – a related sense, but not exactly corresponding to this cosmic structure. We have in ourselves the yearning to actualize this authentic destiny, and we have in ourselves overwhelming and massive ignorance of this yearning and what it strives for. We have in ourselves a spark of divine hunger, along with an inferno of fear and tension that calls itself desire, but which is often actually normal physical and social desire mixed with unconscious terror – what the Buddhists call “craving”; what the Christians once called “passion.” We are both an expansive thrust upward and a dark contraction downward: we wish and do not wish for the Self. (31)

References

(1) Dorothy Phillpotts Discovering Gurdjieff (United Kingdom: AuthorHouse, 2008), pp. 32-33. (2) Jacob Needleman The Heart of Philosophy (New York: Bantam Books, 1984), pp. 46-47. (3) Gerald de Symons Beckwith Ouspensky’s Fourt h W ay (Oxford: Starnine Media, 2015), p. 220. (4) William Patrick Patterson Eat ing t he “ I” (San Anselmo, California: Arete Communications, 1992), p. 249. (5) Jacob Needleman Lost Christ ianit y (New York: Bantam Books, 1982), pp. 37-38. 20

(6) Jean Vaysse Tow ard Aw akening (New York: Harper & Row, 1979), pp. 82-83. (7) G.I. Gurdjieff Paris M eet ings 1943 (Toronto: Dolmen Meadow Editions, 2017), p. 54. (8) Jacob Needleman Time and t he Soul (San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publications, 2004), p. 100. (9) Fritz Peters Boyhood w it h Gurdjieff (Baltimore: Penguin Books, 1972), p. 170. (10) Dorothy Phillpotts Discovering Gurdjieff (United Kingdom: AuthorHouse, 2008), p. 48. (11) Dorothy Phillpotts Discovering Gurdjieff (United Kingdom: AuthorHouse, 2008), pp. 48-49. (12) Dorothy Phillpotts Discovering Gurdjieff (United Kingdom: AuthorHouse, 2008), pp. 53-54. (13) G.I. Gurdjieff Gurdjieff’s Early Talks 1914-1931 (London: Book Studio, 2014), pp. 235-236. (14) P.D. Ouspensky Tert ium Organum (New York: Vintage Books, 1981), pp. 185-186. (15) Jacob Needleman An Unknow n World (New York: Jeremy P. Tarcher, 2012), pp, 180-181. (16) Michel de Salzmann “Man’s Ever New and Eternal Challenge” in Jacob Needleman and Dennis Lewis (eds.) On t he W ay t o Self-Know ledge (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1976), p. 76. (17) Jacob Needleman The W isdom of Love (Sandpoint, Idaho: Morning Light Press, 2005), pp. 29-31. (18) Jacob Needleman “Gurdjieff, or the Metaphysics of Energy” in Jacob Needleman and George Baker (eds.) Gurdjieff: Essays and Reflect ions on t he M an and His Teaching (New York: Continuum, 1996), p. 82. (19) J.H. Reyner Gurdjieff in Act ion (London: George Allen & Unwin, 1980), p. 33. (20) William Patrick Patterson Spirit ual Survival in a Radically Changing W orld-Time (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2009), p. 15. (21) Dorothy Phillpotts Discovering Gurdjieff (United Kingdom: AuthorHouse, 2008), pp. 129-130. (22) John G. Bennett W it ness: The Aut obiography of John G. Bennet t (Tucson: Omen Press, 1974), pp. 115-116. (23) John G. Bennett W it ness: The Aut obiography of John G. Bennet t (Tucson: Omen Press, 1974), p. 116. (24) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of t he M iraculous: Fragment s of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, 2001), p. 195. (25) Jean Vaysse Tow ard Aw akening (New York: Harper & Row, 1979), p. 50. (26) P.D. Ouspensky The Psychology of M an’s Possible Evolut ion (New York: Vintage Books, 1974), p. 24. (27) Jean Vaysse Tow ard Aw akening (New York: Harper & Row, 1979), pp. 108-109. (28) Jeanne de Salzmann The Realit y of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), pp. 227-228. (29) Jeanne de Salzmann The Realit y of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), p. 51. (30) Jacob Needleman The Heart of Philosophy (New York: Bantam Books, 1984), p. 234. (31) Jacob Needleman The W isdom of Love (Sandpoint, Idaho: Morning Light Press, 2005), pp. 35-36.

21

HARM ONIOUS AND BALANCED DEVELOPM ENT

‘The first st ep of conscious evolut ion is balancing energies. The met hod begins w it h separat ing t he energies of t hought , feeling, sensat ion and t hen harmoniously blending t hem.’ G.I. Gurdjieff

Improper Functioning of the Low er Centers

In a normally developed human being each of the lower centers does the work for which it is best adapted and qualified. The Intrusion of another center in this functioning or the use of the energy of another center for the same work is disruptive and ineffective. There are three main consequences of this misuse of the centers: • • •

The lower centers, and especially the emotional center, function at less than optimal speed and respond more slowly to life situations and circumstances. On the other hand, centers may waste energy through excessive expenditure of effort, overextending their capacities. One center may substitute for another and work at tasks they are not properly equipped to perform. The psychological result of this is an unbalanced state of mind, or neurosis.

A further consequence of the centers not working at their full capacity and potential is their inability to properly contact the higher centers. “If the emotional center was operating to the fullest it would become connected with the higher emotional center and if the intellectual center was operating correctly it, too, would become connected with the higher intellectual center. These connections require a match in vibrational levels between lower and higher centers. Permanent connections with the higher centers can, therefore, be forged only when the work of the lower centers has been regulated and quickened.” The wrong work of centers is the principal obstacle to inner development and our possible evolution to a higher state of being. When not functioning properly, they create a constellation of difficulties as we navigate through the many experiences and challenges of life. “Victimized by habits or haphazard reactions occurring in one center or another, we are momentarily taken over until a new stimulus evokes a new reaction, perhaps in a different center. Each one calls itself ‘I’ and takes charge in my name, making decisions and writing cheques for which all of me will have to pay.” Instead of consciously directed thinking, appropriate emotional responses and effective action, the improper working of centers leads to confusion, unpredictability, abortive efforts, misunderstandings, and avoidable errors. Or they can produce misplaced actions, poor decision-making and unintended consequences. For example, in a fit of pique the emotional

1

center may decide to take a drive in a car to “blow off steam,” which ends in an accident through lack of attention by the moving center. Each of the centers is adept at certain activities, but often “it will steal” the work of other centers. The most common misappropriations are when the thinking center tries to feel, or the feeling center attempts to think, or the moving center seeks to think and feel. “Moving center working for the thinking center produces mechanical reading or listening, as when someone reads or listens to nothing but words and is utterly unconscious of what they are reading or hearing.” In In Search of t he M iraculous, P.D. Ouspensky provides further examples of the misuse of the energy of centers: The emotional center working for the thinking center brings unnecessary nervousness and hurry into situations where, on the contrary, calm judgment and deliberation are essential. The thinking center working for the emotional center brings deliberation into situations which require quick decisions and makes a man incapable of distinguishing the peculiarities and fine points of the position. Thought is too slow. It works out a certain plan of action and continues to follow it even though the circumstances have changed and a quite different course of action is necessary. Events that are quite different for the moving center and for the emotional center appear to be alike. The decisions of the two centers do not correspond. Similarly, we can imagine the interference of thought, the theoretical mind, in the domain of feeling, or of sensation, or of movement; in all three cases the interference of the mind leads to wholly undesirable results. The mind cannot understand shades of feeling. We shall see this clearly if we imagine one man reasoning about the emotions of another. He is not feeling anything himself so the feelings of another do not exist for him. A full man does not underst and a hungry one. (1) The lower centers can also expend great amounts of unnecessary energy on their own functioning, leading to inefficiency and even harm to the organism. This includes the expression of unpleasant emotions and sensations, worry, restlessness, haste, and a whole series of mechanical actions which are completely ineffective and useless. Ouspensky: First of all there is the constant flow of thoughts in our mind, which we can neither stop nor control, and which take up an enormous amount of energy. Secondly there is the quite unnecessary constant tension of the muscles of our organism. The muscles are tense even when we are doing nothing. As soon as we start to do even a small and insignificant piece of work, a whole system of muscles necessary for the hardest and most strenuous work is immediately set in motion . . . Still further we can point to the habit of continually talking with anybody and about anything, or if there is no one else, with ourselves; the habit of indulging in fantasies, in daydreaming; the con-

2

tinual changes of mood, feelings, and emotions, and a number of quite useless things which a man considers himself obliged to feel, think, do, or say. (2) Each of the lower centers has a positive and a negative expression. For instance, the intellectual center’s proper role is creative thought and discovery, but it is also prone to daydreaming and imagination. The aesthetic and interpersonal sensitivity of the emotional center can quickly become harsh criticism and irrational fear. The joy of coordinated movement and athletic excellence of the moving center can turn into muscular tension or needless fidgeting. In The Heart of Philosophy, Jacob Needleman captures this duality as it relates to certain human enterprises: “There is art that expresses ideas and values, and art that only satisfies the desire for stimulation; there is music that evokes the longing for truth and there is the music of sentiment and mechanical imitation; there is science that arises out of wonder and there is science that serves only material interests.” The instinctive center, which controls the inner physiological functioning of the body, is a marvel of adaptive intelligence. Its natural innate functioning is only disturbed by illness or injury. The moving center controls learned movements of the body, but has a tendency to interfere with the functioning of other centers: The moving center, when it tries to take over the work of another center, produces its regularity, its power, its submissiveness, its talent for imitation, but it also brings with it its laziness, its inertia, and its inclination for what is habitual and automatic. Often it does the work of the intellectual center, or, still more often, continues (by inertia) work that the intellectual center had begun; in fact, the intellectual center, while carrying out some work which it has undertaken, often allows itself to be distracted by something that captures its attention – sometimes by some other useful work, more often by dreams and imagination; then the moving center takes on the work instead. This results, for example, in mechanical reading where we read or hear words and phrases without understanding their meaning. The attempts of the moving center to feel are perhaps less obvious, yet they also play a very important role; for example, they introduce mechanicalness and habits into human relationships, with all that this entails. (3) The emotional center can affect other centers in a deleterious way. Negative emotions can impact the instinctive and moving centers (illness) and the intellectual center (compulsive thoughts). “The peculiar characteristic of negative emotions is that they go on and on by themselves, even creating fresh negative emotions, long after the cause is removed.”: When the emotional center works for another center, it brings with it its sensitivity, its speed, its intensity and above all an egocentric quality. When it works instead of the intellectual center, it produces nervousness, thoughtless and unnecessary haste, when measured judgment is appropriate. When it works instead of the moving center, it produces impulsiveness and a ten3

dency to be carried away rather than making the right movement. In the place of the instinctive center, it produces exaggerated effects and too much or too little activity. (4) When the emotional center captures the thinking center, it distorts its legitimate function of “useful” mental activity directed towards a definite purpose. An example is daydreaming and the misuse of imagination: Daydreaming does not pursue any aim, does not strive after any result. The motive for daydreaming always lies in the emotional or the moving center. The actual process is carried on by the thinking center . . . Daydreaming of disagreeable, morbid things is very characteristic of the unbalanced state of the human machine. After all, one can understand daydreaming of a pleasant kind and find logical justification for it. Daydreaming of an unpleasant character is an utter absurdity. And yet many people spend nine-tenths of their lives in just such painful daydreams about misfortune which may overtake them or their family, about illnesses they may contract or sufferings they may have to endure. Imagination and daydreaming are instances of the wrong work of the emotional and thinking centers. (5) The intellectual center is rarely operating at optimum capacity and full potential. Often, it distorts the thinking process through disagreement, argument, fault finding and hair-splitting. “When the intellectual center takes over the work of another center, it produces endless discussion, equivocation, and inflexibility. It is not subtle enough to perceive the subtleties and nuances of a situation, still less to see how the situation progressively changes. Its interference ends up by producing inappropriate or faulty reactions, attitudes which are rigid, too generalized and often completely fixed.” In his influential book The M ast er Game, Robert de Ropp incisively documents this distortion of the thinking process in contemporary times: The intellectual brain consists of a labelling or coding instrument that stores information in the form of words. Words are certainly handy devices; without them the inventive capacity of the brain would be severely curtailed. Moreover, the accumulation of knowledge and its transmission from generation to generation would not be possible without words. So the labelling device is very important and its products, the written word and the spoken word, make possible all those flexible interactions that distinguish human societies from the rigid instinct-dominated aggregations of social insects. But the labelling device is a very poor thinker. It is not really capable of thought at all. As a result we become tangled in a web of unreality, an elaborate tissue of illusions. We mistake the word for the thing, the map for the land it represents. We believe we know the truth when in fact we are merely juggling with verbal symbols. (6)

4

Our modern Western culture overvalues the intellect at the expense of other human faculties. The result is a lopsided version of reality which has led to many of the serious problems and challenges affecting our contemporary world. Jacob Needleman: “We have grown over-analytic, ceaselessly weighing consequences, commenting on alternative possibilities, evaluating past decisions. The intellect has been stimulated in a single direction rather than in a balanced way, and we are caught in the overwhelming din of its ceaseless chatter. The intellect can become constrained by categories and classifications, allowing no new lines of thought to develop. Only a new way of thinking that cuts through the mind’s preoccupation with its own inventions can liberate the suppressed action-seeking side of human nature.” The life of modern man – seen as though from outer space or from another dimension of time – appears as a huge being in whom the intellectual function has taken over the governance of life, and has failed to bring order and simplicity into life. On the contrary, by thrusting its solutions on the instinctual, physical, and feeling functions of the human organism, it has brought more complications and unhappiness into the life of man. The solution of specific external problems has been offset by the eruption of unprecedented confusion and anxiety in the inner life. We are incomplete because we do not have a balance of functions; we have only the isolated intellect as master. (7) The sex center works with very fine energy (‘hydrogen 12’) and as a consequence its interactions with the other centers is complicated. The actions of the sex center are quicker and stronger than the other centers and, therefore, it “governs” them. Gurdjieff stressed the importance of the sex center in the balance and harmony of the human organism: “The role of the sex center in creating a general equilibrium and a permanent center of gravity can be very big. According to its energy, that is to say, if it uses its own energy, the sex center stands on a level with the higher emotional center. And all the other centers are subordinate to it.” The energy of the sex center is especially susceptible to either acting on, or being acted upon, by the other centers. The wrong work of the centers in relation to sex occurs in two different types of influence: the functioning of the sex center with energy borrowed from other centers and the functioning of other centers with energy borrowed from the sex center. The effect of other centers, especially the emotional and instinctive, on the sex center is one form of this influence: In the sex center, either there is attraction accompanied by a pleasant impression or else there is nothing, indifference. On the ordinary level, it may appear to be otherwise; but observation shows that this is due to interference of the other centers which are constantly taking place at the lower level of the sex center – nowhere is the bad work of centers as habitual as in the sex center. The negativity attributed to sex impressions derives entirely, in fact, from the negative impressions belonging to the other centers, but transferred to the sex center. These interferences are pro5

duced especially by the negative parts of the emotional center and the instinctive center: certain sexual stimuli (ideas, recollections, actions) can thus provoke unpleasant emotions or sensations. Moreover, the ensuing repressions and refusals take the form of aberrations. (8) When the sex center interferes with the other lower centers, it disrupts their normal functioning and produces effects which are harmful to both the individual and others who interact with them. When the relatively fine energy of the sex center (‘hydrogen 12’) works with the coarser energy of the thinking center (‘hydrogen 48’) it results in imagination and fantasies regarding sex. When working with the emotional center (‘hydrogen 24’) the outcome is usually sentimentality or, on the contrary, jealousy or cruelty: The energy of the sex center in the work of the thinking, emotional, and moving centers can be recognized by a particular “taste,” by a particular fervor, by a vehemence which the nature of the affair concerned does not call for. The thinking center writes books, but in making use of the energy of the sex center it does not simply occupy itself with philosophy, science, or politics – it is always fighting something, disputing, criticizing, creating new subjective theories. The emotional center preaches abstinence, asceticism, or the fear and horror of sin, hell and damnation, all of this with the energy of the sex center. Or it works with revolutions, robs, burns, kills, again with the same energy. The moving center occupies itself with sports, climbs mountains, wrestles, fights, fences, and so on. In all the instances of these three centers, when they work with the energy of the sex center, there is one general characteristic – a particular vehemence and, together with it, the uselessness of the behaviour in question. Neither the thinking, nor the emotional nor the moving center can ever create anything useful with the energy of the sex center. (9) The outer social and cultural world is a reflection or mirror of our inner world. Conflict and chaos can reign both within and without. “Crime in all its forms occurs out there only because the same crime is occurring within ourselves.” Through our inner disharmony we create the culture of “us and them,” of “ally and enemy,” which is the root cause of prejudice, social inequality, poverty, exploitation of the environment, and senseless wars and conflicts: If there is hatred, violence, and disorder among human beings it is because there is violence and disorder among the parts of myself: thought inflicting its formulas upon the body, which has its own kind of mind; instinctual and sexual energy in turn fueling the impulses of the mental personality – breeding fear, possessiveness, aggression, cruelty; the energy of feeling blindly merging with ideals and intentions formed out of prejudice and the naïve reflexes of physical survival – loyalties, to family, tribe, nation, race, social class. This whole state of affairs in which one part of the self usurps, steals from the other parts, is covered over by theories, concepts, illusions – while 6

inside the organism the situation is maintained by conditioned habits of self-justification and physical tension. And, the name for this entire state of affairs? Egoism . (10)

Importance of Balancing the Centers

In the prospectus for his Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man, Gurdjieff laid down the fundamental tenets of his system of spiritual development. One of the cornerstones of his teaching was the danger of an unbalanced approach to inner work and to our everyday life experience. “The modern person simply has no conception of how self-deceptive a life can be that is lived in only one part of oneself. The head, the emotions, and the body each have their own perceptions and actions, and each, in itself, can live only a semblance of human life.” Our psychic life (as we perceive the world and express our perception of it) is not a whole that acts as a repository for our perceptions and a source for our expressions. On the contrary, it is divided into three separate entities, which have almost nothing in common, being different in both their substance and their function. These three separate and quite distinct parts constitute the intellectual, emotional, and instinctive-moving life of man. Within each of us there is a logical man, an emotional man and a physical man. Each truly conscious impression and expression of a man must be the result of simultaneous and coordinated working of all three centers, each of which must take its part in the whole task. A complete apperception is possible only if all three centers work together. But because of the many and varied influences which disturb and affect modern man, the working of the centers is almost always unconnected, with the result that the three functions fail to complete and correct one another; they travel along different paths, they rarely meet, so moments of real consciousness are very few . . . If we observe the working of the centers, we shall see how contradictory they are, how divided, and it will be obvious that man cannot be master of himself because he himself cannot control the work of his centers. (11) Contemporary education and culture develop only certain sides of a human being to the detriment of other faculties, leading to a one-sided development, fragmentation and disharmony. Gurdjieff: “The mind wants something, the feelings do not want it; if the mind proves to be stronger than the feelings we obey the mind. If the two are equally opposed the result will be conflict. This is what is called free will in ordinary individuals; we are ruled now by the mind, now by the feelings, now by the body.” For conscious understanding and proper development, the functions of the centers must be attuned and harmonized into a single, common aim:

7

Every conscious perception and every manifestation of a person should be the result of a coordinated working of the three centers, each of which should furnish its own share of associations and knowledge and experiences. In place of this, the working of these different centers is, nowadays, almost completely disconnected. For this reason, we are very rarely conscious. We are not one individual, but three distinct people that are not in harmony. The first thinks in total isolation from the rest; the second feels in the same way; and the third acts mechanically, according to long-established habits. If development were normal, the intellectual, emotional and instinctive-moving functions would form one single entity, in harmony with all the different sides of oneself. (12) The actions of most people are driven by their ego, so they think, feel and sense from a subjective viewpoint. Only one function dominates at a time; they never work together as a whole. In our usual state, our thoughts, words and associations are passive and reflexive rather than being consciously directed and controlled. Emotions are at the mercy of projections and accidental shocks. And the energy of the body is blocked by inertia and unnecessary tension. When the psychic centers are balanced, one center no longer has a predominance over the others. This opens up new avenues of perception and understanding: “The difference between knowledge and understanding becomes clear when we realize that know ledge may be a function of one center. Understanding, however, is the function of three centers. Thus the thinking apparatus may know something. But understanding appears only when one feels and senses what is connected with it.” The lack of balance between the centers prevents our full potential as human beings from being realized. For most people, each center responds to impressions in its own unique way based on memory and conditioning. But by themselves they are unable to perceive the fullness of reality, which contains level upon level of meaning. “For real understanding in the light of consciousness, the functions must all be attuned and united in a single movement of openness and availability. If there is any distance between them, the common aim is lost and the blind functions act according to their habits.” The lack of balance between the centers reinforces our subjective understanding of reality and prevents the actualization of our full potential. “By opening our ears and eyes, it is possible to develop an awareness of how relative our thoughts, feelings and perceptions really are. Experiencing their relativity is itself not relative. It is a step toward realizing how our subjectivity distorts our reception of data from the real world.” In Real Philosophy Jacob Needleman speaks of our natural being, which emerges when seemingly opposites are reconciled in global awareness: Our not being all that we can be is due to a lack of balance or a disproportion in our attributes. We are just like a mechanical device, a gear system for example, which does not function properly when the parts are out of adjustment. 8

Our thought veers towards the familiar and established, our feelings often feel stale, and our physical existence stressful. Chuang Tzu incorporates the idea of a habitual state of imbalance into his reflections on what is lacking in the human condition. For him, the natural state is harmony, in which opposites – good and bad, high and low, simple and complex, still and moving – are subtly blended. As soon as the mind attaches itself to a single element (‘this is good’), so implicitly or explicitly rejecting the opposing one (‘this is bad’), we lose our finely poised integrity. The greater our reliance on such partial judgment, the more isolated we become from our own nature and the more we allow ourselves to exploit the rest of the natural world. If, however, we cultivate an attitude of fundamental relaxation, in which opposing ideas can coexist, we allow our natural balance to reassert itself. ‘Therefore, the sage harmonizes right with wrong and rests in the balance of nature. This is called taking both sides at once,’ Chuang Tzu tells us. (13) Each of the centers has a certain quality of energy and mode of functioning. They receive impressions, process the information, and respond from their own memory and point of view. The full comprehension of a situation and the correct response depends on the cooperation of the centers so that they complement one another. The intelligence of the body grasps one part of the information and processes it, the intelligence of the heart another part, and the intelligence of the head still another part. Together, they process all the information and supply the appropriate action congruent with the circumstance. According to Gurdjieff, conscious inner work requires the simultaneous participation of the thinking, feeling, and moving functions in order to experience a state of presence. For this to happen, a “struggle” between the mechanical functioning of the centers and the positive aim of remaining present in the moment must occur. The quality of one’s attention is the critical factor in balancing the centers. When this relationship is established, all three centers are engaged in the same goal – the creation of the sense of a living presence, of ‘I am.’ In The Realit y of Being , Jeanne de Salzmann acknowledges the difficulty of this essential task: My attention is not in contact with myself, with w hat is. It does not have a quality of perception that can liberate, that can change my state. So I am passive. My body obeys nothing and my feeling is indifferent. My thought is traversed by ideas and images, and has no reason to free itself from them. In this passive state my centers are not related, they have no common direction. Yet I feel a need to be present. I see that when my thought is more voluntarily turned towards myself, a sensation appears – a sensation of myself. I experience it. I see that the intensity of one depends on the intensity of the other. And this calls forth a feeling for this relation. The three parts of me are engaged in the same aim, that is, to be present. (14) The balancing of the centers cannot be forced. Rather, there must be a relaxing, a letting go in which attention is open and free. Jeanne de Salzmann: “The need for an energy appears, an 9

attention that will stay free and not become fixed on anything. It is an attention that will contain everything and refuse nothing. It will be without possessiveness, without avidity, but always with a sincerity that comes from the need to remain free in order to know.” The confrontation between the need for unity and the mechanical dispersion of the energies of the centers creates a tension that provides a deeper and more sensitive attention: The attention that leads to the moment of consciousness is the fire which brings about a blending of forces, a transformation. To become conscious simultaneously of both these movements requires a greater activity of my attention. The effort aw akens it, awakens a force that was asleep. My attention is entirely mobilized, including at the same time the higher centers and the lower centers, the functioning of my whole Presence. This depends on a new feeling that appears, the feeling of being . Remembering oneself is above all remembering this other possibility, the search for a force in myself that is more active. I wish to know, I wish t o be. (15) In a meeting with his French students in 1943, Gurdjieff provided a simple exercise to illustrate how we can blend the three lower centers. Initially be spoke of this process in general terms: “Try to think with the help, with the participation of your feeling. When you are used to doing both, we can blend it with sensation. After that blending, you will be able to think with your three centers. This is the thinking of a real man.” Then he gave specific instructions: For example, a very good exercise is to take your handkerchief, wet it and put it on your right hand. You think with your head. The handkerchief gives you a sensation. So you already have sensation. Now, with your left hand you beat time. Your feeling will start to come into play. If you do this, your feeling will begin to develop. If you make a mistake, if you forget to do it, your feeling falls asleep. You have to wake it up. This exercise can awaken it: a wet handkerchief on the right hand and the left hand beating time. It is not difficult. (16)

Integration, Transformation and W holeness

All the elements of human nature must be developed and nurtured in order to reach a state of wholeness and unity. Jacob Needleman expresses this notion in religious terms in Lost Christ ianit y: “The soul is the name for that force or principle within human nature that can bind together all the intellectual, emotional and instinctive aspects of the human being through a mediating relationship to the highest principle of order and mind in the universe. Therefore, as it is said, ‘love nourishes the soul’.” Throughout the natural world, there is a balance between pairs of opposites (‘yin’ and ‘yang’ in Taoism), which creates a harmonizing or reconciling force mediating between active and 10

passive, matter and energy, lower and higher levels of reality. Balance is the proportion, the relationship between one part of the whole and another part. In Gurdjieff’s cosmological teaching, this is expressed as the Law of Three. Higher knowledge is not just the prerogative of the intellectual center – spiritual wisdom can be felt and sensed as well. Integrated responses to the continually changing circumstances of life require simultaneous action by mind, feelings and body. Each function has its own role in contributing to our understanding of ourselves, others, and the world: We must understand that every normal psychic function is a means or an instrument of knowledge. With the help of the mind we see one aspect of things and events, with the help of the emotions another aspect, with the help of sensations a third aspect. The most complete knowledge of a given subject possible for us can only be obtained if we examine it simultaneously with our mind, feelings and sensations. Everyone who is striving after right knowledge must aim at the possibility of attaining such perception. In ordinary conditions we see the world through a crooked, uneven window. And even if we realize this, we cannot alter anything. This or that mode of perception depends on the work of the organism as a whole. All functions are interconnected and counterbalance one another. (17) Whenever we perform an activity well, all three centers participate and contribute. We have the experience of doing something with a single mind and whole heart, working together in a fluid, adaptive body. The lawful result is both a sense of satisfaction and of joy. An apt analogy of a balance between the various centers is the harmonious interchanges between members of an orchestra, in which each musician, playing their own instrument, uniquely contributes to the whole ensemble performance. In certain esoteric teachings the symbolism of numbers and geometric forms is employed to describe the harmonization of the centers of a human being, reflecting the degree of spiritual development. Duality (2) is represented by two parallel lines, the trinity (3) by a triangle, the quaternity (4) by the square, the number 5 by the pentagram, and the number 6 by the sixpointed star or Seal of Solomon. The final stages of this progressive development of consciousness is described by Gurdjieff in In Search of t he M iraculous: The development of the human machine and the enrichment of being begins with a new and unaccustomed functioning of the machine. We know that a man has five centers: the thinking, the emotional, the moving, the instinctive, and the sex. The predominant development of any one center at the expense of the others produces an extremely one-sided type of man, incapable of further development. But if a man brings the work of the five centers within him into harmonious accord, he then ‘locks the pentagram within him’ and becomes a finished type of the physically perfect man. The full and proper functioning of five centers brings them into union with the higher centers 11

which introduces the missing principle and puts man into direct and permanent connection with objective consciousness and objective knowledge. And then man becomes the six-point ed st ar , that is, by becoming locked within a circle of life independent and complete in itself, he become isolated from foreign influences or accidental shocks; he embodies the Seal of Solomon . (18) The harmonious development which results from the balanced relationship between the centers leads to an increase of being and a greater integration with all aspects of life: When impressions are received consciously, that is we are aware of them, the three forces are distributed properly and the three centers equally fed. Our first job is to restore the balance. In the world at present, all the high rewards are for doing and knowing. There are none for being and yet being is the result of doing and knowing properly applied. Before becoming highly developed we must become ordinary men and women, that is people who are harmoniously developed. The world at present calls only those successful who are unbalanced, with one center predominating. To be ordinary is a step toward becoming normal; for a normal person is one who is ready to meet every situation as a united being – thinking, feeling, and acting in unison and toward one purpose. (19) Throughout the natural world, especially the plant, animal and human realms, everything that exists seeks to grow and develop. The cosmic duty of every human being is the conscious evolution of their inherent potentialities. When the psychic centers are balanced and fully participate in life, a stable foundation is established, and the activity of the centers can be directed toward a conscious aim – to help others achieve a higher level of being: “If we are to develop beyond the point to which physical evolution has naturally brought us, the work must be consciously done. Out of reason and thought, we must arise to conscious awareness. Out of our emotionally diverse and unstable wishes and reactions, we must develop will or continuous conscious effort. Out of our instinctive personality we must develop a real individuality.” Our obligation and duty is the development of all three types of one’s potentialities. Every living being aims implicitly or explicitly to make the most of themselves. But they are usually limited to one or two of the possible fields and to the potentialities near the surface. Who will deny that that being who develops all types is truly superior? Among these potentialities are, in the intellectual center, an understanding of the aim and purpose of existence. In the emotional center, a sense of obligation to make this design prevail. In the body, the possibility of practical, disinterested action. In the absence of reaching these stages we have only words, but when these things are experienced, these things can be truly understood. (20)

12

If we could properly use each center as it was naturally designed to function, we would be more conscious, adaptable and effective in how we live our lives. The ability to then harmonize the centers into a coordinated response for a given situation is a prerequisite for genuine free will and the power to choose – the qualities of a ‘real I.’ Gurdjieff: “When all the centers have the same wish, this is what we call Will. Then we can say ‘I wish’ and ‘I can do’ with our whole being. It is the sensation of ‘I-am’.” The goal of inner development is to achieve a quiet mind, a pure feeling and a relaxed body. In the words of William Segal, a long-time practitioner of the Work, “The highest state is a progression towards being present – which means a silence, inward and outward . . . One’s body has to be relaxed, not tense. There should be balance of the energies of the organism; the mind free of associations, the feelings quiet. A state of balance is essential.” When this harmonization and balance of the centers occurs, it provides a stable platform which allows access to higher states of consciousness: There are several states or degrees of consciousness. The one we ordinarily live in has been called a state of sleep. Between this sleep and the highest degree of consciousness there are intermediate stages, and these we need to know. They are accessible to our observation; they depend on us. A person can try and come out of their dream and remember the meaning of their existence; they can try to be present to themselves, to be aware of what they are and of this ‘real I’ that lies within. It is a long apprenticeship. But when we open fully to what is in ourselves that needs our service, at that moment our functions are in tune with this wish: they change tempo, they harmonize. The thought is vigilant, the body lets go of its resistance and relaxes, and in the feeling, a joy arises which lends a warmth to support this mutual understanding. At that moment, there is unity; the true Master then makes its appearance. (21) According to Gurdjieff, we can only be and do when we are in a “collected state” in which all our centers are attuned and engaged in the same direction: “What determines a collected state is that my thought does not wander. It does not leave my presence. My feeling also does not project itself. I am occupied with feeling ‘I am’.” In this conscious awareness of the whole of oneself there is the direct sensation of ‘I am.’ This is the aim of the Work, to come to the experience, which is unmistakable and undeniable, that “I exist, now in this moment.” The ability to live in the present moment, the eternal now, is very much dependent on the balance between the energies of the three lower centers. Jeanne de Salzmann: “What does it mean to be present, to be here now? I have the sensation that I am present. I think it, I feel it, I embody it. There is a common direction, bringing the possibility of a conscious action in which the impulse comes from the three centers at the same time. I know I exist with all the parts of myself.”

13

Serving a Higher Reality

Gurdjieff brought a comprehensive psychological and cosmological teaching to the West which has been called “the Fourth Way” or “the Work.” It is adapted to the needs of the contemporary world and is predicated on a balanced development of the human functions of thinking, feeling and sensing. Jacob Needleman: “The levels of spiritual development possible for a human being are connected with a breathtaking vision of the levels of possible service that the developing individual is called on to render to humanity and to the universal source of creation itself. The proper relationship of the three centers is a necessary precondition for the reception and realization of what in the religions of the world has been variously termed the Holy Spirit, Atman, and the Buddha nature.” The Fourth Way path of inner development is practised in the midst of everyday life, and works with the mind, emotions and body simultaneously. The goal of ‘the Work’ is to prepare the ground for a higher force or energy to penetrate our being and create an inner unity among the centers. This spiritual energy originates from a higher level in the cosmos, but requires ‘conscious labour and intentional suffering’ on the part of the recipient to properly manifest. “A proper balance and equilibrium of the centers can be said to be an intermediate aim of the Work, so that what is above the centers altogether can have a possibility of embodiment for the sake of a more conscious world.” The possibility of consciously, and simultaneously, living in the ‘head, heart and body’ is the true measure of an awakened human being. “When we are present in the moment, we are available to a higher reality and can serve something greater than just ourselves.” A moment of balance between the centers is a moment of presence. It connects us to a higher level of being than the one on which we usually live. Jeanne de Salzmann, to whom Gurdjieff entrusted the leadership of his teaching when he died in 1949, called it a science of being. She often said that the real purpose of human existence is to create “a link between two levels, to receive energy from a higher level in order to have an action on the level below. We have a function – becoming a bridge for certain higher energies.” If it is true, as Gurdjieff and de Salzmann say, that human beings are born to serve higher purposes, that we are sending/receiving stations in which energies of many levels meet or through which they pass, our primary task must be to avoid static or interference. But we usually live piecemeal, caught up in one or another center rather than operating as a unified whole. (22) When the three centers are in balanced equilibrium, a new state of consciousness appears in which the attention is free. Such an open attention allows a contact with our higher centers. Unity and wholeness can only occur when the totality of our being participates in life. Then all our centers and functions are at the service of the one, indivisible life force.

14

In my usual state, my attention is not voluntary. It is of low quality, without power, and flows passively towards the outside. But this attention has the possibility of being transformed, of achieving a purer quality by maintaining a direction recognized as necessary. By the force of my attention actively turned inward, the movement of energy changes. Instead of going outside, it concentrates within until it forms the center of gravity of my Presence. My whole effort, my whole work, is to maintain a body so relaxed that the energy does not leave, a thinking turned toward myself so vigilant that its very prescense sustains the stillness of my body, and a feeling of what is here, a feeling of “I.” It is an effort of attention coming from all the parts of myself. The aim of my effort is to come to a certain unity. The different parts of my Presence must learn to work together in the same direction. I see that my vision and understanding, my intelligence, depend on this state of Presence. When I am attentive to this Presence, I feel its life, a mysterious life that relates me with every living thing in the world. My vision of myself is related to the whole. (23) By achieving a state of inner quiet or tranquility through a free, open attention, our whole orientation to life changes, and we welcome a presence that animates each of the centers with an energy that connects us with our transcendental nature. Jeanne de Salzmann: The quality of the influences that reach me depends on the quality of my Presence and the relation of my thought, my feeling and my sensation. In order to be attuned to a more subtle force, the attention of each part needs to concentrate, to become charged with a new meaning and power to relax voluntarily. In this way the thinking purifies itself, as do the feeling and the sensation. Each plays its own role and functions in concert with the others with the same goal of being attuned with a more subtle Presence. This presence needs to shine, to animate my body. It has an intelligence, a vision that is like a light in the darkness and thickness of my sleep. It is the very essence of my Being . . . I am not prepared for this. A greater abandon, a greater magnetization toward my real “I,” toward my “divine” nature, must take place. I feel the need for it, and I awaken to this wish, this life. I feel this intelligence awaken. (24) A higher energy or intelligence is only possible when the centers are integrated and working in harmony: “To be able to bring higher energies in contact with the Earth, we must have a harmonious relationship – a right exchange – among the centers. The energies of our centers are in constant movement, but not in harmony with each other.” The importance of inner work in developing a stable connection with the higher energies of the cosmos is highlighted in a conversation with Jeanne de Salzmann shortly before her death, recorded in Ravi Ravindra’s Heart W it hout M easure: There are three forces – of the body, mind and feeling. Unless these are together, equally developed and harmonized, a steady connection cannot be 15

made with a higher force. Everything in the Work is a preparation for that connection. This is the aim of the Work. The higher energy wishes to but can not come down to the level of the body unless one works. Only by working can you fulfill your purpose and participate in the life of the cosmos. This is what can give meaning and significance to your life. Otherwise, you exist only for yourself, egotistically, and there is no meaning in your life. (25) The harmonization of the lower centers and the subsequent connection with the higher centers is a crucial stage in the process of inner development and spiritual maturation. The ego no longer holds sway over our thinking, feeling and sensing functions, and there is a deeper presence and greater degree of consciousness in our interactions with others and the world. “As the intensity of presence rises, the matrix of our reactions and desires, the ego, gradually becomes elastic and transparent, and in the center of our automatic structure of behaviour a new space is formed in which a true individuality can arise.” Gurdjieff gave the name “self-remembering” to the central state of conscious attention in which the higher force which is available within the human structure makes contact with the functions of thought, feeling and body. The individual “remembers,” as it were, who and what he or she really is and is meant to be, over and above his or her ordinary sense of identity. This conscious attention is not a function of the mind but is the active conscious force which all our functions of thought, feeling and movement can begin to obey as the “inner master.” Consistent with the knowledge behind many contemplative traditions of the world, the practice of the Gurdjieff Work places its chief emphasis on preparing our inner world to receive this purer higher attention, which can open us to an inconceivably finer energy of love and understanding. (26)

References

(1) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of t he M iraculous: Fragment s of an Unknow n Teaching (New York: Harcourt, 2001), pp. 109-110. (2) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of t he M iraculous: Fragment s of an Unknow n Teaching (New York: Harcourt, 2001), p. 196. (3) Jean Vaysse Tow ard Aw akening (New York: Harper & Row, 1979), pp. 106-107. (4) Jean Vaysse Tow ard Aw akening (New York: Harper & Row, 1979), pp. 104-105. (5) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of t he M iraculous: Fragment s of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, 2001), p. 111. (6) Robert de Ropp The M ast er Game (New York: Dell Publishing, 1968), p. 180. (7) Jacob Needleman The Heart of Philosophy (New York: Bantam Books, 1984), p. 200. (8) Jean Vaysse Tow ard Aw akening (New York: Harper & Row, 1979), pp. 98-99. (9) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of t he M iraculous: Fragment s of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, 2001), p. 258. (10) Jacob Needleman The Heart of Philosophy (New York: Bantam Books, 1984), p. 233. 16

(11) C.S. Nott Teachings of Gurdjieff (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1974), pp. 3-4. (12) Maurice Nicoll Psychological Comment aries on t he Teaching of Gurdjieff & Ouspensky 1 (London: Robinson & Watkins, 1973), p. 157. (13) Jacob Needleman Real Philosophy (New York: Penguin Books, 1990), p. 164. (14) Jeanne de Salzmann The Realit y of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), pp. 37-38. (15) Jeanne de Salzmann The Realit y of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), p. 74. (16) G.I. Gurdjieff Paris M eet ings 1943 (Toronto: Dolmen Meadow Editions, 2017), p. 275. (17) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of t he M iraculous: Fragment s of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, 2001), pp. 107-108. (18) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of t he M iraculous: Fragment s of an Unknown Teaching (New York: Harcourt, 2001), p. 282. (19) A.R. Orage Gurdjieff’s Emissary in New York: Talks and Lect ures w it h A.R. Orage 1924-1931 (London: Book Studio, 2016), p. 266. (20) A.R. Orage Gurdjieff’s Emissary in New York: Talks and Lect ures w it h A.R. Orage 1924-1931 (London: Book Studio, 2016), p. 301. (21) Pauline de Dampierre “The Search for Being” in Jacob Needleman (ed.) The Inner Journey: View s from t he Gurdjieff W ork (Sandpoint, Idaho: Morning Light Press, 2008), pp. 100-101. (22) Patty de Llosa The Pract ice of Presence (Sandpoint, Idaho: Morning Light Press, 2006), p. 10. (23) Jeanne de Salzmann The Realit y of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), pp. 132-133. (24) Jeanne de Salzmann The Realit y of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), pp. 48-49. (25) Ravi Ravindra Heart W it hout M easure: W ork w it h M adame de Salzmann (Halifax, Nova Scotia: Shaila Press, 1999), p. 177. (26) Jacob Needleman “Introduction” in Jacob Needleman (ed.) The Inner Journey: View s from t he Gurdjieff W ork (Sandpoint, Idaho: Morning Light Press, 2008), p. xviii.

17

WORDS AND LANGUAGE ‘Man is in disguise, covered by his tongue’ Hazrat Ali

Defining Cultural and Consensus Reality Our consensus world view and understanding of reality is strongly influenced by the nature and structure of language, which imposes a “filter” on our perceptions and understanding: We tacitly agree among ourselves to call a certain object a “tree.” We then forget that “tree” is an arbitrary concept that in no way reveals the true identity of this object. What, then, is a tree? A philosopher might call it ultimate truth; a botanist, a living organism; a physicist, a mass of atoms; an artist, a unique shape with distinctive coloring; a carpenter, a potential table. To a dog, however, it is merely an urinal. All descriptions, explanations, or analyses are but a looking from one side at that which has infinite dimensions. The true nature of the tree is more than anything that can be said about it. Similarly we tinker with time by dividing it into years, months, days, etc. This is convenient, but we need to remember that this “slicing” is artificial and arbitrary, the product of a discriminating mind, which discerns only the surface of things. Timelessness is unaccounted for. Thus we conceive a world that is conceptual, limited, and very far removed from actuality. (1) As language has evolved, it has come to dominate how we communicate with each other. Yet oral and written communication are only a fraction of possible ways of communicating and sharing our ideas, thoughts and impressions of the world. “The art of true communication lies in tranquility and its delightful variety of spontaneous expressions.” In many ancient languages the sound was closer to that to which it referred. Words had much more dynamic power. Today, at least in our Western languages, words have lost their proximity with the real. As we have become more taken by achievement and attainment, so our centres have become even more ejected into that world of end-gaining. Our language, being a brain activity, has followed our desires accordingly. You can see around you more and more objects to be acquired, and each object calls for a new sound to distinguish it from other objects. This is far indeed from those sounds which come out of, which express and point to, our essential nature. (2) Language largely serves to define our consensus reality, partly by both including and eliminating certain aspects of phenomenal existence:

1

Learning as we do largely through books, we have been forced to think in sequences we designate as rational. This has led us to define existence and everything that makes it up in a dictionary way. It is the drawback of such a definition that its very precision robs a word of resonance. There is a complex series of echoes emitted by every word, just as a filaments of meaning stretch from fact to fact, making nonsense of our Cartesian clarity. The language of logic, like that of dictionaries and the constructions of mathematics, leads us to a truth which is of one kind, truth as particular, singular, arrived at by the elimination of alternatives. (3) Our contemporary civilization is sometimes characterized as being under the hypnotic power of linear verbal communication and thinking. We forget that words and language can only capture and express a segment of total reality. “Our language is based on associative thinking, each word being coloured by all kinds of individual and subjective images, sensations and thoughts.” Naturally our thinkers write and speak words – and yet everything is ruthlessly excluded from their communication which might serve to remind us what is actually being communicated is not thought, but mere words. Language has become for us like water: a tasteless, odourless, colourless medium; and like fish we are only aware of its existence when for some reason we are suddenly deprived of it. We are effectively anaesthetized to words; and perhaps precisely for that very reason we have been more enslaved by them than any other culture in history. It is salutary to observe communities where even the simplest people seem capable of maintaining a certain ironic detachment from what they say or hear; where it is not immediately assumed that the broadcast or printed word should carry more weight than the spoken word, or the spoken more than the unspoken. (4) A common Western cultural assumption, especially among intellectuals, is that all knowledge is available in books and through the medium of the written or spoken word. Although almost all cultures provide a degree of latitude and scope for thought, this is inevitably within a certain defined domain. “Variations in ideas and differences in opinion give the impression of freedom of thought and speech, which are of little use without the development of understanding.” Much of the disharmony and misunderstanding in the world is due to faulty understanding of human languages by others of different upbringings and cultural backgrounds. “Ordinary people are separated in understanding of each other by the fact that ordinary human communication is faulty, crude, dishonest and insincere.” A traditional Sufi teaching story illustrates this contention: Four men – a Persian, a Turk, an Arab, and a Greek – were standing in a village street. They were travelling companions, making for some distant place; but at this moment they were arguing over the spending of a single piece of money which was all they had among them.

2

“I want to buy angur,” said the Persian. “I want uzum,” said the Turk. “I want inab,” said the Arab. “No!” said the Greek, “we should buy stafil.” Another traveller passing, a linguist, said, “Give the coin to me. I undertake to satisfy the desires of all of you.” At first they would not trust him. Ultimately they let him have the coin. He went to the shop of a fruit seller and bought four small bunches of grapes. “This is my angur,” said the Persian. “But this is what I call uzum,” said the Turk. “You have brought me inab,” said the Arab. “No!” said the Greek, this is my language is stafil.” The grapes were shared out among them, and each realized that the disharmony had been due to his faulty understanding of the language of the others. (5)

Subjective and Restrictive Nature Words have a strong associative and conditioning power that can distort normal human thinking processes and communication with others. The languages we use to communicate thoughts and ideas are much more limited and subjective than we realize. Although people have a firm belief that they speak the same language and understand one another, this conviction has virtually no foundation whatever as the meaning of words alters according to the background and experiences of the people using them: The language in which contemporary men speak is so imperfect that whatever they speak about they can never be sure that they call the same ideas by the same words. On the contrary, one can say almost certainly that they understand every word differently and, while appearing to speak about the same subject, in practice speak about quite different things. Moreover, for every man the meaning of his own words and the meaning which he puts into them changes in accordance with his own thoughts and moods, with the images which he associates at the moment with the words. (6) Words, ideas and concepts have a useful and necessary function in human life but it is important to understand their limitations as vehicles of comprehensive understanding. “When we point to the moon with a finger, others are apt to take the finger for the moon. Yet without the finger the moon is not recognized, and when the moon is recognized the finger can be thrown away.” Man makes many tools and uses them effectively in various fields of his activity, but he is always exposing himself to the tyranny of the tools he has made. The result is that he is no more master of himself but an abject slave

3

to his surroundings, and the worst thing is that he is not conscious of this fact. This is especially noticeable in the realm of thought. He has created many valuable concepts by which he has learnt to handle realities. But he now takes concepts for realities, thought for experience, systems for life. He forgets that concepts are his own creations, and by no means exhaust reality. (7) Certain words have strong associations which can evoke immediate conditioned reactions in most people: The word ‘fear’ is powerful. As soon as you pronounce it, it stimulates a neurochemical change. So give up the concept of fear and you’ll be left facing the perception, the sensation. When you name something you go away from it in its nakedness and endow it with the accoutrements of memory. (8) Human beings are always trying to bring the “unknown” back to the comfortable realm of the “known” and familiar. Assigning names to things conveys the impression that their meaning is understood: As a rule, when people realize that they do not understand a thing they try to find a name for what they do not ‘understand,’ and when they find a name they say ‘I understand.’ But to ‘find a name’ does not mean to ‘understand.’ Unfortunately, people are usually satisfied with names. A man who knows a great many names, that is, a great many words, is deemed to understand a great deal – again excepting, of course, any sphere of practical activity wherein his ignorance very soon becomes evident. (9) The mechanical use of words without an understanding of their inner significance can actually act as a barrier to higher understanding. Words can create their own prison with their seeming certitude and precision as they “freeze” living human experience within their own strictly defined limits. “A word is absolute and, within a closed system, can be defined precisely. Moreover, words can be ordered according to an inflexible and absolute set of laws called logic, which rigorously excludes all contradictions and all uncertainty.” Even proverbs and wise sayings, when repeated automatically and without genuine insight, become “worn out” and serve as mere hollow truisms. And sayings, dictums and proverbs, which appear “wise” but belong to a society or culture long past, are often irrelevant and even misleading to the people of today. Words can take on a life of their own, creating an abstract world based on its own internal logic and consistency. Yet ultimately, words can never express the fullness of reality and the mystery of existence:

4

Words reveal, but they also hide. Some of the most famous words spoken in this, or any century were E = mc². These words and the idea that gave them life reveal relationships that were not recognized before, and brought a whole new world into being. Underlying them and supporting them was a host of other words or formulas and equations supported and integrated one with the other, like a cathedral made of thought. But for all its beauty and functionality this is still a verbal and thought structure. It is still a veil that transforms the clear light of knowing the way a stained-glass window transforms the light of the sun. In time a new idea and a new world will come into being that will melt down even this elaborate structure and take its place. (10)

Instruments of Rational and Symbolic Communication Words and language are one of the most inventive creations of humankind, yet they contain both a great gift and the possibility of dangerous misuse. “When considering words we should dwell not only on their binding, limiting, and restrictive nature but also on their liberating, creative and opening power as well.” When words, language and thought are properly understood and employed, the possibility of higher perception and consciousness emerges. “Within mankind is a ‘treasure’ which is inside a house (fixed thinking patterns) which has to be broken down before it can be found.” It is important to distinguish between the useful function of words as a mode of communication and their distorting influence as a means of superficial understanding, conditioning and enslavement: Q: Words are needed for communication. A: For exchange of information – yes. But real communication between people is not verbal. For establishing and maintaining relationship affectionate awareness expressed in direct action is required. Not what you say, but what you do is what matters. Words are made by the mind and are meaningful only on the level of the mind. The word ‘bread’: neither can you eat or live by it. It merely conveys an idea. It acquires meaning only with the actual eating . . . Words have their limited usefulness, but we put no limits to them and bring ourselves to the brink of disaster. Our noble ideas are finely balanced by ignoble actions. We talk of God, Truth and Love, but instead of direct experience we have definitions. Instead of enlarging and deepening action we chisel our definitions. And we imagine that we know what we can define! (11)

5

When rightly used words have the power to transform human lives. But it is necessary to realize both the limitations and possibilities of words and language. “The mind shapes the language and the language shapes the mind. Both are tools, use them but don’t misuse them.” Q: I often find myself saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. How can I come to ‘right speech’? A: In right speech there is no psychological involvement. Language, speaking, thinking, that are free from the ego, are complete in themselves, autonomous and spontaneous. Right speech makes no comparisons and does not refer to a speaker. It is purely factual. Attention is a spontaneous action of the brain and it recognizes forms and names them. Psychological language on the other hand is always a qualification. It either refers to a centre or makes comparisons between objects. For example, you may be taken by the beauty of a painting. But you must also feel the reflex to interpret it, own it, and so on. Take note of these reflexes that interfere with pure observation. When personal thinking comes in, you are no longer open to beauty. Use words, thinking, in the right way. In using them in a right way you come to clarity. As long as you live on the plane of believing you are an individual entity, you fix the words on the level of this experience and their symbolic function as pointers to stillness is not realized. Real apperception can only take place in the complete annihilation of the pseudoentity. When you speak and listen from your wholeness without evaluation and comparison, then the words are not fixed and dissolve in this completeness. (12) Language is linear, dualistic and sequential, an activity of the rational, logical left hemisphere of the brain. Words and language can only suggest or point to the greater spiritual dimensions of existence. The Zen analogy of “the finger and the moon” aptly illustrates the relationship between language and sensation, symbol and reality. Words are essentially symbols, representations by convention and habit, which we impose on reality. “Things just happen to be as they are, but we want to build them into a pattern, laid down by the structure of our language. So strong is this habit that we tend to deny reality to what cannot be verbalized.” The moment you start talking you create a verbal universe, a universe of words, ideas, concepts and abstractions, interwoven and interdependent, most wonderfully generating, supporting and explaining each other and yet all without essence or substance, mere creations of the mind. Words create words, reality is silent. Q: When you talk I hear you. Is it not a fact? A: That you hear is a fact. What you hear – is not. The fact can be experienced, and in that sense the sound of the word and the mental ripples it causes are experienced. There is no other reality behind it. Its meaning is purely conventional, to be remembered; a language can be easily forgotten, unless practised.

6

Q: If words have no reality in them why talk at all? A: They serve their limited purpose of inter-personal communication. Words do not convey facts, they signal them. Once you are beyond the person, you need no words. Q: What can take me beyond the person? How to go beyond consciousness? A: Words and questions come from the mind and hold you there. To go beyond the mind you must be silent and quiet. Peace and silence, silence and peace – that is the way beyond. Stop asking questions. (13) In many spiritual traditions we are cautioned not to take language, words, names and concepts as reality itself, and understand that truth is immensely greater than anything that can be said about it. “Reality is that which transcends dualistic understanding of subject and object, self and not-self.” Q: Human beings seem to have a gift of language. What is language? A: Expressing oneself through symbols. The symbol is not what is symbolized. You use concepts, but when you take the concept for the actual thing symbolized, you are not always able to see where the concept points. The concept points to something. Before you use concepts, put yourself in a situation of pure perception; observe birds, observe fish, without thinking, only see them, their shapes, colors, movements, their relation to other fish, without naming anything, only for the joy of observing. We are not too familiar with pure observation because as soon as an object appears to our senses, we immediately conceptualize it. Q: So conceptualizing is a misuse of language? A: I did not say misuse, but we should use it in a less aggressive way. The conceptualization of a situation is often very aggressive. There is nothing wrong with using concepts, but when you judge, compare, or condemn, you close the situation. There is nothing wrong with using concepts to explain the facts, but the moment we judge or compare, we close the situation. (14)

Direct Experience of Life Our ordinary perception and understanding of reality is based on dividing the One into discrete objects and events divorced from the underlying unity or ground of Being that transcends differentiation and abstraction. To understand and participate in the higher dimensions of reality requires a certain way of perceiving the world beyond logic, rationality and conventional

7

thought. For instance, there is a persistent, universal tradition throughout history of “the acquisition of knowledge and information from supernatural or other sources.” Words and concepts must be directly experienced in order to understand what they truly mean. One can only speak to a limited extent about aspects of reality which transcend the domain of speech and thought. An ancient saying alludes to this: ‘Whoever has the skill to fashion precious jewellery also has the ability to hide it effectively from thieves.’ The fullness of reality cannot be adequately grasped or described in words; it must be directly perceived and experienced. “We have the impression that the world is made up of things, but this world of things is derived from a deeper, unified world, a world of immediate experience.” How does one look at a flower? Does the brain immediately scan the memory to find the right name? And what about all the comments about it and the reactions: “I like it” or “I don’t like it”? Where is the real flower, the whole flower? Can the word “flower” be seen for what it is – a name, a label, with many associations that usually interfere with direct perception? We have seen so many flowers and “know” them from memory. We see the remembrance instead of the real thing right in front of our eyes. We may have drawn and painted them, photographed them, or made arrangements of them. All that stuff enters into the looking and obscures clarity. What happens in looking at just one flower? Can the word “flower” be put aside, so one looks afresh, like a little baby not knowing it’s a flower but seeing something strikingly yellow and red, going to it, touching it, pulling at it? (15) Openness to human experience, welcoming the impacts of life itself, is a prerequisite to the cultivation of wisdom and understanding. “When you walk down the street and look at things or people, these impressions are teaching you. If you try actively to learn from them, you learn certain things, but they are predetermined things.” Certain aspects of life, especially deep experiences, can only be perceived by an inner sense and not just understood intellectually or by words: When there is complete understanding, there is silence. There is no talk. If you share an experience with someone, and this is a true and real – I mean really deep – experience can you put it into words? Do you want to put it into words? When you are in love, does ‘I love you’ mean anything? Or is it the touch of a hand, the exchanging of a glance, which means real love? Something very important is happening in your mind when you have an experience. You take the experience in, and your mind labels it. To do this it has to split it up into a vast number of tiny impressions. Your mind may not be ready for the whole experience, so that the mind cannot handle the impressions. It will select some, and then transmit back to another part of your brain an assessment. This assessment is what intellectuals use. They deal in incomplete assessments. This

8

is why some agree, some differ. In real experience there is no possibility of disagreement. (16) Self-knowledge is not based on words and concepts, but rather on the direct experience of our physical, emotional, and mental functioning through impartial self-observation and selfstudy. “You know everything, but you do not know yourself. For the self is not known through words – only direct insight will reveal it. Look within, search within.” In order to perceive the true nature of ourselves and of existence, concepts, mental formulations and logical assertions must be put aside. “The more we try to be exact with definitions, statements or propositions the more we face complexities and confusions and ambiguities.” The human dilemma of communication is that we cannot communicate ordinarily without words and signs. But even ordinary experience tends to be falsified by our habits of verbalization and rationalization. The convenient tools of language enable us to decide beforehand what we think things mean, and tempt us all too easily to see things only in a way that fits our logical preconceptions and our verbal formulas. Instead of seeing things and facts as they are we see them as reflections and verifications of the sentences we have previously made up in our minds. We quickly forget how to simply see things and substitute our words and our formulas for the things themselves, manipulating facts so that we see only what conveniently fits our prejudices. Zen uses language against itself to blast out these preconceptions and to destroy the specious “reality” in our minds so that we can see directly. Zen is saying, as Wittgenstein said, “Don’t think: Look!” (17)

References (1) Philip Kapleau Awakening to Zen (New York: Scribner, 1997), pp. 34-35. (2) Jean Klein Who Am I? (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1989), pp. 66-67. (3) Peter Brent “Learning and Teaching” in Idries Shah (ed.) The World of the Sufi (London: Octagon Press, 1979), p. 215. (4) David Pendlebury The Walled Garden of Truth (London: Octagon Press, 1974), pp. 62-63. (5) Idries Shah The Sufis (New York: Anchor Books, 1971), pp. 23-24. (6) G.I. Gurdjieff Views From the Real World: Early Talks of Gurdjieff (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1973), pp. 60-62. (7) D.T. Suzuki Living by Zen (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1972), pp. 30-31. (8) Jean Klein Who Am I? (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1989), p. 37. (9) P. D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), p. 68. (10) Albert Low The World: A Gateway (Boston: Charles E. Tuttle, 1995), p. 253. (11) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), pp. 513514. (12) Jean Klein Who Am I? (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1989), pp. 65-66.

9

(13) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 450. (14) Jean Klein Beyond Knowledge (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publications, 1994), pp. 116-117. (15) Toni Packer The Light of Discovery (Boston: Charles E. Tuttle, 1999), pp. 27-28. (16) O.M. Burke Among the Dervishes (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1975), p. 100. (17) Thomas Merton Zen and the Birds of Appetite (New York: New Directions, 1968), pp. 48-49.

10

PATTERNS OF HUMAN THINKING ‘Offer a donkey a salad, and he will ask what kind of thistle it is.’ Saying

Assumptions and Preconceptions The power of assumptions and preconceptions is aptly illustrated by the traditional story of the “Blind Ones and the Elephant,” in which each blind person clings to their limited perceptions and understanding, thereby jumping to false conclusions: Beyond Ghor there was a city. All its inhabitants were blind. A king with his entourage arrived nearby; he brought his army and camped in the desert. He had a mighty elephant, which he used in attack and to increase the people’s awe. The populace became anxious to see the elephant, and some sightless from among this blind community ran like fools to find it. As they did not even know the form or shape of the elephant they groped sightlessly, gathering information by touching some part of it. Each thought that he knew something, because he could feel a part. When they returned to their fellow-citizens eager groups clustered around them. They asked about the form, the shape of the elephant; and listened to all that they were told. The man whose hand had reached an ear was asked about the elephant’s nature. He said: ‘It is a large, rough thing, wide and broad, like a rug.’ And the one who had felt the trunk said: ‘I have the real facts about it. It is like a straight and hollow pipe, awful and destructive.’ The one who had felt its feet and legs said: ‘It is mighty and firm, like a pillar.’ Each had felt one part out of many. Each had perceived it wrongly. No mind knew all: knowledge is not a companion of the blind. All imagined something, something incorrect. (1) A common assumption in the human community is that existing ideas must necessarily be right. The consequences of certain assumptions can be made to “prove” those assumptions. This produces pseudo-certainty and is a substitute for real knowledge and understanding. “Magical thinking assumes that because something happens in conjunction with something else, the two are connected. Thus, when a magically-minded person sees a flight of birds followed by a flash of lightning, he or she may imagine that birds cause electricity.” Most individuals tend to assess phenomena on the basis of assumptions, preconceptions and predetermined categories of thought. Much of our ordinary thinking is based on conditioning and overlaid by assumptions, thus preventing the emergence of real knowledge and true understanding. “False assumptions, reinforced by greed and other subjectivities, are the barriers to knowledge.” For example:

1

You look at a house. The general and particular characteristics of that house are split up into smaller elements and assessed in your brain. But not objectively – only in accordance with your past experiences. These experiences in modern man include what he has been told. Thus the house will be big or small, nice or not so nice; like your own or not like it. In greater detail, it will have a roof like another, it will have windows which are unusual. The machine is going around in circles, because it is merely adding to its formal knowledge. What I am trying to convey is that you assess things in accordance with preconceived ideas. (2) One of the fundamental assumptions of most human beings is that everyone experiences the same physical and metaphysical reality. But this is not borne out by facts: Q: Surely there is a factual world common to all. A: The world of things, of energy and matter? Even if there were such a common world of things and forces, it is not the world in which we live. Ours is a world of feelings and ideas, of attractions and repulsions, of scales of values, of motives and incentives; a mental world altogether. Biologically we need very little; our problems are of a different order. Problems created by desires and fears and wrong ideas can be solved only on the level of the mind. You must conquer your own mind and for this you must go beyond it. (3) Cultural assumptions and lack of information prevent researchers from entering areas of study which are not familiar to the Western mind. “People’s assumptions about things deprive them of a fresh range of experience.” And assumptions which apply in the ordinary physical world may not hold true in the differently ordered metaphysical realm. The dangers of facile assumptions and hidden biases are stressed in many spiritual teachings. “A ‘rational’ decision may be nothing of the sort, but a consequence of the workings of selective factors operating outside the normal range of consciousness, or where the interpretation of a certain situation, obvious to an outside observer, has become inverted.” To illustrate the influence of assumptions, preconceptions and hidden prejudices, it may be necessary to apply a “shock” in the form of a challenge. Teaching stories and humour are often used in this way in spiritual circles to highlight the dangers of self-deception caused by unexamined and unwarranted assumptions. In the Sufi tradition, the humorous adventures of the ‘wise fool’ Mulla Nasrudin are often used to illustrate this all too frequent possibility. “Many of the Mulla Nasrudin stories show the Mulla in a situation dominated by false assumptions and defective logic. Sometimes these pieces appear extraordinarily amusing – a sure sign that the reader himself is subject to the operation of the self-same flaws, though he might be quite unaware of when they are actually operating in his life.”

2

Self-deception and unfounded assumptions are held to prevent the attainment of higher knowledge. There is a tale which is used to illustrate this. Nasrudin says: ‘the king addressed me.’ Everyone is impressed, because they assume that something important must have been said. In fact, however, the king had only said: ‘get out of my way!’ In this story the assumption is laid bare. So is the selfdeception, because the listener deceives himself into thinking that something important must have happened. In real life, man does not carry his thinking through to the point where he will see that he deceives himself: in this case by feeling interested that he knows someone who has been spoken to by a king. (4) When our thoughts are compulsive and memory-based, conditioned and repetitive, we lose sight of the essential simplicity and flexibility of our natural mind and awareness: Usually our mind is very busy and complicated, and it is difficult to be concentrated on what we are doing. This is because before we act we think, and this thinking leaves some trace. Our activity is shadowed by some preconceived idea. The thinking not only leaves some trace or shadow, but also gives us many other notions about other activities and things. These traces and notions make our minds very complicated. When we do something with a quite simple, clear mind, we have no notions or shadows, and our activity is strong and straightforward. But when we do something with a complicated mind, in relation to other things or people, or society, our activity becomes very complex. (5)

Mental Habits and Conventional Thinking The ways in which people think of and evaluate the world around them are surprisingly similar across disparate communities and cultures: There is a widespread notion in non-traditional societies such as the current Western one, that their scientific base causes the people to think, for some reason, in a way different from that of ‘ancient’ or ‘Eastern’ peoples. Anthropologists, interestingly enough, have pointed out that human thinking habits are everywhere very similar, and that the models and assumptions used by, say, Africans of old and the Europeans and Americans are not all different. The fact that this expert information has not filtered down to general knowledge is in itself an indication of the contention of, for example, R. Horton, who commented on the unexamined assumptions of Western and African people thus: “The (Western) layman’s ground for accepting the models propounded by the scientist is often no different from the young African villager’s ground for accepting the models propounded by one of his elders. In both these cases they are deferred to as the accredited agents of tradition. As for the rules which guide scientists themselves in the acceptance or rejection of models, these seldom

3

become part of the intellectual equipment of members of the wider population. For all the apparent up-to-dateness of the content of his world-view, the modern Western layman is rarely more ‘open’ or scientific in his outlook than is the traditional African villager.” (6) Our world view is conditioned and limited by our language, education and cultural traditions. “To serve their purpose, names and terms must of necessity be fixed and definite like all other units of measurement. But there is a danger in confusing these representations of reality with the fluidity of life, much like trying to catch water in a sieve.” We have taken a restricted view of human knowledge. For us, almost all knowledge is what a Taoist would call conventional knowledge, because we do not feel that we really know anything unless we can represent it to ourselves in words, or in some other system of conventional signs such as the notations of mathematics or music. Such knowledge is called conventional because it is a matter of social agreement as to the codes of communication. Just as people speaking the same language have tacit agreements as to what words shall stand for what things, so the members of every society and every culture are united by bonds of communi cation resting upon all kinds of agreement as to the classification and valuation of actions and things. (7) When the mind is properly used it functions as an instrument or tool to deal effectively with the world. But thinking can easily become dysfunctional and negative, much like a speeding train out of control. “Most people are completely identified with the incessant stream of mind, of compulsive thinking, most of it repetitive and pointless.” The greater part of most people’s thinking is involuntary, automatic, and repetitive. It is no more than a kind of mental static and fulfills no real purpose. Strictly speaking you don’t think: Thinking happens to you. The statement “I think” implies volition. It implies that you have a say in the matter, that there is a choice involved on your part. For most people, this is not yet the case. “I think” is just as false a statement as “I digest” or “I circulate my blood.” Digestion happens, circulation happens, thinking happens. (8) Knowledge derived from words and concepts is secondary, incomplete and dependent upon memory. It is important to remember that “the menu is not the meal” and “the map is not the territory.” All your activities depend on the mind, and the mind in turn depends on all your memories and whatever you have heard in this world. We are absorbing whatever happens in this world, and we are also looking at it from our own point of view, putting our own concepts on those things . . . You accept certain things as good and virtuous, and reject others as bad or sinful, but these are only the concepts you have acquired in the world, and there is no basis for the distinction. (9)

4

Most of our thinking proceeds not by conscious effort and direction but by the impact of random associations and memory: We think by chance associations, when our thought strings disconnected scenes and memories together, when everything that falls within the field of our consciousness, or merely touches it lightly, calls up these chance associations in our thought. The string of thoughts seems to go on uninterruptedly, weaving together fragments or representations of former perceptions, taken from different recordings in our memories. And these recordings turn and unwind while our thinking apparatus deftly weaves its threads of thought continuously from this material. (10) Our existing stock of knowledge and information acts as a “filter” through which we judge incoming impressions, ideas and intuitions. The desire for order leads to rendering things into an existing framework or system based on associations and similarities. “When faced by something it does not know, the human mind displays an almost indecent haste with which a label is sought and applied.” Our heads are filled with ‘knowledge,’ a knowledge that in some areas pre-empts our seeing anything at all; or being truly aware of any part of the world that surrounds us. Everything arrives in our understanding already packaged and labelled. How are we to take the wrapping off and test the truth of the labels? The fact is that we are in no condition to do so: we are helplessly hidden from ourselves, even when we attempt to discover what we really are, since the imperfections that we are trying to seek out exist in the very perceptions with which we search for them. It is as though we looked for the colour red through spectacles fitted with a red filter. Until the filter is removed we cannot see what is certainly there, but hidden from us. (11) The human brain has a tendency to set up patterns based on prior or familiar experience. New or unfamiliar situations are misinterpreted in light of pre-existing patterns, and genuinely new experiences are rarely recognized for what they are: The advantage of the brain’s pattern information system includes “quickness of recognition and hence quickness of reaction.” This allows for greater efficiency in exploring and relating to one’s familiar environment. However, the disadvantages are legion, including patterns becoming rigid (as they control attention) and once established becoming extremely difficult to modify. “Gestalts” tend to occur, all too frequently, which implies that patterns showing some resemblance to a standard pattern tend to be perceived as the standard pattern itself (stereotyping). (12)

5

Mental habits may be useful or useless depending on the context in which they are used and applied. “Things which might be admissible under one set of circumstances are often turned into ‘perennial truths’.” Habit of mind is at one and the same time one of the most useful and most useless instruments when approaching problems. If you choose the right approach, you may solve the problem. But if you cannot choose it, and only obey it, you may not be using the best habit for the purpose. The habit which possesses presentday thinking is generally to assume that a disciplined approach will solve all problems. This is run a close second by its opposite: the beguiling but equally partial belief that if discipline is lost, insights are gained. Neither approach, when adopted as certain to provide a solution, will succeed in areas where the mechanical mind or the incoherent one, dominate thinking. (13) People frequently draw incorrect conclusions from partial or coincidental data. Conclusions which are based on a strictly logical extension of observed facts may not correspond with reality. “If you assign a significance to a limited array of factors you are in trouble if it happens that there are other factors which you haven’t heard of. If you think all soup has lumps in it you will fail to recognize soup without them.” Generalizing from insufficient material produces faulty assessment and understanding. The problem of generalization is the attempt to deduce a law applicable to one situation or circumstance from a totally different situation. “Generalizations are useful, even essential, in certain situations, dangerous in others. The intelligent use of generalizations include using them, modifying them and superseding them.” Certain ideas may be interpreted out of all proportion to their original intention by those who generalize from specific instances. People who believe in the reality of absolutes become prisoners of their belief. “In psychology as in physics, something which acts as an absolute for some purposes may not do so for others.” Many people are impressed by the example that if they look at something for half a minute, they will find their attention wandering. Instead of looking at this as an indication of fact, complete in itself, they do two unnecessarily shallow things: they (1) try to look at things for long periods in the hope that they will be able to develop attention capacity. They never achieve it, however, when they try in this manner, because the description of the deficiency does not, of course, contain the technique; (2) immediately assume that the person who drew their attention is able to supply them with the method or system whereby they can remedy the situation. They seldom seem to imagine that, if a man says, “This door is splintered” he does not necessarily know how to mend it. (14)

6

The binary mode of thinking (either/or) is valuable for many purposes but destructive in other circumstances. When not properly used, the ‘either/or’ mentality effectively blocks out alternatives and more subtle differentiations. Most human institutions are based on the binary mode ‘either-or.’ Faced with almost any situation, the human being will automatically decide, as quickly as possible, whether to accept or reject it. This provides a useful tool for ordinary learning and indoctrination, but when it becomes the only mode of approach to a situation it effectively screens the individual from other perceptions, other areas of experience where this mode is absent. The attempt at introducing a middle way (indecision, evaluation, and so on) only imports an uncertainty into the situation, and does not constitute the establishment of a third specific potentiality which is essential. (15) People frequently confuse the “means” with the “end.” The raw, undeveloped mind also imagines that the means that it adopts to do something is the best and only way: A characteristic disease of human thought is to mistake the vehicle and the objective, or the instrument and the aim. This tendency is seen in all human communities, whether they are what we call ‘advanced’ or otherwise. It is as strongly present in civilized as in barbaric societies, only its manifestations are different. The rule is that: something which was functional becomes prized for itself; whether it is an exercise becoming a ritual, or an individual worker becoming idolized, or a tool becoming a totem . . . The means and the end are not the same. The tool becoming a totem is especially marked as a tendency when people want to generalize theories, laws and rules out of situations which require a greater flexibility than just one or two alternatives. (16) Those who advocate the “power of positive thinking” to overcome unhealthy psychological patterns, fail to realize that this approach only touches the surface and not the depth and ultimate cause of the problem: Q: Is there any value in trying to think positively? A: Positive thinking belongs to psychological survival. It is the affirmation of the ego. Psychological technique reinforces experience and the experiencer. But as long as you still live in the mind, in complementarity, then positive thinking is closer to your real nature than negative thinking. However, all such methods are crutches to help you walk in apparent security. They are supports for the immature. When you live in wholeness, you have no need for such supports. It is like the tightrope walker who has found perfect balance without aid. If someone comes to the right or left and offers help he is no longer at ease because his balance does not refer to left or right. (17)

7

Subjective Opinion and Belief We tend to evaluate life experiences by our own subjective yardstick. “To each thing you observe you bring your knowledge, your education, your past, your customs and your heredity. This is why we can all look at the same things but see them in different ways.” There are many different ways of viewing reality, none superior to any other: Actions and states are according to one’s point of view. A crow, an elephant, a snake, each makes use of one organ for two alternative purposes. With one eye the crow looks on either side; for the elephant the trunk serves the purpose of both a hand and a nose; and the serpent sees as well as hears with its eyes. Whether you say the crow has an eye or eyes, or refer to the trunk of the elephant as “hand” or “nose,” or call the eyes of the serpent its ears, it means all the same. (18) Many of our thoughts are based on personal memories (“me and my story”) or collective identifications such as race, nationality, social class, religious affiliation or political allegiance: Most people are so completely identified with the voice in their head – the incessant stream of involuntary and compulsive thinking and the emotions that accompany it – that we may describe them as being possessed by their mind. As long as you are completely unaware of this, you take the thinker to be what you are. This is the egoic mind. We call it egoic because there is a sense of self, of I (ego), in every thought – every memory, every interpretation, opinion, viewpoint, reaction, emotion. This is unconsciousness, spiritually speaking. Your thinking, the content of your mind, is of course conditioned by the past: your upbringing, culture, family background, and so on. The central core of all your mind activity consists of certain repetitive and persistent thoughts, emotions and reactive patterns that you identify with most strongly. (19) Subjectivity and lack of impartiality are a significant human problem and a major theme of esoteric teachings. “To reach an impartial viewpoint, you have to be able to look at situations beyond their immediate ‘message,’ so that you can eventually see things ‘in the round’.” Most human beings are easily swayed by subjective impressions and conditioned judgments. In the words of the Sufi teacher Hakim Sanai: ‘In the distorted mirror of your mind, an angel can seem to have a devil’s face.’ Q: How do we reach impartiality? A: Most people’s impartiality is not such at all, but a cover for a partial point of view. If you have a bias towards impartiality, you goal must be the control of bias, not the struggle towards impartiality – because you will never reach impartiality through bias. People who believe that they are impartial, however, seldom are . . . Lack of experience and information causes lack of impartiality; but this does not

8

stop people from believing that they are in fact objective. They believe this because they have a strong desire to be or appear to be impartial. (20) A classic Mulla Nasrudin story humorously illustrates how our mental and emotional states may not be based on actual facts: Mulla was crossing the street in his village when a man approached him saying, ‘Do you know that your wife is being unfaithful to you?’ Mulla quickly replied, ‘That’s impossible. My wife would never be unfaithful to me.’ The man then answered, ‘I can prove it to you. At midnight tonight she has a rendezvous with her lover under the fig tree at the edge of the village.’ Mulla was very upset and, anticipating a duel with his wife’s lover, went to buy a pistol. All day he practised and thought about the fight and at eleven in the evening he went to the fig tree in a terrific state of mind. He climbed into the tree and, being a very passionate man, leapt from branch to branch in a frenzy of jealousy and anger. He pictured his wife in her lover’s arms and practised from every angle the blow he would deliver his rival. At ten minutes to twelve he listened carefully but could not yet hear anything. At five to twelve he was in a state of unbearable agitation and expectation. At three minutes to twelve there was still no sound of them and every nerve in his body was on edge. At twelve o’clock he was as unmoving as a tiger about to pounce on its prey. But still nothing happened under the tree. Then he was suddenly struck in all his being by a tremendous insight: ‘I am a bachelor!’ (21) One of the diseases of human thinking is the habit of confusing opinion and belief with actual knowledge and true understanding. “When a belief becomes more than an instrument you are lost.” Beliefs and opinions are relative and time-bound. “The history of thought proves that each new structure raised by a person of extraordinary intellect is sure to be pulled down by the succeeding ones.” You cannot really believe in anything until you are aware of the process by which you arrived at your position. Before you do this you must be ready to postulate that all your beliefs may be wrong, that what you think to be belief may only be a variety of prejudices caused by your surroundings . . . True belief belongs to the realm of real knowledge. Until you have knowledge, belief is mere coalesced opinions, however it may seem to you. (22) In the absence of information and experience, people can easily form opinions or draw conclusions at variance with the facts. “Most opinion is used as a substitute for knowledge. If opinion is over-strong, being cruder than knowledge, it blocks the action of knowledge.” And changes of opinion are not always based on logical or rational reasons. Research has shown that “while people can reach a decision from facts given to them, they have great difficulty in altering these conclusions even when better evidence is presented to them.”

9

The stock of information and knowledge belonging to the average person is often selective and incomplete, forming only an approximation to real knowledge. “People tend to assess unfamiliar things in terms of parts of their own experience which they imagine must be relevant to the case.” What people think that they know (even thinking that they know it by observation and even experience) about other things, such as psychological and religious matters, can often be seen to be fragmentary, misplaced, selectively adopted. If people could rely upon themselves to learn by themselves, they would not need teaching. They wouldn’t even need scientific verification of fact to correct them, because their beliefs would be based on accurate information, since they would either observe correctly from the beginning or else reject inaccurate information. (23) Strongly held beliefs and opinions create incalculable problems for both those who hold them and others who are affected by them: Q: Would you give some examples of unwholesome thoughts? A: Notions of good and evil, daydreams, “I love this, I hate that,” angry or resentful thoughts, stubborn opinions, needless judgments, unnecessary evaluations and conclusions, pointless discriminations, covetous and jealous thoughts. Q: How is it possible to avoid making judgments and having opinions? A: Note the word “needless.” Teachers, parents, critics, judges must make judgments – that’s their job. But we are speaking of gratuitous evaluations that the ordinary person makes dozens of times a day and that parents unwittingly compel their children to make. Q: I still don’t see what is basically wrong with judgments and opinions. A: Once you form an opinion you’re stuck with it. You then feel compelled to defend it, becoming argumentative and aggressive. “Opinion,” said Voltaire, “has caused more trouble on this earth than all the plagues and earthquakes. (24) Individual and collective beliefs about what is “true” or “good” are usually relative in nature and culturally determined. For instance, people who are considered “idealists” may in actual fact be self-deluded and incapable of altering their beliefs and opinions in the face of objective data. “Idealists who lack necessary basic information about their field are extremely harmful to the human race.” When people, groups and organizations make decisions or take action based on partial information or “moral principles” the results are often the opposite of what was intended.

10

Traditional spiritual teachings constantly stress the relativity of our opinions regarding good and bad, right and wrong. “Standards of good and bad depend upon individual or group criteria, not upon objective fact.” If there is no knowledge, only information, people will act in accordance with that range of information available to them – at the best. At the worst, and more frequently, they will act in accordance with impulse or emotion linked with intellect and set off by what you call objective moral principles . . . If you look at the people deeply concerned about right and the right thing to do, you will note that their dominating characteristics are that they are worriers. They worry about nuclear bombs, about injustices, and so on. They make decisions as a result of worrying. Naturally they get a lop-sided result. They have no real feel of what is to happen as a result of certain actions, so they act on the spur of the moment. Naturally the consequences of their actions produce further worry-causing developments. They do not stop to think that recognition of an evil is one thing; worrying oneself to a point of action about it is another. (25) In order to undermine fixed ideas, opinions and beliefs, spiritual teachers sometimes apply ‘shock’ techniques by challenging established ways of thinking and confronting the most dearlyloved assumptions of the student, thus liberating ‘congealed attention’ which has been frozen by subjective patterns of thought. “Ideologies, beliefs, opinions and points of view are the shadows which obscure the light of truth.” Although there is nothing wrong with conceptualization per se, when we take our opinions as absolute truth and fail to see that they are opinions then they become a hindrance to the realization of our true self or essential nature. All words, all beliefs, belong to relative truth. All the things that you have read and studied and pondered may be true from a particular point of view at a certain time, but no more than that. Everything changes. Nothing lasts forever – not even these things that we may think are so true. A dogmatic attitude about these matters, about one’s beliefs and opinions, is against the true nature of things. (26)

Resistance to New Knowledge and Ideas Most individuals do not know how or where to look for genuine knowledge. In many cases they reject new knowledge because its source or form is contrary to their expectations. In the words of Rumi: ‘Take the wheat, not the measure in which it is contained.’ Humanity in general does not appreciate the vast heritage of knowledge and wisdom, residing across cultures and time, available to it: It is possible to have great affection and regard for individuals and groups of people without in any way reducing one’s awareness of their current poor capacity for understanding and preserving their heritage. The present state of ignorance

11

about distant and former cultures is not unique at this time. Unfortunately, though, the people of our time are not employing their superior resources to retrieve and develop the remnants of wider knowledge possessed elsewhere and also at other times. This is because, while the tools and the general freedom are there for the first time, desire, resolution and breadth of vision are absent, also for the first time. The endowment is therefore at risk. For the first time. (27) People from many different cultures have an ideological bias against really new forms of thought, study and understanding, relating “everything which is being put forward in terms of a dogma which is already held in their minds.” Conditioning and indoctrination have been identified as major factors preventing the free dissemination of ideas. “Much knowledge is ignored, discarded or opposed because it is not apparently from an expected source, projected in a desired manner or presented in a comfortable way.” By limiting themselves to certain pre-determined categories when approaching the introduction of new knowledge, people are unable to assimilate any real new learning. They relate any new ideas to old, established forms of thinking: I found that the chief difficulty for most people was to realize that they had really heard new things; that is, things that they had never heard before. They did not formulate it for themselves, but in fact they always tried to contradict this in their minds and translate what they heard into their habitual language. I know that it is not an easy thing to realize that one is hearing new things. We are so accustomed to the old tunes, and the old motives, that long ago we ceased to hope and ceased to believe that there might be anything new. And when we hear new things, we take them for old, or think that they can be explained and interpreted by the old. It is true that it is a difficult task to realize the possibility and necessity of quite new ideas, and it needs with time a revaluation of all usual values. (28) A common human characteristic is the attempt to safeguard existing ways of thinking by excluding and distorting new information or ideas originating from an unfamiliar source. “If any new idea is given out, some will seize it for profit, others to make a social form out of it, some will deify it and others will fight or amend it.” The problem of adapting to new knowledge is largely psychological, involving ‘defense mechanisms’ and ‘denial.’ When people come up against things which they cannot immediately understand they tend to produce pat answers and defensive reactions: Those who cannot or will not adapt to constructive but unfamiliar information are members of the segment of humanity which does, in a cultural sense, die out. Those individuals, schools of thought and societies which have not adapted to ‘now’ (that is, unfamiliar) information and environmental change have died out. But there is a mechanical trap here, and it is worth observing in passing. People who oppose ‘now’ or unfamiliar concepts can be made to accept them if the ‘new’

12

conception is sufficiently energetically projected. That is to say, there would be no real difficulty in conditioning, by fear, hope and repetition, these objectors to ‘believe’ that fear, hope and repetition were undesirable in quantity or quality. The trap is that you would now have plenty of conditioned people who objected to conditioning because they had been conditioned to object! They would be useless to further understanding, almost by definition, certainly by the crudity of their operational capacity. (29) Most people who believe that they are pursuing the path of learning and knowledge are in reality engaged in lesser pursuits disguised as learning. “Only a very small number are actually trying to learn. The rest are using the same words, but they are in fact demanding certain satisfactions from the enterprise: social, personal and community diversions being among the most obvious.” The two main reactions to new knowledge or ideas are uncritical acceptance or hostility and rejection. Both attitudes interfere with learning growth and understanding. “People are first hostile to what they imagine is ‘new.’ Next they adjust to a state of support for the ‘new,’ which now becomes the ‘received, attested’ doctrine or practice.” The discovery and application of knowledge is not always a linear and accumulative process as is generally assumed by most scholars and thinkers: Euclid, who lived about 300 BC, produced a proof in geometry that the two angles at the base of an isosceles triangle were equal to one another which became the standard proof. There is another demonstration, however, which is more elegant, and this was made known by Pappus about six hundred years later. The new proof was more elegant, but it did not only not catch on, it was soon forgotten. Time passed, and there is no record that anyone discovered this proof – in other words the knowledge was lost – until 1960. And, even then, the proof was not discovered by a human, but by a computer. Can you imagine how many people studied geometry, some of them really brilliant people, some of them innovators, between 300 and 1960? We live in a world where, without examining it, we assume that everything that was known in the past is still known today; where we think of knowledge as an accumulative process, as scientists believe it to be, where each part will help each other part, until, I suppose, at some time all knowledge will come together and we will know everything. This can happen however, only if we register the knowledge and then use it. In order to do that, we need to make a deliberate effort. (30) It is important to recognize that there are many successive levels of knowledge and stages of study, each one superseding the previous. In order to transmit higher knowledge and esoteric teachings to contemporary cultures a certain amount of preliminary groundwork and intelligent preparation must be undertaken. “There are time-honoured ways of introducing into a society something which it needs but does not want to accept.”

13

The limitations of this process, however, means that only those things can be projected and carried through which afford acceptable stimuli to a certain range of people at a given time. Let us postulate a community which needed, say, a certain medicine or piece of information or knowledge of a skill. Before any of these could be effectively introduced and maintained, it would be necessary for the factor, object, teaching or whatever it was to be presented in an acceptable way, by someone who was liked and perhaps respected, and also in such a way as to afford the kind of stimuli expected by the audience, readership, community and so on. (31)

Conceptualization Prevents Direct Perception of Reality Our education, training and conditioning emphasize the differences between things, people and events, while ignoring the underlying unity behind appearances. The limitations of our category systems and conceptions define the boundaries of our conscious understanding of reality and prevent the perception of life as a whole. “The mind does not grasp the whole – its focus is very narrow. It sees fragments only and fails to perceive the larger picture.” Most people are only able to perceive fragments of total reality because their minds are fixed in patterns designed to see things piecemeal. External observers examine and study human activity from only one limited perspective and scale of measurement. The inability of most people to entertain different points of view means that they lose a great deal of the meaning of life. “When we live in memory we cut ourselves off from the universe, we live in isolation. This is the root of all suffering.” We typically assign words, names and concepts to specific phenomena, thereby falling into the common mistake of believing that knowledge of the object is knowledge of the whole. “The mind regards its self-constructed concepts as laws externally imposed on reality, which has to obey them in order to unfold itself. This attitude or assumption on the part of the intellect helps the mind to handle nature for its own purposes, but the mind altogether misses the inner workings of life.” When Linnaeus drew up his botanical classification, he discussed it with Goethe who remarked: “You have all the elements (objects) in your hand, unfortunately the spirit which is the link between everything is missing.” What Goethe calls the “spirit,” is the reality which underlies name and form, which our usual scientific knowledge completely disregards. True knowledge, instead of endeavouring to seize names and forms by defining them as clearly as possible, eliminates and dissolves them. This negative process, apparently nihilistic, leads not to a grasping of reality, but to its revelation as a total unity. (32)

14

So-called logical or rational thinking divides reality into parts divorced from the whole and creating the illusion of a separate ‘self.’ In the words of spiritual teacher Toni Packer: “In the midst of this vast, unfathomable, ever-changing, dying, and renewing flow of life, the human brain is ceaselessly engaged in trying to fix for itself a state of permanency and certainty. Having the capacity to think and form pictures of ourselves, to remember them and become deeply attached to them, we take this world of pictures and ideas for real.” What we generally call ‘thinking’ is a process of memory. It is a projection built on the already known. All that exists, all that is perceived, is represented to the mind. Sequential thinking, rational or scientific thinking, thus begins with a fraction, a representation. Such fractional thinking is born from the conditioned idea that we are independent entities, ‘selves,’ ‘persons.’ The notion of being a somebody conditions all other thinking because the person can only exist in the repetition of representation, the confirmation of the already known . . . Memory is the originator of the idea of being a continuous entity. From the ultimate view thinking is a defense against the death of the ego. Who are you when you don’t think? (33) There is often a hidden psychological motive underlying the use of rational and scientific thinking which masks a deeper form and level of understanding. “When there is no psychological involvement, it is an expression of silence in time and space. The background of rational thinking is that non-representational presence we can call silent contemplation.” Rational thinking is a vehicle for maintaining our biological existence in daily life. It moves in the already known, what has been agreed on as an individual or collective convention. It is functional memory for organizing energy into useful patterns of thought. Rational, logical or scientific thinking starts from the known, thought derives from thought . . . However, the function of rational thinking is only a fraction of life. It should not be allowed to obscure the depths of our being. Unfortunately, like all our functions, rational thinking more often than not loses its purity and becomes directed by intention. Most so-called rational or technological thinking today is calculative. In calculative thinking it is the desire of the individual to achieve a result. Intentional thinking is based on accumulation of definition and conclusion, the past, the already known. Unhappily for the world, almost all scientific and supposedly artistic thinking today is calculative, the urge to achieve. There is a psychological goal hidden in the functional aim. Thought here is divorced from its home ground and identified with the person, the controller, the centre of reference. All desire to achieve is still within the self-centred field which binds us to a result. It is very difficult for people to understand that perfect functioning only emerges in the complete absence of end-gaining. (34) There is a fundamental difference between perceiving something with the senses and thinking about it. “Whenever you bring your attention to anything natural, anything that has come into existence without human intervention, you step out of the prison of conceptualized

15

thinking and, to some extent, participate in the state of connectedness with Being in which everything natural still exists.” When you perceive nature only through the mind, through thinking, you cannot sense its aliveness, its beingness. You see the form only and are unaware of the life within the form – the sacred mystery. Thought reduces nature to a commodity to be used in the pursuit of profit or knowledge or some other utilitarian purpose. The ancient forest becomes timber, the bird a research project, the mountain something to be mined or conquered. When you perceive nature, let there be spaces of no thought, no mind. When you approach nature in this way, it will respond to you and participate in the evolution of human and planetary consciousness. (35) Each individual and culture develops their own subjective pattern of analysis, comparison, interpretation, evaluation, judgement and so on which are imposed on sense perceptions, preventing these impressions from being able to unfold fully in our consciousness. “When naming is weighed down by points of view it loses its true symbolic value as a window from silence to silence. Mistaking psychological representation for perception is a symptom of illusion and maintains the attitude of separate observer and observed.” You see a rose. The intellect perceives and names it. Perfect functioning. But then it goes on and begins to interfere with the perception preventing it from unfolding in direct perception. The imaginary person, the centre of viewpoints, sees the colour and compares it, or likes it, or dislikes it perhaps. It thinks about its beauty or remembers some past reference. But during this activity where is the real perfume of the rose? Psychological activity is fractional and successive. There can be only one percept or concept at a time, so it is impossible to feel the wholeness of the rose with the everyday functioning of the mind. You can only add up its parts. But the true perfume of the rose, what it really is, is not in a collection of fractions. When you step back from stressing the parts, when the mind becomes still, the rose comes to you, unfolds in you in all her glory. The perfume invades you completely. The rose is you. You are one. (36) Because of the powerful influence of education and culture, when we see an object we name it and immediately refer it to something already known. But in pure perception there is no memory or mental intervention and interpretation. Direct immediate perception is closer to truth than a concept. “If I could remain present to a flower and not refer to the past, to memory, the flower would appear as much more than I have stored in my memory. It would surpass all expectation, appearing in its fullness before my innocent eye.” A perception is the first message given by the senses before the brain names it or the psychological mind qualifies it. The perception is always in the present, immediate, but conceptualization is memory. Most of the time we feel and function through memory. In everyday life we rarely give sensations time to make

16

themselves felt. We prematurely intervene, conceptualizing and qualifying them. Perceptions and concepts cannot exist simultaneously and we tend to cut the perception short before it has fully flourished. (37)

Transcending the World of Thought The mind of the ordinary person has been described as “a checkerboard of criss-crossing reflections, opinions, prejudices, fears and anxieties.” These self-imposed limitations create a life that, far from being centered in reality, is grounded instead in notions and concepts of reality. The mystery of existence cannot be understood simply through conceptual thinking. “In the deepest sense, we understand nothing. What can be known by philosophers and scientists through reasoning is only a fraction of the universe. Can any philosopher or scientist really say why flowers bloom or why spring follows winter?” When we use the mind and senses functionally there is a re-orchestration of consciousness which points to our deeper Self. “Remember that the mind is only a vehicle. When we don’t need our legs we don’t use them. Likewise let the mind rest when not needed.” When you live in your globality, all the senses function without grasping, in expansion. They welcome surroundings. The brain is also a sense organ, and when it is relaxed it simply recognizes the object and welcomes the information from the senses. But our body and mind are rarely in this relaxed, receptive state. The senses are contracted and grasp. The brain qualifies, judges, compares, thinks about, and analyzes the object. Stay with the pure perception before the mind comes in. (38) When human beings are “lost in thought” they are unable to perceive the greater Reality from which thought arises and passes into consciousness. “The next step in human evolution is to transcend thought. It doesn’t mean not to think anymore, but simply not to be completely identified with thought, possessed by thought.” Most people spend their entire life imprisoned within the confines of their own thoughts. They never go beyond a narrow, mind-made personalized sense of self that is conditioned by the past. In you, as in each human being, there is a dimension of consciousness far deeper than thought. It is the very essence of who you are. We may call it presence, awareness, the unconditioned consciousness . . . Love, joy, creative expansion, and lasting inner peace cannot come into your life except through that unconditioned dimension of consciousness. If you can recognize, even occasionally, the thoughts that go through your mind as simply thoughts, if you can witness your own mental-emotional reactive patterns as they happen, then that dimension is already emerging in you as the awareness in which thoughts and emotions happen – the timeless inner space in which the content of your life unfolds. (39) 17

Relative knowledge pertains to the mind and is therefore illusory and not permanent. To completely understand anything it must be experienced in dimensions beyond the functioning of the normal discriminating intellect. Real knowledge is direct experience of the Self. “Mind is consciousness which has put on limitations. You are originally unlimited and perfect.” The mind depends on a Higher Power or Source to function. “Just as one who wants to throw away garbage has no need to analyze it and see what it is, so one who wants to know the Self has no need to count the number of categories or inquire into their characteristics: what one has to do is to reject altogether the categories that hide the Self.” The intellect shines only by the light it derives from the Self. Is it not presumptuous on the part of the intellect to sit in judgment over that of which it is but a limited manifestation, and from which it derives its little light? How can the intellect, which can never reach the Self, be competent to ascertain, much less decide, the nature of the final state of Realization? It is like trying to measure the sunlight at its source by the standard of the light given by a candle. The wax will melt down before the candle comes anywhere near the sun. Instead of indulging in mere speculation, devote yourself here and now to the search for the Truth that is ever within you. (40) The mind by nature is restless and constantly changing, but the Self is peace itself, without beginning and end, “all-pervading, all-powerful, immovable prime mover, timelessly changeless.” The mind can never change the mind: real change is not a mental process. “Only silent awareness, being out of time, can bring about true transformation.” The true knowledge of the Self is not a knowledge. It is not something that you find by searching, by looking everywhere. It is not to be found in space or time. Knowledge is but a memory, a pattern of thought, a mental habit. All these are motivated by pleasure and pain . . . Being oneself is completely beyond all motivation. You cannot be yourself for some reason. You are yourself, and no reason is needed. (41) There are successive levels of spiritual knowledge which orient humanity in the direction of evolutionary growth. Higher understanding requires a certain way of perceiving the world beyond logic and the intellectual extension of observed fact. Certain aspects of life, especially deep experiences, can only be perceived by an inner sense and not just understood intellectually or by words: When there is complete understanding, there is silence. There is no talk. If you share an experience with someone, and this is a true and real experience, can you put it into words? Do you want to put it into words? When you are in love, does ‘I love you’ mean anything? Or is it the touch of a hand, the exchange of a glance, which means real love? Something very important is happening in your mind when you have an experience. You take the experience in, and your mind labels

18

it. To do this it has to split it up into a vast number of tiny impressions. Your mind may not be ready for the whole experience, so that the mind cannot handle the impressions. It will select some, and then transmit back to another part of your brain an assessment. This assessment is what intellectuals use. They deal in incomplete assessments. This is why some agree, some differ. In real experience there is no possibility of disagreement. (42) When the power of thought and mental associations are properly understood the possibility of higher consciousness and perception emerges. “Within mankind is a ‘treasure’ which is inside a house (fixed thinking patterns) which has to be broken down before it can be found.” My thought has the power to be free. But for this to take place, it must rid itself of all the associations which hold it captive, passive. It must cut the threads which bind it to the world of images, to the world of forms; it must free itself from the constant pull of the emotions. It must feel its power to resist this pull; its objective power to watch over this pull while gradually rising above it. In this movement thought becomes active. It becomes active while purifying itself. Thereby its true aim is revealed, a unique aim: to think I, to realize who I am, to enter into this mystery. Otherwise our thoughts are just illusions, objects which enslave us, snares in which real thought loses its power of objectivity and intentional action. Confused by words, images, forms that attract it, it loses the capacity to see. It loses the sense of I. Then nothing remains but an organism adrift. A body deprived of intelligence. Without this inner look, I can only back into automatism, under the law of accident. So my struggle is a struggle against the passivity of my ordinary thought. Without this struggle a greater consciousness will not be born. Through this struggle I can leave behind the illusion of “I” in which I live and approach a more real vision . . . It is in my essence that I may be reunited with the one who sees. There, I would be at the source of something unique and stable, at the source of that which does not change.” (43) Beyond the ordinary reactive mind there lies a deeper level of consciousness which is receptive to higher influences emanating from the source of life itself. “True knowledge is beyond concept, prior to concept. The wordless, speechless state is real knowledge.” A puppet can only react to the stimuli imparted by the puppeteer, but sentient beings have the capacity to not only react to the stimuli, which is what happens generally, but also to act independently of any outside stimulus. The kind of receptivity to which I refer is obtained when there is not only no reacting to stimuli, but an openness to consciousness without the intrusion of personal proclivities and set views; in short, without the intrusion of individuality. (44) Creativity often emerges from a state of inner quiet and stillness, following which the mind gives form and expression to the creative impulse or insight:

19

Thinking and consciousness are not synonymous. Thinking is only a small aspect of consciousness. Thought cannot exist without consciousness, but consciousness does not need thought. Enlightenment means rising above thought, not falling back to a level below thought, the level of an animal or a plant. In the enlightened state, you still use your thinking mind when needed, but in a much more focused and effective way than before. You use it mostly for practical purposes, but you are free from the involuntary internal dialogue, and there is inner stillness. When you do use your mind, and particularly when a creative solution is needed, you oscillate every few minutes or so between thought and stillness, between mind and no-mind. No-mind is consciousness without thought. Only in that way is it possible to think creatively, because only in that way does thought have any real power. Thought alone, when it is no longer connected with the much vaster realm of consciousness, quickly becomes barren, insane, destructive. (45) When we are no longer bound by the power of the relative, conditioned mind we are open to the possibility of a fuller way of experiencing life. “A monk asked Chao-chou, ‘How should I use the twenty-four hours?’ Chao-chou said, ‘You are used by the twenty-four hours. I use the twenty-four hours’.” Openness to life experiences is a prerequisite to the cultivation of wisdom and understanding: Uncultivated men often have wisdom to some degree because they allow the access of the impacts of life itself. When you walk down the street and look at things or people, these impressions are teaching you. If you try actively to learn from them, you learn certain things, but they are predetermined things. (46) We harmonize with the flow of life when we set aside our conceptual minds and directly experience reality as it unfolds: As nature abhors a vacuum, Zen abhors anything coming between the fact and ourselves. According to Zen there is no struggle in the fact itself such as between the finite and the infinite, between flesh and the spirit. These are idle distinctions fictitiously designed by the intellect for its own interest. Those who take them too seriously or those who try to read them into the very fact of life are those who take the finger for the moon. When we are hungry we eat; when we are sleepy we lay ourselves down; and where does the infinite or the finite come in here? Are we not complete in ourselves and each in himself? Life as it is lived suffices. (47) Our ultimate nature transcends all ideas, representations and concepts. “The world you perceive is none other than a figment of the imagination founded on memory, fear, anxiety and desire. There is no need whatsoever for you to free yourself from a world which exists only in your imagination.”

20

What you take to be reality is only a concept arising from memory. Memory arises from the mind, mind from the witness, the witness from the Self. You are the witness, the onlooker standing on the bank watching the river flow on. You do not move, you are changeless, beyond the limits of space and time. You cannot perceive what is permanent, because you are it. Do not nourish the ideas you have built around yourself nor the image people have of you. Be neither someone nor something, just remain free from the demands of society. Don’t play its game. This will establish you in your autonomy. (48)

References (1) Idries Shah World Tales (London: Octagon Press, 1991), pp. 134-135. (2) Idries Shah The Sufis (New York: Anchor Books, 1971), pp. 348-349. (3) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 129. (4) Raoul Simac “In a Naqshbandi Circle” in Idries Shah (ed.) The World of the Sufi (London: Octagon Press, 1979), pp. 67-68. (5) Shunryu Suzuki Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind (New York: Weatherhill, 1973), p. 62. (6) Idries Shah Learning How to Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 29-30. (7) Alan Watts The Way of Zen (New York: Vintage Books, 1957), pp. 4-5. (8) Eckhart Tolle A New Earth (New York: Dutton, 2005), p. 129. (9) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj Seeds of Consciousness (New York: Grove Press, 1982), p. 141. (10) G.I. Gurdjieff Views from the Real World: Early Talks of Gurdjieff (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1973), pp. 44-45. (11) Peter Brent “Learning and Teaching” in Idries Shah (ed.) The World of the Sufi (London: Octagon Press, 1979), p. 211. (12) Stuart Litvak Seeking Wisdom: The Sufi Path (York Beach, Maine: Samuel Weiser, 1984), p. 8. (13) Idries Shah Learning How to Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 46-47. (14) Idries Shah Learning How to Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 203. (15) Benjamin Ellis Fourd “An Appraisal of Sufi Learning Methods” in Idries Shah (ed.) Sufi Thought and Action (London: Octagon Press, 1990), p. 51. (16) Idries Shah Learning How to Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 142. (17) Jean Klein Who Am I? (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1988), p. 36. (18) Ramana Maharshi The Spiritual Teachings of Ramana Maharshi (Boston: Shambhala, 1988), pp. 45-46. (19) Eckhart Tolle A New Earth (New York: Dutton, 2005), pp. 59-60. (20) Idries Shah Learning How to Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 173-174. (21) Jean Klein Who Am I? (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1988), pp. 59-60. (22) Idries Shah The Way of the Sufi (London: Octagon Press, 1980), pp. 164-165. (23) Idries Shah Seeker After Truth (London: Octagon Press, 1982), p. 118. (24) Philip Kapleau Zen Dawn in the West (New York: Anchor Press, 1979), p. 21. (25) Idries Shah The Commanding Self (London: Octagon Press, 1994), pp. 327-328.

21

(26) Maurine Stuart Subtle Sound (Boston: Shambhala, 1996), p. 61. (27) Idries Shah Reflections (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 9. (28) P.D. Ouspensky The Psychology of Man’s Possible Evolution (New York: Vintage Books, 1974), pp. xxii-xxiii. (29) Idries Shah The Commanding Self (London: Octagon Press, 1994), pp. 64-65. (30) Idries Shah Letters and Lectures (London: Designist Communications, 1981), pp. 12-13. (31) Idries Shah The Commanding Self (London: Octagon Press, 1994), p. 234. (32) Jean Klein Be Who You Are (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1989), p. 24. (33) Jean Klein Who Am I? (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1988), p. 49. (34) Jean Klein Who Am I? (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1988), pp. 63-64. (35) Eckhart Tolle Stillness Speaks (Vancouver: Namaste Publishing, 2003), p. 81. (36) Jean Klein Who Am I? (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1988), pp. 73-74. (37) Jean Klein I Am (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publications, 1989), p. 29. (38) Jean Klein Open to the Unknown (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publications, 1992), p.102. (39) Eckhart Tolle Stillness Speaks (Vancouver: Namaste Publishing, 2003), pp. 13-14. (40) Ramana Maharshi The Spiritual Teachings of Ramana Maharshi (Boston: Shambhala, 1988), p. 83. (41) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 143. (42) O.M. Burke Among the Dervishes (London: Octagon Press, 1984), p. 100. (43) Jeanne de Salzmann “The Awakening of Thought” in Jacob Needleman & George Baker (eds.) Gurdjieff: Essays and Reflections on the Man and His Teaching (New York: Continuum Publishing, 1996), pp. 2-3. (44) Ramesh Balsekar Pointers From Nisargadatta Maharaj (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1984), p. 127. (45) Eckhart Tolle The Power of Now (Vancouver: Namaste Publishing, 1997), pp. 19-20. (46) Idries Shah The Sufis (New York: Anchor Books, 1971), p. 384. (47) D.T. Suzuki Essays in Zen Buddhism (New York: Grove Press, 1961), p. 19. (48) Jean Klein I Am (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publications, 1989), p. 44.

22

SCIENCE AND MYSTICISM ‘The cosmic religious experience is the strongest and the noblest driving force behind scientific research.’ Albert Einstein

The Scientific Method Science is amazingly disparate – perhaps the most diverse and complex of all human endeavours. The span of scientific study ranges from particle physics to the vast astronomical world of galaxies and beyond, and encompasses virtually every level and scale of phenomenal reality. The scientific method has been defined as “the careful investigation of phenomena through experimentation and statistical analysis with the aim of confirming or revising accepted knowledge in the light of newly discovered facts.” The two major components of scientific knowledge are empirical observation (facts) and theoretical structure and description (theory). Observation and theory interact: theory tells you what to observe and observations test the theory so that it can be modified, if necessary. The facts and theories of science are constantly evolving as new discoveries are made. When a theory is superseded, the new theory does not exclude or eliminate the old theory but rather includes and transcends it. Einstein’s theory of relativity did not negate Isaac Newton’s theory of gravitation but replaced it with a new theory that included Newtonian mechanics, but also added much more. Science proceeds by two kinds of logic: inductive logic in which general laws are inferred from a given set of observations and deductive logic in which specific events are inferred from general laws and principles. Some scientific discoveries are made by the process of induction (e.g. Darwin’s theory of evolution); others by deduction (e.g. Einstein’s theory of relativity). Much of scientific research is driven by hypothesis testing whereby a conjectural statement of possible fact is empirically tested through the collection of data and statistical analysis. The hypothesis is designed to guide the investigator in the research and helps direct the collection and interpretation of the data. The testing of hypotheses through experiment and statistical evaluation is the foundation of science and the primary determinant of scientific “truth.” But an over-reliance on hypothesis testing can lead the researcher to miss important facts and information. Professor Thomas Kuhn has studied the history of science and identified and described the conceptual frameworks or paradigms which are accepted by the scientific community at a given time, only to be superseded by later paradigms which often revolutionize basic scientific concepts. Paradigms have a powerful effect on both the acceptance of fact and the very process of science:

1

Paradigms differ in more than substance, for they are directed not only to nature but also back upon the science that produced them. They are the source of the methods, problem-field, and the standards of solution accepted by any mature scientific community at any given time. As a result, the reception of a new paradigm often necessitates a redefinition of the corresponding science. Some old problems may be relegated to another science or declared entirely “unscientific.” Others that were previously non-existent or trivial may, with a new paradigm, become the very archetypes of significant scientific achievement. As the problems change, so often does the standard that distinguishes a real scientific solution from a more metaphysical speculation, word game, or mathematical play. The normal scientific tradition that emerges from a scientific revolution is not only incompatible but often actually incommensurable with that which has gone before. (1) Kuhn argues that science tends to view the work of earlier investigators from the perspective of current beliefs and paradigms, and lack an understanding and appreciation of the fact that earlier generations “pursued their own problems with their own instruments and their own canons of solutions.” Like many academic disciplines, science views past developments as a cumulative and linear progression to the state of contemporary knowledge and relative certainty: “The depreciation of historical fact is deeply, and probably functionally, ingrained in the ideology of the scientific profession, the same profession that places the highest of all values upon factual details of other sorts. Whitehead caught the unhistorical spirit of the scientific community when he wrote, ‘A science that hesitates to forget its founders is lost’.” Paradigms are limited in scope, precision and applicability and when first enunciated may be based on selected and incomplete data. Although paradigms can be useful guiding principles in the process of scientific discovery, they can also act as an intellectual straitjacket, preventing creative discovery outside predetermined boundaries and formulations: Closely examined, whether historically or in the contemporary laboratory, that enterprise seems an attempt to force nature into the preformed and relatively inflexible box that the paradigm supplies. No part of the aim of normal science is to call forth new phenomena; indeed those that will not fit the box are often not seen at all. Nor do scientists normally aim to invent new theories, and they are often intolerant of those invented by others. Instead, normal-scientific research is directed to the articulation of those phenomena and theories that the paradigm already supplies. (2) The actual process of scientific research relies not only on logic, rationality and quantitative analysis but also on hunches, imagination and intuition. For example, in the mid 19th century, German chemist Friedrich Kekulé described how a series of discoveries came to him in the course of hypnotic reveries or waking dreams. In one famous instance, while nodding in his chair before the fire, he saw carbon atoms dancing in long rows, twisting in snakelike motions. Suddenly one of the snakes seized hold of its own tail, creating a whirling, combining and

2

recombining motion. Kekulé had discovered the chains and rings that carbon atoms form with each other – one of the fundamental structures of organic chemistry. And, Albert Einstein is widely regarded as one of the greatest scientists in human history, but many of his most profound discoveries were the result of his unusual creative gifts. In a famous “thought experiment” as a youth he imagined himself riding a light wave; so began the line of thought that eventually culminated in the special theory of relativity. Chance and serendipity also play a role in scientific discovery. Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin by accident in 1928 when he noticed that a culture dish of bacteria had been invaded by a mould whose spores had drifted in through the window of his laboratory. Fleming concentrated the active principle of the mould and named the antibiotic penicillin. Louis Pasteur discovered the principle of vaccination when a culture was accidentally taken from the wrong jar. And the physicist Wilhelm Röntgen, during an experiment on fluorescence, placed his hand between a glass tube and a screen and was startled to see the shadow of the bones of his own hand – and discovered x-rays. Scientific knowledge is not a linear, cumulative process of gathering facts and advancing theories. In the words of Thomas Kuhn: “An apparently arbitrary element, compounded of personal and historical accident, is always a formative ingredient of the beliefs expressed by a given scientific community at a given time.” Creative scientific discoveries and insights are often described as sudden or like a switch: “Scientists often speak of the ‘scales falling from the eyes’ or of the ‘lightning flash’ that ‘illuminates’ a previously obscure puzzle, enabling its components to be seen in a new way that for the first time permits its solution. On other occasions the relevant illumination comes in sleep.” Neurophysiological brain research suggests that the left and right hemispheres of the cerebral cortex offer two quite different yet complementary modes of consciousness and perception. The left hemisphere controls verbal ability and the logical, mathematical, intellectual and analytical capacities of the individual. Its mode of operation is primarily rational and linear. The right hemisphere of the brain controls the spatial, intuitive, creative, artistic and musical sides of the mind. It is holistic and nonlinear in nature. The two hemispheres are joined together by interconnecting fibres called the corpus callosum, which allows them to communicate with one another through the transfer of information. This connection allows them to complement and enhance one another’s abilities. Science generally proceeds through reason, logic and analysis – associated with the left hemisphere. At the same time, science could not exist without the intuitive, holistic way of knowing – the domain of the right hemisphere. Some of the greatest creative achievements in science are the products of the complementary functioning of the rational and intuitive modes of knowing. It has been suggested that the interplay and harmonization of the activity of the two hemispheres of the brain represent a balance between the sequential, logical mode and the nonlinear, intuitive mode of knowing and perception.

3

Limitations of Science Historians of science have clearly shown that science is based on certain underlying assumptions and a philosophical world-view that is time and culture bound. In this sense science is limited in its approach to discovering the “objective facts” of existence, even though it is unquestionably useful and functionally true in its own domain of empirical expertise and quantitative knowledge. Yet many scientists believe that the scientific method is the only real way to understand the whole of reality; some have even asserted that “non-science is non-sense.” At any stage of scientific development, certain assumptions about nature are necessary in order to make observations manageable and communicable to others. But that does not mean that externally measurable and quantifiable aspects of nature are all there is to nature or the rest of reality. As Einstein said, “the most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious.” To insist on one particular view of nature, as is often done in the name of science, is to impoverish nature as well as humanity. The history of science shows that science is not a finished or dead activity that cannot undergo radical changes in its assumptions and procedures. Future science, to the extent it radically departs from present-day science, will naturally have different assumptions and procedures. (3) In reality, scientific knowledge is incomplete and partial, evidenced by the fact that scientists are continually searching for further knowledge and understanding in their field of study. The scientific method of understanding reality is based largely on a logical, rational, left hemisphere approach that only incompletely describes the phenomenon under study. “Science is narrow and looks through spectacles.” The scientific method in the study of reality is to view an object from the so-called objective point of view. For instance, suppose a flower here on the table is the object of scientific study. Scientists will subject it to all kinds of analyses, botanical, chemical, physical, etc., and tell us all that they have found out about the flower from their respective angles of study, and say that the study of the flower is exhausted and that there is nothing more to state about it unless something new is discovered accidentally in the course of other studies. The chief characteristic, therefore, which distinguishes the scientific approach to reality is to describe an object, to talk about it, to go around it, to catch anything that attracts our senseintellect and abstracts it away from the object itself, and when all is supposedly finished, to synthesize these analytically formulated abstractions and take the outcome for the object itself. But the question still remains: “Has the complete object been really caught in the net?” I would say, “Decidedly not!” Because the object we think we have caught is nothing but the sum of abstractions and not the object itself. For practical and utilitarian purposes, all these so-called scientific formulas seem to be more than enough. But the object, so-called, is not all there. After the net is drawn up, we find that something has escaped its finer meshes. (4)

4

The scientific method is essentially reductionist as it expresses the inherent complexity and mutual relationships of objects and events in simpler, lower-level terms based on numbers and rules: Science thrives on dualism; therefore, scientists try to reduce everything into quantitative measurements . . . Anything that cannot be reduced to quantification they reject as not scientific, or as anti-scientific. They set up a certain set of rules, and things that elude them are naturally set aside as not belonging to their field of study. However fine the meshes, as long as they are meshes some things are sure to escape them and these things, therefore, cannot be measured in any way. Quantities are destined to be infinite, and the sciences are one day to confess their inability to inveigle Reality. The spiritual is outside the field of scientific study. Therefore, all that the scientists can do is point to the existence of such a field. And that is enough for science to do. (5) The basic methods of science can be properly applied only to certain classes of phenomena and experience. The scientific understanding of the universe, by disregarding the metaphysical dimensions of reality, may be said to omit an essential element of existence. Science is based primarily on the measurement of ‘quantity’ while ignoring ‘quality’ and other more subtle dimensions of reality. Science holds that quantity is fundamental in understanding reality and that all qualities of nature can be expressed and explained in quantitative terms: The science which belongs to the intuitive mind and the holistic mode of consciousness can reveal aspects of the phenomena of nature which must be invisible to the verbal-intellectual mind and the analytical mode of consciousness. No matter how sophisticated today’s institutionalized science may become, or how much further it may be developed, it will still be concerned predominantly with only the quantitative aspects of phenomena, which can be measured and represented by a number. No matter how beautiful, elegant and harmonious the equations may be to the mathematical physicist, the fact remains that the variables in the equations represent quantities. Hence science today is concerned with only one aspect of the phenomena, and there are other aspects which cannot be reached in this way. (6) The scientific mind tends to ignore those aspects of reality which do not fit into predetermined categories or definitions: “If I can’t see it, measure it, weigh it, I won’t accept or believe it.” The scientific method is valid and effective only in areas of reality and experience where it has a meaningful application: The attempt to force the application of scientific ideas and methods in certain areas may be misguided. Science is certainly successful when applied in some definite domains. These are the domains to which its methods apply; that is, repeatable conditions and uninfluenced by the experimenter. However, no conditions are strictly repeatable. It is of interest, therefore, that science works at all; it is successful where it is successful! If we are not to be left with a useless tauto-

5

logy we can put this another way: it is of the nature of the universe that at least some aspects of it are subject to the scientific method. The success of the scientific method when applied, for example, to purely mechanical situations, tells us something of the nature of the universe; it has a mechanical aspect. That is not to say that all in the universe is of this character. (7) Mystical perception challenges the assumption of science that the material world is primary and that nothing exists except what we obtain cognitively through the five human senses. In the words of physicist Max Planck: “That which cannot be measured is not real.” Yet there is ample evidence from the findings of science itself that the world of discrete objects and events is an illusion, a function of the particular scale and sensitivity of our perception and time sense. “In spite of all the, to us, miraculous discoveries of science, the universe and the mystery of life in it still completely baffles us. Indeed, as the first enthusiasm of scientific discovery tends to wane, the mystery becomes more, rather than less, insoluble.” Science attempts to bring order to the perceived world by deducing the ‘laws’ governing the workings of existence and then expressing them in precise mathematical and statistical terms. However, there is a limit to this method as it fails to capture the living, constantly changing, and ultimately unknowable essence of reality or mystery of being. “In the deepest sense, do we really know more than the ancients did about man and the universe? What scientist can say why the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, why crows are black and herons white, why water boils at 100° C and freezes at 0° C., why dogs chase cats or cats play with mice.” Western science has made nature intelligible in terms of its symmetries and its regularities, analyzing its most wayward forms into components of a regular and measurable shape. As a result we tend to see nature and to deal with it as an “order” from which the element of spontaneity has been “screened” out. But this order is maya, and the “true suchness” of things has nothing in common with the purely conceptual aridities of perfect squares, circles or triangles – except by spontaneous accident. Yet this is why the Western mind is dismayed when ordered conceptions of the universe break down, and when the basic behavior of the physical world is found to be a “principle of uncertainty.” (8) Scientific research is based on a statistical analysis of data which assumes certain temporal and organizational characteristics, while excluding other possible patterns or structures: Q: Much research is being done in an attempt to show the possibilities of super-normal communication or cognition. All the tests are always subjected to statistical analysis. A: Such efforts as you mention will be unsuccessful in discovering anything of real importance, because what we are involved in has a series-system and a periodicity different in kind from the statistics which you mention. It is useful, however, to look at the innocence of the assumption that everything, in order

6

to be significant, must obey a certain set of time and measuring laws. You can measure, by statistics, the occurrence only of those things which come within the limited range of statistics, as you know them – a minor part of the possibilities of calculation, even in this sphere, the sphere of happenings . . . Your statistics are based upon a very limited pattern. So we would call it primitive. You have been reared to observe things moving in accordance with a certain sort of regularity or irregularity. You refine this as much as you can, and then assume that nothing has reality unless it can be encompassed within this narrow limit. (9) One of the cornerstones of the scientific method is the importance given to the concept of the ‘repeatable experiment’ as a way of determining the reliability and validity of a scientific finding. The pitfall of ignoring this requirement is aptly illustrated by the story of the professor and the carpet – in which the scholarly gentleman incorrectly generalizes from limited data: There was once a professor who lost a book and could not find it anywhere. One day he had just taken off his hat and was rolling back a carpet for some reason, when he saw the missing volume on the floor. This lesson was not lost on him. Not long afterwards, someone told him that a valuable ring had been lost. “There is no real problem there,” said the professor, “for all you have to do is what I did, which yielded results. Take off your hat and roll back the carpet – then you will find the ring almost at once.” (10) Science builds its knowledge by discovering repeatable phenomena and using them to lead to a general principle, rule or law. But this assumes that the conditions underpinning a given experiment will always hold in other circumstances and time periods, an assumption that is actually contradicted by the findings of science itself. The scientific requirement for ‘repeatable experiments’ may act as an impediment in understanding certain phenomena of the natural world: In the case of the Sufi experience with extra-sensory phenomena, the principle claimed by the Sufis is different. Their investigation shows that the following of phenomena yields diminishing returns. This, they aver, is because the increase in knowledge of localized phenomena cannot be carried out beyond a certain point. The detail, or secondary manifestation, of ‘psi,’ in their view, actually emphasizes that there is no further progress along that road. The progress comes, rather, by way of the holistic approach. It might be said that the scientific approach has most often been: ‘I shall make this phenomenon reveal its secrets,’ while the Sufi attitude is: ‘Let the real truth, whatever it may be, be revealed to me.’ . . . In the latter mode, experience is needed before knowledge can be perceived. In the former, experience provides knowledge. (11)

7

Underlying Assumptions and World View of Science The traditional story “The Elephant in the Dark” illustrates the difficulty of approaching higher levels of knowledge by applying limited methods of study. “The whole cannot be studied by means of the parts, and a thing cannot study all of itself simultaneously.” An elephant belonging to a travelling exhibition had been stabled near a town where no elephant had been seen before. Four curious citizens, hearing of the hidden wonder, went to see if they could get a preview of it. When they arrived at the stable they found that there was no light. The investigation therefore had to be carried out in the dark. One, touching its trunk, thought that the creature must resemble a hosepipe; the second felt an ear and concluded that it was a fan. The third, feeling a leg, could liken it only to a living pillar; and when the fourth put its hand on its back he was convinced that it was some kind of throne. None could form the complete picture; and of the part that each felt, he could only refer to it in terms of things which he already knew. The result of the expedition was confusion. Each was sure that he was right; none of the other townspeople could understand what had happened, what the investigators had actually experienced. (12) Science is inherently limited in its scope by its underlying philosophical assumptions, which most scientists conveniently disregard in drawing conclusions from their experiments and studies of nature: When you consider the approach of science, you find that science directs its attention towards answering the question of how things happen; it doesn’t really, and with its methods it cannot, try to answer the question why things happen as they do . . . Logic can never answer the question of what things are in any ultimate sense. Logic is based on certain axioms or assumptions that are taken for granted, on which the whole structure of scientific knowledge is built, but these aren’t normally questioned, and people forget that they are no more than assumptions. This is not to say that science is not extremely useful, provided you don’t ask it to do more than it can possibly do. (13) Scientists and scholars assume that they are perfectly capable of formulating relevant research questions in any area of study. They ignore the fact that questions are every bit as important as answers and require a certain preparation and background. “The fact that you can pose a question does not in itself presuppose an immediate answer.” Academic thinking and intellectual reasoning put a premium on questioning, interpreting and explaining, but frequently ignore the application of knowledge to the real world. In the words of a proverb: ‘Love the pitcher less and the water more.’

8

You have been brought up to imagine that every question has an answer. This is not true. Every question is capable of being answered, but as to whether the answer is valuable is a different matter. You feel that you must ask, have the right to ask, and have the intelligence to understand the answer . . . Learning, knowledge and wisdom are only useful to you if you have the companion capability of applying them in the right quality in the right context of activity. (14) Most specialists and scientists are unaware of the various levels, range of meanings and extra dimensions contained in even the simplest, most mundane events of life. In order to understand certain aspects of reality, it is necessary to transcend crude assumptions and learn to operate in more refined and subtle ways: Questions do not differ in terms of importance, so far as their answerability is concerned. They differ in subtlety and nuance and in other ways. This fact is so repellent to the scientist and scholastic because it implies that he must equip himself to operate in different dimensions when he prefers the safety of assumptions, his ‘psychological nest or fortress.’ So he trains himself and everyone else to deal in crude assumptions and attempts to fashion a world around them. There is no wonder that unresolved factors keep popping up and plaguing people. I say ‘plaguing’ because the inconvenient factors are generally labelled as ‘aberrations’ and so on. Something that does not fit into your lovely plan. This makes it opposed to you. Hence the assumption that such and such a thing Is ‘opposed to reason,’ ‘unscientific,’ and so on. (15) The underlying assumptions, approaches and beliefs of science take many forms: •

•

•

•

Scientists, scholars and intellectuals generally show a bias toward the logical, linear, sequential left hemisphere mode of cognition, at the expense of the holistic or intuitive approaches to knowledge. “Plato’s fire-lit cave is a closed system and its prisoners find logic adequate to explain all that they experience. No logic can trigger off the intuitive leap which would suggest to them the existence of a reality greater than their world of flickering shadows.” Intellectuals and rationalists tend to imagine that all knowledge is contained in books, forgetting that everything which is written down is not the sum total of available knowledge. They assume that the written word has greater validity than something said or experienced. ‘Real knowledge’ may be contained in a dance, fairy tale, parable, exercise, ceremonial ritual or work of art or architecture. One of the basic assumptions of science is the separation of subject and object, perceiver and perceived. The scientist must stand completely apart from the object of study – flower, rainbow, human group – without participating in it, concerned only with the outer manifestation and characteristics. The pattern-seeking approach to knowledge seeks to verify preconceptions and freeze or imprison reality into permanent, static categories. Pattern-thinking tries to make sense out of elements which may or may not be actually related. This approach is largely 9

•

•

•

•

•

•

inadequate because it attempts to apply principles which hold in one area of study to another area where it is not appropriate. When scholars and scientists bring fixed assumptions and unconscious biases to the study of new or unfamiliar subjects, they can easily commit the error of ‘proof by selected instances’ in which data which contradicts their prior assumptions is ignored or disregarded in favour of observations which confirm their preconceptions. Systematic study and specialization are only valuable in the fields in which they apply. Experts tend to label phenomena according to their own scale of measurement. ‘A donkey can judge thistles but he cannot judge melons.’ The ‘cataloguing mind’ attempts to acquire facts and ideas and force them into some kind of logical and coherent system. The need to define and place labels on things, to fit data into narrow known categories, can be taken to obsessive lengths. “Certain things can be found out by using this method, but not everything.” A common problem when studying things from an outside perspective is to work selectively with sources and materials, choosing some and ignoring others. Superficial conclusions are reached when only some of the evidence is considered. Astigmatism in science is caused by artificially limiting the field of inquiry. “If you encounter data which lie outside an area which you have defined for yourself as containing the only possible data, you will either fail to see it altogether or else will plausibly discredit it in terms of your own prior assumptions.” The so-called “rational mind” is often restricted by rigidity, lack of flexibility and an inability to absorb new material outside familiar boundaries. Dualistic thinking tends to argue from a fixed position or idea, leading to an “either-or” approach which lacks the flexibility that could resolve and reconcile apparent differences.

Subjective and Personal Factors The subjectivity, biases, hidden prejudices and personal predisposition of scientists are also limiting factors in the application of the scientific method to understanding reality. Subjective assessments and personal preoccupations must be taken into account in evaluating the objectivity of scientists and scholars. ‘The colour of the water seems to be the colour of the glass into which it has been poured.’ Experts often judge things according to criteria of their own invention and based on their own background and experience, thus imposing arbitrary limitations on the phenomena they seek to study. Science tries to eliminate the ‘personal equation’ from its methods, but many historians of science have pointed out that this is not always easy: “A scientist’s cultural and personal conditioning naturally affects the style and direction of the scientist’s inquiry.” Scientists are human and often display many of the same foibles and errors as ordinary untrained lay people. Scholarly and scientific work is sometimes poorly researched, contradictory, distorted and confusing. There is an unfortunate tendency on the part of many to

10

arbitrarily edit or excise important information and ideas, or else rely on ‘rehashing’ techniques whereby one expert will essentially copy from another. In other cases scholars and scientists break the basic canons of research, such as ‘checking sources,’ ‘verifying findings’ and clearly ‘distinguishing between opinion and fact.’ Individuals who are called ‘experts’ and ‘specialists’ frequently exhibit ignorance and a lack of any real knowledge. “All human cultures still retain this unbalanced view of the expert: still believing in his infallibility, without having caught up with the abundantly available and frequently demonstrated evidence of his limitations.” It has sometimes been said that the socalled experts and specialists outnumber the relatively few real scholars and scientists. ‘In countries where there are no horses, donkeys are called horses.’ Some cynics have even suggested that ‘expert’ is another word for ‘ignoramus.’ The assumption of authority by many specialists leads others to think that their reasoning and conclusions must be true and correct. At its worst this results in communication by intimidation or abstruse terminology: Then you have the intellectual academician, a man who writes papers in more and more refined areas of his own discipline, and he becomes more and more enchanted or intoxicated by his own rationale or explanation, as a result of which he starts to believe more and more in his own abstractions, and he builds a whole structure of so-called thinking on it. These are the most difficult people to challenge, because if they have built a castle of dreams, they must and will defend it. (16) Many scientists and researchers maintain a posture of “acceptance or rejection” and oppose or ignore what they do not understand. Polarized belief leads to unthinking rejection by some and equally unthinking acceptance by others. The tendency to be hostile or to look for something to criticize is sometimes called the “need to oppose.” Criticism and opposition are legitimate activities when they are honest, objective and grounded in real knowledge. But it is also important to improve the quality of criticism so that it is useful and constructive. “Criticism has to go through these stages: (1) It is impossible; (2) It is possible, but it is useless; (3) It is useful, but I knew about it all the time. Criticism can then stop.” Scientists and scholars can be blinded by dogmatism, concealed prejudices, ideology, bias and insisting on certain exclusive points of view. There is a lack of awareness of the difference between dogmatism or polemic and the communication of information and knowledge. “Fraud, obstinacy, closed thinking, collusion, and many other human failings are not exempted from the scientific community, and the history of science is replete with occurrences of this kind.” Arrogance and parochialism effectively prevent the assimilation of unfamiliar concepts and ideas. “Humility is the acceptance of the possibility that someone else or something else has something to teach you which you do not already know.”

11

Great scientists understand quite clearly that that which can be known by the human mind is nothing more than an infinitesimal fraction of the actual universe. It is scientific to say you don’t understand those things that you don’t understand. To rashly deny those things that you don’t understand is unscientific. That kind of person is what I call a second-rate scientist. Concerning such things as matters of the spiritual world and supernormal powers as well, they simply conclude that such things are superstitions. (17) Some scholars and scientists vie and compete with each other, attack other academics and frequently lack a sense of humour. This type of lower level activity is often exemplified by personal vendettas, self-importance and the desire for prominence: The self-styled intellectual sneers at the humble man’s respect for some things. But if you want to see stupidity clearly and have a firework shown in the bargain, speak against the thinker’s sacred cows. You are then more likely to have a demonstration of what ‘raving like a maniac’ means. (18) Shallow scholars and researchers often have an inaccurate image of themselves, confusing their own subjective desires (such as the need for attention) with the proper function of research and study. When vanity and self-importance gain ascendancy in academic endeavours it may be necessary to point out this predilection in order to protect others. “An erroneous belief about oneself, particularly a fantasy that one is more important than one really is, can have an unpleasant and destructive effect upon an individual and on those who may rely on them.”

The Relationship Between Science and Mysticism Certain ways of thinking, such as specialization and the scientific approach, are beneficial if kept within certain bounds and applied to fields where they work. Logic and reason are useful and effective functions of the human mind when they operate in their appropriate sphere: Reason is essential; but it has its place. If you want to have clothes made you visit a tailor. Reason tells you which tailor to choose. After that, however, reason is in suspense. You have to repose complete trust – faith – in your tailor that he will complete the work correctly. Logic, says the master, takes the patient to the doctor. After that, he is completely in the hands of the physician. (19) Although science is certainly a valid method of inquiry into the nature of things, it is not the only meaningful approach to understanding reality: Modern science is not the only avenue to truth. Great spiritual traditions all over the world have other perspectives on reality that are based on direct and intuitive perceptions in purified states of consciousness, which are either ignored

12

or denied by science. Among the perceptions achieved in those spiritual traditions is an acknowledgment of levels of being higher than the mind, which can be experienced but cannot be known by any mode of knowledge which separates object and subject. The state of consciousness in which such intuitive insight is possible requires a radical transformation of being brought about by spiritual disciplines. (20) Throughout the ages and across cultures the world’s great spiritual traditions have contributed to the understanding and realization of full human development and potential. Their teachings and practices have preserved and transmitted knowledge and wisdom to future generations much like “a pitcher which contains water which will ultimately provide nourishment to many people.” Approaches and contributions to human knowledge and understanding which are altruistic in nature (including science) are always welcomed by genuine mystical teachings and schools. The pursuit of knowledge, whether scientific or mystical, should be objective, selfless and for the benefit of all humanity. “It is a characteristic of true scholarship that honesty and detachment are wedded to a search for truth.” The relationship between science and religion or mysticism should be complementary, not antagonistic. Albert Einstein: “Science without religion is lame, and religion without science is blind.” Zen Buddhist teacher Philip Kapleau has a similar sentiment: “Science without a spiritual outlook is barren and socially dangerous. Religion bolstered by science is better able to keep its feet on the ground while its head is in the heavens.” Controversies and conflicts between science and mysticism are superficial and secondary in the face of real knowledge and perception. There is a famous Eastern story that illustrates this contention: “The mystic Abu Said and the philosopher Ibn Sina, known in the West as Avicenna, once met. When they parted the sage said: ‘What I see, he knows.’ The philosopher said: ‘What I know, he sees’.” It is easy to see the unreality of the supposed antagonism between science and religion. Nietzsche was no friend of religion but he set both sides straight when he wrote ‘There are questions whose truth or untruth cannot be decided by man; all the supreme questions, all the supreme problems of value are beyond human reason . . . To grasp the limits of reason – only this is true philosophy.’ Some years ago Professor Erwin Schrödinger began his short book, Mind and Matter, with these words: ‘The world is a construct of our sensations, perceptions, memories. It is convenient to regard it as existing objectively on its own. But it certainly does not become manifest by its mere existence.’ Western scientists may have followed a longer and more devious road, but their conception of reality turns out, in the end, to be very much what the Eastern mystic has always said it was. If a man wishes to know more about himself and his perception of the world, he must study his own consciousness. (21) The apparent opposition between mystics and scientists may be more apparent than real. A saying of Rumi encapsulates this truth: ‘Things which are apparently opposed may in reality be working together.’

13

It is a matter of sociological evidence that the people who make the best friends are not those who are attracted to one another, or to each other’s ideas, at first. On the contrary, it has been shown that the person who opposes you is likely to become a firmer friend than one who becomes your friend immediately. This may seem odd; it is certainly something which has been known for centuries to thinkers and experimentalists. On the perceptual, as distinct from the superficial level, there is a communication which leads to harmony between nominally opposed people or attitudes. Were this not so, we would never get agreement following disagreement . . . Mystics and scholars seem to oppose one another. But when they know one another’s approaches and knowledge, this ‘opposition’ disappears. (22) Many of the greatest scientists in human history, although not religious in the traditional sense, have expressed deeply held convictions about the spiritual dimensions of reality. For Albert Einstein, science was a way “of finding the secrets of the Old One.” And Louis Pasteur summed up his feelings in these words: “I see everywhere in the world the inevitable expression of the concept of Infinity. The idea of God is nothing more than one form of the idea of Infinity . . . Happy is he who bears a God within and who obeys it. The ideals of art, of science, are lighted by reflections from the Infinite.” Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein and many other great scientists have always approached science as a sacred activity driven by a feeling of awe, mystery, vastness and timelessness, in which the ultimate goal is to comprehend the mysteries of existence and reality. For Einstein, religion “consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals himself in the slightest details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble minds. That deeply emotional conviction of a superior reasoning power which is revealed in the incomprehensible universe forms my idea of God.” And in his book Ideas and Opinions he wrote: [This feeling] is one of rapturous amazement at the harmony of natural laws, which reveals an intelligence of such superiority that, compared with it, all the systematic thinking and acting of human beings is an utterly insignificant reflection . . . The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science . . . To know that that which is impenetrable to us really exists, manifesting itself as the highest wisdom and the most radiant beauty which our dull faculties can comprehend only in their most primitive forms – this knowledge, this feeling, is the center of true religiousness. In this sense, and in this sense only, I belong in the ranks of devoutly religious men. (23)

Levels of Knowledge and Experience Both science and spiritual traditions can deviate from their original intent and degenerate into cults. In the case of science, it takes the form of ‘scientism,’ a belief that science is

14

omniscient and superior to all other ways of understanding reality. Science, by its very nature, is incomplete, providing only a partial and constantly evolving description of the workings of phenomenal existence. “Many things accepted as fact by science are hypotheses which fit all or most cases encountered. When new cases which do not fit appear, the ‘facts’ are changed, and new theories emerge, to be superseded in their turn.” The reality we perceive is only a small part of total reality and, much like the visible portion of an iceberg, masks a hidden reality: We have been accustomed all our lives to taking the world of the senses as reality. Now, the moment you begin to learn about what the senses tell you, you can see that it’s not reality at all. It’s like looking through a tiny slit – whole aspects of life can’t be received through the senses at all. You begin to know, if you reflect, that what is most real about life is exactly what is not brought to us by the senses; it is the invisibility behind what the senses bring to us. You may begin to know that this appearance which we feel as reality, which you see all around you, hides a mystery of which you have no idea . . . So much of our thinking, so many of our attitudes are based on this idea that the world as imparted to us through our senses is reality, is the real world, and we have to realize that this is not so. That world is only a part of the real world. (24) There are many levels and gradations of knowledge, each leading to a more comprehensive understanding of reality. The scientist and the academic have been trained or conditioned to operate in only certain limited modes of thinking and perception. “It is difficult for people to credit that, though they may be in one sense refined, this is only a refinement of certain branches of their thinking or even of small parts of their observational capacity.” There is a danger to believing in the complete sovereignty of the human mind and intellect at the expense of other sides of humanness. “When one has a powerful intellect, its ultimate function is to show that intellectuality is merely a prelude to something else.” Sir Isaac Newton, the father of classical physics, admitted the limitations of the conventional scientific method; and hinted at the Design of Truth: ‘I do know not what I may appear in the world, but to myself I seem to have been only a boy playing on the sea-shore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.’ (25) Science is based on an ‘objective’ rather than a subjective evaluation and understanding of reality, placing experiment and quantifiable measurement above personal experience. When this approach is strictly applied to human beings much of the richness and subtlety of the higher dimensions of existence are missed. “Scientifically-minded people, and scholars, seek repeatable demonstrations of mystical and spiritual fact in their own terms. Because they are looking for things which they can recognize instead of preparing themselves to recognize things

15

which they are not able to do, they cannot accept the evidence which they cannot see and will not train themselves to see.” [Scientists] forget the fact that a person invariably lives a personal life and not a conceptually or scientifically defined one. However exactly or objectively or philosophically the definition might have been given, it is not the definition that the person lives but the life itself, and it is this life which is the subject of human study. Objectivity or subjectivity is not the question here. What concerns us most vitally is to discover by ourselves, personally, where this life is, how it is lived. The person that knows itself is never addicted to theorization, never writes books, never indulges itself in giving instruction to others; it always lives its unique life, its free creative life. What is it? Where is it? The Self knows itself from within and never from the outside. (26) Spiritual teachings can only be partially expressed in words and logical concepts and cannot be fully understood solely by intellectual means or theoretical analysis. “Misunderstandings arise when the mentality and methods of scholasticism and linear thinking are employed to approach something which is of a completely different nature.” The purpose of spiritual and mystical teachings is inner development. The exponents of these teachings are involved in the direct transmission of higher knowledge and not secondary academic or scientific pursuits. It is not possible to capture or communicate experiences and perceptions of a higher order in a conceptual framework. There is a Zen saying: “Those who know do not speak; those who speak do not know.” In order to study and benefit from higher spiritual teachings certain approaches and qualifications are necessary: The study of Sufism requires a trained observer. In the Western scientific and literary-scholastic traditions, certain minimum capacities are demanded before the observer, student or researcher can be said to be capable of carrying on his investigations. Naturally, these qualifications help in two ways: first, they help to assure others that the observations are likely to be good and sensible; secondly they are the tools which enable the worker to explore his theme and profit from it. In Sufism exactly the same criteria apply. The investigation of Sufism has to be carried out by someone who is himself qualified by having the background which will enable him to research the right phenomena, at the right time, in the right place; enable him to experience what he has encountered, and, ideally, enable him to render this in a communicable form to others. You do not do the watchmaker’s job with the bookmaker’s tools, and an admirable nuclear physicist may make a very indifferent mechanic or philosopher. Scientific training is needed for scientific investigations. Sufi training is needed for the exploration and understanding of Sufism. This simple fact is obscured by the unconscious assumption that current intellectual and scientific approaches are suitable for all studies; even,

16

perhaps, that they are better than any others; even, perhaps, that the thing being observed cannot itself be assumed to have methods and procedures which have been devised for observing it. (27) Genuine spiritual teachings are sometimes described as ‘holistic’ or ‘organic.’ They are comprehensive and experiential, and represent a spectrum of approaches to higher human development that defy simple categorization – there is no common denominator with anything familiar. “Such room as there is for experimentation and ‘re-inventing the wheel’ here is limited and limiting.” Genuine spiritual teachings are operational in intent, designed to cause an effect. Their purpose is self-development and the attainment of wisdom through the initiation of experience and inner understanding. It is possible to gain advanced knowledge through a form of intuition and direct perception which is independent of logic and intellectual methods. Intuition is a universal mode of direct perception and cognition, inherent although undeveloped in everyone, that can grasp higher aspects of reality. “Einstein and other outstanding men of science have said that their greatest discoveries came, not through logical thinking, but through an intuitive leap.” Spiritual and mystical teachings contain a living, experiential element at their core -- a basic interior source for higher knowledge and understanding. Such inner experiences are by their very nature inexpressible and very difficult to communicate in a logical linear fashion. ‘He who tastes, knows.’ In genuine schools of higher development there is a balance between theory and practice. Experience and participation are essential requisites of higher knowledge, as they are in many other fields of human endeavour. The higher ranges of human understanding and spiritual development require participation-study and direct involvement and experience, not merely external or theoretical evaluation. Experience is just as valid a part of knowledge as academic learning. Yet a gardener with many decades of experience may be dismissed by a young botanist with a university degree. “It is necessary to participate in order to understand. A phenomenon that we have experienced in our own person carries a complete conviction, which cannot be acquired from academic studies.” The Franciscan monk Roger Bacon, widely regarded as one of the greatest thinkers of the Middle Ages, taught that there is a difference between the collection of information and the knowing of things through actual experience. In his Opus Maius he wrote: “There are two modes of knowledge, through argument and experience. Argument brings conclusions and compels us to concede them, but it does not cause certainty nor remove doubts in order that the mind may remain at rest in truth, unless this is provided by experience.”

17

The scientific method, by devaluing personal experience and understanding, is incomplete and incapable of approaching those aspects of reality that are outside the confines of its net of assumptions and philosophical world view: Modern science, instead of accepting the idea that experience was necessary in all branches of human thought, took the word in its sense of “experiment,” in which the experimenter remained as far as possible outside the experience . . . Scientific thinking has worked continuously and heroically with this partial tradition ever since. The impairment of the tradition has prevented scientific researchers from approaching knowledge by means of itself – by “experience,” not merely “experiment.” (28)

References (1) Thomas Kuhn The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1962), p. 102. (2) Thomas Kuhn The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1962), p. 24. (3) Ravi Ravindra Science and the Sacred (Wheaton, Illinois: Quest Books, 2002), p. 73. (4) D.T. Suzuki, Erich Fromm and Richard De Martino Zen Buddhism and Psychoanalysis (New York: Harper & Row, 1970), p. 11. (5) D.T. Suzuki, Erich Fromm and Richard De Martino Zen Buddhism and Psychoanalysis (New York: Harper & Row, 1970), p. 14. (6) Henri Bortoft Goethe’s Scientific Consciousness (Tunbridge Wells, Kent: The Institute for Cultural Research, 1986), p. 71. (7) Leonard Lewin Science and the Paranormal (Tunbridge Wells, Kent: The Institute for Cultural Research, 1979), p. 4. (8) Alan Watts The Way of Zen (New York: Vintage Books, 1957), p. 180. (9) Idries Shah The Commanding Self (London: Octagon Press, 1994), pp. 193-194. (10) Idries Shah The Commanding Self (London: Octagon Press, 1994), p. 38. (11) Idries Shah The Commanding Self (London: Octagon Press, 1994), p. 38. (12) Idries Shah The Sufis (New York: Anchor Books, 1971), pp. 40-41. (13) Hugh Brockwill Ripman Questions and Answers Along the Way (Washington, D.C.: Fourthway Center Press, 2009), p.206. (14) Rafael Lefort The Teachers of Gurdjieff (London: Victor Gollancz, 1973), p. 35. (15) Idries Shah The Commanding Self (London: Octagon Press, 1994), pp. 207-208. (16) Omar Ali-Shah The Sufi Tradition in the West (New York: Alif Publishing, 1994), p. 108. (17) Hakuun Yasutani Flowers Fall (Boston: Shambhala, 1996), p. 80. (18) Idries Shah Caravan of Dreams (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 206. (19) Idries Shah The Sufis (New York: Anchor Books, 1971), pp. 135-136. (20) Ravi Ravindra Science and the Sacred (Wheaton, Illinois: Quest Books, 2002), p. 25. (21) Robert Cecil (ed.) The King’s Son (London: Octagon Press, 1981), pp. xx-xxi.

18

(22) Idries Shah Learning How to Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 218-220. (23) Albert Einstein Ideas and Opinions (New York: Crown, 1954), p. 11. (24) Hugh Brockwill Ripman Questions and Answers Along the Way (Washington, D.C.: Fourthway Center Press, 2009), pp. 236-237. (25) H.B.M. Dervish Journeys With a Sufi Master (London: Octagon Press, 1982), p. 114. (26) D.T. Suzuki, Erich Fromm and Richard De Martino Zen Buddhism and Psychoanalysis (New York: Harper & Row, 1970), p. 28. (27) Idries Shah Neglected Aspects of Sufi Study (London: Octagon Press, 1989), pp. 32-33. (28) Idries Shah The Sufis (New York: Anchor Books, 1971), pp. xxvi-xxvii.

19

EMOTIONAL STATES ‘All our emotions are rudimentary organs of “something higher”’ G.I. Gurdjieff

Subjectivity and Imagination Most people’s assessment of situations, events and other people are highly subjective and very dependent upon suggestions and assumptions. Many individuals make up their minds and come to decisions on the basis of insufficient information and unreliable beliefs. The same individual, situation or idea may be perceived completely differently by two or more people due to the operation of imagination and subjectivity. People may imagine that they understand a situation through direct and factual observation, when they have actually only formed an opinion as to the nature of the event. Subjective impressions and conditioned judgements are generally unreliable. The majority of people judge by superficial social criteria and not deeper spiritual insight. ‘In the distorting mirror of your mind, an angel can seem to have a devil’s face.’ Subjective states are different for different people and cannot be directly entered into by another: Man cannot stay long in one subjective state. Very many things can arise from a subjective state. Never can you know the subjective state of another; the subjective state of two people is never the same, for subjective states are like fingerprints, different for each person. And no one can explain his own subjective state to another. A man does not really know why he is angry with you. You can say, “He is not angry with me – his state is angry with me.” Remember this, and never reply with your interior, which is inner considering, and don’t harbor associations of revenge and resentment. Good wishing can be effective over great distances – bad wishing also. (1) Many spiritual traditions teach that human beings create their own suffering and unhappiness through their subjective, one-sided interpretation of life events. Subjective imaginings and conditioning block higher perceptions and the actualization of full human potential: Creation is neither good nor bad; it is as it is. It is the human mind which puts all sorts of constructions on it, as it sees things from its own angle and as it suits its own interests. Men love women, hate snakes, and are indifferent to the grass and stones by the road side. These connections are the causes of all the misery in the world. Creation is like a peepul tree: birds come to eat its fruit, or take shelter under its branches, men cool themselves in its shade, but some may hang themselves on it. Yet the tree continues to lead its quiet life, unconcerned with, and unaware of, all the uses it is put to. It is the human mind that creates

1

its own difficulties and then cries for help . . . In creation there is room for every thing, but man refuses to see the good, the healthy and the beautiful, and goes on whining, like the hungry man who sits beside a tasty dish and, instead of stretching out his hand to satisfy his hunger, he goes on lamenting. (2) Dogmas and deeply enmeshed beliefs have a powerful emotional valence that sustains their persistent endurance and gives them a great power and impact: Dogmas – religious, political, scientific – arise out of the erroneous belief that thought can encapsulate reality or the truth. Dogmas are collective conceptual prisons. And the strange thing is that people love their prison cells because they give them a sense of security and a false sense of “I know.” Nothing has inflicted more suffering on humanity than its dogmas. It is true that every dogma crumbles sooner or later, because reality will eventually disclose its falseness; however, unless the basic delusion of it is seen for what it is, it will be replaced by others. What is the basic delusion? Identification with thought. (3) There is a symbiotic relationship between emotions and thoughts in which one reinforces the other in a type of feedback loop: An emotion usually represents an amplified and energized thought pattern, and because of its often overpowering energetic charge, it is not easy initially to stay present enough to be able to watch it. It wants to take you over, and it usually succeeds – unless there is enough presence in you. If you are pulled into unconscious identification with the emotion through lack of presence, which is normal, the emotion temporarily becomes “you.” Often a vicious circle builds up between your thinking and the emotion: they feed each other. The thought pattern creates a magnified reflection of itself in the form of an emotion, and the vibrational frequency of the emotion keeps feeding the original thought pattern. By dwelling mentally on the situation, event, or person that is the perceived cause of the emotion, the thought feeds energy to the emotion, which in turn energizes the thought pattern, and so on. (4) People tend to respond to stimuli in predictable ways. As a result they can easily be manipulated to react in a stereotyped manner to something which is perceived to be “new” or “unusual.” Human beings frequently look for what they have been trained or conditioned to look for and consequently ignore what may actually be there. Imagination and fantasy are not bad in themselves, but the desire for too much fantasy at the expense of reality gives an unbalanced intake and evaluation of impressions. There is a limit to the usefulness and efficient working of imagination and fancy, beyond which reality is distorted. “What some people take to be ‘hunches’ are often really the product of neurosis and imagination.”

2

Aesthetic appreciation is frequently based on subjective emotions, social pressure and conditioned beliefs and attitudes: You look at an object, and judge it by the associations which it conjures up. You may like it or not. The reasons for liking it are seldom reasonable at all. A person may, legitimately, like a flower. He likes the colour, shape, total impact, smell and so on. But he has no conception of any deeper meaning of the flower. By this I do not mean the airy-fairy feeling ‘that this must really mean something.’ Such an idea is far too imprecise and primitive. The flower has a meaning and a value which I call the deeper meaning . . . From this way of thinking, from what we call the perception of what, say, a flower really signifies, those who are absorbed in the aesthetics of the flower are ‘barbarians,’ confined to sensory impacts and their mental processing. (5) The Sufis assert that what is generally thought of as artistic appreciation is superficial and dependent on unreliable feelings, implanted belief and social pressure. They hold that “what most people take to be art is not art at all, but emotional and conditioned sources of stimuli. This does not mean there is no real art. It does mean that even accepted aesthetic people have confused learnt and automatic responses with perception.” There is abundant evidence that many art experts are superficial and subjective in their assessments: If you want an example, there is the one of ‘Sunset over the Adriatic,’ exhibited in 1910 at the Salon des Independents, painted by Boronali. An Austrian collector bought the canvas, after it had received acclaim by the experts as an outstanding example of the Excessive School. It was then revealed, by Roland Dorgeles and a group of artists, that the picture had been “painted” by a donkey, to whose tail a brush had been tied. ‘Boronali’ was formed by a rearrangement of the letters in the name of Aliboron, the donkey of La Fontaine. Matisse’s painting ‘Le Bateau’ was hung for 47 days at the Museum of Modern Art in 1961, when almost 120,000 people saw it without realizing that it was upside down. (6)

Emotionality and Excitement Our emotional states are constantly changing in response to external impacts and impressions. This continual flux “steals” valuable energy which could be used for higher developmental purposes: The records of our feelings revolve in the same way – pleasant and unpleasant, joy and sorrow, laughter and irritation, pleasure and pain, sympathy and antipathy. You hear yourself praised and you are pleased; someone reproves you and your mood is spoiled. Something new captures your interest and instantly makes you forget what interested you just as much the moment before. Gradu-

3

ally your interest attaches you to the new thing to such an extent that you sink into it from head to foot; suddenly you do not possess it anymore, you have disappeared, you are bound to and dissolved in this thing; in fact it possesses you, it has captivated you, and this infatuation, this capacity for being captivated is, under many different guises, a property of each one of us. This binds us and prevents us from being free. By the same token it takes away our strength and our time, leaving us no possibility of being objective and free – two essential qualities for anyone who decides to follow the way of self-knowledge. (7) Indiscriminate emotion clouds judgement and forms a barrier to higher perception and understanding. Many people feel that anything which amazes or entertains them must be important, forgetting the difference between the unusual and the significant. In any learning situation people need to be sensitive to the relationship between study, boredom and entertainment. “When people are frustrated in their search for entertainment, they will seek it everywhere, trying even to turn serious and non-entertainment study into diversion. When they do this, they often prevent any real study in that subject taking place at all.” When emotions and strong feelings are linked with certain situations, groups or individuals, a strong bond may form between them which may operate on a completely unconscious level. For example, “if a primitive person, or a child at a similar stage of mental development, experiences a pain, or a sense of joy, in accidental synchronicity with some other event, he or she will often link the two, producing a sense of importance for what might well have been a trivial or irrelevant event.” The fact is that emotion sensitizes the brain of the individual. If no true explanation of what is happening is forthcoming, a strong sense of dependency towards the source (or even a supposed source) of the stimulus will take its place. Instead of explanation the brain will resort to quasi-explanation. Such a quasi-explanation may become so powerful that it can assume a dominant position in the mental picture of the individual. It is the conscious or unconscious policy of many religious, political, social, tribal, psychological, scholastic and other dogmatic bodies to create this situation in the expectation that at the moment of greatest emotion the commanding idea which is to take possession of the individual’s mind will be the one which the system itself desires to propagate. This pattern may be seen repeated somewhere in virtually every system in the world. It also occurs, repeatedly, randomly and accidentally. When a person acquires a fixation upon some bizarre and unacceptable idea, the condition attracts the attention of psychological therapists. When it is ‘harmless,’ it may not be perceived at all. When it is socially acceptable, the individual may even be rewarded, and the conditioning reinforced by each reward. (8)

4

What is generally called love is frequently “attachment giving pleasure” in which the person is incapable of any other possible behaviour. “If one loves someone because it gives pleasure, one should not be regarded as loving that person at all. The love is, in reality, though this is not perceived, directed towards the pleasure. The source of the pleasure is the secondary object of attention.” Enthusiasm and emotionally-laden responses to causes, ideas or situations is fuelled by a type of energy which seeks, at root, stimulation and excitement. “Enthusiasm to convert or to spread one’s beliefs is self-sustaining. That is to say, it feeds off the action and reaction connected with it . . . It has often been noticed that enthusiasm wilts if left for a time unnoticed.” Most groups and organizations provide pleasure and satisfaction for their adherents. This principle works almost like a magnet or a force of attraction in meeting the emotional needs of individual members: If a person is desirous of achieving [some personal goal] he or she will often pursue this end in a manner which corresponds not with the way in which it can be done, but which gives him (or her) satisfactions. This is the mainspring of all human movements, whether political, national, economic or other. First there is the objective, then the mechanism for attaining it. And the object must always be one which will please the aspirant; after that, the method must be one which gives him satisfactions. No other pattern, no other formula, is needed to explain why people believe things, of such a diversity of organizations and systems. And the pattern is perfect; the system delivers results, subject to a single caveat. This may be stated in the phrase: ‘An attractive objective and a satisfying procedure will always produce results, providing that the objective is possible and the methodology is effective.’ (9) People need to discern their own emotional cycles, their “ebb and flow.” This enables an individual to understand and eventually regulate them so that “they operate it, and not it them.” The ability to regulate our emotional needs and expression allows for further ranges of human fulfilment and autonomy. “Modern man has not yet learned that he has certain emotional needs, has a minimum emotion-intake need. If this is fulfilled, it leaves him free to do other things.” Every feeling is qualitative and there is a range or spectrum of feeling and emotion, ranging from the relatively crude to the refined. “If you feel love, joy, excitement, interest, focused attention, confusion, disinterest, as the result of sitting down on a pin or hearing a bird sing – these and other feelings all contain some negative functions, some self-indulgent ones, and some constructive ones.” People have been trained to respond only to relatively intense stimuli and to ignore the more subtle, refined impulses which may have much greater developmental value. “People who are accustomed to being stimulated by coarse or tense impacts feel odd when approached

5

by an often more valuable, but generally more sensitive impact. They tend to avoid contact with this, by the simple pretext of calling it ‘banal’ or ‘uninteresting’.” The human mind has capacities of ‘taste’ which in contemporary societies are not satisfied at all. The lack of this stimulus is because it is not realized that, in this area, a stimulus need not be intense in order to operate. The result of this ignorance is that people will not give a ‘gentle’ stimulus a chance to operate, and reach forward to whatever seems most likely to afford them instant or deep stimuli. Such people have almost completely put themselves outside the range of the less-crude stimulus. It is only when they are prepared to entertain the possibility of its existence, and prepared, too, to test its workings, that they can be communicated with. You can make no progress with a demand like this: ‘Give me chillie-powder, but let it taste like rose-water.’ (10) The desire to seek pleasure is a basic human need, but when it becomes an obsession it can block inner growth and development. Human beings commonly mistake strong emotions and intense feelings with ‘spirituality’ and elevated states of consciousness: According to the Sufis, you cannot be paid twice for the same thing. This means that if you desire something and take pleasure in feeling that desire, you have been paid. Even if you are deeply emotionally stirred, you are still being ‘paid’ by the emotional stimulus. The Sufis hold that desire of this kind holds people back: they obtain satisfactions or feed their desire until they are either satisfied or chronically dissatisfied. But, they continue, beyond this there is a way of progress, understanding, perception, which is ‘veiled’ (obscured) by desire. Mundane things, and this includes emotional stimuli which are often imagined by very devout people to be religious, are pursued by means of this desire, this coveting. It is evidenced by the fact that the thing desired acquires a great importance in the mind of the victim, rather as one desires possessions, importance, recognition, honours, successes. To distinguish real objectives from secondary ones the Sufis have said: ‘The importance of something is in inverse proportion to its attractiveness.’ This is the parallel of the negligence with which people often fail, in the ordinary world, to recognize important events, inventions or discoveries. (11)

Attention Needs One of the important ingredients in most human interactions is the exchange of attention. It is important to recognize the role and quality of attention (attraction, reception and interchange) in everyday human life. It is a factor which is frequently ignored or mis-categorized due to a lack of awareness of its nature and operation. “People demand attention. The right kind of attention at suitable times leads to the maintenance of a thriving individual. Ignorance of attention-needs leads to too much or too little intake of attention.”

6

Human beings, and animals too, seek attention much as a plant seeks light – because it is a basic need as much as hunger or thirst. A child can be deprived of attention to the point where it begins to feel unreal and invisible. A young woman will go to self-destructive lengths, playing an unreal role, to command attention. A man will invite arrest if he can find attention in no other fashion. Human beings may espouse causes, do ‘good’ or do ‘bad,’ set themselves up as devoted servants or imperious masters, declare themselves deeply in love, all in order to get a feed of sufficient attention. Public generosity, for example, is often more a matter of attention-getting than generosity only. There is nothing wrong in seeking attention. We need it as we need our daily bread. It is a psychological nutrition. What is counter-productive, however, is to allow the need to masquerade as something else. Or not to acknowledge the need at all. (12) People often attribute social, psychological or ritualistic motivations, rather than the need for attention, to various human contacts and interchanges. “What is rarely recognized is that the giving and receiving of attention is generally the disguised motive in a great majority of social interactions. When attention is the fundamental motive, the people involved often believe this interaction to be for some other reason. This can include telephone calls, the writing of letters, business meetings, luncheons, parties, as well as the usual everyday contacts.” Anyone can verify that many instances, generally supposed to be important or useful human transactions on any subject (social, commercial, etc.) are in fact disguised attention-situations. It is contended that if a person does not know what he is doing (in this case that he is basically demanding, extending or exchanging attention) and as a consequence thinks that he is doing something else (contributing to human knowledge, learning, buying, selling, informing, etc.) he will (a) be more inefficient at both the overt and covert activity; (b) have less capacity of planning his behaviour and will make mistakes of emotion and intellect because he considers attention to be other than it is. (13) The compulsive desire to give or receive attention can act as a self-created impediment, blocking higher perceptions and developmental growth. “Those people who give and take the necessary quality, quantity and variety of attention are incomparably more effective and free than those whose lives are dominated by attention-craving, but have no clear picture of the situation.” The ability to control and manage the need for attention is analogous to learning to regulate basic physiological needs such as nourishment and nutrition. “The attention-activity, like any other demand for food, warmth, etc., when placed under volitional control, must result in increased scope for the human being who would then not be at the mercy of random sources of attention, or even more confused than usual if things do not pan out as they expect.”

7

A great deal of human behaviour can be usefully explained when the role of attention is identified and properly understood. “In understanding yourself, realize you probably don’t require as much attention as you attempt to attract. In dealing with others realize this is a possible motive in almost any transaction, regardless of the input or formal reason.” Insight into the human need for attention allows one to respond appropriately and skilfully to situations in which the attention-factor is present. When we understand the mechanism of attention, we become freer in our actions and our choices. Sufi author and teacher Idries Shah has extensively studied the phenomenon of attention and has identified and enunciated certain basic principles (14): • • • •

• • •

•

•

•

•

Too much attention can be bad (inefficient). Too little attention can be bad. Attention may be ‘hostile’ or ‘friendly’ and still fulfil the appetite for attention. When people need a great deal of attention they are vulnerable to the message which too often accompanies the exercise of attention towards them. For example, someone wanting attention might be able to get it only from some person or organization which might thereafter exercise (as its ‘price’) an undue influence upon the attention-starved individual’s mind. Present beliefs have often been inculcated at a time and under circumstances connected with attention demand, and not arrived at by the method attributed to them. Many paradoxical reversals of opinion, or of associates and commitments may be seen as due to the change in a source of attention. People are almost always stimulated by an offer of attention since most people are frequently attention-deprived. This is one reason why new friends, or circumstances, for instance, may be preferred to old ones. If people could learn to assuage attention-hunger, they would be in a better position than most present cultures allow them, to attend to other things. They could extend the effectiveness of their learning capacity. Among the things which unstarved people (in the sense of attention) could investigate, is the comparative attraction of ideas, individuals, etc., apart from their purely attention-supplying function. The desire for attention starts at an early stage of infancy. It is, of course, at that point linked with feeding and protection. This is not to say that this desire has no further or future development value – it can be adapted beyond its ordinary adult usage of mere satisfaction. Observations show that people’s desires for attention ebb and flow. When in an ebb or flow of attention-desire, the human being not realizing that this is his condition, attributes his actions and feelings to other factors, e.g. the hostility or pleasantness of others. He may even say that this is a ‘lucky day,’ when his attention-needs have been quickly and adequately met. Re-examination of such situations has shown that such experiences are best accounted for by the attention-theory.

8

•

•

•

•

Situations which seem different when viewed from an over-simplified perspective (which is the usual one) are seen to be the same by the application of attention-theory. For example, people following an authority-figure may be exercising the desire for attention or the desire to give it. The interchange between people and their authorityfigure may be explained by mutual-attention behaviour. Another confusion is caused by the fact that the object of attention may be a person, a cult, an object, an idea, interest, etc. Because the foci of attention can be so diverse, people in general have not identified the common factor – the desire for attention. The inability to feel when attention is extended, and also to encourage or prevent its being called forth, makes people almost uniquely vulnerable to being influenced, especially in having ideas implanted in the brain, and being indoctrinated. Raising the emotional pitch is the most primitive method of increasing attention towards the instrument which increased the emotion. It is the prelude to, or the accompaniment of, almost every form of indoctrination.

Negative Emotions Negative emotions are pervasive in human life. “In grown-up people negative emotions are supported by the constant justification and glorification of them in literature and art, and by personal self-justification and self-indulgence.” What is a negative emotion? An emotion that is toxic to the body and interferes with its balance and harmonious functioning. Fear, anxiety, anger, bearing a grudge, sadness, hatred or intense dislike, jealousy, envy – all disrupt the energy flow through the body, affect the heart, the immune system, digestion, production of hormones, and so on. Even mainstream medicine, although it knows very little how the ego operates yet, is beginning to recognize the connection between negative emotional states and physical disease. An emotion that does harm to the body also infects the people you come into contact with and indirectly, through a process of chain reaction, countless others you never meet. There is a generic term for all negative emotions: unhappiness. (15) The expression of negative emotions such as anger, jealousy, self-pity, mistrust, boredom and so on constitute one of the major obstacles to harmonious human development: Negative emotions are a terrible phenomenon. They occupy an enormous place in our life. Of many people it is possible to say that all their lives are regulated and controlled, and in the end ruined, by negative emotions. At the same time negative emotions do not play any useful part at all in our lives. They do not help our orientation, they do not give us any knowledge, they do not guide us in any sensible manner. On the contrary, they spoil all our pleasures, they make life a burden to us, and they very effectively prevent our possible development because there is

9

nothing more mechanical in our life than negative emotions. The strangest and most fantastic fact about negative emotions is that people actually worship them. I think that, for an ordinary mechanical man, the most difficult thing to realize is that his own and other people’s negative emotions have no value whatsoever and do not contain anything noble, anything beautiful, or anything strong. (16) Children imbibe negative attitudes and emotions from their parents. Negativity can easily be absorbed from those around us, almost like an infection: In watching children we can see how they are taught negative emotions and how they learn them themselves through imitation of grownups and older children. If, from the earliest days of his life, a child could be put among people who have no negative emotions, he would probably have none, or so very few that they could be easily conquered by right education. But in actual life things happen quite differently, and with the help of all the examples he can see and hear, with the help of reading, the cinema, and so on, a child of about ten already knows the whole scale of negative emotions and can imagine them, reproduce them, and identify with them as well as any grown-up man or woman. (17) Anger and resentment are typical highly-charged negative emotions. “These powerful emotions strengthen the ego enormously by increasing the sense of separateness, emphasizing the otherness of others and creating a seemingly fortress-like mental position of ‘rightness’.” A long-standing resentment is called a grievance. To carry a grievance is to be in a permanent state of “against,” and that is why grievances constitute a significant part of many people’s ego. Collective grievances can survive for centuries in the psyche of a nation or tribe and find a never-ending cycle of violence. A grievance is a strong negative emotion connected to an event in the sometimes distant past that is being kept alive by compulsive thinking, by retelling the story in the head or out loud of “what someone did to me” or “what someone did to us.” A grievance will also contaminate other areas of your life. For example, while you think about and feel your grievance, its negative emotional energy can distort your perception of an event that is happening in the present or influence the way in which you speak or behave toward someone in the present. One strong grievance is enough to contaminate large areas of your life and keep you in the grip of the ego. (18) Fears of all kinds, both conscious and unconscious, play a pervasive role in the everyday life of human beings: Sometimes a man is lost in revolving thoughts which return again and again to the same thing, the same unpleasantness, which he anticipates and which not only will not but cannot happen in reality. These forebodings of future unpleasantness, illnesses, losses, awkward situations often get hold of a man to such an

10

extent that they become waking dreams. People cease to hear and see what actually happens, and if someone succeeds in proving to them that their forebodings and fears were unfounded in some particular instance, they even feel a certain disappointment, as though they were thus deprived of a pleasant expectation . . . Unconscious fear is a very characteristic feature of sleep. Man is possessed by all that surrounds him because he can never look sufficiently objectively on his relationship to his surroundings. He can never stand aside and look at himself together with whatever attracts or repels him at the moment. And because of this inability he is identified with everything. (19) Pessimism and negative attitudes can permeate both individuals and cultures, preventing progress and achievement in many areas of life: There are many individuals who achieve very substantially and efficiently in commerce, in industry, in politics, in religion, in almost anything; and they manage to do so because they no longer have the inhibitions, the fear that they might lose, lose out – the fear that they might not succeed. And, as you know, all societies have always suffered from some sort of thrombosis – sooner or later people get pessimistic. I fear that our society, which is the modern Western one, is tending to become pessimistic, and because of that, people who could achieve more are not doing so. (20) Many of those who try to solve the problems of the world are ill-equipped to do so because their strong emotional commitment and sense of “rightness” precludes objective appraisal and truly effective action: Q: If one feels something very strongly, is it not right to pass this on to others, to get them “concerned,” and to form bodies of people who have similar interests? A: Any of these things might be right, or might be wrong, entirely depending upon what the subject in question is, and who the people involved are. I would have thought this inherent in the question. You have only to look about you to see the confusion and unhappiness caused by people indulging themselves by rushing about worrying other people and making them worriers – and hence inefficient – when concern and propaganda are no substitute for knowledge and action. However, one of the great advantages of the fact that this “wet-hen” behaviour is so widespread is that it provides almost daily illustrations of its ugliness and often destructive role, enabling us to avoid it when it is functioning in that way. (21) Negative emotional states arise when there is a turning away from the reality of the present moment to a fixation on past or future events: All negativity is caused by an accumulation of psychological time and denial of the present. Unease, anxiety, tension, stress, worry – all forms of fear – are

11

caused by too much future – and not enough presence. Guilt, regret, resentment, grievance, sadness, bitterness, and all forms of non-forgiveness are caused by too much past – and not enough presence. Most people find it difficult to believe that a state of consciousness totally free of all negativity is possible. And yet this is the liberated state to which all spiritual teachings point. It is the promise of salvation, not in an illusory future but right here and now. You may find it hard to recognize that time is the cause of your suffering or your problems. You believe that they are caused by specific situations in your life, and seen from a conventional viewpoint, this is true. But until you have dealt with the basic problem-making dysfunction of the mind – its attachment to the past and future and denial of the Now – problems are actually interchangeable. (22) Negative emotional states can be transformed through non-judgemental observation and choiceless awareness: If in the midst of negativity you are able to realize “At this moment I am creating suffering for myself” it will be enough to raise you above the limitation of conditioned egoic states and reactions. It will open up infinite possibilities which comes to you when there is awareness – other vastly more intelligent ways of dealing with any situation. You will be free to let go of your unhappiness the moment you recognize it as unintelligent. Negativity is not intelligent. It is always of the ego. The ego may be clever, but it is not intelligent. Cleverness pursues its own little aims. Intelligence sees the larger whole in which all things are connected. Cleverness is motivated by self-interest, and it is extremely short-sighted . . . Whatever is attained through cleverness is short-lived and always turns out to be eventually self-defeating. Cleverness divides, intelligence includes. (23)

The Nature of Happiness Pleasure and pain, happiness and unhappiness, are transient, relative and alternate with each other in life. Pleasure and pain have been likened to the two sides of a coin – you cannot have one without the other. The cycle of pleasure and pain is driven by mental and emotional states of the mind and often has no relation to objective reality. Ramana Maharshi relates a traditional Hindu story to illustrate this contention: There were two young friends in a village in South India. They were learned and wanted to earn something with which they might afford relief to their respective families. They took leave of their parents and went to Benares on a pilgrimage. On the way one of them died. The other was left alone. He wandered for a time, and in the course of a few months he made a good name and earned some money. He wanted to earn more before he returned to his home. In the meantime he met a pilgrim who was going south and would pass

12

through the native village of the young pandit. He requested the new acquaintance to tell his parents that he would return after a few months with some funds and also that his companion had died on the way. The man came to the village and found the parents. He gave them the news, but inadvertently changed the names of the two men. Consequently the parents of the living man bemoaned his supposed loss and the parents of the dead man were happy expecting the return of their son bringing rich funds as well. You see therefore that pleasure and pain have no relation to actualities but are mere mental modes. (24) There is a fundamental difference between pain and suffering, which needs to be recognized and understood for true happiness to emerge. Whereas physical pain is an inevitable part of life, human suffering is largely self-created. “Our inability to see all the elements of a situation as simply facts, in other words to accept the situation, is due to the choices made by the illusory personality. We suffer but suffering and pain are strong pointers, inviting us to inquire just who is suffering.” Q: The universe does not seem a happy place to live in. Why is there so much suffering? A: Pain is physical, suffering is mental. Beyond the mind there is no suffering. Pain is merely a signal that the body is in danger and requires attention. Similarly, suffering warns us that the structure of memories and habits, which we call the person, is threatened by loss or change. Pain is essential for the survival of the body, but none compels you to suffer. Suffering is due entirely to clinging or resisting; it is a sign of our unwillingness to move on, to flow with life. As a sane life is free of pain, so is a saintly life free from suffering . . . the essence of saintliness is total acceptance of the present moment, harmony with things as they happen. A saint does not want things to be different from what they are; he knows that, considering all factors, they are unavoidable. He is friendly with them and, therefore, does not suffer. Pain he may know, but it does not shatter him. If he can, he does the needful to restore the lost balance – or he lets things take their course. (25) Suffering is due to non-acceptance of a situation or event. Conversely, “acceptance of pain (including physical pain), non-resistance, courage and endurance – these open deep and perennial sources of real happiness.” Conscious acceptance of the nature and inevitability of some degree of pain and suffering in one’s life is a prerequisite to conscious spiritual transformation and evolution. The recognition that life is a seamless whole and “life is just life” is the antidote to self-imposed pain and suffering. It removes the personal, subjective element. Positive emotions arise from a source entirely different from ego-centered feelings and emotions. “Short-lived pleasure is always derived from something outside you, whereas joy arises from within.”

13

Q: What about positive emotions such as love and joy? A: They are inseparable from your natural state of inner connectedness with Being. Glimpses of love and joy or brief moments of deep peace are possible whenever a gap occurs in the stream of thought. For most people, such gaps happen rarely and only accidentally, in moments when the mind is rendered “speechless,” sometimes triggered by great beauty, extreme physical exertion, or even great danger. Suddenly, there is inner stillness. And within that stillness there is a subtle but intense joy, there is love, there is peace. Usually such moments are short-lived, as the mind quickly resumes its noise-making activity that we call thinking. Love, joy and peace cannot flourish until you have freed yourself from mind dominance. But they are not what I would call emotions. They lie beyond the emotions, on a much deeper level. So you need to become fully conscious of your emotions and be able to feel them before you can feel that which lies beyond them. Love, joy and peace are deep states of Being or rather three aspects of the state of inner connectedness with Being. As such they have no opposite. (26) In reality, happiness is inherent in human beings and is not due to external conditions or causes. True happiness cannot be found in things that change and pass away. “To believe that you depend on things and people for happiness is due to ignorance of your true nature; to know that you need nothing to be happy, except self-knowledge, is wisdom.” Between the banks of pain and pleasure the river of life flows. It is only when the mind refuses to flow with life, and gets stuck at the banks, that it becomes a problem. By flowing with life I mean acceptance – letting come what comes and go what goes. Desire not, fear not, observe the actual, as and when it happens, for you are not what happens, you are to whom it happens. Ultimately even the observer you are not. You are the ultimate potentiality of which the all-embracing consciousness is the manifestation and expression. (27) Suffering can be transformed through awareness, understanding and acceptance. “In the mirror of your mind all kinds of pictures appear and disappear. Knowing that they are entirely your own creations, watch them silently come and go, be alert, but not perturbed. The attitude of silent observation is the very foundation of self-realization.” To reach the deeper layers of suffering you must go to its roots and uncover their vast underground network, where fear and desire are closely interwoven and the current of life’s energy oppose, obstruct and destroy each other. Q: How can I set right a tangle which is entirely below the level of my consciousness? A: By being with yourself, the ‘I am’; by watching yourself in your daily life with alert interest, with the intention to understand rather than to judge, in full acceptance of whatever may emerge. Because it is there, you encourage the deep to come

14

to the surface and enrich your life and consciousness with its captive energies. This is the great work of awareness; it removes obstacles and releases energies by understanding the nature of life and mind. Intelligence is the door to freedom and alert attention is the mother of intelligence. (28)

References (1) C.S. Nott Teachings of Gurdjieff: The Journal of a Pupil (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1962), pp. 103-104. (2) S.S. Cohen Guru Ramana (Tiruvannamalai, India: Sri Ramanashramam, 1980), pp. 47-48. (3) Eckhart Tolle Stillness Speaks (Vancouver: Namaste Publishing, 2003), p. 17. (4) Eckhart Tolle The Power of Now (Vancouver: Namaste Publishing, 1997), p. 23. (5) Idries Shah The Commanding Self (London: Octagon Press, 1994), pp. 191-192. (6) Idries Shah Seeker After Truth (London: Octagon Press, 1982), pp. 112-113. (7) G.I. Gurdjieff Views From the Real World: Early Talks of Gurdjieff (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1973), p. 45. (8) Idries Shah Seeker After Truth (London: Octagon Press, 1982), p. 141. (9) Idries Shah The Commanding Self (London: Octagon Press, 1994), p. 68. (10) Idries Shah Reflections (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 66. (11) Idries Shah Seeker After Truth (London: Octagon Press, 1982), p. 38. (12) Pat Williams “We’re All Attention Seekers” Psychology Today February 1979, pp. 30-31. (13) Idries Shah Learning How to Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 85. (14) Idries Shah Learning How to Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 86-88. (15) Eckhart Tolle A New Earth (New York: Dutton, 2005), p. 136. (16) P.D. Ouspensky The Psychology of Man’s Possible Evolution (New York: Vintage Books, 1974), pp. 86-87. (17) P.D. Ouspensky The Psychology of Man’s Possible Evolution (New York: Vintage Books, 1974), p. 89. (18) Eckhart Tolle A New Earth (New York: Dutton, 2005), p. 65. (19) G.I. Gurdjieff Views From the Real World: Early Talks of Gurdjieff (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1973), pp. 260-261. (20) Pat Williams “An Interview with Idries Shah” in L. Lewin (ed.) The Diffusion of Sufi Ideas in the West (Boulder, Colorado: Keysign Press, 1972), p. 20. (21) Idries Shah Learning How to Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 143. (22) Eckhart Tolle The Power of Now (Vancouver: Namaste Publishing, 1997), p. 51. (23) Eckhart Tolle A New Earth (New York: Dutton, 2005), p. 112. (24) Ramana Maharshi Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi (Tiruvannamalai, India: Sri Ramanashramam, 1984), p. 574. (25) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 270. (26) Eckhart Tolle The Power of Now (Vancouver: Namaste Publishing, 1997), p. 24. (27) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 6. (28) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p.278.

15

CONDITIONING AND HUMAN BEHAVIOUR ‘To a sick person, sweet water tastes bitter in the mouth.’ Al-Ghazali

The Nature of Conditioning and Indoctrination Human beings are conditioned by a constellation of experiences. In some cases the conditioning is by deliberate indoctrination while in other instances the conditioning factor is imperceptible and unrecognized. “Individuals and groups of people are played upon, diverted and pulled along channels chosen by others, sometimes acceptably, sometimes otherwise.” Conditioned patterns of memory, thought, emotion and behaviour are deeply ingrained in the human psyche and exert a powerful, albeit unconscious, influence on individual and collective human affairs. “In order to fully experience anything the mind must be empty, free from memory, emotionality, gain and expectation. What we call experience is generally the repetition of sensation or the projection of memory.” One of the basic drawbacks of conditioned behaviour is that individuals and groups become entrained to certain limited responses, robbing them of the possibility of flexibility, adaptability and new learning. Conditioning produces a whole series of blocks and impediments which lead to a sort of mental prison (closed minds) incompatible with higher development. Experiences which we have undergone in the past can condition our reactions and responses to the events of the present moment: Q: How can I free my mind from conditioning? A: Mind is function, energy in movement. It is a storehouse on different levels of consciousness of individual and collective past experiences. Without memory there is no mind, for thoughts are sounds, words and symbols appearing in our memory. Memory is itself conditioned, being based on the pleasure-pain structure; all pleasure is stored and whatever is painful is relegated to the unconscious layers. The basic function of the human organism is survival. Biological survival is a natural instinct, but psychological survival is the source of conflict since it is simply survival of the psyche with its center the “me.” What we generally call learning is appropriation and conditioned by psychological survival. The conditioned mind cannot be changed by its own effort or system. (1) Many common human emotions and reactions are based on conditioned thinking patterns which often have their roots in early childhood experiences. These memory-traces continue to exert a powerful influence throughout our lives. “One can observe older children scolding younger children in exactly the same fashion that they have been scolded.”

1

The emotional component of ego differs from person to person. In some egos, it is greater than in others. Thoughts that trigger emotional responses in the body may sometimes come so fast that before the mind has had time to voice them, the body has already responded with an emotion, and the emotion has turned into a reaction. Those thoughts exist at a preverbal stage and could be called unspoken, unconscious assumptions. They have their origin in a person’s past conditioning, usually from early childhood . . . Unconscious assumptions create emotions in the body which in turn generate mind activity and/or instant reactions. In this way, they create your personal reality. (2) Powerful emotions such as anger or fear are often conditioned reflexes that are amplified by mental associations and conceptual thinking: See that what you call “fear” is not fear. Fear is a sensation in your body and mind, a sensation you prevent yourself from feeling the moment you label it “fear.” To arrive at the sensation, you must let go of the concept, the idea of fear, and then the perception will have an opportunity to reveal itself. The pure sensation of fear is only tension. Tension arises the moment you look at a situation from the point of view of an image, of a man or a woman, of a mother or father, of somebody’s husband or wife, and the tension stimulates chemical, physical and psychic changes in the body-mind. But this tension can never be eliminated through analysis, through any process of reasoning, for he who undertakes analysis belongs to what is being analyzed. The mind can never change the mind. (3) The powerful role of conditioning and indoctrination in human affairs has been known in certain cultures for many centuries. For instance, nearly eight hundred years before Pavlov, the Sufi teacher Al-Ghazali pointed out the nature and problem of conditioning. But it is only in recent years that the pervasive presence of conditioned behaviour has become recognized: In spite of Pavlov and the dozens of books and reports of clinical studies into human behaviour made since the Korean war, the ordinary student of things of the mind is unaware of the power of indoctrination. One of the most striking peculiarities of contemporary man is that, while he now has abundant scientific evidence to the contrary, he finds it intensely difficult to understand that his beliefs are by no means always linked with either his intelligence, his culture or his values. He is therefore almost unreasonably prone to indoctrination. Indoctrination, in totalitarian societies, is something that is desirable providing that it furthers the beliefs of such societies. In other groupings its presence is scarcely even suspected. This is what makes almost anyone vulnerable to it. (4) The various types of conditioning such as social, political, economic, religious or environmental have been aptly compared to a series of coloured filters which prevent a person from accurately perceiving reality:

2

From the time they are babies, people are conditioned socially, economically, politically, religiously, and in every possible way. They grow up in a society which is similarly affected. Eighty percent of the conditioning that they have received as they grow up comes out in their behaviour and attitude. Not all conditioning is bad: if it helps you in life, then it is still valuable whether you call it conditioning or experience. But if it is a conditioning which is telling you what to think, and how to react, it can be dangerous because it can ignore what one might call “internal feeling” or instinct. If you are a product of a certain form of intellectual or religious conditioning, it might be difficult to say “I don’t completely accept this.” (5) Indoctrination and conditioning can produce a form of mind-manipulation that enslaves people, even without their knowledge. Propaganda, indoctrination and the engineering of belief are built on a narrow factual basis. Individuals and groups who try to condition others through propaganda, censorship of ideas and other means always resist opposition to their activities and attempts to broaden information and knowledge: Indoctrination may be called “the instilling of attitudes without the saving grace of digesting them.” What makes a “digested” system more acceptable than an imposed one? Two things. First, a greater time-scale and conditions of freedom give an opportunity for rejection. Second, where there is a time-scale measured in years – and where there is an opportunity for dissent and discussion – there is room for modification. Inducing people to believe things – and then, usually, turning around and saying that this belief, because it is belief, is sacred or even inevitable – is the hallmark of indoctrination. (6) Coercive agency is a term which describes the powerful, but often unperceived, influence of ideas, social and cultural institutions and environment on everyday human behaviour. “Thoughts, circumstances, the social milieu, a hundred and one things, can provide as powerful coercive agencies as anything that the human being can point to as ‘despotism’ or ‘tyranny’.” According to some systems of thought, the basic principles of human conditioning consist of a nucleus of underlying, self-supporting factors: There are four factors which, when applied upon human beings, ‘program’ them like machines. These are the factors which are used in indoctrination and conditioning. By their use, deliberate or otherwise, self-applied or otherwise, the human mind is made more mechanical, and will tend to think along stereotyped lines. Innumerable experiments, recent and ancient, have fully verified the presence and effect of these factors. They are: tension alternating with relaxation, sloganisation and repetition. Because most human beings are trained to accept these factors as part of their ‘learning’ process, almost everything which is presented to a human being to be learned is generally converted by him into material which he applies by these methods. (7)

3

Not all conditioning is necessarily bad. Habits are functionally useful in areas where they work. However, habit and conditioning are counterproductive when they operate automatically and without flexibility. “The more often you do a thing, the more likely you are to do it again. There is no certainty that you will gain anything else from repetition than a likelihood of further repetition.” One of the best ways of identifying and overcoming the power of conditioning is to examine one’s motives and intentions in a variety of life situations: There is now a strong awareness that people may do things because of unconscious motives: being themselves unaware of the well-springs of their actions. Traditionally, of course, it has been realized by many cultures that ‘a man may be kicked by a superior and as a consequence kicks his donkey.’ The intention is not to hurt the donkey, or even to get the donkey to move. This is a case of motivation taking the place of intention: ‘false intention’ it might be termed. An observer, of course, will often attribute an intention to an action which he has witnessed, because of the desire to account for an action: ‘He kicked the donkey, therefore the donkey had done something wrong’; or: ‘His intention was evidently to get the donkey to move.’ (8) The power of conditioning, mechanical training and indoctrination effectively blocks the operation of free will and choice in human beings. Gurdjieff discussed this idea in talks with his students in which he affirmed the possibility of developing a real free will: Q: Has free will a place in your teaching? A: Free will is the function of the real I, of him whom we call the Master. He who has a Master has a will. He who has not has no will. What is ordinarily called will is an adjustment between willingness and unwillingness. For instance, the mind wants something and the feeling does not want it; if the mind proves to be stronger than the feeling, a man obeys his mind. In the opposite case he will obey his feelings. This is what is called “free will” in an ordinary man. An ordinary man is ruled now by the mind, now by the feeling, now by the body. Very often he obeys orders coming from the automatic apparatus; a thousand times more often he is ordered about by the sex center. Real will can only be when one I always directs, when man has a Master for his team. An ordinary man has no master; the carriage constantly changes passengers and each passenger calls himself I. Nevertheless, free will is a reality, it does exist. But we, as we are, cannot have it. A real man can have it. (9)

4

Belief, Opinion and Ideology The dominance of certain patterns of belief produces a form of “tunnel vision” and inculcates a habit of thinking only in a limited number of ways, thus reducing the potential for real learning. Simplistic, or ‘panacea’ thinking involves following creeds which are believed to provide all the answers and solve all problems. A classic Mulla Nasrudin story illustrates the power of narrow conditioned belief in the affairs of daily life: Mulla Nasrudin was made a magistrate. During his first case the plaintiff argued so persuasively that he exclaimed: ‘I believe that you are right!’ The clerk of the court begged him to restrain himself, for the defendant had not been heard yet. Nasrudin was so carried away by the eloquence of the defendant that he cried out as soon as the man had finished his evidence: ‘I believe you are right!’ The clerk of the court could not allow this. ‘Your honour, they cannot both be right.’ ‘I believe that you are right!’ said Nasrudin. (10) Most people are deeply attached to their opinions and beliefs, trapping them in rigid, conditioned patterns of thought and action, unable to respond freely to the reality of the present situation. “If you wish to see the truth, you must indeed hold no opinion for or against. Be like water, be fluid, at ease in any situation.” Beliefs and opinions are often implanted by other people, social institutions or the mass media. Those who are entrained or conditioned by ideology typically manifest blinkered attitudes, lack of flexibility and dogmatic beliefs. They tend to form opinions about people, things and ideas on the basis of predetermined information and outright prejudice. Many of the commonly held beliefs of a community are “imagined facts” which do not correspond to actual reality: If a large number of people believe something, do you imagine that it must be true? Probably not, unless you happen to be one of that number. If a large proportion of people believe something, then it is likely to be thought to be true. In most populations, there will not be very many dissentients. Until fairly recently people did not move around much: large majorities of people would continue for generations believing things to be true without very much likelihood that such beliefs – true or otherwise – would be disturbed. Although human mobility has increased, human assumptions have not kept pace. Human knowledge may have increased but human assumptions have remained fairly constant. There has not been enough time for people to realize how much is now known about human thought and behaviour which could explain ‘facts’ in a quite different way. (11) People tend to believe all kinds of things, many of which are not true, either due to habit or because the source is a person of authority or importance. “Real belief is something else. Those who are capable of real belief are those who have experienced a thing.”

5

Do not ask people how they arrived at their opinions if you want the truth. By asking them you will only be entering into a game. They will only tell you what they think is true, or what they think you want to hear. Study, rather, what they say and how they say it; what they do and what influences have played upon them in the past. This is how you will find out, if it is necessary for you, how they have arrived at their opinions. (12) Strong beliefs and feelings of certainty are usually indicative of obsession and indoctrination, not knowledge and understanding. “Belief does not have to have anything to do with truth. A thing may be true and believed because of indoctrination, or it may be true and believed by virtue of its truth.” ‘Being sure’ and ‘believing’ each refers to various states of mind. Many people, for example, think that they are ‘sure’ when they are only obsessed. Others refer to their condition as ‘believing’ when they have merely been indoctrinated . . . Real belief comes after understanding. Once a thing is understood, it must be believed, because it now has the status of a fact. If, however, we are talking about ‘belief’ as something which can take place without understanding, or knowledge, this is really only a symptom for obsession. (13) What most people consider to be truth is not such at all: in reality their version of truth is relative, temporal and constantly changing with the time and circumstances. Belief systems can be readily changed or converted to a new system of thought when certain psychological conditions are present and operative. “When someone’s ideas begin to provide a less than adequate support for his sense of individual integrity and group cohesion, we get a reshaping of them around a new or improved concept. It is dissatisfaction and insecurity, a sense of the need for something, which precedes the condition known as conversion-syndrome.” Both belief and disbelief in religious, scientific and other fields are crude counterfeits of real knowledge and understanding: Acceptance and rejection are much more often than is recognized just ways of amusing oneself. People, in other words, take pleasure in believing something or in disbelieving it, and the reasons why they supposedly accept or reject come later. These are what psychologists nowadays call ‘rationalization.’ The ideologue, whether in religion, politics or the advertising and selling of commodities, specializes in the engineering of belief. That is to say, he causes people to want things and to convince themselves that they want them for good reasons . . . But this kind of belief is ultimately not true, and there is a real version of which this is the counterfeit . . . The importance of the right kind of belief or faith cannot be over-stressed if it is realized that the wrong kind leads to a wasted life and the right kind alone leads to enlightenment. (14)

6

Modifying and Controlling Conditioning The basic conditionings that occur through normal education, upbringing and social, economic and other influences are quite valuable and necessary within their proper sphere of action and expression. Most people obtain some degree of fulfilment through their present patterns of thought, behaviour and emotion. These are perfectly proper as long as they do not impede the development of higher possibilities. “Satisfactions obtained through one’s own level of understanding are indeed legitimate, and there is no point in disturbing a stability of mind without anything more advanced being able to replace it.” A certain amount of conditioning is essential to physical survival and normal socialization. It is impossible, and pointless, to remove all conditioning from human life. “There is always a certain amount of cultural and biological conditioning. This belongs to our existence. Being free does not mean you negate, eliminate by will or refuse this conditioning. It means you are not identified with it, stuck in it.” Q: If everyone is conditioned from birth, how does one ever escape from his or her conditioning? A: We can’t live in the world without being conditioned. Even the control of one’s bladder is conditioned. It is absurd to talk, as some do, of de-conditioned or nonconditioned people. But it is possible to see why conditioning has taken place and why a person’s beliefs become oversimplified. Nobody is trying to abolish conditioning, merely to describe it, to make it possible to change it, and also to see where it needs to operate, and where it does not. Q: Are you saying that when one comes to an awareness that he is conditioned, he can operate aside from it? He can say, “Why do I believe in this? Well, perhaps it is because . . .” A: Exactly. Then he is halfway toward being liberated from his conditioning – or at least toward keeping it under control. People who say that we must smash conditioning are themselves oversimplifying things. (15) The conditioning imposed on children by parents and society is useful only to a certain extent and must be supplemented by the freedom to learn without restrictions or boundaries. Although habits and conditioned behaviour are important and necessary in daily life, they need to be consciously controlled and directed rather than expressed mechanically. “The answer is not to break habits, because many habits are important. The solution is to guide the learner to a position in which he can both have habits and manage to operate without them.”

7

Some degree of conditioning is necessary in almost all facets of human life, but only for certain purposes. Other purposes, for instance those connected with higher development, need other approaches: No such systems deny the value of conditioning for certain purposes: but they themselves do not use it. They are not trying to destroy the conditioning mechanism, upon which, indeed, so much of life depends. This is the first lesson: People who are shown for the first time how their views are the product of conditioning tend to assume, in the crudest possible manner, that whoever told them this is himself opposed to conditioning, or proposes to do something about it. What any legitimate system will do, however, is to point out that conditioning is a part of the social scene and is confused with ‘higher’ things only at the point when a teaching has become deteriorated and has to ‘train’ its members. (16) When we live from memory and past conditioning we miss the simple yet profound reality of the present moment: These flowers are new at every moment but you make them the same. In reality every situation is entirely new. There may be an analogy between yesterday and today but there is no repetition. When you really understand this you will stop using old patterns to reconstruct your situations. Memory prevents you from seeing the bare facts. What you take for facts, for a real experience, are only reactions based on memory. Until the center of reference, the “me” is completely absent, you can never face facts. (17) To fully experience life we must go beyond the boundaries created by habit, memory and conditioning and return to a state of natural awareness and perception. Human beings possess a natural sensitivity and intelligence that is free from the net of conditioning: “When you act according to your like and dislike, you live in the past and you are isolated from the present situation. Free from psychological memory, you are one with the situation, and the action in this situation leaves no residue.” Q: What is the best way to break habits? A: First see that you act habitually. This seeing is not an intellectual taking note. It is a clear perception that the mechanism of habit comes from memory . . . When you project habits you are not open to life. Life presents itself in constant variation in you. When you see that life never repeats you will automatically leave the projection of patterns of security, which is all habits are. You will then be open to all life offers. When life refers directly to your emptiness of all representations, to your wholeness, there is right understanding of every situation. Q: Does not a certain amount of habit belong to our biological survival, for example, eating, sleeping and exercising at certain times?

8

A: Feeling the rhythm of our body vehicle is not the same as habit. The organism looks to feel itself in a rhythm harmonious with the universe. Biological survival belongs to the rhythm of the universe. Habit belongs to psychological survival. (18) The shackles of past conditioning can only be overcome through immediate insight and direct understanding. This arises through a way of perceiving life that is “totally fresh and uncaused, undetermined, and not dependent on anything. It happens on its own when a human being is deeply involved in wondering and questioning about oneself and one’s entire relationship with others and the whole world.” Bare attention and open awareness act like a beam of light to transform negative states of mind. “Unconscious mind patterns that create suffering tend to come to an end simply by making them conscious, by becoming aware of them as they happen.” You must free perception, let it unfold in your awareness. Then a transformation takes place on every level. All the energy that was dispersed and localized in fixed habits becomes freed and re-orchestrated. Each circumstance calls for a re-harmonizing of energy that is perfectly adequate to the situation. In the complete reorchestration that takes place, the energy that was previously dispelled in psychological time “returns” and vanishes in our timeless presence. (19)

References (1) Jean Klein The Ease of Being (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1984), pp. 27-28. (2) Eckhart Tolle A New Earth (New York: Dutton, 2005), p. 135. (3) Jean Klein The Ease of Being (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1984), p. 14. (4) Idries Shah The Way of the Sufi (London: Octagon Press, 1980), p. 51. (5) Omar Ali-Shah The Course of the Seeker (Reno, Nevada: Tractus, 1996), p. 219. (6) Idries Shah The Commanding Self (London: Octagon Press, 1994), p. 184. (7) Idries Shah Learning How to Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 187. (8) Idries Shah The Commanding Self (London: Octagon Press, 1994), p. 218. (9) G.I. Gurdjieff Views From the Real World: Early Talks of Gurdjieff (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1973), p. 254. (10) Idries Shah The Pleasantries of the Incredible Mulla Nasrudin (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 48. (11) Idries Shah The Commanding Self (London: Octagon Press, 1994), pp. 259-260. (12) Idries Shah Reflections (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 127-128. (13) Idries Shah The Commanding Self (London: Octagon Press, 1994), pp. 258-259. (14) Idries Shah Knowing How to Know (London: Octagon Press, 1998), pp. 293-294. (15) Elizabeth Hall “A Conversation with Idries Shah” Psychology Today, July 1975, p. 55.

9

(16) Idries Shah Learning How to Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 257-258. (17) Jean Klein The Ease of Being (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1984), pp. 97-98. (18) Jean Klein The Ease of Being (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1984), pp. 92-93. (19) Jean Klein The Ease of Being (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1984), pp. 30-31.

10

CULTURAL AND SOCIAL INFLUENCES ‘If you deal with society you must accept its ways, for its ways are your ways. Your needs and demands have created them. Your desires are so complex and contradictory – no wonder the society you create is also complex and contradictory.’ Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

The Power of Social and Cultural Pressure In ordinary life people are prey to cultural and social influences of many kinds. Some of these are clearly identified and acknowledged, but others are unperceived or regarded as something entirely different, such as inevitabilities, absolutes, fixed laws and so on. Each culture maintains certain patterns of thought and behaviour in order to establish and preserve itself. These act to effectively limit or attenuate the perceptions and activity of the community. The members of all communities, including nations and whole civilizations, are infused with the prevailing ideologies of those communities. These, in turn, create attitudes of mind which include certain capacities and equally positively exclude others. The ideologies may be so ancient, so deep-seated or so subtle that they are not identified as such by the people at large. (1) Most cultures are predicated on a world-view or ‘consensus reality’ based on certain assumed absolutes which inform and modify the structure and products of the culture, including individuals, institutions and schools of thought. These determine the relative value and worth of objects, people and ideas. “For example, the value of such things as money, gold, silver, diamonds, and collectibles of all kinds is established by relative truths . . . What makes stamps valuable is simply their widespread demand created by informal, consensus agreement.” Societies are self-restrictive primarily due to the nature of their assumptions and beliefs. Customs, conventions and social pressures can easily become enshrined in human organizations and institutions, and become unrecognized coercive agents in the life and experience of an individual, social group or community. The values and assumptions of a society are accepted principles established in the mental set of the people, often without any critical evaluation or questioning: If you belong to a community which has made certain assumptions about life and society, and even knowledge, you will find that the community constitutes a stable entity so long as it does not question its basic assumptions. This may inhibit progress . . . In any society stabilized upon a whole range of interlocking assumptions, many of which really do seem to verify one another, there is a

1

sense of coherence and strength which is naturally highly prized by its members. This is, of course, because the individuals are not autonomous enough to be alone for long. This desire to identify oneself by group-association is so strong that when one social grouping breaks down it is normal for it to be succeeded by another ideology offering similar facilities for reassurance and an adequate world view. This is the familiar story of national cultural history. And it has its parallels in the individual. (2) The search for comfort and reassurance preoccupies the members of dependence-oriented cultures. In the sphere of social activity, most people will try to “fit in” and conform in order to feel comfortable and accepted. In most contemporary societies people will only follow the suggestions and directions of well-established types of figures (so-called leaders and opinionmakers). This is a form of inflexibility which blunts progress towards learning. “For whole populations, thoughts, words and actions are the result of internalized ideology: frozen intention originating from others.” The inner dynamic of many characteristic institutions of a culture may not be readily apparent to members of that culture. Unless their true nature is noted, they will “continue to be perceived by people of that culture as whatever their outward shape says they are.” It is because the social appearance of the institution is social, political, educational, vocational, and so on, that the ground-plan, the structure is seldom noted at all. If someone says that such-and-such a body is for learning, people seldom imagine that it is really social, and so on. There are certain exceptions, when people notice that students at evening classes are very often there to fill in time or to make friends rather than to learn; or when there are putatively sporting, say, or religious associations where the social side has gone so far as to be regarded as integrally important, or even vital, to its functioning . . . You should note, however, that it is often possible to combine two or more of these factors without particularly harming the enterprise: for instance, if you are trying to raise money for charity, you may be able to do it better in a social atmosphere or among commercial associates. The points being made are that, first, it is valuable to know the relative quantity of various ingredients, social, attention-attracting or developmental, so that the organization can be understood; secondly, that certain enterprises will suffer if the ingredients get out of proportion. (3) Negative beliefs and attitudes are passed on to children through their parents and elders, a process that blunts full human growth and understanding: A child learns from its parents and those adults who surround it. It learns not only the positive injunctions of problem-solving which their elders think they are teaching it. In addition it is learning to emulate the parents; and it emulates their defeatism. This includes their rationalizations of why they do not attempt

2

certain tasks, why they are ‘too tired,’ or such-and-such an effort is not ‘worthwhile.’ This is as true in the individual as it is in society. Nobody on record had run a four-minute mile before someone did it. After that, because the unspoken taboo had been beaten, it became more and more common. A similar process takes place in children learning, perhaps sometimes without words, not to make a certain effort, an effort of will or of experiment. (4) The structure, belief-patterns and influences of our social milieu are reflections of the unhealthy psychological makeup of the majority of the human community: Our society today emphasizes the fractional personality which is the origin of competition, achieving, aggression, war. We are encouraged to be more and more specialized. It takes us away from our real global nature. But domination, assertion and manipulation can never bring wisdom and a healthy society. On the contrary, the light of wisdom, love and harmony is concealed by the personality and its qualifications. Our society is living in the dark. But love and wisdom are infinitely patient, unchanged, ever there since before time. (5)

Social Conformity and Automatism Throughout most of human history separate and diverse cultures lived independently of each other, insulated from the values and beliefs of competing cultures. But today, in our interconnected world of mass communication and mutual interchange, it is no longer possible for societies and cultures to maintain a distinct and exclusive character. The beliefs, assumptions and activities of most contemporary cultures produce a general uniformity and homogeneity, converting human beings into virtually identical automatons or ‘machines.’ Through education and conditioning, people are trained to imitate and copy others: “Mimicry is trying to look like someone or something else instead of looking, feeling or being like oneself.” Supposing for a moment that you were not yourself, but a visitor among men, ignorant of their ways of behaving and their elaborate habits of self-deception. One of the first things which you would notice is that a large part of people’s time is spent in thinking and acting just like other people, while at the same time they energetically claim that they are ‘different.’ You would conclude that this predilection stemmed from a warp of thinking, and was a serious barrier to making use even of the things which they do understand. (6) Although different communities and cultures appear to have distinct outward forms and appearances, the inner psychological dynamic is often surprisingly similar:

3

Ordinary communities come into being, grow, develop, die and regenerate in certain very similar patterns. People think that these communities are different from one another because of outward shapes. But they have characteristics which utilize human tendencies like self-esteem, greed, the desire to receive approval (or, failing that, attention of any sort) and so on. Unable or unwilling to resist a community’s demands for these and other satisfactions, almost all the leaders of human groups have, knowingly or otherwise, made use of them. The inevitable result has been that almost all human groupings – whatever their overt aims – structurally resemble one another. They are, or rapidly become, manifestations of the same characteristics. They only masquerade as being ‘in search of knowledge,’ or as ‘uplifting the people,’ or as ‘spreading information,’ even as ‘increasing wealth and prosperity.’ This is because they are only able to appear to do such things as long as the individuals and mass of the community are gaining or being promised some lower satisfaction. This fact has been observed, only too well, by sociologists and psychologists. It is so marked that these experts have gone so far as to believe that no human community can come about, progress or survive unless it panders to the lower human proclivities. If this were so, there would be no hope for the human race. (7) Habits and conforming social behaviour produces a sense of familiarity and predictability which may prevent higher growth and development: The shackles of poverty and oppression are visible to the ordinary eye, and it is not hard to find agreement in sympathy for those thus afflicted. Often, however, people – and peoples – are chained by shackles that they in fact treasure. As one Zen master said, it is hard for people to see anything wrong with that they like, or to see anything good in what they do not like. Another Zen master noted that familiarity itself is a quality that people are generally inclined to like. This means that predilections and habits with which people feel comfortable at a given time may serve them for comfort but may in fact be holding them back from greater capacity for progress and fulfillment. (8)

Materialism and Consumerism Competitiveness and the pursuit of “more and more” are the sacred gods of our materialistically driven society. Our contemporary world largely functions on the basis of transactionalism in the form of a “supply-and-demand” mechanism. Materialistic societies are one-sided in nature and characterized by manipulation and conditioning. In a world of advertising and mass communication every effort is directed toward making people believe that they want or need certain things. In the words of Zen teacher Philip Kapleau: “We have become mere cogs in a wheel that is spinning out of control, living in a value system that does not see the person as a human being but merely as a consumer of things.”

4

Virtually all organizations known to you work largely by means of your greed. They attract you because what they say or do appeals to your greed. This is concealed only by their appearance. If you stop listening to their words and look at the effect, you will soon see it. (9) Our contemporary Western way of life places an undue emphasis on materialism and the physical aspect of reality. The world is seen in a different light when the perspective and valuation rests on spiritual rather than on material considerations. For instance, much of the activity of con-temporary society is driven by the pursuit of money. Money and material advantages can be administered wisely or selfishly depending on one’s spiritual understanding and maturity: Q: I find I worry a lot about money. Is this justified? A: You are not the owner of what you have. You are the administrator. When you are an administrator and not an owner you’ll behave completely differently because you are free from it. You will utilize it differently according to the actual situation and not with a view to accumulation. Spend money graciously! Q: How can we know how much we need? I have a family and tend to worry about the future. A: When you come to know yourself you come to a hierarchy of value. As you no longer emphasize the phenomenal, you use the world completely differently. Don’t associate yourself with a competitive, productive society that constantly creates needs, new elements for survival. Our society is bound to consumerism. It is a completely artificial creation. Don’t spend too much time working for money to accumulate. You should be able to work three or four days a week or have half the day to live in beauty. When you have a family the present has a certain extension. How far it goes only you know, but don’t live in the future. (10) People are led to believe that the ownership of material objects is riches and the physical absence of things is poverty. In reality the truly ‘rich’ are those who are independent of poverty: those who do not care if they are poor or not poor. The so-called commercial society conditions people to such an extent that a sheep-like mentality prevails. When ambition and desire are over-emphasized, other values and possibilities of development are ignored: We are living in a world where certain orientations are so common that we don’t know that we are their prisoner. There is all the difference in the world between your ambition commanding you, and you commanding it. Now that so many human difficulties have been surmounted, man- and womankind is in a position to give attention to those possibilities of human flexibility which previously had no ‘cash value’ and hence were underdeveloped. (11)

5

The consequences of rampant materialism and unrestricted growth are dire for our planet, its myriad forms of life and its human inhabitants: The contamination of our own and the world’s environment and our squandering of dwindling natural resources through over-consumption, waste or mismanagement speak eloquently of our greed and irresponsibility. How long will the rest of the world stand by while we in North America, with only 6 percent of the world’s population, consume 40% of its resources? However much our self-indulgent living habits have contributed to the world’s energy shortage and to pollution and inflation, these ailments are but outward manifestations of our inner malaise. (12)

Propaganda, Indoctrination and Conditioning People from all cultures in our contemporary world are conditioned by a constellation of impacts and experiences. “In most human societies, unanimity of thought has been arrived at by an unrecognized conditioning process in which virtually all the society’s institutions may be branches of the conditioning process.” Almost all types of human groupings and organizations utilize conditioning of one form or another. “They instill into people a limited range of beliefs and require certain automatic practices. Unknowingly, the people concerned (which can include the instillers) become ‘servants’ of the system.” Until comparatively recently most people lived in mutually exclusive communities, isolated from one another. Social science and psychology were in their infancy or excluded, and in general, multicultural communities had little access to single-culture ones, which latter effectively dominated the world. But a new situation, unprecedented in its spread and urgency, arose with the discovery and wide publication of the phenomena of conditioning and indoctrination. When confronted with this new knowledge, few extant cultures could explain why conditioning was necessary, or why so many wellestablished belief systems were indistinguishable from brainwashing ones. (13) Many of the values and beliefs of a culture are transmitted through indoctrination posing as learning and education. There is a general distortion of understanding produced by the implanting of cultural biases and the programming of the people’s thoughts and behaviour. Attitudes and opinions can be moulded and conditioned into people by other people. In the Western world, a great deal of time is spent in the social engineering of belief, conviction and commitment. There is an important saying: ‘When you are most convinced; that is the time to use caution about your certainty.’ Ideological thinking is a form of mental indoctrination, lacking flexibility, open-mindedness and a comprehensive perspective. When narrow racial and nationalistic tendencies are un-

6

checked they undermine the stability and safety of all countries and peoples of the world. “Ideology drives people into absurd forms of thought and behaviour. Beware of it, because it attempts to apply mechanical concepts to human development.” It is important to be able to distinguish between real causes and those conditioned by pressure and propaganda. There is an ancient saying: ‘However useful a garment, it is not for eating.’ Q: What do you think of nationalism? A: Biological survival includes the community, language, rituals, customs and so on. Culture is an extension of the individual, so in a sense the deep urge to protect the culture is part of biological survival. But nationalism is based on idealism. It is an abstraction, a fabrication. It is collective psychological survival. The protective instinct of biological survival has a certain limit, the limit of physical security. It is impossible that biological survival alone could lead to grand-scale war. The limits of psychological survival, on the other hand, are less defined. Psychological survival stems from the mind and will go as far as the mind goes. (14) The process and effects of conditioning permeate modern societies and cultures to an extent unimagined by the average person. Yet it is a fundamental, though largely unrecognized, force in almost all forms of human life. “Virtually all human societies are based upon, and their continuity and growth are reinforced by, the use of hope, fear and repetition . . . The structure is employed in every type of organization: whether tribal, national, political, religious, recreational, educational or other.” At the human level, much conditioning occurs in the form of indoctrination, brainwashing, “hypnosis,” and thought control. Through the process of socialization, we are subtly and effectively trained to believe or think certain things. Few of us realize that almost all our opinions, beliefs, and attitudes (not to mention behaviours) are those implanted in us by our society. We rarely stop to consider what it is we are doing or saying, and why. The power of social pressure, enculturation, imitation and conformity is much greater than we are willing to acknowledge. We believe we have free will (which we do), but much less of it is utilized than we self-deceptively believe. It might be more accurate to say that we have the potential for free will but rarely exercise it. (15) Indoctrination and conditioning, which is such a decisive factor in human belief, involves both the giving and withholding of information, leading to “untenable attitudes, confusion and a breakdown in communication.” Man is easily conditioned and many of his ills and woes in all ages are due to this inherence. The root cause of this ‘conditionability’ is man’s incapacity for handling information. Indoctrination campaigns involve the giving of information. They also involve the withholding of information. In a real sense, people

7

form their opinion from a lack of data. They need more information but they need, also, to be prepared for the difficulty of handling it. They do not understand that they need more information nor do they understand that if they were given it, they would probably reject it. (16)

Power Structures and Authoritarianism The political and economic structures in the world today produce tension, fear and social imbalances which are detrimental to higher human growth and development. “Present-day economic and political situations are producing enormous tension almost everywhere in the world, and tension is the great enemy: it blocks the balanced and harmonious transmission of energy and it prevents its harmonious use.” One of the clearest examples of the misuse of power is humanity’s attitude toward and exploitation of the resources of the natural world: The notion of power grows inevitably out of a dualistic interpretation of reality. When dualism neglects to recognize the presence of an integrating principle behind it, its native penchant for destruction exhibits itself rampantly and wantonly. One of the most conspicuous examples of this display of power is seen in the Western attitude toward Nature. Westerners talk about conquering Nature and never about befriending her. They climb a high mountain and they declare the mountain is conquered. (17) There is a widespread human need for authority and leadership, regardless of whether they are needed or not. Yet many leaders are really only followers, reflecting “the ongoing tide of concern and events already proceeding within the populace itself.” It is important to identify and understand the nature of ‘power structures’ in organizations and situations where they exist. “When people in authority have the reputation of being kind and soft-hearted, others assume (quite wrongly) that the pressure exerted by such people is not pressure at all.” People try to exercise power upon those ‘below’ them. But people upon whom power is supposed to be being exercised are, in fact, by frustrating the effect of the power, themselves exercising power. Power situations can only exist where there is a contract, arrived at voluntarily or otherwise, in which people will do things or else things can be made difficult for them. “Do this or I will make you uncomfortable’ is the formula for both types of power: the power exerted by people above on those below, and the power exerted from the people below upon those above. Where there is no contract – where one party can do without the other – no power situation can exist. (18) Most people, individually and collectively, will attack and persecute others who say and do things which are perceived as threatening. “Anyone who says or writes anything which seems to conflict with the true or false beliefs of a community or any part of it deliberately accepts the

8

risk of being misunderstood and vilified and perhaps punished.” The exercise of authority comes with certain responsibilities in order for the function of power to be properly carried out. “There is nobody more trivial than a person in authority who spends his time telling others what to do and who does not do things himself.” Although in many societies and cultures restrictions are imposed on what people can write, say or do, there is a limit to the effectiveness of this process of censorship. “Even in cultures where authoritarianism and mechanical thinking have choked comprehensive understanding, human individuality will have to assert itself.” The exercise of power and authority to accomplish goals and objectives is ultimately self-defeating as power is blind and operates within an ever-narrowing horizon. D.T. Suzuki: “Power represents destruction, even self-destruction, quite contrary to love’s creativeness. Love dies and lives again, while power kills and is killed.” The real truth is that love is not opposed to power; love belongs to an order higher than power, and it is only power that imagines itself to be opposed to love. In truth, love is all-enveloping and all-forgiving; it is a universal solvent, an infinitely creative and resourceful agent. As power is always dualistic and therefore rigid, self-assertive, destructive, and annihilating, it turns against itself and destroys itself when it has nothing to conquer. This is in the nature of power, and is it not this that we are witnessing today, particularly in our international affairs? What is blind is not love but power, for power utterly fails to see that its existence is dependent upon something else. It refuses to realize that it can be itself only by allying itself to something infinitely greater than itself. Not knowing this fact, power plunges itself straight into the pit of self-destruction. (19)

Restricting Human Possibilities and Development Contemporary cultures are the recipients of both the wisdom and the failings of previous generations. “It is the stupidity and shallowness of some of our forebears which punishes us, just as much as the endowment of the wiser ones offers us opportunities.” Most human societies have been limited by conventions and belief systems which have mitigated against an advanced mystical and spiritual understanding of humanity. Until very recently human institutions have tended to be what can only be called restrictive. That is to say, although they want to increase information and to develop capacities, they leave great areas unstudied. There is a disposition to assume that certain attitudes must not be taken up in their particular system, otherwise such attitudes might threaten the stability or even the very life of the sacrosanct institution. The result of this narrowing of the thinking is to make the person involved in it less effective, more mechanical. (20)

9

Human systems tend to concentrate on a narrow range of possibilities directly related to their aim. This process automatically excludes other, potentially very valuable directions and opportunities: The fact is, of course, that for practical purposes all systems which exist for furthering a purpose also succeed, almost by definition, in excluding many other possibilities: unless you add the extra dimensions – the system won’t work. You may make a lot of money in a business, but this can be at the expense of developing your interests in other directions. If you go in for clinical research, you may not be able to do as much therapy as otherwise might be possible. If you need the social support given you by any kind of a system to which you belong to an extreme degree, you will be inhibited from leaving it, even temporarily, in order to do things in areas where there is no social support: thus reducing your effectiveness. This means that you will be unable to go forward because your needs command you to spin on your own axis to maintain some kind of equilibrium. (21) The assumptions of society and the effect of dominating institutions and ideas can effectively prevent and inhibit the development of real understanding. Cultural assumptions and beliefs define our reality and limit human capacity. In the ordinary world, people are trained and conditioned to operate and learn in ways connected with only a small range of ambitions and desires, a process which helps to vitiate higher ranges of perception and understanding. Most human beings see only the surface effects of economic, political and social tension and are unable to perceive the hidden pattern of spiritual laws which underlie these phenomena: The average person looking out on this ever-changing world sees anything but natural karmic laws at work; nor does he see the unity and harmony underlying this constant and inevitable change. If anything, he is filled with fear and anxiety, with a feeling of hopelessness, and with a sense that life has no meaning. And because he has no concrete insight into the true character of the world or intuitive understanding of it, what else can he do but surrender to a life of material comfort and sensual pleasure. (22) The mental framework of modern thought is largely a scientific and technological one. It produces an intellectual climate which is self-limiting and in order to grow requires the challenge of a variety of many-sided and many-levelled insights drawn from traditional spiritual teachings for further human progress: The Sufis use a new point of view in order to overcome the conditioning which our materialistic society has imposed. Our ills are due mainly to the one-sided rationalism of our culture and the loss of the intuitive faculty that would have enabled us to gain access to an area of knowledge which cannot be reached through the intellectual mechanism. They believe that for the first time in history

10

conscious evolution has ceased to be a choice open to man and has become a necessity on which our future depends. (23) There is a natural progression in the maturation of a human being which is mirrored by the level of development of communities, institutions and organizations. The three stages of human growth – infancy, adolescence and adulthood – provide a framework for describing the stages of community growth. The first stage of infancy is equivalent to the expansion of territory and influence in the life of the community, and the second stage of adolescence by the creation and concentration of industrial and commercial empires. The third type, which is the final phase, and the most effective and constructive, is an organization which can contribute in so many fields that it cannot be singled out as an enemy, or even as a friend, for its members come from every section of every community. By providing positive and demonstrable gains in such diverse fields as literature, commerce, art, science, psychology and human thought and social relations, it permeates throughout the interstices of the existing relatively crude systems. (24) Many traditional spiritual teachings offer a spiritually-based alternative to the dominant materialistic societies and cultures of the modern world: The Buddhist Way, with its compassion, equanimity, tolerance, concern for self-reliance and responsibility – above all, its Cosmic view – can be a model for society. What are needed are political and economic relations and a technology that will: (1) help people to overcome ego-centeredness through cooperation with others instead of subordination, exploitation and competition; (2) offer to each a freedom that is conditional only upon the freedom of others, so that individuals may develop a self-reliant social responsibility rather than being the conditioned pawns of institutions and ideologies; (3) concern themselves primarily with the material and social conditions of personal growth and only secondarily with material production. (25) The antidote for the ills of contemporary civilization is, to a large degree, a return to a more natural, organic life in harmony with all creation: We need to recover our basic humanity. The choice before us is clear: a disciplined life of simplicity and naturalness or a contrived and artificial one; a life in harmony with the natural order of things or one in constant conflict with it. It is a choice of freedom or bondage and decay. But even having chosen the way of regeneration, to walk this path requires spiritual training and discipline. Only through purifying the heart and mind of each of us can we hope to purify the world and restore a measure of peace and stability in our global community. (26)

11

As the spiritual life ripens there is a natural reorientation and simplification of behaviour in response to the challenges of everyday life. As awareness deepens, the pull of the outer world of society and culture weakens, allowing for a more authentic, natural human being to emerge. “You wash your hands, you dress yourself, you perform everyday actions as before, but now you are aware of all your actions, words and thoughts.” As the desire for the spiritual increases, all social life becomes less binding, and a much simpler adaptation is sooner or later established. As soon as man really awakens to spiritual life, certain incompatible conditions become unbearable, unacceptable, and he then lets go of certain things, he changes his profession, he re-adapts himself; such a re-adaptation must be neither forced nor willed and, above all, not anticipated. It happens naturally and spontaneously as the spiritual orientation asserts itself clearly. (27)

References (1) Emir Ali Khan “Sufi Activity” in Idries Shah (ed.) Sufi Thought and Action (London: Octagon Press, 1990), p. 43. (2) Idries Shah A Perfumed Scorpion (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 138-139. (3) Idries Shah “Current Study Materials” in Idries Shah (ed.) The World of the Sufi (London: Octagon Press, 1979), pp. 271-272. (4) Idries Shah Knowing How to Know (London: Octagon Press, 1998), pp. 158-159. (5) Jean Klein I Am (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publications, 1989), pp. 148-149. (6) Idries Shah Reflections (Baltimore: Penguin Books, 1972), p. 20. (7) Idries Shah Knowing How to Know (London: Octagon Press, 1998), p. 43. (8) Thomas Cleary Zen Essence (Boston: Shambhala, 1989), p. 82. (9) Idries Shah Learning How to Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 158. (10) Jean Klein Who Am I? (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1988), p. 9. (11) Idries Shah Neglected Aspects of Sufi Study (London: Octagon Press, 1989), pp. 35-36. (12) Philip Kapleau Awakening to Zen (New York: Scribner, 1997), pp. 37-38. (13) Idries Shah The Commanding Self (London: Octagon Press, 1994), p. 239. (14) Jean Klein Who Am I? (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1988), p. 11. (15) Stuart Litvak Seeking Wisdom: The Sufi Path (York Beach, Maine: Samuel Weiser, 1984), pp. 3-4. (16) Lewis Courtland “A Visit to Idries Shah” in Leonard Lewin (ed.) The Diffusion of Sufi Ideas in the West (Boulder, Colorado: Keysign Press, 1972), p. 126. (17) D.T. Suzuki Awakening to Zen (Boston: Shambhala, 1987), p.68. (18) Idries Shah Knowing How to Know (London: Octagon Press, 1998), pp. 79-80. (19) D.T. Suzuki The Awakening of Zen (Boston: Shambhala, 1987), p.69. (20) Idries Shah A Perfumed Scorpion (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 129. (21) Idries Shah A Perfumed Scorpion (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 139-140. (22) Philip Kapleau Awakening to Zen (New York: Scribner, 1997), p. 31.

12

(23) Giovanna de Garayalde Jorge Luis Borges: Sources and Illumination (London: Octagon Press, 1978), p. 18. (24) Idries Shah Knowing How to Know (London: Octagon Press, 1998), p. 157. (25) Philip Kapleau Awakening to Zen (New York: Scribner, 1997), p. 97. (26) Philip Kapleau Awakening to Zen (New York: Scribner, 1997), p. 97. (27) Jean Klein Be Who You Are (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1989), p. 37.

13

THE WAY OR PATH ‘The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.’ Lao Tzu

Ancient Teaching of Inner Development Throughout human history, in virtually every culture and epoch, there are indications of the presence of a primal universal teaching of inner development and self-realization. Sometimes referred to as the Way, Path, Teaching or Tradition, this spiritual impulse has manifested culturally in different forms and expressions as the esoteric heart of the great religious traditions of the world such as Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Christianity. Yet it also exists independent of these traditions through forms that are not immediately recognized as religious or spiritual. This universal spiritual teaching is timeless and is said to have originated from the source of Life itself: “This essential Wisdom has always existed among humanity, and continues to exist.” The origins of this ‘Great Teaching’ are shrouded in mystery and have never been traced or dated: “The Path is not time-bound, having been represented among humanity from the very earliest times.” However, the custodians and exponents of this Teaching emphasize that speculations regarding origin and history are of secondary importance, compared to its perennial existence and function as a spiritual nutrient for humanity. At its heart the Teaching is essentially indefinable and beyond verbalization -- ‘Truth without form’ -- and cannot be understood by systematic analysis or “imprisoned in perennial, static categories of thought.” This is because it is difficult to clearly define something which must be experienced by each person according to their level of understanding and spiritual development. The Teaching is organic in nature and exists at different levels and dimensions. It is sometimes referred to as an art, a science, a journey, a conscious evolution. Gurdjieff and others have spoken of a ‘secret tradition’ of wisdom composed of an unbroken line of initiates or an ‘inner circle of humanity’ who are custodians of an ancient knowledge of human spiritual development: Gurdjieff suggested the idea of some hidden influence that linked all the generations of men in a way ordinarily unsuspected . . . As a youth, Gurdjieff became obsessed with the idea that there was a purpose and aim behind human life which was hardly ever glimpsed in the ceaseless generations of man. He became convinced that in former epochs man had possessed genuine knowledge of such matters, and that this knowledge was still preserved, somehow, somewhere. (1)

1

Gurdjieff is widely believed to have contacted such a source of ancient esoteric teaching during his travels in Central Asia. He alluded to this possibility in his description of the ‘Sarmoung Brotherhood’ in Meetings with Remarkable Men. The Naqshbandi Sufis also speak of an ancient ‘hidden knowledge’ passed down by initiation and preserved by a chain of succession. They are said to be the guardians of a ‘special training system’ of advanced spiritual teachings which represent a direct path to inner development: The word Naqshbandi is made of two words. Naqsh is painting and bandi are the people who do the painting. You could therefore say that Naqshbandi means the painters or the designers . . . It is also known in the Tradition as the motherorder, as well as Kwajagan, which means the guardians of the Tradition throughout history . . . For us, there is only one total truth, and that is God. (2) The purpose of the Teaching is to guide aspirants to enlightenment and human completion by discovering “the river of knowledge from beyond the stars.” A variety of metaphors, analogies and parallels have been employed to describe the nature and process of this inner spiritual development: •

The existence of a certain potentiality or ‘nobility of mind’ residing within every human being, leading to an objective understanding of one’s spiritual destiny and place in life

•

The discovery of a ‘treasure’ within the innermost consciousness of humankind. “When there is a light in the house of life, multiplicity is seen as unity and perfection” (Rumi)

•

The process of ‘shepherding’ the raw, embryonic human consciousness, allowing a fuller perception and realization of inherent spiritual possibilities

•

Unveiling the ‘essence’ or real part of oneself which speaks when other elements are silent. “There is a more objective reality than usually imagined; it is when this transcendental knowledge has been gained that the nature of human life is understood”

•

The alchemical process of self-work and inner transformation leading to human completion and self-realization: ‘Wool through the presence of conscious knowledge becomes a carpet”

•

The regeneration of the human essence and integration with the higher Self by means of the ‘Philosopher’s Stone’ which “purifies the dross to create the gold”

•

The ‘refinement’ and ‘purification’ of the human soul and unification with the Godhead: ultimate Truth and Reality

2

Universal Timeless Nature There is an inner need and aspiration for spiritual understanding and development in virtually every human being, although it may be unrecognized, given different names or understood in different ways. The basis for the spiritual experience is inherent in the human mind and is a natural development and common possession of humanity: “The essential truth lies within one’s inner consciousness.” The living truth is alive at the core of each of the world’s religious and spiritual traditions. The ‘way of liberation’ is not the unique property of any one religion or spiritual teaching. At the heart and depth of each tradition there is a transcendental unity: Q: It seems that many people these days change traditions in the hope of finding truth. A: It is a lack of insight to change one traditional frame for another. When you go deeply into your own religious tradition you will find the transcendental unity of all religions, the unity of the non-experience, the living understanding. Here there is no quarrel over dogma, ritual and mystical states, nor any place for comparison. It is true that many of the traditional religions have become so identified with secondary factors that they give more hindrance than help in understanding. But if you inquire deeply as a Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Jew, Hindu, and you understand it very profoundly, you will come to the living truth. There are sages and saints in all religious traditions. (3) The source of higher knowledge, or the ‘mystical stream,’ is essentially one and exists in every culture and epoch. In the words of the Sufi adept Halki: “Numberless waves, lapping and momentarily reflecting the sun – all from the same sea.” Although spiritual knowledge is one unified whole, the primary Teaching is inevitably split into myriad threads, facets and expressions of the same underlying truth: “All authentic expressions of human spiritual aspiration may be seen as having a single source, and that the differences are in appearance only, imposed by cultural and local conditions.” The essence of spirituality is neither of the East nor the West and transcends culture, geography and time period. Zen poets have expressed this eloquently: “The rain falls on the just and the unjust alike, and awakening is the birthright of all human beings” and “On whose door does the moonlight not shine?” The spiritual experience of union with the Divine occurs among the mystics of every religion and spiritual tradition, but may be expressed in a different language or terminology: Can one distill from religious or mystical experience certain pure elements which are common everywhere in all religions? If a Christian mystic has an 3

experience which can be phenomenologically compared with a Zen experience, does it matter that the Christian in fact believes that he is personally with God and the Zen-man interprets his experience as Sunyata or the void being aware of itself? . . . All religions thus “meet at the top,” and their various theologies and philosophies become irrelevant when we see that they were merely means for arriving at the same end, and all means are alike efficacious. (4) There is something pure and true at the heart of all the world’s religions and spiritual traditions which transcend their external forms and expressions. Each offers a particular path with the same ultimate goal. There is no monopoly or exclusivity in ultimate Truth as all spiritual teachings originate from the same perennial stream and root source: “There are as many ways to God as souls of human beings.” When viewed from the outside religious traditions seem completely different, yet at their root and in their deepest spirit there is no difference. Fundamentally all religions are one in terms of life and spirit: “Each religion is nothing but a path, a way to reach the summit. You can reach the summit from many directions.” In a sense all religions are the outer face of an inner truth: “Different religions are external shapes within which eternal truths have been articulated to meet the spiritual needs of specific cultures and communities.” Within these outer forms there is a deeper, universal truth – the inner ‘kernel’ or heart of religion. Within every religion there are different levels of teaching, each appropriate in its own way to those at a certain stage of spiritual development: The different teachings of the various religions are all beneficial and necessary for people at different capacities and perspectives. Some of these teachings may be of an “expedient” or “persuasive” nature, devised for the immature minds of the masses; others are truly the final teachings, only suitable, at our present stage of evolution, for a minority of highly endowed persons. But all religions have played their constructive roles in promoting human welfare and spiritual growth. As a Buddhist sees it, in the big family of divine doctrines there is a distinction only between the preliminary and the advanced, between the “expedient” and the final teachings, but not between the “right” and the “wrong” ones. (5) Most religions contain both an outer (exoteric) teaching and an inner (esoteric) teaching which points directly to spiritual truth. In metaphorical terms, the esoteric component is the root of a tree while the exoteric component represents the branches of the tree: In any religious teaching there is an exoteric part, the traditional, and an esoteric part, the Tradition. The exoteric part is very conventional and is not really the essence of the teaching. The essence of the teaching is esoteric. The interpretation on the esoteric level of every tradition, Judaism, Christianity, Taoism, and so on, is the only truth. There are not several truths, there is only truth. Truth can never be objectified, can never be perceived. You can only be it. Truth can only be trans4

mitted through truth. Transmutation can only take place through our real nature, which knows itself by itself, and doesn’t need an agent. (6) The exoteric aspect of a traditional religion is formulated for the needs of a particular community at a given time and circumstance, while the esoteric heart of the religion is universal in nature: People today keep certain traditional formulations which were formulated hundreds and thousands of years ago. The formulation of this tradition was according to the understanding, the level of the society at the time. This formulation of a tradition is the doctrine. It belongs to the traditional aspect. Tradition, as I see it, means that which is truth, that which is transmitted. That means the truth transmits the truth. You can never transmit the doctrine. The doctrine is formulated every twenty or fifty years. You could even say the doctrine appears from moment to moment. So tradition means what is transmitted. The truth is transmitted. Ideas, doctrine can never bring transmutation. (7)

Transmission of the Teaching There has always been a continuous, altruistic stream of guardianship of the ‘Great Teaching’ based on capacity, purity of intention and level of spiritual development. “Human refinement is the goal, and the inner teachings of all the faiths aim at this. In order to accomplish it, there is always a tradition handed down by a living chain of adepts, who select suitable candidates to whom to impart this knowledge.” In some esoteric teachings, such as Sufism, it is claimed that the Teaching or Tradition dates from Adam himself: “The seed of Truth was sown in the time of Adam, germinated in the time of Noah, budded in the time of Abraham, began to develop in the time of Moses, reached maturity in the time of Jesus and produced pure wine in the time of Mohammed.” A number of specific historical lines of transmission have been identified which may not be entirely independent or exclusive: • • • • •

An immemorial tradition of wisdom has existed from the earliest beginnings of human life on earth. The ‘Great Teaching’ predates and has survived the ‘Flood’ or some other unspecified planetary disaster. The ancient doctrines of the Egyptian and Chaldean masters, as well as Zoroaster and Hermes, are in direct line with the Teaching. The Teaching was known to Noah, Abraham, Moses, Solomon, Joseph and Jesus. It was known to and practised by a succession of Greek sages, including Socrates, Plato, Hippocrates and Pythagoras. 5

• •

The ancient Vedic teachings of India are congruent with the Teaching. The teachings of the Buddha and the early Taoist and Zen masters were authentic explications of the same Path.

The Way is the product of conscious study, investigation and experience over a period of countless millennia. Throughout history specialists have guarded this ‘sacred science’ of higher knowledge and practice and ensured its preservation and dissemination. The fundamental insights and methodologies are intact, comprehensive and effective: “Such room as there is for experimentation and ‘re-inventing the wheel’ is limited and limiting.” The Tradition is an established path of inner development with a prescribed method under the guidance of teachers who have already completed the journey. Teachers of the Way are individuals who have reached the state of self-realization and enlightenment and are thus able to navigate the Path, leading others to the ultimate destination of human fulfilment and spiritual maturity. However, it is also acknowledged that an individual may be able to achieve enlightenment on their own (although such instances are rare) without the support of the Teaching. A lineage is usually defined as an unbroken line or chain of teachers and their successors which ensures the validity and continuity of a spiritual teaching through the generations. In the deepest sense a lineage is a tradition of ‘truth-seekers’ united by a direct perception of the reality of timeless being and presence, without a primary reference to the past: “The way of approaching truth belongs to a certain current, but there are no entities in a line.” The direct transmission of a spiritual teaching is qualitatively different from the dissemination of ideas, practices and other external forms: “One doesn’t transmit doctrines hundreds of years old, but the actual present essence of the tradition. One must live the essence in order to be able to formulate it in present language, and so transmit it.” We might say that tradition is the transmission of Life. It is the essential, living experience of the fundamental non-state. Direct transmission needs no support. It is not bound by memory, time and space. All that is not direct transmission takes place in time and space. It involves memory. This we call ‘traditional’ and it includes rituals, doctrines, beliefs, myths, and so on. These ways of expression and teaching vary according to the individual culture and century. As long as the ‘tradition’ is directly grounded in tradition it is a vehicle for transmission. In other words the timeless background must remain in all its expressions. When this is so, the traditional remains flexible, appropriate and timely. But when the anecdotal, the ‘traditional,’ is emphasized, it loses its source in direct transmission and becomes inflexible. It cannot function for it has lost its original orientation, its true raison d’être, its life force. It becomes a shell without the animal in it. (8)

6

In the Zen tradition the sharing of the Buddha’s spiritual insights and teachings is expressed in these terms: A special transmission outside the Scriptures; No dependence upon words and letters; Direct pointing to the essence of one’s being; Seeing into one’s nature and the attainment of Buddhahood. (9) Buddha himself denied that he had founded a religion: “He likened himself to one who had discovered an ancient road leading to an ancient city. The road and city were abandoned and overgrown by jungle, but the traces remained; leading others to the same discovery.” The indirect way in which the Buddha’s teaching was transmitted from master to disciple is illustrated by a classic story: One day Buddha was standing in front of the assembly at Vautours Mountain. Everyone was waiting for the daily lesson, but he remained silent. After some time, he lifted his right hand which held a flower, all the while looking at the assembly without saying a single word. Each looked at him without understanding at all. Only one monk looked at Buddha with sparkling eyes and smiled . . . The monk who smiled was Kasyapa, a great disciple of Buddha. Kasyapa reached the Moment of awakening when Buddha raised his flower. At the same time he received the “mind seal” of Buddha, to use the Zen terminology. Buddha had transmitted his Wisdom from mind to mind; he had taken the seal of his mind and had imprinted it on the mind of Kasyapa. (10) This story illustrates the subtle nature of spiritual transmission and the fact that the essence of an authentic transmission is a mutual recognition of awakened minds: In one sense there is no transmission of any direct knowledge or understanding from one person to another, because the teaching is reality itself and the direct knowledge and understanding of suchness must be firsthand. In another sense there is transmission, in that conscious participation in reality is not a subjective experience, but is by nature shared in common with anyone who has the same objective experience. Kasyapa was already enlightened when he met the Buddha, he recognized the Buddha’s enlightenment, and Buddha recognized his enlightenment. (11) Traditionally a spiritual teacher transmits a certain beneficial energy or grace (Baraka) to their students, much like a chord or vibration which harmonizes with their inner being. This may occur through “a look, a touch or gesture, or a word, sometimes a vivid dream or a strong remembrance. Sometimes the only sign of grace is a significant and rapid change in character and behaviour.”

7

The living reality is beyond words and thought but can be passed from one person to another by mind-to-mind transmission based on mutual affinity and comprehension. What is important in spiritual transmission is the inner dynamic and essential understanding of the teacher, not the outer manifestations and secondary phenomena surrounding him or her: In a word, what constituted the life and spirit of Buddhism is nothing else than the inner life and spirit of the Buddha himself; Buddhism is the structure erected around the inmost consciousness of its founder. The style and material of the outer structure may vary as history moves forward, but the inner meaning of Buddhahood which supports the whole edifice remains the same and ever living. While on earth the Buddha tried to make it intelligible in accordance with the capacities of his immediate followers; that is to say, the latter did their best to comprehend the deeper significance of the various discourses of their master, in which he pointed the way to final deliverance. As we are told, the Buddha discoursed ‘with one voice,’ but this was interpreted and understood by his devotees in as manifold manner as possible. This was inevitable, for we have each our own inner experience which is to be explained in terms of our own creation, naturally varying in depth and breadth. (12) There is a mutual relationship between teacher and student in the transmission of a spiritual teaching: “Receiving it, the person is sanctioned to teach; giving it, the person passes on authority.” Ultimately the student must reach his or her own deep insight and understanding of spiritual truth and not “walk in the shadow of their teacher.”

Nature of the Path The Teaching is an ‘organic whole’ and specialized science with its own postulates, laws and learning methods resulting from the discovery of universal spiritual principles and their significance for humanity. “It is not based on dogma but on objective knowledge resulting from the application of certain spiritual laws of nature that are adapted to the specific needs of each time and place, application of which requires direct observation, the renewed analysis of the circumstances and practical verification.” The operation of the Teaching is a skilled and complex undertaking or ‘technology’ requiring a sense of measure, correct application of developmental impacts and a sensitivity to the requirements of ‘time, place and people.’ In many cases the Tradition has no outward “spiritual” cloak or aspect, enabling it to operate more effectively in the world without overt resistance or conditioned preconceptions. The Teaching is organized and projected in a manner which is practical and useful in order to produce its full spiritual effect upon a human being, group or community. “It is not a magic way or an accelerated progress. It is hard and a lifelong work, but at every stage one is provided 8

with the instruments and the knowledge of how to use it.” Like any specialized field of study the Way has a comprehensive body of knowledge, trained and skilled teachers and its own methods, procedures and experiential exercises. This Teaching is based on a precise knowledge of which tools, ideas and techniques are truly useful in a given circumstance. Omar Ali-Shah: “In the Tradition we are following a technically exact and disciplined activity. Everything we do, everything we use, our music, our recitations, our colour combinations, are technical instruments within the overall context of the Tradition.” The attainment of higher levels of spiritual development comes through the confluence of knowledge, capacity, effort and method. The foundation of this consciously directed process of inner growth is based on right design and measure: “The design is perceived by those who have the experience to know it, the measure is the consequence of this perception.” In other words, knowledge of the end creates the means: The Teaching, for its part, is carried out – and is able to cross ideological boundaries – because of a knowledge of the objective: an objective which is at worst postulated as an assumption that it exists; at best glimpsed; and thenceforward is the subject of repeated attempts to devise a means to recover this glimpse. The working hypothesis or traditional framework provides the structure by which the would-be illuminate attempts to approach this goal. In the case of the School, knowledge alone provides the basis upon which the structure can be devised. ‘Once you know the end, you can devise the means.’ The end does not justify the means – it provides it. The means, employed in this sense, is the structure referred to in some literature as ‘The Work.’ (13) The purpose of the Teaching is to furnish “spiritual nourishment” which leads to a true understanding and realization of one’s essential nature and place in the universe. This extended perception or ‘conscious evolution’ provides an “extra-dimensional view of the origin, possibilities and place of humanity in the larger picture and one’s relationship with the Supreme Being.” Spiritual understanding can be cultivated and provoked in others when the conditions are ripe and “the desire for truth is accompanied by the means for attaining it.” The experiential nature of the enlightened state is encapsulated in the saying ‘to taste is to know.’ A variety of methods may be employed to reach the same goal. “Out of wheat many types of food are prepared, using different methods. In the same way, there are many systems of spirituality.” The various methods are ‘skilful means’ designed to lead the aspirant to a fuller, higher understanding of the meaning and purpose of life. Each approach inevitably leads to the same ultimate goal – direct perception of one’s real nature: Many kinds of food are needed to make the child grow, but the act of eating is the same. Theoretically, all approaches are good. In practice, and at a given moment, you proceed by one road only. Sooner or later you are bound to dis9

cover that if you really want to find, you must dig at one place only – within. Q: Surely there is something valid and valuable in every approach? A: In each case the value lies in bringing you to the need of seeking within. Playing with various approaches may be due to resistance to going within, to the fear of having to abandon the illusion of being something or somebody in particular. To find water you do not dig small pits all over the place, but drill deep in one place only. Similarly, to find your Self you have to explore yourself. (14) Different paths suit different natures with different modes of evolution. In order to make the Teaching practical and effective it may have to be formulated in many different ways and approached from different levels. Ramana Maharshi: “I approve of all schools. The same truth has to be expressed in different ways to suit the capacity of the hearer.” Q: Different teachers have set up different schools and proclaimed different truths and so confused people. Why? A: They have all taught the same truth but from different standpoints. Such differences were necessary to meet the needs of different minds differently constituted, but they all reveal the same Truth. Q: Since they have recommended different paths which is the one to follow? A: You speak of paths as if you were somewhere and the Self somewhere else and you had to go and reach it. But in fact the Self is here and now and you are that always. (15) The Path is dynamic, creative and organic, adapting itself to each place and time. “It is always fresh, as a spring leaping out of the ground.” Because the Teaching is essentially formless it can only be organized to a certain extent. In the words of D.T. Suzuki: “Anything organic and spiritual has no geometrical outline which can be traced on paper by ruler and compass. It refuses to be objectively defined, for this will be setting a limit to the growth of its spirit.” There is a natural ebb and flow, of ups and downs, in the spiritual journey. Sometimes periods of withdrawal and contemplation are alternated with complete immersion and involvement in the experiences of life. “Does it matter whether you pull the cart or push it, as long as it is kept rolling.” Q: How does one go beyond the mind? A: There are many starting points – they all lead to the same goal. You may begin with selfless work, abandoning the fruits of action; you may then give up 10

thinking and end in giving up all desires. Here, giving up is the operational factor. Or, you may not bother about anything you want, or think, or do and just stay put in the thought and feeling ‘I am,’ focusing ‘I am’ firmly in your mind. All kinds of experiences may come to you – remain unmoved in the knowledge that all that is perceivable is transient, and only the ‘I am’ endures. Q: I cannot give all my life to such practices. I have my duties to attend to. A: By all means attend to your duties. Action, in which you are not emotionally involved and which is beneficial and does not cause suffering will not bind you. You may be engaged in several directions and work with enormous zest, yet remain inwardly free and quiet, with a mirror-like mind, which reflects all, without being affected. (16) Because different spiritual methods apply to people at different levels of development and potentiality, preliminary practices are sometimes necessary to prepare the aspirant for the stage of formless awareness and direct insight. Jean Klein: “The words, the activities, are a crutch and this support gradually loses its concreteness . . . The formulations are symbols, pointers, and ultimately you do not see the symbol but that to which it points.” Certain spiritual methods are for purification and elimination of the obstacles preventing self-realization. “These spiritual practices are not for knowing one’s own Self, which is allpervading, but only for getting rid of the objects of desire and attachment. When all these are discarded, one remains as one IS. That which is always in existence is the Self – all things are born out of the Self.” In some traditional teachings two primary approaches to liberation are recommended: the path of knowledge or the path of devotion. The first is based on inquiry into the nature of the self and the second on unconditional surrender to God or a Higher Power. The path of knowledge removes the sense of a personal “I” while the path of devotion removes the sense of “mine.” Ramana Maharshi clarified the path of devotion which is often misunderstood by the Western mind: “Surrender can never be regarded as complete as long as the devotee wants this or that from the Lord. True surrender is love of God for the sake of love and nothing else.” These two traditional approaches to spiritual understanding appeal to different natures and temperaments: Generally speaking there are two ways: external and internal. Either you live with somebody who knows the Truth and submit yourself entirely to his guiding and molding influence, or you seek the inner guide and follow the inner light wherever it takes you. In both cases your personal desires and fears must be disregarded. You learn either by proximity or by investigation, the passive or the active way. You either let yourself be carried by the river of life and love represented by your Guru, or you make your own efforts, guided by your inner 11

star. In both cases you must move on, you must be earnest. Rare are the people who are lucky to find somebody worthy of trust and love. Most of them must take the hard way, the way of intelligence and understanding, of discrimination and detachment. This is the way open to all. (17)

The Direct Way The direct way or path is considered the culmination of the spiritual search and is sometimes called the ‘royal path.’ It is centered on and stabilized in the final destination and supersedes all other spiritual paths which are based on a progressive, time-bound approach to spiritual development and realization. The direct path is always available and can be lived in every moment of life: There is such a way, open to all, on every level, in every walk of life. Everybody is aware of himself. The deepening and broadening of self-awareness is the royal way. Call it mindfulness, or witnessing, or just attention – it is for all. No one is unripe for it and none can fail. But, of course, you must not be merely alert. Your mindfulness must include the mind also. Witnessing is primarily awareness of consciousness and its movements. (18) This way is more subtle than gradual paths of inner development: “The reality of direct perception cannot actually be described, for it can only be known to the perceiver. There is no fixed way or path, for any means can become an end in the hands of the unenlightened.” The simple, yet mysterious nature of the direct path is captured in a classic exchange between a Zen master and his disciple: When Joshu was with Nansen, he asked, “What is the Way?” Nansen: “Your everyday mind – this is the Way.” Joshu: “Do we need any special conducting or not?” Nansen replied: “No. When we turn towards it, we turn away from it.” “But if we do not need any special conducting, how do we find the Way?” Nansen: “The Way transcends both knowledge and no-knowledge. Knowledge is illusion, no-knowledge is indifference. When you really arrive at the point where not a shadow of doubt is possible, it is like vastness of space, empty and infinitely expanding. You have no way to either affirm or to negate.” This is said to have led Joshu to a spiritual awakening. (19) The direct path points to our natural state of pure awareness and being which transcends the mind and body, while the progressive approach seeks to gradually eliminate the obstacles and impediments to self-realization. “Living is to be found in the timeless now. So don’t accumulate more things, learn new ways to meditate or relax or purify. All this accumulation of states and sensations and techniques is nothing but vanity.” 12

There are basically two known approaches to truth, the gradual and the direct. In the direct approach the premise is that you are the truth, there is nothing to achieve. Every step to achieve something is going away from it. The “path,” which strictly speaking is not a path from somewhere to somewhere, is only to welcome, to be open to the truth, the I am. When you have once glimpsed your real nature it solicits you. There is therefore nothing to do, only to be attuned to it as often as invited. There is not a single element of volition in this attuning. It is not the mind which attunes to the I am but the I am which absorbs the mind. In the gradual approach you are bound to the mind. The mind is under the illusion that if it changes, alters states, stops, etc., it will be absorbed in what is beyond it. This misconception leads to a state in which a truth-seeker has bound himself in his own web, a web of the most subtle duality. (20) The progressive way is a path of purification and elimination which proceeds in stages and is characterized by certain experiences. But in all experiences one remains in a subject-object relationship which is “an expression of life but is not life itself.” Q: Why do you say that the path of stages or different levels keeps you in the subject-object relationship? A: Progression can only be known through experience, comparison and interpretation, in other words, through memory. There must be a centre of reference, otherwise, how could you talk of stages? All levels belong to the mind. But what you already and constantly are is not a level, nor a state, nor an experience. These are impermanent and have a beginning and an end, but your real nature is causeless and timeless. How then can you reach the non-state through a series of states? These states may bring you delightful experiences, it is true, but they are sugar for the I-image, nothing else. Stages are a creation of the ego to keep it alive in a more and more subtle way. Although they bring about a certain purification and elimination, they can never bring you a hair’s breadth nearer to the non-state. (21) In some instances, proponents of the direct path may use elements and methods drawn from a progressive teaching, such as body-work or sitting meditation, as a support or aid: “We live in space and time. Although the axis shifts in one moment it takes time for past habits to fall away.” Q: Does meditation differ in the two ways? A: Absolutely. In the progressive approach meditation is a discipline to still the mind and bring it to an absence of thought. But the mind can never be permanently still. To associate no-thought with silence is false identification. Silence is beyond the presence and absence of thought . . . In the direct way sitting meditation is used only as a laboratory to watch how your mechanism functions. You give no hold to what you watch so that from the beginning the emphasis is 13

on listening and watching. At other times the word ‘meditation’ refers to your background, the stillness or presence in which all appears spontaneously. (22) Although the elimination of past conditioning is one of the goals of the progressive path, there is a subtle sense of end-gaining in which the ego is still engaged when pursuing a path based on stages of development and attainment of a projected end or destination. “All practice and technique belongs to the egoic mind as the intellect loses its natural sensitivity and flexibility because it is put into a frame.” The desire to change and develop spiritually may be an escape to prevent one from confronting the reality of the ego’s subjective power and desire to maintain itself: Begin by questioning your desire to change. Your practices are only an escape from facing the first question. Through discipline you may alter the position of all the objects on your table but that is superficial change. Real transmutation comes when you tip the table over and all the objects slide off! See that you are constantly escaping from facing your ego head on. The mind is sly and seduces you down many roads rather than release its control on you. When you see something clearly the pattern loses its power. No amount of striving can bring you to clear seeing. When you see your mechanism clearly the energy, the axis, of your being immediately shifts and transformation occurs. (23) From the perspective of the direct way the gradual or progressive path is driven by a number of unexamined assumptions which are ultimately spiritually unproductive. These include endgaining, striving, anticipation, accumulation and achievement, qualities of mind which involve “turning round and round in circles within the same old structure” and “attempting to come to that which is timeless by working through time.” In contrast the direct path asserts that “there is nothing to attain since what we are looking for, we already are” and “in projecting a goal you can only go away from your real nature, what you are now.” The great Indian sage Ramana Maharshi taught the direct path through self-inquiry by enjoining his followers to question “Who am I?” When asked what his method was he replied: “There is nothing to be reached. You are always as you really are, but you don’t realize it. That is all.” Reality is simply the loss of the ego. Destroy the ego by seeking its identity. Because the ego is no entity it will automatically vanish and Reality will shine forth by itself. This is the direct method. Whereas all other methods are done only by retaining the ego. In those paths there arise so many doubts and the eternal question remains to be tackled finally. But in this method the final question is the only one and it is raised from the very beginning. No sadhanas are necessary for engaging in this quest. There is no greater mystery than this: ourselves being the Reality we seek to gain reality. We think that there is something hiding our Reality and that it must be destroyed before the Reality is gained. It is ridiculous. A day will dawn when you will yourself laugh at your 14

past efforts. That which will be on the day you laugh is also here and now. We are actually experiencing the Reality only; still we do not know it. Is it not a wonder of wonders? (24) Ramana Maharshi sometimes used analogies to describe the direct path of self-inquiry: “There are a number of rivers; some flow straight, some wind and twist zig-zag, but all of them ultimately become merged in the ocean. In the same way, all paths become merged in the path of self-enquiry, just as all languages become merged in Silence.” Q: Why should Self-enquiry alone be considered the direct path to Realization? A: Because every kind of path except Self-enquiry presupposes the retention of the mind as the instrument for following it, and cannot be followed without the mind. The ego may take different and more subtle forms at different stages of one’s practice but it is never destroyed. The attempt to destroy the ego or the mind by methods other than Self-enquiry is like a thief turning policeman to catch the thief that is himself. Self-enquiry alone can reveal the truth that neither the ego nor the mind really exists and enable one to realize the pure, undifferentiated Being of the Self or the Absolute. (25) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj also taught the path of self-inquiry, stressing that the practice of mindfulness or ‘witnessing’ opens the door to self-inquiry: Q: We were told that of all forms of spiritual practice the practice of the attitude of a mere witness is the most efficacious. How does it compare with faith? A: The witness attitude is also faith; it is faith in oneself. You believe that you are not what you experience and you look at everything as from a distance. There is no effort in witnessing. You understand that you are the witness only and the understanding acts. You need nothing more, just remember that you are the witness only. If in the state of witnessing you ask yourself: ‘Who am I?’, the answer comes at once, though it is wordless and silent. Cease to be the object and become the subject of all that happens; once having turned within, you will find yourself beyond the subject. When you have found yourself, you will find that you are also beyond the object, that both the subject and object exist in you, but you are neither. (26) The direct path addresses the fundamental problem – our mistaken identification with the body and mind – and points our attention to the experience of reality as it is, the Self. Jean Klein: “The starting point of the direct path is the deliberate rejection of the subject-object duality which is the framework of all our usual activities (metaphysical speculation included). Travelling along this path is an entirely upstream journey implying the complete rejection of our usual mental activities, even in their highest form.” The direct path is guided by the sword of 15

discrimination which is grounded in the non-dual background of ultimate reality lying behind the world of concepts and appearances. “From the beginning the mind knows that it is limited and lives in welcoming a new dimension. The intellect has not been conditioned and its fluidity is vitally important for this last discernment.” The basic tenet of the direct way is that we are not the body, the senses or the mind, but the light beyond all perceptions: “Your global non-state is already there. It is natural to you, and it ‘waits’ for the deep relaxation of the habits of body and mind.” In the direct teaching one faces the Ultimate Reality immediately and views the body, senses and mind through the prism of the Ultimate. Purification moves from above to below. A teacher of the direct path points to ultimate truth through his or her own experience and realization. In the words of Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj: “I trusted my teacher’s words and kept them in my mind and I found that he was right: that I was, am and shall always be the infinite Reality, embracing all, transcending all.” The aspirant is encouraged to experience the essence of life itself, to see life as it really is in all its naked glory. This direct path to spiritual truth is centered, writes Thomas Merton, “in the pure unarticulated and unexplained ground of direct experience. The direct experience of what? Life itself. What it means that I exist, that I live: who is this ‘I’ that exists and lives?” The direct path leads to a clear perception and understanding of the bare facts of truth: On the level of the mind, ordinary understanding, the nearest we can come to objectless truth is a clear perspective, a vision of the objectless. I often call this a geometrical representation. The contents of this representation are what could be called the facts of truth: that the mind has limits; that truth is beyond the mind; that truth, our real nature, cannot be objectified, just as the eye cannot see itself seeing; that truth, consciousness, was never born and will never die; that it is the light in which all happenings, all objects appear and disappear; that in order for there to be understanding of truth, all representations must dissolve. When this representation, the last of the conventional subject-object understanding, dies, it dissolves in its source – the light of which the mind was informed but could not comprehend. In other words, understanding dissolves in being understanding. We no longer understand; we are the understanding. This switchover is a sudden, dramatic moment when we are ejected into the timeless. (27) Although the direct path to Truth can be understood intellectually, it must be actually experienced in its deepest reality before it can be manifested in the crucible of daily life: It is true that in an ultimate sense there is nothing to teach or learn, nothing to know or do. Yet one is not entitled to say that unless one has actually realized down to one’s bones the truth of those statements. For truly to know that there is nothing to know is to know a great deal. Spiritual traditions are full of such 16

glittering truths as: “You cannot enter a place you never left”; “The Absolute is a sphere whose center is everywhere and whose circumference is nowhere”; “Who sees not God everywhere sees Him truly nowhere”; or “Refrain from seeking buddhahood, since any search is condemned to fail.” These quotations reflect the awakened awareness of the masters . . . What others have written about their own deep spiritual experiences can be valuable in showing the way and inspiring one in the spiritual quest – up to a point . . . For the Way, to be a Way, must be walked. Religious doctrines remain mere concepts until translated into actions. It is by acting out the profound teachings that we are transformed. (28) Our true nature is beyond division and separation – it is complete and lacks nothing. Jesus alluded to this state of wholeness: “Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin, yet Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of them.” Reality is infinite and timeless: “We cannot take hold of it; we can only allow ourselves to be seized.” This is why great teachers of the non-dual path such as Shankaracharya, Ramana Maharshi and Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj stress that “there is no question of going anywhere, arriving anywhere or doing anything; you are already there.” Some visitors ask me, “Please show us a path that will lead to Reality.” How can I? All paths lead to unreality. Paths are creations within the scope of knowledge. Therefore, paths and movements cannot transport you into Reality, because their function is to enmesh you within the dimension of knowledge, while the Reality prevails prior to it. To apprehend this, you must stay put at the source of your creation, at the beginning of the knowledge ‘I am.’ So long as you do not achieve this, you will be entangled in the chains forged by your mind and get enmeshed in those of others. Therefore, I repeat, you stabilize at the source of your Being and then all the chains will snap asunder and you will be liberated. You will transcend time, with the result that you will be beyond the reach of its tentacles and you shall prevail in eternity. (29) Simple bare attention is the gateway to the expansion of consciousness that leads to a direct perception of Ultimate Reality or the Self. “The moment attention is sustained because it interests us, then we will see that as the attention grows, it becomes alertness, alertness becomes intelligence, intelligence becomes awareness and illuminates consciousness and its infinite content.” To know that simple, changeless being is our true nature and to be able to live this truth in all circumstances of life is liberation and freedom: “When self-concern is quiet, in abeyance, heaven and earth open. The mystery, the essence of life, is not separate from the silent openness of simple listening.” The direct way is grounded in being understanding and points back to our original nature as it unfolds in the timeless present: “Truth is not found by striving for the attainment of a goal in the future, but it has to do with seeing what is this very instant.”

17

References (1) Ernest Scott The People of the Secret (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 157-158. (2) Omar Ali-Shah The Rules or Secrets of the Naqshbandi Order (Reno: Tractus Books, 1998), p. 15. (3) Jean Klein Who Am I? (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1989), p. 110. (4) Thomas Merton Zen and the Birds of Appetite (New York: New Directions, 1968), pp. 42- 43. (5) Garma C. C. Chang The Practice of Zen (New York: Harper & Row, 1959), p. 200. (6) Jean Klein Transmission of the Flame (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publications, 1990), pp. 133-134. (7) Jean Klein Transmission of the Flame (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publications, 1990), p. 133. (8) Jean Klein Who Am I? (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1989), p. 110. (9) D.T. Suzuki Essays in Zen Buddhism (New York: Grove Press, 1961), p. 20. (10) Thich Nhat Hanh Zen Keys (New York: Anchor Books, 1974), pp. 41-42. (11) Thomas Cleary No Barrier: Unlocking the Zen Koan (New York: Bantam Books, 1993), p. 37. (12) D.T. Suzuki Essays in Zen Buddhism (New York: Grove Press, 1961), pp. 53-54. (13) Idries Shah Learning How to Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 73. (14) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 202. (15) Devaraja Mudaliar Day by Day with Bhagavan (Tiruvannanalai, India: Sri Ramanasramam, 1977), p. 233. (16) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 50. (17) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), pp. 312-313. (18) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 324. (19) D.T. Suzuki Living by Zen (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1972), p. 40. (20) Jean Klein I Am (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publications, 1989), p. 19. (21) Jean Klein Who Am I? (Dorset. England: Element Books, 1989), pp. 85-86. (22) Jean Klein Who Am I? (Dorset. England: Element Books, 1989), p. 93. (23) Jean Klein Who Am I? (Dorset. England: Element Books, 1989), p. 90. (24) Ramana Maharshi Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi (Tiruvannanalai, India: Sri Ramanasramam, 1984), pp. 130-131. (25) Arthur Osborne (ed.) The Teachings of Ramana Maharshi (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1978), p. 112. (26) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 303. (27) Jean Klein Open to the Unknown (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publications, 1992), pp. 65-66. (28) Philip Kapleau “The Private Encounter with the Master” in Kenneth Kraft (ed.) Zen: Tradition and Transition (New York: Grove Press, 1988), pp. 67-68. (29) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj The Nectar of the Lord’s Feet (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1987), p. 49. 18

A LIVING ORGANIC SPIRITUAL TEACHING ‘We work in all places and at all times.’ Saying

Flexibility and Adaptability The ‘Great Teaching’ is universal and timeless in its essential nature, although its forms may alter as it adapts to changing circumstances. Such a developmental teaching is a living entity, essentially applicable at all times and in all circumstances, and is able to operate within any culture and in any language: ‘The clothes may vary, but the person is the same.’ The actual position and intention of the Tradition does not change, but it must have some flexibility because of changing social, geographical, political and other considerations. In former times we used verbal and other communications which were correct for the time. In primitive times we used primitive techniques, even though we had more sophisticated techniques which we could have used. The reason primitive techniques were used was because there was nothing strange or hostile about them. (1) The Teaching is conveyed in response to the needs of the community to which it is directed. It presents itself in a form which is perceptible and comprehensible to each person in direct accordance with their individual needs and capacities. “People differ at different times – what is appropriate for one person in one civilization may not be useful for another. Conditions of life change, understandings progress and regress, and the ‘ground’ on which the Teaching is based changes. Since it is a ‘growing, organic process,’ it becomes different in different eras.” The principle of ‘time, place and people’ refers to projecting a teaching afresh in each time and culture, in accordance with the real characteristics of a situation. The outward shape of the inner teaching is constantly reformulated in a ‘fresh adaptation’ to maintain relevance and effectiveness within a given culture and community: Q: How can you explain the many forms in which people have attempted to teach? If certain forms through which studies are carried are true, are all others false? A: • • •

Traditionally, this question is answered as follows: Truth has no form; The means through which people may perceive Truth have forms; All forms are limited; some of these limitations are time, place, culture and language; • Different forms are not necessarily antagonistic, for the above reason; 1

• • • •

Forms have changed through the centuries in obedience to the external world to which all forms belong; When people believe that the form is more important than the Truth, they will not find the Truth, but will stay with form; Forms are vehicles and instruments, and vehicles and instruments cannot be called good or bad without context; Forms outlive their usefulness, increase or diminish in usefulness. (2)

One of the reasons why the formulation of a teaching must change in accordance with time and circumstances is to prevent indoctrination and conditioning. “Ancient systems do not work in modern times. They may train people to believe certain things but have little developmental value. No true system is ancient although the knowledge upon which it is based is ancient. The trappings, formulae, externals must alter, sometimes frequently, if its operational efficacy is to be preserved.” The existence of so many bodies of teaching, in so many cultures and epochs, with so many different outward forms is a manifestation of original groups which were tailored for the community of that place, that time, that teacher. Of all human activities, the one involving studies beyond ordinary perceptions must above all be projected in accordance with time, place and people; the last includes the direction of the effort, as is well illustrated by this traditional teaching story: Terribly afraid one dark night, Mulla Nasrudin travelled with a sword in one hand and a dagger in the other. He had been told that these were a sure means of protection. On the way he was met by a robber, who took his donkey and saddlebag full of valuable books. The next day, as he was bemoaning his fate in the teahouse, someone asked: “But why did you let him get away with your possessions, Mulla? Did you not have the means to deter him?” “If my hands had not been full,” said the Mulla, “it would have been a different story.” (3) The importance of renewal and supersession is illustrated by an important adage: ‘That which is introduced into the domain of Time will fall victim to the ravages of Time.’ For this reason a living teaching is adaptive and evolutionary – it is not intended to subsist within a particular culture or society in an unaltered form. “A school of higher development comes into being, like any other natural factor, in order to flourish and disappear, not to leave traces in mechanical ritual, or anthropologically interesting relics. The function of a nutrient is to become transmuted, not to leave unaltered traces.” The external forms of an organic teaching will always change in response to the needs and situation of a learning community. Its outer forms, such as literature, exercises, techniques and so on, are ‘working frames’ which are transient, systematized only for limited periods of time. When their effective life-span is completed, others take their place to ensure the continuity of the Tradition. Thus the saying: ‘The workshop is dismantled after the work is finished.’ 2

The concept of supersession is illustrated by an analogy to the use of lower dimensions (such as things of this world) in order to ultimately transcend those dimensions: It has often been objected that it is absurd to use something in order to transcend that very thing. Yet the smallest example from ordinary life will surely show that this is what we are doing all the time. For instance, if you teach someone to count, starting with piles of stones in order to end up with the relatively abstract Arabic numerical figures, you may be said to have employed the concrete to get to the abstract, and to have used stones as something which you are determined to supersede. If you do not do this, of course, keeping the constant awareness of the supersession factor in front of you, your learning system is in danger of becoming fossilized. You get conditioned to stones. (4) There is a natural tendency for spiritual teachings to deviate from their original intention and purpose once they have been transmitted to a specific community or culture. “It is an evident fact that true groups and organizations ‘run down’ and develop peculiarities other than were present in their origins. They may do this because of the ascendancy of the undesirable characteristics in the participants, or because there is a widespread tendency for people and groups to attempt to stabilize themselves by using the nearest available organization, irrespective of whether this kind of stabilization loses more than it gains.” Spiritual systems from the past tend to follow a descending arc of effectiveness leading to mechanical repetition and conditioned behaviour. This is one of the major reasons why the Teaching must be constantly renewed from its source: Q: Is there any value in studying the teachings and activities of systems of the past? Some of them have died out, and some seem to belong to a past era, not applicable today. A: There is value in studying those which do have contemporary application. That means, of course, that the only people who can indicate which body of material – or what part of a body of material – to study are those who understand what they meant, for whom they were intended, and what their effect was designed to be. This, in turn, means that mere imitation is useless. Real study is prescription, not imitation or even tradition. (5)

Expression and Influence in the World Throughout history higher knowledge has been transmitted by enlightened teachers to virtually every culture and society in the world. The process of ‘conscious evolution’ has been maintained for countless millennia and still continues in a contemporary form, adapted to the needs of the times, following the dictum: ‘Speak to everyone in accordance with their degree of understanding.’ According to tradition, the guardians and exponents of this ancient spiritual 3

teaching accumulate, concentrate and circulate knowledge of human transformation much as bees collect and store honey, which is then released as ‘food’ or ‘nourishment.’ It is believed that human affairs (and the ebb and flow of history) are subject to a conscious influence and purposeful direction by initiates who have achieved a higher level of consciousness and understanding. “Such intervention occurs periodically in every aspect of human life – not excluding the physical sciences, psychology, charity, art and social organizations.” There are suggestions and indications of a hidden influence behind human history which is concerned with the evolutionary development of the whole human race: Tradition asserts that for thousands of years there has been an “Inner Circle of Humanity” capable of thinking in terms of millennia and possessing knowledge and powers of a high order. Its members intervene from time to time in human affairs. They do this, not as leaders or teachers of mankind, but unobtrusively by introducing certain ideas and techniques. This intervention works in such a way as to rectify deviations from the predestined course of human history. This inner circle, it is claimed, concentrates its activities in those areas and at those times when the situation is critical for mankind. (6) A wide range of modalities have been utilized to disseminate inner developmental influences to communities, many of which do not appear ‘spiritual’ to the external observer. These forms include: music, dance, teaching stories and tales, literature, cultural and commercial projects, craft guilds and artistic creations, humanitarian and social welfare efforts, education, and religious and philosophical endeavours. The range and types of activities are often surprising and unsuspected by the outside observer: spiritual adepts have been responsible for “founding and funding charitable foundations, businesses, sporting activities and agricultural enterprises. They have been in government and local administration, in law and medicine, in engineering, in the arts and sciences, in the diplomatic world and in scientific research.” The dissemination of inner teachings of spiritual transformation follow a process of movement from one region to another based on ‘organic necessity’ and a conscious perception of the needs of a given culture, society or community: The ‘Work’ has been concentrated in the East for many centuries for very real and definite reasons. One of them is geographical or physical. Another is that the community, in general, contains, in a form of transmitted cultural values, important elements which can be used in furthering man’s development . . . From time to time, there has been a movement of inner teachings from the East to the West. This has been part of an organic necessity. Few people know how and why this process has worked. At the present moment there is a process of this kind, only of immeasurably greater import, at work. From time to time, let us say, it becomes necessary to graft a plant upon the root which has been growing somewhere, whose own fruit has ceased to propagate itself. It can

4

also become necessary to plant a root, an entire root, in a place, in order for the necessities of this human development to find their intended function and expression. (7) The Tradition has influenced both Eastern and Western civilizations throughout history, penetrating and ‘fertilizing’ all kinds of societies irrespective of their nominal social or religious beliefs. The way in which spiritual teachings are imported into a culture determines their effectiveness and usefulness: Should something which belongs to one culture not – in the metaphysical sphere – be imported to another? It must be immediately noted that the relevant factor here is whether the import belongs uniquely to the culture from which it was imported, or whether it does not. If I import a habit, like wearing sandals, from Greece, where it is hot to Greenland where it is cold, I am doing the wrong sort of importing. If, on the other hand, I import something of use, like wool, from a place where it grows to a place where it can be used, I am probably doing something useful. (8) One of the characteristics of an organic teaching is the penetrative power and inner dynamism of its esoteric ideas to influence the thought and activities of diverse communities. Correct conditions must exist for the introduction and naturalization of a higher teaching in a given community. When such conditions are met, the current of higher knowledge is diffused and transmitted to the receiving culture in the form of ‘seed-ideas’ which penetrate all levels of society. Higher spiritual teachings act as a nutrient, leavening or ‘yeast’ within human society, contributing to world knowledge and cultural development. The stream of higher knowledge is continuous, transmitted from the past to the present day in a new form and a fresh adaptation. The actual method of operation and beneficial influence of higher knowledge in a community is sometimes given expression in the form of a metaphor: There is a graphic example of how we operate in the Tradition: we call it the “oil-spot.” Imagine you have a piece of blank white paper and you dribble separate drops of oil all over it. Given the correct circumstances, all these drops will slowly and gradually coalesce and finally cover the whole paper. We call it oil-spot because those drops correspond to drops of energy, which spread out, diffuse, and change the nature of the paper or basic material. In some places or in some circumstances one may want to accelerate the process, and one therefore puts the drops more closely together. This is one of the ways in which we can and do operate in the world today: communication between individuals, between groups, on all levels, by all techniques. (9) One of the functions of the Teaching is to operate in areas which are unfamiliar or have been neglected in the host community. “Cultures can be invigorated by filling some interstices with 5

possibilities for enlargement of individual and cultural possibilities which do not in reality conflict with basic postulates, or which enable the premises to become more flexible.” Tradition asserts that a continuous, altruistic stream of higher influences acts upon humanity and the world, often in an anonymous way: ‘The Way is none other than in the service of the people.’ A large number of cultural traditions, which may be religious, humanitarian, literary, craft-oriented, artistic or psychological, are seemingly unconnected. They are in fact manifestations of a common activity. This impulse, infusing widely separated national and racial streams, has a mode of action which grafts into existing elements and works with existing materials. The action does not result from any identifiable teaching. It is indirect, a “provoking of action” technique depending for its effect on what would now be called subliminal responses. Its real action is therefore unnoticed and the connection between its many forms in many countries is unsuspected. This applies alike to adherents and to outside observers. (10) Throughout history higher developmental influences have spread into various cultures in a manner which is largely indirect, quiet and invisible. Groups, organizations and individuals may be engaged in real inner work even though their outward appearance, avowed principles and methods do not resemble spiritual activities. This activity reflects an important principle: ‘The secret protects itself. It is found only in the spirit and practice of the Work.’ Knowledge of a higher order is continuously in operation in almost every culture and society, but only flourishes within cultural frameworks which permit open expression of ideas and freedom of thought. “The climate, both in the West and elsewhere, especially in those cultures styling themselves as ’open societies,’ exists wherein higher studies can be presented in a form intelligible to the ordinary man or woman. This is largely because there are comparatively so few barriers to the dissemination of ideas and thoughts, and the people in general are athirst for knowledge.” The activities and studies of a spiritual school may take any seemingly worldly shape and may bear no obvious resemblance to traditional spiritual or religious forms. “These procedures, materials and ideas may seem to be associated with other creeds, and with practices dating from immemorial times, or they may appear to belong to areas which are not, strictly speaking, metaphysical.” And, a spiritual teacher may not appear or present as such; they are essentially ‘invisible’ to those who judge by externals. There is an unfortunate human tendency to reject knowledge which is presented in an outer form contrary to expectations. The existence and operation of a school of inner development may be imperceptible to others, and its essential activities be unrecognizable as spiritual by narrowly conditioned people. The would-be student of esoteric teachings must be prepared to abandon assumptions and preconceptions about what constitutes ‘higher studies’ and be prepared to study matters and materials which may not appear to be ‘spiritual.’

6

In the past higher knowledge could not be projected into certain cultures, especially authoritarian and closed ones, except in secret or disguised form. “Until almost the other day, if we speak in historical terms, the study of anything that was not avowedly devoted to the service of the state or the prevailing ideological commitment (generally a theological one) was regarded as odd and easily labelled subversive.” In order to protect themselves esoteric schools skilfully disguised their actual operation by: • Hiding their true nature so that their activities were unsuspected by the regime in power; or • Operating openly but seemingly engaged in activities which appeared innocuous to the official establishment; or • Appearing to be part of the regime itself. The most important consideration in projecting a real spiritual teaching is that it works and is actually effective: A concept, process, technique, curriculum, does not have to be attributed to authority, recorded in prestigious literature, or capable of affording emotional stimulus. Its requirement shall be that it is effective: apt for the individual and the needs of the group. Not therefore, ‘Is it new, does it resolve, or seem to resolve, my psychological problems, does it seem like something which I can believe . . .’ But imperatively: ‘Does it work, and do I have the basis of preparation necessary for it to have a chance to work?’ A major purpose of metaphysical schools is to select and to apply the processes, techniques, curricula and materials which shall apply to a given community, without regard to the superficialities of mere taste, personal inclination and popular demand. It is for this reason – the need to work without compromising with irrelevancies -- that so many serious endeavours of the past and present are carried out in privacy, even in secrecy. (11)

Purpose and Nature The Teaching constitutes one single unified body or organism as a whole. This unity is invisible at ground level and can only perceived by those attuned to higher dimensions of reality. Higher knowledge is communicated to, received and assimilated by a community which is attuned to higher Reality. Certain dimensions of life are not readily apparent and, in general, can only be reached through conscious effort under the guidance of a genuine spiritual teacher: What we see, feel and experience in ordinary, unfulfilled life is only part of the great whole. There are dimensions which we can reach only through effort. Like the submerged portion of the iceberg, they are there, although unperceived under ordinary conditions. Also like the iceberg, they are far greater than could be expected by superficial study. Rumi uses several analogies to explain this. 7

One of his most striking is his theory of action. There is, he says, such a thing as comprehensive action, and there is also individual action. We are accustomed to seeing, in the ordinary world of sense, only individual action. Supposing a number of people are making a tent. Some sew, others prepare the ropes, some again weave. They are all taking part in a comprehensive action, although each is absorbed in his individual action. If we are thinking about the making of the tent, it is the comprehensive action of the whole group which is important. In certain directions, life must be looked upon as a whole, as well as individually. This getting into tune with the whole plan, the comprehensive action of life, is essential to enlightenment. (12) The Teaching forms a total comprehensive activity which cannot be examined or understood piecemeal. It contains an impalpable element (sometimes called Baraka) which means ‘the subtlety,’ and cannot be easily demonstrated without proper preparation and correct alignment to the greater dimensions of Reality. Any systematization of a spiritual teaching must follow the rules of flexibility, adaptability and organic necessity: Q: But surely there is a system? A: You do not know what a ‘system’ is. The Work is really systematized at a level much higher than intellect as you know it. Any apparent systematization is merely a working frame, connected to the purpose of bringing the teaching a little nearer to you. It does not have universal validity. The system is known by the teacher and equally developed people, just as you know something so well that you act in accordance with its inevitability. This work is natural, organic and changes form, not content, in accordance with the needs of the people, the work and the teacher. What serves as a system in one phase of the Work is not a system in the other. (13) A spiritual teaching cannot be artificially grafted onto an existing culture, community or group, but rather must acclimatize itself in response to existing conditions. If there is a real need then it takes root naturally as part of an organic, natural development. A teacher will introduce or modify activities and exercises in response to changing circumstances and the needs of the time, while remaining faithful to the central core of the spiritual teachings: “Since the Tradition and the people who compose the Tradition live and work in the world, and since the character and nature of the Tradition is above all developmental, methods and techniques can be modified to take into consideration things which have developed outside.” The Teaching is part of a living, organic evolution which comes into being and grows in a special manner based on a comprehensive design. “This organic movement is much like a plant in which messages are received when they are necessary in accordance with certain essential requirements. For example, if the plant needs more water it calls for water and water comes up from the roots to the stem and so on.” In the same way genuine spiritual teachings have an evolutionary dimension: 8

All religion is subject to development. To the Sufi, the evolution of the Sufi is within himself and also in his relationship with society. The development of the community, and the destination of all creation – including even nominally inanimate creation – is interwoven with the destiny of the Sufi. He may have to detach himself for a period from society – for a moment, a month, or even more – but ultimately he is interlinked with the eternal whole. The Sufi’s importance, therefore, is immense and his actions and appearance to others will seem to vary in accordance with human and extra-human needs. Jalaluddin Rumi emphasizes the evolutionary nature of human effort, which is true in both the individual and the group: “I died as inert matter and became a plant. As a plant I died and became an animal. I died as an animal and became a human being. So why should I fear losing my human character. I shall die as a human, to rise in ‘angelic’ form.” (14) There is an overall plan or design for the Teaching that dictates the nature of its activity and expression in a given community at a given time. “The human community is involved in an evolutionary movement. The existence of the teacher and the community in a given place is connected by cosmic laws, with a necessity of the community.” Techniques have been developed over the centuries with time, place and circumstance taken into consideration. Each activity or technique is applied by the person in charge of an area of activity according to the time and the need. These may constantly change, and thus the director of the activity must be constantly in touch with the main plan of activity. Only activity that is carried out in step with the main plan is valid activity. Haphazard application of half-heard or semi-understood truths can lead to nothing except confusion, loss of time and sometimes actually retrograde movement. (15) Higher human development is dependent upon the harmonization and alignment of human aspiration with cosmological cycles and patterns: “Changes in the terrestrial pattern require changes in apparent organization. This is the main reason for successive changes in the presentation of Higher Teachings in different communities and epochs. Terrestrial organizations, by assuming certain characteristics of the Ultimate, help to make communication, which has been interrupted, possible.” From time to time, certain cosmological and human factors being in alignment, there is both a need for and a possibility to re-establish, by means of a special and skilled effort, formulations and activities which maximize the prospects of more rapid and thorough penetration of the teaching which leads to the development referred to as ‘knowing oneself’ or ‘having wisdom.’ Several such periods, cyclic in character, have occurred in recent times: none of them has been generally recognized for what it is. This is not to say that because one believes this one is automatically able to find it. The correct approach is everything. (16)

9

The higher Teaching is said to be a living unity in which past, present and future are in some mysterious way connected: “Every Sufi who is living today represents every Sufi who has lived in the past, or who will ever live. The same amount of ‘baraka’ is there, and immemorial tradition does not increase its romance, which remains constant.” The Tradition contains work for the future as well as the present. There is a line of descent of authorized teaching which passes the inner knowledge to future generations: ‘Others sowed for me, I sow for others to come.’ Spiritual teachers work, in part, to maintain the continuity of the tradition and community of seekers. The concept of a continuous transmission means that each teacher is the living representative of an unbroken chain of transmission. “Present-day or future teachers will update the techniques, but not the basic teaching. They project it according to the needs of the circumstances.” Esoteric tradition affirms that there is a group of high initiates who influence the course of human events and history: This doctrine and the manner of its application have been known and propagated from time immemorial. They are, in fact, the property and destiny of man. They link with a past in which this development was much more widely known, through a present where it has fallen into disuse except for a few, to a future in which The Great Work will be the entire legitimate goal of mankind. (17)

References (1) Omar Ali-Shah The Course of the Seeker (Reno: Tractus Books, 1996), p. 193. (2) Idries Shah Learning How to Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 145-146. (3) Idries Shah Learning How to Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 209-210. (4) Idries Shah A Perfumed Scorpion (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 33-34. (5) Idries Shah The Commanding Self (London: Octagon Press, 1994), p. 19. (6) Ernest Scott The People of the Secret (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 260. (7) Sufi Abdul-Hamid “First Statement” in Leonard Lewin (ed.) The Elephant in the Dark and Other Writings on the Diffusion of Sufi Ideas in the West (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1976), p. 59. (8) Idries Shah Learning How to Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 253. (9) Omar Ali-Shah The Course of the Seeker (Reno: Tractus Books, 1996), p. 200. (10) Ernest Scott The People of the Secret (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 189-190. (11) Idries Shah Knowing How to Know (London: Octagon Press, 1998), p. 194. (12) Idries Shah The Sufis (London: Octagon Press, 1984), p. 123. (13) Idries Shah The Commanding Self (London: Octagon Press, 1994), p. 189. (14) Idries Shah The Sufis (London: Octagon Press, 1984), p. 29. (15) Rafael Lefort The Teachers of Gurdjieff (London: Victor Gollancz, 1973), p. 95. (16) Idries Shah Learning How to Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 72-73. (17) Idries Shah Learning How to Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 293.

10

HARMONIZATION WITH THE TEACHING ‘The Path does exist, it exists everywhere and in every age, yet it hides itself from the unready, the sensation seekers and the self-indulgent.’

Receptivity and Response to the ‘Call’ The perception of a higher teaching of human transformation, and the subsequent harmonization with it, occurs on a more subtle level of reality than the intellectual or emotional plane. “The inner current, the ‘call’ as it is termed, is shut out of one’s awareness by coarser ambitions and preoccupations.” It is believed that a promising potential student is attracted to a spiritual teacher or teaching by an intuitive recognition of truth which is perceived by a subtle ‘inner organ’ of sensitivity: The beginner is saved from complete insensitivity because within him or her there is a vestigial capacity to react to “true gold.” And the teacher, recognizing the innate capacity, will be able to use it as a receiving apparatus for his signals. True, in the earlier stages, the signals transmitted by the teacher will have to be arranged in such a way as to be perceptible to the inefficient and possibly distorted mechanism of the receiver. But the combination of the two elements provides a basis for a working arrangement. (1) Certain feelings and sensations, which are different from ordinary ones, are indicative of an affinity or responsiveness to the higher Teaching. A student can tell whether a teaching is the right one for them “by sensations and reactions which differ completely from customary ones, indications which one does not experience through contact with anything else, including established ‘religious’ or other experiences.” At a certain point an individual may develop a sensitivity to the activity of an inner teaching which signals the growing capacity to learn effectively. In the words of Sufi teacher Idries Shah: He (or she) is able to observe and to feel the special function of the Sufi impact, on himself, on his fellows, in literature and in other areas. He can detect, and profit from, this activity in many different ways, without being imprisoned by method or associations. It is this last response which, for the Sufi teacher, signals the emergence of the learning function, the enlightenment, without which no further progress is made. It is at this stage that the student can at last ‘make sense’ of all that has gone before, can profit from his past efforts. If he can anticipate that this is the true sequence of events, he will, even before he reaches it, gain the confidence and stability to continue without constantly trying to ‘get paid as he goes along.’ In many systems, there is an anxiety to cash in, to get something, to feel, to know, to be, to experience, to attain certitude: this is what we call getting paid as you go along. With the Sufi, you do not, however, get paid

1

twice. There is a choice open to all: choose the Sufi opportunity if it comes your way, but at the expense of using it as a source of emotional stimulus. Alternatively, choose a system which promises thrills, chills and spills, stimuli as you go along – and find nothing else. (2) There are a number of ways, related to the presence of an inner spark or ‘blessing,’ in which a seeker can sense the truth of a spiritual teaching. The ability to perceive real spiritual teachings is said to be analogous to the ability of bees to distinguish between artificial and real scents. Sometimes a potential student of higher learning must rely on intuition, even inspired guess-work, in choosing a suitable spiritual guide and mentor: Q: Does the would-be Sufi have to take a great deal on trust? A: In theory, everything. In practice, nothing. This is because no genuine applicant will seek enrollment until he is convinced that Sufism is what he needs. Q: How does this happen? A: A sense of certainty piles up within him, until he knows by an inner sense of conviction that Sufism will lead him in the direction he is seeking. This may happen in more than one way. It may come through meeting Sufis and feeling that they have some indefinable quality that calls to something similar within him. It may come from lighting upon something in a book, it may come through a sudden experience or recognition of something that leads to becoming a Sufi. And there are other ways which cannot be described. (3) Gurdjieff emphasized that the spiritual path begins on a higher level than ordinary life and is dependent on the power of two types of influences: “The first kind are influences created in life itself or by life itself -- influences of race, nation, country, climate, family, education, society, profession, manners and customs, wealth, poverty, current ideas, and so on. The second kind of influences are created outside this life, influences of the inner circle, or esoteric influences.” If a man in receiving these influences begins to discriminate between them and put on one side those which are not created in life itself, then gradually discrimination becomes easier and after a certain time a man can no longer confuse them with the ordinary influences of life . . . The results of these influences collect together within him and after a certain time they form within him a kind of magnetic centre, which begins to attract to itself kindred influences and in this manner it grows. If the magnetic centre receives sufficient nourishment, and if there is no strong resistance on the part of the other sides of a man’s personality which are the result of influences created in life, the magnetic centre begins to influence a man’s orientation, obliging him to turn round and even to move in a certain direction. When the magnetic centre attains sufficient force and development, a man already understands the idea of the way and he begins to look for the way. The

2

search for the way may take many years and may lead to nothing. This depends upon conditions, upon circumstances, upon the power of the magnetic centre, upon the power and direction of inner tendencies which are not concerned with this search and which may divert a man at the very moment when the possibility of finding the way appears. (4) In some instances a spiritual teacher may publicly present certain aspects of a comprehensive teaching in order to attract those who can benefit from the more esoteric inner developmental content of the teaching: In answer to a question I asked about the purpose of Gurdjieff’s visit to America, he said, “The demonstrations, the meetings and talks, are a kind of net thrown out. Of the hundreds of people who see and hear, only a few, in a state of dissatisfaction with themselves and with life, will feel that we have something they are looking for. It does not necessarily mean that these few will be ‘unhappy’ people. They may be leading an active life, be well off and comfortably situated, but they will feel that there is something else besides the round of ordinary existence. In other words, there are certain people who possess a magnetic centre, or the beginning of one; these are the people who have the possibility of working on themselves. The rest of humanity, not feeling the need, will do nothing. We are, in fact, offering people an opportunity of having a purpose in life, of using their suffering – the dissatisfaction they feel – for their own good. How many will take it? We shall see.” (5) One important indication of higher developmental potential in a student is his or her ability to distinguish a source of authentic spirituality regardless of outer appearance, customary associations or apparent format. In fact, certain organizations and groups which do not appear spiritual or esoteric in nature, exist for the purpose of attracting people who can perceive the actual inner content of such bodies: The Sufis have, and apparently have had for centuries, organizations and individuals, both in the East and the West, which exist partly for the purpose of attracting people who already feel some kind of harmony with the ‘inner sense’ of the Sufi. These organizations are usually not put forward as ‘spiritual schools’ at all, but much more often seem to be mundane associations of people. Someone may even be a member of one or more of such bodies for years before realizing that it has an inner, spiritual core . . . Sufis who feel that an individual may be a candidate for study will often contrive to get to know such people, and see whether a social as well as a more subtle harmonization is possible. In such cases, the people being approached will not necessarily be introduced to the typical Sufi literature. This is because Sufis may teach within any framework and the frameworks and literature which are generally considered to be essential to the Sufi are in fact only those which form a single facet of their activities. (6)

3

Approaching the Path Success in finding an authentic spiritual teaching corresponds with an aspirant’s degree of inner sincerity. Sincerity and willingness to align oneself with truth form the basis of entry to the Path. “Where there is a genuine aspiration towards truth, and when the aspiration is directed towards a source of it, there must be a corresponding effective result.” The very idea of enlightenment is of utmost importance in the spiritual journey. Just to know the existence of such a possibility, changes the seeker’s entire outlook and approach to truth. The desire for truth is the fire that fuels the transmutation of the conditioned self or ego. “Once you say, ‘I want to find Truth,’ all your life will be deeply affected by it. All your mental and physical habits, feelings and emotions, desires and fears, plans and decisions will undergo a most radical transformation.” Q: What is the source of earnestness? A: It is the homing instinct, which makes the bird return to its nest and the fish to the mountain stream where it was born. The seed returns to the earth when the fruit is ripe. Ripeness is all. Q: And what will ripen me? Do I need experience? A: You already have all the experience you need, otherwise you would not have come here. You need not gather any more, rather you must go beyond experience. Whatever effort you make, whatever method you follow, will merely generate more experience, but will not take you beyond. Nor will reading books help you. They will enrich your mind, but the person you are will remain intact. If you expect any benefits from your search, material, mental or spiritual, you have missed the point. Truth gives no advantage. It gives you no higher status, no power over others; all you get is truth, and the freedom from the false. (7) Self-knowledge and understanding emerge from an honest, non-judgemental awareness of our mental, emotional and physical functioning, and prepares the ground for further spiritual development under the guidance of a teacher. “The longing to know oneself and uncover our true nature appears when we question life and live with the question without interpretation or conclusion.” You must first begin by really facing yourself, your fears, desires and reactions. By this I mean stop superimposing your own projections and accept life as it comes to you. The surest way to discover truth is to stop resisting it. Self-awareness requires a certain degree of maturity which arises naturally when you question your motives and desires from a stance of receptivity. You await the answer. This stance is a kind of recapitulation of your whole life, without attraction-repulsion, likes and dislikes. You take stock, you look, you take note. In the moment of self4

acceptance you are still. You let your perceptions unfold, you let your pain and desires speak, the ego is absent, but you remain still. This is the moment to find a teacher. But the person can never find him. He comes to you, because he is waiting for you. Q: You are saying not to seek a guru? A: The very intention to find someone already prejudices the way you see. Seeking someone means you’re not open to whatever comes to meet you from moment to moment. But if your attitude is innocent, receptive to the world, empty of reaction, you can be sure you will meet all you need to meet. (8) The quest for higher knowledge demands a certain effort and struggle in order to reach and utilize an actual source of real teaching. Omar Ali-Shah: “The Tradition makes available to you a path and a way in which the spiritual dimension can be enhanced and positively influence the person’s life. The path is a long one. It is full of hard work, but it is an investment of one’s energy and feeling. Nothing the Tradition promises is beyond the reach of an average person with more than average dedication and discipline.” He who wants knowledge must himself make the initial efforts to find the source of knowledge and to approach it, taking advantage of the help and indications which are given to all, but which people, as a rule, do not want to see or recognize. Knowledge cannot come to people without effort on their own part. They understand this very well in connection with ordinary knowledge, but in the case of great knowledge, when they admit the possibility of its existence, they find it possible to expect something different. Everyone knows very well that if, for instance, a man wants to learn Chinese, it will take several years of intense work, everyone knows that five years are needed to grasp the principles of medicine, and perhaps twice as many years for the study of painting or music. (9) When we inquire deeply into our own nature we come to understand the self-imposed barriers preventing the full actualization of our spiritual potential as a human being. “To receive life we must be open to it. Life can only be understood by life. This means that the being is open to life itself.” Q: This inner need, the eagerness for freedom – must it be very strong? A: The urge to freedom must be tremendous. But it cannot be learned or acquired. It comes through self-inquiry. In self-inquiry there appears a fore-feeling, an intimation of reality, and it is this fore-feeling which brings up a tremendous ardour. When you inquire, you may first feel a lack. You may not know what kind of lack it is and you will go in many directions in the hope of filling it . . . You will travel down many of these dead-ends, like a hunting dog who cannot find the scent and runs around frantically. But these cul-de-sacs of experience bring you to a kind of matu-

5

rity, because inevitably you will question more deeply all the happenings and their transience. It’s a process of elimination. You must inquire, inquire like a scientist, into your life. (10) The various challenges and struggles involved in an authentic spiritual quest were allegorized by Gurdjieff as a journey through unknown lands: Go out one clear starlit night to some open space and look up at the sky, at those millions of worlds over your head. Remember that perhaps on each of them swarm billions of beings, similar to you or perhaps superior to you in their organization. Look at the Milky Way. The earth cannot even be called a grain of sand in this infinity. It dissolves and vanishes, and with it, you. Where are you? And is what you want simply madness? Before all these worlds ask yourself what are your aims and hopes, your intentions and means of fulfilling them, the demands that may be made upon you and your preparedness to meet them. A long and difficult journey is before you, you are preparing for a strange and unknown land. The way is infinitely long. You do not know if rest will be possible on the way nor where it will be possible . . . In a green meadow covered with luxuriant flowers, in the thick grass, a deep precipice is hidden. It is very easy to stumble and fall over if your eyes are not concentrated on the step you are taking. Do not forget to concentrate all your attention on the nearest sector of the way and do not concern yourself about far aims if you do not wish to fall over the precipice. Yet do not forget your aim . . . Do not be overcurious nor waste time on things that attract your attention but are not worth it. Time is precious and should not be wasted on things which have no direct relation to your aim. Remember where you are and why you are here. Do not protect yourself and remember that no effort is made in vain. And now you can set out on the way. (11) The seeker should approach the Teaching without preconceptions, mindless acceptance or rejection, or trying to gain or ‘consume’ something. Those who can share and serve, and not just take, have adopted the proper posture and attitude with respect to higher knowledge: When people come into contact with our ideas and spread them to others in the right kind of way, (that is, not cultishly or by setting themselves up as teachers) they are sharing as well as taking something in. Such people never clamour first of all to be received, seen, taught, and so on. They cultivate a group of people, spread this knowledge as best they can, and then they ask whether they should come or whether someone might visit them. They are, in fact, in a condition to learn and to serve as well as be served. This establishes the continuum of serving and being served. Others, on the other hand, spend large amounts of money to travel, collecting it sometimes from others, and think only of themselves, even if they do not realize it. If they do not see this behaviour in themselves it is for us

6

to point it out to them, so that they can profit from so doing, and learn to readjust their greed by establishing the serve and be served continuum. (12) In order for higher knowledge to be effectively unlocked and the spiritual potential of a human being to be actualized, the Teaching must be approached in the proper manner: The receptivity of a person to [transformational ideas] is sometimes clouded by the demand for ‘being given’ something. I say clouded, because there are really three conditions which have to be looked at. First, there is the potential of the human being – the endowment which he or she already has; second there is the intervention of the teaching function; lastly there is the effort which the individual makes in accepting the teaching and preserving the endowment. The last item is one about which people seem to have the least idea. Human potentiality is an endowment: and one which can be preserved, enriched and also spent. (13) Potential students of esoteric knowledge must learn to discern a source of real teaching from secondary or deteriorated projections. This requires a certain quality of discernment and flexibility of approach in order to distinguish between authentic and false or diluted teachings. “The sincere and the adequately prepared will always find the source, and ample verbal and written materials now exist to guide them. The students bear some responsibility for reaching and maintaining an adequate standard of honesty and eligibility.” Most people have the ability to develop a sense of discrimination with regard to the authenticity of supposed spiritual teachings. However, the seeker must admit some degree of responsibility in the choice and commitment to a given spiritual path. A traditional adage speaks to this point: “If there were fewer receivers of stolen goods, there would be fewer thieves; if there were no greedy people there would be no con-men.” As to the problem of recognizing a true Sufi, there is no problem to the true person. Sufis say that you will only be misled if something unworthy in yourself attracts you to an unworthy person. It is not for the Sufi to represent himself as worthy; it is not for anyone to give you a test for a Sufi. It is for whoever wants to discern truth to focus that part of himself or herself which is honest towards the supposed Sufi. Like calls to like, truth to truth and deceit to deceit. If you are not yourself deceitful, you will not be deceived. The assumption that all seekers are honest and that they only need a test to ascertain the honesty of a spiritual teacher is very much out of line with the real facts. (14)

Relationship with the Teaching It is almost impossible to travel the path of inner development by oneself due to the many challenges, obstacles and deceptions that lie in wait. Help from others who have completed

7

the journey is indispensible in virtually all cases. Gurdjieff articulated this position in talks with his students: I have already said that there are people who hunger and thirst for truth. If they examine the problems of life and are sincere with themselves, they soon become convinced that it is not possible to live as they have lived and to be what they have been until now, that a way out of this situation is essential and that a man can develop his hidden capacities and powers only by cleaning his machine of the dirt that has clogged it in the course of his life. But in order to undertake this cleaning in a rational way, he has to see what needs to be cleaned, where and how; but to see this for himself is almost impossible. In order to see anything of this one has to look from the outside; and for this mutual help is necessary . . . This briefly is the state of things in the realm of self-knowledge: in order to do you must know; but to know you must find out how to know. We cannot find this out by ourselves. (15) The student must be open and receptive to the teachings in order for change and transformation to occur: Just hearing words is not enough. The teaching goes beyond what could ever be said. You need to absorb it through the pores of your skin. The closer you work with a true teacher the greater the opportunity there is for this to happen. When you receive the teaching only through your head, it is obstructed by too many opinions and ideas and cannot penetrate to the heart. True Zen masters may wish to give the teaching to everyone, but not everyone is able to receive it. All students put up barriers at some point and remain attached to their own views. The more correct these views seem to be, the harder they are to let go. People who hold tight to their opinions can never attain the Way. Your capacity to receive the teaching is greatly determined by your willingness to continuously let go and open up. (16) In general, the essence of the spiritual path can only be transmitted by working with and interacting with a teacher. Study of the higher teaching is not a do-it-yourself affair: ‘Someone who is engaged in self-study should not have a fool for a teacher.’ The selection of a spiritual guide is an important stage in the process of inner development and not to be taken lightly: It is the seeker’s particular true guide who must be found, the right person to teach the particular him or her who is in need. We cannot enter into relationships at this level with just anyone, whatever their qualifications; it has to ‘feel right’ before we entrust ourselves and our destinies to another. Even then, how can we set about selecting our guide? Rumi tells us, ‘Do not look at his figure and colour; look at his purpose and intention.’ In a sense, however, this begs the question, since the novice by the nature of things has not developed the criteria by which to judge. Yet he is on the verge of making so momentous an act of self-surrender

8

that its consequences may stretch forward for many years. The situation is complicated by the fact that his own sincerity may manage to extract relevant truths, and thus the impetus for progress, even from a manifest charlatan. (17) The teacher provides the support and guidance necessary for authentic spiritual work: Q: Where do we find the integrity and energy for spiritual practice? A: You find it in the company of the wise. Q: How do I know who is wise and who is merely clever? A: If your motives are pure, if you seek truth and nothing else, you will find the right people. Finding them is easy, what is difficult is to trust them and take full advantage of their advice and guidance. (18) Trust in the teacher is essential in the spiritual journey. “The greatest Guru is helpless as long as the disciple is not eager to learn. Eagerness and earnestness are all-important. Confidence will come with experience.” When I talk of trusting me, it is only for a short time, just enough time to start you moving. The more earnest you are, the less belief you need, for soon you will find your faith in me justified. You want me to prove to you that I am trustworthy! How can I and why should I? After all, what I am offering you is the operational approach, so current in Western science. When a scientist describes an experiment and its results, usually you accept his statements on trust and repeat his experiment as he describes it. Once you get the same or similar results, you need not trust him anymore; you trust your own experience. Encouraged, you proceed and arrive in the end at substantially identical results. (19) A person can only attain higher knowledge with the help of those who possess it and are willing to share it with others. Gurdjieff likened this process to climbing a stairway: The moment when the man who is looking for the way meets a man who knows the way is called the first threshold or the first step. From this first threshold the stairway begins. Between ‘life’ and the ‘way’ lies the ‘stairway.’ Only by passing along this ‘stairway’ can a man enter the ‘way.’ In addition, the man ascends this stairway with the help of the man who is his guide; he cannot go up the stairway by himself. The way begins only where the stairway ends, that is, after the last threshold on the stairway, on a level much higher than the ordinary level of life . . . Sometimes it is said: in ascending the stairway a man is not sure of anything, he may doubt everything, his own powers, whether what he is doing is right, the guide, his knowledge and his powers. At the same time, what he attains is very unstable; even if he has ascended very high on the stairway, he

9

may fall down at any moment and have to begin again from the beginning. But when he has passed the last threshold and enters the way, all this changes. First of all, all doubts he may have about his guide disappear and at the same time the guide becomes far less necessary to him than before. In many respects he may even be independent and know where he is going. Secondly, he can no longer lose so easily the results of his work and he cannot find himself again in ordinary life. Even if he leaves the way, he will be unable to return where he started from. (20) Students must be prepared to study higher knowledge within the structures and propositions developed by the teachings themselves, by means of the methods which the teaching itself deems to be effective: “To get the fruits of a study one must respect, obey and follow its established patterns.” A student’s spiritual progress will be effective only when it is in alignment with an overall pattern and directed by a person “who knows what is possible and what is not, with an individual and a given group of people.” In both the spiritual search and in many fields of ordinary life, people need initial contact with a teaching in a form that is actually useful. Those who seek higher knowledge must be in tune with a developmental teaching that takes into account the circumstances and needs of the time: “What is suitable for one time and place is generally limited, unsuitable or a hindrance in another time and place.” The only value of a teaching to you, and to the teaching itself, is when you become attuned to it in the way, at the time and under the circumstances which are best suited to a fruitful relationship with the teaching. ‘Even a fish can only drink so much of the sea.’ In this respect the teaching is more subtle than, say, learning a language. You can get a book, or recordings, or a tutor, and study a language anywhere, at any time, whenever you can conveniently do so. And yet, even with learning a language, conditions must be right. You must be in a certain mental and physical state: not too tired or hungry, for instance. You must be in a comparatively comfortable place, and have the right materials at hand. The ordinary person can grasp these needs in a typical learning situation. Yet he or she does not so readily bother to think about them in respect to higher knowledge. Why not? (21) An intact, comprehensive spiritual teaching will have its own requirements and workingframes. It cannot be approached by mixing bits and pieces from other teachings or cults. One of the requirements of higher learning is that the student harmonize with certain concepts and conditions: “This harmonization signals the entry of the individual into the learning situation.” Students must take into account the contention of the Sufis themselves when they say: ‘Sufism must be studied with a certain attitude, under certain conditions, in a certain manner.’ Many people, unthinkingly in too many cases, have rebelled against this dictum. But is it, after all, so very different from saying: ‘Economics

10

must be studied with a certain attitude (the desire to understand), under certain conditions (the discipline of scholasticism and the right books) in a certain manner (following a curriculum devised by those who know the subject properly).’ (22) Higher human development is based on the proper alignment of the teacher, the teachings and the students, as well as a harmonization with collective humanity and ultimate Reality: Such alignment may not, and frequently does not, accord with expectations about it. Misconceptions have to be shed before alignment itself can be effective. Groupings of people, type and degree of studies, the right balance between action and inaction, these and other factors must be achieved under right direction, otherwise effort is spiritually wasted, although it may be emotionally welcomed by the participants. Such wasteful activity is well summed up by an old phrase, employed also in other connections, ‘If the young knew, and the old could.’ It is possible to achieve the alignment of thought and action which corresponds with the Ultimate Truth by the application of the right manner of order, discipline and service. (23) The means of learning must correspond with the student’s needs and capacities. Higher studies are practical and based on actual participation and involvement. In this sense it is hands-on learning unlike an overly academic approach characterized by “gardeners who never touch a plant, or experts on government who teach it but have never been near a government, let alone having discharged any functions connected therewith.” The basic teachings are designed to instruct, regardless of their nominal appearance. People who have a true aspiration to learn may be taught by unusual methods whose bases of study are not readily apparent. The would-be student must learn to understand their actual position in a spiritual sense, as well as the necessity of a viable teaching framework and relationship with a school. “The ‘gains’ from one’s spiritual search have no worth at all until activated by harmonization with a significant activity in the real Tradition.” The assertion which we first make is that the people with whom we are dealing in trying to deliver our message are spiritually underdeveloped. There is no shame in this, and the matter is not open for discussion. All teaching begins with an assertion, such as ‘I am here to teach you, and you have to give me the minimum amount of attention.’ It then goes on to a second kind of assertion which is equivalent to saying: ‘You do not know the method by which I will teach you, say, French; you may not know how little you know. I am not going to discuss this point, but will teach such people as will go along with me on this . . . I am here to teach, not to make you feel good or bad or satisfied with what I am doing.’ (24) An important requirement of the Path is that each seeker has an obligation to help others to ascend the ‘stairway’ of inner development. “On this way a man will not be entirely alone; at

11

difficult moments he will receive support and guidance, for all who follow this way are connected by an uninterrupted chain.” Gurdjieff stressed this point in his teachings: On the fourth way there is not one teacher. Whoever is the elder, he is the teacher. And as the teacher is indispensible to the pupil, so also is the pupil indispensible to the teacher. The pupil cannot go on without the teacher, and the teacher cannot go on without the pupil or pupils. And this is not a general consideration but an indispensible and quite concrete rule on which is based the law of a man’s ascending. No one can ascend onto a higher step until he places another man in his own place. What a man has received he must immediately give back, only then can he receive more. Otherwise from him will be taken even what he has already been given. (25)

Integration with Ultimate Reality Everyday life provides all the necessary opportunities for the flower of enlightenment to unfold. “Life itself is the Supreme Guru, be attentive to its lessons and obedient to its commands. When you personalize their source, you have an outer Guru, when you take them from life directly, the Guru is within.” Meet your own self. Be with your own self, listen to it, obey it, cherish it, keep it in mind ceaselessly. You need no other guide. As long as your urge for truth affects your daily life, all is well with you. Live your life without hurting anybody. Harmlessness is a most powerful form of Yoga and it will take you speedily to your goal. This is what I call the ‘Natural Yoga.’ It is the art of living in peace and harmony, in friendliness and love. The fruit of it is happiness, uncaused and endless. (26) Our true nature is revealed when all that is false and secondary is clearly seen in the light of timeless awareness. In the words of Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj: “You need nothing except to be what you are. You imagine you will increase your value by acquisition. It is like gold imagining that an addition of copper will improve it. Elimination and purification, renunciation of all that is foreign to your nature is enough. All else is vanity.” Q: How does one reach the Supreme State? A: By renouncing all lesser desires. As long as you are pleased with the lesser, you cannot have the highest. Whatever pleases you, keeps you back. Until you realize the unsatisfactory nature of everything, its transiency and limitation, and collect your energies in one great longing, even the first step is not made. On the other hand, the integrity of the desire for the Supreme is by itself a call from

12

the Supreme. Nothing, physical or mental, can give you freedom. You are free once you understand that your bondage is of your own making and you cease forging the chains that bind you. (27) Eventually the spiritual search leads to the ultimate question: ‘Who am I?’ ‘What is my true nature?’ “Nothing that can be known has existence in itself. It depends on a knower. The knower is consciousness. Only consciousness never changes.” Ramana Maharshi: When a man for the first time recognizes his true Self, then from the depths of his being arises something. And it takes possession of him. It is on the other side of the mind. It is infinite, divine and eternal . . . The phenomena we see are curious and surprising – but the most marvellous of all we do not realize, namely that one and only one illimitable force is responsible for all the phenomena we see, and for the act of seeing. Do not fix your attention on all these changing things of life, death and phenomena. Do not even think of the actual act of seeing or perceiving, but only of that which sees all these things, that which is responsible for it all. Try to keep the mind unshakenly fixed on that which Sees. It is inside yourself . . . These things which we see and sense, are only the split-up colours of the one illimitable Spirit. (28)

References (1) Idries Shah The Sufis (London: Octagon Press, 1984), p. 92. (2) Idries Shah Neglected Aspects of Sufi Study (London: Octagon Press, 1989), pp. 70-71. (3) Desmond Martin “A Session with a Western Sufi” in Leonard Lewin (ed.) The Elephant in the Dark and Other Writings on the Diffusion of Sufi Ideas in the West (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1976 ), p. 147. (4) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), p. 200. (5) C.S. Nott The Teachings of Gurdjieff (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1962), p. 27. (6) Chawan Thurlnas “Current Sufi Activity, Work, Literature, Groups and Techniques” in Idries Shah (ed.) Sufi Thought and Action (London: Octagon Press, 1990), pp. 89-90. (7) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 313. (8) Jean Klein The Ease of Being (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1984), pp. 23-24. (9) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), p. 39. (10) Jean Klein The Ease of Being (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1984), pp. 23-24. (11) G.I. Gurdjieff Views from the Real World: Early Talks of Gurdjieff (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1973), pp. 58-59. (12) Idries Shah Learning How to Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 39. (13) Idries Shah Learning How to Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 243. (14) Idries Shah Seeker After Truth (London: Octagon Press, 1985), p. 23. (15) G.I. Gurdjieff Views from the Real World: Early Talks of Gurdjieff (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1973), p. 50.

13

(16) Dennis Merzel Beyond Sanity and Madness (Rutland, Vermont: Charles E. Tuttle, 1994), pp. 124-125. (17) Peter Brent “Learning and Teaching” in Idries Shah (ed.) The World of the Sufi (London: Octagon Press, 1979), pp. 211-212. (18) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 446. (19) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 169. (20) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), p. 201. (21) Idries Shah Learning How to Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 37-38. (22) Idries Shah The Way of the Sufi (New York: Penguin Books, 1982), pp. 35-36. (23) Idries Shah “Current Study Materials” in Idries Shah (ed.) The World of the Sufi (London: Octagon Press, 1979), pp. 276-277. (24) Idries Shah Knowing How to Know (London: Octagon Press, 1998), pp. 143-144. (25) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), pp. 203-204. (26) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 173. (27) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 304. (28) Mouni Sadhu In Days of Great Peace (London: George Allen & Unwin, 1970), pp. 139-140.

14

RIGHT ATTITUDE AND ALIGNM ENT

‘How near t he t rut h yet how far w e seek.’ Hakuin

‘The w ise underst and t he ignorant , for t hey w ere t hemselves once ignorant . But t he ignorant do not underst and eit her t hemselves or t he w ise, never having been w ise t hemselves.’ Sufi saying

Preparation and Aspiration

Successfully navigating the spiritual path, with all its challenges and perils, begins with positive intention and noble aspiration. Rumi: “The intention gives birth to the act.” And, aspiration must be accompanied by capacity on the part of the seeker and guidance by a teacher in order for potentiality to become actualized as self-realization and enlightenment. If the motive of the aspirant is an honest search for wisdom and truth then this provides the proper psychological attitude and foundation to begin the journey to self-realization. However, the decision to embark on inner transformation should not be taken lightly: Think very seriously before you decide to work on yourself with the idea of changing yourself, that is, to work with the definite aim to become conscious and to develop the connection with higher centers. This work admits of no compromise and it requires a great amount of self-discipline and readiness to obey all rules and particularly direct instructions. Think very seriously: are you really ready and willing to obey, and do you fully understand the necessity for it? There is no going back. If you agree and then go back, you will lose everything that you have acquired up to that time, and you will lose more really, because all that you acquired will turn into something wrong in you. There is no remedy against this. (1) The road to self-knowledge requires clarity, maturity of heart and mind and, above all, sincerity and earnestness. “Some people are more earnest and some are less. You may choose any way that suits you; your earnestness will determine the rate of progress. Compassion, for oneself and others, is the foundation of earnestness.” If you are truly earnest and honest, the attainment of reality will be yours. As a living being you are caught in an untenable and painful situation and you are seeking a way out. You are being offered several plans of your prison, none quite true. But they are all of some value, only if you are in dead earnest. It is the earnestness that liberates and not the theory.

1

Q: Theory may be misleading and earnestness -- blind. A: Your sincerity will guide you. Devotion to the goal of freedom and perfection will make you abandon all theories and systems and live by wisdom, intelligence and active love. Theories may be good as starting points, but must be abandoned, the sooner – the better. Whatever name you give it: will, or steady purpose, or one-pointedness of the mind, you come back to earnestness, sincerity, honesty. When you are in dead earnest, you bend every incident, every second of your life to your purpose. You do not waste time and energy on other things. You are totally dedicated, call it will, or love, or plain honesty. We are complex beings, at war within and without. We contradict ourselves all the time, undoing today the work of yesterday. No wonder we are stuck. A little bit of integrity would make a lot of difference. (2) An honest inquiry into the workings of our mind, emotions and perceptions, without preconceptions or judgments, is essential to gaining psychological insight and self-knowledge. “Maturity comes from inquiring, inquiring about your life, your motives, your surroundings, your relationships. Inquiring means questioning, seeing facts and questioning the facts, without forcing an answer, without forcing a solution, only taking note.” Q: You talked about ripeness. How can we ripen? A: Ripening comes through inquiring, inquiring into your life, your feelings, your thinking, your relationships with your husband, with your children, and so on. Inquiring means that you are completely open. When you inquire, when you question, never force an answer, because the right attitude in asking a question is the answer. So when you inquire into your life the attitude must be: I am open to notknowing, and from this opening to not-knowing comes the answer. The answer is on a completely different plane from the question. Q: What is functional acceptance? A: Functional acceptance is seeing facts. The moment you try to interpret them, justify or manipulate them, you are not really accepting them. When you see facts from your globality, there is welcoming without choice. When you look from the ego, there is psychological acceptance, which is not acceptance. In real acceptance there is no personal manipulation. (3) The ability to learn begins with right attitude and right conduct. Higher knowledge and understanding has to be earned in accordance with one’s capacity and inner worth. Certain practices, when followed in a specific order, help shape the student’s inner development. In the Sufi dispensation this sequence of psychological exercises is known as Sabr (patience), Taubat (repentance) and Khidmat (service). Similar spiritual postures of ordered development are found in other traditions. 2

Appropriate action and conduct in the world does not automatically determine spiritual progress but it does enhance harmonization with higher levels of reality. “It is possible to achieve the alignment of thought and action which corresponds with the Ultimate Truth by the application in the right manner of order, discipline and service. The capacity for order, discipline and service is the basis for discharging the terms of the injunction: Be in t he w orld, but not of t he w orld .” Among the Sufis, as among those of other paths, it has always been required that the intending participant practise certain requirements to fit him or her for higher learning. In modern societies, equivalent and often exactly similar prerequisites are found. Because so many familiar institutions with clearly laid out requirements already exist in contemporary cultures, it should be easier, not more difficult, for people to understand, given real desire, the requirements. These include: humility, dedication, abstinence, restraint, obedience. Unless you exercise these ‘virtues,’ you will get nowhere in banking, the army, medicine, politics, human service or anywhere else in many forms of mundane endeavour . . . It is no accident that Sufis find that they can connect most constructively with people who are well integrated into the world, as well as having higher aims, and that those who adopt a sensible attitude toward society and life as generally known can usually absorb Sufi teachings very well indeed. (4) Positive qualities such as generosity, honesty, compassion and discipline will naturally emerge when lesser attributes and behaviours are clearly observed and modified. The Sufi master Ansari notes four “traps” that must be overcome in order for people to advance on the Path: “Ingratitude in good fortune, impatience in ill fortune, discontent with their lot, hesitation in serving their fellows.” The initial step in preparing the way for a more spiritually sensitive approach to life is to acknowledge the presence and impact of fixed, conditioned psychological and behavioural patterns. One of the biggest barriers to inner development, and one of the hardest to eradicate, is excessive self-absorption and feelings of self-importance. Another related disabling and distorting element in the learning process is greed. “Greed makes you believe things you would not normally believe. It makes you disbelieve things you should ordinarily believe. If you cannot overcome greed, exercise it only where you can see it working, do not bring it into the circle of the wise.” The essence of the Sufi operation’s success is to give, rather than to want to get, to serve, rather than to be served. Although almost all cultures pay lip-service to this as an ideal, the failure really to operate it means that the mental, the psychological, posture which unlocks the greater capacity of the consciousness is not achieved where this element is lacking, and so people do not learn. You can’t cheat in this game. It is often considered a paradox, especially by people who want to get something and to rationalize their greed as, at least, laudable ambition, that when the ambition is suspended anything can be gained. The easiest way of deal3

ing with this is to affirm, with relative truth, that since people customarily want too much, the non-ambitious posture is a corrective, which enables them to be just ambitious enough and not too greedy; focusing their mind to operate correctly in this respect. Sufi mentors are only too well aware of the underlying greed and how and why it must be assuaged. (5) One of the most common expressions of greed is impatience to progress quickly on the path to self-realization. Many seekers attempt to start far beyond their actual state of raw, undeveloped potentiality and feel that they are entitled to advanced studies without first completing the preparatory stages. Self-deception and imagination present further obstacles to the actualization and refinement of our spiritual nature: “Perceptions of another kind of being, when not accompanied by correct preparation, can be more harmful than a lifetime without any such perception. This is because unprepared people misinterpret their experiences and cash in on them at a low level. An example is when people imagine that some true but minor ‘sign’ gives them an importance or a divine contact or character. Such people are already almost lost, even if their repute rises to the heavens.” Authentic schools of inner development are pragmatic and based on realistic possibilities, not fantasy and imagination: We are not dealing in promises and imagination; we are operating an enterprise. Although it is not romantic to talk in this way, (and most people demand as their ‘price’ for giving attention, some degree of romanticism and imagination) we are interested in the results, and let other people be interested in fantasies. There are plenty of people who are emotionally-minded. We must be serious. And we must also remember that many people are, effectively, asleep, dreaming romantic dreams. These people will always oppose this approach, dislike it, as they always have, and we are spoiling their amusement: or interrupting their dream. They will not, however, realise that this is their condition, and they will therefore oppose these ideas, as always, on other grounds. This helps the cause of sleep, and therefore it is important for us to remain calm, and to recognize the disease. When a person has a disease, you do not attack him, but neither do you worry about all that he is saying. (6) In order to learn and develop the student must turn away from maladaptive behaviour patterns and live more in harmony with spiritual values and sensitivities. One of the ways to do this is through the practice of selfless service without expectation of gain or reward. A strong moral compass also supports real inner growth, but it must be based on conscious choice rather than mechanical performance of moral injunctions. Gurdjieff: “People are very fond of talking about morality. But morality is merely self-suggestion. W hat is necessary is conscience. We do not teach morality. We teach how to find conscience.” In most religious and spiritual traditions ethical behaviour is seen as the foundation and support of all further methods and practices, and a precondition to self-realization. The effort 4

to observe precepts and moral codes also develops self-discipline and self-control and changes the way we relate to the world: “One’s life situation is the consequence of one’s own actions, arising from our thoughts, speech and emotions, whether we are aware of the meaning of good and bad or not. These actions echo within us and influence our personality. When our fundamental attitudes change, our circumstances likewise change.” The Buddha’s precepts provide excellent guidelines: (1) not to kill but to cherish all life; (2) not to take what is not given but to respect the things of others; (3) not to engage in improper sexuality but to practice purity of mind and self-restraint; (4) not to lie but to speak the truth; (5) not to cause others to use liquors or drugs that confuse the mind, nor to do so oneself, but to keep the mind clear; (6) not to speak of the shortcomings of others but to be understanding and sympathetic; (7) not to praise oneself and condemn others but to overcome one’s own shortcomings; (8) not to withhold spiritual or material aid but to give it freely where needed; (9) not to become angry but to exercise control. (7)

Effort and Discipline

In everyday life a certain amount of discipline is required, as a means to an end, to accomplish a goal, pass an exam or learn a skill. The discipline can be imposed externally or emerge from within as self-discipline. In a similar fashion, in order to progress on the spiritual journey, discipline must be exercised at certain stages of the path. Idries Shah: “Good discipline is a part of study, and exists for carrying out study: because it is the undisciplined, not the disciplined, who over-studies, and who amasses information which he cannot really digest in all its levels. Discipline also enables a person to focus on and off study, and to refrain from it when it is not indicated for the improvement of his higher states.” In the Tradition a person is required to follow the discipline of the Tradition, and by doing so, disciplining themselves and obeying the order of the teacher of the time. The whole concept of this discipline is a self-imposed one. After all, people come into the Tradition freely, stay in freely, and they can leave if they so wish. But while they are in, they obey the instructions or discipline and impose a discipline upon themselves . . . If a person is mentally and physically prepared to discipline themselves, then they can judge to what degree they can assimilate and use this discipline in a correct way. (8) At a certain point, however, discipline must be transmuted into conscious attention and discernment without any sense of effort or compulsion. Jean Klein speaks to this point: “Even in the course of the technique known as ‘letting-go,’ a faint shadow of discipline is implied, for letting go of an object implies a certain discipline. Only an effortless and choiceless reaction is the hallmark of liberation.”

5

Q: Would you please say something about discipline? A: A disciplined mind is never a free mind and can never act spontaneously. A disciplined mind looks for results or for a profit. Do not confuse what we call “attention” with “discipline.” Attention is open, it is not directed, it is multidimensional. It is not the discipline of “being attentive to” something as is so often proposed. You do not need discipline when you really love something. But you may need a certain rhythm. In the year we have the four seasons which appear according to a rhythm. All your cells, all the composition of your body, ask for rhythm. So discover the rhythm. (9) Some teachings place great emphasis on the need for an inner struggle between two forces: an active, developmental impulse and a passive resisting power that does not want to change. This great metaphysical struggle is sometimes allegorized as the ‘Dark Night of the Soul’ in which the seeker confronts the “demons” which prevent real spiritual growth. It is the crucible of fire or struggle which burns away the lower self so that our true nature can shine. “The passage is strewn with thistles and brambles, and the climb is slippery in the extreme. It is no pastime but the most serious task in life; no idlers will ever dare attempt it. It is indeed a moral anvil on which your character is hammered and hammered. To the question, ‘What is Zen?’ a master gave this answer: ‘Boiling oil over a blazing fire.’ This scorching experience we have to go through with before Zen smiles on us and says, ‘Here is your home’.” Gurdjieff described this process in striking terms: Fusion, inner unity, is obtained by means of ‘friction,’ by the struggle between ‘yes’ and ‘no’ in man. If a man lives without inner struggle, if everything happens in him without opposition, if he goes wherever he is drawn or wherever the wind blows, he will remain such as he is. But if a struggle begins in him, and particularly if there is a definite line in this struggle, then, gradually, permanent traits begin to form themselves, he begins to ‘crystallize.’ But crystallization is possible on a right foundation and it is possible on a wrong foundation. ‘Friction,’ the struggle between ‘yes’ and ‘no,’ can easily take place on a wrong foundation. For instance, a fanatical belief in some or other idea, or the ‘fear of sin,’ can evoke a terribly intense struggle between ‘yes’ and ‘no,’ and a man may crystallize on these foundations. But this would be a wrong, incomplete crystallization. Such a man will not possess the possibility of further development. In order to make further development possible he must be melted down again, and this can be accomplished only through terrible suffering. (10) When viewed from a higher, more panoramic perspective the difficulties and challenges of life are seen as ‘gifts’ which act as ‘polishing stones’ to refine the human essence: In a sense, our path is no path. The object is not to get somewhere. There is no great mystery, really; what we need to do is straightforward. I don’t mean that it is easy; the “path” of practice is not a smooth road. It is littered with sharp 6

rocks that can make us stumble or that can cut right through our shoes. Life itself is hazardous . . . The path of life seems to be mostly difficulties, things that give trouble. Yet the longer we practice, the more we begin to understand that those sharp rocks on the road are in fact like precious jewels; they help us to prepare the proper conditions for our lives. The rocks are different for each person. The sharp rock might be working with a nasty person or living with somebody who is hard to get along with. The sharp rocks might be your children, your parents, anyone. Not feeling well could be your sharp rock. Losing your job could be it, or getting a new job and worrying about it. There are sharp rocks everywhere. What changes from years of practice is coming to know something you didn’t know before: that there are no sharp rocks – the road is covered with diamonds. (11) The pursuit of self-knowledge demands a certain intensity of effort, steady determination and persistence to overcome obstacles. In the words of Ramana Maharshi: “No one succeeds without effort. Self-realization is not one’s birthright. The successful few owe their success to their perseverance.” In esoteric schools the greater the effort made on the part of the student, the greater the subsequent demands required by the teacher: Every effort a man makes increases the demands made upon him. So long as a man has not made any serious efforts the demands made upon him are very small, but his efforts immediately increase the demands made upon him. And the greater the efforts that are made, the greater the new demands. At this stage people very often make a mistake that is constantly made. They think that the efforts they have previously made, their former merits, so to speak, give them some kind of rights or advantages, diminish the demands to be made upon them, and constitute as it were an excuse . . . Nothing that a man did yesterday excuses him today. Quite the reverse, if a man did nothing yesterday, no demands are made upon him today; if he did anything yesterday, it means that he must do more today. This certainly does not mean that it is better to do nothing. Whoever does nothing receives nothing. (12) Gurdjieff coined the term “super-effort” to describe efforts on the part of the student that go far beyond what is normally required. “Vast efforts, tremendous labors, are needed to come into possession of the wings on which it is possible to rise. The way is hard, the ascent becomes increasingly steeper as it goes on, but one’s strength also increases. A man becomes tempered and with each ascending step his view grows wider.” Gurdjieff provided an arresting example to illustrate this exceptional effort: It means an effort beyond the effort that is necessary to achieve a given purpose. Imagine that I have been walking all day and am very tired. The weather is bad, it is raining and cold. In the evening I arrive home. I have walked, perhaps, twentyfive miles. In the house there is supper; it is warm and pleasant. But, instead of sitting down to supper, I go out into the rain again and decide to walk another two miles along the road and then return home. This would be a super-effort. While 7

I was going home it was simply an effort and this does not count. I was on my way home, the cold, hunger, the rain – all this made me walk. In the other case I walk because I myself decide to do so. This kind of super-effort becomes still more difficult when I do not decide upon it myself but obey a teacher who at an unexpected moment requires from me to make fresh efforts when I have decided that efforts for the day are over. (13) The energy and effort expended in one’s spiritual search can also be carried over and applied to everyday life: A jewel of great price is never a giveaway. We must earn it, with steady, unrelenting practice. We must earn it in each moment, not just in the “spiritual side” of our life. How we keep our obligations to others, how we serve others, whether we make the effort of attention that is called for each moment of our life – all of this is paying the price for the jewel. I’m talking about earning the integrity and wholeness of our lives by every act we do, every word we say. From the ordinary point of view, the price we must pay is enormous – though seen clearly, it is no price at all, but a privilege. As our practice grows we comprehend this privilege more and more. (14) Effort by itself is a form of raw energy. When dedicated to laudable goals it is a positive force, but when misdirected it can be counterproductive and even an agent of destruction. Too much effort, or effort applied at the wrong time, can actually delay spiritual development. The wife of the Indian saint Ramakrishna admonished his disciples for their excessive zeal, comparing them to mangoes on a tree which are picked before they are ripe: “Why hurry? Wait until you are fully ripe, mellow and sweet.” Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj recommended a balance between effort and non-effort: “When effort is needed, effort will appear. When effortlessness becomes essential, it will assert itself. You need not push life about. Just flow with it and give yourself completely to the task of the present moment.” Striving for goals, achievement and end-gaining can ensnare the aspirant in the anticipation of future rewards while disregarding the reality of now . “There is nothing to attain, nothing to find. When you make the slightest effort you go away from the purity of the timeless reality.” Any form of exercise is bound to a goal, to a result. But this is an obstacle when there is no goal to be reached since what you are looking for is here now and has always been. When the mind is free from all desire to become, it is at peace and attention spontaneously shifts from the object to the ultimate “subject,” a foretaste of your real Self. Be vigilant, clear-sighted, aware of your constant desire to be this or that and don’t make any effort . . . In this letting go of all trying, time no longer exists, there is no more expectation. In the absence of name and form what room is there for fear and insecurity? When there is no projection there is the forefeeling of wholeness. (15)

8

Effort implies tension and striving as the seeker looks for a result, an accomplishment. It hides our natural state of pure seeing and being: “Just be aware that you don’t see. Become more aware that you constantly react. Seeing requires no effort because your nature is seeing, is being stillness. The moment you’re not looking for a result, not looking to criticize, to evaluate or conclude, just looking, then you can perceive this reacting and you’re no longer an accomplice to it.” Q: If we want to learn the piano, we need to practice a lot before it becomes effortless. If effort applies to limited objects, why shouldn’t it also apply to infinity? A: The word “effort” implies intention, the will to achieve some end. But this end is a projection from the past, from memory, and so we miss being present to the moment at hand. It may be accurate to speak of “right attention” in the sense of unconditioned listening, but this attention is diametrically opposed to effort in that it is entirely free from direction, motivation and projection. In right attention our listening is unconditioned; there is no image of a person to impede global hearing. It is not limited to the ear; the whole body hears. It’s entirely outside the subjectobject relationship. (16)

Inner and Outer Support

Certain ‘psychological postures’ and behavioural changes, when properly carried out under the guidance of a teacher, prepare the ground for real learning and progress on the spiritual path. These postures include obedience, respect, trust, faith, sacrifice and voluntary suffering. Spiritual progress requires both obedience and gratitude on the part of the student. “If you cannot be obedient to your teacher, you cannot effectively learn anything. Obedience is part of attention.” Q: Why should a spiritual master be treated with respect? A: Not for him, but for ourselves. It is the posture of mind which accompanies the feeling of respect which attunes us to the reality and banishes self-satisfaction. Just as when people mourn the dead they are doing so because of themselves – the dead are unaffected by it – so, too, when people are too self-centered they cannot learn. They have to think of others as more important than themselves. However, a balanced attitude is necessary. People sometimes become too worshipping and think too much of their spiritual teacher. (17) Unless the student trusts the teacher no real learning is possible. “The human being, whether he realises it or not, is trusting someone or something every moment of the day.

9

He trusts the floorboards not to collapse, the train not to crash, the surgeon not to kill him, and so on.” Sufis, traditionally, dwell among those whom they teach, living good lives as people of probity, acting according to their words, fulfilling undertakings: until they have earned a sufficient degree of trust from those who come in contact with them. According to the nature of the individuals among whom their lot is cast, this time put in by the Sufis will vary. None of them complains if it is measured in decades – though the would-be learners may complain. The latter may lack patience when only this will overcome their suspiciousness. If the teacher does not dismiss them, they effectively dismiss themselves. One cannot learn from someone whom one distrusts. Yet plenty of people, again perhaps because of self-flattery, ‘follow’ those whom they do not entirely trust. To the Sufi, such people may be followers: they cannot, in that condition, be pupils. (18) The apparent duality and dynamic tension between faith and doubt provides the energy to lead the seeker to the final goal of spiritual enlightenment: Faith is needed because the experience of Zen is inconceivable to the ordinary mind and cannot even be imagined until it happens. Therefore faith in the natural possibility of enlightenment is necessary in order to take practical steps toward the unknown. Doubt is unavoidable because the inconceivable nature of Zen enlightenment necessarily keeps the seeker in a state of suspense, which is of indefinite duration and intensity. Without the first element of faith, this suspense is humanly unendurable; combined with faith, it enables the individual to question objectively the circumscribed habits of feeling and thought to which he or she tends to return again and again. According to Zen teaching, the inclination to become engrossed in subjective habits of thought and feeling is precisely what inhibits the human mind from realization of enlightenment. (19) Trust and faith in the words of the teacher provide the foundation and support for spiritual development and realization of our true nature: To begin with, trust me, trust the Teacher. It enables you to make the first step – and then your trust is justified by your own experience. In every walk of life initial trust is essential; without it little can be done. Every undertaking is an act of faith. Even your daily bread you eat on trust! By remembering what I told you you will achieve everything. I am telling you again. You are the all-pervading, all transcending reality. Behave accordingly: think, feel and act in harmony with the whole and the actual experience of what I say will dawn upon you in no time. No effort is needed. Have faith and act on it. Please see that I want nothing from you. It is in your own interest that I speak, because above all you love yourself, you want yourself secure and happy. Don’t be ashamed of it, don’t deny it. It is natural and good 10

to love oneself. Only you should know what exactly do you love. It is not the body that you love, it is Life – perceiving, feeling, thinking, doing, loving, striving, creating. It is that Life you love, and which is you, which is all. Realize it in its totality, beyond all divisions and limitations, and all your desires will emerge in it, for the greater contains the smaller. Therefore find yourself, for in finding that you find all. (20) At certain critical points in the spiritual journey privations and sacrifices may be necessary for a period of time. Gurdjieff: “Sacrifice is necessary. If nothing is sacrificed nothing is gained. And it is necessary to sacrifice something precious at the moment, to sacrifice for a long time and to sacrifice a great deal. But st ill, not forever . Sacrifice is necessary only while the process of crystallization is going on.” The attitude that accompanies sacrifice and renunciation is crucial and determines the success of the efforts: When a man comes to the conclusion that he cannot, and does not desire, to live any longer in the way he has lived till then; when he really sees everything that his life is made up of and decides to work, he must be truthful with himself in order not to fall into a still worse position. Because there is nothing worse than to begin work on oneself and then leave it and find oneself between two stools; it is much better not to begin. And in order to not begin in vain or risk being deceived on one’s own account a man should test his decision many times. And principally he must know how far he is willing to go, what he is willing to sacrifice. There is nothing more easy to say than everyt hing . A man can never sacrifice everything and this can never be required of him. But he must define exactly what he is willing to sacrifice and not bargain about it afterwards. (21) Deliberate, voluntary suffering is based on conscious choice and requires a certain psychological attitude to be effective. “What is important is your attitude towards it. It becomes deliberate if you don’t rebel against it, if you don’t try to avoid it, if you don’t accuse anybody, if you accept it as a necessary part of your work at the moment and as a means for attaining your aim.” Gurdjieff employed a memorable analogy to compare conscious and unconscious suffering: Q: What is the role of suffering in self-development? A: There are two kinds of suffering – conscious and unconscious. Only a fool suffers unconsciously. In life there are two rivers, two directions. In the first, the law is for the river itself, not for the drops of water. We are drops. At one moment a drop is at the surface, at another moment at the bottom. Suffering depends on its position. In the first river, suffering is completely useless because it is accidental and unconscious. Parallel with this river is another river. In this other river there is a different kind of suffering. The drop in the first river has the possibility of passing into the second. Today the drop suffers because yesterday it did not suffer enough. Here the law of retribution operates. The drop can also suffer in advance. Sooner or later everything is paid for. For the Cosmos there is no time. Suffering 11

can be voluntary and only voluntary suffering has value. One may suffer simply because one feels unhappy. Or one may suffer for yesterday and to prepare for tomorrow. I repeat, only voluntary suffering has value. (22) Advaita Vedanta teacher Jean Klein describes how suffering played an important role in his own spiritual journey: Q: Did suffering play any part in propelling you into the path? A: It depends how you understand suffering. Suffering as an idea, a concept, can never bring you to the knowing of yourself. But the direct perception of suffering is, like all objects, a pointer to your Self. What was important for me were those moments when I faced myself and found a lack of fulfillment; this produced the dynamism to explore more deeply. In a certain way when you really feel this lack without conceptualizing it, it is great suffering – but it is not the kind of suffering caused by a robbery, losing a job, a broken marriage, death, and so on. Of course these difficulties lift you out of a kind of complacency, a habitual way of living. They wake you up to interrogate, to inquire, to explore, to question suffering itself. Real surrender is letting go of all ideas and allowing the perception, in this case suffering, to come to you in your openness. You will see that it does not “go away,” as is the case with psychological acceptance – where the energy fixed on suffering is merely shifted to another area – but it comes to blossom within your full attention. You will feel it as a free energy, energy that was previously crystallized. (23)

Renunciation and Transformation

One of the dangers in traversing the spiritual path is when the student develops in an unbalanced, lopsided way and is unable to integrate experiences of a higher order into their normal personality. One example is the state of ecstasy or rapture where a person feels at one with creation or the Creator. “What is considered by the individual to be a blessing is in fact a flooding-out of potentiality. When experienced by those who have not carried out their development in a balanced way it may give rise to a conviction that it is a true mystical state, especially when it is found that supranormal faculties seem to be activated in that condition.” In fact, ecstatic experiences are only a stage in spiritual development. The seeker, lost in awe and wonderment, is halted at this point and prevented from going forward to the realization that lies beyond. The seeking of such experiences is considered a ‘veil’ preventing further growth and development: The disciple does not yet see the mine within the mountain. He may experience what he thinks are spiritual states, ‘illumination,’ all kinds of thoughts, feelings, experiences. These, however, are illusory. What is happening is the ‘wearing out’ 12

of the spurious imagination. The spiritual cannot act effectively on the non-spiritual. As Saadi puts it, “If dust ascends to the skies, it is not made more precious.” Such states often occur in people who, lacking proper guidance, believe that they are having spiritual experiences. These illusions can happen even to people who are not in discipleship, and they account for many of the reports of supposedly ‘higher’ experiences from those who have no specialised knowledge of these matters, and who are still ‘raw.’ (24) A similar situation can arise when aspirants attempt to activate certain interior ‘centers’ or ‘organs’ of perception through experimental methods or out-of-sequence spiritual exercises. In some traditions such as Hinduism these ‘points of concentration’ are called chakras while in Sufism they are referred to as the lat ifa : The illumination or activation of one or more of the centers may take place partially or accidentally. When this happens, the individual may gain for a time a deepening in intuitive knowledge corresponding with the lat ifa involved. But if this is not a part of comprehensive development, the mind will try, vainly, to equilibrate itself around this hypertrophy, an impossible task. The consequences can be very dangerous, and include, like all one-sided mental phenomena, exaggerated ideas of self-importance, the surfacing of undesirable qualities, or a deterioration of consciousness following an access of ability. The same is true of breathing exercises or dance movements carried out of correct succession. The nonbalanced development produces people who may have the illusion that they are seers or sages. Due to the inherent power of the lat ifa , such an individual may appear to the world at large to be worthy of following. In Sufi diagnosis, this type of personality accounts for a great number of false metaphysical teachers. They may, of course, themselves be convinced that they are genuine. This is because the habit of self-deception or of deceiving others has not been transmuted. Rather it has been supported and magnified by the awakening but still undirected new organ, the lat ifa . (25) Real spiritual growth is only possible for a seeker when certain undesirable characteristics are abandoned and other qualities of a more developmental nature are nurtured. “Detach yourself from all that makes your mind restless. Renounce all that disturbs its peace. Emotional reactions born of ignorance or inadvertence are never justified. Seek a clear mind and a clear heart. All you need is to keep quietly alert, enquiring into the real nature of yourself.” Many spiritual traditions assert that the path to transcendental realization is one of negation and emptying – a vanishing of the ego rather than a pursuit of affirmation and attainment. “The finite is the price of the infinite, as death is the price of immortality. Spiritual maturity lies in the readiness to let go of everything. The giving up is the first step. But the real giving up is in realizing that there is nothing to give up, for nothing is your own.” Identification with our body, mind and emotions binds us and creates a state of dependency on the external impacts of life. There can be no true freedom until we recognize the illusory 13

world which we have created and in which we live. “The understanding that the ego has no reality in itself springs directly from our true being. It does not result from any effort but is spontaneous, neither discursive nor mental. It brings about total presence, wholeness, where fear has no place.” We live in fear of suffering. This suffering must first be fully felt and it can only be felt when it is accepted; accepted as a fact, objectively not fatalistically. This scientific acceptance can only take place when there is no psychological relationship with the fear, when it is seen from the impersonal standpoint. When we don’t conceptualize fear it leaves us, for we no longer nourish it. It is condemned to die when seen in clear-sighted presence. (26) When we become aware of the workings of the ego through intelligent observation it imperceptibly withers away. Spiritual transformation is a shift away from our self-protective view of life to a new way of being in the world – open, non-attached and fearless. “This means being as aware as we can in every moment, so that our ‘personality’ begins to break down and we can respond more and more simply to the moment.” In traditional teachings repentance involves confronting one’s own shortcomings and psychological blocks, including fixation upon oneself. There can be a danger, however, when the ego hijacks the process, subtly reinforcing its own existence: Repentance means turning back or giving up completely something that was of powerful attraction. Pleasure gained through repentance is in most cases as bad as the original offence, and no permanent improvement can be expected by those who pride themselves in reformation. The repentance of the ignorant is when people feel strong reactions to giving something up, or seeking forgiveness from something. There is a higher form, the repentance of the Wise, which leads to greater knowledge and love. (27) Renunciation of the false is the door to liberation and self-realization. Ramana Maharshi: “All that is needed is to lose the ego and realize that which is always eternally present. Even now you are That. You are not apart from it. Be yourself and nothing more.” Q: Is renunciation necessary for Self-realization? A: Renunciation and realization are the same. They are different aspects of the same state. Giving up the non-self is renunciation. Inhering in the Self is jnana or Self-realization. One is the negative and the other the positive aspect of the same single truth . . . Our real nature is timeless, effortless and ever present. There is no realization to be achieved. The real is ever as it is. What we have done is, we have identified with the unreal. We have to give up that. That is all that is wanted. (28)

14

Turning away from the false, from desires and fears, releases an energy that purifies and ennobles the essential being. “Merely giving up a thing to secure a better one is not true relinquishment. Give it up because you see its valuelessness. As you keep on giving up, you will find that you grow spontaneously in intelligence and power and inexhaustible love and joy.” The purpose of inner purification is to unite the human essence with its source – the reality of timeless Being or Self. “When the psyche is raw, undeveloped, quite primitive, it is subject to gross illusions. As it grows in breadth and sensitivity, it becomes a perfect link between pure matter and pure spirit and gives meaning to matter and expression to spirit.” Q: If it is the inner that is ultimately responsible for one’s spiritual development, why is the outer so much emphasized? A: The outer can help by being restrained and free from desire and fear. You would have noticed that all advice to the outer is in the form of negations: don’t, stop, refrain, forego, give up, sacrifice, surrender, see the false as false. Even the little description of reality that is given is through denials – ‘not this, not this,’ (net i, net i). All positives belong to the inner self, as all absolutes – to Reality. Q: How are we to distinguish the inner from the outer in actual experience? A: The inner is the source of inspiration, the outer is moved by memory. The source is untraceable, while all memory begins somewhere. Thus the outer is always determined, while the inner cannot be held in words. The mistake of students consists in their imagining the inner to be something to get hold of, and forgetting that all perceivables are transient and, therefore, unreal. Only that which makes perception possible, call it life or Sprit, or what you like, is real. (29) Certain psychological attitudes and behaviours, such as honesty and humility, are conducive to spiritual growth. Real honesty is a manifestation of an inner maturity rather than an externally induced compulsion. “The really sincere act is the one which is known by no recording angel, by no demon to afflict it, nor by the self to become prideful of it.” Humility is one of the keys to spiritual understanding and awakening. “Humility is the acceptance of the truth about the truth, from the truth.” Q: Would you talk more about humility in human relations? A: Humility is not something you wear like a garment. It has nothing to do with bowed heads and averted eyes! It comes from the re-absorption of individuality in being, in stillness. In attention, alertness, there is humility. It is receptivity, openness, to all that life brings. Where there is no psychological memory, no accumulation of knowledge, there is innocence. Innocence is humility . . . Humility arises when there is no reference to an ‘I.’ This emptiness is the healing factor in

15

any situation. Heidegger says, ‘Be open to the openness.’ In this openness the situation offers its own solution, and in openness we receive it. (30) Humility is not so much a virtue as a necessity or ‘technical requirement’ for spiritual growth. True humility is concerned with the quest for Absolute Truth. “One of the real reasons for the attempted inculcation of a really ‘humble’ attitude towards life and learning in traditional teaching techniques is to try to enable people to adopt a point of view which will allow them to approach things as they are and not as they are imagined.” The distortion of humility is false self-abasement. On the other side of the coin, people who take pride in their humility are hypocrites. Pride destroys all possibility of spiritual awakening. Humility is a “cloak” which protects one from the subjective judgments and superficial assessments of others: Like Zen, Taoism lays particular emphasis on not being glad when praised or upset when reviled. In both teachings, ultimate truth is not a question of human feelings, and the seeker of ultimate truth therefore cannot afford to have attention diverted by emotional assessments from another realm of concern. It is related that once when Jesus prayed for people who had reviled him, someone asked him why he had returned kindness for cruelty. Jesus replied, “I could only spend of what I had in my pocket.” Similarly, it is said that when the prophet Mohammed was victimized by aggressors, and someone asked him why he did not curse his oppressors, he replied that it was not his mission to curse. (31) Recognition of the spiritual laws governing earthly existence leads to a panoramic awareness which encompasses past, present and future: Gurdjieff often spoke about the need to repair the past – not to dwell on it and indulge in useless self-reproach, but to feel remorse of conscience . . . He said to a pupil: ‘Past joys are useless to a man in the present; they are as last year’s snows, which leave no trace by which they can be remembered. Only the imprints of conscious labour and voluntary suffering are real, and can be used in the future for obtaining good,’ On another occasion he said: ‘What a man sows, he reaps. The future is determined by the actions of the present. The present, be it good or bad, is the result of the past. It is the duty of man to prepare for the future at every moment of the present, and to right what has been done wrong. This is the law of destiny. (32) In order to energize the work of transforming our lower conditioned self and realizing our higher spiritual nature, Gurdjieff admonished his pupils to always remember their own mortality and the inevitability of the death of all living beings: You should try to realize your own significance and the significance of those around you. You are mortal, and some day will die. He on whom your attention rests is 16

your neighbour; he will also die . . . If you acquire data always to realize the inevitability of their death and your own death, you will have a feeling of pity for others, and be just towards them, since their manifestations which displease you are only because you or someone has stepped on their corns, or because your own corns are sensitive. At present you cannot see this. Try to put yourself in the position of others – they have the same significance as you; they suffer as you do, and, like you, they will die. Only if you always try to sense this significance until it becomes a habit whenever your attention rests on anyone, only then will you have a real “I.” Every man has wants and desires which are dear to him, and which he will lose at death. From realizing the significance of your neighbour when your attention rests on him, that he will die, pity for him and compassion towards him will arise in you, and finally you will love him; also, by doing this constantly, real faith, conscious faith, will arise in some part of you and spread to other parts, and you will have the possibility of knowing real happiness, because from this faith objective hope will arise – hope as a basis for continuation. (33)

Acceptance and Surrender

Buddhist teachings stress the impermanent and transitory nature of all phenomena. Nonacceptance of this fact leads to suffering: we want life to be other than what it is. Open acceptance of life as it unfolds is diametrically opposed to our normal desire to control and shape events and situations. “Stay without ambition, without the least desire, exposed, vulnerable, unprotected, uncertain and alone, completely open to and welcoming life as it happens, without the selfish conviction that all must yield you pleasure or profit, either material or so-called spiritual.” Without accepting the fact that everything changes, we cannot find perfect composure. But unfortunately, although it is true, it is difficult for us to accept it. Because we cannot accept the truth of transiency, we suffer. So the cause of suffering is our own non-acceptance of this truth. We should find perfect existence through imperfect existence. We should find perfection in imperfection. For us, complete perfection is not different from imperfection. The eternal exists because of noneternal existence . . . We should find the truth in this world, through our difficulties, through our suffering. This is the basic teaching of Buddhism. Pleasure is not different from difficulty. Good is not different from bad. Bad is good; good is bad. They are two sides of one coin. (34) Suffering and unhappiness arise when we oppose life in a futile effort to protect ourselves and maintain the illusion of a separate self or “I.” In reality, complete openness and vulnerability to life is the only truly satisfactory way of living. “Whatever natural experiences you encounter, just accept them as they come. Just be with them. Don’t try to alter anything.”

17

With an attitude of acceptance desires and fears come and go, and when they are allowed to naturally pass away they cease to have a grip on the mind. “Dispassion, detachment, freedom from desire and fear, from all self-concern, mere awareness – free from memory and expectation – this is the state of mind to which discovery can happen. After all, liberation is but the freedom to discover.” Genuine acceptance is free from any psychological need, preference or judgement. In the words of Jean Klein: “Seeing all the facts calls for acceptance. When there is no longer any psychological involvement there are no opposing factors and therefore no choices of some facts, some elements over others. Acceptance does not come from the body-mind, it comes from our wholeness. Once all the elements of the situation are welcomed in our acceptance free from qualifying, the situation itself calls for action, but we do not go to it already armed.” Q: In acceptance is there any notion of good or bad? A: Good or bad are projections from pre-conceived ideas, from memory. Stop projecting your desires and fears onto the seen. Take things as they are. You must accept something in order to really know it. In accepting, the accent is not on what you accept but on the accepting position itself. You will come to find you are one with accepting. The acceptor is not an object. It is an inner reality. Acceptance gives freedom to whatever is accepted. What you accept really becomes alive and has its own story to tell you. Q: But in life it’s necessary to make decisions. How can we do this if we don’t discriminate? A: You can really only make decisions when you accept the situation. In acceptance the situation belongs to your wholeness, your completeness, and the decision comes out of this global perspective. There’s nothing passive about this accepting. It is ultimate alertness. And the decision that results is an action, not a reaction. The moment you live in openness and let every situation come to you, you flow with the real current of life. (35) An attitude of welcoming and accepting enables the false limited sense of who we are – body, mind, feelings and sensations – to drop away, revealing our true timeless nature: Leave the body and mind free to be what they are and you will no longer be their slave. They are only fragments of the whole which you are. Simply take note of your imperfections and this awareness will take care of them. Once you understand that you are not the body and the mind, you can then accept whatever happens. Understanding your fundamental autonomy brings you to an attitude of total acceptance. Every single thing is seen in the light of this welcoming, appears and disappears within it. As a result, things attain their full significance and harmony re-establishes itself. This welcoming is an alert awareness, uninhabited by 18

the past. It allows whatever presents itself to unfold in and point to the welcoming, without being limited by the ego or deformed by memory. In this Oneness we discover our nature: ultimate joy and perfection. (36) Accepting life unconditionally is pragmatic and functional. True acceptance is free from volition and the interference of the ego or “me,” allowing one to be completely alert, aware and clear to face the situation or circumstance. “Accepting is a state of openness. Be completely open to whatever happens to you. That is non-volitional living. There is a very deep wisdom in not grasping, not asking, only waiting.” By relaxing and letting go, we create an open, welcoming space which is perfectly adequate to meeting whatever comes into our lives. Lao Tzu describes this state of being as “to do nothing, yet to leave nothing undone.” In accepting and welcoming there is no arguing with reality, with w hat is. With the dawn of spiritual understanding we flow with the energy and mystery of life, warmly embracing the present moment with all its glory and infinite possibilities. In this state of unconditional acceptance, past and future no longer exist and we are completely present to the reality of now . Zen master Shunryu Suzuki: “Our ‘original mind’ includes everything within itself. It is always rich and sufficient within itself. Our self-sufficient state of mind is an empty mind and a ready mind. If your mind is empty, it is always ready for anything; it is open to everything. In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities; in the expert’s there are few.” Spiritual realization gives a completely new perspective on the workings of reality and produces a shift in our attitude to the events of everyday life: In the words of Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj: “You need not be anxious: ‘What next?’ There is always the next. Life does not begin nor end. Light cannot be exhausted even if innumerable pictures are projected by it. So does life fill every shape to the brim and return to its source, when the shape breaks down.” Things just happen; the roll of destiny unfolds itself and actualizes the inevitable. You cannot change the course of events, but you can change your attitude and what really matters is the attitude and not the bare event. The world is the abode of desires and fears. You cannot find peace in it. For peace you must go beyond the world. We seek pleasure and avoid pain. Replace self-love by love of the Self and the picture changes. Brahma the Creator is the sum total of all desires. The world is the instrument for their fulfilment. Souls take whatever pleasures they desire and pay for them in tears. Time squares all accounts. The law of balance reigns supreme. (37) In many traditional spiritual teachings the word “surrender” is synonymous with acceptance. Ramana Maharshi described surrender as giving oneself up to the original source of one’s being which lies within oneself rather than outside. He also characterized surrender as submission to a Higher Power: “By whatever path you go, you will have to lose yourself in the One. Surrender

19

is complete only when you reach the stage ‘Thou art all’ and ‘Thy will be done’. With complete surrender you have no desire of your own. God’s desire alone is your desire.” If you surrender yourself to the Higher Power all is well. That Power sees your affairs through. Only so long as you think that you are the worker you are obliged to reap the fruits of your actions. If on the other hand, you surrender yourself and recognize your individual self as only a tool of the Higher Power, that Power will take over your affairs along with the fruits of actions. You are no longer affected by them and the work goes on unhampered. Whether you recognize the Power or not the scheme of things does not alter. Only there is a change of outlook. Why should you bear your load on the head when you are travelling in a train? It carries you and your load whether the load is on your head or on the floor of the train. You are not lessening the burden of the train by keeping it on your head but only straining yourself unnecessarily. Similar is the sense of doership in the world by the individuals. (38) When we surrender and open to the immediate experience of life as it actually is, we taste real freedom and sense the perfume of our real nature. “Surrender is not a passive state. It is both passive and active, passive in the sense of letting go as with Meister Eckhart’s ‘Poor Man,’ and active in that it is a constant alertness.” Surrender calls for a true recognition of the facts, facing them squarely. You must accept and welcome them in a scientific way without reaction and judgement. Acceptance is not a sacrifice nor a process of will. In the openness that is inherent in our nature there is no one who accepts. Acceptance or surrender is thus passive in its absence of a director, and active in that one remains supremely awake and alert, ready for what presents itself. This silence is simply waiting without the anxiety of waiting and in this openness the highest intelligence operates. (39)

Liberation and Aw akening

In the awakened state we live in harmony with the rhythm and pulse of life, able to respond skilfully and effectively to any situation or circumstance. “Perfection means not perfect action in a perfect world, but appropriate action in an imperfect one.” Our true nature is pure, clear, and free. All kinds of things come up in our lives – hardships, pain, illness – but if we know our true nature, if we experience the bottom of our being, the ultimate ground of our being, none of these things can knock us over. Of course we die, but there is a certainty in the midst of birth and death that we are living in the Great Time of eternity. There is no end to this. No matter that this body falls off, passes away; the joyful essence of life goes on. (40)

20

With the dawn of enlightenment, fear and anxiety are replaced by serenity and inner joy. We realize that we are whole and complete just as we are: “You are generally not conscious of the fact that you are immensely rich. The inner self is filled with everything you need; there is nothing else to seek.” Charity, kindness and sympathy emanate from the heart of a realized being. In the words of Saadi: “The Path is none other than service of the people.” Compassionate human actions bear fruit only when performed selflessly; there should be no sense of “I am the doer,” “I am helping others.” Real service is sensitive to the needs of the people involved, the situation and circumstance, and the larger context of humanity’s spiritual evolution. It is the natural reflection of the awakened state: “The solemn truth is that you can’t begin to help anybody until you yourself have become whole through the experience of Self-realization. When you have seen into the nature of your True-self and the universe, your words will carry conviction and people will listen to you.” Wisdom and compassion develop and express themselves simultaneously. The fully mature spiritual life is characterized by a warm, open heart and a flexible, adaptive mind. Zen teacher Maurine Stuart: “Become the noble soul, and live in this awakened way, not imitating anyone. Whatever the circumstances of your life asks of you, respond to them in your own individual Zen-inspired way. Don’t cling to yesterday, to what happened, to what didn’t happen. And do not judge today by yesterday. Let us just live today to the fullest!” Self-realization also unlocks the vast storehouse of creativity that lies dormant in every human being. “In this openness you find yourself adequate to every situation. There is no choice in this position, and you can understand w hat is spontaneously. The solution comes to you like an intuition, an apperception. When you are open, free from the past, creativity comes to you. It takes time to realize it in time and space, but the insight of this creativity is constantly present as a background.” Following Self-realization there is a return to the world of everyday life to help others on the road to enlightenment: As Buddhists, we have two directions toward which we are reaching: one is the attainment of enlightenment, the other is to render service to others. Attainment of enlightenment is the attainment of wisdom, prajna ; to render service to others is to complete our love, karuna. Wisdom and love together is our aim. But wisdom is the Buddhist’s faith, the foundation, and love is our aim. We educate ourselves to attain enlightenment; only then can we bring happiness to the world, to our home, and to ourselves. There can be no peace in the world, no happiness in the family, no quietude in one’s self if one fails to attain one’s own enlightenment . . . Buddhism teaches us to realize both these aims. Enlightenment and rendering service to others is a twofold teaching. (41) 21

Self-realization is the direct experience of our true nature of stillness, peace and pure awareness. It is ever-present and always available. The only barrier is our false identification of the Self with the not-Self – body, mind, feelings and sensations. When the not-Self disappears, the Self alone remains. Ramana Maharshi: “Realization is ever present, here and now. The Self is always as it is. There is no such thing as attaining it. Realization is permanent and is here and now.” Q: How shall I reach the Self? A: There is no reaching the Self. If the Self were to be reached, it would mean that the Self is not here and now but has yet to be obtained. What is got afresh will also be lost. So it will be impermanent. What is not permanent is not worth striving for. So I say the Self is not reached. You are the Self; you are already That. Therefore Realization is for everyone. Realization makes no difference between aspirants. This very doubt whether you can realize and the notion “I have not realized” are themselves the obstacles. Be free from these obstacles also. (42) Liberation from the ego-centered self is a movement away from the known to the unknown. When the mind is purified of its past conditioning it naturally reflects its true nature of pure awareness and being. Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj: “You are universal. You need not and cannot become what you are already. Only cease imagining yourself to be the particular. What comes and goes has no being. It owes its very appearance to reality. Realize that you are the eternal source and accept all as your own. Such acceptance is true love.” Q: The experience of reality, when it comes, does it last? A: All experience is necessarily transient. But the ground of all experience is immovable. Nothing that may be called an event will last. But some events purify the mind and some stain it. Moments of deep insight and all-embracing love purify the mind, while desires and fears, envies and anger, blind beliefs and intellectual arrogance pollute and dull the psyche. Q: Is self-realization so important? A: Without it you will be consumed by desires and fears, repeating themselves meaninglessly in endless suffering. Most people do not know that there can be an end to pain. But once they have heard the good news, obviously going beyond all strife and struggle is the most urgent task that can be. You know that you can be free and now it is up to you. Either you remain forever hungry and thirsty, longing, searching, grabbing, holding, forever losing and sorrowing, or you go out wholeheartedly in search of the state of timeless perfection to which nothing can be added, from which nothing – taken away. In it all desires and fears are absent, not because they were given up, but because they have lost their meaning . . . There is nothing to do. Just be. Do nothing. Be. (43) 22

Our very nature is peace and happiness. “Whenever love and kindness are in your heart, you will have the intelligence to know what to do and when and how to act. When the mind sees its limitations, a humility and innocence arise which are not a matter of cultivation, accumulation or learning, but the result of instantaneous understanding. It is this reality that transforms your mind, and not effort or decision.” What you fundamentally are is always here, always complete. It needs no purification. It never changes. For the Self there is no darkness. You cannot discover or become truth for you are it. There is nothing to do to bring it closer, nothing to be learned. See only that you are constantly trying to go away from what you are. Stop wasting time and energy in projecting. Live this stopping, not lazily and passively, but live in the alertness that that is found in the stopping of expectation and anticipation. There is no room for improvement in reality. It is perfection itself. How could you possibly get nearer to it? (44)

References

(1) P.D. Ouspensky The Psychology of M an’s Possible Evolut ion (New York: Vintage Books, 1974), p. 115. (2) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), pp. 118119. (3) Jean Klein Transmission of t he Flame (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publications, 1990), pp. 180-181. (4) Idries Shah Learning How t o Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 28. (5) Idries Shah A Perfumed Scorpion (London; Octagon Press, 1983), p. 179. (6) Idries Shah Know ing How t o Know (London: Octagon Press, 1998), pp. 9-10. (7) Philip Kapleau The W heel of Life and Deat h (New York: Doubleday, 1989), p. 250. (8) Omar Ali-Shah The Sufi Tradit ion in t he W est (New York: Alif Publishing, 1994), p. 131. (9) Jean Klein Beyond Know ledge (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publications, 1994), p. 61. (10) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of t he M iraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), p. 32. (11) Charlotte Beck Not hing Special: Living Zen (San Francisco: Harper, 1993), pp. 113-114. (12) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of t he M iraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), pp. 229-230. (13) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of t he M iraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), p. 347. (14) Charlotte Beck Everyday Zen (San Francisco: Harper, 1989), p. 41. (15) Jean Klein I Am (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publications, 1989), p. 143. (16) Jean Klein The Ease of Being (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1986). P. 10. (17) Idries Shah The Commanding Self (London: Octagon Press, 1994), p. 171. (18) Idries Shah “Sufi Spiritual Rituals and Beliefs” in Idries Shah (ed.) Sufi Thought and Act ion (London” Octagon Press, 1990), p. 10. (19) Thomas Cleary No Barrier: Unlocking t he Zen Koan (New York: Bantam Books, 1993), pp. xxii-xxiii.

23

(20) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), pp. 240241. (21) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of t he M iraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), pp. 365-366. (22) G.I. Gurdjieff View s From t he Real W orld: Early Talks of Gurdjieff (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1973), pp. 84-85. (23) Jean Klein The Ease of Being (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1986), pp. x-xi. (24) Idries Shah “Sufi Spiritual Rituals and Beliefs” in Idries Shah (ed.) Sufi Thought and Act ion (London” Octagon Press, 1990), p. 22. (25) Idries Shah The Sufis (London: Octagon Press, 1984), p. 296. (26) Jean Klein I Am (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publications, 1989), p. 102. (27) Idries Shah The W ay of t he Sufi (London: Octagon Press, 1984), p. 233. (28) Devaraja Mudaliar Day by Day w it h Bhagavan (Tiruvannamalai, India: Sri Ramanasramam, 1977), p. 74. (29) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 75. (30) Jean Klein W ho Am I? (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1989), p. 4. (31) Thomas Cleary Rat ional Zen (Boston: Shambhala, 1995), p. 192. (32) C.S. Nott Teachings of Gurdjieff (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1974), p. 109. (33) C.S. Nott Teachings of Gurdjieff (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1974), pp. 114-115. (34) Shunryu Suzuki Zen M ind, Beginner’s M ind (New York: Weatherhill, 1973), p. 103. (35) Jean Klein The Ease of Being (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1986), pp. 63-64. (36) Jean Klein I Am (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publications, 1989), pp. 24-25. (37) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 84. (38) Ramana Maharshi Talks w it h Sri Ramana M aharshi (Tiruvannamalai, India: Sri Ramanasramam 1984), p. 487. (39) Jean Klein W ho Am I? (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1989), p. 34. (40) Maurine Stuart Subt le Sound: The Zen Teachings of M aurine St uart (Boston: Shambhala, 1996), p. 137. (41) Sokei-an Zen Pivot s (New York: Weatherhill, 1998), p. 48. (42) Ramana Maharshi The Spirit ual Teachings of Ramana M aharshi (Boston: Shambhala, 1988), pp. 61-62. (43) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 331. (44) Jean Klein I Am (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publications, 1989), pp. 42-43.

24

SEEKER AFTER TRUTH

‘Like at t ract s like’ Saying

Attraction to Cults

One of the greatest difficulties for most spiritual aspirants is distinguishing between real and spurious spiritual teachers and teachings. According to the Sufi master Rumi: ‘Count erfeit gold exist s because t here is such a t hing as real gold .’ Almost by definition the seeker is unable to discriminate and evaluate the comparative worth of the various spiritual paths and teachers available in the world today. “What is rather remarkable is that a great many of these selfstyled teachers are discernibly not teachers, if studied with the normal rational apparatus which is of some value even to seekers after truth.” Many seekers of higher knowledge and wisdom are attracted to religious and metaphysical teachings which in reality are deteriorated traditions lacking inner developmental value. These systems are stabilized on lower level social and psychological needs and only give lip service to real spiritual growth and understanding. The seeker must also learn to clearly distinguish the difference between outer form and appearance (sometimes called traditionalism) and the living reality of a legitimate, contemporary spiritual teaching suited to the times. “Traditionalism is doing something because others have done it, whether we understand it or not, whether it applies in a given culture, time-scale, etc., or not. It may simply be dogmatism.” Seekers who lack sincerity and insight are often drawn to cults and pseudo-teachers. The psychological condition of many people propels them to seek out cults rather than legitimate spiritual teachings, since the cults readily provide the social acceptance and stabilization which they often unconsciously crave. “People will tend to take from a teaching what they fancy they want. This is generally release from worry, decrease of perplexity, hero-worship, certitude, emotional indulgence and so forth.” It is also important to recognize that there is a crucial distinction between what people w ant and what they actually need for their spiritual development. For the two to coincide, there must be a certain degree of honesty, self-knowledge and insight. Cults, when attracting and recruiting followers, almost always ignore this important difference. Most cults have defining characteristics which actually prevent learning and progress in the spiritual domain, and tend to “attract the unbalanced or unbalance those prone to such directions.” The would-be student of higher knowledge must recognize that many ‘spiritual’ organizations are conscious or unconscious conditioning instruments. “It is as if a trap was laid for the ignoble element in you when a person, a book, a ceremony, a method appears directly or by recommendation, to have something which is applicable to all, or attracts you strongly though incorrectly.”

1

Religious and spiritual teachings inevitably deteriorate over the course of time and to be effective must be revitalized through a process of supersession, from the original living source. The typical spiritual seeker is almost always unaware of this fact and tends to follow a teaching which may no longer be applicable to the contemporary time and current circumstances.

Searching for Emotional Stimulus and Excitement

In almost all aspects of life, including spiritual studies, people will seek things which attract them, rather than that which will suit them and aid their inner development. Some individuals are attracted to the sheer excitement, novelty or even unfamiliarity of a teaching. The term ‘spiritual tourism’ has been coined to describe the superficial search for entertainment, emotional stimulation and social satisfaction rather than real spirituality. Systems of higher knowledge can be employed for purposes of either recreational amusement or genuine learning. In the ‘enjoyment stage’ of learning people are essentially entertaining themselves by consuming intellectual and emotional stimuli or engaging in lower-level amusements and satisfactions. The would-be student needs to distinguish between entertainment and real instruction. “The seeker may become a consumer of emotional stimuli, while concurrently imagining that one is experiencing deep spirituality.” The seeking of emotional experiences and alluring new ideas actually attenuates the process of learning in the spiritual sphere. Some seekers crave wonders and miracles and the acquisition of ‘mystical’ experiences. Fascination and interest in such things represents a form of emotional craving and sensationalism rather than the perception of spiritual truth. One of the obstacles to higher human development is the desire for ‘secrets’ or ‘mystery’ on the part of the seeker. “People seeking knowledge often assume that there is some secret that can be confided to them, something that they can acquire, as one takes possession of a material object.” People who are seen to be strongly influenced by the idea of secrecy, and stimulated by it, thus automatically reveal themselves as curiosity-mongers. To clamour for ‘secrets’ or to do the equivalent (to want them unknowingly) is a characteristic of man, strongly marked in almost all undertakings and stages of maturity, by no means confined to esoteric areas. If you narrow your conception of secrecy to a crude definition of something which is being kept from you, for instance, you do no more than show that you are unlikely to be flexible and sensitive enough to understand the ‘secret’ aspects of refined and subtle things. Many ‘secrets’ are best kept by the denial of any secret, or by people appearing to be people of simplicity and ordinariness. (1)

2

Individuals who approach a spiritual teaching in a highly charged, emotional state are usually unable to benefit from such a contact. People tend to respond to things which have immediate appeal or which touch them emotionally, often disregarding more subtle impacts. “What a sorry state such people are in when some sort of dramatic event spells activity and significance, and where the absence of a crude stimulus spells discontent or means that ‘nothing is happening’.” One of the chief barriers preventing would-be seekers from harmonizing with a legitimate source of spiritual teaching is the over-development and over-use of imagination. In the words of Rumi: ‘Imaginat ion blocks you like a bolt in a door. Burn t hat bar .’ People who claim that they have had ‘indescribable’ or ‘rarefied’ feelings and experiences are unlikely to profit from serious spiritual study: The worst are those with vague, sporadic, incomplete connections with an ‘invisible world.’ In fact, such feelings are mere distortions or the stirring of a potentiality, which their own subjectivity endows with fantastic, distorted entities and meanings, and often attempts to systematize. And the worst of these seek similar equally distorted individuals or examples of literature, and ‘prove’ their experiences by reference to these. They suffer from concealed arrogance. (2) People who feel something strongly may be feeling it in an erroneous and unconstructive manner. Such individuals are in reality sensation-seekers who easily become indoctrinated, obsessional or ‘true believers.’ Individuals who are powerfully attracted to a teaching and who are single-minded in their pursuit of higher knowledge may actually harm their development due to wrong motivations and the operation of conditioning factors: Inevitable pitfalls in human learning are two: ‘conversion syndrome,’ when people believe anything said by an individual or institution; and obsessional opposition, when they believe nothing. These are the two factors, though they may be combined in one person in varying proportions. The task of the real higher teaching is to contact people and inform them quite aside from the question of faith or unfaith. Both factors are aspects of brain-engineering, and have no place in real teaching. (3) Following a spiritual teacher through curiosity or hero worship can lead to the ‘cult of the personality’ whereby the subjective impact of the person obscures the meaning and reality which the teacher truly represents. Students who are overly impressed by the personality of the teacher are poor candidates for the assimilation of higher knowledge until they learn to handle the impact and make use of it. And, those who respond to authority figures or only to the famous and respected are unable to make contact with, and learn from, many genuine wise people: “Spiritual teachers who lead ordinary lives, or who lack the trappings, are invisible to the greedy or anxious.”

3

Western seekers who journey to the East in search of knowledge and wisdom are often unaware that they may be merely looking for sensation, mystery and emotional stimulation. “More people go to the East and find nothing than ever realize any heart’s desire, because they do not know how to structure their enterprise.” Seeking spiritual teachings in the East is based on a number of unexamined assumptions concerning the way such teachings are projected in the world: The Western would-be disciple, having read various books, reasons fallaciously, somewhat in this manner: ‘This teaching originates in the East. In the East there are people who know about it. Therefore I shall go to the East and find a master who will be able to teach me more about it.’ This is fallacious because it would be true only if the Eastern mystical masters were so inefficient that, wanting to project their teachings in the West, they were incapable of setting up Western centers, especially adjusted to Western ways, for the establishment and progress of their work. All recognized Sufi masters in the East who were consulted by me are agreed that anyone who imagines that he must go to the East and find something in this manner is looking for romance and colour, mystery and so on – or else he is so primitive in his basic thinking that Sufism would be most unlikely to be able to help him in any case. (4)

Self-Deception and Preoccupation

One of the great dangers of a random undirected spiritual search is to focus energy and attention on the personal self, essentially a form of self-absorption and self-preoccupation. There is a saying: ‘Vanit y st ands in t he w ay of int elligence.’ Self-indulgence is often confused with following a spiritual discipline, as when a person adopts a particular technique, such as self-observation, but uses it in a fragmentary, partial manner. What this approach does not credit is that if one is concentrating merely on oneself, it matters little whether one finds the self fascinating, disgusting, or even “objective.” The point is that all at t ent ion is direct ed at t he self , and nothing is left for a more comprehensive awareness. This kind of thinking stems from a simple confusion: self-indulgence is not mysticism. In any real attempt at conscious development, attention needs to be directed aw ay from the self, from the psychotherapeutic “growth” or emotional levels, and away from piecemeal mystical techniques as well, in order that a person may encounter aspects of his surroundings other than the ordinary self. In an un-degenerated esoteric tradition, the ordinary self is not to be continuously massaged, pandered to, affirmed, or even “observed,” but merely set aside as an unreliable judge of events outside its province. (5)

4

In far too many instances, individuals begin a spiritual quest by only thinking of themselves and ignoring the effect of such an enterprise on others. A balance must be achieved between desiring things for oneself and wanting others to benefit as well. Many would-be students are only concerned with their own development, which is essentially an expression of vanity and self-absorption. A saying by the Sufi Jami illustrates this problem: ‘Seekers are plent y: but t hey are almost all seekers of personal advant age. I can find so very few Seekers aft er Trut h .’ Although many seekers appear sincere in their search for spiritual truth, in reality they are motivated by egoism and a desire for personal satisfaction. In many cases the pursuit of spiritual knowledge only serves to support vanity, pride and a sense of personal significance. “When someone’s self-esteem is linked to their ‘spiritual search,’ they can achieve very little until they have seen that this is a wrong connection. They more often imagine that they are humble: but this humility is quite often easily exposed as an unwitting cloak for a sense of personal importance.” Seekers often have an inflated opinion about their own level of knowledge and degree of perceptiveness concerning spiritual matters. There is a tendency for learners to over-value their role, knowledge and potentiality: “Metaphysically minded people, and especially those who feel that they are comfortable in the domain of mysticism or ‘inner perception,’ have no greater start on the generality of humanity. Their subjectivity, especially where it is linked with a strong sense of personal uniqueness ‘caught’ from other people, can in fact be a serious disability.” It is important to understand one’s personal motivation in searching for spiritual knowledge and to be able to recognize that previous approaches, expectations and thinking patterns are inadequate for the current task. It is only by observation and honest examination that the debilitating effects of vanity and self-absorption can be identified and overcome. Regarding selfdeception: “The only corrective is to be prepared to face one’s own self-deception, even if it has existed for thirty years under the name of ‘interest in higher knowledge’.” One of the consequences of self-deception in the spiritual and metaphysical domain is that individuals may start to set up study groups, advise other people, or even try to teach others without the requisite spiritual understanding and maturity to do this effectively: You may be full of goodwill, want to inform people about higher matters, know little but think that you can do little harm by giving talks, having meetings, and so on. But this activity is full of pitfalls, which are far more numerous and objectionable than the advantages. Wisdom does not come out of ignorance, and the matter does not even end there. Out of ignorance and self-deception may come a great deal of harm. The least that can happen is that imitation groups will proliferate, because there is nothing that can be done to prevent this. (6)

5

Social Integration and Psychological Therapy

Many seekers are really trying to find relief from social, psychological and other problems, not spiritual understanding and illumination. The desire for social activity and acceptance, personal prominence and recognition by others, is often mistaken for meaningful spiritual development: “They only want a social community, friendship, ‘togetherness,’ attention and the like. All these things are delightful: and all the more delightful when consciously indulged in, rather than found by means of deception. Deception in this case is pretending to oneself that one is studying when one is seeking stimuli.” The confusion between social adjustment and spiritual development is widespread among people who approach higher esoteric teachings: “It is a central fact of the Teaching that the Teaching itself is lost when it becomes a mere means of helping social adjustment. This is doubly true where there are adequate methods and facilities for social adjustment available already in the wider community.” The primary motivation of many people who approach spiritual teachings is often psychotherapy and the reduction or resolution of personal problems. It is important to distinguish the difference between self-realization and therapy, while acknowledging that many people who style themselves as spiritual seekers actually do need psychological help and a reduction in tension and anxiety. Perceptions of a higher order can be blocked from awareness by coarser ambitions and preoccupations of a socio-psychological order. Necessary and essential needs such as social harmony, mental and emotional stabilization and a sense of belonging, must be met before any productive search for higher knowledge and wisdom even begins: “It is of great importance that people who feel that they want to align to something higher should first stabilize themselves in the social context, so that they will not unconsciously be seeking to transform something higher into something lower. Their social capacities, needs and integration have to be met first.” It is incumbent on the seeker that their personal and psychological needs be adequately satisfied before embarking on a spiritual quest. The primary aim of an authentic spiritual teaching is self-realization and not merely the removal of psychological problems, although the latter may occur as a secondary by-product of the teaching: “This is not to state that personal problems should just ‘go away,’ be ignored, or that they should not be met and answered. They should be, but before one’s involvement in higher studies begins, else this study will become an extension of the person’s difficulty, and may be captured by it.” You must follow your personality interests somewhere else. In an advanced society there are more institutions catering to such outlets than anyone could possibly need. Make sure that your professional, commercial, social, psychological and family needs are fulfilled in the society to which you belong. The rest of you is the part which can be communicated with by means of the specialized techniques available to those who have a comprehensive and legitimate traditional teaching: and who have the means of safeguarding it. This is what

6

you have to study first of all . . . There is no harm at all in a social ingredient in a human relationship: far from it. But when this gets out of balance, and a human contact becomes an excuse for a social contact, you are not going to learn, no matter what materials you are working with. (7)

Impatience and the Desire for ‘Progress’

Impatience, anxiety and a sense of urgency actually prevent progress and development in the realm of spirituality. These factors cause would-be students to overlook many essential qualities of a learning situation. In fact, learning requires attention to factors other than “how long things will take?” or “when will I become enlightened?” Many students of higher knowledge are their own worst enemies because they are too anxious to see immediate results and obvious signs of change. “Impatience prevents learning. At its worst, it causes a preoccupation with the thought, ‘Why am I not making any progress?,’ which effectively blocks that progress.” People are often impatient to learn quickly and expect esoteric knowledge to be handed to them without any suitable preparation on their part. The desire for ‘instant illumination’ and the attraction to short-cuts or crash programs of study are traps which many seekers find themselves in. Teachings which are slower-paced or based on ‘drop-by-drop’ activity are perceived as unrewarding or uninteresting. Remember the adage: ‘Do not t ry t o run before you can w alk.’ Impatience is often based upon unexamined assumptions, through selective reading and study, about how the learning process should proceed. “Anxiety and impatience are similar to feelings experienced in any situation where people have themselves made random assumptions about how much time they need to do something; or how little time they may have left in which to achieve something.” When people are in a hurry to learn and progress they fail to properly absorb and digest spiritual teachings and procedures. This is rooted in impatience and selfishness. “When people try to ‘steal’ something, to use it too soon, it is because they have a tendency to want to do so before they have taken it in. This means that they do not in fact have what they think they have, because their desire for acquisition and transmission are stronger than their desire to learn.” The desire of would-be students to progress on their own terms along the path of spiritual development is rooted in disguised greed and lack of humility. “Their demand should be ‘Give me what I need, what will profit me, will profit others, and will profit something higher.’ That is a manifestation of humility, when rightly conceived.”

7

The desire for obvious, tangible signs of progress along the spiritual journey is pervasive among seekers of all types. “There are many people who are excessively interested in whether they are ‘progressing’ or ‘improving’ in any endeavour. All people are not the same, and what is opportunity at one occasion for one person may not be for another.” Many students of higher studies lament that ‘nothing is happening’ and are incapable of perceiving subtle impacts and developments in their spiritual life, looking instead for obvious indications of change or quantifiable signs of progress: Q: Why does a [spiritual] group go on, sometimes for years, reading books, meeting and apparently not getting anything done, without any measurement of its progress, and without a sense of how things are going? A: The main characteristic displayed by the questioner is that of a person who wants something (‘progress’ or a sense of how things are going) without carrying on an active observation and digesting of experience happening in and to the group. In traditional terminology familiar to people of all cultures (used in this instance not as a reproach but as a technique) we have here too much greed ahead of capacity, too much dissatisfaction due to greed and false premises, too much laziness which gives rise to a person being a potential victim of an exploiter who might appear and promise automatic progress without effort or right alignment. (8) The complexity of genuine spiritual systems precludes the easy answers and rapid progress prized by so many seekers of higher knowledge. “The overall picture, understood at a certain stage, enables one to perceive what place each experience takes in the process, but it is not easy to describe in advance.” In authentic spiritual traditions the student’s progress and development occurs in measured stages, each step preparing for the next. “The fact that one may be learning bit by bit, storing up little pieces of information and experience which are, almost insensibly, to come together at some later date, does not recommend itself to people who may be offered elsewhere something which, it is claimed, will give them instant insights.” Providing a framework for spiritual development actually works against the attainment of the goal since the attitude of the aspirant is changed by the provision of time-bound information. A Sufi teaching story illustrates through analogy the importance of ‘right time, place and people’ in the pursuit of higher knowledge: People often imagine that if they do not get what they have wanted exactly when they want it, they have wasted their time, or that someone else is to blame. They may think, too, that they are to blame when it is all a matter of the right time, right place, right people. You can keep this in your mind by an analogy, which is not supposed to be regarded as a sacred recital, but is scripted to show you the relative positions of timing and also of how people leave out of calculations things which alter circumstances. This is the story:

8

A W ager

A man once bought a parrot. When he got it home, he told it: “I am going to teach you to talk.” “Don’t bother,” answered the bird, “I can talk already!” He was so amazed that he took it to a teahouse. “Look, I’ve got a fantastic talking parrot here!” But the parrot wouldn’t talk, even though the man kept insisting that it could. People bet him ten to one that it could not, and he lost the bet. Nothing could induce it to speak. On the way home, followed by the jeers of his friends, the man cuffed the parrot, and said; “You fool – look at the amount of money you lost me!” “It is you who are the fool,” said the parrot. “Take me back to that teahouse tomorrow and you’ll get a hundred to one and win!” ‘Time, place and people,’ of course, is the message. Keeping this principle in mind helps to make it operative. This in turn alerts one to the ‘occasions’ when progress in higher awareness can really be made. (9)

M ixing Spiritual Traditions

Many spiritual seekers invent their own path by borrowing and combining methods, ideas and techniques from a whole range of inner teachings. The assumption that this can yield real developmental results is rarely questioned and flies in the face of both common sense and the experiences of everyday life: “Both oil and water are liquids, yet they don’t mix.” One occasionally meets people who have sort of nailed and cobbled together a philosophy for themselves out of various bits and pieces. You will then find they are perhaps reciting a Buddhist mantra, reading to Sufi music, dressed in a garment belonging to some other philosophy, and following a diet based on something else again. Not to put too fine a point on it, one cannot take significant techniques or aspects of one philosophical teaching and try and match it with another, and heaven prevent one from taking a philosophical teaching, which may be the Tradition – it may be Buddhism, Taoism, or a number of other philosophical systems – to which they add some sort of spooky thing likes stars, the Tarot, omens, or various different superstitions. This leads to complete confusion. (10) The impossibility of effectively mixing different formulations for spiritual development is equivalent to combining different recipes when cooking a dish – the result is a mishmash which could even be harmful. “At almost any stage, people try to mix the ideas and activities of various teachings, according to what appears to suit them. The consequence is never effective. You may produce something attractive by this method, but never anything that works.”

9

When people collect all kinds of esoteric, religious, metaphysical or philosophical fragments from a variety of sources, and try to link or amalgamate them, they do the reverse of what any lucid teaching system stipulates for effective learning and progress to occur: “It requires the student to follow a series of carefully selected and graded steps, without incorporating imagination, assumptions, materials from elsewhere, or concepts originating from other times, places and people.” There are numerous drawbacks to combining various spiritual teachings according to personal whims and proclivities. Real, effective ‘higher nutrition’ requires a certain quantity, quality and time-frame for the learning process to crystallize. This process is defeated by mixing various metaphysical teachings: Whether in the West or in the East, there is a temptation among certain people to amalgamate or agglomerate ideas and practices drawn from various teachings. This type of activity is not necessarily unreasonable, and in certain contexts or circumstances it is useful, laudable, rewarding and even indicated. However, when you get a coming-together of factors which seem to be similar and you then try and put them together in a haphazard fashion; even with a good and reasonable intention, this very often leads to considerable confusion . . . This is what is called the ‘supermarket mentality’ in which you are shopping around. It’s no laughing matter, because say you do an exercise in the context of the Tradition and you use a Zen technique, breathing position or movement. Even if the two are not mutually exclusive, they will still produce a certain degree of confusion because although they may both be of a positive nature, they do not apply in the same way. A Zen position requires a Zen intention and a Zen form of breathing. You cannot take one thing and put it together with something else. (11)

Imposing Conditions of Study

The assumptions, expectations and preconceptions that the seeker brings when encountering a spiritual teaching often leads to a desire to retain choice and control over what he or she does or believes. The presence of existing beliefs and the psychological commitment to them can actually disturb the learning process and block the entry of real knowledge into the seeker’s mind: Lucky is the seeker who can see through the dearth of false systems, bogus gurus, hucksters, and deceptive practices. But once one comes upon a legitimate teaching system, one’s motives and approaches must be in correct alignment. Besides insincerity, the most common mistake is for novices to insist the conditions of study be on their terms. They may come into a study system with all sorts of preconceptions and expectations -- a hidden agenda or mental model as to what they believe should be happening and what they should be

10

doing in order to fulfil their goal. Novices w ant exercises when what they really need is information. They may wish to dance and sing when all they first need to do is read. Neophytes may want their teacher to give them more attention when they really need less. They may want study materials to be presented to them in a timely and orderly A-to-Z fashion whereas a non-sequential approach may be best. They might think that they should be fasting, meditating, breathing a certain way; they may insist on celibacy, vegetarianism or certain attire. (12) The would-be student of spirituality who has been conditioned by previous modes of learning usually demands to be taught in his or her own way, effectively preventing wider forms of understanding. “Students are not able to suggest a study or organizational programme when they are there to learn.” Factors such as selective reading, following only the things which one decides are interesting or important, studying and doing only what is perceived as appealing produce no real results in the field of spirituality. By attempting to prescribe the nature, conditions and timing of their own spiritual studies, students are placing their subjective viewpoint above the requirements of the teaching itself. By imposing conditions gained from speculation, imagination, emotion, and so on, they effectively block higher learning. Seekers frequently demand that ideas and teachings be simplified or packaged in ways which are more acceptable to them. Primitive thinking about the learning process leads people to believe that they must be taught at the same time, in the same surroundings and in the same manner. They fail to realize an essential fact: “The Path has its own requirements, and the things which people want to do are likely to be those which will only help them to continue in the way they are already set, rather than in a direction which will break through their subjective limitations.” The requirements of any authentic spiritual teaching are similar to those that hold in almost any learning situation and cannot be effectively questioned or modified in any real sense. In order to learn, students must respect and follow the established patterns and methods of study in any field of accomplishment. “Learning is the reverse of choosing your own time, place and manner of instruction – and your own vacations.” The test for those who are really interested to learn from a [spiritual teaching] is exactly the same as the test which common sense applies to the learning of anything. Does the would-be learner want to learn what there is to be learnt, in the manner, in the company, and with the materials, timing and methods, which are necessary to the time, place, situation of the pupil and the learning? Or does the learner want to proceed in ways which he or she feels are the right ones? (13) In any real learning situation, regardless of the field of study, there is little or no progress if people select only portions of the study material or try to study them in the order and manner which they themselves choose. It is essential that the student not attempt to impose his or her own conditions of study or criteria of progress. “Failure to observe simple rules of learning 11

make it almost impossible to learn anything. Those who find this hard to follow need only imagine trying to learn mathematics, say, according to their own rules or curriculum; or trying to learn the alphabet only through working with the letters whose shape pleases them.” Aspirants who approach a spiritual teaching may unconsciously attempt to manipulate the teaching process: “Spiritual activity is not a matter of someone winning and someone losing, or of easy gains without effort.” Many seekers approach a spiritual teaching with a ‘commercial’ or ‘supply-and-demand’ attitude. They view the transmission of higher knowledge almost as a business transaction. One form of this approach has been called ‘bargaining.’ They need to heed the following injunction: “As with more material gifts, they cannot stipulate the nature, extent and timing of their bestowal. One cannot bargain with someone who has gifts to offer.”

M istrusting the Teacher and Teachings

A characteristic posture of would-be students is to attempt to assess and measure the reliability and worth of a teacher before placing themselves in the mentor’s hands. Many people, especially from the West, are not prepared to place their confidence, without concrete evidence, in those who are supposed to be able to guide their spiritual development. Yet: “When you go to a tailor to have a suit made, you use intelligence and logic to get you to the tailor’s door. After you have chosen the cloth and given your order, you abandon all to the tailor.” The Western cultural milieu encourages an attitude of mind that has been labelled by some as ‘non-rational concern.’ This entails the belief that any student-teacher relationship will be based on a pattern of domination and submission. It is characterized by “the fear of being controlled by others, with the consequent loss of autonomy that is believed to be fundamental to the conception of the self.” There is a widespread belief in both the East and the West that the role of a student in a spiritual school automatically entails a loss of their freedom, independence and individuality: “It is not uncommon for people to say that they feel that discipleship in a mystical school will deprive them of their autonomy, or otherwise rob them of something. They have not yet reached the stage where they realize that they are already prisoners of a far worse tyranny (that of the ‘Old Villain’ or personal, subjective ego) than anything which could be devised for them in a mystical school.” Sometimes aphorisms are utilized in spiritual teachings and schools to stress the importance of reliance and trust in the journey to self-realization: ‘A poor man fears no t hief.’

The attempt by students to analyze their teacher basically displays the assumptions, preconceptions and subjective thinking processes of the student. “If the desire to test the teacher or oppose the teaching is too strongly marked, there is little prospect of the learning process taking place at all.”

12

There is always the question of the learner himself endlessly questioning (through a misapplication of the principle of judgement) the meaning and motives of authentic mystical systems. Saadi in his Bost an has a telling tale, well worth keeping in mind. It enables one to register that a person’s ability to judge situations, if he is not thoroughly competent in the field in question, may seriously malfunction: Faridun, the Persian King of about 700 B.C., had a minister who was reported to have lent out gold and silver. He had also stipulated, Faridun learned, that the loans were to be repaid on the death of the king. The king was infuriated and charged the man with plotting against him. The minister answered: “I wanted all the people to wish you long life. By imposing the condition, I ensured that they would pray for your extended health.” (14)

Importance of Information and Preparation

Most people who are interested in spiritual teachings are deficient in terms of their background of information about these teachings. Specialized knowledge and techniques, as well as the proper approach, are required to properly access advanced esoteric knowledge. Western cultures, in particular, are full of confusion, imagination and misinformation concerning the activities of genuine schools of inner development. In order to gain higher knowledge, the seeker may first have to learn other things which act as preparation for further understanding: When given materials or ideas to study, you have to give all of them equal attention. Realize that you have in the past been consuming selectively, i.e. welcoming what you think you want and ignoring what you think you do not need. Such a procedure, in any form of learning, can lead to nothing . . . The result is that a person tends to learn only what he has been trained (by himself or others) to learn. This leaves gaps when he is faced by deep knowledge. Unimportant in ordinary matters, these gaps are pitfalls in a more advanced stage. (15) Many seekers possess only scraps of undigested information and experience related to the spiritual path, while believing that they have already attained higher knowledge and wisdom. “There is a widespread lack of real higher experience, as distinct from imagined experience. There is a serious lack of suitable information about areas of higher study which are not generally known nor reproduced in books.” Basic information about spiritual teachings can remove many of the misconceptions and misunderstandings held by seekers of higher knowledge. One of the consequences of insufficient information and lack of preparation is an inability to evaluate whether a spiritual teaching is authentic and comprehensive or not. “Is the lack of recognition of gold due to the incapacity or negligence of the assessor or to the nature of the

13

metal itself.” In order to benefit from a spiritual teaching the student must be properly fitted for the task so as to ask the right questions and profit from the answers. Without proper preparation students are prone to confusion and misunderstanding when embarking on a search for higher knowledge. “Real study centers of higher knowledge really are institutes of higher studies, which up to a point, have to lay the foundation of their studies as they go along. The habit of questioning the curriculum, however indicative of an enquiring mind, may often be very much out of control.” It is in order to carry out this educational project that real teaching institutions first of all have to broaden the basis of the student’s attitudes to higher knowledge. There is an analogy here with the ordinary educational systems. In the latter, specialization and higher studies often have to be preceded by general studies which form the basis for the future studies. Many an undergraduate has wondered why he has to study botany or bacteriology before he can learn how to heal people as a physician. He is in fact receiving factual information, learning a skill and also exercising his brain in a manner which will enable him to cope with more complex things. (16)

References

(1) Idries Shah Learning How t o Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 63-64. (2) Idries Shah The Commanding Self (London: Octagon Press, 1994), p. 30. (3) Idries Shah Know ing How t o Know (London: Octagon Press, 1998), p. 62. (4) Boris Kolinski “How They See Us” in Leonard Lewin (ed.) The Diffusion of Sufi Ideas in t he W est (Boulder, Colorado: Keysign Press, 1972), p. 153. (5) Robert Ornstein The M ind Field (New York: Pocket Books, 1978), pp. 73-74. (6) Idries Shah Know ing How t o Know (London: Octagon Press, 1998), p. 36. (7) Idries Shah Learning How t o Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 260-261. (8) Idries Shah Learning How t o Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 269. (9) Idries Shah Special Illuminat ion (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 31-32. (10) Omar Ali-Shah The Rules and Secret s of t he Naqshbandi Order (Reno: Tractus Books, 1998), pp. 222-223. (11) Omar Ali-Shah The Sufi Tradit ion in t he W est (Alif Publishing, 1994), pp. 155-156. (12) Stuart Litvak Use Your Head (New York: Prentice Hall, 1986), pp. 142-143. (13) Idries Shah Know ing How t o Know (London: Octagon Press, 1998), p. 36. (14) Idries Shah “Current Study Materials” in Idries Shah (ed.) The W orld of t he Sufi (London: Octagon Press, 1979), pp. 286-287. (15) Idries Shah Know ing How t o Know (London: Octagon Press, 1998), pp. 104-105. (16) Idries Shah Know ing How t o Know (London: Octagon Press, 1998), p. 78.

14

CULTS AND DETERIORATED SPIRITUAL TEACHINGS

‘Count erfeit gold exist s only because t here is such a t hing as real gold ’ Rumi

In many countries in the contemporary world, especially in the West, there are representatives of virtually every religion, spiritual teaching, cult and metaphysical system in existence. How can the earnest spiritual seeker distinguish between an authentic teaching and a cult, between a real and a false spiritual teacher? What are the salient characteristics of a genuine spiritual group or organization and what are the warning signs for detecting a spurious or misguided one? Psychiatrist Arthur Deikman provides a succinct working definition of a cult: The word cult refers to a group led by a charismatic leader who has spiritual, therapeutic or messianic pretensions, and indoctrinates the members with his or her idiosyncratic beliefs. Typically, members are dependent on the group for their emotional and financial needs and have broken off ties with those outside. The more complete the dependency and the more rigid the barriers separating members from non-believers, the more danger the cult will exploit and harm its members. (1) The deterioration and distortion of a spiritual teaching over time is aptly illustrated by the history of Christianity following the death of Jesus as his message of love, forgiveness and redemption passed through successive stages of deformation: (1) The being and enlightenment of Jesus Christ: Love and mercy (2) The words and actions of Jesus as a teacher: Spirit ual impact on t hose w ho came in cont act w it h him during his lifet ime

(3) Recollections of the direct followers of Jesus: The t w elve disciples of Christ (4) Selective oral and written records of his teaching: New Test ament and Gnost ic t eachings (5) Censorship and removal of the esoteric teachings: Council of Nicaea 325 A.D. (6) Division and fragmentation: Roman Cat holic church vs. Prot est ant church; split t ing of Prot est ant ism int o compet ing sect s

(7) Fanaticism; true believers vs. infidels: The Inquisit ion

1

Identifying and Understanding Cults

Cults can range from a relatively benign mixture of real and distorted teachings (well intentioned but misguided) to clearly harmful and exploitive groups (brainwashing and indoctrination). One of the principal causes of the proliferation of imitation spiritual groups is the sheer number of seekers demanding inner knowledge, thus creating a “supply and demand” situation which has an almost commercial or transactional nature and dynamic. Many current metaphysical systems throughout the world are distorted versions of an originally complete and functional teaching. Such cults and imitative ‘schools’ lack real developmental value and represent the survival of pieces of a once intact and comprehensive tradition. In general, spiritual teachings have followed a seemingly inevitable process of deviation from the original intention so that the aim becomes lost and the system becomes mechanical and repetitive. Any valid spiritual teaching is vulnerable to distortion and misunderstanding when it enters the ‘world.’ There is a saying: ‘W hat ever goes int o a salt -mine becomes salt .’ Spiritual teachings are subject to a process of crystallization or fossilization whereby the inner, dynamic element is no longer functioning effectively and the teaching deviates from its original purity, purpose and intent. This can take the form of inflexible doctrines, standardized observances and exercises, and hostility to other groups. Such schools or groups become mere ritualistic institutions that continue to ‘grind flour without making any bread,’ and are unable to progress further: The outward form or husk may, however, persist and contrive to perform social or otherwise comparatively less significant functions. The inheritors of these forms seldom, if ever, realize that the entity is ‘organically dead.’ This is why almost the last place in which to seek the continuation of an authentic transmission is in apparently well-established traditionalistic bodies. These are more efficiently described as archeological relics, easily recognized as such by those who know their original extent, purpose and vitality. They develop a sort of quasi-adaptability, or else a rigidity – or a combination of these. The consequence of these characteristics is to cause them either to seek support from new formulations or else to try to fight them. They always, however, lack real adaptability, consistent with contemporary needs. This peculiarity arises when there is a preoccupation with preservation of archaic and anachronistic forms. Effective higher teaching, in contrast, always seeks to employ any form within which it can complete its mission. (2) The world’s great religions have largely followed the inevitable path of decay and distortion with the passage of time. An example is Christianity. In its original form Christianity was a living tradition of personal and direct experience of spiritual truth without the intermediary of an institutionalized Church and priests. It has been said that few Christian leaders today would recognize or accept Jesus if they met him. Others wonder: “How much Christianity, as we have

2

it today, is the teaching of Christ himself, and how much is the contribution of Paul, John, Peter, Augustine, and even Aristotle and others.” Christianity is therefore constituted not only with the teaching of Jesus himself but with all the dogmatic and speculative interpretations concerning the personality of Jesus and his doctrine that have accumulated ever since the death of the founder. In other words, Christ did not found the religious system known by his name, but he was made its founder by his followers. If he were still among them, it is highly improbable that he would sanction all the theories, beliefs and practices which are now imposed upon self-styled Christians. If he were asked whether their learned dogmas were his religion, he might not know how to answer. He would in all likelihood profess complete ignorance of all the philosophical subtleties of Christian theology of the present day. (3) One of the hallmarks of a diluted spiritual teaching is when the vehicle is mistaken for the objective. In decayed systems the container is more important than the content. Simplified or deteriorated systems often regard factors which are peripheral, transitory or secondary as primary and central. “Temporary teaching frames suited to a specific community have later been adopted as sacrosanct and its activities have become over-simplified into supposed essentials.” The secondary features of a teaching tend to persist over time as a sort of ‘outer shell’ which only partially represents the essential inner element which leads to real transformation: Nowhere is vanity so marked as in the supposedly diligent and virtuous observation of norms and behaviour of a tradition. Because a certain person did or said something, because a certain group of people followed a certain path, these things – when blindly followed or rationalized – are believed to confer sanctity, to be better than other things, to constitute a ‘Way.’ Few things are further from the truth. The truth, of course, is that vanity brings imitation. Imitation is not a way to truth. (4) Simplistic spiritual systems ignore the requirements of ‘time, place and people’ by failing to tailor their teachings to current circumstances. “If you are using two-thousand year old terms you may be trying to ‘work’ in a role suited to the people of 2,000 years ago.” Many of the rituals, practices and written works employed by these teachings are the crystallized remnants of a previously comprehensive teaching and are no longer applicable for the present time: Some Eastern teachers have come to the West with the intention of initiating the Western public to their spiritual tradition. The intention is fine, but the task is difficult. If there is not a sufficiently deep understanding of the Western culture and mentality, success cannot really be had. There is the risk of simply imposing the Oriental way of seeing on the Westerners, who will find it difficult to accept. Zen is not a collection of rituals; it is life. Westerners who live in different social circumstances from those of the East cannot merely imitate the

3

Orientals. In the same way that Chinese Zen has Chinese characteristics, so Western Zen must be Western in its form. (5) In authentic spiritual teachings, ‘skilful means’ are utilized to guide people in their efforts toward awakening. “If these means are taken as ends, that is to say, as the description of Awakening or as Awakening itself, they cannot play their useful role; on the contrary they become a sort of permanent prison.” Classical Zen teaching is characterized by freedom from blind clinging to forms, employing forms as instruments rather than perpetuating them as idols, employing forms when, where, and as they are effective, discarding forms when they become obstructions . . . It is not, however, invariably practiced in institutionalized settings because it requires supra-conventional expertise and defies some of the most deeply seated of human tendencies. A Zen proverb says, “When one person transmits a falsehood, myriad people transmit it as truth.” The tendency to dogmatize and hallow the traces of temporary expedients appears again and again in history – not only in religious and cultural history, but also in the history of science. It is for this reason that so much of Zen teaching involves dismantling, superseding and renewing in the visible dimension, even while its invisible aim remains constant throughout. (6) Without supersession and renewal there is no fresh growth; a teaching will merely reproduce effects designed for people of a different time or cultural milieu. “Deteriorated or repetitious cults use outdated or irrelevant techniques, regalia, even clothes and languages, when they drift -- or are imported -- from one time and culture to another.” One of the inevitable consequences of a teacher’s death is the appearance of divisions among the disciples and different interpretations given to the ideas and practices conveyed to them. The followers who carry on the externals employed by a former teacher, and who have no real mandate or appointed mission, are essentially automatons. A cult emerges when misguided individuals distort the outer shape of a real teaching into something else (a religion, guru-worship, arid scholasticism) by catering to the emotional, intellectual, social and therapeutic demands of people. And, those who are well-intentioned, but lacking in real knowledge, may interfere with and attempt to modify (and hence distort) genuine spiritual teachings. The Prophet Mohammed: ‘By pious fools hat h my back been broken.’ Metaphysical groups can easily degenerate into power structures affording the leaders the means and opportunities for dominating and manipulating others. This has been evidenced in a number of cases of abuse documented in various spiritual communities in recent years in both the East and the West. These scandals have involved, among other things, inappropriate sexual relations between a teacher and a student, excessive drinking and drug use, interference in the personal lives of students and their families, authoritarian leadership styles, financial impropriety and extravagant, self-indulgent lifestyles:

4

A number of Zen groups in North America have recently experienced severe growing pains. Some have been divided over the most suitable form of practice for Western students of Zen. Some have suffered because of a confusion of lay and monastic goals, attempting to impose a lifestyle appropriate for a monk or nun on laypeople with regular work and families to consider. Several communities have had to deal with problems of leadership and organization. There have been teachers who have confused their personal interests with those of the community or who let social acclaim go to their heads . . . There have been instances of teachers who have gone beyond the normally accepted teacher-pupil relationship in Zen, taken advantage of the authority of their office and imposed their personal sexual desires on male and female students. Most of these problems have been settled by discussion within the communities themselves. Some, however, have been so severe and divisive that the community has been shattered, marriages broken, and individuals badly scarred. People involved have been forced to ask themselves whether the cause was simple human weakness, inadequate organization and knowledge, or a fundamental ethical blind spot within Zen itself. (7) When spiritual teachings lose touch with certain essential elements they can deviate from their purpose as vehicles of inner development and no longer provide any real fulfilment for their followers. At their worst they can actually harm or cripple a person’s higher aspirations and spiritual potentiality. It is not always advantageous to point out to members of cults that their beliefs and practices represent the deterioration of a once viable teaching. Disturbing their equilibrium without substituting a meaningful alternative can, in some instances, actually be harmful: Many of these schools or cults are social phenomena, strongly believed in by their adherents, who have more often than not stabilized their lives and their psychological equilibrium on the literal or allegorical truth of what someone else may see as vestiges, fossils, even, of a teaching school. To disturb such a situation can seldom have the kind of salutary results that some optimists might suppose. Apart from hostility, sheer depression can be caused. Quite often too, nothing at all happens. (8) There is a demand, on the part of some concerned observers, for the establishment of authoritative bodies to regulate metaphysical and spiritual entities even though such regulatory bodies are rarely successful in any field outside of certain strict professional disciplines: People in the West are constantly asking why there are so many false ‘spiritual schools’ in Europe and America, and why the Eastern exponents of the genuine traditions do not establish and maintain legitimate organizations which will show up and defeat these frauds and self-deluded entities. Now, there are innumerable fakes and idiots practising all kinds of medicine, say, and commerce, art,

5

science, therapy, education, in the West, who make a good living in spite of regulatory institutions: so the existence and activity of such a body does not have the effect fantasized for it. So much for the official control idea. (9)

Some Characteristics of Cults

There are sharp differences between authentic spiritual teachings and deteriorated strains which mask as real schools of inner development. It is important for would-be students and ‘seekers of truth’ to familiarize themselves with the nature of cults and false teachings in order to discriminate the ‘real gold from the false.’ Some of the identifying attributes and characteristics of cults include: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Authoritarian, hierarchical, power-based structure Secretiveness, overly serious or morbid atmosphere, lack of a sense of humour Claims that the group is the sole repository of truth, or is the only true ‘path’ Material and monetary enrichment of the organization and its leaders Veneration of the personality of the teacher, guru-worship, asserting the uniqueness and superhuman qualities of the leader Accepting all interested seekers without ascertaining their degree of preparation, suitability and ability to benefit Withdrawal and separation of the followers from the population at large Imitation, attachment to names, symbols and other superficial externals Pandering to the social, psychological and therapeutic needs of the followers, acting as a substitute for family and normal social contacts Failing to distinguish between emotionality and spirituality ‘Idolatry’ – which includes ascribing people, animals or objects with a special meaning Self-preoccupation of the followers, the desire for attention or prominence Conditioning or training of group members, implanting obsessions, emphasis on hope and fear, reward and punishment Seeking to organize and systematize flexible and ‘organic’ teachings without real understanding Over-simplification, when a single method or ‘formula’ is imagined to be enough “to storm the gates of Heaven” Subjecting everyone to the same exercises and observances, disregarding individual differences and levels of development Randomly mixing teachings and techniques from various sources and traditions Employing stereotyped techniques, rituals and exercises without consideration of the principle of ‘time, place and people’ Investing temporary instrumental methods with ‘holy’ or ‘totemic’ importance Preoccupation with traditional values of ethics and virtue at the expense of individual perception of truth

6

Externals and Outw ard Appearance

Many of the symbols, ceremonies, dress and other trappings used by contemporary religious and spiritual institutions are the remnants of an originally comprehensive teaching in which their proper usage was understood. A common human tendency is to adopt the appearance and outer practices of people and institutions which are respected or admired. This human mimetic habit leads people to copy the mannerisms and behaviour of those whom they esteem. Mechanical imitation of this sort interferes with the learning potential of an aspirant by diverting energy and attention to secondary phenomena. It is useless in terms of any real spiritual development and may even be harmful. People often become attached to the superficial dimensions of an esoteric system simply because the practices, exercises, rituals and atmosphere seem so exotic. Things which are colorful, appealing or interesting because of their novelty are often regarded by such individuals as highly significant to their spiritual life. The typical Western seeker who travels to the East is attracted to the outer façade, the emotion and the mystique, of Eastern mystical teachings. “The lure and mystery of the colourful East has for centuries obscured for the Western mind the fact that it is the human development which is aimed at, not the trappings.” The exotic ambience of some Eastern religions and spiritual teachings can be very alluring. “One way to recognize a cult as a cult is its superficial Orientalism. Authentic Zen is not a sideshow, the teaching is to harmonize with the environment, as illustrated in the proverb, ‘A good craftsman leaves no trace’.” We can easily get carried away by the exotica of a spiritual practice. The Zen Buddhist tradition, for example, has great beauty, especially for the Westerner who encounters it for the first time. It is like a drink of cool water on a hot day. What the Zen masters say has an austerity, a clarity; the meditation room has the sheer beauty of simplicity, the monk’s robes and bald head have an appeal; the posture has great dignity; the chanting, a power – and it is so easy for us to get swept up by the exotica, the trappings. However, we must pass on swiftly beyond the exotic; we are not engaged in a mystical activity in which we try to encourage a mystical state of mind above and away from the clash and clang of everyday life. (10) One of the signs of a degenerated spiritual school is the employment of clothing and dress for emotional and psychological reasons: “Dressing up in clothes not of the period or country where the individual or group lives and operates is imitative of the past – something which is an indication of an inner spiritual bankruptcy: and also, incidentally, regarded in a similar light by modern psychologists. People will, according to this doctrine, put on clothes as a compensation for a sense of inner emptiness.”

7

Tradition, ritual, colour, ceremony, symbols and so on, have an undeniable appeal for most people even though such externals and secondary features represent a degeneration of real spiritual activity. Attraction to the outward appearance of things is a form of ‘idolatry’ in which the attention is fixed upon some external or intermediary element at the expense of alignment with the ultimate goal of spiritual development (mistaking ‘the container for the content’): In a more specific sense, Sufi studies have often deteriorated into the automatic and mimetic use of robes, beards, formulae and appurtenances. These exterior objects and concepts have a powerful appeal for those who need reassurance or who desire something strange. But their use without an understanding of any function which they might have or might have had, and the transitory nature of formulation designed to protect and conduct from one stage to another leads to ‘idolatry’ – the grasping and holding on to things which hamper progress because they are static. This is not a Sufi ‘Way’ at all, but a social phenomenon. At best we have a new tribe, at worst a coercive instrument. (11) A common mistake made by those engaged in a spiritual quest is to confuse the external appearance and behaviour of a teacher, no matter how impressive, with inner spiritual attainment: “People judge others by their superficial behaviour; ‘this man is very simple, he only eats one meal a day: therefore he must be good.’ They judge him externally, and this is because we have been taught to judge externally. The real question should be: ‘what is he really like?’ rather than how does he appear and behave.” Because of this tendency, many spiritual seekers have their attention diverted from real teachings toward things which are secondary and ultimately superficial: The external appearance of things, which sometimes has included music and dancing, strange garb and regalia, importance in the community, the air of secrets and achievement, all these may have a place, but they do not constitute spiritual study, any more than the externals of anything are the same as the basis, the root, the reality, the work which goes into producing the effect or the appearance. Not unnaturally, imitators organize ceremonies and initiations, gatherings and groups, studies and so on, including emotion-arousing so-called ‘teachings,’ even books and recitals, which have this attractive quality. Some people never find out that they have been, in fact, consumers of externals and vanities, not spiritual people at all. (12) In certain circumstances and at certain times, specific clothing or objects may be employed in a spiritual sense if they are functional and not merely assigned value as an outer indication of inner attainment: “It can take the form of putting on a patched robe to show that one is poor, wearing a monk’s habit and carrying a crucifix, using a rosary, shaving one’s head, wearing different robes, and so on. This is perfectly normal in a certain context. It demonstrates one’s adherence to a spiritual situation (such as pilgrimage). It is not a measure of the person’s inner development and spirituality.”

8

The Sociological and Psychological Nature of Groups

There is a powerful underlying dynamic in the formation and activities of spiritual and other groups which is rooted in the basic psychological need for human contact and togetherness. This desire to group and congregate is a natural instinctive human tendency and needs to be clearly acknowledged and understood in spiritual work. Individuals who lack family or other forms of companionship will often seek associations with others as a compensation, even in settings or at times when these may not be useful for spiritual growth and development: When a number of people combine for a common purpose, it is always taken as axiomatic that they are brought together, and kept united, by the label, the apparent aim of the group. The reality is the other way about. If the desire to group were not there, nobody would think of forming a group. If the alleged purpose of the group were not there, another would be adopted . . . People cherish their groups. They also have a genuine interest in the avowed aims of the group. Anyone who seems to them to be deriding or in any way threatening the group, even by raising legitimate questions about it, is perceived as hostile. Psychologically speaking, then, there is a factor in group-behaviour which can have serious consequences for the group and its members, the most conspicuous being that people find it hard to get away from the group, even when it is not desirable for them to stay in it. (13) Many cults pander to this natural demand for ‘togetherness’ in human beings, even though playing upon this tendency is unproductive in terms of spiritual development. “The great peril in study-groupings is that they become miniature tribes or families, cults and frames for finding social satisfactions, not learning, let alone understanding.” Nothing highlights the non-spiritual but very social character of many relationships so much as the need for contact, association, relationship. People feel that they should be near someone of sanctity; that they should impart their blessings to others; that some sort of frequent or constant contact has some spiritual dimension. The fact is, of course, that there are times and places where it is more important for people with mutual spiritual interest to be apart rather than together. Those who understand this and have experienced it are the spiritual people. Those who have not, are part of a sociological phenomenon: herding. (14) People frequently confuse social and community behaviour with spiritual activity. Metaphysical groups can easily become a collection of individuals searching for a social circle, a ‘tribe’ or a therapeutic entity. A certain prior degree of social integration and stabilization is an asset for anyone approaching a spiritual teaching.

9

It is important to recognize the difference between a social contact and a higher, spiritual contact. Many cults operate as disguised socio-psychological groups which meet the social, emotional, security, therapeutic and intellectual needs of seekers. “If the intending student is in need of reassurance, adventure, catharsis, social and psychological equilibrium, he or she will only too gratefully and unquestioningly be attracted to the lower level of activity. This is because they will be responding to what the group is offering in practice, not what a real teaching can offer.” There has been confusion between teaching and the social or human function. To help or to entertain someone is a social, not an esoteric, duty. As a human being you always have the social and humanitarian duty. But you do not necessarily have the therapeutic duty; indeed, you may be much less qualified for it than almost any conventional professional therapist. It is impossible to spend time with virtually any religion, philosophical or esoteric group without seeing that a large number of the people involved, perhaps through no fault of their own, and because of ignorance of the problem, are using these formats for sociological and psychological purposes of a narrow kind. It is not that their spiritual life is right in these groups. It is that their social life is inadequate. (15) Cults tend to accept almost anyone into their fold or try to convince people to leave their current religion or spiritual group and embrace the cult’s precepts. Random or haphazard groups are formed when a cult accepts all comers or tries to attract and recruit disciples. “One way of deciphering the real from the false is to find out how easy or difficult it is to enroll in the teaching. If you are welcomed with open arms, without a reasonable period of preparation or probation, generally speaking, you have not encountered a genuine school.” Groups which are random collections of ‘seekers’ rarely develop beyond a certain point. Accidental groupings of such individuals can actually generate negative and even destructive consequences. “People collected at random, or merely because they want, for group-mentality reasons, to enroll, cannot form, for all practical purposes, a real learning group. Merely collecting what are sometimes called ’like-minded people’ does not lead to harmonization. The statement here is: “Every gathering of people has its own potential. Those collected arbitrarily have only physical, mental or emotional potential.” The right people at the right place at the right time has many reasons. One of the most important of these is that if you group people wrongly, you exaggerate their undesirable characteristics. Although not so rapid nor so publicly visible, you can get a similar effect to the proneness of a mass of people to become a mob. Just as a random collection of people assembled around an over-simplified issue easily becomes a mindless mob, irrational and even destructive, so may people collected together, without adequate preparation and safeguards, become a corroding factor in spiritual matters. They may damage themselves and others. (16)

10

In any group there is a subtle pressure to conform to the norms of the group, leading to imitation and a desire to please the group leaders. “Spiritual training can hook right into this pre-existing compulsive pattern. Being praised, or praising oneself for making progress, gives satisfaction and the impetus for further striving. This can enhance one’s self-image, flatter one’s vanity.” Most Zen centers and communities offer group meditation sittings on a regular basis. Very often in such a community it is very important (or even required) to be in the meditation hall at certain set hours. If one attends sittings conscientiously, one may be regarded as a serious and promising student by the teacher and senior disciples. So, in addition to the longed-for goal of betterment or enlightenment, there is the immediate reward of being considered a “good boy” or “good girl.” Participating in sittings, conforming to what fellow members are doing, bestows the comforting sense of belonging and the exhilaration of shared energy. We do like to feel safe and good, and we will make great efforts to attain this feeling of security and righteousness. Conversely, not sitting arouses guilt feelings about not doing what one expects of oneself and what those in authority expect of one. In either case, old habits continue to be reinforced and to dominate one’s life, without light being shed on them. (17) One of the potential dangers in belonging to a spiritual group is the formation of a clan or elite in-group, producing uniformity of belief and behaviour. “People connected with human groups, irrespective of their overt objectives, may be (1) mainly seeking attention or (2) responding to herd instincts the price of which is to adopt the apparent aims of the group.” Organizations and groups which advocate withdrawal from the world and the avoidance of normal human contacts are essentially unbalanced. However, under certain specific circumstances, withdrawal from the world may be beneficial in a person’s spiritual life: “There is a function in temporary withdrawal for the purposes of certain parts of the work, but total withdrawal is nonsense.” Cults which advise separating from society and living a life of asceticism and monasticism ignore the importance of a healthy and constructive involvement in daily life, following the dictum: ‘Be in t he w orld, but not of it .’ Spirituality can be a way of life, in the sense that people can devote all their time and effort in a search for developing spirituality. In some cultures, this implies living in a cave in a mountain or doing things like rejecting the world, abandoning everything, meditating constantly, eating almost nothing or very little. We hold that this is incorrect, because it is not a balanced or harmonious activity. Even if it satisfies the person themselves, that they feel more spiritual or closer to God by rejecting the world and so forth, I think that their attitude is not correctly balanced. Everybody has someone to whom they are related, who needs them, who cares for them, who wants them. They have a place in a family and a function in society which they can and should perform

11

as well as possible . . . People who withdraw are in fact abdicating their responsibility towards themselves and towards other people; they are no longer being tested by the fact that they have to earn their living, pay their telephone bill, pay their taxes. (18) Self-constituted ‘spiritual’ groups which lack a real teacher are usually unable to properly assess the needs of the students and prescribe appropriate practices due to the absence of any real technical knowledge of the dynamics of group work: “If self-teaching has its severe limitations, the establishment of groups often leads to even more bizarre results. The reason for this is that the leaders of these groups, although frequently full of good intentions, lack the necessary expertise. Skill in ‘running a group’ is not a substitute for the perception of the spiritual condition of the group and all of its members, constantly monitored.” Certain higher teachings have retained the special knowledge relating to the correct grouping of people for purposes of spiritual attainment. Imitation groups have lost the sense of this ‘coming-together,’ producing instead a sort of pantomime of a real spiritual group: What takes its place is social ‘togetherness,’ or emotional enthusiasm, or conditioned response to being in a collection of people. No higher attainment is possible to a person unless the circumstances of the coming-together are correct; unless it is a communion including the right people, at the right time, in the right place. Impatience, ignorance, sentimentality, intellectualism tend to cause people to convert the true grouping situation until it becomes something else. (19)

Emotionality M istaken for Spirituality

Emotion is a powerful factor in all aspects of human life. The confusion of emotionality and sentimentality with spirituality is a common mistake for many people: “What the ordinary person calls ‘spirituality’ is usually a vague aspiration towards something ‘higher,’ or perhaps an indulgence in certain forms of emotion, hallowed only by custom, because of their historical or associative connection with what have been assumed or claimed for a long time to be spiritual things.” Members of most cultures are usually unable to discriminate between emotional feelings of an undifferentiated kind and higher experiences of a spiritual nature. When people mistake emotional feelings for spiritual ones, they are generally incapable of developing further in their inner life, such is the conditioning power of emotions. “Communities and individuals reared in the emotional and conditioned use of rituals and other procedures have to undergo a reorientation before they can perceive a higher content in such observances.”

12

The overactive indulgence of crude and unrefined emotion often leads to the unconscious assumption that “excitement must be meaningful.” People often assume that things which emotionally stir them must be of great importance and significance. Individuals who are deeply moved by, say, a beautiful cathedral in the moonlight, often feel that they have experienced something transcendental and do not realize that their feelings may be entirely subjective. In many religions and cults intense sensations and emotions are often sought in the mistaken belief that they are signposts of spiritual awakening: We think/feel that strong emotions experienced during church services or other religious rituals and ceremonies give evidence of the workings of the Divine. Who is it that thinks that? Who feels that? Who has invented the ceremonies and scriptures in the first place and then feels divinely inspired by them? One may protest that these are the words and revelations of the Divine, but our protestations do not turn conviction into truth. Could emotionality actually be a “subtle valuing of the self by the self?” When there is no sense of self, is there religious emotion? When the self is not operating, religious experience takes on an altogether different meaning. Then it is the instant gathering of energy in the full presence of what is. (20) Self-deception operates in full measure when people regard experiences which are unusual as ‘spiritual’ or ‘mystical.’ The misunderstanding of subjective emotions can even lead some individuals to believe that certain experiences are ‘special gifts’ when in fact they may be the very reverse. Not all intense experiences are useful, important or significant: Some experiences may be useless, others are certainly harmful. In amusementsystems (whatever they call themselves) the emphasis is naturally on experience, because excitement and stimulus is what is really being demanded and offered. In a true learning system, however, as in all legitimate forms of education, what matters is the order of events and the preparedness of the learner, not the fact of the experience and what the individual happens to imagine it means, if anything. The experience-cravers, of course, lack the perspective to see what effect the experience is having on them. (21) Many so-called ‘higher’ experiences are subjective and deceptive, mere forms of intoxication without any real developmental value. “Many people seek to attribute familiar sensations to a higher order of being, and assume that they are experiencing at least some measure of the divine or mystical in forms which are nothing more than grosser ones.” The need to experience higher states of consciousness can become an obsession for people who feed on powerful emotions and feelings to the exclusion of other life interests: The importance of the spiritual contact has, rightly, been emphasized on many occasions. Naturally, of course, this has led to it being imagined to be the real secret, the only way, the thing which must be persisted in to the exclusion of everything else; so that we have very numerous people and organizations in all 13

countries trying to establish and maintain this contact. The results of such lopsided efforts, of course, are to produce a large number of emotional or even sanctimonious people who imagine that they feel all kinds of things. They can usually be detected by observing whether or not they give ordinary people, those not interested in spiritual and esoteric matters, what is sometimes called ‘the creeps.’ If they seem weird, they probably are weird, not spiritual. Spiritual communication capacity is not to be grafted onto unsuitable bases. (22) The desire for things which are special or secret is a common human characteristic. However, an inordinate desire for hidden and magical knowledge, for the unknown and unusual, blocks real spiritual growth and development. One way of distinguishing real from spurious spiritual groups is in their attitude towards what are called ‘secrets.’ Authentic teachings do not talk about experiences which are essentially inexpressible in words, while the false school will regard ‘secrets’ as mysterious or prized: “With a genuinely functional esoteric group, the ‘secret’ is ineffable; something which cannot be spoken or described. In diluted and secondary groups, this secret become secrecy, something prized for its own sake.” The powerful feelings which are invoked in certain forms of group work are often interpreted by the participants as highly meaningful spiritual experiences when they are more accurately described as psychological and sociological phenomena: Q: I attended one of the group meditation sessions, held recently in Bombay, and witnessed the frenzy and self-abandon of the participants. Why do people go for such things? A: These are all inventions of a restless mind pampering to people in search of sensation. Some of them help the unconscious to disgorge repressed memories and longings and to that extent they provide relief. But ultimately they leave the practitioner where he was – or worse. (23) People who indulge in rapture, ecstasy or intoxicating experiences (including drug-induced ones), are generally out of touch with human life and remain essentially unaltered by their experiences. Seeking or indulging in ecstatic experiences has the effect of freezing the aspirant at a lower and more primitive stage of inner development: Illumination cannot be sustained by someone who is not ready for it. At best it will throw him into an ecstatic state in which he is paralyzed, as it were, and unable to consummate the contact. That is why, although dervish poets speak of being “mad for love,” they emphasize that this madness is the result of preview, not of genuine experience. It is recognized that genuine experience must take an active, mutual, meaningful form, not a form of useless intoxication. Inebriation mystics are those who stop short at this stage, and try to reproduce

14

the experience repetitiously, or approximate them on paper or in emotional art. This is the stage at which much experimentation in mysticism becomes bogged down. (24) It is common to mistake powerful emotional and ecstatic experiences or altered states of consciousness for spiritual awakening. In the Zen Buddhist tradition this is called ‘mistaking a fish eye for a pearl.’ In the words of Zen scholar Thomas Cleary: “Since enlightenment may often be accompanied by a release of tension, there are cases where people mistake emotional catharsis for awakening, or even deliberately induce excessive tension in an effort to produce an ecstatic feeling of release. Attempts to mimic the Zen effect in this way can be observed in both Eastern and Western cults.” Any attempts to expand consciousness are still within the bounds of the ego – the dualism of “myself and others” remains unaffected: Q: Will you elaborate on the difference between the expansion of consciousness and enlightenment? A: Enlightenment, or seeing into one’s True-nature, is much more than an expansion of consciousness or a heightened awareness. True awakening takes place when both the conscious and subconscious minds have been “broken through” and the mind empties of all fantasies, images, thought forms, and blissful feelings. The difference between mind expansion and sat ori can be illustrated with a wristwatch. The watch face, with its numbers, hands, and movement corresponds to relativity, our life in time and space, cause and effect, karma . The reverse side of the watch, which is blank, corresponds to the changeless, undifferentiated aspect of our life. Of this absolute realm nothing can be posited. One whose understanding is on the level of the discriminating intellect is like a person who sees the face but is unaware of the back of the watch. The expansion of consciousness can be likened to enlarging the face; but no matter how you enlarged it you would still be dealing with the face alone . . . A watch actually consists of a face plus a back. In the same way, with awakening comes the understanding that relative mind and absolute mind are two aspects of our True-nature. (25) The common error of confusing emotionality with spirituality leaves people open to the possibility of manipulation, conditioning and even indoctrination. “Much of what passes for spiritual teaching relies, in reality, upon increasing greed, emotion and acquisitiveness. Of course, this is not understood by those who carry out such teachings; they imagine that emotionality is the same as spirituality.” It is a well established fact of psychology that when people who have been inhibited from showing emotion are allowed opportunities for cathartic expression they will feel better. Cults take advantage of this human tendency. Another tactic of cultish systems is the induction of anxiety, or its opposite, the assuaging or reduction of anxiety. These two processes act as conditioning mechanisms for the followers of these cults.

15

Most people cannot perceive the different ranges or scales of emotion, and tend to regard any strong emotion which moves them as “deep” or “profound.” An important indication of spiritual sensitivity is the ability to work with subtle or refined perceptions and not just crude emotional impacts and stimuli: Spiritual experience is difficult to register in the mind only for those who are too accustomed to crude impacts: rather as the sound of a watch ticking will not be audible to someone deafened by a church bell. It is interesting that things which move people powerfully in an emotional sense are often taken by them to be spiritual things. Primitive or ignorant people, of course, actually worship (until they learn better) as miracles or divine, natural things like thunder or manufactured things like guns . . . This primitive reaction lingers, especially in ‘developed’ countries. A sensitive or low-key experience is not sought, prized or understood where there is a cruder one. (26)

Self-Deception and Self-Preoccupation

When someone is fixated on their own personal quest for higher knowledge, ignoring the need for community and shared experience, they are effectively engaged in a selfish pursuit. “People interested in Zen should not approach it with the idea of achieving greatness, or with eagerness for success, or with desire for recognition. All of this is the work of vanity, not real aspiration for enlightenment. It is therefore counterproductive and blocks the way.” The presence of negative human characteristics, such as insincerity and self-importance, prevents the proper development of spirituality. The over-use of words like “God” or “Love” is actually an expression of vanity and self-conceit, as the level of the sacred is reduced to emotional or intellectual satisfaction. When pride and vanity penetrate into any religious or spiritual teaching they rob it of its inner developmental value. “Many religious people suffer from pride: taking pleasure and even delight in being good, or religious. In ordinary religious circles it is common for no real distinction to be made between spiritual people and the self-deceived.” Present-day cults are largely ineffective because they do not first address the unperceived vanity and disguised greed of their followers. There is an important saying that speaks to this: ‘Humilit y has t o precede inst ruct ion .’ The presence of vanity and self-importance in a pupil leads to the inability to distinguish genuine spiritual teachings from counterfeit ones. Harmful human qualities such as greed and vanity are generally unperceived as such and may even be strengthened in the context of diluted spiritual systems and cults. “When the vanity and the emotional life have not been observed and understood, these will then attach themselves to the social life now termed ‘spiritual’ and we have the formula for the myriad cults which fill the earth.”

16

It is usual for people to teach that greed is a bad thing; while blithely ignoring the demonstrable fact that greed for supposedly good things (say greed for knowledge or for sanctity) is still greed. And yet, of course, it is the greed itself which damages the person, not what it is supposedly trying to do. The result of ignoring the fact that certain attitudes are harmful is that these postures, such as greed, continue to take effect, to influence the individual, to prevent his learning, or progressing. You can observe for yourself how strong is, for instance, the vanity of people who are believed to be humble. (27) It is generally believed that people performing rituals, ceremonies and exercises are doing so for laudable, even “holy” reasons, when in fact they may be acting out of concealed vanity and self-indulgence: When prayer, rituals and ascetic life are just a means of self-indulgence, they are harmful rather than beneficial. This is quite obvious to people nowadays, when it is widely recognized that fixations are not the same as valuable and laudable observances. One should not pray if that prayer is vanity; rituals are wrong when they provide lower satisfactions, like emotional stimulus instead of enlightenment; he or she should not be an ascetic who is only enjoying it. (28) Many seekers are preoccupied with their own personal growth and needs, to the detriment of real spiritual transformation. As Zen teacher Charlotte Beck reminds us: “Real spiritual practice is about opening ourselves so that this little “I” that wants and wants and wants and wants and wants, grows up. Growing up doesn’t interest us very much.” “Personal growth” is often merely cosmetic change, like adding a chair to the living room. In true transformation, on the other hand, there is an implication that something genuinely new has come into being. It’s as though what was there before has disappeared, and something different has taken its place. When I hear the word t ransformat ion , I think of those line drawings that look like a vase and then suddenly switch into a face. That’s transformation. Zen practice is sometimes called the way of transformation. Many who enter Zen practice, however, are merely seeking incremental change: “I want to be happier.” “I want to be less anxious.” We hope that Zen practice will bring us these feelings. But if we are transformed, our life shifts to an entirely new basis . . . True transformation implies that even the aim of the “I” that wants to be happy is transformed. (29) Members of cults who believe that the path they are following is ‘special’ or ‘unique’ are cut off by their own self-esteem from perceiving other teachings which are ultimately of much greater value. “If the sense of power of would-be students is fed by means of the suggestion that they are studying something that others do not know, they will get no further.” Individuals who believe that they are enlightened or existing on a higher plane of consciousness and perception are usually deluded and, in fact, are suppressing the real spiritual side of themselves.” 17

It is very easy for a group to turn into a power-system in order to gratify the desires of some to lead and others to follow. Many of those who try to run such groups lack the perception and objectivity to understand what ‘progress’ or ‘growth’ in spiritual studies really means. One of the causes of the fragmentation of true spiritual teachings is the assumption by half-mature disciples that they can set themselves up as ‘teachers.’ This is inevitably rooted in vanity, pride and self-importance. Many members of cults often have doubts and uncertainty about the validity of the groups they are involved in, sensing that they are off the right path and that there is “something else.” The teaching story of the M onkey and t he Apple illustrates the predicament of seekers who are basically unfulfilled and sense that the way they are following is inadequate, but who are not willing to actually leave their present circumstance: A Sufi story illustrates the predicament of people who belong to semi-mystical cults. A monkey sees a crab apple in a bottle. He reaches into the bottle and his hand closes over the apple. Now, because his hand has become a fist, he cannot get it out again. A man comes up and tries to tell the monkey to let go of the apple. The monkey, of course, refuses, because he thinks that is just a trick to steal his apple. He does not realize that, although he has nominal hold of the apple, it is of no use to him. On the contrary, it has half immobilized him. Now he only has one hand to grasp other food with; and he cannot swing from tree to tree. The followers of what we call “remnant cults” are like such a monkey. They hold what they have, but they do not have much of it. And they cannot even be sure that the apple which they hold is sweet. (30)

Conditioning of Belief and Behaviour

Researchers have verified the role of conditioning in modifying human behaviour and beliefs, and it is now accepted in scientific circles that many people can be (and are) conditioned to believe virtually anything. This knowledge, although unfamiliar to the ordinary person, is crucial in understanding the nature and attraction of cults. The mechanisms of conditioning and indoctrination involve, to a large extent, the alternation of reward and punishment, of tension and relaxation, and repetition. The conditioning and manipulation that occurs, through the application of hope and fear, produces a state which has been compared to that of “a ball played from one part of a field to the other.” Promises and threats, reward and punishment, are useful only under certain circumstances: when, for example, dealing with immature individuals or communities. When applied to a more advanced community or individual, such methods are counter-productive and can often be harmful. “If we use these methods of fear and hope too strongly, we will actually regress the person to a more primitive condition even if he or she has already passed that stage; we

18

will not only be doing such a person no good, we will be doing damage to a person who is now trained to respond mainly to fear and hope.” Learning systems which are based on conditioning and indoctrination attempt to narrow the perspective and confine the attention of their students. The power of conditioning produces an active force which creates a ‘bind’ or ‘knot’ in the human being, preventing higher perceptions and understanding. Such is the power of conditioning that even the most sublime thoughts and aspirations can become, through misuse or overuse, barriers or ‘veils’ to higher knowledge. Many people value ideas, books, rituals, exercises or even other individuals strictly on the basis of implanted suggestion and imagination. It is essential, in the spiritual field (and elsewhere), to learn how to discriminate the difference between knowledge (fact s) and beliefs and convictions (condit ioning ): If I know that it is ten past ten in the morning, or that there is a fly on the wall, it is absolutely unnecessary, lunatic, even, to describe this as a belief. On the other hand, the people who believe that something is true do not know it in the same way. Why? Because if they knew it as a positive, objective fact they would not manifest any emotion about it: neither would they be so keen to make others believe it. All human experience shows that it is only things about which there is doubt which are believed in this characteristic manner. Facts, true ones, are not subject to either emotion or proselytizing. (31) Research has shown that the majority of any group of people can be ‘trained’ or conditioned if the group is a random one and not selected on the basis of factors and characteristics which diminish the conditioning process. When group-members develop a comfortable belief-system they often have great difficulty giving up these beliefs due to the stability and reassurance such mental models provide for the group. One of the most powerful effects of the conditioning process is the pressure to conform to group norms or idealized behaviour: All teachings, in their lower ranges, seek to teach people to adopt acceptable conduct and behaviour. Because of this emphasis upon conduct, misunderstandings arise very easily. People come to imagine that if they seem to be conforming, they are acceptable, or that they are progressing. The fact is, of course, that conformism is part of the civilizing of people. If they conform to the rules of the culture which surrounds them, larger numbers of people can associate together more easily. Strife is generally reduced. Communication between people becomes possible when, for instance, they are all not talking at once. It may be necessary to conform to certain kinds of expected behaviour in order to learn something. But when this conformism becomes the only, or major, characteristic of the people, the teaching has stopped taking effect. Instead of learning, we have practice: practice of conformism. (32)

19

Western religions and many metaphysical systems tend to emphasize unthinking conformity to an unexamined and preconceived model of so-called spiritual belief and behaviour: • • • • • •

People who have strongly held religious beliefs are often sanctimonious, imagining that they alone are right or only their form of belief is correct. Service and sacrifice are both noble human expressions, but if they become obsessions they can actually be detrimental to spiritual growth. Certain important psychological attitudes, such as detachment, can easily be turned into inflexible principles, thought to be applicable in all circumstances and situations. Renunciation and asceticism can become perils of the spiritual path if they are the result of conditioned beliefs and expectations. Avoiding certain actions or behaviours in order to gain supposed merit may be a form of slavery to an inflexible dogma. Certain trance states of mind which are subjectively interpreted as ‘contact with the Divine’ can be produced or ‘engineered’ by implanted belief and suggestion.

Followers of Eastern religions are also susceptible to conditioning of beliefs and behaviours which they are not even aware of. Jean Klein, a respected teacher of Advaita Vedanta, relates an instructive story which speaks to this point: I met some Tibetans who had a high function in certain Tibetan centers and we became very friendly in a very short time. They told me that some of their monks would be coming to Europe and they asked whether they could have my address. I gave them my address. They told me that these monks had realized absolute freedom, that they were really free. I said to them, it is marvellous that you send such friends to me. So the monks came to Paris and I showed them all the sights and we went to the wide avenue that goes to the Opera and, as you may know, there are many movie houses and theatres. I observed these men at several different moments and the most noticeable thing was that their sexuality was not at all integrated in them. They were completely disturbed by all the beautiful women who passed us. It was so striking for me that when we passed a movie house with posters of women almost undressed they were completely disturbed! So I thought, these people who are “completely free” are not absolutely free. (33) Cults, with their narrow belief-system and repetitious practices and exercises, are largely based on the principles of classical conditioning, manipulation and indoctrination. Adherents are frozen at an early stage of development and their intuition and personal initiative stifled: Q: Why do groups become automatized in this way? A: There are two very good reasons. First, where the desire for reassurance and repetition is stronger than the desire for knowledge, rules and repetition become the most important factor. This occurs when people try to learn without proper

20

preparation. Proper preparation is to make sure that the people have a balanced mind into which to feed the seeds of knowledge . . . The second reason is that it is easier to organize and manipulate large numbers of people by using a small number of factors (exercises, beliefs, etc.), rather than by giving them proper individual attention. Consciously or otherwise, leaders of cults always seek the most effective means of mass organization. (34) The powerful influence of conditioning underlying the formation and operation of a cult manifests in the form of authority-figures, an established hierarchy, commands and prohibitions. This provides a sense of order, structure and stability for the followers. “The desire for order and the haste to organize leads to a demand for over-simplification which causes teaching to become indoctrination, and meaningful activity to become ritual. It is difficult to reverse this process, and to reclaim flexibility because of a demand for order which is so powerful, as are many other lower-level aspirations, that it grips its victim like a disease.” One further consequence of the conditioning process is that the group or organization is often stiff, overly serious and lacking any real sense of humour: “Sour-faced religionists find that humour disturbs the indoctrination which is all that they usually have to offer.” Almost everyone is vulnerable to the influence of the words and actions of authority figures and the prestige attached to many so-called religious or spiritual organizations. Few are willing to openly question the validity of the teachings and teachers: When we join a spiritual group there is usually a host of activities, ceremonies, etiquettes, rituals, vows, and so forth that we are expected to participate in. There’s no real freedom to choose whether to participate or not. Any hesitancy is equated with “ego,” while participating in what is demanded in spite of doubts is called “lowering the mast of the ego.” The mind quickly becomes conditioned to the new ceremonies and to the expected ways of relating to teachers, senior disciples, advanced students and beginners. In fact we have already been conditioned to these patterns at home, in school, at work, in church, and so forth. Now there is reinforcement of old patterns in a new place . . . So our heavy conditioning is perpetuated without any encouragement to question and doubt. On the contrary – doubting is “giving way to ego.” (35) Certain traditional spiritual teachings have maintained a practical knowledge of the role of conditioning in human life, and the methods by which to overcome this debilitating factor in spiritual studies. They avoid using conditioning methods with their students and stress the importance of identifying the presence of conditioning and indoctrination in any teaching situation. Western scientific researchers have also verified the role of conditioning in modifying human behaviour and beliefs, a knowledge which is crucial in understanding the nature and attraction of cults. This work has paved the way for a wider dissemination of this important knowledge of the power of conditioning in the contemporary world:

21

What remains to be done is that the general public should absorb the facts of mind-manipulation. Failure to do so has resulted in an almost free field for the cults which are the bane of Western existence. In both East and West, the slowness of the absorption of these facts has allowed narrow political, religious and faddish fanaticism to arise, grow and spread without the necessary ‘immunization.’ In illiberal societies it is forbidden to teach these facts. In liberal ones, few people are interested: but only because mind-manipulation is assumed to be something that happens to someone else. Yet the reality is that most people are touched by one or other of an immense range of conditioned beliefs, fixations even, which take the place of truth. (36)

Simplification and Fragmentation of Spiritual Teachings

One of the major indications of a metaphysical teaching gone sour is an undue emphasis on ‘systematization’ and organization of ideas at the expense of the totality of experience and a comprehensive development that involves more than just intellectual understanding. Multidimensional teachings can be modified and distorted by excessive organization, oversimplification and a need for ‘reductionist symmetry’ to such an extent that they are no longer effective. The phase in which a flexible and organic teaching becomes systematized through ‘telescoping’ and simplistic formulation indicates a deterioration of the original teaching: When any part of a form of learning becomes available, it is standard procedure in the human community, almost compulsive behaviour, that people pick up pieces which appeal to them, for vocational or psychological reasons, and charge off in all directions (like Don Quixote) bearing these pieces, which they then elaborate, simplify and proclaim to be the whole thing, and something to be urgently transmitted to all and sundry. Spiritual studies are no exception to this. If you allow yourself to think, briefly, about what happens in familiar bodies of knowledge (say medicine, philosophy, social or even political ideas) you will see what I mean. The pattern is undeniable . . . This successive transition from the fine to the crude is characteristic of one way of the human handling of things, and there is little to be done about it. (37) The oversimplification and reliance on a single formula or approach prevents progress in any field of learning, including the spiritual. Tools become chains when specific teachings and procedures, tailored for a given audience and employed as technical instruments under certain circumstances, become ‘golden keys’ applicable to all. The followers of cults are always looking for the single practice or ‘magic wand’ which will provide instant illumination. Authentic spiritual teachings are comprehensive in nature and there is no need to “reinvent the wheel.” They become functionally altered and ‘warped’ by selective and fragmentary handling of their ideas and practices:

22

Traditional usage of certain important materials in special teachings, the higher levels of what is known as religion, and in psychology, has produced methods of study and has used materials which cannot be improved upon. Unfortunately, in response to what operates in effect as a ‘law’ among humanity, these materials have become misused, misunderstood, frozen into symbol, ritual, emotional and intellectual usage. We have to reclaim the correct employment, the conscious use of objects, procedure, oration and exercise to rescue these things from mime, theatre and absurd fetishism . . . Some such ingredients have outlived their usefulness; some apply only to the culture in which they are projected. Others are among our most valuable possessions. Unless these facts are known and certain procedures practised in order to reclaim this heritage, no real study of the operation of the interior function of these elements can be made. (38) The vestiges of spiritual teachings in the form of fragments of real knowledge and partial methodologies, removed from their original context and purpose, litter the earth. Here are some pertinent examples:

• Certain arrangements of words, such as prayers or litanies, are artefacts intended to be • • • • •

used as spiritual exercises. But due to the lack of knowledge of their proper use they “have become little more than incantations.” Objects considered ‘holy’ or ‘religious,’ which have been created and devised for functional purposes related to one’s inner life, have become conditioning instruments or even “fetishes.” Symbols, rituals, ceremonies and clothing employed for specific purposes and occasions are imbued with emotional and associative significance. Sacred dances such as those of the ‘whirling dervishes,’ prescribed for certain cultures and times, have been turned into public spectacles. The ideas, practices and exercises of certain contemporary Fourth Way ‘schools’ which are inspired by Gurdjieff and Ouspensky, are applied indiscriminately to all comers without consideration of prior preparation and ability to benefit. In Subud, participants of the group exercise called the lat ihan open themselves and wait for certain experiences believed to be the working of God within. “Some are slightly affected, some profoundly, some not at all. But according to Sufi ideas and practice, it is precisely those who do not feel subjective states who may be the real candidates for the next stage. The gains of Subud are offset, at least in part, by the losses.”

Another striking example of the misunderstanding of spiritual ideas is the transposition of the figurative and illustrative into the literal, as evidenced by the belief in the physical reality of so-called Yogic ‘chakras.’ Psychologist Robert Ornstein: An extraordinary form of energy in the Yogic tradition is named Kundalini. This form of Yoga postulates seven centers (chakras) in the body, distributed from the root of the spine to the top of the head. In Kundalini Yoga, the aspirant attempts 23

to concentrate on these “centers” and to raise the “Kundalini energy” through them. This is held to be an extremely powerful and potentially destructive process, and many have afterwards found it almost impossible to regain normal consciousness. The Arabic fairy tales of a powerful “genie” locked in a bottle are warnings within these esoteric traditions about an unprepared opening up of energy or capacity. These chakras, or centers in the body, may actually be constructive visualizations or metaphors which have been taken somewhat too literally by some adherents. Considering them to be physical centers may be an instance of intuitive knowledge that has gone unchecked by the intellect. On the other side of the coin, an attempt to identify the chakras with physical points in the body’s anatomy, such as endocrine glands or autonomic ganglia, may be a very unfortunate confusion of metaphor with physical fact. (39) Theoretical and overly cerebral approaches to spirituality can be misleading and even hazardous. “Words and concepts are like magic tricks -- unless you’ve seen what lies behind them they can bewilder you. In fact, on the level of words it is easy to confuse enlightenment with megalomania or narcissism.” In deteriorated teachings, sophisticated verbal arguments and the ability to play with words often substitute for real knowledge and understanding. Indiscriminate study is ineffective, much like a goat nosing about and chewing on whatever it finds. Without discernment there can be no effective progress in spiritual studies beyond a certain point. Concentration upon certain ideas and practices to the exclusion of others produces a one-sided development in which the aspirant “leans on one side.” Authentic teachings follow the principles of ‘measure and proportion’ to avoid these pitfalls. Undue emphasis on the attainment of certain states of mind, without the presence of other factors such as context and proper preparation, can lead the aspirant to ‘freeze’ or ‘crystallize’ at a lower stage of development: Certain spiritual systems, possessed of a tradition of the overweening importance of detachment, but evidently lacking the means to monitor and assist progress towards it, are characterized by striving to enter and stay in a ‘non-desire’ state. The result is a large number of people in a quietist condition. They have not reached the stage of ability to detach, but the state of the inability to do anything else, which, rather than spiritual, is possible to describe as a conditioning in apathy. This condition comes about because the previous stages have not been successfully passed through. (40) One of the root causes of the simplification of teachings lies in fixed mental patterns and unexamined assumptions on the part of both students and teachers alike. For instance, certain concepts and formulations may be employed in a teaching situation in order to guide students to a more advanced stage of knowledge at a later date. But when these ‘working hypotheses’ become valued for their own sake, and not as conductors to a further stage of understanding, they can act as ‘prisons’ preventing spiritual growth. The means become more valued than the 24

goal. “Things originally intended to be instruments become mere totems or symbols, bereft of dynamic function.” The habit of mixing bits and pieces of ideas, practices and exercises from different spiritual teachings is a common Western preoccupation which essentially leads nowhere. The different aspects of each inner teaching are not always compatible with other aspects or presentations, with the result that people often end up muddled and confused. “Truth is one but forms vary and cannot be amalgamated. These forms cannot be associated together because the forms date from various needs and epochs, and do not go together, any more than the wheel of a horse-carriage will fit a motor car.” Q: What is to prevent people from choosing the best ideas from all kinds of teachings, and adapting them? A: What prevents ignorant people doing this is their incapacity. What prevents insightful ones is lack of necessity. People who know how to do it do not have to attempt it, because when one has this knowledge the activity is superfluous, because one then has access to the material which corresponds best to the time, place and people, without having to synthesize. Synthesizers are the half-ignorant. The amalgams of various teachings which are believed to provide new syntheses ‘for modern man’ are mere conglomerations of formulations which, by producing a kind of mixture, have altered the dynamic of all of them. The analogy might be with the assembling of pieces of formulae or equations or houses or instruments without understanding what part each fragment has had to play. The result may appear interesting, but it is ineffective. (41) Real spiritual teachings are multi-dimensional and contain layer upon layer of meaning. The student cannot pass to a second level until the primary meaning has been correctly absorbed, a contention widely ignored by cults and other simplified systems. In order for spiritual practices to be effective, they must be prescribed and monitored by those with knowledge, experience and insight. In their most fundamental sense, spiritual teachings are experiential and cannot be properly approached and studied in a rigid theoretical or intellectual manner. The viability of a teaching can actually be impaired by the accumulation of facts and information at the expense of personal experience and perception. Higher understanding in the spiritual realm is based on direct experience and not just words or theory. ‘He w ho t ast es know s’ is the injunction of the wise. Real teachings of higher development are transmitted by a guide who has completed the spiritual journey and understands the importance of ‘due proportion’ in working with students. In order for spiritual practices to be effective they must be prescribed and monitored by someone with knowledge, experience and insight. Students themselves, by definition, cannot choose their own course of study based on reading or inclination:

25

Each seeker accepts, or invents, a method which suits him, applies it to himself with some earnestness and effort, obtains results according to his temperament and expectations, casts them into the mould of words, builds them into a system, establishes a tradition and begins to admit others into his ‘school of Yoga.’ It is all built on memory and imagination. No such school is valueless, nor indispensible, in each one can progress up to the point when all desire for progress must be abandoned to make further progress possible . . . The true teacher, however, will not imprison his disciple in a prescribed set of ideas, feelings and actions; on the contrary, he will show him patiently the need to be free from all ideas and set patterns of behaviour, to be vigilant and earnest and go with life wherever it takes him, not to enjoy or suffer, but to understand and learn. Under the right teacher the disciple learns to learn, not to remember and obey. Sat sang , the company of the noble, does not mould, it liberates. Beware of all that makes you dependent. Most of the so-called ‘surrender to the Guru’ ends in disappointment, if not in tragedy. Fortunately an earnest seeker will disentangle himself in time, the wiser for the experience. (42)

M isuse of Spiritual Exercises

Although the world is flooded with a proliferation of spiritual exercises and methods from many different traditions, few people have the knowledge or insight to choose which are the most appropriate for them. A real teacher is necessary in order to do this. When people combine techniques from different teachings, the result of such hybrid experiments are usually worthless from an inner developmental perspective. Many of the rituals, movements and dances, music, recitations and exercises associated with contemporary religions are the partial remnants of a comprehensive teaching and knowledge of inner development which has been reduced to the level of ceremony, spectacle or superficial entertainment. The popularization of spiritual exercises, and there attendant widespread usage by unprepared students, is a distortion of their real purpose and efficacy. When spiritual exercises are used for lower-level purposes of a physical or emotional nature, it robs them of their higher developmental potential: If certain physical and mental exercises are practised by people who use things for emotional, social or callisthenic purposes, they will not operate on a higher level with such people. They become merely a means of getting rid of surplus energy, or of assuaging a sense of frustration. The practitioners, however, will almost invariably mistake their subjective experiences of them for ‘something higher.’ (43) People who experiment haphazardly with random exercises and techniques taken out of proper context are usually only amusing themselves, possibly harmlessly but sometimes with

26

serious negative consequences. Teachers from many spiritual traditions have always warned against the indiscriminate use of exercises which, like medicine, must be prescribed with expert guidance for specific circumstances and applied in due measure to be effective. Simplified systems condition their adherents through repetitive practices which create a sense of spiritual attainment without actually producing it. “In the development of the human mind, there is a constant change and limit to the usefulness of any particular technique.” Cults either offer one special technique (such as concentrative meditation) or else a synthesis or amalgam of methods drawn from many disparate sources: As we encounter them today, the ancient esoteric traditions are accidental conglomerations of useful techniques and outmoded cultural trappings. In such an atmosphere, a reduced form of meditation can be mass-merchandized. And for many, their entire association with the techniques of meditation has been with the most rudimentary and minor form, that of a concentrative repetition, divorced from any other techniques that are organically associated with it. It is like learning how to spell, without ever learning how to read. (44) Cults tend to treat everyone in their organization the same way. In authentic schools of higher development the teacher chooses appropriate methods in accordance with a knowledge and intuition of what will work for each individual. One of the consequences of ignoring individual differences in the makeup of a group is the tendency to apply the same standardized exercises for everyone: Q: Some groups carry out frequent and regular exercises, ‘dances,’ and all sorts of activities in which everyone takes part. Why do you say that one should not do the things which have brought others into high spiritual states? A: I can only repeat that what suits one person at one time does not inevitably suit another. Why should one not do things which have brought others into high spiritual states, the questioner asks? If one were a machine, and if all people and situations were alike, if people were pieces of wood to be shaped: of course one should neglect all the manifold attendant circumstances and apply exercises randomly. This question implies that everything is always the same. By turning the matter over in one’s mind, the question might become: ‘Under what circumstances would it be true that random exercises should not be carried out, or mechanical imitation should be shunned?’ One very good reason not to ‘steal’ exercises and apply them randomly (which means without insight and knowledge) is that this can have the same sort of effect, in its own sphere, as other, more familiar forms of ‘theft.’ (45) Certain spiritual exercises are designed to be carried out with selected students at specific times and in a special order. But cults inevitably apply exercises to large numbers of people irrespective of “when, where, and with whom.” 27

One group may find that a certain technique works well in a given situation, be it relaxation, concentration, or movement. Its members may tend to apply the technique in situations or with people for whom it is inappropriate. Because the technique works for them, they come to believe that it ought to work for everyone at all times. The technique becomes the end and may become an obsession. Those who are involved in using such a technique – whether it is a particular meditation technique, a certain breathing exercise, or a training procedure – can become fixated and restricted to what the technique can offer. The adherents may set up schools to teach the “sacred” ritual, forgetting that each technique has its relevance only for a certain community at a certain time. (46) Deteriorated teachings typically concentrate on a limited range of exercises and methods while comprehensive teachings utilize a wide range of practices, regarding every “movement, posture, thought or impact” as significant in human inner development. Cults also ignore the fact that certain exercises, observances and studies are intended to be carried out only for limited periods and specific reasons by certain individuals or groups. They are not applicable in all circumstances. “For example, if people are encouraged to pray without certain elements (preparation, attunement), their prayers may become a psychotherapeutic tool, immensely valuable, but nonetheless at a lower level than its optimum function.” There are many specific examples of how spiritual exercises and techniques, drawn from many different traditions and countries, can be misused: •

Yoga postures (asanas) and breathing exercises (pranayama ) are taken out of context from their original employment as part of a comprehensive system of inner development and used mainly for physical culture and reduction of stress.

•

The repetition of words or phrases (mant ras) are used in genuine schools as carefully applied instrumental tools, but have devolved into ‘magical chants’ or emotionally arousing forms of auto-intoxication when incorrectly employed by cults.

•

The control of attention is an essential component of many traditional spiritual teachings, but has been misused in contemporary times and become almost an obsession with some, who fixate on this concept while ignoring the broader context of suitable time, company, circumstance and necessity in its application.

•

The effects of many of the concentration and meditation techniques imported from the East have been demonstrated by researchers to be the product of suggestion and the induction of auto-hypnotic states. “At best, these exercises are capable of providing some momentary relaxation and reduction of stress, nothing much more. Reports by endless scores of students that such techniques have ‘changed my life’ or ‘given me spiritual bliss’ are more reflective of their own naiveté and over-suggestibility than anything else.”

•

Sacred music exists in many religious traditions throughout the world and in certain schools is employed to access higher states of consciousness. But unless the listeners

28

are correctly prepared and attuned, and the time and circumstances are correct, music can create undesirable emotional states that are the product of conditioning and crude pleasure-seeking. •

Dance and rhythmic movements, when engaged in indiscriminately and without proper knowledge of when, where and why they should be performed, may actually be harmful and detrimental to real spiritual growth.

•

The use of powerful ecstasy-producing methods (including drugs) to facilitate altered states of consciousness can be dangerous when proper safeguards are not in place. This type of ‘experimental mysticism’ can interfere with sensitive aspects and capacities of the mind and produce unforeseen effects: “This follows a common pattern in enthusiasts when the production of an altered condition of mind becomes an end and not a means properly controlled by a specialist.”

Some form of meditation plays a central role in virtually every spiritual tradition. Most meditation techniques produce short-term beneficial effects such as relaxation or a sense of wellbeing but are not complete. Meditation has many different levels and degrees and can easily become a reservoir of expectation, obsession and programmed conditioning: “Meditation gives some sort of calmness. But it is only a preparatory step, and gives calmness only as a ‘signpost.’ When the calmness has been attained some people become addicted to it, and their progress is frozen at that point. They have become meditation-addicts.” There are specific signs which distinguish the skilful use of meditation as a vehicle of insight and transformation from cultish uses: While Zen Buddhism traditionally used meditation of various sorts in their arts of mind cultivation, original Zen and imitation Zen cultism may be distinguished by comparison of specific attitudes toward meditation. Zen that is exaggerated into a meditation cult, in which meditation assumes the status of a value in itself, or attention is fixated on a given posture or procedure presented as inherently sacrosanct, is a characteristic deterioration. This is more of the nature of fetishism than enlightenment, as is particularly evident in cases where meditation is done ritualistically in random groups according to fixed schedules, even under pressure; such activity results in obsession, not liberation. (47) Some of the notable indications of the misuse of meditation include: • •

Teachings which require practitioners to endure long hours of pain and discomfort in cross-legged sitting sessions in order to gain a breakthrough to a supposed higher state of consciousness are trying, almost like a pressure cooker, to force spiritual growth. Sitting in groups composed of the same people over a long period of time and isolated from the larger community is limiting and self-centered, and draws practitioners away from “our natural connection with all people, all beings, and Life at large.”

29

• • •

Intensive meditation retreats unconsciously appeal to greed and the desire for instantaneous results. Deepening concentration without a parallel growth of insight and understanding can actually harden the shell of the ego rather than softening it. Meditation can easily become a self-centered pursuit – “I want,” “I need” – reinforcing the sense of a separate self and ignoring others who are not engaged in the same type of activities.

‘Veiling’ the Truth

Certain spiritual traditions, such as Zen Buddhism, Advaita Vedanta and others, point directly to the one ultimate, unchanging Reality which is the ground of all experience yet is obscured by our identification with the ever-changing stream of subjective thoughts, feelings and perceptions. From this ‘veiling’ there arises the sense of a separate self or ego which then seeks spiritual teachings which purport to fulfil the longing for wholeness and spiritual realization. But the vehicle or means can easily be mistaken for the destination. Ramana Maharshi: “Fortunate are those who do not lose themselves in the labyrinth of philosophy, but go directly to the Source from which they all arise.” The Ultimate Truth is so simple. It is nothing more than being in the original, pristine state. This is all that needs be said. Still, it is a wonder that to teach this simple Truth there should come into being so many religions, creeds and methods, and the disputes that arise among them. Oh the pity! Oh the pity! (48) From this perspective the world’s spiritual traditions are seen as signposts on the Way, but not themselves the ultimate goal: “The sacred lore is voluminous, different parts of it being adapted to the needs of different kinds of seekers; each seeker successively transcends portions of it, until ultimately he or she transcends the whole of it.” Q: How are the conflicting views of people of different religions to be reconciled? A: The real aim of all religions is to lead up to the awakening to the Truth of the Self. But the Truth of the Self is too simple for the generality of people; even though there is no one who is not aware of the Self, people do not care to be told of it; they think the Self to be of little worth; they want to hear of far-off things – heaven, hell, reincarnation and so on; they love mystery, and not the plain truth; and the religions humour them, so that ultimately they may come back to the Self. But why not seek and find and abide in the Self at once, without further wandering? The heaven cannot be apart from the one that sees or thinks of them; their reality is of the same degree as that of the ego that wants to go there; hence they do not exist apart from the Self, which is the real heaven. (49)

30

Methods which promise to guide the aspirant to self-realization have an almost hypnotic influence in which the ‘means’ become venerated at the expense of the ‘ends.’ They no longer function effectively as a vehicle for awakening to our true nature: To show the moon, we make use of the finger; but we must not confuse the finger and the moon, because the finger is not the moon. Skillful means are things created with the intention of guiding people in their efforts toward Awakening. If these means are taken as ends, that is to say, as the description of Awakening or as Awakening itself, they cannot play their useful role; on the contrary, they become a sort of permanent prison. (50) The lure of spiritual teachings to explain the nature of the world to us is almost irresistible, yet we are left with the sense that they do not capture the essence and true reality of existence, which is ultimately a mystery beyond intellectual comprehension and understanding. In the words of Toni Packer: “To be alive, fully alive, means flowing without hindrance – a vulnerable flow of aliveness with no resistance. Without any sense of passing time. Without needing to think of ‘myself’ – what I am, what I will be.” We propagate what we think we know. It is safe. But truth cannot be known. It is as simple as that. Insight, truth, clarity, enlightenment – whatever word you may give to what is unnameable – is not the effect of any cause. It has no method, no training. It has nothing to do with the conditioned, trained mind. So why condition people’s minds by saying: “Do this practice in order to attain enlightenment.” We all want clarity and safety and wonderful experiences because we feel so utterly empty, insecure, and afraid. As long as we are afraid and wanting, we are totally vulnerable to ever-new programs and exploitation. (51) Real spiritual teachings are expedients for the purpose of breaking through self-imposed barriers to realization. “Be empty inside while harmonizing with the environment and you will be at peace even in the midst of busy activity in the world.” And, “First go to the beyond, to know that It exists; then come back to the here and now to act.” Mature spiritual teachings strive to reveal the aspirant’s true nature by placing a mirror before them: “Keep a mind that is clear like a mirror: when red comes, the mirror becomes red; when white comes, white. You reflect the universe exactly as it is.” In Advaita Vedanta this reality is the final destination: “All are faced with the fact of their own existence. ‘I am’ is the ultimate fact: ‘Who am I?’ is the ultimate question to which everybody must find their own answer.” Whatever is seen and perceived is continuously in a state of creation and destruction, but You in your true nature are unborn and indestructible. Unless you realize your true nature, there will be no peace for you. No matter how much you strive to acquire any worldly gains, they are bound to go; so also your con31

cepts and various identities. Even if you follow any religion in the hope of obtaining something permanent from the outside, you will be sorely disappointed. The main purpose of true spirituality is to liberate oneself completely from one’s concepts and conditionings. By following any religion, cult or creed, one becomes inevitably conditioned, because one is obliged to conform and accept its disciplines, both physical and mental. One may get a little peace for some time, but such a peace will not last long. In your true nature, you are the knower of concepts and therefore prior to them. (52)

References

(1) Arthur Deikman The W rong W ay Home (Boston: Beacon Press, 1994), p. 1. (2) Idries Shah Learning How t o Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 223-224. (3) D.T. Suzuki Essays in Zen Buddhism (New York: Grove Press, 1961), p. 46. (4) Fares de Logres “Vanity and Imitation” in Idries Shah (ed.) Sufi Thought and Act ion (London: Octagon Press, 1990), p. 251. (5) Thich Nhat Hanh Zen Keys (New York: Anchor Books, 1974), p. 152. (6) Thomas Cleary Rat ional Zen (Boston: Shambhala, 1995), p. 16. (7) Martin Collcutt “Problems of Authority in Western Zen” in Kenneth Kraft (ed.) Zen: Tradit ion and Transit ion (New York: Grove Press, 1988), pp. 199-200. (8) Idries Shah A Perfumed Scorpion (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 37. (9) Idries Shah “Current Study Materials” in Idries Shah (ed.) The W orld of t he Sufi (London: Octagon Press, 1979), p. 285. (10) Albert Low To Know Yourself (Boston: Charles E. Tuttle, 1997), p. 110. (11) Idries Shah Neglect ed Aspect s of Sufi St udy (London: Octagon Press, 1989), pp. 15-16. (12) Idries Shah Special Illuminat ion (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 36-37. (13) Idries Shah Know ing How t o Know (London: Octagon Press, 1998), p. 33. (14) Idries Shah The Commanding Self (London: Octagon Press, 1994), p. 276. (15) Idries Shah Learning How t o Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 260. (16) Idries Shah Evenings w it h Idries Shah (London: Designist Communications, 1981), p. 15. (17) Toni Packer The W ork of This M oment (Boston: Shambhala, 1990), p. 58. (18) Omar Ali-Shah The Course of t he Seeker (Reno: Tractus Books, 1996), pp. 120-121. (19) Idries Shah Learning How t o Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 227. (20) Toni Packer The Light of Discovery (Boston: Charles E. Tuttle, 1999), pp. 100-101. (21) Idries Shah Know ing How t o Know (London: Octagon Press, 1998), p. 280. (22) Idries Shah A Perfumed Scorpion (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 36. (23) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press), 1982), p. 477. (24) Idries Shah The Sufis (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 278. (25) Philip Kapleau Zen Daw n in t he W est (New York: Anchor Press, 1979), pp. 18-19. (26) Idries Shah Special Illuminat ion (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 42-43. (27) Idries Shah Know ing How t o Know (London: Octagon Press, 1998), p. 281. (28) Idries Shah Seeker Aft er Trut h (London: Octagon Press, 1985), p. 22.

32

(29) Charlotte Beck Not hing Special: Living Zen (San Francisco: Harper, 1993), p. 202. (30) Desmond Martin “A Session with a Western Sufi” in Leonard Lewin (ed.) The Elephant in t he Dark and Ot her W rit ings on t he Diffusion of Sufi Ideas in t he W est (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1976), pp. 150-151. (31) Idries Shah The Commanding Self (London: Octagon Press, 1994), p. 245. (32) Idries Shah Learning How t o Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 117. (33) Jean Klein Living Trut h (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publications, 1995), pp. 164-165. (34) Idries Shah Know ing How t o Know (London: Octagon Press, 1998), pp. 223-224. (35) Toni Packer The W ork of This M oment (Boston: Shambhala, 1990), p. 11. (36) Idries Shah Know ing How t o Know (London: Octagon Press, 1998), pp. 246-247. (37) Idries Shah A Perfumed Scorpion (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 22-23. (38) Idries Shah Know ing How t o Know (London: Octagon Press, 1998), pp. 196-197. (39) Robert Ornstein The Psychology of Consciousness (New York: Viking Press, 1972), pp. 152-153. (40) Gustav Schneck “Three Forms of Knowledge According to the Naqshbandi (‘Designers’) School” in Idries Shah (ed.) Sufi Thought and Act ion (London: Octagon Press, 1990), p. 226. (41) Idries Shah Evenings w it h Idries Shah (London: Designist Communications, 1981), p. 17. (42) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press), 1982), pp. 477-478. (43) Idries Shah Learning How t o Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 261. (44) Robert Ornstein The M ind Field (New York: Pocket Books, 1978), p. 121. (45) Idries Shah Learning How t o Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 276-277. (46) Robert Ornstein The Psychology of Consciousness (3 rd edit ion) (New York: Penguin Books, 1986), p. 183. (47) Thomas Cleary Inst ant Zen: W aking Up in t he Present (Berkeley: North Atlantic Books, 1994), p. xiii. (48) Ramana Maharshi Talks w it h Sri Ramana M aharshi (Tiruvannamalai, India: Sri Ramanasramam, 1984), p. 92. (49) Lakshmana Sarma M aha Yoga of Bhagavan Sri Ramana (Tiruvannamalai, India: Sri Ramanasramam, 1984), p. 188. (50) Thich Nhat Hanh Zen Keys (New York: Anchor Books, 1974), p. 47. (51) Toni Packer The W ork of This M oment (Boston: Shambhala, 1990), pp. 17-18. (52) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj The Nect ar of t he Lord’s Feet (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1987), pp. 73-74.

33

THE SPIRITUAL TEACHER OR GUIDE ‘Water needs an intermediary, a vessel, between it and the fire, if it is to be heated correctly.’ Rumi

Necessity for a Spiritual Teacher Spiritual teachings are traditionally transmitted by the human exemplar, the teacher or guide. The teacher’s significance as an instrument of the teaching is based on “function, not appearance.” In the words of Ibn el Arabi: “People think that a teacher should display miracles and manifest illumination. But the requirement in a teacher is that he should possess all that the disciple needs.” The journey to Truth begins with a guide who has travelled the path, and who can conduct or ‘shepherd’ others to the goal. Gurdjieff spoke of the importance of a teacher in the alchemical process of self-transformation: The ideas are a summons, a summons toward another world, a call from one who knows and is able to show us the way. But the transformation of the human being requires something more. It can only be achieved if there is a real meeting between the conscious force which descends and the total commitment which answers it. This brings about a fusion. A new life can then appear in a new set of conditions which only someone with an objective consciousness can create and develop. But to understand this one must have passed through all of the stages of this development oneself. Without such experience and understanding the work will lose its effectiveness and the conditions will be wrongly interpreted; they will not be brought at the right moment and one will see situations and efforts remaining on the level of ordinary life and uselessly repeating themselves. (1) A teacher is responsible for the proper application and integration of higher knowledge, according to the needs of the particular culture, circumstances, time period and individual student or group. The ordinary person is generally unable to recognize and take advantage of the developmental influences needed for spiritual growth. A genuine teacher knows the nature of these influences and to what measure they are to be used: “Only a teacher, someone who has attained ‘sight,’ can select from an individual’s environment and from the repertoire of available techniques, a curriculum suitable to the task.” Many seekers are under the false impression that enlightenment can be attained by reading books and studying on one’s own. The seeker needs human guidance because books and texts “while telling you what is needed, do not tell you when.” There is a proverb: ‘Words have to die if humans are to live.’

1

Q: Many Westerners interested in Zen may not initially have access to a teacher. They do the best they can on their own – reading books, attending talks, perhaps meditating with a small group of like-minded people. Can one practice Zen authentically without a teacher? A: Yes, up to a point. Books can certainly help one get started, but there comes a point when just reading books is not enough. You can’t ask a book a question. The value of a teacher is that he or she has been through the whole process that the new student has yet to experience, so the teacher can perform important functions as a guide. (2) Although spiritual traditions are unanimous that for the vast majority of humanity a guide is absolutely essential, it is acknowledged that spiritual progress and enlightenment is possible without the direct guidance of a living teacher, although it is emphasized that such cases are rare: Q: Do we need an external guru, a spiritual teacher, when we have an inner guru? A: Theoretically no. Practically, yes, except in very exceptional cases. We are conditioned to take, not to let go. Attachment to our self-image hinders us from surrendering to our totality. Q: How can one look for a guru? A: You cannot look for a teacher because you do not know what to look for. You cannot understand, cannot conceive of, a guide. You can only look for secondary functions, names, outer representations, magic, power, personality, etc. So you cannot find a teacher. All you can be is open to the teacher finding you. (3) Although certain students may require more than one teacher at different phases of their spiritual journey, they must have only one teacher at a given time: “You can’t eat two meals at a time, so to speak.” Having two or more teachers simultaneously inevitably leads to confusion and the dissipation of focus and energy on the part of the student. “If you chase after other teachers like a weather vane turning with every fresh wind, you will succeed only in confusing yourself with no gain.” Q: Why isn’t a student twice as well off with two teachers? A: Actually he’s worse off. Sooner or later he’s bound to become confused, with the result that he will either neglect both teachers or drop them. The student who tries to serve two masters fails both. And he is the loser, for neither one will treat him as a serious aspirant. Lukewarm students invite a

2

lukewarm response from a teacher. Even within the same tradition teachers have different methods, depending on the training they themselves have received, their personalities, and the depth of their awakening. The first may tell you one thing and the other say what seems to be the opposite. They are not contradicting each other; if they are both spiritually developed each of their instructions are valid. But for the novice the seeming contradiction may pose problems of such an imposing nature that they discourage him and sap his energies. (4) Navigating the hazards of the spiritual path, especially self-imposed barriers on the part of the student, is challenging and requires the guidance of an experienced teacher. A common human problem is attachment to externals and mistaking “the vehicle or container for the content,” thus requiring a mentor to monitor the pupil’s behaviour and direct attention according to actual possibilities. The teacher provides guidance and a starting point for the seeker in the process of ‘self-work.’ A student’s assumptions and preconceptions about the nature of spiritual development can also prevent learning. Hence the need for a perceptive teacher to point these barriers out to the pupil. The problem for the seeker on the Way is not knowing where the Way is going. Thus the need for a guide. Arbitrary preconceptions about what form the teaching and practices will take hinder would-be learners from making a genuine start. Nevertheless, just because the goal is not what may be imagined by the beginner, that does not mean there is no such thing. Zen master Musho says that the trouble with many people is that they expect to be paid before they have done any work; this is the equivalent to expecting the Way to accord with one’s own imagination. (5) Although a teacher in a human form is valuable for most seekers, ultimately life itself is our greatest teacher if a student is receptive to its impacts and challenges: There is only one teacher. What is that teacher? Life itself. And of course each one of us is a manifestation of life; we couldn’t be anything else. Now life happens to be both a severe and an endlessly kind teacher. It’s the only authority that you need to trust. And this teacher, this authority, is everywhere. You don’t have to go to some special place to find this incomparable teacher, you don’t have to have some especially quiet or ideal situation: in fact, the messier it is the better. The average office is a great place. The average home is perfect. Such places are pretty messy most of the time – we all know this from firsthand experience. That is where the authority, the teacher is. (6)

3

Preparation and Permission to Teach Before guiding others along the path to human completion, a teacher must have passed through the succession of developmental experiences which are essential to higher understanding. “A real teacher was asked how it was that he could teach, and he answered: I am what you will be: what you are I once was.” An individual may be prepared for a teaching task through a series of ‘journeys,’ and subsequently given permission to transmit the teaching into a specific place or culture. The teacher may be sent to a specific location and then wait years until a pupil is sent to them: Certain individuals may be ‘called’ to make journeys, in order to acquire certain capacities. This call is the result of natural conditions. Such people are attracted, we might almost say ‘imported,’ to be a center of teaching when this is necessary, in order to fit them for their task. There are different varieties of such individuals. They are ‘called’ from one cultural area to another precisely when it is necessary for the teaching to be projected in an area of similar cultural background to their own. They become the instruments of the transmission of the teaching into a fresh culture. (7) There are different levels of teachers, each fulfilling certain functions and responsibilities. Even though a person may have attained illumination, they are not permitted to teach until they have received, from their own mentor, permission to enrol students. In genuine mystical schools the teacher is actually taught how to be a teacher and will, in turn, have a number of disciples who eventually become full-fledged teachers in their own right. In Zen, as in other Asian traditions, a disciple is ready to teach when his teacher says he is. This naturally places a great deal of responsibility in the hands of the master. If he is wise, with high standards, his seal of approval is the public’s safeguard. If he is mediocre his disciple will leave much to be desired. A Zen master is a person of deep spiritual insight and wisdom who has experienced the emptiness and impermanence of all things, and whose lifestyle reflects such awareness. Zen master Dogen defined a master as one who is fully enlightened, who lives by what he knows to be the truth, and who has received the transmission from his own teacher. (8) Many spiritual traditions stress the need for the teacher to be free from subjective reasons for seeking leadership, including a desire for attention and power. “As with any other specialization, teaching is a vocation, open only to those who are truly capable of discharging its functions.” It is held that the desire to teach is disabling. A genuine teacher will teach only when the need and desire to teach is absent.”

4

The mere desire to teach is regarded as a disability rooted in ambition developing before understanding is mature. One major Sufi says: “I had a desire to teach. I therefore ceased teaching until I became mature enough to do it properly, without the desire influencing my ability and therefore my duty to students. When the desire to teach left me, I started to teach.” (9) When teachers are free of all subjective motivations to teach they spontaneously offer each student the teachings most appropriate for their spiritual development: Q: Does a sage have any responsibility to teach and help others? A: The word responsibility is not at all suitable. Teaching comes out of love, compassion, out of thankfulness. There is no sense of duty in it, no desire to personally improve the world. It is free from all motivation. It is a mistake to think the teacher does something. Transmission cannot happen intentionally. When there is ripeness the candle lights up. But there are those who escape being citizens of the earth. The task is to come to a balance, to be in the world but not of it. (10) Enlightened beings who possess the gift of teaching others can lead them to spiritual understanding by creating a perspective in which the teacher, the taught and the teaching merge into one unified whole: Q: What is a teacher? A: When you become established in truth you may or may not be a teacher. To be teacher takes a certain pedagogical gift, the capacity to perceive the mind directly so that the answer comes with the perfume of silence and unveils silence in the questioner. It is the capacity to see into the disciple and know instinctively in which way to present the teaching. There is no fixed teaching as there is no fixed disciple. In fact there is no teacher, for the teacher is identical with what is taught. The disciple takes himself for an ignorant person with something to acquire. When he meets the nothingness of the teacher and the teaching, he is brought to a letting go of his desire to be somebody who is enlightened, spiritual, religious, and so on. He is brought back to himself. (11) The spiritual guide exists for a specific purpose and a limited time. A teacher fulfils their educational and spiritual mission when they “work themselves out of a job.” The teacher is by his nature transient, operating upon the disciple for the necessary length of time, then moving on. The teacher himself is neither permanent nor immortal. He is not an idol to be worshipped, but truly exists only in action. Indeed, were he venerated as and for himself, he

5

might be said to have failed in his task, for there is a limit to the dynamism possible in such a relationship. At some moment there would have to be an end to the disciple’s development, since it would be implicit in his standing with such a teacher that he could not aspire to the latter’s level. The process, not the person who leads and inducts it, is primary, and its end is self-perfection. (12) As soon as possible a real teacher will dismiss the student, who becomes autonomous and continues the process of self-development on his or her own. The job of the mentor is to teach or coach the pupil until they are sufficiently advanced on the Way to be able to progress on their own: The teacher’s role is to render himself superfluous to the learner, by helping him to escape from the toils of lesser ideas and of the shallow mind. Until that moment comes, like a guide to a path which is invisible to the learner, the teacher is followed with absolute trust. The great Sufi Abdul-Qadir of Gilan stresses that this is like the role of the wet-nurse, who has to cease suckling the infant when it is able to eat solid food. When secondary and low-level attachments have vanished, the Seeker goes into a relationship with objective Reality. At this point there is no further need of the disciple relationship. (13) A teacher does not necessarily teach continuously, have regular or frequent meetings, or concentrate the teaching community in only one place. “Such teachers may or may not be publicly known, and may have very few students, and from time to time none at all.” For instance, many of the great classical Sufi masters, whose teachings have had the greatest effect, commanded audiences of only a few. The Sufi teacher al-Ghazali is reported to have said: “People tend to want to study under famous teachers. Yet there are always people not considered distinguished by the public who could teach them as effectively.” An important psychological concept, traditionally rooted in the East but relevant to spiritual seekers of all stripes, is the role of the teacher as an “instrument rather than a name.” This emphasis on the message rather than the messenger is one of the characteristics of authentic spiritual teachings. “There is not a single authentic portrait of any of the spiritual teachers of most of Asia before the nineteenth century European influence and interest in personality.” It is a misconception that every person who has experienced higher reality is invariably a guide capable of helping others along the same way. Not all sages or realized beings are teachers and some exist, according to tradition, in order to exercise functions imperceptible to humanity at large.

6

Outer Form and Appearance There is no such thing as an archetypal teacher with a common pool of typical characteristics. Rather, teachers manifest a wide range of appearance and behaviour. “When it is time to be serious, we will be serious. When it is time to work through what looks like ordinary things, we have to do so.” A real teacher has attained an inner unification of personality that is expressed through a diversity of ways. For instance, to avoid attack and interference from the people of the world, spiritual teachers may, at times, have to assume a disguise and “cover themselves in a rug.” There is no uniform behaviour amongst the Masters. One may eat and sleep well, another will fast and sit up all night. One may spend time with people, another holds himself aloof. One will be found dressed in rags and another in silks and linen of high quality; one is silent, another speaks animatedly. One will conceal his saintship, another will show it publicly. (14) The wide variation in the appearance and behaviour of teachers is due to the fact that they are fulfilling their function as a spiritual guide by adapting their teaching to the individual needs of their students and the requirements of ‘time, place and people.’ As outer circumstances change, the form and presentation of their instruction also changes. Many people who lack discernment are impressed with the outer appearance, superficial characteristics and behaviour of a teacher and disregard the inner content and quality of the teacher as a source of learning for the student. A real teacher is often very different from what the untrained and undiscriminating seeker thinks a teacher should be like. A teaching master may possess none of the exterior characteristics which one would expect and may teach in unexpected channels and ways. Rumi: ‘Do not look at my outward shape, but take what is in my hand.’ A true spiritual teacher does not have anything to teach in the conventional sense of the word, does not have anything to give or add to you, such as new information, beliefs, or rules of conduct. The only function of such a teacher is to help you remove that which separates you from the truth of who you already are and what you already know in the depths of your being. The spiritual teacher is there to uncover and reveal to you that dimension of inner depth that is also peace. (15) Historically women have been proportionately under-represented as recognized spiritual teachers. Some explanations for this fact have been offered in the literature: Proportionate to their number, the number of women teachers in the Sufi Tradition has been very small. One of the reasons is that some of the characteristics required of a teacher do not come easily to women in general. For

7

instance, the capacity to be cold, dispassionate, clinical in certain situations, and not to allow any subjective emotion to cloud their judgment, and to be able, if necessary, to maintain a cold and even callous face to people they are teaching. These aspects are generally foreign to the makeup of a woman. This is all the more difficult because such qualities have to be learned by a teacher. The person who makes the best teacher has a warm heart, which under necessary circumstances, he or she can switch off. This partly explains why the proportion of women teachers is small. (16)

The Teacher and the Teaching The teacher and students are involved in a complex structure of activities and interactions which together constitute an esoteric school. The whole process – teacher, teaching and taught – is a single phenomenon. The continuity of the Teaching is guaranteed and maintained through the being, knowledge and actions of its teachers as they project and diffuse spiritual teachings among humanity, and through people’s involvement and devotion to the Teaching. A real School provides a mandate to individuals to teach and ensures that they are properly performing their teaching role. A teacher is given permission and the authority to initiate the teaching process and guide others on the Path through a ‘chain of transmission.’ “There is a continuing chain of inductor and inducted, linked always by the relation between an unforced authority and a willing submission, and stretching back across the centuries.” The nature and level of the connection between a teacher and an esoteric school determines the quality of energy and knowledge made available to the teacher. Gurdjieff elaborated on this idea in talks to his students: There are also various possibilities as regards the teacher’s situation in relation to the esoteric center, namely, that he may know more or he may know less about the esoteric center, he may know exactly where the center is and how knowledge and help was or is received from it; or he may know nothing of this and may only know the man from whom he himself received this knowledge. In most cases people start precisely from the point that they know only one step higher than themselves. And only in proportion to their own development do they begin to see further and to recognize where what they know came from. The results of the work of a man who takes on himself the role of a teacher do not depend on whether or not he knows exactly the origin of what he teaches, but very much depends on whether or not his ideas come in actual fact from the esoteric center and whether he himself understands and can distinguish esoteric ideas, that is, ideas of objective knowledge, from subjective, scientific, and philosophical ideas. (17)

8

The degree of illumination of a real teacher may be invisible to the ordinary person and perceptible only to the enlightened. The functions and abilities of such a teacher may not be readily apparent to others who lack a “larger perspective” of the actual teaching process. A teacher’s knowledge is ultimately derived from direct inner experience of a spiritual nature. One of the characteristics of teachership is the ability to teach others from the vantage point of a more comprehensive awareness: The guide teaches from a position which is at times ‘in the world’ because he has to maintain contact with his environment. He follows the ‘arc of ascent’ to learn; and when he has completed the ‘arc of descent’ he is among the people. He is now transmuted. This means that although his outward form and even a part of his essence may be visible, his whole depth only unfolds to those who are developed enough to understand and perceive it. There is more than an analogy here with teaching or leading in other fields; because leadership in more ordinary things is a ‘shadow’ or distortion of the essence of ‘teachership.’ If you are teaching a child, or a student, something which you know and he does not, you have to draw yourself to what you call ‘his level,’ and pull him up, slowly. Again, you have to withdraw from involvement, in order to see things objectively. As in the ordinary, so in the extraordinary: hence the teacher is in a way (or in what seems to be many ways) apart, or has been set apart, from the mass. He does not belong to the mass, and yet he does. His relationship to the mass is like that of the refined gold compared with the ore. (18) As part of the teaching, a higher element uniting the teacher and student stands outside conventional time and space. “The Guide is responsible for relating the individual’s progress to that of the total needs of humanity.” Guides and spiritual benefactors “descend” from higher consciousness in order to contact people according to their level of understanding, and “emerge” from the most basic ground of experience to contact people who are alienated from it. Guides teach through fostering particular relationships among people, and between people and the environment. Their guidance is followed through life conduct as well as mental disposition. (19) A teacher’s power and success are supported from the higher energies that flow through their work and guide their teaching enterprises: The Sufi master organizes studies, each according to his type, and he also plans the outward formulae according to which the school will function in the world. This may take any seemingly worldly shape. He will also protect his disciples from calamity; though, since many disasters are averted by the Baraka (spiritual force) of the master, his followers will be unable, until they in their turn become illuminated, to understand just what a

9

burden he carries on their behalf. According to this point of view, it is because of this that, when he comes to realize it, the disciple-turned-Sufi feels gratitude towards his Teacher to the end of his days. During the novitiate, however, he is unable to understand the sacrifices and services of the Master, and must only assume that they are there. (20)

Transmission of Spiritual Energy Some of the world’s greatest spiritual masters, such as Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi of India, taught their disciples principally through silence and the emanation of spiritual power: Q: Why does not Bhagavan go about and preach the Truth to the people at large? A: How do you know I am not doing it? Does preaching consist in mounting a platform and haranguing the people around? Preaching is simple communication of Knowledge; it can really be done in silence alone. What do you think of a man who listens to a sermon for an hour and goes away without having been impressed by it so as to change his life? Compare him with another who sits in a holy presence and goes away after some time with his outlook on life totally changed. Which is the better, to preach loudly without effect or to sit silently sending out inner force? (21) The interaction and transmission of divine energy from master to disciple is one of the cornerstones of the spiritual journey. The feedback or exchange of energy between teacher and student occurs on many levels. Nonverbal communication is used to contact and awaken the inner being or essence of the person. Telepathic interchanges between a master and disciples enables “heart to call to heart.” In one sense the teacher acts as a bridge or intermediary between the student and the higher dimensions of spiritual reality: One must understand the nature of the feeling that exists, in living mystical traditions, between teacher and taught. The Master becomes a living metaphor for the perfection of the Absolute. He seems for the disciple at once the stepping-stone to divinity and, as a self-realized man, divinity made flesh. At the same time there exists in both the conviction that between them the transmission of a quality, indefinable yet unmistakable, can take place, through which the disciple will be permanently altered. When this transmission has occurred, the disciple is in no doubt about what he has gained, nor will the departure or death of the Master diminish one iota of it: he has been flooded by a perception of the Absolute so clear that almost nothing he can do will make him lose it, especially since all he does is done only in its light. In him, therefore, the fact of the teacher and the fact of the divine merge

10

into an inextricable whole, fusing with his own essence to produce a new level of being. (22) Spiritual progress requires the presence of a subtle spiritual energy called, in the Sufi tradition, ‘baraka,’ which is passed on from a teacher to the individual or group. ‘Baraka’ means blessing, power or sanctity. The interaction with this force binds the members of a spiritual community together and influences their lives in many ways: The teacher transmits to the pupil the baraka he himself receives from his own master. This baraka works on the pupil according to the time, place and need and the circumstances in which he finds himself. If the baraka is to produce a specific effect on the person, then it is possible that the effect can only be created if the person is in a certain geographical region and in a certain time relationship with the teaching. (23) A spiritual teacher may pass on part of their mystical experience to some of their disciples who, on the basis of past experience and degree of receptivity, are ready for such a development. The projection of spiritual power into the being of the student usually takes place during the process of ‘initiation.’ The practice of mutual concentration exercises allows a teacher to transmit a taste of enlightenment to certain pupils. “The mutual-concentration exercise interchange between teacher and pupil enables, among other things, the teacher to provide the means of ‘stilling,’ and also the necessary range of subtle stimulus to help the pupil to his development.” A teacher can transmit an energy, influence or potential to a student over a vast distance when both are on the same “wavelength.” “There are many different types and qualities of energy. They are transmitted and received in different ways by different methods, and they are for use in different situations.” It is said that when a disciple is correctly attuned to higher Reality through the energy of an esoteric school, they can come into communication with all previous teachers of that tradition, even across time and space: You must not take it for granted that to teach a person one needs his physical presence. One can be taught by any number of different ways, each equally efficient, provided that the teacher and the pupil have a strong enough bond established. With that, time and distance are of no importance. (24) Certain disabling personal and psychological characteristics of the student can effectively prevent the transmission of spiritual energy or baraka from teacher to student: In one aspect, Baraka is expressed through expansion and contraction. This is achieved through a special mind-body relationship and interaction. Baraka cannot enter the mind of the seeker until his thoughts have undergone a change that will allow him to be receptive to its influence.

11

It is possible to cut a person off from Baraka – indeed a great many people are thus cut off. This state is called that of “being veiled.” People who concentrate on any one doctrinal belief are heavily “veiled” by that belief. The encouragement of the Baraka force is called “removing the veils.” (25)

Individual Characteristics of the Student The task of the teacher is to prescribe the course of studies for each pupil, indicating what a student should do and should not do. “Someone might know better than the individual themselves as to the course which they should pursue.” When you look at a child, you notice that it has three kinds of qualities: those which help its progress, such as eating instinctively; those which could harm its future, such as eating poisonous things; and those which are neutral. In respect to higher teaching and learning, the adult human being is the same. He can acquire valuable nutrients in knowledge. He can acquire dangerous ones, while thinking they are good for him. He can take in irrelevant ones, thinking nothing or thinking that they are significant. Like the parent, the Teacher knows which are which. (26) The teacher must ensure that the teaching is presented in such a manner as to accord with the pupil’s needs, background and abilities. “The instructions given to pupils differ according to the temperaments of the individuals and according to the spiritual ripeness of their minds. Therefore there cannot be any instructions en masse.” The onus is very much on the teacher to make sure that the student has a sufficient background of information, knowledge and experience so that he can benefit from the teaching itself. The teaching, too, must be presented in a volume, quality and manner which will correspond with the pupil’s needs, abilities and previous thinking, as well as with the teaching’s own minimum requirements for its effective expression. Without all these conditions, real teaching is not possible. It is the teacher, not the student, who assesses the condition of the student and prescribes his studies. Without adequate supervision over the curriculum and the student’s exposure to study-materials, progress is inadequate. (27) The teacher guides each student according to their needs and possibilities, rather than staring at a fixed predetermined point. “The guide must be able to determine the capacity of the disciple and will have to deal with this disciple in accordance with his potentiality.” Since individuals vary greatly in their capacities and aptitudes, Zen masters must use different methods and teachings for different individuals in dif-

12

ferent circumstances. And so Zen styles and expressions vary greatly, from the most enigmatic and irrational koans to the plainest and most understandable instructions. (28) An important function of the teacher is making students aware of the effects of the ‘filter of conditioning’ so that it can be removed. “The director knows by the behaviour of the student what the condition of his secondary or ‘commanding’ self is at any given time.” The teacher must overcome the student’s expectations and fixed biases and provide what the pupil really needs. “The disciple is the last person who is likely to know what it is that he needs, irrespective of what he wants.” Each teacher has his own method, usually patterned on his Guru’s teaching and on the way he himself has realized, and his own terminology as well. Within that framework adjustments to the personality of the disciple are made. The disciple is given full freedom of thought and enquiry and encourage to question to his heart’s content. He must be absolutely certain of the standing and competency of his Guru, otherwise his faith will not be absolute nor his action complete. (29)

The Teacher-Student Relationship The nature of the relationship between a spiritual teacher and student has been compared to that between a teacher and pupil in ordinary life. There are both similarities and differences: Let me clarify the differences between the master-disciple relationship (in a Zen context) and the teacher-student relationship (in a secular setting). In the ideal teacher-student relationship the student respects the teacher as the possessor of a certain body of knowledge or of a skill that the student would like to acquire, while the teacher values the student for his eagerness and his ability to absorb this knowledge. Their relationship is largely impersonal and limited; what sustains it is their common interest in a particular study. The master-disciple relationship of Zen is deeper and more personal because it is grounded in karmic affinity. What moves the disciple in the direction of the master is not the master’s knowledge, but his compassion, enlightened wisdom, character and warm personality – traits born of long discipline and training. The disciple senses that it is through these qualities that he will be able to complete himself and eventually come to full awakening. (30) Some have claimed that the true teacher-student relationship is a mirror image or analogue to God’s relationship with humanity. “The special form of friendship and love which grows be-

13

tween teacher and pupil is simultaneously a bond of friendship between man and God and an exact counterpart of God’s relationship with mankind.” In order for learning and real progress to occur the teacher and student must be in a state of “receptivity” and spiritual contact. The pupil must be harmonized and attuned to the teacher, by achieving a balanced attitude: neither rejecting nor servile. “There is and must be a very clear distinction between love, respect and affection for a teacher and a cult of personality.” In the words of Hakim Sanai: ‘The teacher who allows his disciple to sit in his shadow when they should be making every effort to sit in the sunshine, is not carrying out his duty correctly.’ In authentic spiritual schools, the teacher is regarded as an instructor or conductor of knowledge, and personality worship is discouraged. Some of the psychological characteristics which hinder the teacher-student relationship have been identified. These include such things as personal pride, greed disguised as aspiration, lack of commitment and extravagant attitudes toward the teacher. As in any specialized field of knowledge, the student must accept the teacher’s expertise and authority in order for real learning to occur. It is not always possible for a student to accurately assess and understand all the words and actions of a teacher, who is by definition at a higher level of development. “If a student imagines that something said or done by his teacher is a shortcoming when it is not, and this student maintains publicly that his teacher has deficiencies, the results will be undesirable for everyone.” The guide, after all, is the person who has made the journey that the novice wants to make. He not only knows what the novice wants to know, he is what the novice wants to become. As a result, the disciple, once accepted by the teacher, cannot judge the latter’s words or actions: he must trust him. In practice, this means his total acceptance of the fact that his teacher knows better than he what he should do, the pace at which he should progress, the exercises he should perform and the disciplines he should undergo. If the disciple does not accept this, there is no point in his sitting at a teacher’s feet. He will reject the only truly valuable thing the teacher has to offer. Theories, arguments, dissertations can all be found in books; the impact of one person on another is quite a different matter. It is this acceptance of what amounts to the teacher’s omniscience, certainly in the matter of the pupil’s development, that is the basis for the surrender that the novice must make: it is precisely for this reason that he is not a student but a disciple. (31) The proper attitude on the part of the student is crucial to the success of the teacher-student relationship. Honouring and respecting the teacher benefits the disciple not the teacher. Trust and belief in the teacher implies a positive attitude and posture which develops a higher capacity in the student. “People who cannot trust are themselves not trustworthy, and therefore cannot be entrusted with important things.”

14

The relationship with your teacher is the most important and complex relationship you can ever experience in life. It cannot be judged by ordinary social standards alone. You may try to evaluate and analyze whatever your teacher does and try to relate to that according to your own convictions, but you won’t get very far. You may even end up more confused. Sometimes everything seems just how it should be, and other times your expectations are not met at all. What is called for is a leap of faith. You have to let go of all your notions and take the teacher for what he or she is completely. This is called surrender and it has to be with a true master. (32) The concept of submission and obedience to a spiritual guide is widely misunderstood. “At some moment in many ordinary endeavours we place ourselves in the hands of others; when we learn to swim, when we have a suit made, when we learn a foreign language, or when we obtain treatment for a health problem. Spiritual studies are no different.” Gurdjieff stressed that obedience and subordination to the instructions and directions of a teacher must be a conscious decision on the part of the disciple, not based on fear, desire to please, or other motives: The most difficult thing here is that it is necessary to obey someone, to submit to someone. If a man could invent difficulties and sacrifices for himself, he would sometimes go very far. But the point here is that this is not possible. It is necessary to obey another or to follow the direction of general work, the control of which can belong only to one person. Such submission is the most difficult thing that there can be for a man who thinks that he is capable of deciding anything or of doing anything. Of course, when he gets rid of these fantasies and sees what he really is, the difficulty disappears. This, however, can only take place in the course of work. (33) Although trust and obedience are essential in the relationship between a teacher and a student, there may come a point when the student is unable to continue working with a teacher and needs to find a more compatible guide: A healthy skepticism need not be corrosive of essential trust and wholehearted practice. Students will not feel a need to question credentials if they are deepening their insight under severe and compassionate guidance. However, if they feel strain, or become troubled by the relationship, or repeatedly find themselves in situations of moral or psychological ambiguity with their teacher, they should simply exercise their normal critical faculties. After practicing wholeheartedly and giving the teacher the benefit of the doubt, a student may reach a point where it would be wise to seek another guide or another group. In any case, the teacher need not be confused with the teaching. The fact that a teacher turns out to have deep flaws, or that the chemistry of the relationship between student and teacher has not

15

worked well, need not vitiate the promise of Zen training or preclude the possibility of training under another guide. (34) The teacher-student relationship fulfills its greatest promise when both transcend the roles of ‘teacher’ and ‘pupil’: The relationship between teacher and disciple is quite magical. The teacher never takes you for an ignorant person, never takes you for a disciple, because he does not take himself for a teacher. To take oneself for a teacher is a restriction, and to take yourself for an ignorant person, a disciple, is a restriction. The moment you become free from this restriction there is a current, a current of oneness. You should feel yourself really free from the teacher, because the teaching is that you become free, free from yourself, from what you are not. To feel yourself, in the highest sense, absolutely free, you must not be bound to anything or anyone, or any institution. It is quite simple. Being free is freedom from everything. Affection never binds you. In affection there is freedom. (35)

Choosing a Teacher, Selecting a Student The first real step in the spiritual life of an intending disciple is to find a guide on the Path. This initiates the teacher-student relationship: “He is a Master who may teach without it being totally labelled teaching; he is a student who can learn without being obsessed by learning.” Q: how does the teacher overcome the fixed but unperceived biases of the student? A: Let us look at the relative positions of the teacher and the student. The student regards the teacher as someone who has a quantity of something, and will give him a part of it. Or he may look upon him as someone who knows a method of achieving something. The teacher sees the student as someone who is eligible for gaining a portion of something. In another sense he looks upon him as someone who can achieve something. Each in its own way, the attitudes of the two have a connection. The problem of the teacher is greater than the problem of the student. One reason for this is that the student is anxious to learn but seldom realizes that he can learn only under the conditions which make this learning possible. (36) It is difficult for the seeker to know at which point in the spiritual journey a guide becomes absolutely necessary. “The stage at which the guidance can take effect is seldom, if ever, perceptible to the learner. Those who say ‘I am ready to learn,’ or ‘I am not ready to learn’ are as often mistaken as they are correct in their surmise.” In some cases, according to esoteric

16

tradition, there occurs a moment of recognition in which teacher and student understand that they are destined to work together. Real teachers also discourage would-be disciples who lack the preparation and inner capacity to understand higher truths. It is said that the teacher discovers the student, and not the other way around. One of the problems of the would-be disciple is recognizing a genuine teacher, which requires a certain degree of inner perception and refinement. You cannot choose your teacher by logic. The reason is that logic does not extend into the field in which the teacher is operating. That is why it is better for the teacher to choose you. The so-called “choice” of a teacher is not a choice at all. What happens is this: The would-be disciple approaches the potential teacher and opens his heart to him. This means that he allows himself to become receptive to what the teacher is saying and doing. He must absorb something of the whole entity, the wholeness, the personage of the teacher and his works. Then a contract can be made. There is a recognition in the mind of the disciple that this is the teacher for him. (37) Traditional spiritual teachings provide useful descriptions of some of the essential qualities of a genuine enlightened teacher: Q: What are the distinctive characteristics of a Guru by which one can recognize him? A: The Guru is one who at all times abides in the profound depths of the Self. He never sees any difference between himself and others and is quite free from the idea that he is the Enlightened or the Liberated One, while those around him are in bondage or the darkness of ignorance. His selfpossession can never be shaken under any circumstances and he is never perturbed. (38) A real teacher does not pursue or advertise for potential students, but rather offers and indicates a teaching for those who are open and receptive. The promising student will often feel an inner response to the teacher independent of his or her outward appearance or behaviour: Q: How can I find a Guru whom I can trust? A: Your own heart will tell you. There is no difficulty in finding a Guru because the Guru is in search of you. The Guru is always ready; you are not ready. You have to be ready to learn; or you may meet your Guru and waste your chance by sheer inattentiveness and obstinacy.

17

Q: Must I not examine the teacher before I put myself entirely into his hands? A: By all means examine! But what can you find out? Only as he appears to you on your own level. Q: I should at least expect him to be a man of self-control who lives a righteous life. A: Such you will find many – and of no use to you. A Guru can show the way back home, to your real self. What has this to do with the character or temperament of the person he appears to be? The only way you can judge is by the change in yourself when you are in his company. If you feel more at peace and happy, if you understand yourself with more than usual clarity and depth, it means you have met the right man. (39) Potential students must learn to develop trust and faith in their teacher in order to be real disciples on the Path. The relationship between a teacher and a student is one of mutual respect and responsibility: The basis of the relationship between a Master and a student in the Tradition is quite clear. It is an agreement between two people, under which the pupil accepts to learn. The Master undertakes to teach, and takes the responsibility for guiding the pupil. It is a free association, and this is what gives it its strength. If both parties to the agreement do not fulfil their promise, then the activity between the two will not function. (40) In order for the teacher and student to work together effectively there must be an affinity and congruence between the two and a mutual understanding of the principles of self-work: In work of this nature there can be no sort of criticism, no sort of “disagreement” with this or that person. On the contrary, all work consists in doing what the leader indicates, understanding in conformance with his opinions even those things that he does not say plainly, helping him in everything that he does. There can be no other attitude towards the work. A most important thing in the work was to remember that one came to learn and to take no other role upon oneself. At the same time this does not mean that a man has no choice or that he is obliged to follow something which does not respond to what he is seeking. If a man has begun to work with a leader whom he cannot follow, then of course, having noticed and realized this, he ought to go and seek another leader or work independently, if he is able to do so. (41) There is always an element of uncertainty in choosing a spiritual teacher as the seeker is entering unknown and unpredictable territory:

18

How do you know whether you have found the right teacher? You have to follow your own intuition. Only a heart-to-heart connection makes true communion possible. What is required is faith in your teacher’s realization and his ability to help you accomplish the Way. Approaching a teacher, you walk on uncertain ground. Nobody has any idea what is going to happen. A true teacher lives in the present moment and responds to the living situation. Because it is so unpredictable it never feels safe. There are people who say that students need to feel safe with a teacher, but with a true master, there is always risk involved. How can you feel safe with someone who carries a double-edged sword, giving and taking life without blinking an eye? (42)

Role and Function of the Teacher The function and role of a teacher is much like that of a ‘herdsman’ who guides others with the power of certainty. “As a shepherd he can look after the external needs of the flock; he has the inner qualities to cater for their essential progress.” The spiritual influence of a teacher on his or her students has been compared to that of a parent of a young child: The teacher fulfils the dual roles traditionally ascribed to a father and a mother. Alternately he is the strict, reproving father who prods and chastens and the gentle loving mother who comforts and encourages. When the student slackens his effort he is coaxed or goaded, when he displays pride he is rebuked; and conversely, when he is assailed by doubt or driven to despair he is encouraged and uplifted. An accomplished teacher thus combines stern detachment with warm concern, flexibility, and an egolessness that can never be mistaken for weakness . . . Because his words are charged with the force and immediacy of his liberated personality, what he says has the power to rejuvenate the student’s flagging spirit and reinvigorate his quest for enlightenment despite pain, frustration or temporary boredom. (43) The presence of a teacher is the bridge between the relative incapacity of the student and the finished product of a realized being. The student must learn how to learn, wanting higher knowledge is not enough. A paramount concern of the real or true sage is to entrust spiritual knowledge only to those who are properly prepared and can benefit from it. The teacher must make clear to the student “that this knowledge cannot endure together with competitiveness, boasting or a desire for power.” The role of the teacher is to open possibilities in students and guide their spiritual development by providing the necessary ‘nutrients’ at the most useful time: The teacher’s mission is to be in the service of those who can learn. He does not exist to please or displease anyone. To accord with the preconceptions of

19

others as to appearances is irrelevant to his functions. He works in accordance with the prospects of his students and the possibility of maintaining the continuation of the community of the Wise. He does not hand out formulas nor does he insist upon the performance of mechanical procedures. His knowledge, on the contrary, makes it possible for him to prescribe apposite studies for suitable people, at an indicated time, in the proper place. (44) An individual who has attained a state of integration or ‘completeness’ is able to perceive the barriers that prevent ordinary people from reaching such a state of development. He or she can then construct a teaching method, based on a combination of theory, practice and daily living, designed to facilitate arrival at this state of spiritual maturity: Q: How does one view the role of the guide in relation to the learner? Is he the source of knowledge, which he imparts; does he conduct the Seeker to places and experiences which cannot otherwise be reached? A: The process is like a journey. The teacher follows the path and knows it well. Then, in the case of each and every disciple, he retraces the way with him. This is allegorized as starting a circle with a point, which then describes a complete revolution and ends with the point, which is itself part of the circle. The teacher is also likened to the activity of a seed, which becomes a plant and which gives rise to another seed, which has to complete the cycle. (45) According to tradition, an enlightened teacher may exercise their teaching function in ways that are unsuspected by most students. “When you first meet him, he may seem to be very different from you. He is not. He may seem to be very much like you. He is not.” The teacher may employ a variety of methods to connect with the inner consciousness of the student: • • • • • •

Instruct and benefit the pupil whether they know it or not at the time. Say or do things which seem inconsistent or even incomprehensible to the student. Work on the basis of a rightly guided intuition which is in harmony with the essence of the Path or Way. Intentionally challenge or upset the pupil for their own good. Prescribe studies, activities and exercises whose importance can only be realized in hindsight. Unfold the path of enlightenment slowly and in stages which accord with the student’s needs and potentiality.

One of the most important functions of a spiritual teacher is to test students who report purported higher states of consciousness in order to determine if the experiences are genuine or products of the imagination or self-deception:

20

It is frequently claimed that genuine enlightenment ought to be self-validating and therefore no need for testing should arise. But self-deception is as strong here as in other realms of human behaviour, even stronger perhaps because of the very nature of enlightenment. It is all too easy for a novice to mistake visions, trances, hallucinations, insights, revelations, ecstasies, or even mental serenity for awakening. The oceanic feeling experienced by certain types of neurotics has likewise been confused with enlightenment since it conveys a sense of oneness with the universe. For all these reasons, and especially because the danger to the personality resulting from such self-deception is real, Zen teaching has always insisted that awakening be tested and confirmed by a master whose own enlightenment has, in turn, been sanctioned by an enlightened master. (46) The spiritual guide performs the role of a teacher only until the student reaches spiritual maturity and is independent and autonomous, free and liberated: The teacher’s aim is not to control the lives of his students but to make them strong enough to lead their own lives with awareness, equanimity and compassion. While it is also said in Zen that the teacher stands in place of the Buddha, this really means that he manifests the awakened Buddha-nature common to all. In any case, the authority of a teacher over his students extends for a limited period only. When they have completed their Zen training, approached his level of understanding, and “graduated,” his authority over them ceases. What remains is the disciple’s deep respect and gratitude towards their teacher. (47)

Ways and Methods of Teaching The way a teaching is presented is predicated on the teacher’s own experience and understanding. A teacher, having completed the spiritual journey, has an overview which students lack and can therefore devise effective methods which will work for each pupil: The most basic teaching is that the teaching itself is produced by the teacher as a consequence of his own experience. As soon as he has had the ultimate experience, he can see from that viewpoint how to bring it to others. He has become a teacher. Now, if in order to bring it to others he has to do or say things which do not seem to be spiritual or even relevant to those who cannot in any case judge, he will always find a way to bring the teaching to those who are open to understanding. (48)

21

The course of spiritual study is not fixed or constant. The wisdom and intuition of a living teacher determines how the teaching is projected. The instructor’s task is to assess the pupil’s potential and monitor, and help to conduct, the learner’s progress: The development and application of Sufism as a study will be organized and projected by the Sufi exponent (1) in light of his own experience rather than by means of repetitious doctrine, (2) in accordance with the actual potential of his students and not by speaking into a void, as it were, and (3) adapted to prevailing circumstances without cleaving to tradition for its own sake. The Sufi’s position is that he is someone who has experienced something, who sees how to impart it almost from moment to moment. He structures his method, almost instinctively, so as to help to achieve the desired end. This formulation constitutes the only development and application in which he is interested – indeed, in which he is competent. What is said and done is always subordinate to, and commanded by, a perception of what the learner needs at a given time or place, and under the prevailing circumstances, in order to arrive at similar perceptions. (49) In order to teach effectively, the instructor must understand the psychological makeup of the student. “You have to understand their shortcomings, problems, negativity, positivity, the ups and downs, and use whatever technique applies to that situation.” To avoid conditioning and indoctrination, the teacher must provide the “right stimulus at the right time for the right person.” And, in order for the teaching to be effective and properly digested, it must be presented to the student in a step-by-step fashion that takes into account an individual’s capacity and level of understanding: Ummon Bun’en Zenji taught by the model of a box and its lid. There must be a perfect fit. Reading the record of his instruction, we find a wide variety of styles. Each of his responses, however, like each of the responses of every authentic master, is cued to the time, the place, and the circumstances of the encounter. Included in the latter would be the exact nature of the student’s need. You don’t feed a baby a red pepper, no matter how hungry it may be. (50) The way in which a teacher instructs may not always be comprehensible to the students. One of the challenges of communicating an esoteric teaching is to “convey experiences which are not like anything that the ordinary person undergoes in life.” The subtle aspects of a spiritual teaching require the presence of an “expert” to intervene at critical times to ensure proper development. This process is analogous to the preparing of a meal by a master chef: Consider the method of seasoning a certain dish. The pot is put on the fire, together with some of the ingredients. Little by little, other items are added. As they cook, they release their substances and flavour, contributing to the total effect. In addition to this, certain spices are used. These condiments

22

are not merely dumped into the stew, they are measured out and put into the pot at certain stages of the cooking. This sort of technique is familiar to all cooks. There is an additional technique, however, which is less familiar. This is it: an individual condiment is not added all at once. It is measured into several portions. Each portion is added at a different time. The result is that each portion of the same condiment is giving off a flavour slightly different in accordance with its stage of cooking. Such a condiment may, therefore, contain more than one ‘flavour.’ It is working with subtleties of this rarefaction that distinguishes the prowess of the accomplished cook. (51) A teacher provides both individuals and groups with appropriate materials, exercises and experiences for the purpose of study and assimilation. “Learning, in education and teaching in general, requires expert guidance from outside, if that guidance does not exist inside the learner.” The teacher mediates the elements of learning, such as focus, balance, and the weight given to different impacts and experiences: Q: What are the roles of rituals and beliefs and studies for the Sufi? A: To be a Sufi and to study the Way is to have a certain attitude. This attitude is produced by the effect of Sufi teachers, who exercise the instrumental function in relation to the Seeker. Rituals and beliefs, and studies, can only have an instrumental effect suitable for Sufi progress when they are correctly used, and by people who are not affected by them in the customary manner. This has been very clearly laid down by Abul’ Hasan Nuri, over a thousand years ago: “A Sufi,” he says, “is one who is not bound by anything nor does he bind anything. This means that he does what he does from free choice and not from compulsion or conditioning. Equally, he is not attached to things and does not bind others to him.” (52) Traditionally, teachers have employed multiple ways of communicating the essence of their teaching to their students and followers: Rinzai, an early Chinese Zen master, analyzed how to teach his disciples in four ways. Sometimes he talked about the disciple himself; sometimes he talked about the teaching itself; sometimes he gave an interpretation of the disciple or the teaching; and finally, sometimes he did not give any instruction at all to his disciples. He knew that even without being given any instructions, a student is a student. Strictly speaking, there is no need to teach the student, because the student himself is Buddha, even though he may not be aware of it. (53) Unless traditional teaching methods are employed with skill and insight, they can become subtle barriers blocking the spiritual progress of the student:

23

Q: What do you think of traditional disciplines? A: There are many traditional disciplines but these cannot be used in a systematic way. As a teacher one has all these forms at one’s disposal. But all these techniques still keep alive the I-image. They keep you in the subjectobject relationship. Real tradition occurs when the one you call a teacher is completely without image. He or she does not live in the restriction of being a ‘teacher’ with something to teach, set ways of teaching, and disciplines. In his openness he brings you to freedom from your image. In this there is direct transmission; otherwise, you become stuck in forms and disciplines which can only lead to inflexibility and conditioned states. (54)

References (1) G.I. Gurdjieff Views from the Real World: Early Talks of Gurdjieff (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1973), pp. vi-vii. (2) Philip Kapleau Awakening to Zen (New York: Scribner, 1997), p. 253. (3) Jean Klein Who Am I? (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1988), p. 104. (4) Philip Kapleau Zen Dawn in the West (New York: Anchor Press, 1979), p. 35. (5) Thomas Cleary Rational Zen (Boston: Shambhala, 1995), p.193. (6) Charlotte Beck Everyday Zen (San Francisco: Harper, 1989), p. 16 (7) Idries Shah The Commanding Self (London: Octagon Press, 1994), pp. 187-188. (8) Philip Kapleau Zen Dawn in the West (New York: Anchor Press, 1979), pp. 30-31. (9) Idries Shah A Perfumed Scorpion (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 163-164. (10) Jean Klein Who Am I? (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1988), p. 118. (11) Jean Klein Who Am I? (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1988), pp. 105-106. (12) Peter Brent “Learning and Teaching” in The World of the Sufi (Idries Shah, ed.) (London: Octagon Press, 1979), p. 220. (13) Idries Shah Learning How to Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 120. (14) Idries Shah Seeker After Truth (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 22-23. (15) Eckhart Tolle Stillness Speaks (Vancouver: Namaste Publishing, 2003), p. ix. (16) Omar Ali-Shah Sufism for Today (New York: Alif Publishing, 1993), pp. 60-61. (17) P. D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 202. (18) Idries Shah The Commanding Self (London: Octagon Press, 1994), pp. 34-35. (19) Thomas Cleary Rational Zen (Boston: Shambhala, 1995), pp.193-194. (20) F.X. O’Halloran “A Catholic Among Sufis” in The Sufi Mystery (N.P. Archer, ed.) (London: Octagon Press, 1980), pp. 27-28. (21) Ramana Maharshi The Spiritual Teachings of Ramana Maharshi (Boston: Shambhala, 1988), p. 49. (22) Peter Brent “The Classical Masters” in The World of the Sufi (Idries Shah, ed.) (London: Octagon Press, 1979), p. 25.

24

(23) Rafael Lefort The Teachers of Gurdjieff (London: Victor Gollancz, 1973), pp. 56-57. (24) Rafael Lefort The Teachers of Gurdjieff (London: Victor Gollancz, 1973), p. 79. (25) Desmond Martin “A Session with a Western Sufi” in The Elephant in the Dark and Other Writings on the Diffusion of Sufi Ideas in the West (Leonard Lewin, ed.) (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1973), pp. 148-149. (26) Idries Shah Knowing How to Know (London: Octagon Press, 1998), pp. 59-60. (27) Idries Shah Knowing How to Know (London: Octagon Press, 1998), pp. 45-46. (28) Garma Chang The Practice of Zen (New York: Harper & Row, 1970), p. 161. (29) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), pp. 460-461. (30) Philip Kapleau “The Private Encounter with the Master” in Zen Tradition and Transition (Kenneth Kraft, ed.) (New York: Grove Press, 1989), pp. 48-49. (31) Peter Brent “Learning and Teaching” in The World of the Sufi (Idries Shah, ed.) (London: Octagon Press, 1979), p. 214. (32) Dennis Merzel Beyond Sanity and Madness (Rutland, Vermont: Charles E. Tuttle, 1994), pp. 99-100. (33) P. D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 240. (34) Martin Collcutt “Problems of Authority in Western Zen” in Zen Tradition and Transition (Kenneth Kraft, ed.) (New York: Grove Press, 1989), p. 204. (35) Jean Klein Open to the Unknown (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publications, 1992), p. 81. (36) Idries Shah Learning How to Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 128. (37) O.M. Burke Among the Dervishes (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1975), pp. 101-102. (38) Ramana Maharshi The Teachings of Ramana Maharshi (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1978), p. 97. (39) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), pp. 272-273. (40) Omar Ali-Shah The Sufi Tradition in the West (New York: Alif Publishing, 1994), p. 59. (41) P. D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 374. (42) Dennis Merzel Beyond Sanity and Madness (Rutland, Vermont: Charles E. Tuttle, 1994), pp. 62-63. (43) Philip Kapleau The Three Pillars of Zen (New York: Anchor Books, 1989), p. 96. (44) Idries Shah Learning How to Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 194. (45) Idries Shah Knowing How to Know (London: Octagon Press, 1998), pp. 315-316. (46) Philip Kapleau The Three Pillars of Zen (New York: Anchor Books, 1989), p. 99. (47) Philip Kapleau “The Private Encounter with the Master” in Zen Tradition and Transition (Kenneth Kraft, ed.) (New York: Grove Press, 1989), p. 65. (48) Djaleddin Ansari “Basic Teachings of the Sufis” in Sufi Thought and Action (Idries Shah, ed.) (London: Octagon Press, 1990), p. 207. (49) Idries Shah Neglected Aspects of Sufi Study (London: Octagon Press, 1990), pp. 49-50. (50) Robert Aitken “Foreword” in On Zen Practice II (Taizan Maezumi and Bernard Glassman, eds.) (Los Angeles: Zen Center of Los Angeles, 1976), p. xii.

25

(51) Idries Shah The Commanding Self (London: Octagon Press, 1994), p. 89. (52) Idries Shah Seeker After Truth (London: Octagon Press, 1985), p. 24. (53) Shunryu Suzuki Zen Mind, Beginners Mind (New York: Weatherhill, 1973), p. 77. (54) Jean Klein Who Am I? (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1988), p. 109.

26

‘CRAZY WISDOM’ SPIRITUAL TEACHERS ‘None attains to Ultimate Truth until a thousand honest people have called him a heretic’ Junaid

Unusual Conduct and Behaviour One of the most unusual types of spiritual guide is the ‘crazy wisdom’ teacher who employs a radical style of teaching designed to shock the conventional mind. Such teachers are masters of surprise, contradiction and ambiguity: There is a world-wide tradition of spiritual adepts whose behavior and teachings prove shocking to ordinary moral sensibilities and challenge widely held norms of thought and conduct. These are the crazy adepts of Tibetan Buddhism, the eccentric teachers of Ch’an (Zen) and the holy fools of Christianity and Islam, the avadhutas and bauls of Hinduism and the tricksters and religious clowns of tribal traditions. In order to teach spiritual truths, these masters often adopt quite unconventional means – certainly means that are not ordinarily associated with holy folk. Their generally outrageous behavior does not at all conform to our cherished ideas of religiosity, morality, and sanctity. (1) The teacher’s actions may seem inexplicable to an outsider: “The teacher may appear nonsensical when he is talking or behaving in terms of an extra cognition, imperceptible to the ordinary person.” The behaviour of the teacher may appear at times bizarre, unpredictable or meaningless; he may act in ways that are flippant, domineering, cold, manic or tyrannical, he may scream as though gripped by fury, sit in disapproving silence or set the disciple a flurry of apparently inconsequential tasks. Any outsider might well conclude from his behaviour that he is mad; even the novice may realize only long afterwards what the teacher’s true intentions were. (2) The ‘crazy-wisdom’ teacher may be seen as the ultimate exemplar of ‘indirect teaching’ in which the teacher achieves results by oblique action, usually baffling observers. “Disciples suspect the nature of this activity in proportion to their degree of inner perception, but the behaviour of the ‘crazed-saint’ remains incomprehensible to outside observers.” The strange behaviour of a ‘crazy-wisdom’ teacher may also be understood in the context of part of a developmental process of inner transformation created by the friction set up by the deliberate

1

creation of an environment of blame and abuse. By enduring opprobrium a person may ‘refine’ themselves and have their resilience tested. There is a nascent literature on the behaviour and activities of teachers from many spiritual traditions who fall in the ‘crazed-saint’ category. (3) Some of their qualities include: • • • • • • • • • • • •

Supernatural powers Healing abilities Physical and sexual indulgences Takes, redistributes money Engages in secret charity Goes against the norms of society Opposed by orthodox secular and religious authorities Attracts followers drawn by the lure of the strange and mysterious Makes no attempt to hide or explain their unconventional behaviour Employs music, dance, movements and exercises regarded as ‘improper’ by the orthodox Alternates harmony and opposition, piety and impiety Spends a great deal of time in both mortification and indulgence – the twin operation of these, their polarity, releases an inner power which can be transmitted to others

A teacher may violate accepted norms of behaviour or the superficial canons of appearance in order to demonstrate to those who are perceptive that conduct alone does not demonstrate interior worth. By attacking the derivative and secondary, a teacher will draw attention to the essential or real element in a situation or event. In certain situations the behaviour of a ‘crazy wisdom’ teacher may appear so shocking that it seems to transgress conventional moral standards. It may be virtually impossible to understand such actions unless the true motivation of the teacher is known or perceived. A famous Zen story illustrates this point: One day, in the monastery of Nan Chuan, the monks of the East and West wing had a dispute over the possession of a cat. They all came to Nan Chuan for arbitration. Holding a knife in one hand and the cat in the other, Nan Chuan said, “If any one of you can say the right thing, this cat will be saved; otherwise it will be cut into two pieces!” None of the monks could say anything. Nan Chuan then killed the cat. In the evening, when senior monk Chao Chou returned to the monastery, Nan Chuan asked him what he would have said had he been there at the time. Chao Chou took off his straw sandals, put them upon his head, and walked out. Whereupon Nan Chuan commented: “Oh, if you had only been there, the cat would have been saved!” (4)

2

Although spiritual masters generally condemn violence, there may be certain situations where apparently violent behaviour is necessary and appropriate: All acts of violence are in principle born from egotistical states. An egoless man is therefore, in principle, non-violent. But non-violence should not be turned into a sort of taboo. There are certain definite cases where the use of force, of compulsion, even violence, is imperative. In such cases the egoless man will make use of such force and may apparently act with violence. But it goes without saying that this will be a mere appearance since his action is completely devoid of desire or fear. The non-egotistic man, from his very nature, neutralizes violence and spreads around him the peace which is within him. However, he may be led – I repeat very exceptionally – to employ force, his motivation being pure, that is non-egotistical. (5) One characteristic of a genuine teacher is the ability to play a ‘role’ appropriate for a given situation. Gurdjieff was a master of role-playing: Another aspect of Gurdjieff was his ability on the one hand to make himself almost invisible and on the other to make himself appear like one of the Rishis, blazing with energy and radiance. When visitors were being shown around the grounds they would sometimes pass him with only a glance, like an American who was talking to me about what a wonderful man Mr. Gurdjieff must be, and that he would like to meet him. Just then Gurdjieff passed by and went into the house. “That is Mr. Gurdjieff,” I said. “Well,” he replied, “isn’t that queer! I spoke to him in the grounds and thought he was the gardener.” In ordinary life people play roles unconsciously. Gurdjieff played them consciously, and those who worked closely with him usually knew when he was playing a role. In A Letter to a Dervish he wrote: “The sign of a perfected man and his particularity in ordinary life must be that in regard to everything happening outside of him, he is able to, and can as a worthy action, perform to perfection externally the part corresponding to the given situation; but at the same time never blend or agree with it.” (6) Playing a role or pretending to be other than what one really is may be a form of ‘conductteaching’ employed in order to illustrate an essential truth. An interesting historical example of such a technique involves the Sufi teacher Hatim of Balkh who was known as ‘The Deaf.’ One day he saw a fly caught in a spider web and spoke to it, for the edification of those present, saying that it had been deceived by something attractive and desirable, but had only managed to get itself caught: This analogy of the human condition was further given point by the audience when they realized that Hatim’s attention had been attracted to the buzzing of the fly, which other people could hardly hear: and yet it was he who was supposed to be deaf. Hatim explained that he was not deaf at all. He pretended

3

that he could not hear because then he would not be expected to listen to praise or opposition intended to influence him. If people thought him deaf, those who surrounded him would say what they really thought about him. (7) A sage may use ‘deception’ or indirect teaching to obtain a positive result that could not have been attained in any other way: Q: How can you justify influencing people against their wishes? Can any good come from deception? A: You could call deception doing something without the knowledge of another person. Well, what about secret charity? What about helping someone while pretending not to? Your idea of deception is likely to be flawed, to say the least; people use these catch-phrases without thinking about them. (8) The words and actions of a spiritually enlightened individual may be at variance with the norms of society since it is ultimately based on higher understanding and perception of a higher spiritual order. Many realized beings throughout history have been called ‘idiots’ or ‘mad’ since this is the only conclusion that an ordinary person can reach about behaviour which is linked with ‘something beyond.’ According to the Sufi Haidar Gul: ‘There is a limit beyond which it is unhealthy for mankind to conceal truth in order not to offend those whose minds are closed.’ In some cases a teacher may act quickly and paradoxically in a situation based on a higher perception of events. A traditional Sufi teaching tale “The Horseman and the Snake” illustrates this point: A horseman from his point of vantage saw a poisonous snake slip down the throat of a sleeping man. The horseman realized that if the man were allowed to sleep the venom would surely kill him. Accordingly he lashed the sleeper until he was awake. Having no time to lose, he forced the man to a place where there were a number of rotten apples lying upon the ground and made him eat them. Then he made him drink large gulps of water from a stream. Finally, when he was near to exhaustion, and dusk was falling, the man fell to the ground and vomited out the apples, the water and the snake. When he saw what had come out of him, he realized what had happened, and begged the forgiveness of the horseman. Those who are endowed with knowledge have responsibility. Those who are not, have none beyond what they can conjecture. (9) A teacher may seem to be unheeding of the feelings of others or otherwise out of step with society. Their actions spring from the fact that they have glimpsed the true character of a situation and have realized that etiquette and proper behaviour are relative to the situation: ‘If the house is on fire, you will act accordingly.’

4

A direct perception of cause and effect underlies many of the unusual words and actions of ‘crazy wisdom’ teachers: “Most people have no idea that the most trivial-seeming actions may have extremely far-reaching effects. Only occasionally are cause and effect seen in a short run within a contracted time-scale, giving an equivalence of what we are talking about.” A true story with a hidden inner dimension encapsulates this concept: The French playwright Victorien Sardou was sitting at a table during a dinner when he upset a glass of wine. A lady by his side, to prevent the liquid from staining the cloth, poured salt on it. Spilt salt, to some people, means bad luck. To counteract this, a pinch is thrown over the shoulder, and Sardou did just this. The salt got into the eyes of the waiter who was trying to serve him, and the chicken on a plate which he held fell to the ground. The dog of the house started to gobble the chicken, and a bone lodged in his throat so that it began to choke. The hostess’s son tried to get the bone out of the dog’s throat. Now the dog turned on the youth and bit his finger so hard that it had to be amputated. The waiter, the dog and the son of the house were all acting automatically, through the secondary self: a mixture of greed, hope, fear and conditioning. Only the woman acted for practical reasons: but her attempt to retrieve the situation was foiled by the playwright, whose second action – throwing the salt over his shoulder – set the whole train of actions going. (10)

Unconventional Teaching Techniques In some spiritual traditions, such as Tibetan Buddhism, prospective disciples are exposed to difficult trials and tests before they are accepted as students: “If a teacher did not test a pupil’s trust, he or she would be cheating the pupil by pre-empting the pupil’s ever-present option to leave.” A teacher may test the fortitude of a disciple or use seemingly harsh measures in order to develop higher capacities and perceptions in the student. Tibetan lamas are well known for confronting spiritual aspirants with any number of fierce tests – not least personal abuse – though perhaps in the interest of preserving their teachings, many have adopted somewhat milder manners with eager Western students. Traditionally, at any rate, the spiritual seeker could expect to pass through a period of trials before being accepted by a Tibetan adept teacher. And after his or her initiation, the disciple was subject to still more severe testing. There is no sanctuary for the ego-personality in spiritual discipleship. The teacher’s function is precisely to make all egoic retreat impossible. And some gurus are more ruthlessly surgical in performing this task than others. (11) One classic method of deterring unsuitable people is to compel them to conclude that the teacher is worthless or insignificant. And sometimes teachers may find it necessary to

5

deliberately exhibit bizarre behaviour as a means of extricating themselves from difficult situations. This is summed up in the phrase: ‘Always be careful to make a bad impression on undesirables.’ Q: I would like to know if you deliberately set out to affront or discourage people by what might be called dissimulation. Do you, in fact, make some people think that you are not what you really are, in order to get rid of them? A: You are right. You see, if you try to persuade someone of the truth of what you are saying, you may succeed or you may not. If you succeed, you may have succeeded only in inducing belief, not in communicating usefulness. If you do not succeed, you might as well get rid of the person. If you make them think that you are useless to them, this is kinder than making them think that they have not “passed a test” or anything like that. Q: Then what are you seeking in people? A: Capacity to be, to serve, to understand. (12) Sometimes a teacher may play a calculated role in order to create an impression designed to discourage or deflect unsuitable people. Gurdjieff was a master of the technique: With officials, for example, he could play the role of a simple man, almost devoid of intelligence, and so disarm them. Once, two psychologists from England came to the Prieuré on their way to a conference in Geneva. Gurdjieff gave them a wonderful lunch, but every time they asked him a question he turned it aside with a joke. After lunch he took them for a walk round the grounds and back to the Study house, cracking jokes and behaving like an eccentric. The men were bewildered. When they left his attitude changed. “Now,’ he said, “they will leave me in peace to pursue my aim.” (13) Some teachers have a reputation for being ill-tempered, due to their primary concern of reaching their objectives rather than caring what others think of them. There is a saying: ‘A tactful teacher is no teacher at all.’ Some people, of course, are so wilful that even if you tell them you are not going to compromise with fixed biases, they will continue to battle. In such cases the teacher will disappoint their expectations by making themselves out to be unsuitable to the student, borrowing from the Path of Blame techniques. Even then, the delinquent student may not be able to understand what is going on, and will put all kinds of fanciful interpretations on the matter. (14)

6

The behaviour of a teacher who possesses unfamiliar knowledge of a higher order may have to accord with the need to communicate such knowledge, and not with the expectations of the student. The teacher will sacrifice his repute, even appear “inconsistent,” for the sake of the effectiveness of the teachings they wish to transmit: The teacher will seem to be, at different times, impatient, vacillatory, inconsistent, lacking in foresight. His disciples will regularly try to ignore or explain away these techniques (for techniques they undoubtedly are) and in doing so will miss the intended point. In the West, we cannot bear untidiness, lack of answers to questions, absence of a system which we try to find and to cause to work. These things work admirably in ordinary organizations, but according to the observed workings of mystical schools, they are a hindrance. There is an additional barrier. If the alteration of mood, change in circumstances and so on applied by the mentor so powerfully affects the learner that in his ordinary life he ceases to be efficient, he has failed. From the psychological point of view it might be said that the indolent or confusing behaviour of the teacher is a means of testing; but it would seem to me that it is intended to reflect the habits of mind of the students, so that they may learn from them, as much as anything else. (15) At times teachers may apply a powerful emotional shock to provide experiences conducive to the spiritual ripening and development of a student: In certain personalities certain shocks are needed to turn the mind out of a groove. The needed shocks come in the form of intense emotional excitement such as anger, indignation, humiliation, etc. Such passions, when incited to a certain degree of intensity, acquire an extraordinary power to break through the limits of consciousness which we generally set for it. In other words, an intense emotional disturbance often awakens in us a mysterious power of which we have ordinarily been unaware. (16) Anger which is consciously controlled and not the product of emotional reaction may be skilfully applied in certain situations as a teaching device. A teacher may employ anger for dynamic purposes, to challenge or motivate someone, not to harm or humiliate them: Q: Can anger ever be reaction-free? A: Yes. There is a divine anger but then it is not really anger. It is a kind of activity that is unrelated to any self-image. From outside it may look like anger but it is not anger. It is completely free from reaction and leaves no residue. The moment the situation is over it completely dissolves. (17)

7

Certain spiritual traditions have historically used unexpected physical techniques in an effort to test disciples and open their eyes to spiritual truths: Tokusan (780 – 866), a great monk of the late T’ang Dynasty, was noted for swinging his staff. His favorite saying was, “No matter what you say, whether ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ you will get thirty blows just the same.” He once gave a sermon in which he said, “If you ask, you are at fault; if you do not, you are also in the wrong.” A monk came forward prepared to make his bow, when Tokusan struck him with his staff. The monk protested: “I was just going to bow to you, and why this blow?” “If I waited for you to open your mouth, the blow would be no use whatever,” said Tokusan. (18) The behaviour and methods used by a teacher may seem unusual and at variance with ordinary social conventions. “Some people say that a spiritual teacher should have no emotions or be totally balanced. We say that a spiritual teacher must be a person who can be totally balanced, but not one who cannot help but be balanced.” The unusual and sometimes bewildering methods employed by a teacher to instruct his or her pupils are a means to an end designed to bypass the logical rational mind: Contradiction, negation, or paradoxical statement is the inevitable result of the Zen way of looking at life. The whole emphasis of its discipline is placed on the intuitive grasping of the inner truth deeply hidden in our consciousness. And this truth thus revealed or awakened within oneself defies intellectual manipulation, or at least cannot be imparted to others through any dialectic formulas. It must come out of oneself, grow within oneself, and become one with one’s own being. What others – that is, ideas or images – can do is to indicate the way where lies the truth. This is what Zen masters do. And the indications given by them are naturally unconventionally free and refreshingly original. As their eyes are always fixed on the ultimate truth itself, anything and everything they can command is utilized to accomplish the end, regardless of its logical condition and consequences. (19)

The ‘Path of Blame’ In Sufism, teachers of ‘crazy wisdom’ are termed ‘Malamati’ or followers of the ‘Path of Blame.’ They may find it necessary in their teaching function to incur feelings of opposition in others, in order to challenge fixed ideas and assumptions. The ‘Malamati’ procedure involves incurring blame for a higher purpose, undermining all ordinary comfortable beliefs that one can judge by appearances: “A Sufi may allow himself to be attacked, to dramatize a situation . . . incurring reproach to illustrate its absurdity, or the shallowness of the attacker, or the superficiality of the audience.”

8

Individuals who follow the ‘Malamati’ approach do not worry about appearances, image or the impression made on others. They incur reproach, take no care of their repute, and simply do and say what they consider right. They follow the injunction: ‘Enduring the criticism of others may be part of doing good to them.’ Centuries before the Zen masters in Japan found that you could disarm an opponent by using his strength against him, the Sufis did the same thing with words and appearances. It fitted in well with their contention that so-called ‘reality’ is in any case comparative, subjective. This is how it works: someone vilifies a Sufi. He answers: “Everything that you say against me is true, and it does not even go far enough. In fact, in the nature of things, you can only have an incomplete idea of how bad I am. I am the one who knows all the secret failings and shortcomings in me, and it is I therefore who am an expert on my iniquity.” (20) Teachers of the ‘Malamati’ persuasion (‘People of Opprobrium’) deliberately annoy others and behave badly so that “only the sincere and perceptive among would-be disciples can bear their company.” But, they have a higher aim in mind: Q: You have spoken of the Path of Blame. Can you say more about this? A: The teacher incurs ‘blame.’ He may, for instance, attribute a bad action to himself, in order to teach a disciple the way to behave without directly criticizing him. Direct criticism of a bad characteristic cannot always be used to overcome that obstacle. This is where the Malamati expertise comes in. If you say “I have such a bad habit of doing or thinking such and such” you remove the personal aspect and prevent the remark from being fought off or absorbed by the learner’s self-esteem. Many people follow the Malamati (blameworthy) behaviour, even making themselves out to be wrongdoers, in order to highlight these characteristics in others. The reason for this is that when a person sees someone saying or doing something, he will tend to judge him by himself. This is what Rumi and others call “holding up a mirror to oneself and calling the image the other person.” (21) One of the most interesting and unusual exemplars of the ‘Path of Blame’ is the traditional Sufi teaching figure Mulla Nasrudin. One of his favorite sayings is ‘Enjoy yourself, or try to learn – you will annoy someone. If you do not – you will annoy someone.’ Mulla Nasrudin is a folk hero of timeless appeal who plays the part of the ‘wise fool’ and countless other characters in many Sufi teaching stories. His role changes: sometimes he is the sage, sometimes the fool, he may be a courtier, beggar, physician, judge or teacher. The Nasrudin stories, known throughout the Middle East, constitute one of the strangest achievements in the history of metaphysics. Superficially, most of the Nasrudin stories may be used as jokes. But it is inherent in the

9

Nasrudin story that it may be understood at any one of many depths. There is the joke, the moral – and the little extra which brings the consciousness of the potential mystic a little further on the way to realization. (22) Nasrudin’s humorous exploits are employed by the Sufis as a teaching device to illustrate the characteristic patterns of human thought and behaviour: The Mulla is variously described as very stupid, improbably clever, the possessor of mystical secrets. The Sufis, who believe that deep intuition is the only real guide to knowledge, use these stories almost like exercises. They ask people to choose a few which especially appeal to them, and to turn them over in the mind, making them their own. Teaching masters of the dervishes say that in this way a breakthrough into a higher wisdom can be affected. (23) Mulla Nasrudin frequently appears in Sufi teaching stories as a comic figure: “Humour cannot be prevented from spreading; it is a way of slipping through the patterns of thought which are imposed upon mankind by habit and design.” Nasrudin’s words and actions are often inexplicable and may appear mad to the onlooker: One Nasrudin story, showing how the right result comes for the Sufi through a special mechanism (‘the wrong method’ to the uninitiated), explains much of the seeming eccentricities of Sufis: Two men came before Nasrudin when he was acting in his capacity as a magistrate. One said, “This man has bitten my ear – I demand compensation.” The other said, “He bit it himself.” Nasrudin adjourned the case and withdrew to his chambers. There he spent half an hour trying to bite his own ear. All that he succeeded in doing was falling over in the attempt, and bruising his forehead. Then he returned to the courtroom. “Examine the man whose ear was bitten,” he ordered. “If his forehead Is bruised, he did it himself, and the case is dismissed. If not, the other one did it, and the bitten man is compensated with three silver pieces.” The right verdict had been arrived at by seemingly illogical methods. Here Nasrudin arrived at the correct answer, irrespective of the apparent logic of the situation. In another story, himself adopting the role of fool (“the Path of Blame,” to the Sufi), Nasrudin illustrates, in extreme form, ordinary human thinking: Someone asked Nasrudin to guess what he had in his hand. “Give me a clue,” said the Mulla. “I will give you several,” said the wag. “It is shaped like an egg, egg-sized, looks, tastes and smells like an egg. Inside it is yellow and white. It is liquid within before you cook it, coalesces with heat. It was moreover, laid by a hen . . .” “I know!” interrupted the Mulla. “It is some sort of cake.” (24)

10

Misuse of Unorthodox Methods Unconventional teaching techniques can only be carried out successfully by those with the requisite knowledge to apply the method correctly. “The temptation to apply the technique in a mass form is one which characterizes ‘strayed’ or small-potential instructors. Malamati behaviour can only be used with great care.” One of the marks of a real teaching is that an actual inner development follows teaching practices that involve deliberate obfuscation and bewilderment. The student actually benefits from the experience. Many unconventional methods have been taken out of context or copied mechanically with predictable results. The use of techniques such as deliberate and controlled anger can easily be misused and must be applied very carefully and precisely to be effective: Because Zen enlightenment is ultimately beyond words, teachers have been known to use other means of communicating impressions. Among the more dramatic of their techniques were various shock tactics. Surprising blows and shouts, for example, are known to have been employed by some ancient Zen masters to produce specific effects in the minds of seekers. These devices are also known to have been widely mimed. Thus they were transformed into forms of pretence and mystification. (25) Although unorthodox teaching techniques are open to abuse, it is important not to dismiss them out of hand without first trying to understand why they are being applied and in what context: It is natural enough that we should feel offended by some of the escapades of crazy-wisdom masters. But instead of taking the easy option of righteous indignation, wholesale condemnation, or angry retaliation for our offended sensibilities, our first obligation is to cultivate the light of understanding, including self-understanding. In some cases, however, a crazy-wisdom teacher may well have been guilty of overzealousness and misjudgment that caused harm to another human being. This raises serious questions about the appropriateness and usefulness of crazy-wisdom teachings in our time, and also about the moral and criminal liability of teachers who work in this manner. (26)

References (1) Georg Feuerstein Holy Madness (New York: Paragon House, 1991), pp. xix-xx. (2) Peter Brent “Learning and Teaching” in The World of the Sufi (Idries Shah, ed.) (London: Octagon Press, 1979), p. 216. (3) Ernest Scott The People of the Secret (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 229-230.

11

(4) Garma Chang The Practice of Zen (New York: Harper & Row, 1970), p. 24. (5) Jean Klein Be Who You Are (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1989), p. 66. (6) C.S. Nott Teachings of Gurdjieff: The Journal of a Pupil (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1962), p. 112. (7) Idries Shah Learning How to Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 119. (8) Idries Shah The Commanding Self (London: Octagon Press, 1994), pp. 197-198. (9) Idries Shah Tales of the Dervishes (London: Octagon Press, 1982), p. 140. (10) Idries Shah Seeker After Truth (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 125-126. (11) Georg Feuerstein Holy Madness (New York: Paragon House, 1991), p. 34. (12) O.M. Burke Among the Dervishes (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1975), p. 160. (13) C.S. Nott Teachings of Gurdjieff: The Journal of a Pupil (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1962), p. 112. (14) Idries Shah Learning How to Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 130. (15) William Foster “Teaching Techniques” in New Research on Current Philosophical Systems (London: Octagon Press, 1982), pp. 11-12. (16) D.T. Suzuki Living by Zen (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1976), p. 170. (17) Jean Klein Who Am I? (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1988), p. 10. (18) D.T. Suzuki Living by Zen (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1976), pp. 24-25. (19) D.T. Suzuki Essays in Zen Buddhism (New York: Grove Press, 1961), p. 281. (20) Djaleddin Ansari “Basic Teachings of the Sufis” in Sufi Thought and Action (Idries Shah, ed.) (London: Octagon Press, 1990), p. 204 (21) Idries Shah The Commanding Self (London: Octagon Press, 1994), p. 323. (22) Idries Shah The Sufis (New York: Anchor Books, 1971), p. 63. (23) Idries Shah The Exploits of the Incomparable Mulla Nasrudin (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. ix-x. (24) Idries Shah The Sufis (New York: Anchor Books, 1971), pp. 75-76. (25) Thomas Cleary Zen Essence (Boston: Shambhala, 1989), p. 113. (26) Georg Feuerstein Holy Madness (New York: Paragon House, 1991), p. 229.

12

REAL AND FALSE SPIRITUAL TEACHERS ‘How can the sleeper arouse the sleeper’ Saadi

In many countries in the contemporary world, especially in the West, there are teachers, groups, organizations and representatives of virtually every cult, religion, spiritual teaching and metaphysical system known to humankind. How can the earnest spiritual seeker distinguish between an authentic teaching and a cult, between a false and a real spiritual teacher? Not everyone who claims to be a spiritual teacher is genuine and the discriminating seeker is faced with a confusing “spiritual marketplace” in which so-called teachers of all stripes vie for attention and prominence. Individuals with no proper qualifications or training other than a subjective desire to teach, dominate others and/or seek attention can call themselves spiritual ‘teachers.’ This phenomenon is especially widespread in our current Western culture: Briefly, the Eastern tradition that one learns until one is permitted by a teacher to teach (an ancient tradition perpetuated in apprenticeship and the granting of degrees in the West), is not adhered to in many non-academic areas in the West. The reason for this is not far to seek. In the West, the prevailing culture’s emphasis is on haste, on getting something and passing it on (e.g. products or ideas, after value-enhancing) and so on. This has taken the form, in spiritual, psychological and other areas, of people trying to teach, to expound, to treat or cure, to communicate, before they are properly fitted to do so. The fact that, in the West, anyone can set up as an expert, a teacher, a therapist or adviser, compounds this error. (1) A number of levels and degrees indicating the capacity, authenticity and effectiveness of a spiritual teacher to guide others on the path of enlightenment can be distinguished: • • • • •

Charlatans, frauds and con-artists who are wilfully deceitful, manipulative, self-serving and hypocritical Sincere and well-intentioned but self-deluded individuals who are ineffective and lacking in any real knowledge, those guilty of “trying to run before learning to walk” Partial teachers or ‘deputies’ who are able to transmit spiritual knowledge to others but are still bound by subjective ego states and personal desires Advanced guides who have largely transcended attachments and egotism and are able to teach selected individuals the path to enlightenment Fully realized and enlightened teachers who have directly experienced the true nature of reality and are able to teach people at all levels of consciousness and stages of spiritual development

1

Many false teachers are self-appointed and have not been given permission to teach from a valid spiritual tradition or lineage. But even those who have ostensibly received spiritual transmission from an authentic teaching source may be misguided, self-absorbed or incapable of adequately teaching others. “Buyer beware” is the watchword when approaching any so-called spiritual teacher for instruction and initiation. This cautionary warning is echoed by a number of sociological and scholarly studies. (2, 3, 4, 5)

Distinguishing Between Real and False Spiritual Teachers The contemporary world is full of self-proclaimed gurus who take advantage of the many gullible ‘seekers’ who lack the discriminative capacity to perceive the real from the false: Under the right teacher the disciple learns to learn, not to memorize and obey. Satsang, the company of the noble, does not mold, it liberates. Beware of all that makes you dependent. Most of the so-called ‘surrenders to the Guru’ end in disappointment, if not tragedy. Fortunately, an earnest seeker will disentangle himself in time, the wiser for the experience. (6) Many individuals regarded and accepted as spiritual teachers or mystical masters are actually engaged in pursuing social, therapeutic or community pursuits – not spirituality. Even famous and widely respected figures in the spiritual world may be performing social and psychological functions rather than spiritual ones. Being a source of inspiration, worship or comfort to someone else is not a spiritual activity, but an emotional or social one. Some alleged spiritual teachers court large audiences and try to recruit many followers out of their own sense of inflated self-importance, “combining the opportunity to indulge their vanity or lust for power over others, with a convenient and easy method of making money.” The famous or powerful personality who attracts thousands or, in some countries, millions of followers is rarely a genuine sage. However, false teachers of this type unwittingly provide an important social service for genuine teachers by attracting the self-deluded and immature spiritual seekers. This removes potential headaches for the real teachers and allows them to carry on their work with those students who can truly benefit. There is often a great disparity between the outward appearance, behaviour and repute of an alleged ‘spiritual’ teacher and their psychological immaturity and lack of inner development. Teachers who cultivate a ‘saintly’ appearance or signal by manner, dress or behaviour that they are ‘spiritual’ are usually only superficial and shallow imitators or guilty of obsession. Bogus spiritual teachers relate to their disciples in a manner inconsistent with the mutual honesty and respect inherent in any real learning situation. Attempts to impress, intimidate or mystify the student, or taking pains to fulfill the image of what the disciple expects of a spiritual guide, suggest that the so-called teacher is not genuine. “The false teacher will pay great

2

attention to appearance, and will know how to make the seeker think that he is a great man, that he understands him, and that he has great secrets to reveal.” The members of cults often form unhealthy dependency relationships with such teachers, or else become sources of personal service and material benefit to the leader. Pseudo-teachers usually dislike humour and jokes, calling them superficial and irrelevant. One of the telltale marks of a false teacher is an overly serious, joyless demeanour and a distinct lack of a sense of humour. In sharp contrast, authentic spiritual teachers exhibit a wide and flexible range of behaviours depending on the time, circumstances and audience. One of the hallmarks of partial or deluded teachers is a limited, static way of relating to the world, even though this may be perceived as ‘sanctity,’ ‘detachment,’ or ‘calmness’ by followers and disciples: This inner unification of personality, expressed through a diversity of ways, means that the true teacher does not resemble the outer, idealized personality of the literalist. The calm, never-changing personality, the aloof master, or the personality which inspires awe alone, the “man who never varies” cannot be a real master. The ascetic who has attained detachment from things of the world and is thus himself an externalized incarnation of what seems to be to the externalist to be detached is not a master. The reason is not far to seek. That which is static becomes useless in the organic sense. A person who is always, as far as can be ascertained, calm and collected, has been trained to have this function, the function of detachment. He “never shows agitation,” and, by depriving himself of one of the functions of organic as well as mental life, he has reduced his range of activity. (7) Many so-called mystical masters lack a basic understanding of the teaching and learning process and have only a superficial knowledge of human psychology and physiology. One of the signs of a false or imitation teacher is that he or she will accept almost anyone as a disciple, regardless of capacity or preparation. “Where there is a demand from ‘learners’ for something which is offered by ‘teachers,’ there is always an abundance of ‘teachers’ and ‘learners’ who are not in fact carrying on any real teaching function or learning activities.” Although the bogus teacher is often accused of leading their disciples astray, the adherents of such cults are partly to blame for attaching themselves and remaining with the spurious teacher and in a sense they get the teachers they deserve: ‘If there were fewer buyers of stolen goods, there would be fewer thieves.’ People are drawn to charlatans and pseudo-teachers following the principle ‘like attracts like.’ The would-be student needs to learn how to distinguish the difference between genuine spirituality and obsession or indoctrination. When the Sufi teacher Bayazid was asked what would be the most important indication of a true master, he answered: “When he eats and drinks, buys and sells, and make jokes with you, he whose heart is in the sacred domain – that is the greatest of signs of his being a Master.”

3

Seekers are often unable to discriminate between real and false spiritual teachers because of psychological factors such as projection and wish-fulfillment and a lack of clarity of their true motive in approaching a supposed spiritual guide: Q: How can we know the false prophets from the seers? A: A teacher who takes himself or herself as a teacher needs those who take themselves as disciples. In India and now in the United States there is a lot of guru-shopping. You will know when you have met the guru because he is not outside you and you become more and more independent. If you do not deeply feel your own autonomy you can be sure you are attached by projections and reaction. Many come looking for protection, authority, a mother, father, lover, doctor or therapist. Inquire deeply into why you came looking. You will see it arises from lack. You must face the lack directly and not escape into projection. A clear mind is also a peaceful mind and if the teacher does not bring you quickly to intellectual clarity, and greater autonomy, then go away. Do not stay, compelled by secondary factors. (8) To a certain degree, the competency of so-called spiritual teachers can be evaluated by inner sense and careful observation of the teacher’s behaviour: The student must study the master to see by his words and actions whether he is working on a higher level, or whether he is merely a social phenomenon. The objection to this – that the student cannot tell, since the master is working in an invisible realm – is true only up to a point. When a supposed teacher manifests ordinary foibles or weaknesses as part of his life’s pattern, and if the student has also done enough interior work to give him an accurate judging capacity, the truth will be evident. (9) The goal of an authentic teacher is to selflessly lead others to enlightenment. The false teacher, on the other hand, is more interested in power, exploitation of others and personality worship. The genuine sage is able to teach those who really want to learn. “If there is any definition of a real teacher, it must include that he can tell the difference between entertainment and instruction, between circus and teaching, between didacticism and action, between awareness teaching and therapy.” In Zen, the teacher’s aim, apart from bringing a student to enlightenment, is to preserve the student from his influence. He doesn’t wish to control the student’s life but only to make him strong enough to be master of his life instead of its slave. In certain other spiritual traditions the guru virtually rules his student’s lives, even to the extent of telling them whether to marry and have children. His word is law. If his spirituality is deep, there is little danger. If it is not, God help the student! Shun any teacher who says, “I am enlightened.” Beware of any guru who claims to be an avatar, and incarnation of a god or 4

Buddha. Above all, avoid the “master” who allows his followers to shout his praises with arms upraised at mass rallies, and to laud him as the holiest of the holies. He is the greatest menace. (10) The way in which a genuine spiritual teacher works with pupils is very different from that of cult-based gurus and self-appointed teachers. One of the attributes of an authentic teacher is the ability to prescribe the appropriate course of study for each individual student: This is one of the functions of real teachers: to tell you what to avoid as well as what to do. Equally, of course, you can tell who is a real teacher and who is not, as often as not, by whether the teacher is merely giving you a bundle of instructions (prayers, meditations, fasting, concentration, and so on) and hence not excluding, or whether he is also telling you what should be avoided. The latter admonition will deal with the time and places, the company and the response to reactions, which are part of the authentic knowledge of the real teacher. (11) Perhaps the most significant indicator of a real teacher is that learning and inner development actually occurs on the part of the pupil. There is a wise adage: ‘If the student can’t learn, the teacher, effectively, does not exist.’

The Four Abuses or ‘Poisons’ Four areas of abuse have been identified which ‘poison’ or ‘pollute’ the relationship between a student and his or her spiritual teacher. Interestingly, the same four abuses – power and authority, money and material possessions, alcohol and drugs, and sexual misconduct – are prevalent in much the same form in the worlds of politics, business, entertainment, sports and many other fields of human endeavour. 1. Power and Authority Power itself is a neutral objective force which can effect either positive change in others and the world or, when corrupt, be used for self-centered and harmful purposes. There is a marked difference between functional authority (doctor, accountant, architect) and authoritarian or fascist authority (dictator or cult leader). There is also an important distinction between mindless submission to authority (a condition of weakness and enslavement) and mindful surrender (a condition of strength and purpose). Most spiritual teachers, whether authentic or false, hold a great deal of power and authority in their communities, leading to the possibility of abuse and corruption. Misuse of power is most likely to occur in groups and communities where the teacher holds all the power and decision-making authority and when questioning and honest feedback is discouraged.

5

A common form of abuse is when a teacher begins to control and manipulate the lives of their followers by decreeing marriages, divorces and lifestyles. When the abuse of power is joined with a teacher’s sense of self-importance, it can lead to fear, intimidation and the creation of a virtual spiritual dictatorship. When power is abused in this way, rivalry and sectarianism grow, leading to a cult mentality. This may express itself as “cliques and in-groups, secrets and power struggles” or, at worst, paranoia, isolation, spies, guns and weapons, and survivalist scenarios. In the last few decades a number of spiritual teachers have been accused of abuse of power and authority, including Yasutani Roshi (12), Sri Chinmoy (13), Andrew Cohen (14), Sangharasita (15), Swami Rama (16), Amrit Desai (17), Carlos Castaneda (18) and Swami Muktananda (19). 2. Money and Material Possessions When people encounter spiritual teachings that have a powerful and profound impact on their lives, they often wish to give generous financial support to the teacher and community. Many teachers are also able to raise large amounts of money for their organization through media exposure, aggressive fundraising, and expensive lectures, workshops and retreats. If a teacher’s desires become inflated or they are unused to an abundance of material resources, it can lead to abuse of money. Certain teachers have misused their community funds for their own needs, taken to an extreme by the behaviour of some notorious American TV evangelists. Some Eastern gurus, overwhelmed by Western wealth and materialism, have demanded only the finest food, clothes, accommodation and transportation. Sometimes the teachers line their pockets while other members of the community are asked to live an austere lifestyle and work long hours with little or no compensation. In extreme cases, the popularity of spiritual teachings have been used to generate large profits, accompanied by secret bank accounts, fraudulent use of student’s monies, material excesses and high living. Among the spiritual teachers who have been alleged to misuse money and material possessions are Sri Chinmoy (13), Swami Muktananda (19), Reverend Sun Moon (20), Zen Master Rama (21), Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh (22), Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (23) and Richard Baker (24). 3. Alcohol and Drugs Certain spiritual traditions celebrate inebriation as a metaphor for conscious transformation. The Zen tradition has a history of poets and teaching masters who were regular drinkers of sake. Other spiritual traditions have employed certain ‘power drugs’ or psychedelics in sacred rituals and ceremonies as an integral part of their teaching. Some spiritual teachers such as Gurdjieff and Chögyam Trungpa have advocated the “sacred use of alcohol” through so-called ‘conscious drinking.’ Gurdjieff believed that drinking alcohol rendered his students’ natures “opaque to scrutiny” as it revealed sides of their personalities that were usually hidden. Trungpa claimed that “whether alcohol is a poison or a medicine 6

depends on one’s awareness while drinking. Conscious drinking – remaining aware of one’s state of mind – transmutes the effect of alcohol.” (25) However, in a number of spiritual communities substance abuse has led to public scandals, disgrace and disillusion. In some cases the teacher drank or used drugs publicly and openly, and even encouraged their students to do the same. In other instances addiction to alcohol or drugs was hidden. To deal with addiction problems certain Hindu and Buddhist spiritual communities have started AA groups or other forms of intervention and counselling. A further complicating factor is that alcohol and drug addiction is often combined with abuses of power and sexuality. Substance abuse has led to the downfall of whole communities and caused great suffering in the lives of students (and teachers) ensnared in the web of addictive behaviour. Some of the teachers who have abused alcohol and drugs include Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh (22), Alan Watts (26), Shlomo Carlebach (27), Maezumi Roshi (28), Chögyam Trungpa (29) and Bubba Free John (30). 4. Sexual Misconduct In the past few decades there have been many disclosures of questionable sexual conduct on the part of teachers from many different spiritual traditions. The inappropriate use of sexual energy can occur when a teacher is largely unconscious in this area of life and/or the teachings of their tradition are marked by ambivalence toward or denial of human sexuality. In the celibate monasteries of the East the question of sexuality has often been ignored or repressed. Some of the sexual behaviour of Eastern teachers may be a function of long-standing cultural attitudes and beliefs. For instance, some Tibetan lamas would choose a young nun from the monastery every year to become their sexual consort, explaining that it was a “longevity practice.” But interviews with female students who were involved in a sexual relationship with their male teachers revealed that many felt that the relationship undermined their spiritual practice, interfered with the teacher-student relationship and led to confusion, pain and lowered self-esteem. (31) In an attempt to understand the sexual behaviour of spiritual teachers, Buddhist teacher Jack Kornfield interviewed 54 teachers from a variety of traditions (Zen, Tibetan, Hindu, Jain and Buddhist) about their sexuality. (32) Almost three-quarters (72%) of the sample reported that they were sexually active while 28% were celibate. Of the 39 teachers who were sexually active, 34 (87%) said that they had had at least one sexual relationship with one or more students. One of the most striking findings of the survey was that spiritual teachers were not very much different in terms of their sexuality from the average person: Like any group of people in our culture, their sexual practices were varied. There were heterosexuals, bisexuals, homosexuals, fetishists, exhibitionists, monogamists and polygamists. There were teachers who were celibate and happy, and those who were celibate and miserable; there were those who were married and monogamous, and those who had many clandestine affairs; there were teachers who were promiscuous and hid it; and those who were 7

promiscuous and open about it; there were teachers who made conscious and committed sexual relationships an aspect of their spiritual lives; and there were many more teachers who were no more enlightened or conscious about their sexuality than everyone around them. For the most part the “enlightenment” of many of these teachers did not touch their sexuality. (33) After the study was published many readers expressed surprise and disbelief that spiritual teachers were no more evolved than anyone else when it comes to sex. Kornfield commented on the results of the survey: A person’s accomplishment as a master of meditation does not automatically ensure a similar level of sexual awareness. In fact, teachers are likely to have active and complex sex lives. We have to re-examine the myth that enlightenment implies celibacy, and that sexuality is somehow abnormal or contrary to the awakened mind. (34) It is now recognized that a sexual relationship between a person in a position of power (doctor, therapist) and a person who is dependent on them (patient, client) almost always involves an element of coercion and a betrayal of trust. The standard code of ethics of universities and professional associations warn against “inappropriate sexual contact” which can range from verbal sexual innuendoes to a long-term sexual liaison with a student, patient or client. Sexual relationships between spiritual teachers and their students can take a number of different forms. Some are conscious, loving and freely chosen, while others, although lacking in emotional depth and commitment, are openly and harmlessly sexual. In rare cases, instances of true tantric sex may occur. But many relationships have involved the exploitation of students, secrecy and deception, and clearly contradict the moral precepts of the teacher’s spiritual tradition. Sexual exploitation may involve secret affairs, sex in exchange for access to the teacher, or serving a teacher with sexual favours in the name of “tantra” or a “special teaching.” In extreme cases, sexual misconduct has led to secret harems, abuse of underage boys and girls, and even the transmission of AIDS to male and female students by a teacher, Ősel Tendzin, who told his unsuspecting partners that his special powers would serve as protection. At a conference of Western Buddhist teachers in 1993, the Dalai Lama addressed the problem of teacher-student sexual relations and stressed that they were very harmful for the Buddha-dharma and were due to a lack of inner strength and self-discipline on the part of the teachers. And when asked how many Tibetan teachers were qualified Tantric masters, he replied: “As far as I know – zero.” Numerous spiritual teachers have been accused of sexual misconduct: Sri Chinmoy (13), Swami Rama (16), Swami Muktananda (19), Zen Master Rama (21), Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh (22), Richard Baker (24), Maezumi Roshi (28), Chögyam Trungpa (29), Ősel Tendzin (29), Bubba Free John (30), Katagiri Roshi (35), Krishnamurti (36), Kalu Rinpoche (37) and Sogyal Rinpoche (38).

8

Understanding the Shadow Many members of spiritual communities have reported some form of hurt and disillusionment as a result of the misdeeds of their teacher. Such betrayal may create a feeling of loss and rage as students feel much like young children again as they re-experience traumatic childhood events such as the death of a parent or an acrimonious divorce. A long process of grief and anger, reflection and inner work, is often needed before the feelings of disappointment, abandonment and betrayal pass. To understand the shadow side of spiritual teachers and groups we need to familiarize ourselves with some of the psychological factors which lead certain teachers and their followers to a mutual pattern of abuse, deceit and exploitation. 1. Mistaking Power and Charisma for Wisdom Power and charisma are frequently confused with wisdom, even though the same quality serves demagogues, politicians, business tycoons, entertainers and sports figures. Many powerful and charismatic people are not wise at all. Conversely, wisdom may manifest as simplicity, humility and the most ordinary of lives. And sometimes these qualities unite in the form of a strong, yet wise and compassionate teacher. But such an exceptional being never wears their spiritual realization as a badge or advertisement. When power becomes corrupted it can lead to egocentricity and arrogance. Some tyrannical gurus have bullied, controlled and exploited their disciples in order to “destroy their egotism.” In some spiritual traditions there are safeguards against the abuse of power, often in the form of wise elders and respected teachers who “watch over one another’s spiritual condition and conduct.” 2. Guru worship and Ego Inflation The experience of visions and mystical states without integration into everyday life can lead to grandiosity and ego inflation. When teachers over-identify with powerful spiritual energy they can easily become deluded and believe that they should be venerated and served by others. Unfulfilled and unacknowledged human needs may also become entangled with spiritual experiences, creating an expanded form of ego. Followers should be wary when there is a court around a teacher that focuses more on the person than on the wisdom of the spiritual lineage and teachings. When teachers are highly elevated by others and viewed as perfect, they can become isolated from their peers and immune from genuine feedback. At worst, teachers surrounded by a circle of adoring followers can fall prey to arrogance, blind self-assurance and megalomania:

9

In most cases where the role of the teacher is abused the teachers are not purposely dishonest. Surrounded by crowds of disciples who want to think of them as perfect, they have come to believe their own press releases, to identify with the authority of being a ‘master.’ A collective intoxication grows, created equally by teacher and student, each out of good intentions. But within this climate of unreal expectations it is easy for the teacher to get disconnected and out of touch, to feel, like Icarus before his fall, that he or she can fly forever. (39) 3. Projection and Transference Transference is a powerful unconscious process in which a person transfers or projects onto an authority figure the attributes of someone significant in their past, often a parent. In most therapeutic relationships transference is purposely discussed so that clients can relate realistically rather than idealistically to their therapist. But projection and transference are rarely acknowledged or addressed in spiritual communities. ‘Mutual complicity’ occurs when a student projects qualities or attributes onto the teacher, and the teacher’s ego accepts these projections as though they are indeed true. An already charismatic teacher becomes even more powerful through the influence of the psychic energy generated by the student’s projections. Transference and projection make it easier to manipulate and dominate the person who is doing the transferring, leading to an unhealthy co-dependence. Transference and idealization create a climate of unreality, feeding the teacher’s narcissism. When students see the teacher as a ‘completely enlightened master,’ the teacher may become similarly deluded. The combination of unquestioning adoration by students and the susceptibility to ego inflation on the part of the teacher create an unhealthy and distorted situation. 4. Rationalization and Denial False teachers and their students frequently justify inappropriate conduct with elaborate explanations. For instance, questionable behaviour by a revered teacher may be rationalized as “compassionate skilful action designed to benefit the student in a way that can only be understood from the perspective of the teacher’s transcendental wisdom.” Other teachers have claimed that they abused money and power “to benefit humanity” or had sex with students because it was a “tantric teaching” or was “in their best spiritual interests.” The human capacity for self-deception is just as strong in spiritual groups as in the general populace. A culture of shared denial blinds people to the evidence of their own eyes, creating the phenomenon of “the emperor’s invisible new clothes.” Interestingly, denials and rationalizations about the misdeeds of the teacher and the cult-like qualities of the teaching are often more apparent to outside observers than those close to the teacher.

10

5. Cultural Conditioning The cultural background of spiritual teachers can colour their beliefs, attitudes, behaviours and teaching styles. Generally speaking, most Eastern cultures tend to be conservative, hierarchical and male dominated. Western cultures value individual freedom and self-expression, and are more egalitarian and democratic. Eastern teachers who come from cultures where dress is modest and the sexes are often separated sometimes experience confusion and may exhibit inappropriate behaviour when immersed in more liberal Western cultures. Foreign teachers coming to a Western country which embraces the pursuit of money, power, sex, alcohol and drug use often see this as an open invitation to excess and an opportunity to experience “forbidden fruit.” 6. Limiting Full Human Expression Excellence in one aspect of life does not automatically bring wisdom in other dimensions. The ‘halo effect’ is the unexamined assumption that if a teacher is skilful and awakened in certain areas (prayer, meditation) they will also be competent and wise in all other areas of life (child rearing, finances). Every teacher has his or her strengths and weaknesses. Problems and abuses arise when spirituality ignores or denies certain aspects of our humanity. The denial of many ordinary human desires and longings is surprisingly prevalent in many of the world’s spiritual traditions. Some even teach an ideal of unworldly perfection and disc ourage or condemn personal needs and desires. They often do not recognize the value of ordinary human relationships and the importance for a spiritual teacher of having a life outside their traditional role: A teacher may be surrounded by adoring devotees and yet have no peers, no one with whom he or she can have an open and honest conversation. They may have little private life and always be on duty for the spiritual needs of the community. They will often be mother, father, confessor, healer, administrator, master, and camp counsellor all rolled into one. Few people realize the extent to which teachers can be isolated in their role, especially in communities where they are the sole acknowledged leader. (40) By denying their full humanity, teachers may repress or ignore certain sides of their being, leading to a fearful and puritanical way of experiencing life. In fact, intimacy, sexuality and the full range of human emotions are part of a real spiritual life. By acknowledging their full human nature, both teachers and students alike can use the challenges of ordinary daily life -- the stresses, emotions and relationship difficulties -- as a rich field of spiritual practice.

11

Indications and Signs of a False Teacher From Arthur Deikman, “The Evaluation of Spiritual and Utopian Groups” (41): • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Actively seek large numbers of disciples Attract students through their personality and charisma Rely on displays of spiritual power to galvanize or intimidate followers Spuriously claim transmission from a genuine spiritual lineage Inhibit and discourage critical thinking Encourage students to compete for the teacher’s attention Deliberately prey on students’ sense of personal inadequacy Rely on their spiritual authority as justification for exploitation and abusive behaviour Use their followers to advance their own personal interests and agenda Enrich themselves with their students’ money or free labour Order one student to harm another physically or psychologically Interfere with the student’s bond to children or parents Arrange marriages or break up existing relationships Enter into sexual relations with their students

From Hoda Azizian in Sufi Thought and Action (42): • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Claiming supreme Mastership Suggesting that they exert influence in the affairs of the world Implying that they are following the ‘Path of Blame’ (deliberately courting unpopularity); real teachers anonymously tread the ‘Path of Blame.’ Wearing clothes or other apparel foreign to the country in which they are living, or instructing students in a language foreign to them Allowing their hand to be kissed by followers or visitors Exhibiting signs of alcoholism and loss of coordination Convincing others that one is taking a deep interest in them, especially when they are ill or in distress Engaging in mysteriousness or hinting Telling disciples that “something important is going to happen soon” Giving ultimatums or asking someone to choose between two people, two courses of study, or two forms of behaviour Appearing on platforms with “other mystics” Confusing and mixing friendship with teaching Tolerating the deluded and self-absorbed Allowing exercises to be carried out without supervisors to intervene at appropriate moments Appearing unacceptable to normal members of society

12

Characteristics of a Genuine Spiritual Teacher From John Wellwood in Spiritual Choices (43): • • • • • • • • • •

Genuine teachers encourage self-respect as the basis for spiritual growth. Their relationship with students is based on real, experiential understanding rather than ideology or belief. They will themselves have undergone extensive training and practice. They have a deep respect for human dignity, rather than appealing to their students’ personal inadequacies and insecurities. They will allow tolerance for ambiguity and paradox, rather than insisting on absolute certainty in the “One and Only Truth.” Their concern will be directed to all people rather than elevating a group of followers to a privileged status above their fellow humans. They will not manipulate the emotions of their students, but will appeal to their natural intelligence. They will encourage people on the path to self-knowledge through example, rather than promises of future salvation and reward. Instead of supporting herd behaviour, they will recognize the importance of individual differences, needs and methods of instruction. The ultimate criterion is whether they successfully guide their students to selfrealization and the experience of their larger universal being.

From Mariana Caplan, Halfway up the Mountain (44): •

• • • • • • • • •

A true master is one who lives by what they know to be the truth. There is no contradiction between their words and actions. They “walk the walk” and don’t just “talk the talk.” They manifest maturity, sound judgement and a well-developed code of ethical behaviour. A real teacher emanates love, compassion and essential kindness. They serve others. They do not promote themselves, try to gain material advantage or do anything strictly out of self-interest. The authentic teacher is free of attachments to money, sex, power and glory. They do not cause suffering to others due to selfish words and actions. A real teacher has received spiritual transmission and permission to teach from their own teacher as part of a reputable lineage. They have a deep understanding of the teaching and the ability to guide others on the path to enlightenment. They are viewed positively by other teachers and their peers. Their own students are clear and centered within themselves and demonstrate qualities that others would aspire to.

13

• •

The real teacher spiritually transforms their students, producing individuals who themselves eventually become teachers. They deal patiently and compassionately with ordinary people who are not their students or followers.

From Omar Ali-Shah, Rules and Secrets of the Naqshbandi Order (45): • • • • • • •

Does not invade pupil’s lives or create dependency Respects and builds upon all family ties and relationships Discourages recourse to all artificial stimulants Uses the normal time-frame within which we live, which means that progress will often take longer than one would have hoped Teaches in a manner appropriate to the time, situation and capacities of the students Works with students in terms of harmony rather than conflict, generally avoiding dramatic and cathartic-type experiences Shocks or provocation are held in reserve for exceptional cases, for instance when a pupil is falling into a rut of some years duration

From John Grant, Travels in the Unknown East (46): • • • • • • • • • •

Has a strong sense of humour and shows it frequently Wears, most of the time, the clothes of the country wherein he lives Ordinarily eats the wholesome food of the country where he dwells Supports himself by his own labour Can work “in the world” and makes worldly activities successful Has no physical relations or familiarity with his disciples Does not allow his disciples to leave the world or cut communication with their relatives or friends Recognizes that all ‘exercises’ and ‘books’ are temporary formulae, and not to be applied automatically at all times and to all people Refuses to mystify you, and has no magical aura Produces no atmosphere of “power” around him. As the ancients have rightly said: “The fraud makes people believe that he is a man of power. The true teacher spends much time appearing very normal.”

References (1) Idries Shah The Commanding Self (London: Octagon Press, 1994), pp. 6-7. (2) Robert Ornstein The Mind Field (New York: Pocket Books, 1978). (3) Dick Anthony, Bruce Ecker & Ken Wilber (eds.) Spiritual Choices: The Problem of Recognizing Authentic Paths to Inner Transformation (New York: Paragon House Publishers, 1987). 14

(4) Arthur Deikman The Wrong Way Home: Understanding the Patterns of Cult Behavior in American Society (Boston: Beacon Press, 1994). (5) Anthony Storr Feet of Clay (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1996). (6) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 478. (7) Idries Shah The Sufis (New York: Anchor Books, 1971), p. 394. (8) Jean Klein Who Am I? (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1988), pp. 104-105. (9) Idries Shah Special Illumination (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 49. (10) Philip Kapleau Zen Dawn in the West (New York: Anchor Books, 1979), p. 29. (11) Idries Shah The Commanding Self (London: Octagon Press, 1994), p. 174. (12) Brian Victoria, Robert Aitken, Bernie Glassman, Bohdin Kjolhede & Laurence Shainberg “Yasutani Roshi: The Hardest Koan” Tricycle (Fall 1999). (13) Jayanti Tamm Cartwheels in a Sari: A Memory of Growing up Cult (New York: Harmony Books, 2009). (14) Luna Tario The Mother of God (Brooklyn, New York: Plover Press, 1997). (15) Henry Shuckman “Friends of the Western Buddhist Order” Tricycle (Summer, 1999). (16) Katherine Webster “The Case Against Swami Rama of the Himalayas” Yoga Journal (November/December, 1990). (17) Jack Kornfield After the Ecstasy, the Laundry (New York: Bantam Books, 2000), p. 156. (18) William Patterson The Life and Teachings of Carlos Castaneda (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2008). (19) William Rodamar “The Secret Life of Swami Muktananda” The CoEvolution Quarterly (Winter, 1983). (20) Steven Hassan “Moonstruck: My Life in the Unification Church” New Age Journal (January/February, 1999). (21) Cheri Senders “The Rama Drama” New Age Journal (May/June, 1988) (22) James Gordon The Golden Guru: The Strange Journey of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh (Lexington, Massachusetts: Stephen Greene Press, 1987). (23) William Patterson “Maharishi’s Heaven on Earth” The Gurdjieff Journal (No. 42-43, 2006). (24) Michael Downing Shoes Outside the Door: Desire, Devotion and Excess at San Francisco Zen Center (Washington, D.C.: Counterpoint, 2001). (25) Chögyam Trungpa The Heart of the Buddha (Boston: Shambhala, 1991), p. 189. (26) David Guy “Alan Watts Reconsidered” Tricycle (Fall, 1994). (27) Jack Kornfield After the Ecstasy, the Laundry (New York: Bantam Books, 2000), p. 145. (28) Anne Cushman “Under the Lens: An American Zen Community in Crisis” Tricycle (Fall, 2003). (29) Jeremy Hayward Warrior-King of Shambhala: Remembering Chögyam Trungpa (Boston: Wisdom Publications, 2008). (30) William Patterson Adi Da Samraj: Realized Or/And Deluded? (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2012). (31) Jack Kornfield “Sex Lives of the Gurus” Yoga Journal (July/August, 1985). (32) Jack Kornfield “Sex Lives of the Gurus” Yoga Journal (July/August, 1985). (33) Jack Kornfield A Path with Heart (New York: Bantam Books, 1993), p. 259. (34) Jack Kornfield “Sex Lives of the Gurus” Yoga Journal (July/August, 1985), p. 28. (35) Natalie Goldberg “Beyond Betrayal” Tricycle (Spring, 2005). 15

(36) Radha Sloss Lives in the Shadow with J Krishnamurti (London: Bloomsbury Publishing, 1991). (37) June Campbell Traveller in Space: In Search of Female Identity in Tibetan Buddhism (New York: George Braziller, 1996). (38) June Campbell Traveller in Space: In Search of Female Identity in Tibetan Buddhism (New York: George Braziller, 1996), p. 204. (39) Jack Kornfield After the Ecstasy, the Laundry (New York: Bantam Books, 2000), p. 144. (40) Jack Kornfield A Path with Heart (New York: Bantam Books, 1993), p. 261. (41) Arthur Deikman “The Evaluation of Spiritual and Utopian Groups” Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 1983, Vol. 23(3), pp. 8-19. (42) Hoda Azizian “Observations of a Sufi School” in Idries Shah (ed.) Sufi Thought and Action (London: Octagon Press, 1990), pp. 131-135. (43) John Wellwood “On Spiritual Authority: Genuine and Counterfeit” in Dick Anthony, Bruce Ecker & Ken Wilber (eds.) Spiritual Choices: The Problem of Recognizing Authentic Paths to Inner Transformation (New York: Paragon House Publishers, 1987), pp. 283-303. (44) Mariana Caplan Halfway up the Mountain: The Error of Premature Claims to Enlightenment (Prescott, Arizona: Hohm Press, 1999). (45) Omar Ali-Shah The Rules or Secrets of the Naqshbandi Order (Reno, Nevada: Tractus Books, 1998). (46) John Grant Travels in the Unknown East (London: Octagon Press, 1992).

16

SPIRITUAL GROUPS AND COM M UNITIES

‘A group is t he beginning of everyt hing. One man can do nothing, can at tain not hing. A group w it h a real leader can do more. A group of people can do w hat one man can never do. You do not realize your ow n sit uat ion. You are in prison. All you can w ish for, if you are a sensible man, is t o escape. But how escape? It is necessary t o t unnel under a w all. One man can do nothing. But let us suppose t here are t en or t w ent y men – if t hey w ork in t urn and if one covers anot her t hey can complete t he t unnel and escape. Furt hermore, no one can escape from prison w it hout t he help of t hose w ho have escaped before. Only t hey can say in w hat w ay escape is possible or can send t ools, files, or w hat ever may be necessary. But one prisoner alone cannot find t hese people or get in t ouch w it h t hem. An organizat ion is necessary. Not hing can be achieved w it hout an organizat ion.’ G. I. Gurdjieff

Significance, Purpose and Intention

The correct development and expression of spirituality at a given time and place may require the organization of people into viable groups and communities. Many spiritual traditions believe that the group or circle is the heart or “kernel” of the spiritual path -- the basic human unit whose members associate and meet together to carry on studies prescribed for them by a living teacher: One startling point of spiritual writings is that the individual is not t he ‘unit ’ of enlight enment , or higher underst anding . It is the group, correctly organized, that has this possibility, not a person alone . Our history records the achievements of certain famous individuals, like the Buddha, Jesus and others. What may well be left out, it is tempting to speculate, is that these individuals were the public face of a larger group. (1) Although it is possible to progress on the spiritual path alone, it is more difficult as individual endeavour cannot, by its very nature, draw from the energy, support and feedback of a group. The purpose of a spiritual group is multiple: •

To create and maintain the appropriate conditions in which a spiritual teaching, under the guidance of a teacher, can operate effectively

1

• •

To enable as many members of the group as possible to achieve a real understanding of spiritual work and provide the maximum developmental help To keep the group operating “as a channel for the successively refined impulses from the Source of the Teaching, and to attune the members to be able to perceive these impulses”

The aim and purpose of a group is known by the teacher, but is only gradually revealed to the members of the group as their experience and understanding matures. Gurdjieff talked with his students in Russia about this important idea: The next important feature of group work is that groups may be connected with some aim of which those who are beginning work in them have no idea whatever and which cannot even be explained to them until they understand the essence and the principles of the work and ideas connected with it. But this aim towards which without knowing it they are going, and which they are serving, is the necessary balancing principle in their own work. Their first task is to understand this aim, that is, the aim of the teacher. When they have understood this aim, although at first not fully, their own work becomes more conscious and consequently can give better results. (2) One of the functions of a group is to provide a setting and format in which certain experiences can occur so as to develop and awaken specific capacities, inner faculties and levels of awareness. These experiences arise, in part, from the interplay between individual members of a group (the group dynamic) and the impact of activities and exercises provided by the teacher: Several times, on arriving from Moscow, G. arranged excursions into the country for large parties and picnics where we had shashlik, which were somehow totally out of keeping with St. Petersburg. There remains in my memory a trip to Ostrovki up the river Neva, more particularly because I suddenly realized on this trip why G. arranged these seemingly quite aimless amusements. I realized that he was all the time observing and that many of us on these occasions showed entirely new aspects of ourselves which had remained well hidden at the formal meetings in St. Petersburg . . . I saw the development of a very definite plan. We were not only learning from G. but we had also to learn one from another. I was beginning to see G.’s groups as a ‘school’ of some medieval painter whose pupils lived with him and, while learning from him, taught one another. (3) The ultimate goal of the group is to attain the “special knowledge of humanity” which includes both self-knowledge and an understanding of the inner significance of life and the evolution of humanity. The group provides a framework for contact or access to a higher realm

2

of being based on the development of more refined states of consciousness. In this sense the group acts as an instrument of reception and transmission which resonates to the higher impulses (divine grace).

Selection, Composition and Harmonization of a Group

There is a cosmic need for a certain arrangement of factors to enable the individual to properly benefit from the efforts and activities of a group. A viable community must include the right people, at the right time, in the right place. One of the characteristics of a living “organic” group is that the members are chosen so that they can align, attune and harmonize so as to develop the maximum learning advantage from the group. An analogy of the unity of purpose and harmonization successfully achieved in a group format is that of an orchestra composed of different musicians playing different instruments but all playing in harmony and unison together. To achieve harmonization, the individual members of a group need to be carefully chosen: The majority of any group of people can be conditioned, if the group is in effect a random one: non-conditioning-prone groups can only be developed by selecting people who harmonize in such a manner as to help defeat this tendency. The primary object is to associate people together who can avoid conditioning, so that a development can take place among these people which in turn can be passed on to larger numbers. It can never be applied to large numbers of people directly. (4) Typically, people are grouped in a special way in order to complement each other, reinforce one another’s abilities and learn from each other. By including individuals of different “types” and personalities, the progress and the potential of the group can be maximized. A current or circulation is produced in the group by the interchange of ideas and sharing of experiences as members profit from one another’s qualities and capacities. The organization and assignment of people to a group is done by a teacher with the requisite knowledge, by “someone who has completed the learning, who is the end-product, not a learner in any sense.” People are selected and arranged according to a pattern known by the teacher but invisible to the students or outsiders. Members of a group may be at different levels of spiritual development. Certain individuals who make for disharmony may be excluded from the group as even one unsuitable member can harm the effort of the whole. There is an Eastern saying: ‘One dog w ill pollut e a w hole pool of rosew at er.’ Members of a group are instruments with functions to perform as part of an overall unity: Each member should discharge the functions for the time being allotted to him or her, if any, as a communicator of material, as an organizer, or 3

whatever it might be. The community has to develop a sense of unity of purpose – learning and development – in which each member is to be regarded as important for the success of the whole. Members of the group meet as if there were a special current passing through them. They have been chosen for the group in order to be able to function in this manner, and people leaving or joining the group altering its composition must maintain the same capacity of the group to be an instrument. (5) One of the most important functions of a group is to have a positive influence and effect on other people who come in contact with the group and its members. The proper development of a group may require lines of contact with the general population: Tradition avers, and experience verifies, one of the least known and strangest facts about group studies. Learning groups collect around an individual or a doctrine, or both. The level of greed and fear, because these emotions disturb the learning and ‘digesting’ processes, must be reduced to tolerable proportions. It is always hard, and sometimes impossible, to do this without introducing new people who have lower than average levels of these two characteristics. Such people are almost always found in the general population, not mainly interested in the ‘spiritual’ purposes of the group which their presence can help. The only method of attracting them to the group in order for them to fulfil this function is if they are contacted and interested on an ordinary ‘human,’ not greed- or fearbased footing. This is the paradox. This, too, is the real reason for people who are ‘magnetized’ into an esoteric or spiritual grouping to establish lines into the general population which are in areas and subjects free from the bias of the group. The extent to which this can be done will determine the future of the group and the interaction of the committed ‘groupists’ and the members of the general population. Each provides something which the other lacks. Through their interaction a healthy community may form. (6)

Preparatory Groups

Collections of interested people and would-be learners are often grouped together, forming “preliminary” or “preparatory” groups with the intention of accumulating potential capacity: The would-be student may join ‘associated studies,’ a preparatory course of living or working in some stable form which might help them to prepare for the next stage. This is the stage of the study group or congregation. Certain people are required to meet regularly, to read or interchange ideas. Very often they are grouped in enterprises which bear no resemblance to spiritual activities as known elsewhere. (7) 4

A student usually begins study in a small group which is connected to a series of similar groups on different levels and “occupied in different work, according to the state of their preparation and their powers.” Gurdjieff stressed in talks with his students that a preparatory group is only the initial stage of spiritual work: Do not think that we can begin straight away by forming a group. A group is a big thing. A group is begun for definite concert ed work, for a definite aim. I should have to trust you in this work and you would have to trust me and one another. Then it would be a group. Until there is general work it will only be a preparatory group. We shall prepare ourselves so as in the course of time to become a group. And it is only possible to prepare ourselves to become a group by trying to imitate a group such as it ought to be, imitating it inwardly of course, not outwardly. (8) Preparatory groups often begin with the intensive study of written materials through a process of familiarization: “the student is asked to ‘soak’ themselves in them, as rain soaks into the earth.” A learning or study group may or may not be under the direct guidance of a teacher or deputy. The best qualification for running a study group is common sense: “If one has this, and works carefully with the materials, a sensitivity is developed which becomes the permanent qualification or capacity.” Preparatory groups are unsuccessful if they deteriorate into a hierarchical power system or if the group is dominated by the search for lesser personal satisfactions. Members of such groups seldom realize how easily subjective demands and needs can take over under the guise of higher aims. When the membership of a group is largely composed of people who use it for lower psychological purposes, the group as a whole will tend to lose the capacity and desire for recognizing higher levels of material: Once such a group is invaded by personality or power or other considerations from ’the World,’ it cannot be called one of our groups at all. This is not to say that a group may not be formed with the hope of becoming a learning one. But the dangers are great, since unless the determination to learn and to qualify as an authentic teaching group is stronger than subjective desires to shine in company, to share secrets, to feel important, and so on, the group will go sour, often without anyone realizing that it has. Or, even if it is realized that it has, few people generally suspect w hy. It is a test of a study group and for its members if social strains develop, if people leave because there is insufficient emotional stimulus, if a demand for action, information, activities, objectives and so on build up. Truly effective, real developmental organizations are rare or not well known simply because of the great wastage and metamorphoses through which they go because of these very human-subjective-demands. (9)

5

Progress in a preparatory group may not be visible or readily apparent as the initial work of the group is on removing the barriers of psychological and social conditioning that prevent learning and growth: Q: Why does a group go on, sometimes for years, reading books, meeting and apparently not getting anything dome, without any measurement of its progress, and without a sense of how things are going? A: Such a group has to ‘wear out’ emotional expectations. It also has to provide circumstances in which the irrelevant and customary associations, characteristics brought in from other systems may be displayed and observed, so that everyone can see what is central and what is not. If the members of the group are not seeing these things, it is not a real group at all. Much of its visible work is that of a ‘preparatory group.’ This does not mean that it might not be extremely important: for where else are you going to obtain this opportunity of living through and observing your reactions and those of others. The main characteristic displayed by the questioner is that of a person who wants something (‘progress,’ or ‘a sense of how things are going’) without carrying on an active observation and digesting of experience happening in and to the group. Finally, individual and group progress is not always visible to all participants on demand. (10)

Group Activities and Studies

A wide range and variety of activities are possible in a group setting. These include: • • • • • • • •

Meetings, assemblies Question and answer sessions Theoretical and practical study Spiritual exercises and practices Music, audition Work enterprises and tasks Performances, events, dances and movements Physical tasks, organization of the environment

There is a different movement of energy, harmony and result of an exercise or activity when it is carried out by a group rather than by an individual. Activities are structured to harmonize with each other – the quality, nature, energy and outcome of the activities complement each other. There needs to be a balance between theory and practice. The format and formulation of activities and exercises must be suitable for the group and consistent with the nature of the culture in which it is operating. Typically, the group is 6

exposed, under correct circumstances, to suitable materials or given a task or an assignment which can profit the group. The materials and tasks may be experienced by the group and its individual members in a variety of different ways. The materials and matters discussed at a meeting have many levels of action: “Something which is expressed in philosophical form also has another side, which can operate when one is not following what appears to be the main thread of thought.” Members of the group also learn from the daily teachings and transactions of the teacher or guide. In fact, the means of study “may constitute only the action of being present, without intense reactions, at an assembly of the Wise.” There is a progressive process through which the group learns and develops when certain activities, tasks or exercises are introduced to the group by a teacher: An introduction can be carried out by inviting interested people to read certain books, etc., and then to formulate their own questions and observations. The next stage is to hold a meeting at which the materials are considered, after which the questions and observations are looked at. Following this, it is decided which questions and observations are answered or have been sufficiently looked at: the knowledge resident in this group has been shared so far as it is possible at this juncture. An appropriate group of individuals may then carry on to either: further study and consideration, or, taking part in exercises. The group is demonstrated the exercises and then performs them, without expectations, acceptance or rejection. When the exercises have been carried out by everyone in such a way that they all know how to do them, the session is ended. Members of the group may choose whether they wish to carry out these exercises by themselves for a period of two weeks daily. Each day after the first three days (when no notes are taken) each individual checks in the evening whether he or she feels that there has been any effect of the exercise, and what it seems to be. This feedback is reported at the next meeting of the members of the group. According to the reactions, further studies, or none, are prescribed for the group. If further studies are prescribed, people are asked to register the pitfalls of auto- or self-indoctrination, to help prevent the enterprise developing, as most human groups will, into a conditioning system. The programme continues from there. (11)

Guidance and Supervision by a Teacher

The Way or Path requires a teacher who has completed the spiritual journey. The teacher guides and supervises a group following a clearly defined path. To organize group work requires special knowledge by those who knows its aims, methods and pitfalls and have per7

sonally passed through such organized work themselves. Groups are initially established and organized under the guidance of such a teacher. Groups comprised of individuals belonging to study or preparatory groups may also be accepted by a teacher: The first and most important feature of groups is the fact that groups are not constituted according to the wish and choice of their members. Groups are constituted by the teacher, who selects types which, from the point of view of his aims, can be useful to one another. No work of groups is possible without a teacher. The work of groups with a wrong teacher can produce only negative results. (12) A teacher may have to avoid or prevent fixation upon his or her personality by would-be students. The nature of contact with the students may vary depending on the presence and strength of this disabling factor: If you have any experience of spiritual groups, you will know that too many people focus their attention on the teacher and not on the teaching. Indeed, this is such a frequent abuse that some people become completely fixated on a teacher, whether true or false. Knowing this, many teachers do not teach directly at all; much will depend on the condition of their followers. It is not uncommon for teachers to write out or dictate teachings, which are then read or read out. When, however, individuals or groups of learners are able to concentrate on the essence and not on the appearance or presence of the teacher, meetings do take place. (13) The teacher must balance and harmonize the needs of the individuals within a group, the group itself, and the larger teaching situation: “A person who is teaching will relate to each individual in a group as an individual; also as a member of the group; and also in terms of the teacher’s overall function within the Tradition in relation to that individual as a person in the Tradition.” One of the functions of a teacher is to monitor the progress of groups and to intervene when necessary in order to enhance the group’s functioning and performance. Different groups react in different ways to particular teachings, exercises or impacts: Some of the teaching done by a teacher in the Tradition must sustain the various groups that he teaches by ‘illuminating’ certain aspects of the Tradition and feeding them fragments, pieces or phrases, according to a certain tempo which the teacher has to establish. He has to maintain that tempo, and once he has got the momentum going, it has to be kept moving by the momentum of the group itself, plus a little bit of push from him. (14)

8

Groups may sometimes be guided by a “deputy” who is in contact with the teacher or source of the teaching. He or she administers and coordinates activities on behalf of the teacher in a given region or geographical area and acts as a liaison between the students and the teacher. Senior members of a group are also encouraged to provide guidance and help to newer members, serving as a link between the novice student and the Teaching itself. Everyone who approaches a comprehensive spiritual teaching will have questions and sometimes confusions which experienced group members can answer or clarify: In every group we have people who are more experienced. They are usually people who have been longer in the group and have more knowledge and information about the Tradition. Part of their functions, as far as their knowledge goes, is to explain certain aspects of the Tradition to newer members; to make themselves available, possibly to establish and sit in on small discussion groups, to generally explain and help the correct functioning of the group, and to explain certain exercises and technical terms which we use in the Tradition. (15)

Levels of Learning in Spiritual Groups

A group is not necessarily a permanent entity: “It may be dissolved, recombined, suspended for months or even years, so that the unwelcome characteristics of a group are avoided.” There is a cyclical process of learning in a group that varies with time: Remember, too, that the advantages which you gain from the study circle and its materials vary from time to time. That is to say, we cannot, and should not imagine we can, extract all the nutrition from any piece of study material at one time. What we have to do is familiarize ourselves with certain information, techniques and so on, so that our attention is not focused upon them when the time comes to use them. Then, as and when we can do so, we extract the use of the materials on successive occasions. (16) Rates of progress and understanding will, of course, differ among individual members of a group. In some cases, slow learners or “laggards” may be told by more advanced members of a group that they, too, are not yet learning or “never seem to get anywhere” in order to prevent comparison and anxiety, which disturb the learning process. Others, misunderstanding the nature of group work, resent the fact that they have to wait for others to make a certain kind of progress before they can benefit from it. “They have failed to note that others, too, are waiting for t hem to progress.” The goal of group work is to progress from the stage of “weak in understanding” to an alignment with the essence and heart of the Teaching and eventually to the activation of higher 9

perception and consciousness. Members of groups are partly preparing themselves to be allowed, when “ripe,” to carry out more advanced studies. By maintaining contact with and profiting from the Teaching, students are placing themselves in a position to be selected for “special activities and higher understanding at the proper time.” The personal work of individual members of a group takes different forms and is specific to each person. In Gurdjieff’s teaching, this meant the effort to observe, understand and ultimately transcend one’s “chief feature”: Every man has a certain feature in his character which is central. It is like an axle around which all his ‘false personality’ revolves. Every man’s personal work must consist in struggling against this chief fault. This explains why there can be no general rules of work and why all systems that attempt to evolve such rules either lead to nothing or cause harm. How can there be general rules? What is useful for one is harmful for another. One man talks too much; he must learn to keep silent. Another man is silent when he ought to talk and he must learn to talk; and so it is always and in everything. General rules for the work of groups refers to everyone. Personal directions can only be individual. In this connection again a man cannot find his own chief feature, his chief fault, by himself. This is practically a law. The teacher has to point out this feature to him and show him how to fight against it. No one else but the teacher can do this. The study of the chief fault and the struggle against it constitute, as it were, each man’s individual path, but the aim must be the same for all. (17) The activities and tasks given each member of a group by the teacher are graduated in terms of difficulty and complexity: As a rule only very easy tasks are given at the beginning which the teacher does not even call tasks, and he does not say much about them but gives them in the form of hints. If he sees that he is understood and that the tasks are carried out he passes on to more and more difficult ones. More difficult tasks, although they are only subjectively difficult, are called ‘barriers.’ The peculiarity of barriers is the fact that, having surmounted a serious barrier, a man can no longer return to ordinary sleep, to ordinary life. And if, having passed the first barrier, he feels afraid of those that follow and does not go on, he stops so to speak between two barriers and is unable to move either backwards or forwards. This is the worst that can happen to a man. Therefore the teacher is usually very careful in the choice of tasks and barriers; in other words, he takes the risk of giving definite tasks requiring the conquest of inner barriers only to those people who have already shown themselves sufficiently strong on small barriers. (18) 10

Not all individuals in a group will learn in the same manner and at the same rate, and there may be a separating-out process based on capacity and potential. A useful analogy is sometimes employed to describe this process: Accidental collections of people centering around a teaching will always endure a separating-out, like the separating of butter from milk, in the presence of the agitating factor, which is manifest or concealed but none the less present, whenever a renewal of teaching starts to work. This is the shaking of the vessel containing the milk. People imagine that, like buttermilk, when there is a movement, they will all be affected in the same way. But both butter and skimmed milk have their function, although these may be in different fields. (19) The separating-out process in a group, when some members leave or are asked to leave, reveals aspects of their personality that may have been hidden or dormant. Gurdjieff explained this process in talks to his students: There is nothing that shows up a man better than his attitude towards the work and the teacher aft er he has left it . Sometimes such tests are arranged intentionally. A man is placed in such a position that he is obliged to leave and he is fully justified in having a grievance either against the teacher or against some other person. And then he is watched to see how he will behave. A decent man will behave decently even if he thinks that he has been treated unjustly or wrongly. But many people in such circumstances show a side of their nature which otherwise they would never show. And at times it is a necessary means for exposing a man’s nature. (20)

Right Attitude and Orientation

A correct orientation is needed to make effective use of the materials provided to a group for study. The right kind of effort is necessary to accomplish the goals and aims of the group and to achieve something beyond the normal range. Some of the qualities required by a group and its individual members include trust, patience, responsibility, attunement, focus and effort. On the other hand, there are a number of obstacles to the unity, harmony and communication in a group, including: • • • •

rationalizations, making excuses tension, disturbance, negativity pride, superiority, self-importance rivalry, jealousy, competition between group members

11

Discipline and focus are also central to the correct functioning of a group. Discipline is not a rigid structure of behaviour, but rather a conscious purposeful attempt to follow the instructions and indications of the teaching and the teacher: These techniques will require two forms of discipline. One is the discipline I ask from you, and the other is the discipline you impose on yourself. From your point of view, the second discipline is the most difficult. Don’t forget that the activities and techniques of the Tradition help you to develop this discipline. You are not alone in disciplining yourself; nor is it a battle in which you are tearing yourself apart. If you like, you are using functionally useful tools. Knowing how to use these tools gives you the ability to use them. (21) One of the functions of a group is to provide the opportunity for members to observe their own reactions to group meetings and their interactions with others as a field of self-study: “Human beings often try to hide aspects of reality from themselves – people make excuses and explain to themselves why they thought of something or why they did something . . . if they hide things from themselves or deny the existence of certain things within themselves, they are not approaching an understanding of their own being.” For Gurdjieff, the group was an important vehicle for self-study and self-knowledge: The first aim of a man beginning work in a group should be self-st udy. The work of self-study can proceed only in properly organized groups. One man alone cannot see himself. But when a certain number of people unite together for this purpose they will even involuntarily help one another. It is a common characteristic of human nature that a man sees the faults of others more easily than he sees his own. At the same time on the path of self-study he learns that he himself possesses all the faults that he finds in others. But there are many things that he does not see in himself, whereas in other people he begins to see them. But, as I have just said, in this case he knows that these features are his own. Thus other members of the group serve him as mirrors in which he sees himself. But, of course, in order to see himself in other people’s faults and not merely to see the faults of others, a man must be very much on his guard and be very sincere with himself. Furthermore, in the work of self-study one man begins to accumulate material resulting from self-observation. Twenty people will have twenty times as much material. And every one of them will be able to use the whole of this material because the exchange of observations is one of the processes of the group’s existence. (22) Members of groups must be honest and sincere and tell the teacher the whole truth. “Telling the teacher a deliberate lie, or being insincere with him, or suppressing something, makes their presence in the group completely useless.” Group members must remember that they are in a group to learn and must follow the instructions of the teacher. Gurdjieff strongly emphasized this point: 12

If, therefore, once they are in the group, they begin to feel or express mistrust towards the teacher, to criticize his actions, to find that they understand better how the group should be conducted and especially if they show lack of external considering in relation to the teacher, lack of respect for him, asperity, impatience, tendency to argument, this at once puts an end to any possibility of work, for work is possible only as long as people remember that they have come to learn and not to teach. (23)

Group Energy and Communication

A group generates an energy that is circulated and shared among the members of the group. Each person produces and receives this current of energy, passing on a proportion to others: “There is a pool of energy which is produced in the form of ‘group energy.’ The group benefits from the transmission, exchange and interchange of this energy, and an individual within the group can benefit according to his or her need.” Spiritual groups and individual members produce and receive four different types of energy, in terms of use, assimilation and absorption: “They have the energy they produce themselves, the energy which comes from working in a group, the energy which comes from the natural surroundings, as well as the energy which comes from the teacher and the source of the Tradition.” One of the functions of a group is to enable each member to use all four energies simultaneously. This creates a circle of energy in which each individual is a link in a “chain.” The energy created by a group may benefit another group in some other place or at some other time: “Energy produced in a group activity can be shared with and drawn upon by another group without detriment to the group that produced it.” The spiritual force of a group can also be conveyed to members of the group who are absent by drawing on an accumulated group-pool of energy. A group can also assist other members of the group who may be ill or physically weak, by generating and sending energy to help such an individual. Communication and sharing of energy occurs between individual members of a group, between the teacher and students, and between the Teaching and each individual person. This process includes not only verbal communication but also a form of communication “beyond words.” It is through the correct inner development of the group that the stage of “direct communication” may be achieved: “When the group is operating correctly and in the proper balance without too much emotion, and without too much intellectuality, there is a direct communication among all the people connected with this work, and that communication is telepathic.” The relationships and energy developed in a group produces a “special flavor” or atmosphere that can be recognized and experienced. But in talking about this energy field it is important “not to become excited or emotionally involved, because this will interrupt it.”

13

Relationship Betw een a Group and the Greater Teaching

An “organic” group is developed and comes into being in response to the potentialities of a situation. A group carrying on real work must fulfil the requirements of proper time, place and people: Certain physical conditions are necessary even before such a situation (a teaching situation) can exist. The human community is involved in an evolutionary movement. The existence of the teacher and the community in a given place is connected, by cosmic laws, with a necessity of the community. There is, in fact, an organic situation of which the individual psychological position is merely a part. (24) The interrelationship between correctly grouped people and a real, living spiritual teaching has a holistic nature in which all operate as one whole: “The learning group and the total organization to which it belongs is so important that it is worth regarding as sacrosanct in itself as far as its integrity and maintenance are concerned.” The structure of the Teaching is dependent upon the interplay of the materials of study, rules, energy and purpose of the School and the human factor: As soon as you join a study circle, you come into a certain special relationship with its members, with its teacher, and with the whole of the studies. That is why it is important to maintain a special sort of relationship between the members, and a special sort of attention in the student. The study materials themselves, the membership of the group, the activity as a whole of the school, the proceedings which are carried out – these are the means whereby the special harmony and receptivity, as well as the inter-relation between students and the study, take place. (25) Teaching is generally carried out in both large and small groups. Sub-groups may also be formed to further refine the system: “When a group of people becomes too large, it must be sub-divided in order to maintain the organic nature of the group, of the movement of people.” Groups complement each other, and the collected experience of different groups becomes part of the accumulated knowledge of the whole. An analogy is sometimes given of individual members in a group being a link in a chain, and each group being a link in a still larger chain. The links of the chain work together simultaneously, sharing energy and enhancing each other’s spiritual work. Contact and communication between groups takes many forms, from the conventional and ordinary to more refined and higher level experiences. This sharing of a range of experiences enhances the feeling of fellowship and communication. However, it is important that individuals belonging to different groups should not compare or share exercises and activities

14

without the permission of the teacher, as these are specific for a given group and may not apply to another group. When groups achieve a certain harmony, an energy wave is produced that can link with the corresponding energy wave from another group, allowing energy to flow in both directions. Geographical, climatic and other factors can sometimes influence the transmission of energy between groups and produce “a difference in the rhythm or momentum a group builds up and sustains.” Ideally there is a balance and harmony within and between groups: People functioning together in a group support, compensate and balance each other’s function. There may be moments when, for one reason or another, one member of a group is functioning below normal. The function of the group is to try and restore the correct functioning of this person by contact and relationship. Equally, it is the function of a group, relating to another group, to try and establish this balancing function. One group may produce an excess amount of energy which they can store for their own future use, or pass it on to another group which needs an extra boost of energy at that moment. It is therefore necessary to have as close a rapport as possible between members of a group, and between groups. (26)

Some Characteristics of Deteriorated Groups

There is an almost inevitable tendency for groups of all types to become ossified or mechanical. All kinds of social, religious, psychological and philosophical schools, lacking an organic nature, have been turned into a rigid system or “quasi-religion.” Among the tests are whether the group will deteriorate into a powersystem or a hierarchical set-up; whether the activities of the group will degenerate into a mere search for personal satisfactions (since social satisfactions can, of course, be obtained anywhere else), or whether some other kind of immature demand will develop. Very many such groups are not successful, since their members, by a sort of unsensed conspiracy, seldom recognize how easily subjective demands can take over and under how deep a disguise they may operate. Many of the collections of spiritual people which one sees in the West, and not a few in the East, are really this kind of group. Stabilized they may be; spiritual activities they are not. (27) Random collections of “like-minded people” or irregular arrangements of students who gather together for group-mentality reasons cannot, for all practical purposes, form a real learning group. There is s saying: ‘Every gat hering of people has it s ow n pot ent ial – t hose collect ed arbit rarily have only physical, ment al or emot ional pot ent ial.’

15

Authentic groups are not recruitment groups. They are not collections of people who have all answered a newspaper advertisement, or formed a group after reading a book or hearing a lecture, or because they are related to someone, or have been made interested in the Way; or people who simply seek a group. Such groups may be recognized, even by complete outsiders, by the personality conflicts which arise within them. (28) Individuals who lack friends and normal social relationships often try to use a group as a social organization for companionship and mutual comfort. But if group members “already have a sound social equilibrium, they will not need to convert their study atmosphere into a source of stability and reassurance.” In such cases, the natural development of a social sense in the grouping stunts aspiration. Only the introduction of different types of people into the group, in order at least to restore it to a normal cross-section of people, would be likely to revive this group’s possibilities. But a social group of this kind is almost by definition hostile to such introductions; people who seem to think in a different manner are regarded as hostile or ineligible. (29) Groups can easily develop into a clan or “in-group,” becoming narrow sociological communities of the elite when refusing to accept those outside their ranks. Many such groups have a strange or abnormal atmosphere, making newcomers feel uncomfortable or unwelcome. A good test is to see whether friends, relatives or even complete strangers feel at ease in the group. Another pitfall of the group process occurs when members are magnetized around certain ideas, readings, exercises and so on. There may be an overly intellectual approach to studies and a tendency to take things in a literal sense. Individuals who seek to acquire and extract intellectual satisfactions from the group are so filled with thoughts and ideas that they are unable to concentrate on subtle concepts. Many people in study groups, rather than wanting to learn, are actually craving emotional stimulation or are looking to attract attention to themselves. Such people are characterized by over-enthusiasm, strong subjective feeling and excitement. Another indication of a cult-like or deteriorated group is a community produced and maintained by the process of indoctrination and conditioning: Because virtually all human actions are motivated by greed or fear (the ‘carrot’ or the ‘whip’), these are the mainsprings of virtually all study groups. But these negative characteristics, although they alone caused the individuals to find, enter and persist in the group, are a distinct barrier to learning. (30)

16

References

(1) Robert Ornstein The Psychology of Consciousness (New York: Penguin Books, 1986), p. 292. (2) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of t he M iraculous (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 222. (3) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of t he M iraculous (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 238. (4) Idries Shah Learning How t o Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 258. (5) Idries Shah Know ing How t o Know (London: Octagon Press, 1998), pp. 203-204. (6) Idries Shah Seeker Aft er Trut h (London: Octagon Press, 1985), p. 91. (7) Arthur Butterfield “The Pattern of the Sufis” in The Diffusion of Sufi Ideas in t he W est (Ed. Leonard Lewin) (Boulder: Keysign Press, 1972), p. 209. (8) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of t he M iraculous (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 231. (9) Idries Shah “Current Study Materials” in W orld of t he Sufi (ed. Idries Shah) (London: Octagon Press, 1979), pp. 273-274. (10) Idries Shah Learning How t o Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 269-270. (11) Idries Shah Know ing How t o Know (London: Octagon Press, 1998), pp. 331-332. (12) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of t he M iraculous (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 222. (13) Idries Shah The Commanding Self (London: Octagon Press, 1994), p. 222. (14) Omar Ali-Shah The Sufi Tradit ion in t he W est (New York: Alif Publishing, 1994), pp. 232233. (15) Omar Ali-Shah Sufism for Today (New York: Alif Publishing, 1993), p. 56. (16) Idries Shah Know ing How t o Know (London: Octagon Press, 1998), p. 142. (17) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of t he M iraculous (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), pp. 222-223. (18) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of t he M iraculous (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 228. (19) Idries Shah W isdom of t he Idiot s (London: Octagon Press, 1984), p. 32. (20) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of t he M iraculous (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 228. (21) Omar Ali-Shah The Course of t he Seeker (Reno: Tractus Books, 1996), pp. 291-292. (22) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of t he M iraculous (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), pp. 222-223. (23) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of t he M iraculous (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1949), p. 225. (24) Abdul Hamid “First Statement” in The Diffusion of Sufi Ideas in t he W est (ed. Leonard Lewin) (Boulder: Keysign Press, 1972), p. 138 (25) Idries Shah Know ing How t o Know (London: Octagon Press, 1998), p. 142. (26) Omar Ali-Shah The Course of t he Seeker (Reno: Tractus Books, 1996), p. 210. (27) Idries Shah A Perfumed Scorpion (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 180. 17

(28) Idries Shah Know ing How t o Know (London: Octagon Press, 1998), p. 35. (29) Idries Shah The W ay of t he Sufi (New York: Penguin Books, 1982), p. 283. (30) Idries Shah Seeker Aft er Trut h (London: Octagon Press, 1985), p. 91.

18

SPIRITUAL EXERCISES AND TECHNIQUES

‘There are t hree phases of all exercises. In t he first , exercises are forbidden – t he aspirant is not ready; exercises w ould harm t hem. This is t he t ime w hen t hey generally desire exercises most . In t he second, w hen t ime, place and bret hren are suit able for t he exercises t o have effect – exercises are indicat ed. In t he t hird, w hen exercises have had t heir effect – t hey are no longer needed. And no M ast er ever performs exercises for t heir ow n progress on t he w ay, for all M ast ers have passed t he t hird st age.’ Bahaudin Naqshband

Purpose, Function and Intention of Exercises

At a preliminary level, exposure to spiritual exercises and techniques gives basic information and experience in order to familiarize students with the variety and types of spiritual methods. The performance of spiritual exercises offer and potentially bring transformative experiences which help answer fundamental questions concerning the meaning and purpose of life: The primary function of the diverse techniques of meditation is to begin to answer the basic questions of life, such questions as go unanswered in ordinary social and educational interaction. Esoteric traditions contend that personal questions about the nature of existence cannot be answered in the same rational, verbal manner as can questions about the nature of physical or even social environment. Meditation, then, is “a-logical,” intended to defeat the ordinary sequential and analytic approach to problem-solving in situations where this approach is not appropriate. (1) Spiritual exercises such as meditation are an integral component of virtually every one of the world’s spiritual traditions. They are important for many reasons: Q: All teachers advise us to meditate. What is the purpose of meditation? A: We know the outer world of sensation and action, but of our inner world of thoughts and feelings we know very little. The primary purpose of meditation is to become conscious of, and familiar with, our inner life. The ultimate purpose is to reach the source of life and consciousness. Incidentally, practice of meditation affects deeply our character. We are slaves to what we do not know; of what we know we are masters. Whatever weakness in 1

ourselves we discover and understand its causes and its workings, we overcome it by the very knowing; the unconscious dissolves when brought into the conscious. The dissolution of the unconscious releases energy; the mind feels adequate and becomes quiet. Q: What is the use of a quiet mind? A: When the mind is quiet, we come to know ourselves as the pure witness. We withdraw from the experience and its experiencer and stand apart in pure awareness, which is between and beyond the two. The personality, based on self-identification, on imagining oneself to be something: “I am this, I am that,” continues, but only as part of the objective world. Its identification with the witness snaps. (2) The proper employment of certain techniques enables the development of a heightened perception, higher states of mind and contact with subtler states of consciousness. Spiritual exercises develop the capacities, abilities and powers of an individual or group, producing greater harmony and growth by opening the mind to the recognition of its highest potential. Two sayings express this evolutionary function: ‘There is no end t o learning ’ and ‘Humanit y is infinit ely perfect ible.’ One important purpose of spiritual exercises is removing the ‘veils’ or obstacles which interfere with balanced and harmonious development: ‘Gold needs bran t o polish it .’ Certain exercises are precise instruments which enhance the communication of a special contact and exchange of energy from teacher to pupil, for the purpose of ‘unveiling’ or encouraging baraka (spiritual power and grace): Communication by mastery is associated with the transmission of ‘baraka,’ the ‘enabling energy’ by which the Work of the pupil is greatly enhanced. This transmission of a higher energy that can be assimilated to the energy of the pupil is a vital part of the whole process. (3) Spiritual exercises are also employed to awaken states of mystical experience and higher illumination so as to “bring the seeker into affinity with the mystical current, in order to be transformed by it.” At the same time, the task of ‘removing the veils’ is embarked upon. This involves using special techniques to remove those elements which block human perception of the divine. It is often said that these elements operate something like insulators. They are there not necessarily because of anything vicious about an ordinary human being, such as original sin, but because, without the means to handle divine knowledge the person would not be able to reconcile it with everyday life. (4)

2

Theory and Practice

Spiritual exercises are based on a precise technical knowledge, tested and proven techniques, and a specific terminology. They follow a pattern derived from certain discoveries about the nature of human psychological, physiological and spiritual functioning. Many techniques are designed to cause a shift from the linear, analytic mode of consciousness to the holistic, intuitive mode identified with the hemisphere of the brain. “In the esoteric and religious traditions of the East the use of dance, movement and other bodily activities are intended to acquaint people with the basics of a mode of consciousness that might later be developed into a ‘deeper understanding,’ a more holistic comprehension.” The practices of meditation, of whirling, chanting, the ritual movement of Tai Chi Ch’uan, the martial arts, the design of the Gothic cathedrals and the temples of Islam, complex geometric symbols, Arabic geometrical design, the postures of Hatha Yoga and other exercises share a common physiological basis. Their “site of action” is the simultaneous informationprocessing of the right hemisphere of the human brain, an “organ of perception” present, but undeveloped, in everyone. (5) The exact pattern and content of prescribed exercises depend on the nature, characteristics and stage of development of the individual or group, as well as the circumstances of the prevailing culture: “The techniques employ music, dance, movement, specific body postures, creative special visualization and techniques designed to defeat ordinary linear, sequential thinking such as concentrative meditation, Zen koans, and the literature of the Sufi tradition.” Certain exercises are regarded as primary to the goal of spiritual realization and others as secondary and supportive: When Buddhist schools began to specialize in certain practices and procedures, it was customary to classify methods into principal and auxiliary. Generally speaking, spiritual exercises given main emphasis in a particular specialty are called principal, while exercises supporting the main focus are called auxiliary. Sometimes all methods other than the given specialization are referred to as auxiliary practices. For instance, Zen master Chinul considers ‘the work of mindfulness’ to be the main, or “direct” method, while doing good deeds in general is considered auxiliary. He likens the work of mindfulness to cleaning a dusty mirror, with goodness being like a polishing agent assisting in the operation. (6) Various theoretical formulations underlie the choice and application of exercises. For instance, to ‘unveil’ or encourage baraka , the ‘four pathways’ are traditionally used: music and sound, rhythms, sight, visualization and concentration. Certain exercises are practices in the development of attention, either by focusing the mind on one stimulus (concentration) or 3

extending awareness to a larger field (mindfulness). Many exercises are based on the themes of harmony, balance and graduated development. “The spiritual and the non-spiritual are closely related and the strength of this relationship varies on different levels – a constant ebb and flow throughout all aspects of the Teaching.” Spiritual exercises should only be assigned and performed under the guidance of a wise, experienced and knowledgeable teacher. This is especially true for breathing exercises, ‘kundalini’ techniques and repetition of sacred syllables or ‘mantras.’ Genuine teachers are careful and parsimonious with their materials and exercises and certain exercises may only be performed “under the strict supervision of a Guide, who uses this exercise for a specific and limited purpose.” Exercises are specifically given to an individual or group based on a perception by the teacher of the needs and capacities of the students or group: this particular individual or group should do this specific exercise at a particular time. The success of exercises depends on monitoring and feedback. The teacher assesses the student’s or group’s progress and “prescribes for alterations in awareness which follow these practices and which are subject to careful adjustment and cannot be automatically performed.” A teacher may also help a student with an exercise by transmitting a certain spiritual energy (baraka ) from their own “powerhouse of consciously accumulated force.”

Preparation and Ability to Benefit

The specific methods and exercises chosen by a teacher depend on the student’s individuality, temperament and degree of preparation. For exercises to be effective they must be chosen and applied in accordance with the needs of the individual or group. Exercises are properly prescribed when they are within a person’s capacity and ability, but also challenge and ‘stretch’ them: “The activities which are given are just slightly beyond the person’s experience but not out of range of the person’s capacity.” Without proper preparation spiritual exercises will not have their intended effect on the aspirant and may even be potentially damaging: “What would happen if a bolt of high power electricity is shot into a receiver that is not strong enough to receive it?” Exercises are indicated when a person is ready, suitably prepared and correctly attuned and not “just imagining that he or she is ready to profit from them.” The capacity to benefit properly from exercises is illustrated by the following story: Before a Sufi can participate in musical activities, including listening to music, it must be established by his director as to whether he will benefit correctly from the experience. A story is related here to show a Sufi teacher (Sheikh Gurjani) explained that a certain disciple was not yet fitted for the audition of music in the Sufi, objective, sense. In response to his request, the Sheikh said: 4

“Fast for a week. Have delicious foods cooked for you. If you still prefer musical movement, then take part in it.” Participation in music and dance in any other circumstance is actually harmful to the aspirant. Modern psychology has not yet realized that there is a special function of sound for elevating consciousness. (7) Specific exercises are technical instruments designed to be used under special circumstances and whose application is finely tuned. For exercises to function properly there must be a precise knowledge regarding their developmental value. An example is the use of music: In order for music to exercise a function in the formative or developmental area, it must be composed and performed, and experienced, on the basis of knowledge of its value for such a process. This brings us to the question of the understanding of music as a very much more important phenomenon than most people realise. Music can only be understood and participated in, by higher perception, by a mind which is capable of getting out of the music what it really contains. This can only happen if the person knows about this fact; knows how to listen and understand; listens at times and under conditions suitable for the desirable development. (8) Many spiritual traditions employ devotional and ‘heart-based’ practices to prepare a foundation for more advanced methods and techniques: There is a teaching, widely practiced by Buddhist yogis, known as “The Four Unlimited Thoughts,” which is used to cultivate devotional thinking and good will toward all beings. These Four Unlimited Thoughts are: friendliness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and evenmindedness. The aim of meditating upon these virtues is twofold – to cultivate compassion toward all beings, and to reduce those barriers between oneself and others that have contributed so much to the misfortunes of the world. This meditation is regarded by Buddhists as the foundation of and preparation for all other meditations. Without the spiritual preparedness that is brought about by the cultivation of good will and devotion, any type of meditation can hardly bear wholesome fruit, and instead may often lead one astray. (9) Specific exercises are selected for a given individual or community on the basis of suitable time, place and situation. Their developmental value and potential is the main consideration: Sufis don’t allow a person to do spiritual exercises unless they are convinced that he can undergo such exercises without harm and appreciate them without distraction. Spiritual exercises are allowed only at a certain time and a certain place and with certain people. When the ecstatic exercises are taken out of context, they become a circus at best and unhinge minds at worst.

5

Q: So the ecstatic experience has its place but only at a certain time at a certain stage of development? A: Yes, and with certain training. The ecstatic experience is certainly not required. It is merely a way of helping man to realize his potential. (10) Some spiritual exercises, such as certain forms of meditation, are valuable in enabling the student to attain a state of consciousness which favors entry into higher planes of spiritual realization: Certain techniques of meditation may be useful if we thoroughly understand that they have no more than an educational value. The ordinary man is so busy, so restless that it is quite a business for him to learn how to approach a state of doing nothing. Such techniques are no more than techniques of approach. With their help we do not achieve the state of doing nothing, but they allow us to draw near to it. Realization is impossible if we do not go beyond them. Generally speaking, these techniques come under two headings which might be named meditation with an object and meditation without an object. Meditation with an object is the easier of the two and is best suited for beginners. An object of contemplation, concrete or abstract, is agreed upon: Krishna, Jesus, Divine Goodness, the Magnificence of God. The meditator concentrates on this image or concept. He visualizes the image or defines the concept in its general outline and in its details. It may happen that at the end, his meditation merges him with the object, thus he knows a state of unity. Nevertheless, being pre-eminently still and peaceful, the meditator may by chance accede to realization in which he falls from a qualified state of unity into Oneness. (11)

Proper Application and Use of Techniques

The corpus or totality of individual and group exercises which are applied in a spiritual school form a pattern, normally invisible, in which all elements have their place. Spiritual exercises are precise instruments which are designed to be used to their maximum potential in a proper and suitable context: “If there is an instrument, be it music or a text, which has been very carefully produced, designed and made available, surely it is irresponsible not to benefit from or take advantage of that activity, instrument or exercise -- it has been crafted for people to use.” The technical aspects of an exercise have a relationship with the spiritual. For instance, the ambience, physical posture, breathing rhythm and person’s intention create and attract energy which connects with the deeper levels of their being. Spirituality communicates during periods of heightened perception: “Like attracts like, and since spirituality is a fundamental part of the Teaching, development of techniques of awareness and openness must inevitably attract a 6

development in the area of spirituality.” The common senses, hearing, sight, touch, smell and taste may be used simultaneously in an exercise based on the principles of balance and right proportion. “Each reading, each music, each colour, each exercise, complements something else, optimizing the situation.” The function of an exercise, activity or teaching tool can change according to the requirements of the time, place, situation and individuality of the practitioner: It is a matter of using the right tools for the right situation: the harmonious selection of the technique to accord with the circumstance. You cannot use a technique for every given circumstance any more than you can use a hammer, screwdriver or saw for every conceivable activity. (12) The time element is an important consideration in the performance of exercises. For example, if one has developed the capacity and skill, one can do an exercise for only a few minutes and still benefit. In many traditional spiritual teachings the time of day in which exercises are practised is considered an important element in enhancing their effectiveness: Q: Are there moments in the day which are more favorable than others for these exercises of attention or may they be practised at any moment? A: The most favorable moments are the early morning, two hours before sunrise and early evening at the time when the sun sets. The early morning is pre-eminently favorable because this is the time when nature is in a state of deepest rest. Sunset is not as beneficial, but it favors the return to oneself, because both man and nature are in a phase of relaxation. When such relaxation is not impaired by a state of fatigue, it is conducive to meditation and inner contemplation. We should not forget that any moment in the day when we feel empty, unoccupied, available, be it only for a few seconds (it is not a question of time, it is a question of quality) is an occasion. In religious terms I might say that they are a call to contemplation. (13) The first and most difficult step in learning and using exercises is overcoming conditioning, doubts and confusion. In the early phases of learning it is important to be clear about what techniques and instruments should be used in order to avoid confusion. At a later stage the choice of method or technique may be based on ‘feel’ or ‘inner measurement.’ There is a general sequence of phases or stages in the performance of most exercises: • • •

Preparation, which involves right intention and the creation of a calm physical and mental state in the practitioner The operational period when the exercise is actively practised and the effects of the exercise registered in the consciousness of the student The coming out period following the exercise and resumption of normal activities 7

As techniques become more familiar through practice, they can be upgraded or used in a more powerful and efficient way. This is sometimes called the ‘stretch factor’ as skill and capacity develop and self-imposed limitations are overcome. Following an exercise it is useful to examine the experience objectively by asking how one could have improved or enhanced the function of the activity. During this ‘scan’ of the effectiveness of the exercise, it is important to remember the quality and feeling of the exercise, judging it on a basis that is qualitative and not quantitative. Ultimately, there are no conventional measures to assess an individual’s deeper spiritual development. The outward performance of activities and exercises is not a measure of inner value. There is a traditional saying: ‘The key of Hell is t he prayer w hich you spin out t o impress people.’

Right Focus and Attitude

Participation in a spiritual exercise is a voluntary duty which people take upon themselves as a means of self-development. In this regard, Gurdjieff stressed to his pupils “the importance of doing our exercises, of doing them daily no matter where we would be or in what condition.” Self-imposed limitations, as a result of conditioning (“I can’t do that”), need to be eradicated and removed. One way to undermine this type of conditioning is by personal “experiential proof” or demonstrating competency and success in performing an exercise or activity. Certain exercises, especially of a psychological nature, require for their effectiveness strict obedience to the instructions of the teacher, without any hesitation or doubt. But this imposed discipline must be conscious, not mechanical or conditioned. For almost every practitioner some degree of effort and discipline is necessary in order to overcome inertia or unwillingness to do an exercise. Charles Stanley Nott, a student of Gurdjieff, describes this inner resistance: As for the inner exercises, they never became easy. Each day I had to make an effort to start them and an effort to continue them. A fly, or a movement of something, a sound, would distract me and divert my attention; (“Where my attention is, there am I”) or I would find myself falling asleep, or tensing myself instead of relaxing. More often my attention would be caught up by something or other in the stream of associations – physical, emotional or mental – which begins at birth and never stops until death. Caught up in this stream, my attention would be dispersed in day-dreaming, or in disputing with an imaginary person, or talking to myself. When my exercises were interrupted by exterior and interior happenings I would have to re-collect myself and begin again; and I acquired more real force from the exercises than from working in the fields. The force came from constantly compelling myself to overcome the inertia of the organism and its unwillingness to do the exercises. There was almost always the struggle between ‘I’ who wished to do them and ‘it’ which did not wish to do them; 8

as if the organism were in a way fulfilling its functions of the denying part against the affirming of ‘I wish.’ Constant struggle between the affirming and denying leads to understanding – of oneself, those around us, and the universe. (14) Before beginning an exercise or spiritual activity it is important to express and clarify one’s intention and objective. A clear intention or “calm purpose” enhances an exercise: If one keeps one’s intention in mind, that is the compass-point, the star, if you like, by which one steers. Then during the course of an exercise or activity, if one’s attention wanders off, it can be brought back into focus, or back onto the direction of one’s intention. If one hasn’t clearly defined one’s intention before beginning, then it is very possible that one’s attention can be distracted during an activity and focused on something seemingly interesting, valuable or fascinating, and at that point you get what we call the ‘butterfly mind’: you just hop around. (15) The inner attitude and state of mind of the student is a critical factor in performing exercises correctly. This is especially emphasized in the schools of Zen Buddhism: Although sitting is the foundation of zazen, it is not just any kind of sitting. According to Zen master Dogen, one must sit with a sense of dignity and grandeur, like a mountain or giant pine, and with a feeling of gratitude toward the Buddha and the patriarchs who made manifest the Dharma. And we must be grateful for our human body, through which we have the opportunity to experience the reality of the Dharma in all its profundity. This sense of dignity and gratitude, moreover, is not confined to sitting but must inform every activity, for insofar as each act issues from the Bodhimind it has the inherent dignity and purity of Buddhahood. (16) In a broader sense, spiritual exercises should be undertaken and performed for the benefit of all humanity rather than for self-centered, egoistic purposes: Zazen is sitting meditation. Za means “to sit,” and zen is tranquility. In Chinese, the character za is a picture of two people sitting on the earth. This means we have to sit zazen with others – not just with other people, but with all beings. You can’t sit zazen alone – that is, you can’t sit within an egoistic, selfish territory that is all your own. It’s impossible. To sit zazen, you must open yourself to the universe. To sit zazen with all beings is for all beings to sit zazen with you. (17)

9

Levels and Stages of Exercises

Certain exercises are preparatory, designed to “provide stepping-stones for further development of understanding.” Some spiritual techniques are of value as a “working hypothesis” for a limited time and for attaining specific objectives, so as not to become an end in itself or a barrier when no longer needed. Exercises differ in complexity and ease of mastery. Some are relatively simple to learn while others require sustained effort and the mobilization of a high degree of attention and concentration to be properly performed. Regardless of the level of the exercise, patience and perseverance are essential requirements for mastery and proficiency. In the words of an insightful adage: ‘If you hurry, you don’t succeed.’ The understanding and capacity to use techniques properly follows a progression. Some exercises can be understood fully and used immediately. Some techniques become more and more familiar every time they are used. Certain exercises can be modified and refined as experience and capacity increases. However, others keep themselves hidden until the person is capable of understanding how they function. Giving people powers and energies that they cannot use correctly is irresponsible: equivalent to giving a young child a loaded gun. Spiritual exercises can be a corrective as much as a system of inner development, providing support for the aspirant while helping to overcome the wrong kind of development engendered by the operation of the false personality or secondary self: Sufi assignments, whether they be manual labour or working on exercises contain the element least suspected by the student: the one whereby he comes to a realization that perception comes beyond activity. When Sufis report results of enterprises, exercises, or even doing gardening chores, it is to be noted that these developments do not come during the activity, but invariably after it. This is underlined by hints from Sufi sources that the ordinary ‘self’ as experienced by most people, stands in the way of selfrealization. Only a fatiguing of this secondary self makes it possible for the subtle impulses to be received by the primary self; and then only when this is done as part of a program planned and carried out by a real teaching master, not by imitation. Sufi activities both contain the effective function of blocking the working of the would-be analytical mind and the grosser self, as a preparation for higher insight. (18) According to Tantric teachings, spiritual energy can be raised through seven centres or ‘chakras’ from the lowest ‘plexus’ at the base of the spine, to the level of the heart centre and finally to the crown of the head where “perfect harmony is attained.” Each of the seven levels is associated with a corresponding inner exercise suitable to each particular stage of development.

10

In traditional Yoga teachings a series of exercises are prescribed by the teacher reflecting successive stages in the journey to self-realization: asanas (postures), pranayama (breath control), prat yahara (sense withdrawal), dharana (concentration), dhyana (contemplation) and samadhi (self-realization): Regulation of the breath is prescribed for making the mind quiescent. Quiescence lasts only so long as the breath is controlled. So it is transient. The goal is clearly not pranayama . It extends on to prat yahara , dharana , dhyana and samadhi . Those stages deal with the control of mind. Such control becomes easier for the man who has earlier practised pranayama . Pranayama leads him to the higher stages involving control of mind. Control of mind is the goal of yoga. A more advanced man will naturally go direct to control of mind without wasting his time in practising control of breath. (19) Buddhist teachings regard dhyana as process and samadhi as the goal: samadhi is the spiritual state realized by the exercise of dhyana . A number of levels or stages of dhyana are identified in Zen Buddhism: The first dhyana is an exercise in which the mind is made to concentrate on one single subject until the coarse affective elements are vanished from consciousness except the serene feelings of joy and peace. But the intellect is still active, judgment and reflection operate upon the object of contemplation. When these intellectual operations too are quieted and the mind is simply concentrated on one point, it is said that we have attained the second dhyana, but the feeling of joy and peace are still there. In the third stage of dhyana, perfect serenity obtains as the concentration grows deeper, but the subtlest mental activities are not vanished and at the same time a joyous feeling remains. When the fourth and last stage is reached, even this feeling of self-enjoyment disappears, and what prevails in consciousness now is perfect serenity of contemplation. All the intellectual and emotional factors liable to disturb spiritual tranquility are successively controlled, and mind in absolute composure remains absorbed in contemplation. (20) The practice of meditation awakens progressively more refined states of consciousness as the practitioner enters into deeper levels of reality: Meditation is a deliberate attempt to pierce into the higher states of consciousness and finally go beyond it. The art of meditation is the art of shifting the focus of attention to ever subtler levels without losing one’s grip on the levels left behind. One begins with the lowest levels: social circumstances, customs and habits; physical surroundings, the posture and the breathing of the body; the senses, their sensations and 11

perceptions; the mind, its thoughts and feelings; until the entire mechanism of personality is grasped and firmly held. The final stage of meditation is reached when the sense of identity goes beyond the ‘I am so and so,’ beyond ‘so I am,’ beyond ‘I am the witness only,’ beyond ‘there is,’ beyond all ideas into the impersonally personal pure being. (21)

Observing the Effects of Exercises

In an exercise or activity, a certain amount of the conscious mind can monitor, scan and observe the effects of the exercise in an alert and relaxed manner. A person may feel an echo or feedback from an exercise: these feelings should be consciously registered and remembered, without necessarily labelling them with a name, measurement or evaluation. In performing an exercise there will naturally be certain physical and psychological sensations which vary from individual to individual: “Because of background, education or because of a dozen different things, people feel or react in different ways, which causes them to register or explain their feelings to themselves in different ways, some in a more dramatic way, and some in a dismissive way.” When an exercise is properly performed there is both an immediate and long-term physical benefit. For instance, physical tension can be identified and relaxed during an exercise, partly by establishing a harmonious breathing rhythm. Some exercises produce insight into the workings of the body and greater control over coordination and movement. One of the byproducts of relaxation exercises is an improvement in the depth and quality of sleep. During and following an exercise, positive feelings such as happiness, tranquility, harmony and relaxation may be produced. In some spiritual traditions this feeling of deep inner satisfaction following the proper performance of an exercise or activity is called the ‘earned pearl.’ However, the impact of some exercises may not be immediate or obvious as their effect reaches deeper, more subtle levels of consciousness. Spiritual exercises also provide a nonconceptual approach to experiencing Ultimate Reality. “At the end of your meditation all is known directly, no proofs whatsoever are required.” Definitions and descriptions have their place as useful incentives for further search, but you must go beyond them into what is undefinable and indescribable, except in negative terms. After all, even universality and eternity are mere concepts, the opposite of being place and timebound. Reality is not a concept, nor the manifestation of a concept. Concern yourself with your mind, remove its distortions and impurities. Once you had the taste of your own self, you will find it everywhere and at all times. Once you know it, you will never lose it. But you must give yourself the opportunity through intensive, even arduous meditation. (22)

12

During the course of an exercise there may be a passage or transfer of subtle energy of a higher order. This ‘spiritual communication’ can occur in both individuals and groups and is a natural, though little understood, phenomenon. Concentration on a specific spot within the body can lead to definite psychic experiences associated with different body centres: Focusing the attention on any part within the body will produce extraordinary and sometimes astonishing results. A specific psychical experience will always be brought forth by concentrating on a specific body center. For instance, concentrating on the point between the eyebrows will produce the experience of “light,” and concentrating on the navel-center that of blissfulness. When the concentration is on the heart center, the positive and negative forces of the body will soon become united and will thus, in time, produce the “illuminating-void” or “blissful-void” experience. Buddhist Tantrics assert that each of the five main centers (chakras) of the body has its special functions and preferential applications. (23) Certain practitioners of advanced meditation techniques may experience strange psychic phenomena such as bright colours, unusual sounds, smells and visions. “Many of them are of a delusory nature. The yogi is repeatedly warned by his Guru that he should never pay attention to them; otherwise he will be misled and go astray.” The practice of concentrative meditation can also lead to the acquisition of a very subtle state of consciousness, sometimes called the ‘blank state.’ Rather than being a gift, it may be a trap and hindrance to the enlightened state beyond duality and ordinary perception: “All states, feelings and sensations are objects which keep you bound, no matter how subtle and pleasant they are. They are delectation for the ‘me,’ sweets for the ego, that’s all.” Although one of the by-products of mastery of an exercise is the acquisition, in some people, of so-called supernatural powers such as clairvoyance, clairaudience, telepathy and telekinesis, students are specifically warned against the dangers of such occult powers and the striving after paranormal gifts. Authentic spiritual teachings regard psychic powers or siddhis as minor indications of inner development, not to be mistaken for enlightenment. The secondary importance of unusual psychic manifestations is clearly encapsulated in the words of Pope Pius Benedict XIV: The existence of heroic sanctity is not guaranteed by stigmata, levitations and other charismata, however remarkable, but only by a consistently virtuous conduct in the trials of daily life and by an adequate use of the opportunities which may present themselves of promoting the service and glory of God. (24)

13

M isuse of Spiritual Exercises

Many originally valid spiritual techniques have deteriorated into ritualism or cultural and religious artifacts whereby they lose their higher developmental effect, serving instead as mere forms of repetition, disguised entertainment, imagination or emotionality. This process is exemplified in the importation of unknown exercises and techniques into the West from the East: A series of ideas or practices which may depend for their efficacy upon a certain kind of usage, are modified sometimes out of recognition, sometimes out of function. Then there is another kind of importation: where physical, psychological and other techniques are literally ‘lifted’ from the culture for which they were prescribed and imported, then practised, in communities which cannot benefit functionally from them. At most these patterns train, ‘condition,’ people to feel a sense that something significant is connected with them. It may be, or it may not be. All will depend upon the specific case. (25) In authentic spiritual systems, the same practices and exercises are not carried out continuously. Techniques are useful at a specific stage of development and “persistence in any technique after the appropriate period would be a waste of time or might even be harmful.” Those who ‘teach’ single techniques, without a comprehensive overall knowledge, are only conditioning people. One of the misuses of spiritual exercises is when people “imagine that just because they have learned exercises, this gives them the right and capacity to apply them on others.” Participation in certain exercises when the aspirant is not ready or prepared may be useless or actually harmful. “Carrying out exercises without being in the corresponding condition to benefit from them is worse than useless.” People imagine that exercises are the key to higher understanding. But if they are applied upon people who are not correctly attuned for their reception, they will either not operate at all, or else produce a complete illusion of well-being, which is misinterpreted as ‘enlightenment.’ Many well-meaning people try to operate exercises in this way. The result is not higher development at all, but recreation. (26) If exercises are used by people who are attracted to techniques without due regard for correct attunement, they may only operate on a lower psychological level: Certain physical and mental exercises are of extremely significant importance for the furthering of higher human functions. If these are practised by people who use things for emotional, social or calisthenic purposes, they will not operate on a higher level with such people. They become 14

merely a means of getting rid of surplus energy, or of assuaging a sense of frustration. The practitioners however, regularly and almost invariably mistake their subjective experiences of them for ‘something higher.’ (27) Many imitation meditation systems are ineffective or produce only auto-hypnotic or trance states. Some forms of meditation evoke physiological changes in the practitioner which are mistaken for ‘higher experiences.’ Spiritual exercises may be used on a lower level for release of emotional tension, self-gratification and excitement. Imagination, obsession and suggestibility are mistaken for spirituality: “The operation of such things as self-will, greed and the tendency to imagine and desire emotional stimuli will drive spiritual experiences out, and they will even ‘lose their investment’.” There is also a tendency for people to overestimate or misinterpret subjective experiences during the course of an exercise: My own feelings had been unusual. At the height of the dance I sensed a great peace, as if my normal life was sleep, and as if I were usually in pain, and that this sensation, this dance, gave me relief and freedom. As soon as we returned to the reception-room, I felt that I had to ask the Sheikh about this. He smiled when I told him. “It was imagination. You could have felt that from any dramatic event which you have waited a long time to see. People will not believe this, however, and prefer to feel that the dance gives them relief and makes them feel better. In the early stages this even happens to some of our brethren. This is not spirituality – it is suggestibility. (28) Indulging in exercises without first overcoming certain personal propensities may produce detrimental effects, including fixations and illusions of certainty. “Greed is the dominant, though well concealed, characteristic of those who imagine that exercises are the entry to knowledge.” Exercises may produce a feeling of exhilaration and harmony that can be misleading, when nothing of permanent value has yet been achieved: Gurdjieff would often emphasize that there were many dangers that would inevitably be encountered in the process of self-development. One of the most frequent obstacles was that, at times, the performance of a particular exercise would produce a state of exhilaration or well-being. He said that while such a state of exhilaration was proper to the correct and serious performance of such exercises, one danger lay in our misconception of “results” or “progress” – it was necessary to remember that we should not expect results at all. If we did an exercise expecting a certain result, it was valueless. But, if we achieved a recognizable result, such as a feeling of genuine wellbeing, even though this was a proper, temporary, result, it did not in any sense mean that one had “achieved” anything permanent. It could mean that some progress was being made but it was then necessary to work that much harder in order to make such “results” a permanent part of oneself. (29)

15

The repetition of sacred syllables (mant ras) has been widely used as a spiritual exercise in cultures throughout the world. The practitioner repeats a carefully chosen word or phrase over and over. However, to be effective it must be employed very carefully under the guidance of an experienced teacher: Although it gives a harmonious center, a mantra also closes the mind. Indeed, if it is used without adequate supervision by a teacher who has used the mantra himself or herself over a long period of time, it can have a deleterious effect on the mind, closing it off from its source, and effectively blocking all spiritual progress. (30) Techniques of meditation which narrow and focus the attention rather than expanding awareness are limited in their effectiveness as a vehicle for self-realization: Many forms of practice, commonly called concentrative meditation, seek to narrow awareness in some way. Examples include reciting a mantra, focusing on a visualization, even following the breath if that involves shutting out the other senses. In narrowing the attention, such practices quickly create certain pleasant states. We may feel that we have escaped from our troubles because we feel calmer. As we settle into this narrow focus, we may eventually go into a trance, like a drugged and peaceful state in which everything escapes us. Though at times useful, any practice that narrows our awareness is limited. If we don’t take into account everything in our world, both mental and physical, we miss something. A narrow practice does not transfer well to the rest of our life; when we take it into the world, we don’t know how to act and may still get quite upset. A concentrative practice, if we’re very persistent, may momentarily force us through our resistance, to a glimpse of the absolute. Such a forced opening isn’t truly genuine; it misses something. Though we get a glimpse of the other side of the phenomenal world, into nothingness or pure emptiness, there is still me realizing that. The experience remains dualistic and limited in its usefulness. (31) Although techniques of concentrative meditation are useful in the preliminary stages of spiritual development, they can easily become an end in themselves and block deeper, more subtle levels of perception and understanding. “Any technique is potentially a conditioning, and those techniques of meditation which claim to un-condition, remain within a vicious circle.” Q: What about techniques that use objects for meditation? A: All technique aims to still the mind. But in fact it dulls the mind to fix it on an object. The mind loses its natural alertness and subtleness. It is no longer an open mind. Meditation is not meditating on something. Focusing on an object keeps you a prisoner of the known. Meditation belongs to the un16

knowable. Stilling the mind by techniques can bring a certain relaxed state but the moment you leave it, the problem of daily life continues. The practice of regular meditation may make you familiar with a peaceful state which you remember in daily life. Apparently you live with less agitation, but this relaxation is still a state of which you are aware. It is state of duality. Though it has therapeutic value it has nothing to do with our real quietness. For it still belongs to a function. A still mind, a relaxed state, is an object of awareness, a fraction, and a fraction can never bring you to the whole. It may give you a glimpse of tranquility but there is a great danger that if you proceed this way you will become fixed in the perception. For all progressive teachings, the transition from the subtle state of deep relaxation to the permanent non-state remains an enigma. (32)

Cautions and Dangers

Certain exercises and techniques must be taken very seriously and practised only under the strict supervision of a knowledgeable and experienced teacher. The consequences of violating this stricture may include serious physical harm or even, in rare instances, death. It is very important that the technical aspects of exercises be correctly followed. The improper performance of exercises may result in negative physical, mental or emotional manifestations. For example, “The rosary is held to accumulate a certain kind of power of virtue, which is communicated to others. If, however, the rosary is held when the individual is in the wrong state of mind, unpleasant consequences can ensue, for the inner and outer life of the individual.” Certain exercises which involve retention of the breath can have harmful consequences unless carefully monitored under the guidance of an experienced teacher: Practising meditation through “suppressing or holding the breath” is perhaps the most powerful and direct approach. It is capable of producing prompt yogic results, and thus quickly bringing the yogi to the state of Samadhi. However, it may be very dangerous and harmful if not properly applied. It is, therefore, not advisable to attempt this technique without proper guidance from a teacher, together with a sound foundation of easier breathing practices of the “softer” type (such as counting the breaths, etc.) (33) It is relatively easy to produce an apparently unworldly state by certain breathing techniques. Many systems of breathing are based on partial understanding and can cause unforeseen consequences to the body and mind. Trying to perform breathing exercises from books without proper instruction is dangerous and can lead to disorganization of the body’s functioning. Gurdjieff was insistent on this point:

17

Many organs work mechanically, without conscious participation. Each of them has its own rhythm, and the rhythms of different organs stand in a definite relationship to one another. If, for example, we change our breathing, we change the rhythm of our lungs; but since everything is connected, other rhythms also gradually begin to change. If we go on with this breathing for a long time it may change the rhythm of all the organs. It is a thousand times better not to interfere with our machine rather than correct it without knowledge. For the human organism is a very complicated apparatus containing many organs with different rhythms and different requirements, and many organs are connected with one another. Either everything must be changed or nothing, otherwise instead of good one may do harm. Artificial breathing is the cause of many illnesses. To work on oneself one must know every screw, every nail of one’s machine – then you will know what to do. But if you know a little and try, you may lose a great deal. The risk is great for the machine is very complicated. It has very small screws which can be easily damaged, and if you push harder you may break them. One must be very careful. (34) Many spiritual teachers warn against practising techniques which artificially raise vital energy in the subtle body from ‘chakra’ to ‘chakra’, a process of activating the energy of ‘kundalini.’ There are several techniques to bring energy upwards but to me these are completely artificial. When there is real understanding there is a natural integration of the energy in the ultimate. If the release of energy does not happen spontaneously but is made the object of one’s intention it not only keeps you in the becoming process, the subject-object dichotomy, it can also cause an imbalance of the body-mind. The level of energy must correspond to the whole behaviour in daily life. It must be harmoniously integrated into your completeness, otherwise you may behave in certain ways which don’t belong to the level of energy. It happens often in mad people. Freeing of energy comes out of understanding of your whole intelligence. (35) There is a real danger that concentrative meditation techniques may ensnare the practitioner in a subtle subject-object duality from which it is virtually impossible to escape: To reach the source, the essence of existence, form and ideas must be entirely abandoned. Many seekers caught up in the subject-object web find themselves confronted by a final object, the blank state. The object has been reduced to its generic form but this undifferentiated potentiality then becomes an object which cannot come home. It always threatens to become again differentiated. There is a certain effort to maintain this blank state. For those caught in this subtle duality, the blank state becomes a mystery which the mind can never solve. Having reinforced dual conditioning by bringing it to the most subtle levels a seeker can never escape this self-made prison. It is a tragic enigma which only blessed and unexpected circumstances can solve. (36) 18

References

(1) Robert Ornstein The M ind Field (New York: Pocket Books, 1978), p. 119. (2) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), pp. 13-14. (3) J.G. Bennett Gurdjieff: M aking a New W orld (New York: Harper & Row, 1973), p. 219. (4) F.X. O’Halloran “A Catholic Among the Sufis” in The Sufi M yst ery (N.P. Archer, ed.) (London: Octagon Press, 1980), pp. 24-25. (5) Robert Ornstein The M ind Field (New York: Pocket Books, 1978), p. 57. (6) Thomas Cleary Kensho: The Heart of Zen (Boston: Shambhala, 1987), p. 24. (7) Idries Shah The Sufis (New York: Anchor Books, 1971), p. 179. (8) Idries Shah The Commanding Self (London: Octagon Press, 1994), pp. 320-321. (9) Garma Chang The Pract ice of Zen (New York: Harper & Row, 1970), p.p. 213-214. (10) Elizabeth Hall “A Conversation with Idries Shah” Psychology Today, July 1975, pp. 55-56. (11) Jean Klein Be W ho You Are (London: Watkins, 1978), pp. 55-56. (12) Omar Ali-Shah Sufism for Today (New York: Alif Publishing, 1993), pp. 149-150. (13) Jean Klein Be W ho You Are (London: Watkins, 1978), p. 54. (14) C.S. Nott Journey Through This W orld (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1974), p. 186 (15) Omar Ali-Shah Sufism for Today (New York: Alif Publishing, 1993), p. 48. (16) Philip Kapleau The Three Pillars of Zen (New York: Anchor Books, 1989), p. 10. (17) Dainin Katagiri You Have t o Say Somet hing: M anifest ing Zen Insight (Boston: Shambhala, 1998), p. 167. (18) Adilbai Kharkovli “Those Astonishing Sufis” in Sufi Thought and Act ion (Idries Shah, ed.) (London: Octagon Press, 1990), p. 169. (19) Ramana Maharshi Talks w it h Sri Ramana M aharshi (Tiruvannamalai, India: Sri Ramanasraman, 1984), p. 134. (20) D. T. Suzuki Essays in Zen Buddhism (New York: Grove Press, 1961), pp. 83-84. (21) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 412. (22) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 413. (23) Garma Chang The Pract ice of Zen (New York: Harper & Row, 1970), pp. 208-209. (24) Nina Epton M agic and M yst ics of Java (London: Octagon Press, 1974), p. 204. (25) Idries Shah Know ing How t o Know (London: Octagon Press, 1998), p. 177. (26) Idries Shah Know ing How t o Know (London: Octagon Press, 1998), p. 83. (27) Idries Shah Learning How t o Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 261. (28) Selima Isfandiari “Witnessing a Sacred Dance” in The Sufi M yst ery (ed. N.P. Archer) (London: Octagon Press, 1980), p. 56. (29) Fritz Peters Boyhood w it h Gurdjieff (Baltimore: Penguin Books, 1972), p. 168. (30) Albert Low The W orld: A Gat ew ay (Boston: Charles E. Tuttle, 1995), p. 7. (31) Charlotte Beck Not hing Special: Living Zen (San Francisco: Harper, 1993), pp. 170-171. (32) Jean Klein W ho Am I? (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1988), pp. 98-99. (33) Garma Chang The Pract ice of Zen (New York: Harper & Row, 1970), p. 208. 19

(34) G.I. Gurdjieff View s from t he Real W orld: Early Talks of Gurdjieff (New York: E.P Dutton, 1973), pp. 165-166. (35) Jean Klein The Ease of Being (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1986), p. 90. (36) Jean Klein I Am (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publications, 1989), p. 78.

20

TYPES OF SPIRITUAL EXERCISES ‘Prayer has a form, a sound and a physical realit y. Everyt hing w hich has a w ord, also has a physical equivalent . And every t hought has an act ion.’ Rumi

M editation, Concentration and Contemplation

Meditation, concentration and contemplation form a triad of inner developmental exercises. These three practices are “inseparable from one other, yet each forming one part of the mystical triangle which leads to enlightenment.” Meditation is but one dimension of Zen practice. The other two dimensions are “concentration” and “contemplation.” The word medit at e comes from the Latin medit ari, “to think about, consider, reflect.” A good way to meditate is to take a book written by someone spiritually mature and read a few lines, and then ponder on what is said – not so much to understand as to enter into the spirit of what is being said. To concentrate means “to direct or draw toward a common center; to focus.” Normally this requires considerable mental effort. The word cont emplat ion is associated with the word t emple, which originally was an “open space for observation.” Contemplation requires all the freedom that comes with meditation and all the tautness and firmness that is associated with concentration. Contemplation is the heart of practice. Concentration and meditation give support and aid. When we meditate, it is like rain on a parched land; when we concentrate, we generate great energy against which thoughts beat in vain. But contemplation is pure atonement, without goal, effort or fear of any kind. (1) In certain spiritual teachings analogies are employed to distinguish between meditation and concentration: Concentration starts, so to say, from the periphery of the mind and goes to the center; that after all is what concentration originally meant: with (con ) center. Meditation starts at the center and goes to the periphery. When we meditate on a theme, more and more is integrated around this theme. Concentration relies on the magnetic power of the center. Most of us have read of this power in books about the martial arts, where it is called ki or chi. Meditation, on the other hand, relies on the magnetic field, so to speak, that surrounds the center. It is like the field which surrounds a magnet, which becomes apparent when iron filings are sprinkled around it. It is this field that enables the mind to establish new patterns, order and hierarchy, and experience vital ingredients in the creative process. (2)

1

The mental activity of most people is restless and undirected, characterized by a seemingly continuous stream of wandering thoughts and images. Concentration of the mind is an essential prerequisite for higher development and attainment. “To rediscover original unity, which is alive, vital and creative, fixed mental patterns have to be broken up, and to do this, habits of mind must be overcome. For many people, this calls for great concentration.” There are two ways of concentrating: eliminating distracting elements from awareness or maintaining a steady mind in the midst of distraction. When some degree of mind control is established, further concentration exercises may be employed to activate certain ‘centers of perception’ in the human being. Concentration on these centers can heighten the powers of the mind and lead to extra-dimensional experiences beyond the normal constraints of time and space. However, it is emphasized that these ‘purity spots’ do not have “a physical location in the sense of acupuncture points but can be visualized for the purpose of transcending normal receptivity.” In most spiritual systems meditation follows after the development of concentrative power. The essence of meditation is the directing of attention on a single, unchanging source of stimulation. The focus of awareness may be an object (such as a candle), the breath, a visualized image, a word or phrase, or a specific part of the body. There are many forms of meditation, both culturally and historically: The practice of meditation as developed in various cultures of the world and in various cultural eras are quite diverse. The practice may involve whirling, chanting, singing, or concentration on the movement of the breath, on specially posed questions, or on an internal sound. It may consist solely of ordinary activities, imbued with “mindfulness,” it may involve prayer in the church, in quiescence, or in unison. There may be an attempt to deliberately separate two coexistent streams of consciousness. Other, more advanced, techniques may involve the control of various “centers” in the body, as in early Christian mysticism, and receptivity to communications beyond the norm. Meditation practices have many, many diverse functions, depending on the nature of the students and of the society. (3) In traditional spiritual teachings a wide range of meditation practices, involving various modalities, are employed to accord with the individual needs and characteristics of the students: Meditation involves putting something into the mind, whether an image or a sacred word that is visualized or a concept that is thought about or reflected on, or both. In some types of meditation the meditator envisions or contemplates or analyzes certain elementary shapes, holding them in his mind to the exclusion of everything else. He may ponder such abstract qualities as loving-kindness and compassion. In Tantric Buddhist systems of meditation, mandalas containing various seed syllables of the Sanskrit alphabet – such as Om , for example, are

2

visualized and dwelt upon in a prescribed manner. Also employed for meditational purposes are mandalas consisting of special arrangements of Buddha, Bodhisattvas, and other figures. (4) One of the most useful preliminary stages of meditation is the practice of following the breath, beginning by silently counting the inhalations and exhalations. Roshi Philip Kapleau discusses this method in the context of Zen Buddhism: Zazen practice for the student begins with counting the inhalations and exhalations of the breath while the practitioner is in the motionless zazen posture. This is the first step of stilling the bodily functions, quieting discursive thoughts, and strengthening concentration. It is given as the first step because in counting the in and out breaths, in natural rhythm and without strain, the mind has a scaffolding to support it, as it were. When concentration on the breathing is clear and the count is not lost, the next step, a slightly more difficult type of zazen, is assigned, namely, following the inhalations and exhalations of the breath with the mind’s eye only, again in natural rhythm. (5) The regular practice of meditation bestows numerous physical and psychological benefits to the practitioner. In the words of Zen teacher Charlotte Beck: “Sitting after sitting, letting everything go, we become more aware of our personal center. This simple act of sitting, letting everything drop off, has far-reaching effects.” Although there are many kinds of meditation, meditation at its highest is a form of mental and spiritual training that aims at stilling and focusing the normally scattered mind, establishing a measure of physical and mental repose, and then becoming an instrument for Self-discovery. Meditation can also be a method of cleansing the mind of impurities and disturbances, such as lustful desires, ill will, indolence, restlessness, worry and cynical doubt. When the dust of these hindrances are wiped from the mind mirror through disciplined meditation, we come to see things as they are in their true-nature, undistorted by our mental or emotional colorations. A lesser fruit of meditation is the strengthening and calming of the nervous system, and the tapping of physical, mental and psychic energies. This last is analogous to a generator-battery; a special kind of energy (called samadhi power) is generated and stored in the meditator’s lower belly, enabling him or her to respond instantly to urgent situations without strain or wasted effort. In correctly practiced meditation, the practitioner develops greater vitality, equanimity, mindfulness, and a responsiveness to the circumstances of one’s life. Meditation, then, is a healing practice in which the heart is calmed and the spirit strengthened. (6) Meditation can be effective even when practiced for short periods of time: “Meditation, after all, can occupy twenty-five seconds as well as twenty-five years. If you are enlightened

3

enough to know upon what to meditate, then you can focus certain of your mind centers upon this and meditate for a matter of seconds to the total exclusion of everything else.” Meditation can easily become a repetitive task or even compulsion, rather than a conscious, voluntary exploration of our mind and inner being. Advaita Vedanta master Jean Klein offers an informative analogy: When a musician wakes up in the morning, he goes spontaneously to his piano and plays. There is no inner intention to it. It is simply for the love of doing it. And a painter in his studio just begins to paint. There is no obligation. Likewise, you should only meditate in your laboratory when you feel drawn to do so. There must be nothing systematic in it. When there is systematic doing, you become stuck to it, and there is the danger that you will simply be repeating old patterns. When the mind knows that there is something beyond it, it will see that there is nothing more to do, and it will give up. This moment, when you are free from the reflex to be somebody, is the highest opportunity to be still. It is the death of a somebody, of an ego, when there is silence. (7) Meditation follows a natural progression and deepening process in which effort and steady practice eventually develop into a spontaneous, natural and effortless state of ‘meditation in life.’ This is the effortless meditation of Zen and Mahamudra. It is a meditation without any t hing to meditate upon, the spontaneous and wondrous work of one’s own mind, the pinnacle and essence of all Buddhist teachings. To those who have not entered into the “gate” this is the most difficult, but to those who have already entered this is the easiest of all meditations. All other exercises and practices are merely preparations for it. The critical point of this work is to recognize the nature of one’s own mind, or at least to glimpse it. Once the Essence of Mind is recognized, the yogi will be able to absorb himself in it at any time or place without difficulty. In activity or quietness the illuminating-void consciousness will always shine brightly within him. Although after the recognition, or beholding, of the Mind-Essence there is still a very long way to go, the first “glimpse” is regarded by all Buddhist sages as the most important thing. Once the “gateless-gate” is entered, meditation will no longer be a “practice” or effort. It now becomes a natural and spontaneous act of life. Sitting, walking, talking, or sleeping – all activities and conditions of life become marvellous meditations in themselves. (8) More advanced meditation practices involve quietly observing thoughts as they arise until a state is reached whereby the mind is free from all thoughts: As long as you are a beginner certain formalized meditations may be good for you. But for a seeker for reality there is only one meditation – the rigorous refusal to harbor thoughts. To be free from thoughts is itself meditation. 4

Q: How is it done? A: You begin by letting thoughts flow and watching them. The very observation slows down the mind till it stops altogether. Once the mind is quiet, keep it quiet. Don’t get bored with peace, be in it, go deeper into it. Q: I heard of holding on to one thought in order to keep other thoughts away. But how to keep all thoughts away? The very idea is also a thought. A: Experiment anew, don’t go by past experience. Watch your thoughts and watch yourself watching the thoughts. The state of freedom from all thoughts will happen suddenly and by the bliss of it you shall recognize it. (9) At the highest level meditation and contemplation merge into a perception of the timeless, formless reality and unity underlying all existence. Q: Is contemplation the same as meditation? A: Deep inquiry leads to contemplation, or prayer. Through dedicated contemplation we can attune to consciousness, the light which constitutes all phenomena. This light is our intrinsic nature. Our being is always shining. Our real nature is openness, listening, release, surrender, without producing or will. Prayer or contemplation is welcoming free from projection and expectation. It is without any demand or formulation. It invites the object to unfold in you and reveals your openness to you. Live with this opening, this vastness. Attune yourself to it. It is love. Ardent contemplation brings you to living meditation. (10)

Attention and M indfulness

The practice of mindfulness or ‘bare attention’ is an essential component of many spiritual traditions and the heart of meditation. “Pure attention is absolutely empty of all direction. It is not focused on an object, it is free of any memory. It is simply expanded alertness.” Buddhist psychology or Abhidhamma teaches that you are not your mind. You already know that you are not your body. But you do not yet know that you are not your mind, because normally you identify yourself with each thought, feeling, impulse, emotion or sensation that comes into your mind. Each takes you on a little trip. Through the practice of mindfulness, you come to observe the rise and fall, the appearance and disappearance of these various thoughts and feelings, and gradually develop a sense of distance and detachment from them. Then you will no longer become caught in your illusions. This leads to a deep inner peaceful calm. (11)

5

There are different levels and degrees of attention depending on a person’s mindset, expectations and circumstances. Philip Kapleau provides a pertinent example: “There are degrees of attentiveness. If on a crowded train you are watchful that your wallet is not stolen, that is one kind of mindfulness. But if you are in a situation in which you might be killed at any moment – during wartime let us say – the degree of your attentiveness is far greater.” The study of attention is indispensible for inner work. Many spiritual teachings stress the importance of developing awareness or mindfulness and living with a sense of full presence from one moment to another: Cultivating the capacity to be fully present – awake, attentive, and responsive – in all the different circumstances of life is the essence of spiritual practice and realization. Those with the greatest spiritual realization are those who are ‘all here,’ who relate to life with an expansive awareness that is not limited to any fixation on themselves or their own point of view. They don’t shrink from any aspect of themselves or life as a whole. (12) In esoteric schools of inner development students are taught to distinguish between conscious, directed attention and mechanical attention. In order to demonstrate our lack of conscious awareness and develop the attentive capacity, some teachings employ an exercise which involves following the moving hand of a watch: Take your watch and fasten your eye on the second hand; watch as it makes a revolution of a minute and do not let your eye wander. When you are quite sure that you can focus your attention for one revolution you will have begun to develop your power of thinking. Having accomplished this, while keeping the focus of attention on the small hand, count to yourself from 1 to 10 and then backwards. This requires a double attention; one part is on the movement of the hand, the other on the counting. You may find it easy at first, but keep on until it becomes difficult. Having got so far, continue to keep your eye on the moving hand and continue to count mentally, then, at the same time, repeat to yourself a verse of a rhyme. Do it for two or three minutes. (13) When thoughts and feelings arise in the mind they can be quietly observed and transformed through mindful awareness. Instead of identifying with these mental images we can notice them and then let them go: Q: During the course of the day or when I sit quietly, many thoughts and feelings come up. How shall I face these? A: What comes up are residues of the past accumulated through day-dreaming. Remain present to them, free of all motives to suppress them. If the upcomings are referred to a centre they will be pushed into the unconscious or referred to the already known. The residues are given life by association of ideas. All that 6

comes up is conflict, created by the reflex to take oneself as a fraction, a separate entity. When there is no longer a centre of reference these conflicts come up like bubbles from the bottom of the ocean, and, meeting no obstacle at the surface, they disappear forever in the empty space of your being present. Elimination can never occur through analysis. It can only happen in your full awareness without the obstruction of the mind. Transmutation can only take place in Presence. (14) The everyday tasks of life provide a perfect opportunity to practise mindfulness and experience the beauty and perfume of living in timeless presence: If while washing dishes, we think only of the cup of tea that awaits us, thus hurrying to get the dishes out of the way as if they were a nuisance, then we are not “washing the dishes to wash the dishes.” What’s more, we are not alive during the time we are washing the dishes. In fact we are completely incapable of realizing the miracle of life while standing at the sink. If we can’t wash the dishes, the chances are we won’t be able to drink our tea either. While drinking the cup of tea, we will only be thinking of other things, barely aware of the cup in our hands. Thus we are sucked away into the future – and we are incapable of actually living one minute of life. (15)

Repetition of Sacred Sounds

The invocation or repetition of words as a means of spiritual development is widely practised in many different esoteric and spiritual traditions throughout the world: The use of invocation or mant rams has been known for thousands of years. It is practised by people of all religions and in all spiritual ways. It is well known in Eastern Christianity in the form of the ‘prayer of the heart.’ It is well known in India as the mant ram and in Buddhism by the various invocations and repetitions. The zikr is obligatory for all Sufi communities: it is part of the initiation process by which a seeker is received as pupil. The sheikh gives him the appropriate zikr at the time of his initiation, at the same time communicating the Baraka or energy that enables the zikr to be fruitful. The mant ram is, substantially, the same thing as the zikr , consisting of an invocation of a few words that is repeated rhythmically or, in some cases, non-rhythmically, sometimes in time with the heartbeat, sometimes in time with the breathing, sometimes according to some externally imposed rhythm. (16) Historically, the use of mantras as a means of spiritual development has been a common feature of many world religions. The mantra has been used to control the energies of the mind in a very specific manner: “The mind is a channel, a swift current of thoughts, and a mantra is a dam put up in the way of this current to divert the water to where it is needed.”

7

A mantra is a common device used in spiritual training. One repeats a word or phrase over and over. The etymology of the word mantra is man , which in Sanskrit means “mind,” and t ra “to protect.” A mantra therefore protects the mind from the effects of the deep schism in the very heart of being by giving a stable centre. A Christian mantra, made famous by the anonymous writer of The W ay of a Pilgrim , is “Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me.” It was used by the Desert Fathers of the fourth and fifth centuries who retired to the desert for a life of solitude and prayer. Hindus, Sufis and Taoists all have their own versions of mantras, and all use beads, or rosaries in the Catholic tradition, as an aid in mantric practice. (17) When a mantra is properly pronounced, parts of the body which are out of harmony and dysfunctional are re-orchestrated into a unified whole. “Our body is made up of many organs and each organ responds to the vibration of certain sounds.” A mantra in itself has no meaning. Its value lies in the pronunciation, the vibration. Our body is built of vibration. Each organ in the body has its special sound. Medical science will, in future, certainly come to healing through sound. When there is right pronunciation of the mantra, our body is affected by this vibration, and we come to a very deep, relaxed state where there is no directed attention and therefore no longer an observer and something observed; there is only being. (18) Three factors affect the efficacy of practising a mantra, zikr or other sacred syllable: (1) the intention of the practitioner; (2) faith that the mantra or zikr will work; (3) constant dedication and practice. The proper pronunciation of sacred syllables or sounds is the entrance through which spiritual influences can manifest. “Few know how to pronounce a sound correctly and without the correct pronunciation the sound cannot be effective.” Mantras and zikrs must be performed in a prescribed manner under the careful direction of a teacher: “The number of times of this repetition, and other matters, are stipulated by the teacher in accordance with his perception of the pupil’s needs. From time to time the master will assess the disciple’s progress and may prescribe other exercises.” And when a teacher imparts a mantra or zikr to a student, the teacher also projects a special spiritual energy or Baraka which enables the pupil to make optimum use of the sacred sounds invested in the mantra or zikr. Sacred words and phrases such as mantras have great inherent spiritual potency when recited properly and are a link to the primordial energy of the universe. They are forms or shapes through which spiritual power can manifest: Q: When a mantra is chanted, what exactly happens? A: The sound of a mantra creates the shape which will embody the Self. The Self can embody any shape – and operate through it. After all, the Self is expressing 8

itself in action – and a mantra is primarily energy in action. It acts on you, it acts on your surroundings. Q: The mantra is traditional. Must it be so? A: Since time immemorial a link was created between certain words and corresponding energies and reinforced by numberless repetitions. It is just like a road to walk on. It is an easy way – only faith is needed. You trust the road to take you to your destination. (19) In the Sufi tradition the word zikr (or dhikr in Arabic) literally means repetition or recital. In another sense it also means remembrance, commemorating or invocation. The phrases which are used in zikrs are usually in Arabic or Persian. They contain an important sound value which is lost when the phrase is translated into another language such as English. “The sound and cadence of these exercises are important, as are their associated breathing rhythms. For this reason they are performed in their original language.” As well, the physical posture in which the zikr is performed is important in optimizing the circulation of spiritual energy during the exercise. In Sufism the 99 names of God (various attributes of the Creator taken from the Koran) are frequently employed in a zikr. The very first line of the Koran is often used for verbal repetition: Q: How can we use the 99 names of God in the correct way and is it possible to do so? A: The 99 names are all attributes, they are all qualities. They can be used in a zikr or recitation or a concentration exercise, in a situation that relates to that quality. You are making a connection or calling on that particular attribute. Use the attribute which is the nearest to what you want or hope to achieve . . . There is never a wrong choice, because since they are all what we call “strong” words, there isn’t any one which is stronger than the other. Nevertheless, there is always one which relates more closely to a particular situation or to a particular activity than another, so it is on this basis that you select. (20) The recitation of certain zikrs and mantras, under specific circumstances, is believed to produce supernatural power which may be projected for the purpose of healing: All recitations are performed in a state of ritual purity. Zikrs are generally said during the hours of darkness. When a supernatural result is desired, the zikr must dwell upon some facet of the Divine power allied to the effect to be accomplished. Thus, when a Sufi wishes to cure illness, he prepares himself by repeating a zikr consisting of the Name of God which denotes healing. By this means the Sufi intends to collect in his mind a tremendous potential of mental 9

force associated with healing. This he projects toward the object of his attention, at the same time concentrating upon the desired result. (21)

Breathing Exercises

Although breathing is an instinctive physiological process, most people need to learn how to relax and breathe naturally. “Grasping air with the lungs goes hand-in-hand with grasping at life.” So-called “normal” breathing is fitful and anxious. The air is always being held and not fully released, for the individual seems incapable of “letting” it run its full course through the lungs. He breathes compulsively rather than freely. The technique therefore begins by encouraging a full release of the breath – easing it out as if the body were being emptied of air by a great leaden ball sinking through the chest and abdomen, and settling down into the ground. The returning in-breath is then allowed to follow as a simple reflex action. The air is not actively inhaled; it is just allowed to come – and then, when the lungs are comfortably filled, it is allowed to go out once more, the image of the leaden ball giving it the sense of “falling” out as distinct from being pushed out. (22) The process of breathing has great spiritual importance as it is the essential link between body and spirit: Breathing is the vehicle of spiritual experience, the mediator between body and mind. It is the first step towards the transformation of the body from the state of a more or less passively and unconsciously functioning physical organ into a vehicle or tool of a perfectly developed and enlightened mind. The most important result of the practice of ‘mindfulness with regard to breathing’ is the realization that the process of breathing is the connecting link between consciousness and subconscious, gross-material and fine-material, volitional and non-volitional functions. (23) Breathing exercises have been developed to a fine art in the yoga practice of pranayama where the inhalation, retention and exhalation of breath are carefully controlled: Pranayama is a conscious prolongation of inhalation, retention and exhalation. Inhalation is the act of receiving the primeval energy in the form of breath, and retention is when the breath is held in order to savour that energy. In exhalation all thoughts and emotions are emptied with breath: then, while the lungs are empty, one surrenders the individual energy, ‘I,’ to the primeval energy, the Atman or Supreme Soul. (24)

10

The processes of breathing and thinking are intimately related. As breathing slows and stabilizes, mental activity also quiets and settles down: Thinking and breathing are in very close connection. When our breathing is tense and agitated, thought is as well. Pranayama serves to calm the breathing process which in turn calms the mind. Usually inhalation is a volitional process, arousing tension in the brain and shoulder area. So pranayama should be performed in a relaxed position, without any effort or strain. Let inhalation happen, but don’t inhale. Even though this breathing technique may be a beautiful exercise, any attempt to quiet one’s thought is purely artificial. Rather than trying to prevent thoughts from arising, we should take note of those times when thought naturally comes to a stop. (25) Rhythmic breathing is an essential part of many spiritual exercises and has important physiological effects. “With deep and quiet breathing vitality will improve, which will influence the brain and help the mind to grow pure and stable and fit for meditation.” Establishing a relaxed pattern of breathing has many physical and spiritual benefits, and is often a prelude to a subsequent exercise or activity: Breathing is an important ingredient in exercises, either personal exercises or in a group. Breathing should settle down after a while to a certain rhythm. It settles down naturally, it should not be forced into being fast or slow. If you force the breathing you are using energy which can be used usefully in other ways. Allow the breathing to stabilize itself. Be aware of the breathing without being preoccupied with it. Physiologically and psychologically speaking, deep breathing is more beneficial; one is taking in more oxygen. Psychologically, furthermore, deep breathing is symptomatic of calmness, quiet, tranquility, lack of worry and anxiety. Having established a moment of clam around oneself and within oneself, one then aims to achieve the physical calm associated with deep breathing -- a feeling of warmness, quiet and relaxation. (26) Breathing exercises which involve counting the breaths are very useful for calming the mind and relaxing the body. “When you inhale, quietly count ‘One,’ and when you exhale, count ‘Two,’ and so on until you come to ten. Then return to one and repeat. If you lose the count or go beyond ten, as soon as you become aware of this, return again to one and continue again to ten, counting slowly.” A valuable exercise for calming the body-mind and inducing a feeling of deep relaxation, and even bliss, is concentration on the breath by counting the inhalations and exhalations, or simply the exhalations. Since ancient times, breath counting has been considered by spiritual masters the foundation of body-mind discipline. Breath is thus the force unifying body and mind and providing a link between the conscious and subconscious, the volitional and non-volitional

11

functions. In fact, breath can be said to be the most perfect expression of the nature of all life. (27) Controlling and regulating the breath is only one type of breathing exercise. A second form, ‘watching the breath,’ is a fundamental practice in Buddhism, Yoga and Taoism. Simply observing the breath is simple, involves no risk and leads to the slowing of thought and control of the mind. “Neither control nor direct your breath; simply listen to it, be aware of it.” Breathing exercises and breath control are merely one stage on the journey to Self-realization and not an ultimate goal in themselves. The Indian sage Ramana Maharshi enunciates this broader perspective: Breath-control is a help. It is one of the various methods that are intended to help us attain one-pointedness. Breath-control can also help to control the wandering mind and attain this one-pointedness and therefore it can be used. But one should not stop there. After obtaining control of the mind through breathing exercises one should not rest content with any experience that may accrue therefrom, but should harness the controlled mind to the question ‘Who am I?’ till the mind merges in the Self. (28) Authentic spiritual teachings stress that there are serious dangers in applying breathing exercises to oneself or to others without the proper degree of knowledge and expertise. Certain breathing exercises should only be carried out for a specific and limited purpose, and always under the strict supervision of a teacher.

Physical Exercises

Many spiritual traditions stress the importance of body work in their teachings. For instance, physical postures or asanas are an integral component of Yoga and have evolved and been practised for countless centuries: The third limb of yoga is asana or posture. Asana brings steadiness, health and lightness of limb. A steady and pleasant posture produces mental equilibrium and prevents wandering of the mind. Asanas are not merely gymnastic exercises; they are postures. By practising them one develops agility, balance, endurance and great vitality. But their real importance lies in the way they train and discipline the mind. The yogi conquers the body by the practice of asanas and makes it a fit vehicle for the spirit. (29) Yoga postures are archetypal forms or expressions which reflect the evolution of life. Many of the Yoga asanas are named after various forms of natural life – the Fish, the Tree, the Swan. But in a larger sense every movement or pose is a posture. “The posture is an archetype.

12

When you do it correctly, it acts not only on the physical plane, but also on the psychological plane. It brings about a re-orchestration of energy.” In the Yoga Sut ras of Patanjali concerning the posture and the breathing, it is said that every pose is a posture, that sitting on a chair is a posture, lying down is a posture. But it must be a real lying down, it must be a real sitting on a chair; generally, there is much resistance when sitting on a chair or lying down, even in bed. It is necessary to explore in order to purify the posture, any posture. But generally when we put our body on the chair there is already resistance somewhere in the ribs, shoulders or stomach. (30) Ultimately, Yoga is a path of Self-realization and not just a system of physical postures and exercises: “Yoga is right sitting, right doing, right behaviour in the moment itself. It is being appropriate to the situation in all your mental and physical action. Yoga is being united with the present.” One of the purposes in working with the body is to remove blockages and impurities which prevent optimal functioning of the body, mind and senses: If we take a close look at our body, we soon realize that it is overburdened by residues left over from inadequate feeding earlier in life. It creates an impression of density, and dulls our senses, preventing us from feeling our transparency. It is very interesting to observe that, if we give it the right conditions, the body eliminates these residues . . . Some forms of body movement can help us become conscious of and locate the parts of the body that are overburdened, solid, dense and congested. They help to free us from fixed ideas of what the body is and enable us to nourish our body with breath. All this is of great value, provided it is carried out with knowledge and great sensitivity. (31) One of the most important purposes of physical exercises is the reduction of the level of physical tension in the body. Unnecessary muscular tension eats up an enormous amount of energy. P.D. Ouspensky, who worked with Gurdjieff, describes an exercise that was prescribed for students in order to relax the musculature: He gave us many exercises for gradually relaxing the muscles alw ays beginning w it h t he muscles of t he face, as well as exercises for “feeling” the hands, the feet, the fingers, and so on at will. The idea of the necessity of relaxing the muscles was not actually a new one, but G.’s explanation that relaxing the muscles of the body should begin with the muscles of the face was quite new to me. Very interesting was the exercise with a “circular sensation,” as G. called it. A man lies on his back on the floor. Trying to relax all his muscles, he then concentrates his attention on trying to sense his nose. When he begins to sense his nose the man then transfers his attention and tries to sense his ear; when this is achieved he transfers his attention to the right foot. From the right foot to the left; then to 13

the left hand; then to the left ear and back again to the nose, and so on. (32) A relaxed body greatly enhances our receptivity to the spiritual dimensions of life. “The body has an organic memory of its natural, unconditioned state. Once you have experienced this relaxed, light body, it will solicit you often and remind you when it is not relaxed.” In getting to know your body-mind, one can discover more clearly the nature of the identification, and so let it go. The relaxed body is a relaxed mind. In a relaxed body and mind you are open to receiving availability, welcoming, open to the openness. The relaxed, light, energetic, sat t vic body-mind is a near expression of your real nature. It is almost impossible for a conditioned body-mind to be receptive to truth, open to grace. It can happen that truth pierces through all conditioning since the insight into our true nature ultimately has nothing to do with the body or the mind. But it is exceedingly rare. (33) Body work and physical exercises can be vehicles of self-awareness and self-knowledge. When performed with a sense of openness and exploration they can lead to higher levels of understanding and consciousness: Q: What is the value of doing the exercises and postures? A: The approach to the body is to re-orchestrate the dispersed energy, nothing else. It brings you to a state of fitness and clearness, transparency, where you are available for ultimate understanding. As the mind and body are interdependent, the readiness and lightness of the body play a role in understanding. In exploring the body you become more and more able to know the body. In exploring you are completely aware of the body, and it is only in this awareness that the body comes to this re-orchestration of the dispersed energy. Q: But if the insight into our real nature has nothing to do with the mind or body, what difference does it make what our bodies do? A: Of course, what we are fundamentally has nothing to do with the body. One can never come to being understanding through the body. But we are trapped in our mind and body and we must become free of this entrapment so that understanding can take place in us. It is commonly understood that the body is a hindrance to awakening, but to disregard the body because of this superficial observation is a mistake. One must discover what is the nature of this hindrance; we must understand it. Because truth can never be attained, only welcomed, we must bring our body-mind to the welcoming state. (34) Some spiritual teachers emphasize the awakening of the ‘subtle energy body’ interpenetrating the physical body in their body work exercises. Jean Klein: “The first thing we do in our body-work is to awaken the energy body, to make it an object of awareness. This energy is felt, 14

it is a sensation. When the sensation of energy is fully alive it brings about a modification of the physical structure. The body-work is one way to bring you to oneness with all beings.” Physical exercises can never be standardized and must take into account the individual characteristics and stage of development of the practitioner. “In authentic esoteric schools certain postures and body movements are changed every so often to prevent conditioning and training among the adherents.” Mental and physical exercises are, of course, a well-known part of very many of the world’s religious and especially esoteric movements. With the real Sufi school, however, the movements are never carried out by all members: since each movement is held to correspond with a particular characteristic and a certain stage of the individual’s development. When the exercises become standardized, they lose their developmental effect, and instead serve either to automatize or else to provide a field for imagination. (35) Although physical exercises play an important role in spiritual development at certain stages on the Path, they are a means and not an end in themselves: Posture and breathing are a part of Yoga, for the body must be healthy and well under control, but too much concentration on the body defeats its own purpose, for it is the mind that is primary in the beginning. When the mind has been put to rest and disturbs no longer the inner space, the body acquires a new meaning and its transformation becomes both necessary and possible. (36)

Sacred Dances and M ovements

For countless centuries dancing has played a significant role in the community life of cultures around the world. The yearly cycle of the seasons was celebrated in planting and harvest dances; and some dances even embodied recipes in their patterns and rhythms. Tasks such as weaving carpets, combing wool and spinning thread were often performed as rhythmic movements to the accompaniment of music. In some cultures dances and movements are considered a form of ‘moving meditation’ and play an integral part in the life of the community: The famous Chinese Taoist Movement of Tai-chi is an excellent way of practising meditation. This Primordial Movement is a very gentle exercise ingeniously devised to bring the negative and positive forces in the body into perfect harmony, thus automatically taming the mind, controlling the Prana , and even bringing one directly to the state of Samadhi. This Primordial Movement has now become one of the most popular gymnastic exercises, widely practised by Chinese people in all

15

walks of life. Despite the marvellous therapeutic value of this exercise, its present application is considered by many Taoist sages to be a degeneration of the Movement, which was originally devised for a much higher purpose. (37) Sacred dances and movements constitute a vital part of many esoteric teachings and are based on principles discovered in the course of inner spiritual experiences. They can serve as a developmental exercise, a form of communication, or a ‘receptacle’ for accumulating and holding a certain type of spiritual energy. “Millennia ago sacred dance was essentially a mode of communication, a universal language with its own grammar, vocabulary and semantic usage. Each dance was a book, each sequence or rhythm a phrase, each gesture or posture a word.” In traditional spiritual teachings, sacred dances have other functions in addition to encoding and transmitting esoteric knowledge: • • • • •

Exercising the body, mind and feelings in unfamiliar ways Developing the power of concentration and attention Producing various psychological states corresponding to particular postures Preparing students for heightened perception and higher states of consciousness Accessing and assimilating a refined spiritual energy

Gurdjieff developed and utilized sacred dances, which were called Movements, as a nonverbal language which encoded and transmitted precise information about cosmic laws and human spiritual evolution: This language is mathematical, according to exact measure. Every movement has its appointed place, duration and weight. The combinations and sequences are mathematically calculated. Postures and attitudes are arranged to produce definite, predetermined emotions. In these, he who is watching them may also participate – he may read them as a script, in which the highest emotions and higher mind can take part. (38) One of Gurdjieff’s aims in teaching the Movements was to help students achieve balance and integration between body, mind and feelings. Pupils have reported that after practising the Movements for many years they sometimes experienced a transformative state whereby body, mind and feelings were unified and purified: The Movements show us the profound effect that efforts can have when they are made under conditions created on the basis of precise knowledge. When seemingly insurmountable difficulties are overcome, the inner state of being changes. Fatigue and other obstacles vanish . . . Feelings become more confident, thought clearer, the body lighter. And when the experience is over, the body retains a trace of it. It is no longer quite the same. It has been baptized, initiated. It is in a state of balanced well-being. (39)

16

In Sufism, dances have traditionally been a key component of conscious, inner development. The ‘Whirling Dervishes,’ historically associated with the Sufi master Jalaluddin Rumi, claim to attain intuitive knowledge through a form of spinning, when correctly presided over by a teaching master: “The body-mind movements of the Whirling Dervishes, coupled with the reed pipe music to which they were performed, is the product of a special method designed to bring the Seeker into affinity with the mystical current, in order to be transformed by it.” All dervishes, and not only the followers of Maulana Rumi, perform a dance. And a dance is defined as bodily movements linked to a thought and a sound or a series of sounds. The movements develop the body, the thought focuses the mind, and the sound fuses the two and orients them towards a consciousness of divine contact which is called hal and means ‘state or condition’: the state or condition of being in ecstasy. (40) The dances of the Sufi dervishes are performed in unison as a series of group exercises which are designed to produce a state of ecstasy and spiritual union. They are selected by a teacher for specific individuals in a certain spiritual condition as a ‘means to an end.’ They are not designed to be applied indiscriminately or in a non-spiritual context: The rhythmic (and arhythmic) movements called dances are used in many Orders, always in response to the needs of the individuals and the group. Sufi movements can thus never be stereotyped, and do not constitute what is elsewhere called dance, calisthenics or the like. The using of movements follows a pattern based upon certain discoveries and knowledge which can only be applied by a teaching master of a dervish Order. (41) Sufis believe that the apparently simple dervish dance is actually “an incredibly sophisticated instrument which can only happen at certain times and under certain circumstances.” However, they stress that the proper use of sacred dance and movements as a method of interior development requires the correct alignment of ‘people, time and place.’ Rumi, for instance, organized his “dances” in accordance with what he considered to be the best way of developing in his disciples the Sufic experiences. This was done, as ancient records show, in accordance with the mentality and temperament of the people of Konia. Imitators have attempted to export the system outside of this cultural area, with the result that they are left with what amounts to a pantomime, and the original effect of the movement has disappeared. (42)

Sacred M usic

Sacred or transcendental music is an important form of objective art. This type of music is based on mathematical laws governing sound vibration and its relationship to the human

17

psyche: “Objective music affects all people in the same way. It not only touches the feelings but transforms them, bringing the listener to a unified or ‘harmonious’ state within himself and thus to a new relation with the universe which is itself a field of vibration.” A number of examples drawn from different cultures and time periods have been proposed: • • • • • • •

Christian Gregorian chants Indian ragas, including contemporary exponents such as Ravi Shankar and Ali Akbar Khan The songs of the harmonic throat singers of Tuva and Mongolia Sufi zikrs or recitations and the ecstatic singing of the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Tibetan Buddhist chanting Western classical music, including Bach, Beethoven, Mozart and others The music of Gurdjieff and Thomas de Hartmann

Gurdjieff alluded to the many traditional stories and legends illustrating the power of sacred or objective music in talks with his students: Objective music is based on ‘inner octaves.’ And it can obtain not only definite psychological results but definite physical results. There can be such music as would freeze water. There could be such music that would kill a man instantaneously. The Biblical legend of the destruction of the walls of Jericho by music is precisely a legend of objective music. In the legend of Orpheus there are hints of objective music, for Orpheus used to impart knowledge by music. Snake charmers’ music in the East is an approach to objective music, of course very primitive. Very often it is simply one note which is long drawn out, rising and falling very little, but in this single note ‘inner octaves’ are going on all the time and melodies of ‘inner octaves’ which are inaudible to the ears but felt by the emotional center . . . The same music, only a little more complicated, and men would obey it. (43) The origins of sacred music can be traced to Neolithic times when ancient shamans used their voices and rhythmic instruments to heal and initiate others, and connect with the spirit realm. This type of music can also be found in some of the root cultures of the ancient world such as Egypt and especially India, which might be considered the “mother source” for many later expressions of sacred sound such as mantras and chants. In the sixth century B.C., the esoteric school of Pythagoras in Greece codified many of the mathematical properties of music (vibration, the octave), a knowledge that was later transmitted to other countries of the Western world. The proper performance of sacred music requires certain conditions and a precise knowledge of the human psyche. For instance, different spiritual effects are produced by string instruments and by wind instruments. The tuning of the musical instruments needs to take into

18

account a number of important factors, including local geographical conditions, atmospheric pressure, ambient temperature, the form and dimensions of the interior space where the music is performed and the quality of energy, both individually and collectively, of audience members. Scientists now recognize the relationship between the properties of music and certain psychological and physiological effects on the listener. In recent years there have been a number of scientific studies, confirming personal experience, which show that different components of music influence different aspects of the human being. Rhythm moves the body, melody and harmony touch the emotions and musical form and structure appeal to the intellectual mind. In a more subjective sense, sacred music can take the listener out of the normal human condition to a new level of experience of an evolutionary nature. We see glimpses of a larger universe, imbued with higher meaning and purpose. At Gurdjieff’s school in France in the 1920s, his student Thomas de Hartmann would play Gurdjieff’s music on piano almost every afternoon and evening. The effects on the students were profound: Some of them were so moving as to be almost unbearable, and the tears would stream involuntarily down our cheeks; one had to remember oneself with all one’s might in order not to have to go out. Hartmann said that he himself found some of the pieces almost too difficult to play. One of the pieces consisted of slow and solemn chords of the most divine harmony, and in the overtones one could hear a sort of joyful singing as of the voice of a seraph. I have never heard anything like these hymns of Gurdjieff, except perhaps some of the very early church music such as can be heard in Notre Dame, and some of that of Bach, who at times touches the higher emotional centre. (44) Some of Gurdjieff’s pupils believed that his music touched and ennobled their inner essential being. They have attested to the profound effect of the simple recurring melodies he played on his hand-held harmonium, music which seemed to have pierced the depths of their being: “This was the music of prayer – haunting, disturbing, indescribably beautiful, a music calculated to arouse the deepest longings hidden in the human heart.” The music also had a remarkable healing quality. Student Charles Nott recounts an incident where his negative emotional state was dramatically altered by listening to Gurdjieff’s unusual music: For a few minutes we just sat quietly, then he took up his hand-harmonium, and keeping his eyes fixed on me with a look of deep compassion and power, began to play a simple melody with strange harmonies, repeating and repeating yet all the time with different combinations of notes. Little by little I became aware that he was conveying something to me both through the music – the combination of notes – and by the telepathic means which he understood so well. A change began to take place in me, I began to understand something, and a feeling of conscious hope and conscious faith began to displace the dark hopeless depression. (45) 19

Music and sound can have a special function in elevating human consciousness that goes far beyond an emotional effect. However, participation in such “higher” musical activities is limited to those who can actually benefit correctly from the experience, based on circumstances and need. Without proper preparation and consideration of ‘time, place and people’ the employment of music in an esoteric sense is of limited value and may even be harmful. In the words of the classical Sufi master Bahaudin Naqshband: Music, heard in the right way, improves the approach to the Consciousness. But It will harm people who are not sufficiently prepared or of the correct type, for hearing and playing it. Those who do not know this have adopted music as something sacred in itself. The feelings which they experience while indulging in it they mistake for sublime ones. In fact they are using it for the lower purposes of arousing sentiment, emotion which is no basis for further progress. (46) The contemporary Western understanding of music disregards several important considerations regarding the process and dynamics of composition, performance and appreciation: Q: I am very fond of music. I feel that the great composers and orchestras give us an additional dimension in life, something which is very precious to me. Can you tell me something about the place of music in teachings designed to awaken higher consciousness? A: Always remember two things. First, that people get out of something the nutrition which they are equipped and prepared to receive from it. Second, that music which is a product of a certain kind of mind, or a mind in a certain condition, will reflect that mind. I find that contemporary musicians and lovers of music take virtually no interest in these factors, if indeed they have ever heard of them. Music can be used, and has been so used, to increase the milk-yield of cows. This is a factor which operates in the case of cows. In other instances, where human beings are concerned, there is merely the sensation that the music ‘gives’ something. In some of these cases, what the music is ‘giving’ is a vehicle or instrument whereby emotional tension can be released. In order for music to exercise a function in the formative or developmental area, it must be composed and performed, and experienced, on the basis of knowledge of its value for such a process. This brings us to the question of the understanding of music as a very much more important phenomenon than most people realize. Music can be used, and is in fact sometimes used, merely as a training or ‘conditioning’ element, linked with certain emotions. The individual writing, playing or hearing this music may conclude, largely through social habit, that he is deriving something from the music which may, in fact, be far removed from what he is actually deriving, or could derive. Music can only be understood and participated in, by higher perception, by a mind which is capable of getting out of the music what it really contains. This can only happen if the person:

20

Knows about this fact; Knows how to listen and understand; Listens at times and under conditions suitable for the desirable development. (47)

Prayer

The inner function of prayer is not generally understood by most people or cultures. According to the Sufi al-Ghazali, “In prayer there is a secret significance. The exercises of prayer mark hidden elements.” What are now known as religious prayers may have originated as special exercises of an inner developmental nature. The effect and value of prayer depends very much on the preparation and attunement of the participants. “Prayer depends upon knowledge of how to pray and what it is for. The usual idea of prayer is merely emotional, and performs a conditioning function.” When prayers are carried out among people with a certain preparation, and when due regard is taken for such things as correct attunement, there will be one effect of prayer. If people are encouraged to pray without these or other elements, their prayer may become a psychotherapeutic tool: immensely valuable, but nonetheless at a lower level than its optimum function. (48) Certain prayers of ancient origin encode knowledge of a higher order which can be revealed when recited with a sense of reverence and presence: Most prayers have nothing in common with petitions. I speak of ancient prayers; many of them are much older than Christianity. These prayers are, so to speak, recapit ulat ions; by repeating them aloud or to himself a man endeavours to experience what is in them, their whole content, with his mind and his feeling. In Christian worship there are very many prayers exactly like this, where it is necessary to reflect upon each word. But they lose all sense and all meaning when they are repeated or sung mechanically. (49) In order to be effective, prayer must be repeated with conscious presence and an awareness of the inner meaning of the words. Gurdjieff stressed the importance of our intention and attitude when praying: Your prayer should not be automatic. You must pray with your presence and with all three of your centres concentrated on the same thing. You must pray with your head, your feeling, your sensation. Do not pray to tranquilize yourself. Man, in general, prays only with his thought. He was never told how to pray and it never occurred to him that the state of the feeling and of the presence should correspond to the movement of the prayer. (50)

21

The very act of praying focuses the mind and produces a change of consciousness and inner perception that has a beneficial influence on the world: Vowing, or praying, involves consciously directing attention and thought in a certain manner, fostering a particular frame of mind. In this sense Buddhism refers to faith as a faculty that can be developed into a power; it is a means of focusing the mind, whereby a certain type of power is concentrated, just as a magnetic power is concentrated by aligning the charges of the molecules in a mass of iron. Note that the vow or prayer for enlightenment outlined by Zen master Dogen is made on behalf of all beings. This attitude is a necessary basis of the aspiration for enlightenment as understood in Mahayana Buddhism. Dogen makes it clear that he is not talking about ritual performance, but a “psychological technique” designed to affect consciousness in a specific manner. (51)

Ritual and Ceremony

Ritual and ceremony have been an integral part of religious and spiritual practice since the beginning of recorded history: Every ceremony or rite has a value if it is performed without alteration. A ceremony is a book in which a great deal is written. Anyone who understands can read it. One rite often contains more than a hundred books. Indicating what had been preserved up to our time, G. at the same time pointed out what had been lost and forgotten. He spoke of sacred dances which accompanied the “services” in the “temples of repetition” and which were not included in the Christian form of worship. (52) Few people understand the proper use of ritual, ceremony and worship in a spiritual context. The most common misperceptions are that they are remnants of an outdated tradition or simplistic instruments of conditioning and engineering of belief: Q: I still do not understand the point of ritual and worship in Zen. Isn’t that a kind of conditioning? A: This question cannot be answered satisfactorily in a few words. First of all, we must remember that there are different types of people, some of whom must be appealed to through the mind, others through the emotions, others through physical sensation, still others through symbols, and so on. Furthermore, ritual has nothing to do with conceptual thinking and cannot be explained conceptually. Some things, perhaps most things, we can only know by doing. Finally, implicit in your question is the modern fear of conditioning. Yet the answer to conditioning is not to resist conditioning, but to be mindful. (53)

22

Rituals are more than symbolic – they are concerned with inner spiritual activity. When properly performed under the guidance of a teacher they provide a form and structure through which spiritual truths may be expressed and understood: At a time when many followers of traditional Western religions appear to have no significant understanding of, or relationship to, rites and ceremonies, it is well to remember that formality need not be an empty shell. For where gratitude, reverence and other genuine spiritual feelings are present they can be deepened and made more significant when expressed through a formal pattern, just as movement can be made more meaningful when turned into dance, or sound into music. (54) One important instrument of ritual is the rosary or t asbee, consisting of 33 stones or beads on a string. According to tradition the rosary can accumulate a certain kind of spiritual energy or power. One of the functions of the rosary (or a crystal) is to absorb, ground and discharge negative energy. Gurdjieff used the rosary in work with some of his students: One day Gurdjieff gave to each one of us in the group a chaplet of large black beads of some curious substance, upon which we were to do a special sensing exercise as we passed the beads between thumb and index finger. He told us how in the old times such chaplets were known as the Inanimate Helper and that many kinds of inner work, far more difficult than our current exercises, were done with their aid . . . Some special holy men, initiate of course, could move mountains if they wished, just sitting still, working with their chaplets, seeming half asleep. (55) The chanting of sutras (precepts) and the words of realized masters are an integral component of many spiritual traditions. In Buddhism “chanting forms the vocal ground on which every ritual, ceremony, and rite of passage is performed, setting a tone through which participants acquire heightened awareness and receptivity to what is being enacted.” Chanting must be distinguished from reciting. The latter may be nothing more than repetition of an account or passage. Chanting, however, is generated deep in the belly, and when performed egolessly has the power to penetrate visible and invisible worlds. Mind is unlimited; energetic chanting done with a pure mind, with single-minded involvement, is another form of zazen (meditation), another mode of learning the Buddha-truth in a direct, non-conceptual way. Performed in this manner, chanting is also a means of strengthening samadhi power and of helping to bring about awakening. (56) Many forms of ritual, ceremony and symbolism are the outer manifestations of a deeper, spiritual truth even though they may have been diverted or adapted to lesser ends (display, entertainment and so forth):

23

Q: We see people from all over the world deriving satisfactions from ritual. How can we get beyond ritual? A: Initiation and celebratory rituals carried out by religions, societies and other groupings can have various – very different – origins, purposes and functions. We might liken all these purposes, origins and functions to, say, the various processes which are known to and carried out in any given science. In chemistry, distillation is not the same as fermentation; the use of alkalis is not the same as the use of acids. There is both industrial and research chemistry. In the case of the ‘science of man,’ there are similar distinctions. When the knowledge of these distinctions disappears, ritualism takes over, or else the limited use of such processes. When the use and possibility is limited, the effect is slight: it may even be harmful. (57) People who are obsessed with ritual and ceremony are incapable of using them in a spiritually developmental way. “When you hear their eager and sometimes persuasive explanations – that they do not feel ritualistic at all – know that you are hearing automatic self-justifications seeking to protect an acquired taste.” Ritual can be important. The last people to be encouraged to take part in ritual, if the intent is genuinely to help raise mankind, are the ritualistically-minded. Real ritual, you see, is functional, while ritualistic individuals, whatever they imagine, in reality live for the vehicle, not the content . . . It is a major task of real learning to understand the ‘idolatrous’ processes which, however hallowed by ‘tradition’ (repetition), are inimical to the true development of man. (58)

Psychological and Other Exercises

In many spiritual teachings, ancient and modern, a wide variety of psychological and other inner exercises have been employed for developmental purposes, both individually and in group settings: •

The exercise of non-judgemental ‘self-observation’ allows a person to see his or her behaviour and reactions as they occur throughout the course of the day. “Self-observation is very difficult, but it can give you much material. If you remember how you manifest yourself, how you react, how you think and feel, what you want – you may learn many things.”

•

‘Remembering’ is a recollection exercise in which a person examines past situations and their reactions to people and events. The aim is to try to understand the influence of conditioning and past experiences, and to see how one might have acted differently under the circumstances.

24

•

In the ‘Reviewing of the Day’ exercise, a person uses their memory to recall the events of the past day before going to sleep. “Try to picture oneself impartially – getting out of bed, dressing, having breakfast, going to the office in the bus, meeting people and so on, and so to bed – as if we were watching a not very interesting film, otherwise we might get identified with it. Don’t think about it, as thinking will falsify the picture.”

•

An important psychological exercise is to contemplate the nature and quality of the relationships with significant others in one’s life, with the intention of healing the past, understanding the present and enhancing the future. Through this process one can potentially make amends for past mistakes and misunderstandings, acknowledge and accept the state of the current relationship, and create the foundation for a more fruitful relationship in the future.

•

One thought-provoking, but very challenging and difficult exercise, employed in schools of higher development is ‘Relating the Story of One’s Life.’ Let everyone of you in the group tell about his life. Everything must be told in detail without embellishment, and without suppressing anything. Emphasize the principal and essential things without dwelling on trifles or details. You must be sincere and not be afraid that others will take anything in the wrong way, because everyone is on the same position, everyone must strip himself; everyone must show himself as he is. (59)

•

By performing certain mental exercises such as memorizing words during physical labour, the normal flow of automatic and mechanical associations can be broken: Usually when one observes oneself during physical labour, particularly work consisting of repetitive movements like digging and scything, one’s thoughts wander freely in directions that have nothing to do with the labour. Associations flow, following one another in complete disorder, without goal and without results. When these memory exercises were added during just such work, there was no room for leaks of wandering associations. At times it was necessary to stir oneself and direct attention to the digging itself, which at other times became almost unconscious. But the characteristic feature in all this was complete collectedness. Not a single bit of consciousness wandered away beyond the limits of the person. Everything was concentrated within. (60)

•

Fasting is a useful exercise in the spiritual sense when applied under certain conditions and circumstances (right intention, setting, duration, activities). Fasting not only eliminates bodily toxins but can also purify the mental and emotional ‘bodies.’

25

•

Many spiritual traditions employ visualization as a method of mental concentration and to achieve higher states of consciousness and perception. Visualization is also effective in calming and healing the mind-body of the practitioner. Visualization is one of the best exercises for mastery of the mind and prana . In Tantrism hundreds of different visualization practices are provided for different individual needs and for special applications. Visualizing a static object or a picture outside of the body is generally considered as a preliminary and preparatory exercise; visualizing a moving object circulating in a definite orbit within the body is regarded as a more advanced practice . . . Certain specific effects may be achieved by the different colours, forms, shapes, positions and orbits of movement of the objects visualized. (61)

•

The ‘Divine Pause’ is the traditional name given to the ‘Stop’ or ‘Halt’ exercise associated with schools of the Fourth Way. One of the purposes of the exercise is to bring into awareness the automatic nature of most of our movements and postures. “When a person is at an intermediate stage between one action and another, he or she can free themselves from the limitations of ordinary thought-processes.” This particular exercise can only be carried out under the strict direction and guidance of a teaching master: “The teacher, at a special time, calls for a complete freezing of movement by the students. During this ‘pause of time’ he projects his Baraka (spiritual power) upon them.” At any moment of the day or night, he might shout: “Stop!” when everyone within hearing distance had to arrest all movement. First the eyes were to fix upon the object of their gaze. The body was to remain motionless in the exact posture at the moment the word ‘stop’ was heard, and the thought present in the mind was to be held. In short, every voluntary movement was to be arrested and held. The stop might last a few seconds, or five, ten minutes or more. The posture might be painful or even dangerous ; but, if we were sincere and conscientious, we would do nothing to ease it. We had to wait until Gurdjieff shouted “Davay! ” or, “Continue!” and then resume what we had been doing before. (62)

References

(1) Albert Low To Know Yourself (Boston: Charles E. Tuttle, 1997), pp. 66-67. (2) Albert Low The But t erfly’s Dream (Boston: Charles E. Tuttle, 1993), p. 155. (3) Robert Ornstein The M ind Field (New York: Pocket Books, 1978), pp. 118-119. (4) Philip Kapleau The Three Pillars of Zen (New York: Anchor Books, 1989), pp. 12-13. (5) Philip Kapleau The Three Pillars of Zen (New York: Anchor Books, 1989), p. 11. (6) Philip Kapleau The W heel of Life and Deat h (New York: Doubleday, 1989), p. 319.

26

(7) Jean Klein Open t o t he Unknown (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publications, 1992), pp. 56-57. (8) Garma C.C. Chang The Pract ice of Zen (New York: Harper & Row, 1970), pp. 214-215. (9) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), pp. 224-225. (10) Jean Klein W ho Am I? (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1988), p. 101. (11) Nyanaponika Thera The Pow er of M indfulness (San Francisco: Unity Press, 1972), p. 1. (12) John Welwood Ordinary M agic: Everyday Life as Spirit ual Pat h (Boston: Shambhala, 1993), p. xv. (13) C.S. Nott Teachings of Gurdjieff: Journal of a Pupil (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1974), p. 91. (14) Jean Klein W ho Am I? (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1988), p. 99. (15) Thich Nhat Hanh The M iracle of M indfulness (Boston: Beacon Press, 1976), pp. 4-5. (16) J.G. Bennett Gurdjieff: M aking a New W orld (New York: Harper & Row, 1973), pp. 220221. (17) Albert Low The W orld: A Gat ew ay (Boston: Charles E. Tuttle, 1995), p. 6. (18) Jean Klein Open t o t he Unknown (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publications, 1992), pp. 24-25. (19) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 76. (20) Omar Ali-Shah The Sufi Tradit ion in t he W est (New York: Alif Publications, 1994), pp. 102103. (21) Idries Shah Orient al M agic (New York: Arkana Books, 1993), p. 69. (22) Alan Watts The W ay of Zen (New York: Vintage Books, 1957), p. 198. (23) Philip Kapleau The Three Pillars of Zen (New York: Anchor Books, 1989), p. 12. (24) B.K.S. Iyengar Light on Pranayama: The Yogic Art of Breat hing (New York: Crossroad, 1981), p. 10. (25) Jean Klein The Ease of Being (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1986), p. 51. (26) Omar Ali-Shah The Rules or Secret s of t he Naqshbandi Order (Reno: Tractus Books, 1998), pp. 68-70. (27) Philip Kapleau The W heel of Life and Deat h (New York: Doubleday, 1989), pp. 146-147. (28) Arthur Osborne Ramana M aharshi and t he Pat h of Self-Know ledge (London: Century, 1987), p. 22. (29) B.K.S. Iyengar Light on Yoga (New York: Schocken Books, 1973), p. 42. (30) Jean Klein Transmission of t he Flame (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publications, 1990), p. 207. (31) Jean Klein I Am (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publications, 1989), pp. 16-17. (32) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of t he M iraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), pp. 350-351. (33) Jean Klein Transmission of t he Flame (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publications, 1990), pp. xx-xxi. (34) Jean Klein Transmission of t he Flame (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publications, 1990), pp. 186-187. (35) Rosalie Marsham “Sufi Orders” in Idries Shah (ed.) Sufi Thought and Act ion (London: Octagon Press, 1990), p. 114. (36) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), pp. 496497. 27

(37) Garma C.C. Chang The Pract ice of Zen (New York: Harper & Row, 1970), pp. 212-213. (38) C.S. Nott Journey Through This W orld (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1969), p. 240. (39) Pauline de Dampierre “The Role of the Movements” in Jacob Needleman and George Baker (eds.) Gurdjieff: Essays and Reflect ions on t he M an and His Teachings (New York: Continuum, 1996), p. 290. (40) O.M. Burke Among t he Dervishes (London: Octagon Press, 1974), p. 49. (41) Idries Shah The Sufis (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 292-293. (42) Idries Shah The Sufis (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 292. (43) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of t he M iraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), p. 297. (44) C.S. Nott Teachings of Gurdjieff: Journal of a Pupil (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1974), p. 107. (45) C.S. Nott Journey Through This W orld (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1969), pp. 118-119. (46) Idries Shah The W ay of t he Sufi (London: Octagon Press, 1984), p. 157. (47) Idries Shah The Commanding Self (London: Octagon Press, 1994), pp. 320-31. (48) Idries Shah Learning How t o Learn (Octagon Press, 1983), p. 125. (49) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of t he M iraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), pp. 300-301. (50) G.I. Gurdjieff “Questions and Responses” in Jacob Needleman and George Baker (eds.) Gurdjieff: Essays and Reflect ions on t he M an and His Teachings (New York: Continuum, 1996), p. 278. (51) Thomas Cleary Rat ional Zen (Boston: Shambhala, 1995), pp. 188-189. (52) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of t he M iraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), p. 303. (53) Albert Low An Invit at ion t o Zen Pract ice (Rutland, Vermont: Charles E. Tuttle, 1989), p. 149. (54) Philip Kapleau Zen Daw n in t he W est (New York: Anchor Press, 1979), p.174. (55) Kathryn Hulme Undiscovered Count ry: In Search of Gurdjieff (Boston: Little, Brown & Co., 1966), pp. 113-114. (56) Philip Kapleau Zen Daw n in t he W est (New York: Anchor Press, 1979), p.176. (57) Idries Shah Learning How t o Learn (Octagon Press, 1983), p. 125. (58) Idries Shah Know ing How t o Know (London: Octagon Press, 1998), p. 209. (59) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of t he M iraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), p. 247. (60) Thomas and Olga de Hartmann Our Life w it h M r. Gurdjieff (London: Arkana Books, 1992), pp. 202-203. (61) Garma C.C. Chang The Pract ice of Zen (New York: Harper & Row, 1970), pp. 210-211. (62) John Bennett W it ness: The Aut obiography of John G. Bennet t (Tucson: Omen Press, 1974), pp. 112-113.

28

SPIRITUAL W RITINGS

‘Become acquaint ed w it h your own book. Learn how t o read it , how t o let it t ell you it s st ory.’ Jean Klein

Relative Importance of Books

A great deal of the spirit and wisdom of inner teachings can be transmitted in written form. Spiritual literature has an important role in providing basic information about the Path and can instil a foundation of knowledge that helps students in their own personal journey. Books and texts emanating from an authentic source provide a ‘compass’ to guide the seeker on his or her spiritual quest and have a specific teaching function: Books are by no means inanimate objects. They are textbooks to be looked at, to be followed, to be understood and above all to be used. People writing these works did not spend their entire lives in order to display their intellectual abilities or their poetic capacities. Their function was to teach and to write, and they did both for the benefit of people who would follow in the Tradition after them . . . Books which have meaning in the Tradition are crafted for a specific function. They are very carefully written, step by step, and they are relating both forward and backward. If you get into harmony with the text, into harmony with the intention of the author, then it lifts you beyond the level of the mere black and white of the printing. (1) In almost all spiritual traditions, books, literature, myths, fables, poetry, aphorisms and other written forms play a significant role in both preparatory work and the transmission of inner teachings of human development. “A book is valuable to its reader provided he or she is more ignorant than its author.” Q: What is the value of spiritual books? A: In the attentive and thoughtful reader they will ripen and bring out flowers and fruits. Words based on truth, if fully tested, have their own power . . . They help in dispelling ignorance. They are useful in the beginning, but become a hindrance in the end. One must know when to discard them. (2) Certain books and writings are invaluable at specific stages of the spiritual journey. Zen teacher Maurine Stuart: “We need to read. There are many wonderful books that can inspire us. People don’t read enough. They think there’s something wrong with reading, that it’s not good for their practice. That’s ridiculous. Reading is very helpful, very inspiring.”

1

Q: What sort of books are best to read when you want to live a spiritual life? A: Emerson said: “That book is good which puts me in a working mood.” If you want to realize your True-nature – and not merely speculate about it – that book is good which has the deep ring of truth discovered through personal experience. The good book stirs the heart, fires the imagination, and leads to the resolve to let nothing stand in the way of full awakening. (3) Many spiritual teachers have used books in their own spiritual practice as a means of clarification and discernment. “A book carries the transmission of the consciousness or presence of its author. It is not just the words; it is the being who utters the words.” Reading has also been a very important part of my journey, too. I used books to help me flush things out in my own mind. They helped me become clear about certain things. In that sense I think that the intellectual side of spirituality, which is often downplayed and for good reason, is at times also undervalued. Although you can’t find the truth in a book, books are sometimes the way we connect certain dots in our heads and in our hearts. Sometimes books can open us in really significant ways . . . If you hit the right book at the right time, it can spark a recognition. (4) Although books are not sufficient in themselves to engender spiritual enlightenment, they are nevertheless invaluable in helping the student progress along the Path. Those who reject books out of hand do so on the basis of incomplete knowledge. The value of books and other writings cannot be perceived at an early stage of spiritual development. There is a saying: ‘Premat ure independence is t he daught er of conceit .’ One of the great heritages of traditional spiritual teachings is the unaltered transmission of important books and texts: If you have continuity in a teaching, each successive generation benefits to a greater extent from the activities of the generation before in that they have hopefully absorbed energy, knowledge and teaching techniques from something like the Tradition, and have passed it on to their children in the form of a teaching, a knowledge, a behaviour, a contact. It becomes all the more valuable when continuity is based on incontrovertible, unedited, uninterrupted books. The writings of the various great masters have been set down and have come to us unaltered through the centuries . . . The content of these writings were very carefully guarded within the Tradition. They were known to a relatively large number of people, so any misinterpretation which might occur as a result of a mistranslation or a bad copy could very quickly be corrected. (5) The literature of a viable spiritual tradition, while vital, is not in itself sacred in the deepest sense. In the words of the Sufi adept Tayfuri: ‘Sacred is t hat w hich cannot be dest royed.’ A similar perspective is found in Zen Buddhism. D.T. Suzuki writes: “With Zen followers, all literature was like a finger pointing to the moon, and there was not much in itself that will actually 2

lead one to the seeing of one’s own inner nature; for this seeing was a realization which must be attained by one’s own personal efforts apart from the mere understanding of letters . . . Literature is helpful only when it indicates the way, it is not the thing itself.” The importance, and also the limits, of books and writings must be understood by the seeker in order for spiritual progress to develop properly. “Books are beautiful and inspiring. Lectures may help us. Scriptures are also important, but these are not enough. It’s living practice that is most essential.” Thomas Merton addressed this point in his M yst ics and Zen M ast ers: The Zen monks traditionally preferred direct experience to abstract and theoretical knowledge gained by reading and study. But of course they never denied that reading and study could, in their proper place, contribute to the validity of their spiritual training. The harm comes from placing one’s whole trust in books and in learning, and neglecting the direct grasp of life which is had only by living it in all its existential reality . . . Since attachment even to the teaching of Buddha himself could produce spiritual blindness, the Zen masters were very careful to prevent any disciple from becoming attached to their teaching. That is why so many of the sayings of the Zen masters seem to us to be pure nonsense. They were often, in fact, deliberately meaningless from a logical viewpoint. The Zen masters did not want disciples simply to memorize something they had said. Yet, paradoxically, Zen literature consists of almost nothing but quotations of the Zen masters! (6) The great Indian sage Ramana Maharshi also emphasized the limited role of books in the quest for self-realization: Q: Is the study of [spiritual writings] helpful for liberation? A: Very little. Some knowledge is needed for Yoga and it may be found in books. But practical application is the thing needed, and personal example, personal touch and personal instructions are the most helpful aids. A person may laboriously convince himself of the truth to be intuited, i.e. its function and nature, but the actual intuition is akin to feeling and requires practice and personal contact. Mere book learning is not of any great use. After realization all intellectual loads are useless burdens and are thrown overboard as jetsam (7)

Educational and Instrumental Function

One of the most important functions of spiritual literature is preparing and laying the groundwork for future development. The sacred texts of the world’s great spiritual traditions are rich in instructional material for those who can recognize their inner developmental content:

3

Note these three kinds of literature: The first is factual literature, whose intention is to provide factual information. The second is ephemeral literature, whose main function is to entertain. The third is specific literature, designed to help develop capacities in a certain readership. Literature which entertains may contain teaching materials as well. (8) There is a great deal of ancient written material which are still of value to contemporary cultures. However, it is important to realize that an authentic spiritual teaching is relevant and useful for a given community based on the suitability of ‘time, place and people.’ For this reason it is systematized only for limited or transitory periods, and is constantly updated as circumstances change. In a teaching setting, books are part of a comprehensive educational program that is guided by a spiritual teacher who ensures that they are used correctly. “Your studies must be composed of the right proportion of a number of elements. Books are both essential at the present stage and also only a part.” The student must employ written study materials in the right manner and at the right time in order to derive the inner ‘nutrients’ inherent in them. Books and texts are recommended by a teacher because they have an instrumental teaching value for an individual or group. This literature has a catalytic function which operates to provoke experiences and capacities for learning in the student. The role of spiritual writings is to act upon the mind so that a greater understanding develops “through the interaction of written materials and inner cognition.” The primary value of this literature is the effect it can have as an instrument of experience and awakening. The instrumental and developmental content in books and texts can relate directly to the reader’s psychological state, influencing their thoughts and actions in a positive way. Material of this nature is capable of provoking thought and directing the student to a point where consciousness can operate on a higher level. “Things which have been read leave a trace. This trace, not necessarily consciously registered by the reader, can be digested into another area where higher perceptions are operating.” One purpose of these instrumental writings is to apply a shock designed to ‘strike’ the reader in such a fashion that the mind begins to operate in a new and different manner. A technique used in some writings is to shift attention from the expected to the unexpected, in order to highlight the power of assumptions and preconceptions. Other techniques are employed in books to produce a certain foreseen effect on the student. These include “leaving things out, emphasizing points with no obvious relevance and breaking off the writing when the reader anticipates a resolution.” One of the functions of spiritual literature, inherent in their design and content, is to develop a more comprehensive awareness of oneself and the world, and to establish and maintain a fresh way of looking at and understanding patterns of human behaviour.

4

Spiritual books and writings are designed to connect with a person’s actual experience and life situation. One of their functions is to illustrate the workings of the human mind, illuminate mental and emotional patterns and make use of experiences which we might otherwise miss. Another of their purposes is to enable the reader to think more clearly and to demonstrate “the limitations of formal logic and the ease of falling into false reasoning.” Many spiritual books are in fact exercises to free the mind from the adhesions of rigid thinking, sometimes by stimulating thought, sometimes by the method of arousing healthy criticism. The inner effect of spiritual writings may not be readily apparent or yield immediate results. The passage of time and the impact of certain experiences may be necessary first. A teacher will not necessarily provide explanations or interpret the meaning of prescribed literature, preferring to let students make their own efforts to understand. However, with certain types of literature, explanation and interpretation may be needed to unlock the inner dimensions contained within the words. The way in which books are studied determines the quality of ‘nutrition’ that can be extracted from them. Books are useful provided one knows how to use them. Spiritual literature is designed to be read slowly, carefully and with attention. “The application of attention is the magical act which transforms print and paper into bread and wine.” Q: Why is it that so many people read so much and yet are not changed by it? A: To learn something, you may have to be exposed to it many times, perhaps from different perspectives; and you will also have to give it the kind of attention which will enable you to learn. In our experience, people fail to learn from books for the same reason that they do not learn other things – they read selectively. The things that touch them emotionally, or which they like or are thrilled by, they will remember or seek in greater quantity or depth . . . Reading does not change people unless they are ready to change. Rumi said: “You have seen the mountain, but you have not seen the mine inside the mountain.” Just because a book is available, even one of the very greatest books, does not mean that one can, or perhaps should, try to learn correctly from it at any given moment. Arbitrary study does not always yield results. (9)

Underlying Design and Pattern

The Teaching itself determines its mode of presentation and provides the knowledge of how its ideas and methods are to be projected in written form. Spiritual literature does not necessarily follow a conventional pattern. Rather, it is based on the knowledge of ‘the design of truth’ operating on a higher spiritual level known to teachers of the Tradition. To be effective, spiritual writings must be employed in the proper manner following the overall plan or pattern which unlocks the “treasures of this extraordinary storehouse.”

5

Here are a few characteristics of Sufi literature (10): • • • • • • •

Some books, some passages, are intended to be read in a certain order. Some books and passages have to be read under specific environmental conditions. Some have to be read aloud, some silently, some alone, some in company. Some are of limited use or ephemeral function, being addressed to communities in certain places, at certain stages of development, or for a limited time. Some forms have concealed meanings which yield coherent but misleading meanings, safety-devices to ward off tamperers. Some are interlaced with material deliberately designed to confuse or sidetrack those who are not properly instructed, for their own protection. Some books contain a completely different potential, and they communicate through another means than the writing contained in them. They are not designed primarily to be read at all.

Traditional spiritual writings employed in esoteric schools have a much greater depth and range than most people realize. Certain spiritual literature contains material and ideas which are ahead of their time and which become comprehensible “only when ‘new’ psychological and even scientific technical discoveries are made and become well known.” And, a sacred text or book may have an influence upon the reader that is not suspected. It is claimed that some books may exercise functions which most cultures would not ascribe to books. The real purpose and function of certain books and the conditions under which their potential may be unlocked, is not part of the knowledge of most contemporary cultures. “The idea, for instance, that a book is designed to be read under certain circumstances, or at different stages of development, is not well known to current cultures. Books of real developmental value can be read only under their own conditions. The teacher explains the way in which the book is to be read, and other things necessary for the current position of the student.” Q: Can you tell me something about the dervish literature which is available in English? Which books should one read? A: Many books have been translated. In order to profit by them, even the translation, you have to know something about them which is rarely expressed; and you also have to be in the correct state. The thing you have to know is that they are often not literature at all as commonly understood in other spheres. They are constructed to fulfil a multiple purpose. Academicians have treated them as literature, source material for facts, expositions of doctrine. This can really only be done by people who know what and when to extract from them. As to the timing of their study, the nourishment depends upon the situation of the learner. The only way to get to grips with this literature and to profit by it in a useful sense

6

is to study it as it is intended to be studied; as a part of a comprehensive plan, in ways, at times and under conditions suited to its study. Otherwise it might be likened to seeing a colour television transmission on a black and white screen. You get some impression, useful in some ways, varying in impact according to the extent to which the monochrome can reproduce what is originally intended to be in full colour. Some people have soaked themselves in this literature; they have profited more or less, but always remember that it is possible to profit less, as well as to profit more, through the effort exercised. You can even lose by such an enterprise. (11) Traditional spiritual literature is carefully written by specialists with a wide and long experience with the written word. Such writings must be studied in a special manner to yield any real benefit. The way a book is approached and studied greatly influences the progress of the learner. Without proper preparation students may “reject the book, read it selectively, or else indoctrinate themselves with the contents – all these results are undesirable.” All material connected with the Work can be understood at different levels. The material has to be studied, not from different points of view, but in different ways. Example: Study the material (1) for its obvious content or factual meaning. Then (2) for where it relates to you, and how you make mistakes in thinking which could be corrected by the material. Then (3) for what it may communicate to you outside of these two fields. Try to realize that this material is not a formal exposition alone, but contains elements which will help you to understand it in a deeper sense. (12) A certain technical knowledge is required in order to use spiritual books and texts in the manner in which they were designed and intended to be used. The Sufi author and teacher Idries Shah discusses this in detail in “Eight Points on Initiatory Literature” (13): Few experiences are so ludicrous as when one sees people gravely intoning literature without knowing which passages to use and which to exclude: •

•

•

Many vital books contain parts which, like a safety-catch, actually prevent the meaning from functioning if they fall into incapable hands. When, therefore, people seek the ‘key’ to special literature, they do not realize that the door is locked and the key is in it. The key operates by removing it, not by any other method. Classical initiatory literature, again, contains material for various kinds of people, useful at different times. To devour all the literature without knowing this, and without being able to select or prescribe essential passages, is next to useless. Depending upon the chance choices made, such omnivorous study may actually be harmful. Selecting similar passages from different books or different schools is hazardous and at best a waste of effort. Anthologists and other superficial students, what7

• •

• • •

ever motives they may think they have, engage in this activity because they really prefer the similarities of associative materials. Some passages in higher literature are enciphered. This is done for a variety of reasons, the main one not being as a challenge to individual students to try to penetrate their secrets. Specialists in higher literature perfected, aeons ago, all the methods of using words so that their books would fulfil several functions (instructional, informational, cultural) on different levels. Remember that you cannot perceive the various levels until you are ready, and no simple ‘key’ will be of any use. This is particularly important for protective purposes. You may have been born and brought up in a single room, as it were. If you were let out while lacking the means to survive in the outside world, you would probably perish. Literature which is seemingly esoteric is often not such at all, but is designed for another purpose. This purpose may well not be one which you can further. You therefore need expert guidance in this matter. Much literature which has no apparently esoteric significance or intent, on the other hand, belongs to the higher domain. If you cannot recognize it, you are in need of guidance. Much higher literature is of no developmental value if studied by itself and depends for its effect upon certain experimental conditions and experiences through sources other than the eyes or ears. If you do not know this, you are in need of guidance.

Suitability of ‘Time, Place and People’

Certain texts or specific passages of books are held to be useful for teaching purposes only for a limited time. Some written materials are intended for special communities, at special times, or under special circumstances. For instance, in authentic schools of higher development, ideas expressed in written form are confined to the people, time and occasion where they have the most beneficial effect, since writings vary in the effect on the reader in accordance with the conditions under which they are studied. Spiritual books may only apply to specific circumstances and may even seem to contradict one another. Circumstances alter cases, so that teachings may apply at one time but not another time or for another person or persons. Differences in terminology or descriptions of ideas found in books, which seem contradictory, may be due to the fact that they were written at different times for the use of different communities. Because written materials used in schools of higher development are chosen because of their effectiveness and application to a specific audience, time and circumstance, there can never be such a thing as a general, standardized “textbook of mysticism” that applies to all: “There is no book which can tell one, as in an A to Z directory, exactly what reality exists in what

8

circumstance, because circumstances change, the person changes, impacts change, and the needed terminology changes as well.” Different texts and readings are appropriate at different stages of an individual’s spiritual development. As they advance, students can learn to develop a “feel” for what books or passages to read at a given time in order to harmonize with their inner state. A genuine esoteric school will carefully choose which written materials apply to which community at a specific time and set of circumstances: There are two criteria: (1) what materials have to be projected at the present time to have the maximum useful effect, and (2) who can absorb them and in what format. Written materials are always presented in accordance with the possibilities . . . Eastern similes which are still viable both in the East and the West are used because of this viability. Superseded materials are not regurgitated just because they have been used in former times. Materials are re-presented if this can be usefully done. ‘Western’ psychological terminology and insights are useful, so they are used. (14) Any authentic current projection of the Teaching will use the language and idiom of contemporary cultures in its form and presentation: In our present study courses, we use: (1) Material drawn from earlier teachings, which have not been corrupted, and which still have validity in the culture whose members we are addressing. (2) Material from past teachings, which are not fully preserved in literature, but of which indications remain. We expand and explain these, and sometimes illustrate them from literature and oral traditions. (3) Materials which belong to the teaching, but which have to be expressed in a form suitable to the audience being addressed, the time and the place. Some of these appear strange, unusual, even contradictory. They are selectively drawn from the huge stock which is itself based upon a knowledge of the design of truth on another level. (15)

M ultiple Levels of M eaning

Certain books of spiritual significance are characterized by a wide range of diverse materials: fables, teaching tales, humour, narrative, proverbs and aphorisms, psychological exercises, meditations and contemplation themes, to mention a few. “The experiential effect of these modalities are equally as diverse: laughter, amusement, beauty, entertainment, insight, perception and learning.”

9

Books may instruct on different levels, ranging from the factual to the allegorical to beyond. Literature which contains multiple dimensions has a versatility that protects it from predictable responses, over-simplification and banality. A useful analogy for the multiple levels and uses of certain spiritual literature is a fruit that has colour, taste, shape, seeds and so on. This relates to the different levels of understanding in books, corresponding to psychological, spiritual and other elements. Some books are modelled on the ‘scatter’ technique of multiple activity and composite impact. For example, Rumi’s masterpiece The M at hnaw i is a mixture of stories, fables, poems, examples and speculations in which “a picture is built up by multiple impact to infuse into the mind the Sufi message.” In more contemporary times, The Sufis by Idries Shah, although on the surface a conventional book, also follows the ‘scatter’ pattern: Looked at closely it is a combination of ideas, facts, data and writing styles which become a series of exercises for the reader as well as a source of content. The book is a source of information, it is also a sample of the way in which Sufi material can be taught; each chapter has deliberate interior rhythm which is aligned with the particular type of information in it. (16) One of the characteristics of esoteric literature is the expression of multiple meanings and functions. For instance, it has been stated that every passage in the Koran has seven meanings, applicable to the developmental state of the reader or listener. Different types of people will have different subjective reactions to the range and variety of literature emanating from a conscious teaching source. A spiritual book may be constructed with different perspectives and various levels of interpretation of the same material. Certain passages and sections of text may lend themselves to a number of different interpretations which yield very subtle meanings. Certain classical works of literature, such as Hakim Sanai’s The W alled Garden of Trut h , are composed in such a manner. For many passages, several readings and interpretations are possible. This is said to effect a shift in perceptions or a change in focus and perspective. In some cases, spiritual literature may contain several different meanings which sometimes appear contradictory. This apparent inconsistency is designed to stimulate, through ‘shock,’ the human mind. In schools of higher knowledge the successive layers of meaning contained in esoteric literature are unlocked, as new dimensions become apparent. “First the exterior meaning is absorbed, then the secondary meaning. This tension between the two levels can lead to the ability to see further ranges of significance, until the stage may be reached when we find understanding beyond verbalization.” A book may also contain elements which only seem to come together when the reading is finished, yielding a perspective rich in depth and meaning. By constant reading of assigned texts, the different levels of meaning can be gradually absorbed by the inner self.

10

Symbolic and Allegorical W ritings

Many spiritual writings are allegorical, analogical and symbolic. They can transport the mind into a realm where higher knowledge can be accessed, revealing the inner meanings and metaphorical significance of perennial spiritual truths. Many allegories describe specific stages in human spiritual development. The theme of a “journey,” “quest” or “search” is often used as an analogy to describe this process of inner transformation. A properly used analogy or metaphor can enable a person to identify and study common human behaviour patterns and characteristics that block higher perceptions and understanding. To be useful, analogies and metaphors must be applied skilfully in the right manner: Metaphors are most useful for fixing, for a time, in the mind, concepts which otherwise have too fleeting a life to be of practical use. When people use metaphors to illustrate situations and induce others to take them literally, or take them too far, we get the fossilization of doctrine and consequent loss of understanding. If I say, for example: ‘Man is like the sea, with his emotions ebbing and flowing’ I have to qualify this and harvest the value of the metaphor as soon as possible. The alternative is that people might start to imagine that man is like the sea in a far-reaching and complicated analogical system. They then tend to spend their time looking for as many correspondences as possible between man and sea. Our use of metaphors is designed to supply the minimum impression. The hearer must not try to elaborate too far. (17) Wise sayings and aphorisms are often studied in esoteric schools for their encapsulated wisdom: “Aphorisms, when they emanate from a source of knowledge and teaching, are not only entertaining and insightful; they widen the perspective, so that the individual can better see his or her previous limitations, and hence overcome them.” Certain forms of spiritual writing bypass the logical, rational intellect and awaken the non-verbal, intuitive aspects of the mind: All religious teachings use parables, symbols, stories and metaphors as teaching devices. Christ talks about sheep, seeds, fishing, and so on. The Sufis have stories about Mulla Nasrudin, and the Hindus stories about Krishna. Western occultism is full of symbolism. All these stories and symbols propel you into a non-literal, non-logical realm, the intermediate realm of the mirror and its reflection, silence and sound. However, when working with these instruments, in addition to being propelled into a non-literal, non-logical realm, you must also work from the awakened state. Where are you from? Where have you been? A haiku of Basho says: No one w alks along t his pat h t his aut umn evening. (18)

11

There is a danger in thoughtlessly employing aphorisms in a spiritual context. Aphorisms and wise sayings, unless understood from a spiritually mature perspective, can easily become frozen clichés: Even some statements which have a cracker-barrel philosopher’s application can also be used to expose the deficiencies of the aphorism when pushed beyond a certain unregenerate point. Take such a beautiful and arresting saying as one which is current now in both the East and the West: ‘The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.’ When this is repeated enough, with the customary sage nod or clever wink, most people imagine that it is worn out, it becomes a truism. But when it is submitted for further examination, you may add to this something extracted from Sufi educational and psychological experience. This is to observe that, unless it is understood how , w hen and w here to make that step, the assertion is devoid of the profound weight which casual and unthinking adoption so often ascribes to it. (19) In many spiritual traditions records of interchanges between a teacher and student constitute a rich source of written instruction and inspiration that has a certain timeless quality: “I have no peace of mind,” said Hui-k’o. “Please pacify my mind.” “Bring out your mind here before me,” replied Bodhidharma, “and I will pacify it!” “But when I seek my own mind,” said Hui-k’o, “I cannot find it.” “There!” snapped Bodhidharma, “I have pacified your mind.” At this moment Hui-k’o had his awakening. The greater part of Zen literature consists of these anecdotes, many of them much more puzzling than this, and their aim is always to precipitate some type of sudden realization in the questioner’s mind, or to test the depth of his insight. For this reason, such anecdotes cannot be “explained” without spoiling their effect. In some respects they are like jokes which do not produce their intended effect of laughter when the “punch line” requires further explanation. One must see the point immediately, or not at all. (20) Spiritual books may have a deeper component other than the apparent surface content, and some passages may be enciphered and have hidden meanings. “What on its outward face seems like a complete poem, myth, treatise and so on, is susceptible of another interpretation: a sort of demonstration analogous to a kaleidoscope effect.” Certain esoteric teachings, and the keys to understanding them, are sometimes embedded in materials which do not appear to be spiritual at all. For instance, in the past, the language of alchemy and the practices of magic have been employed as a disguised form of the spiritual quest. Encoded material contained in such works reveals concealed meaning when properly interpreted. The process of ‘veiling’ certain narrative elements with mystery or ambiguity is designed, in part, to confuse the limited, rational mind that seeks simple explanations. The 12

spiritual essence of some of these books may only be perceived by a person who has previously undergone certain preparation and experiences, and as a result has the necessary capacity to properly understand the inner sense of the texts. Parables are employed in many spiritual traditions to illuminate universal truths and connect with deeper levels of human consciousness. But like all spiritual forms they can be misused and misunderstood: Parables are extended metaphors, and we must not make the mistake of trying to interpret them past their point of usefulness. This is not to say that parables have no place on the spiritual path. On the contrary, they and metaphors can help enormously to awaken the mind to possibilities that otherwise would remain dormant and unrecognized. But parables can only awaken possibilit ies, they can only take us to the door. We must take yet another step to enter our true home. The danger with parables, as well as with metaphors, and why we must treat them with such caution, is that by awakening possibilities they open new horizons, give birth to new hope. In the radiance of this hope, in the scope of these new possibilities, we all too easily succumb to the mistaken belief that we have found true gold when all we have found are its tracings. (21) In a certain sense, fables and myths embody “dramatized fact” and are designed to cause certain inner effects on the reader. They are used to establish a pattern or blueprint which helps the mind to operate in a ‘higher’ manner. “Do you imagine that fables exist only to amuse or to instruct, and are based upon fiction? The best ones are delineations of what happens in real life, in the community, and in the individual’s mental processes.” Fables and stories, such as those of Aesop, Hans Christian Andersen and others, carry an inner meaning and perform the function of ‘conveying water to the thirsty.’ “Most fables contain at least some truth, and they often enable people to absorb ideas which the ordinary patterns of their thinking would prevent them from digesting. Fables have therefore been used to present a picture of life more in harmony with their feelings, than is possible by means of intellectual exercises.” Some books are written in the form of a series of fables designed to illustrate a point of view. They should not be taken as a literal or factual account of events as they serve to illustrate the aphorism, ‘It doesn’t have t o be fact t o be t rue.’ Fables outlive fact. Legend penetrates where logic perishes. Folklore, myth and legend transcend the fluctuations of the historical process. It is as though a myth carries such a penetrating energy that it can leap the gap between cultures – a carrier-wave that unites the ceaseless and separate generations. Myth personifies abstract ideas. (22)

13

Poetry may contain materials related to the understanding of higher things, and can act as a bridge between the literal and metaphysical worlds. Poetry can be a unique symbolic expression of the “inexpressible mystery of existence and being.” The Prophet Mohammed once said: ‘In some poet ry t here is w isdom .’ Poetry lends itself to a multi-layered impact on the human consciousness, bypassing the normal linear processing mode of the mind. Poems may have multiple meanings, starting with one theme and then moving to another. Or a poetic composition may make use of word-play, special meter and homophones. These linguistic devices can allow for the development of finer perceptions and harmonization with higher levels of reality: Poetry is not only a vivid and memorable mode of expression, but for certain states of mind is more exact and penetrating than prose. For example, a poem can express with peculiar force a change of mood, a moral dilemma or a divided loyalty. It does so through its capacity to raise or lower the emotional temperature and to communicate on more than one level of meaning. The key question about something we imperfectly understand is: what is it like? The poet’s answer is conveyed in simile, metaphor and allegory; employing these he can express what was obscure in terms of what is more familiar or reveal the inner mystery in what we thought was familiar. In this way we can uncover potentialities in lives deadened by habit, routine and conditioned thinking. (23) In esoteric schools poetry may be employed as a mystical exercise, although the student must be properly prepared in order for the poetry to have a spiritual effect. “The manner in which poetry is heard, and the ability of the hearer to benefit from it, is important. The real essence of poetry cannot be appreciated by those who are not correctly prepared for its full under-standing, however much an individual may believe that he is extracting the whole from hearing a poem.” Spiritual teachers have stressed that poetry is not an end unto itself, but rather a bridge to a higher state of perception and being: For Rumi, although one of the greatest poets of the East, poetry was only a secondary product. He did not regard it as any more than a reflection of the enormous inner reality which was truth, and which he calls love. The greatest love, as he says, is silent and cannot be expressed in words. Although his poetry was to affect men’s minds in a way that can only be called magical, he was never carried away by it to the extent of identifying it with the far greater being of which it was a lesser expression. At the same time, he recognized it as something which could form a bridge between what he “really felt” and what he could do for others . . . Hence, Rumi’s insistence upon the subsidiary role of poetry in the perspective of the real quest. What he had to communicate was beyond poetry. To a mind conditioned to the belief that there is nothing more sublime than poetic expression, such a feeling might produce a sense of shock. It is just this application of impact which is necessary in the freeing of the mind from attachment to secondary phenomena, ‘idols.’ (24) 14

Limitations of Books and Literature

In the field of spirituality there is a sharp distinction between material written by scholars and academics and that composed by those possessing real inner knowledge. The former is written from “outside” and is about spirituality, while the latter represents the reality of a living spirituality and is designed for teaching purposes. So-called experts sometimes totally misunderstand the meaning and purpose of spiritual writings due to their biases and ingrained assumptions. Scholars and academics tend to use and analyze this literature on a much lower level of understanding than the material warrants. This can be expressed by an analogy: “There is the husk for all to see. The kernel may be garnered by those who, first, know which is the husk, and also how to reach the kernel.” The scholarly approach treats spiritual literature on a relatively shallow level and misses the more important teaching function inherent in the writings: “Viewed from this ‘instrumental’ usage of literature, the activities of memorizing passages, selecting parts which appeal to one, comparing editions and manuscripts, seeking emotional or intellectual stimulus – all this is a different field from the inner functional one represented in this literature.” Many translations of spiritual texts published in Western languages have significant shortcomings due to the quality of the translation and because they ignore the internal dimensions of such writings, instead providing literal renderings which lack the multi-dimensionality of the original. Zen teacher Philip Kapleau speaks to this problem: “All translation involves the constant choice of one of several alternative expressions which the translator believes may convey the meaning of the original. Whether a translator’s choices are apposite depends, in the ordinary translation, on his linguistic skill and his familiarity with the subject.” Consider what must have happened before any ancient religious text got recorded. In every case, the enlightened person must have had thoughts which he must have put into words, and the words used may not have been quite adequate to convey his exact thoughts. The master’s words would have been heard by the person who recorded them, and what he recorded would surely have been according to his own understanding and interpretation. After this first handwritten record, various copies of it would have been made by several persons and the copies could have contained numerous errors. In other words, what the reader at any particular time reads and tries to assimilate could be quite different from what was really intended to be conveyed by the original master. Add to all this the unwitting or deliberate interpolations by various scholars in the course of centuries, and you will understand the problem I am trying to convey to you. I am told that the Buddha himself spoke only in the Mâghadî language, whilst his teaching, as recorded, is in Pâlî or in Sanskrit, which could have been done only many years later; and what we have of his teaching must have passed through numerous hands. Imagine the number of alterations and additions that must have crept into it over a long period. Is it

15

then any wonder that now there are differences in opinion and disputes about what the Buddha actually did say, or intended to say? (25) The way in which people react to books and other writings is frequently coloured by their assumptions and emotional conditioning: People read books, which affect them in various ways. They will assume that they must be able to profit by the text in exactly the way in which the author intended. This is not borne out by experience, and it is even unsound otherwise, being based upon an assumption for which there is no proof. Experiment will readily show that a book on religion, given to someone who does not know how to read it for its specific directions, will merely move the person emotionally; either because the words or phrases are such as to evoke emotion, or because of the person who gave them the book or the recommendation. These reactions are superficial, though they may appear to the unregenerate reader to be deep. (26) Individuals often approach books in a greedy, almost compulsive manner. They lack the ability to discriminate how and what to read. When writings are not assimilated properly, they can result in a form of ‘mental indigestion’ which disturbs the learning process: Literature is given to people to study for a reason. It has been chosen and given out in order to help the individual’s development. But if someone is given a book to read, he will not only gallop through that one, but will search indefatigably for everything and anything connected with its themes, by the same person, or mentioned in the text. From the point of view of efficient study such a process is a grotesque of the intended effect. Without a teacher to give out suitable exercise literature, without a course of study which will lead somewhere, omnivorous reading will cause satiety – and worse. There is a saying: ‘Man likes what is bad for him, and dislikes what is good for him.’ This is clearly evidenced in the situation where man approaches special literature in such a wholly distressing frame of mind as to imagine that he can teach himself better than a teacher. It indicates a man who is not really a student, though he may think that he is one. A student is one who either follows a teacher, or who has the capacity to understand what he is doing. (27) Many people study spiritual writings on a random, undifferentiated basis. They do not use the materials properly; they try to compare different writings, either support or reject what they read, seek emotional and sentimental meanings and so forth, rather than learning from them. “Although written words and spoken phrases can be the source of realization, they can be the source of bondage as well. Depending upon the way they are used, they become the finest ghee or the most vicious poison.”

16

A common mistake of spiritual seekers is to read selectively, paying attention only to those portions which are stimulating or pleasing. One of the dangers of selective reading is taking passages and quotations out of context, without a clear picture of their true meaning: Reading selectively and skimming over the bits that do not interest us is a wasteful procedure. Sufi writings and stories must be studied in their entirety; not only for the parts which interest the reader. People who absorb only what pleases them are generally emotionalists who can become the more easily indoctrinated, but not usually people who are in a fit state to learn beyond a certain point. (28) Many seekers downplay the importance of written teaching materials, believing that they should be learning and experiencing “things which are not in books.” Those who yearn for nonverbal learning that is not contained in books are working under an umbrella of assumptions which shield them from the real use of books. “To believe that one can get everything from books is as good – and as bad – as believing that one can get nothing from books.” Do you know how to recognize this non-verbal learning? Do you know that the “learning not in books’ may be elicited by books, in their instrumental function making books necessary? Have you not thought that when your perceptions have developed, you will then have the means to understand some books, so that the prior need for them in providing frameworks for thought is recognized? Have you thought of, or heard of, or even suspected, the functional role of books and words, which lies behind their intellectual, factual or emotionally stimulative use? Nothing tells us so much about someone, in a book-oriented society, in respect to his or her potential and actual progress, as the attitude towards literature. Remember, virtually all of the great classical Sufis worked with words. Ask yourself: why was that? (29) Although books clearly have an important place in the spiritual journey, they ultimately serve as pointers to self-realization and enlightenment. Spiritual writings can prepare the ground and explain many things, but they do not put the seeker in direct contact with living reality – truth can only be lived and experienced. Books represent only second-hand knowledge; what is essential is to come to spiritual understanding first-hand. “The sage who is the embodiment of the truth mentioned in sacred books has no use for them.” Q: Often after reading about enlightenment I seem to understand quite clearly what it is, and many times I’ve definitely felt the oneness of all life. But what is the difference between this kind of understanding and Zen awakening? A: Reading about enlightenment is like reading about nutrition when you are hungry. Will that fill your belly? Obviously not. Only when you taste, chew, and swallow the food do you feel satisfied, and this is comparable to enlightenment, or awakening. But even then the food you have eaten will not nourish you until digestion and assimilation have taken place. In the same way, until you 17

have integrated into your daily life what you have perceived, your awakening is not working for you yet – it will not transform your life. And just as the final step in nutrition is elimination, so one must eventually rid oneself of the notion “I am enlightened.” Only then can you “walk freely between heaven and earth.” (30) Too much reading can burden the mind with ideas and concepts. In order to awaken we must be free from “the idle speculation fostered by extensive reading and study.” Anything that can be written in a book, anything that can be said – all this is thinking. If you are thinking, then all Zen books, all Buddhist sutras, all Bibles are demons’ words. But if you read with a mind that has cut off all thinking, then Zen books, sutras and Bibles are all the truth. So is the barking of a dog or the crowing of a rooster: all things are teaching you at every moment, and these sounds are even better teaching than Zen books. So Zen is keeping the mind which is before thinking. Science and academic studies are after thinking. We must return to before thinking. Then we will attain our true self. (31) Ramana Maharshi counselled others to search within for the ultimate truth of their own existence and being. “Books can only tell you, ‘Realize the Self within you.’ The Self cannot be found in books. You have to find it out for yourself, in yourself.” Q: Is it any use reading books for those who long for release? A: All the texts say that in order to gain release one should render the mind quiescent; once this has been understood there is no need for endless reading. In order to quiet the mind one has only to inquire within oneself what one’s Self is; how could this search be done in books? One should know one’s Self with one’s own eye of wisdom. The Self is within but books are outside. It is futile to search for it in books. There will come a time when one will have to forget all that one has learned. (32)

References

(1) Omar Ali-Shah The Course of t he Seeker (Reno: Tractus Books, 1996), pp. 243-244. (2) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), pp. 376-377. (3) Philip Kapleau Zen Daw n in t he W est (New York: Anchor Press, 1979), p. 27. (4) Adyashanti Empt iness Dancing (Boulder: Sounds True, 2006), p. 193. (5) Omar Ali-Shah The Course of t he Seeker (Reno: Tractus Books, 1996), pp. 152-153. (6) Thomas Merton M yst ics and Zen M ast ers (New York: Dell Publishing, 1978), p. 220.

18

(7) Ramana Maharshi Talks w it h Sri Ramana M aharshi (Tiruvannamalai, India: Sri Ramanasramam, 1984), p. 31. (8) Idries Shah Reflect ions (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 64. (9) Idries Shah Learning How t o Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 165-166. (10) Idries Shah Learning How t o Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 169. (11) Idries Shah The Commanding Self (London: Octagon Press, 1994) , pp. 224-225. (12) Idries Shah “First Statement” in Leonard Lewin (ed.) The Diffusion of Sufi Ideas in t he W est (Boulder: Keysign Press, 1972), p. 143. (13) Idries Shah Know ing How t o Know (London: Octagon Press, 1998), pp. 84-85. (14) Idries Shah Seeker Aft er Trut h (London: Octagon Press, 1985), p. 108. (15) Idries Shah Know ing How t o Know (London: Octagon Press, 1998), p. 77. (16) James Fadiman “The Works of Idries Shah” CoEvolut ion Quart erly, Spring 1977, p. 139. (17) Idries Shah Know ing How t o Know (London: Octagon Press, 1998), p. 188. (18) Albert Low To Know Yourself (Boston: Charles E. Tuttle, 1997), p. 182. (19) Idries Shah A Perfumed Scorpion (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 31. (20) Alan Watts The W ay of Zen (New York: Vintage Books, 1957), p. 87. (21) Albert Low The W orld: A Gat ew ay (Boston: Charles E. Tuttle, 1995), p. 4. (22) Ernest Scott The People of t he Secret (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 248. (23) Robert Cecil (ed.) The King’s Son (London: Octagon Press, 1981), p. xxiv. (24) Idries Shah The Sufis (London: Octagon Press, 1984), pp. 1343-134. (25) Ramesh Balsekar Point ers From Nisargadat t a M aharaj (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1984), p. 36. (26) Idries Shah The Commanding Self (London: Octagon Press, 1994) , pp. 220-221. (27) Faris Larby “Study and Literature” in New Research on Current Philosophical Syst ems (London: Octagon Press, 1982), pp. 18-19. (28) H.B.M. Dervish Journeys w it h a Sufi M ast er (London: Octagon Press, 1982), pp. 41-42. (29) Idries Shah The Commanding Self (London: Octagon Press, 1994) , pp. 223-224. (30) Philip Kapleau Zen Daw n in t he W est (New York: Anchor Press, 1979), p. 24. (31) Stephen Mitchell (ed.) Dropping Ashes on t he Buddha: The Teaching of Zen M ast er Seung Sahn (New York: Grove Press, 1976), p. 12. (32) Ramana Maharshi The Spirit ual Teachings of Ramana M aharshi (Boston: Shambhala, 1988), p. 10.

19

TALKS AND DIALOGUES, QUESTIONS AND ANSW ERS

‘Quest ions are more import ant t han answ ers w hen t hey make people t hink. Answ ers are more important than quest ions w hen such answ ers have no quest ions.’ Idries Shah

Transformative Pow er of the Spoken W ord

There is a real, significant and transformative difference between a conventional religious sermon and a talk delivered by a spiritually realized being: The preacher, didactic, etc., always has a theme which he affirms or tries to persuade the people about, or relates to some part of his or her beliefs. This is, in fact, largely indoctrination in action or in reinforcement. There is usually, too, a moral ‘meaning,’ and the use of logic, intellect or emotion, sometimes all of these. With the Sufis, the address or other initiative by the teacher is based on his perception of the needs of the individuals and collectivity in the audience. In other words, he casts a ‘net’ to find out how people are thinking, and then stimulates them in such a way as to help develop their consciousness. The two methods are entirely distinct. The former is one which is shared by religious people with political, national, tribal and other projections. The latter is only operative on the interior spiritual plane. As examples, using similar materials: the religionist may point to art or nature as wonders and encouraging and aesthetically and emotionally satisfying; the Sufi will use them to stimulate understanding and development rather than indulgence. (1) In the hands of a skilful teacher, a talk can range over a variety of subjects, topics and ideas in order to “bring to the consciousness of the individuals a way of thinking and a means of looking at things which is not available in their ordinary experience.” An instrumental talk or lecture is designed to have a precise effect on an audience. Because any varied group will contain people at different levels of understanding and potentiality, a teacher will tailor their address in such a way as to “say the right thing to each person.” In some traditions important spiritual teachings may even be offered as ‘nutrition’ at a dinner gathering: The discourse may be on any subject, but the address which the teacher gives is always regarded as answering the unspoken questions of the guests, as he ranges over a wide range of topics. For this reason, questions are not usually allowed at dinners. The guests have to reflect upon the application of the Sufi’s words and actions in their individual cases. But they must not become imaginative, or assume that they are being ‘tested.’ So the routine is a kind of experienceteaching, with the way in which one can learn being compressed into a short time

due to the precise targeting of the address. The effect, too, can be cumulative: things done or said at one meeting being added to in future ones. (2) A talk or discourse may have a hidden pattern or structure that is imperceptible to most members of an audience, but in reality is based on a perception of the actual spiritual needs of the group: Idries Shah: “In general, Sufis will only teach according to their impression of the individual and collective nature of their audience. The Sufi is believed to be reading the message emanating from the audience, and working with it accordingly.” Sheikh Daud maintained a guest-house, which was usually filled with people who came to hear his discourses. These talks, though they very often seemed to be general rather than specific, were yet said always to be directed at the people who were present, and to be of great use to them . . . The Sheikh did, in fact, as all believed, ‘employ medicine and not discuss it.’ I listened to many of these talks, and could certainly find no common denominator to them at first. This was entirely because I was using the Western habit of mind, the habit which demanded to know the theory and the didactic of the teaching, rather than experiencing any of it. But there was no theory, only experience on the part of the teacher. The didactic did not exist. All depended upon the instructor’s perception of the needs of his audience, and his ability to fulfil these. (3) Exchanges between a teacher and student(s) often take the form of questions and answers. Insightful or perceptive spiritual teachers invariably adapt their answers to the level of understanding of the questioner and the circumstances. Thus at different times the same teacher may give different answers to the same question. “One of the big differences between questions and answers is that a question may be asked at almost any time and place, but its answer may come only at a special time and place.” A teacher will take great care in responding to a question and tailor the answer to the needs of each individual student. Zen roshi Philip Kapleau: “In listening to a question a teacher must ascertain where the questioner stands, so to speak, so that he knows how best to direct his answer. Just as truth itself is not static, but dynamically alive, so the ‘right’ answer can never be fixed. For this reason, a reply that does not reflect the questioner’s particular needs is a mere abstraction.” A teacher must resort to expedient means, stepping down to the level of verbal communication in order to reach the listener. Especially in our Western culture, where even the most rudimentary principles of Zen Buddhism are still largely unknown – or misunderstood – the teacher is obliged to speak to beginners in a language they can understand . . . The Zen newcomer needs to feel his way slowly, first satisfying his intellect that he is traveling in the right direction and then gaining the faith and confidence to go eventually he ‘knows not where by a road he knows not of.’ Questions from the heart, not the head, are the lifeblood of a Zen teacher. But theoretical questions have their place too, restricted though it is,

for more than anything else they reveal exactly where the questioner stands and how firmly he is rooted there. This knowledge is useful to the teacher. (4) In order to provoke the student’s learning capacity a teacher may sometimes not answer a question or respond with a counter-question. Sometimes the answer or lack of an answer may seem enigmatic or even irrational to the student, yet it is designed to stimulate a deeper understanding: “An alive expression is one in which we don’t give the person anything to hold on to, but rather something that forces them to re-evaluate what they’ve been doing, or to see it in a different light. An alive expression can be verbal or non-verbal.” To refuse to answer a question, or to say something that, in appearance, has nothing to do with the question, does not signify that the Master refuses to help the disciple. The Master seeks only to bar the disciple from the world of speculation, which is foreign to Awakening. In fact, the Master can always cite passages from the scriptures and give detailed explanations . . . If he does not do it, it is because he knows that explanations are not useful in the Awakening of the disciple. Certainly there are cases where such explanations can help the disciple in their efforts to get rid of false views about the doctrine and the methods. But the Master refuses to give a reply or explanation that could destroy the chances of Awakening and do harm to the disciple. Wei-Shan once asked Po Chang: ‘Can one speak without using the throat, lips and tongue?’ And Po Chang replied, ‘Certainly, but if I do I destroy my whole posterity.’ (5) The classical Zen master Hui-neng used language in such a way as to liberate his students from the shackles of the either/or assumptions of language: “If someone asks you a question expecting ‘yes’ for an answer, answer ‘no’ and vice versa.” The answers “yes” and “no” are to be seen as skilful means intended to produce appropriate effects in the minds and hearts of the students. Each reply is not to be taken as objective truth. Some answers to questions are designed to ‘shock’ or break habitual patterns of thought and highlight unexamined assumptions: “A teacher will often pursue a course of thought and then switch over to the opposite seeming opinion, simply to show you how fallacious or incomplete a single way of thought may be.” Certain interchanges between a teacher and an individual student are designed to act as a form of “indirect teaching” to provide illustrations to others: ‘Speak t o t he w all so t hat t he door may hear .’ A skilful teacher will not press or force an answer from a student but rather will try to make them think about their own question in a deeper light. The great Zen master Dogen once said: “When you say something to someone, he may not accept it, but do not try to make him understand it intellectually. Do not argue with him, just listen to his objections until he himself finds something wrong with them.”

Not all questions that are posed by a student are useful or can be answered directly. They must be structured in such a manner that the answers are actually helpful. Providing answers when someone cannot understand or profit from it is pointless. And, although a question may be considered by a teacher, it may not always be answered if it has already, in some form, been covered by answers already given or readily available in written texts. Sometimes a response to a question is immediate in its effect, while sometimes it requires the passage of time to be properly digested and understood. When someone carefully formulates a question of significant personal importance, they often find the answer they need spontaneously through the process of reflection and consideration of the phrasing of the question. People often ask questions compulsively or without forethought, when they could readily supply their own answers with a little investigation, study and effort: You see this behaviour in children; when they ask questions that they could have answered themselves, with a little thought. In the adult it is a symptom of someone who is not taking the trouble to do his own thinking. In the process, of course, he is in fact using the person whom he questions as a substitute for doing this work. Experience shows (which is why I make so much of this) that people who have not troubled themselves to absorb information from readily available sources and who instead continue asking questions from others in this way do not profit from the answers. The reason is that the effort of looking for the answer and registering it is part of the learning process. To apply for an answer, to get it too easily, almost always results in this individual again failing to digest the material. If someone asks you a question, and you help him to find out for himself, or if a student you send him to a dictionary or research source, you do this because you know that this principle is correct, not because you weary of telling him. By contributing his own intelligent effort, he learns. (6) In some instances providing an answer prematurely can defuse the dynamic power of questioning. If the answer comes too easily it can become a mere slogan or facile truism. In Zen there is a dictum: ‘Great doubt , great aw akening .’ Zen teacher Maurine Stuart talks about the responsibility on the part of the teacher to communicate effectively with the student: We say that Zen cannot and should not be talked about, but then we go ahead and talk just the same, for the sake of opening up some doorway of understanding. And those of us who have to talk are aware of our responsibility; that what we say may have an effect that is encouraging or discouraging, confusing or clarifying. We must watch our steps closely. It’s not a matter of just throwing some words out. Our hope is that in offering whatever little bit we have understood ourselves, the student’s own inner eye will open. All our words, all our actions are for this. And we also know that it is not just our words, but everything around us that is delivering a message. The circumstances of the day, the work, each of you, everything and everyone is delivering the teaching. (7)

Sometimes people react to how a question is answered and misunderstand the motives of the teacher due to their own assumptions and subjectivity: Q: You sometimes seem to be very rude to people, and I have seen you take something someone has said and answer it in a way that did not seem to be intended by the questioner. Then, at other times, you seem to misunderstand what is being said. Another thing, why do you show vehemence and even intolerance? Surely calm and a reasonable attitude are essential if we are to examine things with an open mind? A: There are lots of questions there, and questions within questions. To many people the assumptions upon which they are built will be immediately obvious. Let us run through some of them. The first, of course, is that the questioner can assess what is happening. The answer to that, in the words of the run-of-the-mill schoolmaster, is ‘if you could assess, Madam, you would be sitting here, and not me.’ This remark immediately seems rude. ‘Rude’ is a difficult word. It implies that one has said something which is rough, or outside the accepted form for the group in which we find ourselves. It would be rude of a Sheikh not to offer you, as the guest of honour, a sheep’s eye at a feast. But if you handed a sheep’s eye to your guest at a genteel tea, it would be rude. You see the difference? ‘Cruel to be kind,’ is another factor not to be forgotten. You apply rough artificial respiration to a drowning man. The genteel convention that this method is not used in polite society does not apply on a different sort of occasion. Deliberately misunderstanding a person can be a ‘polite’ rebuke. The point about the answer not being in the sense intended by the questioner is important. It gets to the root of a problem. You see, a great many questions are ‘loaded.’ That is, they are automatically intended to elicit a certain answer. This is an answer desired by the questioner. What kind of business are we in? Certainly not that of providing reassurance for people who get it by mutual admiration, over a cup of tea. The words ‘calm’ and ‘reasonable attitude’ are ‘loaded.’ For example, you can only know what a reasonable attitude is and what calm is in relation to the situation. (8) Many teachers discourage their listeners from taking records and notes of their talks and then disseminating them to others to whom they may not apply in their current situation: When a teaching master is acting upon an individual or a group, whether at meetings or otherwise, all depends upon the effect which his words and actions have on the specific people present. The entire teaching-situation has been specifically designed for that teacher and that learner, or those learners, alone, and for no other purpose. Indeed, it can be most harmful for the materials, the words, ideas or actions, to be used again by the participants. (9)

Although association with a sage is considered essential for spiritual realization, talks and lectures, questions and answers are also important to remove doubts and confusion in the mind of the aspirant. “The seed of knowledge is planted in you by these talks, now you have to follow it up. You must nurse it, ruminate over it, so that the tree of knowledge will grow.” Repetition is often necessary to lay the groundwork for further understanding: I repeat certain things very often. And I say again that the mind must be informed. It must come to intellectual clarity in order to be open to a new possibility. It is as if you know only six directions and someone suddenly says to you, “There is a seventh direction.” When the mind knows it even if you don’t yet know it for yourself, you are already open to the new direction. Don’t doubt it. The “seventh direction” is your heart. (10) A spiritually realized teacher offers a gift of inestimable value through their explications of the truth. A single word or sentence has the power to change a person’s life. In the words of Advaita master Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj: “The gospel of self-realization, once heard, will never be forgotten. Like a seed left in the ground, it will wait for the right season to sprout and grow into a mighty tree.” Q: As I listen to you, I find that it is useless to ask you questions. Whatever the question, you invariably turn it upon itself and bring me to the basic fact that I am living in an illusion of my own making and that reality is inexpressible in words. Words merely add to the confusion and the only wise course is the silent search within. A: After all, it is the mind that creates illusion and it is the mind that gets free of it. Words may aggravate illusion, words may also help dispel it. There is nothing wrong in repeating the same truth again and again until it becomes reality. Mother’s work is not over with the birth of the child. She feeds it day after day, year after year, until it needs her no longer. People need to hear words, until facts speak to them louder than words. Q: Your answer is always the same. A kind of clockwork which strikes the same hours again and again. A: It cannot be helped. Just as the one Sun is reflected in a billion dew drops, so is the timeless endlessly repeated. When I repeat ‘I am, I am,’ I merely assert and reassert an ever-present fact. You get tired of my words because you do not see the living truth behind them. Contact it and you will find the full meaning of both words and silence. (11)

Limitations of Abstract Intellectual Questions

When Ramana Maharshi was asked if an intellectual understanding of the Truth was necessary he replied: “Yes. Otherwise why does not the person directly realize that God or the Self is all? They must ponder and gradually convince themselves of the Truth before their faith becomes firm.” The relative importance of words and concepts in the spiritual journey is echoed by Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj: Q: How inadequate are words for understanding! A: Without words, what is there to understand? The need for understanding arises from misunderstanding. What I say is true, but to you it is only a theory. How will you come to know that it is true? Listen, remember, ponder, visualize, experience. Also apply it in your daily life. Have patience with me and, above all, have patience with yourself, for you are your only obstacle. The way leads through yourself beyond yourself. As long as you believe only the particular to be real, conscious and happy and reject the non-dual reality as something imagined, an abstract concept, you will find me doling out concepts and abstractions. But once you have touched the real within your own being, you will find me describing what for you is the nearest and the dearest. (12) Most questions emerge from memory and identification with conditioned patterns of thought and belief. “We must very carefully distinguish between questions rooted in memory, in the past, and those which spring up in the moment itself free from second-hand information. These creative questions already contain the seeds of the answer. When we ask the question we do not yet know the answer but we intuitively feel it to be very near at hand.” The only appropriate questions are those that come up spontaneously from looking at the facts, your actual situation of doubt, agitation, insecurity, jealousy, hate, greed, and so on. You are accustomed to answers on the verbal plane and want me to give you such answers. But the answer to your real question can never come on the verbal level. Real questions come out of the answer itself because facing the situation is the answer. So you can only find the answer in yourself. You are yourself the answer you are looking for in all questions. Q: It’s true. I came here expecting you to give me answers. How can I come to my own answer? A: The real answer is felt within, not heard without. It lies in the open question. You will never be happy with second-hand answers, so why look for them? Live with your real question. Don’t go away from it. In your opening to it, it unfolds in you. In being open, you come to the living answer. (13)

When most seekers ask questions they do so through the prism of their own subjective ideas, preconceptions and assumptions. Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj: “When people first come here they come with the purpose of exhibiting their own knowledge or of drawing me into a discussion. I am aware of this and I tell them not to start asking questions or discussing until they have listened to the talks for a while and absorbed at least some of what I say. Then you can begin asking questions.” People come here with a predetermined concept of what they want. You come here as if to a tailor with an order for a suit of particular measurements, colour, and material. But I will not give you what you want. I will not give knowledge according to your predetermined requirements. I will only tell you to see yourself as you are, find out who you are. Thousands of people come here, they will utilize this knowledge as it suits them only. This is not t he Truth; it is the Truth as seen through their own concepts, according to their own point of view. This knowledge, filtered through their own point of view, is not knowledge, it is only a point of view. (14) People often ask questions randomly, compulsively or through a desire to win attention – postures anathema to real understanding. They are unable to derive any real benefit from their questions because they are not in a suitable state to profit from the answers: Q: What is the limit to the number of questions which can be asked – because I have so many? A: You can have two reactions to this question as sufficient for the present. The first is that many of the questions which I am asked are the same question in different forms. Some people never ask more than the one question, even though it takes many different forms to them. The second observation is that the asking and answering of questions, among other things, follows the rule of saturation. If you get too many answers you will not be able to absorb them. Not be able, that is, to work on the question, make the answer ‘your own property’ and attain a permanent increase of cognition through experiencing the answer. Ponder questions and answers, because there is no short-cut to the process of which they are a part. If you do not digest the question and the answer, you will ask it again in another form and so we will go on until ‘the penny drops.’ Many questions are only asked in order to win attention. (15) It is a false assumption that any question can be answered, especially on the questioner’s terms. Questions are relative in nature. Mulla Nasrudin was asked: “What is the greatest question in life?” He replied: “How am I going to get my donkey to market tomorrow?”

Q: Why can some questions not be answered? A: Because the fact that a person can ask a question does not mean that he can understand the answer. The question may be wrongly put. For instance, a child can ask the question ‘Why is cheese cheese?’ Or the person cannot understand the answer at all: ‘Tell me all about nuclear physics.’ The assumption that a mechanism capable of putting a question is capable of understanding both it and the answer, and that there is an answer in a certain form, is one of the most ludicrous of all. Questions do not differ in terms of importance, so far as their answerability is concerned. They differ in subtlety and nuance and in other ways. (16) There are a number of unexamined assumptions underlying both the questions that students ask their teachers and the answers that they receive: • • • • • • •

The person posing the question is sincere, and not just asking for attention, approval or reassurance. The question is not asked merely to “show off” or please the teacher. Questions which on the surface appear to be impersonal or theoretical may actually be motivated by personal interests and preoccupations. The question is formulated correctly and expresses the real needs of the questioner. It is the right time place and circumstance to ask and answer the question. The individual who responds to the question has the capacity to answer it. The questioner is able to understand the answer and profit from it.

Abstract questions, speculations, arguments and premature conclusions, divorced from the reality of direct experience, are impediments to spiritual knowledge and understanding: Zen teaching frowns on all theoretical questions as not conducive to direct, firsthand experience of the truth. This attitude can be traced back to the Buddha, who held to ‘a noble silence’ whenever asked such questions as “Are the universe and soul finite or infinite? Does the saint exist after death or not?” And Zen Buddhism, which is the quintessence of the Buddha’s teaching, likewise refuses to deal with questions that ultimately have no answers, or with questions the answers to which can only be understood by a mind bathed in the light of full consciousness, that is perfect enlightenment. When abstract, theoretical questions are asked the roshi frequently throws them back at the questioner, to try to make him see the source from which they issue and to relate him to that source. (17) There is an enormous difference between questions which arise from memory, the intellect and book knowledge and those that emerge from a genuine, open desire to understand: The right question does not come from the intellect, books or hearsay. How, why, when, are all questions which stem from the ego. The latter is purely a figment

of the imagination, and it constantly seeks an explanation on its own level. There is no answer to be found on this level. A true question is one that arises in the moment itself. It is resplendently new and contains a foretaste of the answer. The reply comes unexpectedly from the living Answer. It is stillness; it cannot be thought. To receive it we must be open to it, listening without referring to past experience. This openness is the key, it is the nature of the question and the answer. Openness is our real nature. (18) Ultimately words are symbols which point to a deeper reality. To convey ideas we need to make use of written and spoken language. At the same time it is important to “remain open and to transcend them and feel out our ideas in their true reality, beyond the verbal plane.” Jean Klein offers a useful analogy, that of listening to or reading poetry, to point to the transcending of logic and rationality to reach a state of openness which can directly experience the reality behind words and concepts: When reading poetry we don’t look for agreement or disagreement, the critical mind is suspended in order to let the impact of the poem make itself felt. When we read poetry, we are poets. We remain passively alert, letting the words be active, listening to how they echo on every level, how they sound, how they move in us, how we are moved by them. We wait attentively, without conclusion, for the poem to find us. This alert openness to all the resonances of the psychosomatic structure is vital to the truth-seeker. Like the poet, the truth-seeker lets go of his personality so that he is open to thoughts, feelings and reactions. Like the poet, the truth-seeker welcomes these as gifts, as pointers in the exploration. Only in this openness can the silence in the words come home to us, for openness is the “I am,” our real nature. The words are merely a catalyst to the real formulation which takes place in the reader. (19)

The Art of Listening

It is important to learn how to listen free from expectation, anticipation, comparison, interpretation or evaluation and cultivate a state of open, innocent attention in order to truly understand “the gift of truth.” Jean Klein: “If you listen only to the words, you remain in the mental realm. When you stop seeking some result, listening is stillness. It is all-encompassing. The moment you stop emphasizing the words, what is heard strikes your real nature.” Q: Presumably you answer questions because the answer has some effect. How should I listen to the answer so that it can be effective? A: The answer comes out of silence, out of being, and brings the perfume of silence with it. Therefore it is important that you don’t immediately try to grasp the answer mentally. Don’t make any effort to understand it. Sustain the non-

concluding. You can only interpret through memory, the already known. Don’t emphasize the formulation, but let the stillness, the presence in which the formulation is found come to you. This presence is your real nature. (20) There is a certain purity of intention when a talk is just listened to and not thought about. A mind that is full of preconceived ideas and subjective opinions is not open to the truth, to the nature of things as they are. Spiritual teacher Toni Packer speaks to this point: What kind of listening is going on as one is hearing the talk? Is there anticipation of what is going to be said, and, as something is pointed out, is the memory-mind listening, already “knowing” what the words are all about? And what about the speaker, having given talks before? Do the words in a talk given now come out of memory mechanically, in a rote fashion? There are different states of mind, and the state that is reacting most of the time when we are talking to each other is the state of memory. Our language comes out of memory, and we usually don’t take time to think about the way we say things, let alone look carefully at what we are saying. We usually talk to each other and to ourselves in habitual, automatic ways. So we’re asking, can there be talking and listening that are not solely governed by memory and habit, except for remembrance of the language and the various examples that are given? Can there be fresh speaking and fresh listening right now, undisturbed by what is known? Seeing is never from memory. It has no memory. It is looking now. The total organism is involved in seeing. Not thinking about what is said from memory, but listening and looking openly now . No one can do that for us. We can only do that ourselves, discovering directly whether what is heard, said, or read is actually so. (21) The inner dynamic of a talk or lecture cannot be captured by memory or immersing oneself in the secondary elements of ambience, surface flavour and external considerations: Q: I find it difficult to remember your conversations, even though I sometimes go away and try to write them down. Why is this? A: It is not always necessary to remember conversations. Some of them take such a shape as to defy the kind of memory which we are accustomed to using. There is, however, another point, more relevant to your individual case, and also to that of several others present here this afternoon. People can get into the habit of coming and listening to talks. They surrender themselves to what they think the atmosphere is. This is a form of autohypnosis or it may be laziness. They are not taking the essence of the conversation, but simply riding along on the sound. (22) Many teachers discourage note-taking in order to facilitate the assimilations of their talks. They encourage a “passive-active attitude” in which the student listens to the words with open awareness while at the same time paying careful attention to their own inner state and conditioned reactions:

As did the great philosophers in Classical time, so do the Sages of traditional India continue to use the dialogue form to impart true knowledge. If it is to bear its fruit, such a dialogue requires a particular type of listening. That is, an effortless attention devoid of any strain, which reveals the deepest recess of the listener’s mind. It is indeed most important to listen not only to the teacher but also to everything which surges up from the depths of one’s inner self. Through such an attitude we are spontaneously led, without conflict, to a state where we are receptive to essential knowledge. Then arise those true questions which are the props and the starting points of the search. This search proceeds by the reduction and the elimination of questions. These become more and more inadequate until the moment when the disciple sees that perfect understanding can only be reached by the absence of questions, by silence. This silence has in itself a taste of peace and bliss. It is fullness and complete knowledge. (23) When the listener is receptive and open, free from memory and habit, the full impact and spiritual ‘nutrient’ of the words can penetrate to the deeper levels of the psyche. The attention should be relaxed yet focused without any element of tension and strain. “You should listen in the same relaxed and receptive way that you might read a poem or look at a painting. Feel the rhythm, sound and colour, and do not analyze or interpret.” Students must sit and listen to the teacher until understanding comes to them. This requires a form of alertness and concentration – while relaxed, which alone allows the meanings to penetrate. People have to unlearn the compulsive habit of trying to puzzle things out as their only response to a teaching situation. This effectively means that they have to add a capacity, not to lose anything. This can only be done by practice and by allowing the teacher to guide the student’s thinking, at least at the beginning. This ‘dynamic attention’ enables the psychological breakthrough to take place, where the word and writings of the teaching become plain, and the student no longer needs the guidance of the teacher. (24)

Pointing to the Direct Experience of Truth

Spiritual Truth is beyond speech and intellect although these may point to the direct perception and experience of ultimate Reality. “Spoken words are pointers and seeds which bring you one day to understanding. In the understanding there are glimpses of this reality, and one day the understanding also vanishes in being the understanding.” Words without the spirit that infuses them are dry and without transformative power. Philip Kapleau: “Words that merely analyze and explain are dead, while words that issue from the heart and gut, that stir our depths and fire the imagination, are alive. We feel their power.”

What leads to understanding is not the surface words but the spirit behind the words. “In Zen there are what are called live words and dead ones. The admired live word is the gut word, concrete and vibrant with feeling; the dead word is the explanatory word, dry and lifeless, issuing from the head. The first unifies, the second separates and divides.” When the Zen master gives you any answer, you must remember that his standpoint is not at all conceptual. It is always deeply rooted in his innermost experience itself, and must be referred back to this experience to make it meaningful in relation to your question. Intellectually or logically, his utterances are unintelligible and nonsensical. Most people are unable to take his utterances or gestures on a level qualitatively different from their own. But you will find the master’s standpoint already present in your question though deeply hidden. If this were not the case you would or rather could not have thought of asking the question. (25) When spoken teachings are grounded in a direct experience of the source of all that is, they carry a power and transformative energy that touches the deepest levels of the human psyche. In the words of Jean Klein: “When contemplating the sayings of the guru you recall them, not so much from the mind but from the Truth from which they spring. It is not the verbal syntax that has transformative power but the source from which the words come, and with which they are impregnated.” The understanding of these dialogues does not occur in the mind. Of course the words, acting on the verbal level, bring the mind to greater clarity so that it has a clear geometrical representation of what is beyond it and also realizes the boundaries of its comprehension. But the fullness and real significance of these words lies in the fact that they do not arise from thinking but from the silence behind thought, the “I am.” The answers appear in this silence, the openness that is present in the absence of a personal entity, and they are permeated with “the perfume” of their source. In this lies their transformative power: they arise out of and point to our real nature, our autonomy, at every moment. They are thus a constant challenge, a challenge to belief, education and common sense. They free us from the reflex to take ourselves for a somebody, a thinker, a seeker, a doer, a sufferer. (26) There is a natural simplicity and direct expression of ultimate Truth in the teachings of those who have experienced spiritual realization and enlightenment themselves: Q: What exactly does Maharaj want to tell me? A: You are the proof that there is God. If you are not there, there is no God. This “I Amness” is the proof. You think that it is limited to the body, but it is universal. It is the source of manifestation . . . I am doing nothing every day but telling you, in different words each day, but always the same thing. It is for you to see. It is for you to understand. The flow is continually coming, but you are

not hearing. In this very body, in this very birth, you must realize what I have told you. Leave all other concepts and hold on to this. (27) To truly and deeply understand the answer to a question it must be lived and experienced, not just processed on the verbal level: Q: Why do people ask questions? A: One important answer is because they need experience. Answers are nothing. Experience is everything. But the answer gives you the wherewithal to acquire experience. This is why teachers insist upon humility. But it must be constructive humility, not the artificial ‘veiling’ (rationalizing) kind which is just assumed, or unctuousness. Q: But you once said that the very fact that a person asked a certain question often showed that he was incapable of understanding the answer. A: Exactly. Incapable of answering his own question within him, so he externalizes it. Incapable, too, of understanding the answer merely by mulling over the words which he receives back. The answer must be used as a starting-place to feed his ability to live or experience the answer. A question is asked because the answer is difficult. It has to be absorbed. As Mulla Nasrudin says: ‘People don’t ask whether it is possible to drink water.’ This is because they are so thoroughly permeated by the experience of drinking water that they drink water without needing any problem about it resolved. (28) Real answers do not derive from memory but flow directly from being knowledge. The words should be welcomed with awakened attention “so that the essence behind the words may spring to life within the questioner.” The words of truth and wisdom emanating from a spiritual teacher can have a profound effect on the listener(s) that bring real change into their lives. Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj: “I speak from truth, stretch out your hand and take it.” Q: How can we know that what you say is true? While it is self-contained and free from inner contradictions, how can we know that it is not a product of fertile imagination, nurtured and enriched by constant repetition? A: The proof of the truth lies in its effect on the listener. Q: Words can have a most powerful effect. By hearing, or repeating words, one can experience various kinds of trances. The listener’s experiences may be induced and cannot be considered as a proof. A: The effect need not necessarily be an experience. It can be a change in character, in motivation, in relationship to people and one’s self. Trances and visions induced

by words, or drugs, or any other sensory or mental means are temporary and inconclusive. The truth of what is said here is immovable and everlasting. And the proof of it is in the listener, in the deep and permanent changes in his entire being. It is not something he can doubt, unless he doubts his own existence, which is unthinkable. When my experience becomes your own experience also, what better proof do you want? (29) A real teaching master directs the seeker back to their own lived experience and reality through the answers to their questions. When the ‘perfume’ of the words penetrates deeply they resonate in the heart and mind of the listener and open their awareness to higher levels of perception and understanding. “Abide in the Self, in the consciousness that you are.” Q: People come to you for advice. How do you know what to answer? A: As I hear the question, so do I hear the answer. Q: And how do you know that your answer is right? A: Once I know the true source of the answers, I need not doubt them. From a pure source only pure water will flow. I am not concerned with people’s desires and fears. I am in tune with facts, not with opinions. Man takes his name and shape to be himself, while I take nothing to be myself. If I were to think myself to be a body known by its name, I would not have been able to answer your questions. Were I to take you to be a mere body, there would be no benefit to you from my answers. No true teacher indulges in opinions. He sees things as they are and shows them as they are. If you take people to be what they think themselves to be, you will only hurt them, as they hurt themselves so grievously all the time. But if you see them as they are in reality, it will do them enormous good. If they ask you what to do, what practices to adopt, which way of life to follow, answer: ‘Do nothing, just be. In being all happens naturally.’ (30)

Silent Non-Verbal Teaching

There is a famous verse in the Zenrin : “Words! The Way is beyond language for in it there is no yesterday, no tomorrow, no today.” In one sense this refers to the silence that is the background of all speech and sound. “Sound and silence are interrelated. You cannot hear a sound without hearing silence. Explore this silence. See how sound is born out of it. Sounds born from silence are powerful and can penetrate.” Every sound is born out of silence, dies back into silence, and during its life span is surrounded by silence. Silence enables the sound to be. It is an intrinsic but unmanifested part of every sound, every musical note, every song, every word. The

Unmanifested is present in this world as silence. This is why it has been said that nothing in this world is so like God as silence. All you have to do is pay attention to it. Even during a conversation, become conscious of the gaps between words, the brief silent intervals between sentences. As you do that, the dimension of stillness grows within you. You cannot pay attention to silence without simultaneously becoming still within. Silence without, stillness within. You have entered the Unmanifested. (31) A spiritual teacher may remain silent in certain circumstances, knowing that the best way to communicate may be just to sit and not say anything. Such a teacher may give a ‘silent lecture’ which creates a definite spiritual effect without articulating any words at all. Although most people require words to explain the Truth, advanced seekers may be able to reach spiritual understanding through silence or other non-verbal teachings. “First words, then silence. One must be ripe for silence.” Ramana Maharshi exemplified this silent teaching: Silence is ever-speaking; it is the perennial flow of “language.” It is interrupted by speaking, for words obstruct this mute language. Lectures may entertain individuals for hours without improving them. Silence, on the other hand, is permanent and benefits the whole of humanity . . . By silence, eloquence is meant. Oral lectures are not so eloquent as silence. It is the best language. There is a state when words cease and silence prevails. (32) In order to effectively transmit their teachings to others a teacher will respond to questions from the background of silence and emptiness: Q: What goes on in you when you hear a question and give an answer? A: The question is heard in stillness and the answer comes out of stillness. They don’t go through the mind, memory or a point of reference. We use words as symbols to point to understanding. As symbols they only have significance in the given moment. The answer comes out of silence. Receive it in silence. When you classify it, it loses the flavour of its source. Savour this taste and sooner or later it will attract you back to where it comes from, the living silence. (33) Ordinary language is clouded by a subjective element whereas silence is a pure expression of universal truth. In the words of Zen master Shunryu Suzuki: When we say something, our subjective intention or situation is always involved. So there is no perfect word; some distortion is always present in a statement. But nevertheless, through our master’s statement we have to understand objective fact itself – the ultimate fact. By ultimate fact we do not mean something eternal or something constant, we mean things as they are in each moment. You may call it “being” or “reality.” (34)

References

(1) Idries Shah Know ing How t o Know (London: Octagon Press, 1998), p. 338. (2) H.B.M. Dervish Journeys w it h a Sufi M ast er (London: Octagon Press, 1982), p. 196. (3) Louis Palmer Advent ures in Afghanist an (London: Octagon Press, 1990), p. 18. (4) Philip Kapleau Zen Daw n in t he W est (New York: Anchor Press, 1979), pp. 3-4. (5) Thich Nhat Hanh Zen Keys (New York: Anchor Books, 1974), pp. 67-68. (6) Idries Shah Seeker Aft er Trut h (London: Octagon Press, 1985), pp. 93-94. (7) Maurine Stuart Subt le Sound: The Zen Teachings of M aurine St uart (Boston: Shambhala, 1996), p. 130. (8) Idries Shah The Commanding Self (London: Octagon Press, 1994), pp. 113-115. (9) John Grant Travels in t he Unknow n East (London: Octagon Press, 1992), p. 90. (10) Jean Klein The Ease of Being (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1986), p. 102. (11) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), pp. 174-175. (12) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 166. (13) Jean Klein W ho Am I? (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1988), pp. 119-120. (14) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj Seeds of Consciousness (New York: Grove Press, 1982), p. 77. (15) Idries Shah The Commanding Self (London: Octagon Press, 1994), pp. 206-207. (16) Idries Shah The Commanding Self (London: Octagon Press, 1994), p. 207. (17) Philip Kapleau The Three Pillars of Zen (New York: Anchor Books, 1989), pp. 74-75. (18) Jean Klein I Am (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publication, 1989), p. 124. (19) Jean Klein I Am (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publication, 1989), pp. xii-xiii. (20) Jean Klein The Ease of Being (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1986), pp. 85-86. (21) Toni Packer The W ork of This M oment (Boston: Shambhala, 1990), pp. 1-2. (22) Idries Shah The Commanding Self (London: Octagon Press, 1994), p. 215. (23) Jean Klein Be W ho You Are (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1989), p. 45. (24) Idries Shah The Commanding Self (London: Octagon Press, 1994), p. 124. (25) D.T. Suzuki W hat is Zen? (New York: Harper & Row, 1972), p. 4. (26) Jean Klein I Am (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publication, 1989), p. xii. (27) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj Seeds of Consciousness (New York: Grove Press, 1982), pp. 78-79. (28) Idries Shah The Commanding Self (London: Octagon Press, 1994), p. 206. (29) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), pp. 358-359. (30) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 227. (31) Eckhart Tolle The Pow er of Now (Vancouver: Namaste Publishing, 1997), p. 115. (32) Ramana Maharshi The Spirit ual Teachings of Ramana M aharshi (Boston: Shambhala, 1988), p. 48. (33) Jean Klein W ho Am I? (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1988), p. 115. (34) Shunryu Suzuki Zen M ind, Beginner’s M ind (New York: Weatherhill, 1973), p. 87.

LEARNING PRINCIPLES

‘There are as many pat hs t o Trut h as t here are souls of people.’ Adage

Individual Differences

Every individual has a unique background and specific abilities and capacities which must be taken into account in the learning process. One of the sayings of the Prophet Mohammed was: “Speak to each person in accordance w it h t heir underst anding .” Human beings are not simple creatures – we have multiple facets – and our multiplicity makes each one a quite different individual. At each mating a single male and female could produce 64 t rillion unique individuals. The genetic complement differs, our upbringing differs, and our cultures have different strengths and weaknesses. Personalities differ, intelligence differs, experiences differ, and most importantly, circumstances differ. If you take into account these differences then you will teach different people very differently. (1) Due to individual differences a viable spiritual teaching must be applied in a unique manner to each student: “The fundamental aim of education is that it shall be brought to the student in accordance with the nature, capacity and character of the student: and that what is brought to the learner shall be in the manner, at the level and through the knowledge of the subject which is required.” The teacher and the Teaching must take into account many different factors to ensure that learning occurs in the proper manner. For instance, any teaching will be ineffective if it is not sensitive to the natural variations from hour to hour and day to day of the human mind. Pupils will inevitably vary in receptivity, attitude, energy and ability as a function of time. The teaching process should also take into account each person’s differing circles of beliefs, including those held by the surrounding community, those based on accumulated experience, and ones acquired by direct perception and intuition. Different styles of learning need to be chosen in order to address and reflect, to a lesser or greater degree, the possibilities and circumstances of the student. Effective teaching requires bot h accurate analysis and diagnosis of the learning situation and the proper ‘prescription of the remedy’ to facilitate learning. “In real teaching situations, as in therapeutic ones, studies are ‘prescribed’ for the needs of their beneficiaries. If you mix someone else’s medicine with your own, don’t be surprised at an unpleasant, even harmful, result.” Ultimately, people must be taught and communicated with in such a way that they can truly learn and make use of the knowledge that they are acquiring. Mere exposure to a teaching

1

without ensuring that the individual is actually learning has little effect. A person must be in contact with a form of teaching that really has transformative power. There is a wise saying: “A donkey st abled in a library does not become lit erat e.” Traditionally spiritual teachers have interacted and communicated with their students in an individualized manner. An example is the Buddha: Shakyamuni Buddha taught many wonderful things, and he taught them according to the circumstances. He spoke according to the profession, the understanding, and the experience of the person with whom he was speaking. When he talked to a poet, he spoke in and of poetry. When he talked to a mother, he talked about her children. Above all, he spoke of the unity of life everywhere, and of compassion for every living being. His teaching came from his own experience of the human condition, from his intuitive understanding of its essential character. (2) It is the responsibility of the teacher to prescribe an appropriate course of studies based on each student’s capacity and potential. Sufi teacher Omar Ali-Shah: “One of the great subtleties of the Tradition is the way in which the teaching communicates itself to the requirements of each individual while remaining constant over a time-span of many generations. It can do this only because the teaching takes place through contact with a living teacher of the Tradition, rather than limiting itself to cruder tools like books, theories and rudderless groupings of wellwishers.” The teacher understands the uniqueness and capabilities of each disciple as well as the direction of each individual’s journey. A degree of personal tuition is necessary so that the teacher can monitor the progress of each student and indicate changes or modifications in the course of study: This level of sympathy is essential, since whatever may be the formal trappings of the master-disciple connection, its essence is wholly flexible and living. Each process of instruction is unique, however much it may resemble others, since each is the outcome of a personal relationship. The teacher never really has only a group of disciples whom he instructs; he has around him selected individuals with each of whom he stands in a unique relationship. Even when he appears to speak to all, he bears in mind the different impacts of his words on each. (3) Spiritual understanding comes to people in different ways, at different times, and by means of different influences and impacts. Since the teacher is presenting a higher knowledge which has little in common with ordinary experience, he or she has to approach the student in a way which is understandable and meaningful. One of the roles of the teacher is to observe the pupil and identify the nature and pattern of each individual’s conditioning. The function of a spiritual teaching is to transmit knowledge and understanding. Different ways of communicating are chosen as the most effective for a given person and circumstance: 2

When you read about different ‘systems’ among the Sufis, you are seeing studies which have from time to time been prescribed for people in accordance with their possibilities, like a doctor prescribing according to the hopes he has for his patients. People adopt these and imagine that they should be applied to any and all students, regardless of the flexibility which, in the first place, demanded that courses must be scripted for the prevailing conditions, and taking into account many other factors. (4) Cults and imitative or deteriorated systems are based on the general application of ideas and techniques regardless of the situation or the individual or group being taught. There is a desire, especially in the Western world, for a standardized or mass-produced product which applies to all. Such systems fail to teach individuals, in individual ways. By contrast, authentic teachings of inner development always ‘prescribe’ studies for individuals and groups on the basis of their actual needs and possibilities.

Alignment of ‘Time, Place and People’

One of the fundamental principles of a teaching situation is that successful learning depends on the correct alignment of three factors – right time, right place and right people. “Every part of your development as a human being needs correct time, right place and suitable company. Without these you will be as complete as anything else which lacks three desirable elements in due concert: like a plant, say, without water, sun and earth.” The importance of correct ‘time, place and people’ in spiritual studies is recognized in most schools of higher development. Sufi teacher Idries Shah: “There is a time when nothing can be done, a time when something can be done, and a time when everything is possible. Keep this in mind, so as to be alert to discern each different quality of time.” When both the teacher and student (or group) are sensitive and alert to those ‘occasions’ when learning is possible, progress in the development of higher awareness can occur. Effective spiritual teaching is possible only at specific times and in certain circumstances when the human mind can escape from the limitations imposed by conditioning and thus be receptive to the transmission of higher knowledge. This concept is familiar in ordinary life under the guise of: ‘There is a t ime and place for everyt hing.’ Everything has its own, correct time. Now, this is part of our daily experience (you cannot catch a train if it is not there, for instance, apart from all the other pre-requisites needed to get on that train), but people tend to imagine that this sort of argument is always advanced to st op someone doing something, or to avoid having to do it. People who can keep calm enough to realize that there may be a time and a place – and other requirements – for anything, are more, not less, able to benefit from that thing. (5)

3

Fixed or standardized systems which apply the same methods and teaching approaches to everyone are ineffective: the teaching must be suited to the specific needs and circumstances of the learner(s). “What is appropriate always depends on the situation and cannot be standardized, because everything is fluid and ‘organic.’ Each situation is different, depending on person, time, and place.” The term ‘skilful means’ is applied to the words and actions of a teacher who is sensitive to the characteristics of each individual student and the time and circumstances of the teaching situation: The great Masters possess what Buddhism calls the W isdom of t he Skillful W ays, or capacity to create and employ different methods suitable for different mentalities and different occasions . . . But these means are only truly skillful if they are suitable to the part icular circumst ances. They must be effect ive and for this reason should respond exactly to the real needs and to the particular mentality of those whom they seek to guide. If the Master is not capable of understanding the mentality of the student, he will no longer be able to create these skillful and effective means. A single means cannot be employed in all circumstances. (6) Wise teachers are able to sense the ‘right measure’ to effectively teach each student in a way suitable for their spiritual needs and possibilities. Buddhist scholar Thomas Cleary: “The living eye is fresh and new. It is precisely because the enlightened are not obsessed or blinded by tools that they can assess their appropriate use and apply them freely without being locked into set patterns.” In Buddhism we talk about looking at four basic elements – time, place, person, and amount – and realizing that those four elements are always changing. But having considered those four key factors, you finally just have to feel what the right direction is for you. And it’s important to realize that what’s right for you is not necessarily right for me. We’re two different people. What’s right to do in the library isn’t necessarily right to do in the zendo; they’re two different places. What’s right to do now isn’t necessarily right tonight; different places, different times. (7) An authentic spiritual teaching is eminently practical, adapting ideas, methods and practices to the real needs and capacities of individuals and communities. Jeanne de Salzmann worked intensively with Gurdjieff for 30 years and noted that his teachings were always responsive to the requirements and circumstances of each pupil. It was an organic teaching, never fixed but constantly evolving. “He never mixed groups, but occupied each with a different work, according to the state of their preparation and their powers.” While the truth sought for was always the same, the forms through which he helped his pupils approach it served only for a limited time. As soon as a new understanding had been reached, the form would change. Readings, talks, dis4

cussions and studies, which had been the main feature of work for a period of time and had stimulated the intelligence to the point of opening it to an entirely new way of seeing, were for some reason or other suddenly brought to an end. This put the pupil on the spot. What his intellect had become capable of conceiving had now to be experienced with his feeling. Unexpected conditions were brought about in order to upset habits. The only possibility of facing the new situation was through a deep self-examination, with the total sincerity which alone can change the quality of human feeling. Then the body, in its turn, was required to collect all the energy of its attention so as to attune itself to a new order which it was there to serve. After this, the experience could follow its course on another level. (8) Margaret Anderson, observing Gurdjieff near the end of his life, remarked: “Gurdjieff himself seemed to me essentially unchanged. There was teaching in all that he did or said, only its form had changed: he was teaching now chiefly through his presence – from his being.” And other pupils, such as Olga and Thomas de Hartmann, perceived a consistent thread that ran through the variety of teaching methods that Gurdjieff employed to touch the inner consciousness of his students: The outer behaviour of Mr. Gurdjieff was so different on different occasions – depending on the person concerned, the level on which this person stood, and which side of him Mr. Gurdjieff wished to approach at a given moment – that it seemed as if Mr. Gurdjieff was very changeable. But it was not so. He was always the same – only the impression he deliberately created was different. Mr. Gurdjieff wished – perhaps it was his highest task – to bring to life in ordinary man ‘something’ of which man has hitherto been unaware . . . In his ‘divine acting’ with people, Mr. Gurdjieff consistently followed the same line of Work from the time we met him, although he always, so to speak, dressed it differently. (9)

Cyclical Nature of Learning

In order to learn effectively there must be sensitivity to the time element involved in studies. Many spiritual practices are designed not to be carried out continuously, but only at auspicious times when effort in this direction can yield real results: Effort and work have many different forms. One reason for the institution of a Guide is that he knows when to direct the disciple’s effort and work, and when not to direct it. He also knows the kind of effort and work which each individual should do. Only the ignorant mistake any work for useful work, or extra effort at any time they wish for even a little effort at a right time. (10)

5

In any successful learning process, the energy and focus of the teaching must be correct, allowing for the cyclical nature of the availability of transformational energy and the student’s ability to absorb it. An authentic school of inner development will vary its practices and studies in accordance with an organic, non-repetitious pattern. “The teacher is in contact with a cosmic intention. The operation of this ‘Great Plan’ is cyclic and discontinuous. To continue activity when the ‘Great Plan’ is quiescent (for its own reasons) is harmful to the pupil.” The belief is that the community is an organism which is constantly changing. The experience of the individual human unit in this must change from time to time to produce an all-round development (known as ‘maturing’) and a harmonization (known as Hamdard , sympathy, literally ‘breathing together’). An example of the inter-relation of factors in the Sufi system is seen here in the matter of constant and irregular activity. While the irregularity of the activities is held by the Sufis to mirror the rhythm of another (spiritual) dimension, the unfamiliarity of this behaviour places a strain upon those who seek constant or regular activity, leading many of them to eliminate themselves from the study course. Hence the learning process itself is employed to sift students and to dissuade those who cannot harmonize with it, without a word being said. The Sufis also make no attempt to explain what has happened; with the result that many disappointed students have always claimed that ‘nothing happens among the Sufis,’ without refutation. (11) Giving and withholding teachings may be based on an invisible rhythm of learning which is not apparent to outsiders through external assessment: “People are trying to learn things without realizing the simple fact that certain things can be studied only at certain times. These times are not necessarily by clock time. They are known to the teacher through inner cognition, and unless he teaches at those times, all the books or exercises in the world will have next to no effect.” Although spiritual activity can take almost any form, it has to be selectively exercised in accordance with the time, conditions and state of the student: The disciple can only be taught by the Master when circumstances are favourable. This means that anyone may have to wait for any space of time until the Master has judged that this time has arrived. More than a little fortitude is necessary if the pupil is to be able to endure the waiting which this involves. This is one of the reason why Sufis teach, or have taught, their followers to distinguish between the desire to learn and the impulsion to be stimulated with thoughts and actions. It is often necessary to abstain from applying any stimuli to the learner while he or she is waiting for the Master’s special baraka (high spiritual force) to be available under the right conditions. (12) An authentic spiritual teacher is always cognizant of the importance of the ebb and flow, the rhythm of the teacher-student relationship, in the learning process: 6

Sufi teaching techniques, in their true form, depend very much upon an interrelation between master and disciple and between these two and the whole community of mystics. The ‘current’ which flows between these is the most important element in their being and progress . . . The sporadic nature of the Sufi activity, when there may be a lecture or a series of exercises, there may be a lecture or distant instruction, or there may not, from time to time in a real Sufi school, ties in with this current. The fluctuation of activity parallels the fluctuation of potentiality and the knowledge of the teacher. (13) A common feature of real spiritual schools is to suspend studies for long or short periods, withdrawing stimulus and attention from the student. A period of teaching may be followed by a period of seeming fallowness, which is actually an integral part of the teaching process itself. In fact, there are times in a teaching situation when a disciple may be required to do nothing at all for long periods of time. Individuals (or groups) who are unable to tolerate any separation or break from their teacher are working on the relatively crude psychological basis of reassurance and conditioning: Nobody’s ‘psychic life’ is in suspension. People who are in groups and have no studies to do, people who have been in formal contact with us and do not receive regular letters, lectures, and so on, may be unaware of their continuing spiritual life – they are not disconnected from the Work. It is sad if they imagine that their intellectual and emotional life is their spiritual life. It is not. (14) The Teaching, by its very nature, is discontinuous. Yet people tend to regard such teachings as inherently less attractive, interesting and fulfilling than studies which are carried out in a regular, predictable fashion. They fail to understand that by patiently ‘storing up’ experiences the student is eventually able to assimilate, under the impact of calculated ‘trigger’ events at a later date, the essence of the teaching: In addition to rhythm and its effects, there are phases within the human being, which can be contacted and employed to enable him to think, to work, and to exist outside of familiar time and repetitiousness. Human beings, however, have an affinity for repetition. Sufi techniques explore the switchover from continuity to discontinuity by a large number of devices, both literary, physical and mental. Many Sufi exercises are in fact based upon this conception. It follows from this that people who are not able to switch attention from repetition to discontinuity will not be able to benefit from such techniques, even if they knew what they are. It is for this reason that a Sufi teacher is always needed: unregenerate man will always automatize inputs, and only someone who is consciously outside of time as well as within it can hold the line. (15) Teachings that are based on constant activity and the giving and receiving of attention may in actual fact be merely conditioning their students to a narrow range of belief and behaviour.

7

“Chronological repetition, meetings and studies, activities and exercises, which are carried out by means of a fixed schedule are almost always a sign of a deteriorated tradition.” Q: What is the major difference between your treatment of students and that of other schools? A: There are many. To single out the one which fewest people can understand: we work to contact people at a level deeper than working on their emotions. All other systems concentrate upon conversion, giving people attention, giving them things to do, tests to perform and so on. Our major test is to leave people alone, until they find out whether or not they can feel anything true about us. We have discovered, you see, that the system which is supposedly testing people by means of trials is in fact maintaining their attention in contact with itself. The result is that people are trained (conditioned, you call it today) to concentrate upon the school or system: they have become brainwashed, though they call it faith. If they reject, not becoming trained, all the better for the system in question, for it is spared the problem of a recalcitrant in its ranks thereafter. With us, it is different: we cannot survive with “conditioned” people in our ranks. We reach something different in them. (16)

Balanced Development

In most human endeavours the principles of balance and harmony are essential for a productive outcome. For instance, in both inner development and scientific research a balance must be struck in the methods of investigation: The twin exercises of identification and detachment are valuable in the training of the self. Too much identification produces an atrophy of the faculty of detachment. Fanaticism is the frequent result. A man becomes attached to something and cannot escape. When the sage ibn-Sina (Avicenna) was writing his work on minerals, he used to study the universal world, in general and in particular. He concentrated upon individual examples, and then detached from this and absorbed himself in the whole. Thus did he strike a balance, together with concentration and detachment in other fields of thought and essence. (17) The concept of balance implies an interplay between extremes and opposites. Rumi: “Those things which are apparently opposed may in reality be working together.” On the spiritual path there must be a balance between inner perception and growth and effective action in everyday life, encapsulated by the saying, ‘Be in t he w orld, but not of t he w orld.’ This approach is an expression of the twin principles of ‘harmonious integration’ and ‘due proportion.’

8

There are numerous examples of balance and complementary harmonization in nature and in human activity: • • • • • • •

There is an underlying unity of matter and spirit, form and emptiness. The respiratory functions of inhalation and exhalation work in tandem. The right brain (holistic) and left brain (linear) perform complementary tasks and functions. Receiving and giving, gathering and letting go are mutually supportive operations. Societies need to achieve a balance between individual and collective interests. Flying a kite requires a skilful tension between keeping the line neither too slack nor too taut. Novel tasks can be performed which challenge and ‘stretch’ our capacities and abilities without creating non-constructive stress and strain.

One of the great challenges facing humanity is to solve the apparent contradictions between perceived opposites. In the words of St. John: “All extremes are vicious, and in behaving thus, persons are working their own will; they grow in vice rather than in virtue because they are acquiring spiritual gluttony and pride in working in this way.” How do we solve the problem existing between the material and the spiritual? Between natural medicine and chemical pharmaceutical medicine? Between the real and the ideal? Between the evolutionist and the traditionalist? Between the artificial and the natural? Between the negative and the affirmative? Between the individual and the community? Between the civilized and the wild? Between the philosophical and the methodologic? Between movement and non-movement? Between the objective and the subjective? (18) One of the major pitfalls on the spiritual journey is unbalanced development. “In a true higher organization functioning correctly the concepts of love, devotion, effort, discipline and self-training, as well as moral principles, must be in balance. Deterioration of function takes place when an organization stabilizes itself on one principle or a narrow range of theory or technique.” Zen teacher Charlotte Beck speaks to this problem: I meet people who have been sitting a long time and who have power and some insight, but who are all screwed up because their development has not been balanced. And that balancing is not a simple thing to do. As we sit we come to know how complicated we are. And there may be various little eddies in our complicated selves where we need experts in other fields to help us. Zen will not take care of everything. When the intensity level of practice becomes too high, too soon, there is a danger of imbalance and we need to slow down. We shouldn’t see too much too soon. (19)

9

One of the central teachings of Buddhism is the ‘Middle Way’ or path of balance between the extremes of asceticism or self-denial and indulgence or excess. “The Middle Way embraces and reconciles apparent opposites, it integrates and goes beyond all contradictions, it is beyond every dualism, even beyond every synthesis.” The Middle Way is also succinctly encapsulated in a proverb: ‘W at er w hich is t oo pure has no fish.’ On the spiritual path insight and understanding must be balanced by compassion and service. “Our balancing of wisdom and compassion is always changing, growing, maturing, being directed into the various circumstances of our lives. When do we do enough, and when do we do too much?” Unless one develops compassion and sympathy, one is not rightly attuned. Of course this doesn’t come entirely through enlightenment. But certainly with enlightenment and the dropping away of habitual self-concern, feelings are liberated that allow us to become more deeply sensitive to every kind of situation. Some people, however, try to help others on a large scale before they’re ready. Remember Milarepa, the great Tibetan Buddhist teacher, who says, “There will never be any end of people to help. Till the end of the world there will always be people to help.” But to help people without hurting them at the same time, or hurting yourself, means that we must first work on ourselves. But certainly this does not exclude helping in emergencies or times of crisis or simply whenever you’re asked. Nor does it exclude doing whatever might be useful or beneficial in general. If you can see it, then you can do it. This is a natural part of practice, but we must not become attached to it . . . A middle way alternates between the life of inward meditation and the life of action-in-the-world, the twin poles of nirvana and samsara that are ultimately one. What we take in through meditation we must give out in love and action on behalf of our fellows on this earth. (20) A certain degree of balance, harmony and equilibrium in one’s efforts is a prerequisite for evolutionary growth. Aspirants have to be flexible and find the path between extremes and opposites. This principle of ‘right measure’ plays an important role in both everyday life and spiritual studies: Measure means the necessary amount of attention placed upon anything. You should note, too, that the more devout or sincere people imagine themselves to be, the fiercer becomes their selective attention towards detail and intensity of belief and action. The principles of measure go by the board. These principles obtain in all fields of human endeavour. If you want to develop something, or in something, you must be able to adopt and progress the right balance and measure towards that thing. To become obsessed about it will end only in conditioned blindness or in obsession for its own sake. One’s objectives, both in the ordinary world and in one’s learning process, will yield results to the extent to which they are correctly focused upon a relevant aim: what we call a ‘destination.’ (21)

10

In schools of higher development balanced development is expressed in many different forms and ways: •

• • • •

Students must be able to alternate their focus between the relative and the Absolute, the approximate and the Real: “The manifest and the unmanifest are both vehicles of realization. Attention might be drawn to the concrete to interrupt preoccupation with abstractions; conversely, attention might be shifted to the abstract to discourage preoccupation with the concrete.” Inner teachings contain both “hard” and “soft” realities, discord and challenge as well as harmony and peace. The Path requires perception and experience, as well as interpretation and reflection. Both intellect and intuition must be developed. “The union of mind and intuition brings about illumination and love.” Exercises of concentration and focus of mind must alternate with diffusion of attention, open awareness and “effortless absorption of impacts.”

In talks with his students Gurdjieff spoke of the importance of a balanced development of know ledge and being : “A preponderance of knowledge over being is observed in present-day

culture. The idea of the value and importance of the level of being is completely forgotten. And it is forgotten that the level of knowledge is determined by the level of being.” There are two lines along which man’s development proceeds, the line of know ledge and the line of being . In right education 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 . . . If knowledge gets far ahead of being, it becomes theoretical and abstract and inapplicable to life, or actually harmful, because instead of serving life and helping people the better to struggle with the difficulties they meet, it begins to complicate man’s life, brings new difficulties into it, new troubles and calamities which were not there before. The reason for that is that knowledge which is not in accordance with being cannot be large enough for, or sufficiently suited to, man’s real needs. It will always be a knowledge of one t hing together with ignorance of anot her t hing ; a knowledge of the det ail without a knowledge of the w hole, a knowledge of the form without a knowledge of the essence. (22) Gurdjieff also taught that only when we underst and with our mind, heart and body can we fully awaken: “All the parts which constitute the human being must be informed – informed in the only way which is appropriate for each of them; otherwise the development will be lopsided and unable to go further.” In Beelzebub’s Tales t o His Grandson, he proposed ‘Five Obligations’ for daily effort that would harmonize, through ‘Conscious Labours’ and ‘Voluntary Suffering,’ the three physical, emotional and intellectual functions:

11

1. Preserve your life. (Be just to the body; satisfy its needs; treat it as a good master treats a good servant.) 2. Find your place in t he scheme. (Understand the meaning and aim of existence. Know more and more concerning the laws of world creation and world maintenance.) 3. Develop yourself . (Constant, unflagging need for self-perfection in the sense of Being. Improve your ‘being,’ make ‘being’ efforts.) 4. Help ot hers t o develop . (Assist in the most rapid perfecting of other beings.) 5. Pay back. (To lighten the load of the Creator, pay back in gratitude and effort for the fact that Evolution has helped you to get this far.) (23)

M ulti-Dimensional Learning

The term ‘scatter’ has been employed to describe the multiple activities and effects of a composite impact or series of impacts. The idea is that the various components of a holistic teaching harmonize and fit together to form a pattern so that “a wide range of disparate, even contradictory ideas and insights may be built up into a global apprehension.” Indirect teaching, and the accumulation of a number of impacts or teachings to make up a single whole, is another feature of Sufi study. What is called in some disciplines ‘enlightenment’ can be, in the Sufi process, the result of the falling into place of a large number of small impacts and perceptions, producing insights when the individual is ready for them. The fact that one may be learning bit by bit, and storing up little pieces of information and experience which are, almost insensibly, to come together at some later date, naturally does not recommend itself to people who may be offered elsewhere something which, it is claimed, will give them instant insights. (24) By approaching the needs of the student from many different directions, the whole picture ultimately comes together to produce understanding. The concept of a constellation of impacts is comparable to the one employed in teaching children by surrounding them with information and experiences that they absorb piecemeal until “the penny drops.” This method involves exposing the students to numerous extrapolations from a central idea or truth, so that the essential concept may be built up in the mind, following the dictum ‘The know n is t he bridge t o t he unknow n.’ In Arabic the term ‘scatter’ is derived from the root word NSHR which has multiple meanings: to expand, spread, display, propagate, disperse, revivify. The sense of this concept is given in Sufi teachings by the analogy of the ‘oil-spot technique.’: If you have a piece of cloth or paper and you put drops of oil on different parts of it, they eventually coalesce over a period of time and come together. They

12

could be considered initially as individual entities which are separated or isolated from each other: but in joining together, each spot or circumstance brings with it the experience of how it travelled, or how or why it came together. Whether and how they come together depends to a very great extent on the texture of the material on which you drop the oil. If you drop the oil on a metallic surface it is very likely that the spots will eventually come together in an almost accidental way. But if the material is cloth, the drops will expand in a more uniform way. In the analogy the cloth represents the Tradition or Teaching. (25) One effective teaching method is to approach an idea, formulation or subject from a number of different angles or perspectives. In order to understand certain concepts, repetition in the form of permutations or variations on a theme may be required. Ideas are presented in different forms with a different emphasis to meet the needs of the specific learning requirements of time, person and circumstance. There is a human tendency to interpret new ideas within a framework of previously established cognitive structures. One of the purposes of the ‘scatter’ technique is to bypass normal emotional and intellectual patterns by challenging the student with a constellation of ideas and impacts from many different sources. “The cumulative effect will be that the pupil will begin to examine their own assumptions and prejudices and look at these, as well as the world, with new eyes.” A learning situation may contain multiple dimensions and levels of meaning. “The net effect of experiencing an idea at several different levels at once is to awaken the innate capacity for understanding in a comprehensive, more objective manner than is possible to the ordinary, painstaking and inefficient way of thinking.” The effectiveness of a teaching often depends upon how much and on what level a student can grasp multiple meanings. “Esoteric teachings contain layer upon layer of meaning, and one cannot pass to a second meaning until a primary one has been absorbed.” Each student can simultaneously learn several different things, depending on their degree of perception and potentiality. An analogy that has been employed to illustrate the nature of a composite, multidimensional teaching is that of a fruit containing colour, texture, flavour and nutrition: This multiform [teaching] is in a way like a peach. It has beauty, nutrition, and hidden depths – the kernel. You can eat the peach, and taste a further delight – understand its depth. The peach contributes to your nutrition, becomes a part of yourself. You can throw away the stone – or crack it and find a delicious kernel within. This is the hidden depth. It has its own colour, size, form, depth, taste, function. You can collect the shells of this nut, and with them fuel a fire. Even if the charcoal is of no further use, the edible portion has become a part of you. (26)

13

Multi-dimensional teachings have a number of salient qualities: • • • • • •

The Teaching is of a composite nature and the individual methods and techniques each form part of, and harmonize with, a larger comprehensive whole. The elements contained on various levels form an overall pattern that embodies an essential, underlying higher truth. Following the principle of parsimony and economy, each idea, activity and exercise has multiple purposes and effects. One and the same impact may yield multiple benefits. The teachings may include content that, in ordinary circumstances, may be neglected, dismissed or ignored. The diversity of methods may include forms that appear unfamiliar, strange or even absurd at certain times.

Comprehensive teachings, unlike diluted ones, are ‘organic’ and ‘holistic,’ with an emphasis on the totality of impacts and experience. “Any teaching which does not use all kinds of procedures (exercises, study-tasks, theory and practice and so on) in due proport ion will inevitably arrive at a point where some people have obtained as much as they can from each procedure and thereafter will go ‘downhill’ as far as their development is concerned.” The science of higher human development has been carefully researched and established over a period of millennia and the fundamental basis of the skillful application of methods has been worked out: “We have every sort of technique which fits every sort of situation, and we apply them according to the demands of the person, situation and context.” The teaching methods embrace a wide field, involving the practice of a complex of activities. The teacher selects from this whole those materials which will develop the inner and outer being of the learner. The teacher must be able to teach in many different formats and styles to meet the needs of individual students and the requirements of the prevailing circumstances: There is no one specific, over-riding technique. Teachers are expected to be able to teach in accordance with the peculiarities of the people who are learning from them. That means that you have to have a very versatile and sophisticated type of mind as a teacher. You must not have a doctrinaire or dogmatic approach. You must not have a system. But you must have a tremendous amount of information as to how to put the same thing in different ways. (27) The teachings can be projected and absorbed in a multiplicity of ways, including: • • • •

Literature, poetry, myths, fables and stories, folk wisdom Metaphors, analogies, proverbs, sayings Humour, jokes Symbols, mandalas, geometric shapes, colours

14

• • • • • • • • • • • •

Music, chants, recitations Sacred dance, physical movements and exercises Meditation, concentration, contemplation Teacher-student relationship Demonstration, example, emulation Talks, conversations, dialogues, questions and answers Role-playing, method acting Life tasks and experiences Journeys, undertakings Action and inaction, work and play Retreats, withdrawal Silence

People can learn in many different ways (observation, experiment, demonstration, analogy, indirect teaching and so on) and a comprehensive education will employ multiple methods and a variety of experiences: From the start, one was exposed to a tremendous number of experiences. These experiences were not selected like you might select experiences for a public school boy, say, in order to bring out in him characteristics of leadership, or the ability to make decisions, or how to solve problems, because a well-rounded human being ought to be able to do more than just this, shouldn’t just be a product very useful for the administration of an empire, for instance, but should be a person of interest and usefulness to the human community as a whole. For example, one might be expected to be entertaining, or interesting, or capable of doing things, all kinds of things. They might be conjuring tricks, it might be cooking, it might be all sorts of other things, in the course of studying which one could imbibe the capacities to make decisions, to solve problems, to acquire and discharge leadership: these qualities not being an end in themselves, but being acquired by practice and through exposure to expected and unexpected circumstances. (28)

References

(1) Robert Ornstein The Psychology of Consciousness (second edit ion) (New York: Penguin Books, 1986), p. 287. (2) Maurine Stuart Subt le Sound: The Zen Teachings of M aurine St uart (Boston: Shambhala, 1986), p. 1. (3) Peter Brent “Learning and Teaching” in Idries Shah (ed.) The W orld of t he Sufi (London: Octagon Press, 1979), p. 214. (4) Idries Shah Know ing How t o Know (London: Octagon Press, 1998), p. 223. (5) Idries Shah A Perfumed Scorpion (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 106. (6) Thich Nhat Hanh Zen Keys (New York: Anchor Books, 1974), p. 48.

15

(7) Hakuyu Taizan Maezumi and Bernard Tetsugen Glassman The Hazy M oon of Enlight enment (Los Angeles: Center Publications, 1978), p. 112. (8) Jeanne de Salzmann “Foreword” in G.I. Gurdjieff View s from t he Real W orld: Early Talks of Gurdjieff (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1973), pp. v-vi. (9) Thomas and Olga de Hartmann Our Life w it h M r. Gurdjieff (London: Arkana, 1992), pp. 1-2. (10) Idries Shah The W ay of t he Sufi (London: Octagon Press, 1984), p. 229. (11) Chawan Thurlnas “Current Sufi Activity: Work, Literature, Groups and Techniques” in Idries Shah (ed.) Sufi Thought and Act ion (London: Octagon Press, 1990), pp. 83-84. (12) Franz Heidelberger “Time Spent Among Sufis” in Idries Shah (ed.) Sufi Thought and Act ion (London: Octagon Press, 1990), p. 108. (13) Benjamin Ellis Fourd “An Appraisal of Sufi Learning Methods” in Idries Shah (ed.) Sufi Thought and Act ion (London: Octagon Press, 1990), p. 54. (14) Idries Shah “Current Study Materials” in Idries Shah (ed.) The W orld of t he Sufi (London: Octagon Press, 1979), p. 306. (15) Benjamin Ellis Fourd “An Appraisal of Sufi Learning Methods” in Idries Shah (ed.) Sufi Thought and Act ion (London: Octagon Press, 1990), p. 51. (16) Ernest Scott The People of t he Secret (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 227. (17) Idries Shah The Sufis (London: Octagon Press, 1984), p. 238. (18) Philippe Coupey (ed.) Sit : Zen Teachings of M ast er Taisen Deshimaru (Prescott, Arizona: Hohm Press, 1996), pp. 5-6. (19) Charlotte Beck Everyday Zen (San Francisco: Harper, 1989), p.p. 37-38. (20) Philip Kapleau Aw akening t o Zen (New York: Scribner, 1997), pp. 95-96. (21) Idries Shah Know ing How t o Know (London: Octagon Press, 1998), p. 290. (22) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of t he M iraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), pp. 64-65. (23) Margaret Anderson The Unknow able Gurdjieff (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1973), pp. 32-33. (24) Idries Shah A Perfumed Scorpion (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 14. (25) Omar Ali-Shah Sufism as Therapy (Reno: Tractus Books, 1995), p. 159. (26) Idries Shah The Sufis (London: Octagon Press, 1984), p. 78. (27) Pat Williams “An Interview with Idries Shah” in Leonard Lewin (ed.) The Diffusion of Sufi Ideas in t he W est (Boulder, Colorado: Keysign Press, 1972), pp. 34-35. (28) Pat Williams “An Interview with Idries Shah” in Leonard Lewin (ed.) The Diffusion of Sufi Ideas in t he W est (Boulder, Colorado: Keysign Press, 1972), p. 22.

16

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

‘He w ho t ast es, know s’ Proverb

Indirect and Impact Teaching

In many spiritual traditions a teacher will often act in ways which seem inexplicable to external observers or even their own students. In reality the teacher is trying to guide the seeker to an intuitive perception of a wider and deeper reality: “For when this wise and deeper world opens, everyday life, even the most trivial thing of it, grows loaded with truth. After all, is not life itself filled with wonders, mysteries and unfathomable possibilities, far beyond our discursive understanding.” A teacher may use unusual or indirect methods to provoke a sudden shift in the disciple’s consciousness in order to reveal a wider perspective and understanding: Tokusan was a great scholar. Learning that there was such a thing as Zen ignoring all the scriptures and directly laying hands on one’s soul, he came to Ryutan to be instructed in the doctrine. One day Tokusan was sitting outside trying to see into the mystery of Zen. Ryutan said, ‘Why don’t you come in?’ Replied Tokusan, ‘It is pitch dark.’ A candle was lighted and handed over to Tokusan. When the latter was at the point of taking it, Ryutan suddenly blew the light out, whereupon the mind of Tokusan was opened. Hyakujo one day went out attending his master Baso. A flock of wild geese was seen flying and Baso asked: ‘What are they?’ ‘They are wild geese, sir.’ ‘Whither are they flying?’ ‘They have flown away.’ Baso abruptly taking hold of Hyakujo’s nose, gave it a twist. Overcome with pain, Hyakujo cried aloud: ‘Oh! Oh!’ ‘You say they have flown away,’ Baso said, ‘but all the same they have been here from the very beginning.’ This made Hyakujo’s back wet with cold perspiration. He had satori. [spiritual awakening] (1) Teachers sometimes challenge their students’ egos by applying impacts that are subtle, indirect or oblique: Gurdjieff would charge people quite a lot of money to be a student of his at Fontainebleau, except for one person. Gurdjieff in fact paid this man to be there and made him supervisor over the others. He did this because this man had a natural ability to irritate other people to death. Orage, who was in his day a master of prose and a well-respected writer, was a student of Gurdjieff, and occasionally Gurdjieff would ask him to write something or other. On one occasion Orage found that Gurdjieff had given his article to another person, who

1

was barely literate, to check “to make sure that there were no grammatical errors.” Another time a woman who did the gardening for the Institute, and who was very attached and proud of her garden, found that Gurdjieff had “accidentally” left open the gate so that the cows had broken in and ravaged the garden. In the Sufi tradition a teacher sometimes requires his students to deliberately break a societal rule, perhaps to steal something or make advances to a woman, with the intention of being caught and being reviled. The student would be required to accept the consequences without giving any kind of explanation or reason. (2) Spiritual transmission requires a certain degree of trust and attunement between teacher and pupil: “Harmonious chords always result from the sympathetic resonance of two or more notes.” This forms the basis for the teaching relationship and enables the teacher to apply impacts that in other circumstances might otherwise be seen as unwise or inappropriate. Seekers will usually approach a source of teaching with all sorts of arbitrary expectations, but a real teacher bypasses these subjective imaginings by projecting their teachings in a way in which the spiritual content is not readily apparent. “A teaching may not be visible to one who seeks through outward appearances. Even the most valuable piece of advice may be rejected when it comes in an unexpected manner or form.” The teacher is trying to liberate the student from their own conditioned and reactive mental and emotional patterns and return them to their original state of pure being and open awareness: “Our true resting place is balance, stillness, ‘one whole mind’.” Zen calls this ‘returning to one’s own home,’ for its followers will declare: “You have now found yourself; from the very beginning nothing has been kept away from you. It was yourself that closed the eye to the fact. In Zen there is nothing to explain, nothing to teach, that will add to your knowledge. Unless it grows out of yourself, no knowledge is really of value to you; a borrowed plumage never grows.” (3) Teachers encourage the development of inner understanding in their students through the interplay of knowledge and experience of the normal events of life. They are able to assess the relative value and importance of various life situations in regard to their learning potential for each individual pupil. This development can be accelerated by providing ‘saturation teachings’ in which a student is exposed to a wide range and variety of experiences: “An essential component is ‘conduct teaching’ whereby students are placed by the teacher in situations carefully tailored to simulate life happenings. Instead of waiting for things to happen in a random way, teachers make things happen – and so speed up human experience and learning.” A skilful teacher will use any and all life experiences and a variety of methods to challenge and awaken their students:

2

There are many Zen stories illustrating the awakening of mind at the occurrence of a sense impact while in a state of mental clarity. In some cases the impact is articulated, such as a saying, a poem, or a line of scripture. Sometimes the impact is inarticulate in the ordinary sense of the word, being a simple sound or physical contact. One of the functions of the shouting and striking that has been employed by many Zen teachers for many centuries is to provide this sudden impact at precisely the right time. One of the things that distinguishes the real from the spurious teacher in Zen is that the real teacher sees when to apply an impact, while the spurious teacher does so arbitrarily or routinely. Zen students do not realize how much they owe to those who guide them toward enlightenment until they have become enlightened. How many people today would have complained from the start that the teacher wasn’t giving them enough attention? (4) A teacher is able to assess the relative value and importance of people and situations in regard to their learning function. Only certain aspects of everyday life are useful in the development of higher knowledge. “The ‘tests’ and studies which will yield the greatest results are those that are least familiar to the students. This is because if people are given tasks with which they are familiar, something in them will ‘cheat’ in their performance.” To properly benefit from an impact teaching, the student must be receptive and open to the experiences offered by the teacher: Sufi teaching is effected through imposed experiences, and training to benefit from experience. People are subjected to materials designed to ‘strike’ them in such a way as to allow the mind to work in a new or different manner. Sufi circles, their members carrying out all manner of (often seemingly mundane or irrelevant) tasks, are settings for seeking the imposition and tasting of experience. The words, the actions – even the inaction – of teachers are a further form of impact teaching. The content of Sufi literature and contact also enable the student to obtain impacts suitable to his state from what are to others simply some of the ordinary events of the conventional world. He can see them differently and profit from them more extensively, while still retaining his ability to cope with events in the ordinary world on its customary, more limited, levels. (5) Unless the student is ripe for awakening the actions of a teacher will not bear fruit. “All that Zen can do is indicate the way and leave the rest to one’s own experience. With all that the master can do, he is helpless to make the disciple take hold of ultimate reality unless the latter is inwardly fully prepared for it.” Zen is exhausting every possible means to awaken their students, as we can see in all the great masters’ attitudes towards their disciples. When they are actually knocking them down, their kind-heartedness is never to be doubted. They are just waiting for the time when their pupil’s minds get all ripened for the final moment. When this comes, the opportunity of opening an eye to the truth of Zen 3

lies everywhere. One can pick it up in the hearing of an inarticulate sound, or listening to an unintelligible remark, or in the observation of a flower blooming, or in the encountering of any trivial everyday incident. (6) In order for indirect or impact teachings to be effective, they must be applied to the right person at the right time and in suitable circumstances. “In addition to correct study and effort we must have right conditions and experiences. People must enter circumstances in which they are more powerfully surrounded by the ‘substance’ which their emerging organs of higher perception are to perceive. This is analogous to saying that, if you want to teach someone winetasting, he or she has to have the chance to taste many wines.” In addition, the results of an encounter with a teacher may not follow immediately, at the time and place desired by the student – other things may have to happen before the full benefit of the interaction accrues.

Companionship and Emulation

The central core of wisdom is experiential and is transmitted directly through human contact and involvement. A student may learn and develop merely through association with a teacher possessing higher knowledge, much like an apprentice observing a master of a craft. “You can learn more in half an hour’s direct contact with a source of knowledge (no matter the apparent reason for the contact or the subject of the transaction) than you can in years of formal effort.” People may learn from a spiritual guide without any overt verbal teachings. Through interaction and companionship, in which no word is spoken, something subtle and transformative is transferred from master to disciple: It is related that Ibn El-Arabi refused to talk in philosophical language with anyone, however ignorant or however learned. And yet people seemed to benefit from keeping company with him. He took people on expeditions, gave them meals, entertained them with talk on a hundred topics. Someone asked him: ‘How can you teach when you never seem to speak of teaching?’ Ibn El-Arabi said: ‘It is by analogy . . . I find out what is the real intent of the disciple, and how he can learn. And I teach him.’ (7) A certain attunement and degree of preparation is needed for a student to truly benefit from association with an enlightened teacher: Knowledge does not automatically ‘brush off,‘ any more than it can be transmitted by words alone; neither is it to be conveyed by training of an ordinary kind. You cannot, therefore, learn real knowledge merely by associating with someone who has it – especially if you do not even know that it is there, and if you are not focused correctly to learn. Someone or something has first to impart to you how to perceive the presence of knowledge. Without preparation there can be no teaching. (8)

4

It is held that higher knowledge can be “caught” from the wise by being in contact with them when they are engaged in certain activities or undergoing certain experiences. “Spiritual truth can be imperceptibly imbibed by association with a master. Moreover the master will not try to teach it like an academic subject, in a given number of lessons, definitions, or propositions, for much of the training consists of absorbing the spirit of the master.” By living in close proximity with a spiritual guide, an individual or group can absorb the teacher’s finer qualities and spiritual energy: Real education must be absorbed by the student from the teacher. The small number of students to each teacher must be limited to a small group with whom he can live in intimacy, who can know him well and “catch” his spirit by inflection, rather than books, lessons or precepts. We must appreciate that words can never fully express human feelings or character, which consists of spirit. Physical science tends to disregard spirit, though we are all aware that it exists. We all say that we like this school or this community because it is inspired by such a wonderful spirit. We cannot exactly define what this spirit is, although we can sense it. (9) There is a long historical tradition in many esoteric circles of disciples learning from a teacher through example and emulation. “The inner qualities of one person may help to transmute the learner. People who are real and worthy communicate this higher element through a generally unperceived current.” To emulate the outward behaviour of a teacher, as is customary in virtually all Eastern systems, is regarded by them as the lowest form of practice. The true form of emulation can come, it is believed, only through being involved in activities of almost any kind, initiated by a teacher. Slavish imitation of a master is regarded as the mark of an unpromising student, and just as bad as criticism. The teacher makes an actual exercise of associating with him, from time to time, all of his pupils in some of the affairs of everyday life. In this way, they learn through observation and by cooperation with ‘something greater’ – this something greater being believed to be an objective force operating within the teacher himself. In this way, it is stated, the teacher and the students constitute together a pattern. The teacher is in contact with a cosmic intention. That intention informs him; he, in turn, relates the pupils with it by allowing them to take a part in his activity. (10) One important way of gaining knowledge is by observational learning: “You gain experience through watching an experienced person, or even through being near that person. His way of doing things, and even his knowledge can be passed on to someone else, especially if the learner really wants to get it and does not expect to be first taught theoretically.” Higher knowledge can actually be absorbed in much the same fashion as working with a master artisan or craftsman. In the Middle Ages, great artists and thinkers had disciples who worked with and learned from them, and they became masters in their turn. “An apprentice acquires from a journeyman a ‘something’ which exists independently of both the theory and 5

practice of his trade. The ‘passing-out’ ceremony of an apprentice in the old craft-guilds symbolized a recognition that he had acquired this ‘something’.” There are numerous historical instances of people grouped in communities to facilitate the process of inner growth. Examples include the aforementioned apprenticeship tradition in craft guilds, secret societies such as the Freemasons, and even the connection or bond between certain families, clans or royalty: What they all have in common is the belief that certain extraordinary perceptions can be developed by means of a certain kind of human association (call it the alchemist and his assistants, the carpet-making fraternity, one of a hundred others) whether or not the individual entering into the association is at first aware of the extra element . . . In addition to the enterprise at hand, there must be a correct selection of the particular team. This selection must be effected by a teacher. But once these conditions are fulfilled, there is no further need of one single word from any of the vocabularies of metaphysics or philosophy, esotericism as we know them. It is for such reasons as these that spiritual teachers have traditionally followed secular jobs or been administrators or skilled in many crafts: they are teaching through a variety of methods. Only their spoken teachings, or their gymnastics or prayer teachings, however, are recognized as teachings of a higher kind by others. (11)

Journeys and Experiences

The events and experiences of everyday life may be used consciously in the development of higher human potential. “In ordinary life, certain forms of understanding become possible because of experience. The human mind is what it is partly because of the impacts to which it has been exposed, and its ability to use those impacts. The interaction between impact and mind determines the quality of the personality.” Man is developing whether he knows it or not. While you live you are learning. Those who learn through deliberate effort to learn are cutting down on the learning which is being projected upon them in the normal state. Uncultivated men often have wisdom to some degree because they allow the access of the impacts of life itself. When you walk down the street and look at things or people, these impressions are teaching you. (12) Exposure to different cultures, languages, climates, ideas, people, work situations and life experiences help to shape the inner human being. Challenges and difficulties can be used consciously as a ‘maturing process’ in the development of wisdom and skilful living. “Sometimes when we look back over our lives, we may think: ‘I learned more through that experience than in all the rest of my life put together,’ and the experience may be a tough job of work, a phase of marriage, a serious love, an illness, a nervous breakdown.”

6

The experiences of life, both positive and negative, can be seen as preparation for a more comprehensive understanding of reality. “Experiences repeat. If you have been exposed to enough experiences, you know how to handle future events as they come up.” The mature seeker recognizes that the prevailing conditions of the world, including difficulties, obstacles and uncertainties, are extremely useful in the development of higher consciousness. “Problems are no less regarded as to be surmounted as to be made use of. Problemsolving is only one out of several responses: they include preventing, avoiding and employing so-called problems.” Many forms of stress are beneficial. The most obvious forms of positive stress are pleasurable – playing a game, athletics, hiking, gardening, dancing, making love, travelling, and the like. Other forms of stress, if provided in right amounts at the right moments, can also be of positive value. Various experiences in life are an example. We all experience certain realities of life, and these experiences can assist personal growth and maturity. Such experiences may include giving birth to a child, raising children, working at a suitable job, various social relationships, creative activities, etc. Many of the ancient esoteric psychologies view this life on earth akin to functioning in a huge gymnasium, wherein the various stresses and experiences of life prepare us for greater things. According to this viewpoint, there are tests all along the way, and the bravest of people are those who are willing to undergo such tests. (13) Although learning from experience can lead to higher levels of understanding and a more effective way of living in the world, experience by itself is useless without the means to digest it properly. “Some things in the world conduce towards understanding and some towards a more unconscious involvement with the world and consequent lack of perception and false understanding.” The student must learn to discriminate between those aspects of life that lead to higher knowledge and those that do not. The path toward spiritual enlightenment is often metaphorically described as a ‘journey’ or series of experiences which may or may not involve conventional travel. There is a tradition in many spiritual teachings for students to travel, for a certain period of time, to different communities and countries. “At a certain stage on the Path, the individual may be sent on a journey or expected to reside elsewhere (sometimes abroad), and given opportunities to develop his or her ‘inner life’.” Sufism is seen and described by Sufis as a journey, or a series of journeys. There is a Path, and a Guide. What confuses the ordinary person about this journey is, for instance, is the journey literal or metaphorical? In fact it can be both. The Sufi aspirant may undertake long and trying journeys to obtain completion. There is an inner as well as an outer journey. Therefore a Sufi journey must be understood in both senses. This is a parallel to the tradition that there is a Great Struggle and a Lesser Struggle. One is of the body, the other of the mind. (14) 7

Although journeys and travels may be spiritually beneficial for some, they are not always indicated for every aspirant: “Journeys to visit teachers in other countries are of no use unless undertaken under special instructions for a certain purpose.” One traditional form of spiritual journey is the pilgrimage. From the Middle Ages on, pilgrim paths were created, linking, for instance, Jerusalem to the Holy Sepulchre or Notre Dame de Paris to Chartres. Along these ‘holy paths’ initiates constructed castles, monasteries, abbeys, mosques, synagogues, and so forth: In the Middle Ages, you had the familiar Pilgrim’s Walks to Compostela and other places. People walked predetermined routes, visited certain abbeys, sites and ruins, and saw certain relics. They were making contact and establishing connections with people, because the Tradition functions through and because of people. In the absence of people, it is an energy, a function and a philosophy, but when the people are travelling, visiting, communicating both together and with the places, they add the extra element to the equation which causes the energy to flow. You might say that the Sultan Ahmed Mosque and Notre Dame de Paris are both buildings. But even if they are both places of worship, where is the connection? They were both built with a function, and that function was endowed by the designers and by the building itself, so that the people who visit one and then the other in whatever order are making the connection between the two. It is an actual physical contact. The contact is also established and maintained by successive generations of travellers, by the pilgrims who have travelled the various pilgrim routes, whether they go from Europe to Jerusalem, travel within Europe itself, or within the Middle East or Central Asia. (15) One of the purposes of pilgrimages is to provide common transformational experiences and refine the contact between fellow travellers: “People who travel together are not only able to experience the good, bad and indifferent trials and tribulations of the trip, but also are able to see themselves and their own behaviour mirrored in other people, and other people similarly mirrored in them.” Many of the sites along a pilgrimage route have a special ambience and geo-magnetic quality that allows a spiritual energy to flow. Some of these ‘power spots’ are charged in a way that enhances healing and the rejuvenation of body, mind and spirit: Everybody knows that there are miracle cures attributed to various places which are not explicable to normal medical science. Although such occurrences are unusual, they are entirely explicable, not as some magical or supernatural event: what happens is rather that a person will benefit from such a place because they pass through an area which is highly charged in a positive way, and the degree of charge goes a long way to nullify the negative charge they are holding in themselves as a result of certain physical, mental and personal problems. Such things are not supernatural: they are quite natural in the sense that they come about as a result of cer8

tain factors coming together, with the people visiting the place as a catalyst in the overall formula. (16) During a pilgrimage or other journey people may be able to harmonize with certain places in which there is an accumulation of refined spiritual energy or baraka . This concentrated energy can operate on individuals and groups who are suitably prepared to receive and absorb this subtle force: One of the objects of pilgrimages to the burial places or former residences of teachers is to make a contact with this reality or substance. In neutral phraseology it could be said that the Sufis believe that Sufic activity in producing a Complete Man accumulates a force (substance) which itself is capable of alchemicalizing a lesser individual. This is not to be confused with the idea of magical power, because the power exercised upon the Seeker will operate only insofar as his motives are pure and he is purged of selfishness. Further, it will act in its own way, and not in a manner which can be anticipated by the Seeker. Only his teacher, who has travelled that way before, will be able to judge as to what effect such an exposure will have. (17)

W ork Enterprises and Activities

Many esoteric teachings have a long tradition of establishing groups and organizations in local cultures in order to benefit both the inner work of the students and the community at large. These working groups and organizations may bear no obvious resemblance to communities which are generally considered spiritual or religious. They may take the form of a restaurant, a farm, a commercial enterprise, or even cultural society devoted to the study and enjoyment of literature and/or leisure pursuits. These external structures are based on the principle that a spiritual teaching may be projected within any convenient framework: “Any human organization may be useful spiritually as well as productive in other senses and therefore should be used, since it fulfils two functions, both of them laudable.” We have forms in which we work. Now the form in which we work may be a vocational one, some kind of activity of manufacturing something. So we relate a number of people together, with an objective to manufacture something, it might be carpets, it might be tables, it might be artisan work. Provided that the people are carefully enough selected, and provided that the objective is correctly enough chosen, we will develop a remarkable result. This is the sort of operation which in the past has produced very great art and very great achievements in human culture. This is the type of operation of which you constantly hear stories such as those about the Cathedral builders and about the great artisans of the past who had spiritual objectives as well as vocational ones. (18)

9

A group may be engaged in worldly activities having an inner purpose. The success of the organization is dependent on achieving a harmonious balance between the inner and outer functions: They often have a keynote or outward function, as well as an inner or developmental one. This may mean that their members could be engaged in art, social action, human service, even commerce, as well as carrying out appropriate exercises and studies. The purpose of these outward activities includes testing whether the people can work successfully in an organic whole without (a) subjective considerations ruining the operation, or (b) the outward activity taking over and being ‘spiritualized’ by people imagining that, say, social service is sacred instead of a minimum duty. (19) When a certain kind of work enterprise is carried on in a certain manner with carefully selected people, the possibility of developing higher perceptions and understanding becomes possible. This process has sometimes been described as ‘Work for the Work’ and may be the origin of the phrase “work is prayer.” The conception of a community of people who, within the seemingly ordinary structure of a business or a house and grounds, can be working also in a harmony which activates something ‘other,’ something spiritual but not emotional, something purposeful beyond the overt purposes of the enterprise, is startling and has far-reaching implications. Not least of the latter is the fact that the more successful a Sufi school of this kind is, the less likely will it be to resemble what people imagine a Sufi school to be. Instead of ritual there may be activity of an apparently mundane kind; instead of unusual garb, there will be specific clothing appertaining to the task on hand; in place of hierarchy there will be co-operation; the place of chanting, symbols and various appurtenances will be taken by specifics which are directly and reasonably to all appearances connected to the surface aim of the community. (20) By carrying out work tasks with others, an individual has multiple opportunities to gain selfknowledge and understanding by monitoring his or her reactions to the various experiences and interactions provided by the enterprise: When a person is given something to do as an assigned or expected activity, how he does it, whether he does it at all, the degree of competence or activity without constant exhortation: all these are diagnostic. One can tell, and the individual himself should be able to tell, by self-examination, whether he is progressing or whether he is behaving in an automatic manner. If he finds that he needs constant stimulus of threat or promise, he is not attuning himself in the right manner. If he will conduct himself in a certain manner only providing that he receives a certain amount of attention, he is placing the demand for attention before the [activity]. (21) 10

The process of working with others creates conditions in which students can overcome conditioned attitudes and habitual ways of relating with others. Psychologist Robert Ornstein: “Instead of the average everyday critical concentration on other people’s failures and flaws, a student has the chance to reorient his thinking and to consider how different people’s skills can come together in a larger, emergent unit, one that can work in harmony. In such associations, one has the chance to become part of something superior, not defeated by the normal social attitudes.” One approach involves the students’ learning to be flexible enough to organize themselves around a concern, no matter what its apparent aim; attend to the job they are asked to do, and not to personalities. They are often given very many different kinds of jobs in different circumstances; as soon as one seems to be going it changes. This kind of practice, in a situation close to their ordinary experience, is difficult, more difficult than abandoning home and leaving all possessions, but it is what helps them adapt to the real inst abilit y and t he const ant changes in t he w orld . Through all the different experiences, the student can develop some internal stability, detachment. (22) The interactions and inevitable friction between different people involved in a work activity provide many opportunities for self-observation. Fritz Peters, a pupil of Gurdjieff, describes the conditions that were created at the Prieuré in France at his Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man: The tasks assigned to the students were invariably concerned with the actual functioning of the school: gardening, cooking, house-cleaning, taking care of animals, milking, making butter, and these tasks were almost always in group activities. As I learned later, the group work was considered to be of real importance. Different personalities, working together, produced subjective, human conflicts, human conflicts produced friction, friction revealed characteristics which, if observed, could reveal “self.” One of the many aims of the school was “to see yourself as others saw you”; to see oneself, as it were, from a distance, to be able to criticize that self objectively, but, at first, simply to see it. An exercise that was intended to be performed all the time, during whatever physical activity, was called “self-observation.” (23) In an esoteric school the enterprises and undertakings which are assigned to students are designed to further their inner development: “If you seek small things to do, and do them well, great things will seek you, and demand to be performed.” The Seeker is given an enterprise to complete. It may be an alchemical problem, or it might be the effort to reach the conclusion of an enterprise just as unlikely of attainment. For the purposes of his self-development, he has to carry that undertaking out with complete faith. In the process of planning and carrying through this effort, he attains his spiritual development. The alchemical or other undertaking 11

may be impossible, but it is the framework within which his constancy and his application, his mental and moral development, is carried out . . . It becomes his permanent anchor and frame of reference. It is in something slightly like this spirit that all competitive undertakings are carried out in sport, or mountaineering, or even in physical culture, in other societies. The mountain or the muscular development are the fixed points, but they are not the element which is actually being transformed by the effort. They are the means, not the end. It is not the framework which is altered by the effort, but the human being himself. And it is the development of the human being which counts, nothing else. When the Sufi concept of the deliberate evolution of humanity is grasped, the other elements fall into place. (24) The students who are involved in a work situation are typically unable to comprehend the overall purpose and pattern of the activity. Rumi offers an apropos allegory: “When a tent is being made, some work on the ropes, some on the panels, some on the pegs. For each, his task is important. When each has completed his task, lo, a tent.” The teacher, who knows the pattern of the work and its shape and cadence, organizes the group’s activities based on precise knowledge of a higher order. “The teacher’s role is to maintain a healthy relationship on some basis of cooperation with the student; and from there to direct his development along the lines which the school, the individual and the overall activity make possible.” An important indicator of the harmonization of a group in a work enterprise is whether or not the operation is successful as measured by the criteria and standards of the external world. The success or failure is seen as an index of the progress of the individuals and group: “The ‘profit,’ in business as well as spiritual pursuits, shows that the enterprise is working and the people are able to organize themselves into a functioning whole. It is important to be able to give the right effort of oneself, in the right amount, at the right time, for anything to be done.” The Sufi approach to professional, vocational and business activities resembles that of other communities, but the similarity serves also to conceal certain dramatic differences. Sufi disciples will cooperate in what seems to be almost every kind of activity, ranging from the arts, through commerce to academic and other undertakings in the world of learning. A number of seekers will associate together to pursue a project, because the successful completion of a mundane activity is often regarded as an index of the necessary harmonization of the group. In other words, if the project works, the members of the group are in a kind of alignment which will enable them to profit from the subtle, spiritual impulses which the Sufi work is offering. This kind of pattern is familiar in all groups with a common interest. Both religious and other groupings, of short or long duration, can be found working together in a wide variety of areas, throughout the world. The difference comes when one examines the theory and mechanism of the Sufi and the other groupings. In the case of the Sufis, a project is devised and an attempt is made to carry it out. If this succeeds – that is, if the shop, factory, artistic atelier and so forth – flourishes within a reasonable period of time, the group concerned is accepted with its membership as eligible for special exercises and instructions which 12

are believed to be able to operate through this ‘organism’ with extraordinary rapidity and effectiveness. The group need not be money-oriented: some groups are charitable, others devised for entertainment, still others work in the fields of planning, design, agriculture or even certain spheres of diplomacy. But, while there need not be a financial aim in the undertaking, if it is one which ordinarily yields a profit, then the index of its success always includes profit: and the entire yield is always made available to the Sufi Path. The Sufi teacher ordinarily authorizes the experiment and may give it the time scale in which it is to succeed. If the project does not progress sufficiently well, the harmonization of the individual members is considered to be at fault, and the effort must be stopped . . . This application of the doctrine that ‘the exterior is an indicator of the interior’ strikingly emphasizes the belief that harmony brings about coherent (‘organic’) growth, and, in contradistinction, that the imposition of patterns upon groups will never succeed in developing anything. From this it can be seen why so many Sufis are on record as working so vehemently against imposed structure. (25)

Humour

Humour is effective as a spiritual technique because it is an eminently practical rather than theoretical tool in helping free the human mind from conditioned mental, emotional and behavioural patterns. Humour can help illuminate many of the quandaries of human life. Plato: “Serious things cannot be understood without humorous things, nor opposites without opposites.” Humour can produce a sudden switch-over from one way of looking at things to another by breaking expectations and mental fixations. The indirect approach of humour can “slip behind the defences of our usual logic and pierce the protective armour of conventional thought.” Humour may be used to convey important ideas that otherwise could not penetrate a person’s conditioned responses and subjective opinions. “What appears on the surface as jests are in fact structures formulated to bring into cognition patterns which the mind finds it difficult or impossible to render and receive in any other way.” One of the purposes of jokes or humorous stories is to illustrate typical patterns of thinking and behaviour by exteriorizing them as cogent examples of real or possible human interactions or social situations. They can reveal, both in their structure and the reactions of people to them, the typical ways in which people think, process information, and are guided by assumptions and preconceptions. Humour also has an enduring quality that ensures the transmission of certain ideas couched in a humorous framework. In the words of Idries Shah: “Humour cannot be prevented from spreading; it has a way of slipping through the patterns of thought which are imposed upon mankind by habit and design.” Certain jokes and humorous tales contain both an experiential and inner nutritional content. “The fact that a fruit tastes delicious does not mean that it cannot have food value.” Certain

13

metaphysical jokes and stories have psychological levels that provide useful frameworks in the search for self-knowledge: “They have been used for centuries to hold a mirror up to people, so that they can see their own behaviour in a way which is otherwise very difficult indeed.” Used as teaching devices, they are viable in several different ranges of meaning: Jokes are structures, and they may fulfill many different functions. Just as we may get the humour nutrient out of a joke, we can also get several dimensions out of it on various occasions: there is no standard meaning of a joke. Different people will see different contents in it, and pointing out some of its possible usages will not, if we are used to this method, rob it of its efficacy. The same person, again, may see different sides to the same joke according to his varying states of understanding or even mood. The joke, like the non-humorous teaching story, thus presents us with a choice instrument of illustration and action. How a person reacts to a joke will also tell us, and possibly him or her, what his blocks and assumptions have been, and can help dissolve them, to everyone’s advantage. (26) Humour plays a significant role in many spiritual traditions such as Taoism, Zen Buddhism and Sufism. Laughter has been called “the one universal solvent” and in spiritual studies humour may take the form of stories, anecdotes, jokes, witticisms, parody, irony or satire. According to traditional accounts, enlightenment is frequently accompanied by laughter of a transcendental kind. In Zen laughter is often used as a vehicle to ridicule or lampoon empty ritualistic behaviour, exaggerated expressions of sanctity or piety, and pomposity and undue self-importance. Even the subject of death is permitted humorous overtones. One of the most favoured targets of Zen humour is the human tendency to philosophize, conceptualize or intellectualize without any real inner understanding: Hogen, a Chinese Zen teacher, lived alone in a small temple in the country. One day four travelling monks appeared and asked if they might make a fire in his yard to warm themselves. While they were building the fire, Hogen heard them arguing about subjectivity and objectivity. He joined them and said: “There is a big stone. Do you consider it to be inside or outside your mind?” One of the monks replied: “From the Buddhist viewpoint everything is an objectification of mind, so I would say that the stone is inside my mind.” “Your head must feel very heavy,” observed Hogen, “if you are carrying around a stone like that in your mind.” (27) Mulla Nasrudin is a traditional Middle Eastern teaching figure who exemplifies the ‘wise fool’ folk-hero. “Nobody knows who Nasrudin was, where he lived, or when. This is truly in character, for the whole intention is to provide a figure who cannot really be characterized, and who is timeless. It is the message, not the man, which is important.”

14

Gurdjieff professed unbounded admiration for Nasrudin and pinned many of his own aphorisms, both sensible and non-sensible, upon him. Student René Zuber commented: “Gurdjieff enjoyed embellishing his words and writings with spicy but scathing aphorisms and proverbs, which he attributed to Mullah Nassr Eddin, the legendary character who brought to life the popular wisdom of Asia.” Although Nasrudin often appears outwardly as a fool and simpleton, in reality he represents wit, simplicity and human wisdom. “Sometimes court jester, sometimes cracker-barrel philosopher, sometimes village sage and sometimes buffoon, he combines native shrewdness and insight in a way that helps him see to the heart of a situation that his more analytical ‘betters’ cannot. He also illustrates, in exaggerated form, the kind of fallacious thinking that hobbles the more sophisticated.” The Mulla is variously referred to as very stupid, improbably clever, the possessor of mystical secrets. The dervishes use him as a figure to illustrate, in their teachings, the antics characteristic of the human mind. The Mulla is probably the most versatile character in Sufi literature, because of the possibilities offered him by humour. He undergoes the most unusual changes in his stories. He has all the faults and virtues of mankind, including those that are mutually contradictory. This is where the strength of his impact lies, with which he destroys all the pigeonholing mechanisms that our minds are used to employing. The Mulla’s actions are always unpredictable for the reader who is inevitably confused and tries to puzzle out the meaning of such unusual reactions. (28) The complexity and ingenuity of the Nasrudin story has both an inward and outward effect which produces spiritual insight and a penetrating regenerative force as it opens the listener or reader to another dimension of perception and cognition. The corpus of Nasrudin jokes and stories are multi-dimensional in nature, featuring many different levels, aspects and purposes simultaneously. “It is inherent in the Nasrudin story that it may be understood at any one of many depths. There is the joke, the moral – and the little extra which brings the consciousness of the potential mystic a little further on the way to realization.” There are many purposes in these quite innocent-appearing Nasrudin stories. They can hold up a moment of action as a template, so that the reader can observe his consciousness more clearly in himself. Often one may read a story, and on later encountering a similar life situation, find oneself prepared for it. In addition, these stories can be considered ‘word pictures,’ which can create visual symbolic situations. They embody a more sophisticated use of language to pass beyond intellectual understanding to develop intuition. (29) The Mulla Nasrudin jokes and stories are employed in Sufi schools for a number of higher developmental purposes: •

Illustrating conditioned patterns of thinking and perception: many of the events contained in stories represent the dynamics operating within the human mind 15

• • • •

Acting as a shock or stimulus in order to break entrenched mental, emotional and behavioural patterns Revealing the power of assumptions and preconceptions: used as a corrective to help people whose narrow and single-minded attitudes block higher understanding Displaying and highlighting the real structure of a situation or experience: the elements, events and interactions contained in the joke or story can be applied to one’s own life situation and experience Awakening the dormant capacities of the mind so that it might operate on a higher level and provide a taste of illumination.

The Nasrudin tales can also be used to suggest creative ways of thinking and reacting in response to external circumstances. One classic story shows how supposed opposition may in fact operate in the reverse. It illustrates how “social and psychological forces can have an effect contrary to that intended by their originators, an effect which can be taken advantage of by the perspicacity of an objective observer.” Mulla Nasrudin is about to engage in litigation. He says to his lawyer: “If I sent the judge 100 gold pieces, what effect would that have on his ruling in my case?” The lawyer is horrified. “You do that,” he says, “and he’ll find against you, for sure – you might even be arrested for attempted bribery!” “Are you sure?” “Quite sure, I know that judge.” The case was heard, and the Mulla won. “Well,” said the lawyer, “you did get justice after all, you can’t deny that . . .” “Mind you,” said Nasrudin, “the gold pieces also helped . . .“ “You mean you actually sent the judge money?” howled the lawyer. “Oh yes,” said Mulla Nasrudin, “but, of course, I sent the gold in the ot her man’s name!” (30)

Zen Koans

In Zen Buddhism koans are employed to awaken the ‘inner eye’ of students by challenging their conventional interpretation of reality. “A koan is a formulation, in baffling language, pointing to ultimate truth. Koans cannot be solved by recourse to logical reasoning but only by awakening a deeper level of the mind beyond the discursive intellect.” A koan may be a story, dialogue, event, problem or statement which serves to act as a spiritual exercise. They have been likened to a technical formula, a design which encapsulates Buddhist teaching in a highly concentrated form. Some, like Zen teacher Albert Low, have even described koans as objective works of art: “Koans are small jewels to be treated with great care; like great music, the more one can appreciate what cannot be explained, the richer it becomes.”

16

The word “koan” originally meant a public document of great authority issued by the government. In present day usage the word “koan” retains the original implication of authority and rightness. It is by means of the koan that we examine the most fundamental and important problems, or questions, of life – such questions as: What is life? What is death? Many koans consist of dialogues between Zen masters and their students. Others are often taken from important passages in Buddhist scripture. Among the koans of dialogue, there are some in which the student questions the master in order to clarify his understanding of Buddhism. In others, we see that although the student has experienced enlightenment, his vision is not yet quite clear. In order to clarify and deepen his vision the student visits various masters. In yet another kind of koan, monks or priests who have already had a clear enlightenment experience further train themselves by visiting a number of masters and having Dharma combat with them. The custom of studying under various masters and engaging them in Dharma combat helps the priests or monks (or laymen) to become better teachers themselves. A koan is not an explanation or illustration of a thought or an idea. If you regard a koan in this way, you lose its real meaning. Koans deal with the essence of the Dharma, with the realization that all sentient beings are the Buddha. And this fact is the ground of our being. In other words, we use the koan as an expedient means to perceive and demonstrate our buddhahood, which, in essence, is inexpressible. (31) Some koans are brief, enigmatic exchanges between a teacher and student which are highly charged with spiritual energy and insight: •

When Chao-chou came to study Zen under Nan-ch’uan, he asked, “What is the Tao (or the Way)? Nan-ch’uan replied, “Your everyday mind, that is the Tao.”

•

A monk asked Hsuan-sha, “I am a newcomer in the monastery; please tell me how to go on with my study.” “Do you hear the murmuring stream?” “Yes, master.” ”If so, here is the entrance.”

•

A monk asked Tung-shan, “Who is the Buddha?” “Three chin of flax.”

•

A monk asked Chao-chou, “What is the meaning of the First Patriarch’s visit to China? “The cypress tree in the front courtyard.”

•

A monk asked, “All things are said to be reducible to the One, but where is the One to be reduced?” Chao-chou answered, “When I was in the district of Ch’ing I had a robe made that weighed seven chin .”

•

Said a Zen master, “If you have a staff, I will give you one; if you do not have a staff, I will take one away from you.”

17

•

Te Shan said, “If you cannot answer I shall give you thirty blows; if you can answer, I shall also give you thirty blows.”

•

Dögen Zenji was instrumental in bringing his first disciple Ejö Zenji, to enlightenment by giving him the koan, “One thread going through many holes.”

•

When a monk said to Chao-chou, “What do you say to one who has nothing to carry about?” To this Chao-chou replied, “Carry it along.”

•

Emperor Wu asked Bodhidharma, “What is you teaching?” Bodhidharma replied, “Vast emptiness and nothing that can be called holy.”

Other koans are broader in scope and often drawn from discourses, sermons, traditional records of interactions between a master and student, or teaching stories: Master Huang Po said in his sermon, “All the Buddhas and sentient beings are nothing but one’s mind. From the very no-beginning-time this Mind never arises and is not extinguished. It is neither blue nor yellow. It has no form or shape. It is neither existent or nonexistent, old or new, long or short, big or small. It is beyond all limitation and measurement, beyond all words and names, transcending all traces and relativity. It is here now! But as soon as any thought arises in your mind you miss it right away! It is like space, having no edges, immeasurable and unthinkable. Buddha is nothing else but this, your very mind!” (32) Jôshû asked a travelling monk, “Have you ever been here before?” The monk replied, “Yes. I have.” Jôshû said, “Have a cup of tea.” Jôshû asked another visiting monk, “Have you ever been here before?” The monk said, “No.” Jôshû said, “Have a cup of tea.” An attendant monk asked Jôshû, “Why do you say, ‘Have a cup of tea’ to one who had visited before and the same thing to one who has come to see you for the first time?” Jôshû called the attendant’s name. The attendant replied, “Yes, sir.” Jôshû said, “Have a cup of tea.” (33) Some Zen teachers have suggested koans suitable for Western practitioners drawn from familiar Western sources, including “the writings of Aristotle, Shakespeare, Dostoevsky, Hesse, Nietzsche, Chekhov, Camus, Beckett, Henry James, Schopenhauer, Goethe, and many others.” Zen master Sokei-an Sasaki, working in the United States, even recommended Lewis Carroll’s Alice in W onderland for this purpose. Some critics have suggested that traditional Zen koans are “artificial problems imposed from the outside by the teacher.” They argue that koans arising from the practitioner’s own actual life situation may be more relevant and meaningful, better reflecting the complexities of contemporary life:

18

Undoubtedly the best koan is one that naturally grows out of one’s life situation. For example, a Buddhist might be gripped by the following problem: “If all beings without exception are intrinsically perfect, as the Buddha proclaimed, why is there such imperfection, so much pain and suffering in the world?” Or a believer may question intensely: “If I am fundamentally a Buddha, why do I act like anything but one?” Those driven by the need to dispel a fundamental contradiction between their faith in the truth of the Buddha’s pronouncement and the evidence of their senses have a natural koan. Similarly, if the question “Where did I come from when I was born and where will I go after I die?” gripped one constantly, it could be another natural koan. I emphasize “could” because not everyone would be motivated to resolve the matter of birth and death. A natural koan is a personal perplexity that gives one no rest. (34) A koan has been likened to “a finger pointing to the moon.” They are temporary frameworks or expedient means, which serve a purpose. They are a means to an end and not the end itself. “The koan is useful as long as the mental doors are closed, but when they are opened it may be forgotten.” The significance of a koan is in the effect it has on the mind of the person who receives and works with it. “No matter how mysterious or how senseless a koan appears to be, there is always something deep behind it – the strange remarks always imply somet hing .” Koans cannot be understood through intellectual study – only through direct experience. “Because koans cannot be theorized about in the abstract, they compel us to feel and act, not merely to talk and think. They liberate us from the snare of language, which fits over experience like a straitjacket; they pry us loose from our tightly held dogmas and prejudices; they empty us of the false notion of self and other that distorts our inner vision and our view of the world.” It is axiomatic that the awakening experience and direct perception of Zen realization cannot be explained or understood as they really are by means of intellectual interpretation or conceptual thought, because they are not in the domain of ideation. For this reason, no theoretical discussion of koans will convey the genuine enlightenment of Zen. In order to benefit from the use of koans, it is necessary to employ them for the purpose and in the manner in which they were designed. (35) Koans have been likened to blueprints or patterns which reveal a hidden design and order underlying the events and experiences of everyday life. They embody universal spiritual principles leading to a perception of ultimate reality. Koans point to deeper, timeless truths beyond the limits of the rational, logical mind: Every koan is a unique expression of the living, indivisible Buddha-nature which cannot be grasped by the bifurcating intellect. Despite the incongruity of their various elements, koans are profoundly meaningful, each pointing to man’s Face before his parents were born, to his real Self. To people who cherish the letter above the spirit, koans appear bewildering, for in their phrasing koans deliberately 19

throw sand in the eyes of the intellect to force us to open our Mind’s eye and see the world and everything in it undistorted by our concepts and judgments. (36) Students are advised not to choose their own koans. Rather, they should be assigned by an experienced teacher who can judge the aspirant’s background, temperament, capacity and aspiration. The teacher gauges the state of mind of the student in order to decide what help is required to awaken him or her to realization. To fully understand a koan it is helpful to know the history, background and context which gave birth to it: When reading Zen koans, we often come across the statement that a monk was immediately enlightened after hearing a certain remark, or after receiving a blow from his Zen master . . . This may give the impression that “Enlightenment” is very easy to come by. But these “little” koans, often consisting of less than a hundred words, are merely a fract ion of the whole story. Their background was seldom sketched in by the Zen monks who first wrote them down, because the monks did not think it necessary to mention their common background to people who were brought up in this Zen tradition and knew it clearly. The monks thought that nobody could be so foolish as to regard “Enlightenment” as immediately attainable merely by hearing a simple remark or by receiving a kick or a blow, without previously having had the “preparedness” of a ripened mind. To them it was obvious that only because the mental state of a Zen student had reached its maturity could he benefit from a Master’s kicks and blows, shouts and cries. They knew that this maturity of mind was a state not easily come by. It was earned with tears and sweat, through many years of practice and hard work. Students should bear this in mind and remember that most of the Zen koans they know are only t he highlight s of a play and not t he complet e drama . These koans tell of the fall of ripened “apples,” but are not the biographies of these apples, whose life stories are a long tale of delights and sorrows, pleasures and pains, struggles and bitter trials. The Zen master shakes the apple tree and the ripened fruit falls; but on the swaying branches the unripened fruit will still remain. (37) The attitude with which the student approaches the koan is all-important: “To work on koans we must have utmost faith that they are indeed resolvable on their own terms and that they are in their own way intensely meaningful. A koan is a question of life and death, of our own spiritual life and death. Working on a koan is to work on oneself.” Knowledge, reasoning and previous experience have to be abandoned in order to decipher the meaning of the koan; the student can only find the answer by merging and ‘becoming one’ with it. Only then is it possible to demonstrate the spirit of the koan. “Intellectual gymnastics, no matter how superior or refined, could never solve a koan; in fact, a koan is given to force a student beyond intellection.”

20

The discriminating intellect is the worst enemy when attempting to penetrate and understand the “meaning” of the koan. D.T. Suzuki: “There is no room in the koan to insert an intellectual interpretation. The knife is not sharp enough to cut the koan open and see what are its contents. For a koan is not a logical proposition but the experience of a certain mental state.” The very language of a koan is intended to befuddle ordinary or conventional thinking. For example, the koan: “Walk without feet.” The linguistic impossibility implied in the koan is designed to awaken the intuitive, non-rational mind. The intellect by itself is incapable of unlocking the koan: According to Zen teaching, there is really no way to comprehend koans except through themselves. Although the actual experience of koans open up intellectual understanding, intellectual understanding alone does not open up the actual experience of koans. As maps, koans show something: Just reading the map is not making the journey, but without reading the map there is no direction. The ordinary mind has no real conception of mental freedom as it is experienced in Zen, so the koan seems impenetrable until we follow its guidance. (38) The system of koan exercises is predicated on the creation and subsequent breakthrough of a ‘great doubt,’ which is a doubt without content, the pure sensation of “doubt.” As one Zen master put it, “Where there is great doubt, there will be great awakening; small doubt, small awakening; no doubt, no awakening.” Listen to these words of an ancient Zen master: “Zen does not consist merely in reciting a koan. The main thing is to arouse the ‘doubt-sensation.’ But even this is not enough. You must break right through it. If you cannot seem to do so you must put forth all your strength, strain every nerve, and keep on trying.” What is this doubt-sensation? It is a burning perplexity, a fundamental question that gives you no rest. For example, if all beings are inherently flawless and endowed with virtue and compassion, as the Buddha declared, why is there so much hatred and selfishness, violence and suffering everywhere? This basic question can be pondered whenever you find yourself free to do so – at home, at work, anytime. Or an inquiry like “Who am I?” – strictly speaking, “W hat am I? -- is a way of bringing to keener intensity this same basic doubt. (39)

A student truly understands a koan when he understands the enlightened state of mind of the master who originally presented the koan to their own disciples. According to Alan Watts, “the student is then expected to show that he has experienced the meaning of the koan by a nonverbal demonstration which he has to discover intuitively.” When a koan is solved the mind moves from ignorance and delusion to an inner awareness of living truth. With the resolution of the koan one realizes that the “answer” was there all the time. “Through these koans the student comes to realize that existence, animate and inani21

mate, visible and invisible, is Buddha-nature itself. Things no longer appear to exist separately and independently, but are seen to be one.” The teacher, through the intermediary of the koan, reveals the essence of Buddhism through a mind-to-mind transmission: A koan is an account of an incident between a master and one or more disciples which involves an understanding or experience of enlightened mind . . . Often what makes the incident worth recalling is that the disciple’s mind, if only for an instant, transcends attachment and logic, and he catches a glimpse of emptiness or Buddha-nature. At that moment there is a “transmission” of Mind between master and disciple. Once, after the Buddha gave a sermon to his senior disciples, he picked up a flower and silently held it up before the assembly. All the monks except one were mystified. Mahakasyapa alone knew the Buddha’s meaning; he smiled, saying nothing. Thus the Buddha transmitted to Mahakasyapa the wordless doctrine of mind. Although this incident preceded the rise of Ch’an by over a thousand years, it exemplifies the spirit of koans. (40) Only when the intellect is transcended is it possible to enter a new realm in which the intuitive mind is brought into play. Self-realization brings about an acceptance of things as they are, of life just the way it is. The establishment of higher consciousness or satori is independent of conditions and surroundings and reveals the inter-dependency of all life: “Our satori must have a new fresh outlook on the world and humanity; it must prove itself useful and valuable in our daily life not only as an individual but as a world citizen, as a member in a system of infinite complexities which contains every conceivable existence, non-sentient as well as sentient.” Zen is neither psychology nor philosophy, but is an experience charged with deep meaning and laden with living, exalting contents. The experience is final and its own authority. It is the ultimate truth, not born of relative knowledge, that gives full satisfaction to all human wants. It must be realized directly within oneself; no outside authorities are to be relied upon. Even the Buddha’s teachings and the master’s discourses, however deep and true they are, do not belong to one so long as they have not been assimilated into one’s being, which means that they are made to grow directly out of one’s own living experiences. This realization is called satori. (41)

References

(1) D.T. Suzuki Essays in Zen Buddhism (New York: Grove Press, 1961), pp. 239-240. (2) Albert Low To Know Yourself (Boston: Charles E. Tuttle, 1997), pp. 227-228. (3) D.T. Suzuki Essays in Zen Buddhism (New York: Grove Press, 1961), p. 245. (4) Thomas Cleary Rat ional Zen (Boston: Shambhala, 1995), p. 183. (5) Idries Shah Know ing How t o Know (London: Octagon Press, 1998), p. 141. (6) D.T. Suzuki Essays in Zen Buddhism (New York: Grove Press, 1961), p. 245.

22

(7) Idries Shah The W ay of t he Sufi (London: Octagon Press, 1984), pp. 80-81. (8) Idries Shah Learning How t o Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 290. (9) John Glubb “Idries Shah and the Sufis” in L.F. Rushbrook Williams (ed.) Sufi St udies: East and W est (London: Octagon Press, 1974), p. 141. (10) Ali Sultan “Emulation and Cycles of Study” in New Research on Current Philosophical Syst ems (London: Octagon Press, 1982), p. 24. (11) Idries Shah Learning How t o Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 205-206. (12) Idries Shah The Sufis (London: Octagon Press, 1984), p. 309. (13) Stuart Litvak Unst ress Yourself (Santa Barbara: Ross-Erikson Publishers, 1982, p. 166. (14) Qalander Siddiqi “Finding, Losing – and Finding – the Way” in N. P. Archer (ed.) The Sufi M yst ery (London: Octagon Press, 1980), p. 7. (15) Omar Ali-Shah The Sufi Tradit ion in t he W est (New York: Alif Publishing, 1994), pp. 221222. (16) Omar Ali-Shah The Sufi Tradit ion in t he W est (New York: Alif Publishing, 1994), p. 220. (17) Idries Shah The Sufis (London: Octagon Press, 1984), p. 294. (18) Idries Shah Know ing How t o Know (London: Octagon Press, 1998), pp. 18-19. (19) Idries Shah A Perfumed Scorpion (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 180. (20) Chawan Thurlnas “Current Sufi Activity: Work, Literature, Groups and Techniques” in Idries Shah (ed.) Sufi Thought and Act ion (London: Octagon Press, 1990), pp. 86-87. (21) Idries Shah Learning How t o Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 118. (22) Robert Ornstein The Psychology of Consciousness (New York: Penguin Books, 1986), pp. 254-255. (23) Fritz Peters Boyhood w it h Gurdjieff (Baltimore: Penguin Books, 1972), p. 10. (24) Idries Shah The Sufis (London: Octagon Press, 1984), pp. 199-200. (25) Chawan Thurlnas “Current Sufi Activity: Work, Literature, Groups and Techniques” in Idries Shah (ed.) Sufi Thought and Act ion (London: Octagon Press, 1990), pp. 77-78. (26) Idries Shah Special Illuminat ion: The Sufi Use of Humour (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 10-11. (27) Nancy Wilson Ross (ed.) The W orld of Zen: An East -W est Ant hology (New York: Vintage Books, 1960), p. 186. (28) Giovanna de Garayalde Jorge Luis Borges: Sources and Illuminat ion (London : Octagon Press, 1978), pp. 75-76. (29) Robert Ornstein The Nat ure of Human Consciousness (San Francisco: W.H. Freeman and Co., 1973), p. 274. (30) Idries Shah A Perfumed Scorpion (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 168-169. (31) Hakuyu Taizan Maezumi and Bernard Tetsugen Glassman (eds.) On Zen Pract ice II (Los Angeles: Zen Center of Los Angeles, 1977), p. 68. (32) Garma C.C. Chang The Pract ice of Zen (New York: Harper & Row, 1970), p. 18. (33) Eido Shimano “Zen Koans” in Kenneth Kraft (ed.) Zen: Tradit ion and Transit ion (New York: Grove Press, 1989), p. 77. (34) Philip Kapleau “The Private Encounter with the Master” in Kenneth Kraft (ed.) Zen: Tradit ion and Transit ion (New York: Grove Press, 1989), p. 62. (35) Thomas Cleary No Barrier: Unlocking t he Zen Koan (New York: Bantam Books, 1993), p. xiii. 23

(36) Philip Kapleau The Three Pillars of Zen (New York: Anchor Books, 1989), p. 70. (37) Garma C.C. Chang The Pract ice of Zen (New York: Harper & Row, 1970), pp. 49-50. (38) Thomas Cleary No Barrier: Unlocking t he Zen Koan (New York: Bantam Books, 1993), pp. xiv-xv. (39) Philip Kapleau Zen Daw n in t he W est (New York: Anchor Press, 1979), p. 106. (40) Sheng-Yen “Zen Meditation” in Kenneth Kraft (ed.) Zen: Tradit ion and Transit ion (New York: Grove Press, 1989), p. 40. (41) William Barrett (ed.) Zen Buddhism: Select ed W rit ings of D.T. Suzuki (New York: Anchor Books, 1956), p. 150.

24

TRANSMUTATION AND PURIFICATION ‘We shall not cease from exploration And the end of all our exploring Will be to arrive where we started And know the place for the first time.’ T.S. Eliot

Nature of the Spiritual Journey It is very difficult to define a universal yardstick to measure the spiritual progress of every seeker. Real spiritual growth is rarely spectacular and much more likely to be characterized by subtle changes and small, yet steady, incremental steps. Zen teacher Charlotte Beck: “Intervals where we just stay with life as it is get a little longer, and the interruptions of our self-centeredness are a little shorter. The interruptions don’t last as long, and we don’t take them as seriously. Increasingly, they’re like clouds that drift through the sky: we note them, but we are less controlled by them.” Paradoxically, seeking signs of change and growth can act as an impediment to real inner development. Gurdjieff enjoined his pupils to “never look for results, never to ‘philosophize’ about what we were doing, but simply to do – with faith.” The mind is drawn to the notion of a preconceived path with specific stages marked by defining experiences and insights. Spiritual teacher Toni Packer questions this unexamined premise: Teachings that postulate stages grab the thinking mind. We wonder what these stages are like, and trying to figure them out is an exercise in headaches. Of course the main interest is, “What stage am I in? How many more will I have to go through?” Can we drop the idea of stages and not pick it up again, even though it is prevalent in many traditions? Can we see and feel that any such conceptualization is already a straitjacket? Thought is so powerful – thinking what I am now, what I will be next, judging myself about what I think I am and what I could be. The power of such thoughts cannot be overestimated. They prevent a presence, an awareness that defies all definition. (1) Many spiritual teachers have warned their students not to become ensnared in end-gaining fixations and compulsive seeking of results. Chögyam Trungpa: “So long as you set up the Self as a goal or target to be reached you will never experience it directly. The harder you try to get to it, the more it will recede away from you. You will only experience the Self when all desire for it has gone.” The desire to achieve particular states of consciousness or being actually separates ourselves from the reality of what we are:

1

Vehicles designed to carry us beyond our conceptual boundaries cannot of themselves carry us all the way back to the state of wholeness we came from. While the shift can occur in the midst of such practices, they do not produce it, they simply point us in the right direction. Using effort to purify virtue, calm the mind, or attain insights is, according to the Taoists, as useless as “beating a drum in search of a fugitive.” “Yogas, prayers, therapies, and spiritual exercises,” says Alan Watts, “are at root only elaborate postponements of the recognition that there is nothing to be grasped and no way to grasp it.” Innumerable other teachers have voiced the same truth. The more effort we make, the more we strain to control what happens in our practice, the further away we get from what is. We become so busy doing that we forget being. Always looking ahead, we overlook where we are. (2) The allure, promise and hope of success as a result of relentless effort and goal-oriented achievement in the pursuit of spiritual realization is deeply ingrained in the psyche of most seekers and difficult to overcome. In the words of nondual teacher Tony Parsons: “Life is not a task. There is absolutely nothing to attain except the realization that there is absolutely nothing to attain. No amount of effort will ever persuade oneness to appear. All that is needed is a leap in perception, a different seeing, already inherent but unrecognised.” Doctrines, processes and progressive paths which seek enlightenment only exacerbate the problem they address by reinforcing the idea that the self can find something that it presumes it has lost. It is that very effort, that investment in selfidentity that continually recreates the illusion of separation from oneness. It is the dream of individuality. It is like someone who imagines that they are in a deep hole in the earth, and in order to escape they dig deeper and deeper, throwing the earth behind them and covering up the light that is already there. The only effect of extreme effort to become that which I already am, is that eventually I will drop to the ground exhausted and let go. In that letting go another possibility may arise. But the temptation to avoid freedom through the sanctification of struggle is very attractive. Struggle in time does not invite liberation. (3) Progressive or gradual teachings emphasize a time-bound approach to spiritual realization which reinforces a subtle sense of separation, incompleteness and duality in the quest for enlightenment: In the world of time, processes and goals are perfectly appropriate, but there is so much investment placed on the attachment and expectations that surround them – becoming this, belonging to that, processes to change, or to be better, methods to purify, and so on. Important new people and places, masters of consciousness and teachers of truth spring up from everywhere and offer their own particular formula for living. And as we move from one to another we seem unwilling to see that freedom does not reside in one place or another, simply because freedom, by its very nature, cannot be excluded or exclusive. We seem not to see that, as we march towards the next anticipated “spiritual” high, the treasure that we seek is to be dis2

covered not in where we are going, but within the simple nature of the very footsteps that we take. In our rush to find a better situation in time, we trample over the flower of beingness that presents itself in every moment. It seems to me that our attachment to purpose is born from the need to prove something to ourselves. But life is simply life, and is not trying to prove anything at all. This springtime will not try to be better than last springtime, and neither will an ash tree try to become an oak. By letting go our fascination with the extraordinary and spectacular, we can allow ourselves to recognize the simple wonder that lies within the ordinary. (4) Viewed from a larger perspective, the Path consists of “endless steps” which draw the seeker back to the reality of the present moment: “Give up the search for something to happen and fall intimately in love with the gift of presence in ‘what is.’ Here, right here, is the seat of all that you will ever long for. It is simple and ordinary and magnificent. You see, you are already home.” When we venture forth on the mystical journey, we may imagine our destination as a place far away from where we are, in every sense – someplace profoundly, essentially, other. But at the end of the path, there is no final ascent to a transcendent, otherworldly realm. Rather, the quest leads seekers back to the suchness of the present moment, to “just this.” Setting down the burdens of identification, the attachment of the ego, and the weight of self-consciousness, we find ourselves back where we started – the same place but appareled in newness and unimagined splendour. Indeed, the fragmented terrain we left, the “lesser world” in which we have spent most of our lives, turns out to be the Promised Land to which all wisdom traditions have pointed. The world has not changed – it is still replete with all the characteristic suffering and dilemmas of existence – but we have changed, and we see it with new eyes: the eyes of life itself. In the wake of illumination, when conditioning no longer obscures our vision, the world is transfigured, and the sages of every lineage sing its joyful praises. In the midst of earthly turmoil and distress, they see overflowing wonders. (5) Throughout history, the world’s great spiritual traditions have pointed to the fundamental ground of existence and the great mystery of Being. At their heart, the various teachings embody a universal truth which transcends time-bound and cultural expressions of spirituality. “There is no path. The path is created by the mind. It’s like flying into the sky. It’s an open sky, free sky, you just have to open your wings and take a jump. When you fly into the sky there is no path.” Professor John Greer points to this essential experience: “Enlightenment is not something that you can search for. When all searching ends, when you just stop, when you’re still, then something opens up from inside. Enlightenment is not something that we have lost. It is our natural state.” The Perennial Philosophy sees something within us that calls us back to our beginnings. It is not a return to something we left behind so much as a recognition of 3

something that has always been. As it is impossible to attain that which we never lost, seekers must simply remember what is, and be the “suchness” that they are – in other words, experience directly the most basic fact of being alive in this very moment. This suchness, so often mentioned in the mystical wisdom traditions, is simply what always is, but often goes unnoticed in our busy days and thoughtfilled minds. (6)

Transformation of Conditioned Patterns For most people the structure of their personality is based on habitual conditioned mental and emotional patterns which produce a form of “slavery” to both inner and outer influences. The work of inner transformation consists of observing these patterns and then reducing their effect through the application of open attention and awareness. “Change by choice becomes possible only when we have free attention, a level of attention that is not completely absorbed by conditioning. The ability to act and respond (rather than react) depends on the ability to maintain such a level of attention.” As we practice attention, we see the conditioning that runs our lives more and more clearly. We see how our reactions and conditioned behaviors create difficulties and suffering for everyone, including us. At first we are not able to change our behavior, but continued work in cultivating attention eventually opens up the possibility of acting differently. One day, instead of reacting to a situation, we see another possibility and do it. Everything changes. With this first cut into a pattern of reactive behavior, we realize that we can live and function in the world without relying on conditioned behaviors and the self-images underlying them. We can live in attention. Now, as soon as we are aware that habituated patterns are operating, we use attention to cut through them and then do what the situation requires. (7) As a result of inner work, the powerful grip of personality gradually weakens over time. Zen teacher Albert Low describes this process: “A veritable explosion had occurred, but debris remains. Old habits, mind states, reactions are still there, as well as irritation, anxiety, ambition. But they have lost their grip. Old enemies rise up, crumble and return to dust, and that tyrant the old king is broken, he needs be fed no longer.” In many traditions sitting meditation is used to dismantle the conditioned patterns of the personality and liberate the inner essential being of the practitioner: Personality suggests a rigid or permanent inner structure. Our personality is the strategy we have devised to cope with life. In this sense, the castle is our personality. As we sit over time, dominant features of our personality fade. In those who have been sitting well for a long time, personality tends to disappear and leave openness. In a sense, the more we sit, the less personality we have . . . Over time, 4

good practice makes us more responsive to what’s going on. Instead of an unvarying response, however, we respond more freely in a way that fits the situation. Practice enhances our ability to respond appropriately. Personality no longer gets in the way. (8) When we begin to free ourselves from conditioning a more spontaneous approach to life emerges: “The self that seemed so solid and predictable begins to melt, and we become more comfortable with our true self, which is fluid and unfixed.” Life has conditioned us to create and protect the self, and this habit doesn’t die easily. Still, we can begin to let go of this conditioning by paying attention to the behavior patterns that serve to keep the self intact. With practice we can become aware of conditioned responses before acting on them. In Buddhism this is the point of liberation. The moment a thought or desire pops up, we can choose to respond in a way that is different from our habitual, self-serving response. Mindfulness allows us to seize the moment between the impulse to act and the action itself. We can choose to respond in a new and creative way, or we can choose to simply watch as the impulse fades away. Either way, we have claimed our freedom. (9) One of the consequences of spiritual work is a reduction of self-absorbed behaviour in favour of a more inclusive approach to life. P.D. Ouspensky observed this change in himself after he had worked with Gurdjieff for a number of years: “The first thing I could record was the weakening in me of that extreme individualism which up to that time had been the fundamental feature in my attitude to life. I began to see people more, to feel my community with them more.” As our spiritual practice ripens, we become more stable and centered, so that the inevitable challenges of life no longer shake us and we begin to see things just as they are. The compulsive self-centered mind is held in abeyance and the real self emerges to meet the challenges of life. A long-time practitioner of Zen writes, “I have lost much that was not really myself, and as a result the burden of the false self which I was carrying around has become lighter. I do not yet know who I really am, but I know better who I am not, and this means I can move about and flow more easily through life.” This practice of fearlessly being who we are – precisely the person we naturally are, with no affectation, no pretension – requires a lot of integrity and a lot of humility. If we are true to ourselves in the depths of our being, then we can be true to all other beings. Without any self-conscious effort, we just respond spontaneously to what needs to be done . . . During this time together, we are constantly paring down, continually letting go of these opinions, these fixed thoughts for or against. And we are committing ourselves to listening, to accepting whatever comes along, rather than closing up or defending ourselves against it. (10) 5

When a spiritual teaching is fully understood and actualized there is a fundamental reorientation and a fresh perception of life. Advaita teacher Jean Klein describes this process in his own self-realization under the guidance of his teacher: The old patterns of thinking and acting – of false identification with the body – having lost their concreteness, no longer had any hold. It was a reduction from dispersion to orientation, a strengthening of the fore-feeling of truth. It became more and more present and less conceptual. This being understanding gave a new direction to my life. Everything was perceived in a new way. I became more discerning, and although I made no voluntary changes, many things that had occupied places in my earlier life just dropped away. I had been lured by names and forms as I strove for having and becoming, but with the orientation of energy there came a new order of values. You must not interpret this as adopting a new morality of any kind. Nothing was added or given up. I just became aware of the “clearness,” sattvas, and a transformation spontaneously followed from this awareness. (11) The reduction of the ego and conditioned patterns of thinking, feeling and perceiving allows our real self to emerge. “When the sense of self is in abeyance, we are all whole – not just whole but the whole, without all the anxiety that invariably goes with the sense of a separate me. In living presence there is no sense of time, no inside or outside, no me and you – just wholesome being without walls that would separate and divide us.” When forms that you had identified with, that gave you your sense of self, collapse or are taken away, it can lead to a collapse of the ego, since ego is identification with form. When there is nothing to identify with anymore, who are you? When forms around you die or death approaches, your sense of Beingness, of I Am, is freed from its entanglement with form: Spirit is released from its imprisonment in matter. You realize your essential identity as formless, as an all-pervasive Presence, of Being prior to all forms, all identifications. You realize your true identity as consciousness itself, rather than what consciousness had identified with. That’s the peace of God. The ultimate truth of who you are is not I am this or I am that, but I am. (12)

Harmonization and Integration with Everyday Life Spiritual maturity develops and ripens from within, but expresses itself through the ordinary circumstances and activities of everyday life. Our inner life is manifested in a harmonious integration with the outer world in all its myriad aspects and potentialities. One of the great challenges of the spiritual journey to enlightenment is to harmonize two seemingly different aspects of reality – the world of form and change (samsara) and the realm of timeless, transcendent spirit (nirvana): 6

Seen through the lens of the Perennial Philosophy, our spiritual journey is a path that connects the two essential but seemingly incompatible halves of our being. The half with which we are all familiar is defined by duality; opposition and contrast are everywhere in our ordinary surroundings. We are conditioned to see things dualistically, within an either/or framework. Our lives constantly swing between fortune and loss, pleasure and pain, good and evil, and all the other polarities that characterize everyday experience as we know it . . . The other half of this fundamental polarity is nonduality, that forgotten dimension where unity is found in multiplicity. All the world’s sacred traditions and sages identify nonduality as our true nature. It is the source from which we came. Sometimes referred to as the absolute, the invisible, the Divine, or simply suchness, this aspect of our being has no boundaries, divisions, or oppositions. It is the state of being we yearn for and the goal of our journey home. (13) Most people are lost in and identified with the changing circumstances of the outer world and pay little attention to nurturing their inner being, or developing a meaningful relationship between these two worlds. It is a great mistake to regard spirituality as divorced from the everyday world of phenomena and experience: What’s wrong is that spirituality is regarded as something extraordinary, something completely out of touch with everyday life. You step out into another sphere, another realm, so to speak, and you feel that this other realm is the only answer. That is why it is so important for us to talk about spirituality in connection with all the aspects of relating with our familiar world. It is possible for us to see ordinary situations from the point of view of an extraordinary insight – that of discovering a jewel in a rubbish heap. You have to start with what you are, where you are now. Concept cannot exist in the present state, but awareness is very much there. You are aware of the present state. You are now, you are not past, you are not future, but you are now. In that state of awareness, you don’t need to cling to concepts about who you are or who you will be. (14) The discerning seeker can distinguish between teachings which promise higher states of consciousness and the attainment of powers and worldly abilities, and those which harmonize with the simplicity and wonder of the present moment’s timeless mystery: In undertaking a spiritual life, what matters is simple: We must make certain that ours is a path with heart. Many other visions are offered to us in the modern spiritual marketplace. Spiritual traditions offer stories of enlightenment, bliss, knowledge, divine ecstasy, and the highest possibilities of the human spirit. Out of the broad range of teachings available to us in the world, often we are first attracted to these glamorous and most extraordinary aspects. While the promise of attaining such states can come true and, and while these states do represent the teachings in one sense, they are also one of the advertising techniques of the spiritual trade. They are not the goal of spiritual life. In the end, spiritual life is not a pro7

cess of seeking or gaining some extraordinary condition or special powers. In fact, such seeking can take us away from ourselves and from awakening. If we are not careful, we can easily find the great failures of our modern society – its ambitions, materialism, and individual isolation – repeated in our spiritual life. In beginning a genuine spiritual journey, we have to stay much closer to home, to focus directly on what is right here in front of us, to make sure that our path is connected with love and a simple, compassionate presence. Listening with the heart to the mystery here and now is where meditation begins. (15) In order for action in the world to be skilful and effective, there must be a basic underlying foundation of intelligence and awakened consciousness, sometimes called “an inner authentic presence.” Jack Kornfield: “The very walking itself is the goal because each moment that you are mindful, fully in the present, freed from greed, hatred, and delusion, is a moment of liberation as well as a step toward final liberation.” We are also learning that action, although necessary, is only a secondary factor in manifesting our external reality. The primary factor in creation is consciousness. No matter how active we are, how much effort we make, our state of consciousness creates our world, and if there is no change on that inner level, no amount of action will make any difference. We would only re-create modified versions of the same world again and again, a world that is an external reflection of the ego. (16) Spiritual insight and understanding integrate the relative and the absolute, the secondary and the primary dimensions of life and reality. Tibetan Buddhist teacher Tarthang Tulku: “We are centered in the immediacy of experience, and yet still participate in its outward forms to manifest our inner experience. This understanding is true integration, a genuine connection of our whole being with the reality of experience, with the ‘now’ which is unlimited by time and space.” Q: Can we look at one’s spiritual development as a linear progression? A: Here we come back to the question of seeing things from the level of absolute or relative reality. In teaching or in practice, it is often useful to think of the deepening of meditation and insight as the development of more frequent moments of wisdom, over a period of time. Thus, on this relative level, practice is a progression, an improvement over time. In fact, from the absolute level, time does not exist. Time is a concept, the only thing that exists to our perception is here and now. There is only the present moment. The use of time and the use of the word path is only a relative way of speaking. With this absolute understanding, we come fully into the moment, and the path is complete. There is no improvement, only being here now. (17)

8

References (1) Toni Packer The Wonder of Presence (Boston: Shambhala, 2002), p. 21. (2) John Greer Seeing, Knowing, Being (Memphis: True Compass Press, 2012), pp. 167-168. (3) Tony Parsons The Open Secret (Shaftesbury, England: Open Secret Publishing, 2005), pp. 4-5. (4) Tony Parsons As It Is (Carlsbad, California: Inner Directions Publishing, 2004), pp. 27-28. (5) John Greer Seeing, Knowing, Being (Memphis: True Compass Press, 2012), pp. 229-230. (6) John Greer Seeing, Knowing, Being (Memphis: True Compass Press, 2012), p. 10. (7) Ken McLeod Wake Up to Your Life (New York: HarperOne, 2002), p. 36. (8) Charlotte Beck Nothing Special: Living Zen (San Francisco: Harper, 1993), pp. 145-146. (9) Dennis Gempo Merzel The Path of the Human Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2005), p. 90. (10) Maurine Stuart Subtle Sound: The Zen Teachings of Maurine Stuart (Boston: Shambhala, 1996), pp. 68-69. (11) Jean Klein The Ease of Being (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1986), p. xii. (12) Eckhart Tolle A New Earth (New York: Dutton, 2005), pp. 56-57. (13) John Greer Seeing, Knowing, Being (Memphis: True Compass Press, 2012), p. 10. (14) Chögyam Trungpa Work, Sex, Money (Boston: Shambhala, 2011), p. 98. (15) Jack Kornfield The Buddha is Still Teaching (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), pp. 10-11. (16) Eckhart Tolle A New Earth (New York: Dutton, 2005), p. 290. (17) Jack Kornfield Living Buddhist Masters (Santa Cruz: Unity Press, 1977), p. 299.

9

FRUITION OF THE PATH

‘All know t hat the drop merges in t he ocean, but few know t hat the ocean merges in t he drop.’ Kabir

Skilful Living and Action

One of the consequences of the awakened mind is the enhanced ability to act selflessly and compassionately in all circumstances of life. “To offer no resistance to life is to be in a state of grace, ease and lightness. This state is then no longer dependent upon things being in a certain way, good or bad. Life flows with ease.” As soon as you honor the present moment, all unhappiness and struggle dissolve, and life begins to flow with joy and ease. When you act out of present-moment awareness, whatever you do becomes imbued with a sense of quality, care and love – even the most simple action. So do not be concerned with the fruit of your action – just give attention to the action itself. The fruit will come of its own accord. In the Bhagavad Git a , one of the oldest and most beautiful spiritual teachings in existence, non-attachment to the fruit of your action is called Karma yoga. It is described as the path of “consecrated action.” When the compulsive striving away from the now ceases, the joy of Being flows into everything you do. The moment your attention turns to the Now, you feel a presence, a stillness, a peace. You no longer depend on the future for fulfillment and satisfaction – you don’t look to it for salvation. Therefore you are not attached to the results. Neither failure nor success has the power to change your inner state of Being. (1) It is impossible to control or foresee the results or consequences of our actions in the world. All that we can do is focus our attention on the reality of the present moment. “Plunge your whole life into what you are doing at that very moment and live that way. Whatever you do, whatever the task at hand, your whole life is there at that moment.” Silence in action is a doerless doing in which you just wash the dishes, just vacuum the floor. The ego is not present. Typically, whatever we do, we bring an “I” to it, attach to it as me or mine. But silence is the place where there is no ego, and silence in action involves acting in the world without making the action me or mine. In the process of uniting with the particular activity, we at least temporarily forget the self and are intimate with the vividness of what is there. Various traditions come at this truth in different ways. In China, one answer to the question, What is enlightenment? was: Eating rice and drinking tea. Actually, you can eat and drink anything, but just eat and drink. The preoccupation with self goes into abeyance, and you are 1

manifesting the depths of silence in the ordinary world. You can do the same thing with any action. That is what Zen means by No Mind or Clear Mind. You step away from your past conditioning and are fresh, alive, and innocent in the moment. (2) The way in which we interact with the world, with all its complexities and challenges, is a reflection or mirror of our inner development. Adyashanti: “The challenge of enlightenment is not simply to glimpse the awakened condition nor even to continuously experience it. It is to be and express it as your true self in the way you move in the world.” Q: What motivates a liberated person to act in the world? It seems that without the motivation of desire, even the desire to help others, there would be no motivation to act at all. A: In Liberation you are in that state which is prior to any causation. Therefore, actions happen without any motivation for doing them. You are not doing for yourself or for the love of others. You are prior to any motivation. Actions simply happen. From the outside, such actions may be viewed as loving, kind, and wise, but to the liberated one, all happens spontaneously and free of any motive. Actions arise out of the most natural, primordial state. (3) Spiritual practice, when properly carried out, leads to a richer, more complete engagement with life. Our actions become less ego-driven and more appropriate to the actual situation and circumstance. We become more skilful, more effective. Gurdjieff: “There are no limits for selfperfecting, and so each attainment is only a temporary state. People in their outer life can play any social role, fulfil any job, have any occupation that occurs in life.” Zen teacher Maurine Stuart provides a Buddhist perspective of this spiritual unfolding in the everyday world: How does our Zen training help us change? So simply. It helps us to do what needs to be done, whether it’s cleaning, sitting, sleeping, or eating. When we are completely engaged in our activities, we are creating some stability within the everchanging world in which we live. There is a feeling of being rooted in this simple practice. We are no longer pulled here and there in a tug-of-war. We sit, and in our sitting, we experience the eternal, this Buddha-mind, or Buddha-nature, within the changing scenery. And through our practice, we maintain this mind as a presence in our lives, no matter what happens – storms, disappointments, illnesses – whatever happens, we find nourishment and stability. We are ready to face whatever it is clearly. (4) When there is a fundamental shift in our perception of and attitude toward the vicissitudes of life, we can overcome our conditioned emotional and mental reactions and deal with whatever challenges come our way in a healthy and effective manner. “It is possible to expand our vision and give fearlessly to others. In that way, we have possibilities of effecting fundamental change. We cannot change the way the world is, but by opening ourselves to the world as it is, we may find that gentleness and bravery are available, not only to us, but to all human beings.” 2

When we are flexible, able to adapt to the demands of even difficult situations, we become effective in whatever we do. We constantly learn and change. Rather than forcefully pursuing our goals, we bring a light, fluid quality to each action that allows us to achieve our aims with ease and enjoyment. As we discover that we have the ability to accomplish whatever we set out to do, we begin to wake up, to see more of the possibilities in life. We become our own teacher, guiding ourselves into a flowing interaction with our environment and with the world. As we continue to open to the nature of existence, we are able to share with others, and to participate in actions which bring benefit to all. (5) Selfless action, without concern for oneself, is the highest manifestation of altruistic love and all-embracing compassion. We are able to meet every situation in life with intelligence and skilful responsiveness, fully present in the moment with an awareness that is open and free. In the words of Chögyam Trungpa: “Being open means being free to do whatever is called for in a given situation. Because you do not want anything from the situation, you are free to act in a way genuinely appropriate to it.” We can nourish a powerful awareness that can eventually cut through our deepest assumptions and help us to live awake and in truth. We can find the freedom to choose an action that takes into account the circumstances present at any given time in any given situation – doing w hat best serves life. Taking action that best serves life means to take action that comes out of being as aware as possible of the many conditions present in any situation. It is action based not on our self-centered view of life but one that considers whatever other conditions our awareness holds in the situation. It includes but is not limited to how the conditions affect us. (6) Right action arises from a state of calm, conscious presence devoid of personal or subjective motivation and intention. “The consciousness out of which actions emanate can be either the reactive force of the ego or the alert attention of awakened consciousness. All truly successful action comes out of the field of alert attention, rather than from ego and conditioned, unconscious thinking.” Presence is a state of inner spaciousness. When you are present, you ask: how do I respond to the needs of this situation, of this moment? In fact, you don’t even need to ask the question. You are still, alert, open to what is. You bring a new dimension into the situation: space. Then you look and you listen. Thus you become one with the situation. When instead of reacting against a situation, you merge with it, the solution arises out of the situation itself. Actually, it is not you, the person, who is looking and listening, but the alert stillness itself. Then, if action is possible or necessary, you take action or rather right action happens through you. Right action is action that is appropriate to the whole. When the action is accomplished, the alert, spacious stillness remains. (7)

3

Freedom and Nonattachment

There are many different indications suggestive of spiritual attainment and maturity. When asked what are the signs of progress in spiritual life, Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj replied, “Freedom from all anxiety, deep peace within and abundant energy without.” Other spiritual teachers concur. Charlotte Beck: “Joy increases; peace increases; the ability to live a beneficial and compassionate life increases. And the life which can be hurt by the whims of outside circumstances subtly alters. We have a sense of growing sanity and understanding, of basic satisfaction.” And Jack Kornfield: “Spiritual growth leads to freedom. It leads to living more in the moment, fully experiencing what’s there, seeing things clearly as they are. It leads to the letting go of attachments and therefore to less suffering, to less selfishness which means more love and joy, more compassion for other beings and a more gentle flow with what is.” When we abide in our natural state of openness and pure awareness, lesser desires and emotional distress of all kinds fade away: You will recognize that you have returned to your natural state by a complete absence of all desire and fear. After all, at the root of all desire and fear is the feeling of not being what you are. Just as a dislocated joint pains only as long as it is out of shape, and is forgotten as soon as it is set right, so is all self-concern a symptom of mental distortion which disappears as soon as one is in the normal state. (8) We are in touch with our natural state of pure awareness and presence when we become more open and our natural innate intelligence is operating optimally. “We find that we are functioning more surely, more clearly, more joyfully, more energetically in our daily life, and above all, we have a better connection with all human beings with whom we come in contact.” We tend to see clearly. We tend to know how to balance things out and what to do in a particular situation. We tend to remain calm, because we’re not upset by every little thing. We tend to be more playful. We tend to be spontaneous. We tend to be more cooperative. We tend to see others more fully, instead of viewing them as things to be manipulated. (9) Inner work leads to self-discovery and self-knowledge and a level of awareness which gives us control over the direction and purpose of our lives. There is a fundamental reorientation to how we view life. Zen teacher Susan Murphy: “When we want nothing, we begin to notice and truly appreciate each thing that the universe offers us. It is a state of awake openness to the very moment of being, a natural awareness that nothing is lacking. It is an objectless, nameless gratitude for sheer being, a most simple happiness.” Tibetan Buddhist teacher Tarthang Tulku echoes this heartfelt sentiment: “Every moment in life is an opportunity for learning, every experience enriches our lives. We are the directors of a magnificent play, and it is up to us to see that every moment in our lives is enacted with the uplifting quality of true inspiration.” 4

All of our actions reflect a natural cheerfulness, and life and work take on a light, enjoyable quality that sustains us in everything we do. Life becomes an art, an expression of the flowing interaction of our bodies, minds and senses with each experience in our lives. We can rely on ourselves to fulfill even our innermost needs, and thus we become genuinely free. Inner freedom allows us to use our intelligence wisely; once we learn how to use it, we can never lose the clarity and confidence it bring us. This freedom and vitality are available to each one of us. Knowing ourselves better will prompt deeper insight, more understanding, and a sense of peace. We will grow healthy in body and mind, our work, family and relationships will become more meaningful. When we gain inner freedom, we will discover a deep and lasting enjoyment in all that we do. (10) Only when we fully accept life as it is can we enter the mystery of Being and understand the depth of meaning embodied in even the smallest, seemingly insignificant, manifestation of the living reality of “that which is.” Byron Katie gives voice to this insight: The wonderful thing about knowing who you are is that you’re always in a state of grace, a state of gratitude for the abundance of the apparent world. I overflow with the splendor, the generosity of it all. And I didn’t do anything for it but notice. The litmus test for self-realization is a constant state of gratitude. This gratitude is not something you can look for or find. It comes from another direction, and it takes you over completely. It’s so vast that it can’t be dimmed or overlaid. When you live your life from that place of gratitude, you’ve come home. (11) Jesus spoke of a “peace that passes all understanding,” a numinous state free of fear and suffering, grasping and clinging. It is revealed when we move beyond limited viewpoints and conditioned beliefs and embrace the totality of life and experience. “There is a common element in the ability to see beauty, to appreciate simple things, to enjoy your own company, or to relate to other people with loving kindness. This common element is a sense of contentment, peace, and aliveness that is the invisible background without which these experiences would not be possible.” True salvation is fulfillment, peace, life in all its fullness. It is to be who you are, to feel within you the good that has no opposite, the joy of Being that depends on nothing outside itself. It is felt not as a passing experience but as an abiding presence. In theistic language, it is to “know God” – not as something outside you but as your own innermost essence. True salvation is to know yourself as an inseparable part of the timeless and formless One Life from which all that exists derives its being. (12) The teaching of nonattachment lies at the heart of many spiritual traditions. Overcoming our conditioned attachments to people and things of the world can be truly transformative. “Nonattachment is the experience of flow, of allowing life to move and unfold without control or censure. Whatever happens within ourselves and our environment occurs without disturb5

ing our attunement to the radiant stillness of fundamental consciousness. Nonattachment is the full, direct experience of life at the same time as we experience the unchanging ground that pervades our life.” The practice of nonattachment is not the same as “detachment”; it does not suggest that we avoid having preferences, nor does it require that we renounce all our possessions or the aspects of daily life we enjoy. Instead, it points the way for changing our relat ionship to our experiences. When we no longer grasp or resist the various aspects of our lives, our eyes are opened to the magic of what is. We realize that our efforts to control the endless flow of life are futile. The untiring human determination to control things, to get and keep what is pleasant and avoid or eliminate all that is not, flies in the face of reality. We have no control over the way life unfolds. Accepting the natural unfolding of life, we learn to be present with what is . . . When we accept life as it is, with an open gentle spirit, we are able to taste the true flavor of reality. (13) Egolessness is another attribute of the awakened state of consciousness. Buddhist teacher Pema Chödrön describes it in metaphorical terms as similar to the rays of the sun radiating outward and bathing all they touch with non-discriminating light and warmth. “Generosity of the heart wishes happiness to all beings, both oneself and others. Loving-kindness fills the heart with benevolence and seeks the welfare and benefit of all.” Wakefulness naturally radiates out when we’re not so concerned with ourselves. Egolessness is the same thing as basic goodness or Buddha nature, our unconditional being. It’s what we always have and never really lose. Ego could be defined as whatever covers up basic goodness. From an experiential point of view, what is ego covering up? It’s covering up our experience of just being here, just fully being where we are, so that we can relate with the immediacy of our experience. Egolessness is a state of mind that has complete confidence in the sacredness of the world. It is unconditional well-being, unconditional joy that includes all the different qualities of our experience. (14) Compassion and love flower when there is no division or separation between oneself and others. “Individuals no longer blinded by the conceptual boundaries between self and other can support those who are suffering. Help is offered before it is even asked, with nothing expected in return. It is giving for the sake of giving, and it comes naturally to those who know that, in truth, there is no difference between themselves and others.” True wisdom develops when our circle of awareness grows wider and wider and perceives the inter-connectedness and inter-dependence of all things. The result is selfless love and compassionate action. In the words of Buddhist teacher Namgyal Rinpoche: “Realize that the universe is boundless, loving, and good, that finiteness is merely an illusion of the ego. The question is not whether God is loving, but whether you are loving. Plant infinite seeds of virtue

6

because every moment of giving is a little death of the little self; only then can you be an affirmation of unity.”

Timeless Aw areness

As the spiritual journey progresses, our narrow conditioned outlook on life is replaced with a more panoramic awareness and enlargement of our horizons. The inner consciousness undergoes a process of refinement and purification; intuition and inspiration replace old patterns of thinking and mechanical emotional responses. Zen teacher Maurine Stuart describes this deepening of awareness and perception: “We become more in touch with everything. Literally and figuratively our senses become very keen, we smell, taste and touch with a new kind of awareness, and the intuitive mind becomes more sensitive as well. We find that there is less confusion in our lives, that we are more wide awake. By accepting everything just as it comes, we become free, more open, more alert, more vividly alive.” Pure timeless awareness is intrinsic and infinitely available, but “it is camouflaged, like a shy animal.” Self-realization is not a gaining of something new but rather a natural dropping off of previous self-imposed barriers to the expression of our true nature. “In Zen the point is to be – more aware, loving and self-reliant. As your conceits, resentments, and stubbornness fade away, your innate pure, unstained nature will reveal itself.” Having read many books about Zen prior to enlightenment, I had the illusory notion that if I would attain enlightenment I would acquirer supernatural powers, or develop an outstanding personality all at once, or become a great sage, or that all suffering would be a annihilated and the world become heaven-like. These false ideas of mine, I now see, hindered the master in guiding me. Before awakening I was very much worried about my physical condition, about death, about the unsatisfactory condition of society, and many other things, but after enlightenment they no longer upset me. Nowadays whatever I do I am completely at one with it. I accept pleasant things as wholly pleasant and distasteful things as completely distasteful, and then immediately forget the reaction of pleasantness or distastefulness. I feel that through the experience of enlightenment the human mind can expand to the infinity of the cosmos. True greatness has nothing to do with fortune, social status, or intellectual capacity, but simply with enlargement of mind. (15) Many teachings stress the importance of an undivided attention and open awareness grounded in the present moment. Gurdjieff: “When you do a thing, do it with the whole self, one thing at a time.” And Vipassana teacher Joseph Goldstein: “As awareness becomes steadier and concentration stronger, the quality of bare attention begins to reveal deeper insights into the world and into ourselves. We begin to cut through the stories we tell ourselves about experience, living less in thoughts about things and increasingly in the direct experience of the moment.” For Buddhist teacher Namgyal Rinpoche, wisdom flowers with the 7

growth of awareness: “You are involved in the development of awareness; insights arise automatically when awareness is present. Awareness of the small moments in daily life leads to the knowing-awakening, the effortless perfection of wisdom.” Nondual teachings such as Advaita Vedanta recommend focusing on the sense of ‘I am’ as a doorway to higher states of consciousness: Hold on to the sense ‘I am’ to the exclusion of everything else. When thus the mind becomes completely silent, it shines with a new light and vibrates with new knowledge. It all comes spontaneously, you need only hold on to the ‘I am.’ Just like emerging from sleep or a state of rapture you feel rested and yet you cannot explain why and how you come to feel so well; in the same way on realization you feel complete, fulfilled, free from the pleasure-pain complex, and yet not always able to explain what happened, how and why. You can put it only in negative terms: ‘Nothing is wrong with me any longer.’ It is only by comparison with the past that you know that you are out of it. Otherwise – you are just yourself. Don’t try to convey it to others. Be silent and watch it expressing itself in action. (16) Advaita Vedanta teacher Jean Klein describes his experience of awakening in mystical terms: My Master explained to me that this light, which seemed to come from outside, was really light reflected by the Self. In my meditations I was visited by this light and attracted by it and it gave me greater clarity in action, thinking and feeling. My way of listening became unconditioned, free from past and future. This unconditional listening brought me to a receptive alertness and as I became familiar with this alertness it became free from all expectation, all volition. I felt an establishing in attention, an unfolding in fullness to awareness. (17) As consciousness expands and matures, the seeker begins to directly experience the oneness and indivisibility of all life. “The dimension of fundamental consciousness never changes. When we realize this most subtle aspect of ourselves, we experience a vast, unchanging stillness pervading our body and our environment. We feel that we ourselves are fundamentally timeless and changeless.” In Zen Buddhism this profound experience is sometimes expressed by the phrase, “I have never moved from the beginning.” When we no longer identify with the surface content of the mind – thoughts, feelings and sensations – we are able to perceive the underlying ground of being or pure awareness. In the words of Toni Packer: “If you are established in this timeless presence, if you are in touch with it, you don’t have to navigate and negotiate. You’re just here, and a response will come out of this intelligent or wise presence. If there is this timeless quality in one’s perception, one simply sees what is and responds.” Buddhist teacher Ken McLeod elaborates on this idea: What we are – pure being, empty awareness, Buddha nature – is obscured by the presence of habituated patterns of perception, feeling and thinking. The practice 8

of mind training takes the raw ore of awareness and experience and refines it, progressively eliminating the impurities that cloud perception and trigger reactions. As impurities are removed, direct open awareness manifests more and more clearly. The sense of separation created by the subject-object patterns of perception begin to subside, and we enter into the mystery of being. As the sense of separation diminishes, we know what arises in experience fully and completely. Our relationship with what we experience moves into balance, a movement that has two aspects: compassion and emptiness. Emptiness refers to knowing what experience is – groundless, open and indefinable. With this complete and accurate knowing, we are able to perceive balance and imbalance precisely. What we do is not based on personal agendas or the need to maintain a sense of self. Instead, what we do arises from the direct perception of the direction of the present. At this level, compassion is the natural manifestation of awareness. The unity of compassion and emptiness is awakening mind. (18) Spiritual practice eventually leads to a non-dualistic experience of life in which there is a perception of unity and wholeness rather than separation and division. Zen teacher Charlotte Beck describes this experience in the context of sitting meditation: Good practice is simply sitting here – it is absolutely uneventful. From the usual point of view, it’s boring. Over time, however, we learn in our bodies that what we used to call “boring” is pure joy, and this joy is the source, the feeding ground, for our life and actions. Sometimes it is called samadhi; it is the very nonstate in which we should live our entire life: teaching a class, seeing a client, taking care of a baby, playing an instrument. When we live in such nondual samadhi , we have no problems because there is a nothing separate from us. As our mind loses some of its obsession with self-centered thinking, our ability to stay in nonduality increases. (19) Tibetan Buddhism speaks of an open, panoramic awareness that reflects the reality of w hat is in the present moment. Tarthang Tulku: “Natural awareness is simple and direct, open and responsive. It is immediate and spontaneous, without obscuration. ‘Natural’ means ‘unfixed,’ to have no expectation, no compulsion, no interpretation, or predetermined plans. There is no need to progress, since everything moves on in the natural state of reality.” One has to develop a panoramic awareness, and all-pervading awareness, knowing the situation at t hat very moment . It is a question of knowing the situation and opening one’s eyes to that very moment of newness, and this is not particularly a mystical experience or anything mysterious at all, but just direct, open and clear perception of what is now . And when a person is able to see what is now without being influenced by the past or any expectation of the future, but just seeing the very moment of now, then at that moment there is no barrier at all. (20) Pure awareness is beyond method or practice or striving; it is a letting go into the timeless and unknown. “In the open space of awareness, experience arises and subsides, but what 9

arises is not separate from awareness. Presence is resting in awareness, knowing that mind nature is empty, clear, and unimpeded, and knowing no separation from what we experience.” There is no going anywhere, nothing to practice, no beginning, middle, or end, no attainment, and nothing to attain. Rather, it is the direct realization and embodiment in this very moment of who you already are, outside of time and space and concepts of any kind, a resting in the very nature of your being, in what is sometimes called the natural state, original mind, pure awareness, no mind, or simply emptiness. You are already everything you may hope to attain, so no effort of the will is necessary and no attainment is possible. You are already it. It is already here. Here is already everywhere, and now is already always. (21) Natural, open awareness is mirror-like, objectively reflecting what is in every moment of life. “Pristine or intrinsic awareness is completely open. This universal level of awareness includes everything – individual consciousness embraces all consciousness. Nothing is rejected or excluded.” Reality is all-encompassing: the absolute nature is one. Although we may feel separate from the original uncreated reality – whether we call it “God” or “enlightened mind” – through awareness we can contact this essential part of ourselves. Awareness forms the pure ground of our experience, it supports every aspect of our world with perfect equanimity. Its light can illuminate our experience and bring us complete understanding. Like the smooth surface of a mirror, awareness reflects the sights and sounds of daily life. Just as a mirror and its image cannot be separated, pure awareness is not apart from everyday experience. Awareness infuses even the concepts and dualistic conditions set up by the mind. All apparently separate things are manifestations and categories within awareness. Seeing only the images playing on the mirror’s surface, we forget their origin; accepting as solid the elements of our world – thoughts, feelings and perceptions – we lose sight of the underlying stream of awareness. But by focusing and slowing down the mind, we can begin to soften these rigid structures. Interesting new experiences may be discovered as awareness wells up to the surface. (22) The enlightened state is felt as a pure, all-encompassing presence, beyond time and space. It is the ever-present reality of w hat is. Tony Parsons: “Enlightenment is our natural and ordinary way of being. Nothing in particular changes in one’s life except the perception of everything. Simply rest in the lap of ‘what is.’ And then it is possible that your eyes will open and a huge gratitude will fill you.” When there is presence, the whole being relaxes into its embrace. There are no more questions and there is no more striving. The mind departs its throne, the body relaxes, the breathing evens out, and the perception becomes global. I rest in that which never comes and never goes away. When there is presence, there 10

is total intimacy and the senses are heightened to a degree previously unrecognized; I see and touch in innocence, I taste and smell for the first time, and hear a new sound that is vital, fresh and unknown. There is a subtle feeling of risk and serenity in presence. It is the first and last step. It moves beyond time and self-identity and provides the ground in which the discovery of what I am is made immediately and directly available. When there is presence, all that is illusory falls away, and what is left is real, vital, and passionately alive. This is life full on – not my life, not anyone else’s life, but simply life. (23)

References

(1) Eckhart Tolle The Pow er of Now (Vancouver: Namaste Publishing, 1997), pp. 57-58. (2) Larry Rosenberg Breat h by Breat h (Boston: Shambhala, 2004), pp. 194-195. (3) Adyashanti The Impact of Aw akening (San Jose: Open Gate Publishing, 2006), p. 91. (4) Maurine Stuart Subt le Sound: The Zen Teachings of M aurine St uart (Boston: Shambhala, 1996), pp. 120-121. (5) Tarthang Tulku Skillful M eans (Berkeley: Dharma Publishing, 1978), pp. 74-75. (6) Diane Eshin Rizzetto W aking Up t o W hat You Do (Boston: Shambhala, 2006), pp. 39-40. (7) Eckhart Tolle A New Eart h (New York: Dutton, 2005), p. 238. (8) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 332. (9) Charlotte Beck Not hing Special: Living Zen (San Francisco: Harper, 1993), p. 213. (10) Tarthang Tulku Skillful M eans (Berkeley: Dharma Publishing, 1978), pp. 8-9. (11) Byron Katie A Thousand Names for Joy (New York: Three Rivers Press, 2007), pp. 26-27. (12) Eckhart Tolle The Pow er of Now (Vancouver: Namaste Publishing, 1997), p. 124. (13) John Greer Seeing, Know ing, Being (Memphis: True Compass Press, 2012), pp. 87-88. (14) Pema Chödrön W hen Things Fall Apart (Boston: Shambhala, 2000), p. 62. (15) Philip Kapleau The Three Pillars of Zen (New York: Anchor Books, 1989), pp. 243-244. (16) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 332. (17) Jean Klein The Ease of Being (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1986), p. xii. (18) Ken McLeod W ake Up t o Your Life (New York: HarperOne, 2001), p. 351. (19) Charlotte Beck Not hing Special: Living Zen (San Francisco: Harper, 1993), pp. 183-184. (20) Chögyam Trungpa M edit at ion in Act ion (Berkeley: Shambhala, 1969), p. 47. (21) Jon Kabat-Zinn Coming t o Our Senses (New York: Hyperion, 2005), p. 65. (22) Tarthang Tulku Hidden M ind of Freedom (Berkeley: Dharma Publishing, 1981), pp. 81-82. (23) Tony Parsons As It Is (Carlsbad, California: Inner Directions Publishing, 2004), pp. 41-42.

11

SELF-KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING ‘Without self-knowledge, without understanding the workings and functions of our being, we cannot be free. That is why in all ancient teachings the first demand at the beginning of the way to liberation was: “Know Thyself.”’ G.I. Gurdjieff

‘Know Thyself’ The journey of spiritual development and self-realization begins with self-study. Self-study leads to self-knowledge and eventually to an understanding of the meaning and purpose of existence. The words of Socrates and many others – ‘Know thyself’ – are a signpost for all those who seek true knowledge and being: Gnothi Seauton – Know Thyself. These words were inscribed above the entrance to the temple of Apollo at Delphi, site of the sacred Oracle. In ancient Greece, people would visit the Oracle hoping to find out what destiny had in store for them or what course of action to take in a particular situation. It is likely that most visitors read those words as they entered the building without realizing that they pointed to a deeper truth than anything the Oracle could possibly tell them. They may not have realized either that, no matter how great a revelation or how accurate the information they received, it would ultimately prove to be to no avail, would not save them from further unhappiness and self-created suffering, if they failed to find the truth that is concealed in that injunction – Know Thyself. What these words imply is this: Before you ask any other question, first ask the most fundamental question of your life: Who am I? (1) To understand ourselves we need to investigate our body and mind through direct experience. “You are always changing, you are never the same and each moment reveals a new facet, a new depth, a new surface.” The only way to experience truth directly is to look within, to observe oneself. All our lives we have been accustomed to look outward. We have always been interested in what is happening outside, what others are doing. We have rarely if ever tried to examine ourselves, our own mental and physical structure, our own actions, our own reality. Therefore we remain unknown to ourselves. We do not realize how harmful this ignorance is, how much we remain the slaves of forces within ourselves of which we are unaware. The inner darkness must be dispelled to apprehend the truth. We must gain insight into our own nature in order to understand the nature of existence. The entire universe and the laws 1

of nature by which it works are to be experienced within oneself. They can only be experienced within oneself. The path is also a path of purification. We investigate the truth about ourselves not out of idle intellectual curiosity but rather with a definite purpose. By observing ourselves we become aware for the first time of the conditioned reactions, the prejudices that cloud our mental vision, that hide reality from us and produce suffering. We recognize the accumulated inner tensions that keep us agitated, miserable, and we realize that they can be removed. Gradually we learn how to allow them to dissolve, and our minds become pure, peaceful, and happy. (2) A person must know themself before they can know others and the world itself. That is why the path of knowledge begins with the study of oneself and ‘learning how to learn’: The human form is a microcosm of the universe. All that supposedly exists outside in reality exists in us. The world is in you and can become known in you as you. What then is this ‘you’? As a human being related to all living beings we must first be related to ourselves. We cannot understand, love and welcome others without first knowing and loving ourselves. Generally, however, we spend our whole lives involved in what is apparently outside us without ever looking at what is closest. We give no time to the thorough reading of our own book, our reactions, resistances, tensions, emotional states, physical stresses and so on. This reading requires no system of specially allotted time spent in introspection. It involves only facing oneself during the day without the habitual identification with an individual center of reference, an I-image, a personality, a propagator of viewpoints. (3) In order to nurture and develop self-understanding we need to get to know ourselves as we really are: our minds, our emotions, our behaviour and our being. “We think we know ourselves, but actually we don’t. There are all sorts of undiscovered areas of our thoughts and actions. What we find in ourselves might be quite astonishing.” Self-knowledge requires a new perspective of “seeing yourself with eyes other than your own” and understanding how your body-mind reacts to the experiences of life. “Observe without analysis the way in which you react physically, emotionally and mentally in the different circumstances of everyday life.” Our reactions to the situations of everyday living provide constant opportunities for selfknowledge and insight. “Be interested in how you function in daily life, explore without any criticism or justification. Simply take note; that is enough.” In day-to-day activities, in moment-to-moment living, can the spirit of questioning and nonjudgmental attending continue to reveal and clarify the ways of the self? It is arduous to look at ourselves in fearless honesty, uninfluenced by ideas and images of what we are or should be. It is easier to cling to the apparent 2

security of our automatic patterns of thinking and reacting, but these inevitably bring conflict and sorrow. Only with immediate and clear insight can the mind begin to free itself from its conditioning, opening up to the depth of understanding that is compassion. (4) One of the purposes of self-knowledge is to remove barriers to understanding; to ‘polish’ the surface personality and release human potential, allowing the essential self to emerge and ‘shine.’ “Man has to come to understand how to see himself as he really is, so that he can achieve something in the area which he calls ‘what might be’.” Self-knowledge grows as we objectively explore the nature of body, mind and feelings in a detached, non-judgemental manner. “Self-knowledge is an aim, but it is also a means. Selfknowledge is a means of deeper understanding and ultimately of self-realization.” To face ourselves scientifically we must accept the facts as they are without agreement, disagreement or conclusion. It is not a mental acceptance, an acceptance of ideas, but is completely practical, functional. It requires only alertness. Attention must be bipolar. We see the situation and at the same time see how it echoes in us as feeling and thought. In other words, the facts of a situation must include our own reactions. We remain in the scientific process free from judgment, interpretation and evaluation, only looking in different moments in the day at our psychological, intellectual and physical ground and our level of vitality. There is no motive, no interference from a ‘me,’ no desire to change, grow or become. In this way we become more intimate with ourselves, more aware of how we function from moment to moment in everyday life. When we are explorers, real listening appears automatically and in listening there is openness, receptivity. Exploration never becomes a fixation with a goal to be achieved. It remains as a welcoming that brings originality and life to every moment. (5) Before there can be intelligent action there must be self-knowledge. Krishnamurti stressed this idea in his teachings: “There is no understanding without self-knowing; learning about the self is not accumulating knowledge about it; gathering of knowledge prevents learning; learning is not an additive process; learning is from moment to moment, as is understanding.” Ignorance is not the lack of knowledge but of self-knowing; without self-knowing there is no intelligence. Self-knowing is not accumulative as knowledge; learning is from moment to moment. It is not an additive process; in the process of gathering, adding, a center is formed, a center of knowledge, of experience. In this process, positive or negative, there is no understanding; for as long as there is an intention of gathering or resisting, the movement of thought and feeling are not understood, there is no self-knowing. Without self-knowing there’s no intelligence. Self-knowing is active present, not a judgment; all self-judgment implies an accumulation, evaluation from a center of experience and knowledge. It is this

3

past that prevents the understanding of the active present. In the pursuit of selfknowing there is intelligence. (6) In order to understand who we really are we first need to understand what we are not through a process of self-inquiry and detached self-examination: Discover all that you are not. Body, feelings, thoughts, ideas, time, space, being and not-being, this or that – nothing concrete or abstract you can point to is you. A mere verbal statement will not do – you may repeat a formula endlessly without any result whatsoever. You must watch yourself continuously -- particularly your mind – moment by moment, missing nothing. This witnessing is essential for the separation of the self from the not-self. (7)

Approach to Self-Study An honest, non-critical assessment of one’s actual state is crucial in the process of spiritual self-development. “The beginning for the Traveller on the Path is to start to look for faults in oneself which one previously sought in others; and to begin to perceive in others the merits which one formerly imagined to be one’s own.” In authentic spiritual teachings emphasis is placed on monitoring one’s behaviour and learning about oneself in an honest and non-judgemental way – self-observation without neurotic self-abasement. “Become curious about the true nature of yourself, about what you really are, be-cause that curiosity opens you up to the undivided state. From the undivided state, one of the first things realized is that you don’t really know who you are.” When you are examining yourself, you are examining your actions or reactions to situations in a constructive, not hostile way. You are examining yourself with patience, in a harmonious way, as a good friend of yourself – and as such, you do not attack and aggress against yourself. Constructive criticism may be required – and it can even be harsh criticism if necessary – but use the same approach in measuring or criticizing yourself as you would in the case of a very dear cherished friend. (8) Self-study is a conscious effort which begins with the development and control of attention. “Simultaneously and progressively, we will feel that the first phase of study puts us in touch with work on our attention, which will become the central axis of new inner experiences.” With self-study it is important to be impartial and not to expect any quick results. “What is crucial is to see oneself, to observe one’s mechanical, automatic, reactionary behaviour without comment, and without making any attempt initially to change that behaviour.”

4

Self-examination should be an objective, non-judgemental activity conducted as impartially as possible. “What is essential is to become more acquainted with your intimate nature, your sensations, body tensions, feelings and desires, without making any judgment.” The observer has no emotions. It’s like a mirror. Everything just passes in front of it. The mirror makes no judgment. Whenever we judge, we’ve added another thought that needs to be labelled. The observer is not critical. Judging is not something the observer does. The observer simply watches or reflects, like a mirror. If garbage passes in front of it, it reflects garbage. If roses pass in front of it, it reflects roses. The mirror remains a mirror, an empty mirror. The observer doesn’t even accept; it just observes. (9) Self-knowledge is a lifetime commitment of study and work, in which one gradually builds up a picture of oneself. “Increase of self-knowledge and change of the level of being happens of itself simply by again and again bringing the light of our attention and intelligence to what we have been blind to.” The significance of persistence in this effort of self-knowing is encapsulated in a saying of Saadi: ‘Not every oyster holds a pearl; not every time does the archer hit his target.” With continued practice the very act of studying and observing ourselves, honestly and without judgement, dissolves the personality and ego structures which block higher development and being. “The pure act of seeing a fact, whatever the fact may be, brings its own understanding and from this, mutation takes place.” We are slaves to what we do not know, whereas we are masters of what we do know. Whatever vice or weakness we uncover in ourselves, and whose causes and workings we come to understand, we overcome by the very knowing. The inadvertence dissolves when brought into the light of awareness. Just by opening ourselves, by allowing whatever is to remain in the light of awareness, we rob it of its power to harm. We must open ourselves in this way without any judgment, without any need to integrate, change, or do something about whatever appears. (10) Self–knowledge is an inner experiential understanding of ourselves as human beings rather than an analytical or intellectual understanding: Self-knowledge has from the beginning of time been fundamental in many doctrines and many schools. Not an exterior analytical knowledge, such as modern western science has been pursuing for so long, avoiding all the inner questions or trying to reduce them to purely materialistic explanations, but rather an inner self-knowledge wherein, to avoid distortion, each element, each structure, each function, as well as their relationships and the laws which govern them, are not looked at only from the outside, but must be experienced in the whole context to which they belong and can only be truly known “at work” in their totality. 5

This is a completely different attitude from that which modern science has accustomed us to, and the one does not exclude the other. But, for our possibility of inner evolution, one thing must be clear. What is required is not intellectual knowledge, which, properly speaking, is mere information. Such information may be necessary, but is absolutely inadequate in our search. For this search, the self-knowledge we need is above all an inner experience, consciously lived, of what we are, including the whole range of impressions of oneself which one receives. (11) Great stress is placed on sincerity in the process of self-study. “A man must make the decision that he will be absolutely sincere with himself, will not close his eyes to anything, will not limit himself to any previously erected walls.” Many things are necessary for observing. The first is sincerity with oneself. This is very difficult. It is much easier to be sincere with a friend. We find it difficult to look at ourselves, for we are afraid that we may see something bad, and if by accident we do look deep down, we see our own nothingness. We try not to see ourselves because we fear we shall suffer remorse of conscience. There are many dirty dogs in us, and we do not want to see them. Sincerity may be the key to the door through which one part may see another part. Sincerity is difficult because of the thick crust that has grown over essence. Each year a man puts on a new dress, a new mask, one over the other. All this has gradually to be removed. It is like peeling off the skins of an onion. Until these masks are removed we cannot see ourselves. (12) Self-understanding arises when we objectively observe the reality or facts of our life as they happen. “Learning about yourself is never the same as accumulating knowledge about yourself. Learning is active present and knowledge is the past. Knowing, learning about yourself has no beginning and no end, whereas knowledge has. Knowledge is finite, and learning, knowing, is infinite.” There are only facts, not greater or lesser facts. The fact, the what is, cannot be understood when approached with opinions or judgments; opinions, judgments then become the facts and not the fact that you wish to understand. In pursuing the fact, in watching the fact, the what is, the fact teaches and its teaching is never mechanical, and to follow its teachings, the listening, the observation must be acute; this attention is denied if there is a motive for listening . . . There is no system or method which will give understanding but only a choiceless awareness of a fact. Meditation according to a system is the avoidance of the fact of what you are; it is far more important to understand yourself, the constant changing of the facts about yourself, than to meditate in order to find god, have visions, sensensations and other forms of entertainment. (13)

6

An important aspect of self-knowledge is understanding the nature of our relationships with other people, indicated by the aphorism: ‘None should be worse off from having been in contact with me.’ If someone is bad-tempered there may be a reason for it which has nothing to do with me personally. We must try to remember that often it is not the person himself but his state that behaves irritably towards us. As I change, so does another. If you can do this and remember yourself and observe yourself you will see many things, not only in the other person, but in yourself, things you never even thought of. ‘Only he can be just who can enter into the position of another.’ And ‘Judge others by yourself and you will rarely be mistaken.’ (14) The process of examining, monitoring and looking at oneself has a higher developmental function and purpose: A man will notice that he cannot observe everything he finds in himself impartially. Some things may please him, other things will annoy him, irritate him, even horrify him. And it cannot be otherwise. Man cannot study himself as a remote star, as a curious fossil. Quite naturally he will like in himself what helps his development and dislikes what makes his development more difficult, or even impossible. This means that very soon after starting to observe himself, he will begin to distinguish useful features and harmful features in himself, that is, useful or harmful from the point of view of his possible self-knowledge, his possible awakening, his possible development. He will see sides of himself which can become conscious, and sides which cannot become conscious and must be eliminated. In observing himself, he must always remember that his self-study is the first step towards his possible evolution. (15) The very process of calmly observing ourselves transforms our body, mind and feelings leading to a new level of inner development and being. “Don’t look for quick results; there may be none within your noticing. Unknown to you, your psyche will undergo a change, there will be more clarity in your thinking, charity in your feeling, purity in your behaviour. You need not aim at these – you will witness the change all the same.” Be the explorer of your body, your feelings and desires, your moods and psychic states. Drop all ideas about what you are. Live without knowing anything, like an explorer, for the adventure of discovery, from moment to moment. In this exploration you’ll see that you don’t really observe, that you project your fears and desires and superimpose these onto the world. So all you see is your own conditioning, not the world as it really is. The awareness, the understanding of how you really function, not just psychologically but on every level, is itself transformation. If you try to make any voluntary change all you are doing is shifting energy around a little and making things momentarily more comfort-

7

able for yourself. In the attitude of openness and exploration you automatically become silent. (16).

Studying the ‘Secondary Self’ or ‘False Personality’ The ‘secondary self’ or ‘commanding self’ is described by the Sufis as a complex of reactions and self-imposed barriers erected by the ‘lower understanding.’ This false personality is the superficial (though necessary) intellectual-emotional system which hides or ‘veils’ the essence or deeper individuality of the human being. In a conversation with his students Gurdjieff described the mechanical nature of this conditioned self: When observing himself, a man will record a whole series of very important aspects of his being. To begin with he will record with unmistakable clearness the fact that his actions, thoughts, feelings and words are the result of external influences and that nothing comes from himself. He will understand and see that he is in fact an automaton acting under the influence of external stimuli. He will feel his complete mechanicalness. Everything ‘happens,’ he cannot ‘do’ anything. He is a machine controlled by accidental shocks from outside. Each shock calls to the surface one of his I’s. A new shock and that I disappears and a different one takes its place. Another small change in the environment and again there is a new I. A man will begin to understand that he has no control of himself whatever, that he does not know what he may say or do the next moment, he will begin to understand that he cannot answer for himself even for the shortest length of time. He will understand that if he remains the same and does nothing unexpected, it is simply because no unexpected outside changes are taking place. He will understand that his actions are entirely controlled by external conditions, and he will be convinced that there is nothing permanent in him from which control could come, not a single permanent function, not a single permanent state. (17) Self-deception and bias, two characteristics of the secondary self, prevent real knowledge and understanding. “The Sufi conception of the lower, ‘Commanding Self’ -- which ‘veils’ the ability to discern Reality – insists that anyone who tries to move ahead with spiritual activity without transforming this Self will destroy his gains.” The Sufi ancient Junaid of Baghdad alluded to the distorting operation of the secondary self in this observation: “If you seek a brother to share your burden, brothers are in truth hard to find. But if you are in search of someone whose own burden you yourself share, there is no scarcity of such brothers.” The reactive patterns of the secondary self have their source in unconscious childhood conditioning by parents and the surrounding culture, and continue to be shaped and strengthened as we grow older:

8

Reactions are patterns of emotions and behaviours, formed by conditioning, that run automatically when they are triggered by internal or external events. They are the cumulative result of a complex interaction among emotions, behaviours, and perception. Significant sources of conditioning include the needs of the body and the basic human need for love, affection, and other forms of attention. We can add family history and values, childhood and adult experience, and social and cultural influences. Reactive patterns also develop from biological propensities and such evolutionary traits as the flight-or-fight response . . . Think of reactive patterns as mechanisms. They are pre-established by conditionIng, are triggered by external and internal events, and, once triggered, run only according to what has been conditioned. Such mechanisms may appear to be aware or responsive, but they are no more responsive than a computer program. (18) One important method of self-study, leading to the diminution of the secondary self, is to oppose habits for the purpose of self-knowledge and inner development: The observation and the study of habits is particularly difficult because, in order to see and ‘record’ them, one must escape from them, free oneself from them, if only for a moment. So long as a man is governed by a particular habit, he does not observe it, but at the very first attempt, however feeble, to struggle against it, he feels and notices it. This opens up a practical method of self-observation. It has been said before that a man cannot change anything in himself, that he can only observe and ‘record.’ This is true. But it is also true that a man cannot observe and ‘record’ anything if he does not try to struggle with himself, that is, with his habits. Without a struggle a man cannot see what he consists of. The struggle with small habits is very difficult and boring, but without it, self-observation is impossible. (19) Understanding the nature of the secondary self leads to higher developmental growth. “By bringing the operation of the Commanding Self into view, its limitations, distortions and peculiarities can be observed, both by the individual himself and by observers.” The conquest of the “Commanding Self” is not achieved merely by acquiring control over one’s passions. It is looked upon as a taming of the wild consciousness which believes that it can take what it needs from everything (including mysticism) and bend it to its own use. The tendency to employ materials and methods from whatever source for personal benefit is understandable in the partially complete world of ordinary life, but cannot be carried over into the greater world of real fulfillment. (20) The habitual conditioned patterns which underlie the structure of the personality must be directly seen and acknowledged before they can be transformed. “We end suffering by ceasing

9

to identify with what we are not: a pattern that interprets experience as separate and other and then operates to control or justify its own imagined existence.” To wake up is hard. We must first realize that we are asleep. Next, we need to identify what keeps us asleep, start to take it apart, and keep working at dismantling it until it no longer functions. As soon as we make an effort to wake up, we start opening up to how things are. We experience what we have suppressed or avoided and what we have ignored or overlooked. When this happens, the reactive patterns that have run our lives, kept us in confusion, distorted our feelings, and caused us to ignore what is right in front of us are triggered. They rise up strongly to undermine the attention that is bringing us into a deeper relationship with what we are and what we experience. When we can see those patterns and everything that is constructed out of them as the movement of mind and nothing else, we begin to wake up. (21) The light of awareness transforms the secondary personality by bringing into consciousness that which was previously hidden or unconscious. “Only living stillness, stillness without someone trying to be still, is capable of undoing the conditioning our biological, emotional and psychological nature has undergone.” To become free of the ego is not really a big job but a very small one. All you need to do is to be aware of your thoughts and emotions – as they happen. This is not really a “doing,” but an alert “seeing.” In that sense, it is true that there is nothing you can do to become free of the ego. When that shift happens, which is the shift from thinking to awareness, an intelligence far greater than the ego’s cleverness begins to operate in your life. Emotions and even thoughts become depersonalized through awareness. Their impersonal nature is recognized. There is no longer a self in them. They are just human emotions, human thoughts. Your entire personal history, which is ultimately no more than a story, a bundle of thought and emotions, becomes of secondary importance and no longer occupies the forefront of your consciousness. It no longer forms the basis for your sense of identity. You are the light of Presence, the awareness that is prior to and deeper than any thoughts and emotions. (22) By examining oneself from moment to moment the mechanisms of the conditioned self are clearly revealed. “Become more and more acquainted with your body-mind, how you function in daily life, your reactions, your resistance. It is the awareness of it that brings the change, that brings the purification.” There is nothing to try to add or subtract from the life you are living. It takes only alertness to see habits of thinking and how these contract us. When we see that almost all of our existence is mechanical repetition we automatically step out of the pattern and into observing. With the disappearance of the habit of being someone doing something, only naked attention remains and in its light 10

the functioning of projection is made clear. The mind regains its natural sensitivity and flexibility and at the same time we feel freedom in relation to our evironment. In open exploration, where you accept yourself scientifically, the day will come when you feel yourself completely autonomous and fulfilled without qualification. (23) When we cease to identify with our body and actions, our thoughts and feelings, we realize that the ‘observing self’ or ‘witness’ is the one element in our lives that never changes: Your parents have given you a shape and a name. Your education and environment attribute many qualifications to you and you identify with these. In other words, society has given you an idea of being someone. So when you think of yourself, you think in terms of a man with all the various qualifications that accompany this image. This accumulation has gone through many changes yet you are aware of them. You can remember when you were seven. You can recall when you had no beard. This indicates that there’s an observer of these changes. The ability to observe change means that the change is in you, you are not in the change, for if you were how could you observe it? So what really belongs to the insight is what is changeless in you. You are the witness of all changes but this witness never changes. So the real question is, “How can I become acquainted with the witness?” (24)

Examining Mental and Emotional Patterns Most people have little control over the stream of thoughts produced by their minds and by external impacts. “The constantly moving flow of thoughts in our mind, which we can neither stop nor control, take up an enormous amount of our energy.” There is a Zen saying: ‘It is better to master the mind than be mastered by the mind.’ We need to realize that our minds have been implanted and ingrained with assumptions and preconceptions deeply rooted in our culture. “Clearing the mind of the dross of conditioning is essentially an operation of unlearning. Consciousness must be emptied of all the debris that impairs perception and cognition.” A classic Zen story illustrates this principle: Nan-in, A Japanese master during the Meiji era, received a university professor who came to inquire about Zen. Nan-in served tea. He poured the visitor’s cup full, and then kept on pouring. The professor watched the overflow until he could no longer restrain himself. “It is overfull. No more will go in!” “Like this cup,” Nan-in said, “you are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?” (25) Self-study involves becoming aware of perceptual sets, mental blocks, habits of thinking and assumptions. The initial step in higher development is to “become aware of automatic pattern11

thinking, the conditioned associations and indoctrinated values that limit human perception and receptivity.” It is important to distinguish areas in which habits and assumptions are useful or even essential and where they are unsuitable. “Study the assumptions behind your actions. Then study the assumptions behind your assumptions. ‘Why did I do such-and-such a thing?’ is all very well. But what about ‘How otherwise could I have done it?’” A vital approach to self-knowledge is to question and examine one’s assumptions and expectations in a detached, non-compulsive manner. “Find out why you believe the things you do believe; examine the bases of your ideas.” A sense of anti-climax is to be watched for. It may frequently be caused by the desirable disappointment of an undesirable expectation. You cannot be certain to be able to pin down the expectation which was incorrect, or even the assumption which makes you react in this manner. But you can observe yourself reacting in this way. This is an indispensible prerequisite for training to become really sensitive to essential impressions. It is called ‘watching.’ (26) When faced with repetitive, deep-rooted thoughts it is important to neither indulge them, passively accept them or force them away – but simply let the emphasis go from the thought to observing it. “It is normal for the mind to produce thoughts. Be aware of your thoughts without getting lost in them. And if you get lost, notice that, too.” Q: How can I free myself from the continual stream of agitated thoughts? A: Simply observe their coming and going. Neither refuse them nor encourage them. In no way direct them. Remain impersonally alert. You will soon feel that thoughts, feelings and sensations appear in this directionless alertness, your openness. They exist only because you are, thus their appearing points to their homeground, the real you. At first you will find that you keep interfering with your thoughts, suppressing or being taken by them. You do this because of the insecurity felt by an ego about to die, an isolated ego. But when you are free from the mental habits of activity and passivity you will find yourself in your natural quiet attention. Q: So this natural state of attention does not mean I must be completely free from all thoughts? A: It is not dependant on the absence of thought. It is that in which thoughts appear and disappear. It is “behind” thought. So don’t be violent or brutal with yourself in the hope of freeing yourself from agitation, but be clear-headed. In simple openness which is welcoming you will come to accept and get to know your negative feelings, desires and fears. Once welcomed in non-directed attention these feelings will burn themselves up, leaving only silence. Be alert, ready for

12

each and every appearing and you will soon find yourself the uninvolved spectator of your thoughts. Once this is an established fact, whether thoughts come to mind or not you will not be bound to them. (27) Awareness illuminates the constant flow of thoughts that characterize our mental life. “We have to observe the mind and notice what it is doing. We have to notice how the mind produces swarms of self-centered thoughts, thus creating tension in the body.” All of us, without exception, have been thoroughly conditioned to react immediately to what is happening in and around us by thinking about it – talking to ourselves and others in judgmental ways, often repeating these thoughts over and over again. Thoughts evoke emotions, tensions, excitement, and stress, and can bring on exhaustion and sickness. Awareness reveals this simply to be so. Is it totally radical to just stop, look, listen, and experience what is actually taking place without immediately reacting with more thinking about it all? Can there be just a simple awareness, which means experiencing openly, innocently, this whole stream without getting caught up in thoughts about what is good, what could be better or perhaps worse? Awareness is not progressive; it illuminates what is without a sense of time, without self-separation. (28) When people are conditioned or trained they will respond in a predictable way to emotional stimuli and input. “People will seek in greater quantity the things that touch them emotionally or which they like or are thrilled by. This is the barrier to surmount. It is crossed by observing it in action.” Much of our behaviour is either a reaction to external influences or a self-imposed conditioning. “One’s physical, emotional or psychic state of being is very much apt to be influenced by one’s experience, mood or reaction at a particular time, under particular circumstances. The being is so closely knit that it is easy for an inner impact of one kind or another to have a greater influence on one’s thinking, behaviour or reaction than another impact which comes from outside.” Emotions are usually more difficult to observe than thoughts because of their energetic power. Most people become completely identified with strong emotions, making it difficult to study them calmly and dispassionately: An emotion usually represents an amplified and energized thought pattern, and because of its often overpowering energetic charge, it is not easy initially to stay present enough to be able to watch it. It wants to take you over, and it usually succeeds – unless there is enough presence in you. If you are pulled into unconscious identification with the emotion through lack of presence, which is normal, the emotion temporarily becomes “you.” Often a vicious circle builds up between your thinking and the emotion: they feed each other. The thought pattern creates a magnified reflection of itself in the form of an emotion, and the vibrational frequency of the emotion keeps feeding the original thought pattern. By dwelling

13

mentally on the situation, event or person that is the perceived cause of the emotion, the thought feeds energy to the emotion, which in turn energizes the thought pattern, and so on. (29) Feelings and emotions are usually expressed as pleasant or unpleasant. Struggling with an unpleasant emotion is an important method of self-observation and self-study. There is an adage: ‘If you want to meet yourself, observe your thoughts and reactions under unusual circumstances.’ In the sphere of the emotions it is very useful to try to struggle with the habit of giving immediate expression to all of one’s unpleasant emotions. Many people find it very difficult to refrain from expressing their feelings about bad weather. It is still more difficult for people not to express unpleasant emotions when they feel that something or someone is violating what they may conceive to be order or justice. (30) A good deal of energy is unnecessarily wasted on the expression of automatic and unpleasant emotions and in the habit of indulging in daydreams, memories and fantasies: Energy is spent chiefly on unnecessary and unpleasant emotions, on the expectation of unpleasant things, possible and impossible, on bad moods, on unnecessary haste, nervousness, irritability, imagination, daydreaming and so on. Energy is wasted on perpetual chatter which absorbs an enormous amount of energy, on the ‘interest’ continually taken in things happening around us or to other people and having in fact no interest whatever. (31) One of the most difficult tasks on the path of self-development is to overcome personal negative characteristics and endure the unpleasant manifestations of other people: Q: I think that my worst fault is talking too much. Would trying not to talk so much be a good task? A: For you this is a very good aim. You spoil everything with your talking. This talk even hinders your business. When you talk too much, your words have no weight. Try to overcome this. Many blessings will flow to you if you succeed. Truly, this is a very good task. But it is a big thing, not small. Q: Would a good task be to endure the manifestations of others? A: To endure the manifestations of others is a big thing. The last thing for a man. Only a perfect man can do this. Start by making your aim the ability to bear one manifestation of one person that you cannot now endure without nervousness. If you “wish,” you “can.” Without “wishing,” you never “can.” Wish is the most powerful thing in the world. With conscious wish everything comes. (32) 14

Transcending Conditioned Behaviour The impulses, emotional fixations and mental attitudes that characterize the secondary self have to be seen for what they are and treated accordingly. A saying of Rumi applies to this situation: ‘The satiated man and the hungry one do not see the same thing when they look upon a loaf of bread.’ The first self about which to attain knowledge is the secondary, essentially false, self which stands in the way, however useful it may be for many daily transactions. It must be set aside, made something which can be used or not used: not something which uses you. The way in which this is done is by self-observation: registering how and when this self is operating, and how it deceives. (33) The secondary self needs to be recognized, identified and then transmuted, rather than suppressed or distorted. “The conditioned or immature self tends to control the learner, and makes further progress impossible until it has been brought into subjection, set aside or transformed.” What is today called conditioning is what used to be called habit patterns based on lower objectives. The Sufi method has never been to disturb these patterns, but rather to supply or make possible the development of a superior consciousness which would be able to perceive the habit and regulate its value. Once a person can really experience the value or otherwise, the relevance or otherwise, of a conditioned form of behaviour or thought, he or she will inevitably modify it. This is what we call ‘polishing the mirror’ in one of its aspects. If you have a scowl on your face, and this scowl has become a habit, and you do not know about it, or do know and do not know how to remove it, you will be in a different state when you can see it in a mirror. Instantaneously or bit by bit the reflection will do its job: coupled with the other things which you ‘see in the mirror’ – for within is the vision of what you could be like, sensed in an interior fashion. (34) When individuals develop insight into the workings of their false personality they are more likely to interact with other people without automatically reacting to the egoistic and dysfunctional behaviour patterns of others. We then have the opportunity of not always responding to life events based on past conditioned patterns: “A person attacks you verbally, but instead of reacting to the insults, you see how upset and angry the person is, and you respond appropriately, perhaps by simply asking what is upsetting them.” Non-reaction to the ego of others is one of the most effective ways not only of going beyond ego in yourself but also of dissolving the collective human ego. But you can only be in a state of non-reaction if you can recognize someone’s behaviour as coming from the ego, as being an expression of the collective human dysfunction. When you realize it’s not personal, there is no longer a 15

compulsion to react as if it were. By not reacting to the ego, you will often be able to bring out the sanity in others, which is the unconditioned consciousness as opposed to the conditioned. At times you may have to take practical steps to protect yourself from deeply unconscious people. This you can do without making them into enemies. Your greatest protection, however, is being conscious. Somebody becomes an enemy if you personalize the unconsciousness that is the ego. Non-reaction is not weakness but strength. Another word for non-reaction is forgiveness. To forgive is to overlook, or rather to look through. You look through the ego to the sanity that is in every human being as his or her essence. (35) Certain types of conditioning are useful and natural as long as they are not reactive or the result of a pattern of self-imposed conditioning. “What has to be done, as with any other input needed by the human being, is to regulate it (whether it be the desire for gain, the need to achieve) so that the necessary ‘space’ may be found.” We are a very adaptable animal and we can do many different things. We are emotional, we can paint, we have arguments, we think, we are sometimes rational – but learning how to develop consciousness does not necessarily entail giving up these aspects of our nature, but organizing them. On this rests a fundamental insight of both modern and traditional psychologies, an insight that has not reached many of its students: our mental operating system is not one designed to act rationally in business, in our social and emotional life, so it does not allow us to simply “transcend” our material nature immediately; we must carry it along. We have many mental abilities, but they are basically designed for immediate survival in a chaotic world. It is a matter of understanding which of our needs needs to be satisfied at any one time, and which of our mental routines is useful at any moment. Certainly no one needs to give up those reactions useful to survival and the “normal” social conditioning that we need to get along in any society. It is a matter of selecting and connecting them in the right way, each for the right kind of thinking. Our minds are multiple, and we find it difficult to control the diverse mental abilities within. This ability to choose and direct the mental system is the most often unrealized of all ‘conscious development.’ (36) The very process of observing our habitual patterns of behaviour, when carried out in an objective, non-judgmental manner, will in itself modify and transform these patterns: Act in daily life according to your understanding. This is very important. Take note afterwards whether you have acted in a mechanical way. After you have noticed several times that you have reacted in a certain way, you will begin to catch yourself in the middle of the reaction and a time will come, you can be sure, when you are alert before you react. So don’t qualify your doing or condemn yourself. It’s enough just to see it. When you’ve seen it 16

you have taken the charcoal out of the fire. You have removed the fixed energy that holds your pattern. In simply being alert and welcoming, you are already living in your fullness. (37)

Self-Study in Esoteric Schools An esoteric school, in the form of a teacher and a group, is an instrument of ‘skilful means’ designed to provide a bridge between an individual or group and a higher order of knowledge. “The function of the Teaching is to exist among people and reawaken in them the capacity to spiritually develop themselves.” The methods applied in an esoteric school are subjective, taking into account the individual characteristics and peculiarities of each student. There is a saying: ‘To whomever has sense, a sign is enough. For the heedless, a thousand expositions are not enough.’ In the Institute our weaknesses were observed and noted, and we were given opportunities of seeing them; and we had to see them for ourselves. Attention was necessary so as not to miss anything that was said or done. Apparently casual remarks or actions might reveal a great deal to a person. The teaching was given in fragments and often in unexpected ways, as we had to learn to put the pieces together and connect the fragments up with our own observations and experiences. (38) A teacher will often point out examples of inappropriate individual and group behaviour that disturbs the higher learning process. “Although maladaptive behaviour abounds – narrowmindedness, poor understanding, lack of generosity to others outside the ‘in-group,’ -- few people, it seems, realize that it is so widespread. Fewer still have bothered to see it as a matter of study.” A teacher may apply indirect and subtle methods to modify the student’s negative characteristics, following the dictum ‘what you like most may be what you need least, and what you least like may well be exactly what you need the most.’ In esoteric schools, a teacher will divert students’ lower aspirations (greed, vanity) away from the spiritual area “by encouraging their disciples to channel the Commanding Self’s activities to any worthy worldly ambition; while continuing to study the Way in a modest and nonself-promoting way.” It is often written within esoteric traditions that one does not build up the “ego.” or self, nor does one destroy it, but merely keeps it out of the area of the particular teaching. This is often termed “alignment.” It allows a full expression of the ordinary self, of reason and emotion in ordinary life. Here, then, is one pragmatic reason for the traditional separation of portions of esoteric instruction and practice from the remainder of a person’s social, emotional and professional life, the need for an area of human development to be kept “sacred,” away from the 17

reductionism of self-indulgence. This practice has been externally marked, in the past, by the designation of special “safe” places, cathedrals or temples; by the donning of special robes or hats or the like; and by such practices as leaving one’s shoes at the door of the temple. These practices are all intended to suggest that one should leave ordinary ideas and the ordinary self out of this situation. (39) Students in esoteric schools are provided opportunities to understand and clarify their (often unconscious) motives and intentions. “Recrimination and self-criticism are not used; but people are expected to note the effects of allusions to their ‘hang-ups,’ so as to be able to dissolve them and hence gain access to their inner selves.” The only remedy to mechanical, conditioned behaviour is to see that this is what you are doing, where you really are. Because people are not always in a condition to come to this realization by an act of will, traditional psychologies provide methods and materials in which there is the possibility of seeing oneself as one really is. The opportunity occurs again and again, through the nature of such a curriculum, and it takes many forms. (40) Many exercises and study themes are designed to outwit the secondary self, which only thrives on smaller satisfactions. The wise have rightly taught: ‘The door of illumination is open to those for whom other doors are closed.’ The automatism of the normal human being is overcome, in the words of the EgypLan SuM Dhun N N un, by aiming for “being as you were, where you were, before you were.” Illustrative stories are employed in schools of higher development to indicate barriers to learning, such as assumptions and preconceived attitudes. “The important thing is to be able to recognize what should be done and where it is indicated: not just to allow oneself to be pulled along by convention or other people’s assumptions.” The story of the ‘real and artificial flowers,’ in one of its interpretations, shows the way to rethink a situation, and also how to put it into its proper area, and not to imagine that because people say that something is, say, spiritual, that it must therefore be so. Someone went to the public session of a wise man, with two bunches of flowers. He said: “One of these bunches is of real flowers; the other, made with the greatest cunning in China, is artificial. If you are as perceptive as you are supposed to be, I would like you to tell me which is which. But you must not hold them very close; you must not smell or touch them.” The sage said: “A wise question is met with a wise answer, a shallow one with a shallow reply. This, however, is a horticultural one – bring a hive of bees!” The bees, of course, chose the real flowers. (41)

18

Preparation for Higher Development Transformation to a higher state of being and development begins with self-knowledge and an honest, impartial appraisal of our human situation. Gurdjieff spoke of this in stark terms: The study of the laws to which man is subject cannot be abstract like the study of astronomy; they can be studied only by observing them in oneself and getting free of them. At the beginning a man must simply understand that he is quite needlessly subject to a thousand petty but irksome laws which have been created for him by other people and by himself. When he attempts to get free from them he will see that he cannot. Long and persistent attempts to gain freedom from them will convince him of his slavery. The laws to which man is subject can only be studied by struggling with them, by trying to get free from them. But a great deal of knowledge is need in order to become free from one law without creating for oneself another in its place. (42) One of the purposes of a preparatory activity like self-observation is to enable people to understand themselves and their motivations, since people commonly try “to run before they can walk.” Most individuals resist attempts to objectively describe their current spiritual situation: “The statement ‘you need to do something else first’ is very often taken by the Commanding Self as a rejection or as a challenge, instead of it being taken for what it really is, a constructive and well-meant description of the other person’s current position and needs.” The dangers of grafting spiritual practices upon a raw unregenerate personality is illustrated by the story of the “Cannibals and the Missionary”: A missionary who had been captured by cannibals was sitting in a cooking pot of rapidly heating water when he saw the cannibals with their hands clasped in prayer. He said to the nearest one: “So you are devout Christians?” “Not only am I a Christian,” replied the annoyed cannibal, “but I strongly object to being interrupted while saying grace!” The carrying out of automatic habits, of intellectual sophistries without a change in the person, or of emotional activities without deep perception acting upon the real self, cannot ever be the same as the experience of the mystic. If this tale is taken for a parable of trying to make someone rise to a higher state without transforming his lower aspects, it can also serve as a classical instance of the argument that human beings must clarify their personalities before they can attain certain desired levels. Let us call it the ‘incompatibility of co-existent tendencies in the individual.’ (43) With the dawn of self-knowledge, a foundation of right orientation and discrimination begins to operate in the individual who embarks on the quest for mystical experience. “The seeker of transcendental states of mind may all too easily forget that their true attainment begins with the most profoundly mundane kinds of self-knowledge.”

19

An individual engaged in a spiritual quest can, by means of self-questioning, learn to discriminate between the fulfillment of lower socio-psychological needs and higher spiritual aims. The subjective self must first be prepared; only then is objective assessment possible. “The concept that anyone can embark on any kind of enquiry or study, irrespective of ability or preparation, has the solitary but not negligible defect that it simply does not work.” Would-be students of higher teachings must “sort themselves out” by examining themselves to see if their attempts at metaphysical study are really only used to fulfil lesser social or psychological desires. “It is the true discrimination between diversion and genuine aspiration which generally precedes the emergence of the capacity to learn.” In respect to higher teaching, the individual has to learn the difference between ‘wants’ and ‘needs.’ He can learn this only after basic teaching. When a child says that it needs something, it often means, until it understands the difference, that it ‘wants’ that thing. ‘I need a lollipop’ does not describe the situation at all. Only experience will show the difference between wants and needs. (44) The process of self-examination precedes the stage at which the student can understand the corrective admonitions of a teacher. According to the Sufi Saadi: ‘If you will not reprove yourself, you will not welcome reproof from another.’ Until you can see yourself clearly and constantly for what you are really like, you will have to rely upon the assessment of a teacher, the gardener of Rumi’s comparison: “A gardener going into an orchard looks at the trees. He knows that this one is a date, that one a fig, the other a pomegranate, a pear or an apple. To do this, he does not have to see the fruit, only the trees.” (45) Self-knowledge is a graduated process, difficult at the beginning, but slowly leading to an understanding of the deeper self. One of the teacher’s duties is to supply the appropriate training to ‘polish’ and complete various facets of the student’s personality: The teacher’s early function must be to alter the pattern of the novice’s thinking and thus of his behaviour. If the novice’s mind operates in a set way, dominated by prejudices and automatic responses of which he may not even be conscious, it interposes itself as a barrier between himself and the fact of the teacher, the activity of the teaching. In order for mind, intelligence, to become a channel for the teaching, it must be made aware, so it can seize on the multiplicity of truth and snap up the complexities of meaning. If the disciple follows his teacher’s instructions, picks up his hints, reacts to the stimuli he provides, strange though these may be and tending in directions he cannot guess at, the aspirant will surely begin to break through the mental barriers, the rigidities, blocks and distortions, that previously hampered him and prevented his progress. (46)

20

The initial stages of breaking down long-established modes of thinking and patterns of behaviour may at first appear threatening and even destructive. In the Teaching it is said: ‘Unless you are at first disintegrated, how can you be reintegrated?’ By being forced to re-examine his values, his conceptions and perceptions of the world, the whole system of ideas that hitherto he has accepted as selfevident, the novice is levered out of his previous emotional and intellectual environment. It may have been one in which he felt secure, but that very security encourages in him precisely the kind of automatic thinking and behaviour that made any new self-knowledge impossible. By learning to question, at deeper and deeper levels, the reason for the actions he performs: and thus to understand what truly motivates him, who he really is, the disciple is slowly detached from the pointless, the uncreative or unworthy activities in which he may previously spent much of his time. The process is slow, step by step, action by action, insight by insight, as the aspirant makes his way forward. This cleansing process, as it might be called, is itself no more than a beginning, though it may take many years. (47)

References (1) Eckhart Tolle A New Earth (New York: Dutton, 2005), pp. 185-186. (2) William Hart The Art of Living: Vipassana Meditation as Taught by S.N. Goenka (San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1987), pp. 16-17. (3) Jean Klein Who Am I? (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1988), p. 17. (4) Toni Packer The Work of This Moment (Boston: Shambhala, 1990), p. xxix. (5) Jean Klein Who Am I? (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1988), pp. 17-18. (6) J. Krishnamurti Krishnamurti’s Notebook (New York: Harper & Row, 1976), p. 97. (7) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 27. (8) Omar Ali-Shah Rules and Secrets of the Naqshbandi Order (Reno: Tractus Books, 1998), p. 139. (9) Charlotte Beck Nothing Special: Living Zen (San Francisco: Harper, 1993), p. 29. (10) Albert Low To Know Yourself (Boston: Charles E. Tuttle, 1997), p. 97. (11) Jean Vaysse Toward Awakening (San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1979), pp. 16-17. (12) C.S. Nott Teachings of Gurdjieff: The Journal of a Pupil (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1974), p. 67. (13) J. Krishnamurti Krishnamurti’s Notebook (New York: Harper & Row, 1976), pp. 176-177. (14) C.S. Nott Teachings of Gurdjieff: The Journal of a Pupil (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1974), p. 67. (15) P.D. Ouspensky The Psychology of Man’s Possible Evolution (New York: Vintage Books, 1974), p. 47. (16) Jean Klein The Ease of Being (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1986), pp. 71-72. (17) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), pp. 112-113. 21

(18) Ken McLeod Wake Up to Your Life (New York: HarperCollins, 2001), p. 26. (19) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), pp. 111-112. (20) Idries Shah The Sufis (New York: Anchor Books, 1971), p. 86. (21) Ken McLeod Wake Up to Your Life (New York: HarperCollins, 2001), p. 22. (22) Ken McLeod Wake Up to Your Life (New York: HarperCollins, 2001), pp. 117-118. (23) Jean Klein Who Am I? (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1988), p. 19. (24) Jean Klein The Ease of Being (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1986), p. 17. (25) Paul Reps Zen Flesh, Zen Bones (New York: Anchor Books, 1989), p. 5. (26) Idries Shah Reflections (Baltimore: Penguin Books, 1972), p. 84. (27) Jean Klein I Am (Santa Barbara: Third millennium Publications, 1989), pp. 21-22. (28) Toni Packer The Light of Discovery (Boston: Charles E. Tuttle, 1995), p. 72. (29) Eckhart Tolle The Power of Now (Vancouver: Namaste Publications, 1997), p. 23. (30) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), p. 112. (31) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), p. 179. (32) G.I. Gurdjieff Views From the Real World: Early Talks of Gurdjieff (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1973), pp. 91-92. (33) Idries Shah Learning How to Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 30. (34) Alirida Ghulam Sarwar “The Western Seeker Through Eastern Eyes” in Idries Shah (ed.) Sufi Thought and Action (London: Octagon Press, 1990), p. 73. (35) Eckhart Tolle A New Earth (New York: Dutton, 2005), pp. 62-63. (36) Robert Ornstein The Psychology of Consciousness (2nd edition) (New York: Penguin Books, 1986), p. 255. (37) Jean Klein Who Am I? (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1988), pp. 43-44. (38) C.S. Nott Teachings of Gurdjieff: The Journal of a Pupil (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1974), p. 72. (39) Robert Ornstein The Mind Field (New York: Pocket Books, 1978), p.76. (40) Idries Shah Evenings with Idries Shah (London: Designist Communications, 1981), pp. 3233. (41) Idries Shah A Perfumed Scorpion (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 169-170. (42) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), p. 84. (43) Idries Shah Special Illumination (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 22. (44) Idries Shah Learning How to Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 295. (45) Idries Shah Learning How to Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 31. (46) Peter Brent “Learning and Teaching” in Idries Shah (ed.) The World of the Sufi (London: Octagon Press, 1979), pp. 215-216. (47) Peter Brent “Learning and Teaching” in Idries Shah (ed.) The World of the Sufi (London: Octagon Press, 1979), pp. 219-219.

22

SELF-OBSERVATION ‘The Study of the Way requires self-encounter

along the way. You have not met yourself yet.’ Rumi

Importance of Self-Observation Self-observation is the beginning of self-knowledge. The challenge is to experience each thought, feeling and sensation as fully as possible without the attention wandering, and without judgement or evaluation. “As my only interest is to see, I do not intervene and the real significance of these thoughts and feelings is revealed.” Self-study and self-observation precedes and prepares for self-knowledge. “It is necessary to begin from the beginning. A man must begin observing himself as though he did not know himself at all, as though he had never observed himself.” Knowledge of oneself is a very big, but a very vague and distant aim. Man in his present state is very far from self-knowledge. Therefore, strictly speaking, his aim cannot even be defined as self-knowledge. Self-study must be his big aim. It is quite enough if a man understands that he must study himself. It must be man’s aim to begin to study himself, to know himself, in the right way. Self-study is the work or the way which leads to self-knowledge. But in order to study oneself one must first learn how to study, where to begin, what methods to use. A man must learn how to study himself, and he must study the methods of self-study. The chief method of self-study is self-observation. (1) In many spiritual traditions, especially the Gurdjieff Work, self-observation is the foundation of the practical work of inner transformation and development. “For insight to develop into the working of our body, mind and emotions a spirit of observation and deep questioning must be kept in the forefront. We can collect and quiet the mind, but then we must observe, examine, see its ways and its laws.” From the beginning, students were expected to observe themselves for at least a few minutes several times every day as if they were scientists examining elements of an experiment. Only then could they learn what they were really like behind their often inaccurate idea of themselves. Self-observation is an effort to attend, moment by moment, to all that is going on in oneself and between oneself and the world, without judgment or opinion about it. Although we all house an inner judge ready to categorize and criticize everything and everyone we meet as well as our own thoughts and actions, as soon as that accusatory element enters, we are no longer engaged in a disinterested investigation. (2) 1

Self-observation is a skill which can be developed and cultivated. “We do not know how to observe. Our moments of perception are contaminated by our subjective reaction. We have lost the elegance of simple perception and spontaneous response.” One has to learn to observe. If one cannot observe the movement of the mind, then what is going to take place beyond mind will not be observed. As one observes the clouds in the sky, the flowers in a garden, the ripples on the waters, the waves on the ocean, as one observes without wanting to do anything about them, so one can observe the movement of the mind in a relaxed way, without condemning, without accepting, without denying. First one observes it, sitting by oneself in solitude and if this state of observation can be sustained in solitude then one can be in the state of observation throughout the day. One goes to the office to work, listens to the words of the boss, sees the reaction coming up in oneself, of anger, of irritation, of annoyance. One sees the objective challenge and the subjective reaction coming up simultaneously. And this capacity to be aware of the objective challenge and the subjective reactions simultaneously results in an elevation of consciousness from the plane of challenge and reaction to a different plane altogether. (3) The majority of human beings have little sense of who they truly are and rarely question their own subjective beliefs about themselves and their life. But with self-observation, mental, emotional and physical processes that are unconscious, existing in darkness, become illuminated by the light of consciousness. “So many sides of myself are a stranger to me. Only by being present, observing, and not identifying with the content of the observation are these hidden sides seen.” We must surely acknowledge that in reality we do not know ourselves. What is more, the mistaken belief that we do know ourselves is the very obstacle that prevents us (since we think it pointless) from understanding the work which in fact we need the most. If we have some understanding of this situation, we begin to question ourselves about ourselves and we realize that we need to learn to turn ourselves towards ourselves and toward our inner life. We need to see ourselves as we are, instead of the picture we have of ourselves. To see ourselves better, we must first observe ourselves impartially – in complete sincerity, without changing anything – simply because we have this need to see ourselves as we are. That is why all work in this direction begins with self-observation – observation which is all-embracing, global and impartial. (4) Directly observing our physical, emotional and mental functioning is the first stage of selfobservation and must precede any attempts at analysis or interpretation: There are two methods of self-observation: analysis, or attempts at analysis, that is, attempts to find the answers to the questions: upon what does a certain thing depend, and why does it happen; and the second method is registering, simply 2

‘recording’ in one’s mind what is observed at the moment. Self-observation, especially in the beginning, must on no account become analysis or attempts at analysis. Analysis will only become possible much later when a man knows all the functions of his machine and all the laws which govern it . . . Before it is possible to analyze even the most elementary phenomena, a man must accumulate a sufficient quantity of material by means of ‘recording.’ ‘Recording,’ that is, the result of a direct observation of what is taking place at a given moment, is the most important material in the work of self-study. When a certain amount of ‘records’ have been accumulated and when, at the same time, laws to a certain extent have been studied and understood, analysis becomes possible. (5)

Challenges and Difficulties In actual practice, sustained self-observation is very challenging. “It is difficult from the beginning. If one is to do this, it can only be done here and now. One cannot observe oneself five minutes ago or five minutes from now – only here and now. This instant moment is the only time I can observe myself.” One has to divide oneself into two – the observer and the observed. This requires in the first place a degree of control over attention which is, to begin with, extraordinarily difficult. Not only is it difficult to set up, but it is impossible to maintain for more than a very short time. What one has to do is to make an inner movement that establishes a kind of silent witness that stands beside oneself and is aware of what is going on. This is difficult because it is unaccustomed, because it makes this unusual demand to divide the attention, and because we are not taught to do it in life. It does happen, but rarely. It happens sometimes as a result of a heightened intensity of emotion. These are certain emotional moments, the memory of which stands out vividly. (6) Self-observation is not easy and requires a sustained effort to overcome our habitual inertia and resistance to change: In order to observe, I have to struggle. My ordinary nature refuses self-observation. I need to prepare, to organize a struggle against the obstacle, to withdraw a little from my identification – speaking, imagining, expressing negative emotions. Conscious struggle requires choice and acceptance. It must not be my state that dictates the choice. I must choose the struggle to be present and accept that suffering will appear. There is no struggle without suffering. Struggle is unacceptable to our lower nature; struggle upsets it. That is why it is so important always to remember what we wish – the meaning of our work and our Presence. In going against a habit, for example, like eating or sitting in a certain way, we are not struggling to change the habit. Or in trying not to express negative emotions, 3

we are not struggling against the emotions themselves or struggling to do away with their expression. It is a struggle with our identification, to allow the energy otherwise wasted to serve the work. We struggle not against something, we struggle for something. (7) The process of change and transformation through self-observation may be slow, requiring patience and fortitude: Self-observation is an art and science of its own, one that can be increasingly mastered over a lifetime. Following the ceaseless ebbs and flows of one’s mind is not as easy as it may sound. True self-observation actually requires consistently focused and regulated effort, in all kinds of situations, easy, difficult or in-between. The first thing you learn is how surprisingly hard it is to sustain, even for a moment. Lest you become discouraged too soon, however, remember that you seldom know when you are learning or absorbing knowledge and often aren’t when you think you are. That is an immutable principle of real learning, as distinguished from indoctrination, conditioning and the like. Nonetheless, you will be able to notice small changes in yourself after a while, provided you do not seek them too strenuously. Uncritical acceptance of yourself as is is a precondition, and your improvements will subsequently manifest as gradual reductions in obsessive and compulsive tendencies, over-emotionalism, rationalization and negativism. (8) Rightly conducted self-observation requires an attitude and approach similar to that of a scientist studying some natural phenomenon – objective, impartial and dispassionate. In scientific research data is first collected and then analyzed before drawing any definite conclusions. There is an analogous approach in the practice of self-observation: “Observation is concerned with how we act, what we do. Analysis is concerned with why we act as we do, with what we are – because what we are determines what we do.” In the Gurdjieff Work, self-observation is one of the cornerstones of practical self-study. Students are instructed to be honest, non-judgemental and not to try to change anything that is observed: Our fundamental effort was to see ourselves as we were, trying to witness, to be “present” to, whatever was taking place at the moment. Using various methods handed down from Gurdjieff, we were to attempt to discover in ourselves an attention that could “record” whether what we were experiencing at the moment was a thought, a feeling, a sensation, or some combination of these or other functions. We were also to attempt to observe our identification with our various habits, including daydreaming, imagination, inner talking, and so on, and to verify our own lack of inner unity. In attempting to observe ourselves – which often required going against the momentum of our habits in order to see them more clearly – we were reminded to try not to judge or analyze what was seen. According to Gurdjieff,

4

judgment and analysis would simply draw us back into the vicious cycle of identification with the contents of our awareness – especially with our own inner reactions to what we saw – consuming what little free attention might be available for continuing observation. If judgment or analysis occurred, however, which it often did in spite of our best intentions, we were to simply include it in our observations. In short, the Gurdjieff Work asked us to be scientists in relation to ourselves, with our own being as the object of our observations. (9) It is difficult to maintain the quality of attention necessary for self-observation. It is easy to unconsciously move from observing thoughts, emotions and sensations to reacting, judging or commenting on them. The moment when one reacts to what one observes there is no longer pure direct observation. “The transition from simply experiencing what is happening to talking about it and reacting to it takes place without one realizing that it has taken place. The attention goes from bare awareness into a running commentary without one noticing it.” What happens, time and time again, is that for a moment one can stand aside and impersonally experience what’s happening, but very quickly and imperceptibly observation changes into comment, and comment into emotional reaction to what one has observed. And the moment the observation changes into comment, one has lost the pure impression. One just has to go on trying, and it is not an easy thing to do. But one is simply seeing, in relation to this process of observing oneself, what goes on the whole time when one is observing other people and things: one is constantly (and cannot help it) interpreting and analyzing. It is very difficult indeed, but possible, to get away from this. (10)

Quality of Attention The quality of perception and self-observation depends on the level and degree of attention brought to the situation and circumstance at hand. A traditional Sufi story illustrates this contention: A Sufi was a witness in a court case. The judge said: “How many steps did this man fall down?” The Sufi said, “I don’t know.” “You mean to say that you put yourself forward as a witness,” shouted the judge, “and you cannot answer a simple question?” The Sufi said: “And how long has Your Honor been a judge in this court?” “Twenty years,” the judge replied. “And can you tell me the number of beams in the roof of this hall?” (11) The importance of developing attention in the process of self-observation was often stressed by Gurdjieff: “First you must strive to acquire attention. Correct self-observation is possible only after you have acquired a measure of attention. Begin with small things.”

5

The foundation of self-knowledge is patient observation of the workings of our body-mind’s functioning. With persistent effort the quality of attention and observation will gradually increase, developing a capacity to become aware of moments and periods of inattention: One has to get acquainted with the mind and its way of operation. How does one get acquainted? One has to get acquainted with the restlessness of the body and the mind. Instead of resisting the momentum of the mind, start watching. Man has not been educated to watch. He has to learn to watch and start watching for the fraction of a second. The alertness of watching will be lost again and again, but the moment one is aware of the inattention, one comes back to attention. Learning how to observe is the beginning. It is a voyage to be taken inwards, to be taken in the solitude of aloneness. (12) When we begin to practice self-observation we quickly find that our attention is constantly shifting as we are diverted by external stimuli, passing thoughts and emotions. Although our power of attention may be weak when we first begin to observe ourselves, with practice it gradually strengthens: However damaged my attention-function is, still it is possible for me to pay at least a minimal kind of attention to my inner processes of thought, emotion, bodily sensation, and movement. I can begin to notice my moods and how they shift. I can begin to notice my postures, how I sit, how I walk, my tone of voice, and my facial expressions. I can notice negative emotions. These provide me with a beginning practice in order to repair my attention-function. Only through sustained and honest struggle to observe will my attention grow and develop. (13) The observation of one’s thoughts, emotions, sensations and actions requires a special effort of attention which has been likened to a mirror in which objects are reflected just as they are. “The Silent Witness pays attention to what goes on in the centers: the head, the heart and the body. It simply pays attention. It is simply being aware, as though each function has a mirror placed in front of it.” I spoke about a method of observation of self which requires a special effort with attention: a division of attention into two parts. One of these parts is directed towards whatever activity it’s engaged in, whether it be thought or action or whatever, and the other is directed to the experience of a point of awareness of what is going on. I call it the Silent Witness. It’s an impartial, unjudgmental witness to what goes on. It is extremely difficult to do this, and you will find at first that you can only do it for a split second, and then you find yourself with your attention wholly drawn into what you’re doing; but with practice is becomes more possible. (14) To truly observe ourselves we need a quality of attention of a higher level than our ordinary attention. “Without a different attention, we are obliged to be automatic. With an attention that is voluntarily directed, we go towards consciousness.” 6

We undertake the struggle to be vigilant, to watch – the struggle of the watchman. We seek to have a watchman in us who is stable. The one who watches is the one who is present . . . Observation of myself shows me how better to concentrate and strengthens the attention. It makes me see that I do not remember myself, that I do not see my state of sleep. I am fragmented, my attention is dispersed, and there is no force that is available to see. When I awaken, I make an effort to disengage enough attention to oppose this dispersion, and to see it. This is a state that is more voluntary. Now there is a watchman, and this watchman is a different state of consciousness. I must always remember that I do not know what I am, that the whole problem is who is present. (15) When we begin to observe ourselves we see only the mechanical conditioned nature of our thoughts, feelings and sensations. But gradually the actual act of observing produces a direct contact with the reality of who we are: The wish to know arises in me – not to know a specific thing, but to know who is here, what I am at this very moment. The place is taken. I feel it in the tensions, in the ideas that cross my mind without stopping, in the waves of emotions that respond. I do not try to resist, nor to withdraw or distract myself. This is the way I am. I accept it. And in living it, I see it as it is, as if I see further, through it, becoming more and more free. I see my inattention. I realize that my being depends on this power of seeing, and that I am free not to take one part of myself for the whole, free not to be isolated in one part. I need to develop an attention that is pure and sufficiently intense not to be diverted by subjective reactions. I return tirelessly to the root of my perception. In this movement my attention purifies itself and little by little eliminates the elements foreign to a direct perception. Only the impression of reality remains. (16)

Agent of Transformation and Change The actual process of self-observation itself produces self-change. “Human possibilities are very great. You cannot conceive even a shadow of what a person is capable of attaining.” Self-study and self-observation, if rightly conducted, bring man to the realization of the fact that something is wrong with his machine and with his functions in their ordinary state. A man realizes that it is precisely because he is asleep that he lives and works in a small part of himself. It is precisely for this reason that the vast majority of his possibilities remain unrealized, the vast majority of his powers are left unused . . . Self-observation brings man to the realization of the necessity for self-change. And in observing himself a man notices that self-observation itself brings about certain changes in his inner processes. He begins to understand that

7

self-observation is an instrument of self-change, a means of awakening. By observing himself he throws, as it were, a ray of light into his inner processes which have hitherto worked in complete darkness. And under the influence of this light the processes themselves begin to change. (17) Self-observation begins the process of inner change and transformation which leads to freedom from long-standing patterns of behaviour and entry into a more conscious state of presence and being: By practicing self-observation in this way, a man will notice that it brings about a change in his inner life, and in the processes that flow from it. Self-observation requires an inner division. For observation to be possible, a certain separation between two parts of oneself has to be established. Immediately the question arises about myself: “who observes and who is observed?” And at the same time, this separation brings about the beginning of consciousness, an awareness under which “I” begins to wonder who is really myself, what is “sincere” and what is not. With this inner awareness and the light it projects, the processes that till now took place in complete darkness appear for what they are and are again put in question in relation to what I discover to be me. And this sincere questioning, continuous in the light of an expanding self-consciousness, is the very ferment which will make possible all further changes. Self-observation is in itself an instrument for awakening to another level of life and, consequently, a means of transformation. (18) Self-observation liberates an intelligence that objectively and honestly recognizes the mechanical conditioned nature of our mental, emotional and physical life. “To the degree that selfobservation is impartial then an inner space is created between the object and the subject in which intelligence can appear.” Observing how my life is being lived as impartially as possible (like a scientist looking at a virus through a microscope) allows my natural intelligence to enter and I begin to directly sense and feel what is being observed – direct, unfiltered impressions of postures, breathing, thoughts, feelings, actions, inaction. In this way I begin to recognize by the evidence of my own observation that I am not the indivisible person I have taken myself to be, but many “I”s, each with its own agenda, often quite contradictory. These “I”s feed on my energy, capture my attention, lead me here and there. (19) The process of self-observation allows us to separate from the conditioned personality and ego patterns that govern our life and prevent the full flowering of our potential. “The act of observation changes your relationship with reactive patterns. You see them as patterns, not as what you are or as what is real. As you continue to observe, you will see other ways of working with what arises in experience.”

8

Become the spectator, become aware of the natural flow of life, your motives, actions and what results from them. Observe the walls you have built around yourself. As you become more aware of your body and mind you will come to know yourself. As this image of things as you believe them to be subsides, you will have a clear insight of what you are – something quite other than a product of the mind. You will gradually feel less and less involved in whatever comes up and one day you will discover yourself to be in the perceiving. Once you free yourself from the idea, “I am a body” and the consequences of this idea, you will awaken to your natural state of being. Give yourself up entirely to this discovery. True awareness cannot be obtained by projecting known factors in terms of concepts and perceptions. What you are fundamentally cannot be experienced through reason and is only reached once you eliminate what you are not. (20)

Opening to Higher Possibilities When we first begin to carefully observe ourselves we see the chaotic nature of our inner life. But as we develop the ability to observe clearly, we become more conscious and awake and are able to use our energy more effectively as the bonds of past conditioning are gradually weakened: One of the first insights that come to people that look within is a recognition that their mind is out of control; it is untrained and turbulent, filled with thoughts and plans and reactions and likes and dislikes. There is a constant barrage of sense impressions and a series of reactions to them. This constant stream of mental and physical events seems very solid. But as the mind becomes more concentrated, as it becomes focused and still, we begin to penetrate through the layers of thought and see how the thoughts and emotions simply arise and pass away moment by moment. We can examine the seemingly solid experience of body sensations and sound and sight, and see that, like the mind, they too are actually a process that is in constant change. (21) Self-observation is not a mental activity or a thinking process. It requires a quiet, sensitive and alert mind. “To observe without contradiction is like following a fast current, a torrent, anticipating the rushing water with one’s look, seeing the movement of each little wave. There is no time to formulate, to name or to judge.” The reality of who we are can only be perceived with a fine energy or intelligence in ourselves that sees what is objectively and impartially: Usually when I try to observe, there is a point from which the observation is made, and my mind projects the idea of observing, of an observer separate from the object observed. But the idea of observing is not the observing. Seeing is not an idea. It is an act, the act of seeing. Here the object is me, a living being that needs to be

9

recognized in order to live a certain life. This observation is not that of a fixed observer looking at an object. It is one complete act, an experience that can take place only if there is no separation between what sees and what is seen, no point from which the observation is made. Then there is a feeling of a special kind, a wish to know. It is an affection that embraces everything that I see and is indifferent to nothing. I need to see. When I begin to see, I begin to love what I see. No longer separate, I am in contact with it, intensely, completely. I know, and this knowing is the result of this new condition. I wake up to what I am and touch the source of pure love, a quality of being. (22) As the practice of self-observation ripens and matures the ability to remain aware and in the present moment strengthens and deepens. “Sustained observation throughout the day, and in daily relationships, will help human beings grow into a qualitatively different awareness. Be aware of the objective challenges and subjective reactions simultaneously in one sweep of attention.” Through self-observation, more presence comes into your life automatically. The moment you realize that you are not present, you are present. Whenever you are able to observe your mind, you are no longer trapped in it. Another factor has come in, something that is not of the mind: the witnessing presence. Be present as the watcher of your mind – of your thoughts and emotions as well as your reactions in various situations. Be at least as interested in your reactions as in the situation or person that causes you to react. Notice also how often your attention is in the past or future. Don’t judge or analyze what you observe. Watch the thought, feel the emotion, observe the reaction. Don’t make a personal problem out of them. You will then feel something more powerful than any of those things that you observe: the still, observing presence itself behind the content of your mind, the silent watcher. (23)

References (1) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), p. 105. (2) Patty de Llosa The Practice of Presence (Sandpoint, Idaho: Morning Light Press, 2006), p. 7. (3) Vimala Thakar Totality in Essence (Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1986), p. 28. (4) Jean Vaysse Toward Awakening (New York: Harper & Row, 1979), p. 34. (5) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), pp. 105-106. (6) Hugh Ripman Questions and Answers Along the Way (Washington, D.C.: Forthway Center Press, 2009), p. 12. (7) Jeanne de Salzmann The Reality of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), p. 18. (8) Stuart Litvak and Wayne Senzee More Ways to Use Your Head (Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1985), pp. 59-60. 10

(9) Dennis Lewis “Gurdjieff and the Further Reaches of Self-observation” www.breath.org/self-observation (10) Hugh Ripman Questions and Answers Along the Way (Washington, D.C.: Forthway Center Press, 2009), p. 59. (11) Idries Shah Evenings with Idries Shah (London: Designist Communications, 1989), p. 29. (12) Vimala Thakar Totality in Essence (Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1986), pp. 77-78. (13) Red Hawk Self-Observation: The Awakening of Conscience (Prescott, Arizona: Hohm Press, 2009), p. 25. (14) Hugh Ripman Questions and Answers Along the Way (Washington, D.C.: Forthway Center Press, 2009), p. 54. (15) Jeanne de Salzmann The Reality of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), pp. 20-21. (16) Jeanne de Salzmann The Reality of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), p. 42. (17) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), pp. 145-146. (18) Jean Vaysse Toward Awakening (New York: Harper & Row, 1979), pp. 45-46. (19) William Patterson Spiritual Survival in a Radically Changing World-Time (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2009), p. 380. (20) Jean Klein I Am (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publications, 1989), pp. 8-9. (21) Joseph Goldstein and Jack Kornfield Seeking the Heart of Wisdom (Boston: Shambhala, 1987), p. 70. (22) Jeanne de Salzmann The Reality of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), pp. 24-25. (23) Eckhart Tolle The Power of Now (Vancouver: Namaste Publications, 1997), pp. 45-46.

11

OBSERVING HUMAN FUNCTIONS ‘To learn to see is the first initiation into self-knowledge.’ Jeanne de Salzmann

Observing Thoughts When a person first begins to study the working of the mind and intellect the results are quite revealing, as it shows that much of our thinking is associative, repetitive and unnecessary. “Thought has its place and is a most useful tool. It is a marvellously obedient servant, but a cruel, ruthless and inefficient master.” The study of intellectual functioning is difficult. A man who tries to see this functioning notices that he does have a certain power to direct his thoughts at the start: he can sometimes keep them for a little while in the direction he has chosen. But, sooner or later, often quite soon, they escape him and he is distracted. Besides, in his ordinary life, he seldom makes use of his power to direct his thoughts except in rare moments; his mind never stops working and ideas are always there, arising automatically as a result of outer and inner stimuli about which a man can do nothing. They are automatic reactions of the intellect in various conditions which follow one after another in a chain of associations. And in the same way that we have physical habits, so do we have habits of the mind, habitual ways of thinking which, without our knowing it, are also rather few in number. (1) When we begin to observe our thoughts we realize that “thoughts are just thoughts” and not the actual reality they merely represent. “By watching your thoughts without being drawn into them, you can learn something profoundly liberating about thinking itself, which may help you to be less of a prisoner of those thought patterns.” By observing the very process of thought itself, you get to see how such tiny and transitory “secretions” in the mind, which have no substantial existence and which are often completely illusory or highly inaccurate or irrelevant, can nevertheless be so consequential, how they can dramatically affect our states of mind and body, influence our decisions with potentially devastating downstream consequences for ourselves and others, and in any event, prevent us from being present with things as they actually are in any given moment. The practice of watching your thoughts from moment to moment can be profoundly illuminating and liberating. (2) When we observe our thoughts we realize that they are impermanent, without any lasting substance or significance: As you begin to see thoughts as formations, and to observe them – just as you do with bodily formations – you see that they’re quite mechanical. They’re extra1

ordinarily repetitive. We go over the same conversations again and again, keep inventing new ones which will never happen. We have well-worn ruts in our brains. They’re conditioned by our culture and by our personal history. Many of them come right out of things we’ve been told by our parents and teachers. We nevertheless take tremendous pride in our thoughts and give them great authority in our lives. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that we worship thought . . . We are virtually enslaved to them. Yet they are just thoughts. They arise and pass away and have no more reality than a sound we hear or a pain in our leg. Once you see that, your passion for thought begins to fade away. You can see when it is called for, see when it is helpful, and otherwise drop it. This isn’t to discredit the many marvels created by thought. It is to put it in its proper place. (3) When thoughts are carefully observed over a period of time, they reveal a pattern of tension and psychological stress that conceal the natural clarity of mind: As you inquire into your own thoughts, you discover how attachment to a belief or story causes suffering. The mind’s natural condition is peace. Then a thought enters, you believe it, and the peace seems to disappear. You notice the feeling of stress in the moment, and the feeling lets you know that you’re opposing what is by believing the thought; it tells you that you’re at war with reality. When you question the thought behind the feeling and realize that it isn’t true, you become present outside your story. Then the story falls away in the light of awareness, and only the awareness of what really is remains. Peace is who you are without a story, until the next stressful story appears. Eventually, inquiry becomes alive in you as the natural wordless response to the thoughts that arise. (4) The incessant chatter of the mind obscures our deeper self – conscious presence – which is our natural state of complete oneness with Being. “When a thought subsides, you experience a discontinuity in the mental stream – a gap of ‘no-mind.’ At first, the gaps will be short, a few seconds perhaps, but gradually they will become longer. When these gaps occur, you feel a certain stillness and peace inside you.” Q: What exactly do you mean by “watching the thinker?” A: The beginning of freedom is the realization that you are not the possessing entity – the thinker. Knowing this enables you to observe the entity. The moment you start watching the thinker, a higher level of consciousness becomes activated. You then begin to realize that there is a vast realm of intelligence beyond thought, that thought is only a tiny aspect of that intelligence. You also realize that all the things that truly matter – beauty, love, creativity, joy, inner peace – arise from beyond the mind. You begin to awaken . . . So when you listen to a thought, you are aware not only of the thought but also of yourself as the witness of thought. A new dimension of consciousness has come in. As you listen to the thought, you feel a conscious presence – your deeper self – behind or underneath the thought, as it 2

were. The thought then loses its power over you and quickly subsides, because you are no longer energizing the mind through identification with it. This is the beginning of the end of involuntary and compulsive thinking. (5) When we observe thoughts without interference or evaluation, the thoughts slowly disappear as the witness state emerges and gains strength. “When you do not get involved with the thought process or the flow of words, or the flow of mind, you are not the mind.” There must simply be a quiet looking at what composes the mind. In discovering the facts just as they are, agitation is eliminated, the movement of thought becomes slow and we can watch each thought, its causes and content as it occurs. We become aware of every thought in its completeness and in this totality there can be no conflict. Then only alertness remains, only silence in which there is neither observer nor observed. So do not force your mind. Just watch its various movements as you would look at flying birds. In this uncluttered looking, all your experiences surface and unfold. For unmotivated seeing not only generates tremendous energy but frees all tension, all the various layers of inhibitions. You see the whole of yourself. Observing everything with full attention becomes a way of life, a return to your original and natural meditative being. (6) The very act of observing our thoughts can transform our attitude to them and provide a distance that allows a deeper dimension of mind and being to emerge: If we begin to listen to the stream of thought as thought, to attend to thoughts as events in the field of awareness, and if we develop a certain calmness and quiet outwardly, we come to see our thinking much more clearly. We are able to listen to it and see exactly what is on our minds, and how much of it is just mental noise. Once we know that, intimately, up-close and personal, we can begin to develop new ways of relating to it. We may be shocked at what we discover, at how much of our thinking is chaotic and yet at the same time severely narrow and repetitive, shaped so much by our history and habits. Yet it is probably better to know this via firsthand experience than not to know it. When unattended, our thinking runs our lives without our even knowing it. Attended with mindful awareness, we have a chance not only to know ourselves better, and see what is on our minds, but also to hold our thoughts differently, so they no longer rule our lives. In this way, we can taste some very real moments of freedom that do not depend entirely on inner and outer conditions. (7) The very act of observing our thoughts releases a transformative energy: The act of seeing is an act of deliverance. When I see what is real, the real facts, the very perception, is deliverance from it. I need to disengage from all the powerful value I give to knowledge, to my opinions and theories. The very act of seeing something as a fact has an extraordinary effect by itself without the participation 3

of the thinking. If I can remain in front of the reality without reacting, a source of energy appears that is not the thought. The attention becomes charged with a special energy that is liberated in the act of perception. But this state of observation can come only when there is an urgency to understand and to see, and my mind gives up everything in order to observe. Then there is a new kind of observation, without any knowledge, without belief or fear, with an attention that remains firm and stays in front in order to know. It is an attention that neither denies the fact nor accepts it. The attention simply sees – going from fact to fact with the same pure energy. This act of pure seeing is an act of transformation. (8)

Observing Emotions Observing emotions is much more challenging and difficult than observing thoughts or bodily sensations. “We live with nothing but automatic emotional reactions, feelings which follow each other in rapid succession at each instant of our lives and cause something in each circumstance to please us or displease us, attract us or repel us.” Of all the many areas of our experience, both in meditation practice and in the rest of our lives, emotions are often the most difficult to understand and to be with in a free way. Two factors contribute to this difficulty. First, emotions as appearances in the mind are amorphous; they have no clear boundaries, no definite sense of beginnings and endings. They are not as tangible as sensations nor as clearly defined as thoughts. Even when we feel them strongly, we may not be able to distinguish among them clearly. The second obstruction to our understanding of emotions is the fact that we are deeply conditioned to identify with them. When you are in the midst of some powerful feeling such as love or anger, excitement or sadness, notice the strong sense of self, of “I,” that usually comes with it. We can learn relatively easily to see the passing, impersonal nature of bodily sensations, and even thoughts, which come and go so quickly. But how much harder it is to see the impersonal or nonpersonal nature of emotions. Indeed, to many people the notion of nonpersonal emotions may even seem an oxymoron, a contradiction in terms. Emotions are often seen to be the most personal aspect of our experience. (9) Rather than calmly watching emotions as they arise and play out, we identify with them and relate them to our personal identity and history: Whatever emotion comes up is “what is.” When we live in separation, the mind tends to get hold of these sensations and turn them into stories. The last thing the mind wants to do is to let emotions simply be present, to be seen by the watcher, which is pure awareness. It wants to possess that emotion and turn it into a story that will convince you that the mind will work out the problem and somehow find a solution. Instead, simply rest in “what is,” whether it is the taste of marmalade 4

or tea, the emotion of fear, or the noise of a car going by. All these apparent happenings are simply consciousness manifesting the invitation in every form. So let those things be as they are by simply seeing it all with awareness. It’s very simple. Christ said that the kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed. It is tiny and ordinary, and is arising as “this.” (10) Emotions are usually more difficult to observe than thoughts because of their energetic power. Most people become completely identified with strong emotions, making it difficult to observe them calmly and dispassionately: An emotion usually represents an amplified and energized thought pattern, and because of its often overpowering energetic charge, it is not easy initially to stay present enough to be able to watch it. It wants to take you over, and it usually succeeds – unless there is enough presence in you. If you are pulled into unconscious identification with the emotion through lack of presence, which is normal, the emotion temporarily becomes “you,” Often a vicious circle builds up between your thinking and the emotion: they feed each other. The thought pattern creates a magnified reflection of itself in the form of an emotion, and the vibrational frequency of the emotion keeps feeding the original thought pattern. By dwelling mentally on the situation, event, or person that is the perceived cause of the emotion, the thought feeds energy to the emotion, which in turn energizes the thought pattern, and so on. (11) The ability to observe powerful emotions such as anger or jealousy is very challenging but crucial in the work of self-transformation: We can practice observing ourselves becoming angry, the arising thoughts, the bodily changes, the heat, the tension. Usually we don’t see what is happening because when we are angry, we are identified with our desire to be “right.” And to be honest, we aren’t even interested in spiritual practice. It’s very heady to be angry. When the anger is major we find it hard to practice with it. A useful practice is to work with all the smaller angers that occur every day. When we can practice with those as they occur, we learn; then when the bigger uproars come that ordinarily would sweep us away, we don’t get swept away so much. (12) Emotions can only be understood through creating an “observing space” which allows their pure naked energy to be seen exactly as it is. This approach avoids the two extremes of either suppressing emotions or expressing them without control or thought: We are speaking here of becoming one with the emotions. This is different from and in contrast to the usual approach of suppressing them or acting them out. If we are suppressing our emotions, it is extremely dangerous because we are regarding them as something terrible, shameful, which means that our relationship to our emotions is not really open. Once we try to suppress them, sooner or later 5

they are going to step out and explode. There is another possibility. If you do not suppress your emotions, then you really allow yourself to come out and be carried away by them. This way of dealing with the emotions also comes from a kind of panic; your relationship with your emotions has not been properly reconciled. This is another way of escaping from the actual emotion, another kind of release, a false release. It is a confusion of mind and matter, thinking that the physical act of practicing emotions, of putting them into effect, supposedly will cure the emotions, relieve their irritation. But generally it reinforces them, and the emotions become more powerful. The relationship between the emotions and mind is not quite clear here. So the intelligent way of working with emotions is to try to relate with their basic substance, the abstract quality of the emotions, so to speak. The basic “isness” quality of the emotions, the fundamental nature of the emotions, is just energy. And if one is able to relate with energy, then the energies have no conflict with you. They become a natural process. So trying to suppress or getting carried away by the emotions becomes irrelevant once a person is completely able to see their basic characteristic, the emotions as they are. (13) When we are mindfully aware of our emotional states we create an open space which prevents the complete identification with the emotion. “When people are able to discern and understand their own emotional ebb and flow, they can operate it and not it them.” Q: How do we deal with anger, jealousy, hate, and so on? A: They are all concepts. Once you understand the principle, you can transpose it to every dimension of life. When you feel anger, don’t judge it or name it. Make it an object of perception free from the interference of the intellect. Thoughts may come and go but if you give them no hold, you come to no conclusion. Sustain looking without conclusion and you will feel space between you and what you call anger. This space is not a psychological feeling but a genuine global body sensation. The more you become interested in the real anger, the more objective it becomes, a perception you observe rather than an emotivity you are lost in. You will see it is only fixed energy with none of the qualities the mind calls anger. Q: What if the emotion emerges suddenly and uncontrollably? A: When the crisis is over you must recollect in tranquility. Go back to the situation. Let it live again in your objective attention. (14) Negative emotional states can be transformed and purified when observed with dispassion and acceptance. “If we know how to live every moment in an awakened way, we will be aware of what is going on in our feelings and perceptions in the present moment, and we will not let knots form or become tighter in our consciousness. And if we know how to observe our feelings, we can find the roots of long-standing internal functions and transform them.”

6

Our feelings play a very important part in directing all of our thoughts and actions. In us, there is a river of feelings, in which every drop of water is a different feeling, and each feeling relies on all the others for its existence. To observe it, we just sit on the bank of the river and identify each feeling as it surfaces, flows by, and disappears . . . If we face our unpleasant feelings with care, affection, and nonviolence, we can transform them into the kind of energy that is healthy and has the capacity to nourish us. By the work of mindful observation, our unpleasant feelings can illuminate so much for us, offering us insight and understanding into ourselves. (15) Awareness and attention are the means that transform negative emotions. “It isn’t important that we are upset; what is important is the ability to observe the upset.” In clear, undivided attention, anger melts away – it loses its fuel and momentum. Its fuel and momentum are self-centered, dualistic thoughts, and the chain of reactions and counter-reactions they trigger throughout the organism. When there is attention at the moment of provocation, then listening takes the place of habitual reaction. When images are clearly detected and understood, provocation loses its power to provoke. Can you discover this for yourself? Not just words, not just anger, but the root source of it all? This is the very essence of this work of looking into oneself wholly, honestly, openly, gently, beyond all words, explanations and resolutions. (16) With practice, negative emotional states can actually be transmuted by calmly observing them as they arise and grab hold of the mind: When emotional states arise, catch them as they happen and discipline yourself to ask the question “What is this?” Then label it as hatred, sensuality, restlessness, whatever it is. Because you are a human being you are stuck with wanting love, security, the breast, etc. But it’s not ‘your’ fear; it’s not ‘your’ sensuality; it’s not ‘your’ problem; it’s the whole range of human experience which you can transmute if you are calm. If you push away and pack down the emotion of fear, or whatever, it will become a powder keg which will eventually explode. The only way to work with what appears to be unwholesome, is to know it, to see it fully. There is a point where the flow of fear or hatred has to be raised or transmuted and used for a higher purpose. (17)

Observing the Body Most of the time, we are out of touch with our body and unaware of the nature of its functioning. “The body – as a living being – rarely comes into the field of our consciousness. We are for the most part simply oblivious of its presence as an existential reality – as a living entity having its own intelligence and sphere of awareness.” 7

What is it that is closed in us? Our senses are closed, our bodies are closed. We spend so much of our time lost in thoughts, in judgment, in fantasy and in daydreams that we do not pay careful attention to the direct experience of our senses – to sights and sounds, to smell and taste, to sensations in the body. Because our attention is often scattered, perceptions through the sense doors become clouded. But as awareness and concentration become stronger through meditation, we spend less time lost in thought, and there is a much greater sensitivity and refinement in our sense impressions. We also begin to open the body. Often there is not a free flow of energy in the body, and as we direct our awareness inward, we experience in a very clear and intimate way the accumulated tensions, knots, and holdings that are present. (18) Observing the body can be very useful as a method of self-knowledge. “It may help you to become more familiar with, and more sensitive to, the various kinds of unnecessary muscular tensions in your body and the various uneconomic uses of energy. It may also help you to see how closely your physical behavior is connected with the movements of your emotions and your thoughts.” In a certain sense it is easier to observe our physical body than our thoughts and emotions, which are more fleeting and ephemeral, lacking the solidity and stability of our physical nature. “Our first work is with the body, with inhabiting and awakening the body. Work with postures is primary. Postures are physical, heavy; not like thoughts, feelings, impulses which are light, mercurial, difficult to really experience first-hand.” If we wish to study our body, or at least, to begin with, its moving function, its movement, we must first of all be related to it. What relates us to the body is the sensation we have of it – the inner perception of my physical being, the physical sensation of myself. But sensation has an even greater importance because, if our aim is eventually to develop a stable presence in ourselves, the sensation of our physical being is an inherent part of this. It is the most concrete and easily controlled part. We always have some sensation of our body; otherwise our postures could not be maintained, our movements would be made haphazardly, or not at all. But we are not conscious of this sensation, we are unaware of it, except in extreme situations when an unusual effort is required or when something suddenly goes badly or goes wrong. The rest of the time we forget about it. In order to know and observe ourselves and to study our body we need to have this sensation. This calls for a new relationship to come into existence in me: I – conscious of – my sensation. (19) Unless self-observation is focused and stabilized on the energies and sensations of the body it will remain as a mere mental and psychological note-taking exercise, devoid of any real developmental value. “The awareness of the body grounds us literally in the immediate, brings us into time; otherwise, living in abstraction, I, my attention, is out of time, in a kind of psychological time, not grounded in the actuality of the physical.” 8

It is only by grounding our awareness in the living sensation of our bodies that the “I Am,” our real presence, can awaken. Though we are told that full, complete self-observation ultimately depends on being open to a higher energy, a higher consciousness, we were also told that it begins with voluntarily putting whatever attention is available to us on our own somatic state in the moment. Gurdjieff makes clear that it is only when our ordinary attention is actively occupied with experiencing the present moment that the higher energy of awareness can appear, an awareness that relates us simultaneously to our inner and outer worlds. For those of us wishing to study ourselves by means of Gurdjieff’s method of self-observation, the starting point must be the overall sensation of the body. It is through this sensation, a kind of three-dimensional perceptual backdrop, that we can discern the various movements and energies of our own inner functions. Without the stability of this sensation, our efforts at self-observation will quickly turn into identification with whatever thoughts, feelings, daydreams, and so on are occurring. (20) The wordless experience of one’s physical presence can act as an anchor holding the attention firm in the midst of mental and emotional distractions. “During the course of our lives, we have become so accustomed to having our attention taken by other things that we have simply lost touch with this. It is there if we can find the way to it. And it is like a sort of solid rock you can sit on in the middle of activity of different kinds, which enables you to be much more firmly based inside.” We need to become friends with our body and to become sensitive to it, especially as it is so closely linked with our intellectual and emotional life. There are other reasons too for becoming more sensitive to the life of the body. When we see clearly that one of our troubles is that, when we do come to ourselves during the day, we relapse into the semi-hypnotic state of sleep so easily and so quickly, we see it is a real problem how to stay with oneself when one comes to oneself. Here, bodily awareness has proved to be one of the best ways of anchoring the attention so that it is not robbed all the time by impressions and the associations they arouse, or by random memories that come up in the mind and the associations they arouse. (21) Observing the body is one of the easiest ways to stay present in daily life. “Through this internal contact with our body we come alive within our own skin, at the same time that we experience ourselves as open and unified with everything around us.” Our body is quite obvious as an object of attention, not subtle like thoughts or emotions. We can stay aware of the body easily, but only if we remember to do so. The remembering is difficult, not the awareness . . . You do not have to practice walking meditation, or any other mindfulness of the body, for hundreds or thousands of hours to feel the benefit. Just patiently practice feeling what is there – and the body is always there – until it becomes second nature to know even the small movements

9

you make. If you are reaching for something, you are doing it anyway; there is nothing extra you have to do. Simply notice the reaching. You are moving. Can you train yourself to be there, to feel it? It is very simple. Practice again and again bringing your attention back to your body. This basic effort, which paradoxically is a relaxing back into the moment, gives us the key to expanding our awareness from times of formal meditation to living mindfully in the world. Do not underestimate the power that comes to you from feeling the simple movements of your body throughout the day. (22) An important aspect of self-study is the observation of habits, postures and movements of the body. When we carefully observe the body we can study our gestures, how we walk, how we sit, how we hold a pen and so forth. This reveals the habitual nature of our physical being and the conditioning it has undergone: Even at first attempt to study the elementary activity of the moving center a man comes up against habits. For instance, a man may want to study his movements, may want to observe how he walks. But he will never succeed in doing so for more than a moment if he continues to walk in the usual way. But if he understands that his usual way of walking consists of a number of habits, for instance, of taking steps of a certain length, walking at a certain speed, and so on, and he tries to alter them, that is, to walk faster or slower, to take bigger or smaller steps, he will be able to observe himself and to study his movements as he walks. If a man wants to observe himself when he is writing, he must take note of how he holds his pen and try to hold it in a different way from usual; observation will then become possible. In order to observe himself a man must try to walk not in his habitual way, he must sit in unaccustomed attitudes, he must stand when he is accustomed to sit, he must sit when he is accustomed to stand . . . All this will enable him to observe himself and study the habits and associations of the moving center. (23) Study and observation of the physical body reveals areas of unnecessary tension which tend to deplete the system of energy and vitality. One of our first discoveries is how much unnecessary tension we hold in our face, neck, shoulders and other body parts: There is the quite unnecessary constant tension of the muscles of our organism. The muscles are tense even when we are doing nothing. As soon as we start to do even a small and insignificant piece of work, a whole system of muscles necessary for the hardest and most strenuous work is immediately set in motion. We pick up a needle from the floor and we spend on this action as much energy as is needed to lift up a man of our own weight. We write a short letter and use as much muscular energy upon it as would suffice to write a bulky volume. But the chief point is that we spend muscular energy continuously and at all times, even when we are doing nothing. When we walk the muscles of our shoulders and arms are tensed unnecessarily, when we sit the muscles of our legs, neck, back, and stomach are tensed in an unnecessary way. We even sleep with the 10

muscles of our arms, of our legs, of our face, or the whole of our body tensed, and we do not realize that we spend much more energy on this continual readiness for work we shall never do than on all the real, useful work we do. (24) The food we eat has a profound effect on the body. Through open observation we begin to discriminate between foods which produce states of restlessness or heaviness and foods which lead to a relaxed, vital state of being: Q: In many of the teachings of different traditions, we are encouraged to live with a certain amount of measure in our lives. For example, nothing in excess, the Middle Way, and so on. Or we are told to pursue a certain diet or way of life. What do you think about this? A: On the physiological level, one could say you are what you absorb. As soon as you come more into contact with the workings and sensations of your body-mind, you will see how the things you absorb act on you. You will notice how what you take in, not only by the mouth but also through the skin, affects how you wake up in the morning. You will be interested in how the body appears to you before going to sleep at night, or after a nap in the afternoon. But all this calls for observation, not the concentration of a hunting dog, but a relaxed observation without any intention. Then, in this observation free from reaction, you will act intelligently. Where you feel a lack you will make an addition of certain elements, and where you feel a heaviness you will omit certain things, until you come to the organic body, where the expanded, light, energy body is freed. No system can bring you to know yourself in this way. Only reaction-free observation, seeing the facts as they are, can do this. (25) Our physical body stores and reflects the experiences we undergo in life and can be restored to its natural state through awareness and silent observation. “The regeneration and purification of the body is attained by establishing a discriminating attention which will dissolve and destroy all our set patterns.” Your body is your vehicle, it’s your tool. You must explore it. In exploring it you will see it is conditioned through previous action, previous reactions. What we call our body is mainly only a field of reactions from previous situations, childhood and so on. So when you face your vehicle, your body, you will see that there are residues of resistance in it. Explore where the resistances are – emphasizing the accepting itself – and there comes a moment when you are free from this resistance and will use your body in a completely different way. We were often angry yesterday but today we are not angry, yet there are still residues of the anger very deep in the body. Face these tensions directly without analyzing their origins. (26)

11

Many people identify with physical pain or fatigue. Simply observing the body without identification, judgement or the desire to escape or change, transforms the physical state through pure awareness: There are several ways one can deal with pain. Certainly we tend to evade or direct it in some way, but then we are involved in it through an effort of will. When we simply observe and the pain is allowed to express itself, the energy fixed as pain becomes fluid. In pure looking there is nobody, no directing ego, and this energy, finding nowhere to localize, reintegrates with the whole. It is important for you to learn how to live with pain. Never conceptualize it. I will give you an example of what I mean. If you feel tired and tell yourself, “I’m tired,” you instantly identify with fatigue. This identification makes you an accomplice to this state, and thereby sustains it. But if you lie down and allowed the fatigue its liberty to speak, it becomes an object of your observation. And, as you are no longer an accomplice to it, the tired feeling quickly dissolves and you are completely refreshed. (27) In her book The Practice of Presence, Patty de Llosa describes the benefits of meditative sitting and relaxation of the body. “In order to live in a more balanced way, we need to come back as often as possible to the realities of our bodies and study states of openness and closure. Our intellectual and emotional life passes through our bodies.” At the beginning of each morning I take the time to sit quietly, intentionally become aware of my physical tension wherever it may be, notice where it is strongest, and investigate limb by limb and part by part. When the body is invited to a deep relaxation, a real change may take place. But it’s not a question of forcing a release. I place my best attention on my physical parts and enter into a dialogue with them. This sitting is also a practical preparation to noticing the many times during the day when I’m hyper-tense in action, when I use my hands with much more force than needed for a particular job they are doing; when my shoulders are a couple of inches higher and tighter than they need to be. (28) The sensation of one’s physical presence can be an entry point into deeper levels of being. As the observation of the body and its energies deepen, a sensitivity develops that contacts more subtle levels of the manifestations of the body. “Through the wordless experience of one’s physical presence, you will approach a gateway which is connected with the experience of the other side of that gateway, by which one knows that one doesn’t only live in one world, that beyond that world one reaches something that has no limitations in time and space.” Underneath all the activities of our different centers, underneath that which animates this organism, there is the ground of being. This ground of being is that upon which the whole of our personal life rests, but it is not in itself personal. The personal aspect of our being is, so to speak, put on top of it like icing on a cake. But this ground of being is. It does not change, it does not become. All the personal aspects of our lives are a perpetual becoming of different kinds, the passage of 12

one form of energy into another, whether you speak about thought, feeling, action, whatever. But the ground of being is not like that. It is therefore to our ordinary minds a very mysterious kind of thing. But there are several ways in which we can approach this mystery, which forms the foundation of our whole existence and activity. One is this silent, wordless feeling of physical presence. Already when one experiences that, one’s experience, although it is a sense of physical presence, is not bound by one’s body. It is like a light that is shining through one’s body, but shining steadily, without fluctuation. (29) The conditioned idea that “I am the body” and identification with physical sensations, habits and memories are superimpositions on the primal, natural state of the body: The only way to become free from conditioning is to look without memory, without the accomplice to the conditioning. Let whatever feelings appear within you come up without visualizing or concentrating on them. In letting the feeling appear before the witness “I,” before attention without periphery or center, the body goes through several degrees of elimination, for all the superimposition dissolves before the witness. You will observe a letting go of the conditioning. The emphasis that was wrongly put on the conditioning so as to reassure the person, now switches to the observation, to the witnessing, and you will soon find yourself to be the light beyond the witnessed. This is your natural state of total expansion which is energy, open and light. At first the new body sensation will be fragile and you may be solicited by the old patterns. But the body has an organic memory, a memory of its natural state of ease, which, once reawakened and sustained, will sooner or later become permanent. The old sensations will become foreign to you. You may even find it difficult to recall them. Then you will realize that the body appears in you, in awareness, and that you are not lost in the body. (30)

Sensing the Inner Self or Being With increased sensitivity it is possible to contact, harmonize and communicate with one’s inner or essential being, sometimes known as ‘listening to the inner voice.’ One of the significant benefits of spiritual development is “to be able to develop a predictive ability: one develops a nose, a flair, for predicting a little bit in advance what one’s reactions might be to a particular thing, person, place or circumstance.” It is within himself that the seeker must seek for truth. It is his inner voice, his inner certainty, that he must, as it were, rediscover and cultivate. It is in these that the secret of his full humanity always lay, and these that reason and instinct have combined to distort. If his first task on setting out on the path is to discover,

13

not what one learns, but how, then his best beginning is to become aware of his own reactions, listen to his inner voice. (31) Certain habits of mind mask the perception of deeper, subtle, inner communications. “The mind needs to be developed to perceive things which are subtle as well as those which are obvious and, in addition, to introduce entirely new concepts for the mind to work with.” The student is encouraged to practise ‘listening’ to his intuitive sense in the attempt to perceive whether this or that word or action was indeed correct in a wider context. If he is, for instance, prompted to alternative action, he can evaluate its reliability by reviewing his day’s life in retrospect. The success of this monitoring will depend upon its frequency and honesty, but will be clouded if it becomes obsessional. (32) Many messages from the inner being are ignored or disregarded because the form or signal is not as expected. “When you are looking at or communicating with the deeper being, you should be conscious of the fact that that your conditioned reaction to certain stimuli may be quite different to the reaction of your inner being.” Nobody is closer to oneself than one’s own being. The being knows what is going on, knows what influences are impacting on a person. The inner being signals to a person and the signals are very often ignored because of conditioning. When people only consider themselves to be rational and intellectual beings, they will only assimilate properly rational persuasions. The signals or feelings which come from the inner being are often ignored because they are not presented in a sophisticated enough way. For instance, when they come from the inner sensing or inner hunger, and don’t exactly present themselves in the same way that the other senses do, they are ignored, even though they may be very obvious. (33) In order to connect with subtle spiritual energies we need to be in a state of quiet attention, openness and receptivity: Attention is the conscious force, the force of consciousness. It is a divine force. The search is for contact with an energy coming from the higher parts of our centers. At times we have an intuition of it that is less strong or more strong. This intuition is the action on us of higher centers from which we are separated by our attachments to our functions. When this action is felt, it affects the body which then receives more subtle and alive sensations. It affects the thought, which becomes capable of holding under its look what is immediately present. It affects the emotions, giving rise to a new feeling. But this action, coming from the higher centers, is not to be sought from outside or brought about forcibly by some function of the lower centers. In order for this action to be felt by my body, mind and feeling, there must be a certain state of availability. Here is the

14

obstacle, the barrier. The quality of energy of the lower centers must correspond to the vibrations of the higher centers. (34) When the surface mind is quiet and relaxed it becomes receptive to the perception of finer, more subtle states of consciousness and awareness: To be, just be, is important. You need not ask anything, nor do anything. It means that for the time being you are free from the obsession with ‘what next.’ When you are not in a hurry and the mind is free from anxieties, it becomes quiet and in the silence something may be heard which is ordinarily too fine and subtle for perception. The mind must be open and quiet to see. (35)

References (1) Jean Vaysse Toward Awakening (New York: Harper & Row, 1979), pp. 40-41. (2) Jon Kabat-Zinn Coming to Our Senses (New York: Hyperion, 2005), p. 278. (3) Larry Rosenberg Breath by Breath: The Liberating Practice of Insight Meditation (Boston: Shambhala, 2005), pp. 141-142. (4) Byron Katie A Thousand Names For Joy (New York: Three Rivers Press, 2007), pp. 1-2 (5) Eckhart Tolle The Power of Now (Vancouver: Namaste Publications, 1997), pp. 14-16. (6) Jean Klein The Ease of Being (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1986), p. 28. (7) Jon Kabat-Zinn Coming to Our Senses (New York: Hyperion, 2005), pp. 405-406. (8) Jeanne de Salzmann The Reality of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), pp, 208-209. (9) Joseph Goldstein Insight Meditation (Boston: Shambhala, 2003), p. 68. (10) Tony Parsons Invitation to Awaken: Embracing Our Natural State of Presence (Carlsbad, California: Inner Directions, 2005), pp. 19-20. (11) Eckhart Tolle The Power of Now (Vancouver: Namaste Publications, 1997), p. 23. (12) Charlotte Beck Everyday Zen (San Francisco: Harper, 1989), p. 125. (13) Chögyam Trungpa The Myth of Freedom (Berkeley: Shambhala, 1976), pp. 66-67. (14) Jean Klein Who Am I? (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1988), pp. 37-38. (15) Thich Nhat Hanh Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life (New York: Bantam Books, 1991), pp. 51-52. (16) Toni Packer The Work of This Moment (Boston: Shambhala, 1990), p. 81. (17) Namgyal Rinpoche The Song of Awakening (Boise, Idaho: The Open Path, 1979), p. 56. (18) Joseph Goldstein and Jack Kornfield Seeking the Heart of Wisdom (Boston: Shambhala, 1987), p. 15. (19) Jean Vaysse Toward Awakening (New York: Harper & row, 1979), p. 161. (20) Dennis Lewis “Gurdjieff and the Further Reaches of Self-observation” www.breath.org/self-observation. (21) Hugh Ripman Questions and Answers Along the Way (Washington, D.C.: Forthway Center Press, 2009), p. 32. (22) Joseph Goldstein Insight Meditation (Boston: Shambhala, 2003), pp. 139-140. 15

(23) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), p. 112. (24) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), p. 196. (25) Jean Klein Open to the Unknown (Santa Barbara; Third Millennium Publications, 1992), pp. 30-31. (26) Jean Klein Living Truth (Santa Barbara; Third Millennium Publications, 1995), p. 63. (27) Jean Klein The Ease of Being (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1986), p. 45. (28) Patty de Llosa The Practice of Presence (Sandpoint, Idaho: Morning Light Press, 2006), p. 25. (29) Hugh Ripman Questions and Answers Along the Way (Washington, D.C.: Forthway Center Press, 2009), pp 113-114. (30) Jean Klein I Am (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publications, 1989), pp. 13-14. (31) Peter Brent “Learning and Teaching” in The World of the Sufi (Idries Shah, ed.) (London: Octagon Press, 1979), p. 215. (32) Idries Shah A Perfumed Scorpion (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 53. (33) Omar Ali-Shah The Sufi Tradition in the West (New York: Alif, 1994), pp. 46-47. (34) Jeanne de Salzmann The Reality of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), p. 51. (35) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 508.

16

SELF-REM EM BERING

฀You do not remember yourselves. You do not feel yourselves, you are not conscious of yourselves. You do not feel: I observe, I feel, I see.’ G.I Gurdjieff

Nature of Self-Remembering

The term self-remembering is sometimes referred to as “self-presence” or “self-consciousness.” The practice of self-remembering has been called the ฀master key’ to Gurdjieff’s teaching. In the words of his student Henri Tracol: “It is the Alpha and Omega, the threshold that must be passed at the outset and crossed and re-crossed time and again.” Gurdjieff once provided a succinct description of self-remembering: “To know you are angry when you are angry.” Self-remembering is a direct feeling or sensing of one’s aliveness in the present moment – a state of consciousness in which a person is aware of their own presence and being: I, here, now . In the words of Henri Thomasson: “To remember myself is to submit myself to the effort which brings me to the concrete sensation of existing in the present moment: ฀I, wholly here, where I am, present’.” Self-remembering is an experience of coming back to ourselves by opening to the reality of the present moment: Only when we succeed in gathering our attention and relaxing does our body become capable of opening. If these inner conditions are brought together and maintained for a certain time, a true feeling – without words, without images – can appear for a few moments within ourselves. At the moment of this experience, which is like no other, we sense a new vibration that transmits the taste of a more secret, more subtle life. We realize, then, that the capacity to be t here has been given us. Habitually, we are everywhere but there, in ourselves. In our ordinary state, we are sometimes in the past, sometimes in the future, but rarely in the present and at home. (1) According to Gurdjieff self-remembering is a state of consciousness in which human beings are simultaneously aware of both themselves and their actions: Self-consciousness is the moment when a man is aware both of himself and of his machine. We have it in flashes, but only in flashes. There are moments when you become aware not only of what you are doing but also of yourself doing it. You see both ฀I’ and the ฀here’ of ฀I am here’ – both the anger and the ฀I’ that is angry. Call this self-remembering, if you like. Now when you are fully and always aware of the ฀I’ and what it is doing, you become conscious of yourself. (2)

1

The possibility of remembering ourselves, being attentive to ourselves, is always present. Self-remembering seeks to create a correspondence between the inner and outer worlds of each human being: “Self-remembering is the expansion of the field of consciousness so that both the outside and the inside worlds are perceived together in the unity of experience.” P.D. Ouspensky spoke of the division of attention which is the characteristic feature of selfremembering: When I observe something, my attention is directed towards what I observe – a line with one arrowhead. When at the same time, I try to remember myself, my attention is directed both towards the object observed and towards myself. A second arrowhead appears on the line. Having defined this I saw that the problem consisted in directing attention on oneself without weakening or obliterating the attention directed on something else. Moreover, this “something else” could as well be within one as outside me. (3) Self-remembering is an inner process of conscious attention which “allows us to take in impressions directly, unfiltered . . . we consciously receive and digest impressions, rather than simply react to them.” Self-remembering is simply a relocation and redistribution of one’s attention. Thus, one becomes embodied. In doing so, the attention is freed and elaborated and a new quality emerges. That quality separates one from their state. From this separateness, the state and its manifestations are observed. If there is identification with the observation, then the separateness is lost. One becomes their state again or a successive state. That is, they are absorbed back into the program. But whatever has been observed has been truly seen without buffers or filters. One’s intelligence has been awakened to itself. (4) Vivid experiences of self-remembering occur naturally at certain times in the lives of many people, especially in childhood. “Certain memories of childhood, full of color and flavor, are moments of self-remembering – unforgettable because they connect our deeper inner world with what is happening to us and around us. Such impressions are as alive now as they were then, no matter how long ago they took place.” I realized that moments of self-remembering do occur in life, though rarely. Only the deliberate production of these moments created the sensation of novelty. Actually I had been familiar with them from early childhood. They came in either new or unexpected surroundings, in a new place, among new people while travelling, for instance, when suddenly one looks about one and says: How st range! I and in t his place; or in very emotional moments, in moments of danger, in moments when it is necessary to keep one’s head, when one hears one’s own voice and sees and observes oneself from the outside. I saw quite clearly that my first recollections of life, in my own case very early ones, were moments of selfremembering . This last realization revealed much else to me. That is, I saw that 2

I really only remember those moments of the past in which I remembered myself . Of the others I knew only t hat t hey t ook place. I am not able wholly to revive them, to experience them again. But the moments when I had remembered myself were alive and were in no way different from the present. (5) The consequences of the lack of self-remembering and conscious awareness in our lives are immense: Self-observation brings a man to the realization of the fact that he does not remember himself. Man’s inability to remember himself is one of the chief and most characteristic features of his being and the cause of everything else in him. The inability to remember oneself finds expression in many ways. A man does not remember his decisions, he does not remember the promises he has made to himself, does not remember what he said or felt a month, a week, a day, or even an hour ago. He begins work of some kind and after a certain lapse of time he does not remember w hy he began it. It is especially in connection with work on oneself that this happens particularly often . . . Speaking in general one can say truthfully that if a man remembers one thing he forgets ten other things which are much more important for him to remember. (6)

Difficulties and Challenges

Many of Gurdjieff’s students, such as P.D. Ouspensky, reported how difficult it was “to remember myself, or to be conscious of myself, to say to myself I am walking, I am doing, and continually to feel this I.” The very first attempts showed me how difficult it was. Attempts at self-remembering failed to give any results except to show me that in actual fact we never remember ourselves. “What else do you want?” said G. “This is a very important realization. People who know t his (he emphasized these words) already know a great deal. The whole trouble is that nobody knows it. If you ask a man whether he can remember himself, he will of course answer that he can. If you tell him that he cannot remember himself, he will either be angry with you, or he will think you an utter fool. The whole of life is based on this, the whole of human existence, the whole of human blindness. If a man really knows that he cannot remember himself, he is already near to the understanding of his being.” (7) In actual fact, it is very difficult to remember oneself. In a memorable passage from In Search of t he M iraculous, Ouspensky describes how hard it is to maintain a continuous state of

self-remembering for more than a brief period of time:

3

I was once walking along the Liteiny towards the Nevsky, and in spite of all my efforts I was unable to keep my attention on self-remembering. The noise, movement, everything distracted me. Every minute I lost the thread of attention, found it again, and then lost it again. At last I felt a kind of ridiculous irritation with myself and I turned into the street on the left having firmly decided to keep my attention on the fact that I w ould remember myself at least for some time, at any rate until I reached the following street. I reached the Nadejdinskaya without losing the thread of attention except, perhaps, for short moments. Then I again turned towards the Nevsky realizing that, in quiet streets, it was easier for me not to lose the line of thought and wishing therefore to test myself in more noisy streets. I reached the Nevsky still remembering myself, and was already beginning to experience the strange emotional state of inner peace and confidence which comes after great efforts of this kind. Just around the corner on the Nevsky was a tobacconist’s shop where they made my cigarettes. Still remembering myself I thought I would call there and order some cigarettes. Two hours later I w oke up in the Tavricheskaya, that is, far away. I was going by izvost chik to the printers. The sensation of awakening was extraordinarily vivid. I can almost say that I came t o . I remembered everything at once. How I had been walking along the Nadejdinskaya, how I had been remembering myself, how I had thought about cigarettes, and how at this thought I seemed to fall and disappear into a deep sleep. At the same time, while immersed in this sleep, I had continued to perform consistent and expedient actions. I left the tobacconist, called at my flat in the Liteiny, telephoned to the printers. I wrote two letters. Then again I went out of the house . . . And on the way while driving along the Tavricheskaya I began to feel a strange uneasiness, as though I had forgotten something. And I suddenly remembered that I had forgotten t o remember myself. (8) In his teachings, Gurdjieff constantly stressed the difficulty of remembering oneself for more than a short period of time and the consequences of this fact for the ability to observe oneself objectively: Not one of you has noticed that you do not remember yourselves. You do not feel yourselves; you are not conscious of yourselves. With you, ฀it observes’ just as ฀it speaks,’ ฀it thinks,’ ฀it laughs.’ You do not feel: I observe, I notice, I see . . . In order to really observe oneself one must first of all remember oneself . (He emphasized these words). Try to remember yourselves when you observe yourselves and later on tell me the results. Only those results will have any value that are accompanied by self-remembering. Otherwise you yourself do not exist in your observations. In which case what are all your observations worth? (9) Self-remembering requires a sustained effort in order to overcome the draw of external events, forces and circumstances. “We are the slave of the outer world. It is difficult for us to listen to our essential, more intelligent wish, and difficult to return to it. The confrontation of these two movements produces the spark of self-remembering.” 4

Despite a good theoretical understanding of what is at stake, our remembering is weak and almost instantly disappears as soon as there is contact with external facts and events. To live a more persistent remembering is possible only if we accept to see the ease with which we try to escape this return to ourselves. We must ceaselessly remember this state of affairs and recover the meaning and direction of the search. Self-remembering is immense. It has many degrees. We are never fully capable of appreciating a moment of remembering. We still do not have enough vigilance of thought, openness of feeling. Yet even in our habitual life circumstances, which seem unfavorable to remembering, it is possible to recover the confidence that helps us experience an inner vibration of an entirely different nature. After a certain period of sincere work, we are led to recognize that the vibrations of the external world can serve as reminding factors. We need to exercise, to try each day to remember ourselves when we are in contact with something or someone. If we truly try, the work in us will remain alive. (10) The primary barrier to self-remembering is ident ificat ion with our thoughts, feelings and sensations: “To exercise any free will at all, our consciousness has to rise above the mechanical level. We have to raise our heads above the parapet of identification and automatic response.” This is the beginning of ฀Self-remembering’ which starts as a simple awareness of myself being here, now, in this moment. Here and now is the only possible starting place. We possess no other moments, the past is gone and the future is yet to arrive. No action or thought or anything else can take place anywhere else but now. As soon as the mind strays into the past or the future we become automatons. Most of life is lived in this condition, the mind, the emotions and the body all reacting automatically to the continuous driving belt of influences and impressions that make everything just happen. Being present in the moment is the beginning of ฀waking up’ which makes it possible to observe what we’re doing, feeling and thinking now ; so it is obvious that any exercise of free will must start here. What happens then, of course, is that we immediately become identified with whatever we’re observing, the present moment slips away and we’re back in the usual automatic state without even noticing that it’s happened. Everyone has an individual and habitual ฀set of impressions’ arising either from the body, the emotions or the mind, that cause us imperceptibly to lose the state of selfawareness – and this is often connected to the ฀chief feature’ of our personality. The way to avoid this trap is to become determined merely to w it ness what’s going on, inside and outside of ourselves, whatever it is, with complete and uncaring impartiality. As soon as we like or dislike what we see, have any opinion about it or make any judgmental response at all, identification is instantly up and running again. (11) In order to remember ourselves we need to overcome the passivity and weakness of our attention and cultivate a finer level of attention. Self-remembering counters the force of

5

identification with our thoughts, feelings and perceptions. “If my force of attention is entirely taken, I am lost in life, identified, asleep. All my capacity to be present is lost.” Our effort must always be clear – to be present, that is, to begin to remember myself. With the attention divided, I am present in two directions, as present as I can be. My attention is engaged in two opposite directions, and I am at the center. This is the act of self-remembering. I wish to keep part of my attention on the awareness of belonging to a higher level and, under this influence, try to open to the outer world. I must make an effort to remain related, an effort of attention. I try to know truly what I am. I struggle to stay present, at the same time with a feeling of “I” turned toward a better quality and with an ordinary feeling tied to my self, my person. I wish to see and not forget that I belong to these two levels. (12)

Engagement of Intellect, Emotions and Body

The process of self-remembering, although intellectually quite understandable, is in actual practice very difficult due to the complexity of the organization of the human ฀machine.’ “When we say ฀remember yourself,’ we mean yourself. But we ourselves are – my feelings, my body, my sensations, my mind. Our mind is not us – it is merely a small part of us.” I wish to remember myself as long as possible. But I have proved to myself that I very quickly forget the task I set myself, because my mind has very few associations connected with it. I have noticed that other associations engulf the associations connected with self-remembering . . . If the thinking center produces associations of self-remembering, incoming associations of another character, which come from other parts and have nothing to do with self-remembering, absorb these desirable associations, since they come from many different places and so are more numerous. And so I sit here. My problem is to bring my other parts to a point where my thinking center would be able to prolong the state of self-remembering as much as possible, without exhausting the energy immediately. (13) Self-remembering requires the simultaneous attention of all aspects of the human being to be truly effective. Gurdjieff taught that proper self-remembering is a conscious effort involving all our functions -- body, mind and feelings. “A moment of self-remembering is a moment of consciousness, that is, of self-consciousness – not in the ordinary sense, but a consciousness of the real Self, which is “I,” together with an awareness of the organism – the body, the feeling and thought.” A man cannot remember himself because he tries to do so with his mind – at least in the beginning. Self-remembering begins with self-sensing. It must be done through the instinctive-moving center and the emotional center. Mind alone does not constitute a human being. The center of gravity of change is in

6

the moving and emotional centers, but these are concerned only with the present; the mind looks ahead. The wish to change, to be what one ought to be, must be in our emotional center, and the ability to do in our body. The feelings may be strong, but the body is lazy, sunk in inertia. Mind must learn the language of the body and feelings, and this is done by correct observation of self. One of the benefits of self-remembering is that one has the possibility of making fewer mistakes in life. But for complete self-remembering all the centers must work simultaneously. (14) Self-remembering requires a global attention that is simultaneously aware of body, mind and feelings. “Only when there is self-awareness do we experience the world and ourselves in the world. Then, we viscerally sense, feel and know – simult aneously.” To have consciousness of self is not only to be aware of oneself mentally (in which case it would be only the mind looking at the mind), but also physically and emotionally; that is a global awareness . . . this demands a certain quality and strength of attention, of a direct recognition of the immediat e, of what-is, of having an awareness that is global in reference to oneself. Consciousness of self is a state predicated on self-remembering – a conscious awareness of the body, of being embodied, of being connected with what is happening internally, as well as what is happening externally. (15) Gurdjieff prescribed certain exercises and tasks for his students to enhance the effort of selfremembering. Some were simple, such as being present at the first mouthful of food or when opening a door; others were more complex involving directing attention simultaneously to the physical, emotional and thinking functions (e.g., the Movements): Gurdjieff introduced many exercises and tasks that focused on establishing a separated presence (via direct ed at t ent ion ) in one, two or all three centers. Sensing exercises assist the establishment of a separated presence in the physical body (in a part or in the whole); exercises that focus on the breath and on the feeling world of relationships aim to establish a presence in the higher being body [฀Kesdjan’]; other tasks and exercises challenge the intellect, for example, through pondering or studying of the laws. Some exercises evoke efforts in more than one center, preeminent among them being the efforts demanded by certain of the sacred dances and movements. A separate type of effort is encompassed by the expression “selfobservation.” The primary objective here is to see, impartially from an inner separated presence or ฀observer,’ the ฀man-machine’ (the automaton) in the process of its manifestation (in thoughts, feelings and sensations). As the strength of the separated attention grows, the past forces that have blended the ฀little I’s’ into their automatic manifestations weaken. Some of these little I’s simply disappear over time, so weakened by the continual effort of directing our attention that they no longer can manifest. Many I’s, however, have egoism at their core and they become, over time, the object of the true transformation of negative emotions. (16)

7

Levels and Degrees of Self-Remembering

Self-remembering has multiple stages and qualities. “Remembering oneself admits of an infinite number of approaches. It can be looked at from many and varied angles, it has certain definite degrees and stages and there is always more in it than we can ever grasp.” Self-remembering is not monolithic; it is a range of states, and itself includes many levels, for it admits of varying degrees of intensity, and opens into different dimensions of time. It commences, as it always must, with a vivid sense of the present, but there are states where the past is included, and one senses one’s own life as a whole, or at least as more in the direction of the whole. Being present to the moment and to oneself as one is in time, the future is also included, in some ineffable way. Every true feeling, as opposed to ephemeral emotions, is a feeling of myself in a particular moment. No true feeling is ever divorced from self-remembering. But the intellectual and religious or spiritual feelings are the finest. They are the most identical in themselves to the range of states in which I remember myself, more or less completely. We know how the conscious receipt of an impression or sensation can bring a sense of being. But the conscious receipt of an impression of feeling or mental action is far finer and brings a sense of being of a different order altogether. (17) Self-remembering with its different levels or degrees develops with practice. “There are two types of self-remembering. The first is mental, the thought arises to remember oneself. After a long time of repeated practice of obeying this reminder to redirect the attention into the body, the second may emerge, an organic and spontaneous experiencing, one in which ฀I am remembered’.” It should be pointed out that self-remembering, however full and whole, can be of two kinds, conscious and mechanical – remembering oneself consciously and remembering oneself by associations. Mechanical, that is, associative selfremembering can bring no essential profit, yet such associative self-remembering is of tremendous value at the beginning. Later it should not be used, for such a self-remembering, however complete, does not result in any real, concrete doing. But in the beginning it too is necessary. There exists another, a conscious selfremembering which is not mechanical. (18) Self-consciousness or awareness of oneself is not a constant state, but varies in quality and potentiality. There are definite levels and stages of self-remembering. Although the ability to remember oneself is our birthright, it needs first to be discovered and then carefully cultivated. “Self-remembering itself is a journey with many stages. Every step along our way is marked by a new experience of the feeling of ฀I.’ It isn’t until we arrive at the experience which answers for us in a direct experiential fashion the question, W ho am I?, that we plumb the depths of this self-remembering.”

8

By observing in yourself the appearance and disappearance of consciousness you will inevitably see one fact which you neither see nor acknowledge now, and that is that moments of consciousness are very short and are separated by long intervals of completely unconscious, mechanical working of the machine. You will then see that you can think, feel, act, speak, work, w it hout being conscious of it . And if you learn to see in yourselves the moments of consciousness and the long periods of mechanicalness, you will as infallibly see in other people when they are conscious of what they are doing and when they are not. Your principal mistake consists in thinking that you alw ays have consciousness, and in general, either that consciousness is alw ays present or that it is never present . In reality consciousness is a property which is continually changing. Now it is present, now it is not present. And there are different degrees and different levels of consciousness. Both consciousness and the different degrees of consciousness must be understood in oneself by sensation, by taste. It is necessary to distinguish consciousness from the possibilit y of consciousness. We have only the possibility of consciousness and rare flashes of it. (19) Self-observation and a degree of self-knowledge depend on the creation of a stable state of self-remembering. “As long as a man cannot remember himself, things happen to him or because of him but they are not done in his presence or by himself. Only the machine functions; he himself is not present – even simple self-observation is not possible without a certain degree of self-remembering.” Self-observation by itself is not sufficient for awakening. It is only a preliminary step requiring a certain degree of awakening, but the awakening remains in a certain sense passive – man has hardly emerged from sleep before he falls back into it. It is only in beginning to “remember himself” that a man really begins to awaken. This effort brings an “impression of oneself” with a special “taste” which cannot be mistaken – when a man experiences it, he begins to be less imposed upon by his personality . . . In beginning “to remember himself” a man can truly awaken. It is only with a real and long enough awakening that a man can become present to himself. And it is only with “presence to himself” that a man begins to live like a man. (20) One of the qualities of self-remembering is an open global attention. “The most important step before any real Work can begin, is to acquire the power of free attention. And only free attention leads to self-remembering.” The ability to control and point our attention in a definite direction prepares the ground for the act of self-remembering. “There must be something present that attends – an attention that is stable, free and related to another level. I wish to be present to what is taking place, to remain conscious of myself and not lose myself.”

9

The practice of being present is self-remembering. Instead of being taken outward, the attention of the functions is turned toward the inside for a moment of consciousness. I need to recognize that I can understand nothing if I cannot remember myself. This means remembering my highest possibilities, that is, remembering what I open to when I come back to myself alone. To remember myself also means to be present to my situation – to the place, the conditions, the way I am taken by life. There is no room for dreaming. (21) Self-remembering requires a certain type of ฀one-pointed attention’ which differs in quality from the type of attention utilized in everyday life. To become effective and life-changing, moments of self-remembering require greater frequency and duration. “One way to prolong the duration of these precious moments is to consciously remember that the ฀self’ we are remembering is not merely our own physical and psychological self and that the divine Self is also always present, here and now.” Of course, people can and do hold their attention for long periods of time when they have to – e.g. in the performance of any skilled operation where one slip can cause an accident, as in the case of surgeons, pilots or builders. In these circumstances the consequences of losing attention are fearful, so the attention is to some degree held and sustained by emotion. In Self-remembering the attention is held and sustained by a posit ive emotion that comes from having established a different attitude – described by the Shankaracharya like this: “A decision of this type – that all our activities are done because of the inspiration by the Absolute, and are performed only for the Absolute, and everything is achieved by the forces made available by the Absolute. If one comes to this sort of decision the remembering becomes much more frequent. There may not be constant remembering, but nevertheless it will arise much more quickly.” (22) Gatew ay to Higher States of Consciousness

Self-remembering or self-consciousness prefigures the realization of higher states of consciousness. “These glimpses of consciousness come in exceptional moments, in highly emotional states, in moments of danger, in very new and unexpected circumstances and situations; or sometimes in quite ordinary moments when nothing in particular happens. But in his ordinary or ฀normal’ state, man has no control over them whatever.” The state of “self-consciousness” man ascribes to himself; that is, he believes that he possesses it, although actually he can be conscious of himself only in very rare flashes and even then he probably does not recognize it because he does not know what it would imply if he actually possessed it . . . We can say that man has occasional moments of self-consciousness leaving vivid memories of the circumstances accompanying them, but he has no command over them. They come and go by themselves, being controlled by external circumstances and occasional associations or memories of emotions. (23) 10

Self-remembering opens the possibility of fully awakening to life: “Every day, every hour, every minute life begins anew. If I could be aware of this I would have new impressions every minute. Through a sensation of myself I can open more to life.” What is demanded of me is that I wake to life. Life is creation, and the only thing I can do if I wish to awaken as a creative being, is to share in this continuous process of creation. I do not have to create anything. But I may feel myself part of this process. I may make the same gesture, I may try to speak in the same way, utter the same words, but if I am present, if I am awake to myself then I will be in the same gesture, but I will be completely different . . . I have to make room for a new set of impressions, a new kind of relationship with the world and myself in this world. And this is perhaps the only way for me to revive my relationship to the world and to share in this universal process of creation. (24) Human beings exist in both the physical and spiritual dimensions of reality. Self-remembering creates a simultaneous connection between these two worlds: At a certain moment we come to see two aspects, two natures, in ourselves – a higher nature related to one world and a lower nature related to another, a different world. What are we? We are neither one nor the other – neither God nor animal. We participate in life with both a divine nature and an animal nature. Man is double; he is not one. And as such, he is only a promise of man until he can live with both natures present in himself and not withdraw into one or the other. If he withdraws into the higher part, he is distant from his manifestations and can no longer evaluate them; he no longer knows or experiences his animal nature. If he slides into the other nature, he forgets everything that is not animal, and there is nothing to resist it; he is animal . . . not man. The animal always refuses the angel. The angel turns away from the animal. A conscious man is one who is always vigilant, always watchful, who remembers himself in both directions and has his two natures always confronted. (25) The process of self-remembering is the gateway or portal to deeper levels of consciousness and awareness: As my inner receptive space becomes, from time to time, less occupied by involuntary thoughts, impressions and so forth, more subtle impressions can be received and are received in a state of Self-remembering. And as time goes on, one feels in this state one’s own living connection with the silence which lies behind sound – the same silence in which, whether we are aware of it or not, we pass our lives. This silence and the corresponding, more subtle feelings of the emptiness – the living void behind appearances, behind forms – connect us in a very vivifying way to the very ground of being, about which we cannot say more than that it is a wordless, naked experience of being . . . That something else that comes into being in us when we experience this inner state which we call Self-remembering is something that grows in us over time. (26)

11

Self-remembering is a prerequisite to the possibility of accessing higher energies and states of consciousness. “Self-remembering enables the ฀Real Self’ to enter and flow through human beings and form a connection with Truths that are of Divine origin.” Gurdjieff gave the name of “self-remembering” to the central state of conscious attention in which the higher force that is available within the human structure makes contact with the functions of thought, feeling and body. The individual “remembers,” as it were, who and what he really is and is meant to be, over and above his ordinary sense of identity. This conscious attention is not a function of the mind but is the active conscious force which all our functions of thought, feeling and movement can begin to obey as the “inner master.” Consistent with the knowledge behind many contemplative traditions of the world, the practice of the Gurdjieff Work places its chief emphasis on preparing our inner world to receive this higher attention, which can open us to an inconceivably finer energy of love and understanding. (27) Self-remembering allows us to touch the state of pure being or timeless presence. When we remember ourselves we become present to the moment, to the ceaseless creation and flow of life. This is sometimes called “being in the Being,” a voyage of discovery in which we go deeper and deeper into the world of Being: The attention that leads to the moment of consciousness is the fire which brings about a blending of forces, a transformation. To become conscious simultaneously of both these movements requires a greater activity of my attention. The effort aw akens it, awakens a force that was asleep. My attention is entirely mobilized, including at the same time the higher centers and the lower centers, the functioning of my whole Presence. This depends on a new feeling that appears, the feeling of being . Remembering oneself is above all remembering this other possibility, the search for a force in myself that is more active. I wish to know, I wish to be. (28) In a sense, self-remembering is the death knell for the ego or conditioned self, leading to an opening to higher consciousness and universal understanding: In so seeing, I liberate myself. For a moment I am no longer the same. My freed attention, my consciousness, then knows what I am essentially. This is the death of my ordinary “I.” To remember oneself means to die to oneself, to the lie of one’s imagination. I have the taste of understanding through awareness of the lack of understanding. In remembering oneself, it is the letting go of the ego that allows a new consciousness to penetrate. Then I see that the ordinary “I” is a phantom, a projection of myself. In fact, everything I take as manifestation is not something separate, but a projection of the essential. Returning to the source, I become conscious of that which is not born and does not die – the eternal Self. (29)

12

Self-remembering widens and intensifies the range of impressions we assimilate in our consciousness and removes the illusion of being a separate entity confined to a single body. “The ordinary everyday sense of self is fundamentally an illusion to which nothing can be added except further illusions. The automatic body-mind will go on living and breathing, thinking, feeling and willing until the body dies. What remains is the ฀Real I,’ the true Self which has always existed unrecognized behind the powerful conviction that ฀I am the body; I am these thoughts, feelings and desires.’” First comes a new feeling of ฀self-consciousness,’ the hallmark of which is a sudden, unmistakable sensation of ฀waking up,’ very similar to waking out of regular sleep. Perceptions and impressions become instantly much more vivid, and a strong feeling of my own presence, here, now, is aroused and imbued with an entirely new and positive emotion about myself and everything in my sphere of perception. Everything is new and vital. The Self now experienced is the ฀real self,’ still, silent and glorious, not the constantly changing sense of a separate ego that is tied and conditioned by some object in the physical and subtle worlds. Then can come a further expansion of awareness so that the experience of ฀Self-consciousness’ becomes universal – sometimes called ฀cosmic consciousness.’ Now, the ultimate reality of myself and everything in the universe, physical, subtle and causal, becomes ฀one,’ perfect and indescribable. (30) Self-remembering also gives rise to true happiness and fulfilment, and to unconditional Love which is expressed as a life of service to the divine Self: “Knowledge of my own Self as divine, eternal and unassailable is the driving force for a conscious, awakened life that not only perfectly reflects the harmony of the whole cosmos but actively helps to sustain it.” References

(1) Henriette Lannes This Fundamental Quest (San Francisco: Far West Institute, 2003), p. 60. (2) G.I. Gurdjieff Views From the Real World: Early Talks of Gurdjieff (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1973), pp. 79-80. (3) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), p. 119. (4) William Patterson Spiritual Survival in a Radically Changing World-Time (Fairfax, California, 2009), p. 182. (5) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), p. 119. (6) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), pp. 149-150. (7) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), p. 118. (8) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), pp. 120-121. (9) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), pp. 117-118. (10) Henriette Lannes This Fundamental Quest (San Francisco: Far West Institute, 2003), pp. 61-62. (11) Gerald de Symons Beckwith Ouspensky’s Fourth Way (Oxford: Starnine Media and Publishing, 2015), pp. 164-165. (12) Jeanne de Salzmann The Reality of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), p. 16.

13

(13) G.I. Gurdjieff Views From the Real World: Early Talks of Gurdjieff (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1973), pp. 234-235. (14) C.S. Nott Teachings of Gurdjieff: The Journal of a Pupil (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1974), p. 37. (15) William Patterson Spiritual Survival in a Radically Changing World-Time (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2009), p. 13. (16) Keith Buzzell A New Conception of God (Salt Lake City: Fifth Press, 2013), pp. 118-119. (17) Joseph Azize “Foreword” in Keith Buzzell A New Conception of God (Salt Lake City: Fifth Press, 2013), p. ii. (18) G.I. Gurdjieff Views From the Real World: Early Talks of Gurdjieff (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1973), p. 235. (19) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of the Miraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), pp. 116-117. (20) Jean Vaysse Toward Awakening (New York: Harper & Row, 1979), pp. 155-156. (21) Jeanne de Salzmann The Reality of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), p. 19. (22) Gerald de Symons Beckwith Ouspensky’s Fourth Way (Oxford: Starnine Media and Publishing, 2015), p. 169. (23) P.D. Ouspensky The Psychology of Man’s Possible Evolution (New York: Vintage Books, 1974), pp. 20-22. (24) Henri Tracol The Real Question Remains (Sandpoint, Idaho: Morning Light Press, 2009), p. 177. (25) Jeanne de Salzmann The Reality of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), p. 21. (26) Hugh Ripman Questions and Answers Along the Way (Washington, D.C.: Forthway Center Press, 2009), pp. 120-121. (27) Jacob Needleman “Introduction” in Jacob Needleman (ed.) The Inner Journey: Views From the Gurdjieff Work (Sandpoint, Idaho; Morning Light Press, 2008), p. xviii. (28) Jeanne de Salzmann The Reality of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), p. 74. (29) Jeanne de Salzmann The Reality of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), p. 264. (30) Gerald de Symons Beckwith Ouspensky’s Fourth Way (Oxford: Starnine Media and Publishing, 2015), p. 141.

14

ATTENTION

฀The very first moment you have an opportunit y t o lose your at t ent ion – you w ill! ’ G.I. Gurdjieff

Levels, Degrees and Qualities

Attention has sometimes been called a “living substance,” with many different levels and gradations. “Attention can be measured like a wine, like silk. It may be very coarse, or it may be very fine and supple.” Attention has also been compared to light. Just like light, it can be absent (darkness) or very dim. It may be narrowly focused, diffused and scattered or very bright. Attention is a discriminating power which determines which elements on the screen of consciousness become focused upon at any particular time. For instance, in situations of danger or physical survival attention is automatically directed by the instinctive/moving center. “When we speak of ฀attention’ in ordinary life circumstances, it is a distant derivative of the awesome at t ent ion residing within our instinctive center. A moment’s thought about the incredibly complex ability and power of the instinctive center to monitor all of our vital functions and to keep adjusting from moment to moment (to preserve the optimal physiological state) should give us a benchmark against which to measure the qualities and attributes of the attention we are able to bring to our thoughts, feelings and actions.” Some spiritual teachings distinguish five levels or degrees of attention possible for a human being: • No attention, inattention • Dispersed, distracted or undirected attention • Captive or identified attention • Directed, concentrated or one-pointed attention • Open, free or conscious attention Scientific studies have shown that most people can only focus their attention on one single thing for less that two minutes. “The ordinary person has no attention – a floating attention – one moment here, next moment there. Their attention is always diverted from one point to another.” Our degree of attention changes when our interests change. “Where my attention goes, I go. In general, my attention is not rooted in anything; it can be held by something outside me. I have to find the root of my attention in myself in order to observe myself from inside.” For most people, attention and its various qualities, levels and possibilities is an unexamined phenomenon:

1

What do we know of our attention? From where does it come? What is its origin? We are obviously unable to answer these questions. Yet we feel that this very extraordinary phenomenon, this force, this energy, is part of Creation. Every human being, at birth, receives a certain quantity of this vital force and, in the course of his or her existence, it will be the integrator of all things within and everything manifested . . . At no moment can we live without attention. Every day we do all sorts of things. Yes, but with what attention? With what overlay of dreams? Our manifestations reveal the contact we have with our attention. Quite often we fail to notice that we have none, that we are inattentive, that we have acted in various ways without being present to all these moments of our lives. Most of the time our attention is carried along by outer events. A trifle captures it; it is not free. (1) Normally our attention is not free or voluntary. “It is of low quality, without power, and flows passively towards the outside. But this attention has the possibility of being transformed, of achieving a purer quality.” Directed and conscious attention reveals aspects of outer or inner reality that are usually ignored (and hence invisible) by our normal, undirected surface attention. “Intentionally directed attention implies the presence of a choice for an individual; a situation where alternatives are recognized and a decision is made as to where the attention is to be placed.” When at t ent ion is directed (or brought ) to the developing impression, properties that are intrinsic to the perception begin to be noticed. For example, when there is little or no attention present at the point of incoming impressions, the tree that you may be glancing at as you leave the house, is just an indistinct object. When at t ent ion is present, the colors of the bark and limbs may be noticed, as well as the varied limb structure, the basic leaf forms that characterize the species of tree, the shades of green that are present. Gentle movements of the leaves and small limbs induced by a light breeze may be noticed and the contrast between the green leaves and the light blue of the sky beyond may stand out. In this act of paying at t ent ion and not icing , the perceptual experience itself has begun to be explored. All of the properties are there, within the perception, but had been unnoticed until attention entered and a process of ฀taking apart’ or ฀seeing into’ the impression was initiated. (2) The fact that most people have very little control over their attention becomes apparent when they attempt to observe themselves as a means of self-study and self-knowledge. “After only a moment of self-observation, your attention gets caught up in thoughts and feelings about what you have observed, and so it gets taken away from your observation.” Our inability to control our attention is usually unrecognized: Attention is the weapon for inner work, the tool for inner work. It is absolutely indispensable. And at the same time, we have quite distorted ideas of our power over attention. This is to a large extent because we know from our experience that there are many occasions in our lives when we have the impression that we 2

are paying attention to the same thing for a long time, and we call this concentration of attention; but if you begin to watch the process closely and you are honest with yourself, you will see that this is not concentration of attention at all. It is attention being drawn in a certain way. Maybe there is an initial effort to place the attention, but very soon it gets drawn and held. There is no control over attention. You may also see that we are sometimes taught to turn our attention towards something, but unfortunately we are never taught to take our attention away from something, and this is just as much a part of the control of attention as directing attention in a desired direction. (3) Conscious attention is a uniquely human capacity and the quality of our attention is the key to inner growth and development. Professor of philosophy Jacob Needleman speaks of his own experience of consciously working with attention: “Looking at something in myself without trying to change it or judge it was itself a force, an energy that had an action upon what was seen. And indeed, sometimes it had a transforming action upon my entire state of being. Such was the power of pure attention. I began to understand that attention and self-observation was itself an instrument of change, but change of a kind one could never have imagined or expected. Change in the direction of human sensitivity, presence, being.” I had already seen somet hing of the importance of attention during my attempts at the practice of self-observation. I could understand through experience that our lives are what they are in large part because of the weakness of and passivity of our attention. We are t aken , our attention is taken, swallowed by our streams of automatic thought; we constantly disappear into our emotional reactions; we are taken by our fears and desires, our pleasures and pains, by our daydreams and imaginary worries. And, being t aken , we no longer exist as I, myself, here. We do not live our lives; we are lived and we may eventually die without ever having awakened to what we really are – without having lived. (4)

Developing Attention and Aw areness

In talks with his students, Gurdjieff stressed that without the development of the power of attention real inner work and transformation was impossible. In the words of his pupil Olga de Hartmann: Mr. Gurdjieff told us very seriously that attention is absolutely indispensable for any work we wished to do with him. If we did not understand that, nothing could bring us to the aim for which we came to him. All of us there already felt that we were more than just a body. We knew that ฀something else’ was in us, and we wished to know: what is that? What have we to do with that? How can we call to it? How can we bring it out? How can we rely on it and not depend only on the body? All this was really a burning question for us, and Mr. Gurdjieff made it clear

3

that if we didn’t study attention – not study in the ordinary way, but putting all our attention on developing that attention – we would arrive nowhere. (5) Self-development requires a free and conscious attention that isn’t captured or fragmented. “Our habitual attention is much too fleeting; it has no stability, no continuity. In this world where we lead our lives, we need a much more stable attention. This attention is like a little flame that tries to hold its own in the world.” Normally we have very little control over our attention, but it is possible to enhance the quality of attention and to develop it to a higher and finer level where it becomes voluntary or conscious attention: I need to learn that attention can manifest in a completely unstable, vagrant manner. For example, in my intellectual functioning the vagrant attention lets itself be swept along by everything that attracts it: words, images, memories and every event in my day can sweep it up, each in its own way. I go out into the street; the shop windows, the people, constantly take this attention. It has no more stability than a butterfly. Go out, take a walk with the intention of thinking about your own affairs. A dog barks at you and takes all your attention . . . and what takes place in the intellect also takes place in the emotional and moving functions. Sometimes when a problem of great difficulty comes up, my attention can be concentrated, condensed; its quality changes, it acquires more force, it is sustained by an element of desire or interest. No longer vagrant, it is captured; an especially strong motive has taken over. There is, however, a very different kind of attention, an attention that is more conscious, more voluntary. Sometimes, on rare occasions, I discover the taste of it. If this occurs in my thought, I see that my thinking becomes clear. And if this occurs in my feeling, I know the feeling of being completely free from my habitual emotions. As for my body, I can also experience in a new way what is happening at its level. (6 ) Conscious attention is an agent of transformation and can be developed and refined. “We do have some power of attention, at least on the surface, some capacity to point the attention in a desired direction and hold it there. Although it is fragile, this seed of attention is consciousness emerging from sleep within us.” Transformation requires a total attention that arises from all parts of ourselves – body, mind and feelings. For real inner development to occur, the quality of our attention must be honestly observed, then strengthened and refined. “Be more and more aware of your lack of attention. In the best of cases, we lose it and find it again, but we resign ourselves too easily to having so little attention. We must constantly ask ourselves where our attention is going, where is this force, toward what is it attracted.”

4

In each of us there is this extraordinary instrument, the attention. For a very long time, I cannot say that I govern my attention. I have to see that at every moment it is taken by one thing or another. I need to exercise the possibility of keeping it more on myself, in myself, while continuing the outer work that is expected of me. Self-perfecting is linked to the perfecting of our attention. Our capacity for inner attention provides a measure of our being. (7) By gathering and collecting one’s attention it is possible to return to a calm, observing centre of awareness rather than identifying with every passing thought, emotion, sensation or action. Instead of being at the mercy of external or internal impacts and associations, there will be a mindful presence that holds the reins of attention. “The initial effort is to free my attention from identification. I need to find the effort that will allow the formation of a central core, a more stable center of gravity of my attention.” When the level of attention is strengthened, it becomes possible to gain a degree of control over the relentless pull towards inattention and forgetfulness – the return to sleep. “A central attention may be drawn in different directions, but it always returns to the center.” It is only by working to be present that my attention will develop. When it has a better quality, I struggle to keep it from weakening, I try to prevent its being taken. I try but cannot, and I try again. I begin to understand what this requires from me even if I cannot do it. In the struggle where I come back and then go again towards manifestation, I see that when my attention is completely taken, it is entirely lost to me. But if it does not go too far, it can be pulled back, as by a magnet. In that movement of my attention, I learn something of its nature. I will have to go towards manifestation, and I will always lose myself unless my attention goes both towards life and towards the inside. (8 ) Directed attention is like a fine tool or instrument which can be used for either the right or wrong reason. There is a saying: ฀From t he same food t he hornet produces poison and t he bee produces honey.’ Henriette Lannes, a student of Gurdjieff, stressed the importance of this tool for inner development: “I cannot do anything except train my attention, and if I think that this is not enough, I am a fool. To perfect one’s attention is to perfect oneself.” In many spiritual traditions specific methods are employed to anchor the attention. Some of these methods, such as repetition, visualization and counting exercises are more appropriate in monastic settings, while paying attention to the sensations of the body may be more effective in the circumstances of everyday life. Gurdjieff: “Attention is gained only through conscious labor and intentional suffering, through doing small things voluntarily.” Throughout history, the role of attention and its development and refinement has been an integral part of the world’s spiritual teachings: The path to a change in the state of consciousness, to a state in which consciousness truly exists, is, according to all religious teachings, through sustained atten5

tion. In different teachings, the idea of sustained attention takes different forms (prayer, concentration, meditation), but the basic discipline is probably the same. An honest attempt to maintain constant attention on any one thing quickly shows how difficult it is and how far from our usual situation. In Christianity, it is described as constant prayer, but not simply an automatic repetition of phrases. In Gurdjieff’s teaching, self-remembering plays a central role – the attempt to be aware of oneself at the same time as one is aware of outside impressions. The most accessible approach to this is through maintained awareness of the sensation of one’s body. (9) The state of a finer, deeper attention can be developed with steady practice and certain specific spiritual exercises: We must accept that the state of dispersion is normal so long as we have a limited capacity to concentrate. We have to repeat and repeat coming to a collected state. Only repetition will lead to shortening the time required for preparation and increase the time available for practice. There was an exercise that was specifically created for coming to a collected state. I begin by representing with all my attention that I am surrounded by an atmosphere extending a yard, more or less. This atmosphere is displaced according to the movements of the thinking. I concentrate all my attention to prevent the atmosphere from escaping beyond its limits. Then I draw it in consciously, as though sucking it in. I feel, throughout the body, the echo of “I,” and silently say “am.” I experience the total sensation of being. (10) One of the principal methods of focusing and developing attention is to consciously place awareness on specific parts of our body and the breathing process. Generally, we are unaware of our breathing and pay little attention to our physical body unless we are experiencing pain, discomfort, physical exertion or certain emotional states. However, this latter level of awareness is a passive result of physiological processes and not a conscious effort to direct the attention and remain present . The practices of following the breath and sensing the physical body open up a world of new possibilities: “The gradual increasing awareness of one’s being that results from the continual effort to direct the attention to following (sensing) the breath and sensing the body’s movements and states that accompany this effort leads to successive discoveries that concern the miraculous life processes that are perpetually taking place.” The development and control of attention is a precursor to self-remembering and the attainment of higher states of consciousness: Gurdjieff brought a teaching of the Fourth Way that calls for conscious work rather than obedience. A fundamental idea is that in our ordinary state everything takes place in sleep. And in sleep we can see nothing. We cannot direct our lives by our own will. We are entirely dependent on influences from outside and enslaved by the automatic reactions of our functioning. It is a complete slavery. There is no higher principle, no conscious principle. Man has the possibility to awaken from 6

this sleep, to awaken to the higher, t o be. The means is the attention. In sleep the attention is taken. It must be freed and turned in another direction. This is the separation of “I” and “me.” It is the active force opposed to the passive, the struggle between the yes and the no . The mobilization of the attention is the first step toward the possibility of self-remembering. Without a different attention, we are obliged to be automatic. With an attention that is voluntarily directed, we go toward consciousness. (11) Conscious Attention and Inner Grow th

The power of attention is a liberating force. “Inner growth requires the mobilization of our attention. When the attention begins to awaken, we realize that it can become more stable, less like a cork forever bobbing back to the water’s surface.” It is possible to move from a state of distracted attention to a more stable, unified attention which integrates body, mind and feelings: Maintenance of a conscious attention is not easy. The movement, the obligations of day-to-day existence, completely distract. With no base of operation, no home in one’s organism, the attention serves random thoughts, feelings, and appetites which conflict and tyrannize each other. Sensation of parts or the whole of the body can anchor the attention, provide it with a kind of habitat. The structure, becoming more sensitive, helps to unify attention, so it is less liable to veer into mental channels that consume its power. In turn, perceptions and sensations are quickened, insights are multiplied. Opening to the force of attention evokes a sense of wholeness and equilibrium. One can glimpse a possibility of a state of awareness immeasurably superior to that of the reactive mechanism, an awareness that transcends one’s automatic subject/object mode of response. Freely flowing, the concentrative, transforming effect of conscious attention brings the disparate tempos of the centers to a relatively balanced relationship. Thought, feeling and sensation are equilibrated under this vibrant, harmonizing influence. (12) Conscious attention opposes the pull of the automatic conditioned functioning of the mind. “All my thoughts, emotions and actions can be held under my attention without excluding or condemning anything. For this I need a certain inner space and an attention that is free. It is only in a state of free attention that true seeing can appear.” I need to develop a voluntary attention – that is, a conscious attention – which is stronger than my automatism. I must feel the lack of relation between my mind and my body, and see that this relation requires a voluntary attention maintained on both parts . . . Only a conscious attention, which is the opening to a higher force, has the power to prevail over the automatism. But for this the attention must always be occupied voluntarily. A conscious force cannot be automatic. The attention can be stronger or diminish, but the moment when it ceases to be voluntary, 7

it is taken. The moment it is no longer voluntarily turned toward this relation, the energies separate. I become fragmented and the automatism takes over. The opening to a higher force must become constant. (13) Voluntary attention does not appear automatically but only through the focusing which provide the necessary energy to sustain the attention. “A collected state is a state of collected attention in which the attention is as whole as possible. This state does not come about by my thought resolving to be collected in order to obtain something better. It comes by seeing – through the vision of my dispersion, of the lack of attention.” This type of attention does not come because it is made captive, not by forcing – I cannot make it appear, just as I cannot force love to appear. Attention comes when it is needed, when it is called by a feeling of necessity. If I really see that I do not understand, that I have lost the direction and the meaning of my life, then at that very moment my attention is called to be here. Without it, I will never be able to be what I am. I do not have the necessary energy. But when I feel this absolute necessity, the attention appears. So I have to come to the feeling of lack, of not understanding, not knowing . . . I can daydream as I walk along a road. But when I have to walk on ice, on a slippery frozen path, I cannot dream. I need all my attention not to fall down. It is the same inside myself. If I have no real interest in myself – if I keep thinking I can answer everything, and pretend that I am able – I will continue dreaming and the attention will never appear. (14) A free and open attention is not fixed or bound by judgement, evaluation or comparison. In the words of Jeanne de Salzmann: “Could my mind perceive without recognizing and naming, that is, without separating to be someone who looks, judges and knows? For this, I would need an attention I do not know, an attention never separated from what it observes, allowing a total experience without excluding anything.” It is only when I exclude nothing that I am free to observe and understand myself. When my brain can be active, sensitive, alive in a state of attentive immobility, there is a movement of an extraordinary quality that does not belong just to the thinking, the sensation or the emotion. It is a wholly different movement that leads to truth, to what we cannot name. The attention is total without any distraction . . . I begin to see that real knowing is possible only in the moment when my attention is full, when consciousness fills everything. Then there is no distinction; one thing is not more than another. There is pure existence. The creative act is the vision of what takes place. I learn to watch. (15) When attention is developed and awakened we are able to respond more effectively to the requirements and experiences of life and approach higher, more refined states of consciousness and being. “If I were fully alive, everything would be fully alive around me, as it really is. What is needed for one to experience that? A different kind of attention, active, collected.”

8

The quality of our attention is reflected in the quality of our real knowledge of ourselves. When our attention is automatic, a prisoner of our own mental, emotional and physical associations, all of the external and internal impressions we receive are fragmented. When our attention reaches a level of genuine awareness of ourselves, impressions are particularly alive and penetrating . . . This question of attention is very serious, but our experience remains limited. In us a conscious attention is missing. Only such an attention, through the quality of its movement of energy, can hold t oget her the three essential parts of our being: thought, body and feeling. We generally believe that attention comes only from our thinking center, although there exists within us possible levels of attention coming simultaneously from our intellect, our body, and our feeling. At certain moments we see, though perhaps distantly, that this attention – freer but still insufficiently developed in us – is the key to a greater inner opening in which less heavy, finer energies come together. These energies confer life, light, and warmth on our inner world, in the service of a Great Reality in the universe, just as the Sun confers these things on the Earth. For those who seek to awaken to what they truly are, this new attention has more value than anything else in their lives. (1

9

A man can think, feel and work with the instruments given to him for these purposes, using them automatically from force of habit, without being ฀conscious’ that he thinks, feels or works. He knows it; but he does not experience it. ฀To be conscious’ is first to experience oneself as one who knows this is so, to introduce into mechanical functioning such a quality of attention that a ฀sensation of being’ may arise and persist, where all the physical and psychic processes of which man is the centre unfold themselves at that moment. Then he begins to be relatively ฀present to himself.’ The sensation which this ฀presence’ evokes in him throws a new light on the events in which he is involved and constitutes a state called ฀self-remembering.’ In this state he can come gradually to see his functions as they really are and so begin truly to know himself. Only a great deal later, in the state of ฀objective consciousness,’ can a man hope to attain to a true knowledge of the world and to live on the highest level which a few may, perhaps, be able to reach. (1

10

ternal noise, conscious attention is an instrument which vibrates like a crystal at its own frequency. It is free to receive the signals broadcast at each moment from a creative universe in communication with all creatures. (20) In order to perform its function as a mediating bridge to higher, subtle, spiritual energies, attention must become impersonal and universal in nature. “Its source surrounded by mystery, attention communicates energies of a quality that the mind cannot represent. One needs to be at the service of conscious attention; one prepares for its advent through active stillness.” In quiet, tension-free moments, man’s structure is open to energy flows which are ordinarily blocked. In turn, these energies blend with previously received materials, to serve the higher in a wordless, nameless exchange. Attention is not only mediating; it is transmitting. Giving and receiving, God speaks to man. Receiving and giving, man speaks to God. Just as man’s structure needs to be vivified by the infusion of finer vibrations, those very same vibrations require the mixing of coarse material for their maintenance. Without the upward transmission of energies through the intermediary of conscious attention, the universe would give in to entropy. In man, the smallest deformation of a balanced attention closes down this two-way communication. Alone, the mind cannot maintain it. A relaxed body, too, is needed. Midway between micro- and macro-cosmos, man has his part to play. Returning to the body is a gesture of opening to the attention which, beckoned, is ready to serve its cosmological function. (21) At its highest level of development, conscious attention is pure perception of things as they are, direct and immediate, complete and whole. “It is an attention which will contain everything and refuse nothing, that will not take sides or demand anything. It will be without possessiveness, without avidity, but always with a sincerity that comes from the need to remain free in order to know.” Vision, inner vision, is the liberation of an energy that is beyond thinking. It is a total awareness of life because to see is to embrace totality at the very moment. We cannot see part by part, little by little, over time . . . Vision, on the other hand, is observation without thought, without the security of words or names. In a state of pure perception, there is no more aim and no attempt to respond. One simply lives the fact. (22)

References

(1) Henriette Lannes This Fundamental Quest (San Francisco: Far West Institute, 2003), p. 58. (2) Keith Buzzell Explorations in Active Mentation (Salt Lake City: Fifth Press, 2006), p. 106. (3) Hugh Ripman Questions and Answers Along the Way (Washington, D.C.: Forthway Center Press, 2009), p. 127. (4) Jacob Needleman What is God? (New York: Jeremy P. Tarcher, 2011), p. 257. 11

(5) Thomas and Olga de Hartmann Our Life with Mr. Gurdjieff (New York: Penguin Books, 1992), p. 45. (6) Richard Guillon Record of a Search (Toronto: Traditional Studies Press, 2004), pp. 112113. (7) Henriette Lannes This Fundamental Quest (San Francisco: Far West Institute, 2003), p. 125. (8) Jeanne de Salzmann The Reality of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), pp. 43-44. (9) Christian Wertenbaker Man in the Cosmos (United States of America: Codhill Press, 2012), pp. 179-180. (10) Jeanne de Salzmann The Reality of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), pp. 188-189. (11) Jeanne de Salzmann The Reality of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), p. 22. (12) William Segal “The Force of Attention” in The Inner Journey: Views From the Gurdjieff Work (Jacob Needleman, ed.) (Sandpoint, Idaho: Morning Light Press, 2008), pp. 332-333. (13) Jeanne de Salzmann The Reality of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), p. 221. (14) Jeanne de Salzmann The Reality of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), pp. 217-218. (15) Jeanne de Salzmann The Reality of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), p. 36. (16) Henriette Lannes This Fundamental Quest (San Francisco: Far West Institute, 2003), pp. 58-59. (17) Hugh Ripman Questions and Answers Along the Way (Washington, D.C.: Forthway Center Press, 2009), p. 128. (18) Henri Thomasson The Pursuit of the Present (Aurora, Oregon: Two Rivers Press, 1980), p. 25. (19) Jacob Needleman “Introduction” in The Inner Journey: Views From the Gurdjieff Work (Jacob Needleman, ed.) (Sandpoint, Idaho: Morning Light Press, 2008), p. xxvii. (20) William Segal “The Force of Attention” in The Inner Journey: Views From the Gurdjieff Work (Jacob Needleman, ed.) (Sandpoint, Idaho: Morning Light Press, 2008), pp. 332-333. (21) William Segal “The Force of Attention” in The Inner Journey: Views From the Gurdjieff Work (Jacob Needleman, ed.) (Sandpoint, Idaho: Morning Light Press, 2008), pp. 332-333. (22) Jeanne de Salzmann The Reality of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), p. 208.

12

MINDFULNESS ‘Just this, just this’ Ryokan Zen poet

The State of Inattention Mindfulness is a direct and immediate awareness of what is happening each moment of life. Yet most of the time we pass through life half asleep, in a state of inattention. “Everyone has some degree of mindfulness. The ordinary business of life, driving a car, baking bread, and so on requires that we are mindful or attentive to the present moment to some extent. But this usually alternates each minute with long lapses of forgetfulness.” When we look at our lives, it’s amazing to see how much of the time we live on automatic pilot, half asleep, unaware, oblivious to what we are doing and what goes on around us. We can walk down the street and all of a sudden find we’ve arrived at our destination, and yet remember nothing at all of what we saw or thought or heard while we were walking. If we reflect on how many things we have done half-heartedly, we can feel our hesitation, our distraction, our fears, and the deadening effect they have had on our life. When we are mindful, there is a quality of being total, of being wholeheartedly and fully present for any activity . . . When we have given something our wholehearted attention, whether work or school or a relationship or dharma practice, there is a certain energy and joy that arise in the mind. It may not even matter so much what results we end up with, because in doing something completely – with awareness and in a wholehearted way – the very doing is in itself satisfying. To live with mindfulness is to live in a caring and heartfelt way. (1) The essence of mindfulness is to be open to and aware of the reality of the present moment. But initially it is difficult to dwell in the present now as the mind naturally inclines to memories of the past or speculations of the future. “There may be a certain effort to focus on the nowness, but perhaps only twenty percent of the consciousness is based on the present and the rest is scattered into the past or the future. Therefore there is not enough force to see directly what is there.” One must develop the ability to know the situation. In other words one has to develop a panoramic awareness, an all-pervading awareness, knowing the situation at that very moment. It is a question of knowing the situation and opening one’s eyes to that very moment of newness, and this is not particularly a mystical experience or anything mysterious at all, but just direct, open and clear perception of what is now. And when a person is able to see what is now without being in1

fluenced by the past or any expectation of the future, but just seeing the very moment of now, then at that moment there is no barrier at all. For a barrier could only arise from associations with the past or expectation of the future. So the present moment has no barriers at all. (2) When we begin to examine and investigate our body, mind and feelings, we realize how conditioned and reactive our states are. But mindful awareness opens the possibility of consciously choosing a healthier, non-reactive response to whatever arises in our life experiences. “To live free of patterns is to live in awareness. Our personality is made up of patterns of reaction that prevent us from responding appropriately to the present moment.” There are two levels of mindful awareness: the initial perception of an object, thought, feeling or sensation, and then the conditioned reaction: So there is the superficial awareness of the tree, the bird, the door, and there is the response to that, which is thought, feeling, emotion. Now when we become aware of this response, we might call it a second depth of awareness. There is the awareness of the rose, and the awareness of the response to the rose. Often we are unaware of this response to the rose. In reality it is the same reality which sees the rose and which sees the response. It is one movement and it is wrong to speak of the outer and inner awareness. When there is a visual awareness of the tree without any psychological involvement there is no division in relationship. But when there is a psychological response to the tree, this response is a conditioned response, it is the response of past memory, past experiences, and this response is a division in relationship. This response is the birth of what we shall call the “me” in relationship and the “non-me.” This is how you place yourself in relationship to the world. This is how you create the individual and the community. The world is seen not as it is, but in its various relationships to the “me” of memory. Now can there be an awareness, an observation of the tree, without any judgement, and can there be an observation of the response, the reaction, without any judgement? In this way we eradicate the principle of division, the principle of “me” and “non-me,” both in looking at the tree and in looking at ourselves. (3) The central role of conscious attention lies at the heart of mindfulness. “Attention is the ability to experience what arises without falling into the conditioned reactions that cause suffering. Attention is always present in potential but is unable to function because of conditioning.” The essential tool is attention – not the weak, unstable, reactive attention that is part of our automatic functioning, but the strong, stable, and volitional attention cultivated in such disciplines as meditation. Active attention, composed of mindfulness and awareness, is the key. Attention, in this sense, is not intellectual or physical. It is energy, the same kind of energy that powers emotions. Attention is used to dismantle the wall that separates us from what we are. This wall 2

consists of conditioned patterns of perception, emotional reactions and behaviors. The wall has many components: conventional notions of success and failure, the belief that I am a separate and independent entity, reactive emotional patterns, passivity, an inability to open to others, and misperceptions about the nature of being. Dismantling these habituated conditioned patterns is not a smooth process. Things don’t unfold in a neat progression. Attention is the one principle on which we can always rely. We meet every problem encountered by bringing attention to what arises in experience. (4)

Quality of Attention and Awareness With mindfulness we simply notice, simply observe what is happening in the present moment. In the words of Krishnamurti: “There is a quality of energy which can be called an awareness – an awareness in which there is no evaluation, judgement, condemnation or comparison but merely an attentive observation, a seeing of things exactly as they are, both inwardly and outwardly.” In the Buddhist tradition mindfulness is sometimes referred to as bare attention: Buddhist meditation takes this untrained, everyday mind as its natural starting point, and it requires the development of one particular attentional posture – of naked, or bare, attention. Defined as “the clear and single-minded awareness of what actually happens to us and in us at the successive moments of perception,” bare attention takes this unexamined mind and opens it up, not by trying to change anything, but by observing the mind, emotions, and body the way they are. It is the fundamental tenet of Buddhist psychology that this kind of attention is, in itself, healing, that by the constant application of this attentional strategy, all of the Buddha’s insights can be realized for oneself . . . This is what is meant by bare attention: just the bare facts and exact registering, allowing things to speak for themselves as if seen for the first time, distinguishing any reactions from the core event. (5) By developing mindfulness we can learn to be aware of our mental, emotional and physical states without being caught in them. “In every moment of mindfulness, whatever the object is, whether it is the breath, sensations or sounds, thoughts or emotions, in every moment of simply noting and noticing what’s there, there’s no reactivity in the mind. There’s no clinging and no conditioning, just an accepting awareness of what is present.” Mindfulness is non-conceptual awareness, an impartial watchfulness, pure perception without evaluation, bare attention. It always occurs in the present, in the now. “Total attention includes, never excludes. Superficiality of attention is inattention; total attention includes the superficial and hidden, the past and its influence on the present, moving into the future.”

3

It is the direct and immediate experiencing of whatever is happening , without the medium of thought. It comes before thought in the perceptual process. Mindfulness is present-moment awareness. It takes place in the here and now. It is the observance of what is happening right now, in the present. It stays forever in the present, perpetually on the crest of the ongoing wave of passing time. If you are remembering your second-grade teacher, that is memory. When you become aware that you are remembering your second-grade teacher, that is mindfulness. If you then conceptualize the process and say to yourself, “Oh, I am remembering,” that is thinking. (6) Mindfulness requires a neutral attitude toward the object of attention, much like a member of an audience watching with interest the performance of a play. “Mindfulness is the quality of mind which notices what is present, without judgment, without interference. It is like a mirror that clearly reflects what comes before it. It is knowing things as they are.” The Buddha said that we must practice insight to see clearly that which is. To do so we have to first destroy attachment and aversion to the object. Therefore, while being mindful of mental states and matter, we have to be carefully watchful and mentally alert. Developing desireless awareness is the right understanding of the application of mindfulness. It is similar to watching the characters acting in a play. As for the character who has not yet appeared, we do not desire to see him. Similarly we do not desire to follow or hold the characters who are going off stage. We keep our attention upon the character who is acting. Our only interest is in seeing the characters performing the play and not the directing of it. (7) Mindfulness or pure awareness has been compared to a mirror which reflects what is happening exactly the way it is happening. It is akin to a scientist observing something under a microscope without any preconceived notions – just seeing the object exactly like it is. “The function of the microscope is just to clearly present what is there. Mindfulness need not refer to the past or the future; it is fully in the now.” Mindfulness is nonjudgmental observation. It is the ability of the mind to observe without criticism. With this ability, one sees things without condemnation or judgment. One is surprised by nothing. One simply takes a balanced interest in things exactly as they are in their natural states. One does not decide and does not judge. One just observes . . . It is psychologically impossible for us to objectively observe what is going on within us if we do not at the same time accept the occurrence of our various states of mind. This is especially true with unpleasant states of mind. In order to observe our own fear, we must accept the fact that we are afraid. We can’t examine our own depression without accepting it fully. The same is true for irritation and agitation, frustration, and all those other uncomfortable emotional states. You can’t examine something fully if you are busy rejecting its existence. Whatever experience we may be having, mindfulness just accepts it. It is simply another of life’s occurrences, just another thing to be aware of. (8) 4

As the process of mindfulness ripens we slowly gain control over our own attention: In the beginning of mindfulness practice, we may be distracted or overcome by hindrances. But slowly awareness works its magic. We observe, come back from being lost, begin again, and gradually our mind becomes more accepting, less reactive, and less judgmental. We do not get so totally lost in discursive thoughts. A soft and gentle awareness allows our mind and heart to relax, to loosen, to open. (9) It is impossible to be mindful all the time, but what is crucial is to be aware of when we slip back to a state of inattention: Questioner: How can I be attentive all the time? It’s impossible! Krishnamurti: That’s quite right. It is impossible. But to be aware of your inattention is of the greatest importance, not how to be attentive all the time. It is greed that asks the question, “How can I be attentive all the time?” One gets lost in the practice of being attentive. The practice of being attentive is inattention. You cannot practice to be beautiful, or to love. When hate ceases the other is. Hate can cease only when you give your whole attention to it, when you learn and do not accumulate knowledge about it. Begin very simply. Questioner: What is the point of your talking if there is nothing we can practise after having heard you? Krishnamurti: The hearing is of the greatest importance, not what you practise afterwards. The hearing is the instantaneous action. The practice gives duration to problems. Practice is total inattention. Never practise: you can only practise mistakes. Learning is always new. (10) Some spiritual teachings, such as Buddhism, distinguish a number of levels or degrees of attention and mindfulness: According to Tibetan Buddhist tradition, there are four kinds of mindfulness. First comes average mindfulness – the attention that springs naturally and spontaneously through our own interest in a particular person, situation or phenomenon. For the most part it’s concerned with worldly matters and lasts as long as the interest itself. The second kind is cultivated or generated mindfulness – the type that we intentionally apply to particular objects of awareness in order to stabilize or deepen our understanding of them. This can be considered the general practice of mindfulness: a highly focused and alert presence of mind free from judgment, evaluation, reactivity. The third kind is abiding mindfulness: the well-trained mind is sufficiently tamed to rest naturally, without wavering, wherever it is focused. Accomplished meditation masters 5

can sustain this kind of concentrated or one-pointed mindfulness for hours, days, or even longer, uninterrupted by distractions. The fourth is Dharmakaya mindfulness, or innate wakefulness, where awareness itself remains undistracted from its own nature. In other words, there is no observer “I” noticing awareness within our consciousness, nor can anything within or outside our consciousness diffuse its energy . . . The fourth and ultimate kind of mindfulness is not acquired through practice. Instead it is already present within us, and we come to realize it as a result of cultivating the other three kinds of mindfulness. As the true essential nature of the mind, it is regarded as being the ground as well as the fruit of practice. The other parts are the growth or the pathway connecting the ground and the fruit. The catalyst for this growth, the force that moves us along the way, is meditation. (11) The quality of attention can be developed and enhanced. “The development of attention is not linear. As you practise mindfulness, your ability in attention will increase, but it will be clearer and more stable on some days than others.” Attention is not a concrete object that we can manufacture or reproduce. Attention is an ability that can be developed, just as physical stamina and flexibility can. Attention is cultivated by repeatedly exercising it, just as flexibility is developed by repeated stretching. In meditation, we first exercise attention in a small way by experiencing the breath – feeling the coming and going of the breath in attention. As attention grows, it becomes stronger and can operate at higher and higher levels of energy. As a result, we become progressively more present in our lives. Cultivating attention is like cultivating a plant. Nobody makes a plant grow. A seed grows into a plant by itself when conditions are right. In meditation practice, we provide the right conditions for the seed of attention to grow. We all have the seed of attention already. The seed is natural awareness, or original mind. Natural awareness is present in every moment of experience but is usually obscured by conditioned patterns. For attention to grow, the operation of habituated patterns has to be interrupted, at least temporarily. (12) Mindfulness is a way of opening our attention to the reality of the present moment. “With mindfulness we explore, moment to moment, the truth of what is arising within our own experience. True awareness is a strength and maturity of mind that sees life without judgment, comment, resistance or holding on.” Moments spent in awareness and mindfulness are truly lived, while moments spent in repetitive habits and conditioned patterns are not fully lived. “To live, on the other hand, is to be with the beauty of the present moment, to be with the now, the here, the present.” The present moment, now, is the home of mindfulness, not the past or future. “The basic practice is to be present, right here. The goal is also the technique. Precisely being in this moment, neither suppressing nor wildly letting go, but being precisely aware of what you are.” 6

When you listen to music, you are hearing the present music at that time. You hear the music of the moment. Now is a vast thing. Past and future can’t exist without now. Otherwise, without the criterion of now, they cease to be past and future. Now is all the time, and it is choiceless . . . There is always this precision of now, which is there all the time and which helps us to relate with the past and the future. From this point of view, the choices we make depend on how much we are accurately in the now. Conceptions come from either future or past. Somehow they don’t apply now. The absence of conceptions is very helpful, and the absence of conceptions also becomes the source of learning, which is now. The minute when you begin to speculate, that moment is already past. Now can only be perceived and experienced, rather than thought of . . . The present moment is really the only thing. It’s the one thing, the choiceless choice. (13)

Self-Knowledge and Transformation Mindfulness and conscious awareness impart a subtle energy with great transformative power. Developing and deepening attention and awareness is a prelude to self-understanding and the ability to live in harmony with ourselves and with the world. Mindfulness is the key to self-knowledge and eventually wisdom: In the development of wisdom, one quality of mind above all others is the key to practice. This quality is mindfulness, attention or self-recollection. The most direct way to understand our life situation, who we are and how our mind and body operate, is to observe with a mind that simply notices all events equally. This attitude of non-judgmental, direct observation allows all events to occur in a natural way. By keeping the attention in the present moment, we can see more and more clearly the true characteristics of our mind and body process. (14) The awakened awareness of mindfulness can transform how we live our lives. By exercising more conscious control over our moment-to-moment moods and desires, we can interact more skilfully and compassionately with other people. “The capacity to be mindful, to observe without being caught in our experience, is both remarkable and liberating. With mindfulness we can direct our attention to observe what is going on inside us, and study how our body, mind and emotions operate.” Mindfulness is simply paying attention to what we are doing in the moment. It leads to liberation from the tyranny of the conditioned self and allows our true unconditioned nature to emerge: Life has conditioned us to create and protect the self, and this habit doesn’t die easily. Still, we can begin to let go of this conditioning by paying attention to the behaviour patterns that serve to keep the self intact. With practice, we 7

can become aware of conditioned responses before acting on them. In Buddhism this is the point of liberation. The moment a thought or desire pops up, we can choose to respond in a way that is different from our habitual, selfserving response. Mindfulness allows us to seize the moment between the impulse to act and the action itself. We can choose to respond in a new and creative way, or we can choose to simply watch as the impulse fades away. Either way we have claimed our freedom . . . Freeing ourselves of conditioning, we become more spontaneous. We may surprise ourselves, as well as those who thought they knew us. The self that seemed so solid and predictable begins to melt, and we become more comfortable with our true self, which is fluid and unfixed. Our own experience confirms that our true Self is no-self, our true nature is no-nature. We are completely free. (15) Mindfulness shines the light of attention on many of our unconscious behaviours and acts as a transformative impulse. “The practice of attention and the operation of habitual patterns are incompatible.” As we practice attention, we see the conditioning that runs our lives more and more clearly. We see how our reactions and conditioned behaviors create difficulties and suffering for everyone, including us. At first we are not able to change our behavior, but continued work in cultivating attention eventually opens up the possibility of acting differently. One day, instead of reacting to a situation, we see another possibility and do it. Everything changes. With the first cut into a pattern of reactive behavior, we realize that we can live and function in the world without relying on conditioned behaviors and the self-images underlying them. We live in attention. Now, as soon as we are aware that habituated patterns are operating, we use attention to cut through them and then do what the situation requires. (16) Mindfulness transforms habitual reactions to the impacts and experiences of life, so that even seemingly mundane events are seen in a new light. The light of awareness slowly changes the conditioned patterns of behaviour that bind us and prevent the flowering of our full potential as human beings: Subjective reactions exposed to the light of attention and awareness lose their grip on you. They are there. But they lose their hold on you, they lose the power to distort and twist your responses. So observation without any conscious effort on the part of the individual, sustained observation, results in a qualitatively new awareness with which one can live and move. Cook a meal, scrub the floor, wash the dishes, work in the office, meet the situations of life with awareness. (17) Insight, inner transformation and freedom of choice are the fruits of conscious attention and mindfulness:

8

Change by choice becomes possible only when we have free attention, a level of attention that is not completely absorbed by conditioning. The ability to act and respond (rather than react) depends on the ability to maintain such a level of attention. Internal transformative work is primarily destructive. Those parts of our lives that result from and depend on habituated patterns will fall apart. In other words, to do this work, we must be willing to die to the life we have known. The essence of this dismantling process is the ability to maintain attention in the face of habituated reactions and not be consumed by them. Therefore, the initial work of internal transformation is cultivating attention, and meditation practice is one of the oldest and most reliable methods. (18) With the development of mindfulness and conscious awareness it is possible to harmonize with the whole. “There is no need to struggle or be in conflict with what is happening. By bringing a precise attentiveness and quality of openness to the whole range of our experience, moment to moment, the nature of reality will reveal itself.” The essence of all internal transformative work is original mind – the open, natural awareness that is our human heritage. Conditioned patterns of perception and behavior prevent this natural awareness from manifesting in our lives. Internal transformative work consists of dismantling habituated patterns that cause us to ignore what is taking place inside and around us. Attention is the primary tool. (19) Awareness itself is the means by which the conditioned, separate self is transformed. Mindfulness moves us from the world of concepts to the actuality of lived experience. “If there is present awareness, fear is seen clearly as an abstraction – a future anxiety born from memory’s blueprint. It is the same with physical and emotional pain. When I cease to own it I liberate myself from its bondage and see it simply as it is.” If I drop abstraction and move my awareness, for instance, to my bodily sensations, I discover there is a symphony going on. Not necessarily in tune, but nevertheless constantly changing and moving, coming and going. Something arises and then disappears, followed by something else rising to take its place. There is very little that I can control or manipulate. It is immeasurable and unknown, coming into being and then passing away. In the same way, if I let go and listen, touch, taste, smell, or see, there is no way of knowing beforehand the exact quality of those sensations. I could say that I can anticipate the sound of a bird singing, but it is only information based on memory and is neither alive nor vital. The sound I actually hear, the sound of “what is,” will not be the same as my abstraction of it. When I first listen to the sound I will try to grasp it and label it in order to control it. When I let go of that control, there is simply the listener and the sound. When the listener is dropped, there is only the sound. I am no longer there – there is simply the naked and vibrant energy of “what is.” Nothing is needed; all is fulfilled. It is within the very alchemy of this timeless presence that freedom resides. (20)

9

When awareness is not coloured by personal conditioning, it leads to direct insight and clear perception. “Transformation can only occur with ‘seeing’ the fact. There’s no ‘seeing’ if there is condemnation or justification or identification with the fact. ‘Seeing’ is only possible when the brain is not actively participating, but observing, abstaining from classification, judgement and evaluation.” That leads us to an awareness without choice – to be aware without any like or dislike. When there is this really simple, honest, choiceless awareness, it leads to another factor which is attention . . . When one is attentive, choicelessly aware, then out of that comes insight. Insight is not an act of remembrance, the continuation of memory. Insight is like a flash of light. You see with absolute clarity, all the complications, the consequences, the intricacies. Then this very insight is action, complete. In that there are no regrets, no looking back, no sense of being weighed down, no discrimination. This is pure, clear insight – perception without any shadow of doubt. (21)

Skilful Living Approaching life with mindfulness and awareness allows us to act less egocentrically and more skilfully and compassionately in the world. In the words of Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh: “We have difficulty remembering that we are alive in the present moment, the only moment there is for us to be alive. Every breath we take, every step we make, can be filled with peace, joy and serenity. We need only to be awake, alive in the present moment.” We can nourish a powerful awareness that can eventually cut through our deepest assumptions and help us live awake and in truth. We can find the freedom to choose an action that takes into account the circumstances present at any given time in any given situation – doing what best serves life. Taking action that best serves life means to take action that comes out of being as aware as possible of the many conditions present in any situation. It is action based not on our selfcentered view of life but one that considers whatever other conditions our awareness holds in the situation. (22) Mindfulness practice engages us fully with life and develops qualities of wisdom and compassion. “Wisdom is an ongoing process of discovery that unfolds when we live with balanced and full awareness in each moment. It grows out of our sincerity and genuine openness, and it can lead us to a whole new world of freedom.” [Mindfulness] leads to freedom. It leads to living more in the moment, fully experiencing what’s there, not holding on to it, not greeting things with preconceptions but seeing them clearly as they are. It leads to the letting go of attachments

10

and therefore less suffering, to less selfishness which means more love and joy, more compassion for other beings and a more gentle flow with what is. (23) Wisdom and skilful living arise when we fully embrace the reality of the present moment , whatever its nature. “When walking, you just walk. When you eat, you are right there just eating. Plunge your whole life into what you are doing at that very moment and live that way. Whatever you do, whatever the task at hand, your whole life is there at that moment.” Anyone who has used the moments and days and years of his or her life to become wiser, kinder, and more at home in the world has learned from what has happened right now. We can aspire to be kind right in the moment, to relax and open our heart and mind to what is in front of us in the moment. Now is the time. If there’s any possibility for enlightenment, it’s right now, not at some future time. Now is the time. Now is the only time. How we relate to it creates the future. In other words, if we’re going to be more cheerful in the future, it’s because of our aspiration and exertion to be cheerful in the present. What we do accumulates; the future is the result of what we do right now . . . Right now we are creating our state of mind for tomorrow, not to mention this afternoon, next week, next year, and all the years of our lives. (24) Mindfulness takes an equal interest in all aspects of our inner and outer life. “It is through the power of mindfulness that we can come to a place of balance and rest. Mindfulness is that quality of attention which notices without choosing, without preference; it is a choiceless awareness that, like the Sun, shines on all things equally.” Can we make our awareness so inclusive that we’re willing to be attentive to the whole range of our experience? It’s somewhat like going on a long journey in a strange land, a journey that takes us through many different kinds of terrain – through mountains and jungle, desert and rain forest. If we have the mind of a true explorer, when we’re in the mountains we’re not thinking, “Oh, if only I were in the desert now.” And when we’re in the desert we’re not daydreaming of rain forests. If there’s a real sense of exploration, we’re interested in every new place that we come to. (25) The practice of mindfulness brings a deep appreciation for the simple, everyday experiences of life which become a gateway to the cultivation of wisdom. As Alan Watts observed: “The art of living consists in being sensitive to each moment, in regarding it as utterly new and unique, in having the mind open and receptive.” Activities such as shopping, answering the telephone, typing, working in a factory, studying in school, dealing with our parents or our children, going to a funeral, checking ourselves in at the maternity department of the hospital – whatever we do is sacred. The way we develop that attitude is by seeing things as they are, by paying attention to the energy of the situation, and by not expecting further enter11

tainment from our world. It is a matter of simply being, being natural, and always being mindful of everything that takes place in our day to day life. (26) Mindful awareness centered in the present can nourish both individuals and whole societies. “Such awareness can help to free you from speed, chaos, neurosis and resentments of all kinds. It can free you from the obstacles to nowness.” The way to experience nowness is to realize that this very moment, this very point in your life, is always the occasion. So the consideration of where you are and what you are, on the spot, is very important. That is one reason that your family situation, your domestic everyday life, is so important. You should regard your home as sacred, as a golden opportunity to experience nowness. Appreciating sacredness begins very simply by taking an interest in the details of your life. Interest is simply applying awareness to what goes on in your everyday life – awareness while you’re cooking, awareness while you’re driving, awareness while you’re changing diapers, even awareness while you’re arguing . . . The principle of nowness is also very important to any effort to establish an enlightened society . . . When corruption enters a culture, it is because that culture ceases to be now; it becomes past and future. Periods in history where great art was created, when learning advanced, or peace spread, were all now. Those situations happened at the very moment of their now. But after now happened, then those cultures lost their now. (27) Formal meditation practice prepares the ground for extending mindfulness and attention to daily life. “There is a real beauty in a truly mindful person: with doing something wholeheartedly, being at one without any resistance. Only when attention come out of unself-conscious doing can there be true awareness.” The second effort in meditation is to extend attention to daily life outside formal practice. We practice by mixing attention with the activities of life. The intention is to maintain attention as we go about the day. We begin with simple activities such as walking or other exercises and simple manual tasks such as washing dishes and washing the car. We then extend the practice to more complex activities, such as conversation. Step by step, we bring attention to the various activities of life, noting the areas in which we habitually lose attention and fall into reaction. We make those areas the focus of our practice of attention during the day. The work of internal transformation comes alive as the abilities and experiences developed in formal practice are exercised in daily life. We move out of habituated patterns of behavior. What happens, for instance, when another driver zips into a parking spot in a crowded mall just as you are about to back into it? Can you observe the rising of your reaction as the movement of mind, or do you jump out of your car and let the other person have it? (28) When we develop attention and mindfulness we can engage in life more skilfully, acting consciously rather than reacting to life experiences on the basis of conditioned and learned pat12

terns. “Wisdom is simple. It is simply being in harmony with the here and now. Nothing to gain, nothing to lose. Mindful of the flow, the person is not deluded; their life is in perfect harmony with the natural order.” The more we practice, the less dogmatic we become. All we can do is bring our attention to bear on situations we encounter in life, using attention to cut through the operation of habituated patterns. We show up in each situation, open to what is happening, see what is, and serve what is true to the limit of our perception. We act and receive the result. If the situation blows up in our face, we have to pay. We will see our part in it if, and only if, we have brought all our attention to our action. We do not blame anyone for the result because we know we did our best. Instead, we learn about where we were weak, blind, stupid, or out of touch. There is no other way to learn. Any lesson is cheap if it doesn’t cost us our ability to make further efforts in waking up. In effect, we approach each situation as a mystery and know that all we can do is be present, to the best of our ability, in that mystery. We don’t need beliefs, we don’t need comforting, and we don’t need explanations. We can be open and awake, staying present with all that arises in our experience. (29) Intelligence flowers in the light of attention and awareness. “Intelligence is sensitive awareness of the totality of life; life with all its problems, contradictions, miseries, joys. To be aware of all of this, without choice and without being caught by any one of its issues and to flow with the whole of life is intelligence.” In the fully awakened state there is no separation between observer and observed -- there is only light, peace and clarity. “If you are watchful, never letting a thought go by, then the brain becomes very quiet. Then you watch in great silence and that silence has immense depth, a lasting incorruptible beauty.” When the mind is quiet a great sensitivity of perception arises to the totality of life in all its varied expressions. Krishnamurti describes this state in his Notebook: The complete stillness of the brain is an extraordinary thing; it is highly sensitive, vigorous, fully alive, aware of every outward movement but utterly still. It is still as it is completely open, without any hindrance, without any secret wants and pursuits; it is still as there is no conflict which is essentially a state of contradiction. It is utterly still in emptiness; this emptiness is not a state of vacuum, a blankness; it is energy without a centre, without a border. Walking down the crowded street, smelly and sordid, with the buses roaring by, the brain was aware of the things about it and the body was walking along, sensitive, alive to the smells, to the dirt, to the sweating labourers but there was no centre from which watching, directing, censoring took place. During the whole of that mile and back the brain was without movement, as thought and feeling. (30)

13

References (1) Joseph Goldstein and Jack Kornfield Seeking the Heart of Wisdom (Boston: Shambhala, 1987), p. 62. (2) Chögyam Trungpa Meditation in Action (Berkeley: Shambhaha, 1969), p. 47. (3) J. Krishnamurti The Urgency of Change (London: Victor Gollancz, 1971), pp. 9-10. (4) Ken McLeod Wake Up To Your Life (New York: HarperOne, 2001), pp. 16-17. (5) Jack Kornfield The Buddha Is Still Teaching (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), pp. 44-45. (6) Bhante Henepola Gunaratana Mindfulness in Plain English (Boston: Wisdom Publications, 2002), p. 140. (7) Jack Kornfield Living Buddhist Masters (Santa Cruz: Unity Press, 1977), p. 140. (8) Bhante Henepola Gunaratana Mindfulness in Plain English (Boston: Wisdom Publications, 2002), p. 139. (9) Joseph Goldstein Insight Meditation (Boston: Shambhala, 2003), p. 143. (10) J. Krishnamurti The Urgency of Change (London: Victor Gollancz, 1971), pp. 104-105. (11) Lama Surya Das Buddha Is As Buddha Does (New York: HarperOne, 2007), pp. 126-127. (12) Ken McLeod Wake Up To Your Life (New York: HarperOne, 2001), p 53. (13) Chögyam Trungpa Work, Sex, Money (Boston: Shambhala, 2011), pp. 74-75. (14) Jack Kornfield Living Buddhist Masters (Santa Cruz: Unity Press, 1977), p. 13. (15) Dennis Genpo Merzel The Path of Being Human (Boston: Shambhala, 2005), p. 90. (16) Ken McLeod Wake Up To Your Life (New York: HarperOne, 2001), p. 36. (17) Vimala Thakar Totality in Essence (Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1986), p. 28. (18) Ken McLeod Wake Up To Your Life (New York: HarperOne, 2001), pp. 50-51. (19) Ken McLeod Wake Up To Your Life (New York: HarperOne, 2001), p. 51. (20) Tony Parsons As It Is (Carlsbad, California: Inner Directions, 2004), pp. 53-54. (21) J. Krishnamurti Krishnamurti to Himself (San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1987), p. 73. (22) Diane Eshin Rizzetto Waking Up to What You Do (Boston: Shambhala, 2006), pp. 39-40. (23) Jack Kornfield Living Buddhist Masters (Santa Cruz: Unity Press, 1977), p. 291. (24) Pema Chödrön When Things Fall Apart (Boston: Shambhala, 2000), p. 144. (25) Joseph Goldstein and Jack Kornfield Seeking the Heart of Wisdom (Boston: Shambhala, 1987), p. 19. (26) Chögyam Trungpa The Sanity We Are Born With (Boston: Shambhala, 2005), p. 18. (27) Chögyam Trungpa Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior (Boston: Shambhala, 1988), pp. 96-97. (28) Ken McLeod Wake Up To Your Life (New York: HarperOne, 2001), pp. 35-36. (29) Ken McLeod Wake Up To Your Life (New York: HarperOne, 2001), p. 204. (30) J. Krishnamurti Krishnamurti’s Notebook (New York: Harper & Row, 1976), p. 146.

14

HUM AN COM PLETION AND FULFILLM ENT ‘W hen you do meet yourself, you come int o a permanent endow ment and bequest of know ledge t hat is like no ot her experience on earth.’ Tariqavi

‘In the W orld, But Not Of the W orld’

The spiritual life can be lived at any time, in any place or circumstance, and does not require withdrawal from the world. “Enlightenment is not confined to hermitages in remote mountains; it transcends all customs, all sects, all life, all places, and all time, it is as applicable in a busy city as in a quiet village.” The man who has realized his true nature continues to face all his obligations, to live in society. Simply he is no longer a party to the activities of a society whose only aim is to satisfy the ego. Unbridled accumulation and ambition, inordinate desire to develop one’s individuality, the need to intensify one’s personal qualities with an aim in view, all that this implies no longer concerns this man. He is still in the world, but he is not of the world. (1) The physical body should not be neglected or abused as it performs an essential role in the process of spiritual development. The importance of the body in the spiritual life is emphasized by the classical Sufi teacher Attar: “The body is not different from the soul, for it is part of it; and both are part of the whole.” By all means, use your body to work in the world but understand what it is. The body is only an instrument to be used; you are not the body. You are the everlasting, timeless, spaceless principle which gives sentience to this body. (2) A natural balance can be achieved between inner development and self-expression in the normal everyday world, by the practice of simultaneous detachment and engagement with life. A Chinese Zen master told his students: “Do not permit the events of your daily life to bind you, but never w it hdraw yourself from t hem .” The individual must be ‘in the world but not of the world,’ that is to say he must co-exist harmoniously in the society to which he happens to belong but he must be free of all worldly ties that condition and limit his development. In order to achieve real development, he has to detach himself from personal, material things. But he cannot withdraw from the world, like an ascetic, because if he did this he would be separating himself from reality and avoiding his duty as a human being. (3)

1

Inner tranquility is largely an attitude of mind and can be achieved in all conditions of life through awareness and detachment. In the words of the great Indian sage Ramana Maharshi: “That man who is active in the world and yet remains desireless, without losing sight of his own essential nature, is alone a true man.” Solitude is in the mind of man. One might be in the thick of the world and maintain serenity of mind; such a one is in solitude. Another may stay in a forest, but still be unable to control his mind. A man attached to desire cannot get solitude wherever he may be; a detached man is always in solitude. Work performed with attachment is a shackle, whereas work performed with detachment does not affect the doer. He is, even while working, in solitude. (4) Inner spiritual development can harmoniously co-exist with the reality of everyday life in a reciprocal relationship which honours the importance of both aspects of existence: If, as an analogy, you were a baker and learning to become a candlestickmaker, you would continue your baking and practise, in your available time, candlestick-making. You would, of course, not try to make candlesticks with the skills and materials used in baking, except for employing a few correspondences, like the capacity to coordinate. Al-Ghazali, the Persian, in his Alchemy of Happiness, tells how a scavenger collapsed from the unfamiliarity of the scent when he was walking in the Street of the Perfumers; and how it took a former scavenger to discern his state and its remedy so that he could apply the indicated procedure of holding something filthy under the scavenger’s nose until he revived. Like the scavenger, people in the ordinary world become bemused and ineffective if they are exposed to things form another dimension. They are brought back to ‘reality’ by returning to customary patterns. If the scavenger wants to become, say, a perfumer, he has to be exposed by degrees to sweet odours. At some point he will be able to operate in both ‘worlds,’ having learned through practice how to discern both ‘smells.’ (5) A correspondence exists between life in the ordinary world and life in higher dimensions. An analogy of the relationship between the ‘two worlds’ (the physical and the metaphysical) points to the effect which moving has on your shadow: Take this world as the shadow, and the next one as the sun, for the purpose of the analogy. Now note that if you move towards your shadow (the world) it recedes, and if pursued cannot be caught. If, however, you move towards the sun (the other world) your shadow will follow you. (6) The full development of the human being is distinguished, following the experience of higher consciousness, by a ‘return to the world’ and engagement with active life. There is an adage: ‘If one w ere t o w ake up and st ill remain in bed, t hen w hat is t he use of aw akening?’

2

Mysticism is unclouded perception, and so practical that it can be lived every moment of life and expressed in everyday duties; its connection with experience is so deep that it is the final understanding of all experience. If the soul loses its connection with experience and the different phases of life, there is a neurotic reaction, which is far from being a spiritual experience – for this not only involves the realization of the soul on higher planes, but a right attitude to worldly duties and everyday life. (7) Spiritual illumination is of value to others only with a return to everyday life in order to guide others on the path to enlightenment: “to inject back into the stream of life the direction which humanity needs in order to fulfil itself.” The guide teaches from a position which is at times ‘in the world’ because he has to maintain contact with his environment. He follows the ‘arc of ascent’ to learn; and when he has completed the ‘arc of descent’ he is among the people. He is now transmuted. This means that although his outward form and even a part of his essence may be visible, his whole depth only unfolds to those who are developed enough to understand and perceive it. (8) At certain times, for a limited period and for a specific purpose, withdrawal from worldly activities or ‘leaving the world’ may be appropriate: The inner work is done in the ordinary world – but it cannot be done by anyone who is merely attracted to this idea and who cannot really withdraw from the world, as well as participate in it. Withdrawal from the world is useless to those who are attracted by withdrawal and solitude. There are hardly any real monks. These have to be people who are equally at home in solitude and in company. (9)

Vocational Achievement and Excellence

The realized human being is found in every department of life, is as common in the West as the East, may be rich or poor, and may have any type of outward appearance or behaviour. The occupations of enlightened people vary widely and can range from scientists, philosophers, teachers, administrators, merchants or soldiers to poets, artisans, musicians and architects to auto mechanics, farmers, housewives, the next door neighbour, or anything. The way of earning a living in the world follows no predictable or stereotypical pattern: After self-realization, any behaviour or actions expressed through the body of a sage are spontaneous and totally unconditioned. They cannot be bound to any disciplines. A realized sage may be discovered in an unkempt person reclining in the ashes of a cremation ground, or on the cushioned bed in a 3

palace as a king. He may be a butcher by vocation or a successful businessman. Nevertheless, a realized one, abides in the Eternal Absolute. (10) Achievement in the world is marked by excelling in one’s chosen vocation, thereby becoming more valuable to the human community. A realized person becomes more practical, efficient, and effective in all kinds of ways. “A watchmaker becomes a better watchmaker, a housewife becomes a better housewife.” Q: How is it possible to become selfless while leading a life of worldly activity? A: There is no conflict between work and wisdom. Q: Do you mean that one can continue all the old activities in one’s profession, for instance, and at the same time get enlightened? A: Why not? But in that case one will not think that it is the old personality which is doing the work, because one’s consciousness will gradually become transformed until it is centered in that which is beyond the little self. Q: If a person is engaged in work, there will be little time left for him to meditate. A: Setting apart time for meditation is only for the merest spiritual novices. A man who is advancing will begin to enjoy the deepest beatitude whether he is at work or not. While his hands are in society, he keeps his head cool in solitude. (11) In many traditional spiritual teachings work and the tasks of daily life are an integral component of spiritual practice: In Zen everything one does becomes a potential vehicle for self-realization. Every act, every movement, done wholeheartedly, with nothing left over, is an “expression of Buddha,” and the greater the pure mindedness and unselfconsciousness of the doing, the closer we are to this realization. For what else is there but the pure act itself – the lifting of the hammer, the washing of the dish, the movement of the hands on the typewriter, the pulling of the weed? Everything else, such as thoughts of the past, fantasies about the future, judgments and evaluations concerning the work itself, what are these but shadows and ghosts flickering about in our minds? Right before us is life itself. To enter into the awareness of Zen, to “wake up,” means to free the mind of its habitual disease of uncontrolled thought and to return to its original purity and clarity. In Zen it is said that much more power is generated by the ability to practice awareness in the midst of the world than by just sitting alone and shunning activity. Thus one’s daily work becomes one’s meditation room, the task at hand one’s practice. (12)

4

Success and achievement in the material world are based on qualities such as common sense, observation, versatility and creativity. The goal is to do everything well and to the best of one’s ability. “If you are writing a letter, write it as if the whole world will judge you by this letter alone.” Many people develop a negative attitude towards work due to their identification with their roles, job activities and expectations. Work and the obstacles it imposes can be consciously used in the process of self-development instead of being a source of stress and negativity. Gurdjieff spoke of the need for patience and perseverance, in small things and large: “If you can do small things well, you will do big things well.” When you work in your office and you finish work and go home and say, “I am disgusted with all these activities,” it means quite simply that you have established a personal relationship with these activities. Tiredness and disgust come only when you are completely identified with your personality. It is the person, the object, which is tired and disgusted, not the “I.” In any case you have to earn your living, face your financial problems. You cannot refuse it. It belongs to your life. But work is only function. There is only functioning. Don’t create a personal relation. This creates fatigue. There is, of course, such a thing as muscular fatigue, but generally what we call being tired is psychological. So go to the office, see the job to be done. See what it needs in order to be realized, but don’t establish a personal relationship with it. Then you are witness to your activities, they function, they are done; but you are not drowned, not implicated, not identified with them. In this dis-identification, you will find joy, because you will be outside all the activities. (13) When everyday work is done with mindfulness and right attitude it becomes a vehicle for spiritual transformation: A: Would you please comment on our daily work as part of practice? A: Work is the best part of Zen practice and training. No matter what the work is, it should be done with effort and total attention to what’s in front of our nose. If we are cleaning the oven, we should just totally do that and also be aware of any thoughts that interrupt the work. “I hate to clean the oven. With all my education I shouldn’t have to do this.” All those are extra thoughts that have nothing to do with cleaning the oven. If the mind drifts in any way, return it to the work. There is the actual task we are doing and then there are all the considerations we have about it. Work is just taking care of what needs to be done right now, but very few of us work that way. When we practice patiently, eventually work begins to flow. We just do whatever needs to be done. (14) Mastery and achievement in the world are said to be the outward expression of inner development. When properly performed, work is an expression of spiritual depth and wisdom. 5

“Where there is a real, significant inner content to anything, it is capable of a powerful contemporary and effective manifestation.” Work has a far deeper purpose than simply turning out a product or rendering a service useful to society. Rightly regarded, it is a vehicle for Self-realization. But if work is to serve that function, workers must train themselves not to evaluate their jobs as boring or enjoyable, for one can only make such judgments by “stepping back,” thus separating oneself from one’s work. They must also learn to relate to their jobs single-mindedly, with nothing held back – in other words, with no “thought gaps” between themselves and their work. Performed this way, work acts as a cleanser, flushing away random, irrelevant thoughts, which are as polluting to the mind as physical contaminants are to the body. Thus work becomes an expression of True-mind, creative and energizing. This Is the true nobility of labour. (15) The way in which work is performed can have a profound effect on everyone around us, reflecting the principle of the inter-relatedness of all life: In truth we are not separate from each other, or from the world, from the whole earth, the sun or moon or billions of stars, not separate from the entire universe. Listening silently in quiet wonderment, without knowing anything, there is just one mysterious palpitating aliveness. When our habitual ideas and feelings of separation begin to abate in silent questioning, listening, and understanding, then right livelihood is no longer a problem. Whatever we may be doing during the twenty-four hours a day, be it working for money or working for fun or service, whether cleaning or just sitting quietly – the doing now , in this moment of no separation, is the fulfilment, and it affects everyone and everything everywhere. Everyone and everything is inextricably inter-woven in this mysterious fabric called life. (16)

Attitude to M oney and Possessions

Authentic spiritual paths avoid the extremes of denying the value of things ‘of the world’ or promising an abundance of material and financial benefits. Money and possessions have their proper place in the scheme of things: “A person may legitimately enjoy the things of the world, provided that they have learnt humility in their application.” There are certain attitudes floating around concerning money and earning a living. By background, conditioning and other things, everyone has their own attitude towards money, its value and importance and so forth. Money is not by definition a dirty thing. It has its correct place in life. It is a fuel, like gasoline.

6

One works, one earns it, one uses it to dress oneself, to eat, to make oneself comfortable. It only becomes a dominating factor if it becomes the aim of life. (17) Fixation on money and material possessions can effectively act as a debilitating barrier to spiritual growth: Q: We often hear, “First I will make money and then I will retire and devote myself to truth-seeking.” A: This comes from the calculating mind. It is a statement from complete ignorance. There is nothing functional in this reasoning. It is only a postponing. The right moment does not come from the mind. When you feel the urge to leave the competitive world, the desire is very strong. You don’t, of course, avoid your family responsibilities, but you see them in a different way. The reasoning to make enough money to retire on is an escape from what belongs to the immediate moment. (18) Possessing money or material things or not is irrelevant. What matters is what effect they have on a person, how they are used, and whether they are a shackle. The attitude of the realized person toward money and the way it is used is a special one, and may be incomprehensible to those conditioned by the values of contemporary culture. “Money is looked upon by the Sufis as an active factor in the relationship between people, and between people and their environment. Since the ordinary perception of reality is short-sighted, it is not surprising that the normal human use of money is equally limited in perspective.” An individual’s inner realization and evolution may be outwardly reflected by attainments and successes in the material world, since there is a relationship between the physical realm and the metaphysical realm: “The material and the metaphysical are linked in a form best regarded as a continuum.” According to spiritual tradition, a person may gain monetary and material advantages from the Way if it is to the benefit of the Way, as well as the person. These gifts are given in accordance with the capacity to use them in the right way. Money may be used in charitable work and human service. It may be distributed, based on an inner perception of true need, to those who are deserving, thereby “entering the realm of truly important operations and releasing, in turn, something for the giver.” Q: Have you any remarks on the giving of charity among Sufis? A: One commanding principle of all Sufis, binding upon them, is secret charity. Charity takes many forms. As to monetary charity: If money is given with a sense of joy, that joy is ‘payment’ for the charity, and the good which comes to the giver is restricted to that emotion. Although this kind of giving is familiar to most people, it nevertheless remains the minor form of charity. The second part of the 7

minor form of charity is to give in order that the person may help themselves. Thus a person might buy a tool for a carpenter, so that he could earn his living. This may not be emotional, but could still be ‘calculated’ charity. Its limitations make it less than true charity. Money or valuables are given by Sufis, or those who desire to be counted among them, in accordance with the principle: “Let your left hand not know w hat your right hand does.” A Sufi will: Give before being asked; Give whatever he has, without counting it; Give when asked; Give no emotional or calculated charity unless he can give true charity. (19)

Integration Into the Everyday W orld

The process of self-development must take place within normal society, with no separation from the reality of everyday life. The Path can be followed by living an ordinary life in harmony and rhythm with the life-current of the community in which one is living. A dervish saying echoes this contention: ‘W hen it is t ime for st illness, st illness; in t he t ime of companionship, companionship; at t he place of effort , effort . And in t he t ime and place of anyt hing, anyt hing.’

It is fundamental that every Sufi must devote his life to some useful occupation. His aim being to become an ideal member of society, it naturally follows that he cannot cut himself off from the world. In the words of one authority: ‘Man is destined to live a social life. His part is to be with other people. In serving Sufism he is serving the Infinite, serving himself, and serving society. He cannot cut himself off from any one of these obligations and remain a Sufi. The only discipline worthwhile is that which is achieved in the midst of temptation. A man who, like the anchorite, abandons the world and cuts himself off from temptations and distractions cannot achieve power. For power is that which is won through being wrested from the midst of weakness and uncertainty. The ascetic living a wholly monastic life is deluding himself. (20) Living skilfully in the everyday world implies an ability to deal with negative situations and people. There is a proverb: ‘Among roses, be a rose, among t horns, be a t horn.’ Far too many people seem to equate metaphysical progress with withdrawal from the contamination of the world. You need not be contaminated by the world provided you adhere to certain basic values and beliefs. You can associate with the most terrible and depraved people and be exposed to all influences and not suffer. You have a place in your family and in society which you cannot escape in order to sit in a cave and meditate. You have responsibilities which you cannot slough off. (21)

8

With the proper understanding and attitude, the experiences of life can be used as a school for inner development. This was a prominent theme in Gurdjieff’s teachings: He constantly reminded us that we must do everything well, that we must always be ready to adapt ourselves to changing circumstances, to be resourceful, and to learn to be able always to turn a set-back or a disadvantage to our own use – to regard life as a gymnasium in which one could use conditions for the development of will, consciousness, and individuality, to learn to be not ordinary, but extraordinary. “The extraordinary man,” he said, “is just and indulgent to the weaknesses of others; and he depends on the resources of his own mind, which he has acquired by his own efforts.” (22) The conditions of the everyday world can provide a climate and the opportunities for learning how to ‘live in the present,’ to experience the feeling of concentration and total involvement in the moment. In the words of Gurdjieff: “When you do one thing,” he said once, “do it with the whole self. One t hing at a t ime. Now I sit here and I eat. For me nothing exists in the world except this food, this table. I eat with the whole attention. So you must do – in everything. When you write a letter, do not at the same time think what will be the cost of laundering that shirt; when you compute laundering costs, do not think about the letter you must write. Everything has its time. To be able to do one thing at a time . . . this is a property of Man, not man in quotation marks.” (23) When we approach life without preconceptions and with an attitude of openness, every moment is new and full of myriad possibilities: When you are free from end-gaining, free from striving, free from expectation, then you are open, open to all possible facts. Otherwise, you are only open to the past, and that means to repetition. When you are open to all the facts, there is no repetition. Every moment is new. Life is never repetitious. It is because of our way of looking and acting from the “I-concept” that there appears to be repetition. Because we superimpose old ideas on the situation, we are not open to the newness, open to the unknown. This openness with your surroundings is harmonious living. In openness there is love. (24)

Skilful and Effective Behaviour

The human being who is independent of desire for gain or fear of loss (the ‘carrot’ and the ‘stick’) has wider, freer choices of behaviour and action and can discharge functions in the

9

world that are beyond the ability of the ordinary person. The egoless person is capable of using their assets, resources and abilities in a far more effective way than the average person: You are born with a certain energy capital. You can augment this capital, it is true. You can organize, you can re-orchestrate your capital. You can administer it wisely or unwisely, but you are born with a certain capital and it is important that you come to know it and administer it well. But you can only become a good administrator when you are completely detached, when your ego is not involved. When you administrate with psychological distance, you use your capital in the right way – all your capital, your energy, your intelligence, your sensitivity, your money, and so on. (25) Many spiritual traditions stress the importance of acting skilfully in the world without attachment to the outcome: Do not be concerned with the fruit of your action – just give attention to the action itself. The fruit will come of its own accord. This is a powerful spiritual practice. In the Bhagavad Git a , one of the oldest and most beautiful spiritual teachings in existence, non-attachment to the fruit of your action is called Karma yoga. It is described as the path of “consecrated action.” When the compulsive striving away from the Now ceases, the joy of Being flows into everything you do. The moment your attention turns to the Now, you feel a presence, a stillness, a peace. You no longer depend on the future for fulfillment and satisfaction – you don’t look to it for salvation. Therefore, you are not attached to the results. Neither failure nor success has the power to change your inner state of Being. You have found the life beneath your life situation. (26) By not identifying with the various roles one is required to play in life, the realized individual is untouched by the uncertainty and unpredictability of life events. People who are free from psychological involvement in a situation are naturally effective and can act skilfully and more efficiently: When you are free of wasting energy on psychological reactions of like and dislike, criticism, comparison, anger, depression, etc., when there is no longer any psychological involvement, you will be awake to the moment, receptive to all that comes to you. Then you will come to an economy in your doing. Effort and expenditure of energy will be greatly reduced. You simply function, doing things that have to be done. You don’t take yourself for a doer. You are simply present and then there is joy in the doing, in all your living. It is a play, not a chore. (27) Rightly understood, surrender is not a fatalistic or passive acceptance of life but rather an attitude of openness and welcoming without the resistance of the personal ego: 10

Surrender is the simple but profound wisdom of yielding t o rather than opposing the flow of life. The only place where you can experience the flow of life is the Now, so to surrender is to accept the present moment unconditionally and without reservation. It is to relinquish inner resistance to what is. Inner resistance is to say “no” to what is, through mental judgment and emotional negativity. It becomes particularly pronounced when things “go wrong,” which means there is a gap between the demands or rigid expectations of your mind and what is. There is something within you that remains unaffected by the transient circumstances that make up your life situation, and only through surrender do you have access to it. It is your life, your very Being – which exists eternally in the timeless realm of the present. (28) Appropriate actions emerge from our innate holistic intelligence free from conditioning and personal choice. “All responses from the whole must be right, effortless and instantaneous. Thought, feeling and action must be one and simultaneous with the situation that calls for them.” Every situation has a solution. It is only the person, the mind, which finds no solution. It finds no solution which suits it. A fraction can never find a solution. The solution appears in your totality. It does not come from the discriminating mind, through analysis. Magically it appears out of intelligence which arises when you are open to all possibilities. Then you really act appropriately. You are not psychologically involved in the situation and all your capacities are freed to function. When you are not a doer you are a most efficient channel for doing, a channel for functioning. There is no actor, doer, thinker. There is only acting, doing, thinking. In this openness you find peace and joy in living. There is real relationship. There is love. (29) When action radiates from a centre of presence and awareness it is non-reactive, unpredictable and appropriate to the situation: In Taoism, there is a term called w u w ei, which is usually translated as “actionless activity” or “sitting quietly doing nothing.” In ancient China, this was regarded as one of the highest achievements or virtues. It is radically different from inactivity in the ordinary state of consciousness, which stems from fear, inertia, or indecision. The real “doing nothing” implies inner non-resistance and intense alertness. On the other hand, if action is required, you will no longer react from your conditioned mind, but you will respond to the situation out of your conscious presence. In that state, your mind is free of concepts, including the concept of nonviolence. So who can predict what you will do? (30) The behaviour of the enlightened individual may appear, at times, to be odd or unusual. This may be the result of ‘acting a part’ in order to teach a lesson, or because the primary, imme11

diate objective is more important than the secondary need for public approval or reputation. In some cases, skilful action based on foresight and knowledge of human behaviour may even be required to protect oneself from undesirable elements and situations: The realized person has to be protected in the world, to an extent, by his own awareness: ‘like the camel in the desert’ as the phrase has it, indicating adjustment to the environment. There is a tale connected with this in the ancient classic Laila and M ajnun of Nizami: There was once a king, who took as a boon companion a certain youth, and was most attached to him. Now the youth, in spite of all the protestations of the king, realized that he was not trustworthy. He used to go every day and feed the royal dogs, a pack of savage brutes. One day the king became enraged at the young man, and ordered him to be thrown to the dogs. But they, because they knew him so well, refused to do him any harm. (31) When the inner being is purified of egotistical motivations, functioning becomes free and spontaneous, guided by wisdom and intelligence. “Intimacy with the true mind opens up possibilities of perception, thought and feeling in new dimensions, more accurately and more comprehensive than ever before, more perfectly and completely than what is facilitated by rigidly held conventions and subjective proclivities.” What you do is of no importance whatsoever; what matters is the way in which you do it, your inner attitude. The role you play on the world’s stage has no meaning other than the clear-sightedness with which you play it. Don’t lose yourself in your performance – this only blurs the vision of your inner being. Disinterested action does not bind you but, on the contrary, leaves you entirely free. Live in the moment, simply be. Making a choice depends on memory and easily becomes slavery. Live as being and you will awaken to bliss. (32) Real capacity and the true expression of inner development may, at times, be hidden or even projected as the opposite, in order to be effective and avoid challenge and opposition. There is a saying: ‘In an upside-dow n w orld, t he genuine person must masquerade.’ It may be necessary to hide one’s level of inner development from the majority of people in order to fulfil a higher purpose: Gurdjieff insisted that it was necessary to live one’s life fully – within the framework of society – and that in order to do this and not be conspicuous, one had to subscribe, in public at least, to the prevailing social morality – in other words it was necessary to “act” out one’s role on the stage of life, but always to be able to differentiate between the outer “acting” man and the inner “real” man. He said that it was extremely difficult for anyone to do this properly, since the differentiation was often difficult to make – most people “acted” out their lives under the impression that they were living, when they were in fact, only reacting to life as it happened to them. It was necessary to “hide one’s light” from the 12

ignorant and uninitiated as they would only, quite automatically, attempt to destroy such “light” or “knowledge.” However, it was equally important not to hide that same knowledge or “light” from oneself or from others who were working seriously and honestly towards the same goals of self-development and proper growth. (33)

Hidden or Invisible Spirituality

The anonymous nature of much spiritual work is based on the fact that real knowledge and enlightened action are undermined by prominence and fame. The contribution to human wellbeing of true altruistic activity is often unknown and unsuspected by the vast majority of humanity. There is a saying: ‘Not t he person, not t he means, but t he work.’ A person may have a real spiritual experience without necessarily showing any manifestation of spirituality: A person can have a spiritual experience by putting themselves in tune with something by harmonizing with a place, a circumstance, or with what they are doing, and thus have a spiritual experience which can pass almost without conventional notice. You don’t have a blank sheet which leaves a thumbprint every time you have a spiritual experience. By definition, spiritual experiences are of a personal nature. It doesn’t affect everybody the same way. (34) Those who appear normal and speak and act in an ordinary fashion are most likely to have been the recipients of real higher experiences. The awakened mind is perfectly natural and grounded in simplicity. Zen master Rinzai: “When hungry I eat; when tired I sleep. Fools laugh at me, but the wise understand.” A simple mind is not mysterious. In a simple mind, awareness just is. It’s open, transparent. There’s nothing complicated about it. For most of us most of the time, however, it is largely unavailable. But the more we have contact with a simple mind, the more we sense that everything is ourselves, and the more we feel responsibility for everything. When we sense our connectedness, we have to act differently. (35) Enlightened beings often appear to be very ordinary as they move within the fabric of life quietly helping others as needed: Dr. Albert Schweitzer gave up fame as a musician to become a doctor in a small African village that was rife with disease. Without fear, he worked for many years among sick people, saving many lives without falling ill himself. Similarly, an enlightened person can mingle at all levels of society, able to help 13

them without being influenced by them. There is a Chinese proverb: “If you find yourself on a pirate ship, it is best to become a pirate.” The way of enlightened people is somewhat like this. Finding themselves on a pirate ship, they will become like pirates and gain their trust. Eventually they will turn those pirates into good people . . . Enlightened people are very ordinary and will adapt to other people’s situations, mingling freely without hindrance. Through their way of being they gain other people’s trust and are thus able to help them by touching their hearts. (36) According to some traditional spiritual teachings there are ‘invisible saints’ on earth who possess an innate goodness and love of humanity and who quietly spread happiness and joy to others: A very remarkable doctrine is that of unrecognized saints. There are always on earth persons who are, so to speak, saints without knowing it. These are they who are born with a natural goodness, which lifts them without effort to a point that most labor to reach in vain – loyal, gentle, unselfish souls, endowed with a natural intuition of good and a natural inclination to pursue it, the stay and comfort of those who enjoy the blessing of their society, and, when they have passed away, perhaps canonized in the hearts of one or two who loved them. Spontaneous goodness of this sort is not to be submitted to rules or forms; the inward inclination, not the outer ordinances, is the source of their goodness. ‘Against such there is no law.’ They have a standard of thought and character of their own, quite independent of the praise or blame of ‘men of externals.’ (37) Self-realized beings may emanate blessings and healing energies to the world in a manner completely unknown to others: Once you reach your destination and know your real nature, your existence becomes a blessing to all. You may not know, nor will the world know, yet the help radiates. There are people in the world who do more good than all the statesmen and philanthropists put together. They radiate light and peace with no intention or knowledge. When others tell them about the miracles they worked, they are wonderstruck. Yet, taking nothing as their own, they are neither proud nor do they crave for reputation. (38) Many of the greatest spiritual figures are anonymous and may be imperceptible to the ordinary person. Their spiritual activity in the service of humankind is private rather than public, partly because they do not wish to draw attention to themselves. Most enlightened spiritual teachers appear perfectly ordinary and normal without any display of external spirituality or religiosity: “The Zen master is a most ordinary man with no mysteries, with no miracles about him; he is not distinguishable from a man in the street. He talks conventionally, acts like a sensible man, and eats and drinks like ordinary human beings.” 14

Those truly enlightened do not boast of their enlightenment. Just as a truly generous person doesn’t say, “I am a generous person, you know,” so one who has integrated into life what he or she has realized in awakening will not wear enlightenment as a badge and shield. The fully awakened are modest and selfeffacing. While they do not hide their light under a bushel basket, as the saying goes, all the same time they are not pushy or aggressively self-assertive. They know that in truth there’s nowhere to go; they are already there. (39) Truly wise people are often unknown since they teach and influence others in a manner which is not generally recognized as teaching by most people. The benefit of a realized teaching master to the world and to his or her students may not be readily apparent: What the master is doing for the world and for its people, great and small, is often not seen by the observer. A teacher uses his powers to teach, to heal, to make man happy and so on according to the best reasons for using the powers. If he shows you no miracles, this does not mean that he is not doing them. If he declines to benefit you in the way you wish, it is not because he cannot. He benefits you in accordance with your merit, not in response to a demand by you. He has a higher duty; this is what he is fulfilling. Many among you have had your lives transformed, have been rescued from perils, have been given chances – none of which you have recognized as benefits. But you have had these benefits just the same. (40)

Higher Understanding of Life

It is possible to attain a more comprehensive and extra-dimensional understanding of life and the meaning of existence. “There is far more objective knowledge and reality than usually imagined. It is when the knowledge has been gained that the problems and purport of human life are understood.” There is a deeper truth, and a wider dimension, in which man already partly lives, though he is ordinarily indifferent to it. There is the hope that he can become as aware of it as he is of the familiar world. The self-realization of this dimension enables a man or woman to attain heights of achievement in the easily-perceptible world and in other areas; and prevents him from becoming the tool of a mere conditioned existence, with all its anxieties and ultimate meaninglessness. Man tends to be unhappy not because of what he knows, but because of what he does not know. (41) By understanding successive layers of reality, an objective knowledge of the world and the relative value of things is gained that puts everything into perspective. There is an adage: ‘Experience w it hout underst anding is w at er w it hout w et ness.’ 15

The Sufi has an extra dimension of being, which operates parallel to the lesser cognition of the ordinary man. Mulla Nasrudin sums this up neatly in another saying: “I can see in the dark.” “That may be so, Mulla. But if it is true, why do you sometimes carry a candle at night?” “To prevent other people from bumping into me.” The light carried by the Sufi may be his conforming with the ways of the people among whom he is cast, after his ‘return’ from being transmuted into a wider perception. (42) When one is able to perceive an underlying pattern and meaning in life, it becomes possible to consciously participate in the creative unfolding of a higher spiritual impulse and energy: Behind the sometimes seemingly random or even chaotic succession of events in our lives as well as in the world lies concealed the unfolding of a higher order and purpose. This is beautifully expressed in the Zen saying: “The snow falls, each flake in its appropriate place.” We can never understand this higher order through thinking about it because whatever we think about is content; whereas, the higher order emanates from the formless realm of consciousness, from universal intelligence. But we can glimpse it, and more than that, align ourselves with it, which means be conscious participants in the unfolding of that higher purpose. (43) When we harmonize with life we can learn from anything and everything. “By letting go our fascination with the extraordinary and spectacular, we can allow ourselves to recognize the simple wonder that lies within the ordinary. For life has its own purpose and doesn’t need a reason to be. That is its beauty.” There is no static point in life. Life is infinite motion. Life is eternal dynamism; and to live is to be free to move with the movement of life spontaneously without any inhibition, without any fear. So, one cannot get stuck in destinations, in arrivals, in protections, in guidance . . . You learn from life at large, from birds, from trees, from plants, from children, from every individual and especially from those who have had the courage to transcend the frontiers of this limited human brain, who are living in a state of consciousness where there is no center and no periphery. They emanate peace, love and joy. (44) The difference between an ordinary person and one who has awakened to their true nature is one of perspective and the depth of understanding of Reality. An ancient proverb encapsulates this truth: ‘The w orld is a fashioning inst rum ent w hich polishes mankind .’ Q: Does not the realized man continue to live just like a non-realized being?

16

A: Yes, with this difference: that the realized being does not see the world as being apart from the Self; he possesses true knowledge and the internal happiness of being perfect, whereas the other person sees the world apart, feels imperfections and is miserable. Otherwise their physical actions are similar. Q: You say that in our real being we are all equal. How is it that your experience is so different from ours? A: My actual experience is not different. It is my evaluation and attitude that differ. I see the same world as you do, but not the same way. There is nothing mysterious about it. Everybody sees the world through the idea he has of himself. As you think yourself to be, so you think the world to be. If you imagine yourself as separate from the world, the world will appear as separate from you and you will experience desire and fear. I do not see the world as separate from me and so there is nothing for me to desire, or fear. (45) The realized human being, having transcended all identification with culturally and subjectively conditioned personality, abides in their original essential nature. “When we realize that we have no ego, then we are open to the dimension of the cosmos; we can receive its energy and we can create. Open your hands and you will receive everything, even material things. Don’t be afraid.” If you seek reality you must set yourself free of all backgrounds, of all cultures, of all patterns of thinking and feeling. Even the idea of being a man or woman, or even human should be disregarded. The ocean of life contains all, not only humans. So, first of all abandon all self-identification, stop thinking of yourself as such-and-such, so-and-so, this or that. Abandon all self-concern, worry not about your welfare, material or spiritual, abandon every desire, gross or subtle, stop thinking of achievement of any kind. You are complete here and now, you need absolutely nothing. Live in tune with things as they are and not as they are imagined. (46) The true spiritual nature of existence is perceived when it is no longer viewed through the conceptual filter of thought. “Your consciousness is raised to a higher dimension, from which you see everything much clearer and with greater intensity.” The awakened man lives in the world of things like everyone else. When he sees a rose he knows that it is a rose, like everyone else. But the difference is that he is neither conditioned nor imprisoned by concepts. Concepts now become marvellous “skillful means” in his possession. The awakened man looks, listens, and distinguishes things, all the while being perfectly aware of the presence that is the perfect and non-discriminative nature of everything. He sees things perfectly in their interdependent relational nature. (47)

17

The enlightened person is attuned to the purpose of life and to the whole of existence, and understands and participates in the higher evolution of humanity. A parable aptly conveys the meaning of a higher design or plan for the world that is unseen by the normal human being but is revealed in states of higher consciousness and understanding: Imagine a garden which has been made ready for flowers and vegetables. This garden just didn’t happen. It was designed, and it is subject to certain laws. All that grows, and all that happens there, stems from this design. Everything must be in conformity with the laws inherent in the design. From time to time there are interventions by the gardener because something has begun to grow not as it should or where it shouldn’t. The many forms of life in this garden are its inhabitants. Now imagine from their perspective what kind of opinions and beliefs they will hold about what the garden is for, how the various parts of it relate, what it is all about. Will they understand why the garden is there, or how all its systems work? Or even dismiss the idea of a design because it does not suit what they imagine to be their individual needs? Of all the difficulties in our terrestrial garden, the greatest is trying to make sense for its people, of many things which are not in line with their desires. Unless you speak to them in their own language, they will not accept what you say. But, in their language, many facts about the garden would be disconcerting, because their language is much rooted in selfish attitudes or lack of a certain kind of experience. (48) An enlarged understanding gives a panoramic view of life, leading to an understanding of both the physical world and its relationship with Ultimate Reality. There is an ability to see the cause-and-effect relationship between people, things and events which appear separate: The understanding of true meanings behind inexplicable worldly happenings is another consequence of higher development. Rumi illustrates the experiencing of this special dimension in life which veils the complete workings of actuality, giving us an unsatisfactory view of the whole. Two beggars, he said, came to the door of a house. One was immediately satisfied, and given a piece of bread. He went away. The second was kept waiting for his morsel. Why? The first beggar was not greatly liked; he was given stale bread. The second was made to wait until a fresh loaf was baked for him. This story illustrates a theme which recurs frequently in spiritual teachings – that there is often one element in a happening which we do not know. Yet we base our opinions upon material which is incomplete. “You belong,” sings Rumi in one verse, “to the world of dimension. But you come from non-dimension. Close the first ‘shop,’ open the second.” (49) One of the consequences of spiritual enlightenment is that life is seen in a new and comprehensive form. “The most ordinary things in our daily life hide some deep meaning that is yet most plain and explicit; only your eyes need to see where there is meaning.”

18

There is a hidden trend in events which alone would enable one to make full use of life. Those who can see this trend are termed the Wise. The contention is that certain human beings can actually ‘sensitize’ themselves for the perception of this hidden trend. (50) An enlightened person is aware of a spiritual energy that transcends the apparent world of time and space, body and mind. “A self-realized being cannot help benefiting the world. His very existence is the highest good.” As our spiritual knowledge grows, our identification with the individual bodymind diminishes, and our consciousness expands into universal consciousness. The life force continues to act, but its thoughts and actions are no longer limited to an individual. They become the total manifestation. It is like the action of the wind – the wind doesn’t blow for any particular individual, but for the total manifestation. (51) Underlying the world of form and sense impressions is the fundamental basis of Reality – Awareness, Consciousness, Being. “It is wrong to imagine that there is the world, that there is a body in it and that you dwell in the body. If the Truth is known, the universe and what is beyond it will be found to be only in the Self.” Pure awareness is the essence of what we truly are. We are not the different states and feelings, moods and tempers, succeeding one another. All of this comes and goes lightly, cloudlike, without leaving a trace, when thought doesn’t identify with any of it. One is not being t his or t hat – that’s something extra, added on by thought. One is not becoming entangled in the extras. There is just experiencing the pureness of being. Awake. Heart beating, voice sounding, leg aching, breathing in, out, in, out, body moving gently with the breathing. It’s all here. Directly, immediately here. One is not separate from awareness. Nothing is separate. Awareness is all. (52) When the impermanent nature of phenomenal existence is realized, the fear of death vanishes: The enlightened know the true nature of existence, that everything is impermanent, never the same from one moment to the next, that things are constantly arising and disappearing according to causes and conditions. The fully awakened know that life and death are like the waves of the ocean, waxing and waning, and that underlying all phenomenal existence is That Which Never Dies because it was never born. Thus they have no anxiety about death, their own or others. (53)

19

Higher Qualities and Virtues

The realized person is characterized by the presence of positive, virtuous qualities such as honesty, generosity, loyalty, honour, charity, patience, compassion and by the absence of such negative qualities as envy, greed, enmity and intellectual pride: Q: In what ways is an enlightened person different from one who isn’t? A: One who has thoroughly mastered Zen is totally involved in whatever he or she does. Such a one is, in the words of the Zen master Dogen, ‘not bound nor does he bind,’ a statement often misunderstood. That doesn’t mean that an enlightened person simply acts as he or she pleases, indifferent to the consequences of those actions on others. Nor does he or she deliberately flout conventional laws in the name of freedom. Rather by identifying with them completely, such a person transcends them and thus is no longer obstructed by them. Although they may ignore conventionality, the awakened do not flaunt their behavior. Neither do they put people into a bind by imposing shoulds and oughts on them. Their lives are simple and unpretentious. They are full of gratitude and compassion. (54) Those who have attained a state of enlightenment are beyond preferences, desires, likes and dislikes. They are able to view the world impartially and objectively. It was in this spirit that Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, the great Indian master, answered a question from a follower: Q: You seem to be so very indifferent to everything! A: I am not indifferent. I am impartial. I give no preference to the me and the mine. A basket of earth and a basket of jewels are both unwanted. Life and death are all the same to me. Q: Impartiality makes you indifferent. A: On the contrary, compassion and love are my very core. Void of all predilections, I am free to love. (55) The outward behaviour of a realized being follows no recognizable pattern since it is based on a spontaneous response to the needs of the moment. “Freedom lies in being free to fulfil the need of the moment, to obey the necessity of the situation. Freedom to do what one likes is really bondage, while being free to do what one must, what is right, is real freedom.” One who has reached full maturity, who knows himself in consciousness will not necessarily conform with social convention. Such a one will act at the right moment as the situation dictates, without anybody being hindered in any way. 20

If your acts are dictated by your desires, you have no freedom whatsoever. On the other hand, if you do what the situation calls for, you do what is right and you and your surroundings are free. (56) One of the hallmarks of real spiritual development is freedom from attachment to pleasure or worldly things. The ability to detach from life, to be calm and balanced, allows a fuller and deeper understanding of reality. This is echoed in the saying, ‘He is able t o sw im in t he middle of t he ocean w it hout w et t ing his garment s.’ Following enlightenment there is a dramatic shift in one’s relationships with other people as there is a recognition of the inherent goodness of humanity underlying our general collective dysfunction, conditioned behaviour and negativity: Our true self is nothing other than this spontaneous goodness, this vastly compassionate nature that always wants to help all beings. We carry it around with us all the time. My self and all beings are not different and never separate. We all have the same substance: since I certainly don’t like to suffer, I also don’t want others to suffer. If you completely realize this point, you can see why goodness is realized in companionship, because it is mainly through our actions with other beings that we realize this goodness that we already have inside us, all the time. Other people become a mirror of our actions. (57) Humility and freedom from the self-centered ego is an important quality of enlightenment. There is an adage which speaks to this: ‘Great men are great unt il t hey know it . Saint s are holy unt il t hey know it .’ Q: Does a realized person ever think ‘I am realized’? Is he not astonished when people make much of him? Does he not take himself to be an ordinary human being? A: Neither ordinary nor extraordinary. Just being aware and affectionate – intensely. He looks at himself without indulging in self-definitions and selfidentifications. He does not know himself as anything apart from the world. He is the world. He is completely rid of himself, like a man who is very rich, but continually gives away his riches. He is not rich, for he has nothing; he is not poor, for he gives abundantly. He is just property-less. Similarly, the realized man is egoless; he has lost the capacity of identifying himself with anything. He is without location, placeless, beyond space and time, beyond the world. (58) Respect and love for all creation is a natural consequence of spiritual awakening, as all things are seen in their essential interdependence within the Whole:

21

The aware person sees the indivisibility of existence, the deep complexity and interrelationship of all life, and this creates in them a deep respect for the absolute value of things. It is out of this respect for the worth of every single object, animate as well as inanimate, that comes the desire to see things used properly, and not to be heedless or wasteful or destructive. (59) One of the enduring attributes of self-realization is an immense gratitude for the very fact of existence, for the reality of simply being alive. Everything is seen to be perfect, just the way it is. Earth turned out to be the heaven I was longing for. There’s such abundance here, now, always . . . I could go on and on celebrating the world I live in. It would take a lifetime to describe this moment, this now. The wonderful thing about knowing who you are is that you’re always in a state of grace, a state of gratitude for the abundance of the apparent world. I overflow with the splendor, the generosity of it all. And I didn’t do anything for it but notice. The litmus test for self-realization is a constant state of gratitude. This gratitude is not something that you can look for or find. It comes from another direction, and it takes you over completely. It’s so vast that it can’t be dimmed or overlaid. When you live your life from that place of gratitude, you’ve come home. (60)

Altruism and Human Service

It is the duty of the mature human being to serve humanity, to act as a ‘yeast’ or positive influence on the human community, and to be the greatest possible value to others. One of the forms of service is the preservation and dissemination of spiritual knowledge into human communities based on need and capacity to benefit. In this sense, the acquisition of higher knowledge is determined by its value to the human race and in accordance with the perception of an overarching cosmic design. Spirituality can be projected through ordinary activities in the world, by working with people and sharing attitudes and experiences. “Those who have developed certain inner qualities have a far greater effect upon society than those who try to act on moral principles alone.” The humanitarian activities of realized human beings cover a wide and varied range, from alleviating social ills, aiding recovery from natural disasters, helping victims of oppression, teaching people to make the most of their endowment and possibilities, to medical, scientific, religious and educational work. One of the guiding principles in humanitarian work is to cooperate not so much with official bodies and institutions, but with decent human beings. “We work with whatever constructive desirable tendency there is, wherever it may be found.”

22

Human service is best accomplished “behind the scenes” without seeking acknowledgment or recognition. Much of this effort is done quietly and anonymously since ‘identification excites opposition.’ An historical example of such silent altruism is the work of the Brethren of Sincerity nearly 1000 years ago in the Middle East: The Brethren were a society of savants who prepared recensions of available knowledge and published them anonymously, in the cause of education, none desirous of increasing his own repute through this dedication. Because they were a secret society, little was known about them. A wise man was asked about the Brethren of Sincerity, and replied that “even the least among them honours the wishes of his companions above his own.” As the wise say: ‘A man engrossed in himself is neit her brot her nor kinsman.’ (61) In the Buddhist tradition Bodhisat t vas are those who through their self-mastery, wisdom and compassion, selflessly serve other human beings and dedicate themselves to helping others attain spiritual realization: Bodhisattvas are individuals who exhibit an unusually strong and instinctive tendency to relinquish their own apparent gain and self-interest in order to help others, even if it requires a great deal of effort or abandonment of their own personal agenda. Sometimes they act with exceptional generosity. Other times they demonstrate great patience, profound wisdom, or unimpeachable moral character and ethical integrity. Sometimes it can be just a little unexpected kindness, a helpful word, or a smile that expresses the hidden Bodhisattva deep within, coming at precisely the right time and place when one is truly in need of a boost. In every case, they inspire us by the extent to which they apply these qualities for the benefit of others rather than themselves . . . These individuals radiate a sense of peace, joy, fulfillment, and naturalness in accomplishing the good things they do. Whatever their external appearance or life situation may be, they seem more deeply in touch with, and empowered by, universal values than their more self-oriented peers are. Doing the right thing is the only reward they need. (62) True giving and service is egoless and devoid of all subjective motives for helping others: Q: Can we come to freedom and peace through helping others as Christianity teaches? A: You are not the doer of your acts, you are the awareness from which all action stems. In relationships between personalities, between objects, there is only looking for security, there’s only asking. Even so-called giving is with a view to getting. Pure giving is your true nature, it is love. When the occasion asks you for help you will spontaneously help, and the help coming from wholeness, from love, will be highly effective. But when you are a professional helper 23

acting on an idea you have of yourself or the world your help will always remain fractional. (63) There is a finer conception of service beyond fear and punishment, desire for reward or temporary pleasure. True service is a voluntary task, not imposed, and based on freedom and choice in both the external and interior sense: If you give charity and know that the person to whom you give knows, you risk his feeling obligated to you. It is bad enough, surely, to be in the position of giving at all, and realize that you may merely be giving because it makes you feel happy. You are being rewarded for your action, instead of helping others without any reward. I call public giving, or even giving which is recorded anywhere, as a shameful and degenerate thing. Giving makes a man to be called “good.” No man is “good” in that sense. If you want to be good, first find out whether you can be good without emotion. Then find out if you can be good without others knowing that you are good. If people think you are good, they are judging, you are making them judge you. This in itself is wrong. (64) In order to truly alleviate suffering in the world a certain degree of understanding and wisdom is required. A person will then act or not act according to the essential requirements of the situation, and not for emotional or intellectual reasons: Q: How can I find peace when the world suffers? A: The world suffers for very valid reasons. If you want to help the world, you must be beyond the need of help. Then all your doing as well as not doing will help the world most effectively. Q: How can non-action be of use where action is needed? A: Where action is needed, action happens. Man is not the actor. He is to be aware of what is going on. His very presence is action. Be empty of all mental content, of all imagination and effort, and the very absence of obstacles will cause reality to rush in. If you are emotionally committed to helping, you will fail to help. You may be very busy and be very pleased with your charitable nature, but not much will be done. A man is really helped when he is no longer in need of help. All else is just futility. Q: There is not enough time to sit and wait for help to happen. One must do something. A: By all means – do. But what you can do is limited: the Self alone is unlimited. Give limitlessly – of yourself. To help is your very nature. You are pure giving, beginning-less, endless, inexhaustible. When you see sorrow and suffering, be 24

with it. Do not rush into activity. Neither learning nor action can really help. Be with sorrow and lay bare its roots – helping to understand is real help. (65) The attainment of enlightenment or self-realization is a gift of inestimable value to humanity and the world. “It is inherent in the realization of one’s real nature to become completely integrated in human society and help for the love of helping without the slightest intention to help. Simply one’s presence is help.” The effect of one person’s enlightenment on the collective world psyche is immeasurable. On the level of the unseen it unleashes a veritable stream of light and clarity into the darkness of others’ minds. On the level of the seen, the power of a disciplined, purified, and awakened mind to affect and transform others is immense. And just as lighting even a few candles in a huge, pitch-black cave lessens the darkness to some degree, hundreds of thousands of persons meditating egolessly would obviously create a tremendous force for peace and harmony in the world. (66) It is traditionally believed that many sages act like a ‘calming wind’ and exert a hidden and beneficial influence upon the whole of humanity from wherever they are. Such an influence may be totally unperceived and unsuspected by the vast majority of humanity. The stage of human service and concern for others is only a step and not the end point of human spiritual development. “To regard human well-being, though essential, as the highest possible, the sublime achievement of humanity, is to limit oneself so much that it is, effectively, a pessimistic and unacceptably limited stance. Again, the desire for human well-being is the minimum, not the maximum, duty of humanity.” Ultimately, in the enlightened state, there are no perceived “others” to help as all existence is seen as one indivisible whole: Q: Does my Realization help others? A: Yes, it is the best help that you can possibly render to others. Those who have discovered great truths have done so in the still depths of the Self. But really there are no “others” to be helped. For the realized being sees only the Self, just as the goldsmith sees only the gold when valuing it in various jewels made of gold. When you identify yourself with the body, name and form are there. But when you transcend the body-consciousness, the “others” also disappear. The realized One does not see the world as different from himself. (67)

25

Love and Compassion

Love has many different levels, forms and depths of intensity. “The expressions of love can take many forms and these are never exhausted. The expressions of love are constantly new, they never come to an end.” Love is the evolutionary principle of all existence, creating and sustaining life. The spirit of compassion and loving-kindness is the essence of spirituality and wisdom. Enlightenment and love are inseparable and develop simultaneously in the realized human being. “Within mankind there is an element, activated by love, which provides the means of attaining to true reality and mystical meaning.” Love is the factor which is to carry a man, and all humanity, to fulfilment. In the words of Rumi: ‘Mankind has an unfulfillment, a desire, and he struggles to fulfil it through all kinds of enterprises and ambitions. But it is only in love that he can find fulfilment.’ But love is itself a serious matter; it is something which keeps pace with enlightenment. Both increase together. (68) Universal love is the deepest form of love and is “a natural outpouring towards all creatures, great or small, and is fuelled by direct awareness of the indivisibility of all life.” Wherever there is life – beginning with plants (for they too have life), animals, in a word whatever life exists, there is love. Each life is a representative of God. Whoever can see the representative will see Him who is represented. Every life is sensitive to love. Even inanimate things such as flowers, which have no consciousness, understand whether you love them or not. Even unconscious life reacts in a corresponding way to each man, and responds to him according to his reactions. (69) Love recognizes the inter-relatedness of all things and embraces all life forms without distinction. With the perception of the unity of life, differences and distinctions disappear and love emerges as the underlying essence of Reality: Without love one cannot see the infinitely expanding network of relationships which is reality. Love trusts, is always affirmative and all-embracing. Love is life and therefore creative. Everything it touches is enlivened and energized for new growth. When you love an animal, it grows more intelligent; when you love a plant you see into its every need. Love is never blind; it is the reservoir of infinite light. (70) Universal love is realized by relinquishing one’s ordinary self and embracing all life without judgement, attachment or the expectation of something in return. “When you love the Self and nothing else, you go beyond the selfish and the unselfish. All distinctions lose their meaning. 26

Love of one and love of all merge together in love, pure and simple, addressed to none, denied to none.” And in the words of Rumi: “Love is the remedy of our pride and self-conceit, the physician of all our infirmities. Only he whose garment is rent by love becomes entirely unselfish.” Self-realization removes the imaginary barrier of separation from others and allows love and compassion to flow from its inexhaustible source of Pure Being. The ability to love others and the world unconditionally begins with loving oneself. “When you know beyond all doubting that the same life flows through all that is and you are that life, you will love all naturally and spontaneously. When you realize the depth and fullness of your love of yourself, you know that every living being and the entire universe are included in your affection.” The relationship becomes possible only when there is an awareness of Being. Coming from Being, you will perceive another person’s body and mind just as a screen, as it were, behind which you can feel their true reality, as you feel yours. So, when confronted with someone else’s suffering or unconscious behaviour, you stay present and in touch with Being and thus are able to look beyond the form and feel the other person’s radiant and pure Being through your own. At the level of Being, all suffering is recognized as an illusion. Suffering is due to identification with form. Miracles of healing sometimes occur through the realization, by awakening Being-consciousness in others – if they are ready. (71) In order to experience and express universal love, the lower forms of love must be understood and ultimately transcended: Q: Why is there so much suffering in love? A: All suffering is born of desire. True love is never frustrated. How can the sense of unity be frustrated? What can be frustrated is the desire for expression. Q: What is the place of sex in love? A: Love is a state of being. Sex is energy. Love is wise, sex is blind. Once the true nature of love and sex is understood there will be no conflict or confusion. Love is not selective, desire is selective. In love there are no strangers. When the center of selfishness is no longer, all desire for pleasure and fear of pain ceases; one is no longer interested in being happy; beyond happiness there is pure intensity, inexhaustible energy, the ecstasy of giving from a perennial source. (72)

27

References

(1) Jean Klein Be W ho You Are (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1989), pp. 32-33. (2) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj The Ult imat e M edicine (San Diego: Blue Dove Press, 1995), p. 165. (3) Giovanna de Garayalde Jorge Luis Borges: Sources and Illuminat ion (London: Octagon Press, 1978), p. 17. (4) Ramana Maharshi Talks w it h Sri Ramana M aharshi (Tiruvannamalai, India: Sri Ramamasramam, 1984), p. 15. (5) Idries Shah Neglect ed Aspect s of Sufi St udy (London: Octagon Press, 1989), pp. 67-68. (6) Idries Shah Know ing How t o Know (London: Octagon Press, 1998), p. 137. (7) Nina Epton M agic and M yst ics of Java (London: Octagon Press, 1974), p. 193. (8) Idries Shah The Commanding Self (London: Octagon Press, 1994), pp. 34-35 (9) Idries Shah Know ing How t o Know (London: Octagon Press), pp. 171-172. (10) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj The Nect ar of t he Lord’s Feet (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1987), p. 9. (11) David Godman (ed.) Be As You Are (London: Arkana, 1985), pp. 59-60. (12) Philip Kapleau Aw akening t o Zen (New York: Scribner, 1997), pp. 28-29. (13) Jean Klein Transmission of t he Flame (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publications, 1990), p. 244. (14) Charlotte Beck Everyday Zen (San Francisco: Harper, 1989), pp. 7-8. (15) Philip Kapleau Zen Daw n in t he W est (New York: Anchor Press, 1979), p. 12. (16) Toni Packer The Light of Discovery (Rutland, Vermont: Charles E. Tuttle, 1999), p. 119. (17) Omar Ali-Shah The Course of t he Seeker (Reno: Tractus Books, 1996), p. 293. (18) Jean Klein Transmission of t he Flame (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publications, 1990), p. xv. (19) Idries Shah Learning How t o Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p.245. (20) Idries Shah Orient al M agic (New York: Arkana, 1993), p. 60. (21) Rafael Lefort The Teachers of Gurdjieff (London: Victor Gollancz, 1966), pp. 95-96. (22) C.S. Nott Teachings of Gurdjieff: Journal of a Pupil (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1962), p. 117. (23) Kathryn Hulme Undiscovered Count ry: In Search of Gurdjieff (Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1966), p. 91. (24) Jean Klein Open t o t he Unknown (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publications, 1992), p. 87. (25) Jean Klein Living Trut h (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publications, 1995), p. 22. (26) Eckhart Tolle The Pow er of Now (Vancouver: Namaste Publications, 1997), pp. 57-58. (27) Jean Klein The Ease of Being (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1986), p. 98. (28) Eckhart Tolle The Pow er of Now (Vancouver: Namaste Publications, 1997), pp. 173-175. (29) Jean Klein The Ease of Being (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1986), p. 87. (30) Eckhart Tolle The Pow er of Now (Vancouver: Namaste Publications, 1997), pp. 181-182. (31) Idries Shah Seeker Aft er Trut h (London: Octagon Press, 1985), p. 32. (32) Jean Klein I Am (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publications, 1989), pp. 10-11. 28

(33) Fritz Peters Gurdjieff Remembered (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1971), pp. 68-69. (34) Omar Ali-Shah The Course of t he Seeker (Reno: Tractus Books, 1996), pp. 184-185. (35) Charlotte Beck Not hing Special: Living Zen (San Francisco: Harper, 1993), p. 256. (36) Sheng Yen The M et hod of No M et hod (Boston: Shambhala, 2008), p. 89. (37) Idries Shah The Sufis (New York: Anchor Books, 1971), p. 427. (38) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 385. (39) Philip Kapleau Aw akening t o Zen (New York: Scribner, 1997), p. 173. (40) Idries Shah The W ay of t he Sufi (New York: Penguin Books, 1982), pp. 287-288. (41) Idries Shah Learning How t o Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p.292. (42) Idries Shah The Sufis (New York: Anchor Books, 1971), pp. 81-82. (43) Eckhart Tolle A New Eart h (New York: Dutton, 2005), p. 194. (44) Vimala Thakar Tot alit y in Essence (Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1986), p. 47. (45) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 123. (46) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 316. (47) Thich Nhat Hanh Zen Keys (New York: Anchor Books, 1974), p. 88. (48) H.B.M. Dervish Journeys w it h a Sufi M ast er (London: Octagon Press, 1982), pp. 91-92. (49) Idries Shah The Sufis (New York: Anchor Books, 1971), pp. 143-144. (50) Idries Shah Tales of t he Dervishes (London: Octagon Press, 1984), pp. 61-62. (51) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj Consciousness and t he Absolut e (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1984), p. 9. (52) Toni Packer The Light of Discovery (Boston: Charles E. Tuttle, 1995), p. 61. (53) Philip Kapleau Aw akening t o Zen (New York: Scribner, 1997), p. 174. (54) Philip Kapleau Aw akening t o Zen (New York: Scribner, 1997), p. 173. (55) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 185. (56) Jean Klein I Am (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publications, 1989), p. 43. (57) Seung Sahn The Compass of Zen (Boston: Shambhala, 1997), p. 38 (58) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 101. (59) Thich Nhat Hanh Zen Keys (New York: Anchor Books, 1974), pp. 4-5. (60) Byron Katie A Thousand Names for Joy (New York: Three Rivers Press, 2007), pp. 26-27. (61) Idries Shah The Sufis (New York: Anchor Books, 1971), pp. 114-115. (62) Lama Surya Das Buddha Is As Buddha Does (New York: HarperCollins, 2008), pp. 2-3. (63) Jean Klein I Am (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publications, 1989), p. 28. (64) O.M. Burke Among t he Dervishes (London: Octagon Press, 1984), p. 151. (65) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 260. (66) Philip Kapleau Zen Daw n in t he W est (New York: Anchor Press, 1979), p. 222. (67) Ramana Maharshi The Spirit ual Teachings of Ramana M aharshi (Boston: Shambhala, 1988), pp. 63-64. (68) Idries Shah The Sufis (New York: Anchor Books, 1971), p. 137. (69) G.I. Gurdjieff View s From t he Real W orld: Early Talks of Gurdjieff (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1973), p. 194. (70) D.T. Suzuki The Aw akening of Zen (Boston: Shambhala, 1987), p. 70. (71) Eckhart Tolle The Pow er of Now (Vancouver: Namaste Publications, 1997), pp. 164-165. (72) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 111.

29

HUM AN COM PLETION AND FULFILLM ENT ‘W hen you do meet yourself, you come int o a permanent endow ment and bequest of know ledge t hat is like no ot her experience on earth.’ Tariqavi

‘In the W orld, But Not Of the W orld’

The spiritual life can be lived at any time, in any place or circumstance, and does not require withdrawal from the world. “Enlightenment is not confined to hermitages in remote mountains; it transcends all customs, all sects, all life, all places, and all time, it is as applicable in a busy city as in a quiet village.” The man who has realized his true nature continues to face all his obligations, to live in society. Simply he is no longer a party to the activities of a society whose only aim is to satisfy the ego. Unbridled accumulation and ambition, inordinate desire to develop one’s individuality, the need to intensify one’s personal qualities with an aim in view, all that this implies no longer concerns this man. He is still in the world, but he is not of the world. (1) The physical body should not be neglected or abused as it performs an essential role in the process of spiritual development. The importance of the body in the spiritual life is emphasized by the classical Sufi teacher Attar: “The body is not different from the soul, for it is part of it; and both are part of the whole.” By all means, use your body to work in the world but understand what it is. The body is only an instrument to be used; you are not the body. You are the everlasting, timeless, spaceless principle which gives sentience to this body. (2) A natural balance can be achieved between inner development and self-expression in the normal everyday world, by the practice of simultaneous detachment and engagement with life. A Chinese Zen master told his students: “Do not permit the events of your daily life to bind you, but never w it hdraw yourself from t hem .” The individual must be ‘in the world but not of the world,’ that is to say he must co-exist harmoniously in the society to which he happens to belong but he must be free of all worldly ties that condition and limit his development. In order to achieve real development, he has to detach himself from personal, material things. But he cannot withdraw from the world, like an ascetic, because if he did this he would be separating himself from reality and avoiding his duty as a human being. (3)

1

Inner tranquility is largely an attitude of mind and can be achieved in all conditions of life through awareness and detachment. In the words of the great Indian sage Ramana Maharshi: “That man who is active in the world and yet remains desireless, without losing sight of his own essential nature, is alone a true man.” Solitude is in the mind of man. One might be in the thick of the world and maintain serenity of mind; such a one is in solitude. Another may stay in a forest, but still be unable to control his mind. A man attached to desire cannot get solitude wherever he may be; a detached man is always in solitude. Work performed with attachment is a shackle, whereas work performed with detachment does not affect the doer. He is, even while working, in solitude. (4) Inner spiritual development can harmoniously co-exist with the reality of everyday life in a reciprocal relationship which honours the importance of both aspects of existence: If, as an analogy, you were a baker and learning to become a candlestickmaker, you would continue your baking and practise, in your available time, candlestick-making. You would, of course, not try to make candlesticks with the skills and materials used in baking, except for employing a few correspondences, like the capacity to coordinate. Al-Ghazali, the Persian, in his Alchemy of Happiness, tells how a scavenger collapsed from the unfamiliarity of the scent when he was walking in the Street of the Perfumers; and how it took a former scavenger to discern his state and its remedy so that he could apply the indicated procedure of holding something filthy under the scavenger’s nose until he revived. Like the scavenger, people in the ordinary world become bemused and ineffective if they are exposed to things form another dimension. They are brought back to ‘reality’ by returning to customary patterns. If the scavenger wants to become, say, a perfumer, he has to be exposed by degrees to sweet odours. At some point he will be able to operate in both ‘worlds,’ having learned through practice how to discern both ‘smells.’ (5) A correspondence exists between life in the ordinary world and life in higher dimensions. An analogy of the relationship between the ‘two worlds’ (the physical and the metaphysical) points to the effect which moving has on your shadow: Take this world as the shadow, and the next one as the sun, for the purpose of the analogy. Now note that if you move towards your shadow (the world) it recedes, and if pursued cannot be caught. If, however, you move towards the sun (the other world) your shadow will follow you. (6) The full development of the human being is distinguished, following the experience of higher consciousness, by a ‘return to the world’ and engagement with active life. There is an adage: ‘If one w ere t o w ake up and st ill remain in bed, t hen w hat is t he use of aw akening?’

2

Mysticism is unclouded perception, and so practical that it can be lived every moment of life and expressed in everyday duties; its connection with experience is so deep that it is the final understanding of all experience. If the soul loses its connection with experience and the different phases of life, there is a neurotic reaction, which is far from being a spiritual experience – for this not only involves the realization of the soul on higher planes, but a right attitude to worldly duties and everyday life. (7) Spiritual illumination is of value to others only with a return to everyday life in order to guide others on the path to enlightenment: “to inject back into the stream of life the direction which humanity needs in order to fulfil itself.” The guide teaches from a position which is at times ‘in the world’ because he has to maintain contact with his environment. He follows the ‘arc of ascent’ to learn; and when he has completed the ‘arc of descent’ he is among the people. He is now transmuted. This means that although his outward form and even a part of his essence may be visible, his whole depth only unfolds to those who are developed enough to understand and perceive it. (8) At certain times, for a limited period and for a specific purpose, withdrawal from worldly activities or ‘leaving the world’ may be appropriate: The inner work is done in the ordinary world – but it cannot be done by anyone who is merely attracted to this idea and who cannot really withdraw from the world, as well as participate in it. Withdrawal from the world is useless to those who are attracted by withdrawal and solitude. There are hardly any real monks. These have to be people who are equally at home in solitude and in company. (9)

Vocational Achievement and Excellence

The realized human being is found in every department of life, is as common in the West as the East, may be rich or poor, and may have any type of outward appearance or behaviour. The occupations of enlightened people vary widely and can range from scientists, philosophers, teachers, administrators, merchants or soldiers to poets, artisans, musicians and architects to auto mechanics, farmers, housewives, the next door neighbour, or anything. The way of earning a living in the world follows no predictable or stereotypical pattern: After self-realization, any behaviour or actions expressed through the body of a sage are spontaneous and totally unconditioned. They cannot be bound to any disciplines. A realized sage may be discovered in an unkempt person reclining in the ashes of a cremation ground, or on the cushioned bed in a 3

palace as a king. He may be a butcher by vocation or a successful businessman. Nevertheless, a realized one, abides in the Eternal Absolute. (10) Achievement in the world is marked by excelling in one’s chosen vocation, thereby becoming more valuable to the human community. A realized person becomes more practical, efficient, and effective in all kinds of ways. “A watchmaker becomes a better watchmaker, a housewife becomes a better housewife.” Q: How is it possible to become selfless while leading a life of worldly activity? A: There is no conflict between work and wisdom. Q: Do you mean that one can continue all the old activities in one’s profession, for instance, and at the same time get enlightened? A: Why not? But in that case one will not think that it is the old personality which is doing the work, because one’s consciousness will gradually become transformed until it is centered in that which is beyond the little self. Q: If a person is engaged in work, there will be little time left for him to meditate. A: Setting apart time for meditation is only for the merest spiritual novices. A man who is advancing will begin to enjoy the deepest beatitude whether he is at work or not. While his hands are in society, he keeps his head cool in solitude. (11) In many traditional spiritual teachings work and the tasks of daily life are an integral component of spiritual practice: In Zen everything one does becomes a potential vehicle for self-realization. Every act, every movement, done wholeheartedly, with nothing left over, is an “expression of Buddha,” and the greater the pure mindedness and unselfconsciousness of the doing, the closer we are to this realization. For what else is there but the pure act itself – the lifting of the hammer, the washing of the dish, the movement of the hands on the typewriter, the pulling of the weed? Everything else, such as thoughts of the past, fantasies about the future, judgments and evaluations concerning the work itself, what are these but shadows and ghosts flickering about in our minds? Right before us is life itself. To enter into the awareness of Zen, to “wake up,” means to free the mind of its habitual disease of uncontrolled thought and to return to its original purity and clarity. In Zen it is said that much more power is generated by the ability to practice awareness in the midst of the world than by just sitting alone and shunning activity. Thus one’s daily work becomes one’s meditation room, the task at hand one’s practice. (12)

4

Success and achievement in the material world are based on qualities such as common sense, observation, versatility and creativity. The goal is to do everything well and to the best of one’s ability. “If you are writing a letter, write it as if the whole world will judge you by this letter alone.” Many people develop a negative attitude towards work due to their identification with their roles, job activities and expectations. Work and the obstacles it imposes can be consciously used in the process of self-development instead of being a source of stress and negativity. Gurdjieff spoke of the need for patience and perseverance, in small things and large: “If you can do small things well, you will do big things well.” When you work in your office and you finish work and go home and say, “I am disgusted with all these activities,” it means quite simply that you have established a personal relationship with these activities. Tiredness and disgust come only when you are completely identified with your personality. It is the person, the object, which is tired and disgusted, not the “I.” In any case you have to earn your living, face your financial problems. You cannot refuse it. It belongs to your life. But work is only function. There is only functioning. Don’t create a personal relation. This creates fatigue. There is, of course, such a thing as muscular fatigue, but generally what we call being tired is psychological. So go to the office, see the job to be done. See what it needs in order to be realized, but don’t establish a personal relationship with it. Then you are witness to your activities, they function, they are done; but you are not drowned, not implicated, not identified with them. In this dis-identification, you will find joy, because you will be outside all the activities. (13) When everyday work is done with mindfulness and right attitude it becomes a vehicle for spiritual transformation: A: Would you please comment on our daily work as part of practice? A: Work is the best part of Zen practice and training. No matter what the work is, it should be done with effort and total attention to what’s in front of our nose. If we are cleaning the oven, we should just totally do that and also be aware of any thoughts that interrupt the work. “I hate to clean the oven. With all my education I shouldn’t have to do this.” All those are extra thoughts that have nothing to do with cleaning the oven. If the mind drifts in any way, return it to the work. There is the actual task we are doing and then there are all the considerations we have about it. Work is just taking care of what needs to be done right now, but very few of us work that way. When we practice patiently, eventually work begins to flow. We just do whatever needs to be done. (14) Mastery and achievement in the world are said to be the outward expression of inner development. When properly performed, work is an expression of spiritual depth and wisdom. 5

“Where there is a real, significant inner content to anything, it is capable of a powerful contemporary and effective manifestation.” Work has a far deeper purpose than simply turning out a product or rendering a service useful to society. Rightly regarded, it is a vehicle for Self-realization. But if work is to serve that function, workers must train themselves not to evaluate their jobs as boring or enjoyable, for one can only make such judgments by “stepping back,” thus separating oneself from one’s work. They must also learn to relate to their jobs single-mindedly, with nothing held back – in other words, with no “thought gaps” between themselves and their work. Performed this way, work acts as a cleanser, flushing away random, irrelevant thoughts, which are as polluting to the mind as physical contaminants are to the body. Thus work becomes an expression of True-mind, creative and energizing. This Is the true nobility of labour. (15) The way in which work is performed can have a profound effect on everyone around us, reflecting the principle of the inter-relatedness of all life: In truth we are not separate from each other, or from the world, from the whole earth, the sun or moon or billions of stars, not separate from the entire universe. Listening silently in quiet wonderment, without knowing anything, there is just one mysterious palpitating aliveness. When our habitual ideas and feelings of separation begin to abate in silent questioning, listening, and understanding, then right livelihood is no longer a problem. Whatever we may be doing during the twenty-four hours a day, be it working for money or working for fun or service, whether cleaning or just sitting quietly – the doing now , in this moment of no separation, is the fulfilment, and it affects everyone and everything everywhere. Everyone and everything is inextricably inter-woven in this mysterious fabric called life. (16)

Attitude to M oney and Possessions

Authentic spiritual paths avoid the extremes of denying the value of things ‘of the world’ or promising an abundance of material and financial benefits. Money and possessions have their proper place in the scheme of things: “A person may legitimately enjoy the things of the world, provided that they have learnt humility in their application.” There are certain attitudes floating around concerning money and earning a living. By background, conditioning and other things, everyone has their own attitude towards money, its value and importance and so forth. Money is not by definition a dirty thing. It has its correct place in life. It is a fuel, like gasoline.

6

One works, one earns it, one uses it to dress oneself, to eat, to make oneself comfortable. It only becomes a dominating factor if it becomes the aim of life. (17) Fixation on money and material possessions can effectively act as a debilitating barrier to spiritual growth: Q: We often hear, “First I will make money and then I will retire and devote myself to truth-seeking.” A: This comes from the calculating mind. It is a statement from complete ignorance. There is nothing functional in this reasoning. It is only a postponing. The right moment does not come from the mind. When you feel the urge to leave the competitive world, the desire is very strong. You don’t, of course, avoid your family responsibilities, but you see them in a different way. The reasoning to make enough money to retire on is an escape from what belongs to the immediate moment. (18) Possessing money or material things or not is irrelevant. What matters is what effect they have on a person, how they are used, and whether they are a shackle. The attitude of the realized person toward money and the way it is used is a special one, and may be incomprehensible to those conditioned by the values of contemporary culture. “Money is looked upon by the Sufis as an active factor in the relationship between people, and between people and their environment. Since the ordinary perception of reality is short-sighted, it is not surprising that the normal human use of money is equally limited in perspective.” An individual’s inner realization and evolution may be outwardly reflected by attainments and successes in the material world, since there is a relationship between the physical realm and the metaphysical realm: “The material and the metaphysical are linked in a form best regarded as a continuum.” According to spiritual tradition, a person may gain monetary and material advantages from the Way if it is to the benefit of the Way, as well as the person. These gifts are given in accordance with the capacity to use them in the right way. Money may be used in charitable work and human service. It may be distributed, based on an inner perception of true need, to those who are deserving, thereby “entering the realm of truly important operations and releasing, in turn, something for the giver.” Q: Have you any remarks on the giving of charity among Sufis? A: One commanding principle of all Sufis, binding upon them, is secret charity. Charity takes many forms. As to monetary charity: If money is given with a sense of joy, that joy is ‘payment’ for the charity, and the good which comes to the giver is restricted to that emotion. Although this kind of giving is familiar to most people, it nevertheless remains the minor form of charity. The second part of the 7

minor form of charity is to give in order that the person may help themselves. Thus a person might buy a tool for a carpenter, so that he could earn his living. This may not be emotional, but could still be ‘calculated’ charity. Its limitations make it less than true charity. Money or valuables are given by Sufis, or those who desire to be counted among them, in accordance with the principle: “Let your left hand not know w hat your right hand does.” A Sufi will: Give before being asked; Give whatever he has, without counting it; Give when asked; Give no emotional or calculated charity unless he can give true charity. (19)

Integration Into the Everyday W orld

The process of self-development must take place within normal society, with no separation from the reality of everyday life. The Path can be followed by living an ordinary life in harmony and rhythm with the life-current of the community in which one is living. A dervish saying echoes this contention: ‘W hen it is t ime for st illness, st illness; in t he t ime of companionship, companionship; at t he place of effort , effort . And in t he t ime and place of anyt hing, anyt hing.’

It is fundamental that every Sufi must devote his life to some useful occupation. His aim being to become an ideal member of society, it naturally follows that he cannot cut himself off from the world. In the words of one authority: ‘Man is destined to live a social life. His part is to be with other people. In serving Sufism he is serving the Infinite, serving himself, and serving society. He cannot cut himself off from any one of these obligations and remain a Sufi. The only discipline worthwhile is that which is achieved in the midst of temptation. A man who, like the anchorite, abandons the world and cuts himself off from temptations and distractions cannot achieve power. For power is that which is won through being wrested from the midst of weakness and uncertainty. The ascetic living a wholly monastic life is deluding himself. (20) Living skilfully in the everyday world implies an ability to deal with negative situations and people. There is a proverb: ‘Among roses, be a rose, among t horns, be a t horn.’ Far too many people seem to equate metaphysical progress with withdrawal from the contamination of the world. You need not be contaminated by the world provided you adhere to certain basic values and beliefs. You can associate with the most terrible and depraved people and be exposed to all influences and not suffer. You have a place in your family and in society which you cannot escape in order to sit in a cave and meditate. You have responsibilities which you cannot slough off. (21)

8

With the proper understanding and attitude, the experiences of life can be used as a school for inner development. This was a prominent theme in Gurdjieff’s teachings: He constantly reminded us that we must do everything well, that we must always be ready to adapt ourselves to changing circumstances, to be resourceful, and to learn to be able always to turn a set-back or a disadvantage to our own use – to regard life as a gymnasium in which one could use conditions for the development of will, consciousness, and individuality, to learn to be not ordinary, but extraordinary. “The extraordinary man,” he said, “is just and indulgent to the weaknesses of others; and he depends on the resources of his own mind, which he has acquired by his own efforts.” (22) The conditions of the everyday world can provide a climate and the opportunities for learning how to ‘live in the present,’ to experience the feeling of concentration and total involvement in the moment. In the words of Gurdjieff: “When you do one thing,” he said once, “do it with the whole self. One t hing at a t ime. Now I sit here and I eat. For me nothing exists in the world except this food, this table. I eat with the whole attention. So you must do – in everything. When you write a letter, do not at the same time think what will be the cost of laundering that shirt; when you compute laundering costs, do not think about the letter you must write. Everything has its time. To be able to do one thing at a time . . . this is a property of Man, not man in quotation marks.” (23) When we approach life without preconceptions and with an attitude of openness, every moment is new and full of myriad possibilities: When you are free from end-gaining, free from striving, free from expectation, then you are open, open to all possible facts. Otherwise, you are only open to the past, and that means to repetition. When you are open to all the facts, there is no repetition. Every moment is new. Life is never repetitious. It is because of our way of looking and acting from the “I-concept” that there appears to be repetition. Because we superimpose old ideas on the situation, we are not open to the newness, open to the unknown. This openness with your surroundings is harmonious living. In openness there is love. (24)

Skilful and Effective Behaviour

The human being who is independent of desire for gain or fear of loss (the ‘carrot’ and the ‘stick’) has wider, freer choices of behaviour and action and can discharge functions in the

9

world that are beyond the ability of the ordinary person. The egoless person is capable of using their assets, resources and abilities in a far more effective way than the average person: You are born with a certain energy capital. You can augment this capital, it is true. You can organize, you can re-orchestrate your capital. You can administer it wisely or unwisely, but you are born with a certain capital and it is important that you come to know it and administer it well. But you can only become a good administrator when you are completely detached, when your ego is not involved. When you administrate with psychological distance, you use your capital in the right way – all your capital, your energy, your intelligence, your sensitivity, your money, and so on. (25) Many spiritual traditions stress the importance of acting skilfully in the world without attachment to the outcome: Do not be concerned with the fruit of your action – just give attention to the action itself. The fruit will come of its own accord. This is a powerful spiritual practice. In the Bhagavad Git a , one of the oldest and most beautiful spiritual teachings in existence, non-attachment to the fruit of your action is called Karma yoga. It is described as the path of “consecrated action.” When the compulsive striving away from the Now ceases, the joy of Being flows into everything you do. The moment your attention turns to the Now, you feel a presence, a stillness, a peace. You no longer depend on the future for fulfillment and satisfaction – you don’t look to it for salvation. Therefore, you are not attached to the results. Neither failure nor success has the power to change your inner state of Being. You have found the life beneath your life situation. (26) By not identifying with the various roles one is required to play in life, the realized individual is untouched by the uncertainty and unpredictability of life events. People who are free from psychological involvement in a situation are naturally effective and can act skilfully and more efficiently: When you are free of wasting energy on psychological reactions of like and dislike, criticism, comparison, anger, depression, etc., when there is no longer any psychological involvement, you will be awake to the moment, receptive to all that comes to you. Then you will come to an economy in your doing. Effort and expenditure of energy will be greatly reduced. You simply function, doing things that have to be done. You don’t take yourself for a doer. You are simply present and then there is joy in the doing, in all your living. It is a play, not a chore. (27) Rightly understood, surrender is not a fatalistic or passive acceptance of life but rather an attitude of openness and welcoming without the resistance of the personal ego: 10

Surrender is the simple but profound wisdom of yielding t o rather than opposing the flow of life. The only place where you can experience the flow of life is the Now, so to surrender is to accept the present moment unconditionally and without reservation. It is to relinquish inner resistance to what is. Inner resistance is to say “no” to what is, through mental judgment and emotional negativity. It becomes particularly pronounced when things “go wrong,” which means there is a gap between the demands or rigid expectations of your mind and what is. There is something within you that remains unaffected by the transient circumstances that make up your life situation, and only through surrender do you have access to it. It is your life, your very Being – which exists eternally in the timeless realm of the present. (28) Appropriate actions emerge from our innate holistic intelligence free from conditioning and personal choice. “All responses from the whole must be right, effortless and instantaneous. Thought, feeling and action must be one and simultaneous with the situation that calls for them.” Every situation has a solution. It is only the person, the mind, which finds no solution. It finds no solution which suits it. A fraction can never find a solution. The solution appears in your totality. It does not come from the discriminating mind, through analysis. Magically it appears out of intelligence which arises when you are open to all possibilities. Then you really act appropriately. You are not psychologically involved in the situation and all your capacities are freed to function. When you are not a doer you are a most efficient channel for doing, a channel for functioning. There is no actor, doer, thinker. There is only acting, doing, thinking. In this openness you find peace and joy in living. There is real relationship. There is love. (29) When action radiates from a centre of presence and awareness it is non-reactive, unpredictable and appropriate to the situation: In Taoism, there is a term called w u w ei, which is usually translated as “actionless activity” or “sitting quietly doing nothing.” In ancient China, this was regarded as one of the highest achievements or virtues. It is radically different from inactivity in the ordinary state of consciousness, which stems from fear, inertia, or indecision. The real “doing nothing” implies inner non-resistance and intense alertness. On the other hand, if action is required, you will no longer react from your conditioned mind, but you will respond to the situation out of your conscious presence. In that state, your mind is free of concepts, including the concept of nonviolence. So who can predict what you will do? (30) The behaviour of the enlightened individual may appear, at times, to be odd or unusual. This may be the result of ‘acting a part’ in order to teach a lesson, or because the primary, imme11

diate objective is more important than the secondary need for public approval or reputation. In some cases, skilful action based on foresight and knowledge of human behaviour may even be required to protect oneself from undesirable elements and situations: The realized person has to be protected in the world, to an extent, by his own awareness: ‘like the camel in the desert’ as the phrase has it, indicating adjustment to the environment. There is a tale connected with this in the ancient classic Laila and M ajnun of Nizami: There was once a king, who took as a boon companion a certain youth, and was most attached to him. Now the youth, in spite of all the protestations of the king, realized that he was not trustworthy. He used to go every day and feed the royal dogs, a pack of savage brutes. One day the king became enraged at the young man, and ordered him to be thrown to the dogs. But they, because they knew him so well, refused to do him any harm. (31) When the inner being is purified of egotistical motivations, functioning becomes free and spontaneous, guided by wisdom and intelligence. “Intimacy with the true mind opens up possibilities of perception, thought and feeling in new dimensions, more accurately and more comprehensive than ever before, more perfectly and completely than what is facilitated by rigidly held conventions and subjective proclivities.” What you do is of no importance whatsoever; what matters is the way in which you do it, your inner attitude. The role you play on the world’s stage has no meaning other than the clear-sightedness with which you play it. Don’t lose yourself in your performance – this only blurs the vision of your inner being. Disinterested action does not bind you but, on the contrary, leaves you entirely free. Live in the moment, simply be. Making a choice depends on memory and easily becomes slavery. Live as being and you will awaken to bliss. (32) Real capacity and the true expression of inner development may, at times, be hidden or even projected as the opposite, in order to be effective and avoid challenge and opposition. There is a saying: ‘In an upside-dow n w orld, t he genuine person must masquerade.’ It may be necessary to hide one’s level of inner development from the majority of people in order to fulfil a higher purpose: Gurdjieff insisted that it was necessary to live one’s life fully – within the framework of society – and that in order to do this and not be conspicuous, one had to subscribe, in public at least, to the prevailing social morality – in other words it was necessary to “act” out one’s role on the stage of life, but always to be able to differentiate between the outer “acting” man and the inner “real” man. He said that it was extremely difficult for anyone to do this properly, since the differentiation was often difficult to make – most people “acted” out their lives under the impression that they were living, when they were in fact, only reacting to life as it happened to them. It was necessary to “hide one’s light” from the 12

ignorant and uninitiated as they would only, quite automatically, attempt to destroy such “light” or “knowledge.” However, it was equally important not to hide that same knowledge or “light” from oneself or from others who were working seriously and honestly towards the same goals of self-development and proper growth. (33)

Hidden or Invisible Spirituality

The anonymous nature of much spiritual work is based on the fact that real knowledge and enlightened action are undermined by prominence and fame. The contribution to human wellbeing of true altruistic activity is often unknown and unsuspected by the vast majority of humanity. There is a saying: ‘Not t he person, not t he means, but t he work.’ A person may have a real spiritual experience without necessarily showing any manifestation of spirituality: A person can have a spiritual experience by putting themselves in tune with something by harmonizing with a place, a circumstance, or with what they are doing, and thus have a spiritual experience which can pass almost without conventional notice. You don’t have a blank sheet which leaves a thumbprint every time you have a spiritual experience. By definition, spiritual experiences are of a personal nature. It doesn’t affect everybody the same way. (34) Those who appear normal and speak and act in an ordinary fashion are most likely to have been the recipients of real higher experiences. The awakened mind is perfectly natural and grounded in simplicity. Zen master Rinzai: “When hungry I eat; when tired I sleep. Fools laugh at me, but the wise understand.” A simple mind is not mysterious. In a simple mind, awareness just is. It’s open, transparent. There’s nothing complicated about it. For most of us most of the time, however, it is largely unavailable. But the more we have contact with a simple mind, the more we sense that everything is ourselves, and the more we feel responsibility for everything. When we sense our connectedness, we have to act differently. (35) Enlightened beings often appear to be very ordinary as they move within the fabric of life quietly helping others as needed: Dr. Albert Schweitzer gave up fame as a musician to become a doctor in a small African village that was rife with disease. Without fear, he worked for many years among sick people, saving many lives without falling ill himself. Similarly, an enlightened person can mingle at all levels of society, able to help 13

them without being influenced by them. There is a Chinese proverb: “If you find yourself on a pirate ship, it is best to become a pirate.” The way of enlightened people is somewhat like this. Finding themselves on a pirate ship, they will become like pirates and gain their trust. Eventually they will turn those pirates into good people . . . Enlightened people are very ordinary and will adapt to other people’s situations, mingling freely without hindrance. Through their way of being they gain other people’s trust and are thus able to help them by touching their hearts. (36) According to some traditional spiritual teachings there are ‘invisible saints’ on earth who possess an innate goodness and love of humanity and who quietly spread happiness and joy to others: A very remarkable doctrine is that of unrecognized saints. There are always on earth persons who are, so to speak, saints without knowing it. These are they who are born with a natural goodness, which lifts them without effort to a point that most labor to reach in vain – loyal, gentle, unselfish souls, endowed with a natural intuition of good and a natural inclination to pursue it, the stay and comfort of those who enjoy the blessing of their society, and, when they have passed away, perhaps canonized in the hearts of one or two who loved them. Spontaneous goodness of this sort is not to be submitted to rules or forms; the inward inclination, not the outer ordinances, is the source of their goodness. ‘Against such there is no law.’ They have a standard of thought and character of their own, quite independent of the praise or blame of ‘men of externals.’ (37) Self-realized beings may emanate blessings and healing energies to the world in a manner completely unknown to others: Once you reach your destination and know your real nature, your existence becomes a blessing to all. You may not know, nor will the world know, yet the help radiates. There are people in the world who do more good than all the statesmen and philanthropists put together. They radiate light and peace with no intention or knowledge. When others tell them about the miracles they worked, they are wonderstruck. Yet, taking nothing as their own, they are neither proud nor do they crave for reputation. (38) Many of the greatest spiritual figures are anonymous and may be imperceptible to the ordinary person. Their spiritual activity in the service of humankind is private rather than public, partly because they do not wish to draw attention to themselves. Most enlightened spiritual teachers appear perfectly ordinary and normal without any display of external spirituality or religiosity: “The Zen master is a most ordinary man with no mysteries, with no miracles about him; he is not distinguishable from a man in the street. He talks conventionally, acts like a sensible man, and eats and drinks like ordinary human beings.” 14

Those truly enlightened do not boast of their enlightenment. Just as a truly generous person doesn’t say, “I am a generous person, you know,” so one who has integrated into life what he or she has realized in awakening will not wear enlightenment as a badge and shield. The fully awakened are modest and selfeffacing. While they do not hide their light under a bushel basket, as the saying goes, all the same time they are not pushy or aggressively self-assertive. They know that in truth there’s nowhere to go; they are already there. (39) Truly wise people are often unknown since they teach and influence others in a manner which is not generally recognized as teaching by most people. The benefit of a realized teaching master to the world and to his or her students may not be readily apparent: What the master is doing for the world and for its people, great and small, is often not seen by the observer. A teacher uses his powers to teach, to heal, to make man happy and so on according to the best reasons for using the powers. If he shows you no miracles, this does not mean that he is not doing them. If he declines to benefit you in the way you wish, it is not because he cannot. He benefits you in accordance with your merit, not in response to a demand by you. He has a higher duty; this is what he is fulfilling. Many among you have had your lives transformed, have been rescued from perils, have been given chances – none of which you have recognized as benefits. But you have had these benefits just the same. (40)

Higher Understanding of Life

It is possible to attain a more comprehensive and extra-dimensional understanding of life and the meaning of existence. “There is far more objective knowledge and reality than usually imagined. It is when the knowledge has been gained that the problems and purport of human life are understood.” There is a deeper truth, and a wider dimension, in which man already partly lives, though he is ordinarily indifferent to it. There is the hope that he can become as aware of it as he is of the familiar world. The self-realization of this dimension enables a man or woman to attain heights of achievement in the easily-perceptible world and in other areas; and prevents him from becoming the tool of a mere conditioned existence, with all its anxieties and ultimate meaninglessness. Man tends to be unhappy not because of what he knows, but because of what he does not know. (41) By understanding successive layers of reality, an objective knowledge of the world and the relative value of things is gained that puts everything into perspective. There is an adage: ‘Experience w it hout underst anding is w at er w it hout w et ness.’ 15

The Sufi has an extra dimension of being, which operates parallel to the lesser cognition of the ordinary man. Mulla Nasrudin sums this up neatly in another saying: “I can see in the dark.” “That may be so, Mulla. But if it is true, why do you sometimes carry a candle at night?” “To prevent other people from bumping into me.” The light carried by the Sufi may be his conforming with the ways of the people among whom he is cast, after his ‘return’ from being transmuted into a wider perception. (42) When one is able to perceive an underlying pattern and meaning in life, it becomes possible to consciously participate in the creative unfolding of a higher spiritual impulse and energy: Behind the sometimes seemingly random or even chaotic succession of events in our lives as well as in the world lies concealed the unfolding of a higher order and purpose. This is beautifully expressed in the Zen saying: “The snow falls, each flake in its appropriate place.” We can never understand this higher order through thinking about it because whatever we think about is content; whereas, the higher order emanates from the formless realm of consciousness, from universal intelligence. But we can glimpse it, and more than that, align ourselves with it, which means be conscious participants in the unfolding of that higher purpose. (43) When we harmonize with life we can learn from anything and everything. “By letting go our fascination with the extraordinary and spectacular, we can allow ourselves to recognize the simple wonder that lies within the ordinary. For life has its own purpose and doesn’t need a reason to be. That is its beauty.” There is no static point in life. Life is infinite motion. Life is eternal dynamism; and to live is to be free to move with the movement of life spontaneously without any inhibition, without any fear. So, one cannot get stuck in destinations, in arrivals, in protections, in guidance . . . You learn from life at large, from birds, from trees, from plants, from children, from every individual and especially from those who have had the courage to transcend the frontiers of this limited human brain, who are living in a state of consciousness where there is no center and no periphery. They emanate peace, love and joy. (44) The difference between an ordinary person and one who has awakened to their true nature is one of perspective and the depth of understanding of Reality. An ancient proverb encapsulates this truth: ‘The w orld is a fashioning inst rum ent w hich polishes mankind .’ Q: Does not the realized man continue to live just like a non-realized being?

16

A: Yes, with this difference: that the realized being does not see the world as being apart from the Self; he possesses true knowledge and the internal happiness of being perfect, whereas the other person sees the world apart, feels imperfections and is miserable. Otherwise their physical actions are similar. Q: You say that in our real being we are all equal. How is it that your experience is so different from ours? A: My actual experience is not different. It is my evaluation and attitude that differ. I see the same world as you do, but not the same way. There is nothing mysterious about it. Everybody sees the world through the idea he has of himself. As you think yourself to be, so you think the world to be. If you imagine yourself as separate from the world, the world will appear as separate from you and you will experience desire and fear. I do not see the world as separate from me and so there is nothing for me to desire, or fear. (45) The realized human being, having transcended all identification with culturally and subjectively conditioned personality, abides in their original essential nature. “When we realize that we have no ego, then we are open to the dimension of the cosmos; we can receive its energy and we can create. Open your hands and you will receive everything, even material things. Don’t be afraid.” If you seek reality you must set yourself free of all backgrounds, of all cultures, of all patterns of thinking and feeling. Even the idea of being a man or woman, or even human should be disregarded. The ocean of life contains all, not only humans. So, first of all abandon all self-identification, stop thinking of yourself as such-and-such, so-and-so, this or that. Abandon all self-concern, worry not about your welfare, material or spiritual, abandon every desire, gross or subtle, stop thinking of achievement of any kind. You are complete here and now, you need absolutely nothing. Live in tune with things as they are and not as they are imagined. (46) The true spiritual nature of existence is perceived when it is no longer viewed through the conceptual filter of thought. “Your consciousness is raised to a higher dimension, from which you see everything much clearer and with greater intensity.” The awakened man lives in the world of things like everyone else. When he sees a rose he knows that it is a rose, like everyone else. But the difference is that he is neither conditioned nor imprisoned by concepts. Concepts now become marvellous “skillful means” in his possession. The awakened man looks, listens, and distinguishes things, all the while being perfectly aware of the presence that is the perfect and non-discriminative nature of everything. He sees things perfectly in their interdependent relational nature. (47)

17

The enlightened person is attuned to the purpose of life and to the whole of existence, and understands and participates in the higher evolution of humanity. A parable aptly conveys the meaning of a higher design or plan for the world that is unseen by the normal human being but is revealed in states of higher consciousness and understanding: Imagine a garden which has been made ready for flowers and vegetables. This garden just didn’t happen. It was designed, and it is subject to certain laws. All that grows, and all that happens there, stems from this design. Everything must be in conformity with the laws inherent in the design. From time to time there are interventions by the gardener because something has begun to grow not as it should or where it shouldn’t. The many forms of life in this garden are its inhabitants. Now imagine from their perspective what kind of opinions and beliefs they will hold about what the garden is for, how the various parts of it relate, what it is all about. Will they understand why the garden is there, or how all its systems work? Or even dismiss the idea of a design because it does not suit what they imagine to be their individual needs? Of all the difficulties in our terrestrial garden, the greatest is trying to make sense for its people, of many things which are not in line with their desires. Unless you speak to them in their own language, they will not accept what you say. But, in their language, many facts about the garden would be disconcerting, because their language is much rooted in selfish attitudes or lack of a certain kind of experience. (48) An enlarged understanding gives a panoramic view of life, leading to an understanding of both the physical world and its relationship with Ultimate Reality. There is an ability to see the cause-and-effect relationship between people, things and events which appear separate: The understanding of true meanings behind inexplicable worldly happenings is another consequence of higher development. Rumi illustrates the experiencing of this special dimension in life which veils the complete workings of actuality, giving us an unsatisfactory view of the whole. Two beggars, he said, came to the door of a house. One was immediately satisfied, and given a piece of bread. He went away. The second was kept waiting for his morsel. Why? The first beggar was not greatly liked; he was given stale bread. The second was made to wait until a fresh loaf was baked for him. This story illustrates a theme which recurs frequently in spiritual teachings – that there is often one element in a happening which we do not know. Yet we base our opinions upon material which is incomplete. “You belong,” sings Rumi in one verse, “to the world of dimension. But you come from non-dimension. Close the first ‘shop,’ open the second.” (49) One of the consequences of spiritual enlightenment is that life is seen in a new and comprehensive form. “The most ordinary things in our daily life hide some deep meaning that is yet most plain and explicit; only your eyes need to see where there is meaning.”

18

There is a hidden trend in events which alone would enable one to make full use of life. Those who can see this trend are termed the Wise. The contention is that certain human beings can actually ‘sensitize’ themselves for the perception of this hidden trend. (50) An enlightened person is aware of a spiritual energy that transcends the apparent world of time and space, body and mind. “A self-realized being cannot help benefiting the world. His very existence is the highest good.” As our spiritual knowledge grows, our identification with the individual bodymind diminishes, and our consciousness expands into universal consciousness. The life force continues to act, but its thoughts and actions are no longer limited to an individual. They become the total manifestation. It is like the action of the wind – the wind doesn’t blow for any particular individual, but for the total manifestation. (51) Underlying the world of form and sense impressions is the fundamental basis of Reality – Awareness, Consciousness, Being. “It is wrong to imagine that there is the world, that there is a body in it and that you dwell in the body. If the Truth is known, the universe and what is beyond it will be found to be only in the Self.” Pure awareness is the essence of what we truly are. We are not the different states and feelings, moods and tempers, succeeding one another. All of this comes and goes lightly, cloudlike, without leaving a trace, when thought doesn’t identify with any of it. One is not being t his or t hat – that’s something extra, added on by thought. One is not becoming entangled in the extras. There is just experiencing the pureness of being. Awake. Heart beating, voice sounding, leg aching, breathing in, out, in, out, body moving gently with the breathing. It’s all here. Directly, immediately here. One is not separate from awareness. Nothing is separate. Awareness is all. (52) When the impermanent nature of phenomenal existence is realized, the fear of death vanishes: The enlightened know the true nature of existence, that everything is impermanent, never the same from one moment to the next, that things are constantly arising and disappearing according to causes and conditions. The fully awakened know that life and death are like the waves of the ocean, waxing and waning, and that underlying all phenomenal existence is That Which Never Dies because it was never born. Thus they have no anxiety about death, their own or others. (53)

19

Higher Qualities and Virtues

The realized person is characterized by the presence of positive, virtuous qualities such as honesty, generosity, loyalty, honour, charity, patience, compassion and by the absence of such negative qualities as envy, greed, enmity and intellectual pride: Q: In what ways is an enlightened person different from one who isn’t? A: One who has thoroughly mastered Zen is totally involved in whatever he or she does. Such a one is, in the words of the Zen master Dogen, ‘not bound nor does he bind,’ a statement often misunderstood. That doesn’t mean that an enlightened person simply acts as he or she pleases, indifferent to the consequences of those actions on others. Nor does he or she deliberately flout conventional laws in the name of freedom. Rather by identifying with them completely, such a person transcends them and thus is no longer obstructed by them. Although they may ignore conventionality, the awakened do not flaunt their behavior. Neither do they put people into a bind by imposing shoulds and oughts on them. Their lives are simple and unpretentious. They are full of gratitude and compassion. (54) Those who have attained a state of enlightenment are beyond preferences, desires, likes and dislikes. They are able to view the world impartially and objectively. It was in this spirit that Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, the great Indian master, answered a question from a follower: Q: You seem to be so very indifferent to everything! A: I am not indifferent. I am impartial. I give no preference to the me and the mine. A basket of earth and a basket of jewels are both unwanted. Life and death are all the same to me. Q: Impartiality makes you indifferent. A: On the contrary, compassion and love are my very core. Void of all predilections, I am free to love. (55) The outward behaviour of a realized being follows no recognizable pattern since it is based on a spontaneous response to the needs of the moment. “Freedom lies in being free to fulfil the need of the moment, to obey the necessity of the situation. Freedom to do what one likes is really bondage, while being free to do what one must, what is right, is real freedom.” One who has reached full maturity, who knows himself in consciousness will not necessarily conform with social convention. Such a one will act at the right moment as the situation dictates, without anybody being hindered in any way. 20

If your acts are dictated by your desires, you have no freedom whatsoever. On the other hand, if you do what the situation calls for, you do what is right and you and your surroundings are free. (56) One of the hallmarks of real spiritual development is freedom from attachment to pleasure or worldly things. The ability to detach from life, to be calm and balanced, allows a fuller and deeper understanding of reality. This is echoed in the saying, ‘He is able t o sw im in t he middle of t he ocean w it hout w et t ing his garment s.’ Following enlightenment there is a dramatic shift in one’s relationships with other people as there is a recognition of the inherent goodness of humanity underlying our general collective dysfunction, conditioned behaviour and negativity: Our true self is nothing other than this spontaneous goodness, this vastly compassionate nature that always wants to help all beings. We carry it around with us all the time. My self and all beings are not different and never separate. We all have the same substance: since I certainly don’t like to suffer, I also don’t want others to suffer. If you completely realize this point, you can see why goodness is realized in companionship, because it is mainly through our actions with other beings that we realize this goodness that we already have inside us, all the time. Other people become a mirror of our actions. (57) Humility and freedom from the self-centered ego is an important quality of enlightenment. There is an adage which speaks to this: ‘Great men are great unt il t hey know it . Saint s are holy unt il t hey know it .’ Q: Does a realized person ever think ‘I am realized’? Is he not astonished when people make much of him? Does he not take himself to be an ordinary human being? A: Neither ordinary nor extraordinary. Just being aware and affectionate – intensely. He looks at himself without indulging in self-definitions and selfidentifications. He does not know himself as anything apart from the world. He is the world. He is completely rid of himself, like a man who is very rich, but continually gives away his riches. He is not rich, for he has nothing; he is not poor, for he gives abundantly. He is just property-less. Similarly, the realized man is egoless; he has lost the capacity of identifying himself with anything. He is without location, placeless, beyond space and time, beyond the world. (58) Respect and love for all creation is a natural consequence of spiritual awakening, as all things are seen in their essential interdependence within the Whole:

21

The aware person sees the indivisibility of existence, the deep complexity and interrelationship of all life, and this creates in them a deep respect for the absolute value of things. It is out of this respect for the worth of every single object, animate as well as inanimate, that comes the desire to see things used properly, and not to be heedless or wasteful or destructive. (59) One of the enduring attributes of self-realization is an immense gratitude for the very fact of existence, for the reality of simply being alive. Everything is seen to be perfect, just the way it is. Earth turned out to be the heaven I was longing for. There’s such abundance here, now, always . . . I could go on and on celebrating the world I live in. It would take a lifetime to describe this moment, this now. The wonderful thing about knowing who you are is that you’re always in a state of grace, a state of gratitude for the abundance of the apparent world. I overflow with the splendor, the generosity of it all. And I didn’t do anything for it but notice. The litmus test for self-realization is a constant state of gratitude. This gratitude is not something that you can look for or find. It comes from another direction, and it takes you over completely. It’s so vast that it can’t be dimmed or overlaid. When you live your life from that place of gratitude, you’ve come home. (60)

Altruism and Human Service

It is the duty of the mature human being to serve humanity, to act as a ‘yeast’ or positive influence on the human community, and to be the greatest possible value to others. One of the forms of service is the preservation and dissemination of spiritual knowledge into human communities based on need and capacity to benefit. In this sense, the acquisition of higher knowledge is determined by its value to the human race and in accordance with the perception of an overarching cosmic design. Spirituality can be projected through ordinary activities in the world, by working with people and sharing attitudes and experiences. “Those who have developed certain inner qualities have a far greater effect upon society than those who try to act on moral principles alone.” The humanitarian activities of realized human beings cover a wide and varied range, from alleviating social ills, aiding recovery from natural disasters, helping victims of oppression, teaching people to make the most of their endowment and possibilities, to medical, scientific, religious and educational work. One of the guiding principles in humanitarian work is to cooperate not so much with official bodies and institutions, but with decent human beings. “We work with whatever constructive desirable tendency there is, wherever it may be found.”

22

Human service is best accomplished “behind the scenes” without seeking acknowledgment or recognition. Much of this effort is done quietly and anonymously since ‘identification excites opposition.’ An historical example of such silent altruism is the work of the Brethren of Sincerity nearly 1000 years ago in the Middle East: The Brethren were a society of savants who prepared recensions of available knowledge and published them anonymously, in the cause of education, none desirous of increasing his own repute through this dedication. Because they were a secret society, little was known about them. A wise man was asked about the Brethren of Sincerity, and replied that “even the least among them honours the wishes of his companions above his own.” As the wise say: ‘A man engrossed in himself is neit her brot her nor kinsman.’ (61) In the Buddhist tradition Bodhisat t vas are those who through their self-mastery, wisdom and compassion, selflessly serve other human beings and dedicate themselves to helping others attain spiritual realization: Bodhisattvas are individuals who exhibit an unusually strong and instinctive tendency to relinquish their own apparent gain and self-interest in order to help others, even if it requires a great deal of effort or abandonment of their own personal agenda. Sometimes they act with exceptional generosity. Other times they demonstrate great patience, profound wisdom, or unimpeachable moral character and ethical integrity. Sometimes it can be just a little unexpected kindness, a helpful word, or a smile that expresses the hidden Bodhisattva deep within, coming at precisely the right time and place when one is truly in need of a boost. In every case, they inspire us by the extent to which they apply these qualities for the benefit of others rather than themselves . . . These individuals radiate a sense of peace, joy, fulfillment, and naturalness in accomplishing the good things they do. Whatever their external appearance or life situation may be, they seem more deeply in touch with, and empowered by, universal values than their more self-oriented peers are. Doing the right thing is the only reward they need. (62) True giving and service is egoless and devoid of all subjective motives for helping others: Q: Can we come to freedom and peace through helping others as Christianity teaches? A: You are not the doer of your acts, you are the awareness from which all action stems. In relationships between personalities, between objects, there is only looking for security, there’s only asking. Even so-called giving is with a view to getting. Pure giving is your true nature, it is love. When the occasion asks you for help you will spontaneously help, and the help coming from wholeness, from love, will be highly effective. But when you are a professional helper 23

acting on an idea you have of yourself or the world your help will always remain fractional. (63) There is a finer conception of service beyond fear and punishment, desire for reward or temporary pleasure. True service is a voluntary task, not imposed, and based on freedom and choice in both the external and interior sense: If you give charity and know that the person to whom you give knows, you risk his feeling obligated to you. It is bad enough, surely, to be in the position of giving at all, and realize that you may merely be giving because it makes you feel happy. You are being rewarded for your action, instead of helping others without any reward. I call public giving, or even giving which is recorded anywhere, as a shameful and degenerate thing. Giving makes a man to be called “good.” No man is “good” in that sense. If you want to be good, first find out whether you can be good without emotion. Then find out if you can be good without others knowing that you are good. If people think you are good, they are judging, you are making them judge you. This in itself is wrong. (64) In order to truly alleviate suffering in the world a certain degree of understanding and wisdom is required. A person will then act or not act according to the essential requirements of the situation, and not for emotional or intellectual reasons: Q: How can I find peace when the world suffers? A: The world suffers for very valid reasons. If you want to help the world, you must be beyond the need of help. Then all your doing as well as not doing will help the world most effectively. Q: How can non-action be of use where action is needed? A: Where action is needed, action happens. Man is not the actor. He is to be aware of what is going on. His very presence is action. Be empty of all mental content, of all imagination and effort, and the very absence of obstacles will cause reality to rush in. If you are emotionally committed to helping, you will fail to help. You may be very busy and be very pleased with your charitable nature, but not much will be done. A man is really helped when he is no longer in need of help. All else is just futility. Q: There is not enough time to sit and wait for help to happen. One must do something. A: By all means – do. But what you can do is limited: the Self alone is unlimited. Give limitlessly – of yourself. To help is your very nature. You are pure giving, beginning-less, endless, inexhaustible. When you see sorrow and suffering, be 24

with it. Do not rush into activity. Neither learning nor action can really help. Be with sorrow and lay bare its roots – helping to understand is real help. (65) The attainment of enlightenment or self-realization is a gift of inestimable value to humanity and the world. “It is inherent in the realization of one’s real nature to become completely integrated in human society and help for the love of helping without the slightest intention to help. Simply one’s presence is help.” The effect of one person’s enlightenment on the collective world psyche is immeasurable. On the level of the unseen it unleashes a veritable stream of light and clarity into the darkness of others’ minds. On the level of the seen, the power of a disciplined, purified, and awakened mind to affect and transform others is immense. And just as lighting even a few candles in a huge, pitch-black cave lessens the darkness to some degree, hundreds of thousands of persons meditating egolessly would obviously create a tremendous force for peace and harmony in the world. (66) It is traditionally believed that many sages act like a ‘calming wind’ and exert a hidden and beneficial influence upon the whole of humanity from wherever they are. Such an influence may be totally unperceived and unsuspected by the vast majority of humanity. The stage of human service and concern for others is only a step and not the end point of human spiritual development. “To regard human well-being, though essential, as the highest possible, the sublime achievement of humanity, is to limit oneself so much that it is, effectively, a pessimistic and unacceptably limited stance. Again, the desire for human well-being is the minimum, not the maximum, duty of humanity.” Ultimately, in the enlightened state, there are no perceived “others” to help as all existence is seen as one indivisible whole: Q: Does my Realization help others? A: Yes, it is the best help that you can possibly render to others. Those who have discovered great truths have done so in the still depths of the Self. But really there are no “others” to be helped. For the realized being sees only the Self, just as the goldsmith sees only the gold when valuing it in various jewels made of gold. When you identify yourself with the body, name and form are there. But when you transcend the body-consciousness, the “others” also disappear. The realized One does not see the world as different from himself. (67)

25

Love and Compassion

Love has many different levels, forms and depths of intensity. “The expressions of love can take many forms and these are never exhausted. The expressions of love are constantly new, they never come to an end.” Love is the evolutionary principle of all existence, creating and sustaining life. The spirit of compassion and loving-kindness is the essence of spirituality and wisdom. Enlightenment and love are inseparable and develop simultaneously in the realized human being. “Within mankind there is an element, activated by love, which provides the means of attaining to true reality and mystical meaning.” Love is the factor which is to carry a man, and all humanity, to fulfilment. In the words of Rumi: ‘Mankind has an unfulfillment, a desire, and he struggles to fulfil it through all kinds of enterprises and ambitions. But it is only in love that he can find fulfilment.’ But love is itself a serious matter; it is something which keeps pace with enlightenment. Both increase together. (68) Universal love is the deepest form of love and is “a natural outpouring towards all creatures, great or small, and is fuelled by direct awareness of the indivisibility of all life.” Wherever there is life – beginning with plants (for they too have life), animals, in a word whatever life exists, there is love. Each life is a representative of God. Whoever can see the representative will see Him who is represented. Every life is sensitive to love. Even inanimate things such as flowers, which have no consciousness, understand whether you love them or not. Even unconscious life reacts in a corresponding way to each man, and responds to him according to his reactions. (69) Love recognizes the inter-relatedness of all things and embraces all life forms without distinction. With the perception of the unity of life, differences and distinctions disappear and love emerges as the underlying essence of Reality: Without love one cannot see the infinitely expanding network of relationships which is reality. Love trusts, is always affirmative and all-embracing. Love is life and therefore creative. Everything it touches is enlivened and energized for new growth. When you love an animal, it grows more intelligent; when you love a plant you see into its every need. Love is never blind; it is the reservoir of infinite light. (70) Universal love is realized by relinquishing one’s ordinary self and embracing all life without judgement, attachment or the expectation of something in return. “When you love the Self and nothing else, you go beyond the selfish and the unselfish. All distinctions lose their meaning. 26

Love of one and love of all merge together in love, pure and simple, addressed to none, denied to none.” And in the words of Rumi: “Love is the remedy of our pride and self-conceit, the physician of all our infirmities. Only he whose garment is rent by love becomes entirely unselfish.” Self-realization removes the imaginary barrier of separation from others and allows love and compassion to flow from its inexhaustible source of Pure Being. The ability to love others and the world unconditionally begins with loving oneself. “When you know beyond all doubting that the same life flows through all that is and you are that life, you will love all naturally and spontaneously. When you realize the depth and fullness of your love of yourself, you know that every living being and the entire universe are included in your affection.” The relationship becomes possible only when there is an awareness of Being. Coming from Being, you will perceive another person’s body and mind just as a screen, as it were, behind which you can feel their true reality, as you feel yours. So, when confronted with someone else’s suffering or unconscious behaviour, you stay present and in touch with Being and thus are able to look beyond the form and feel the other person’s radiant and pure Being through your own. At the level of Being, all suffering is recognized as an illusion. Suffering is due to identification with form. Miracles of healing sometimes occur through the realization, by awakening Being-consciousness in others – if they are ready. (71) In order to experience and express universal love, the lower forms of love must be understood and ultimately transcended: Q: Why is there so much suffering in love? A: All suffering is born of desire. True love is never frustrated. How can the sense of unity be frustrated? What can be frustrated is the desire for expression. Q: What is the place of sex in love? A: Love is a state of being. Sex is energy. Love is wise, sex is blind. Once the true nature of love and sex is understood there will be no conflict or confusion. Love is not selective, desire is selective. In love there are no strangers. When the center of selfishness is no longer, all desire for pleasure and fear of pain ceases; one is no longer interested in being happy; beyond happiness there is pure intensity, inexhaustible energy, the ecstasy of giving from a perennial source. (72)

27

References

(1) Jean Klein Be W ho You Are (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1989), pp. 32-33. (2) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj The Ult imat e M edicine (San Diego: Blue Dove Press, 1995), p. 165. (3) Giovanna de Garayalde Jorge Luis Borges: Sources and Illuminat ion (London: Octagon Press, 1978), p. 17. (4) Ramana Maharshi Talks w it h Sri Ramana M aharshi (Tiruvannamalai, India: Sri Ramamasramam, 1984), p. 15. (5) Idries Shah Neglect ed Aspect s of Sufi St udy (London: Octagon Press, 1989), pp. 67-68. (6) Idries Shah Know ing How t o Know (London: Octagon Press, 1998), p. 137. (7) Nina Epton M agic and M yst ics of Java (London: Octagon Press, 1974), p. 193. (8) Idries Shah The Commanding Self (London: Octagon Press, 1994), pp. 34-35 (9) Idries Shah Know ing How t o Know (London: Octagon Press), pp. 171-172. (10) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj The Nect ar of t he Lord’s Feet (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1987), p. 9. (11) David Godman (ed.) Be As You Are (London: Arkana, 1985), pp. 59-60. (12) Philip Kapleau Aw akening t o Zen (New York: Scribner, 1997), pp. 28-29. (13) Jean Klein Transmission of t he Flame (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publications, 1990), p. 244. (14) Charlotte Beck Everyday Zen (San Francisco: Harper, 1989), pp. 7-8. (15) Philip Kapleau Zen Daw n in t he W est (New York: Anchor Press, 1979), p. 12. (16) Toni Packer The Light of Discovery (Rutland, Vermont: Charles E. Tuttle, 1999), p. 119. (17) Omar Ali-Shah The Course of t he Seeker (Reno: Tractus Books, 1996), p. 293. (18) Jean Klein Transmission of t he Flame (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publications, 1990), p. xv. (19) Idries Shah Learning How t o Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p.245. (20) Idries Shah Orient al M agic (New York: Arkana, 1993), p. 60. (21) Rafael Lefort The Teachers of Gurdjieff (London: Victor Gollancz, 1966), pp. 95-96. (22) C.S. Nott Teachings of Gurdjieff: Journal of a Pupil (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1962), p. 117. (23) Kathryn Hulme Undiscovered Count ry: In Search of Gurdjieff (Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1966), p. 91. (24) Jean Klein Open t o t he Unknown (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publications, 1992), p. 87. (25) Jean Klein Living Trut h (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publications, 1995), p. 22. (26) Eckhart Tolle The Pow er of Now (Vancouver: Namaste Publications, 1997), pp. 57-58. (27) Jean Klein The Ease of Being (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1986), p. 98. (28) Eckhart Tolle The Pow er of Now (Vancouver: Namaste Publications, 1997), pp. 173-175. (29) Jean Klein The Ease of Being (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1986), p. 87. (30) Eckhart Tolle The Pow er of Now (Vancouver: Namaste Publications, 1997), pp. 181-182. (31) Idries Shah Seeker Aft er Trut h (London: Octagon Press, 1985), p. 32. (32) Jean Klein I Am (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publications, 1989), pp. 10-11. 28

(33) Fritz Peters Gurdjieff Remembered (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1971), pp. 68-69. (34) Omar Ali-Shah The Course of t he Seeker (Reno: Tractus Books, 1996), pp. 184-185. (35) Charlotte Beck Not hing Special: Living Zen (San Francisco: Harper, 1993), p. 256. (36) Sheng Yen The M et hod of No M et hod (Boston: Shambhala, 2008), p. 89. (37) Idries Shah The Sufis (New York: Anchor Books, 1971), p. 427. (38) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 385. (39) Philip Kapleau Aw akening t o Zen (New York: Scribner, 1997), p. 173. (40) Idries Shah The W ay of t he Sufi (New York: Penguin Books, 1982), pp. 287-288. (41) Idries Shah Learning How t o Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p.292. (42) Idries Shah The Sufis (New York: Anchor Books, 1971), pp. 81-82. (43) Eckhart Tolle A New Eart h (New York: Dutton, 2005), p. 194. (44) Vimala Thakar Tot alit y in Essence (Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1986), p. 47. (45) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 123. (46) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 316. (47) Thich Nhat Hanh Zen Keys (New York: Anchor Books, 1974), p. 88. (48) H.B.M. Dervish Journeys w it h a Sufi M ast er (London: Octagon Press, 1982), pp. 91-92. (49) Idries Shah The Sufis (New York: Anchor Books, 1971), pp. 143-144. (50) Idries Shah Tales of t he Dervishes (London: Octagon Press, 1984), pp. 61-62. (51) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj Consciousness and t he Absolut e (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1984), p. 9. (52) Toni Packer The Light of Discovery (Boston: Charles E. Tuttle, 1995), p. 61. (53) Philip Kapleau Aw akening t o Zen (New York: Scribner, 1997), p. 174. (54) Philip Kapleau Aw akening t o Zen (New York: Scribner, 1997), p. 173. (55) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 185. (56) Jean Klein I Am (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publications, 1989), p. 43. (57) Seung Sahn The Compass of Zen (Boston: Shambhala, 1997), p. 38 (58) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 101. (59) Thich Nhat Hanh Zen Keys (New York: Anchor Books, 1974), pp. 4-5. (60) Byron Katie A Thousand Names for Joy (New York: Three Rivers Press, 2007), pp. 26-27. (61) Idries Shah The Sufis (New York: Anchor Books, 1971), pp. 114-115. (62) Lama Surya Das Buddha Is As Buddha Does (New York: HarperCollins, 2008), pp. 2-3. (63) Jean Klein I Am (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publications, 1989), p. 28. (64) O.M. Burke Among t he Dervishes (London: Octagon Press, 1984), p. 151. (65) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 260. (66) Philip Kapleau Zen Daw n in t he W est (New York: Anchor Press, 1979), p. 222. (67) Ramana Maharshi The Spirit ual Teachings of Ramana M aharshi (Boston: Shambhala, 1988), pp. 63-64. (68) Idries Shah The Sufis (New York: Anchor Books, 1971), p. 137. (69) G.I. Gurdjieff View s From t he Real W orld: Early Talks of Gurdjieff (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1973), p. 194. (70) D.T. Suzuki The Aw akening of Zen (Boston: Shambhala, 1987), p. 70. (71) Eckhart Tolle The Pow er of Now (Vancouver: Namaste Publications, 1997), pp. 164-165. (72) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 111.

29

LOVE AND COM PASSION

‘One w ho know s t he secret of love finds t he w orld full of universal love.’ Ramana M aharshi ‘Love is t he remedy of our pride and self-conceit , t he physician of all our infirmit ies. Only one w hose garment is rent by love becomes ent irely unselfish.’ Rumi

The Nature of Love

For many traditional religions love and compassion are the central tenets of their teaching. Christianity speaks of agape or unconditional love, expressed in metaphysical terms as the ‘Guardian Angel.’ In Buddhism selfless love or the ‘Awakened Heart’ is embodied in the figure of the Bodhisattva and expressed through the practice of met t a or loving-kindness and impartial, non-discriminating compassion in everyday life. And Sufism has some-times been called the “creed of love,” where love is regarded as the highest stage of spiritual development. The great classical Sufi ibn el-Arabi declared that “no religion is more supreme than the religion of love. Love is the source and essence of all spiritual teachings.” Love defies definition and description. It is certainly not logical or rational, eludes reason and analysis, and is perhaps best understood by experience. Love takes many different forms and expressions (romantic, family, religious, love of country, love of nature). “The different forms of love are like the spectrum that pure light breaks into when it passes through a prism of glass. When the light of unity passes through the prism of the human heart it too breaks down into a spectrum, and human life is coloured by it.” There are many levels, degrees and dimensions of love. The impulse of love can vary greatly in depth and intensity and in the way it is expressed: Love is not selective, just as the light of the sun is not selective. It does not make one person special. It is not exclusive. Exclusivity is not the love of God but the “love” of the ego. However, the intensity with which true love is felt can vary. There may be one person who reflects your love back to you more clearly and more intensely than others, and if that person feels the same toward you, it can be said that you are in a love relationship with him or her. The bond that connects you with that person is the same bond that connects you with the person sitting next to you on a bus, or with a bird, a tree, a flower. Only the degree of intensity with which it is felt differs. (1)

1

Ordinary love is focused on the form or appearance of a thing or person, while higher, universal love sees the beauty of the essence, not the form. “Real love, of the essential type, may observe beauty in all forms, but its attention is actually directed upon the essence which is the only love in a final sense. A person does not love in this sense if their love is capable of distraction.” The Sufis recognize a continuum of levels or gradations of love: What is generally called love can be harmful to the lover and the object of the love. If this is the result, the cause cannot be called love by a Sufi, but must be called ‘attachment’ in which the attached is incapable of any other conduct. Love not only has different intensities, but it also has different levels. If man thinks that love only signifies what he has so far felt, he will veil himself thereby from any experience of real love. If, however, he has actually felt real love, he will not make the mistake of generalizing about it so as to identify it only with physical love or the love of attraction. (2) Love is central to human happiness and fulfilment, and conscious living entails both the giving and receiving of love. Love in action is embodied as empathy, compassion and selfless service: Unconditional love is inseparable from authenticity and inner freedom. It is a law unto itself, a love that is totally proactive and appropriately responsive, not merely blindly reactive. Love creates its own wake, has its own direction, moves according to its own rhythm, and makes its own music. True love has no sides, boundaries or corners. It is without circumference and beyond inside and out. The heart of limitless love includes everyone and everything, embracing one and all in its warmth. Genuine love is enough in simply being itself. Love finds its own way and creates its own universe. Love-practice combines selflessness, generosity, empathy, meaningful connection, cherishment and oneness. Love is indubitably found through loving. Buddha taught, “Putting aside all barriers, let your mind be full of love. Let it pervade all the quarters of the world so that the whole wide world, above, below, and around, is pervaded with love.” (3) Gurdjieff once said: “Whoever does not love life does not love God.” And, in the words of D.T. Suzuki: “It is love which creates life. Life cannot sustain itself without love.” This love of life is all-inclusive, unconditional and already within us, at the heart of our being. Steven Harrison: “What is love? It is not a thing but an energetic connection without opposite. It has nothing to do with getting anything. Loving is the radical abandonment of my construction, my ideas – the total acceptance of life just as it is.” The power of love is the most transformative and ennobling force in the universe. In the natural world virtually all living creatures exhibit love to some degree, e.g. the love of a mother lion or bear for her cubs. Love has a wider, deeper significance when it connects with other elements in life: “Being an infinitely complicated network of interrelationships, life can-

2

not be itself unless supported by love. Wishing to give life a form, love expresses itself in all modes of being. In every realm of life love grows out of mutual interrelationships.” Without love one cannot see the infinitely expanding network of relationships which is reality. Love trusts, is always affirmative and all-embracing. Love is life and therefore creative. Everything it touches is enlivened and energized for new growth. When you love an animal, it grows more intelligent; when you love a plant you see into its every need. Love is never blind; it is the reservoir of infinite light. Let us first realize the fact that we thrive only when we are co-operative by being alive to the truth of interrelationship of all things in existence. (4) The interrelationship of all living forms also applies to human beings. “As love flows out of rightly seeing reality as it is, it is also love that makes us feel that we – each is us individually and all of us collectively – are responsible for whatever things, good or evil, go on in our human community, and we must therefore strive to ameliorate or remove whatever conditions are inimical to the universal advancement of human welfare and wisdom.” The existence of each individual, whether or not he is conscious of the fact, owes something to an infinitely expanding and all-enwrapping net of loving relationship, which takes up not only every one of us but everything that exists. The world is a great family and we, each one of us, are its members. When this philosophy of the interrelatedness of things is rightly understood, love begins to be realized, because love is to recognize others and to take them into consideration in every way of life. To do to others what you would like them to do to you is the keynote of love and this is what naturally grows out of the realization of mutual relatedness . . . Love is life and life is love. (5) According to the great Sufi mystic Rumi, love is the motive force of all creation and leads to the direct perception of Truth or God: “Love, whether its immediate object be Divine or human, leads ultimately to the knowledge of God. All earthly beauty is but the reflection of heavenly Beauty.” For Rumi, love is a cosmic feeling, a spirit of oneness with the universe: Love is the essence of all religion. It has three important characteristics: (1) Any form in which love expresses itself is good – not because it is a particular expression but because it is an expression of love. Forms of love are irrelevant to the nature of religious experience. (2) Love is different from feelings of pleasure and pain. It is not regulated by any consideration of reward and punishment. (3) Love transcends intellect. We do not live in order to think; we think in order to live. Rumi admits the utility of the intellect and does not reject it altogether. But his emphasis is on intuition and direct perception. (6)

3

Unconscious Expressions of Love

Although love is our true nature it is covered up by fear, insecurity and a sense of separateness and isolation. Most people equate love with pleasure and happiness, which inevitably leads to suffering when these states are no longer present. According to Gurdjieff, what most people experience as ordinary love is unconscious and based on physical, mental and emotional attraction. It is essentially dualistic: ‘”I love, I don’t love.” As we are we cannot love. We love because something in ourselves combines with another’s emanations; this starts pleasant associations, perhaps because of chemico-physical emanations from instinctive centre, emotional centre, or intellectual centre; or it may be from influences of external form; or from feelings – I love you because you love me, or because you don’t love me; suggestions of others; sense of superiority; from pity; and for many other reasons, subjective and egoistic. We allow ourselves to be influenced. We project our feelings on others. Anger begets anger. We receive what we give. Everything attracts or repels. There is the love of sex, which is ordinarily known as “love” between men and women – when this disappears a man and a woman no longer “love” each other. There is love of feeling, which evokes the opposite and makes people suffer. Later, we will talk about conscious love. (7) For most people love is based on attachment and subjective needs, and is not truly free and independent of external conditions and attractions. In contrast, love in the deepest sense is universal and not limited or selective: To many people, love is the ultimate attachment: when you love somebody you want to possess them. Often what passes for love in modern consciousness is a very strong attachment to another person, thing, or creature. But if you really want to apply this word to that which accepts, then you have mettâ – love that is unattached, which has no preferences, which accepts everything and sees everything as belonging. When you begin to trust in the awareness, the conscious moment that is infinite, then everything belongs in it. From the perspective of this conscious being, whatever arises in consciousness is accepted and welcomed, whether it’s through the senses from the outside or from inside – the emotional and physical conditions which become conscious in the present moment. This sense of love, acceptance, and non-judgment accepts everything that you are thinking, feeling and experiencing; it allows everything to be what it is. When we don’t allow things to be as they are, then we are trying to get something that we don’t have or get rid of something that we don’t want. (8) Love based on desire and attachment is dependent on changing conditions and circumstances. “If you love one person more than another, this is not true love, it is an attachment created by desire. To love all things equally, seeing the Self in all of them, is true love. It is love 4

that binds the universe together and sustains it.” When love is equated with desire it prevents the discovery of unconditional love and joy: In his [Symposium ], Plato defines love as being the desire to possess permanently what is good. But the desire or the love of good is only conceivable if there is knowledge, a previous experience or a memory of the good. One might thus say that any love is a home-sickness, a longing for a lost paradise. The man who lives in a condition where he knows no liberating activity, lives in a world of pain and sadness which from time to time gives place to sparks of joy. All human endeavor strives towards the keeping and the prolonging of such moments. The mistake that most men make is to believe that these moments of joy are caused by the conditions which precede them. It is a long and arduous task to free oneself from this error. What may help us is when we notice how relative are such joys, which, as we very soon see, are not always produced by the same conditions, since what is a condition of joy for one man is not so for another, and what was the condition for yesterday’s joy is no more so today. Thus a man finds himself on the threshold of true spiritual research which begins with a return to oneself. This is the first step towards the Self. (9) So-called romantic love is often tainted by subjective needs and desires. “Love is not homogeneous. There is possessive love, love that wants to absorb, smother, control; and submissive, dependent love that wants to surrender, be cared for, comforted and given security.” Sometimes love has an emotional connotation for short periods. Truly loving somebody doesn’t mean we feel emotional about them, however. We can love our children and wish they’d wipe their feet before coming into the house. Being irritated that they don’t wipe their feet is an emotion, but the underlying love is not. The love for one’s children remains steady. In the case of romantic love, there’s nearly always an element of need, a thought that we are going to get something out of it . . . In fact, nobody makes us happy or sad; we do that to ourselves. Romantic love is full of illusions; genuine love, or compassion, has no illusions. It Is simply who we are. (10) When a relationship is based on real love it has an open spacious quality in which there is an awareness of the silent background of essential oneness and unity. “In stillness there is an absolute absence of any state or concept. You are this fullness. This fullness is love, is peace, is happiness. It is indescribable. Don’t try to objectify love or peace and make a state of them.” Q: You said earlier that real friendship is the silence when there is nothing left to say. Would you talk more about this? A: Let us say that you live with someone you really love. There may be many moments when there is nothing to feel and nothing to think. There is only being together. You often feel it with couples who have been together a long time. When 5

you live with a man or woman there comes a time when you know all about each other’s past and there is nothing left to say. But the intervals are full, not empty, and the complete comfort in the interval is the background of the whole relationship. Then it is beautiful to be together. Everything comes out of this silence and dissolves back into it. (11) Our usual conception of love is a faint reflection of what its evolved expression is. For most people their most sublime ideas about love are actually “the lowest of the possible perceptions of real love.” Q: Why is there so much suffering in love? A: All suffering is born of desire. True love is never frustrated. How can the sense of unity be frustrated? What can be frustrated is the desire for expression. Such desire is of the mind. As with all things mental, frustration is inevitable. Q: What is the place of sex in love? A: Love is a state of being. Sex is energy. Love is wise, sex is blind. Once the true nature of love and sex is understood there will be no conflict or confusion. Q: What can make me love? A: You are love itself – when you are not afraid. (12)

Love and Spirituality

Love is both the means and ultimate goal of spiritual development. It dissolves the barrier between self and others, connects us with all of life, and opens the heart to compassion and forgiveness. “Love is based on recognizing our fundament interconnectedness. We need each other to become enlightened, because the development of genuine wisdom depends on developing warm-hearted love and compassion. All the happiness and virtue in this world comes from selflessness and generosity, all the sorrow from egotism, selfishness and greed.” Love is the vehicle which leads humanity to spiritual fulfillment and completion. “Within humanity there is an element, activated by love, which provides the means of attaining to true reality, called mystical meaning.” The teachings of the Buddha offer a progressive path from all-embracing love to compassion and joy which ultimately “blossoms into the flower of serenity, your being naturally open to others as you expand in the experience of light and radiance.” When you see the suffering of others from a state of serenity you naturally enter and become the other, you participate with passion. Before you can truly 6

understand the suffering of the other you must be based in love and serenity – not coming from a sense of agony. Be in the state of love and then make it active. Higher compassion is not thinking of the other as separate for you are irrevocably rooted in the universe; there is no other. It is not compassionate for you to see only the suffering without also seeing the joy. Don’t think that you have to follow concrete rules to become compassionate, just remove ego clinging and spontaneously insights will arise. Following rules will not bring you into a state of compassion, life is not that simplistic. The only solution is that you be in a state of love and serenity; the act is not as important as the motivation. (13) The highest state of human consciousness is pure love: “The ultimate dimension, in the very depth of being, the supreme dimension of life, is universal consciousness and love. Each cannot exist without the other. Trut h and love are one and t he same t hing.” True love is a universal, non-discriminating sense of care and connectedness. In it we can include those whom we may not at all like or approve of. We may not condone their behavior, but we can cultivate understanding and forgiveness towards them. True love becomes a powerful tool for transforming any situation. Love is not a passive acquiescence. Love is inclusive and powerful, and when we touch it in our spiritual practice this becomes a direct experience for us . . . There is no hardship and no difficulty that enough love cannot conquer, no distance that enough love cannot span, no barrier that enough love cannot overcome. Whatever the question, love is the answer. This is a universal law and a lesson in spiritual practice that our hearts must learn. The Buddha said it clearly: “Hatred never ceases through hatred. Hatred only ceases through love.” (14) Love transcends our conventional ideas of what its true nature is. It is not limited by our nominal conceptions, beliefs and formulations. It embraces the totality of life: Love is not really the experience of beauty or romantic joy alone. Love is also associated with ugliness and pain, as well as the beauty of the world; it is not the re-creation of heaven. Love or compassion, the open path, is associated with “what is.” In order to develop love – universal love, cosmic love, whatever you would like to call it – one must accept the whole situation of life as it is, both the light and the dark, the good and the bad. One must open oneself to life, communicate with it. (15) Love, according to Rumi, enables a human being to integrate instinct and reason with intuitive perception, thus allowing direct involvement with every aspect of existence. Love, service and knowledge are all integrated in one unified whole: “With knowledge you know what love is, and what it is not. With knowledge you can serve. Knowledge may not be superior to love, but it is the essential prerequisite. If you do not understand, you cannot love. You can only imagine that you love.”

7

Rumi regarded love as both a universal evolutionary impulse and a formative developmental influence on human consciousness: “Mankind has an unfulfilled desire, and struggles to fulfil it through all sorts of enterprises and ambitions. But it is only in love that one can find real fulfilment and peace.” The motive force behind creative evolution is love. It is love which compels matter to become life, and life to become mind. “Beneath the visible evolution of forms is the force of love which actualizes all striving, movement, progress . . . All things are moving towards the first Beloved – the Eternal Beauty. The worth of a thing is decided by its nearness to, or distance from, this ultimate principle.” Life is a journeying back to God; it proceeds according to a process of evolution. The minerals develop into plants, and plants into animals, animals into man and man into superhuman or angelic beings, ultimately to reach back to the starting point – “God is the beginning and God is the end. To Him do we return.” (16) Spiritual realization reveals that the experience of the Self or Ultimate Reality is synonymous with love. Ramana Maharshi: “Only if one knows the truth of love, which is the real nature of Self, will the strong entangled knot of life be unified. Only if one attains the height of love will liberation be attained. Such is the heart of all religions.” Love is our natural state of pure being and joy: Love is a state of Being. Your love is not outside; it is deep within you. You can never lose it, and it cannot leave you. It is not dependent on some other body, some external form. In the stillness of your presence, you can feel your own formless and timeless reality as the unmanifested life that animated your physical form. You can then feel the same life deep within every other human and every other creature. You look beyond the veil of form and separation. This is the realization of oneness. This is love. What is God? The eternal One Life underneath all the forms of life. What is love? To feel the presence of that One Life deep within yourself and within all creatures. To be it. Therefore, all love is the love of God. (17)

Conscious Selfless Love

Love exists in its fullest expression when any sense of separation and distinction is absent. In the words of Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj: “Love is not selective, desire is selective. In love there are no strangers. When the centre of selfishness is no longer, all desire for pleasure and fear of pain ceases; one is no longer interested in being happy; beyond happiness there is pure intensity, inexhaustible energy, the ecstasy of giving from a perennial source.” The purest form of love is all-encompassing and embraces all that lives. “In love there is no ‘me.’ In love we are in relationship and in relationship everything is in contact with everything else, everything is part of everything else. We cannot be separate in love.” 8

Love simply is. By its very nature, it is without conditions or limits. Because it does not pursue anything, it does not fear anything. It has no dependencies, attachments, vested interests, or possessions. Because it does not, and cannot, cling to anything, it is completely without frustration, envy, anger, jealousy, disappointment or sorrow. It is freedom. Our problems are not with love, but with the things we call love, which are really clinging, longing, depending, worrying, projecting, manipulating, and trying to control. These bring endless misery and loneliness. They are the process by which we torment ourselves unknowingly, out of ignorance. Loving has nothing to do with any of these things. It is beauty, freedom and joy without measure. (18) At its deepest level love is both personal and impersonal, without limit or definition. “When you recognize yourself completely in others and when there’s no more separation between you and them, there’s love. You realize that what you are is also what the other being is. Where there’s no more ‘you and others,’ there’s only love.” Love can only exist when there’s no concept of “love.” As long as it’s limited by a concept, it’s imprisoned. You want to define love, and the word “define” literally means “to limit.” Your desire to define love this way or that way turns it into your possession, a love that you have at your disposal, a love that has an owner. Love that’s thus limited and imprisoned certainly isn’t the infinite love that everyone longs for. Q: But isn’t there a love that isn’t imprisoned? A: There is. It exists where there’s nobody who could own love. This love is freedom, and only this is love. Love is the absence of a person who defines true love this way or another. Love is the absence of one who discriminates. Q: Do you also approve of personal love, the spontaneous love that’s directed at a particular human being? A: When you recognize yourself completely in others and when there’s no more separation between you and them, there’s love. Then love is synonymous with Self-realization. You realize that what you are is also what the other being is. Where there is no more “you and others,” there’s only love. Everyone desires this love; it’s the true meaning of relationship. (19) All living things, whether plants, insects, animals or human beings, are interrelated and interdependent. For instance, as Gurdjieff observed, plants act on a person’s moods and the emotions of a person can affect a plant. Zen teacher Philip Kapleau: “Universal or cosmic love is a natural outpouring toward all creatures, great or small, and is fueled by direct awareness of the indivisibility of all life. When one loves in this way there is no attachment and no expectation of

9

something in return. Such oceanic love is realized not by standing apart, alone with the beloved, but by relinquishing one’s self and in so doing embracing all selves.” The highest form of love welcomes the totality of life. “Love is boundless. What is limited to a few cannot be called love. All is loved and lovable. Nothing is excluded.” When you love the Self and nothing else, you go beyond the selfish and the unselfish. All distinctions lose their meaning. Love of one and love of all merge together in love, pure and simple, addressed to none, denied to none. Stay in that love, go deeper and deeper into it, investigate yourself and love the investigation and you will solve not only your own problems but also the problems of humanity. You will know what to do. (20) Real love expresses itself in everyday life through our relationships with other people and the world. In the words of Byron Katie: “Love doesn’t stand by – it moves with the speed of clarity. Love is action. It is clear, kind, effortless and irresistible.” Love is not a state of quiescence but rather a living expression of energy in action: It is the nature of love to express itself, to affirm itself, to overcome difficulties. Once you have understood that the world is love in action, you will look at it quite differently. But first your attitude to suffering must change. Suffering is primarily a call for attention, which itself is a movement of love. More than happiness, love wants growth, the widening and deepening of consciousness and being. Whatever prevents becomes a cause of pain and love does not shirk from pain. Sat t va , the energy that works for righteousness and orderly development, must not be thwarted. When obstructed it turns against itself and becomes destructive. Whenever love is withheld and suffering allowed to spread, war becomes inevitable. Our indifference to our neighbour’s sorrow brings suffering to our door. (21) Objective, conscious love may sometimes appear in a form that seems contradictory or even apparently malicious or cruel. An example is so-called “tough love,” whereby someone may be genuinely helped by being challenged or criticized. Gurdjieff describes this process in a conversation recorded by one of his pupils: When asked to define a proper, objectively moral love between people – one for another – he said that it would be necessary to develop oneself to such an extent that it would be possible to “know and understand enough to be able to aid someone else in doing something necessary for himself, even when that person was not conscious of the need, and might work against you.” Only in this sense was love properly responsible and worthy of the name of real love. He added that, even with the best of intentions, most people would be too afraid to love another person in an active sense, or even to attempt to do anything for them; and that one of the terrifying aspects of love was that while it was possible to help another person to a certain 10

degree, it was not possible to actually “do” anything for them. “If you see another man fall down, when he must walk, you can pick him up. But, although to take one more step is more necessary for him even than air, he must take the step alone; it is impossible for another person to take it for him. (22) There is no need to acquire or develop love since it is already fully present as our own true nature. “Silence is the background of all that happens, all that appears and disappears. It is unqualified love. The moment you live knowingly in oneness, there are no ‘others.’ There is only Self. This is love.” The state of pure being, the sense of “I am,” is the love t o be. This love is not individual or personal love, but is the indwelling principle animating all beings, the life force itself. “Your own Beingness is love and bliss. You have objectified your love. Your very nature is love. By stabilizing in Beingness you collect all the love which was diffused and spread outside. You abide in the knowledge ‘I am’.” This love is the universal love. Not directed at any particular person or thing, it is very much like space. Space does not say, I am exclusively for so and so. It does not make love privately to someone. That love is manifest and universal. Because you identify with the body, all the troubles begin. Primary love is ‘love to be’ – only after that can you think of loving others. Why do you strive ‘to be’? simply, because you ‘love to be.’ The biggest stumbling block is the identification with the body-mind. Understand that it is not that you can become God; you are God. You are godly. Originally, but you became something ‘you are not.’ You should understand that your destination is your own self, the ‘I am.’ It is the very source of everything. (23)

Compassion

The cultivation of compassion lies at the heart of the world’s spiritual traditions. For instance, Buddhist teachings stress the importance of met t a , loving-kindness and non-discriminative love, and karunâ , compassion and the active alleviation of the suffering of others. The Buddhist ideal of compassion is all-embracing and a manifestation of absolute, unconditional love: “The Perfect Compassion of Buddhahood is a Love that is identical with Perfect Wisdom, that arises not from any form of clinging, but from a total liberation from all attachments.” Metta is generosity of the heart that wishes happiness to all beings, both oneself and others. Lovingkindness softens the mind and heart with feelings of benevolence. The mind becomes pliable and the heart gentle as metta seeks the welfare and benefit of all. The feeling of lovingkindness expresses the simple wish “May you be happy.” Because we react less and remain more open when we cultivate metta, the softness and pliability of love becomes the ground for wisdom. We see 11

with greater clarity what is wholesome and skillful in our life and what is not. As this discriminating wisdom grows, we make wiser life choices that lead us again to greater happiness and more love. In a beautifully interrelated way, mindfulness creates the field in which metta grows. We first collect the attention and gather the scattered mind. In the beginning of mindfulness practice, we may be distracted or overcome by hindrances. But slowly awareness works its magic. We observe, come back from being lost, begin again, and gradually our mind becomes more accepting, less reactive, and less judgmental. We do not get so totally lost in discursive thoughts. A soft and gentle awareness allows our mind and heart to relax, to loosen, to open. (24) In the Buddhist tradition, a bodhisat t va is a person who provides selfless service to others regardless of the situation or circumstance: Q: I assume that being a bodhisattva means helping people, and people make specific demands. So, a bodhisattva must perform specific acts. But how does this idea of being totally open fit in with the need to perform specific acts? A: Being open does not mean being unresponsive, a zombie. It means being free to do whatever is called for in a given situation. Because you do not want anything from the situation, you are free to act in the way genuinely appropriate to it. And, similarly, if other people want something from you, that may be their problem. You do not have to try to ingratiate yourself with anyone. Openness means “being what you are.” If you are comfortable being yourself, then an environment of openness and communication arises automatically and naturally. (25) A noble or compassionate heart radiates a selfless love which includes but also ultimately transcends simple kindness to others. It is genuine and heartfelt sympathy, a total communion between two human beings built on a foundation of deep spiritual understanding and wisdom: In reality Compassion has nothing particularly to do with being compassionate, in the sense of being charitable or kind to one’s neighbours or giving regular donations to refugees or various charitable organizations, although that may also be included. Real charity is fundamental; it amounts to developing warmth within oneself. Out of simplicity and awareness the Bodhisattva develops selfless warmth. He doesn’t even think in terms of his own psychological benefit; he doesn’t think, ‘I would like to see him not suffering.’ ‘I ’ does not come into it at all. He speaks and thinks and acts spontaneously, not thinking even in terms of helping, or fulfilling any particular purpose. He does not act on ‘religious’ or ‘charitable’ grounds at all. He just acts according to the true, present moment, through which he develops a kind of warmth. And there is great warmth in this awareness and also great creativity. His actions are not limited by anything and all sorts of creative impulses just arise in him and are somehow exactly right for that particular moment. (26) 12

True compassion is based on love and a non-dual understanding of life free from any sense of separation and division. It emerges naturally when one’s mind and heart are open to whatever arises in experience. “Love is a universal force that flows through us, it is our beingness. When there is oneness there is happiness, there is affection, there is compassion.” Byron Katie describes a depth of compassion that has no motive and does not judge or discriminate: How can I not be available to anyone who asks me for help? I love people just the way they are, whether they see themselves as saints or sinners. I know that each of us is beyond categories, unfathomable. It’s not possible to reject people unless you believe your story about them. And, really, I don’t accept or reject; I welcome everyone with open arms. This doesn’t mean that I condone the harm that people do, or any form of unkindness. But no one is bad by nature. When someone harms another human being, it’s because he or she is confused. This is as true of ordinary people as of the murderers and rapists I work with in prisons. (27) Compassion has sometimes been called “the language of the heart.” The seed of compassion lies in the discovery of the universal nature of human experience which transcends gender, age, race, geographical location and historical time: Compassion is not just a feeling; it is a response to pain that is deeply rooted in wisdom. It is a commitment to alleviating suffering and the cause of suffering in all its forms. The human story is both personal and universal. Our personal experiences of pain and joy, grief and despair, may be unique to each of us in the forms they take, yet our capacity to feel grief, fear, loneliness and rage, as well as delight, intimacy, joy, and ease, are our common bonds as human beings. They are the language of the heart that crosses the borders of “I” and “you.” In the midst of despair or pain, you may be convinced that no one has ever felt this way before. Yet there is no pain you can experience that has not been experienced before by another in a different time or place. Our emotional world is universal. (28) Compassion naturally arises when there is inner peace and a certain detachment from the world of ever-changing perception and experience. “You abide in Being – unchanging, timeless, deathless – and you are no longer dependent for fulfillment and happiness on the outer world of constantly fluctuating forms. You can enjoy them, play with them, create new forms, appreciate the beauty of it all. But there will be no need to attach yourself to any of it.” Q: When you become this detached, does it not mean that you also become remote from other human beings? A: On the contrary. As long as you are unaware of Being, the reality of other humans will elude you, because you have not found your own. Your mind will like or dislike their form, which is not just their body but includes their mind as well. True relationship becomes possible only when there is an awareness of 13

Being. Coming from Being, you will perceive another person’s body and mind as just a screen, as it were, behind which you can feel their true reality, as you feel yours. So, when confronted with someone else’s suffering or unconscious behavior, you stay present and in touch with Being and are thus able to look beyond the form and feel the other person’s radiant and pure Being through your own. At the level of Being, all suffering is recognized as an illusion. Suffering is due to identification with form. Miracles of healing sometimes occur through this realization, by awakening Being-consciousness in others – if they are ready. (29) Compassionate action is a positive, harmonizing force in everyday life. This living compassion goes hand in hand with wisdom, and wisdom with compassion: Loving friendliness is the underlying principle behind all wholesome thoughts, words and deeds. With loving friendliness, we recognize more clearly the needs of others and help them readily. With thoughts of loving friendliness we appreciate the success of others with warm feeling. We need loving friendliness in order to live and work with others in harmony. Loving friendliness protects us from the suffering caused by anger and jealousy. When we cultivate our loving friendliness, our compassion, our appreciative joy for others, and our equanimity, we not only make life more pleasant for those around us, our own lives become peaceful and happy. The power of loving friendliness, like the radiance of the Sun, is beyond measure. (30) The jewel of compassion is the awareness of the deep connection between oneself, other people and the natural world. There are two sides to this bond, common to all humanity: the inevitability of the death of the physical form of every living creature and the reality of the eternal, timeless dimension of our true nature – pure Being: The realization of this deathless dimension, your true nature, is the other side of compassion. On a deep feeling level, you now recognize not only your own immortality but through your own that of every other creature as well. On the level of form, you share mortality and the preciousness of existence. On the level of Being, you share eternal, radiant life. These are the two aspects of compassion. In compassion, the seemingly opposite feelings of sadness and joy merge into one and become transmuted into a deep inner peace. This is the peace of God. It is one of the most noble feelings that humans are capable of, and it has great healing and transformative power. But true compassion, as I have just described it, is as yet rare. To have deep empathy for the suffering of another being certainly requires a high degree of consciousness but represents only one side of compassion. It is not complete. True compassion goes beyond empathy or sympathy. It does not happen until sadness merges with joy, the joy of Being beyond form, the joy of eternal life. (31)

14

Love and Compassion Tow ards Ourselves

Before we can treat others with compassion we need to begin with ourselves. Buddhist teacher Pema Chödrön: “The basis of any kind of compassionate action is the insight that the others who seem to be out there are some kind of mirror image of ourselves. By making friends with yourself, you make friends with others. By hurting others, you hurt yourself.” In cultivating loving-kindness, we train first to be honest, loving and compassionate toward ourselves. Rather than nurturing self-denigration, we begin to cultivate a clear-seeing kindness. Sometimes we feel good and strong. Sometimes we feel inadequate and weak. But like mother love, mait ri is unconditional. No matter how we feel, we can aspire to be happy. We can learn to act and think in ways that sow seeds of our future well-being, gradually becoming more aware of what causes happiness as well as what causes distress. Without loving-kindness for ourselves, it is difficult, if not impossible, to genuinely feel it for others. (32) Compassion begins by learning to be gentle, accepting and kind to ourselves. “Love yourself wisely and you will reach the summit of perfection. Everybody loves their body, but few love their real being. Your real being is love itself and your many loves are its reflections according to the situation at the moment.” To develop true compassion, cultivate open awareness. The more open you become, the more you will be able to offer assistance to all living beings. And the more you respond to the problems of others, the more your own problems will dissolve. Gradually, the distinction between your welfare and the welfare of others disappears, and you see that when you are no longer self-preoccupied, there is no individual problem. When you have gone beyond achieving, beyond thoughts, beyond giver and gift and recipient, beyond all dualities, then you have reached compassion. When giving is completely free of attachment and grasping, it is significant and appropriate, the natural expression of an awakened heart. (33) Until we can unconditionally love ourselves we cannot truly love others. “Explore in you what is lovable and give all your intelligence and capacity to what is lovable in you. What is lovable in you is also lovable in the other one. To really love another, you must first love yourself – but not what you ordinarily call yourself – because our true self is the self of all.” Q: What is love in life, how does it function, because sometimes it seems difficult and sometimes it is easy? A: Before loving your surroundings, you must first love yourself. Not, of course, the image that you have of yourself, but your real self. When you look at things from this higher principle which we call love, all things become lovable. Things appear constantly according to your point of view. Love must become your 15

nearest. It is your nearest and also your dearest. Be in identity with it. In love there is no place for somebody. Love is not a state which you go in and out of. It is the principle which is our permanence. (34) It is not easy to love other human beings until we are in touch with a love grounded in the experience of our true nature – timeless being and presence. When love and compassion are truly alive we feel it in others because it is not personal – its essence is common with all human beings. “Compassion is open, free, and limitless. Indescribable and utterly beyond intellectual comprehension, it responds to any situation spontaneously and without calculation, yet in a way that enlightens and transforms.” Q: I find it much easier to unconditionally love nature and animals than human beings, except very young children, because animals and nature and very young children are innocent and not devious like human beings. Can you comment? A: It is true that it takes more maturity to love human beings, to know that they are one with you. Q: How can I get beyond all the unlovable things in the personality to come to what is most lovable? A: First you must believe what I say to you, that you are lovable. Then, like a scientist, follow my advice, the same advice that I followed to know that you are lovable! Discover that you are not your body, senses and mind, but something beyond. When you have inquired into the body, senses and mind, there comes a point when there is no more to inquiry and you feel yourself directionless, at a living point from which all direction flows. You will find yourself in identity with it. It remembers you from time to time. Be this moment. It will be your companion all your life. (35) Love embraces all that exists, including ourselves. Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj: “Your love of the world is the reflection of your love of yourself, for your world is of your own creation. Light and love are impersonal, but they are reflected in your mind as knowing and wishing oneself well” and “The pleasure to be is the simplest form of self-love, which later grows into love of the Self. Instead of trying to be this or that, just be happy to be.” That which you are, your true self, you love it, and whatever you do, you do for your own happiness. To find it, to know it, to cherish it is your basic urge. Since time immemorial you loved yourself, but never wisely. Use your body and mind wisely in the service of the self, that is all. Be true to your own self, love your self absolutely. Do not pretend that you love others as yourself. Unless you have realized them as one with yourself, you cannot love them. Don’t pretend to be what you are not, don’t refuse to be what you are. Your love of others is the result of self-knowledge, not its cause. Without self-realization, no virtue is genuine. 16

When you know beyond all doubting that the same life flows through all that is and you are that life, you will love all naturally and spontaneously. When you realize the depth and fullness of your love of yourself, you know that every living being and the entire universe are included in your affection. (36)

References

(1) Eckhart Tolle The Pow er of Now (Vancouver: Namaste Publishing, 1997), p. 131. (2) Idries Shah The W ay of t he Sufi (London: Octagon Press, 1984), p. 231. (3) Lama Surya Das The Big Quest ion (New York: Rodale, 2007), pp. 89-90. (4) D.T. Suzuki The Aw akening of Zen (Boston: Shambhala, 1987), p. 70. (5) D.T. Suzuki The Aw akening of Zen (Boston: Shambhala, 1987), pp. 66-67. (6) Afzal Iqbal The Life and W ork of Jalaluddin Rumi (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 261. (7) C.S. Nott Teachings of Gurdjieff (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1974), p. 23. (8) Ajahn Sumedho The Sound of Silence (Boston: Wisdom Publications, 2007), p. 306. (9) Jean Klein Be W ho You Are (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1989), pp. 37-38. (10) Charlotte Beck Not hing Special: Living Zen (San Francisco: Harper, 1993), p. 218. (11) Jean Klein W ho Am I? (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1988), p. 8. (12) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), pp. 111-112. (13) Namgyal Rinpoche The Pat h of Vict ory (Boise, Idaho: The Open Path, 1980), p. 14. (14) Joseph Goldstein and Jack Kornfield Seeking t he Heart of W isdom (Boston: Shambhala, 1987), pp. 159-160. (15) Chögyam Trungpa Cut t ing Through Spirit ual M at erialism (Berkeley: Shambhala, 1973), p. 101. (16) Afzal Iqbal The Life and W ork of Jalaluddin Rumi (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 278-279. (17) Eckhart Tolle The Pow er of Now (Vancouver: Namaste Publishing, 1997), pp. 130-131. (18) Scott Morrison Open and Innocent (Asheville, North Carolina: 21st Century Renaissance, 2000), p. 67. (19) Karl Renz The M yt h of Enlight enment (Carlsbad, California: Inner Directions, 2005), pp. 88-89. (20) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 216. (21) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 420. (22) Fritz Peters Boyhood w it h Gurdjieff (Baltimore: Penguin Books, 1964), pp. 166-167. (23) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj The Nect ar of t he Lord’s Feet (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1987), p. 124. (24) Joseph Goldstein Insight M edit at ion (Boston: Shambhala, 2003), p. 143. (25) Chögyam Trungpa Cut t ing Through Spirit ual M at erialism (Berkeley: Shambhala, 1973), p. 103. (26) Chögyam Trungpa M edit at ion in Act ion (Berkeley: Shambhala, 1969), p. 36. (27) Byron Katie A Thousand Names for Joy (New York: Three Rivers Press, 2007), p. 76. 17

(28) Jack Kornfield The Buddha is St ill Teaching (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), p. 58. (29) Eckhart Tolle The Pow er of Now (Vancouver: Namaste Publishing, 1997), pp. 163-164. (30) Bhante Henepola Gunaratana M indfulness in Plain English (Boston: Wisdom Publications, 2002), p. 195. (31) Eckhart Tolle The Pow er of Now (Vancouver: Namaste Publishing, 1997), pp. 165-166. (32) Pema Chödrön The Places That Scare You (Boston: Shambhala, 2002), p. 42. (33) Tarthang Tulku Hidden M ind of Freedom (Berkeley: Dharma Publishing, 1981), pp. 58-59. (34) Jean Klein Beyond Know ledge (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publications, 1994), pp. 47-48. (35) Jean Klein Beyond Know ledge (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publications, 1994), pp. 33-34. (36) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 213.

18

M YSTICAL EXPERIENCE AND ENLIGHTENM ENT

‘The eye w it h w hich I see God is t he same eye w it h w hich God sees me.’ M eist er Eckhart

Ineffable and Beyond W ords

Real, genuine spiritual experiences cannot be adequately described or conveyed in words. “Attempts at putting into speech or writing the mystical experience itself have never succeeded, because those who know do not need it; those who do not cannot gain it without a bridge.” The narrator of the mystical experience is in much the same situation as the man trying to recount a dream. As he begins to formulate the experience in words, it subtly changes shape; he concludes with a narration that may be more comprehensible – even more entertaining – but it is not the dream. As T.S. Eliot wrote: ‘We had the experience but missed the meaning . . .’ (1) Because the state of enlightenment or self-realization cannot be expressed in words or defined in linear terms, any attempt to do so can only allude to the nature of the experience. At best, words are only pointers. Lao Tzu: ‘He w ho know s does not speak. He w ho speaks does not know .’ The truth of oneness cannot be contained in a name or a concept any more than the ocean can be held in a spoon: in the absence of the division and polarities that define the human experience, what remains is ineffable. So accustomed are we to expressing ourselves conceptually and describing the events of life so that others can understand them, a world undefined, untouched by thought, defies the grasp of language. It is the experience Rudolph Otto calls myst erium t remendum , something “wholly other,” overpowering, and completely beyond the bounds of normal experience. (2) In the absence of an adequate verbal language to capture the mystical experience, certain metaphors and analogies have been suggested for describing the state of enlightenment: One of the aims of the esoteric disciplines is to remove “blindness” or “illusion,” to “awaken” a “fresh” perception. Enlightenment or illumination are words often used for progress in these disciplines, for a breakthrough in the level of awareness – flooding a dark spot with light. The Indian tradition speaks of opening the third eye, of seeing more and more from a new vantage point. Sat ori, in Zen, is considered an intuitive “awakening.” The Sufis speak of the development of a “new organ” of perception. Some speak of seeing things “freshly” or for the first time. To William Blake it is a ”cleansing of the doors of perception.” Others, like 1

Gurdjieff, compare their experiences to that of a child, who presumably has not yet developed many automatic ways of tuning out the world. In Zen, one speaks similarly of seeing something for the five-hundredth time in the same way that one saw it for the first time. (3) In order to explain the essential nature of enlightenment, the great Indian sage Ramana Maharshi employed the analogy of film projected onto a blank screen: Q: If the Realized and unrealized alike perceive the world, where is the difference between them? A: When the realized man sees the world he sees the Self that is the substratum of all that is seen. Whether the unrealized man sees the world or not, he is ignorant of his true being, the Self. Take the example of a film on a cinema screen. What is there in front of you before the film begins? Only the screen. On that screen you see the entire show, and to all appearances the pictures are real. But go and try to take hold of them and what do you take hold of? The screen on which the pictures appear so real. After the play, when the pictures disappear, what remains? The screen again. So it is with the Self. That alone exists; the pictures come and go. If you hold onto the Self, you will not be deceived by the appearance of the pictures. Nor does it matter at all whether the pictures appear or disappear. (4) Another useful analogy of the experience of enlightenment, from the Zen tradition, is the complementary nature of a fan designed with two completely different sides: After you have seen into your True nature – that is, become enlightened – you see all objects are temporary phenomena undergoing endless change, but you see them in and through the aspect of sameness. You then understand that without the undifferentiated there can be no individual existences. I can illustrate what I am saying with this paper fan. One side has many stripes, as you see; the other is pure white. The white side can be called the undifferentiated, the side with the stripes, the discriminated. What makes the stripes appear as stripes is the white, or undifferentiated, side of the fan. Conversely, what makes the white side meaningful is the stripes. They are two aspects of the One. But while the discriminated aspect is subject to ceaseless transformation, that which is undifferentiated is changeless. (5) Advaita Vedanta teacher Jean Klein, while acknowledging the difficulty of expressing selfrealization in words, uses precise language to point to the psychological insight which allows the enlightened state to emerge naturally: No exact definition of this realization can be given, since it lies beyond duality and cannot be grasped by language. One can, however, endeavour to describe 2

it by saying that the realized person is one who has reached a pure and full consciousness of “I am.” For the ordinary person, such a consciousness is always confused because it is impure, that is to say, accompanied by qualifications. “I am this or that,” “I have to deal with this or that.” In reality this “I am” is ever there, it can’t be otherwise. It accompanies each and every state. To return to the “I am” in its complete purity, there is no other way than the total elimination of everything that accompanies it: objects, states. Then that consciousness which hitherto used to turn to the innumerable companions of the “I am,” sees them all to be lifeless, finds itself, and realizes its own everlasting splendour. (6)

Preparation and Purification

The possibility of enlightenment is latent in everyone, only requiring the right conditions to manifest. The Christian mystic Meister Eckhart likens the process to a seed developing into a mature tree: “The seed of God is within us. Given an intelligent and hardworking farmer, it will thrive and grow up to God, whose seed It is, and accordingly its fruits will be God-nature. Pear seeds grow into pear trees, nut seeds into nut trees, and God seeds into God.” Misperception of the nature of phenomenal reality and ignorance of our true self are the twin obstacles to spiritual awakening. Only by discarding the false identification with our thoughts, emotions and perceptions can integration with higher reality and alignment with the timeless present naturally occur. Kabir: “Behold t he One in all t hings. It is t he second t hat leads you ast ray.’

Q: Since reality is all the time with us, what does self-realization consist of? A: Realization is but the opposite of ignorance. To take the world as real and one’s self as unreal is ignorance, the cause of sorrow. To know the Self as the only reality and all else as temporal and transient is freedom, peace and joy. It is all very simple. Instead of seeing things as imagined, learn to see them as they are. When you can see everything as it is, you will also see yourself as you are. It is like cleansing a mirror. The same mirror that shows you the world as it is, will also show you your own face. The thought ‘I am’ is the polishing cloth. Use it. (7) Identification with the body and mind and ignorance of one’s real timeless nature is the fundamental error, preventing direct realization of the Self. “Pure consciousness wholly unrelated to the physical body and transcending the mind is a matter of direct experience. Sages know their bodiless, eternal Existence just as the layman knows his bodily existence.” Self-realization is not however a state which is foreign to you, which is far from you, and which has to be reached by you. You are always in that state. You forget it, and identify yourself with the mind and its creation. To cease to identify your3

self with the mind is all that is required. We have so long identified ourselves with the not-self that we find it difficult to regard ourselves as the Self. Giving up this identification with the not-self is all that is meant by Self-realization. (8) Within every human being there is a timeless element that is immediate and ever-present, but obscured by our false identification with subjective thoughts, emotions and perceptions that create a sense of separation between oneself and the totality of life: Being is the eternal, ever-present One Life beyond the myriad forms of life that are subject to birth and death. However, Being is not only beyond but also deep within every form as the innermost invisible and indestructible essence. This means that it is accessible to you now as your own deepest self, your true nature. But don’t seek to grasp it with your mind. Don’t try to understand it. You can know it only when the mind is still. When you are present, when your attention is fully and intensely in the Now, Being can be felt, but it can never be understood mentally. To regain awareness of Being and to abide in that state of “feeling-realization” is enlightenment. Q: What is the greatest obstacle to experiencing this reality? A: Identification with your mind creates an opaque screen of concepts, labels, images, words, judgments, and definitions that block all true relationship . . . It is this screen of thought that creates the illusion of separateness, the illusion that there is you and a totally separate “other.” You then forget the essential fact that, underneath the level of physical appearances and separate forms, you are one with all that is. (9) Enlightenment is not the product of will or effort, or attempts to capture it through a mindbased approach. It only appears when we directly perceive, through moment-to-moment awareness, the timeless presence lying behind the restless movement of the mind: Enlightenment has no cause whatsoever. Enlightenment, True Nature, True Self, Wholeness, the Unconditioned Absolute – whatever words have been given to what is without words, unthinkable, unknowable, ungraspable – is not the effect of a cause. It is luminously present and timeless, overlooked by the roving intellect that is trying to grasp it and obscured by the bodymind’s constantly shifting moods, desires and fears . . . Meditation that is free and effortless, without goal, without expectation, is an expression of Pure Being that has nowhere to go, nothing to get. (10) Right understanding of the body-mind and purification of the psyche are essential stages in the preparation for genuine Self-realization. “Enlightenment is only the moment when there’s the absolute understanding that what you call the ‘me,’ the ’I’ is nothing other than a fabrication of the mind.” 4

Q: Once the Supreme State is reached, can it be shared with others? A: The Supreme State is universal, here and now, everybody already shares in it. It is the state of being – knowing and liking. Who does not like to be, or does not know his own existence? But we take no advantage of this joy of being conscious, we do not go into it and purify it of all that is foreign to it. The work of mental self-purification, the cleansing of the psyche, is essential. Just as a speck in the eye, by causing inflammation, may wipe out the world, so the mistaken idea: ‘I am the body-mind’ causes the self-concern, which obscures the universe. It is useless to fight the sense of being a limited and separate person unless the roots of it are laid bare. Selfishness is rooted in the mistaken idea of oneself. (11) Qualities such as simplicity, nonattachment and egolessness prepare the ground for the mystical experience. Meister Eckhart describes this state of ‘spiritual poverty” in Christian terms: A man must become truly poor and as free from his own creaturely will as when he was born. And I tell you, by the eternal truth, that so long as you desire to fulfill the will of God and have any hankering after eternity and God, for just so long you are not truly poor. He alone has true spiritual poverty who wills nothing, knows nothing, desires nothing. (12) Attempts to preview the state of enlightenment in words, images or symbols are ultimately fruitless as the unknown cannot be captured in terms of the known: You cannot be told what will happen, nor is it desirable; anticipation will create illusions. In the inner search, the unexpected is inevitable; the discovery is invariably beyond all imagination. Just as an unborn child cannot know life after birth, for it has nothing in its mind with which to form a valid picture, so is the mind unable to think of the real in terms of the unreal, except by negation: ‘Not this, not that.’ The acceptance of the unreal as real is the obstacle, to see the false as the false and abandon the false brings reality into being. The state of utter clarity, immense love, utter fearlessness; these are mere words at the present, outlines without colour, hints at what can be. (13)

The Nature of M ystical Experience

The ultimate state of mystical enlightenment, in which a seeker is in tune with the Infinite, is known in some spiritual traditions as ‘Union with Ultimate Reality’ or ‘Absorption into the Divinity.’ It is an experience of one’s highest spiritual potential and evolution as a human being. “Enlightenment is an expression of the inner state. It is our natural state; that means it is not

5

separate from us. Enlightenment means the total knowing and total understanding of who you are in the real sense.” The word enlightenment conjures up the idea of some superhuman accomplishment, and the ego likes to keep it that way, but it is simply your natural state of felt oneness with Being. It is the state of connectedness with something immeasurable and indestructible, something that, almost paradoxically, is essentially you and yet is much greater than you. It is finding your true nature beyond name and form. The inability to feel this connectedness gives rise to the illusion of separation, from yourself and the world around you. You then perceive yourself, consciously or unconsciously, as an isolated fragment. (14) The mystical experience is traditionally described as contact, communion, or identification with a higher power and eternal principle. “It is the intense awareness of oneness, of the magnificent unity of the cosmos, absolute and indivisible. This perceived singularity, in which at one level one remains oneself, at another one totally loses oneself, is the Real.” In the words of Plotinus: See all things, not in the process of becoming, but in Being, and see themselves in the other. Each being contains in itself the whole intelligible world. Therefore All is everywhere. Each is All and All is each. Man as he now is has ceased to be the All. But when he ceases to be an individual, he raises himself again and penetrates the whole world. (15) The world’s great spiritual traditions affirm that awakening and true inner peace is found within the innermost depths of consciousness which reveals the real, eternal Self. “Enlightenment is the realization, the lived experience, that unconditioned consciousness is our fundamental nature. It is the experience of our own being as a vast expanse of unbroken consciousness pervading our body and our environment as a single whole.” When a man knows his true Self for the first time something else arises from the depths of his being and takes possession of him. That something is behind the mind; it is infinite, divine, eternal. Some people call it the Kingdom of Heaven, others call it the soul and others again Nirvana, and Hindus call it Liberation; you may give it what name you wish. When this happens a man has not really lost himself; rather he has found himself. Unless and until a man embarks on this quest of the true Self, doubt and uncertainty will follow his footsteps throughout life. The greatest kings and statesmen try to rule others when in their heart of hearts they know they cannot rule themselves. Yet the greatest power is at the command of the man who has penetrated to his inmost depth . . . What is the use of knowing about everything else when you do not yet know who you are? Men avoid this enquiry into the true Self, but what else is there so worthy to be undertaken? (16)

6

Enlightenment is often experienced as a shift in perception from the secondary to the primary, from identification with form and duality to recognition of the underlying unity of all life. Spiritual teacher Bede Griffiths: “Suddenly we know we belong to another world, that there is another dimension to existence. We are freed from the flux of time and see something of the eternal order that underlies it.” In this moment of realization, we transcend the boundaries we have always believed to be real and consciously reconnect with the Source. By whatever name we call it – the Ground, the Absolute, God, Tao, Pure Mind, the Unborn – this is the reality we inhabited before we identified with the ego or took on the concepts of time and space and language; in other words before we became self-conscious. Accounts of spiritual awakening vary widely, but across all traditions certain essentials are unchanged – including the challenging truth that we cannot make the crossing from duality to wholeness in the vessel of our own ego: the self cannot transcend the self . . . When one sees, really sees, that he or she is not the doer, not the thinker, the body/mind is dropped and in its place is left only wholeness. Spiritual liberation does not free the self from suffering; to the contrary, it is we who are freed from the self’s tragic reign, allowing us to realize our oneness with what is. (17) Enlightenment is not a state to be achieved through effort or discipline as it is the timeless Reality which is the foundation of all experience. “Go very deeply within yourself and discover that which has never changed. You know the many changes in you, but the knower of these changes has never changed.” Q: What is enlightenment? A: The instantaneous insight that convinced you there is nothing and no one to enlighten. Q: How can I come near to it? A: Every step made to come near takes you away. ‘It is nearer than picking a flower.’ Be aware of only your unwillingness to give up wanting to produce. This intervention alienates us from the natural flow of life. Feel yourself in this awareness. Abide there and you will be taken by it. You will be in a new dimension, in an objectless expansiveness without reference. It is a moment of wonder; utterly without cause. Q: It seems to me that we can experience only indirectly what is beyond body, senses and mind. How can we encounter it directly? A: What and where is the underlying source of all our perceptions? This discovery may be called the experience of enlightenment. Our intrinsic nature is timeless 7

awareness, which is beginningless and endless. It is a non-state, a non-experience, and is self-sufficient, free from all need of stimulation and free from any motivation to build images and structures. (18) The Supreme Reality discovered in enlightenment is beyond space and time and cannot be perceived by the senses or understood by the mind. “It is not perceivable because it is what makes perception possible. It is beyond being and not being. It is neither the mirror nor the image in the mirror. It is what is – the timeless reality.” The world and the mind are states of being. The Supreme is not a state. It pervades all states, but is not a state of something else. It is entirely uncaused, independent, complete in itself, beyond time and space, mind and matter. Q: By what sign do you recognize it? A: That’s the point that it leaves no trace. There is nothing to recognize it by. It must be seen directly, by giving up all search for signs and approaches. When all names and forms have been given up, the real is with you. You need not seek it. Plurality and diversity are the play of the mind only. Reality is one. Q: If reality leaves no evidence, there is no speaking about it. A: It is. It cannot be denied. It is deep and dark, mystery beyond mystery. But it is, while all else merely happens. (19)

Qualities of the Enlightenment Experience

In the enlightened state one experiences reality directly without distance, separation or the interference of psychological conditioning. “We begin to truly see, truly touch, truly hear. We move from imagination to actuality.” Spiritual realization leads to a direct comprehension of Ultimate Reality and a sense of one’s place in the universe and relation with a transcendental power. A higher, more complete understanding of both oneself and the forces at play in the cosmos emerges. Shakespeare: “Until now the stars were influencing him; henceforth he is the ruler of the stars.” One of the outcomes of the mystical experience is a feeling of fulfillment and inspiration, of certainty and happiness. “The outstanding characteristic of the experience is a sense of complete fulfillment, in every sense of the word, fulfillment to a degree and of a quality which is not known elsewhere.” Most people incorrectly believe that mystical experience is far away and almost impossible to achieve. Idries Shah: “The mystical goal is something nearer to mankind than is realized. 8

The assumption that something esoteric or transcendental must be far off or complicated has been assumed by the ignorance of individuals. It is ‘far off’ only in a direction which people do not realize.” Those who have experienced enlightenment speak of its fundamental simplicity, of recovering a state of being that is eternally ever-present, natural and luminous. Thich Nhat Hanh: “To reach truth is not to accumulate knowledge, but to awaken to the heart of realit y. Reality reveals itself complete and whole at the moment of awakening. In the light of this awakening, nothing is added and nothing is lost.” Awakening, and the realization that one does not acquire anything one did not already have, is so simple and obvious that it is only natural to feel that there must be something further still. Enlightenment evokes the strongest feelings of intimacy. Realization of Buddha-nature is realization of the kinship of all forms of life. These feelings are beyond words. If there is a secret involved it is an open secret, known by everyone in his heart of hearts but forgotten or lost sight of in the hurly-burly of ego-dominated thinking and feeling. (20) The enlightened state is not extraordinary or dazzling, but natural, simple and ordinary in its essence. It is described by Eckhart Tolle as the direct experience of pure Being: “Being can be felt as the ever-present I am that is beyond name and form. To feel and thus to know that you are and to abide in that deeply rooted state is enlightenment.” Being is the eternal, ever-present One Life beyond the myriad forms of life that are subject to birth and death. However, Being is not only beyond but also deep within every form as its innermost invisible and indestructible essence. This means that it is accessible to you now as your own deepest self, your true nature. But don’t seek to grasp it with your mind. Don’t try to understand it. You can know it only when the mind is still. When you are present, when your attention is fully and intensely in the now, Being can be felt, but it can never be understood mentally. To regain awareness of Being and to abide in that state of “feeling-realization” is enlightenment. (21) Self-realization needs no proofs or external confirmation as the awakened state is essentially self-evident and self-validating: Q: What proof will I have that I know myself correctly? A: You need no proofs. The experience is unique and unmistakable. It will dawn on you suddenly, when the obstacles are removed to some extent. It is like a frayed rope snapping. Yours is to work at the strands. The break is bound to happen. It can be delayed, but not prevented. (22)

9

The experience of enlightenment is usually a sudden flash of direct, non-conceptual understanding, not the time-bound, evolutionary result of a gradual approach. “The initiation of the awakening process is an act of grace. You cannot make it happen nor can you prepare yourself for it or accumulate credits toward it.” Q: Surely there are degrees of realization? A: There are no steps to self-realization. There is nothing gradual about it. It happens suddenly and is irreversible. You rotate into a new dimension, seen from which the previous ones are mere abstractions. Just like on sunrise you see things as they are, so on self-realization you see everything as it is. The world of illusion is left behind. (23) Even though enlightenment is an instantaneous event, the subsequent unfolding and integration of the experience into everyday life takes time: “Even those rare beings who experience a sudden, dramatic, and seemingly irreversible awakening will still go through a process in which the new state of consciousness gradually flows into and transforms everything they do and so becomes integrated into their lives.” Although enlightenment is sudden it is usually preceded by years of serious spiritual work. Many of those who claim to have been spontaneously enlightened without prior spiritual training are probably self-deceived. Respected Zen teacher Philip Kapleau describes his own experience in this regard: Q: Aren’t there cases where enlightenment has come about suddenly and spontaneously? What precipitates it, and how is it different from Zen enlightenment? A: Strictly speaking every kind of awakening is sudden in the sense that it occurs abruptly, like water coming to a boil; what is “gradual” is the long training that usually precedes it. By “spontaneous” you mean enlightenment that comes without spiritual training, is that right? Q: Yes. A: The question is always, “How genuine are so-called spontaneous enlightenments?” In the past twelve years I’ve tested dozens of persons who claimed to be enlightened and found only one who I felt had had a genuine awakening, without prior training. Without training, however, one’s life won’t be appreciably transformed, for one won’t be able to operate out of that enlightenment and in time it will become merely a cherished memory. (24) One of the indicators of an authentic spiritual awakening, in which one discovers one’s true nature, is the removal of any sense of separation from Reality and the establishment of a state of inner freedom and wholeness which is free from past conditioning and habitual patterns of behaviour. “In living freedom you are free from choice, free from striving, free from the need

10

to define or qualify yourself in any way. You are neither this nor that. You are the knower of all, primal perception, original limitless being.” Your “I” becomes a living reality once the idea that society has given you of being a separate entity has entirely left you – together with its desires, fears and imagination, its beliefs that it is this or that. One reminder, one foretaste of your unrestricted being will immediately make it clear that these are not reality but its expressions. You will be instantaneously convinced of what you are. The truth of the nature of existence will be spontaneously revealed to you, that you give birth to all that exists. Without awareness nothing would be. (25) In his books The Ease of Being and W ho Am I? Advaita Vedanta teacher Jean Klein has clearly described his initial enlightenment experience, the conditions which directly preceded it, and the resulting profound changes in his life: I was watching flying birds without thought or interpretation, when I was completely taken by them and felt everything happening in myself. In this moment I knew myself consciously. The next morning I knew, in facing the multiplicity of daily life, that being understanding was established. The self-image had completely dissolved and, freed from the conflict and interference of the I-image, all happenings belonged to being awareness, the totality. Life flowed on without cross-currents of the ego. Psychological memory, like and dislike, attraction and repulsion, had vanished. The constant presence, that we call the Self, was free from repetition, memory, judgment, comparison and appraisal. The center of my being had been spontaneously ejected from time and space into timeless stillness. In this non-state of being, the separation between “you” and “me” vanished completely. Nothing appeared outside. All things belonged in me but I was no longer in them. There was only oneness. (26) Q: Was your awakening sudden or gradual? A: The awakening is instantaneous but transmutation on the phenomenal level is in time. Q: So the sage can mature after enlightenment? A: One is struck on all levels but the transformation and harmonization of the human substance, temperament, character and biological organism, are time-bound. Not all enlightened beings are teachers or become teachers immediately. The way to transmit truth may mature. Q: What was your state of mind and body immediately preceding the awakening in consciousness?

11

A: Receptivity. It was absolutely non-oriented, non-localized, totally relaxed without projection, expectation or idea. Only in this completely relaxed state was I taken by grace. (27) The Indian master Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj has also described in I Am That how he came to discover his true nature by faithfully following the instructions of his teacher: Q: May I be permitted to ask how did you arrive at your present condition? A: My teacher told me to hold onto the sense ‘I am’ tenaciously and not to swerve from it even for a moment. I did my best to follow his advice and in a comparatively short time I realized within myself the truth of his teaching. All I did was to remember his teaching, his face, his words constantly. This brought an end to the mind, in the stillness of the mind I saw myself as I am – unbound. (28)

Extrasensory Pow ers and Perception

In certain cases one of the consequences of the development of higher states of consciousness is the presence of new capacities and abilities. At this stage it is possible to operate in higher dimensions and gain spiritual powers which are beyond the perception and reach of the ordinary individual. Ibn El-Arabi: ‘Angels are t he pow ers hidden in t he facult ies and organs of man .’ The true intellect is the organ of comprehension existing in every human being. From time to time in ordinary human life it breaks through, producing strange phenomena which cannot be accounted for by the usual methods. Sometimes these are called occult phenomena, sometimes they are thought to be a transcending of the time or space relationship. This is the element in the human being which is responsible for his evolution to a higher form. You have to feel it in a way which you feel nothing else. It comes into your consciousness as a truth different in quality from other things which you have been accustomed to regarding as truths. By its very difference you recognize that it belongs to the area which we call ‘the other.’ (29) Traditional spiritual teachings claim that many of the greatest human achievements, including scientific and philosophical discoveries, have been achieved through special powers, forms of heightened consciousness, and extra-dimensional perception. “A certain kind of mental and other activity can produce, under special conditions and with particular efforts, what is termed a higher working of the mind, leading to special perceptions whose apparatus is latent in the ordinary man. Rumi on the higher functions of the mind: ‘The degree of necessity determines the development of organs in man . . . therefore increase your necessity.’”

12

Those who have attained self-realization employ higher powers with great care and only in certain situations and circumstances: Q: We are told that various Yogic powers arise spontaneously in a man who has realized his own true being. What is your experience in these matters? A: Man’s five-fold body (physical, etc.) has potential powers beyond our wildest dreams. Not only is the entire universe reflected in man, but also the power to control the universe is waiting to be used by him. The wise man is not anxious to use such powers, except when the situation calls for them. He finds the abilities and skills in the human personality quite adequate for the business of daily living. Some of the powers can be developed by specialized training, but the man who flaunts such powers is still in bondage. The wise man counts nothing as his own. When at some time and place some miracle is attributed to some person, he will not establish any causal link between events and people, nor will he allow any conclusion to be drawn. All happened as it happened because it had to happen; everything happens as it does because the universe is as it is. (30) The relationship between enlightenment and the manifestation of powers is complex and multi-faceted. There are no general rules applicable to all, and each individual case is different. Self-Realization may be accompanied by occult powers or it may not be. If the person has sought such powers before Realization, he may get the powers after Realization. There are others who had not sought such powers and who had attempted only Self-Realization. They do not manifest such powers. These powers may also be sought and gained even after Self-Realization. But then they are used for a definite purpose, i.e. the benefit of others. (31) Any extrasensory powers gained during the course of spiritual practice have both precise functions and clear limitations: The sixth sense, which is assumed by theoreticians to be a sense of complete prescience, of almost divine all-knowledge, is nothing of the kind. Like all the other senses it has its limitations. Its function is not to make the perfected Man all-wise, but to enable him to fulfill a mission of greater perception and fuller life. He no longer suffers from the sense of uncertainty and incompleteness which is familiar to other people. (32) Like all things of the world, spiritual powers are transient and dependent on the Reality from which they emerge. In fact, people see things which are far more miraculous than so-called spiritual powers, but give them little notice simply because they occur every day. As the sage Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj observes: “There is no greater miracle than ‘I’ experiencing the world.”

13

There is no end to the miracles that can happen in the world, but they are still of the manifest. There have been many powerful minds and powerful beings who, by their penance or strength of mind, have acquired powers and performed miracles. What has happened to them? The same thing that happens to everyone. If they have had the experience of their true Self, such people would not be trying to acquire powers. (33) When properly understood, supernatural powers are seen as by-products of spiritual enlightenment, not to be pursued or extolled in themselves. “Psychic abilities in one degree or another are natural by-products of meditation and an awakened mind; as such they are not regarded in Zen as exceptional or wonderful. Zen masters never make a vain display of psychic powers, nor do they set out to cultivate them for their own sake. They are in fact looked upon as delusions – a subtle variety – but still something other than enlightenment.” Zen never boasts about its achievements, nor does it extol supernatural powers to glorify its teachings. On the contrary, the tradition of Zen has shown unmistakably its scornful attitude toward miracle working. Zen does nor court or care about miraculous powers of any sort. What it does care about is the understanding and realization of that w onder of all w onders – the indescribable Dharmakaya – which can be found in all places and at all times. This was clearly demonstrated in the words of Pang Wen when he said, “To fetch water and carry wood are both miraculous acts.” Despite all their mockery and dislike of wonder-working acts and supernatural powers, the accomplished Zen masters were by no means incapable of performing them. They could do so if they deemed it necessary for a worthwhile purpose. These miraculous pow ers are simply t he normal by-product s of t rue Enlight enment . A perfect ly enlightened being must possess them, otherwise his Enlightenment can at most be considered as only partial. (34) Authentic spiritual teachings downplay the pursuit of extraordinary powers and emphasize the real task of awakening to one’s true nature and being: The liberation proposed by Zen, realized by arriving at the source of mind, is not only liberation from unnecessary limitation and suffering, but liberation of a vast reserve of power inherent in reality. It is customary for Zen masters to refrain from discussing the higher powers latent in the human mind (although they are described at length in certain Buddhist texts), and to avoid making a display of such powers. This custom is observed to discourage people from seeking Zen for reasons of personal ambition. (35) Special powers and transcendental gifts are gained and employed by realized beings in strict accordance with the capacity to use them in the proper way and to benefit humanity. When spiritual powers are employed by a teacher they must be applied skilfully so as not to ensnare the student in the pursuit of secondary phenomena not directly related to inner development:

14

Zen practice is not about cultivating magic or special powers. Zen means attaining everyday mind; it is not about cultivating special practices. Yet there are stories about Zen masters sometimes using this special energy to hit their students’ minds and wake them up. Keen-eyed teachers seldom resort to this style of teaching unless they absolutely have to. And if they do use this kind of candy to open their student’s mind, they quickly take the candy away once the teaching has had its effect. A true teacher never lets his students become attached to the candy. A true master seldom, if ever, resorts to displays of magic and special energy. Students become easily attached to these qualities. If you often deal with a realm of magic, you are only a magic man and not a true teacher. This is because true teaching is about showing people how to take away their karma and help other beings, and not confusing people with magic and miracles. (36)

Depth and Level of Enlightenment

Multiple levels of experience lie within the human being and are revealed with the unfolding and refinement of consciousness. Meister Eckhart: “A man has many skins in himself, covering the depths of his heart. Man knows so many things; he does not know himself. Why, thirty or forty skins or hides, just like an ox’s or a bear’s, so thick and hard, covers the soul. Go into your own ground and know to learn yourself there.” Although the experience of spiritual awakening is always the same in essence, there are differences in luminosity and depth, and one may attain degrees of enlightenment upon enlightenment. “Practice and enlightenment have no limit. Dogen Zenji expresses this noble, profound spirit as ‘trace-less enlightenment is continued endlessly’.” Just as in the saying “even if one ascends Mount Sumeru there are still heavens above,” even though one is enlightened, one further attains enlightenment. However, in essence there are not several kinds of enlightenment. If it’s real enlightenment, whether shallow or deep, it is essentially the same, but in that enlightenment there are tremendous differences in clarity and depth. Therefore, from olden times there is the saying “eighteen great enlightenments and innumerable small enlightenments.” (37) In Buddhist teachings the refinement of consciousness experienced with successive depths of enlightenment is referred to as ‘opening the three seals.’ This is explained in detail by Zen master Sueng Sahn: We have already spoken about the first seal: “All compounded things are impermanent.” Everything in this universe is always changing. Everything arises from conditions, remains for some period, and returns to emptiness. If you attain this point, you will not be so easily attached to things, so you will not suf15

fer. Then you can find the one thing that never changes, the thing that never comes and goes. This “not-changing thing” is your true nature; it is not even a “thing.” To truly experience this you must first attain that all things, all experiences, and all aspects of the mind arise from conditions and are impermanent. When you attain this point, then this realization indelibly marks your consciousness like a seal. If you have this experience even once, very deeply, you never forget it . . . The name and form of all things are constantly changing, changing, changing. Everything appears out of emptiness and eventually returns to emptiness. Nothing stays forever, because nothing has any kind of “thing” that we can call a self, a lasting nature. The attainment of this view is another seal that marks your consciousness . . . If you attain these first two points, you can then realize that this world is already completely empty and still. Nothing ever comes and goes. Everything appears out of complete stillness and extinction and everything eventually returns to emptiness and extinction. To realize this is to be marked with the last seal: “Nirvana is perfect stillness.” The nature of all things is perfect stillness. So if you attain these seals, you attain complete stillness. The Bible says, “Be still and know that I am God.” Buddhism teaches, “All Dharmas come from complete stillness.” If you want to find God, if you want to find Buddha, if you want to find mind, or consciousness, or true self, or the Absolute, you must attain this point of complete stillness and extinction. This stillness is true emptiness: it is the nature of our minds and this whole universe. (38) The experience of enlightenment has many levels and gradations, both in depth and quality of understanding. In the Sufi tradition these are sometimes described as ‘The Four Journeys’: There are four journeys. The first of these is the attainment of the condition known as fana , sometimes translated as “annihilation.” This is the stage of unification of the consciousness, in which one is harmonized with objective reality. There are three stages after this. Niffari, a great teacher of the tenth century, describes the four journeys in his M uw aqif , written in Egypt nearly a thousand years ago. After he has reached the stage of fana , the mystic passes into the Second Journey, in which he truly becomes the Perfect Man by the stabilization of his objective knowledge. This is the stage of baqa , permanency. He is now not a “God-intoxicated man,” but a teacher in his own right. He has the title of qut ub , magnetic center, “point toward which all turn.” In the Third Journey, the teacher becomes a spiritual director to each kind of person in accordance with that person’s individuality. The previous kind of teacher (of the Second Journey) is able to teach only within his own immediate culture or local religion. The third kind of teacher may appear to be many different things to different men. He is operating on many levels. He is not “all things to all men” as part of a deliberate policy. He can, on the other hand, benefit everyone in accordance with that person’s potentiality. The teacher of the Second Journey, in contrast, is able to work only with selected individuals. In the Fourth, and last, Journey, the Perfect Man guides others in their transition from what is generally considered to be physical death, 16

to a further stage of development which is invisible to the ordinary person. For the mystic, therefore, the apparent break which takes place at conventional physical death does not exist. A continuous communication and interchange exists between him and the next form of life. (39)

Integration Into Everyday Life

There is a profound change in the way in which life is experienced following Self-Realization. “Each thing just as it is takes on an entirely new significance or worth. Miraculously, everything is radically transformed through remaining what it is.” Jean Klein describes this quality of sacredness following enlightenment: Q: How did the different situations in your life appear after being established in this fullness? A: Life went on as before but I no longer felt bound to existence. All activities were related to the wholeness that is Being. Nothing felt accidental or unconscious. I would say all activities became sacred. As I was no longer bound to things and there was no localization in form or concept, I felt the immensity, the vastness in which all moved. All appeared in space. When you are bound to the activity you see only the activity itself and not as it stands in relation to the whole environment. When there is seeing from globality things appear in the situation that you have never seen before and there comes discernment and intelligent discrimination. (40) The spiritual condition of the enlightened human being compels him or her to fulfill their obligations in the world to the very best of their abilities. The authentic mystical experience, to have any real meaning, should improve the individual, making them a better person who is of greater value to the human community. In the ancient Srimad Bhagavat am it is written, ‘Learn t o look w it h an equal eye upon all beings, seeing t he one Self in all .’ From the beginning, a large proportion of Sufis have maintained their connection with the ‘ordinary’ world. For them, the effects of what they knew, had seen and understood were brought into play in their dealings with the world about them. What they believed shone through what they wrote and did. They had prepared their minds for the mystical experience, and when it came, when it had filled them, they became not frenzied, but infinitely richer. That wealth they then brought to bear on those around them, those who came to them, and those who heard and read their treatises. In that state of controlled ecstasy, calmed inwardly by the certainty that only enlightenment can bring, the Sufi is free to move about the world, to act in it, to take his place in it, and often to excel in it. He has achieved a new level of perception, a new kind of understanding, a new breadth of cons-

17

ciousness, he has experienced the cosmos as unity and so has understood his own significance: he is the enlightened man. (41) The depth of enlightenment is reflected by the way in which the activities of daily life are faced and carried out. The awakened person does not reside in a “heavenly realm” and continues to share the experiences of earthly life with their fellow human beings, albeit from a higher spiritual perspective. “Having a thoroughly great enlightenment does not mean we become something other than a human being, without happiness and without troubles: Though I t hought I had cast aw ay t he world and w as w it hout self, snow y days are all t he colder .” Accomplishment refers to the degree to which enlightenment itself is assimilated and fused into one with that person’s character and life. It’s a matter of how much enlightenment becomes one’s personality, becomes one’s character, becomes one’s life. Even though the fact of the no-self becomes visible with the enlightened eye, how much has the person become no-self? Even though the fact that self and others are one becomes visible with the enlightened eye, it’s a question of whether one’s daily activity expresses the oneness of self and other. That’s what’s important. (42) Spiritual awareness not only transforms the inner being but also brings about a heartfelt, altruistic desire to share transcendental understanding with others. “With the grace of awakening comes responsibility. You see its significance and recognize the arising of awareness as the most important thing that can happen to you. Opening yourself to the emerging consciousness and bringing its light into this world then becomes the primary purpose of your life.” The behaviour of realized beings is appropriate to the circumstances of the moment, and their teaching expressions vary with the requirements of ‘time, place and people.’ Those who have experienced genuine spiritual awakening may convey their understanding to others in ways which are different for different people. The modes of expression differ according to circumstances: Q: Why does the action of various sages take such different expression? A: Each situation brings its own action but the action is potential. The actualization of the action belongs to the character, imagination, faculties of the bodymind. Similar situations can be furnished in different ways without losing their intrinsic direction. Some people express themselves in thinking, some in action, some in the artistic mode, some in silence. All expression comes out of giving. Ultimately it is all playing, an expression of universal energy. Certain sages are more in an earthly life than others. It belongs to their existence and all they bring to it. No way is better or worse than another. It is a completely mistaken idea, a wrong interpretation, that a wise human being leaves society. When a sage is in society but not of it he or she is the most positive element in the society. (43)

18

References

(1) Robert Cecil (ed.) The King’s Son (London: Octagon Press, 1981), pp. xiv-xv. (2) John Greer Seeing, Know ing, Being (Memphis: True Compass Press, 2012), p. 194. (3) Robert Ornstein The Psychology of Consciousness (New York: Viking Press, 1972), p. 133. (4) Ramana Maharshi The Teachings of Ramana M aharshi (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1978), p. 192. (5) Philip Kapleau The Three Pillars of Zen (New York: Anchor Books, 1989), p. 127. (6) Jean Klein Be W ho You Are (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1989), pp. 57-58. (7) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 29. (8) Devaraja Mudaliar Day by Day w it h Ramana M aharshi (Tiruvannamalai, India: Sri Ramanasramam, 1977), p. 257. (9) Eckhart Tolle The Pow er of Now (Vancouver: Namaste Publications, 1997), pp. 10-13. (10) Toni Packer The Silent Quest ion (Boston: Shambhala, 2007), p. 165. (11) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 231. (12) Aldous Huxley The Perennial Philosophy (New York: Harper Colophon, 1970), p. 73. (13) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 513. (14) Eckhart Tolle The Pow er of Now (Vancouver: Namaste Publications, 1997), p. 10. (15) Aldous Huxley The Perennial Philosophy (New York: Harper Colophon, 1970), p. 3. (16) Arthur Osborne Ramana M aharshi and t he Pat h of Self-Know ledge (London: Rider, 1987), pp. 20-21. (17) John Greer Seeing, Know ing, Being (Memphis: True Compass Press, 2012), p. 193. (18) Jean Klein W ho Am I? (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1988), pp. 114-115. (19) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 38. (20) Philip Kapleau Zen Daw n in t he W est (New York: Anchor Press, 1979), p. 136. (21) Eckhart Tolle The Pow er of Now (Vancouver: Namaste Publications, 1997), p. 10. (22) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 502. (23) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 331. (24) Philip Kapleau Zen Daw n in t he W est (New York: Anchor Press, 1979), p. 49. (25) Jean Klein I Am (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publications, 1989), p. 151. (26) Jean Klein The Ease of Being (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1986), pp. xii-xiii. (27) Jean Klein W ho Am I? (Dorset, England: Element books, 1988), pp. 115-116. (28) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 223. (29) Idries Shah The Sufis (London: Octagon Press, 1984), p. 312. (30) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), pp. 269270. (31) Ramana Maharshi Talks w it h Sri Ramana M aharshi (Tiruvannamalai, India: Sri Ramanasramam, 1984), p. 551. (32) Idries Shah The Sufis (London: Octagon Press, 1984), p. 81. (33) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj Seeds of Consciousness (New York: Grove Press, 1982), p. 174. (34) Garma C. C. Chang The Pract ice of Zen (New York: Harper & Row, 1970), pp. 58-59. (35) Thomas Cleary Zen Essence (Boston: Shambhala, 1989), p. 108. (36) Seung Sahn The Compass of Zen (Boston: Shambhala, 1997), pp. 296-297. 19

(37) Hakuun Yasutani Flow ers Fall (Boston: Shambhala, 1996), p. 27. (38) Seung Sahn The Compass of Zen (Boston: Shambhala, 1997), pp. 105-106. (39) Idries Shah The Sufis (London: Octagon Press, 1984), pp. 305-306. (40) Jean Klein W ho Am I? (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1988), pp. 116-117. (41) Peter Brent “The Classical Masters” in Idries Shah (ed.) The W orld of t he Sufi (London: Octagon Press, 1979), pp. 189-20. (42) Hakuun Yasutani Flow ers Fall (Boston: Shambhala, 1996), pp. 27-28. (43) Jean Klein W ho Am I? (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1988), pp. 117-118.

20

SELF-INQUIRY: W HO AM I?

The Fundamental Question of Life ‘W hat is t he meaning of exist ence? W hat is life? W ho am I? W hat is my t rue nat ure? Sooner or lat er any inquiring person asks t hese quest ions.’

Can we answer the most essential of all questions – namely, “Who am I?” or more properly, “What am I?” What is my true nature? Why was I born. Why must I die? What is my relation to my fellow man? To be human means to ask these questions, and to be totally human means we must get an answer. Until these questions arise to consciousness, we cover our lives over with all kinds of activities, worldly involvements that leave us no chance to reflect on ourselves. But sooner or later these questions arise, and then there is no escaping them. They burn within us, and intellectual answers give us no peace. We pick up books dealing with the human condition, the meaning of life, and get all these beautiful set-out phrases, these flowering metaphors, but they do not answer the question. Only the gut experience of self-awakening satisfies the gut questioning. Personal experience is the final testimony to Truth. (1) * We should endlessly put the question “Who am I?” to ourselves. By directing our thinking, not towards objects, but towards its own root, one finally discovers the fundamental principle of being. Man possesses, deep within himself, the essence of all wisdom. He may know it or not, but truth is within him and nowhere else. (2) * I think that there appears in the life of every human being one moment when the question “What is life?” comes up. When you really look at this you see that you are constantly in the becoming process, never in the now. You are constantly past-future, past-future. You prepare the future by the past. When you take note of this, you are brought to ask, “Who am I? What is life?” As long as the student doesn’t come to this point he is not a student. The moment the student asks the question and has no reference to the past, he finds himself spontaneously in a state of not-knowing. In this not-knowing he is in a new dimension. It isn’t even a new dimension because in this, there is not any direction. One must live with the question. By living with the question I mean not looking for a conclusion, an answer, because the living with the question is itself the answer. (3)

1

Nobody can tell you who you are. It would be just another concept, so it would not change you. W ho you are requires no belief. In fact, every belief is an obstacle. It does not even require your realization, since you already are who you are. But without realization, who you are does not shine forth into this world. It remains in the unmanifested which is, of course, your true home. You are then like an apparently poor person who does not know he has a bank account with $100 million in it and so his wealth remains an unexpressed potential. (4) * It is a form of maturity in life which brings you to certain questions. From all these questions we come to the fundamental original question: Who am I? This question, Who am I?, only comes when you have inquired in all possible directions. Only when you have explored all the directions do you come to the mature state of asking Who am I? In this question, Who am I?, a mature mind says, “I don’t know.” It is only in this “I don’t know” that there is anything knowable, perceivable. For the “I don’t know” refers to itself and there the question is the answer. That is an instantaneous apperception of ourselves. That is our timelessness. When we have explored all the directions, there is a natural giving-up. And then what you give up – what gives up – has a completely new significance. (5) * In his life a man can ask himself many questions but they all revolve around one question: “Who am I?” All questions stem from this one. So the answer to “Who an I?” is the answer to all questions, the ultimate answer. (6) * What is this “I”? Where does this “I” come from? When you die, where does it go? These are the most important questions you can ever ask. If you attain this “I” you attain everything. That is because this “I” is part of universal substance. Your substance, this desk’s substance, this stick’s substance, the sun, the moon, the stars – everything’s substance is the same substance. So if you want to understand your true nature, first you must attain your original substance. This means attaining universal substance and the substance of everything. Everything in this world – the sun, moon, the stars, mountains, rivers, and trees – everything is constantly moving. But there is one thing that never moves. It never comes or goes. It is never born and it never dies. What is this non-moving thing? Can you tell me? If you find that, you will find your true self and attain universal substance. (7) *

2

The M ethod of Self-Inquiry

‘The quest ion “ W ho am I?” does not come from t he mind. Simply asking “ W ho am I?” is accompanied by a t remendous primal energy; you are on fire.’

Self-inquiry is the one infallible means, the only direct one, to realize the unconditioned, absolute Being that you really are. The attempt to destroy the ego or mind through spiritual practices other than Self-inquiry is like the thief turning policeman to catch the thief that is himself. Self-inquiry alone can reveal the truth that neither the ego nor the mind really exists and enables one to realize the pure, undifferentiated Being of the Self or Absolute. Having realized the Self, nothing remains to be known, because it is perfect bliss, it is the All. (8) * Q: What is the practice? A: Constant search for the “I,” the source of the ego. Find out “Who am I?” The pure “I” is the reality, the Absolute-Existence-Consciousness-Bliss. When That is forgotten, all miseries crop up; when That is held fast, the miseries do not affect the person. (9) * Q: How to realize the Self? A: Whose Self? Find out. Q: Who am I? A: Find it yourself. Q: I do not know. A: Think. Who is it that says, “I do not know?” What is not known? In that statement, who is the “I”? Q: Somebody in me. A: Who is that somebody? Find it. (10) *

3

Q: What is the means for constantly holding on to the thought “Who am I”? A: When other thoughts arise, one should not pursue them, but should inquire: “To whom did they arise?” It does not matter how many thoughts arise. As each thought arises, one should inquire with diligence, “To whom has this thought arisen?” The answer that would emerge would be “To me.” Therefore, if one inquires “Who am I?”, the mind will go back to its source, and the thought that arose will become quiescent. With repeated practice in this manner, the mind will develop the skill to stay at its source. (11) * Turn away from the experience to the experiencer and realize the full import of the only true statement you can make, “I am.” Q: How is this done? A: There is no “how” here. Just keep in mind the feeling “I am,” merge in it, till your mind and feeling become one. By repeated attempts you will stumble on the right balance of attention and affection and your mind will be firmly established in the thought-feeling “I am.” Whatever you think, say, or do, this sense of immutable and affectionate being remains as the ever-present background of the mind. (12) * Q: How does one come to know the knower? A: I can only tell you what I know from my own experience. When I met my Guru, he told me: “You are not what you take yourself to be. Find out what you are. Watch the sense ‘I am,’ find your real self.” I obeyed him because I trusted him. I did as he told me. All my spare time I would spend looking at myself in silence. And what a difference it made, and how soon! It took me only three years to realize my true nature. My guru died soon after I met him, but it made no difference. The fruit of it is here, with me. Q: What is it? A: I know myself as I am in reality. I am neither the body, nor the mind, nor the mental faculties. I am beyond all these. (13) *

4

If the enquiry “Who am I” were mere mental questioning, it would not be of much value. The very purpose of Self-enquiry is to focus the entire mind at its source. It is not, therefore, a case of one “I” searching for another “I.” Much less is Selfenquiry an empty formula, for it involves an intense activity of the entire mind to keep it steadily posed in pure Self-awareness. Self-enquiry is the one infallible means, the only direct one, to realize the unconditioned, absolute Being that you really are. (14) * Q: When asked about the means for self-realization, you invariably stress the importance of the mind dwelling on the sense “I am.” Why should this particular thought result in self-realization? How does the contemplation of “I am” affect me? A: The very fact of observation alters the observer and the observed. After all, what prevents the insight into one’s true nature is the weakness and obtuseness of the mind and its tendency to skip the subtle and focus on the gross only. When you try to keep your mind on the notion “I am” only, you become fully aware of your mind and its vagaries. Awareness, being lucid harmony in action, dissolves dullness and quiets the restlessness of the mind and gently, but steadily, changes its very substance. This change need not be spectacular, it may be hardly noticeable; yet it is a deep and fundamental shift from darkness to light, from inadvertence to awareness. (15) * The question “Who am I?” cannot arise in the mind. It has nothing to do with memory. All memory is absorbed by the living inquiry which takes place only in the present moment. Awakening is neither immediate nor gradual; it is instantaneous apperception. The One – which we are – is beyond time. When the mind realizes this, it loses its fear and desire – desire which oscillates between having and becoming. (16) * Q: When and how does the question “Who am I?” come from deep within. A: It comes from the “I” itself. If there was not an “I,” you would not be able to ask the question “Who am I?” So, when you pose the question “Who am I?” you can never find it, any more than the eye can see its own seeing. All that you can find is an object, a thought in space and time. But there is a moment when it gives itself up. It must be a total giving up, and then the asker is the answer. It is our dearest, it is love. (17)

5

Realizing Our True Nature

‘Simply by quest ioning “ W ho am I” you w ill perceive your True-Nat ure w it h clarit y and cert aint y. Alw ays remember, you are neit her your body nor your mind.’

Were you to ask the average person what he is, he would say, “My mind” or “My body” or “My mind and body,” but none of this is so. We are more than our mind or our body or both. Our True-nature is beyond all categories. Whatever you can conceive or imagine is but a fragment of yourself, hence the real you cannot be found through logical deduction or intellectual analysis or endless imagining. If I were to cut off my hand or my leg, the real I would not be decreased one whit. Strictly speaking, this body and mind are also you but only a fraction. The essence of your True-nature is no different from that of this stick in front of me or this table or this clock – in fact every single object in the universe. When you directly experience the truth of this, it will be so convincing that you will exclaim, “How true!” because not only your brain but all your being will participate in this knowledge. (18) * There is no goal to be reached. There is nothing to be attained. You are the Self. You exist always. Seeing God or the Self is only being the Self or yourself. Seeing is being. You, being the Self, want to know how to attain the Self. All that is required of you is to give up the thought that you are this body and to give up all thoughts of external things or the not-Self. As often as the mind goes out towards outward objects, prevent it and fix it in the Self or “I.” That is all the effort required on your part. (19) * A theoretical understanding of mind is not enough to resolve the question “Who am I?” and through it the problem of birth and death. Such understanding is merely a portrait of reality, not reality itself. If you persistently question yourself, “Who am I?” with devotion and zeal – that is to say, moved by a genuine desire for selfknowledge – you are bound to realize the nature of mind. Now mind is more than your body and more than what is ordinarily called mind. The inner realization of mind is the realization that you and the universe are not two. This awareness must come to you with such overwhelming certainty that you involuntarily slap your thigh and exclaim: “Oh, of course!” (20) *

6

Q: What do you see? A: I see what you too could see, here and now, but for the wrong focus of your attention. You give no attention to your self. Your mind is all with things, people and ideas, never with your self. Bring your self into focus, become aware of your own existence. See how you function, watch the motives and the results of your actions. Study the prison you have built around yourself, by inadvertence. By knowing what you are not, you come to know your self. All you need is to get rid of the tendency to define yourself. All definitions apply to your body only and to its expressions. Once this obsession with the body goes, you will revert to your natural state, spontaneously and effortlessly. The only difference between us is that I am aware of my natural state, while you are bemused. Just like gold made into ornaments has no advantage over gold dust, except when the mind makes it so, so are we one in being – we differ only in appearance. We discover it by being earnest, by searching, enquiring, questioning daily and hourly, by giving one’s life to this discovery. (21) * It is true that the majority of people think of themselves as a body and a mind, but that doesn’t make them any less mistaken. The fact is that in their essential nature all sentient beings transcend their body and their mind, which are not two but one. The failure of human beings to perceive this fundamental truth is the cause of their sufferings. Because we delude ourselves into accepting the reality of an ego-I, estrangement and strife inevitably follow. The Buddha in his enlightenment perceived that ego is not indigenous to human nature. With full enlightenment we realize we possess the universe, so why grasp for what is inherently ours? We have only to persist in questioning, “Who am I?” if you wish to experience the truth of what I have been saying. (22) * The sense of being, of “I am,” is the first to emerge. Ask yourself whence it comes, or just watch it quietly. When the mind stays in the “I am,” without moving, you enter a state which cannot be verbalized but can be experienced. All you need to do is try and try again. After all the sense “I am” is always with you, only you have attached all kinds of things to it – body, feeling, thoughts, ideas, possessions, etc. All these self-identifications are misleading. Because of them you take yourself to be what you are not. (23) *

7

He who longs to know his true nature must first understand the mistaken identification with objects: “I am this,” “I am that.” All identifications, all states are transitory and consequently unreal. Identifying the “I” with this or that is the root of ignorance. Ask yourself what is permanent throughout all the stages of life. The question “Who am I?” will be found to have no answer. You cannot experience what is permanent in a subject/object relationship, as something perceivable. You can only formulate and explain that which you are not. What you fundamentally and continually are cannot be put into words or reasoned out. Being is non-dual, absolute and constant, ever-present whatever the circumstances. (24) * To know what you are you must first investigate and know what you are not. And to know what you are you must watch yourself carefully, rejecting all that does not necessarily go with the basic fact: “I am.” The idea: I am born at a given place, at a given time, from my parents, and now I am so-and-so, living at, married to, father of, employed by, and so on, are not inherent in the sense “I am.” Our usual attitude is of “I am this.” Separate consistently and perseveringly the “I am” from “this” or “that,” and try to feel what it means to be, without being “this” or “that.” All our habits go against it and the task of fighting them is long and hard sometimes, but clear understanding helps a lot. The clearer you understand that on the level of the mind you can be described in negative terms only, the quicker you will come to the end of your search and realize your limitless, timeless being. (25) * If you meditate on this question, “Who am I?”, if you begin to perceive that neither the body nor the brain nor the desires are really you, then the very at t it ude of enquiry will eventually draw the answer to you out of the depths of your own being, it will come to you of its own accord as a deep realization. Know the real self, and then the truth will shine forth within your heart like sunshine. The mind will become untroubled and real happiness will flood it, for happiness and the true self are identical. You will have no more doubts once you attain this self-awareness. (26)

Consciousness and “I am” ‘The “ I am” is t he subst rat um, t he underlying background to every experience, sensat ion, percept ion, t hought and feeling’

You know so many things about yourself, but the knower you do not know. Look within diligently, remember to remember that the perceived cannot be the perceiver. Whatever you see, hear or think of, remember – you are not what happens,

8

you are he to whom it happens. Delve deeply into the sense “I am” and you will surely discover that the perceiving center is universal, as universal as the light that illumes the world. All that happens in the universe happens to you, the silent witness. On the other hand, whatever is done, is done by you, the universal and inexhaustible energy. (27) * You want to know yourself. For this keep steadily in the focus of consciousness the only clue you have: your certainty of being. Be with it, play with it, ponder over it, delve deeply into it, till the shell of ignorance breaks open and you emerge into the realm of reality. (28) * The consciousness of being the “I am” is the basis of consciousness. When we think “I am” and only that, without any qualification, we are pure consciousness without an object, the timeless background, the reality which underlies the three states of waking, dreaming and deep sleep. But the moment we say: “I am tired, I am clever, I am a Knight of the Bath” . . . we risk falling into false identifications. When we say “Who am I?” and establish my consciousness in a state of empty availability, I make it possible for this consciousness to return to the pure subject. I prevent my consciousness from being attached to any qualification whatsoever, thus putting it in a state of helplessness which enables it to turn back on itself and return to its original purity. (29) * So who is the experiencer? You are. And who are you? Consciousness. And what is consciousness? This question cannot be answered. The moment you answer it, you have falsified it, made it into another object. Consciousness, the traditional word for which is spirit , cannot be known in the normal sense of the word, and seeking it is futile. All knowing is within the realm of duality – subject and object, the knower and the known. The subject, the I, the knower without which nothing could be known, perceived, thought, or felt, must remain forever unknowable. This is because the I has no form. Only form can be known, and yet without the formless dimension, the world of form could not be. It is the luminous space in which the world arises and subsides. That space is the life that I Am. It is timeless. I am timeless, eternal. What happens in that space is relative and temporary; pleasure and pain, gain and loss, birth and death. (30) *

9

Q: Our real being is all the time with us. How is it that we do not notice it? A: Yes, you are always the Supreme. But your attention is fixed on things, physical or mental. When your attention is off a thing and not yet fixed on another, in that interval you are pure being. When through the practice of discrimination and detachment, you lose sight of sensory and mental states, pure being emerges as the natural state. Q: How does one bring to an end this sense of separateness? A: By focusing the mind on “I am,” on the sense of being, “I am so-and-so” dissolves and “I am a witness only” remains and that too submerges in “I am all.” Then the all becomes the One. Abandon the idea of a separate “I” and the question of “whose experience?” will not arise. Q: You speak from your own experience. How can I make it mine? A: You speak of my experience as different from your experience, because you believe we are separate. But we are not. On a deeper level my experience is your experience. Dive deep within yourself and you will find it easily and simply. Go in the direction of “I am.” (31) * The whole universe is experienced in the consciousness “I Am.” If that is not there, what else can ever exist? This consciousness is beating a drum; everyone is carried away by the noise of the drum. Who looks for the drummer? Who is sounding and beating the drum? (32) * Become conscious of being conscious. Say or think “I Am” and add nothing to it. Be aware of the stillness that follows the I Am. Sense your presence, the naked, unveiled, unclothed beingness. It is untouched by young or old, rich or poor, good or bad, or any other attributes. It is the spacious womb of all creation, all form. (33) * Hold on to this knowingness “I am,” and the fount of knowledge will well up within you, revealing the mystery of the Universe, of your body and psyche, of the play of the five elements, and of everything else. In the process of this revelation, your individualistic personality confined to the body will expand into the manifested universe, and it will be realized that you permeate and embrace the entire cosmos. (34)

10

M editations

Give up all questions except one: “Who Am I?” After all, the only fact you are sure of is that you are. The “I am” is certain. The “I am this” is not. Struggle to find out what you are in reality. * In reality there is only one question. And the asker of this question is the answer. There are not two, there is only one. The only question is “Who am I?” * “I exist” is the only permanent, self-evident experience of everyone. Nothing else is so evident as “I am.” * There is nothing so simple as being the Self. It requires no effort, no aid. One has to leave off the wrong identity and be in the eternal, natural, inherent state. * Do nothing, absolutely nothing! Just be, be the knowledge “I am” only and abide there. * Don’t say “I am this,” “I am that.” Just hold on to yourself, you are. Just be, just be “you are.” * Is there anyone who is not aware of himself? Each one knows, yet does not know the Self. A strange paradox. * No attempt is needed to attain Realization. For it is nothing external, nothing new. It is always and everywhere – here and now. *

11

Go back to that state of pure being, where the “I am” is still in its purity before it got contaminated with “I am this” or “I am that.” Your burden is of false selfidentifications – abandon them all. * Everybody is glad to be. But few know the fullness of it. You come to know by dwelling in your mind on “I am,” “I know,” “I love” – with the will of reaching the deepest meaning of these words. * There is nothing to fear. Just deepen and deepen the questioning until all your preconceived notions of who and what you are vanish, and at once you will realize that the entire universe is no different from yourself. *

References

(1) Philip Kapleau Aw akening in Zen (New York: Scribner, 1997), p. 42. (2) Jean Klein Be W ho You Are (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1989), p. 17. (3) Jean Klein Living Trut h (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publications, 1995), p. 189. (4) Eckhart Tolle A New Eart h (New York: Dutton, 2005), p. 189. (5) Jean Klein Living Trut h (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publications, 1995), pp. 15-16. (6) Jean Klein I Am (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publications, 1989), p. 141. (7) Seung Sahn The Compass of Zen (Boston: Shambhala, 1997), p. 207. (8) Arthur Osborne Ramana M aharshi and t he Pat h of Self-Know ledge (London: Century, 1987), p. 149. (9) Ramana Maharshi Talks w it h Sri Ramana M aharshi (Tiruvannamalai, India: Sri Ramanasramam, 1984), p. 12. (10) Ramana Maharshi Talks w it h Sri Ramana M aharshi (Tiruvannamalai, India: Sri Ramanasramam, 1984), p. 60. (11) Ramana Maharshi The Spirit ual Teachings of Ramana M aharshi (Boston: Shambhala, 1988), p. 5. (12) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p48. (13) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), pp. 301302. (14) Ramana Maharshi The Teachings of Ramana M aharshi (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1978), p. 123. (15) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), pp. 271272.

12

(16) Jean Klein I Am (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publications, 1989), p. 106. (17) Jean Klein Beyond Know ledge (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publications, 1989), pp. 80-81. (18) Philip Kapleau The Three Pillars of Zen (New York: Doubleday, 1989), p. 155. (19) Devaraja Mudairar Day by Day w it h Ramana M aharshi (Tiruvannamalai, India: Sri Ramanasramam, 1984), p. 287. (20) Philip Kapleau The Three Pillars of Zen (New York: Doubleday, 1989), p. 150. (21) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), pp. 4-5. (22) Philip Kapleau The Three Pillars of Zen (New York: Doubleday, 1989), pp. 155-156. (23) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 2. (24) Jean Klein I Am (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publications, 1989), p. 41. (25) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), pp. 59-60. (26) Narasimha Swami Self-Realizat ion (Tiruvannamalai, India: Sri Ramanasramam, 1985), p. 242. (27) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 519. (28) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 272. (29) Jean Klein Be W ho You Are (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1989), pp. 21-22. (30) Eckhart Tolle A New Eart h (New York: Dutton, 2005), pp. 242-243. (31) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 90. (32) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj Consciousness and t he Absolut e (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1994), p. 82. (33) Eckhart Tolle A New Eart h (New York: Dutton, 2005), p. 236. (34) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj The Nect ar of t he Lord’s Feet (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1987), p. 48.

13

AW ARENESS AND PRESENCE

‘You are t he infinit e focused in a body. Now you see t he body and mind only. Try earnest ly and you w ill come t o see t he infinit e only.’ Sri Nisargadat t a M aharaj The Light of Attention and M indfulness

There’s an old Zen story: a student said to Master Ichu, “Please write for me something of great wisdom.” Master Ichu picked up his brush and wrote one word: “Attention.” The student said: “Is that all?” The Master wrote, “Attention, Attention.” The student became irritable. “That doesn’t seem profound or subtle to me.” In response, Master Ichu wrote simply, “Attention, Attention, Attention.” In frustration, the student demanded, “What does this word at t ent ion mean? Master Ichu replied, “Attention means attention.” For at t ent ion , we could substitute aw areness. Attention or awareness is the secret of life, and the heart of spiritual practice. (1) * Awareness – and this is more than mere attentiveness – is everything. A lack of awareness is responsible for so much of the violence and suffering in the world today. For it is the mind that feels itself separated from life and nature, the mind dominated by an omnipresent “I,” which lashes out to destroy and kill in order to satisfy its desire for more and more – at whatever cost. This unaware mind breeds insensitivity to people and things, for it doesn’t see or appreciate the value of things as they truly are, only seeing them as objects to be used in satiating its own desires. The deeply aware person sees the indivisibility of existence, the rich complexity and inter-relatedness of all life. Out of this awareness grows a deep respect for the absolute value of all things, each thing. From this respect for the worth of every single object, animate as well as inanimate, comes the desire to see things used properly, and not to be heedless, wasteful or destructive. (2) * Awareness is our true self; it’s what we are. So we don’t have to try to develop awareness, we simply have to notice how we block awareness, with our thoughts, our fantasies, our opinions, and our judgments. We’re either in awareness, which is our natural state, or we’re doing something else. When we become open awareness, our ability to do necessary thinking gets sharper, and our whole sensory input becomes brighter, clearer. The world looks brighter, sounds are sharper, and there’s a richness of sensory input, which is just our natural state if we are not blocking out our experience with our tense, worrying minds. (3) 1

* If I realize that what I am is an awareness in relation to my body, in relation to my thoughts, in relation to my emotions, in relation to my actions – then this awareness is not long or short, beautiful or ugly or hot or cold. It is not affected in itself by all the things that affect the body. It is pure being, and the body is the instrument through which that being manifests in life. But I myself am something different from all these manifestations, and it is only because I lose sight of that, that I suffer from the basic existential anxiety about what I am. The moment I equate myself with any of these things, I am on uncertain ground: I am building my house on sand. The only firm foundation on which I can build my house is this experience of pure being. And we have this maybe for a moment, and then we lose it. (4) * When we cling to thoughts and memories, we are clinging to what cannot be grasped. When we touch these phantoms and let them go, we may discover a place, a break in the chatter, a glimpse of open sky. This is our birthright – the wisdom with which we were born, the vast unfolding display of primordial richness, primordial openness, primordial wisdom itself. All that is necessary then is to rest undistractedly in the immediate present, in this very instant of time. And if we become drawn away by thoughts, by longings, by hopes and fears, again and again we can return to this present moment. We are here. We are carried off as if by the wind, and as if by the wind, we are brought back. When one thought has ended and another has not begun, we can rest in that space. We train in returning to the unchanging heart of this very moment. All compassion and inspiration comes from that. (5) * Unless there is an open awareness this instant, mind and body function mechanically, habitually, according to ingrained patterns and influences. I cannot possibly respond wholly and appropriately to people and ever-changing situations if there is inattention. Without careful attention, ancient or newly formed patterns of behaviour react immediately and compulsively, and create conflict. When there is the urge to find out what is going on this instant – not just thinking or speculating about it, but looking and listening direct ly, quietly – the energy to attend is there. It needs no special effort or preparation to bring it about. Questioning and insight generate energy! Unnecessary habitual baggage drops when it is uncovered and clearly seen. There is real joy in discovery. (6)

2

* In our lives we find ourselves involved in all sorts of contradictory situations. Most of the time we don’t see this because our attention is absent. When we do see it, the impression is painful. But we must learn to accept this truth. Generally, when we receive an unpleasant impression in life or concerning ourselves, we react. Our reaction carries us away, swallows us. If we do not obey our reaction, we have the possibility of entering into an unusual experience. Instead of plunging into a reactive state, we experience a certain inner freedom. We feel that our attention has remained available, free. It has not, as usual, been stolen from us . . . In acceptance there is a key to something very important that helps us free ourselves from habitual hindrances, helps us to recover the feeling of authentic presence. (7) * Seeing is not thinking. Seeing is seeing – attending, listening without knowing. If there is no clear awareness of how the human mind-and-body functions from moment to moment, division and conflict continue and multiply. Having an image of oneself and of what one should do or should not do creates duality and has nothing to do with undivided attention to what is actually taking place. Attention comes from nowhere. It has no cause. It belongs to no one. When it functions effortlessly, there is no duality. Without attention, one lives in words, images, and memories of oneself and others, constantly in the grip of fear, anger, ambition, confusion. (8) * You live, you feel, you think. By giving attention to your living, feeling and thinking, you free yourself from them and go beyond them. Your personality dissolves and only the witness remains. Then you go beyond the witness. Do not ask how it happens. Just search within yourself. Q: What marks the difference between the person and the witness? A: Both are modes of consciousness. In one you desire and fear, in the other you are unaffected by pleasure and pain and are not ruffled by events. You let them come and go. (9) * When we recognize the conventional nature of the self, and intuitively we see its unreality, then we free ourselves from the grip of time-based emotions like guilt, resentment, worry, and fear. These imagined limits, and the measuring of life by 3

expected life span, fall away as we re-enter the flow of the timeless. We realize that the past, present and future are all contained in this instant and have no existence apart from it. Our palpable sense of their reality arises from thought, from our remarkable ability to remember previous events. What we overlook is the fact that memories of those events only exist in the present moment. (10) * To “stop” is to stop searching for yourself in thoughts, emotions, circumstances, or bodily images. It is that simple. The search is over when you realize that the true and lasting fulfillment you have been searching for is found to be nowhere other than right where you are. It is here. It is in you, it is in me, it is in all life, both sentient and insentient. It is everywhere. As long as you are searching for it, it cannot be found because you assume that it is somewhere else. You are continually chasing a lie. The truth of who you are is utterly simple: it is closer than your thoughts, closer than your heartbeat, closer than your breath. If you believe your thoughts to be real, if you follow your thoughts as the basis of reality, you will continually overlook what is closer, what has been calling you throughout time, saying, “You are here! You are home! Come in. Be at home.” To be home is to simply be here. (11 ) * Living in the Now means to be where you are, going with the flow of life without dualistic divisions of any kind, no longer separating experience into past and future, nor being drawn by memory or anticipation away from the present moment. To say that there is no time, or that time is an illusion, is not to deny its usefulness in its conventional role. Instead, it is to see it for what it is: a social agreement on a system of arbitrary divisions superimposed on the flow of life to coordinate our human activities. When the mind is still and the din of thoughts has calmed, there is no experience of time or concern for it. The kaleidoscope of inestimable detail that forever awaits our attention, the rich tapestry of our moment-to-moment experience of life to which we have ready access, has no need for time’s generic categories and classifications. Most of us, in quiet moments of solitude or immersed in activities we love, have experienced this timelessness and tasted the essence of what is. (12) * Since ancient times, spiritual masters of all traditions have pointed to the Now as the key to the spiritual dimension. The whole essence of Zen consists in walking along the razor’s edge of Now – to be so utterly, so completely present that no problem, no suffering, nothing that is not w ho you are in your essence, can survive in you. In the now, in the absence of time, all your problems dissolve. Suffering needs time, it cannot survive in the Now. The great Zen master Rinzai, in order to 4

take his students’ attention away from time, would often raise his finger and ask: “What at this moment is lacking?” A powerful question that does not require an answer on the level of the mind. It is designed to take your attention deeply into the Now. A similar question in the Zen tradition is this: “If not now, when?” The Now is also central to the teaching of Sufism, the mystical branch of Islam. Sufis have a saying: “The Sufi is the son of time present.” And Rumi, the great poet and teacher of Sufism, declares: “Past and future veil God from our sight; burn up both of them with fire.” Meister Eckhart, the thirteenth century spiritual teacher, summed it up beautifully: “Time is what keeps the light from reaching us. There is no greater obstacle to God than time. (13) Pure Aw areness and Consciousness

The truth of who you are is consciousness, not your name, not your body, not your emotions, and not your thoughts. These are just coverings that come and go. They have a birth, an existence in time, and a death. Consciousness does not come and go, It is here now. It knows no other time. Consciousness is free. It is not bound by any name or concept. It is not limited by notions of time and space. It is not affected by emotions or disease. You are pure consciousness. You have always been free, for you have always been consciousness. You have experienced yourself as a point in consciousness and from that imagined yourself to be limited to a body. This recognition, even if it lasts only an instant, is the beginning of an infinitely deepening self-investigation. It is the end of preconception with the cycles of self-definition, and the beginning of a true self-exploration that knows no limits. (14) * What we ordinarily think of as the self has many aspects. There is the thinking self, the emotional self, and the functional self which does things. These together comprise our describable self. There is, however, another aspect of ourselves that we slowly get in touch with as we spiritually mature: t he observing self . All the describable parts of what we call ourselves are limited. They are also linear; they come and go within a framework of time. But the observing self cannot be put in that category, no matter how hard we try. That which observes cannot be found and cannot be described. If we look for it there is nothing there. Since there is nothing we can know about it, we can almost say it is another dimension. (15) * Do not undervalue attention. It means interest and also love. To know, to do, to discover, or to create you must give your heart to it – which means attention. All the blessings flow from it.

5

Q: You advise us to concentrate on ‘I am.’ Is this too a form of attention? A: What else? Give your undivided attention to the most important in your life – yourself. Of your personal universe you are the center – without knowing the center what else can you know? (16) * It takes a long time to come to unfurnished attention, an attention which is completely open without expectation and memory. The mind is a complicated jigsaw puzzle. There are many little pieces with which you build up your landscape. When you see how the mind functions in repetition you will lose interest in building the picture yet again! Every situation has its own puzzle which is much more entrancing than the same old one you live in. Observe, be alert, and you will see more than you know. (17) * It is clear that the real meaning of the life of each one of us is to live in the present moment. This can only be experienced if we try. To sense, to experience, second after second, the present: here, now – this “now” that we never perceive. And yet it is to this reality that we must open ourselves again and again. Experience shows us that it is difficult, nearly impossible, to stay there. Our inner capacity is limited. To be more able, we must become freer in ourselves. It is not a question of a more or less longer duration but rather of the quality of our inner lives. This quality is the bread of truth we need. It is not possible for us to know divine truth before we know the truth that immediately concerns us. (18) * Living in the now is a natural practice, because the present moment is the natural state. We’re always in the now, even if we don’t totally know it. If we are remembering the past, where does that take place except in the now through present awareness? If we are thinking about the future, we are doing our planning and thinking now. We are always in the present no matter how scattered and distracted we may be. Returning to the now and maintaining that awareness is like coming home to ourselves. Of course, just as we’ve never been anyone else, we’ve never been anywhere else. But we lose touch, and we forget. Yet it’s always now. This is our sane sanctuary in time called right now. It’s where we really are no matter what stories we are telling ourselves. That’s why it is such a relief to simply rest in the present, just as we are. Opening up to the miracle of the present moment is a gift we give ourselves. (19)

6

* Whatever changes is not your Self; this body is continuously changing. It was not there, it appeared and it will disappear. It is not you. Find out what you are. The important thing is the consciousness. You must give your full attention to the consciousness itself. That is the process of meditation; then all the secrets will be revealed to you by the consciousness. Watching yourself, that itself is meditation. To keep only consciousness, without mixing it with anything, that is knowledge without words, that you ARE. Thoughts will be there, but they will be weaker and weaker, so only the feeling of “I Amness” will remain, just consciousness without any activity. Watching your activities is on a lower level, like watching anger, etc., that is still identification with the mind-body. Consciousness is beyond both. (20) * When you have had your first few glimpses of the timeless state of consciousness, you begin to move back and forth between the dimensions of time and presence. First you become aware of just how rarely your attention is truly in the Now. But to know that you are not present is a great success: that knowing is presence – even if initially it only lasts for a couple of seconds of clock time before it is lost again. Then, with increasing frequency, you choose to have the focus of your consciousness in the present moment rather than the past or future, and whenever you realize that you had lost the Now, you are able to stay in it not just for a couple of seconds, but for longer periods as perceived from the external perspective of clock time. So before you are firmly established in the state of presence, you shift back and forth for a while between consciousness and unconsciousness, between the state of presence and the state of mind-identification. You lose the Now, and you return to it, again and again. Eventually, presence becomes your predominant state. (21) * In moments of greater attention, I have an awareness of “being here” – a look, a light, a consciousness that knows. Consciousness is here. I cannot doubt it. And yet I do not trust it, I do not feel it as “I,” as my essential nature. I believe that I can look for consciousness, see consciousness, know it. We take consciousness as an object of observation. But we cannot see consciousness. It is consciousness that sees and that knows . . . So, the only reality for me today is in my effort to be present to myself. Nothing else is real. Everything is distorted by the veil of my mind, which prevents me from being in contact with the nature of things. I must first go toward my own nature, awake to the consciousness of “I,’ and be attentive only to this. Consciousness is always consciousness of self. We can call the Self whatever we wish – the seat of consciousness, even God. The point is that it is the center, the very core of our being, without which there is nothing. (22) 7

*

Presence is our constant nature but most of the time we are interrupting it by living in a state of expectation, motivation or interpretation. We are hardly ever at home. In order to rediscover our freedom we need to let go of these project ions and allow the possibility of presence. Its real discovery, or our access to it, can only be made within the essence of what is. This is where spontaneous aliveness resides and where we can openly welcome the unknown. Only here, in present awareness of simply what is, can there be freedom from self-image. To live passionately is to let go of everything for the wonder of timeless presence . . . Presence is a quality of welcoming, open awareness which is dedicated to simply what is. There can still be someone who is aware and there is that of which they are conscious -- the sound of running water, the taste of tea, the feeling of fear, or the weight and texture of sitting on a seat. And then there can be a letting go of the one who is aware, and all that remains is presence. There is simply what is. (23)

Opening to the W onder of Life

Be satisfied with watching the flow of your life; if your watching is deep and steady, ever turned towards the source, it will gradually move upstream till it suddenly becomes the source. Put your awareness to work, not your mind. The mind is not the instrument for this task. The timeless can be reached only by the timeless. Your body and mind are both subject to time, only awareness is timeless, ever in the now. In awareness you are facing facts and reality is fond of facts. (24) * Q: How can I come to greater alertness? A: It is a question of being interested when you look at and listen to things. When you begin looking and listening you will start discovering and you will enjoy the discoveries. You will see that every situation, every moment in life, is a fathomless sack. But you make it a sack with a bottom and put things in it. The moment you see that each situation is bottomless, much richer, much more alive than anything you have accumulated in your memory, then you spontaneously become more interested in life. (25) * So long as we are full of the ordinary turmoil – the thoughts, the feelings, the emotions, and so forth – that fill our inner life, there is no room to receive some8

thing from a higher source. It is only by quieting this turmoil, by making room, that there is space enough left to receive. It is not a question of attaining something, achieving something, grasping something. So often, with every good intention, we make some kind of effort to grasp something, and this is not the right effort to make. The effort is to be open, to be receptive, to be empty. This silence we experience together or by ourselves – this is not an empty silence. But as we know, it is filled with life. And beyond that, the Void, the big emptiness if you like . . . We are, as it were, a tiny drop in the ocean of this emptiness. You see, to make ourselves empty, then the dewdrop is received into the ocean. (26) * The quality of influences that reaches me depends on the quality of my Presence. And the quality of my Presence depends on the relation of my thought, my feeling and my sensation. In order to be attuned to a more subtle force, the attention of each part needs to concentrate, to become charged with a new meaning and power to relate voluntarily. In this way the thinking purifies itself, as do the feeling and the sensation. Each plays its own role and functions in concert with the others for the same goal of being attuned with a more subtle Presence. This Presence needs to shine, to animate my body. It has an intelligence, a vision that is like a light in the darkness and thickness of my sleep. As I am today, directed by my ego, I cannot know the very essence of my Being. I am not prepared for this. A greater abandon, a greater magnetization toward my real “I,” toward my “divine” nature, must take place. I feel the need for it, and I awaken to this wish, this life. I feel this intelligence awaken. (27) * The whole secret lies in the control of attention. In our ordinary state attention is occupied with the content of consciousness – impressions, memories, and associations – and it is so used to this that, at the beginning, it takes everything we’ve got to withdraw attention from the usual contents, symbolized by the horizontal member of the cross, and direct it in the other direction, symbolized by the vertical member. But with practice one can learn to divide attention in two: one part directed onto one’s activities, and the other simultaneously directed in this other dimension. Then one is able to be aware at the same time of the ordinary contents of consciousness which fill the inner receptive space and of the emptiness behind it, which can then receive other kinds of impressions which do not come in through the ordinary senses. And it is this state which is called “living in the presence of God.” (28)

9

* What’s going on in me right now? Coming into awareness leads to a sense of presence. Although we typically rush through our day in little contact with the reality of our inner life, daily practice to connect to a deeper sense of Self could transform the outer tasks that press on us so urgently. Then the ordinary work we often consider a grind might take on the quality of a ritual. There is, in fact, no ordinary life. There is only an ext raordinary one – the one we were given. Daily practice, the practice of presence, can give us the help we need to remember that. (29) * When there is presence there is total intimacy and the senses are heightened to a degree previously unrecognized. I see and touch in innocence, I taste and smell for the first time, and hear a new sound that is vital, fresh and unknown. There is a subtle feeling of risk and serenity in presence. It is the first and last step. It moves beyond time and self-identity and provides the ground in which the discovery of what I am is made immediately and directly available. When there is presence, all that is illusory falls away, and what is left is real, vital and passionately alive. Life full on – not my life, not anyone’s life, but simply life. Presence does not bring heaven down to earth or raise earth up to heaven. All is one. (30)

M editations

When we deeply relax, our attention unglues itself little by little from our preoccupations, our identifications. It moves toward the realm of silence. During this experience of inner silence, if thoughts appear, they pass as if upon a screen. Our emotions are short-lived movements that do not carry us toward externals. * The exercise of pure attention implies the complete elimination of all elements from the past, thus allowing the authentic purity of the present to be completely grasped. This entails a state of complete receptivity which seizes and is open to the complete, eternal and perfect newness of each moment. * There is a clear distinction between consciousness itself and the transient states which arise within it. All experiences are merely conditioned states. We take them for real, when in fact they are just transient. Turn your attention to consciousness itself and become a witness to this truth.

10

* Ultimately you will realize that you are not your thoughts, your mind, your body, or any other object, but behind all of these is a still, constant, seeming nothingness from which everything emanates; this is what you are. * Just discover that you aren’t “living” a life, you are life. It’s flowing through you – just see it arising and falling away. Emotions and thoughts arise and fall away. They are not you. You are the awareness that allows them and everything else to be. * The silent Witness pays attention to what goes on in the centers: to what goes on in the head, to what goes on in the heart, to what goes on in the body. It simply pays attention. It’s like listening to music. You don’t have to manipulate the impressions you receive from music; you just receive them. * The witness is always present, is always presence. It is that which is not identified with change, with circumstances, and therefore “observes” them. It is this continual sense of presence throughout life that we call the witness. To know the witness, therefore, means to experience timeless presence in all change. * Just as each flower has its own colour, but all colours are caused by the same light, so do many experiences appear in the undivided and indivisible awareness, each separate in memory, identical in essence. This essence is the root, the foundation, the timeless and spaceless ‘possibility’ of all experience. * You are free. You are whole. You are endless. There is no bottom to you, no boundary to you. You are awareness and awareness is consciousness. * It is possible, right now, wherever you find yourself to stop. For this moment at least, turn your attention to where your life comes from. Shift your attention back to your life’s source, to what gives your life the power to be aware, and to where your life goes when it is finished.

11

* The field of consciousness has no boundary. This vast, undivided awareness is available to us at all times. It is there at any moment we are still. * There is only consciousness – this infinite unknown, this vast emptiness into which everything arises. You and I are not separate from this. We are this consciousness, this wide-open infinite unknown. ‘Your’ awareness, ‘my’ awareness, everyone’s awareness – all are the Same Awareness. And it has no limits. It contains everything and it is everything. * Awareness is the source of all. As the matrix of everything, it is completely still, silent, and impersonal. It has no relationship with anything; it’s the singularity from which everything emanates. * There is simply awareness – silent, still, impersonal awareness – and whatever seems to be happening is arising in that. Just be the watcher. You are the stillness, you are the silence in which everything arises. Embrace that which never moves and is totally still. * Pure awareness is a natural state of timelessness, because experience is always now, here and now. Whether you think you experience things in the past or anticipate possibilities in the future, all that – memories of the past or anticipation of the future – is happening now. * Our natural state of being is awareness, an awareness which is not of anything, but which is an all-encompassing state of pure experience. Within awareness our minds are balanced, light, free and flexible. * This is the miracle of awareness: it gives birth to intelligence and compassionate action. Awareness does not judge, condemn or accept, because it has no me-ness to be defended or nurtured. In the wonder of clear seeing, me-ness is in abeyance, leaving infinite room for love.

12

Awareness, which is the source of all, is also the source of unconditional love. So everyt hing is divine, everything comes from awareness, from unconditional love. Everything is the beloved, so wherever your awareness rests, it rests on the beloved. * The awakened state is our natural state and way of being. When awakening happens, we suddenly realize that we’ve come back home to how we naturally are, which is actually quite ordinary. It’s wonderful to experience the magnificence of the ordinary. * The expression of love is life itself. The wholeness of life is everywhere and is everything. We are already immersed in life and life in us. * The human being is what links consciousness to its own infinite expressions in form. Through the form of an awake human being consciousness becomes conscious of itself as both formless and as all forms. That is why, to the true sage, everything is divine, whole and complete. Everything is God, the Self. * If we can experience the moment we’re in, we discover that it is unique, precious and completely fresh. It never happens twice. One can appreciate and celebrate each moment – there’s nothing more sacred. * Be present to the experience of life itself. Cultivate attention in everything you do, and, until your last breath, live in the mystery of being. * You realize your identity with all of life in an extraordinary, mysterious, astounding, and wonderful way, something humbling, incomprehensible, and breathtaking. Life goes on as it always has, but you watch it unfold with new eyes. * In the end you reach a state of non-grasping, of joyful non-attachment, of inner ease and freedom, indescribable, yet wonderfully real. 13

References

(1) Charlotte Beck Not hing Special: Living Zen (San Francisco: Harper, 1993), p. 168. (2) Philip Kapleau Aw akening t o Zen (New York: Scribner, 1997), p. 30. (3) Charlotte Beck Not hing Special: Living Zen (San Francisco: Harper, 1993), p. 87. (4) Hugh Brockwill Ripman Quest ions and Answ ers Along t he W ay (Washington: Forthway Center Press, 2009), p. 374. (5) Pema Chödrön W hen Things Fall Apart (Boston: Shambhala, 2000), pp. 106-107. (6) Toni Packer The W ork of This M oment (Boston: Shambhala, 1990), pp. 68-69. (7) Henriette Lannes This Fundamental Quest (San Francisco: Far West Institute, 2003), p. 70. (8) Toni Packer The W ork of This M oment (Boston: Shambhala, 1990), p. 80. (9) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), pp. 189190. (10) John Greer Seeing, Know ing, Being (Memphis: True Compass Press, 2012), p. 53. (11) Gangaji The Diamond in Your Pocket (Boulder: True Sounds, 2005), pp. 9-10. (12) John Greer Seeing, Know ing, Being (Memphis: True Compass Press, 2012), p. 53. (13) Eckhart Tolle The Pow er of Now (Vancouver: Namaste Publications, 1997), pp. 43-44. (14) Gangaji The Diamond in Your Pocket (Boulder: True Sounds, 2005), p. 9. (15) Charlotte Beck Everyday Zen (San Francisco: Harper, 1989), pp. 122-123. (16) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 126. (17) Jean Klein The Ease of Being (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1986), p. 100. (18) Henriette Lannes This Fundament al Quest (San Francisco: Far West Institute, 2003), p. 83. (19) Lama Surya Das Awakening t o t he Sacred (New York: Broadway Books, 1999), p. 368. (20) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj Consciousness and t he Absolut e (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1994), p. 84. (21) Eckhart Tolle The Pow er of Now (Vancouver: Namaste Publications, 1997), p. 62. (22) Jeanne de Salzmann The Realit y of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), pp. 39-40. (23) Tony Parsons The Open Secret (Shaftesbury, England: Open Secret Publishing, 2005), pp. 23-24. (24) Jean Klein The Ease of Being (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1986), p. 98. (25) Jean Klein The Ease of Being (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1986), pp. 100-101. (26) Hugh Brockwill Ripman Quest ions and Answ ers Along t he W ay (Washington: Forthway Center Press, 2009), p. 86. (27) Jeanne de Salzmann The Realit y of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), pp. 48-49. (28) Hugh Brockwill Ripman Quest ions and Answ ers Along t he W ay (Washington: Forthway Center Press, 2009), pp. 393-394. (29) Patty de Llosa The Pract ice of Presence (Sandpoint, Idaho: Morning Light Press, 2006, p. iv. (30) Tony Parsons The Open Secret (Shaftesbury, England: Open Secret Publishing, 2005), p. 28.

14

THE M YSTERY OF BEING

‘All t hat a human being can do is w onder and marvel at t he magnificence of God’s Creat ion.’ M eist er Eckhart

Silence and Emptiness

Where does the mind come from? Where does it go? Where is the source of consciousness? Where is all experience created? The answer to all these questions is now here; it is all the same reality, the same energy, without source or beginning. There is no real separation between past and present, here and there. We are always within reality. Our mind is not separate from enlightenment. What then is the difference between enlightenment and ordinary existence? The enlightened state has great richness, openness and fullness of being, while the ‘samsaric’ state has tremendous suffering, ignorance and confusion. Nevertheless, from the standpoint of ‘shunyata,’ [absolute openness] the two states coexist; there is no separation between them. When we understand that the foundation of enlightenment is not any place or any person, we will know that we have never been apart from this awakened mind. We will see that enlightenment permeates our entire being and can no more be separated from us than the sound can be divorced from music. ‘Shunyata’ is nothing and everything. All our experience is included within this perfect realization of openness. (1) * In true meditation, the emphasis is on being awareness, not on being aware of objects, but resting on primordial awareness itself. Primordial awareness, consciousness, is the source in which all objects arise and subside. As you gently relax into awareness, into listening, the mind’s compulsive contraction around objects will fade. Silence of being will come more clearly into your consciousness, welcoming you to rest and abide. An attitude of open receptivity, free of any goal or anticipation, will facilitate the presence of silence and stillness, and reveal them to be your natural condition. (2) * Solitude from what is ordinary, imaginary and false is something very great. It means that for the first time I know that “I am.” It is a solitude from all the known and from all that is not right now , in the present moment outside of time. This solitude appears as a void. But it is not a void of despair. It is a complete trans-

1

formation of the quality of my thinking. When the mind is free of all talking, fears, desires and pettiness, it is silent. Then comes a sense of complete nothingness, the very essence of humility. At the same time, there is a feeling of truly entering another world, a world that seems more real. I am a particle of a greater reality. I experience solitude not because something is missing but because there is everything – everything is here. (3) * When we pass beyond the last vestiges of dualistic thinking, we become the Unknowable. When identification with the body/mind falls away, the only thing left is the ephemeral play of energy – the rising and falling of sensations. Listen to the words of the Buddha: “In what is seen, there must just be the seen, in what is heard, there must just be the heard, in what is sensed, there must just be the sensed, in what is thought, there must just be the thought.” To what is he pointing? Amaro Bhikkhu interprets it this way: “There are forms, shapes, colors, and so forth, but there is no t hing there. There is no real substance, no solidity and no self-existent reality. All there is, is the quality of experience itself. No more, no less.” We have no more substance than the notes of a sonata played on a flute, coming out of nowhere and just as quickly disappearing. Mystical freedom is radical and absolute: our boundaries disappear and our oneness with the All floods in. We become freedom itself, the fleeting, evanescent flow of what is. (4) * There is an ocean of stillness in which we live, which pervades everything around us. So long as our attention is taken by movement, we don’t have contact with this stillness. If we can hold back some of our attention from the activities of our centers, their movements, then we may at the same time come into contact with this stillness . . . You have all touched this stillness, this living silence, at one time or another. And you know that it is something, when you experience it, that is unmoving and unchanging, so when you encounter it and part of you merges with it, you are not in time in the ordinary way, because time for us is something we assume from movement, change, succession. And here, when we participate in this stillness – in it, there is no movement, no change, no succession. It is in this way not limited by time as we know it. It is also not limited at all by space as we know it, so it has an element of the infinite and an element of the eternal. And it is open to us all to experience it. It is through this contact that we are connected with the very ground of our existence, with a source of strength and help within. (5) * Presence is the direct knowing that all experience is groundless; it simply arises and subsides. Here is where we open to the mystery of being. We begin by ask2

ing, “What is experience?” Experience consist of thoughts, feelings and sensations, all of which arise in the mind. Therefore, we ask the next question, “What is mind?” Nothing is seen, but in that nothing, the clarity of awareness is present. Mind is not simply nothing. It is empty, no thing, and clarity at the same time. Nothing impedes the arising of experience. The three aspects of mind – emptiness, clarity, and unimpeded experience – are the real mystery of being. In the open space of awareness, experience arises and subsides, but what arises is not separate from awareness. Presence is resting in awareness, knowing that mind nature is empty, clear and unimpeded, and knowing no separation from what we experience. (6) * We learn to become conscious of life and of the Being incarnate in us, conscious of a rhythmic order in which we are included. This is not to observe from outside, holding ourselves apart, but to be one with the experience and be transformed by it. Usually it cannot transform us because we cut ourselves off from reality, lost in our ordinary ‘I.’ True consciousness is buried and plays only a secondary role. We must let all our images and preconceived ideas dissolve in order to become aware of its source. We have to let consciousness emerge and play the principal role. Then one can live according to one’s Being. This active recognition of the life within brings a sense of obligation to listen to ‘consciousness,’ to change and live according to what we understand. Finally, a man comes to submission and trust in life and the Self. He gives himself up to the cosmic movement of ebb and flow, understanding with his whole being that all forms are created in the void, in silence, and are reabsorbed once they have fulfilled their role. He understands that he finds himself in losing himself. He becomes free from certain subjective limits, but realizes that his Self is a responsible participant in the great life of the universe. He participates in the Whole. (7) * Silence, stillness, and awareness are not states and therefore cannot be produced or created. Silence is the non-state in which all states arise and subside. Silence is itself the eternal witness without form or attribute. As you rest more profoundly as the witness, all objects take on their natural functionality, and awareness becomes free of the mind’s compulsive contractions and identifications, and returns to its natural non-state of Presence. The simple yet profound question “Who am I?” can then reveal one’s self not to be the endless tyranny of the ego-personality, but objectless Freedom of Being – the Primordial Consciousness in which all states and all objects come and go as manifestations of the eternal unborn Self that YOU ARE. (8 )

3

* Having access to the formless realm is truly liberating. It frees you from bondage to form and identification with form. It is life in its undifferentiated state prior to its fragmentation into multiplicity. We may call it the Unmanifested, the invisible Source of all things, the Being within all beings. It is a realm of deep stillness and peace, but also of joy and intense aliveness. Whenever you are present, you become “transparent” to some extent to the light, the pure consciousness that emanates from this Source. You also realize that the light is not separate from who you are but constitutes your very essence. (9) * This silence is something that is present all the time. It is the normally unheard background against which we hear noise, just like the screen against which we see the movie. We see the alternation of light and dark without normally seeing the screen. When we think about silence in the ordinary way, we think of the cessation of noise, but this silence is quite different. It is in another dimension. It is not, as you must have experienced, just an absence of noise or sound, because it is a living silence. Our ordinary lives are filled with experiences that are experienced in time and space, and the reason we interpret experiences in terms of time is because they change. If nothing changes we have no measure of the passage of time at all. And if one makes contact with this living silence, there is no change, and so this silence is not of the world which is limited by time. (10) * Everything rises and falls, appears and disappears. Yet behind these movements something remains still, unchanging. I must become conscious of it, not staying on the surface but concentrating as deeply as possible at a level I can hardly penetrate, much less remain . . . Each day I have to give as much time as it takes – sometimes more, sometimes less – to come to a clear perception of an inner Presence, a life in me that is much higher than my body. I need to know this Presence as something really existing, not merely a possibility that I sometimes touch. (11) * There is no death. Life cannot die. The coating is used up, the form disintegrates. Death is an end – the end of everything known. It is a fearful thing because we cling to the known. But life is. It is always here, even if for us it is the unknown. We can know life only after we know death. We must die to the known and enter the unknown. We need to die voluntarily. We have to free ourselves from the known. Once free, we can enter the unknown, the void, the complete stillness, where there is no deterioration – the only state in which we can find out what life is and what love is. (12) 4

The Timeless Reality

We need to realize that all things are impermanent. They change, they are born, they have their life, they die. They are impermanent on different scales, certainly. Some are sub-atomic particles; their life is confined to a tiny fraction of our time which is unimaginably small, perhaps one-millionth of one millionth of one millionth of a second – a time we can’t imagine how short it is. Some other lives may last for billions of years. But everything in the universe has its life; it comes into being, it lasts for a certain time, and it dies in that form. But behind all this is Being . And as we come to know – behind all this activity which we constantly take to be our life – as we ourselves come to know the experience of being, we come to realize that we are not and can never be alone. (13) * Being is the eternal, ever-present One Life beyond the myriad forms of life that are subject to birth and death. However, Being is not only beyond but also deep within every form as its innermost invisible and indestructible essence. This means that it is accessible to you now as your own deepest self, your true nature. But don’t seek to grasp it with your mind. Don’t try to understand it. You can know it only when the mind is still. When you are present, when your attention is fully and intensely in the moment, Being can be felt, but it can never be understood mentally. To regain awareness of Being and to abide in that state of “feeling-realization” is enlightenment. (14) * The different fields in which the human being has his experience are thinking, doing, perceiving and feeling. These experiences keep changing from moment to moment, but the one experience, constant without any change, is the changeless experience of the ‘I AM principle,’ the screen on which the other experiences appear and disappear. With this deep understanding the sage ignores the fleeting experiences and stays anchored at the central I Am experience, in peace, harmony and contentment, in beauty and love. When the thinking-doing-perceiving-feeling disappears, the apparent thinker-doer-perceiver-feeler also disappears, and I remain as pure Consciousness. The ignorant person, in his confusion, believes that the body-mind lives, while in fact it dies at the end of every perception, thought, feeling or action. It is the I AM principle that continues unchanged throughout this process. The fact of the matter is that the I AM principle and the manifest phenomenal ‘reality’ can only be the One and not two. The actual ‘reality’ is neither the known nor the unknown, but the basis of both. In other words, the subjective I AM and the objective manifestation are one and the same. (15)

5

* Beyond the moving mind there is the background of awareness, which does not change. The mind must come to know the true self and respect it and cease covering it up, like the moon which obscures the sun during a solar eclipse. Just realize that nothing observable, or that can be experienced is you, or binds you. Q: To do what you tell me I must be ceaselessly aware. A: What you need is to be aware of being aware. Be aware deliberately and consciously, broaden and deepen the field of awareness. You are always conscious of the mind, but you are not aware of yourself as being conscious (16) * Presence is the source of all experience. When the accent is on being aware, and not on thought nor on perception, we gradually become deeply relaxed, both on the neuromuscular level and on the mental plane. If we disinterestedly observe the arising and disappearing of all the states we experience, we soon come to realize that each state, each perception, each thought is reabsorbed into an unspoken unknown, knowing as being. This, the continuum, the only reality is there before activity commences. Let yourself sink deep within this stillness each time it makes itself felt. You cannot expect reality to appear, for it ever is. Events appear and disappear. Never forget the passing character of all experience, this is all you need to do and the door to grace will open before you. (17) * With consciousness, I see w hat is, and in the experience “I am,” I open to the divine, the infinite beyond space and time, the higher force that religions call God. My being is Being. To be one, whole in the face of life, is all that matters. So long as I remain conscious of this, I feel a life within me and a peace that nothing else can give. I am here, alive, and around me exists the entire universe. The life that is around me is in me. I feel this universal life, the force of the universe. And I feel myself existing as part of the world that surrounds me. Here everything helps, even the cushion on which I sit. I am present, wakened to what I am. And I see that the most important thing is t o be. I know it – now – and as I know it, I feel related to everything around me. There is no before, no after, only life itself. I have the impression of emerging from a dream. Everything is real. I feel free and at peace. In this state, I do not seek, I do not wish, I do not expect anything. There is only what “I am” in this moment. I know now how I am here and why I am here. (18)

6

*

You know that you are sitting here. Be attentive to that knowledge only. Just be in your beingness. Hold onto that; nothing has to be done. Become one with that and all your needs will be satisfied. Whatever you are doing, your attention should be there. When you are eating food, who is eating? Only that Beingness. Whatever you are doing is the beingness; pay attention to that beingness. (19) * The world we see now is full of diversity. We must practise seeing the unifying force, the unifying spirit that is the substratum for this entire manifestation. That is the Self, the reality, God, or whatever name you may give it. Just like in the cinema the wide screen is the substratum for the manifestation, and what is going on here in this universe is the film, the moving picture. It is always moving but the screen is permanent. If we know that what we see in the world is moving, then we have realized the Truth and we do not see the world as such. We see it only as a moving thing within the unmoving or immutable existence. Then the world has a different shape for us, we don’t see it as diversity, we see it as one. (20) * Which is real: what I am conscious of, or consciousness itself? Deep down in my being I am already what I seek. This is the impetus of my whole search. When consciousness is here, I realize that consciousness is me. I and all that surrounds me are the same consciousness. My true nature is consciousness. The search for my self becomes the quest for the Self, more and more profound. The Creator appears as the “I,” the “Self.” Whether it is manifest or nonmanifest is immaterial when one remains turned toward it. There is no object to know. The Self is always the Self. When the true nature is known, there is Being without beginning or end – immortal consciousness. (21) * You are what you are every moment of your life, but you are never conscious of it, except, maybe, at the point of awakening from sleep. All you need is to be aware of being, not as a verbal statement, but as an ever-present fact. The awareness that you are will open your eyes to what you are. It is all very simple. First of all, establish a constant contact with your self, be with yourself all the time. Into self-awareness all blessings flow. Begin as a center of observation, deliberate cognizance, and grow into a center of love in action. “I am” is a tiny seed which will grow into a mighty tree, quite naturally without a trace of effort (22)

7

* You are the one who sees it all, knows it all, and watches all that is happening. You are the still, silent source of all that is, the Being that animates the body/mind, the Being in which everything arises, including the apparent individual. That Being, that awareness, is what you are. You’re not a part of the whole, but the source of the whole. Because you are, everything else is. Whatever we see, whatever we think is our life story, whatever we believe the world to be, is only an appearance of Being and unconditional love appearing as the invitation to drop the sense of “me,” to drop the idea that there’s any separation, to drop the idea that there’s any individual sitting in this room. There’s only Being, living in and as every apparently different bodymind. (23)

M editations

Behind the tropical sky, behind the sunset, and behind the thunderstorm there is something other. And this “something other” is also behind and within each of us. It is called by many names: a living silence behind sound, a living emptiness behind form, the wordless principle behind naked being. * You live in the silence. It surrounds you like an ocean, it interpenetrates every cell of your body. It is there, living all the time. And, in the same way, the emptiness, the void out of which all creation emerges and into which all creation disperses – it’s here, it’s now, within you, without you, surrounding you. * Instead of searching for what you do not have, find out what it is that you have never lost. That which is there before the beginning and after the ending of everything; that to which there is no birth, nor death. That immovable state, which is not affected by the birth and death of a body and a mind, can be perceived now . * Who are you? The answer is not in words. The nearest you can say in words is: “I am what makes perception possible; the life beyond the person who experiences and the ‘story’ or description of his or her own experience.”

8

* Awareness implies that you are not only conscious of things (objects), but you are also conscious of being conscious. If you can sense an alert inner stillness in the background while things happen in the foreground – that’s it! This dimension is there in everyone, but most people are completely unaware of it. Sometimes I point to it by saying, “Can you feel your own Presence?” * Go to the I AM. Not I am t his or I am t hat , but simply I AM. This is the stateless state, the ultimate principle, the ground of Being, the absolute Self. Everything, in essence, is this absolute principle called the Self. * Awakening is outside of time. You awaken from time to That which is timeless. Wisdom and love are aspects of your own Self and as such do not need to be created, cultivated or pursued. * Pure presence is a state of non-judgemental, non-interfering choiceless awareness or panoramic attention to the isness, suchness and now ness of all things. * Take a moment just to be still, to be here, regardless of what is passing through you. Recognize that you are t he hereness that all is passing through. All the myriad changes, sights, sounds, smells, emotions, thoughts, events, births and deaths are all passing through the ever-present st illness that is here now in the core of your Being. * We are seamlessly embedded in the web of life itself: deep within the web there is an invisible, intangible essence that allows for sentience and consciousness and the potential for awareness itself to transform ignorance into wisdom and discord into reconciliation and accord. * You are the pure, infinite consciousness into which all worlds and all experiences arise and disappear. Are you big enough to embrace all that you are, to embrace your own pure, infinite Being?

9

* There can be an amazing awakening to our intrinsic wholeness beyond imagination and fantasy, revealing a vast stillness at the very core of this bustling existence. At a moment of touching this all-pervading vibrant emptiness, our illusory isolation has disappeared. * By letting go of our fascination with the extraordinary and spectacular, we can allow ourselves to recognize the simple wonder that lies within the ordinary. * The divine instinct is continually available, simply through the allowing of it. It is always at hand, in an eternal state of readiness; like the constant and faithful lover it is ready to respond to our every call. * There is only Source – the uncaused, unchanging, impersonal stillness from which unconditional love overflows and celebrates. It is the wonderful mystery. * If we can reach the silence, and the life of the silence within us, then we are at one of the gateways that lead from time to eternity, from space to emptiness, from activity taken as life to life itself. * Presence is a welcoming, open stillness, which is the ground of what we are. It is our nature. Through dedication to the awareness of w hat is, there can come a moment when there is no longer a self or a seeker; there is simply w hat is. * Fundamentally there is just open space, the basic ground , what we really are. Our most fundamental state of mind, before the creation of the ego, is such that there is basic openness, basic freedom, a spacious quality; and we have now and have always had this openness.

10

* Beneath the surface play of phenomena, there is a formless, undifferentiated realm invisible to the naked eye; devoid of all parts, there remains only the unceasing flow and energy of life. * When you truly awaken to the nature of what is, you see that you are t hat , the w hole of life, and your awareness of it is none other than the awareness of life itself. You find joy, peace, exaltation, wonder and the wisdom that comes from knowing the truth of what you really truly are. We recognize our oneness with the unimaginable expanse of life and the full wonder of creation.

References

(1) Tarthang Tulku Hidden M ind of Freedom (Berkeley: Dharma Publishing, 1981), pp. 92-93. (2) Adyashanti The Impact of Aw akening (San Jose: Open Gate Publishing, 2006), pp. 25-26. (3) Jeanne de Salzmann The Realit y of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), p. 169. (4) John Greer Seeing, Know ing, Being (Memphis: True Compass Press, 2012), pp. 218-219. (5) Hugh Brockwill Ripman Quest ions and Answ ers Along t he W ay (Washington: Forthway Center Press, 2006), p. 90. (6) Ken McLeod W ake Up t o Your Life (New York: HarperCollins, 2001), p. 37. (7) Jeanne de Salzmann The Realit y of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), p. 147. (8) Adyashanti The Impact of Aw akening (San Jose: Open Gate Publishing, 2006), p. 26. (9) Eckhart Tolle The Pow er of Now (Vancouver: Namaste Publications, 1997), p. 110. (10) Hugh Brockwill Ripman Quest ions and Answ ers Along t he W ay (Washington: Forthway Center Press, 2006), p. 87. (11) Jeanne de Salzmann The Realit y of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), pp. 81-82. (12) Jeanne de Salzmann The Realit y of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), pp. 175. (13) Hugh Brockwill Ripman Quest ions and Answ ers Along t he W ay (Washington: Forthway Center Press, 2006), p. 399. (14) Eckhart Tolle The Pow er of Now (Vancouver: Namaste Publications, 1997), p. 10. (15) Ramesh Balsekar Confusion No M ore (London: Watkins Publishing, 2007), p. 238. (16) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 220. (17) Jean Klein I Am (Santa Barbara: third Millennium Publications, 1989), p. 45. (18) Jeanne de Salzmann The Realit y of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), pp. 292. (19) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj Seeds of Consciousness (New York: Grove Press, 1982), p. 128. (20) Premananda Blueprint s for Aw akening (London; open Sky Press, 2008), p. 263.

11

(21) Jeanne de Salzmann The Realit y of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), pp. 175-176. (22) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), pp. 509510. (23) Tony Parsons Invit at ion t o Aw aken (Carlsbad, California: Inner Directions, 2005), pp. 2526.

12

AW AKENED ATTENTION AND ‘I AM ’ ‘I am t he eye w it h w hich t he universe beholds it self and know s t hat it is divine.’ Shelley

Conscious Attention

One of the preliminary, yet essential, steps on the spiritual path is to realize our inability to control one of the fundamental qualities of consciousness – the ability to consciously direct our attention. Jeanne de Salzmann: “The work to be present is in the direction of consciousness. In the moment of consciousness there is an immediate impression of direct perception. This is quite different from what we usually call ‘consciousness,’ which operates more like a reflection faithfully accompanying what I experience and representing it in my mind.” The key that unlocks a deeper level of consciousness is refined attention: Can we become conscious? It is all a question of energies and their relation, with each energy always controlled by a finer one that is more active, more activating, like a magnet. The energy used in our functions – our thoughts, our emotions, our sensations – is passive, inert. Spent in movements toward the outside, this energy suffices in quality for our life as higher animals, but is not fine enough for an inner act of perception, of consciousness. Nevertheless, we do have some power of attention, at least on the surface, some capacity to point the attention in a desired direction and hold it there. Although it is fragile, this seed or bud of attention is consciousness emerging from deep within us. For it to grow, we need to learn to concentrate, to develop this capacity indispensible for preparing the ground. This is the first thing that we do ourselves, not dependent on anyone else. (1) Gurdjieff spoke of a higher attention or energy that could harmonize the three functions of mind, emotions and body. Professor of philosophy Jacob Needleman relates his own personal, albeit brief, experience of this higher energy when listening to his teacher Jeanne de Salzmann: Again and again when I heard Madame de Salzmann speak about this higher attention, I felt invited to try to experience it as she spoke. And again and again the way she spoke showed me that I was not able to experience it. Even as she spoke of it as the one force, the one energy that could bring all my parts together, the one energy that gave meaning to human life, the energy we were created to receive and manifest as fully human beings – even as she spoke simply and clearly in this way she showed us that we were not experiencing it. Most mercifully of all, we were guided to see that lack, that absence, not to hide from it, not to pretend, not to become “mystics” . . . Once I was sitting in a room with a group of people, listening to her speak. For one fleeting second or microsecond, an 1

indescribable subtle force gently touched every cell in my body, every hope in my heart, every question in my mind. Or should I say simply, something truly sacred appeared in me and disappeared even as it appeared – like a thousand fine particles of silent light. My heart joyfully rested; my body surrendered all its tension; my mind stopped as wind stops for a second when it changes direction. I am . (2) The ability to control and master attention leads to a deeper level of knowledge of reality and a new form of spontaneous creative energy. “The development of active attention is the key to man’s coming under higher influences both in the universe and in himself. Power, which is the ability to live in the world of real causes, begins with the growth of human attention.” The traditions teach us that man loses everything unless he is able to list en , to see, to be present both to the lower and the higher elements in himself. In these traditional formulations, man is a bridge; and the bridge is awareness – awareness that is evoked by the struggle for active attention. Apart from that, he is naked, powerless . . . Without active attention, is it ever possible for man to see the inner aspects of reality? Is it because of passive attention that he is beguiled by appearances, both with regard to the nature of the universe and the teachings which are offered to him? Is it because of failure of attention that desire shapes his thought and understanding, and therefore his action? To be without real power: Does that not mean t o act in a false w orld , a world that is a construct of the ordinary, passively attracted mind? (3) Directed attention is a conscious effort related to the third state of consciousness, which Gurdjieff called self-remembering . It assists in the effort t o be and create new ways of thinking, feeling, perceiving and acting. “This is a highly experimental stage, demanding of creativity, spontaneity and risk-taking, because one is not yet totally free of the past and all its encumbrances and still not able to stand fully in one’s being .” Self-remembering is an immediate, present-moment state of consciousness in which the attention is divided simultaneously between the subject (self) and object (other). Fourth Way teacher William Patterson: “This demands a certain quality and strength of attention, of a direct recognition of the Immediat e, of what-is, of having an awareness that is global in reference to oneself. Consciousness of self is a state predicated on self-remembering – a conscious awareness of the body, of being embodied, of being connected with what is happening internally, as well as what is happening externally.” How long can our attention stay in the Immediate? This is determined by the quality and quantity of available energy and the degree of will and self-knowledge present. The energy is determined by the cumulative effect of our past efforts to move attention from waking state consciousness to self-consciousness. Will and self-knowledge are predicated on the frequency and degree with which we have experienced self-consciousness – that is, an awareness of a commensurate level of being. The self-knowledge spoken of is not descriptive, intellectual 2

or theoretical but lived material, impressions directly perceived and experienced. The material is vivid and objective in the sense that the impressions are not psychologized, not filtered by the personal, the subjective, but rather perceived through self-consciousness itself. (4) By bringing conscious attention to the activities of everyday living they can be enriched and given expression in the service of the divine Self. Maharaj Shantananda Saraswati: “All our activities are done because of the inspiration by the Absolute, and are performed only for the Absolute, and everything is achieved by the forces made available by the Absolute.” Conscious actions strengthen the power of attention. If we pay no attention to where we are and what we are doing then all our actions remain involuntary and automatic. Attention releases energy by coordinating the three nervous systems and brings in a ‘feeling tone,’ an emotional component to what we’re doing. Actions become beautiful and refined, creating something that can consciously be offered as service to the divine Self. With this kind of attention, even a task as simple as washing-up is imbued with new and vivid impressions. The balanced freedom of one’s posture, the precise and fluid movements, the warm and silky feel of the water, the delightful accuracy with which we pick up and set down the plates and utensils, the perfect gleaming cleanliness of each result, all combine to make a very ordinary event into a new and genuinely artistic experience, pleasureable both to do and watch. Even done just for itself, any attentive action transforms both the experience and the result – but if performed as a service, lovingly offered with the conscious memory of the divine Self as the ever-present witness, life itself is transformed. The ‘realised’ person performs all their actions in this way, sitting, walking, talking, everything is bestowed with this concentrated, freeflowing attention. (5) When attention is expanded to include both foreground and background fields of experience in a panoramic awareness, time slows and space expands. Then, the silent, ever-present background of all t hat is, reveals itself. William Patterson: “In embodied presence one experiences – sees, feels, intuits – w hat -is. The world is experienced as it really is: dynamic, fluid, spatial, still, empty, solid, alive. And what is present is both the subject (the perceiver) and the object (what is perceived), that is, subject-object consciousness.” The fourth state of consciousness occurs where the perceiver dissolves in the perceiving. There is no subject, no center, only consciousness. Consciousnesswithout-an-object. This does not mean the world disappears. But as there is no subject there are no objects in the usual sense; that is, there not being a dualistic subject-object experiencing, the relat ionship with and to objects dynamically changes, as does space and time. Transcending the subject, there is no object in the sense that the foundation of experience has been constrained within the experience of subject-object (how we have unconsciously divided the world and ourselves). As the relationship with oneself is no longer that of a subject in the 3

midst of objects, what remains? The silence of a centerless, panoramic presence of Being. Such an integration is the result of self-knowledge and being developed and raised to a very high degree of understanding through many years of unflagging practice that evolves to an effort that is a non-effort, a negative capability, a conscious and intentional letting-be. The experience, essentially timeless and centerless, cannot be willed, and, as it is both beyond and within the time-bound world of centered subject-object experiencing, its recognition is subject to disappearance. Nevertheless, the imprint of no-thingness and nothingness remains. (6)

Establishing the Sense of ‘I Am’

Throughout human history authentic spiritual teachings have pointed the way to transcend the ordinary sense of a separate self or ego and awaken to the true ‘I am.’ Jacob Needleman speaks of his experience with the Gurdjieff ‘Work’ in that regard: Through the help of that teaching, I have understood that God cannot be known or approached beyond a certain point by the ordinary self. The awakening of the true “I am” is necessary; and it is this that has been forgotten. It is this “metaphysical amnesia” that explains why throughout history there is endless conflict and horror, not only with respect to religion but in all aspects of human life. It is this awakening to the “I am,” toward which the spiritual teachings of the world have tried to lead man, sometimes from very, very far and through labyrinthine paths of ideas, art, symbolism, manners and customs, and precise ritual forms – and, above all, through the example of the lives and being of men and women who have greatly discovered what and who they are. (7) In Gurdjieff’s teaching the experience of ‘I am’ is called self-remembering. He taught that human beings have a sacred duty or obligation to awaken the sense of ‘I am’ or Self from the ‘waking sleep’ that blankets human life. “His vision of man on earth is of a being created to fulfill a great universal purpose of conscious love and intelligence who instead lives and dies mortally asleep to what he is meant to be.” Most people during their lives are given experiences of what can be called selfremembering, or the experience of I am at one or another level. Such experiences are common in childhood, but they can also occur at any time, sometimes simply out of nowhere, and more often during special extreme moments of danger; or joy; or grief; or wonder; or remorse; or deep and sudden loss or disappointment. In such moments a man or woman may come closer to becoming the human being he or she wishes to be – capable of love, compassion, inner peace, intelligence, resourceful action and often uncommon strength. That is, such experiences are like messages from our own real Self. Messages that say: “I am you. Let me enter your life.” But rare are the moments when one is given 4

to understand how to struggle or how to live in a way that makes us, body and soul, available to such experiences. For such experiences, were we to become more available to them, would eventually transform us. In the words of St. Augustine, “God sends the wind, but man must raise the sail.” (8) The first stage of awakening is to see that what we usually believe is our own self is in fact what we are not . When this ‘false self’ is abandoned we have the possibility of reaching a state of silence, stillness and emptiness, from which a new awareness of who we really are arises. “The practice of being aware of the simple, unqualified feeling of ‘I’ is the way to escape the illusory prison, but this requires the exercise of a different sort of attention than we normally employ in everyday life. When awareness and attention become one the feeling of ‘I’ itself expands to become one with the whole universe.” The ‘I am’ is realized only with the perception of w hat w e are not . In the nondual path of Advaita Vedanta this is known as net i net i (‘neither this, nor that’). “From early childhood onwards, we painstakingly construct a ‘narrative self,’ the story of who we are, based on all the things which have happened to us and how they have affected us and made us the person we now believe ourselves to be. Everything we perceive about ourselves and all the reactions we have to people and events in the outside world, are conditioned by this personal story. Except in rare cases this precious story ignores and entirely forgets our divine origin and it is in fact the story of ‘who we are not’ – the self-made prison in which we live out our lives, unaware of our true nature.” In the words of Maharaj Shantananda Saraswati: If you begin to be what you are you will realize everything, but to begin to be what you are you must come out of what you are not. You are not those thoughts which are turning, turning in your mind; you are not those changing feelings; you are not the different decisions you make and the different wills and desires you have; you are not that separate ego; well then, what are you? You will find when you come out of what you are not, that the ripple on the water is whispering to you ‘I am That,’ the birds in the trees are singing to you ‘I am That,’ the moon and the stars are shining beacons to you – ‘I am That’: you are in everything in the world and everything in the world is in you since it only exists because it is mirrored in you; and at the same time you are that – everything. (9) Gurdjieff stressed the importance of the pure feeling of ‘I am’ and the necessity of being in direct contact with w hat is without any mental or emotional activity, only a sense of physical embodiment and existence. In the words of Jeanne de Salzmann: “To live silence, to know w hat is, I need to come to the sensation of a void, empty of all my imaginary projections. I concentrate on “here . . . now .” Solitude from what is imaginary and false is something very great. It means for the first time that I know that ‘I am’.” At the heart of the world’s spiritual teachings of inner transformation is the emergence of the full sense of ‘I am’ or ‘I exist.’ But in order to come to the ‘real I’ underlying our ‘many I’s’ there must be a harmonious balance between our three functions of sensing, feeling and 5

thinking – between the outer, inner and abstract worlds. “Each of us has (potentially) a physical being aspect, an emotional being aspect and an intellectual being aspect. Only when the three aspects are blended together consciously, in balanced functioning, can we speak of True Being.” Without this balance and harmony of human functions (body, heart and mind) we are unable to fully understand and participate in the cosmic energies and processes that govern the universe: The Universe, in its t ot alit y, simply is. Beyond our individual or collective lives, beyond the life of planets, stars or galaxies, independent of any individuated thought, feeling or sensation – the Universe is. Within that infinite AM-NESS lies the capacity for all things and all motions, for all interaction and relationship and for all causation and purposes . . . Man’s triune brain is so created that, when it functions harmonically, it can resonate with the infinite Will and AM-NESS (the ultimate I AM). Each of his brains is capable of imaging , in right ratio and proportion, an aspect of this triune AM-NESS. When the three brains become as one (in resonant perception, understanding and manifestation), a human being becomes a “man-without-quotation-marks,” a microcosmic image of the great cosmic exchange of energies. (10) Gurdjieff taught his students a number of simple exercises to come to the sensation of ‘I am.’ “Again and again, Gurdjieff emphasized how sensing, deeper and deeper, into the physical body is fundamental to our growth. This is an emphasis on the essentiality of descending further and further toward that primary source of the ‘I Am’ – the ground of our Attention and Consciousness.” Early in group Work we are introduced to ‘sensing the body.’ The effort to direct the attention to some portion, or all, of the physical body is an effort to establish a ‘presence’ (a momentary I AM) into the neural network of the physical body and brain. While all three-brained beings have the capacity to sense the body surface, this is an ‘automatized’ sensing that is an expression of the second state of consciousness, a sensing that depends on external stimulation. The work meaning of sensing involves an intentional, directed attention inward, bringing a presence to an ‘automatic’ neural functional expression of the body. For instance, when one senses an arm or hand, one is directing the attention on/into a process which is already, and constantly, in motion within the nervous system. One becomes aware of what has been there all of the time. When one senses a part of the body in a certain sequence (most sensing exercises involve sequence), one ‘dials in’ to an ongoing process in t he sensory w orld and demonst rat es t he degree to w hich t he at t ent ion is direct ed . (11)

The initial experience of higher states of consciousness often comes from a deeply inquiring search for our ‘true self’ beyond our normal, conditioned self. Advaita Vedanta teacher Jean Klein: “You undertake inquiring when there is discrimination, discernment. But the ego cannot discern: discerning comes from higher reason, from discernment itself, the insight that you are

6

not the psychosomatic body. Inquiry about life calls for a serious character – it takes a profound seriousness. Be earnest!” The question “Who am I?” does not come from the mind. Asking “Who am I?” is accompanied by a tremendous energy, you are on fire. I think you can compare it to the condensed energy present when you are very angry or completely joyful. I would say this kind of energy must be there to ask the questions, “Who am I?”, “What am I?”, “What is life?” Then you have a glimpse of what you are. It is important that you have the glimpse for this is the understanding of the right perspective. Then you live with the right perspective. There is less and less dispersion. Your life becomes more and more oriented. You use all your energy in a completely different way. As your life becomes more oriented you see things differently. Before, you saw things only from the point of view of the I, the me. When you see things from that point of view, you live mechanically in choice, in selection. You may say, “I see it,” but you don’t really see it, because your seeing is coloured by selection, selection for security, for pleasure, to avoid and so on. But when you have a glimpse of reality, it is already in a certain way in your background. You see things less and less personally. There comes the quality of global vision, where there is no choice, no selection. You see things more and more as they are, not as you wish them to be, but as they really are. You live in this perspective, you love it, it is a jewel you wear, maybe several times a day. Then there comes a moment in your life when even this geometrical representation, the perspective, dissolves in your real nature. And then there is no return. This switchover is absolutely sudden, instantaneous. You live now without anticipation, without end-gaining. You live absolutely in the now . Thinking is a practical, useful tool which you use when you need it, but you no longer think when there is no need to think. (12)

Experiencing the Reality of ‘I Am’

Eastern spiritual teachings speak of the One universal, eternal Self existing within the innermost consciousness of every human being. “There is only pure Consciousness or the Self, absolute and all-pervading, the source and suchness of everything that arises from moment to moment, utterly prior to this world but not other than this world.” Perhaps you, like most people, feel that you are basically the same person you were yesterday. You probably also feel that you are fundament ally the same person you were a year ago. Indeed, you still seem to be the same you as far back as you can remember. Put it another way: you never remember a time when you weren’t you. In other words, somet hing in you seems to remain untouched by the passage of time. But surely your body is not the same as it was even a year ago. Surely also your sensations are different today than in the past. Surely, too, your memories are on the whole different today than a decade ago. 7

Your mind, your body, your feelings – all have changed with time. But something has not changed, and you know that something has not changed. Something feels the same. What is that? There is, in short, something within you – that deep inward sense of I-ness – that is not memory, thoughts, mind, body, experience, surroundings, feelings, sensations, or moods. For all of these have changed and can change without substantially affecting that inner I-ness. That is what remains untouched by the flight of time – and that is the transpersonal witness or Self. (13) There is a profound difference between the timeless, unchanging presence of pure Consciousness or Awareness and our subjective experiences which are constantly changing: “What you are experiencing is never the same from one moment to the next. Awareness is the permanent background of the flux of experience which witnesses all the changes. It is a presence which is always present now .” If you focus your attention on the mystery of the moment you will feel profoundly alive, because you will become acutely conscious of the fact t hat you are. You will recognize something about which you are completely sure. You exist right now . This is not an opinion. It is self-evidently true and beyond doubt. It is something you are know ing as your eyes pass across this page. There is one thing which is always now. You are always now. But what is this ‘you’ which is always now? The common sense reply is ‘I am a person.’ This is certainly what you appear to be, but the Gnostics suggest it is not what you really are. In this moment you know that you exist. And you also know something else equally obvious and just as profound. You know you are experiencing something. If you were not experiencing anything you would be unconscious and you wouldn’t know that you exist. So, you know you are an experiencer of experiences. You are awareness witnessing a flow of experiences we call ‘life.’ (14) The light of attention reveals not only the limitations of the conditioned sense of personal self we must abandon, but also the source of the light itself. The practice of being aware of the simple, unqualified feeling of ‘I am’ is the path to escape the illusory prison we have created. Maharaj Shantananda Saraswati: “The true feeling of ‘I’ is related to the At man , and from this feeling can come the aim of service to humanity. But if the feeling of ‘I’ is connected with the body, the senses or the mind, or anything with which one seems to have become associated, such as one’s name, position, profession or knowledge, then all these things when associated with ‘I’ are the false ‘I’.” The witness, the silent, impartial observer, begins to connect with a deeper sense of ‘I,’ free and unqualified by any object; a simple, bare awareness which contains the essential feeling of ‘I’ that has always been the same and remains the same from birth to death and even beyond. I am not ‘this’ or ‘that,’ but simply ‘I am,’ witness to the miraculous creation and myself. To begin with this often has a childlike quality, not childish, but child like – possessing a wise innocence and a natural capacity for joy and wonder that was often present in childhood – the 8

same ‘I’ that is always open to the peak experiences that come and go. This is the first true sense of the divine Self that lives in every person, whatever their nature and qualities. If allowed to take its rightful place as the centre of our being it will concentrate and strengthen, the Conscious light it reflects brightening and expanding to take in the whole universe. (15) The aim of spiritual work is to lead the aspirant to the discovery of the Self or ‘that with which one is born,’ a state of pure existence and being which includes ‘all that is’ in a single, undifferentiated unity. Indian master Sri Anirvân: “The ultimate reality is the great Self, but the energy of this great Self pours into everything and illuminates it in its suchness and complexity.” And “You must forget everything. You know only one thing, that you are. You feel deeply that you are. Remember the phrase in the Bible: ‘I am that I am.’ God consciousness and selfconsciousness – both become one. They form together one total reality.” The Kat ha Upanishad says: ‘The aim is to attain pure Existence (sat).’ He who has realized this has a clear understanding of what reality is. Pure Existence is the Truth beyond life and death. That you exist is a fact! And your existence is nothing but a manifestation of that which is universal and transcendental. So your existence becomes oneness in which there exists the two principles of Samkhya: Purusha, which is the spirit, and Prakriti, which is ‘that which is manifested.’ Spirituality cannot be acquired; it can only be derived from these two principles. Open yourself up to the sun of pure Existence as the bud of a flower opens to the light. Then the Truth will flow into you . . . Now, this pure Existence, lived with a wide-open heart amid all the circumstances of life, is in itself the state of sahaja – a state in which the mind is freed from all duality. The motionless mind knows ‘That’ which has neither beginning nor end, which is free in its very essence. (16) The Self, timeless and formless, permeates all that exists, bridging and uniting the infinitely rich world of nature and the world of human experience. In the words of Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj: “The sense ‘I am’ is the manifestation of a deeper cause, which you may call Self, God, Reality, or by any other name. The ‘I am’ is in the world, but it is the key that can open the door out of the world.” Primary is the infinite expanse of consciousness, the eternal possibility, the immeasurable potential of all that was, is, and will be. When you look at anything, it is the ultimate you see, but you imagine that you see a cloud or a tree. Learn to look without imagination, to listen without distortion: that is all. Stop attributing names and shapes to the essentially nameless and formless, realize that every mode of perception is subjective, that what is seen or heard, touched or smelt, felt or thought, expected or imagined, is in the mind and not in reality, and you will experience peace and freedom from fear. Even the sense of ‘I am’ is composed of the pure light and the sense of being. Become aware of that pure light and you will never lose it. The beingness in being, the awareness in 9

consciousness, the interest in every experience – that is not describable, yet perfectly accessible, for there is nothing else. (17) Within every human being there is a central point of profound silence and peace, an unchanging, timeless background that is eternally present in the here and now. Jeanne de Salzmann: “To know what ‘I am,’ my whole being needs to quiet in an act of total attention. When there is no wave, no ripple on the surface, I can see if there is something real in the depths.” And “When the chaotic movements of my thoughts and feelings come to a stop a space appears – silence. I feel alive, more alive. I am conscious of being here, of existing, fully and completely. This is a sense of real ‘I,’ of ‘I am’.” In all circumstances I have to be the witness of myself, to withdraw from the mental functioning that gives birth to reactions, and to quiet all ambition, all avidity. Then I can see myself responding to life while something in me, something immobile, does not respond. With this vigilance comes a new valuing. I am touched by a wish, a will, that is the very essence of the feeling of “I” in all its purity. It is a will to be what I am, awakening to my true nature – “I am” and “I Am.” With this consciousness there is love. But this love is impersonal, like the sun radiating energy. It illuminates, it creates, it loves. It is attached to nothing and yet draws everything to it. It comes not from “doing” something, from the ego, but from love. It signifies being and becoming , with an attention that is more and more free. This is the liberation that Gurdjieff speaks of. It is the aim of all schools, all religions. With consciousness I see w hat is, and in the experience “I Am,” I open to the divine, the infinite beyond space and time, the higher force that religions call God. My being is Being. To be one, whole in the face of life, is all that matters. So long as I remain conscious of this, I feel a life within me and a peace that nothing else can give. I am here, alive, and around me exists the entire universe. The life that is around me is in me. I feel this universal life, the force of the universe. And I feel myself existing as part of the world that surrounds me. Here everything helps, even the cushion on which I sit. I am present, awakened to what I am. And I see that the most important thing is t o be. I know it – now – and as I know it, I feel related to everything around me. There is no before, no after, only life itself. I have the impression of emerging from a dream. Everything is real. I feel free, and at peace. In this state, I do not seek. I do not wish, I do not expect anything. There is only what “I am” in this moment. I know now how I am here and why I am here. (18)

10

References

(1) Jeanne de Salzmann The Realit y of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), p. 19. (2) Jacob Needleman W hat is God? (New York: Jeremy P. Tarcher, 2011), pp. 268-269. (3) Jacob Needleman A Sense of t he Cosmos (New York: E.P. Dutton & Co., 1975), pp. 157-158. (4) William Patrick Patterson Spirit ual Survival in a Radically Changing W orld-Time (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2009), pp. 14-15. (5) Gerald de Symons Beckwith Ouspensky’s Fourt h W ay (Oxford: Starnine Media & Publishing, 2015), pp. 167-168. (6) William Patrick Patterson Spirit ual Survival in a Radically Changing W orld-Time (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2009), p. 16. (7) Jacob Needleman W hat is God? (New York: Jeremy P. Tarcher, 2011), pp. 232-233. (8) Jacob Needleman W hat is God? (New York: Jeremy P. Tarcher, 2011), p. 239. (9) Gerald de Symons Beckwith Ouspensky’s Fourt h W ay (Oxford: Starnine Media & Publishing, 2015), p. 136. (10) Keith Buzzell Explorat ions in Act ive M ent at ion (Salt Lake City: Fifth Press, 2006), p. 97. (11) Keith Buzzell Reflect ions on Gurdjieff’s W him (Salt Lake City: Fifth Press, 2012), pp. 218219. (12) Jean Klein The Book of List ening (United Kingdom: Non-Duality Press, 2008), pp. 17-18. (13) Ken Wilber No Boundary (Boulder: Shambhala, 1981), pp. 135-136. (14) Timothy Freke and Peter Gandy The Laughing Jesus (New York: Three Rivers Press, 2005), p. 133. (15) Gerald de Symons Beckwith Ouspensky’s Fourt h W ay (Oxford: Starnine Media & Publishing, 2015), p. 166. (16) Lizelle Reymond and Sri Anirvân To Live W it hin (Sandpoint, Idaho: Morning Light Press, 2007), p. 68. (17) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: The Acorn Press, 2005), p. 201. (18) Jeanne de Salzmann The Realit y of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), pp. 291-292.

11

EVOLUTION

‘Originally you w ere clay. From being mineral you became veget able. From veget able you became animal, and from animal, man. During t hese periods man did not know w here he w as going, but he w as being t aken on a long journey nonet heless. And you have t o go t hrough a hundred different w orlds yet . There are a t housand forms of mind.’ Rumi

Science and Biological Evolution

Evolution is defined by science as an orderly and progressive development of organic life governed by certain laws. From the perspective of science the biological evolution of plants, animals and humans is a series of irreversible transformations of the genetic composition of populations, based primarily upon altered interactions with and adaptations to their environment. Evolution occurs on many levels and proceeds through vast periods of time. Over the last thousand million years the evolution of the earth’s biosphere was marked by an increase in order and organization. Our scientific understanding of the evolution of life on earth is quite recent: The history of life on earth is a recent addition to man’s knowledge of himself and his world. Until the nineteenth century, life and man’s place in it were studied with little or no attention to the significance of the past – that is, of traces. Since Darwin, the study of traces has assumed a dominating importance. New and improved techniques are giving man new and astonishing ways of studying traces – radioactive dating is perhaps the most unforeseeable from the standpoint of the last century . . . Few today dispute the general picture drawn by geologists and palaeontologists of the succession of events that have led to the existence of the Biosphere as we know it at the present time. Disagreements appear, however, as soon as we seek an interpretation or explanation of the picture. The phylogenetic sequence is written in the sea bed and in the rocks, but the phylogenetic mechanism is not so certainly established. Nevertheless, most biologists are satisfied that organic evolution by the mechanism of genetic variability and the operation of natural selection will account for nearly all the traces of past life on the earth. (1) Human evolution presents a unique challenge to scientific investigation, since recorded human history represents less than 0.2% of the time since our first human ancestors appeared on earth. For all intents and purposes, our biological evolution – especially the growth of the brain – stopped some 30,000 - 40,000 years ago:

1

During that 99.8 percent of the time of the modern era, the human brain reached its current state of evolution – long before the cave paintings, long before our ancestors domesticated animals or planted crops, long before the pyramids. Those nomads were us, those cave painters were us. Their brain was our brain; our cortex, enormous, was as massive in our remote ancestors. Their visual sensibility, the delicacy of skilled movements in painting, was the same as ours. And their mind, too, was the same as ours. Our real history is “written,” in our blood, in our bones, and in our nerve circuits. And it was written before there were writers. The mind’s beginnings are found in the dazzling variety of adaptations (the adjustments an animal makes to flourish in its world) of countless living beings, striving to survive on earth. (2) The modern scientific understanding of evolution was given its greatest impetus with the groundbreaking work of Charles Darwin. Darwin’s greatest contribution was his findings rather than his t heory of evolution. “He was the first to scientifically and systematically assemble and organize the evidence that established the reality of evolution.” When he published The Origin of Species in 1859, after more than thirty years of research, it dramatically changed the scientific understanding of how life developed and adapted to external forces and circumstances: How living beings evolved remained a mystery until Darwin made his revolutionary observations which, together with the modern understanding of genetics, underlie the modern theory of evolution and modern life sciences. Origin established two important principles: evolution was taking place on earth, and it was driven by natural selection. The proposition Darwin made is wonderfully uncomplicated, especially considering the complexity and profundity of the natural world . . . He understood that the mechanism for growth and change was not to be found within God’s directed design, nor in anyone’s design, but involved countless organisms adapting to the specific locale in which they lived over immense time. Key to this idea is the huge time scale over which adaptations occur. (3) Since the publication of The Origin of Species, Darwin’s theory of evolution has been modified by the schools of neo-Darwinism, sociobiology and macroevolution. The most influential movement, neo-Darwinism, extends Darwin’s theory of evolution by including the mechanism of genetic transfer. It holds that species evolve by natural selection acting on genetic variation. The scientific evidence for biological evolution is widely accepted in the scientific community and based on numerous independent lines of investigation: Evolution itself is a scientifically established phenomenon, and a questioning of the evidence in its support would be difficult. Various lines of substantiation have been systematically amassed in the last century, beginning with the labors of Darwin himself who collected and organized a great deal of information and materials. Evidence for the evolution of life comes from the following fields: paleontology (bones and fossils), comparative anatomy, morphology, embryology, and comparative 2

biochemistry. Techniques for establishing the evidence are quite sophisticated, including carbon-14 dating procedures, chromosomal micro-analysis, and serological analysis. (4) Although many aspects of human evolution based on the Darwinian and neo-Darwinian perspectives have been validated through a variety of scientific findings in many different fields of study, these are primarily related to physical evidence while disregarding the role of mind and consciousness in the evolutionary process: Undeniable scientific evidence of the evolution of human culture and civilization provides strong logical and analogical support for the mental and physical evolution of the human species. It is known, for instance, that the brain’s neural mass increases with ongoing problem-solving activity, long after achieving chronological maturation. This knowledge fits well with the generally accepted theory of our human ancestors’ migration from arboreal habitation to savannah environments. Long-distance viewing of potential danger or sources of food and protection would require the more or less erect posture not demanded of them as tree-dwellers. In addition, and no less important, life on the grasslands would require new, more complex survival strategies (tool and weapon making, social reorganization, etc.) that would in turn stimulate brain growth . . . Though contemporary science continues to expand its understanding of human evolution, its deeper comprehension of the phenomenon has at the same time been delimited by its essentially materialistic outlook and method. Bones, fossils, artefacts, comparative anatomy, blood analysis, ethological observation, and genetic studies are sources of extremely valuable data, but the Darwinian exclusion of mind and consciousness leaves the body of evolutionary theory without a real head. But the inadequacies of neo-Darwinian theory have yet to be fully recognized. (5) In their book Tow ard a New Brain: Evolut ion and t he Human M ind , psychologist Stuart Litvak and co-author Wayne Senzee identify some of the flaws inherent in the Darwinian and neoDarwinian theories of evolution: • • • • • •

Inadequate, inconsistent or contradictory evidence Questionable assumptions and premises, logical fallacies Tautologies, circular arguments, proof by selected instances Statistical improbabilities of random events and mutations The challenge of explaining the phenomenon of co-evolution (e.g. plants and insects) Inability to explain the evolution of human consciousness.

The evolutionary theories of Darwin and the neo-Darwinians have also been criticized as overly materialistic, mechanistic and reductionist:

3

Many biological phenomena are, quite simply, not reducible to their component parts. There are multitudes of cases in the living world of what is now described as synergy; an example is water, a substance that transcends its mere components as two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen. Reductionism also discards one of the most fundamental qualities of life – consciousness (including experience, feeling, mind, etc.). Yet, it is generally agreed in more enlightened circles that, in higher forms of life at least, intellect, awareness, and consciousness have evolved at least parallel to body and form . . . The basic issue of evolution is not just the origin of species, but the “origin of organization” – understanding the organizational principles that underlie, and assist, the development of new species. The Darwinian assumptions of randomness, accident, and fortuity, and so forth – the grand interplay of blind forces – are being confronted as insufficient, if not meaningless. In their place is a return to such meta-concepts as design, order, purpose, direction, values and meaning. (6) Darwin himself admitted that he was puzzled by the overdevelopment of the human brain “beyond anything physical survival demands.” Many of the Darwinian assumptions that evolution is blind, random or accidental are challenged by many traditional spiritual teachings which hold that human evolution is a process of the transformation of consciousness from darkness to illumination. From this perspective many of the tenets of Darwinian evolutionary theory are called into question: In considering the broad implications of evolution, and human evolution in particular, a major difficulty concerns Darwinism and why it cannot possibly be sustained alongside spiritual conceptions of evolution and development. In essence, Sufism (as well as other bona fide systems of human development) holds to the view that humans are self-evolving beings, and that certain efforts under certain circumstances will result in evolutionary transformation . . . Darwinism does not square with Eastern, esoteric, psycho-spiritual interpretations of evolution simply because Darwinists believe that evolution occurs as the result of random, accidental processes and therefore the best products of evolution are fortuitous. Darwinists basically believe that evolution comes about through the chaotic activity of random genetic mutations resulting from radiation, cosmic rays, undirected chemical and micromechanical shocks, microscopic lesions, etc.) and the fortuitous “weeding out” process of natural selection (“survival of the fittest” doctrine). Statistically, Darwinism is untenable simply because the mathematical probabilities of the evolution of all life forms occurring by chance alone are nil . . . Even though the word is used over and over, Darwinism is not a true theory of “evolution.” It does not adequately delineate how evolution occurs or why. It is more a scheme about how organisms adapt, reproduce and survive. Therefore, Darwinism may be seen as a misplaced t heory; it claims (and believes) to be explaining one thing (evolution), while in actuality it is describing something related but different (strategies for survival). (7)

4

In his book A Guide for t he Perplexed , E.F. Schumacher (author of Small is Beaut iful) argues that, although science has shown that natural selection is an agent of evolutionary change, “it is totally illegitimate to claim that the discovery of this mechanism – natural selection – proves that evolution ‘was automatic with no room for divine guidance or design.’ It can be proved that people get money by finding it in the street, but no one would consider this sufficient reason for the assumption that all incomes are earned in this way.” It is the task of science to observe and to report on its observations. It is not useful for it to post ulat e the existence of causative agents, like a Creator, intelligences, or designers who are outside all possibilities of observation. “Let us see how far we can explain phenomena by observable causes” is an eminently sensible and, in fact, very fruitful methodological principle. Evolutionism, however, turns methodology into a faith which excludes the possibility of all higher grades of significance. The whole of nature, which obviously includes mankind, is taken as the product of chance and necessity and nothing else; there is neither meaning nor purpose nor intelligence in it – “a tale told by an idiot, signifying nothing.” Evolutionism is not science; it is science fiction, even a kind of hoax. It is a hoax that has succeeded too well and has imprisoned modern man in what looks like an irreconcilable conflict between “science” and “religion.” It has destroyed all faiths that pull mankind up and has substituted a faith that pulls mankind down . . . Nothing is “higher” or “lower”; everything is much of a muchness, even though some things are more complex than others – just by chance. Evolutionism, purporting to explain all and everything solely and exclusively by natural selection for adaptation and survival, is the most extreme product of materialism. (8)

Alternative Perspectives

Although the scientific theory of evolution is based on many undisputed empirical observations, it cannot explain other aspects of the process of creation. For instance, mechanical evolution cannot account for the remarkable coordination of development between different species, such as flowering plants and insects (co-evolution). Their interrelationship is expressed as “complex interlocking life cycles where the larval stages of an insect must exactly correspond to the flowering cycle of a plant, or the extremely varied forms of protective mimicry and coloration.” The observed fact of evolution is accepted by all. The great part played in it by genetic mutation and the selective influence of the environment, both living and non-living, is also unquestioned. That this eliminates weak strains and even species ill-adapted to the environment or to a change in the environment is also common ground. We affirm, however, that no mechanism w it hout int elligence will account for the facts in their totality. The mistake consists in arguing from a particular instance of adaptation to a general principle of blind, undirected evolution. This

5

principle cannot be made to account satisfactorily for progress. Nor will it account for coordinated development. Both of these required a directive intelligence, if the results observed were to be obtained within the time available and within the conditions that existed. (9) Evolution is a much richer and broader concept than that commonly associated with science, biology and Darwin. “Evolution is a central, even eschatological concept, intuitively sensed by humankind as a force that drives it in diverse ways to better its state.” Evolution must now be viewed as an immense and comprehensive phenomenon, influencing not only the behaviour and physiology of plants, animals, and humans, but manifesting itself throughout the universe and at all levels, subatomic through galactic. Evolution also influences the development of our minds, something quite elusive to materialistically oriented scientists, and the notion of the evolution of consciousness must likewise be considered legitimate domain for investigation. When we speak of evolution we may consider the evolutionary process at any level of analysis within the universe as we know it: subatomic particles, atoms, molecules, cells, tissues, organs, organisms (plants, animals, humans), societies, planets, stars, galaxies and meta-galaxies. (10) The scientific understanding of reality is restricted to its physical components and excludes its metaphysical and spiritual aspects. “One of the major difficulties of biological science has been its effort at excluding all non-scientific thought about evolution as qualitatively irrelevant to the subject.” Western science definitely restricts itself to the study of physical, material phenomena; there has traditionally been no room for concern with immaterial properties (mind, consciousness, meaning, and all things “psychic”). Scientists have subscribed only to the mechanics and explanation of rational reductionism. As a group, they view the universe and life as a mere conglomeration of physiochemical processes and interactions . . . The most open-minded scientists admit to the failure of their various disciplines to synthesize their knowledge to a more fully human understanding of reality. The leading physicist Erwin Schrödinger, for instance, compares the scientific picture of reality with an impressive blueprint of figures and facts that is still vastly incomplete. It tells us a great deal about the order of phenomena in nature but says nothing about the relative mean or relevant meaning of that order, that which ultimately matters to us. “It knows nothing of beautiful and ugly, good or bad, God and eternity.” (11) Science is essentially deterministic, based on cause and effect and predictable outcomes with virtually no room for free will and creative evolution. In the words of the acclaimed inventor Arthur Young: “Purpose and motive must be excluded. Clinging to this principle denies science access to a recognition of life’s essential dynamic, by which it thrusts not only against

6

the flow of entropy, but also against any restraint, and creates exuberant variety where necessity would at best maintain a monotonous repetition.” In one sense the history and development of the human race can be seen as an expansion of the boundaries of knowledge and understanding of our place in the universe. From this standpoint, evolution is seen as a progressive process of transformation or metamorphosis. “We should view the evolutionary force in man, and in all life, as the promise of self-transcendence. It is not a compulsive force like gravity, if indeed it is a force at all, but it induces internal transformation.” At each stage in evolution the universe expands to the human mind. The first limit of his horizon is nature. God is the trees and the sea and the wind. Then his consciousness expands one step and so does his universe. Now the planets represent divinity, and animism, once the good, is now the enemy of the better. Again the mind opens. The sun is now seen as the Absolute, subtending and controlling the planets: gods serving God. Later the sun is seen to be only one of many suns in a galaxy of suns and – faster and faster the horizon recedes – the galaxy is only one of innumerable galaxies in a greater whole. This lies at the end of a road where thought cannot reach at all. At each stage man has to abandon the secure, the trusted – he has to struggle with the denying force of inertia. He has to surmount a mental obstacle as once he had to surmount biological obstacles. If he succeeds, he learns more, understands more, gets closer and closer to participating. It may be that he is now required to confront – and accept – the mechanism of his own evolution. (12) Science now accepts that historically human beings have been subject not only to biological evolution but also to cultural evolution. “An extremely important turn of events occurred. Man himself began to produce a new set of causal factors and, thereby, initiated a new kind of evolution.” These factors can be divided into three broad categories, each connected with certain human capacities: • • •

Specialized skills, techniques and craft-making which reflect the capacity to invent and use tools Language, arts, moral codes and religious beliefs which reflect intellectual and linguistic capacities, creative impulses and spiritual beliefs Customs, habits and organizations which arise from the need to live in communities and societies

This constellation of cultural factors underscores the complexity of human evolution and has led to new paradigms and models of the evolutionary process: A striking way of envisaging all this has been suggested by Teilhard de Chardin. He proposes an extension of a model often employed by geologists, according to which the earth can be represented by a sequence of concentric, spherical shells – 7

barysphere, lithosphere, atmosphere and biosphere . . . Teilhard proposes to say that with the appearance of man an additional planetary ‘envelope’ came into being. He calls it the noösphere, ‘that marvellous sheet of humanized and socialized matter which, despite its incredible small mass and its incredible thinness, has to be regarded positively as the most sharply individualized and the most specifically distinct of all the planetary units so far recognized’ . . . Teilhard uses the concept to refer to the ensemble composed of man and his various cultures. It has come into being because man has produced culture and by producing it has transformed himself. Within the noösphere the unique process of human evolution has taken place. For modern man has not ceased to be subject to the biological factors which were responsible for his emergence. These factors are still at work. But they are now less influential in determining his history than are cultural factors. (13) There are alternative approaches to evolution which are more holistic, recognizing the vast complexity and inter-relatedness of all levels of reality. The transformative view of evolution includes the dynamics of mind, consciousness and experience as well as biological factors in the evolutionary process. “Evolution deals with vast and intricate ecological relationships between life forms of varying size and scale both outside and inside the organism. The manifestations of design, pattern, and mathematical principles in nature calls for an expanded view of ourselves and our potentials -- a view that can help us understand evolution as a much more wondrous process than recognized hitherto.” Mother Nature, enchantress of evolution, has provided us with exceedingly beautiful sights to behold – patterns, order, design, and systems in all forms of life. These designs are the result of Mother Nature’s “diagrammatic forces” -- forces that have produced such wonders as the patterns on butterfly wings, the shapes of seashells, and the architecture of flowers. These salient characteristics of nature are wholly pervasive, predominant and magnificent. Underlying these beauteous designs are exquisite principles encompassing mathematics and geometric form . . . The universe as a whole, and all its subunits of galaxies, planetary systems, societies, organismic systems, organs, molecules, and atoms, as well as their multilevel interactions, suggest a grand-scale eco-system composed of numerous, mutually cooperative subsystems, all interconnected and reciprocal according to natural laws characterized by their almost divine simplicity, harmony and beauty. (14)

Progressive M odels of Evolution

An alternative explanation of evolution was presented fifty years before Darwin by French zoologist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck. It was based on the concept of “inheritance of acquired characteristics,” in which an organism can pass on certain characteristics that it acquired during its lifetime to its offspring. He posited that individual efforts during the lifetime of an organism

8

were the main mechanism driving adaptation to the environment. Lamarck viewed evolution as a complex, self-regulating “psycho-spiritual transformational process.” Lamarckism basically holds that evolution is a purposeful and directed operation, primarily under the conscious effort of the organism itself. In response to certain external conditions and inner needs, the organism makes certain efforts, and these efforts are reflected over time in the anatomy and physiology of the organism. The organism’s efforts and achievements are stored in the memory, with these memory engrams presumably registered in the hereditary (“genetic”) substrate within the cells. Certain need-related, repeated patterns of behaviour, then, may systematically alter (or “transmute”) the genetic base over numerous generations, eventually resulting in a new or transformed species. (15) Although Darwin initially accepted many of the tenets of Lamarck’s theory, he later rejected it, as did the neo-Darwinians. However, it was embraced by French philosopher Henri Bergson, who put forth his own theory of Creative Evolution in the 1800s. More recently, there has been an upsurge in interest by some scientists who have presented a revised version of Lamarckism, supported by studies in the field of genetics that suggest the possible inheritance of behavioural traits acquired by the previous generation. There are other progressive schools of thought that see evolution as purposive and not accidental. For instance, there is some evidence from researchers such as Lyall Watson (Lifet ide) and Rupert Sheldrake (A New Science of Life) that telepathy may play a role in the evolutionary process: “The basic idea is that as selected members of a given species learn significant new behaviors, these can spread telepathically to other members of the species. If beneficial new behavior recurs with sufficient frequency over time, then it may lead to a major evolutionary progression in the species.” One of the most intriguing new conceptions of evolution was developed by Arthur Young, inventor of the Bell helicopter. He argues that evolution proceeds through stages and levels of organization, reaching its culmination in the flowering of human consciousness: “We have evolved through billions of years, from photons and atoms, through molecules, cells, and ultimately through animals to reach the stage at which we could be born human and start learning to talk at two years of age and, in some cases, write symphonies at seven.” We have worked long and hard to reach this state, and we have done so by our own efforts. And now the question: what has sustained us in this climb? There can be only one answer. It is sustained by the basic and most fundamental of all powers, the premonition of a goal implied in the photon that started it all off. This premonition sustains the quest. It is the thrust, the passion that makes life continually try to excel itself to evolve and, in almost all mankind, has led man to postulate a state of being beyond himself . . . The source of the faith in what is beyond oneself is a timeless overview, the same dynamic orientation that has pushed the physical vehicle through its development and that has guided our steps up the ladder of being since the universe first came into existence. (16)

9

Young proposes a theory of the process of evolution consisting of seven stages reflecting seven Kingdoms of nat ure. The sequence of Kingdoms is given a diagrammatic representation as an arc depicting the descent and ascent of the evolutionary process:

The seven stages are cumulative and include one another: “Each Kingdom and each power includes what has gone before and adds a contribution of its own. Each Kingdom is a level of organization which depends on the one preceding.” So, for instance, animals feed on plants, plants organize molecules, molecules combine atoms, atoms organize protons and electrons, which in turn are convertible into photons (light energy). Young further elaborates and adds detail to the seven-fold evolutionary process, as depicted in the table below:

Some of the fundamental principles outlined in Young’s theory of evolution include:

10

• • • • • • •

•

The universe is a process put in motion by purpose. The development of the process occurs in st ages. There are seven stages. Each stage develops a new pow er . Powers are cumulat ive; each one retains the powers developed in the previous stages. Powers are evolved sequentially in what are called kingdoms. Arc of process: The early stages of a process take on increasing constraint until it reaches a maximum point where there is a t urn . The latter stages of the process see the conquest of the constraints and the development of freedom. Freedom in the first half is random, in the last controlled. The early stages of involut ion in which the process is descending are more involved in matter and hence more constrained. In the latter stages the process is moving up into higher forms which are more evolved and free.

The theory of evolution proposed by Young is organic and multi-dimensional in nature, encompassing a scale of energies, potentialities and intelligences that stretch from the infinitesimal world of photons (light) to the vast realm of galaxies and beyond – the ‘Great Chain of Being.’ Many of the world’s spiritual traditions and esoteric teachings describe evolution in terms of inner development and the refinement of human consciousness in the context of a harmonious relationship with the greater evolution of the cosmos. Gurdjieff, for instance, stressed that human evolution, both individually and collectively, could only be understood in relation to the evolutionary cycles of organic life, the earth and other planets. “Everything in the world, from solar systems to man, and from man to atom, either rises or descends, either evolves or degenerates, either develops or decays. But not hing evolves mechanically. Only degeneration and destruction proceed mechanically. That which cannot evolve consciously – degenerates.” The evolution of man can be taken as the development in him of those powers and possibilities which never develop by themselves, that is, mechanically. Only this kind of development, only this kind of growth, marks the real evolution of man. Humanity, like the rest of organic life, exists on earth for the needs and purposes of the earth. And it is exactly as it should be for the earth’s requirements at the present time . . . The evolution of huge masses of humanity is opposed to nature’s purposes. But the evolution of a certain small percentage may be in accord with nature’s purposes. Man contains within him the possibility of evolution. But the evolution of humanity as a whole, that is the development of these possibilities in all men, or in most of them, or even in a large number of them, is not necessary for the purposes of the earth or of the planetary world in general . . . But, at the same time, possibilities of evolution exist, and they may be developed in separat e individuals with the help of appropriate knowledge and methods. Such development can take place only in the interests of the man himself against, so to speak, the interests and forces of the planetary world. The man must understand this: his evolution is necessary only to himself. (17)

11

Gurdjieff taught that real human evolution is conscious and directed, not mechanical or haphazard: “Evolution is the result of conscious struggle. Evolution can be necessary only to man himself when he realizes his position, realizes the possibility of changing this position, realizes that he has powers which he does not use, riches that he does not see. And, in the sense of gaining possession of these powers and riches, evolution is possible.” Man as we know him is not a complet ed being ; nature develops him only up to a certain point and then leaves him, to develop further, by his ow n efforts and devices, or to live and die such as he was born, or to degenerate and lose capacity for development. Evolution of man in this case will mean the development of certain inner qualities and features which usually remain undeveloped, and cannot develop by t hemselves. Experience and observation show that this development is possible only in certain definite conditions, with efforts of a certain kind on the part of man himself, and with sufficient help from those who began similar work before and have already attained a certain degree of development, or at least a certain knowledge of methods. We must start with the idea that without efforts evolution is impossible; without help, it is also impossible. (18) Sufis teach that “man rose from the sea” and humanity is in a dynamic state of evolution, covering aeons of time. They speak of “the evolution of man and the development through which he may regain his origins, an evolution which is a path ‘retraced’ as one might call it, by pushing his consciousness forward by the exclusion of limiting factors and the inclusion of others; to a destiny that is generally referred to as ‘beyond the stars’.” From this wider perspective, humankind is not the final stage of the evolutionary journey: “When you have travelled from man, you will doubtless become an angel; after that you are done with this earth; your station is heaven. Pass again from angelhood and enter that ocean so that your drop may become a sea.” The Sufis hold that ‘awakening’ from the ‘sleep’ of everyday existence to a perception of a ‘higher reality’ is the primary task of human life and is, in fact, our evolutionary destiny. Spiritual growth is viewed as the development of latent abilities present, in embryonic form, as a potentiality in all human beings. “For the Sufis, evolution is a reality but something that is not accidental. Nor does ‘natural selection’ play a role; evolution is a much broader phenomenon, characteristic of the universe itself and of life everywhere. It is, in the case of humanity, under the control of human beings in the form of a conscious and potentially continual process.” Man is the product of evolution. He continues this process. But the ‘new’ faculties for which he yearns (generally unknowingly) come into being as a result of necessity. In other words, he now has to take part in the development of his own evolution. “Organs come into being as a response to necessity. Therefore increase your necessity.” There are realms of mind far beyond the ordinary state of man. These advanced realms cannot completely be rendered in the language of the brain as it stands. (19)

12

In the 13th century the great Sufi master Rumi foreshadowed Darwin’s theory of evolution, not so much in biological terms but as a psychological development which paralleled biological and behavioural evolution. He taught that the awakening or activation of a new ‘organ of higher perception’ occurred through necessity and application of conscious effort. Some of the initial manifestations of this evolving part of humanity are said to include “flashes of extraordinary achievement, telepathy, second sight, intuition and the intimations of dreams.” The driving impetus of spiritual evolution is unconditional, all-encompassing love: The force of psychological evolution, according to the Sufis, is love. Not love as commonly understood, which is a feeling projected onto secondary phenomena, but a primary force, akin to a profound yearning for oneness or unity. When this advanced developmental state of unity is attained, the distinction between ‘I’ and ‘thou’ is dissolved and the condition is called ‘ecstasy’ (standing outside oneself). This is to be viewed as the attainment of a very profound and significant developmental condition, and not just a vague, wonderful, blissful feeling, a deteriorated meaning often given to this word. The would-be Sufi’s aim is the achievement of this state through the renunciation of the conditioned culturally-determined self. Man’s psychological evolution is seen as a journey from an original state of unity, through a separation, to a yearning for oneness, and a return to unity through the ‘death’ of the conditioned self and a spiritual rebirth. In one way or another, all the world’s religions proclaim this message. (20) The Sufi teaching of a progressive evolutionary development is echoed in other spiritual traditions such as Advaita Vedanta and Zen Buddhism: There must have been some cause to give rise to the five elements and the manifest universe out of the Absolute state. This original cause is beyond explanation. The primary elements – space, fire, air, water and earth – were formed out of the Highest, as a result of friction and interaction. As the process continued, a variety of forms were created leading to the vegetable and animal kingdoms. In the vegetable kingdom we find shrubs, plants, trees, etc. which grow in one place and do not move about. The next stage of evolution is the animal kingdom, which abounds in birds, animals and human beings. These species have the privilege of movement and communication. Human beings, although biologically animals, are a superior species. Because of the highly evolved indwelling principle, which is Consciousness, a human being is able to acquire wisdom intuitively and transcend itself into the Highest. During the process his consciousness, initially conditioned to the bodymind, develops into the Universal consciousness . . . Ultimately the Universal Consciousness subsides into the Absolute. (21) Zen Buddhism views evolution as the development of consciousness, rather than forms existing within the fabric of existence. “The activity of the universe, through thousands of millions of years up to the present, can be regarded as a blind but not unreasonable attempt to 13

produce consciousness in man. Although the universe may seem to be moving without a purpose, from the anthropocentric point of view it has progressed. It has, of course, made innumerable trials, and produced innumerable failures, but it made a hit in producing consciousness. And this consciousness is now asking itself, ‘What is existence?’” The development of consciousness has been described as an “interior spiritual revolution” which transforms our understanding of everyday experience by actualizing attunement to the ‘Divine Mind.’ In the words of Zen scholar D.T. Suzuki: “The plainest truth is that everything we experience is saturated, interfused, interpenetrated with spiritual significance, and for this reason my handling the lute, my standing in the snow, my feeling hungry or thirsty after a hard day’s work, is charged with super-consciousness.” The blind pushing on of existence, which wanted to recognize itself without being aware of this desire, proved successful when it created human consciousness and therefore obtained its own eye with which to examine itself. Human existence has succeeded in becoming conscious of its own beauty. To this extent it has raised itself to a higher level than can be found in the animal world or in the plant and mineral worlds. This level is rising continuously, and new beauty is now consciously created. This is intentional evolution (22)

Conscious Evolution

Conscious evolution, sometimes called “deliberate” or “intentional” evolution, applies to individuals and not the entire human race. Although humanity has grown in size, strength and dominion through millions of years of development, there has not been a commensurate and parallel growth of consciousness. Yet there is an evolutionary yearning at the core of individual and collective humanity: “Man has the capacity and duty to make the bridge between himself and the rest of creation. He attempts this in the physical world by technological and material methods. In his ‘psychic’ life he tries to do the same.” The concept of conscious evolution is based on principles very different from the Darwinian theory of evolution: The idea of evolution – an idea of genius in the mind of Darwin – has become an enervating and deceptive one in its popular perversion. Darwin, describing the addition of new species and even more elaborate forms in the course of geological ages, the predominance with each epoch of a new and higher kingdom of nature, felt and revealed the grow t h of the Earth. He showed how the physical Earth matured, just as physical man matures. And how new species were added to the Earth as it grew up, just as new functions are added to man as he grows up. This clearly has nothing whatever to do with the possibility of a given species transcending itself . . . Today, the word evolution is used indiscriminately for the process of

14

growth, the process of refinement, and for the process of regeneration. It is even distorted into a kind of manufacturer’s guarantee that every individual shall one day develop into a Buddha, and that without any effort or intention on their part all men shall inevitably become wise. This is as fantastic as to believe that letting his canoe drift down some river, a traveller will inevitably be carried to the summit of the highest mountain. The process of growth is indeed a vast cosmic river, flowing eternally from the Creator. Relying on its current alone, there is only one direction in which man can go – that is, downwards. For to remount the stream needs a different understanding, a different energy and a different effort. (23) The concept of ‘conscious evolution’ is found in many Eastern spiritual traditions. Both Hinduism and Buddhism speak of endlessly repeating cycles of birth and death. Both the “dance of Krishna” and the hierarchy of gods in Indian mythology can be viewed as an allegory of inner development. The Buddhist concept of a Bodhisattva who vows “to save all sentient beings” following enlightenment also implies an evolutionary theme. The Sufis hold that the development of higher forms of perception and understanding are attained through conscious evolution: “There is a possibility of human beings taking part consciously in the work of evolution and activating a nascent, evolving organ of perception beyond those senses which are formally recognized by science as it stands today.” Sufis believe that, expressed in one way, humanity is evolving to a certain destiny. We are all taking part in that evolution. Organs come into being as a result of the need for specific organs (Rumi). The human being’s organism is producing a new complex of organs in response to such a need. In this age of the transcending of time and space, the complex of organs is concerned with the transcending of time and space. What ordinary people regard as sporadic and occasional bursts of telepathic or prophetic power are seen by the Sufi as nothing less than the first stirrings of these same organs. The difference between all evolution up to date and the present need for evolution is that for the past ten thousand years or so we have been given the possibility of a conscious evolution. So essential is this more rarefied evolution that our future depends on it. (24) Rumi has been called a “creative evolutionist” since, to him, evolution is the metamorphosis of the spirit: “Love is the evolutionary principle of all existence.” Rumi envisions evolution as a series of deaths and subsequent rebirths to higher stages of development: Matter is the foundation of Evolution. There was ‘fire, air and water as heat, wind and cloud’ until the emergence of a new form of existence – the plant life. From plant life emerged animal life which assumed its highest form (so far) in human life. Rumi does not believe that the process of creative evolution has ended with the emergence of man in the existing spatio-temporal order. He has a contagious faith in the unlimited possibilities of man’s development. Man has developed through a dynamic process of evolution. He has passed through a series of deaths and with 15

every death he has risen higher in the scale of human values. Why should he then fear the death of his body and not rise to a stage where death dies itself? (25) In The People of t he Secret , Ernest Scott argues that the evolution of humanity involves the activation and utilization of a progression of more and more refined energies, culminating in the unitive energy of objective love: Over an immense period of time a process of life has been developed on earth and has culminated in man. The process has been achieved by making available on the planetary scene a succession of energies, each higher in frequency than the one before. Constructive, vital, automatic, sensitive, conscious and creative energies have been “switched in” in turn and have given rise to the entire evolutionary progression from molecule to man. The action of these energies – seen first in biology and then in history – suggests that each new, higher frequency is applied while life is still struggling to come to terms with the one before. Here may be an important pointer. Man was capable of no more than minimal consciousness when he was confronted with creativity. Each new stage is switched in long before the organism is fully deploying the energy before. In the natural progression, it can be assumed that at some stage man would have inherited unitive energy – the energy of love. By this is meant objective love and not its precognitive echo in sexual or polar love. Seen against the progression of energies along the evolutionary process, it may be supposed that unitive energy would lie far in the evolutionary future. Man has not yet accommodated to consciousness, much less to creativity. (26) Conscious change is necessary in order to adapt to the rapidly changing circumstances of our contemporary world. Both biological and cultural evolution are clearly inadequate to enable humanity to meet the challenges of the modern world. “The time has come to take our own evolution into our hands and create a new evolutionary process, a process of conscious evolution. The human predicament requires a different kind of education and training to detect threats that materialize not in instants but in years or decades – we need to develop ‘slow reflexes’ to supplement the quick ones. We need to replace our old minds with new ones.” Human beings, like all other organisms, have to adapt to the environment in which they live. For most of the history of life our ancestors evolved biologically, as do all living things. (Biological evolution consists of changes in the information encoded in our genes. It typically operates over thousands of generations.) Then, for the relatively brief period of human prehistory and history – a few million years – adaptation took place primarily by means of cultural change; the development of language and tools; the invention of agriculture, cities, industry and high technology. Cultural evolution can be much more rapid than biological, for it involves alteration of information stored in minds or in books, tools, art, and other artefacts of societies. Cultural evolution can make significant changes in a matter of decades or less. But the rapid changes that human beings are making in the world now have made even the pace of most cultural evolution far too slow. As a 16

result we are losing control of our future. The serious and dangerous mismatch is this: civilization is threatened by changes taking place over years and decades, but these changes are too slow for us to perceive readily . . . At the same time, the changes are much too rapid to allow biological or cultural evolutionary processes to adapt people to them. W e are out of joint w it h t he t imes, our times. (27) Psychologist Robert Ornstein argues that humanity is now at a crossroads in terms of evolutionary development and requires a dramatic shift in consciousness to embrace a more universal and holistic world-view: “Our normal upbringing, focusing on the individual mind and priorities, may work against us. A shift towards a view of humanity as one animal, toward relinquishing the ‘every man for himself’ attitude, might enable us to take those ‘selfless’ steps that could begin to solve our collective problems.” Our biological evolution is, for all practical purposes, at its end. There will be no further biological evolution without conscious evolution. We have to take command of our evolution now and begin a massive program for conscious changes in the way we think, the way we relate to others, the way we identify with the rest of humanity. The pace of change is far too great for us to try to adapt unconsciously. We have to take our very evolution into our own hands and do for ourselves what biological evolution has done for all life; adapt to an unprecedented new world. Our great brain gives us the extra capacity to become aware of ourselves, to an extent greater than any other animal. It gives us the capacity to imagine a future, to change the world . . . All human beings have, within themselves, entirely unparalleled adaptations, new adaptations that need to be nurtured deliberately in our schools, in our training, and in our lives. Conscious change can’t do everything, since the inherent automatic moves of the mind exist for a good reason, but with a slight shift in our priorities, we may be able to adapt much more than we’d believe, and adapt in the right direction. (28) Ornstein advocates a healthy altruism which is concerned with the welfare of all people. “More and more people, because of the real changes on earth, are beginning to consider their family to be all of humanity.” Compassion, service, and generosity can become reflections of our sense of common humanity. At this time in our history it is important that we individually and collectively begin to unite and harmonize the complementary insights of the rational, emotional, intuitive and spiritual aspects of our nature. “There is a grandeur in the conscious evolution of the mind, with an endless supply of possible capabilities, waiting to be called in response to the new necessities of the new world we have created. Undertaking conscious evolution, with an understanding of the complexity of our myriad minds within, may be easier, closer at hand, and more liberating than we might normally think.”

17

The development and evolution of consciousness begins with self-observation and selfunderstanding: “Self-observation enhances the capacity for change of mind. Associations can be made between voluntary acts and their consequences.” For millennia individuals have been attracted to the idea of “higher selves” or “mystical experiences.” We now need to be aware that these experiences are important for our future and recognize that they are within the range of all. We can remake our minds by shifting the mind in place. The traditional name for controlling our selves or taking hold of ourselves is w ill , an unfashionable term nowadays. If there is a will, it will reside in the selection of the differing minds that we call into play. The paradox of our shifting minds is resolved this way: conscious control is a small and weak force in most minds, a force that we can develop by self-observation. The development of consciousness lies not far away in a bedazzled or dazed mystic trance, but in conscious selection. This is the third kind of evolution we possess. Natural selection begins blind. Neural selection in youth is more or less an automatic transfer of the world to the mind. Conscious selection is the way we can take our evolution in our own hands by developing the ability to select parts of the mind . . . This is a time when the need for conscious evolution is becoming a necessity for all humanity, not just a few individuals. The traditional description of humanity as blind or asleep, as an automaton, all speak to a view that we usually are the prisoners of our automatic selection routines. (29) When seen from an ultimate, enlightened perspective evolution is not a progressive process, producing and creating “more out of less,” leading to spiritual awakening. Advaita Vedanta teacher Jean Klein: “Evolution in the strict meaning of the word, is only an unfolding, a passing from what is implicit to that which is explicit, from what is not manifested to that which is manifested. We cannot rely on it in our search for liberation. Liberation is not a problem of evolution, for no evolution can lead to liberation, which is the result of discernment only.” Q: I am interested to know what the relationship is between consciousness and evolution. Did Neanderthal man have sages? Or is awakened consciousness a recent phenomenon that is tied in somehow with the evolution of the species? A: There is only consciousness. You cannot apply evolution to consciousness. Consciousness is. But the expression of consciousness is without end, is a basket without a bottom, though the form may change. What does it mean, evolution? It is only a category of the mind. When the prototype of a thing has changed, it is no longer here. It is finished. It is only the mind that “changes” it from one thing to another thing. Because in reality all appears and disappears in consciousness and there is no independent phenomenal continuity. But that brings us too far in the problem of evolution. Consciousness has nothing to do with evolution. Evolution is a thing of the mind. (30)

18

References

(1) J.G. Bennett The Dramat ic Universe (Volume 4) (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1966), pp. 106-107. (2) Robert Ornstein The Evolut ion of Consciousness (New York: Prentice Hall Press, 1991), p. 17. (3) Robert Ornstein The Evolut ion of Consciousness (New York: Prentice Hall Press, 1991), pp. 23-24. (4) Stuart Litvak Seeking W isdom: The Sufi Pat h (York Beach, Maine: Samuel Weiser, 1984), p. 79. (5) Stuart Litvak and A. Wayne Senzee Tow ard a New Brain: Evolut ion and t he Human M ind (Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1986), pp. 30-33. (6) Stuart Litvak and A. Wayne Senzee Tow ard a New Brain: Evolut ion and t he Human M ind (Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1986), p. 49. (7) Stuart Litvak Seeking W isdom: The Sufi Pat h (York Beach, Maine: Samuel Weiser, 1984), pp. 81-83. (8) E.F. Schumacher A Guide for t he Perplexed (New York: Harper Perennial, 2004), pp. 113115. (9) J.G. Bennett The Dramat ic Universe (Volume 4) (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1966), p. 154. (10) Stuart Litvak and A. Wayne Senzee Tow ard a New Brain: Evolut ion and t he Human M ind (Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1986), p. 23. (11) Stuart Litvak and A. Wayne Senzee Tow ard a New Brain: Evolut ion and t he Human M ind (Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1986), p. viii. (12) Ernest Scott The People of t he Secret (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 37-38. (13) T.A. Goudge The Ascent of Life (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1967), pp. 142-143. (14) Stuart Litvak and A. Wayne Senzee Tow ard a New Brain: Evolut ion and t he Human M ind (Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1986), p. 76. (15) Stuart Litvak Seeking W isdom: The Sufi Pat h (York Beach, Maine: Samuel Weiser, 1984), p. 84. (16) Arthur M. Young The Reflexive Universe: Evolut ion of Consciousness (New York: Delacorte Press, 1976), p. 244. (17) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of t he M iraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), pp. 56-58. (18) P.D. Ouspensky The Psychology of M an’s Possible Evolut ion (New York: Vintage Books), 1974), p. 8. (19) Idries Shah Special Problems in t he St udy of Sufi Ideas (London: Octagon Press, 1986), p. 35. (20) Leonard Lewin “Sufi Studies: East and West” in Idries Shah (ed.) The W orld of t he Sufi (London: Octagon Press, 1979), pp. 239-240. (21) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj The Nect ar of t he Lord’s Feet (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1987), p. 16. (22) Katsuki Sekida Zen Training: M et hods and Philosophy (New York: Weatherhill, 1981), p. 162.

19

(23) Rodney Collin The Theory of Celest ial Influence (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1973), pp. 175176. (24) Idries Shah The Sufis (London: Octagon Press, 1984), p. 54. (25) Afzal Iqbal The Life and W ork of Jalaluddin Rumi (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 267268. (26) Ernest Scott The People of t he Secret (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 39. (27) Robert Ornstein and Paul Ehrlich New W orld New M ind (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1990), pp. 10-11. (28) Robert Ornstein The Evolut ion of Consciousness (New York: Prentice Hall Press, 1991), pp. 267-268. (29) Robert Ornstein The Evolut ion of Consciousness (New York: Prentice Hall Press, 1991), p. 273. (30) Jean Klein Living Trut h (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publications, 1995), pp. 34-35.

20

PREHISTORIC HUM ANITY The Daw n of Humanity

The scientific understanding of human evolution is based on fossil records, radiocarbon and other dating methods and, more recently, genetics and molecular biology. There is very strong scientific evidence that apes such as chimpanzees and gorillas are our distant relatives. Analysis of two important molecules, proteins and nucleic acids (DNA), has established a strong connection between humans and apes. It is generally held by paleoanthropologists that humans and chimpanzees separated about five million years ago. The Aust ralopit hecines are believed to be the earliest hominids, developing from the common ancestor we share with the apes. They represent a bridge or intermediary evolutionary stage: “They are no longer proto apes, even if they are not yet, strictly speaking, human.” Figure 1. Aust ralopit hecine family tree

1

The Aust ralopit hecines, which appeared between 4 and 5 million years ago, were of several types: one branch eventually led to humans, while other branches inhabited Africa until about one million years ago before dying out. They closely resembled apes and had a cranium that was small in relation to their face with an internal volume of about 400 - 450 cubic cm. They were short in stature but erect, although their upright stance was slightly different than modern humans: The beginning of human history is about 5 or so million years ago, when the forests of East Africa thinned, and many tree dwellers had to find new homes. Those that had no trouble holding onto their tree homes evolved into today’s chimpanzees. Of those who were forced or attracted out, some did not adapt and became extinct. Others learned to live out of the trees, took up residence in the surrounding grasslands, prospered and survived, and evolved into prehuman beings. These first beings alloy human and ape characteristics . . . They began to walk upright and probably used their upright position to establish a kind of co-operative life, a sharing of child rearing and food until then unknown. (1) Paleoanthropologists believe that aust ralopit hecines were the direct ancestors of the first human species. Three species of the genus Homo have been distinguished: • Homo habilis, the oldest, dates from around two to two and a half million years ago. • Homo erectus is found from roughly two million to about 300,000 years ago. • Homo sapiens have been dated between 300,000 and 500,000 years ago. Homo habilis is considered to be the first human species, with the ability to fashion tools from stone and possibly wood, and perhaps limited powers of speech. The fossil evidence has revealed a likely pattern of abilities and behaviours for our first human ancestor: “They had a progressively upright stance, increased use of tools, greater growth of the brain, and they seemed to live more cooperatively. This set of adaptations, food and tool sharing, communal life, seemed to be the theme of early hominoid development.”

What makes us consider Homo habilis the first of our species? The braincase has grown (from 400 to 630 cubic centimeters in the million or so years separating this creature and the earliest aust ralopit hecines we know of). Fashioned stone tools also appear in place of the very rough pieces of stone found previously . . . Dating from two to two and a half million years ago, Homo habilis (which means “skilled worker, handyman”) had the ability to use tools. It has recently been claimed that some of the aust ralopit hecines may already have known how to make stone tools. Homo habilis’s tools are rough. Many are just stone tips: small ones were used as scrapers and larger ones as axes and choppers. Some have been found alongside animal bones; presumably they were used for stripping meat or breaking the bones to get at the marrow. The discovery of abundant stone deposits and bones tells us that this human was a scavenger, and a meat eater. (2)

2

Little is known of the transition from Homo habilis to Homo erect us because there is a dearth of accurately dated and researched fossil or archeological remains. However, there is no doubt that the change is marked by further gradual growth of the brain cavity from an average of 630 cubic cm to more than 1000 cubic cm. At the same time tools became more common, more specialized and of higher quality. It is hypothesized that the development of tools was associated with brain growth: The transformation of Homo habilis into Homo erectus entailed a series of significant, if not dramatic, coordinated developments. Our ancestors’ accelerating bipedal abilities were a function of the continually increasing erectility of their anatomy. Their array of tools and weapons expanded generally with their large brain mass . . . A hunting livelihood required new forms of social cohesion among the hominoids. Hunting in packs, they were forced to evolve more effective and advanced modes of group communication, especially vocal, and group organization. Their ground existence presented whole new problems of survival; nonetheless they effectively met these challenges with new solutions, stimulating their brains into further growth. (3) The transition from Aust ralopit hecines to Homo habilis to Homo erect us was marked by a series of evolutionary stages or developments in which new faculties and abilities emerged, of which language was the most significant: There must have been several steps; the first was probably the freeing of the hands by a predominantly erect posture. Next, would come the use of tools and weapons. Third, would be communication by language. This last must be considered the decisively human step, for without it man would not be man. Skills as great as those required for making tools are possessed naturally by other animals, such as chimpanzees and beavers; or can easily be learned, as by porpoises and dolphins . . . It may be objected that all animals are able to communicate and that human speech is only a development of the grunts and groans of the forest. This disregards the special character of human speech that consists in storing impressions and reproducing them by a structured combination of sounds. There is no evidence that any animal communicates in this way or can be taught to do so . . . The anatomy of Homo erect us is consistent with the belief that he was capable of true verbal communication. The great step from Aust ralopit hecus with a brain capacity of 600 c.c. or less to Homo erect us with one of 900 to 1,000 c.c. or more would scarcely have been made without a mind to use and enjoy the added power that a large brain had to offer. (4) Homo erect us ushered in a new phase of human evolution marked by a rapid increase in

brain size, more advanced tool-making, and significant strides in social cohesion and complexity. Their development allowed them to gain a much greater control over their environment than earlier generations of human beings:

3

They cooked in pots, handled fairly advanced tools, and worked animal skins – all bespeaking a higher culture. They lived in an ice age and could construct shelters. They invented clothing, used fire, and helped prepare for the characteristic human life: living in groups, being able to survive in new worlds, and adapting those worlds to them. Fire probably extended the day, giving more time for work; and since fire is attractive, it is possible that groups of H. erect us, huddled around a fire, were the first to use their larger brains to introduce language. Life challenges alone were probably not enough to inspire the astonishing rapidity of brain growth. There must have been another reason. There was great growth in the brain: that of Homo habilis ranged from 600 - 750 cubic centimeters; whereas H. erect us’s cranial capacity ballooned to between 775 and 1,225 cubic centimeters (the modern range is 1,000 to 1,400 c.c.). This development occurred well before organized society or language, and long before technology. It is an amazing spurt in growth in the most complicated structure in all biology. (5) Both the Aust ralopit hecines and our early human ancestors originated in Africa. Once they left the forest for the adjoining tropical grasslands they encountered a world inhabited by a wide range of plant and animal species. “Archeological evidence, as well as findings from ethnology, comparative anatomy, and psychology, makes a near airtight case for our earliest anthropoid ancestors’ forest existence. As pre-humans ventured down out of the trees their bipedal capabilities began to develop, and they were able to supplement their diet with new nutrients obtained by ground feeding.” There is general consensus among paleoanthropologists that our original human ancestors eventually migrated from the savannahs of Africa in northerly and easterly directions, marking the beginnings of the great human journey: “Humans first appeared in east Africa millions of years ago, and from there spread throughout the world in what could only have been astonishing journeys of heart-break, adventure, exploration and endurance. What is less well known is that this journey forth from Africa seems to have occurred more than once. It was undertaken by different species of humans at different times.” Human beings evolved in Africa from a variety of hominid species over a period of a few million years. The first humans to leave the African continent were Homo erect us (upright man), who migrated northeast about 2 million years ago when present-day deserts were grassland. The early hunters are thought, at least at first, to have been driven by changes in climate – drought conditions – to follow migrating animal herds. Over time they colonized the Middle East, southern Russia, India, the Far East and Southeast Asia. Homo erectus fossils have been dated in Georgia to 1.8 million years ago and in Java to 1.6 million years ago. (6) The colonization of Asia, Europe, and virtually all of the Old World by Homo erect us occurred over a period of hundreds of thousands of years. The expansion was probably made possible by increased intelligence and superior tools and motor skills. Their appearance in these new lands marks a significant turning point in human evolution: 4

This complex group constitutes evidence of the first true men – able to communicate by speech, make and use instruments and live in colonies for shelter and protection from their enemies. In various transitional groups Homo erect us lived through the period of the Mindel glaciations and the immensely long interglacial of Mindel-Riss. It is almost certain that he had techniques of constructing shelter and, by some means, learnt how to prepare and use animal pelts to protect himself from the damp and cold. It appears that around 1,000,000 years ago the main transition was completed and Homo erect us dominated the field of action – true man. (7)

The Emergence of M odern M an

The development of the human species proceeded through a number of stages, culminating in Homo sapiens, the first truly recognizable precursors of the modern human being. Figure 2. Family tree of Homo sapiens

5

For more than a million years the human evolutionary impulse was embodied in Homo erect us, who slowly developed a range of adaptive capacities to meet the challenges and possibilities of the external world: Following the pattern of human evolution, whereby development appears to come in stages, there is no trace of real progress until the appearance of an new species of hominid – Homo erect us – about one and a half million years ago. Homo erect us had a larger brain – it eventually grew to 80 percent of a modern human’s. His height increased too, to about five feet, and he added tools such as headaxes and choppers to the repertoire of his ancestors. He apparently made use of fire, although he probably did not know how to create it. (8) The transition from Homo erect us to Homo sapiens marks a decisive turning point in human evolution as the rate of physical, cognitive and social transformation accelerated in response to increasing brain size. One of the consequences was the increasing complexity of tools and hunting weapons. “The use of tools not only demands a certain level of intelligence; it also tends to develop intelligence. Confronted with some problem that might be solved by tools, the tool-user considers the various possibilities and exercises his mind.” Recently, a find was unearthed in Germany which has forced archeologists to reassess their views on Homo erect us. A set of 400,000 year old wooden spears, carved with flint from a spruce trunk and beautifully weighted for throwing proves that Homo erect us possessed the patience and skill to fashion them, and show that they could plan for the future and hunt cooperatively. These achievements, however, represent the gamut of skills which Homo erect us mastered – although he lived successfully for around a million years, weathering ice ages and migrating widely. The emergence of what is known as Archaic Homo sapiens brought little change at first in tool manufacture. But his brain was now as large as modern man’s – and apparently identically structured . . . The reasons for the development of man’s brain appears to be a loose correlation between the physical development of hands, allowing tools to be made, and the greater brain capacity which tool-making required. (9) Although the boundary between different evolutionary classifications is often imperceptible and there is probably a certain degree of overlap between species, paleoanthropologists generally agree that between 300,000 and 500,000 years ago Homo erectus began evolving into early Homo sapiens, sometimes referred to as archaic Homo sapiens: The first remains of our species have been dated between three and five hundred thousand years ago. Sapiens may have existed alongside Homo erect us for a while, but we cannot be sure. With archaic Homo sapiens the braincase quickly reached its final capacity of about fourteen hundred cubic centimeters on average. This has remained much the same ever since, with a slight difference between men and women (most probably due to the difference in average weight and stature) but 6

with enormous individual variations . . . During human evolution we see a dramatic growth in brain volume, most probably linked to improvements in certain intellectual capacities, such as understanding how to make tools and use language in an increasingly complex manner. Homo sapiens seems to have always had much the same brain size. The shape, however, has changed, and for this reason the Homo sapiens of three hundred thousand years ago is known as archaic Homo sapiens. In archaic skulls, the heavy, arched brow ridges and thick bones remain, while the face still protrudes somewhat like an ape’s. (10) The fossil and other evidence from a variety of archaeological sites provides some general information about Homo sapiens: •

The remains of archaic Homo sapiens have been found in North, South and East Africa, throughout Europe (except Scandinavia) and in South and Southeast Asia. “The earliest humans have been documented to have first appeared in Europe only about 350,000 years ago, although recent findings might point to a much earlier arrival.”

•

Use of tools: “Toward the end of the archaic sapiens period, the old Acheulean method of tool-making, which had been used for more than a million years, gradually began to be replaced. The new Mousterian technique we associate with Homo sapiens takes over from the old Acheulean one. There is a much wider range of these tools, and they show signs of careful retouching and maintenance.”

•

Homo sapiens were hunter-gatherers and there is evidence of hunting weapons dating

from 400,000 years ago. •

By 300,000 years ago, the human brain had essentially reached its present size and over the next 100,000 – 200,000 years the most primitive, ape-like features disappeared.

•

Although the role of speech in human evolution is largely speculative, the evidence from fossil records suggests that early Homo sapiens may have been capable of complex articulation of sounds. “The creation of language whereby man could come to reflect and think about the universe was one of the most important moments in the whole of our history.”

•

There is some evidence that our earliest ancestors conceived of some sort of afterlife. “The oldest surviving indications of funerary customs have been found in China, in the form of about six skulls, belonging to Peking man, who flourished some 600,000 years ago. They suggest that the early form of man had already begun to speculate on the possibility of existence after death.”

7

The Neanderthals Homo sapiens neandert halensis followed archaic Homo sapiens in the evolutionary tree.

From Africa they migrated north to Europe between 200,000 and 300,000 years ago. Archaeological evidence indicates that about 60,000 years ago they were present east of the Caspian Sea and in the Middle East at sites in Israel. They eventually disappeared completely about 30,000 to 35,000 years go. Figure 3. Maximum spread of Neanderthal settlements

Physically, they were taller than their ancestors, heavily muscled with prominent brow ridges and a protruding face. Their actual brain size was similar to that of modern humans. The Neanderthals’ facial features are quite primitive compared to modern humans and there is no particular resemblance between Neanderthal skulls and modern Europeans: The Neanderthals’ braincase is the same size as a modern human’s and sometimes even a little bigger. However, the skullcap is longer and lower, making the forehead considerably shorter. The face is long, and has a wide nose and weak chin. The bones show that these people were very strong. A strange feature, particularly noticeable among the elderly, is pronounced wear on the outer edges of the incisors. This is clearly not inborn, and would seem to be caused by the use of the incisors to

8

grip materials, maybe cord and so on, when making tools. Interestingly, this type of wear is still found among the Eskimos, albeit to a much lesser extent. (11) The popular notion of the Neanderthals – that they were very primitive and even grotesquelooking compared to modern humans – is a misconception based largely on artistic depictions of their appearance showing thick skulls, low brow foreheads and ape-like features. In reality they evidenced many signs of a relatively advanced culture, adapted to their very challenging environmental conditions: They had an organized society, even ceremonies; one we know of is a ritual burial in an elaborate grave 60,000 years ago. It was found in a cave near what is now Shanidar, in northern Iraq. This and other evidence of ritual would seem to indicate early expressions of a spiritual life. Neanderthal cranial was as much as 1,500 cubic centimeters, larger than today’s average. Culturally, they were far advanced and lived in genuine societies. Having appeared during the Ice Age, Neanderthals adapted to the cold and constructed better clothing, shelters, and more complex tools. As their level of social organization advanced, not surprisingly, archeology has found that violence and warfare became a distinct element in their lives, just as in ours. (12) Many of the characteristic features of Neanderthal life have been revealed through centuries of archeological investigation and research: •

They were hunter-nomads and meat from large animals (bison, ox, cows, horses) was their staple food.

•

They generally lived in caves but some open-air sites have been found, often close to water sources. “Though the Neanderthals were primarily cave dwellers, they constructed huts where natural lairs were not to be found, thus initiating additional demands upon the spatial (or patterning) and logical functions of their brains, undoubtedly an important impetus to right/left brain specialization.”

•

Tools were typically fashioned from stone and wood, rather than bone or ivory. “In addition to knives, scrapers, punches, and many other tools, spears have been found, including a wooden one still embedded in an elephant’s side.”

•

Evidence suggests that Neandert hals used animal skins and leather for clothing and constructed rudimentary shelters for protection from the elements.

•

There are suggestions of some sort of social hierarchy and organization with distribution of labour and specialized hunting and gathering behaviours.

9

•

Archaeological evidence also suggests that for physiological reasons (possibly related to the development of the larynx), Neandert hals were unable to articulate speech sounds in the way that modern humans can.

•

The importance of hunting in the life of Neanderthals may have led to magical beliefs and rituals to enhance the success of the hunt.

•

Markings on certain stones suggest that Neanderthals followed and measured the movements of the sun and moon.

•

Certain Neanderthal sites show evidence of some form of animal worship or magic. “The first example of a Neanderthal Bear Cult sanctuary was found in the Swiss Alps, 8,000 feet above sea level, where the skulls of cave bears and a number of femurs were found arranged in a recognizable pattern facing the entry.”

•

Some discoveries suggest that they cared for the elderly and sick. “There seems no doubt that Neanderthal man made the advance into altruism. He protected at least some older or weaker members of his society. The skeleton of a forty year old man (extreme old age for early man) has been discovered which dates back 60,000 years showing signs that he had been severely incapacitated from birth, and must have been kept alive by his group.”

•

Neanderthals engaged in ritual behaviour, including burying their dead. “By 120,000 B.C., there are indications that Neanderthal man may have had some involvement in a skull cult, involving rituals and ceremonies, showing that they had thought at least to some extent about life and death – and had conceived some notions about a world beyond.”

Over a vast period of hundreds of thousands of years the life of Neanderthals remained within a narrowly circumscribed range of activities and behaviours: Neanderthal man appeared on the scene up to two hundred thousand years ago – well before the arrival of Cro-Magnon man, our own progenitor. Neanderthal man disappeared a mere 30,000 years ago. So – amazingly – the span of Neanderthal’s existence – around a hundred and seventy thousand years – may have been nearly double that of our own to date. Yet this type of man, with a general intelligence which appears to be at least as high as our own (if anything, his brain was heavier) reached a plateau of culture about 100,000 years ago, where he remained. In many ways his story is the most puzzling evolutionary mystery we have yet seen. He was expert at making stone tools by the Levallois method – which required chipping at a piece of stone on a block with a degree of hand to eye co-ordination, and an ability to conceive of and plan the finished tool. He learned to bind these to wooden shafts, to make

10

short spears for throwing. He lived in social groups and dominated Europe and South West Asia for thirty thousand years. He buried his dead – there are traces of what appears to be a skull cult which stretches across Europe. (13) There has been a great deal of scientific speculation about the reasons why Neandert hals seemed to stagnate in an evolutionary sense, leading to their eventual extinction. In the words of John G. Bennett: “One notable deficiency of Neanderthal was his apparent lack of artistic feeling. This is particularly striking in view of his immediate successors. Once again we have the question: why did men with brains fully equal in size to our own, show so comparatively little initiative to develop tools and no apparent creativity in art?” Though ice ages came and went, Neanderthal man failed to develop beyond this point for a hundred and seventy thousand years. Again, we see a complete lack of the irresistible urge towards development that has characterized later Homo Sapiens history. Towards the end of his existence, there are signs that Neanderthal man made rather pathetic attempts to copy the newer Cro-Magnon peoples in some of his practices: using red ochre as a kind of ritual decoration for example. In his final years it became obvious that he needed to innovate to survive; for example, to develop a wider variety of tools. However, despite evolutionary pressures, he did not seem able to make the necessary development. Eventually, he died out, apparently from forces of competition. His paucity in adjustment has led some observers to conclude that he lacked some basic function of mind; possibly the ability to integrate different spheres of specialised intelligence. For example, if they could not combine the areas of social and technical intelligence, workers making tools would be less likely to gather together in groups performing a simultaneous social function, where information about tool-making might be exchanged. (14) Until about 40,000 – 50,000 years ago both Neanderthals and modern man (Cro-M agnons) co-existed in Europe. These two separate peoples differed in head shape and their use of tools. Some archeologists and anthropologists believe that Neanderthals eventually became modern humans, while others posit that they died out from pressure from Cro-M agnons who spread from the Middle East and elsewhere to Europe and replaced them. The second hypothesis seems more likely, as recent genetic research shows that Neanderthals are not the direct forebears of modern humans because their genome profiles are significantly different.

Homo Sapiens Sapiens or M odern M an Homo sapiens sapiens are anatomically indistinguishable from today’s humans and represent

the last and most complex development of the human species, possessing mind, memory and creativity. They are also sometimes referred to as Cro-M agnons, after the name of the site in which some of their most archeologically significant skeletons and remains were discovered.

11

Both Neanderthals and Homo sapiens sapiens were once believed to be direct descendants of Homo erect us. However, that belief has been supplanted by new genetic findings: “Most scientists now hold that modern humans evolved not from Homo erect us and their many descendants, but from a later species who originated in Africa about 150,000 years ago and spread subsequently around the globe, replacing archaic humans in each location with little genetic mixing.” But new evidence also suggests our own DNA profile shows that some Homo sapiens sapiens interbred with Neanderthals. A decisive turning point in human evolution is marked by the presence of Homo sapiens sapiens in Africa and their subsequent migration to other parts of the world:

Modern human beings emerged as a single small population about 200,000 years ago in Africa, and there is both archeological and paleoanthropological evidence that suggests H. sapiens remained stable for approximately 100,000 years. Between 80,000 and 60,000 years ago, however, there was a dramatic expansion of certain genetic lineages in the African population at the same time there was a striking change in technology and culture. Homo sapiens do not appear to have changed physically in this period, but they began to produce many more types of unambiguous symbols and new forms of tools. After this cultural and technological shift, these modern humans began to leave Africa about 60,000 years ago. As humans spread across the globe, their material and symbolic culture grew richer. By 40,000 years ago, Homo sapiens were sculpting from stone, painting the walls of caves, and creating a greater variety of musical instruments and jewellery, and ritually burying their dead. (15) Distinct Homo sapiens sapiens skeleton remains date from 75,000 to 130,000 years ago in South Africa and about 100,000 years ago in Israel. They appear around 40,000 years ago in Europe where they apparently replaced the Neandert hals. Subsequently they spread throughout virtually the entire world: Homo sapiens sapiens then starts to appear everywhere. Within sixty to seventy

thousand years, the species reaches every corner of the globe, manifesting an ability to adapt to the most varied environments and also – let it be said – possessing a strong spirit of adventure. In China, there is a sapiens sapiens relic more than sixty thousand years old. Modern humans seemed to have reached Australia and New Guinea during this time, and to do so they must have used seaworthy vessels . . . In Australia, a fossil that is generally accepted as a modern human being dating back thirty-five to forty thousand years has been found and also sites from fifty-five to sixty thousand years ago. Modern humans came late to Europe. The earliest traces we have are from eastern Europe, around thirty-five to forty thousand years ago. The chronological pattern of finds suggests that they came from the East. In much the same period, we find the last evidence of Neanderthal presence. Modern humans subsequently moved into the colder regions of Asia. This was undoubtedly an extremely difficult conquest, because Siberia is one of the coldest 12

places on earth. Cultural and very probably biological adaptation, too, were needed to survive in this climate. From Siberia they journeyed to America, at least fifteen thousand years ago, but perhaps earlier, presumably taking advantage of the fact that the shallow waters of the Bering Strait became dry land during the last Ice Age when part of the ocean’s waters was absorbed by huge polar glaciers. (16) Figure 4. Expansion of Homo sapiens sapiens throughout the world

As Homo sapiens sapiens emerged as the most dominant, innovative and creative species on earth, the actualization of the latent potentiality of completing the human evolutionary journey became a real possibility: The archeological picture changed dramatically around 40-50,000 years ago with the appearance of behaviorally modern humans. This was an abrupt and dramatic change in subsistence patterns, tools and symbolic expression. This stunning change in cultural adaptation was not merely a quantitative one, but one that represented a significant departure from all earlier human behavior, reflecting a major qualitative transformation. It was literally a “creative explosion” which exhibited the “technological ingenuity, social formations, and ideological complexity of historic hunter-gatherers.” This human revolution is precisely what made us who we are today. (17)

13

Many aspects of the life of Homo sapiens sapiens have been revealed through archaeological research throughout the world: •

The brain size of Homo sapiens sapiens was similar to Neandert hals, but the shape of their face was different and, more importantly, the “physiological apparatus for producing a great range of sounds expanded and the palate enlarged, which allowed greater precision in speech.”

•

Although continuing to live in caves, they modified the interiors to attain a greater degree of living comfort, including, for instance, hearths. But they also constructed tents and huts for shelter.

•

Clothes were made from the skins and furs of the animals they hunted and they invented the needle to sew garments. The level of sophistication of their clothing rivals that of today: “Three occupants of a burial site to the north of Moscow show signs of complete clothing, including hoods, shirt, jacket, leg wear, and moccasins.”

•

It is likely that various forms of body adornment were used by both males and females. Personal adornment took the form of ivory and bone pendants, necklaces, bracelets and leg bands made of shells, animal teeth and beads.

•

The tools used by Homo sapiens sapiens in South Africa and Israel were very similar to archaic Homo sapiens and the Neandert hals. But about 50,000 years ago modern humans adopted a new, more diverse style of tools (called Aurignacian ) and employed them when they migrated to Europe. “The range of Aurignacian tools is wider and more varied than the earlier ones. There are many types of instruments with precise shapes and recognizable uses, implying a higher degree of specialization. There are tapering stone chip blades with fine edges and very sharp cutters and scrapers. Ivory, horn, and bone are employed as well as flint.”

•

Decorative and other artefacts were fashioned out of stone, wood, bone, antler and ivory. There is evidence that certain goods such as flint, shells, skins and tools were traded with other human groups, and there was likely a sharing of knowledge and techniques for making these artefacts.

•

Hunting techniques became more refined with the development of the bow and arrow and the spear, and there is evidence that the first fishing tools in the form of hooks and harpoons appeared. Hunting strategies became more sophisticated as they carried out complicated, multi-stage efforts. In some instances, through ritual magic, they were able to predict animal behaviour and patterns by imagining themselves in the place of their prey, thereby anticipating their movements.

14

•

Human burials were accompanied by ritual and ceremony, and burial sites typically contained a variety of symbolic grave objects and artefacts.

Homo sapiens sapiens showed a great interest in the natural world around them. “CroMagnon man was interested in the sun and moon because he was sensitive to their rhythms, and experienced them as living forces.” Archaeologists have discovered evidence that the phases of the moon were symbolically represented by markings on certain bone artefacts. It has been speculated that recording the cycles of the sun and moon on bone was an early form of a calendar, useful for anticipating the changes of season, predicting the behaviour of prey, or informing pregnant women of their due date for childbirth. The ability to closely observe and draw conclusions from the natural environment allowed them to adapt to changing circumstances and difficult environmental challenges.

With Homo sapiens sapiens language reached a more refined level with a greater vocal range and complexity of speech. Increased language ability accelerated the pace of evolution, enabling them to plan, organize and cooperate more efficiently. Anthropologists have hypothesized a relationship between language and the use of tools: “The great local diversification of tools coincided with the spread of humans. Linguistic diversification was probably simultaneous and took place for the same reasons: independent evolution in communities that were cut off from one another.” It has been suggested that the metamorphosis of rudimentary speech into language set the imagination free and opened the door for abstract thinking: “He not only speculated that abstract forces governed the world, but asked himself what actions on his part would influence them. And he formulated a wide range of solutions, which in turn brought about such revolutions as art, mythology and magic.” It seems evident that it was now, at the very start of human history, that he conceived of the idea that there are forces beyond the physical world which may influence and be influenced by man – which has remained with us in one form or other until today. His earliest use of art demonstrates it to have been associated with his new way of thinking. Not as a mere ornament, but as an attempted solution to a problem that he was beginning to see in magical terms. If there were unseen forces governing important matters, like the progress of the hunt, how could he come to dominate them? . . . What does seem certain is that man had made the leap beyond the natural world he could see around him. He had come to the conclusion that there were some forms of invisible forces governing the natural order. And he had made the further deduction that actions of his own might in some way come to influence them for his benefit. (18) The world view of Homo sapiens sapiens was likely shaped by ‘magical’ beliefs and rituals, often related to hunting. Writer Colin Wilson speculates along these lines:

15

We find Cro-Magnon man practising hunting magic, which must have given him a new sense of control over nature, as well as over his own life. He may well have regarded his shamans as gods, as primitive man of a later age regarded his priestkings as gods. Magic was early man’s science, since it fulfilled the basic function of science, of offering answers to basic questions. He was no longer a passive animal, a victim of nature. He was trying to understand, and where important questions were concerned, he felt he did understand. (19) About 40,000 years ago Homo sapiens sapiens made an extraordinary cultural and creative developmental leap: “As well as learning to think representationally and to depict creatures he saw around him, man had also begun to express himself symbolically, breaking out of the confines of the natural world. This date, rather than the time when early man reached his full brain capacity in terms of size and shape, is the one at which one can say that he became entirely human.” The tangible manifestation of the revolution is seen in art. It was the first time that art in any form had been seen. When it did arrive, it appears to have done so virtually overnight, without any visible evolution of artistic ability. By 30,000 years ago it had spread across the world as a universal attribute of the human mind. It took many different forms: carved ivory figures (for suddenly man had discovered how to work with ivory and bone), cave art, ‘tallying sticks’ for keeping records of hunts. There were naturalistic representations of every conceivable type of animal. There are signs that this advance was connected with the way he was thinking: there was an explosion of tool culture at the same time. It must have been the equivalent of the Renaissance and the Industrial Revolution all happening at once. Furthermore, at the same time as he made the leap to depicting creatures from the world around him, man also made a further jump – he created fantastic figures of creatures that nobody had ever seen – juxtapositions, such as a boar’s head on a man’s body. This hinted at a welldeveloped mythology to accompany the images. (20) At this pivotal time in human evolution, artistic creativity abounded and took many forms, expressing a deep connection with the forces of the natural world. It is apparent that much of the art had magical and religious functions. “The extraordinary fidelity and beauty of the animal studies show that the artists were inspired by reverence and communion with nature and with the beasts among and upon whom they lived.” The outburst in creativity in the visual arts was amazing. Weapons, ornaments and other objects were engraved or beautifully carved in high relief – usually with animal figures – and numerous pieces of bone, ivory, antler and stone have been found embellished in the same way. There must also have been models in clay and paintings long vanished, and certainly a wealth of exquisitely carved wooden objects. At a few sites, carvings have been found on the walls of inhabited caves or rock-shelters – notably the magnificent horses of Cap Blanc – but 16

by far the greater part of the surviving parietal art is deep in the recesses and underground caverns of the French and Spanish caves. Here, the best of the lifelike sculptures and paintings of animals – so vital in movement and expression – rival anything of the kind that has since been achieved. Within at most twenty thousand years, man accomplished incomparably more than in the preceding eight hundred thousand. (21)

Higher Intervention in the Evolution of Humanity

Throughout history certain esoteric teachings have indicated that the evolution both of the earth and of humanity are directed by a superior level of intelligence and consciousness. In The People of t he Secret , Ernest Scott argues that biological evolution and human history are directed by a hierarchy of Intelligences who are the agents of the process of evolutionary transformation: History is not the equilibrant of chance and hazard. It does not just happen. The script for the long human story was written by intelligences much greater than man’s own. Certain gains and goals for mankind – and for the biosphere of Earth – must be attained within certain intervals of Earth time. These gains are essential for the balance and growth of the solar system of which the Earth is a part. The solar system may itself be subject to a similar pressure in the interests of the galaxy of which it is a part. The direction, speed and end of this process is “the Will of God.” The Will of God is the aspiration of Divinity that the universal process shall proceed in a certain way to a certain end while leaving open the possibility that it may elect to proceed quite otherwise to quite else. Very high intelligences direct the evolution of the universe in an attempt to ensure that the Divine aspiration shall be realized. These intelligences are coercive in proportion as their material is unconscious. They are persuasive in proportion as their material is conscious. (22) In his book The M ast ers of W isdom , John G. Bennett, a student of Gurdjieff, concurs with the proposition that the evolution of life on earth may be guided by intelligent forces: The picture shown to us by the history of the earth is that of a slow but accelerating transformation from lifelessness to life, from primitive sensation to a developed consciousness. The transformation has gone forward uncertainly and even precariously, but the result is already a marvel. We see the amazing adaptation of life to the nature of the planet, of one form of life to another. We see the utmost ingenuity of construction, we see beauty, and we see the lay of a vast cosmic spirit. If all this came into existence blindly by the working of mechanical laws and accidental combinations, it is a double marvel. If we look at it as an achievement

17

of a great intelligence, we must be ready to bow before it and acknowledge that it is incomparably greater than ours. (23) The concept of Higher Intelligences is reflected in the creation myths of numerous cultures throughout history. Many religions believe in the existence of “superhuman powers that intervene within the natural order.” In the various traditions these higher-order entities are known as Devas and Asuras (Hinduism and Buddhism), Angels (Christianity), Jinns (Islam) and others. Bennett has coined the termed ‘Demiurgic Intelligence’ to describe “a level of being superior to man in consciousness and creativity” that acts as an instrument of the Divine Will in order to nurture and guide the evolution of life on earth within the framework of natural laws: The task is to bring into existence beings capable of providing the earth with a soul, by achieving such a degree of mutual love and such wisdom as to be able to act as one and yet retain their individual freedom. Mankind today represents an early stage in the accomplishment of this task. The very high Intelligence I am postulating is neither human nor divine. It is neither perfect nor infallible, but its vision and its powers far transcend the wisest of mankind. I shall call it the Demiurge, from the word used in Athens to designate “worker for the people,” the artisan or craftsman who provided the demos, citizens of Athens, with the instruments of well-being and culture. The word was taken over much later by Aristotle to stand for the Great Artificer, the power that creates and maintains life on the earth. It was natural to think of the Great Artificer as the prime mover, the transcendental source from which all existence flows. (24) The Demiurgic Intelligence is said to stand between the life-giving, creative power of the sun and the gradual evolution of nature on planet earth. “The intelligence of the Demiurgic Powers transmits the creative plan that originates in the sun and is responsible for regulating the operation of universal laws and initiating the processes of life. It is only when the Demiurge enters into nature that it has a means of action.” The guiding hand of the Demiurgic Intelligences can be seen throughout nature in the form of certain inherent qualities. “The Demiurge reveals to us not only the purposeful drive toward higher levels of being but also the joy of life and the love of play.” •

Progress: Life has evolved in a definite direction towards the emergence of conscious creative beings.

•

Int erdependence: All life is interwoven in bonds of mutual dependence.

•

Beaut y: Beauty is an attribute of the Higher Intelligence which creates beauty because

of love of beauty. “The Demiurge is an artist and poet, and our art and our poetry are gifts which enable us to share beauty with others.”

18

•

Play: Play is timeless and has no past and no future. “Play is creation in the present moment; it is fulfillment that has no tomorrow.”

According to Bennett there is an element of freedom of action on the part of the Demiurgic Intelligences within the broad constraints of the ‘Divine Plan.’ “Intelligent Guidance means the creative activity by which the evolution of life on the earth is helped towards the foreordained Plan. When translated into terms of events and history, the goal appears as Destiny and when Destiny is understood as the form of the future, it is to be accepted as a Goal.” The quintessence or central characteristic of the Demiurgic Nature is Creativity. Now creativity implies spontaneity and spontaneity requires freedom. The Demiurgic Nature is not to be regarded as a passive instrument whereby the Divine will is inexorably and impeccably put into execution; but rather as a Creative Intelligence with an immense freedom of action. This freedom is conditioned by foreordainment, that is, by the total requirements of the Plan and Purpose – in the present case the evolution of free responsible beings on the earth. But within these limits we postulate an indefinite number of possible paths of realization. Working in the hyparchic future, the Demiurgic Intelligences can interfere with patterns of destiny but not with the Plan of Creation. (25) In this sense the Demiurgic Intelligences act with impeccable intentions based on a great cosmic perspective in order to execute the Divine Plan, but they are not infallible: “The whole of Existence is fallible because it is limited by conditions that make the full realization of its potentialities impossible. There is nothing in the scheme of the cosmic order that requires that the Demiurgic Intelligences should be exempt from error.” Bennett provides a five-fold hierarchical schema to describe the refinement of energies which accompany evolutionary development and the role of the Demiurgic Intelligences in this process: 1. Vit al energy connected with food and its transformation and associated with the basic ‘germinal life force’ of nature. This corresponds to our animal nature. 2. Pract ical energy such as the acquisition of skills and adaptive behavioural patterns. This is the initial level of intervention and guidance by the Demiurgic Intelligences.

3. Sensit ivit y and the emergence of attributes such as curiosity, self-assertion, sexual diversification and selection. The use of these energies reflects a further refinement in human potentiality under the direction of the Demiurgic Intelligences. 4. Consciousness and an enlarged perspective encompassing an awareness of the biosphere and all of life. At this level the action of the Demiurgic Intelligences is through telepathic contact of a higher order.

19

5. Creat ivit y and freedom of expression in which the Divine Will or Universal Spirit is made manifest through individuals with the potential to develop a permanent soul. At this stage the Demiurgic intelligences have prepared the ground for the final and highest attainment of humanity – universal, unconditional Love. Bennett offers a conjectural description of the Demiurgic Intelligences’ influence on human development and evolution. He suggests that the initial intervention occurred millions of years ago with the Aust ralopit hecine species in the form of shaping certain skills and behaviours related to survival through, for example, the introduction of primitive tool-making and hunting strategies. The next stage of evolution involved Homo erect us who, in addition to possessing the energy of sensitivity, was now endowed with mind and consciousness. Homo erect us acquired a mind capable of learning, leading to the advent of communication and social organization. Toolmaking skills and behavioural patterns of adaption to the environment were greatly enhanced from the level of the earlier Aust ralopit hecines. The Demiurgic Intelligences also taught them the use of fire and an expanded variety of diet. “The progress of Homo erect us towards the fuller possession of a human mind was more psychological than anatomical and that is why it cannot be discerned from the study of fossils alone.” The transition to Homo sapiens was accomplished, under the guiding hand of the Demiurgic Intelligences, by the development of speech and communication. This marked a turning point in human evolution as speech became an expression of mind and consciousness. “The key to the use of mind is speech, which acts as the prime instrument of teaching and the transmission of knowledge. The essential character of human speech is that it can make connections beyond the limits of the actual present moment.” The advent of creativity in Homo sapiens sapiens marked a new stage in human evolution. The Demiurgic Intelligences influenced certain selected individuals by endowing them with superior knowledge and powers. These early ‘magicians’ were precursors to the shamans of later generations. “This was the first man who had all of the characteristics of man as we know him. He could speak as we do; he could enjoy creative fantasies and translate them into action; and he could become aware of past and future and understand that events could occur beyond the reaches of the senses.” The presence of creativity must have resulted in a far greater diversification of behaviour patterns. Life that had hitherto been dominated by food, sex and selfpreservation was complicated by new impulses: intellectual curiosity and the need to understand himself and his world, the urge to express and to fulfil himself, the desire for power and perhaps even for possessions, and the need to find new kinds of relationships reaching towards a social structure – these and other characteristic human impulses – must all have entered Homo sapiens sapiens with the advent of creativity . . . Corresponding with this came the presentation to his consciousness of the destiny of man to become responsible for the governance of the whole 20

Earth. To present to the human mind – laden with the traces of a million years of semi-animal existence – the theme of human destiny, must have been an almost impossible task. Yet man was creative, and what he could not understand could yet enter his awareness by the direct communication with Intelligence. The Guides were responsible for the delicate regulation of man’s awakening. In their hands, was a large part of the balance of success and failure. Man was not yet directly connected with the source of Love which could enable him to come of himself to an understanding of man as destined for union with his Source. Between him and the Cosmic Purpose came the link of the Universal Will, operating through the Demiurgic Intelligences. (26)

References

(1) Robert Ornstein The Evolut ion of Consciousness (New York: Prentice Hall Press, 1991), p. 34. (2) Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza and Francesco Cavalli-Sforza The Great Human Diasporas (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Perseus Books, 1995), p. 42. (3) Stuart Litvak and A. Wayne Senzee Tow ard a New Brain: Evolut ion and t he Human M ind (Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1986), p. 31. (4) J.G. Bennett The Dramat ic Universe (Volume 4) (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1966), pp. 192-193. (5) Robert Ornstein The Evolut ion of Consciousness (New York: Prentice Hall Press, 1991), pp. 36-37. (6) “The Human Journey” http://www.humanjourney.us/ancestors2.html (7) J.G. Bennett The Dramat ic Universe (Volume 4) (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1966), pp. 187-188. (8) “The Role of ‘Primitive’ People in Identifying and Approaching Human Problems” (Tunbridge Wells, England: The Institute for Cultural Research, 1988), p. 4. (9) “The Role of ‘Primitive’ People in Identifying and Approaching Human Problems” (Tunbridge Wells, England: The Institute for Cultural Research, 1988), p. 4. (10) Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza and Francesco Cavalli-Sforza The Great Human Diasporas (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Perseus Books, 1995), p. 45. (11) Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza and Francesco Cavalli-Sforza The Great Human Diasporas (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Perseus Books, 1995), pp. 50-51. (12) Robert Ornstein The Evolut ion of Consciousness (New York: Prentice Hall Press, 1991), p. 37. (13) “The Role of ‘Primitive’ People in Identifying and Approaching Human Problems” (Tunbridge Wells, England: The Institute for Cultural Research, 1988), p. 5. (14) “The Role of ‘Primitive’ People in Identifying and Approaching Human Problems” (Tunbridge Wells, England: The Institute for Cultural Research, 1988), p. 6. (15) “The Human Journey” http://www.humanjourney.us/ancestors.html

21

(16) Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza and Francesco Cavalli-Sforza The Great Human Diasporas (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Perseus Books, 1995), p. 56-57. (17) “The Human Journey” http://www.humanjourney.us/ancestors3.html (18) “The Role of ‘Primitive’ People in Identifying and Approaching Human Problems” (Tunbridge Wells, England: The Institute for Cultural Research, 1988), pp. 8-9. (19) Colin Wilson From At lant is t o t he Sphinx (Boston: Weiser Books, 2004), p. 196. (20) “The Role of ‘Primitive’ People in Identifying and Approaching Human Problems” (Tunbridge Wells, England: The Institute for Cultural Research, 1988), p. 7. (21) J.G. Bennett The Dramat ic Universe (Volume 4) (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1966), p. 238. (22) Ernest Scott The People of t he Secret (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 230-231. (23) John G. Bennett The M ast ers of W isdom (Santa Fe: Bennett Books, 1995), p. 17. (24) John G. Bennett The M ast ers of W isdom (Santa Fe: Bennett Books, 1995), p. 16. (25) J.G. Bennett The Dramat ic Universe (Volume 4) (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1966), p. 257. (26) J.G. Bennett The Dramat ic Universe (Volume 4) (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1966), pp. 251-252.

22

ATLANTIS AND EGYPT Atlantis: M yth or Reality

The anthropological and archaeological story of human history and evolution is generally well accepted in the scientific community, although some scientists admit that there are gaps and anomalies in the conventional version of how and where the human species originated and eventually spread throughout the world: We know relatively little about the intervening cultures between Cro-Magnon and the beginnings of the well-documented Middle and Far-Eastern civilizations that appeared roughly 10,000 years ago. This incredible quantum leap in our anthropology covering several thousands of years is a mysteriously missing chapter in human history. Since Cro-Magnon was anatomically nearly identical to the modern human, we might expect these shadowy millennia to be tremendously transitional epochs, with momentous strides forward in technical and mental advancement ushering in greater understanding of the world. Unfortunately, all that is available to us are legends of these veritable “missing links” in the evolving network of civilization. One exception is the series of recent discoveries dating the existence of North American hunting tribes at 19,000 B.C. These groups might comprise the pieces of a larger puzzle centering on the mythical lost continent of Atlantis, which some geologists concur sank to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean approximately 10,000 years ago. Many respected historians and anthropologists theorize that this huge island-continent supported a highly advanced culture that propagated to the later major civilizations on both sides of the Atlantic. The striking similarities between much of the science, art, and religion of Native American and Middle Eastern culture is explained by such a theory, buttressed as it is by impressive archeological analysis. (1) There has been an ongoing fascination with the idea that a vast, prehistoric continent may have existed in the Atlantic and been destroyed by some kind of cataclysmic event. German scientist Otto Muck, who has studied the Atlantis phenomena in depth, comments: “Thousands of books may have been written in an attempt to solve the mystery that surrounds Atlantis but the problem remains unsolved and eternally fresh. There is hardly another nonreligious theme in the world literature that has attracted so much strong interest for so long and left such a lasting literary effect.” The oldest known written mention of Atlantis is found in two of Plato’s dialogues, Timaeus and Crit ias, dating from the fifth century B.C. Plato introduces Atlantis in a conversation between Solon and an Egyptian priest, and describes it as a large island situated west of Gibraltar in the Atlantic, which had sunk 9,000 years before. In Plato’s account, Atlantis represents the ideal state. According to the Crit ias, the inhabitants of Atlantis were prosperous, powerful, spiritually refined, and possibly technologically advanced: 1

For many generations, so long as the divine element in their nature survived, they observed the laws and loved the divine to which they were akin. They retained a certain greatness of mind, and treated the vagaries of fortune and one another with wisdom and forbearance, as they reckoned that qualities of character were far more important than their present prosperity. So they bore the burden of their wealth and possessions lightly, and did not let their high standard of living intoxicate them or make them lose their self-control, but saw soberly and clearly that all these things flourish only on a soil of common goodwill and individual character, and if pursued too eagerly and overvalued destroy themselves and morality with them. So long as these principles and their divine nature remained unimpaired the prosperity which we have described continued to grow. But when the divine element in them became weaker by frequent admixture with mortal stock, and their human traits became predominant, they ceased to be able to carry their prosperity with moderation. To the perceptive eye the depth of their degeneration was clear enough, but to those whose judgment of true happiness is defective they seemed in their pursuit of unbridled ambition and power, to be at the height of their fame and fortune. (2) There is some archeological evidence suggesting that Plato’s story of Atlantis may have been historically accurate: The wave of inexplicably sophisticated settlers that appeared in the Near East in the last half of the eighth millennium BCE, may actually have been refugees from Plato’s ruined cultures in the west. Plato gives a date of 10,000 BCE for the deluge; the most compelling evidence for this date is simply the number and nature of the newly founded settlements that appeared in the east around 7,500 to 7,300 BCE. From Syria to Palestine to east Anatolia and the Zagros mountains, extraordinarily advanced communities emerged, seemingly out of nowhere. An inventory of their collective remains shows that virtually all of the elements upon which the civilizations of later ages would be based – complex hybrid grains, advanced architectural techniques, functional pottery, even the beginnings of metal work – were introduced almost simultaneously by this wave of new settlers. (3) However, among many orthodox archaeologists and scholars the veracity of Plato’s account of Atlantis is uncertain at best. “The most common argument against the validity of the existence of Atlantis as presented in the Timaeus and Crit ias is that Plato meant them to be understood merely as fictional recapitulations of his ideal state.” It is still an open question whether Plato’s account of Atlantis is based on truth or fiction. There is no proof that the country which gave its name to the Atlantic was an island that sank beneath the sea, or a continent that subsequently changed its name. At one end of the scale is belief inspired by intuition, at the other, an uncompromising skepticism leading to total rejection. What are the established facts? The conviction that Atlantis really existed is founded on an authentic, documented, 2

and verified text containing nothing that is contrary to the laws of logic or is incapable of scientific proof. Opposed to this is the suspicion that Plato invented Atlantis as a framework for his theories, hoping to make his authoritarian political ideas more acceptable and impressive by expounding them through this fascinating story. The argument runs that too much of it is frankly incredible, and can only with difficulty be made to tie in with certain scientific conceptions. Is Atlantis fiction or is it truth? Thousands of years of controversy have failed to resolve this problem. In the end it all comes down to one question: Is Plato’s essay on the subject genuine or not? (4) In modern times interest in Atlantis was rekindled in the 1800s with a spate of books, monographs and newspaper articles. The most notable author was H.P. Blavatsky, the founder of the Theosophical Society, who spoke of Atlantis in her books Isis Unveiled and The Secret Doct rine. She claimed that originally Atlantis was an immense continent which stretched from South America to West Africa in the south and from Newfoundland to Spain in the north. However, a series of cataclysms reduced the original continent to two large main islands (which Blavatsky called ‘Ruta’ in the south, in the area of the tropics, and ‘Daitya’ in the north, near the Azores). There were also a series of much smaller islands and island chains. Blavatsky relates that “Ruta was progressively destroyed by the geomagnetic shift that commenced around 850,000 years ago, while Daitya seems to have survived until about 270,000 years ago, when it was also destroyed by some series of unspecified cataclysms that left only the desiccated island chain of the Azores as a testament to its previous existence.” Rudolph Steiner, an influential Austrian theosophist, claimed that the inhabitants of Atlantis became increasingly corrupt and materialistic, leading to their use of black magic and destructive forces which eventually led to the cataclysms which destroyed their island and most of the inhabitants. Theosophists also believed that there was a ‘lost continent’ called “Lemuria” located in the southern Pacific that stretched from East Africa to Australia. Like Atlantis it was destroyed by a series of devastating cataclysms. According to Blavatsky, the human race began as a completely etherealized being who became progressively more dense and solid with each stage of evolution. The Lemurians were the ‘third root race,’ the Atlanteans the ‘fourth root race’ and modern humans the ‘fifth root race.’ In the twentieth century the story of Atlantis continued to intrigue the general public, as well as journalists, a number of scholars and even psychics. One of the most unusual figures was Edgar Cayce, a renowned American psychic sometimes known as the “sleeping prophet.” He was able to enter trance states in which he provided information about individuals’ past lives, including those supposedly lived in Atlantis:

3

According to Cayce, Atlantis occupied a place in the Atlantic Ocean from the Saragossa Sea to the Azores, and had a flourishing civilisation dating back to 200,000 BC. The Atlanteans’ civilisation was highly developed and they possessed some kind of ‘crystal stone’ for trapping the rays of the sun; they also possessed steam power, gas and electricity. Unfortunately, their prosperity finally made them greedy and corrupt, so they were ripe for the destruction that finally came upon them. This occurred in periods, one about 15,600 BC, and the last about 10,000 BC. By then, Atlanteans had dispersed to Europe and South America. Their archives, Cayce said, will be found in three parts of the world, including Giza. He also forecast that documents proving the existence of Atlantis would be found in a chamber below the Sphinx. (5) In the early part of the twentieth century G.I. Gurdjieff, who brought a seminal Fourth Way spiritual teaching to the West, described the destruction of Atlantis as a pivotal event in human history. References to Atlantis abound in his writings and he told his students that the famous rock paintings in the caves of Lascaux, France “were the work of a brotherhood that existed after the loss of Atlantis.” John G. Bennett, a student of Gurdjieff, reported that although some have interpreted his references to Atlantis as symbolizing ‘conscience’ submerged in the unconscious part of the mind, “there is little doubt that Gurdjieff also intended the story of Atlantis to be taken literally.” In Beelzebub’s Tales t o His Grandson Gurdjieff described the demise of Atlantis due to a calamity that he called the “second transapalnian perturbation.” During the second serious catastrophe to that planet, the continent Atlantis, which had been the largest continent, and the chief place of the being-existence of the three-brained beings of that planet during the period of my first descent, was engulfed together with other large and small terra firmas within the planet with all the three-brained beings existing upon it, and also with almost all that they had attained and acquired during many of their preceding centuries. In their place there then emerged from within the planet, other terra firmas which formed other continents and islands, most of which still exist. (6) According to Gurdjieff, seers of Atlantis had prophesized the upcoming destruction of their lands and many inhabitants migrated to Africa and settled at the source of the Nile. Following the catastrophe that destroyed Atlantis, the remaining survivors escaped to central Africa before migrating north and east, eventually reaching the lower Nile valley “to continue in isolation the attainment of the tasks set by their society of initiates.” The survivors of Atlantis who settled in Egypt were able to preserve the essence of the wisdom teachings of their earlier homeland: “There still continued to be present in the presence of beings of several subsequent generations after the loss of Atlantis, the ‘instinctive conviction’ concerning the sense of what is called there ‘completed personal Being’.”

4

Many of the world’s cultural traditions speak of Atlantis in their myths and legends. They include Egyptian and Phoenician mythology, the legends of Mongolian nomads, Greek myths and traditional tales of the indigenous peoples of North and South America: The Hopi Indians have a legend about the final destruction of Atlantis that has been passed down from generation to generation through all the intervening years. According to this legend the world (of Atlantis) was one of a greatly increasing population in which there existed great cities and advanced crafts. The people made a “shield of hide” which could fly through the air with people in it; this was used in warfare. Eventually the people became so corrupt that their world was destroyed by a great flood. “Waves higher than mountains rolled in on the land and the continents broke asunder and sank beneath the seas.” Some of the people survived by traveling in boats from island to island until they reached a great continent. This was the beginning of the Hopi people. Other evidence suggests that the Hopi, as well as the Iroquois, the Mound Builders and many other North American tribes, were all descendants of the Atlanteans. Most tribes have similar legends to account for the great flood on the earth and the beginnings of their own race. All refer to a land beautiful beyond description with wondrous machines where the people became so evil that they had to be destroyed. (7) Perhaps the most compelling argument for the existence of Atlantis is from archaeological and anthropological evidence itself. There are striking similarities to many aspects of ancient cultures on both the east and west sides of the Atlantic: • • • • • • • • • •

Similar creation myths Recurring legends of a ‘Great Flood’ Comparable sophisticated astronomical alignments at ancient observation sites Knowledge of the 25,900-year precession of the equinoxes Equivalent units of measurement: feet, fathoms, cubits, stadia Step pyramids appear in both Central America and the Middle East In Iberia and Yucatan the same ball games are played Similar practices of embalming the dead Linguistic and phonetic correspondences, e.g. the languages of the Basque people and certain Central American cultures have many similarities Similarity of physical appearance, including skin colour, facial features, hair texture and colour, musculature and height

There is strong anthropological and archaeological evidence that a new and more highly developed human being, the Cro-Magnon, lived on the western part of the European continent between at least 30,000 and 10,000 B.C. The traditional belief is that they spread from east to west across Europe, gradually supplanting the Neanderthals over thousands of years. However, researchers such as Dr. Otto Muck argue that the migration of the Cro-Magnons was from west to east, and that their original home was Atlantis:

5

Cro-Magnon man must have come from the west, sailed across the Atlantic and landed at the river mouths of Western Europe, and penetrated inland along the rivers. These hypothetical routes of migration are marked by the burial sites of Cro-Magnons, which differ radically from those of the Neanderthals. The artifacts have greater artistic value, the weapons are more effective. It is likely that the Cro-Magnons, with their superior weapons, pushed the Neanderthals back toward the alpine retreats . . . Excavations confirm the theory that the Cro-Magnon race came not from the east but from the west. The areas that are rich in Cro-Magnon finds are the very regions that are stated by Plato to have been subject to the rule of Atlantis. (8) Figure 1. The probable routes of Cro-Magnon migration to Europe

There are indications that western Europe may have been populated by successive waves of Cro-Magnons originating from Atlantis, possibly in the form of “small, organized hunting expeditions.” The colonization of western Europe probably began before the actual submersion of Atlantis, during the period of transition between Ice Ages. Researchers have also noted a striking physical resemblance between Cro-Magnons and North American indigenous tribes such as skeleton type and skin colour. As well, the marvellous cave paintings attributed to the Cro-Magnons depict them as red-skinned people: “The cave paintings to the east of the Atlantic show similar essential characteristics as those of the North American Indian races to the west – a link across the ocean that cannot be ignored.” 6

‘The Great Flood’ and Other Cataclysms

According to Gurdjieff, the earth has experienced a series of calamities throughout its history. The first catastrophe occurred when the earth was in its infancy. A comet which he called ‘Kondoor’ collided violently with the earth, resulting in two sizable fragments breaking off and flying into space. Both bodies eventually lost momentum and began to make regular elliptical orbits around earth. The larger fragment became known as the moon while the existence of the smaller body, which Gurdjieff named ‘Anulios,’ is completely unsuspected: “Contemporary three-brained beings do not know of this former fragment of their planet, chiefly because its comparatively small size and the remoteness of the place of its movement make it quite invisible to their sight.” The second major catastrophe was a consequence of the cosmic disharmony created by the first catastrophe: When during the first disaster two considerable fragments had been separated from this planet, then for certain reasons, the what is called “center-of-gravity” of the whole of its presence had no time to shift immediately into a corresponding new phase, with the result that right until the second catastrophe, this planet had existed with its “center-of-gravity” in a wrong position, owing to which its motion during that time was not “proportionately-harmonious” and there often occurred both within and upon it various commotions and considerable displacements. But it was recently, when the center-of-gravity of the planet finally shifted to its true center, that the said second catastrophe occurred. (9) The “second Transapalnian perturbation” was accompanied by massive earth tremors which destroyed the continent of Atlantis and also created new land masses in other parts of the planet. In Beelzebub’s Tales t o His Grandson , Gurdjieff describes these major reconfigurations of the earth’s land masses: “In consequence of the said perturbation, this small continent, which exists until now under the name of ‘Africa,’ became much larger, because other terra firmas which emerged from the water spaces of the planet were added to it.” And, “On account of various disturbances during the second terrestrial catastrophe, several parts of the continent of Iranan [Asia] entered within the planet, and other terra firmas emerged in their place and attached themselves to this continent which in consequence became considerably changed and became in size almost what the continent Atlantis had been for the planet Earth before the catastrophe.” Gurdjieff also mentions a number of other smaller catastrophes that befell the planet. These include powerful earthquakes, which he attributed to the effect of the excessive heights of newly formed mountain ranges on the earth’s atmosphere: “Although planetary tremors or earth-quakes frequently occur to the planet from other interplanetary disharmonies also, that have arisen in consequence of the two great Transapalnian perturbations, nevertheless most of the planetary tremors there, and especially during recent centuries, have occurred solely on ac-

7

count of those excessive elevations . . . If the abnormal growth of the Tibetan mountains continues thus in the future, a great catastrophe on a general cosmic scale is sooner or later inevitable.” Gurdjieff describes a third major catastrophe in which many fertile regions of the earth were covered by sand, creating the Gobi desert, and, at a later date, the Sahara desert. This period has been called the ‘Great transmigration of races,’ as the inhabitants of many lands were forced to move elsewhere: The third misfortune was entirely of a local character and occurred because there had proceeded in its atmosphere unprecedented what are called ‘accelerateddisplacements-of-the-parts-of-the-atmosphere,’ or great winds . . . These unprecedented great winds then began by the force of their currents to wear down the elevated ‘terra firma parts’ and to fill up corresponding ‘depressions.’ Such depressions were also the two central countries of the continent Ashhark [Asia] upon which the process of existence was chiefly concentrated. At the same time sands also filled up certain parts of the country Pearland [India], as well as that country in the middle of the continent Grabontzi [Africa], where there was formed, after the loss of Atlantis, what they called the leading ‘Center-of-Culture’ for all the threebrained beings there, a country which at that time was the most flourishing part of the surface of this planet, and which is now the desert called ‘Sahara.’ During the abnormal winds of that time, besides the countries mentioned, several other small terra firma spaces on the surface of that hapless planet were also covered by sands. (10) Accounts of a cataclysmic universal flood in ancient times appear throughout the planet as part of the myths and legends of more than five hundred widely scattered cultures. “There is burgeoning evidence that something extraordinarily severe had struck the planet and had wiped out most of the world’s mammals, uplifted mountain ranges, caused widespread volcanic explosions, carved valleys and fjords, and left massive deposits of stone and gravel strewn across the globe’s landmasses.” These stories of catastrophes and a ‘Great Flood’ are related in the Old Testament (Noah), Sumerian epics, Egyptian mythology, Greek myths and traditional tales of Australian aborigines. They are found in cultures as diverse as Japan, China, Thailand, Laos and India in the East; Egypt and the Congo in Africa; Greece, Germany and Scandinavia in Europe; and the indigenous tribes of North, Central and South America. Many ethnologists believe that these myths may be accurate records and eyewitness accounts of real events. Many of the myths and legends bear a great similarity to the ‘Great Flood’ described in the Old Testament. For instance, the Sumerian epic of Gilgamesh describes an intense deluge that inundated Mesopotamia: “The floodgates of heaven were truly opened. Springs, small streams, great rivers – all swelled under the tremendous downbursts. They mingled with the tidal waves to produce overwhelming floods. On vast tracts of the Earth’s surface, all life was destroyed.” 8

There came a time when the rulers of darkness sent down a terrible rain. At daybreak clouds as black as the night appeared in the sky. All the evil spirits raged and all light was transformed into darkness. The southerly gale roared, the waters reached the mountains and the waters buried all the people. For six days and six nights the rains roared like torrents. On the seventh day the tide relented. It was like the calm after a battle. The sea became calm, and the storm of disaster abated. I looked out at the weather, and the air was very still. All the people had turned into mud. The ground of the Earth was a bleak desert. (11) Many North and South American indigenous peoples have legends of violent earthquakes followed by floods which caused widespread disaster. The Haida of British Columbia have a flood myth which is virtually identical to the ancient Sumerian myth: “From all corners of the earth the same story is told. The sun deviates from its regular path. The sky falls. The earth is wrenched and torn by earthquakes. And finally a great wave of water engulfs the globe.” Many other indigenous tribes have oral legends of massive floods which ravaged their lands: Among the Inuit of Alaska, there existed the tradition of a terrible flood, accompanied by an earthquake, which swept so rapidly over the face of the earth that only a few people managed to escape in their canoes or take refuge on the tops of the biggest mountains, petrified with terror. The Luiseno of lower California had a legend that a flood covered the mountains and destroyed most of mankind. Only a few were saved because they fled to the highest peaks which were spared when all the rest of the world was inundated. The survivors remained there until the flood ended. Further north similar flood myths were recorded amongst the Huron. And a legend of the Algonquin related how Michabo, the Great Hare, re-established the world after the flood with the help of a raven, an otter and a muskrat. The Iroquois have a myth that ‘the sea and waters had at one time infringed upon the land, so that all human life was destroyed.’ The Chickasaws asserted that the world had been destroyed by water ‘but that one family was saved and two animals of every kind.’ The Sioux also spoke of a time when there was no dry land and when all men disappeared from existence. (12) In many of the myths and legends there is mention of dramatic changes in the sky before the floods commenced, as well as the occurrence of earthquakes and volcanic activity: “The event caused severe volcanic eruptions, massive earthquakes, catastrophic flooding, and the upheaval of the world’s mountain ranges. Earth’s axis may have tilted or its crust may have been violently displaced. Continents rose and sank. Mass extinctions of plants and animals followed, as did a period of eerie global darkness.” Many deluge and catastrophe myths contain references not only to the onset of a great darkness but to other changes in the appearance of the heavens. In Tierra del Fuego, for instance, it was said that the sun and the moon ‘fell from the sky’ and in China that ‘the sun, moon and stars changed their motions.’ The Incas believed that ‘in ancient times the Andes were split apart and when the sky made war on the 9

earth.’ The Tarahumara of northern Mexico have preserved world destruction legends based on a change in the sun’s path. An African myth from the lower Congo states that ‘long ago the sun met the moon and threw mud at it, which made it less bright. When this meeting happened there was a great flood.’ And ancient GraecoRoman myths tell that the flood of Deucalion was immediately preceded by awesome celestial events. (13) Graham Hancock, writing in Fingerprint s of t he Gods, dates the worldwide flood story to the period between 15,000 and 8,000 B.C., which roughly coincides with Plato’s account of the destruction of Atlantis: We have seen that many of the great myths of cataclysm seem to contain accurate eye-witness accounts of real conditions experienced by humanity during the last Ice Age. In theory, therefore, these stories could have been constructed at almost the same time as the emergence of our subspecies Homo sapiens sapiens, perhaps as long as 50,000 years ago. The geological evidence, however, suggests a more recent provenance, and we have identified the epoch 15,000 – 8,000 BC as the most likely. Only then, in the whole of human experience, were there rapid climatic changes on the convulsive scale the myths so eloquently described. (14) There is also a great deal of archeological evidence from different sources suggesting that a series of cataclysmic events and a worldwide flood of epic proportions actually happened: •

The existence of very high levels of volcanic ash in the atmosphere following major volcanic eruptions in the Quinternary epoch has been detected. The presence of the ash greatly reduced the amount of sunlight reaching the earth’s surface, resulting in a significant drop in temperature. Abnormally dark skies lasting for years are recorded in early European myths and ancient Japanese and Indian legends.

•

The remains of diverse life forms (plants, trees, animals) native to warm climates have been discovered deposited in Arctic regions.

•

The fossil remains of countless numbers of incompatible prehistoric animals (bison, lions, sabre-toothed tigers, rhinoceroses, wolves and other mammals) have been found throughout the world in deep subterranean recesses sometimes termed “bone caves.”

•

“Huge numbers of warm-blooded, temperate adapted mammal species were instantly frozen and their bodies preserved in the permafrost, all across a vast zone of death stretching from the Yukon, through Alaska and deep into northern Siberia. The bulk of this destruction appears to have taken place during the eleventh millennium BC.”

•

The remains of hundreds of humans from diverse ethnic groups, who died from natural causes in caves (apparently seeking refuge from a catastrophe), have been discovered in North America, Brazil, India and the Balkans. 10

•

The profound effect of the Ice Ages on all living creatures corresponds with the forced migration of human populations from one region to another. “The emergence of Homo sapiens sapiens coincided with a lengthy period of geological and climatic turbulence, a period marked, above all else, by ferocious freezing and flooding. The many millennia during which the ice was remorselessly expanding must have been terrifying for our ancestors. But those final 7,000 years of deglaciation, particularly the episodes of very rapid and extensive melting, must have been worse.” It is unlikely that this was the sole result of gradual climatic factors and “the rapidity of the deglaciation suggests that some extraordinary factor was affecting the climate.”

The various lines of evidence, from the similarity of the catastrophe myths and legends of cultures throughout the world to the findings of modern archeological investigations, suggest that the occurrence of past cataclysmic events is a historical reality, and not fiction or allegory.

Ancient Egypt

Greek historians associated ancient Egypt with the legendary Atlantis. And Plato was said to have learned about the destruction of Atlantis from Egyptian sources. However, contemporary archaeology generally scoffs at any link between Egypt and “mythical Atlantis,” and limits the emergence of Egyptian culture and civilization to the last 5,000 to 7,000 years. But critics have questioned this view: “There are so many large and unsatisfactory gaps in the historical record, and mainstream Egyptology seems to be so keen to concentrate on the mere cataloguing of minutiae at the expense of all sorts of wider possibilities.” In the 1940s and 1950s René Schwaller de Lubicz, a French scholar and occultist, challenged the literalist interpretation of Egyptologists. He lived in Egypt for twelve years and studied in depth its monuments and temples, especially the temple of Thebes (or Luxor). He developed a symbolist approach to ancient Egypt and published his findings in his massive geometrical opus The Temple of M an , translated into English as Sacred Science. One of his main conclusions was that Egyptian civilization was thousands of years older than 3,000 B.C. as traditional Egyptologists claimed. In his rigorous investigations and studies he was able to demonstrate how ancient Egyptians “integrated occult knowledge into visual, auditory, conceptual and architectural symbolic expressions. In so doing, they specifically intended to bypass cerebral intelligence.” He also conclusively established that the ancient Egyptians recognized the 25,900-year period of the precession of the equinoxes and based their religio-mystical culture and civilization on sophisticated astronomical observations. In the following decades, a number of independent investigators built on Schwaller de Lubicz’s seminal work and contributed their own insights and theoretical perspectives. Among the most notable were John Anthony West (Serpent in t he Sky), Robert Temple (The Sirius M yst ery), Robert Bauval and Adrian Gilbert (The Orion M yst ery) and Graham Hancock

11

(Fingerprint s of t he Gods). Their research supported Schwaller de Lubicz’s conclusion that thousands of years before the accepted beginnings of Egyptian civilization, “Egypt was populated by survivors of Atlantis who settled in the valley of the Nile. The great temples and pyramids of Egypt are a legacy of these survivors.” Gurdjieff also traces the migration of the survivors of Atlantis to prehistoric Egypt and notes some of their subsequent spiritual influences on Egypt. In ‘Beelzebub’s Tales’ he recounts the story of the learned “Society of Akhaldans” which was first formed on the continent of Atlantis tens of thousands of years before its final destruction. The emblem of the Society, which was called ‘Conscience,’ was an allegorical being similar to (and perhaps a precursor to) the Sphinx. It consisted of the trunk of a bull, the four legs of a lion, two large wings of an eagle and the breasts of a virgin, which represented impartial Love. Gurdjieff wrote that the meaning of the name “Akhaldan” is the “striving to become aware of the sense and aim of the Being of beings.” According to research by Fourth Way author William Patterson, this is similar to the aim of ancient Egyptian religion which viewed “the living universe as a rhythmic movement contained within an unchanging whole.” The influence of this Atlantean society on ancient Egypt was highly significant in many other ways: Among the results of the Akhaldans settling in Egypt were the invention of the telescope and the building of pyramids, what Beelzebub calls “observatories.” A telescope was placed deep within the pyramid. From there specialists observed other suns and planets of the universe and also determined and intentionally directed “the course of the surrounding atmosphere in order to obtain the ‘climate’ desired.” Still another result was the knowledge of preserving the physical body through mummification . . . Through their scientific and spiritual contributions, the Society of Akhaldans has had a great influence on individuals and society. Among those influenced by Akhaldan learning were such seminal individuals as Pythagoras and Moses. (15) Ancient Egyptian texts speak of Seven Sages who were survivors of Atlantis and planned the monuments and pyramids of Egypt. They were “divine beings who knew how the temples and sacred places were to be created.” The Sages were divine survivors of a previous cataclysm who made a new beginning. Originally, they came from an island – the Homeland of the Primeval Ones -the majority of whose divine inhabitants were drowned. Arriving in Egypt, the survivors became “the builder Gods, who fashioned in the primeval time, the Lords of Light . . . the Ghosts, the Ancestors . . . who raised the seed for gods and men . . . the Senior Ones who came into being at the beginning, who illumined this land when they came forth unitedly.” The correlation with Gurdjieff’s description of the second Transapalnian perturbation which caused the island of Atlantis “to enter within the planet,” and with the surviving members of Beelzebub’s tribe and the Society of Akhaldans who resettled in the region of Ethiopia and Egypt and restarted civilization is, of course, exact. (16) 12

According to Edgar Cayce, inhabitants of Atlantis began migrating to western Europe, the Americas, Africa and Egypt during the period of the final destruction of the continent. Based on a number of life readings of individuals who supposedly incarnated in Egypt during the period of pre-history from 10,000 to 11,000 B.C., a picture emerges of early Egyptian history: A leader Arart from the Caucasian region came into Egypt with his people prior to 10,500 B.C. and conquered it. The Great Pyramid of Giza and the Sphinx were built during the rule of his son Araat-aart. With these invaders came a priest Ra-Ta who attempted to organize religious practices. At about the same time Egypt was being flooded by refugees from sinking Atlantis. The priest, having become involved in political machinations and consequently a native rebellion, was banished for several years to what later became Abyssinia. However, he was recalled to aid in correlating the activities of the rulers in power, the native Egyptians and the incoming Atlanteans. Under the influence of the priest Ra-Ta, and with the help of the Atlanteans, there began a period of material and spiritual development in Egypt and efforts were made to spread this enlightened culture over the known world. Records – yet to be discovered – of the Atlanteans and their civilization were preserved in Egypt. (17) The eleventh millennium B.C. marks the beginning of the so-called “golden age” when the gods were said to have ruled Egypt. It also corresponds with the precessional age of Leo, when the massive glaciers of the northern hemisphere were undergoing their final melting. This altered the climatic precipitation patterns and, with increased rains, the Nile valley became fertile. “Egypt enjoyed a period which has been described as ‘precocious agricultural development’ – possibly the earliest agricultural revolution anywhere in the world identified with certainty by historians.” There is evidence that these early agricultural experiments were based on techniques introduced by those with advanced botanical knowledge. Egyptian historians have remarked on the sudden changes that took place in Egyptian civilization around 3,500 B.C. when an apparently Neolithic culture of a tribal nature was supplanted by a well-organized societal structure and the development of writing, sophisticated crafts and impressive works of art and architecture. These achievements occurred in a comparatively short period of time with little or no background to these fundamental developments. “That hieroglyphs suddenly appear full blown, as do a carefully established calendar, a social order, census, and a well-developed mythology, give ample testimony to a long-civilized epoch that must have proceeded the historical period.” Independent observers such as Graham Hancock have also commented on the sudden rise of Egyptian civilization: “The archeological evidence suggests that rather than developing slowly and painfully, as is normal with human societies, the civilization of ancient Egypt emerged all at once and fully formed . Indeed, the period of transition from primitive to advanced society appears to have been so short that it makes no kind of historical sense.” John Anthony West concurs:

13

Egyptian science, medicine, mathematics and astronomy were all of an exponentially higher order of refinement and sophistication than modern scholars will acknowledge. The whole of Egyptian civilization was based upon a complete and precise understanding of universal laws . . . Moreover, every aspect of Egyptian knowledge seems to have been complete at the very beginning. The sciences, artistic and architectural techniques and the hieroglyphic system show virtually no sign of a period of ‘development’; indeed, many of the achievements of the earlier dynasties were never surpassed or even equalled later on. This astonishing fact is readily admitted by orthodox Egyptologists, but the magnitude of the mystery it poses is skilfully understated, while its many implications go unmentioned. (18) In Fingerprint s of t he Gods Graham Hancock provides a number of pertinent examples of the inexplicable sophistication of ancient Egyptian civilization: Technological skills that should have taken hundreds or even thousands of years to evolve were brought into use almost overnight – and with no apparent antecedents whatever. For example, remains from the pre-dynastic period around 3,500 BC show no trace of writing. Soon after that date, quite suddenly and inexplicably, the hieroglyphs familiar from so many of the ruins of Ancient Egypt began to appear in a complete and perfect state. Far from being mere pictures of objects or actions, this written language was complex and structured at the outset, with signs that represented sounds only and a detailed system of numerical symbols. Even the very earliest hieroglyphs were stylized and conventionalized; and it is clear than an advanced cursive script was in common usage by the dawn of the First Dynasty. What is remarkable is that there are no traces of evolution from simple to sophisticated, and the same is true of mathematics, medicine, astronomy and architecture and of Egypt’s amazingly rich and convoluted religio-mythological system (even the central content of such refined works as the Book of t he Dead existed right at t he st art of the dynastic period). (19) The Great Pyramid of Giza and the Sphinx are probably the most iconic and visually recognizable monuments in all of Egypt. The Great Pyramid is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. In the eyes of orthodox archaeology, the pyramids at Giza were “great pharaonic mausoleums,” constructed around 2580 B.C. under the direction of the pharaoh Khufu. The Sphinx is believed to have been built around 2500 B.C. for the pharaoh Khafra, the builder of the second pyramid at Giza. But many believe that they are much older than commonly believed. Edgar Cayce stated that the Great Pyramid was built from 10,490 to 10,390 B.C. and was designed by Hermes, “who preserved the sciences of Atlantis.” Gurdjieff believed that the source of these awe-inspiring structures can be traced to the descendants of Atlantis: “The Pyramids and Sphinx were the sole, chance, poor surviving remains of those magnificent constructions which were erected by the generations of the great initiates of Atlantis, the Akhaldans.” According to Gurdjieff, one of the functions of the pyramids was to serve as astronomical observatories. He claimed that the two smaller pyramids at Giza were 14

not only designed as observatories but also to influence the local atmospheric conditions to enhance the astronomical observations – acting as “micro-climate” modifiers. Research conducted by Robert Bauval and Graham Hancock suggest that the Great Pyramid was designed and constructed specifically in relation to the circumpolar stars and the precession of the equinoxes. They point out that the shafts in the Great Pyramid point directly to Orion and Sirius and other important circumpolar stars. Some researchers have proposed that the positioning of the Giza pyramids follows an overall master plan in which the alignment of many of the sacred sites of Egypt reflect an “accurate representation of the sidereal heavens.” For instance, Robert Bauval proposes that the three pyramids of Giza were aligned in a pattern which was a perfect reflection of the stars in Orion’s Belt in 10,450 B.C., when Orion was at its closest to the southern horizon in the 25,900- year cycle of the precession of the equinoxes. Interestingly, this date coincides with Edgar Cayce’s statement that the Great Pyramid was planned around 10,500 B.C. There are also many who believe that the Great Pyramid was in reality a sacred temple and ceremonial ritual site rather than a tomb. They propose that it was used for initiation rites by Egyptian Mystery Schools: “The architectural design (both internally and externally) had been specifically coordinated to achieve the best possible results through accurate psycho-spiritual correlation of the individual’s evolutionary status with the astronomical alignments of the time.” There is compelling geological evidence that the Sphinx is much older than the commonly attributed age of 2,500 B.C. Schwaller de Lubicz was the first to observe that the weathering of the Sphinx was due to water erosion rather than the effect of sand and wind. In Sacred Science he made reference to the devastating rains and floods in Egypt in the eleventh millennium B.C., adding that “a great civilization must have preceded the vast movements of water which passed over Egypt, which leads us to assume that the Sphinx already existed, sculptured in the rock of the west cliff at Giza – that Sphinx whose leonine body, except for the head, shows indisputable signs of water erosion.” This proposition was later confirmed by American geologist Robert Schoch who, upon careful examination of the body of the Sphinx, concluded that “the Sphinx shows evidence of significant precipitation-induced weathering and erosion (degradation), and the core body of the Sphinx predates the pharaoh Khafra.” Schoch estimates the initial date of construction of the earliest parts of the Sphinx to between 5,000 and 7,000 B.C., while John Anthony West argues for an even earlier date prior to 10,000 B.C., speculating that it could be as old as 15,000 B.C. The pattern of water weathering of the Sphinx is consistent with the climatic conditions existing in Egypt in the period well before the historical flowering of Egyptian civilization: The Sahara, a relatively young desert, was green savannah until about the tenth millennium BC; this savannah brightened by lakes, boiling with game, extended 15

across much of upper Egypt. Farther north, the Delta area was marshy but dotted with many large and fertile islands. Overall the climate was significantly cooler, cloudier and rainier than it is today. Indeed, for two or three thousand years before and about a thousand years after 10,500 BC it rained and rained and rained. Then, as though marking an ecological turning-point, the floods came. When they were over, increasingly arid conditions set in. This period of desiccation lasted until approximately 7,000 BC when the ‘Neolithic Upheaval’ began with a thousand years of heavy rains, followed by 3,000 years of moderate rainfall which once again proved ideal for agriculture . . . This, then, in broad outline, is the environmental stage upon which the mysteries of Egyptian civilization have been played out: rain and floods between 13,000 BC and 9,500 BC; a dry period until 7,000 BC; rain again (though increasingly less frequent) until about 3,000 BC; thereafter a renewed and enduring dry period. (20) Both Graham Hancock and Robert Bauval argue that the Sphinx was built around 10,500 B.C. to act as a marker of the beginning of a new astronomical cycle. “The astronomer-priests who built the Sphinx in 10,500 B.C. also planned to build the pyramids in such a way that their spatial arrangement would reflect exactly the belt of Orion, and so convey an important message to some future age.” Bauval and Hancock point out that there is a highly convincing reason to believe that the Sphinx was built in 10,500 BC. Imagine that you are standing between the paws of the Sphinx at dawn on the spring equinox of 10,500 BC. The Sphinx faces due east, and a few moments before dawn, we see the constellation of Leo rising above the horizon – Leo the lion. If we now turn at a right angle to face due south, we see in the sky the constellation of Orion, with the stars in its belt reflecting exactly the later lay-out of the pyramids. It is as if the pyramid builders are leaving us a message to tell us not only when they built the Great Pyramid but, by implication, when their ancestors built the Sphinx. The southern ‘air-shaft’ tells us when they built the Pyramid, and the alignment of the pyramids, reflecting Orion’s belt, tells us that they are directing our attention to 10,500 BC, in the age of Leo. (21) Recent research has revealed the importance of the Sphinx in understanding human origins and history: The Sphinx may be the repository of the answers to where we came from and when we began. Building on Robert Bauval’s The Orion M yst ery and Graham Hancock’s Fingerprint s of t he Gods, the two authors collaborated on The M essage of t he Sphinx. By means of computer simulation, the authors scroll back through astronomical heavens to show how the prehistoric skies of 2500 BC and 10,500 BC appeared. In effect, they deduce – and marshal a great many facts to prove – that a priestly elite they call “The Followers of Horus” used the heavens as a Legominism , a conscious means of passing and preserving knowledge down through time’s inherent, law-conformable distortions. By ingenious reckoning and reasoning, Hancock and Bauval 16

not only theoretically solve the riddle of the Sphinx but also determine that the much heralded but never discovered “Hall of Records” – which is said to preserve the knowledge and wisdom of “a highly advanced antediluvian civilization that was destroyed by a ‘Great Flood’” – lies just one hundred feet below the hind paws of the Great Sphinx. (22) Gurdjieff described the inner, symbolic meaning of the prototype of the Great Sphinx which existed in Atlantis. The intention of the allegorical figure was to provide a ‘shock’ or ‘stimulus’ to the body, mind and feelings which would awaken the innermost consciousness of the human being: •

The trunk or Bull symbolizes regeneration through indefatigable labours.

•

The legs of a Lion represent the sense and feeling of courage, self-respect and faith in one’s inherent strength and ability to master any life circumstance.

•

The wings of the high-soaring Eagle are a reminder to continuously contemplate the deepest, most profound questions of life and existence.

•

The image of a head in the form of the Breast s of a Virgin expresses the wish “that Love should predominate always and in everything during the inner and outer function-ing evoked in one’s consciousness.”

Graham Hancock, after many years of dedicated research into prehistoric and ancient world cultures, speculates on the possible motives of the people who built the pyramids and Sphinx: What remains to be guessed at are the mot ives of the pyramid builders, who were presumably the same people as the mysterious cartographers who mapped the globe at the end of the last Ice Age in the northern hemisphere. If so, we might also ask why these highly civilized and technically accomplished architects and navigators were obsessed with charting the gradual glaciation of the enigmatic southern continent of Antarctica from the fourteenth millennium BC down to about the end of the fifth millennium BC? Could they have been making a permanent cartographical record of the slow obliteration of their homeland? And could their overwhelming desire to transmit a message to the future through a variety of different media – myths, maps, buildings, calendar systems, mathematical harmonies – have been connected to the cataclysms and earth changes that caused this loss. (23)

17

References

(1) Stuart Litvak and A. Wayne Senzee Tow ard a New Brain: Evolut ion and t he Human M ind (Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1986), pp. 31-32. (2) William Patrick Patterson Spirit ual Survival in a Radically Changing W orld-Time (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2009), p. 330. (3) William Patrick Patterson Spirit ual Survival in a Radically Changing W orld-Time (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2009), pp. 328-329. (4) Otto Muck The Secret of At lant is (Toronto: Collins Publishers, 1978), pp. 15-16. (5) Colin Wilson From At lant is t o t he Sphinx (Boston: Weiser Books, 1996), p. 73. (6) G.I. Gurdjieff Beelzebub’s Tales t o His Grandson (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1973), p. 177. (7) Marilyn Seal Pierce Lost Cont inent s (Los Angeles: Sherbourne Press, 1969), pp. 137-138. (8) Otto Muck The Secret of At lant is (Toronto: Collins Publishers, 1978), p. 48. (9) G.I. Gurdjieff Beelzebub’s Tales t o His Grandson (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1973), p. 180. (10) G.I. Gurdjieff Beelzebub’s Tales t o His Grandson (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1973), pp. 315317. (11) Otto Muck The Secret of At lant is (Toronto: Collins Publishers, 1978), p. 205. (12) Graham Hancock Fingerprint s of t he Gods (New York: Three Rivers Press, 1995), pp. 192193. (13) Graham Hancock Fingerprint s of t he Gods (New York: Three Rivers Press, 1995), p. 203. (14) Graham Hancock Fingerprint s of t he Gods (New York: Three Rivers Press, 1995), p. 243. (15) William Patrick Patterson Georgi Ivanovit ch Gurdjieff: The M an, The Teaching, His M ission (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2014), p. 511. (16) William Patrick Patterson Georgi Ivanovit ch Gurdjieff: The M an, The Teaching, His M ission (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2014), pp. 513-514. (17) Edgar Cayce Edgar Cayce on At lant is (New York: Warner Paperback, 1973), p. 150. (18) John Anthony West Serpent in t he Sky (New York: Harper & row, 1979), p. 13. (19) Graham Hancock Fingerprint s of t he Gods (New York: Three Rivers Press, 1995), p. 135. (20) Graham Hancock Fingerprint s of t he Gods (New York: Three Rivers Press, 1995), pp. 413414. (21) Colin Wilson From At lant is t o t he Sphinx (Boston: Weiser Books, 2004), p. 231. (22) William Patrick Patterson Georgi Ivanovit ch Gurdjieff: The M an, The Teaching, His M ission (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2014), pp. 514-515. (23) Graham Hancock Fingerprint s of t he Gods (New York: Three Rivers Press, 1995), p. 497.

18

EARLY CIVILIZATION The Inner Circle of Humanity

The belief that a body of ancient esoteric wisdom is secretly being guarded and transmitted by an ‘Inner Circle’ of highly evolved human beings can be traced through the course of history. “From time immemorial certain men and women appear to have developed their consciousness far beyond the ‘normal’ level or state which the rest of humanity has taken for granted as the totality of ‘life’.” Tradition asserts that for thousands of years there has been an “Inner Circle of Humanity” capable of thinking in terms of millennia and possessing knowledge and powers of a high order. Its members intervene from time to time in human affairs. They do this, not as leaders or teachers of mankind, but unobtrusively by introducing certain ideas and techniques . . . This inner circle, it is claimed, concentrates its activities in those areas and at those times when the situation is critical for mankind. (1) In discussing the structure of the Inner Circle with his students, Gurdjieff divided humanity into groups of progressively more spiritually developed human beings, which he represented graphically as concentric circles emanating from a core. The outer circle represents ordinary humans, described as the region of the ‘confusion of tongues’ or lack of understanding. The inner three (exoteric, mesoteric, esoteric) constitute three levels of spiritually developed human beings. There are four gates on the circumference of the exoteric circle through which those from the outer, undeveloped circle could pass to enter the inner circles. The four gates correspond to the three traditional ways: the fakir (body), the monk (feelings), the yogi (mind) and the fourt h w ay (balanced development). Most people are completely unaware of the innermost (esoteric) circle, and only a few suspect the existence of the mesoteric and exoteric circles. “The outer circle of humanity to which we belong is like the leaves on trees that change every year. In spite of this they consider themselves the centre of life, not understanding that the tree has a trunk and roots, and that besides leaves it bears flowers and fruit. The esoteric circle is, as it were, humanity w it hin humanity, the immortal soul of humanity.” It is clear that esotericism implies and requires the existence of higher human beings, an esoteric community, a guiding inner circle of humanity who produce, direct and sustain the education of the race. The inner teaching requires inner teachers. With them it is organically connected. For such knowledge depends on being , higher being, for its very existence. It is thus being knowledge. It originates with, and is sustained by, beings of a certain nature, who project it downward through a descending sequence of other beings until it reaches the recipient level of ordinary humanity. This is Jacob’s Ladder. From the inner community comes

1

the inner help by which we can ascend it. The way is indeed a living way. And cannot be otherwise . . . Though most people are unable to accept the possible existence and activity of a higher kind of human being on the planet, unknown on the whole to ordinary mankind, there are nevertheless hints throughout history of such a presence. In all the great cultures one can discern indications of a deeper humanity, hidden like leaves within the humanity we imagine we know. The very concepts of Masters, Initiates and Adepts are evidence of this. (2) The three inner circles of developed humanity are responsible for the creation of esoteric schools and the transmission of higher influences into the world. Gurdjieff described how these higher influences are distinct from ordinary influences on human life: The first kind are influences created in life it self or by life itself. Influences of race, nation, country, climate, family, education, society, profession, manners and customs, wealth, poverty, current ideas, and so on. The second kind are influences created out side t his life, influences of the inner circle, or esoteric influences – influencies, that is, created under different laws, although also on the earth. These influences differ from the former, first of all in being conscious in their origin. This means that they have been created consciously by conscious men for a definite purpose. Influences of this kind are usually embodied in the form of religious systems and teachings, philosophical doctrines, works of art, and so on. (3)

Esoteric Know ledge and Schools

According to esoteric tradition, a body of ancient knowledge of human spiritual development has existed since time immemorial, and has been transmitted through a chain of succession from initiate to initiate. The guardians and custodians of these ancient secret teachings hold that there are eternal universal truths that are the foundation of all religious and spiritual traditions. This trans-dimensional knowledge has been described as the “inner kernel or essence of spirituality,” “the science of human evolution and transformation” and the “river of knowledge from beyond the stars.” Esoteric knowledge can be regarded as two kinds. Firstly, there is the higher or inner cosmic knowledge possessed by those beings who have reached the deepest level of consciousness possible to mankind. These people are the inner or esoteric Circle of Humanity. They will obviously possess knowledge of the inner nature and destiny of the Universe related to, and necessary for, their special role in it, and which is an attribute of their level of being. It will be knowledge of the Design and the Direction of the Universe, its Purpose, and the path to that Purpose. It will connect glow-worm and galaxy, man and angel . . . Such must be the subtle quality of knowledge possessed by beings of this order. They will be aware of the invisible Web, and in touch with its essential texture. Secondly, there is the esoteric know-

2

ledge pertaining to the ways and schools deliberately created by this Conscious Circle, to enable those ordinary human beings who truly seek it to have access to the superior levels of being and consciousness. This is the knowledge of the manner of human development, the art of transformation itself. (4) Gurdjieff taught that this body of wisdom or ‘Great knowledge’ has been continuous and present throughout history, but has been frequently reformulated so as to be suit-able for each time, each place and each community: Great knowledge, which has existed from the most ancient times, has never been lost, and knowledge is always the same. Only the form in which this knowledge was expressed and transmitted changed, depending on the place and the epoch . . . The form in which the Great knowledge is expressed is barely comprehensible to subsequent generations and is mostly taken literally. In this way the inner content becomes lost for most people. In the history of mankind we see two parallel and independent lines of civilization: the esoteric and the exoteric. Invariably one of these overpowers the other and develops while the other fades. A period of esoteric civilization comes when there are favorable external conditions, political and otherwise. Then Knowledge, clothed in the form of a Teaching corresponding to the conditions of time and place, becomes widely spread. (5) The source of this timeless esoteric tradition of mystical knowledge is mysterious and unknown. It is said to have ancient prehistoric roots originating from the most remote antiquity. Some of the historical manifestations of this ancient stream of transcendental wisdom have been provisionally identified by scholars and esotericists: • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Indigenous shamanic traditions Egyptian and Chaldean masters (Hermes and Zoroaster) Hindu Vedas and Upanishads Old Testament prophets (Abraham, Moses, Solomon, Noah, Elias and John the Baptist) Jewish mysticism and the Kabbalah Greek philosophers (Pythagoras, Anaxagoras, Socrates, Plato, Hippocrates, Aristotle) Taoism (Lao-Tzu, Chuang Tzu) Gautama Buddha and his School Jesus Christ, Essenes, Gnostics Mohammed the Prophet, Sufi saints (Attar, Saadi, Rumi, ibn el-Arabi, Al-Ghazali) Medieval alchemists (Jabir, Avicenna, Roger Bacon, Albertus Magnus, Raymond Lully) Christian mystics (St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Augustine, St. John of the Cross, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Teresa of Avila) Western Mystery schools, The Illuminati, Masonic and Rosicrucian teachings

3

The means by which esoteric knowledge is transmitted are complex and multi-faceted. Historical examples include the Mysteries (ancient Egypt and Greece), philosophical schools (Plato and Socrates), and certain traditional religious teachings. Other means include myths, legends, teaching stories, literature, rituals and ceremonies. Various forms of sacred art have also been employed, as well as dance, music, poetry, sculpture, drama and architecture. In most cases, the vehicles that transmit higher knowledge are the consciously designed products of esoteric schools. These schools convey spiritual knowledge and teachings according to a precise plan “to a very limited number of people simultaneously through the observance of a whole series of definite conditions, without which knowledge cannot be transmitted correct ly.” Rodney Collin, a student of P.D. Ouspensky, studied the history of esoteric schools and identified some of their salient characteristics (6): •

The primary purpose of these schools is the regeneration of individual human beings through increased consciousness and purification of being. The secondary purpose is to spread objective understanding of cosmological laws and human spiritual possibilities throughout humanity.

•

Esoteric schools may be hidden or openly visible according to the conditions of ‘time, place and people.’ Accordingly, “at most favorable times, though the inner school will still be hidden and concentrated, its preparatory schools and its external work or effect may reach large proportions of a population and even fundamentally affect the course of visible history.”

• The inner workings of these schools are largely invisible to ordinary humanity and cannot be readily ascertained by ordinary means of investigation: “What true schools are like, how they are organized, what are their rules and methods, how suitable pupils or raw materials are drawn out of the general run of life, we do not know. Evidently one of their chief requirements is secrecy and anonymity.” •

Schools may engage in some external expression of their work such as construction of temples or churches, the writing of spiritual literature or poetry, the composition of sacred music, and even scientific research.

•

Schools may transmit their knowledge in encoded ways through enciphered language or the symbolism of special sculptures, monuments or buildings.

•

The activities of schools follow a pattern in harmony with cosmic planetary cycles. When these influences are favorable, the work of inner regeneration and outer expression in the world proceed more productively.

4

•

Esoteric schools often disseminate their knowledge to the outside world through certain individuals who are sympathetic to and influenced by a school’s inner circle, but who are outsiders to the school, like some professional scientists or writers.

•

When the work of an esoteric school is finished, traces of its existence may remain. An imitation or counterfeit school may then form around the vestiges of a formerly vibrant school: “What appears to some people as the sum total of the human heritage of philosophy, metaphysics and magical practices can also be viewed as the wreckage or misinterpretation (through selective choice) of formulations previously operated by coherent Schools.”

In The M ast ers of W isdom , John G. Bennett suggests that around 12000 - 10000 B.C., a period of great environmental change, a number of esoteric schools were established throughout the world. “The task of the true initiates was to provide mankind with adequate language to express abstract ideas, to lay the foundation of the belief in a communication with the spiritual world, and to lead ordinary men and women to think independently.” Bennett provisionally identified five such ‘centres’ of initiation and spiritual activity (7): 1. The original source of esoteric teaching seems to have been geographically centered in Northeast Africa, especially Egypt and Abyssinia (Ethiopia). It developed an advanced methodology to unlock the creative and magical powers of the human mind. This centre was the creator of the Semitic tradition and reflected “a remarkable unity of vision that combined the concept of One Creator God (monotheism), the autocratic and theocratic state (based on a divine ruler), and a sacred language.” 2. A centre of initiation situated in the Near and Middle East had its roots in the fertility cults of remote antiquity. “These traditions bear witness to a time when the Great Mother was the fount of life and the originator of the domestic arts, especially of agriculture and husbandry. The Masters of Wisdom of this region were concerned with teaching mankind the practical arts. Copper and iron, weaving and pottery, the wheel and the plough all originated in the region.” 3. A third centre was located in Central Asia and the Far East. “The form of society was nomadic, where guidance came through the magicians and shamans who were inspired. The subtle polysynthetic languages created were capable of conveying the sense of an unseen spiritual presence and the timeless pattern of situations.” The teachings which emanated from this center were focused on the Great Spirit or Tao – the all-pervading spiritual principle of the universe. It led to the great achievements of Chinese art and science and the development of techniques of inner transformation later identified with Yoga, Tantra and Sufism. 4. A Hyperborean culture originating in northern Siberia and areas within the Arctic circle (in a period when the climate was much milder) produced the Indo-European languages

5

and was the origin of the Aryan traditions and Vedic hymns. “The culture was based on a sense of the uncertainty of existence and the idea of the need for man to co-operate with creative intelligence to maintain his life and to progress.” One of the greatest achievements of this school of wisdom was the creation of languages such as Sanskrit, whose structure “corresponds to the pattern of the universe.” 5. Bennett also mentions a centre of initiation located in the South American Andes, but provides little detail. He does, however, observe that “the remarkable similarities of the monuments, symbols and beliefs of Mexico and the Andean cultures to those of Egypt have led many to believe that the extraordinary feat of navigating the Atlantic was first achieved six or seven thousand years ago.”

The Agricultural Revolution

During the vast stretches of human evolution, the daily existence of human beings as huntergatherers in different regions of the planet was very similar and virtually unchanged since the dawn of time: We know that humanity was fairly homogeneous throughout the Stone Age. Even 10,000 years ago, people lived pretty much the same way, whether they were in Africa, Asia, Europe, Australia, or the Americas. They lived very close to nature, hunting wildlife and gathering wild plants, using stone tools and stone, wood and bone weapons. They had learned the art of making and controlling fire and they had very accurate and detailed knowledge about the habits of animals, the lay of the land, nature’s cycles, and how to distinguish between edible and poisonous plants. This knowledge and their way of life had been painstakingly acquired over millions of years of experience . . . Nature bestowed her bounty upon those early humans and they learned to live within that natural framework. It is very easy to understand how our remote ancestors lived; life changed very little and very slowly. Early man adapted and stuck with what worked. It was a simple but demanding way of life that was passed on from generation to generation by example and oral tradition. (8) Following the last Ice Age, 12,000 years ago, communities in various parts of the world embraced a new way of life, giving up their nomadic existence. Instead, they settled down and began cultivating certain crops and domesticating several animal species, taking the first steps toward early civilization. There was a revolutionary change in diet from wild meats and fresh greens, nuts and fruits to domesticated animal meat and grains. Throughout the world human beings began experimenting with new food forms and their processed products: • •

According to the Old Testament the Israelites made leavened and unleavened bread and wine from grapes. The Sumerians also produced secondary products from grains, including bread and beer. 6

• • •

Around 8600 B.C., near Jericho in the Jordan valley, the inhabitants harvested a wild grass called wheat, which when crossed with other grasses eventually led to bread wheat. Botanical and archaeological evidence indicate that forms of primitive agriculture were practised in lands as far apart as Lake Titicaca in Peru and the highlands of Thailand. Eventually the agricultural revolution spread throughout the globe: in Africa and China millet was cultivated; in America beans and maize; in New Guinea sugar cane and in Indochina rice.

Early agriculture and the domestication of animals initially occurred in three distinct regions where there were fertile conditions and the ready availability of plants and animals. In the Middle East in Israel and the Euphrates valley, local wild cereals such as wheat and barley were cultivated and harvested. Agriculture also developed about 7000 B.C. in both northern and southern China where millet and rice were farmed. And in Mexico and South America pumpkins, beans and maize were cultivated. Eventually agricultural practices reached many different geographical regions of the globe: “From the Middle East, agriculture spread in every possible direction, not just toward Europe and northern Africa but also northward into the Steppes and eastward into Iran, Pakistan, and then India. Neolithic farmers proved able geneticists by domesticating many plants and selecting new varieties.” The expansion of agriculture from the Middle East to Europe proceeded in stages. “This gradual process eventually took in every corner of the continent, sometimes relatively rapid, as along the Mediterranean coast and the rivers of central Europe, and sometimes more slowly.” Figure 1. The spread of agriculture in Europe based on radiocarbon dating

7

The shift from hunter-gatherer to an agriculture-based form of living directed to the production of food marked an evolutionary leap in human development. Agriculture and the cultivation of cereals allowed greater control of both the quantity and the quality of the yield, as well as greater predictability of food stuffs. Humans had previously lived on what they found in the wild. Over millions of years, their hunting ability and understanding of the environment had developed to an extraordinary degree, allowing them to amply explore the opportunities offered by their surroundings. The evidence left by our ancestors of fifteen to twenty thousand years ago in Europe suggests that they had a high standard of living. These people hunted, fished, and gathered enough plants, fruit, and roots to support small communities and survive well; even today their art, ornamental objects, and tooling skills inspire our admiration. Some ten thousand years ago, however, these people started to produce their own food by cultivating plants and rearing animals, generally the ones already eaten in the wild. This led to an enormous increase in the potential numbers of people the earth could support. In the four to five hundred generations since then, the world’s population has increased over a thousand-fold, from a mere few million to today’s six billion, a figure set to grow further still. (9) The implications of the agricultural revolution were far-reaching, and transformed the way in which human beings interacted with the world. “Since farming began, cultural evolution has gradually transformed Homo sapiens from a species that evolved in response to the natural environment into one that is literally ‘making’ the world in which it lives.” At the time of the Agricultural Revolution, the stable world of hunter-gatherers began to change quickly. Fifteen thousand years in the past (less than a thousand generations) the entire human population consisted of perhaps 5 million souls, surviving by hunting and gathering. Then, about ten thousand years ago, rather than search out food in the wild, people began to domesticate both plants and animals. Farming created an especially favorable environment for both rapid population growth and the rich elaboration of culture. Births could be spaced more closely when people settled down to farm. As a result birth rates began to creep upward. It took a few thousand years for food production to become efficient enough for one farming family to provide reliable sustenance for more than itself. Surplus production by farmers freed part of the population from the several-millionyear-old imperative for each family or clan to supply its own food. This opened the way to specialization of activities, cities, and civilization. (10) During this great transitional period, there were many other advances in a wide variety of human activities: • Invention of the wheel • Smelting of copper and creation of alloys • New, more efficient modes of transportation • Invention of the compass, sail and outrigger canoe 8

• • •

Employing tokens as currency Development of advanced language Development of writing

Many anthropologists have commented on the high level of knowledge and skill required to successfully grow food under a variety of environmental conditions. There is no evidence that hunter-gatherers had any experience with plant breeding or animal domestication. Yet, by the time of the appearance of the Sumerian and Egyptian civilizations, wild grains had been hybridized, a process that requires a high degree of knowledge about, and experience with, plants. Some have hypothesized that this ability was not due to chance experimentation, but was the result of an ‘intervention’ or ‘transmission’ from some pre-existing source of higher knowledge. Plato wrote in his Law s (Book 3) that world agriculture originated in highland regions across the globe following some great flood catastrophe that destroyed lowland settlements. Charles Darwin was struck by the fact that domesticated plants were found only in circumscribed areas of the planet: “We do not owe a single useful plant to Australia, New Zealand, South Africa or lower South America – countries abounding to an unparalleled degree with endemic species.” Some writers have noted that these areas are all far removed from the supposed mid-Atlantic site of legendary Atlantis and its colonies. Perhaps survivors of the destruction of Atlantis, who had attained advanced botanical knowledge, passed this on as a bequest to the peoples of the lands to the east and west of their homeland, thereby assuring that this knowledge would not be lost.

The M egaliths

Mysterious configurations of stones, of many sizes and shapes, aligned in recognizable patterns related to terrestrial energies and celestial cycles appear throughout the world. Their origins date back to prehistoric times, and their designers and builders are utterly unknown: Megalithic structures – that is to say, prehistoric monuments built with stones of enormous size – exist in many parts of the world. The most famous, if not the greatest number, are found in the British Isles and in Brittany in the north-west corner of France. They are of many different kinds – dolmens, chambered tombs, menhirs or great stones standing alone, stone rings of various sizes and shapes (circles, flattened circles, ellipses, and egg-shaped rings), and straight avenues of standing stones arranged like grids in multiple rows. Of all the megalithic structures by far the best known and the best preserved is the circular ‘temple’ of Stonehenge on Salisbury plain. From the point of view of sheer size and complexity of structure perhaps the most important of the megalithic sites is the great stone ring of Avebury in England. (11)

9

The ingenuity and technical skill of those who built megalithic structures is impressive. Immense stone blocks, some weighing one hundred tons or more, were cut and tooled with great precision and then transported large distances to sacred sites. Although megalithic buildings, monuments, statues and standing stones can be found in many parts of the world, they are especially prevalent in Europe: Large prehistoric stone buildings are found along a strip of territory stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to India and almost as far as Japan. The most important instances, and the highest concentration, are found in various parts of Europe, however, generally near the coast. These large buildings had architectural forms and uses – dwellings, burial chambers, or temples. They may all have been erected by a single population of colonizers, navigators and cultivators, which we know as “Megalithic,” for want of a better term. This population may well have originated in France, Britain or Spain, since that is where the oldest monuments have been found. (12) Figure 2. Distribution of megalithic sites in Europe

10

There is compelling archaeological evidence that many of the stone constructions of ancient cultures around the world were designed and utilized as astronomical observatories: At Stonehenge in England and Carnac in France, in Egypt and Yucatan, across the whole face of the earth are found mysterious ruins of ancient monuments, monuments with astronomical significance. The relics of other times are as accessible as the American Midwest and as remote as the jungles of Guatemala. Some of them were built according to celestial alignments, others were actually precision astronomical observatories. All are wordless but emphatic evidence of our ancestors’ energetic pursuit of the sky and stars. Careful observation of the celestial rhythms was compellingly important to early peoples, and their expertise, in some respects, was not equalled in Europe until three thousand years later. (13) The English astronomer Sir Norman Lockyer was the first to suggest that Stonehenge might be an “astronomical calculator” marking the positions of the sun and moon, the phases of the moon, the solar solstices and equinoxes, and predicting solar and lunar eclipses. In the 1960s British astronomer Gerald Hawkins (author of St onehenge Decoded ) confirmed Lockyer’s thesis by using computer simulations to prove that the design of Stonehenge was predicated on precise astronomical alignments. Further research also established that other sites in Great Britain had a similar astronomical purpose. For instance, the standing stones of Callanish, Scotland are arranged in a pattern such that the north-south axis points directly at the Pole Star. In The View Over At lant is, scholar John Michell describes a sophisticated ‘earth science’ involving the precise terrestrial and celestial alignments of ancient monuments along long ‘ley lines,’ based on an advanced science of numbers and sacred geometry, and impressive prehistoric engineering. He proposed that there was a vast system of “ancient earthworks and stone monuments built for an unknown purpose, and that their shared features suggest that they might be part of a worldwide system that served the elemental science of the archaic civilization of Atlantis.” Modern research has revealed that the stone monuments of prehistoric antiquity are not the work of primitive barbarians, but are instead the scientific instruments of an advanced universal civilization. The legendary continent of Atlantis was the source of this unified system of knowledge, whose relics still survive throughout the world – the dragon paths of China, Irish fairy paths, straight tracks in Europe and beyond, and the ‘ley’ system of aligned monuments which include Stonehenge and the Great Pyramid . . . We all live within the ruins of an ancient structure whose vast size has hitherto rendered it invisible. The entire surface of the earth is marked with the traces of a gigantic work of prehistoric engineering, the remains of a once universal system of natural magic, involving the use of polar magnetism together with another positive force related to solar energy. (14) 11

The Flow ering of Civilization

The agricultural revolution dramatically changed the life of human beings around the globe and prepared the way for the advent of civilization, with larger and more organized settlements of people in villages, towns and cities. There was a cross-fertilization of cultures, languages and ideas that enriched human life and opened new avenues of enterprise, trade and learning: The earth enjoyed its best climate in a hundred thousand years during the period from 8000 to 5500 B.C. The only area where conditions deteriorated was the Far North, which was cut off from the benefits of the Gulf Stream . . . The population of the earth grew rapidly. In the first Adamic age, the entire human race scarcely exceeded two million; it grew to ten times this number by the sixth millennium before Christ. There now began the first migrations directed by the Masters. The Aryans moved southward and entered the plains of Turkestan, where they met with the Great Spirit people. These latter prospered greatly as their nomadic habits enabled them to take advantage of the increased food supplies. They went south to India, east into China, and crossed by the land bridge into America. The Creator God people occupied Egypt and some groups reached Mesopotamia. The groups that migrated brought with them their tradition, their language, and their way of life. The epoch was the most peaceful and happiest since the creation of Adam. No weapons have been found in any of the settlements that existed between 8000 and 5500 B.C. It may well be that this was the golden age referred to in so many traditions. (15) However, near the end of this long cultural development powerful environmental changes forced large-scale migrations of people, leading to conflict between competing cultural groups and a degradation of higher human values. One of the most important consequences of these planetary disturbances was the creation of “hidden centers of wisdom” to preserve esoteric teachings for future generations: About six thousand years ago, great changes of climate occurred all over the world. There were also great natural disasters. The great Siberian meteorite struck the earth with the violence of a thousand atom bombs. The earth entered a period of windstorms and drought. Trillions of square miles of rich prairies turned to desert: the Sahara, the Arabian, the Kara-Kum, and the Gobi. The inhabitants were forced to migrate and the struggle for land began. The first wars of invasion changed the entire human situation . . . It was at this time that the Masters of Wisdom set themselves to establish hidden sanctuaries where their teachings could be preserved for the future. This was the beginning of the “great work.” It was inevitable and foreseen long before that as men learned to use their creative powers to dominate over others, there would arise divisions of castes and nations and there would have to be a visible exoteric authority to maintain the integrity of society. The Masters could not occupy such positions nor were men ready to look for advice. By the end of

12

the epoch the climatic conditions again changed. One result of the drought had been to dry the great valleys of the Nile, the Tigris and Euphrates, and the Yellow River in China, making them habitable. (16) During this long span of time, religious expression underwent a series of transformations as more complex forms of worship emerged. “Early religions had evolved from the rites that hunter-gatherers had invented as they attempted to ‘control’ the impersonal ecosystems that ruled their lives. In those days human beings feared not only death, loneliness, hunger, and violent storms, as we do, but also wild beasts, ghosts, witches, and the spirits of slain enemies and game animals, as well as many other inanimate and animate features of the natural world.” The invention of monotheism by an Egyptian pharaoh Ikhnaton and its establishment among the Jews, was a major step in distancing people from nature. Gradually gods were invented who could better hear and answer the pleadings of fearful people than could the spirits of the dead, but these were very humanlike gods, superpeople like the gods of ancient Greece and Rome, who were assigned human emotions and frailties. In Mesopotamia, however, the gods were stripped of many of their human qualities and granted near-omnipotence. They were identified with the planets – too far removed from mere mortals to be pressured by magical rites. People were not expected to understand the motives or actions of the gods; one simply submitted to them . . . For a while the Egyptians retained polytheism, but amplified an element that traces to prehistory and is still seen in religions today: belief in an afterlife. Indeed, as the pyramids attest, that belief was an obsession for the Egyptians. However, later, Ikhnaton conceived of the sun as a single nonanthropomorphic god with a personal relationship to the pharaoh. The priests of the old religion are thought, however, to have brought about a return to polytheism, and the idea of a single god only re-emerged with the Jews. The Jews went further than Ikhnaton and invented a god that offered them a personal covenant to be the bearers of his religion. They imagined a god with no connection to physical things but rather one who had created all things. Their god had an ethical character and a concern for individual moral behavior. (17) For most of recorded human history spiritual initiation was offered only to selected men and women who came in contact with the ‘Inner Circle of Humanity.’ But now, in many regions of the world, inspired prophets, messengers and saints began to preach a new doctrine of limitless human inner development. “New voices were heard throughout the inhabited world proclaiming the significance and even the sanctity of the human individual. The message took many external forms; but the inner content was unmistakably one and the same.” The “new way” was to be open to all men and women, and it could only be known by revelation. The new message was to be openly proclaimed, and it came almost simultaneously in all parts of the world. The Masters of Wisdom can see far ahead and they can look back far into the past. They were aware that a great experiment was going to be made: no less than an attempt to enable mankind, at the comple13

tion of the half-cycle that started ten thousand years before their time, to acquire the characteristic that would complete human evolution. This would allow the second half of the great cycle to be devoted to bringing about the unity of man and nature. Since love is the characteristic needed for this, it was necessary to make mankind aware that universal love is beyond creativity and that man must learn to love with the same impartial, unselfish love that Great Nature has for him. (18) For many thousands of years the centre of civilization was in Mesopotamia in the rich lands of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, where new advances in harnessing the power of nature were made. One of the most significant contributions was the creation of a sophisticated system of irrigation canals to distribute water from the rivers to the adjoining farmlands. The very first known examples of writing, incised on small clay tablets, occurred in the region around 3500 B.C. The invention of writing laid the foundation for many of the advances in commerce, early technology, the sciences and even mathematics: Writing (both words and numbers) was obviously a precondition for the advance of civilization. Without it, records of transactions and inventories could not be kept, land could not be surveyed, banking (and credit) could not have progressed past the most primitive stages, and well-organized economic systems could hardly have developed. Such systems generated incentives for invention, division of labor, and economies of scale. Without these organized systems the technologies that created the modern world would never have been developed. Another crucial invention was Arabic (more accurately Hindu-Arabic) numerals, which came into use in India around 300 BC . . . Science is completely dependent upon quantification – the ability to express complex relationships in a form much more compact than any other language. Arabic numerals provided a basis for that capacity. (19) Perhaps the most significant spiritual teacher to emerge from Mesopotamia was Zoroaster (or Zarathustra), who is believed to have lived from 628 to 551 B.C. At that time the common person lived by various laws, commandments and prohibitions under the domination and control of secular rulers and their priests. Zoroaster was the first great teacher to proclaim the right of every person to participate in the ‘Great Work’ and create their own immortal soul. In a sense he was a visionary: “The notion of service was given a new importance. The men and women who have been purified and transformed ensure the progress of the world and prepare the coming millennium.” Another centre of spiritual activity during these times was located in Greece. The origin of the Greek Mysteries has been traced to the Egyptian Mystery Schools. The three primary Greek Mysteries, representing successive stages of spiritual initiation, were the Eleusinian, Orphic and Dionysian Mysteries. The Eleusinian Mysteries are replete with complex symbolism and archetypal gods and goddesses:

14

The Eleusinian Mysteries are commonly believed by scholars to have commenced only about 1400 B.C., although this appears highly open to question. They were separated into the Greater and Lesser Mysteries, the latter being celebrated every year in the spring and the former in the autumn. Women and children were admitted to the Lesser Mysteries, which were clearly oriented toward a spiritually-focused understanding of the cycles of Nature generally and the awakening of the “soulsense.” The rites of the Eleusinian Mysteries revolved around the legend of the abduction of the goddess Persephone (the daughter of Demeter) by Hades – brother of Zeus and king of the Underworld. The underlying theme involved principles of alternating cycles of birth and death (i.e. regeneration). These graphically introduced the individual to the idea of the soul’s conditional immortality, amid the immense hardships involved in reincarnation and the round of human existence. (20) The Orphic Mysteries provided the next higher stage of initiatory progression. The esoteric meaning of the rite relates to the cycle of personal spiritual evolution. The final part of the Greek Mysteries involved the Dionysian rite, which “related directly to the cycles of experience of the ‘Divine Spark’ itself – the highest aspect of the inner man.” One of the most important and influential esoteric schools in Greece was founded by the great sage Pythagoras, who was born between 600 and 590 B.C. In his early years he studied with Phoenician priests and Greek philosophers before being initiated into the Egyptian Mysteries of Isis and Osiris. He eventually travelled to Babylon where he studied the Chaldean Mysteries and was initiated by Zoroaster, at which time he “learned all the wisdom of the Magi.” He also went to India for further studies and, it is said, worked with Jewish rabbis and learned the secret tradition of Moses. In his school, disciples had to pass through three degrees of initiation, culminating in “full illumination.” The philosophy of Pythagoras encompassed a deep understanding of spiritual laws and principles: •

Students learned mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy – disciplines which were considered the foundation of the mystical sciences.

•

Pythagoras understood the magical healing powers of certain plants and explored the therapeutic value of sound and music.

•

He taught that knowledge was best achieved by observation. “When the mind could observe the invisible manifesting itself through the visible, it was in alignment with the spirit of all things.”

•

Pythagoras advocated a strict lifestyle of restraint. He preached moderation in all things and ate a special vegetarian diet that he considered the “diet of Hercules.”

15

•

He instructed his followers that both man and the universe were made in the image of God and the understanding of one predicates the knowledge of the other. “The laws, elements and powers of the universe are exemplified in the human constitution. The body is a temple of God and man must begin his spiritual journey by looking within himself.”

•

To Pythagoras, God was the Monad, the One that is everything. He taught that God is the Supreme Mind and permeates the universe. “God is the Cause, the Intelligence, and Wisdom within all things. The body of God is light and His substance is Truth.”

The teachings of Pythagoras had a profound influence on the schools of some of the greatest Greek philosophers – Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. His influence also extended to many Eastern and Western “esoteric societies,” including the Freemasons and Rosicrucians. And, many of the principles of sacred music, geometry and architecture originated with Pythagoras. During the 6th century B.C., centres of spiritual transformation also emerged in India and China. They exerted a far-reaching effect on the peoples of these countries and their legacy extends to this day. The Vedas are the oldest Indian scriptures, dating from between 1500 and 1000 B.C. The word “Veda” means wisdom, knowledge or vision. Written in Sanskrit, they consist of hymns, recitations and incantations. Vedic texts were largely transmitted orally from generation to generation, although there were some written manuscripts. They are considered to be among the most sacred texts of India and are sometimes referred to as the “language of the gods.” Some of the verses are chanted as mantras or prayers. Their teachings encompass all aspects of life, espousing social, domestic, legal and religious customs which support a truly spiritual life. The Upanishads are a collection of important Hindu spiritual texts believed by scholars to have been composed around 800 - 400 B.C. They are one of the main sources of knowledge for the school of Vedanta, and were described by Sri Aurobindo as “the supreme work of the Indian mind.” They examine the nature of Ultimate Reality and describe individual spiritual liberation from the bondage of the ego through the non-dual union of Brahma (World Creator) and At man (World Soul). “The Upanishads are summits of thoughts on mankind and the universe, designed to push human ideas to their very limit and beyond. They give us both spiritual vision and philosophical argument, and it is by a strictly personal effort that one can reach the truth.” The last great sacred text of India is the Bhagavad Git a , believed by scholars to have been composed between 500 and 400 B.C. It is a 700-verse scripture that is a part of the Hindu epic M ahabharata and takes the form of a dialogue between prince Arjuna and his teacher Lord Krishna. Also known as ‘The Song of God,’ it is a treasure of India’s ancient wisdom. It reveals that our true nature or Self is masked by M aya , which creates the illusion of separateness and duality. The attainment of self-realization entails a letting go of our egoistic clinging to condi-

16

tioned beliefs, thoughts and feelings and turning towards a way of living guided by our Higher Self. Another highly influential tradition of spiritual development born during this period is the Yoga Sût ras of Patanjali. The Sût ras are the foundation of Raja Yoga (the ‘Royal Path’) and build on the earlier Indian philosophy of Samkhya. They were characterized by Swami Vivekananda as “the supreme contemplative path to self-realization.” The Indian tradition of yoga, first codified in the Yoga Sût ras of Patanjali in perhaps the third or fourth century CE, constitutes one of the world’s earliest and most influential traditions of spiritual practice. It is a tradition that, by the time of Patanjali, already had an extensive prehistory and one that was to have, after Patanjali, an extraordinarily rich and diverse future. As a tradition yoga has been far from monolithic. It has embraced a variety of practices and orientations, borrowing from and influencing a vast array of Indic religious traditions down through the centuries. (21) Perhaps India’s greatest contribution to the spiritual heritage of humanity was the teachings of the Buddha: The Buddha, whose personal name was Siddhârtha, and family name Gautama, lived in North India in the 6th century B.C. The young prince lived in his palace with every luxury at his command. But all of a sudden, confronted with the reality of life and the suffering of mankind, he decided to find the solution – the way out of this universal suffering . . . One evening, seated under a tree (since then known as the Bodhi-tree, ‘the Tree of Wisdom’) near Gaya, at the age of 35, Gautama attained Enlightenment, after which he was known as the Buddha, ‘The Enlightened One.’ After his Enlightenment, Gautama the Buddha delivered his first sermon to a group of five ascetics in the Deer Park near Benares. From that day, for 45 years, he taught all classes of men and women – kings and peasants, Brahmins and outcasts, bankers and beggars, holy men and robbers – without making the slightest distinction between them. He recognized no differences of caste or social groupings, and the Way he preached was open to all men and women who were ready to understand and to follow it. (22) Buddhism was later to spread throughout the world, first to neighbouring countries and communities and eventually to every continent of the globe. The Buddha’s last message to his followers, it is said, was: “Work out your own salvation with diligence.” During the same period in China two pre-eminent spiritual teachers emerged with different, yet complementary, approaches to inner development and expression. The legendary Lao Tzu (ca. 604 - 510 B.C.) taught the pure doctrine of Tao , the ultimate spiritual principle, which is the source of all that is. Confucius (551 - 479 B.C.) emphasized social responsibility and actions emanating from “goodness” as the stamp of spiritual maturity. “Whereas Confucius counseled 17

his people to labor untiringly for the welfare and dignity of man in society, Lao Tzu on the other hand cautioned them against excessive interference. The urge to change what by nature is already good only increases the sum-total of human unhappiness. The man who can maintain a just balance between them is on the road to social and spiritual integration.” According to Taoist legend, the two are said to have met in 517 B.C., when the Old Master (Lao Tzu), then 86 years of age, gazed upon the young teacher and burst into uncontrollable laughter. For many millennia to come their teachings would deeply impact Chinese culture: Both Confucianism and Taoism complement each other, however incompatible they seem at first sight to be. The former places a man in his proper relation to his fellow-men, the latter in proper relation to nature. A third philosophy, Buddhism, though introduced from India, deals with the problem of human suffering and with man’s ultimate destiny. These three inheritances – the first adjusting man to his fellow-men, the second to nature, and the third to the Absolute – have moulded the thinking not only of the Chinese people but of all Eastern Asia. There is truth, then, in the common saying that every Chinese wears a Confucian cap, a Taoist robe, and Buddhist sandals. (23)

References

(1) Ernest Scott The People of t he Secret (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 260. (2) Max Gorman St airw ay t o t he St ars: Sufism, Gurdjieff and t he Inner Tradit ion of M ankind (London: Aeon Books, 2010), pp. 25-26. (3) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of t he M iraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), p. 199. (4) Max Gorman St airw ay t o t he St ars: Sufism, Gurdjieff and t he Inner Tradit ion of M ankind (London: Aeon Books, 2010), p. 20. (5) G.I. Gurdjieff View s From t he Real W orld: Early Talks of Gurdjieff (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1973), pp. 210-211. (6) Rodney Collin The Theory of Celest ial Influence (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1973). (7) John G. Bennett The M ast ers of W isdom (Santa Fe: Bennett Books, 1995). (8) Will Hart “Ancient Agriculture, in Search of the Missing Link” in J. Douglas Kenton (ed.) Forbidden Hist ory (Rochester, Vermont: Bear & Company, 2005), p. 197. (9) Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza and Francesco Cavalli-Sforza The Great Human Diasporas (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Perseus Books, 1995), p. 126. (10) Robert Ornstein and Paul Ehrlich New W orld New M ind (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1990), pp. 40-41. (11) John Ivimy The Sphinx & t he M egalit hs (New York: Harper Colophon Books, 1975), p. 61. (12) Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza and Francesco Cavalli-Sforza The Great Human Diasporas (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Perseus Books, 1995), p. 127. (13) E.C. Krupp (ed.) In Search of Ancient Ast ronomies (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1978), p. xiii. (14) John Michell The View Over At lant is (London: Sphere Books, 1975), p. 187. (15) John G. Bennett The M ast ers of W isdom (Santa Fe: Bennett Books, 1995), pp. 36-37.

18

(16) John G. Bennett The M ast ers of W isdom (Santa Fe: Bennett Books, 1995), p. 38. (17) Robert Ornstein and Paul Ehrlich New W orld New M ind (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1990), pp. 53-54. (18) John G. Bennett The M ast ers of W isdom (Santa Fe: Bennett Books, 1995), p. 45. (19) Robert Ornstein and Paul Ehrlich New W orld New M ind (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1990), p. 52. (20) John Gordon Egypt : Child of At lant is (Rochester, Vermont: Bear & Company, 2004), pp. 237-238. (21) Ian Whicher and David Carpenter, (eds.) Yoga: The Indian Tradit ion (New York: Routledge Curzon, 2003), p. 1. (22) Walpola Rahula W hat t he Buddha Taught (New York: Grove Press, 1974), p. xv. (23) John Wu Tao Teh Ching (Boston: Shambhala, 1989), p. x.

19

LEGACY OF CHRISTIANITY The Origins of Christianity

Certain esoteric teachings suggest that the Christian religion existed before the birth of Jesus Christ. G.I. Gurdjieff, for instance, claimed that the origin of Christianity was in ancient Egypt. In talks with his students he offered a very different history of Christianity than the traditional view of scholars and clerics: “Many people think that the outward form of worship, the rites, the singing of canticles, and so on, were invented by the fathers of the church. Others think that the outward form has been taken partly from pagan religions and partly from the Hebrews. But all of this is untrue. The question of the origin of the Christian church is much more interesting than we think.” The Christian church, the Christian form of worship, was not invented by the fathers of the church. It was all taken in a ready-made form from Egypt, only not from the Egypt that we know but from one which we do not know. This Egypt was in the same place as the other but it existed much earlier. Only small bits of it survived in historical times, and these bits have been preserved in secret and so well that we do not even know where they have been preserved. It will seem strange to many people when I say that this prehistoric Egypt was Christian many thousands of years before the birth of Christ, that is to say, that its religion was composed of the same principles and ideas that constitute true Christianity. Special schools existed in this prehistoric Egypt which were called ‘schools of repetition.’ These schools were taken as a model for Christian churches – the form of worship in Christian churches almost entirely represents the course of repetition of the science dealing with the universe and man. Individual prayers, hymns, responses, all had their own meaning in this repetition as well as holidays and all religious symbols, though their meaning has been forgotten long ago. (1) The ancient, perennial origin of the teachings of Jesus was confirmed by St. Augustine in one of his Let t ers: “That which is called the Christian religion existed among the ancients, and never did not exist from the beginning of the human race.” The Franciscan scholar Roger Bacon also wrote of a perennial spiritual teaching in his Philosophia Occulta , which identified a number of predecessors of Jesus in the same universal tradition, including Abraham, Moses and Noah as well as Zoroaster, Hermes, Pythagoras and Socrates. The Sufis, who describe Jesus as a ‘Complete Man’ and accept him as a ‘Teacher of the Way,’ consider him as a representative par excellence of an ancient and continuing wisdom tradition. Many sayings and stories attributed to Jesus appear in the writings of classical Sufi masters such as Attar, Rumi, Shabistari and El-Ghazali. Jesus is also honoured and esteemed in Islam: The Qur’an makes it clear that, like Mohammed, he was both a prophet and a Messenger and taught people to surrender to God – the central concept and meaning of Islam. Jesus is described as ‘an eminent one in this world and in the next’ 1

and as ‘One of those brought near to God.’ In Chapter 57 comes the following affirmation: W e formerly sent Noah and Abraham, appoint ed them as prophet s, and t he Book t o be in t heir post erit y. In t heir foot st eps w e caused Jesus t o follow , and W e gave him t he Gospel cont aining guidance and light .

Thus Jesus’ mandate from on High is made clear to every Moslem. This, in turn, explains why so many sayings and parables by him, and stories about him, were so valued, and preserved. (2) There are suggestions that the Chaldean Magi played an important role in the life of Jesus. The Magi originated in central Asia before the time of Zoroaster and spread throughout the Persian empire, eventually reaching Syria and Egypt. The members of the Magi brotherhood were devoted to serving the Divine and were considered Masters of Wisdom. According to the gospel of Matthew, they were experts in astrology and divination. Esoteric tradition holds that the ‘Three Wise Men’ who visited Jesus after his birth bearing gifts were Magi. It is believed that they also bestowed baraka (blessing, grace) on the young Jesus to support his destined role as a Messenger of God. After the time of Christ the Magi continued to preserve and transmit his original teachings, which emphasized the necessity of a spiritual transformation (a ‘rebirth’ or ‘resurrection’) before one could enter the ‘Kingdom of Heaven.’ The Magi were also connected with the Essene Brotherhood. Historical sources indicate that the Essene Brotherhood was founded 1200 years before the birth of Christ and flourished between 200 B.C. and 200 A.D. The Brotherhood was located in isolated communities near the Dead Sea and practised asceticism, held property in common and sought mystical communion with God: The Essenes were not only influenced by Zoroastrianism and the Magi. They were also close to the Pythagoreans and knew the Pythagorean teaching about number and harmony which was incorporated into their liturgy. They were also in contact with the Buddhist missionaries whose teachings about the Noble Eightfold Path must have influenced the rule of the Community of the Covenant. It seems probable that the great Teacher of Righteousness [Jesus], whose title could equally be translated as Master of Wisdom, was responsible for combining the different traditions in a teaching and way of life that attracted the very finest spirits among the Jews. (3) John G. Bennett believed that both John the Baptist and Jesus received their initial spiritual education with the Essene brotherhood. “Much of Jesus’ teaching, and especially the Sermon on the Mount, is so close to the Essenes’ own doctrines that it is reasonable to suppose that in his early manhood he went through the full training and initiation of the brotherhood.” Gurdjieff claimed that the “Brotherhood of the Essenes” were able to preserve the original teachings of Jesus and subsequently transmit them to successive generations. 2

Jesus of Nazareth

Esoteric tradition holds that Jesus’ mission on earth was not necessarily to found a new religion or reform existing religious structures. Rather, he was a representative of an ancient tradition of inner transformation based on the developmental principle of self-knowledge and understanding. “What has been termed ‘Christianity’ was originally and essentially a mystical school of teacher and pupils – master and disciples – whose purpose was not the inculcation of belief, but an education in experience.” From this perspective Jesus is seen as the founder of a mystical school for the transmission of inner teachings of human development for those with the requisite desire and receptivity to benefit from them. In the words of Jesus himself: “He that has ears to hear – let him hear.” Jesus, far from being an isolated phenomenon, was in fact a representative of an ancient and still ongoing tradition of wisdom whose object is to produce a different kind of human being, not merely more ethical, but more conscious. We are ‘asleep.’ We have to ‘wake up.’ We have, it seems, a deeper, fuller, truer power of intelligence, intuitive in nature, direct in perception, slumbering within us. We are more than we know. It is the role of Jesus and people like him, to enable us to ‘know ourselves’ – an ancient admonition. A look at the newly-found Gospel of Thomas, where the master’s exhortation ‘Know thyself’ is writ as large as it is above the portals of the Oracle at Delphi, certainly bears this interpretation out. (4) The goal of all authentic spiritual teachings is the perfecting of the human soul to produce the ‘Complete Human Being.’ “When Jesus said: ‘Be ye perfect as your Father in Heaven is perfect’ (Matthew 5:48), he was exhorting his disciples to realize their potential completeness as human beings, their full development, and become as perfectly human, as God was perfectly God.” Man has dormant perceptions of which he is not aware, hidden faculties waiting to be developed. The light of his possible higher consciousness lies hidden under his ‘bushel’ – as the Nazarene master expressed it. In his relative unconsciousness lies his incompleteness. To be complete means to be conscious, completely conscious. It also means to be re-attached inwardly to the Source of Being and of Wisdom, God, from whom we have been separated. We can then become true participants in the universe, the real and spiritual universe – to which we ultimately belong. (5) The teaching mission of Jesus was predicated on the possibility of consciously developing access to higher levels of consciousness, allegorically represented as the ‘Kingdom of Heaven.’ It is recorded that Jesus taught his disciples that “the Kingdom of Heaven is within you and whosoever knoweth himself shall find it. And having found it, ye shall know yourselves that ye

3

are the sons and heirs of the Father, the Almighty, and shall know yourselves that ye are in God and God is in you.” It is clear from the Gospels that the whole aim and object of Jesus’ teaching was to enter ‘the kingdom of heaven.’ This was the term he used for the higher state of being and consciousness, that ‘life more abundant,’ for which we have the potential, and which is the possession of the completed human being. But as we are now, we are incomplete, hence our deep unease and sense of unfulfilment. This will continue until we do what we were ultimately created for – enter the kingdom. Though this is our birthright it is not an automatic inheritance, not a ‘natural’ endowment. It has to be striven for, under guidance. Such guidance comes from a teacher, like Jesus, who directs the effort of the student, making it ‘right effort.’ Such help is both subtle and sophisticated. And obviously indispensable. It is not enough to want to ‘overcome the world’ which Jesus says we must do to enter ‘the kingdom.’ We must also know how to overcome the world, and recognize it when we see it. This requires education. For ‘the world’ is a technical term for ‘everything that weighs down the soul.’ (6) Bennett identified sacred love as the central core and heart of Jesus’ teaching: “I believe that the mission of Jesus was no less than an attempt to bring mankind to the next stage of human evolution, when love will be an inherent property of the human essence as creativity has been for the past thirty-five to forty thousand years.” When Jesus had been baptized by John, he accepted the task entrusted to him by his Father, which was to transmit to those able to receive it the direct action of Divine Love. This is the highest Cosmic Impulse that can enter the Creation. Beyond it is the Unfathomable Source, of which nothing can be said or even imagined. When man is united with Love, he is God, but Divine Love can enter only into a soul that is utterly empty of itself and liberated from all taint of egoism. (7) The New Testament provides almost all our knowledge of how Jesus transmitted his teachings to his followers. The stories, sermons, parables and sayings of Jesus were recorded by four of his most spiritually developed disciples and form the four Gospels of the New Testament. Bennett distinguishes them on the basis of their esoteric content and emphasis: The four gospels were compiled by four different schools of wisdom, each entrusted with a different task. Saint Mark’s gospel recounts the story of the event as it appeared to the uninitiated disciple. It could be recognized and confirmed by eyewitnesses or those who had had contact with them, such as their children and grandchildren. Saint Luke’s gospel was written to connect Christianity with the Great Mother tradition through the Virgin Mary. St. John’s gospel is an interpretation based on the Gnostic tradition. It expresses the true significance of the event in symbols, and, of course, it emphasizes more than any other the need for full mutual acceptance and love between the disciples. St. Matthew’s is preemi4

nently the gospel of the Masters of Wisdom. It is a legominism – knowledge that is intended for posterity and put into a work of art in such a way that its meaning can be deciphered only by initiates – carefully constructed according to the pattern that connects the three worlds. (8) P.D. Ouspensky argued that the New Testament is an esoteric introduction to ‘hidden knowledge’ or ‘secret wisdom.’ “In each of the four Gospels there are many things thought out and based on great knowledge and deep understanding of the human soul. They were written consciously for a definite purpose by men who knew more than they wrote. The Gospels tell us in a direct and exact way of the existence of esoteric thought, and they are in themselves one of the chief literary evidences of the existence of this thought.” According to Ouspensky, the Gospels constitute an esoteric document which can only be fully appreciated and understood by the initiated. “The four Gospels are written for the few, for the very few, for the people of esoteric schools. However intelligent and educated in the ordinary sense a man may be, he will not understand the Gospels without special indications and with-out special esoteric knowledge.” The New Testament is a very strange book. It is written for those who already have a certain degree of understanding, for those who possess a key. It is a great mistake to think that the New Testament is a simple book, and that it is intelligible to the simple and humble. It is impossible to read it simply just as it is impossible to read simply a book of mathematics, full of formulae, special expressions, open and hidden references to mathematical literature, allusions to different theories known only to the ‘initiated,’ and so on. At the same time there are in the New Testament a number of passages which can be understood emotionally, that is, which can produce a certain emotional impression, different for different people, or even for the same man at different moments of his life. But it is certainly wrong to think that these emotional impressions exhaust the whole content of the Gospels. Every phrase, every word, contains hidden ideas, and it is only when one begins to bring these hidden ideas to light, that the power of this book and its influence on people, which has lasted for two thousand years, becomes clear. (9) Our contemporary understanding of Jesus and his way of teaching through stories, parables and sayings was greatly enhanced by the discovery of the previously unknown document The Gospel of Thomas (10) discovered in 1945 near Nag Hammadi in Upper Egypt. Many of the sayings and parables of the text are concerned with man and his Origin and possible return to it: Here we have a collection of oral teachings of Jesus, sayings and parables, both known and unknown, together with interesting variants of familiar ones. It is very probable that these ‘sayings’ of Thomas were likely the ‘oracles’ of Matthew and other early Christian teaching texts that have been lost. The Gospel of Thomas is simply and wholly concerned with the presentation of teaching statements by Jesus, introduced every time with the words ‘Jesus said.’ There is no narrative. There is 5

no mention of his birth, the external incidents of his life, the miracles, nor of his ‘death.’ There are no ‘apocalyptic’ statements nor any mention of a ‘second coming.’ The gospel is in no way concerned with events in time. It is concerned solely with entry into eternity or eternal life. ‘Whoever finds the meaning of these words will not taste death.’ Eternal is of course a qualitative concept. It refers to intensity rather than extensity, being rather than surviving, consciousness rather than continuity. Eternal life is thus synonymous with the kingdom of heaven. (11) One of the most important teaching methods employed by Jesus was the parable, a form that could be transmitted through the ages with minimal distortion. “Sayings and parables are the underlying common core of the Gospels. This was the original prime material around which the Gospel writers composed their various texts: If the objective of the School of Jesus was entry into the Kingdom of Heaven, then the parables can be regarded as ‘keys’ to the Kingdom, but keys that could only be ‘turned’ in the totality of the teaching. Many of the parables do, of course, refer to the kingdom quite explicitly, beginning for example with ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed’ or ‘The kingdom is like leaven.’ These are not ‘comparisons,’ but immediate and active symbolic agents of transformation which in some mysterious way emit an impulse which carries you t ow ards the kingdom. The parable is thus a symbolic organism spiritually imbued with something of the texture of the kingdom itself. It is a living ladder, let down from above, drawing us up. The parable of the mustard seed is the mustard seed. It makes us grow through its intrinsic power of growth. And in the parable of the leaven (hidden in the dough) is that very leaven. Thomas Merton grasped something of this action when he said: “The true symbol does not merely point to something else. It contains in itself a ‘something’ which awakens our consciousness to an awareness of the inner meaning of life and of reality itself.” (12) The stories and parables in the New (and Old) Testament have different levels of meaning, from the literal to the higher esoteric interpretation. In The New M an , Maurice Nicoll describes the way in which these teaching forms convey both an outer and inner meaning to the listener or reader: All sacred writings contain an outer and an inner meaning. Behind the literal words lies another range of meaning, another form of knowledge. There are many stories in the Old Testament which convey another knowledge, a meaning quite different from the literal sense of the words. The story of the Ark, the story of the tower of Babel, the story of Jacob and Esau and the mess of pottage, and many others, contain an inner psychological meaning far removed from their literal level of meaning. And in the Gospels the parable is used in a similar way. Many parables are used in the Gospels. As they stand, taken in the literal meaning of the words, they refer apparently to vineyards, to householders, to stewards, to spendthrift sons, to oil, to water and wine, to seeds and sowers and soil, and many other things. This 6

is their literal level of meaning. The language of parables is difficult to understand just as is, in general, the language of all sacred writings . . . The idea behind all sacred writing is to convey a higher meaning than the literal words contain, the truth of which must be seen by Man int ernally. This higher, concealed, inner, or esoteric, meaning, cast in the words and sense-images of ordinary usage can only be grasped by the understanding. (13) During his life many miracles were attributed to Jesus, especially apparent healing miracles. Although the inner developmental function of these miraculous events are of greater import than their outer manifestation and effect on observers, the multi-dimensional impact truly defines its comprehensive nature. “Though the real operation of a teaching miracle is at a deeper level, it is likely that the element of wonder or astonishment involved is also there to play a role in the total event.” Teaching masters like Jesus perform the trans-dimensional actions called ‘miracles’ to communicate an inner developmental impact to the deepest self of a pupil or other witnesses which will vary according to the receiver’s state. As such, miracles are in fact parabolic actions. Their purpose is transformative. From this point of view the turning of water into wine by Jesus at Cana (John 2: 1-10) is a miracle about miracles, telling us something of the essential nature of all of his miracles: they are all about changing ‘water’ into ‘wine’ – the alchemical transformation, the refinement of consciousness, wine being a symbol for spiritual essence. Thus ‘walking on water’ is only superficially a demonstration of overcoming the laws of nature. Its primary significance is undoubtedly as a teaching action, an inner communication from master to pupils regarding their need to walk on their own waters, and capacity to still their own inner storms. One can be sure, too, that in some way the ‘feeding of the five thousand’ (Matthew 15: 32-39) represents not merely the miraculous distribution of ordinary food to the disciples and others present that day in the ‘wilderness,’ but also the parallel transmission of spiritual sustenance. There is always more to the miracle than meets the eye. (14)

Esoteric Christianity

Every religion contains both an exoteric and an esoteric component. The outer or exoteric element tells the practitioner w hat to do in terms of practices and behaviours, while the inner or esoteric teaching shows how to carry out the admonitions of the religion. Gurdjieff made this distinction between the two levels very clear in talks with his students: “A Christian is not a man who calls himself a Christian or whom others call a Christian. A Christian is one who lives in accordance with Christ’s precepts. Christ says: ‘Love your enemies,’ but how can we love our enemies when we cannot even love our friends.”

7

Religion is doing; a man does not merely t hink his religion or feel it, he lives his religion as much as he is able, otherwise it is not religion, but fantasy or philosophy. Whether he likes it or not he shows his attitude toward religion by his actions and he can show his attitude only by his act ions. Therefore if his actions are opposed to those which are demanded by a given religion he cannot assert that he belongs to that religion. The vast majority of people who call themselves Christians have no right whatever to do so, because they not only fail to carry out the demands of their religion but they do not even think that these demands ought to be carried out. No one has a right to call himself a Christian who does not carry out Christ’s precepts. In order to be a Christian it is necessary not only to desire, but t o be able, to be one. (15) In the first three centuries following the death of Jesus, his teachings spread throughout the Middle East to Europe and as far as India and China. Early Christianity flourished as the esoteric element was nourished by those who perceived and realized the inner transformative nature of what Jesus taught his disciples. However, over time, distortions and misinterpretations of the original teaching gradually emerged and the external religious form of Christianity began to follow the inevitable laws of birth, development and decline that mark the stages of any earthly organization. Ouspensky and others have argued that the organized Christian church did not faithfully represent the original esoteric teachings of Jesus: “The New Testament and Christian teachings cannot be taken as one whole. It must be remembered that later cults deviate very sharply from the fundamental teachings of Christ himself, w hich in t he first place w as never a cult .” A critical turning point in the history of Christianity occurred in Rome in 325 A.D. when the Emperor Constantine convened the Council of Nicaea in which both state and church were represented. Unfortunately, the result of this gathering was a hardening of dogma, resistance to change and the exclusion of esoteric ideas and practices. “The deviation of Christianity from the rest of human religion was the result of a deliberate choice – the decision to regard the events of the life and death of Christ as unique, not as part of a continuous process. It must clearly be remembered that the versions of Christianity most generally available are those which have prevailed, being most successful, not necessarily the most accurate, historically or otherwise.” One of the consequences of this fossilization was that the early Church Fathers disregarded the importance of special techniques and exercises to develop consciousness. Also ignored was one of the essential cosmological principles of esoteric Christianity: the universe consists of a spectrum of Being reflecting a continuum of matter and spirit. Even the validity of the Gospels has been challenged. The text may have been corrupted, in transcription in the early centuries and later in translation, so that the original authentic text has not been preserved. Ouspensky questions the generally-held belief that they were entirely composed by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John: “It is very probable that the Gospels appeared as the result of the joint work of many

8

persons, who perhaps collected manuscripts, which circulated among followers of the apostles and contained records of the miraculous events which had occurred in Judea.” The formal structure of the early Christian church, which was established long after the death of Jesus and his disciples, only partially reflected the inner teachings of the Master: He and his disciples did not of course call the teaching ‘Christianity’ – a term which first appeared many years later – but referred to it as ‘the way’ to express simultaneously the concept of a journey to be travelled or path to be followed, and a method by which something is to be done. It was not until A.D. 45, when Paul and Barnabas were on a mission to Antioch, that the term ‘Christian’ was first coined . . . It is unlikely that the term was ever accepted by the inner group of disciples, under James’s leadership, at Jerusalem. This was the centre. Here were the authentic representatives, the true continuers of the teaching. Compared to them, the original twelve, Paul was a newcomer at the periphery, and not a disciple in the real sense. With regard to the term ‘Christianity’ it is nowhere to be found in New Testament literature . . . It tends to imply a completed and static body of doctrine, while the concept ‘way’ expresses a dynamic current of activity in a cert ain direct ion . Which is why the original school of Jesus used this term to describe the special developmental education they were engaged upon. It was a way within the Way, the Ancient Path to Wisdom. For wisdom can only be an organic aspect of inner growth. Otherwise it cannot be ‘contained’ – as Jesus explains (John 16:12): ‘I have yet many things to say unto you but ye cannot contain them now.’ A new ‘receiving organ’ has to be developed. Which is why ‘No man putteth new wine into old bottles.’ (Mark 2:22). (16) As the Christian church became more rigid and institutionalized, it emphasized dogma and authority at the expense of a living teacher-student relationship as exemplified by the teaching role employed by Jesus with his disciples. The implications of this inflexible attitude were truly profound: “This, in turn, meant that the development of the personality and capacity of the teacher would have to be only within the narrow confines of doctrine. It would not be possible for a teacher to arise who might not accept the administrative and confessional doctrines which the organization monopolized. Such men, and women, would be heretics and there have indeed been many such in the Christian Church.” But the institutionalization of belief and practice, the interposition between man and the divine of a mechanism which administers, effectively if not in pretension the good which is to come and lays down the forms of behaviour, these things can be seen to have little connection with the simple faith and daily study of the disciples who studied under Jesus. Modern students have been forced to the conclusion that the whole apparatus of the Church (whether Christian or other) is a replacement of the institution of discipleship. Christianity, as we know it in action today, follows more the pattern of stylized religion, and the active transformation of mankind, starting with the individual and mediated by an enlightened figure, is 9

now to be seen by us only in glimpses in the Gospels and again in the traditional Teaching Ways which are anathema to the Church. The cause of this split between us and the rest of humanity, of course, can easily be traced to the decisions taken to unify and to monolithise the community of Believers into a Church which alone monopolized the sacraments and which alone claimed to have infallibility. (17) One of the principal lines of transmission of early esoteric Christianity was the school of the Gnost ics. The chief centres of the Gnostic brotherhoods between the first and fourth centuries A.D. were located in Egypt. They preserved the inner teachings of Jesus in their original form as they revealed the deepest mysteries of the spiritual world. In the second century A.D. one of the most important Gnostic teachers, Clement of Alexandria, taught that there were three stages of spiritual transformation: kat harsis (purification), t elet e (initiation) and epopt eia (direct vision). He referred to the ultimate state of direct spiritual perception and knowledge as gnosis and indicated that it could only be accessed through a process of initiation into the “mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven.” The teachings of the Gnostics spread beyond Egypt to neighbouring regions while continuing to embody the spirit of Jesus’ message of inner transformation and union with God: During the early centuries of the Christian era, a rich and strange profusion of Gnostic societies or schools mysteriously manifested and iridescently irrupted throughout the Near and Middle East. Those which have been called Christian Gnostics, claimed to possess a secret connection with the original teachings of Jesus and regarded themselves as the inheritors of an esoteric Christian tradition unknown by, and incomprehensible to, the orthodox . . . The Gnostics sought ‘Gnosis,’ which means ‘knowledge.’ This was not knowledge in the usual sense, but transcendental or mystical knowledge available only through spiritual illumination arrived at as a result of special effort and education. One would then become a ‘Knower,’ possessed of a permanent state of knowing, a higher level of perception, and thus be able to fully and consciously participate in the life of the Universe. This was the Gnostic quest. (18) The Gnostics taught that in order to reach the goal of gnosis or personal mystical experience, certain aspects of the aspirant’s mind must be developed and refined in order to liberate the full spiritual potential hidden in the depths of human consciousness. “The Gnostic claims that within every man and woman there is an unfulfilled urge which cannot be given proper expression in the normal way because there is no social means by which it can be fulfilled.” Gnostic practices centered around discipleship, purification of the lower self or ego and the attainment of divine illumination. The Gnostics also believed that “after death man will rejoin that from which he has been severed, and will be unified with those whom he loves.” The Gnostics did not confine their studies, or their teachings, to any one religion, but borrowed illustrations from all that were accessible to them. The main teach10

ing states that there is a supreme being or power which is invisible and has no perceptible form. This power is the one which can be contacted by mankind, and it is through it that man can control himself and work out his destiny. The various religious teachers throughout the ages, putting their creeds in many different ways, were in contact with this power, and their religions all contain a more or less hidden kernel of initiation. This is the secret which the Knowers can communicate to their disciples. But the secret can be acquired only through exercising the mind and body, until the terrestrial man is so refined as to be able to become a vehicle for the use of this power. Eventually the initiate becomes identified with the power, and in the end he attains his true destiny as a purified personality. (19) In their psychological teachings the Gnostics preserved fundamental transformational ideas such as ‘humanity is asleep,’ ‘know thyself,’ ‘human completion and perfection’ and ‘returning to the Source.’ They also taught that “the great Universe, visible and invisible, was created by a Supreme Being who is Alone, Ineffable, Beyond, Above, and yet mysteriously Within, all His Creation.” The cosmological teachings of the Gnostics envisioned Creation as a process of the descent of spirit into matter with the possibility of return to the spiritual light (the ‘Great Work’). “From the high world of Light the soul was lowered. Down, down, down through Aeon after Aeon it descended, until at last it reached this planet or plane, this vale of Forgetting, where it forgot, or only dimly remembered, its high Origin, the Light Kingdom from which it had been exiled.” From on high, this Most Mysterious Being creates in a downward flow of emanation an ever-descending succession of worlds or levels of being, each emerging from the one above and within it, in a cascading gradient of consciousness and life, from the finest of the fine to the most material at the lowest end of the spectrum. The world closest to the Creator was called by the Gnostics the ‘Light Kingdom’ or ‘Kingdom of Light,’ wherein dwelt beings of the very highest subtlety of consciousness. Below this realm was a descending sequence of ‘Aeons’ or planes of being and intelligence in the downward Chain of worlds. Humanity occupied a world or level four stages above the lowest, and just below ‘The Lower Firmament.’ This was, however, not the true and ‘rightful’ domain of the human soul or ‘pneuma,’ which in some way had fallen from a very much higher realm into a world where it did not really belong. Man was thus a ‘stranger’ here. His origin was elsewhere, and to it he must return. (20) Eventually, and perhaps inevitably, the Gnostics came in conflict with the orthodox religious authorities. Over time, the Christian church had ceased to be the religion of Divine Love (“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy mind and with all thy strength and thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”) and became prey to the twin evils of power and persecution. “The Gnostic societies undoubtedly constituted a very serious challenge to the authority that the orthodox Church assumed, and a major threat to its identity and self-image.” The Gnostics then became a target of their wrath: 11

The Gnostics were ardent lovers of Jesus and had no doubt of his Divine Mission. It is not easy to see why they should have been so relentlessly combated and finally suppressed by the orthodox church unless they possessed secrets that might have undermined the doctrines about the nature of Christ and the Deity that were the pretext for the power-seeking adventures of the bishops who surrounded the Roman emperors from Constantine to Justinian. This suspicion is strengthened by the zeal with which the sacred books of the Gnostics were sought out and destroyed. (21) Another strain of mystical Christianity developed in Ireland in the fifth century A.D. through the work of St. Patrick, a Christian missionary and bishop: The Irish reacted to the impulse of Christianity as no other nation did. They reverenced religion but they loved life. They also respected learning. They already possessed a wisdom tradition from their own Eastern ancestry and it had been carefully preserved in their initiate system. Their allamhs, or bards, were also healers, whose methods and training are astonishingly paralleled by Sufic methods in use at the present time. When the Irish accepted Christianity they did so on their own terms; which was to deny any conflict between the love of learning and the love of God. By the 6th century, Irish learning was famous and scholars were being drawn to Ireland from the fringes of Europe . . . The Irish Church preserved pagan literature because it valued knowledge. It read pagan poetry side by side with the Christian Gospels. When it copied the Gospels, its monks were inspired by more than devotion and skill or even love of the message they were transcribing. In the Book of Kells, from a monastery in Ireland, and in the Lindisfarne Gospels, from a monastery off the Northumbrian coast, there seems to be illumination at more than manuscript level. The works suggest inner illumination – both light and joy. (22) It is apparent that Celtic Christianity derived much of its vision and potency from its spiritual inheritance from the ancient Druids. They also preserved the legends and poetry of early European traditions. This gave them an ability to bridge cultures and share knowledge with other nations: “The Celtic Church acted as a magnet to minds that sensed something defective in the official presentation of Christianity and the magnet caused a two-way flux from Europe to Ireland and from Ireland back to Europe.” Many of the early schools of esoteric Christianity were generally able to function openly until the beginning of the Dark Ages, when they were forced to change their outer expression to selfsufficient monastic orders to escape from the chaos and disorder of the times and safeguard their knowledge. Five hundred years later Medieval Christianity emerged, centered in France at the Abbey Church of Cluny: The Abbey was founded in 910 by twelve monks from Monte Cassino and from this peaceful retreat in strife-torn France an extraordinary influence spread. Within a century the Cluniacs had gained control of a thousand square miles of surrounding country and were establishing the rule of law and order where there had been 12

little or none for five centuries. By 1095 a great new building in a strange and wholly unfamiliar style was ready to be consecrated – the Abbey Church of Cluny. In it was encapsulated all the Gothic cathedrals to come. In each of these there was a suggestion of a whole unseen cosmology; each an encyclopedia in stone, containing, for those who could read, so tradition has it, a summary of the Plan and Purpose of evolution. Conceived in an ecclesiastical body, the Medieval Christian culture was nevertheless designed for a new and different kind of expression. Although it was conceived by conscious men who were deeply committed to a religious expression of the Great Work, the Medieval Christian culture depended for its execution on exponents who were not churchmen at all, but craftsmen. (23) The Clunic Church also expanded the paths of holy pilgrimage joining Rome to Canterbury to Compostela as an ‘instrument’ to broaden the minds of the pilgrims, shape their experience and nourish their spirit. At its peak of influence the Church spanned Europe from Portugal to Poland. The Church of Cluny was the prototype for the great Gothic cathedrals that followed, and around 1125 A.D. the various esoteric schools associated with the cathedrals were formally consolidated. Each school was a specialized centre of esoteric learning: Rheims for music, Mont St. Michel for astronomy and Chartres for multiple integrated studies. One significant effect of the cathedral schools was their profound influence on the surrounding culture: About the effects of these schools which at the beginning of the 12th century designed the Gothic Cathedrals and remodelled medieval society and custom from top to bottom, we have perhaps most material of all. Everywhere we see their influence; in architecture, music, art, in the ritual of the church, in the spread of political peace, in the right organization of castes and guilds, even in a popular wisdom of legends and proverbs. Upon the stability so created Europe continued to exist into living memory. Hardly any other esoteric current in history created such profound and lasting effect. (24) Almost nothing is known of those who designed and constructed the Gothic cathedrals. The architects and craftsmen were virtually all anonymous. What is certain is that these individuals possessed esoteric knowledge of a very high order: “Certain of the Gothic cathedrals are complete models of the universe. The cathedrals, directly or indirectly, were designed by men who belonged to schools for the achievement of higher states of consciousness.” Many who have carefully studied the Gothic cathedrals, including Ouspensky and his student Rodney Collin, believe that their primary purpose was to preserve and transmit “the ideas of t rue Christ ianit y, that is of true religion or true knowledge.” The designs of the cathedrals were very complex and symbolically encoded ideas and knowledge from many disparate fields of study, including human physiology and evolution, mathematics and astronomy: It is known that there existed Schools of Builders. Of course they had to exist, for every master worked and ordinarily lived with his pupils. In this way painters worked, in this way sculptors worked. In this way, naturally, architects worked. But behind 13

these individual schools stood other institutions of very complex origin. And these were not merely architectural schools or schools of masons. The building of cathedrals was part of a colossal and cleverly devised plan which permitted the existence of entirely free philosophical and psychological schools in the rude, absurd, cruel, superstitious, bigoted and scholastic Middle Ages . . . There was then found or, to speak more accurately, creat ed , for this knowledge a new and convenient refuge. Knowledge left the monasteries and passed into Schools of Builders, and Schools of Masons. The style later called “Gothic,” of which the characteristic feature was the pointed arch, was accepted as the distinctive sign of the schools. The schools within presented a complex organization and were divided into different degrees; this means that in every “school of masons” where all the sciences necessary for architects were taught there were inner schools in which the true meaning of religious allegories and symbols was explained and in which was studied “esoteric philosophy” or the science of t he relat ions bet w een God, man and t he universe. (25) A number of remarkable individuals possessing deep mystical insight also emerged during this period in Europe. Each was destined to have a significant effect on the spiritual aspirations of humanity that has lasted to this day. St. Francis of Assisi (1182 - 1226) is one of the most revered religious figures of history. He celebrated poverty and lived a simple, unpretentious lifestyle. Francis believed that nature was the mirror of God and he was known as the patron saint of animals. He even preached to birds, talked to wolves and had an uncanny effect on all living creatures. According to one story, when travelling with some companions, he came upon a grove of trees filled with birds. Stopping, he told his companions “to wait while I preach to my sisters, the birds.” The birds surrounded him, mesmerized by the power of his voice and not one of them flew away. In the early 13th century in Italy St. Francis founded the Franciscan Order of monks, which was based on a more universal understanding of the teachings of Christ. Idries Shah has identified numerous correspondences between this Order and traditional Sufi beliefs and practices: The atmosphere and setting of the Franciscan Order is closer to a dervish organization than anything else. Apart from the tales about St. Francis which are held in common with Sufi teachers, all kinds of points coincide. The special methodology of what Francis calls “holy prayer” indicates an affinity with the dervish “remembering,” quite apart from the whirling. The dress of the Order, with its hooded cloak and wide sleeves, is that of the dervishes of Morocco and Spain. Like the Sufi teacher Attar, Francis exchanged his garb with a mendicant. He saw a seraph with six wings, an allegory used by Sufis to convey the formula of the bismillah . And he threw away spiked crosses which were worn for purposes of self-mortification by many of his monks . . . Francis refused to become a priest. Like the Sufis, he enrolled into his teaching laymen, and again like the Sufis but unlike the Church, he sought to spread the movement among all people, in some form of affiliation. This was “the first re14

appearance in the Church, since its full hierarchical establishment, of the democratic element – the Christian people, as distinguished from the simple sheep to be fed, and souls to be ruled.” The striking thing about the rules laid down by Francis was that, like the Sufis and unlike the ordinary Christians, his followers were not to think first of their own salvation. This principle is stressed again and again among the Sufis, who consider regard for personal salvation to be an expression of vanity. (26) Thomas Aquinas (1225 - 1274) was an Italian Dominican friar and priest who was honoured as a saint by the Catholic Church. During his lifetime he was a very influential philosopher and scholar who significantly impacted Western thought in the fields of ethics and metaphysics. Aquinas was considered an expert of natural reason and speculative philosophy and his commentaries on Aristotle’s works are highly regarded. “He blended Greek philosophy and Christian doctrine by suggesting that rational thinking and the study of nature, like revelation, were valid ways to understand truths pertaining to God. According to Thomas, God reveals Himself through nature, so to study nature is to study God.” His major contribution to medieval Christianity was to reinstate reason as a legitimate component of religious faith. One of his teachers was the alchemist Albertus Magnus, who taught that alchemical transmutation was a disguised reference to the process of spiritual transformation. He also experienced visions and was even said by some to have the ability to levitate. There are suggestions that he was connected in some way with esoteric schools of inner development: One of Thomas’s aims was to correlate all known learning of his day. Reason and faith, he claimed, were both concerned with the same object. The former starts with sense-data and attains to a knowledge of the existence, goodness and will of God. The latter rests on revelation. Each requires to take into account the knowledge arrived at by the other . . . Both Albertus and Thomas Aquinas knew, because of their contact with a genuine esoteric source, that “known” truth and theological dogma need not, by any means, coincide. They were probably engaged in trying to reintroduce the original developmental force of Christianity, while gently diluting the organizational accretions which had all but smothered it. They tried, as a beginning, to show that rationalism and intuitive insights could be harmonised with theology. (27) Meister Eckhart (1260 - 1328) was born in Germany and at an early age joined the Dominicans where he studied scripture and practised religious rites. He had a number of personal mystical experiences which shaped his spiritual life and gave him his own voice to expound the truths of Christianity through the lens of mystical understanding. His sermons were venerated and many were recorded for posterity: “When I preach I usually speak of detachment and say that a man should be empty of self and all things, and secondly that he should be reconstituted in the simple good that God is, so that finally he may attain the purity of the divine nature.” His most famous single quote is: “The Eye with which I see God is the same Eye with which God sees me.”

15

His teachings were rediscovered in the 19th century and strongly influenced Schopenhauer and the Theosophical Society. They have also been compared to Buddhism, especially Zen, and Advaita Vedanta. Eckhart propounded and exemplified a timeless spirituality of nondualism and religious inclusivity: It was in his doctrines of God that he went beyond the tolerance of his time and perhaps beyond the capacity of ours. What he knew of himself, and through himself of all people in all times, and therefore what he discovered about God – this was the gift he wished to give and did give most richly. Certainly he lifted Christianity above any parochial conception and revealed its inner relation to the great, universal spiritual movements which have found expression in many forms. He lived on that high level, on the same highlands of the spirit that were disclosed in the Upanishads and Sufi classics. To go where Eckhart went is to come close to Lao Tzu and Buddha, and certainly to Jesus Christ. (28) In the Late Middle Ages a new cultural revolution, the Renaissance, emerged in Europe. Initially centered in Florence, Italy, it quickly spread throughout Europe. A number of major accomplishments were associated with the Renaissance: • • • • • • •

Invention of the printing press with movable type Birth of the scientific method based on observation and experimentation Maturation of the sciences of botany, anatomy and medicine Advent of humanism reflecting the principles of reasoning and empirical evidence New advances in architectural design and construction Development of realism and perspective in painting Emergence of the “Renaissance Man” personified by polymaths such as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo

The Renaissance also heralded a new transformational impulse. It was less overtly religious and philosophical in its expression of universal spiritual truths and more artistic and intellectual: It was the milieu of an intelligentsia. Cosimo de Medici becomes the central magnet to which all that is new is attracted. He founds the first public library in Europe. The best of the past is salvaged from Constantinople. Florence becomes the epicentre of Europe. Everything seems to be in a process of remaking around a “court” of sensitive intellectuals. We see Donatello, Ghiberti, Botticelli, Mirandola and Alberti, each supremely qualified in his own sphere and a strange breed of hyperspecialists like Michelangelo and da Vinci, who are supremely qualified not in any one branch of human capacity but in nearly all. The glimpse is of the uomo universal , the W elt mensch . Pythagoras and Thales are re-echoed on a new turn of the spiral. And how far, this time, the waves spread. Out of Florence come Queens, Cambridge, Magdalen, Oxford, Glasgow University, the voyages of Columbus, the conquest of Mexico, modern astronomy, the English Renaissance, the Encyclopae-

16

dias and finally, universal education. The modern world was born into Florence about 1450; its signature printing, painting and education. (29) Rodney Collin has summarized the sequence of esoterically influenced European civilizations and their major contributions to the evolution of human experience and possibilities. (30): Civilization

Transmission of Ideas

Monument

Greek Roman Primitive Christian Monastic Christian Medieval Christian Renaissance

Drama, music Code of laws Preaching Illuminated manuscripts Ritual, sculpture Printed books, painting

Temple, theatre Roads, aqueducts The New Testament Monastery, abbey Cathedral, church University, school

Each civilization built upon the foundation and bestowal of its predecessors and then gave expression to its own unique spiritual signature. In turn, they prepared the soil for the future germination and infusion of esoteric ideas and practices in a form suitable for the needs of a particular ‘time, place and people.’

References

(1) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of t he M iraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), pp. 302-303. (2) Max Gorman Jesus t he Sufi: The Lost Dimension of Christ ianit y (Bath, England: Crucible Publishers, 2007), pp. 84-85. (3) John G. Bennett The M ast ers of W isdom (Santa Fe: Bennett Books, 1995), p. 53. (4) Max Gorman Jesus t he Sufi: The Lost Dimension of Christ ianit y (Bath, England: Crucible Publishers, 2007), p. 11. (5) Max Gorman Jesus t he Sufi: The Lost Dimension of Christ ianit y (Bath, England: Crucible Publishers, 2007), p. 20. (6) Max Gorman Jesus t he Sufi: The Lost Dimension of Christ ianit y (Bath, England: Crucible Publishers, 2007), p. 34. (7) John G. Bennett The M ast ers of W isdom (Santa Fe: Bennett Books, 1995), p. 59. (8) John G. Bennett The M ast ers of W isdom (Santa Fe: Bennett Books, 1995), p. 55. (9) P.D. Ouspensky A New M odel of t he Universe (New York: Vintage Books, 1971), pp. 132133. (10) Marvin Meyer The Gospel of Thomas: The Hidden Sayings of Jesus (New York: HarperOne, 2004). (11) Max Gorman Jesus t he Sufi: The Lost Dimension of Christ ianit y (Bath, England: Crucible Publishers, 2007), p. 78. (12) Max Gorman Jesus t he Sufi: The Lost Dimension of Christ ianit y (Bath, England: Crucible Publishers, 2007), p. 58.

17

(13) Maurice Nicoll The New M an (Baltimore: Penguin Books, 1973), pp. 1-2. (14) Max Gorman Jesus t he Sufi: The Lost Dimension of Christ ianit y (Bath, England: Crucible Publishers, 2007), pp. 98-99. (15) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of t he M iraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), pp. 299-300. (16) Max Gorman Jesus t he Sufi: The Lost Dimension of Christ ianit y (Bath, England: Crucible Publishers, 2007), pp. 29-30. (17) Father F.X. O’Halloran “A Catholic Among the Sufis” in N.P. Archer (ed.) The Sufi M yst ery (London: Octagon Press, 1980), p. 20. (18) Max Gorman Jesus t he Sufi: The Lost Dimension of Christ ianit y (Bath, England: Crucible Publishers, 2007), p. 41. (19) Arkon Daraul Secret Societ ies (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 82. (20) Max Gorman Jesus t he Sufi: The Lost Dimension of Christ ianit y (Bath, England: Crucible Publishers, 2007), p. 46. (21) John G. Bennett The M ast ers of W isdom (Santa Fe: Bennett Books, 1995), p. 76. (22) Ernest Scott The People of t he Secret (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 54-55. (23) Ernest Scott The People of t he Secret (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 32. (24) Rodney Collin The Theory of Celest ial Influence (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1973), p. 317. (25) P.D. Ouspensky A New M odel of t he Universe (New York: Vintage Books, 1971), pp. 306307. (26) Idries Shah The Sufis (London: Octagon Press, 1984), pp. 233-234. (27) Ernest Scott The People of t he Secret (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 116-118. (28) Raymond B. Blakeney M eist er Eckhart (New York: Harper & Row, 1941), p. xiv. (29) Ernest Scott The People of t he Secret (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 35. (30) Rodney Collin The Theory of Celest ial Influence (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1973), p. 254.

18

W ESTERN AND EASTERN ESOTERICISM Timeless Tradition of W isdom

Throughout history and across cultures men and women have reported similar mystical states of higher perception and understanding that transcend our normal states of consciousness: If we try to compare descriptions of the mystical experiences of people of entirely different races, different periods and different religions, we shall find a striking resemblance among these descriptions, which can in no case be explained by similarity of preparation or by resemblance in ways of thinking and feeling. In mystical states utterly different people in utterly different conditions learn one and the same thing and, what is still more striking, in mystical states there is no difference of religions. All the experiences are absolutely identical; the difference can only be in the language and form of the description. In the mysticism of different countries and different peoples the same images, the same discoveries, are invariably repeated . . . In relation to the idea of hidden knowledge mysticism can be regarded as a breaking through of hidden knowledge into our consciousness. This does not however mean that all mystics invariably recognize the existence of hidden knowledge and the possibility of acquiring it through study and work. For many mystics their experiences are an act of grace, a gift of God, and from their point of view no knowledge can ever lead people to this grace or make the acquisition of it easier. (1) The mystical current can be contacted by either a descending flow of higher energy (grace) or an ascending force (conscious effort). Paradoxically, these two possibilities are complementary in their action: “From one point of view, mysticism could not exist without hidden knowledge, and the ideas of hidden knowledge would not be known without mysticism.” In virtually every civilization and culture of the world, both past and present, there are hints and indications of a secret knowledge of inner development. “The idea of hidden knowledge and the possibility of finding it after a long and arduous search is the content of the legend of the Holy Grail. Many tales and myths, such as those of the Golden Fleece and Aladdin’s Lamp, and those about secret riches and treasures guarded by dragons, serve to express the relation of man to hidden knowledge. The ‘Philosopher’s Stone’ of alchemists also symbolizes hidden knowledge.” The idea of a knowledge which surpasses all ordinary human knowledge, and is inaccessible to ordinary people, but which exists somewhere and belongs to somebody, permeates the whole history of the thought of mankind from the most remote periods. And according to certain memorials of the past a knowledge quite different from ours formed the essence and content of human thought at those times when, according to other opinions, man differed very little, or did not differ at all, from the 1

animals . . . It must, however, be noted that all religions, all myths, all beliefs, all popular heroic legends of all peoples and all countries are based on the recognition of the existence sometime and somewhere of a knowledge far superior to the knowledge which we possess or can possess. And to a considerable degree the content of all religions and myths consists of symbolic forms which represent attempts to transmit the idea of this hidden knowledge. (2) The word “esoteric” is derived from the Greek esot eros which means “inner.” It refers to that which is hidden or secret, ‘veiled’ by coarser, outer, or “exoteric” impacts and perceptions. “From the developmental point of view, ‘inner’ means guidance, growth and work related to inner perception. Inner also means hidden, not necessarily deliberately, but because of its very nat ure – being accessible only to the inner faculties, and, by virtue of such nature, out of sight and thus inaccessible to outer or exoteric perception.” The work of esoteric schools is sometimes referred to as the ‘Initiatory Way’ or ‘Great Work.’ The practice or process known as ‘initiation’ is of common, central significance to all mystical schools and nothing is more surrounded by mystery, secrecy and misunderstanding. Initiation implies an inner human change that is ‘secret’ or esoteric by virtue of its very nature. The ‘secret’ of transformation cannot be told. It can only be experienced. There is no such thing as instantaneous initiation. It is always and only the result of long work on oneself, together with special help – the help of the ‘initiator.’ This is the superior being or teacher responsible, who not only guides the student or seeker in all manner of ways, empowering him or her to follow the path by virtue of a special power he possesses, but actually also elevates the seeker’s very being and consciousness by some kind of direct spiritual transmission. (3) For tens of thousands of years esoteric knowledge has been accumulated, preserved and transmitted from generation to generation by small circles of initiates. Traditionally, the four major vehicles for the dissemination of esoteric ideas were religion, philosophy, science and art. There were historical periods in ancient Egypt, Greece and India when the four ways constituted one unified whole: According to tradition, the following historical personages belong to esoteric schools: Moses, Gautama the Buddha, John the Baptist, Jesus Christ, Pythagoras, Socrates and Plato; also the more mythical – Orpheus, Hermes Trismegistus, Krishna, Rama and certain other prophets and teachers of mankind. To esoteric schools belonged also the builders of the Pyramids and the Sphinx; the priests of the Mysteries in Egypt and Greece; many artists in Egypt and other ancient cultures; alchemists; the architects who built the medieval Gothic cathedrals; the founders of certain schools and orders of Sufis and dervishes; and also certain persons who appeared in history for brief moments and remain historical riddles. (4)

2

The meaning of the term “esoteric” is often misunderstood by the general populace and the uninitiated based on their uninformed preconceptions and opinions. “Esoteric schools have, on the whole, through the course of human history and depending on the nature of their cultural contexts, been secret in the usual sense. The main reason for this secrecy is protection.” Such secrecy was deemed necessary due to two main factors: Firstly, it may be necessary to keep secret the nature or very existence of such a school in order to protect it from a surrounding culture which would normally be hostile to it through fear, ignorance and suspicion; in particular when a society contained a hierarchy or hierarchies which would regard the esoteric organization as a threat to their power, image and identity. Catholic Christendom presented just such a hostile environment to esoteric activity in Europe for many centuries. And there have been many other societies of this kind, religious or secular, throughout history. If it is accepted that an inner school could be engaged upon work of importance to humanity and perhaps beyond it, it is obvious that it may be obliged to protect itself in this way – for the good of all! Secondly, certain knowledge possessed by the esoteric schools may have to be kept secret by its members from outsiders for the simple reason that it could be wrongly or dangerously used if it was acquired by the wrong people with a wrong motive. Such misuse of the school’s knowledge could also interfere with the work of the school itself, which is always a highly sensitive operation. (5)

W estern Esotericism

Western Mystery schools were the direct descendants of the ancient Egyptian and Greek Mysteries. The Eleusinian Mysteries of Greece are perhaps the best known of the historical esoteric schools, and include among their initiates Socrates and Plato. Their influence manifested in the extraordinary variety of creative expression in Greek art, architecture, sculpture, music and philosophy. “Behind this diversity we sense one informing source, some hidden centre of vitality which is suggested but never revealed by the strange role of the Eleusinian Mysteries.” At the heart of many an ancient culture, in its most mysterious centre, was the Mystery Cult. This was its hidden house of power whose rays influenced and infused its art and thought, informing and shaping the surrounding cultural environment in ways unknown and unseen by the vast majority of its own inhabitants, and even less suspected by the remote researcher of today . . . In addition to the Eleusinian Mysteries there were a number of other Mystery Schools ranged like a chain of hidden fires secretly burning across the breadth of the ancient world. There were the Orphic Mysteries, the Phrygian Mysteries, the Mysteries of Samothrace, the Chaldean and Assyrian Mysteries, and the Mysteries of Mithras, whose centres spread from their origin in Persia to Babylonia, Greece and Rome. But the

3

oldest and probably the parent school of them all was the Egyptian Mystery Cult of Isis, and there was a tradition that the centre at Eleusis was founded by a group of Egyptian priestesses, the legendary Danaii, who were initiates of the Temple of Isis. (6) In the Mystery schools the seeker was potentially ‘reborn’ into a deeper spiritual life and higher level of consciousness. The postulant who had been initiated into the Mysteries underwent a transformation of being that enabled him or her to activate latent inner perceptual abilities and understand esoteric truths. Many of these esoteric schools used the symbolism of the four elements – earth, water, air and fire – to describe the development of consciousness and being. The elements represent a succession of states of ever-increasing refinement from the relatively coarse condition of earth to the highest and subtlest state of fire. Other allegorical formulations were also employed to guide the aspirant in the journey to spiritual awakening: “The letters of the Hebrew alphabet and various allegories in the Cabala; the names of metals, acids and salts in alchemy; the names of planets and constellations in astrology; the names of good and evil spirits in magic – all these were but a conventional hidden language for psychological ideas.” The true essence of Hermetic sciences was therefore hidden beneath the symbols of Alchemy, Astrology, the Cabala and Magic. Of these, alchemy took as its outer aim the preparation of gold, or the discovery of the elixir of life; Astrology and Cabala, divination; and Magic, the subjugation of spirits. But when the true alchemist spoke of the search for gold, he spoke of the search for gold in the soul of man. And when he spoke of the elixir of life, he spoke of the search for eternal life and the ways to immortality. In these cases he called “gold ” what in the Gospels is called the Kingdom of Heaven, and what in Buddhism is called Nirvana. When the true astrologer spoke of constellations and planets, he spoke of the constellations and planets in the soul of man, i.e. of the properties of the human soul and its relation to God and the world. When the true Cabalist spoke of the Name of God he searched for this name in the soul of man and in Nature, and not in dead books, not in the Biblical text, as did the scholastic Cabalists. When the true Magician spoke of the subjugation of “spirits,” elementals and the like to the will of man, he understood by this the subjugation to one single will of the different “I”s of man, his different desires and tendencies. The Cabala, Alchemy, Astrology and Magic are parallel symbolic systems of psychology and metaphysics. (7) Each of the great esoteric schools were united across time and culture by a common purpose and pattern of activities as they created suitable conditions for the work of inner growth and transformation: It appears that there was a communication and mutual understanding between the mystery schools of different cultures. They knew that they were all engaged in essentially the same activity, and recognised their inner identity. Their common 4

purpose was to provide, for those who truly sought it, access to a certain kind of esoteric education leading, through an ascending sequence of initiations, to the higher stages of consciousness possible for man. They shine across the ancient world, a constellation of centres for the cultivation of consciousness, offering ways of raising one’s being to those adventurers of the heart seeking a level of life beyond the dimensions of ordinary existence. The common aim of the mystery cults was that transformation of being which they called ‘rebirth’ or ‘resurrection,’ a state in which he or she who followed the initiatory path could ultimately be ‘reborn’ into a higher kind of life connected in some organic way with what could be called the ‘divine.’ (8) P.D. Ouspensky described the symbolic nature of certain parables and rituals employed by the Mystery Schools and their correspondence to the teachings of Christ: The “grain” played a very important part in the ancient Mysteries. The idea of the “burial” of the grain in the earth, its “death” and “resurrection” in the form of a green sprout symbolised the whole idea of the Mysteries . . . The grain allegorically represented “man.” In the Eleusinian Mysteries every candidate for initiation carried in a particular procession a grain of wheat in a tiny earthenware bowl. The secret that was revealed to a man at the initiation was contained in the idea that man could die simply as a grain, or could rise again into some other life. This was the principal idea of the Mysteries which was expressed by many different symbols. Christ often makes use of the same idea, and there is enormous power in it. The idea contains a biological explanation of the whole series of the intricate and complex problems of life. Nature is extraordinarily generous, almost lavish, in her methods. She creates an enormous quantity of seeds in order that a few of them only may germinate and carry life further. (9) Some commentators have suggested that for many seekers the initiation ceremonies embodied by the Mysteries were largely a conditioning and mind-manipulation process. “The historical evidence suggests that the devotees of the Mysteries were thoroughly conditioned to them and felt they were important in their lives. The real mystery of the Mysteries is how and when man first discovered the use of certain procedures to condition other men; and whether the discovery was instantaneous or gradual, or simultaneously or at different times and places.” There was something strange about the classical mysteries; something which attracted people to them and having attracted them made their initiates with few exceptions permanent devotees. In Egypt, Greece, India, Rome and a dozen other places and countries, sacred initiations took place in specially prepared sanctuaries. Priests of the mysteries enjoyed the profound respect of the masses; as well as that of kings and counselors . . . Initiation ceremonies of secret cults of the mystery-type invariably involve tests, sometimes most severe ones. The effect of certain experiences was a carefully worked programme of mind training which is familiar in modern times, as that which is employed by certain totalitarian states 5

to ‘condition’ or reshape the thinking of an individual. This process produces a state in which the mind is pliant enough to have certain ideas implanted; ideas which resist a great deal of counter-influence. This was the secret of the mysteries, this and nothing else. Echoes of such training are to be seen in the rituals of certain secret societies without mystical pretensions which survive to this day. That this fact was known in the past is evidenced by the words of Aristotle, who was exiled because he was said to have revealed something about the mysteries; and he said: “Those who are being initiated do not so much learn anything, as experience certain emotions, and are thrown into a special state of mind.” (10) Another important influence on early Western Esotericism was the Kabbalah (or Cabbala), one of the traditional forms for the transmission of Jewish mysticism. It also has affinities with the esoteric teachings of Gnosticism and Neo-platonism. The Kabbalah is essentially a model or “blueprint” of the relationship between an eternal, unchanging Absolute or Ground of Being (Ein Sof ) and the finite universe (the divine emanations of God’s creation). The origin of the Kabbalah is to some degree shrouded in mystery, but is usually traced to Old Testament times where it is linked with Abraham and Moses. It was then secretly passed down through the centuries: “It is believed that Jesus obtained it from some secret source which had preserved objective knowledge and that the survival of the Jews and their influence on the world derive from their mysterious inheritance of the Cabbala.” About the year 1000 the Cabbala became available in the West. There is no occult school, no mystic, no magician who has not been influenced by the Cabbala. It is the backdrop to every secret tradition in Europe. Its theory has influenced Western philosophy and its practice has been responsible for a whole range of mysterious people who flit in and out of history and folklore, all defying classification, but all causing a strange disturbing echo in the European subconscious . . . Modern Cabbalistic legend asserts that Abraham acquired a corpus of mysticism from Chaldea. When he arrived in Egypt he found that a similar but separate corpus already existed there, this deriving from the Egyptian archetype Hermes. Abraham’s arrival in Egypt meant the reuniting of two separate elements of an originally integral system of mysticism and magic. Moses is held to have been an Initiate of an Egyptian school which combined both traditions, and the first man to take the combined corpus into the world. Later, Moses committed to writing the relatively open and exoteric part of the combined lore. This is the Pentateuch, Genesis being the most arcane of the five “open” books. The truly secret part, concerned with the nature of the universe and the practical techniques of individual evolution, remained a wholly oral tradition confined to seventy elders. (11) The transmission of the Kabbalah through the ages was partly written and partly oral. One of the written forms which preserved the occult knowledge of the Kabbalah was the Clavicles of Solomon , parts of which have been identified with the trumps, or the 22 cards of the major arcana, of the Tarot. 6

When the Kabbalah was introduced to the West around 1000 A.D. in Italy and Spain, it may have been an amalgam of two esoteric streams. “Two separate though similar expressions of an ancient objective science came together, in a wholly oral transmission, later reluctantly written down in cipher.” Author Ernest Scott speculates that one source was derived from ancient Jewish mystical teachings while the other originated from Basra, Iraq as one of the treatises composed by the “Brethren of the Faithful,” a group associated with Sufism, and published in 980 A.D. The Kabbalah represents a vast system of cosmological knowledge projected in symbolic form, which denote various levels of spiritual energy linking man (microcosm) and the universe (macrocosm): Perhaps the Cabbala could most crudely be regarded as a cross-sectional plan of the Universe from the Absolute (Ain Soph) down to – and perhaps sideways from – the level of man. Or as a cross-section of the Body of God, showing energy flows within it and the connections which exist – or may be made – between various terminals. The Cabbala sees the “matter” of the Absolute as filling the universe, and the Absolute for its own reasons projecting this universe from its own noumenal nature. The first such projection or emanation contains a number of others within it. Each of these in turn emanates from the one before and includes subsequent emanations within itself, thus giving rise to all the principles or gradations of energy in the manifested universe. These rays or Sephiroth are connected to each other by paths annotated by the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The trumps of the Tarot pack also identify these paths. Given a knowledge of these energy levels and their lateral connections, a man may, beginning from his own level, ascend the whole diagram, identifying with, and acquiring t he propert ies of each , so retracing the road along which he was projected from the Ain Soph. (12) The aim of the Kabbalah is to study the nature of the universe by describing the relationship between the spiritual and physical dimensions of reality. The Kabbalah is based on the esoteric science of correspondences and serves as “an instrument for interpreting symbols by establishing a necessary connection between the essence of forms, sounds and numbers and their spiritual equivalents.” The foundation of the Kabbalah is the study of the Name of God. In Hebrew, this is expressed symbolically by four principles which reflect the four letters composing “Jehovah .” The four are: active (initiative), passive (inertia), equilibrium (form) and latent energy (result). Every phenomenon and object in the universe is thus seen as a reflection of the Divine Name mediated by the four principles: According to the Cabalists, the four principles permeate and compose each and every thing. Therefore, by finding these four principles in things and phenomena of quite different categories, between which he had previously seen nothing in common, a man begins to see the analogy between these things. And gradually he be7

comes convinced that everything in the world is constructed according to the same laws, according to the same plan. From a certain point of view the enriching of the intellect and its growth consists in the widening of its capacity for finding analogies. The study of the law of the four letters, or of the Name of Jehovah, can therefore constitute a means for widening consciousness. The idea is quite clear. If the Name of God is really in everything (if God is present in everything), then everything should be analogous to everything else, the smallest part should be analogous to the whole, the speck of dust analogous to the Universe and all analogous to God. “As above, so below.” (13) Another vehicle of esoteric teaching which impacted western culture was the Tarot. Legend suggests that the Tarot cards originated in ancient Egypt in the form of a hieroglyphic book consisting of 78 tablets. Archaeologists discovered that the images of the 22 cards of the major arcana were depicted in hieroglyphs on monuments of ancient Egypt. According to tradition, the composition of the major arcana can be attributed to Hermes and constitute a major component of the symbolism of the Egyptian Mysteries. Historical sources indicate that the Tarot was introduced to the West in 1379 A.D. In one sense the Tarot is an allegorical description of certain cosmic influences on humanity. “Outwardly the Tarot is a pack of cards, but in its inner meaning it is something altogether different. It is a ‘book’ of philosophical and psychological content which can be used in many different ways.” In A New M odel of t he Universe, Ouspensky described some of the inner content of the Tarot. According to Ouspensky the Tarot is a combination of the Kabbalah, Alchemy, Astrology and Magic: In its purpose the Tarot is a kind of philosophical abacus. (a) It gives a possibility of setting out in different graphic forms (triangle, point and square) ideas which are difficult if not impossible to put into words. (b) It is an instrument of the mind, an instrument which can serve for training the capacity for combination and so on. (c) It is an appliance for exercising the mind, for accustoming it to new and wider concepts, to thinking in a world of higher dimensions, and to the understanding of symbols. The system of the Tarot, in its deeper, wider and more varied sense, stands in the same relation to metaphysics and mysticism as a system of notation, decimal or other, stands in relation to mathematics. The Tarot may be only an attempt to create such a system, but even the attempt is interesting. In order to become acquainted with the Tarot it is necessary to be familiar with the ideas of the Cabala, Alchemy, Magic and Astrology. The Tarot is a synopsis of the Hermetic sciences

8

with their various subdivisions, or an attempt of such a synopsis. All these sciences constitute a single system of the psychological study of man in his relations to the world of noumena (to God, to the worlds of spirit) and to the world of phenomena (the visible physical world). (14)

Islam and Sufism

In the 7th century the rise of Islam transformed the world stage in dramatic fashion. This new world religion had a sublime, transcendental quality that reflected the mystical vision of Mohammed the Prophet. Mohammed was born in 570 A.D. and, following the early deaths of his parents, was raised by his uncle Abu Talib. In his youth he was a shepherd and later became a caravan leader and merchant. His first marriage was to a wealthy widow, Khadidja, who bore him six children. Known as an honest trader and well respected for his character by his peers, he frequently prayed and meditated alone in the hills surrounding Mecca. But at age forty his life changed dramatically: His first mystical experience occurred on Mount Hira about the year A.D. 610, five hundred and eighty years after Jesus began to teach and almost exactly twice that length of time after the illumination of Gautama Buddha. He was terrified by the experience, but being comforted and encouraged by Khadidja to believe that he had indeed received the Divine Afflatus and the mission of Prophet, he began to preach the simple message ‘God is One and He alone is to be worshipped.’ Soon after the revelation on Mount Hira, Mohammed began to receive trance communications which he uttered aloud. The entire Qur’an was revealed in this way over a period of some twenty years. (15) Following his death in 632 A.D., Mohammed’s direct descendants such as his son-in-law Ali and a close group of some 90 men and women, formed a nucleus of Sahabah or fraternity of ‘Companions’ in order to preserve his inner teachings of spiritual transformation and transmit them to future generations. In the following decades Moslem armies conquered surrounding empires and established centres of knowledge in Damascus and Baghdad. “The Moslem conquests had overrun in part or in whole, the cultural areas of Byzantium, Persia, Greece and Egypt and almost at once Arab scholars and their collaborators proceeded to collate, analyse and reissue the corpus of human knowledge which derived from all these sources. From an esoteric standpoint, ‘the beads of Mercury’ had been reunited.” Islam spread rapidly, eventually encompassing lands from Spain and North Africa to India, China and Indonesia: With the establishment of the great centre of Islamic culture in Baghdad, a new influence radiated into nearly all parts of the world: Europe, North and East Africa, India, the Far East and Central Asia were brought into trading and cultural relations

9

with a centre that was, in its turn, under the guidance of the Hidden Directorate. The development of responsibility comes with opportunities for exercising it. These were presented both to Christendom and to the Hindu world by the appearance on their boundaries of the new dynamic faith which proved to have an unusual power to assimilate and transform cultures into which it penetrated. So we find that before very long, Islam began to exercise a powerful influence upon Christendom, bringing new life to its philosophy, psychology and even its theology. The cultural explosion that made Baghdad, Balkh and Bokhara centres of science, art and literature was no ephemeral flower, for, as we are becoming increasingly aware, European science and literature owe more than they realize to the Arab culture. The revival of Christian spirituality in the Eastern Church was due to contact with Islamic spirituality in Asia Minor . . . The Islamic science, art and spirituality of Baghdad and Spain also drew very much from Jewish and Christian sources. There was a very fruitful interaction between the four streams of Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, that, until the end of the first millennium, mainly showed itself in the Islamic world: but soon afterwards spread widely throughout the inhabited world. (16) After many tribulations and setbacks, the followers of Mohammed created a true Islamic state based on social reform and the spiritual teachings imparted to the Prophet. Societies were organized on the foundation of Islamic law and the Arabic language, and tolerance extended to Christians, Jews and Zoroastrians. However, this “Golden Age” of Islam was relatively short-lived as the inevitable failings of human self-interest, jealousy, intrigue and aggression surfaced. The second, third and fourth Caliphs or supreme religious and political leaders (Umar, Uthman and Ali) were all murdered and later the successors of Mohammed split into the Shia and Sunni sects: Islam in no way avoided its share of human shortcomings. On the one hand, there was a sublime reverence for man’s highest aspirations. There was just lawgiving, a surging expression of art and architecture. On the other hand, there was egoism, conflict and hatred in many of those who sought to serve the new ideas. At some point in its development, a religion begins to diverge from the impulse from which it derives; a departure which appears to be in the nature of things. At this point a religion elaborates dogma and ritual; it becomes obsessed with the letter and not the spirit of its own inner nature. Its outward expression becomes formalized, rigid and autocratic . . . From the external viewpoint it seems fair to say that the social and political body of Islam was showing advanced entropy within thirty years. (17) Sufism is an esoteric teaching within Islam which, in its purest form, includes but also transcends the contours of any one religious form. Sufism has sometimes been called the “secret tradition,” “the essence of all religions” and “Truth without form.” It is said to represent “the stream of direct, evolutionary experience which has been the determining factor in all the great schools of mysticism.” 10

Sufis hold that their teachings are an immemorial tradition of wisdom, dating from Adam himself. “The seed of Sufism was sown in the time of Adam, germinated in the time of Noah, budded in the time of Abraham, began to develop in the time of Moses, reached maturity in the time of Jesus, produced pure wine in the time of Mohammed.” How did Sufism arise, and what is it rooted in? According to historical documents, it is attributed to three sources, which many Sufis themselves have stated are essentially different manifestations of the same, extra-dimensional, cosmic and divine impulse. They are: 1. Sufism has been known under many names, to all peoples, from the beginning of human times. 2. It was, for instance, transmitted by the Prophet Mohammed to his disciple and son-in-law Ali, and to others, as the inner component of all religion. 3. It also persisted, side by side with the Prophetic transmission, as, for instance, in the independent witness of the historical figure of Uways al-Qarni, a contemporary of the Prophet who, however, never met him. (18) The Sufis view Islam as part of a continuum of religious expression linking ancient teachings with the Islamic period and afterwards. “Because the Sufis recognized Islam as a manifestation of the essential upsurge of transcendental teaching, there could be no interior conflict between Islam and Sufism. Sufism was taken to correspond to the inner reality of Islam, as with the equivalent aspect of every other religion and genuine tradition.” The Sufis regard Mohammed as the embodiment of the ‘Perfect Man.’ There is a widespread notion, especially among religious academics and traditional Moslems, that Sufism is “Islamic mysticism.” But this is disputed by both classical and contemporary Sufis themselves. “This assumption has understandably arisen from the fact that for centuries there has been a clear and continuing Sufi presence within many Islamic countries. But Sufi teaching transcends all religions, and is not culture-bound. It addresses the spiritual element in all mankind.” Sufism is not ‘Islamic mysticism.’ It existed before the coming and outside the confines of Islam. It would be more correct to say that Islamic mysticism is simply a particular, culturally-oriented, projection of Sufism. ‘Sufism has been known under many names to all peoples from the beginning of human times.’ On the perennity and variety of the teaching’s manifestations Sufis concur. The authority Suhrawardi of the twelfth century, in his colossal ‘W isdom of Illuminat ion ,’ specifically states: ‘The Sufi philosophy is identical with the inner teaching of all the ancients – the Egyptians, the Persians, the Greeks – and is the Knowledge of Light and the deepest truth, through which man can attain to a status about which he can normally not even dream.’ In the following century, the English Sufi Roger Bacon endorses this in his ‘Philosophia Occult a .’ This knowledge, he says, ‘was known to Noah and Abraham, to the Chaldean and Egyptian masters, to Zoroaster and Hermes, to certain 11

Greeks including Pythagoras, Anaxagoras and Socrates, and to the Sufis.’ In this sense, he avers, they are all Sufis. (19) According to the Sufis there is only one underlying truth within all religions. This essential unity among the inner, mystical teachings of all faiths is sometimes called “the confluence of essences” and denotes a universal, timeless spiritual understanding or ‘gnosis’ transcending all outer forms of belief. “The essential truth lies in the inner consciousness of man himself, not in external religious organizations.” In its purest form Sufism reflects a timeless stream of esoteric teaching which connects the mystics of all cultures and times through a higher-level unity of knowledge and perception. “All authentic expressions of human spiritual aspiration may be seen as having a single source, and that the differences are in appearance only, imposed by cultural and local conditions. Major religions are viewed as part of a continuum of perception of needs.” This explains why Rumi had Christian, Zoroastrian and other disciples, why the Sufi ‘invisible teacher’ Khidr is said to be a Jew, why Pythagoras and Solomon as well as some alchemists are considered Sufi teachers, why the Hindu Vedas are equivalent, in many ways, to Sufi teachings and why Jesus stands, in a certain sense, as ‘the head of the Sufis.’ In the classical period of Sufism various schools or ‘Orders’ were formed, each under the direction of a renowned Sufi master or their direct students. The four major Orders were the Chishti, Qadiri, Suhrawardi and Naqshbandi. “The dervish Orders were originally set up for the purpose of regulating and making available to selected candidates the special techniques developed by the Founder of each Order.” The Order, for the Sufi, is not a self-perpetuating entity with a fixed hierarchy and premises, forming a training system for the devotee. The nature of Sufism being evolutionary, it is by definition impossible for a Sufi body to take any permanent form as rigid as this. In certain places, and under individual masters, schools appear and carry out an activity designed to further the human need for completion of the individual. These schools (like that of Rumi, for example) attract very large numbers of people who are not Moslems, although Sufi schools have always, since the time of Islam, been presided over by people who originate in the Moslem tradition. Again, while Sufi Orders have specific rules and set forms of dress and ritual, these are not invariable, and the extent to which the Sufi adheres to these forms is determined by his need for them, as prescribed by his master. This is because the Way is being developed by means of an inner necessity, not piloted by the externals of its apparent organizational framework. (20) The impact and influence of Sufism on Eastern and Western civilization during the last millennium has been attested to by multi-disciplinary scholars and religious experts: Sufi thought was adopted, as scholars of the time have more than adequately demonstrated, by people from virtually all the cultures of a major portion of the 12

then known world. There is, indeed, no other system of mystical thought on record which has been able to attract and recruit devout and iconoclastic thinkers from the Jewish, Christian and Hindu dispensations, effectively transcending the barriers of misunderstanding and ideological hostility which have certainly been as great as any others known to humanity. Sufi ideas also penetrated the religious, secular and scientific writings and studies of the Middle East and Central Asia, as well as those of Europe, to an unprecedented extent . . . Up to the late Middle Ages, the Sufis, from Malaysia and the confines of China to Turkestan and India, and from Turkey to Arabia, Africa and Spain, continued their research and teaching in what we would nowadays call very many specialized fields. They worked and published in religion, in literature and poetry, in astronomy and physics, in community phenomena, and in psychological studies. (21) During this period Sufi ideas, literature and practices intended to awaken higher human possibilities penetrated a wide range of cultures in many varied forms of expression: • • • • • • • • • • •

Phenomenon of the Troubadours of Europe Chivalry and the Knights Templar William Tell legend of Switzerland Tales of Hans Christian Andersen Prototype of the stories of Robinson Crusoe and Don Quixote Writings of Dante (Divine Comedy), Chaucer (Cant erbury Tales ) and Milton (Paradise Lost ) Plays of Shakespeare (King Lear , Hamlet ) Certain types of music, dances, clothing and games Symbolism and practices of the Rosicrucians and Freemasons Spiritual exercises and techniques adopted by Yoga, Zen and other traditions Founding of the Sikh and Baha’i religions

One of the most significant qualities of Sufi efforts to transmit esoteric ideas to various communities and societies was the disguised nature of much of their teachings, which were intended to operate in an indirect or oblique fashion for a limited period of time. “There are successive renewals, each new phase lasting a comparatively short time before being replaced by a different presentation, of the same basic nature but having a form which appears to be entirely new.” A large number of cultural traditions, which may be religious, humanitarian, literary, craft-oriented, artistic or psychological, are seemingly unconnected. They are in fact manifestations of a common activity which is certainly Sufic. This impulse, infusing widely separate national and racial streams, has a mode of action which grafts into existing elements and works with existing materials. There is probably no parallel for an inter-cultural influence working in this way. The action does not result from any identifiable teaching. It is indirect, a “provoking of action” tech-

13

nique depending for its effect on what would now be called subliminal response. Its real action is therefore unnoticed and the connection between its many forms in many countries is unsuspected. This applies alike to adherents and to outside observers. (22) The classical Sufis were able to project their teachings in both religious contexts and hidden, indirect forms. They were also able to protect their activities from dangerous outside forces. For instance, when the Moguls invaded their lands they took preservative action along three lines: some Sufis emigrated; some remained and allowed themselves to be of assistance to the new regime; some remained and disguised the outward form of their activity.

Alchemy

Alchemy has a long history, and various forms of alchemical practice have existed throughout the world in many different cultures at different times. Traditionally, the origin of alchemy is attributed to the Egyptian sage Hermes Trismegistus; hence the term “Hermetic Art” is often synonymous with alchemy and allied arts. References to alchemical ideas appear in the Hindu Vedas dating from 1000 B.C.; alchemy was also practised in China as early as the 5th century B.C. as an integral part of esoteric Taoism. The emphasis of Chinese alchemy was on producing a medicine or elixir to cure illness, prolong life and even, in its more esoteric forms, promise immortality. The alchemical knowledge is generally believed to have been passed down from Egypt to Greece to Islam to Europe: It is now recognized that Alchemy was practised in all the great civilisations; and no matter whether in India, China or Greece, it was invariably called ‘The Work’ or ‘The Great Work.’ Furthermore, in whatever culture it manifested itself, there were always the same three elements: ‘mercury,’ ‘sulphur’ and ‘salt,’ which had to be combined for the production of the Philosopher’s Stone. The consistency is significant. It indicates not haphazard experimentation, but a constant body of knowledge. Alchemical terminology thus appears to be the symbolic mode of expression adopted by an esoteric developmental school for the projection of its allegorised message. It contained concealed instructions for, and descriptions of, processes leading to the perfecting of the human being. This was technical material for the transformation of consciousness, a disguised spiritual path. (23) In the Middle East alchemy became one of the cornerstones of Islamic science. Sufis often used the language of alchemy to describe the process of spiritual transformation. El-Ghazali (known in the West as Algazel) titled his masterwork The Alchemy of Happiness, and Rumi often made reference to alchemical terms in his written works. The founding father of Arabic alchemy was the Sufi master Jabir (known in the West as Geber), who learned the secrets of alchemy from his own teacher Jafaq Sadiq who lived in the 8th century A.D. Jabir’s writings on alchemy were highly regarded in both the East and the West and eventually influenced the

14

development of experimental chemistry in 17th century Europe. Jabir, who was considered to be the greatest alchemist since Hermes, made most of his discoveries by the inductive rather than deductive method of observation. “Instead of observing the results of experiments and deducing the laws which apply, he observes the laws in operation at the noumenal level and induces their experimental application.” Jabir’s ground plan of nature involved four basic elements (earth, air, fire and water), in line with Aristotelian belief, but he developed these in terms of hotness, coldness, dryness and moisture. In the presence of these qualities and under planetary influences, metals were formed in the earth by the action of sulphur and mercury . . . The combination of mercury and sulphur, absolutely pure, and in a certain proportion, give rise, Jabir believed, to gold. In various degrees of impurity and in various proportions they give rise to all the other metals. One of Jabir’s apparent endeavours was to arrive at a formula which would give the various balances. One such table, which he published, turns out to be a “magic square” which was known to the Neo-Platonists and, says Professor Holmyard, “had associations for the Sufi mystical society of which he was a member.” (24) Alchemy was first transmitted to the West in 1144 A.D. by Robert of Chester, who studied the mystical arts in Saracen Spain and translated a number of Eastern alchemical texts. Albertus Magnus, who was one of the teachers of Thomas Aquinas, was another important figure in Western alchemy. He based his work on a rational approach to understanding natural phenomena and “insisted on the primacy of personal observation and experimentation.” Throughout history alchemy has been controversial and misunderstood. Some saw it as “a superstition among ignorant ancients.” Others regarded it as a symbolic and disguised system of spiritual transformation and development: “Alchemy is the science of purifying man’s inner nature and arriving at a spiritually refined individual. For political reasons, this exercise had to be concealed in a pseudo-science of metal refining to which the Church would have no reason to object.” According to Idries Shah, the terminology of alchemy was employed by certain schools as an allegorized framework for inner development. “The first work of the true alchemist was to refine and transmute one’s own very self from coarse to fine, from lower to higher; and then to help others to effect the same change.” The Seeker is given an enterprise to complete. It may be an alchemical problem, or it may be the effort to reach the conclusion of an enterprise just as unlikely of attainment. For the purposes of his self-development he has to carry that undertaking out with complete faith. In the process of planning and carrying through this effort, he attains his spiritual development. The alchemical or other undertaking may be impossible, but it is the framework within which his constancy and his application, his mental and moral development is carried out. To this extent it is secondary. Insofar as it is permanent for him and for his lifetime, perhaps, it is 15

not secondary at all, because it becomes his permanent anchor and frame of reference. It is something slightly like the spirit that all competitive undertakings are carried out in sport, or mountaineering, or even in physical culture, in other societies. The mountain or the muscular development are the fixed points, but they are not the element which is actually being transformed by the effort. They are the means, not the end. The whole concept may seem strange, but it is ultimately based on its own logic. It is not the framework which is altered by the effort, but the human being himself. And it is the development of the human being which counts, nothing else. (25) Shah also provides a Sufi allegory of the real purpose of alchemy and how this spiritual aim is disguised in order to be truly effective: There is a Sufi allegory about alchemy, which is interesting because of its connection with Western thought. A father has several idle sons. On his deathbed he tells them that they will find his treasure hidden in his field. They dig up the field but find nothing. So they plant wheat, which provides an abundant crop. For several years they do this. They find no gold, but indirectly they become both enriched and accustomed to constructive labour. Ultimately they become honest farmers, and forget the digging for gold. (26) The fundamental working principle of alchemy is contained in the Emerald Tablet of Hermes Trismegist us: “That which is above is as that which is below, and that which is below is as that which is above to accomplish the miracle of one thing.” In practice, this is expressed in symbolic terms which allude to an inner process of human transformation. The great Medieval alchemist Paracelsus equates mercury with spirit, sulphur with the soul and salt with the body. “The methods of concentration, distillation, maturing and mixing, endowed with chemical names, is nothing other than an organization of the mind and body to produce a human, not a chemical effect.” The basis of the alchemical ‘work’ was the reconciliation of opposites and the creation of a harmony between heaven and earth following the dictum “as above, so below.” The alchemists stressed that the ‘Great Work’ or ‘Magnum Opus’ depended on the proper conditions and circumstances, which included suitable celestial and astrological influences: “The transformation requires a particular cosmic situation in which extra-dimensional influences were focused on the place of work, helping to fire the alchemical furnaces.” Alchemical wisdom was considered to be organic and living, something that is absorbed rather than acquired. For the process to be successfully completed requires the presence of a master teacher to guide the efforts: “He acts like the Philosopher’s Stone upon his disciples. The lower is transformed by contact with the higher. Through his spiritual power he directs and nourishes his pupils. His knowledge guides, his radiance refines them. And in his blessing their flower unfolds.”

16

The Nature and Continuity of the Esoteric Stream

Throughout human history there have been intimations of a continuous stream of esoteric knowledge transmitted from generation to generation by spiritual adepts from many different cultures. Gurdjieff emphasized the timeless, universal nature of this transmission: “All the great genuine religions which have existed down to the present time, created, as history itself testifies, by men of equal attainment in regard to the perfecting of their Pure Reason, are always based on the same truths.” He described this legacy as an ancient ‘knowledge of being,’ leading to self-knowledge and self-development: Gurdjieff regarded knowledge of reality – which he called true “knowledge of being” – as a stream flowing from remote antiquity, passed on from age to age, from people to people, from race to race. He viewed this knowledge as the indispensable means to achieve inner freedom, liberation. For those who seek to understand the meaning of human life in the universe, he said, the aim of the search is to break through to this stream, to find it. Then there remains only “to know” in order “to be.” But in order to know, he taught, it is necessary to find out “how to know.” (27) One of the purposes of esoteric activity is to inject a developmental stimulus into a certain community at a certain time. “They operate on a selected group for a particular purpose and for a certain time only. The impulse is then wholly withdrawn. So penetrating is the energy involved, however, that harmonics of the original excitation may continue for centuries.” In order to be maximally effective, a spiritual teaching may have to be “cloaked in a garment” that disguises its real intent. The effect, not the appearance, is the aim. Idries Shah provides a useful analogy: “Many aspects of higher human development can only take the form of communicating knowledge and experience in a disguised manner: rather as we teach our children by involving them in activities which they consider to be amusements rather than lessons in (say) counting, or coordination, or manners. One method of accustoming people to a ‘higher pattern’ is to involve them in activities and enterprises which are equivalents of higher things.” The variety of teachers is enormous in Sufism, partly because they consider themselves to be part of an organic process. This means that their impact upon humanity may be taking place without any consciousness on the part of humanity of the relationship. As one example, the Sufi of the Middle Ages might move from place to place dressed in a patchwork garment, and teach by signs, perhaps not speaking, perhaps saying cryptic words. He established no formal school himself, but made sure that the message of Sufihood was communicated to people in the countries through which he passed. This strange figure is known to have operated in Spain and elsewhere in Europe. (28)

17

The imprint of esoteric schools on a surrounding culture can take many varied and unexpected forms. A number of historical examples have been presented which illustrate this contention. In Europe between the 12th and 14th centuries, an unusual phenomenon emerged in the form of wandering minstrels or Troubadours. “The Troubadours were a mystery, even in their own day. The movement seemed to spring from nowhere, without any apparent ancestry, and when it appeared it was ready-made in its final form. The most notable feature of the Troubadour love poetry was the idealization of woman and the concept of courtly love, both symbolizing a certain spiritual quality.” The Troubadours were also linked to the court jesters of Europe, the Irish and Welsh bards and the legend of King Arthur and the Holy Grail: Like most such experiments it was concerned to operate by manipulating environment so as to effect a change in a small selected section of a population. Over the century and a half during which it was active, the Troubadour movement achieved a refinement of life and a standard of culture which probably went unequalled for 500 years . . . It seems possible to detect a number of aims behind the Troubadour movement. The first was to suggest by a subtle symbolism the existence of a kind of love which could not be realized in human terms. “Within mankind there is an element activated by love which provides the means of attaining to true reality.” Secondly, perhaps, the reinstatement of a passive, recessive feminine element into the stream of European life. This element was primary in the Great Mother impulse and has probably been defective in the entire history of the West. Whether the ingrafting of the Cult of the Virgin into Christianity was part of the intention or whether this crept into dogma by osmosis from the Troubadour impulse, it is impossible to say. (29) Certain examples of European and American literature, especially poetry, which were composed between the 15th and 19th centuries, also show evidence of possible higher-order influences from esoteric sources. “Among all these poets there is a common ground not only of doctrine and myth, but also a common morality. This includes a remarkable idea: t he elect ion of a cert ain number of beings in a furt her st age of evolut ion . All of these poets without exception have been influenced by the Cabbala.” One of the most curious phenomena of modern literature, from the Renaissance to the 19th century, is the existence among a certain number of great poets between whom there is often but a slight connection, of a common, non-Christian stock of myths and ideas. Spenser, Blake, Milton, Shelley, Emerson and Whitman in AngloSaxon literature; Goethe, Heine, Wagner, Nietzsche in Germany; Hugo, Vigny, Lamartine and Leconte de Lisle in France, would seem, after a close study of their religious ideas, to be like branches of the same tree. Still more curious than the existence of ideas in common is the recurrence of certain myths and symbols which seem to have a certain fascination for these poets . . . The philosophical poets remain more than any other order of minds best qualified to represent the entire aspirations of 18

their race, the very soul of their humanity. All the great philosophical poets of the West are concerned with the idea of man’s possible evolution and the existence among men of more highly developed individuals. (30) Ernest Scott suggests that certain people and events may be influenced through a form of telepathy. “If such an influence exists, it clears many ‘coincidences’ which prove intractable to ordinary explanation. There are many examples of inventions, individually improbable, being arrived at simultaneously, by different people.” A further example of this possible extrasensory intervention in human affairs is the case of writers whose extraordinary fantasies later turn out to be prophetic. For instance, in the Divine Comedy Dante provides a precise description of the Southern Cross, a constellation which is invisible in the Northern hemisphere and unknown to Europeans at the time of the writing. And, Jonathan Swift in The Journey t o Laput a gives both the distance and periods of rotation of the two small moons of Mars, at a time when their existence was completely unsuspected. Scott also points to the writings of modern science fiction as a medium for expressing ideas far in advance of their time: It may be that coming events are deliberately foreshadowed to prepare a mental climate for the event that lies on a line of probable actualization. There are reasons to suppose that almost the whole of science fiction belongs to this category. Space travel and atomic energy came as only minimal surprises to world populations which were barely emerging from the steam age. Verne and Wells and a whole host of later writers like Asimov and Clarke envisaged coming developments of science so concretely that they were able to present their “fantasies” as virtual realities. Thus the ideas became acceptable mental currency in advance of t heir act ualizat ion . (31) The intervention of esoteric schools in the life of a community or culture is typically sophisticated, effective and varied in expression. Historically, the prevailing secular or religious order was suspicious of any individual or group which attempted to introduce new ideas and practices which they deemed a challenge to their authority. Thus it was necessary, in a practical sense, to present esoteric teachings in a way that was both developmentally effective and immune from resistance and attack by the established hierarchy. It appears that at least four methods were employed: 1. The use of some form of advanced mental capacity such as telepathy to communicate directly with selected individuals of the community 2. An approach within the society itself which is invisible or ‘hidden’ and therefore unsuspected by the powers in authority 3. In a form that operates openly but appears to the official regime to be a wholly innocuous activity 4. Working undetected within the structure of the prevailing authority itself. Ernest Scott, who studied the historical manifestations of esotericism in depth, describes some of the salient characteristics of such esoteric interventions, providing examples of each:

19

• • • • • • • • • •

They cross the normal boundaries of nations, race and religion (alchemy). They are concerned with the benefit of humanity (International Red Cross). They have a leadership (St. Francis, head of the Franciscans). They have the support and sponsorship of important personages in the host community (the British Royal families for the Order of Chivalry). They may work within the framework of conventional religions (the builders of the Gothic cathedrals). They stress development by stages and degrees (craft guilds). They practice specific spiritual exercises and techniques (dance of the whirling dervishes). They use symbols and a unique language (Freemasonry). They have a myth that symbolizes the spiritual development of individuals or the community (legend of King Arthur and the Round table). They employ the metaphor of a journey and search (navigating a labyrinth at the end of a pilgrimage).

The ultimate aim and purpose of all these varied, precisely calibrated esoteric activities is the purification and transmutation of the human soul and the realization of our highest spiritual potential. Real esoteric teachings show a seeker how to harmonize their inner and outer worlds, following the dictum: ‘Be in the world, but not of the world.’ In the words of Gurdjieff’s student Jeanne de Salzmann: “The first way, work on our essence, is outside life, wholly concentrated on inner action. The second, work on our functions (body, mind and feelings), is in life itself and through life.” Esoteric knowledge is the science of man’s relation with God and the universe. Its transmission requires an engagement with others – so-called “schools” – because a certain energy can only be produced in conditions where people work together. Schools may differ in their knowledge and their approach – their way – but they have the same aim in common, to see reality. The knowledge is passed on theoretically and through direct experience, that is, by living a drama which follows the particular way of the school. This creates a relation, the link without which it would not be possible to live in two worlds of different levels at the same time. (32)

References

(1) P.D. Ouspensky A New M odel of t he Universe (New York: Vintage Books, 1971), pp. 18-19. (2) P.D. Ouspensky A New M odel of t he Universe (New York: Vintage Books, 1971), p. 12. (3) Max Gorman Jesus t he Sufi: The Lost Dimension of Christ ianit y (Bath, England: Crucible Publishers, 2007), p. 41. (4) P.D. Ouspensky A New M odel of t he Universe (New York: Vintage Books, 1971), p. 30. (5) Max Gorman St airw ay t o t he St ars: Sufism, Gurdjieff and t he Inner Tradit ion of M ankind (London: Aeon Books, 2010), pp. 21-22.

20

(6) Max Gorman St airw ay t o t he St ars: Sufism, Gurdjieff and t he Inner Tradit ion of M ankind (London: Aeon Books, 2010), pp. 35-36. (7) P.D. Ouspensky A New M odel of t he Universe (New York: Vintage Books, 1971), pp. 189190. (8) Max Gorman St airw ay t o t he St ars: Sufism, Gurdjieff and t he Inner Tradit ion of M ankind (London: Aeon Books, 2010), p. 36. (9) P.D. Ouspensky A New M odel of t he Universe (New York: Vintage Books, 1971), p. 154. (10) Arkon Daraul Secret Societ ies (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 117-119. (11) Ernest Scott The People of t he Secret (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 71-72. (12) Ernest Scott The People of t he Secret (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 74-75. (13) P.D. Ouspensky A New M odel of t he Universe (New York: Vintage Books, 1971), pp. 190191. (14) P.D. Ouspensky A New M odel of t he Universe (New York: Vintage Books, 1971), pp. 188189. (15) J.G. Bennett The Dramat ic Universe (Volume 4) (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1966), p. 356. (16) J.G. Bennett The Dramat ic Universe (Volume 4) (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1966), pp. 358-359. (17) Ernest Scott The People of t he Secret (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 47-48. (18) Idries Shah A Perfumed Scorpion (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 159. (19) Max Gorman St airw ay t o t he St ars: Sufism, Gurdjieff and t he Inner Tradit ion of M ankind (London: Aeon Books, 2010), pp. 79-80. (20) Idries Shah The Sufis (London: Octagon Press, 1984), pp. 286-287. (21) Idries Shah A Perfumed Scorpion (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 162-163. (22) Ernest Scott The People of t he Secret (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 189-190. (23) Max Gorman St airw ay t o t he St ars: Sufism, Gurdjieff and t he Inner Tradit ion of M ankind (London: Aeon Books, 2010), p. 55. (24) Ernest Scott The People of t he Secret (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 109. (25) Idries Shah The Sufis (London: Octagon Press, 1984), pp. 199-200. (26) Idries Shah The Sufis (London: Octagon Press, 1984), p. 200. (27) Jeanne de Salzmann The Realit y of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), p. xiii. (28) Idries Shah The Sufis (London: Octagon Press, 1984), p. 352. (29) Ernest Scott The People of t he Secret (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 82-83. (30) Ernest Scott The People of t he Secret (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 185-186. (31) Ernest Scott The People of t he Secret (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 236. (32) Jeanne de Salzmann The Realit y of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), p. 2.

21

CONTEM PORARY SPIRITUAL TRADITIONS Advaita Vedanta

The ancient Indian teachings of the Vedas and Upanishads constitute a timeless treasury of spiritual knowledge that has been passed down through the ages to our contemporary world. This living current of traditional wisdom still resonates in the hearts and minds of seekers throughout the world and has found expression in the lives and teachings of a number of remarkable 20th century spiritual teachers of Advaita Vedanta, the path of non-duality leading to the recognition of one’s true nature. Perhaps the most notable teacher was Ramana Maharshi, who is widely regarded as the most important Indian sage of the 20th century: Ramana Maharshi (1879 - 1950) was one of the greatest spiritual teachers of modern-day India. At the age of seventeen he attained a profound experience of the true Self without the guidance of a Guru and thereafter remained conscious of his identity with the Absolute (Brahman ) at all times. After some years of silent seclusion he finally began to reply to the questions put to him by spiritual seekers all over the world. He followed no particular traditional system of teaching, but rather spoke directly from his own experience of non-duality. Ramana Maharshi wrote virtually nothing; his teaching took the form of conversations with visitors seeking his guidance, the brief instructions he left with his followers, and a few songs. His method of instruction was to direct the questioner again and again to his true self and to recommend, as a path to self-realization, a tireless form of selfinquiry featuring the question “Who am I?” The transcribed conversations of Ramana Maharshi are known among spiritual seekers the world over and prized for their great inspirational power, which transcends all religious differences. (1) He attained enlightenment at the age of seventeen without the help of a teacher through a remarkable experience in which he felt the death of his physical body while remaining fully conscious. Following this deeply transformative event he withdrew to the holy mountain of Arunachala where he sat in ‘Divine bliss’ for many years. Gradually devotees gathered around him, asking him questions and bringing him sacred books to read and expound upon. The ancient teaching of non-duality that he thus acquired merely formalized what he already felt intuitively. For the rest of his life he answered questions put to him by devotees and visitors to his ashram at the foot of Mount Arunachala. As a realized being, he spoke from direct knowledge, as he had experienced “the absolute certainty of his divine, immutable, universal Self.” Many of these exchanges were transcribed and later published in a series of books: He spoke freely and his replies were often given with laughter and humour. If the questioner was not satisfied, he was free to object and or ask further questions. 1

It has been said that the Maharshi taught in silence, but this does not mean that he gave no verbal explanations, only that those were not the essential teaching. This was experienced as a silent influence in the heart. The power of his presence was overwhelming and his beauty indescribable and yet, at the same time, he was utterly simple, utterly natural, unassuming, unpretentious, unaffected. (2) Many of his followers remarked on the impalpable spiritual force that Ramana Maharshi silently projected: “He constantly emanated a silent force or power which stilled the minds of those who were attuned to it and occasionally even gave them a direct experience of the state he himself was perpetually immersed in. Throughout his life he insisted that this silent flow of power represented his teachings in their most direct and concentrated form.” In his talks and exchanges with students Ramana presented a very pure form of Advaita Vedanta which embraced both quiet meditation and a ‘path of action’ involving the events of daily life: “In this way, the circumstances of life, instead of being obstacles to sadhana or the path to liberation, are made an instrument of sadhana , when approached with love and devotion, and without self-interest.” Ramana Maharshi taught that enlightenment is not an alien or mysterious state, but the natural condition of man. The only method he advocated in the quest for self-realization was self-inquiry into our real nature through contemplation of the question, “Who am I?” Q: What is the means for constantly holding onto the thought “Who Am I?” A: When other thoughts arise, one should not pursue them, but should inquire: “To whom did they arise?” It does not matter how many thoughts arise. As each thought arises, one should inquire with diligence, “To whom has this thought arisen?” The answer that would emerge would be “To me.” Therefore, if one inquires “Who am I?”, the mind will go back to its source, and the thought that arose will become quiescent. With repeated practice in this manner, the mind will develop the skill to stay at its source. (3) One of the most highly acclaimed sages of the 20th century was Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj (1897 - 1981), who lived and taught in a small apartment in the slums of Bombay. A steady stream of Indian and Western seekers came to share his teaching on the nature of Ultimate Reality, and gradually he became recognized as a remarkable teacher of the non-dual path to self-realization. “In the tradition of Ramana Maharshi he shared the highest Truth of nonduality in his own unique way, from the depths of his own realization. His terse but potent sayings are known for their ability to trigger shifts in consciousness, just by hearing, or even reading them.” Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj was a teacher who did not propound any ideology or religion but gently unwrapped the mystery of the self . His message is simple, direct and yet sublime. The sage’s sole concern was with human suffering and the 2

ending of suffering. It was his mission to guide the individual to an understanding of his true nature and the timelessness of being. He taught that the mind must recognize and penetrate its own state of being, not “being this or that, here or there, then or now,” but just timeless being. A simple man, Maharaj was a householder and storekeeper in Bombay where he lived, and died in 1981 at the age of 84. He had not been educated formally but came to be respected and loved for his profound insights into the crux of human pain and the extraordinary lucidity of his direct discourses. Hundreds of diverse seekers travelled the globe and sought him out in his unpretentious home to hear him. To all of them he gave hope that “beyond the real experience is not the mind, but the self , the light in which everythings appears – the awareness in which everything happens.” (4) Maurice Frydman, who studied with Nisargadatta for many years and translated his “spiritual masterpiece” I Am That , captures the simplicity of his being and the universal, timeless quality of his teachings: “No rich ashram was ever built round him and most of his followers are humble working people cherishing the opportunity of spending an hour with him from time to time. Simplicity and humility are the keynotes of his life and teachings; physically and inwardly he never takes the higher seat; the essence of being on which he talks, he sees in others as clearly as he sees it in himself.” In the humble abode of Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, but for the electric lights and the noises of the street traffic, one would not know in which period in human history one dwells. There is an atmosphere of timelessness about his tiny room; the subjects discussed are timeless – valid for all times; the way they are expounded and examined is also timeless; the centuries, millennia and yugas fall off and one deals with matters immensely ancient and eternally new. The discussions held and the teachings given would have been the same ten thousand years ago and will be the same ten thousand years hence. There will always be conscious beings wondering about the fact of their being conscious and enquiring into its causes and aim. Who am I? Whither am I? Such questions have no beginning and no end. And it is crucial to know the answers, for without a full understanding of oneself, both in time and timelessness, life is but a dream, imposed on us by powers we do not know, for purposes we cannot grasp. (5) The essence of his teachings is remarkably simple: “Dwelling in the sense ‘I am’ is the simple, easy and natural way. There is no secrecy in it and no dependence; no preparation is required and no initiation. Whoever is puzzled by his very existence as a conscious being and earnestly wants to find his own source, can grasp the ever-present sense of ‘I am’ and dwell on it assiduously and patiently, till the heart of being is realized.” The Nisarga Yoga , the ‘natural’ yoga of Maharaj, is disconcertingly simple – the mind, which is all-becoming, must recognize and penetrate its own being. This timeless being is the source of both life and consciousness. In terms of time, space and causation it is all-powerful, being the causeless cause; all-pervading, 3

eternal, endless and ever-present. Uncaused, it is free; all-pervading, it knows; undivided, it is happy. It lives, it loves, and it has endless fun, shaping and reshaping the universe. Every man has it, every man is it, but not all know themselves as they are, and therefore identify themselves with the name and shape of their bodies and the contents of their consciousness. To rectify this misunderstanding of one’s reality, the only way is to take full cognizance of the ways of one’s mind and turn it into an instrument of self-discovery . . . For all the gateway to reality, by whatever road one arrives to it, is the sense of ‘I am.’ It is through grasping the full import of the ‘I am,’ and going beyond it to its source, that one can realize the supreme state, which is also the primordial and the ultimate. (6) Jean Klein (1912 - 1998) was an important Western teacher of Advaita Vedanta who taught a ‘direct approach’ to spiritual knowledge which pointed directly to ultimate reality: “Within us there is this profound stillness waiting to be received. In order to open ourselves to it, can we abandon our habitual references to the past, recognize how our projections into the future are incessantly striving for security, and live intimately with whatever the present moment may unfold?” Jean Klein studied medicine and music in Berlin and Vienna and spent his early years inquiring about the essence of life. He had the inner conviction that there was a ‘principle’ independent of all society and felt the urge to explore this conviction. His exploration led him to India where he was introduced through a ‘direct approach’ to the non-mental dimension of life. Through living in this complete openness, he was taken, one timeless moment, by a sudden, clear awakening of his real nature. It was not a mystical experience, a new state, but the continuum in life, the non-state of light in which birth, death, and all experience take place. (7) Klein returned to Europe in 1960 at the request of his teacher to teach non-dual spirituality in a form suitable for Westerners. In the 1980s he expanded his teaching to the United States where, for many years, he conducted workshops and seminars. But he never styled himself as a spiritual teacher: “People come to me. I have never taken myself for a teacher, so I never solicited students. The teacher only appears when asked to teach.” Klein’s fundamental teaching is that our true nature is ‘pure awareness’ which exists independently of any object of perception, including thoughts. This ultimate state of being is silent and tranquil, beyond name and form, or space and time. “You are primal awareness. Life is only primal awareness. You know moments in your life when a thought completely disappears into silence, but still you are.” Klein authored many insightful books on non-duality in a language appropriate for our contemporary world. His exposition of the teachings of Advaita Vedanta remains faithful to the essence of the tradition while casting them in a uniquely modern form and idiom. Professor Andrew Rawlinson: “The striking thing about Dr. Klein is his independence. He teaches Advaita but rarely uses its technical terms. In fact, he has developed his own vocabulary which consists 4

mainly of the special use of words like ‘listening,’ ‘transparency,’ and so on. Nor does he refer back to the tradition for any kind of confirmation, or mention other teachers. He has his own unique voice.” Do you regard yourself as coming from a lineage of mast ers?

In a certain way, yes. The way of approaching truth belongs to a certain current, but there are no entities in a line. So you w ere not int erest ed in w ho w as t he t eacher of your t eacher?

In the teaching of my guru I saw the teaching of his guru, but when the teaching is strong there is no reference to the past. There is only eternal presence. What does “lineage” mean? It is still a someone looking for security in a something. Do you regard yourself as belonging t o a cert ain t radit ion?

A tradition of truth seekers. Advait a is not a system, a religion or technique. It is not even a philosophy. It is simply the truth. (8)

Zen and Tibetan Buddhism

The Buddha’s teaching, or Dharma , evolved into two main branches: the Hinayâna (Lesser Vehicle) and the Mahâyâna (Greater Vehicle). The Hinayâna school arose in southern India and spread to Ceylon, Burma, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia; the Mahâyâna moved from northern India to Tibet, Mongolia, China, Korea, Vietnam and Japan. “Unlike southern Buddhism, which tended to remain conservative and doctrinaire, the Mahâyâna adapted itself to the needs of peoples of diverse racial and cultural backgrounds and varying levels of understanding.” The Hinayâna teachings emphasized personal liberation by overcoming ego-based desires, while the Mahâyâna stressed the ideal of the Bodhisat t va who, following enlightenment, dedicated his or her life to compassionately helping others attain liberation. The most esoteric strain of Mahâyâna became known as Ch’an in China and Zen in Japan. According to Buddhist tradition, a semi-legendary monk known as Bodhidharma came to China from India about 520 A.D. bringing a powerful esoteric teaching of spiritual transformation, and established the Dharma in northern China. Bodhidharma described his teachings as: A special transmission outside the scriptures, No dependence on doctrine; Direct pointing to the human heart, Seeing into one’s own essence.

5

The Chinese Ch’an teachings were introduced to Japan in 1191 with the founding of the Rinzai school by Eisai. The essence of the teaching is surprisingly simple: “The great truth of Zen is possessed by everybody. Look into your own being, and seek it not elsewhere. Your own mind is above all forms. It is free and quiet. Transcend the intellect, sever yourself from it and directly penetrate deep into the inner mind.” Some historians have suggested that Zen actually originated in Afghanistan, and that Sufi teachers from there travelled to Japan to introduce esoteric ideas and practices. Such a diffusion from Afghanistan to the Far East is supported by cross-cultural evidence: “Archeologists have shown that certain Japanese religious statues are in a style derived from the Afghan shrines of Bamian. Further, the similarity of the Japanese Zen system to that of the Sufi training method may be due to oral transmission by the same route.” The term Zen is a transliteration of the Sanskrit dhyâna , which refers to the process of concentration and absorption by which the mind is first quieted and brought to one-pointedness, and then awakened. “Zen is a religion free of dogmas or creeds whose teachings and disciplines are directed toward self-realization – the full awakening that the Buddha himself experienced.” In many respects Zen is similar to Taoism with its sense of immediacy, openness, spontaneity and a natural harmonization with the flow of life itself. The two main schools of Japanese Zen are the Rinzai and Soto. The Rinzai sect is characterized by its vigorous dynamic style and systematic koan study. A koan is a story or dialogue used as a meditation object under the direction of a teacher. Short koans often take the form of an enigmatic statement such as “What is your face before your parents’ birth?” or “What is the sound of one hand clapping.” They act as an ‘impact teaching’ or ‘shock technique’ which challenges one’s assumptions and preconceptions about the nature of reality, in order to awaken a deeper intelligence beyond the discursive intellect. “The koan is thus an impossible question, or demand, aimed at outwitting, defeating, paralyzing, one’s ordinary thinking – to uncover, discover, expose an inner level of consciousness normally overlaid and hidden by this outer kind of thinking. It is not possible to ‘answer’ it by ordinary thinking. The response must arise from a different source – an inner spring of spontaneity.” Its original meaning in Chinese was a case which established a legal precedent. In Zen a koan is a formulation, in baffling language, pointing to ultimate truth. Koans cannot be solved by recourse to logical reasoning but only by awakening a deeper level of the mind beyond the rational intellect. Koans are constructed from the questions of disciples of old together with the responses of their masters, from portions of the master’s sermons or discourses, from lines of the sutrâs, and from other teachings. (9) The Soto school was founded by the great Japanese Zen master Dôgen in 1243 and emphasizes silent meditation or “just sitting” and its application to everyday life. The practice of meditation, or zazen , is considered the foundation of Zen, leading to spiritual illumination. “With the cultivation of a profound silence in the deepest recesses of the mind – in other words, 6

through the practice of zazen – there are established the optimum preconditions for looking into the heart-mind and discovering the true nature of existence.” Both Rinzai and Soto communities attach the highest importance to meditation or “sitting Zen” (zazen ). The relevance of zazen to Zen is obvious when it is remembered that Zen is seeing reality directly, in its “suchness.” To see the world as it is concretely, undivided by categories and abstractions, one must certainly look at it with a mind that is not thinking – which is to say, forming symbols about it. Zazen is not, therefore, sitting with a blank mind which excludes all the impressions of the inner and outer senses. It is not “concentration” in the usual sense of restricting the attention to a single sense object. It is simply a quiet awareness, without comment, of whatever happens here and now. (10) Like many spiritual traditions, Zen is based on the master-student relationship whereby a teacher who has received that teaching from his own master passes it on to a successor. This direct transmission of spiritual knowledge has been called a “direct pointing at the heart” and ensures the continuation of a teaching over time. “This is aptly called ‘The Transmission of the Lamp’ – as when the flame of one lamp lights the wick of another, which then lights another, and so on in a flowing sequence of light.” Thus, the inner teaching and wisdom of the ancient Zen masters has reached today’s world in an unbroken line of spiritual transmission. D.T. Suzuki (1870 - 1966) was almost singlehandedly responsible for introducing Zen Buddhism to a Western audience in the early 20th century. A renowned scholar and author of many books on Buddhism and Zen and translator of Chinese, Japanese and Sanskrit literature, he also lectured at many Western universities. His three-volume Essays in Zen Buddhism , published between 1927 and 1934, are considered classics in their field and influenced both the academic world and generations of spiritual seekers. He was highly regarded for his insightful presentation of the essence of Zen and his own personal spiritual development. Carl Jung: “Suzuki’s works on Zen Buddhism are among the best contributions to the knowledge of living Buddhism. We cannot be sufficiently grateful to the author, first for the fact of his having brought Zen closer to Western understanding, and secondly for the manner in which he achieved this task.” Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki was a remarkable man of our century. Throughout his long life he worked untiringly to bring the message of Zen, and Buddhism in general, to the West, and his reputation as a scholar and gifted teacher was internationally recognized. Above and beyond his scholarship, however, Suzuki the man touched in some special way everyone who met him. He embodied the Satori – Awakening – that he had experienced while still a young man studying with his own Zen master; his simplicity in the midst of complexity and his utter lack of intellectual snobbery combined to create the extraordinary impression of warmth, yet quiet authority, that he gave. And indeed, he touched the lives of many – from theologians and philosophers to psychologists, poets, musicians, and artists the world over; thinkers 7

as diverse as Thomas Merton, Paul Tillich, Carl Jung, Erich Fromm, Dr. Hu Shi and Allen Ginsberg – to name a few. (11) Philip Kapleau (1912 - 2004) was an accomplished American journalist who served as Chief Allied reporter at the Nuremberg Trials and later at the Tokyo War Crimes Trials. While in Japan he became intrigued with Zen and upon his return to America met D.T. Suzuki. In 1953 he moved to Japan to study Zen formally. He rigorously trained with renowned Zen masters Dauin Harada and then Haku’in Yasutani. In 1965 he was ordained by Yasutani and given permission to teach. In 1966 he founded the Rochester Zen Center where he taught for almost forty years. His style of teaching was more serious and structured than the popularized “Beat Zen,” or Alan Watts-inspired interpretations of Zen fashionable at the time. He adapted traditional Japanese Zen to Western culture as he was able to distil “the essence from the form.” He made significant modifications to many of the rituals of traditional Japanese Zen, such as chanting the Heart Sut râ in English. His most important written work, The Three Pillars of Zen , was published in 1965 to great acclaim and translated into many different languages. Kapleau was an important force in the establishment of an authentic Zen presence in the modern Western world. He believed that enlightenment is available to anyone, whether monk or layperson. A number of his students, such as Albert Low and Toni Packer, have become highly accomplished teachers in their own right. His legacy has been widely acknowledged in spiritual circles: “The first Westerner fully and naturally at home with Zen, Roshi Kapleau made it his life’s work to translate Zen Buddhism into an American idiom, to take Zen’s essence and plant it into American soil.” Shunryu Suzuki (1904 – 1971) was one of the most influential spiritual teachers of the 20th century and is widely regarded as a founding father of Zen in America. A Japanese priest of the Soto lineage, he taught in the United States from 1959 until his death. He was the founder of the San Francisco Zen Center and the Tassajara Zen Center, the first Soto Zen monastery in the West. His Zen M ind, Beginner’s M ind , published in 1970, is considered “one of the great modern spiritual classics, much beloved, much reread, and much recommended as the best first book to read on Zen.” He used a simple language with few technical terms, and the situations of everyday life to teach his students. “Suzuki’s main teaching was silent – the way he picked up a cup of tea or met someone walking on a path or in a hallway, or how he joined with his students in work, meals and meditation.” Devoid of ego, Huston Smith observed, “he made no waves and left no traces as a personality in the worldly sense.” A tribute by student Trudy Dixon, editor of Zen M ind, Beginner’s M ind , captures the essential nature of her teacher: A roshi is a person who has actualized the perfect freedom which is the potentiality for all human beings. He exists freely in the fullness of his whole being. The flow of his consciousness is not the fixed repetitive patterns of our usual self-centered 8

consciousness, but rather arises spontaneously and naturally from the actual circumstances of the present. The results of this in terms of the quality of his life are extraordinary – buoyancy, vigor, straightforwardness, simplicity, humility, serenity, joyousness, uncanny perspicacity and unfathomable compassion. His whole being testifies to what it means to live in the reality of the present. Without anything said or done, just the impact of meeting a personality so developed can be enough to change another’s whole way of life. But in the end it is not the extraordinariness of the teacher which perplexes, intrigues, and deepens the student, it is the teacher’s utter ordinariness. Because he is just himself, he is a mirror for his students. (12) Shunryu Suzuki’s direct style of teaching, grounded in pragmatic realism, is encapsulated by some of his quotations: • • • • • • • • •

“In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, in the expert’s mind there are few.” “Strictly speaking, there are no enlightened people, there is only enlightened activity.” “When you do something, you should burn yourself completely, like a good bonfire, leaving no trace of yourself.” “The way that helps will not be the same, it changes according to the situation.” “If it’s not paradoxical, it’s not true.” “Life is like stepping into a boat which is about to sail out to sea and sink.” “States come and go, but if you continue your practice, you find there’s something underneath, timeless and eternal.” “You will always exist in the universe in some form.” “I just try to teach my students how to hear the birds sing.”

A third important strain of Buddhism, less well known than the Hinayâna and Mahâyâna, is the Vajrayâna or ‘Diamond Vehicle’ associated with Tantric (Tibetan) Buddhism. According to tradition, the Buddha taught certain selected pupils secret tantric teachings. It is believed that he taught the Mahâyâna later in his life and the Vajrayâna teachings toward the end of his life, an action sometimes referred to as “the final turning of the Buddha’s teaching.” The Vajrayâna tradition is an unbroken lineage passed on from generation to generation, from the Buddha himself up to the present day. The first Buddhist tantric texts have been traced to India in the third century A.D. According to legend, in the 8th century the Indian master Padmasambhava (also known as Guru Rinpoche) introduced the people of Tibet to the practice of Tantric Buddhism and founded the Nyingma school to preserve and transmit these secret teachings. Many of the greatest Tibetan Buddhist masters received and taught the Vajrayâna tantric teachings, including Tilopa, Naropa, Marpa and Milarepa. The lineage has survived in an unbroken line to contemporary times where it has been given expression in a form appropriate for the modern Western world by, for instance, Chögyam Trungpa.

9

The Vajrayâna is the most mystical and esoteric of the schools of Tibetan Buddhism and is believed to be a quicker, more effective path to enlightenment than the Hinayâna or Mahâyâna paths. The Vajrayâna builds on the foundation of the Hinayâna and Mahâyâna teachings and can only be transmitted from teacher to student during an initiation or empowerment. It cannot be simply learned from a book: The vajrayana , the t ant ric teachings of the Buddha, contains tremendous power and magic. Its magic lies in its ability to transform confusion and neurosis into awakened mind and to reveal the everyday world as a sacred realm. Its power is that of unerring insight into the true nature of phenomena and of seeing through ego and its deceptions. According to the tantric tradition, the vajrayana is regarded as the complete teaching of the Buddha: it is the path of complete discipline, complete surrender, and complete liberation. It is important to realize, however, that the vajrayana is firmly grounded in the basic teachings of the mahâyâna , the teachings of egolessness and compassion. Frequently, the exceptional strength and efficacy of the vajrayana are misunderstood as a promise of instant enlightenment. But one cannot become enlightened overnight; in fact, it is highly deceptive and even dangerous to think in such a way. Without exception, the Buddhist teachings point to the erroneous belief in a self, or ego, as the cause of suffering and the obstacle to liberation. All of the great teachers of the past practiced the preliminary meditative disciplines diligently before becoming students of the vajrayana. Without this basic training in the practice of meditation, there is no ground from which to work with the vajrayana at all. (13) Tantric teachings typically employ a wide variety of techniques and practices: meditation, yoga exercises, mantras, visualizations, mandalas, mudras, rituals and devotional practices. But the cornerstone of the teaching process is the master-disciple relationship. “The Vajrayâna path is a deliberate mobilization of the resources of the body and mind, under the guidance of an experienced teacher, for the purpose of exploring human existence.” The Vajrayâna stresses the interdependence of all things and the importance of working with all aspects of life. It holds that seemingly opposite principles can be reconciled in the unity of enlightened truth. “The Tantric path in Buddhism is less a program of study than a series of experiments wherein the student ventures into different regions and tests the possibilities of life. From the Vajrayâna viewpoint every second of life is to be welcomed as the proper time for advancing in the spiritual quest, that every aspect of human behavior must be seen as holy and meaningful and rife with opportunity.” Tibetan Buddhist Tantra is based on a non-dualistic perspective of reality, allowing the practitioner to work with the primordial, all-pervasive energy of the universe and “dance with life’s energies.” In this sense it is more adventuresome than the Hinayâna and Mahâyâna paths. “While the hinayana is the way to understand your mind, and the mahayana the way to understand your emotions, the vajrayana allows extremely direct contact with phenomena and situations just as they are, and a recognition that the world is sacred.” 10

The Vajrayâna teachings have been transmitted to the West in the last few decades by a number of gifted Tibetan Buddhist teachers, notably Chögyam Trungpa, who adapted ancient tantric ideas and practices in a form suitable for the contemporary world. Chögyam Trungpa (1939 - 1987) was born in Tibet and was recognized at a very early age as a t ulku (incarnate teacher), following which he studied Buddhism under the guidance of Tibetan masters. He escaped Tibet in 1959 following the Chinese invasion and relocated in India. In the 1960s he studied comparative religion, philosophy and fine arts at Oxford University, London and in 1968 founded the Samye Ling Meditation Center in Scotland. He moved to America and during the next two decades established major centres in Vermont, Colorado and Nova Scotia, as well as founding Naropa Institute in Boulder, the first Buddhist-inspired university in North America. His books M edit at ion in Act ion , Cut t ing Through Spirit ual M at erialism , The M yt h of Freedom and many others recast Tibetan Buddhist teachings in a Western idiom and influenced countless seekers to explore this powerful esoteric Eastern teaching. During this period, he taught selected students the advanced teachings of Vajrayâna, sharing them only with those who had a strong foundation of intellectual understanding of Buddhist teachings and meditative experience. Trungpa presented the tantric teachings with great skill in a form suitable for Western students of the Dharma: “The tantric path requires complete engagement and fierce dedication. It is said to be a more rapid path but it is also more dangerous. Vajrayâna practitioners recognize that the most challenging aspects of life, the energies and play of confused emotions and formidable obstacles, can be worked with as gateways to freedom and realization.” The vajrayana or “diamond vehicle,” also referred to as tantra, draws upon and extends the teachings of the hinayana and mahayana. As with the hinayana and the mahayana, the formal acceptance into the vajrayana is marked by a vow, in this case the samaya vow. There is an emphasis at this stage on the studentteacher relationship and on the quality of devotion. Generally, students must complete preliminary practices, called ngöndro , to prepare themselves for initiation into the vajrayana path before going further. Having done so, they then receive the appropriate empowerments to begin tantric practices. There are empowerment ceremonies of many kinds, called abhishekas. The vajrayana includes both form practices, such as visualizations and sadhanas (ritual liturgies), and formless practices based on allowing the mind to rest naturally in its inherent clarity and emptiness. Although on the surface there is much greater complexity in tantric practices, the principles of mindfulness and awareness and the cultivation of compassion and skilled action continue to be of central importance. (14) Perhaps Chögyam Trungpa’s greatest contribution to Western Buddhism is his recently published three-volume collection (The Profound Treasury of The Ocean of Dharma ) of the comprehensive teachings of the Tibetan Buddhist paths of the Hinayâna, Mahâyâna and Vajrayâna teachings: The Pat h of Individual Liberat ion , The Bodhisat t va Path of W isdom & Compassion and The Tant ric Pat h of Indest ruct ible W akefulness. 11

Gurdjieff and the Fourth W ay

G.I. Gurdjieff introduced a powerful spiritual teaching of ancient origin to the West which was tailored for the modern world. Vast in scope and encompassing both psychological and cosmological elements, the teaching was based on self-knowledge gained through practical ‘work on oneself.’ Gurdjieff began teaching in Moscow in 1912 and, after many challenges and tribulations related to the political and other instabilities of the times, eventually settled in France where he lived and taught until his death in 1949. During his lifetime, his teachings were largely unknown to those outside the immediate circle of his groups and they only became widely available to the general public following his death, with the publication of his magnum opus Beelzebub’s Tales t o His Grandson and the writings of some of his principal students such as P.D. Ouspensky. The teaching that Gurdjieff brought to the West is known as both ‘the Work’ and the ‘Fourth Way,’ and has had a significant impact on those seeking answers to the fundamental questions of life and the way to approach an understanding of the “sense and meaning of existence.” The source of his remarkable teaching has never been definitively identified but it has been associated, by some, with esoteric Christianity, Sufism and a number of other spiritual and metaphysical traditions. Gurdjieff discovered elements of a forgotten knowledge of being that reconciled the great traditional beliefs. He called it “ancient science” but did not identify its origin, those who discovered and preserved it. This science viewed the world of visible matter as modern physics does, recognizing the equivalence of mass and energy, the subjective illusion of time, the general theory of relativity. But its inquiry did not stop there, accepting as real only phenomena that could be measured and proved by controlled experiment. This science also explored the mystic’s world outside sense perception, the vision of another reality, infinite beyond space and time. The aim was to understand the place of man in the cosmic order, the meaning of human life on the earth, and actually to know and experience in oneself the reality of both worlds at the same time. It was a science of being. (15) The Fourth Way is based on the principles of a balanced, harmonious development of body, mind and emotions, and an active engagement with everyday life as a means of self-study and inner growth. “Gurdjieff brought the help of a Fourth Way, which excludes nothing and takes account of the development of the different functions [body, mind, feelings] in contemporary people. This way is not new. It has always existed, but only within a limited circle.” He presented his teaching as a “Fourth Way” that requires work on all three aspects at the same time. Instead of discipline, faith or meditation, this way calls for the awakening of another intelligence – knowing and understanding . . . The first demand on the Fourth Way is “Know thyself,” a principle that Gurdjieff reminded

12

us is far more ancient than Socrates. Spiritual progress depends on understanding, which is determined by one’s level of being. Change in being is possible through conscious effort toward a quality of thinking and feeling that brings a new capacity to see and to love. Although his teaching could be called “esoteric Christianity,” Gurdjieff noted that the principles of true Christianity were developed thousands of years before Jesus Christ. In order to open to reality, to unity with everything in the universe, Gurdjieff called for living the wholeness of “Presence” in the experience of “I Am.” (16) Gurdjieff’s avowed aim and purpose was ambitious, as he wanted to harmonize “the wisdom of the East with the energy of the West.” In order to accomplish this task he presented to the 20th century West an ancient esoteric teaching, “formulated and calibrated to exigencies of the contemporary world.” Gurdjieff came to the West to establish a new teaching, ancient in origin, that was specifically formulated for individual growth in the technologized world. It was stripped of the past, stripped of all mysticism, philosophy, religious rites and dogma. It was, and is, the great bequeathing. It is a teaching that gives to contemporary man and woman the great gift – the gift of practical knowledge and techniques by which he can, by his own efforts and intention, transform himself, and, in so doing, free himself from the abnormal being-existence that is the soul-death signature of our time. And this can be achieved w it hout withdrawing to a mountain top or monastery. In fact, the genius of the teaching is that it uses ordinary life, with all its uncertainty, negativity and suffering, to come to Real Life. The Buddha said, “Life is suffering.” Gurdjieff said, Let’s use it – but int ent ionally. Jesus said, “Love thy neighbor.” Gurdjieff said, Yes, but first see that, as you are, you can’t love. (17) Gurdjieff challenged our habitual ways of perceiving and interpreting reality, and introduced us to a new way of understanding the inter-relationship and underlying unity of all that is. His life was dedicated to awakening humanity, both individually and collectively, to the fullest possible spiritual development. In the words of Fourth Way author William Patterson: “What Gurdjieff did was to give a major shock to the mechanicality, rank materialism and soullessness of ordinary life. At great cost to himself, he gave his life to introducing and establishing in the West the ancient and sacred teaching of The Fourth Way. Never known before, this seminal scientific teaching of self-development reveals the laws, perspectives and inner practices that will enable us to develop, as he said, into ‘genuine, natural men, able to see the real potentialities that were proper to mankind’.” The overarching importance of his ‘work’ of inner transformation and its relevance to the contemporary world is widely acknowledged in spiritual circles: In the half century after Gurdjieff’s death, Tibetan lamas, Indian gurus, Zen roshis have become increasingly familiar figures in Western culture, and many of them have been struck by the traditional aspects of Gurdjieff’s teaching. It is more difficult, however, for the Western scholar, theologian, or seeker to place a figure 13

like Gurdjieff, who seems to fit no formula, wears no robes, recites no mantras, and demands no homage. He seems neither of East nor West. Possibly he is both. And yet in any case we are faced with a man who marked indelibly the souls of those who met him, many of whom continue to transmit something of the force of the man and his teaching. Gurdjieff’s place in Western cultural history is that of a teacher – not only a “teacher of dancing,” as he referred to himself in the introduction to one of his books, but a spiritual master. Gurdjieff gave shape to some of the key elements and directions found in contemporary spirituality . . . Accounts by those who worked with him not only show us a man whose knowledge and behavior add an entirely new dimension to the idea of human wisdom and compassion. They also reveal Gurdjieff as someone with an unerring capacity to break down his pupils’ illusions and guide them toward their own individual path of selfdiscovery and self-development. His pupils felt that he opened them to an experience of themselves that was so much deeper than what their ordinary life had brought them. (18) Gurdjieff left a legacy of inestimable value for humanity. His teachings were preserved for future generations in his writings (Beelzebub’s Tales t o His Grandson , M eet ings w it h Remarkable M en and Life Is Real Only Then, W hen “ I Am” ) and in the records of his students, principally P.D. Ouspensky (In Search of t he M iraculous) and Jeanne de Salzmann (The Realit y of Being ). He also composed, in collaboration with pupil Thomas de Hartmann, many works of sacred music which can reach the heart and touch the innermost consciousness of the listener, providing ‘food’ for spiritual transformation. Finally, he taught a series of ‘sacred dances,’ called the ‘Movements’ to his students, which integrated body, mind and feelings and challenged their efforts to attain a conscious attention as a means of inner transformation. The Fourth Way teachings of Gurdjieff are uniquely suited for people of the modern world: “The seminal and sacred teaching Gurdjieff brought is in essence scientific in that it is centered in continual questioning, verification, exploration, and faith of Consciousness, not belief or dogma.” The circumstances, events and unpredictable challenges of everyday life, and our reactions to them, provide ample opportunities for impartial self-observation and a deepening of self-knowledge and understanding. ‘Know thyself’ is the essential foundation of all authentic inner teachings and leads to a transformation of consciousness and being which is the goal of the spiritual journey. From this perspective, Gurdjieff’s relentless efforts to awaken mankind from the slumber of mechanical existence can be seen as an act of great compassion and love: Gurdjieff’s fundamental aim was to help human beings awaken to the meaning of our existence and to the efforts we must make to realize that meaning in the midst of the life we have been given. As with every messenger of the spirit, Gurdjieff’s fundamental intention was ultimately for the sake of others, never only for himself. But when we first encounter the figure of Gurdjieff, this central aspect of his life is often missed. Faced with the depth of his ideas and the inner demands he placed upon himself and upon those who were drawn to him, and becoming aware of the uniquely effective forms of inner work he created, we may initially be struck mainly 14

by the vastness of his knowledge and the strength of his being. But sooner or later what may begin to touch us is the unique quality of selflessness in his actions, the sacrifices he made, both for those who came to him and for all of humanity. We begin to understand that his life was a work of love; and at the same time that word “love,” begins to take on entirely new dimensions of meaning, inconceivable in the state of what Gurdjieff called w aking sleep . (19)

Contemporary Sufism

Although traditionally Sufism flourished in a Muslim environment, it also respected other religions such as Christianity. Sufis believed that there were good and true elements in all the great religions and that the outward and superficial aspects of religion were secondary. “One of the most interesting aspects of Sufi principles is that they are almost identical with those laid down by Christian mystics. Renunciation of the world, humility, and love are the basic preliminaries of Christian mysticism. Sufis and Christians alike believe that proficiency in these can lead to the spiritual experience variously called ecstasy, the vision of God or the Divine Union.” This universal understanding of mysticism is still held today by contemporary Sufis. Sufi teaching is always projected in accordance with the requirements of ‘time, place and people.’ It can never be standardized and is transmitted in such a way that it harmonizes with the needs of a given culture, the individuality of the students and certain cosmic contingencies: It is therefore true to say that Sufism is ‘the teaching behind all teachings.’ It is a tradition, but one which is constantly maintained from and sustained by an extradimensional source. Its planetary centre is thus ultimately connected with a cosmic and divine impulse, which it receives and serves. At the same time, Sufis are members of the planetary human community, with which they have indissoluble bonds, and which they have served and guided since the beginning of time. This is why Sufis themselves insist, ‘The Way is none other than in the service of the people.’ Man, say the Sufis, is part of the Eternal Whole, from which everything is derived, and to which all must return. This requires a certain kind of purification and process of perfection leading ultimately to the Complete Man. It requires the cultivation of ‘The Intelligence of Return.’ But where does the Return Journey begin? It begins, it must begin, exactly here, where one is, in the culture in which one lives, and by which one has been formed, shaped and influenced. And within that culture in the very situation one is actually in. It starts where you are – now . Clearly the journey can only be effected with the help of a school specially designed for such a purpose by experts who thoroughly understand the culture – its vices, virtues and capacities, and also those of the individual prospective traveller. An authentic school must organically connect with the culture concerned and with the higher level of being beyond. This indeed has always been a distinguishing feature of the genuine Sufi entity, which is never created without sensitive observance of ‘the time, the place, and the people.’ (20)

15

The spiritual path of the Sufis is individualized for each seeker and progress occurs at different rates for each person. There is no withdrawal from everyday life, following the dictum: ‘Be in t he w orld, but not of t he w orld .’ For the Way of the Sufi is infinitely individual. We are all wonderfully different, so we must all tread our own particular and personal path – which is nevertheless somehow subsumed within the wider Path. As the Sufis say, ‘There are as many ways to Truth as there are human souls.’ And how else could it be? The Sufi way passes t hrough the world. It is intricately intermeshed with the very texture of our terrestrial existence. As each of us and our lives is unique, so is our unfolding. We learn in our ow n way in the Way. The Teaching both exposes our concealed faults and discloses our hidden talents. Sometimes gently, sometimes roughly, we are revealed to ourselves and enabled to grow. Gradually we begin to see our Life manifesting through life. The world becomes more and more transparent to Reality. (21) The great challenge for traditional spiritual teachings in the modern world is to adapt their ideas and practices in a way that is appropriate for contemporary seekers, while still being faithful to the essence of their teaching: Although we may be able to study and comprehend them more clearly than ever, the procedures of the “esoteric” traditions remain esoteric, deeply hidden from us. These procedures were for the most part developed for people in other countries at other times, and so their exercises and techniques are doubly strange to us. Sometimes, paradoxically, we may become attracted to the superficial dimensions of these systems merely because they are exotic. The current need, therefore, is to take the essence of this esoteric knowledge and to transplant it into contemporary terms, rather as one can carry a seed from a long-dormant stock and plant it anew in fresh-tilled soil. The product will differ from previously grown plants, and from everything else. The work of Idries Shah and his associates is such an endeavor. It is an attempt to freshly transplant the essence of an esoteric tradition into modern terms and modern methods. Shah’s books make material available which has not been seen in the West for a thousand years. It is stripped of local coloration and of the accretions both of time and of translations of translations of translations. It is, then, a manifestation of the living traditional psychology, readily available to be investigated by those seriously interested in studying the psychology of consciousness. (22) For many generations the Shah family has specialized in projecting the Sufi teaching in both Eastern and Western settings, in a form suitable for the times. “From time to time, often at important historical moments, this Family, who appear to be custodians of a secret inner tradition, produce members with a special mission to perform. Thus Jalaluddin Rumi, Bahaudin Naqshband, Sheikh Shattar, and other great mystical masters, were of this line.” The leading exponent of this effort in the 20th century was Idries Shah (1924 - 1996) who, through extensive 16

travels throughout Europe, Africa, Central Asia and the Middle East, collected and integrated traditional Sufi knowledge and then published this “treasure of wisdom” in a corpus of more than forty books: Idries Shah devoted his life to collecting, selecting and translating key works of Eastern Sufi classical literature, adapting them to the needs of the West and disseminating them in the Occident. Called by some ‘practical philosophy,’ by others ‘templates in straight thinking’ – these works represent centuries of Sufi thought aimed at the development of human potential to its fullest extent. They stress virtues such as common sense, clear-thinking and humour to counter cant and religious dogma. As such they may be viewed as an antidote to radicalism and fanaticism much needed in the world today. (23) Shah’s works have been highly acclaimed in both spiritual circles and the academic world. Scientists Robert Ornstein and Paul Ehrlich: “Everyone should have some familiarity with Idries Shah’s books, since Shah has been able to make the essential contributions of spiritual thought available to a modern Western audience. He uses traditional stories that, if read over and over again, begin to change the patterns of thinking. Indeed a study of Robert Ornstein’s showed that reading these stories stimulates the right hemisphere of the brain.” Idries Shah built on the foundation of classical Sufi teachings and brought the scope and depth of this timeless knowledge of ‘applied philosophy’ to the modern world. He did so by integrating traditional Sufism with the discoveries of Western science, psychology, sociology, and anthropology. The result is a universal spiritual teaching, rooted in the realities of today’s world, which applies to both Eastern and Western cultures. The published works of Shah form a comprehensive body of ‘practical wisdom’ expressed in a diversity of modalities. “Through the rich and resonant literature Idries Shah has collected and contributed to, one senses a tree of living wisdom, with roots in the remote past yet ever pressing its leaves into the present.” Most Sufi materials, based on the principle of parsimony, have multiple purposes and multilevel effects: All of his books are unique. Many contain diverse materials, such as teaching stories, proverbs, meditations, contemplation themes, dialogues, narratives, and humour. For the student, these materials are useful within their prescribed context of preparatory studies, while for the general public the material can have a multiple impact, including entertainment, information value, “nutrition” for the brain, and practical guidance. Since most of Shah’s materials have several layers of psycho-spiritual impact, normally only the active student can experience the deeper meanings. Most of the materials have been carefully developed by Sufis themselves and designed to function something like “technical devices” or scientific formulas. And as with formulas in physics, different people will perceive the deeper significance of the formulas according to their experience and capacity. (24)

17

One of the most durable and effective modes of transmitting spiritual knowledge is the teaching story. “According to the Sufis, such stories can affect the latent intuitive functions of our minds, providing a type of ‘nutrition’ needed for its development. Teaching stories are tools whose effectiveness depends on the motivation of the user and his or her capacity for understanding. As that understanding increases, the user can apply the tools for finer and deeper work.” Teaching stories are found in all traditions: Vedanta, Buddhist, Zen, Hassidic, Christian, and, especially, the Sufi, in which large bodies of instructional material have been preserved and are still used . . . Compared to meditation, teaching stories have received little attention from Westerners and are generally regarded as, at best, instructive parables or expressions of folk wisdom. Actually, they are far more sophisticated instruments than most people imagine. According to the Sufis, teaching stories can contain up to seven levels of meaning, constructed so that the reader or listener perceives the level that corresponds to his or her stage of spiritual development. On its surface, the story can be humorous, moralistic or entertaining, or a combination of these. Such elements ensure the story’s survival. However, its teaching function depends on other qualities, one of which is the ability to portray a specific pattern of thinking or behavior. The auditor or reader registers the pattern unconsciously and when a corresponding situation arises he or she can recognize it. As a result, the person gains choice over previously automatic and unconscious behavior. He or she can observe and master the particular pattern. (25) Teaching stories are an integral component of contemporary Sufi schools. “They are in fact ‘work material’ with internal dimensions that can only be unlocked and revealed in the course of this work. They are ‘operational’ texts that can only be fruitfully studied within a whole and authentic teaching context, by a serious student, under genuine guidance.” They are indeed highly sophisticated and conscious works of art, created by people who knew exactly what they were doing, for the help of others willing to align themselves with their influence . . . They are subtly complex creations capable of acting simultaneously in many ways and on many levels. They have various roles. Some show us the nature and inadequacies of certain usual patterns of thought which we have without being aware of them, while at the same time revealing other possibilities. Others move us along unfamiliar pathways of the mind in order to open them up. As a body, and rightly used, they offer ‘a way into another form of being.’ (26) Teaching stories are essentially symbolic, employing metaphors, allegories and analogies to great effect. For instance, the various personalities of a teaching tale (king, merchant, beggar, jester) represent different modes of thinking and behaviour present in everyone. “Its symbols are the characters in the story. The way in which they move conveys to us the way in which the human mind can work. By grasping this in terms of men and women, animals and places,

18

movement and manipulation of a tale – that is, by working on a lower level, the level of visualization – we can put ourselves into a relationship with the higher faculties of the mind.” Sufi stories, although they may seem on the surface to purvey a moral, or appear intended to entertain, are not literary forms as these things are commonly understood. They are literature incidentally, but teaching-materials primarily. The Sufi tale, and certain Sufic quotations of other kinds, are designed, then, equally to be appreciated by the cultured, to convey information, to instruct and to provide what is called a framework for the reception of the illumination in the mind of the student. One specific thing which can be said about the Sufi tale is that its construction is such as to permit the presentation to the mind of a design or series of relationships. When the reader’s mind is familiar with this structure, he can understand concepts and experiences which have a similar structure, but which operate on a higher level of perception. It could be called the relationship of the blueprint to the finished apparatus. This method, according to Sufi teaching, can yield enlightenment to the individual in accordance with his capacity to understand. It may also form an essential part of a student’s preparation-exercises. The process includes getting beyond the external face of a story, without inhibiting the student’s capacity to understand and enjoy its humour and other outward characteristics. In Sufi circles it is customary for students to soak themselves in stories set for their study, so that their many meanings can become available as and when they are useful for their development. This latter stage may at times require the aid of a teaching master, to indicate the time and place of such development. It is for these reasons that Sufi tales are said to ‘imprison a priceless secret,’ which is ‘released by the power of a teaching master.’ (27) In order to truly benefit from the stories, the student must be open and receptive to their deeper levels of meaning, rather than imposing their own interpretations on them. “Be available to it, let the tale tell you what it means. The tales may not so much mean something for you as do something t o you. So let them act. Simply absorb them.” The teaching story transmits wisdom in a way that bypasses the logical, rational, mind and connects with a deeper level of consciousness. An example is a fable by Rumi which illustrates the role of ‘indirect teaching’ in the exposition of Sufi teachings: The Indian Bird

A merchant kept a bird in a cage. He was going to India, the land from which the bird came, and asked it whether he could bring anything back for it. The bird asked for its freedom, but was refused. So he asked the merchant to visit a jungle in India and announce his captivity to the free birds who were there. The merchant did so, and no sooner had he spoken when a wild bird, just like his own, fell senseless out of a tree onto the ground. The merchant thought that this must be a relative of his own bird, and felt sad that he should have caused his death. 19

When he got home, the bird asked him whether he had brought good news from India. ‘No,’ said the merchant, ‘I fear that my news is bad. One of your relations collapsed and fell at my feet when I mentioned your captivity.’ As soon as these words were spoken the merchant’s bird collapsed and fell to the bottom of the cage. ‘The news of his kinsman’s death has killed him, too,’ thought the merchant. Sorrowfully he picked up the bird and put it on the window-sill. At once the bird revived and flew to a nearby tree. ‘Now you know,’ the bird said, ‘that what you thought was disaster was in fact good news for me. And how the message, the suggestion of how to behave in order to free myself, was transmitted to me through you, my captor. And he flew away, free at last. (28) The Sufi bequest to humanity is a comprehensive spiritual teaching of timeless, universal wisdom attuned to the needs of the contemporary world. The published works of Idries Shah are available free online as eBooks at www.idriesshahfoundation.org.

References

(1) “A Biographical Sketch” in Ramana Maharshi The Spirit ual Teachings of Ramana M aharshi (Boston: Shambhala, 1988), p. xiii. (2) Arthur Osborne (ed.) The Teachings of Ramana M aharshi (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1978), pp. 11-12. (3) Ramana Maharshi The Spirit ual Teachings of Ramana M aharshi (Boston: Shambhala, 1988), p. 5. (4) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: The Acorn Press, 2005), back cover. (5) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: The Acorn Press, 2005), p. 535. (6) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: The Acorn Press, 2005), pp. 536-537. (7) Jean Klein W ho am I? (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1988), p. i. (8) Jean Klein Transmission of t he Flame (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publications, 1990), p. xxi. (9) Philip Kapleau The Three Pillars of Zen (New York: Anchor Books, 1989), p. 369. (10) Alan Watts The W ay of Zen (New York: Vintage Books, 1957), pp. 155-156. (11) Masao Abe (ed.) A Zen Life: D.T. Suzuki Remembered (New York: Weatherhill, 1986), dust jacket. (12) Shunryu Suzuki Zen M ind, Beginner’s M ind (New York: Weatherhill, 1973), p. 18. (13) Chögyam Trungpa The Heart of t he Buddha (Boston: Shambhala, 1991), pp. 132-133. (14) Chögyam Trungpa The Tant ric Pat h of Indest ruct ible W akefulness (Boston: Shambhala, 2013), dust jacket. (15) Jeanne de Salzmann The Realit y of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), pp. 295-296. (16) Jeanne de Salzmann The Realit y of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), pp. xiii-xiv.

20

(17) William Patrick Patterson Spirit ual Survival in a Radically Changing W orld-Time (Fairfax, California: Arete Communications, 2009), p. 275. (18) Jacob Needleman “Introduction” in Jacob Needleman and George Baker (eds.) Gurdjieff: Essays and Reflect ions on t he M an and His Teaching (New York: Continuum, 1996), pp. x-xi. (19) Jacob Needleman “Introduction” in Jacob Needleman (ed.) The Inner Journey: View s from t he Gurdjieff W ork (Sandpoint, Idaho: Morning Light Press, 2008), p. xiv. (20) Max Gorman St airw ay t o t he St ars: Sufism, Gurdjieff and t he Inner Tradit ion of M ankind (London: Aeon Books, 2010), pp. 80-82. (21) Max Gorman St airw ay t o t he St ars: Sufism, Gurdjieff and t he Inner Tradit ion of M ankind (London: Aeon Books, 2010), p. 86. (22) Robert Ornstein “Contemporary Sufism” in Robert Ornstein (ed.) The Nat ure of Human Consciousness (San Francisco: W.H. Freeman and Company, 1973), pp. 273-274. (23) “The Idries Shah Foundation” www.idriesshahfoundation.org (24) Stuart Litvak Seeking W isdom: The Sufi Pat h (York Beach, Maine: Samuel Weiser, 1984), p. 46. (25) Arthur Deikman The Observing Self (Boston: Beacon Press, 1982), p. 153. (26) Max Gorman St airw ay t o t he St ars: Sufism, Gurdjieff and t he Inner Tradit ion of M ankind (London: Aeon Books, 2010), p. 84. (27) Idries Shah Learning How t o Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 197-198. (28) Idries Shah Tales of t he Dervishes (London: Octagon Press, 1984), p. 189.

21

A LIVING COSM OS

‘At all levels of exist ence, a single cosmic energy is act ive. The w hole universe is alive w it h int elligence, creat ivit y, and const ant evolut ion. Anot her name for t his cosmic energy is Spirit .’ Kabir Helminski

Traditional W orldview

Human beings have pondered the question of the origins of the universe since time immemorial. Different historical times and cultures have embraced fundamentally different cosmic viewpoints: Perhaps the most fundamental question ever asked is, W here did t he universe come from? The earliest answers were couched in the mystical worldview, followed by the worldviews of the great religions. In regard to concepts of origin and destiny, the early intuitions of East and West were remarkably consistent: they both envisaged the origins of the universe as a stupendous process of self-creation. But with the rise of monotheistic religion in the West, the creation story of the Old Testament replaced mystical and metaphysical accounts. Throughout the Middle Ages, Christians, Muslims, and Jews believed that an all-powerful God created the sky above and the Earth below, and all things in between, with purpose and intent, just the way we find them. In the nineteenth century, the Judeo-Christian account of creation came into conflict with the theories of modern science, in particular with Darwinian biology. A vivid contrast arose between the view that everything we behold was created intentionally by a divine power and the concept according to which living species evolved on their own, from simpler common origins. (1) And today, the questions of the origins and ontological meaning of the universe remain unanswered by science: “It cannot say w hy our universe came to be the way it came to be; why it has the remarkable properties it now exhibits. The question returns, it seems, to the domain of mysticism and religion.” Many scientists believe that meaning resides in the human mind alone and the universe is impersonal, without any purpose or intention. Physicist Steven Weinberg: “I believe that what we have found so far – an impersonal universe, which is not particularly directed toward human beings – is what we are going to continue to find. And that when we find the ultimate laws of nature they will have a chilling, cold impersonal quality about them.” This view is not held by the majority of traditional cultures. Throughout history and across cultures and geography, human beings have searched for meaning and purpose in life: Finding meaning in life and in nature is essential for human existence; the search for it is as old as civilization. For as long as people have looked at the sun, the

1

moon, and the starry sky above, and at the seas, the rivers, the hills, and the forests below, they have wondered where it all came from, where it all is going, and what it all means. Traditional and non-Western peoples found answers, even if their answers were based on intuition rather than observation and experiment. They lived in a meaningful, ensouled universe, and did not arrogate all mind to themselves. Finding themselves at home in the universe, they took care not to damage or destroy their home. (2) In our modern industrial and technological world, many individuals are unable to perceive meaning and purpose in the world: “We no longer sense the aliveness of rivers, rocks, and the earth itself. We no longer sense the sentience of trees and other plants, nor the consciousness of insects and other animals. We have lost awareness of a spirit-force pervading the world and all the things in it.” This view of the world contrasts with that of traditional cultures who believe that a Great Spirit resides at the heart of all things in nature. For instance, indigenous cultures teach that a universal conscious mind underlies the consciousness of plants, animals, Mother Earth and Father Sky. All of nature is viewed as “magically self-reflecting and aware.” In traditional cultures, entities are said to exist in many different realms. Ethnobiologist Terence McKenna: “There are the spirits of animals, the spirit of the earth and solar system and stars, and the angelic stellar intelligences. There are spirits of each species of plant or mushroom, each with its way of being, its own way of experiencing the world. All these things are part of the shamanic fauna: the wolf spirits, crow spirits, other animal spirits, nature spirits, water spirits, mountain spirits, tree spirits, and so on.” Traditional indigenous cultures and those close to nature perceive the world as deeply spiritual, imbued with an all-pervading spirit-force and filled with a powerful underlying divinity and sacredness: Another major characteristic of prehistoric and indigenous peoples’ experience of the world was their intense perception of their surroundings. They seem to have had a sense that natural things were alive and sentient, and pervaded with a spiritual force. Different peoples with no connection to each other had different names for this force. In the Americas, the Hopi called it maasauu , the Lakota called it w akan-t anka , and the Pawnee called it t iraw a . The Ainu of Japan called it ramut (translated as “spirit-energy”), while indigenous peoples in parts of New Guinea called it imunu (translated as “universal soul”). In Africa, the Nuer called it kw ot h and the Mbuti called it pepo . These concepts are strikingly similar to the universal spirit-force that spiritual and mystical traditions speak about – for example, the concept of brahman in the Indian Upanishads. This spiritual force was also part of the reason for indigenous peoples’ respectful attitude toward nature and their dismay at European peoples’ exploitative attitude towards it. In addition to feeling a sense of kinship with the natural world, they felt it was spiritually alive and therefore sacred. (3) 2

All of nature is perceived by traditional cultures as alive, vibrant, intelligent and purposeful, animated by a creative Spirit or cosmic energy. The idea of a living, conscious universe suggests that all living creatures participate, although in different degrees, in cosmic consciousness. There is consciousness everywhere in the universe and, in fact, the universe is consciousness itself. Ervin Laszlo: “According to ancient cosmologies, the universe’s undifferentiated, allencompassing consciousness separates off from its primordial unity and becomes localized in particular structures of matter. Through them the consciousness that infuses the cosmos becomes more and more articulated. Thus, consciousness pervades the cosmos.” This understanding of the spiritual nature of the cosmos has been lost by much of the modern world. In Science and t he Akashic Field , Laszlo writes: “In the primordial condition humans possessed an instinctive knowledge of the sacred unity and profound interconnectedness of the world. But with the ascendance of the rational mind a deep schism arose between humankind and the rest of reality. The nadir of this development is reflected in the current ecological disaster, moral disorientation, and spiritual emptiness.” Many important philosophers throughout history, including Plato, Plotinus, Gottfried Leibniz and Alfred North Whitehead have subscribed to the doctrine of pan-psychism . The thesis of pan-psychism is that some quality of consciousness exists as a potentiality in every particle and atom in the cosmos. As consciousness evolves it acquires more and more complex forms so that every aspect of the universe is endowed with both a physical and mental nature: Pan-psychism is the hypothesis that consciousness is not unique to human

beings, or higher animals, or even creatures with nervous systems. It is in everything. This is not to imply that simpler systems have thoughts or feelings, or any of the other mental functions that we associate with consciousness, only that the capacity for consciousness is there in some form, however faint. Even a lowly bacterium has a glimmer of the inner light, maybe a billionth of the inner light we know, but not nothing at all. The standard scientific paradigm assumes the exact opposite – that matter itself is completely insentient, completely devoid of the capacity for experience. Consciousness only comes into existence with the evolution of complex nervous systems. The problem with this view is explaining how conscious experience could ever emerge from insentient matter. The only tenable answer – anathema as it may be to the standard scientific worldview – is that the capacity for inner experience does not suddenly appear, as if by magic, once a particular level of complexity has arisen. The potential for inner experience has been there all along. (4) French philosopher Henri Bergson believed that evolution is propelled by a subtle, nonmaterial force, élan vit al, which operates to maximize evolutionary creativity and leads organic matter forward toward a diversity that gives birth to higher and more complex forms of life. According to Bergson, this vital impulse is consciousness itself. He believed evolution to be a “truly universal process, so that life evolves not only on the earth but throughout the cosmos.” 3

Even some scientists have recognized that the planet Earth has, in some ways, the attributes of a living being. Foremost among them is James Lovelock, who in his influential book Gaia (named after the Greek Earth goddess), hypothesized that the Earth’s atmosphere, oceans, land surface and organic life form a complex, interrelated system which can be viewed as a single organism: “We may find ourselves and all other living things to be parts and partners of a vast being who in her entirety has the power to maintain our planet as a fit and comfortable habitat for life.” The concept of Mother Earth or, as the Greeks called her long ago, Gaia, has been widely held throughout history and has been the basis of a belief which still coexists with the great religions. As a result of the accumulation of evidence about the natural environment and the growth of the science of ecology, there have recently been speculations that the biosphere may be more than just the complete range of all living things within their natural habitat of soil, sea, and air. Ancient belief and modern knowledge have fused emotionally in the awe with which astronauts with their own eyes and we by indirect vision have seen the Earth revealed in all its shining beauty against the deep darkness of space. Yet this feeling, however strong, does not prove that Mother Earth lives. Like a religious belief, it is scientifically untestable and therefore incapable in its own context of further rationalization. (5) For most people, the perception of spiritual energy is blocked by the limitations of normal human consciousness and the power of cultural and social conditioning. “When we look at the sky, we don’t see a spiritual energy shimmering through space; we just see empty space. When we look at rocks or rivers or trees we aren’t able to sense spiritual energy radiating through them; we just see them as inanimate objects. As a consequence, the world that seems to be so sacred and spiritual to indigenous people becomes a mundane, inanimate place to us.” To the awakened person, there are no such things as inanimate objects. Even natural phenomena that aren’t biologically alive (such as clouds, sea, or stones) and manmade objects (such as pieces of furniture or buildings) shine with the radiant aliveness of spirit . . . As spiritual texts and mystics tell us, the nature of this energy is blissful. It has a quality of bliss or joy in the same way that water has a quality of wetness. So, when we perceive its presence in the world, there’s a sense of harmony – again, an awareness that is commonly described by indigenous peoples. We sense that the universe is a benevolent place and that harmony and meaning are its fundamental qualities. Finally, this spiritual energy underlies and pervades all things and so creates a sense of connectedness or oneness. All things are folded into oneness in its embrace. So even if an awakened person isn’t able to directly sense brahman in the world, they may still have the sense that the boundaries between superficially separate and distinct objects have melted away. They may still sense what some describe as “the oneness of everything” or “the oneness of the universe.” (6) 4

M ystical and Spiritual W orldview

Throughout history and across cultures there has been an unending quest to understand the nature and purpose of ultimate reality. For instance, ancient Egyptian and Vedic teachings identified an underlying and all-pervading cosmic intelligence as the foundation of the myriad expressions of the phenomenal world. Other mystical and spiritual teachings describe a subtle spiritual energy and living presence that permeates all things. In Taoism it is known as the Tao , in Mahayana Buddhism the Dharmakaya , and in Hinduism, Brahman : Hindu and Chinese cosmologies have always maintained that the things and beings that exist in the world are a concretization or distillation of the basic energy of the cosmos, descending from its original source. The physical world is a reflection of energy vibrations from more subtle worlds that, in turn, are reflections of still more subtle energy fields. Creation, and all subsequent existence, is a progression downward and outwards from the primordial source. In Indian philosophy the ultimate end of the physical world is the return to Akasha, its original subtle-energy womb. At the end of time as we know it, the almost infinitely varied things and forms of the manifest world dissolve into formlessness, living beings exist in a state of pure potentiality, and dynamic functions condense into static stillness. In Akasha, all attributes of the manifest world energy merge into a state that is beyond attributes: the state of Brahman . Although it is undifferentiated, Brahman is dynamic and creative. From its ultimate “being” comes the temporary “becoming” of the manifest world, with its attributes, functions, and relationships. The cycles of samsara – of beingto-becoming and again of becoming-to-being – are the lila of Brahman: its play of ceaseless creation and dissolution. In Indian philosophy, absolute reality is the reality of Brahman. The manifest world enjoys but a derived, secondary reality and mistaking it for the real is the illusion of maya . The absolute reality of Brahman and the derived reality of the manifest world constitute a co-created and constantly co-creating whole: this is the advait avada (the nonduality) of the universe. (7) The spiritual teachings of traditional cultures embrace a deep, organic understanding of the universe. Nature is clearly recognized as a “sacred garden” and humanity’s original home and womb. “Life is sufficiently miraculous already – only w e do not not ice it. If we catch a glimpse of its mystery, we border momentarily on new emotions and thoughts, but this comes from within, as a momentary, individual awakening of the spirit.” In The Light Inside t he Dark, Zen teacher John Tarrant eloquently captures this deep spiritual perspective: The great inner traditions, from paleolithic shamanism to monastic Christianity, have brought us many disciplines to cultivate our link with spirit. Such work involves meditation, prayer, and the slow, delicious process of letting go – everything we thought important drops away when the blaze and stillness at the center fills the view. Meditation – the primary method of spiritual inquiry, 5

taking various forms in different traditions – plunges us into the source and saturates us with its waters, answering, in a certain fashion our curiosity about what it is that we are. When we turn toward spirit, it compels us to its mode, in which eternity is everlastingly present within our lives, making the smallest moment vibrant and full of color. Our underlying doubts about existence soften, and a constricting attachment to the narrow, received aspects of consciousness is weakened. The transparence of the world amazes us – at each moment we are surprised anew by the clarity of what we see: our undeniable connection to the source. We have come home at last, no longer alone on the earth. Spirit is given . It is not produced by our attention, it is uncovered – showing us our link from the beginning with all of life. (8) Human beings are uniquely endowed with the ability to perceive the mystical current of life. Sufi teacher Murat Yagan: “Everything in creation has some level of consciousness, but only human beings are capable of being aware of being conscious.” In the nineteenth century, a number of gifted writers and poets who experienced transcendental states of consciousness, captured this spiritual awareness of life. The essays and poems of Walt Whitman embrace the totality of life and acknowledge the spiritual energy flowing through the everyday world and the lives of ordinary people: With his heightened awareness, Whitman sensed the sacred aliveness of the world and the radiance and harmony of a spirit-force pervading every object and creature. The whole world was divine, including his own being and body. As well as bring an intense sense of the is-ness of things, the heightened awareness of the wakeful state brings an intense sense of the now-ness. Our presenttense experience – our awareness of our surroundings, perceptions, and sensations – becomes so powerful that we give complete attention to it. The past and future become completely unimportant as we realize that there’s only now , that life can only ever take place in the present moment. As a result, the whole concept of time becomes meaningless. Life is no longer a road with directions forwards and backwards; instead it becomes a spacious panorama without movenent or sequence. In Whitman’s words, “The past and present wilt – I have filled them, emptied them” . . . Whitman’s awareness of a spirit-force pervading everything meant that to him there were no separate or independent phenomena. To him, all things were part of a greater unity. In his poem “On the Beach at Night Alone,” for example, he describes his awareness that all things are part of a “vast similitude.” All suns, planets, human beings, animals, plants, all of the future and the past, and all of space are essentially one and the same. (9) The acclaimed English poet William Wordsworth was also sensitive to the spiritual dimension of the universe. In his poem, “Intimations of Immortality” he celebrates the pure, innocent perception of children who see a world “apparelled in celestial light”:

6

The English poet William Wordsworth was also naturally awake. Wordsworth’s intense sensitivity to the beauty and the is-ness of the natural world made him the archetypal romantic poet and the most influential poet of the nineteenth century. He spent most of his life in one of the most beautiful parts of England, the Lake District, and his poems are full of detailed descriptions of the sublime, awe-inspiring landscape of the region. Many of Wordsworth’s passages describe his awareness of the spirit-force pervading the natural world, some of which come very close to descriptions of the all-pervading presence of brahman in the Upanishads. In “Lines Written a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey,” he writes: And I have felt A presence that disturbs me with the joy Of elevated thoughts; a sense sublime Of something far more deeply interfused, Whose dwelling is the light of setting suns, And the round ocean and the living air, And the blue sky, and in the mind of man: A motion and a spirit; that impels All thinking things, all objects of all thought, And rolls through all things. (10) In higher states of consciousness, the living, dynamic nature of reality is directly revealed, transforming our way of understanding and relating to life. John Tarrant: “What we need, and what we love, what consoles us and what redeems us is here each moment, already within us. It waits for us to recognize its presence. We only have to give ourselves up to it, and our one life, and all life, welcomes us into its arms.”: Consciousness is both our uniqueness and our adventure. We see the snow, the stars, and the rain, the first plum blossoms thrust out in pink haze, the girl crying in the wet street, and we see that each thing and being demonstrates its own portion of eternity. This seeing blesses our lives – they are like us, these other inhabitants of earth; we share with them a mysterious nature. Each thing appears before us in its solitary radiance. (11) Psychedelic substances such as LSD, psilocybin and ayahuasca can also engender a deep spiritual connection with the universe. Reporting on his own experiences with psychedelics, Michael Pollan speaks of the intelligence of the plant and mineral kingdoms that he perceived in How t o Change Your M ind : My plant teacher was trying to tell me something about itself and the green kingdom it represents. That plants are intelligent I have believed for a long time – not necessarily in the way we think of intelligence, but in a way appropriate to themselves. If you define intelligence as the ability to solve the novel problems reality throws at the living, plants surely have it. They also 7

possess agency, an awareness of their environment . . . One of the gifts of psychedelics is the way they reanimate the world, as if they were distributing the blessings of consciousness more widely and evenly over the landscape, in the process breaking the human monopoly on subjectivity that we moderns take as a given. To us, we are the world’s only conscious subject, with the rest of creation made up of objects. Psychedelic consciousness overturns that view, by granting us a wider, more panoramic lens through which we can glimpse the subjecthood – the spirit – of everything, animal, vegetable, even mineral, all of it now somehow returning our gaze. Spirits, it seems, are everywhere. Even in the case of minerals, modern physics gives us reason to wonder if perhaps some form of consciousness might not figure in the construction of reality. Quantum mechanics holds that matter may not be as innocent of mind as the materialist would have us believe. For example, a subatomic particle can exist simultaneously in multiple locations, is pure possibility, until it is measured – that is, perceived by a mind. Only then and not a moment sooner does it drop into reality as we know it: acquires fixed coordinates in time and space. The implication here is that matter might not exist as such in the absence of a perceiving subject. Needless to say, this raises some tricky questions for a materialist understanding of consciousness. (12) Certain contemporary Western and Eastern spiritual teachers also conceive of the universe as living and conscious, imbued with intelligence and purpose. Father Bede Griffiths: “We must consider that consciousness is present in the universe in some way from the very beginning as intelligence at work in matter. As matter evolves through the energy inherent in it, and develops more complex organisms, the divine consciousness manifests itself as life.” The Dalai Lama echoes this view: “In Tibetan Buddhism, the cosmos is seen as one inseparable reality – forever in motion, alive, organic; spiritual and material at the same time.” Professor of philosophy Jacob Needleman concurs, and also speaks to the necessity of perceiving the levels and orders of intelligence existing in the cosmos: “Obviously, there is a great difference between contemplating a universe which exceeds me in size alone or in intricacy alone, and one which exceeds me in depth of purpose and intelligence. A universe that is a manifestation of great consciousness and order places man and therefore calls to him. A conscious universe is the only reality that can include human consciousness. Only a conscious universe is relevant to the whole of human life.” The amazing complexity and diversity of the universe revealed by contemporary science is, in some sense, similar to the worldview of many traditional spiritual teachings. In A Sense of t he Cosmos, Needleman writes: Ancient man’s scale of the universe is awesome, too, but in an entirely different way, and with entirely different consequences for the mind that contemplates it. Here man stands before a universe which exceeds him in quality as well as quantity. The spheres which encompass the earth in the cosmological schemes of antiquity and the Middle Ages represent levels of conscious energy and pur8

pose which “surround” the earth much as the physiological function of an organ such as the heart “surrounds” or permeates each of the separate tissues which comprise it, or as the captain’s destination “encompasses” or “pervades” the life and activity of every crewman on his ship. In this understanding, the earth is inextricably enmeshed in a network of purpose, a ladder or hierarchy of intentions. To the ancient mind, this is the very meaning of the concept of order and organization. A cosmos – and, of course, t he cosmos – is an organism, not in the sense of an unusually complicated industrial machine, but in the sense of a hierarchy of purposeful energies. (13) G.I. Gurdjieff’s cosmological system is organic in nature, possessing a universal order and a hierarchy of levels of consciousness and being. He referred to the intelligence of the Sun as “divine” and spoke of the planets of the solar system as living beings, “having definite ages, a definite period of life, and possibilities of development and transition to other planes of being.” In his view, life and consciousness were not limited to the earth but extended beyond it to encompass other levels of existence, including planets, stars and galaxies: He regarded the universe as a living conscious being, made up of a hierarchy of cosmoses, nested within each other, each also a living being with a certain level of awareness. These cosmoses are somewhat variably described in his lectures and writings, but an acceptable list might be as follows: God The universe The galaxy The solar system The planet Human beings and similar beings elsewhere – so-called three-brained beings The multicellular organism – plants and animals The cell or microbe This is a radically different view from that of conventional modern science, according to which the above entities, aside from the first, are simply organizations of different sizes, but all on the same level, ruled by the same laws of physics. Gurdjieff also regarded the cosmoses as related to each other as zero t o infinit y, in other words, as representing different dimensions. A miracle then would be due to the intrusion of the laws of a higher cosmos into a lower one. This again relates to different levels of materiality and of the relationships of things to space, time, and forces: a normal man cannot walk on water, but the wind can; loaves and fishes do not multiply instantaneously, but shadows and echoes can. Human consciousness, which can join together all separate things, travel effortlessly into the past and future, and contemplate all the possibilities therein, thus belongs to a different cosmos and has a different dimensionality than ordinary material things. (14) 9

An Emerging Paradigm

Most scientists reject the notion that the universe is, in some sense, alive and conscious. The prevailing scientific belief is that only organic life is sentient, possessing perceptual properties and adaptive capacities. However, a new paradigm is arising at the frontiers of scientific thought, one which recognizes consciousness as a fundamental property of all forms of existence, no matter how rudimentary or complex. From the standpoint of scientific materialism and empiricism, the mystery of life is to be understood through reductionism. This approach states that higher order principles and levels of reality are derived from combinations of insentient matter through accidental, random processes. There is no recognition of an immaterial, higher-order organizing principle. From this perspective, mind, intelligence and life are secondary features – an accidental product of physical matter. The implications of this materialistic description of the universe are significant. Maurice Nicoll: “Can we really believe that mind and intelligence accidentally came out of dead matter? The customary standpoint of scientific materialism is that primary matter is dead – and the universe is dead and nature is devoid of meaning or purpose. A dead nature can, of course, aim at nothing. It cannot be teleological.” Such a belief runs counter to ancient, traditional teachings on the nature of the universe: In the older views of man, which were much richer and more complete than are the modern views, man was placed in the framework of a vast living universe as a created being – that is, created in and out of the living universe. So not only was man in the world, but t he w orld w as in him . The idea of scale or ‘degree of excellence’ permeated most of the older notions about man and the universe. The universe is on different scales. A man was taken as a very complex creation having w it hin him a scale consisting of different levels of mind, consciousness and understanding. (15) There is now support for this view of a living, conscious universe among some scientists. Eminent physicists of the early twentieth century, such as Albert Einstein, Max Planck and Wolfgang Pauli, were struck by the order, beauty and harmony of the universe, suggesting an inherent intelligence and mathematical design to the cosmos. “There is an intelligence inherent to the universe. That intelligence, acting through the laws of nature, is responsible for shaping the nature of things in the world. It ensures that the world is not merely a random heap of unrelated things, but an ensemble of coherently interrelated events and processes.” At the present time there is a growing body of cosmologists who are developing theories of a completely new universe, one that is living, conscious and evolving. In W hat is Realit y?, Ervin Laszlo writes: “The new vision of the cosmos reveals a universe of infinite potential, matter dancing in the quantum field, galaxies informed by a cosmic intelligence, a seamless whole that sustains and orders the diversity of life, every part driven by a relentless urge to grow and evolve.”

10

And, evolutionary biologist Elisabet Sahtouris has proposed a scientific model of a living universe: “There is reason to see the whole universe as alive by the definition of aut opoiesis: a living entity being one that is in continual self-creation in relation to its surroundings. In selforganizing endless levels of size-scale and complexity, the universe or cosmos learns to play with possibilities in the intelligent co-creation of its evolving living systems.” The separation between life and non-life is essentially a human-derived mental concept which ignores the unity, wholeness and interdependence of all that exists. “The physicality of matter is not the very foundation of the universe. Beneath it is what gave it birth – the great underlying mystery from which the earth itself with its mountains, oceans, clouds, animals, and humans is born.” In The W onder of Being , Jeff Foster writes: This ‘tree’ is not separate from the little creatures who live in it, from the nutrients and micro-organisms in the earth that it feeds on, from the moss that crawls up its side, from the raindrops that it would die without, from me, as I place my hand on its trunk, as I breathe the air that it too depends on. Everyt hing depends on everyt hing . This ‘tree’ is not separate from everything else. ‘Tree’ is not separate from the rest of reality, from everything that we call ‘not tree.’ Where would I draw the boundary between ‘tree’ and ‘not tree’? Where would I slice reality? How would I ever know where to slice? Reality is a unified whole, and thought kills it, cuts it up into little bits, because thought cannot comprehend the enormity of it all, cannot begin to fathom the great myst ery that we call life. (16) Science is beginning to recognize that all the phenomena of nature are not isolated from each other as self-contained elements but, rather, are unified as one universal field of cosmic energy. Human beings are a ‘mirror’ of this underlying reality: “We are attached and engaged, indivisible from our world, and our only fundamental truth is our relationship with it. ‘The field,’ as Einstein once succinctly put it, ‘is the only reality’.” The major discoveries of quantum physics in the early twentieth century had profound metaphysical implications. “Subatomic particles had no meaning in isolation, but only in relationship with everything else. The universe could only be understood as a dynamic web of interconnection. Time and space as we know them did not, in fact, exist. All that appeared, as far as the eye could see, was one long landscape of the here and now.” In her influential book The Field , Lynne McTaggart writes: For a number of decades respected scientists in a variety of disciplines all over the world have been carrying out well-designed experiments whose results fly in the face of current biology and physics. Together, these studies offer us copious information about the central organizing force governing our bodies and the rest of the cosmos. What they have discovered is nothing less than astonishing. At our most elemental, we are not a chemical reaction, but an energetic charge. Human beings and all living things are a coalescence of energy in a field of energy connected to every other thing in the world. This pulsating 11

energy field is the central engine of our being and our consciousness, the alpha and the omega of our existence. (17) There is an ongoing debate in the scientific community regarding the fundamental nature of consciousness, which life forms possess consciousness, and to what degree. Some physicists such as Freeman Dyson maintain that even subatomic particles are endowed with some form of consciousness: “Matter in quantum mechanics is not an inert substance but an active agent, constantly making choices between alternative possibilities. It appears that mind, as manifested by the capacity to make choices, is to some extent inherent in every electron.” Transpersonal psychologist Jeffrey Eisen explores these questions in his book Oneness Perceived : “It is a fallacy to assert that consciousness is a thing apart from life. It is not. Consciousness is inseparable from life, the whole, the part, and the part within the whole.” While scientists acknowledge animal and human consciousness, and perhaps even plant consciousness, Eisen extends some level of consciousness to all manner of inorganic forms: atoms, cells, crystals, mountains, planets, stars and even galaxies: Every form, every unit of life, is just consciousness identifying with and perceiving from its level of organization. Every unit of life, because it is a separate locus of perception, has its own self-perception, its own awareness of being what it is. Individual consciousness originates when life originates, develops as lives develop, and dies when lives die. Consciousness tracks life because consciousness is just another aspect of life. Consciousness becomes the self-perception of a life’s Isness. It is as much a part of life as is the physical body. Life is a form of consciousness. We are not used to thinking that all life has consciousness inextricably associated with it . . . I suspect that the consciousness of all life shares a fundamental quality of sentience and that the primary difference between the consciousness of an amoeba, a tree, and a human is in what its sensorium and cognitorium present it to be conscious of. Simple units of life may or may not experience consciousness the way we do; however, they all act as if they are conscious. The objective criterion for consciousness is the same as the objective criterion for perception, namely active self-interest – the one criterion for life itself. (18) Some leading scientists, in accord with traditional spiritual teachings, have recognized that life and consciousness exist throughout the universe in many different forms, and at many different levels. Educator and author John White: “Consciousness and substance coexist and interact universally on all levels of manifest reality, from the very subtle and rarified to the gross/physical. Thus, consciousness is present in the most rudimentary forms of energy and matter, even subatomic particles.” White elaborates in The M eet ing of Science and Spirit : Who knows where consciousness begins and ends? Certainly, animals are conscious (but not self-conscious). Arthur Koestler notes in The Ghost in t he M achine that ethologists refuse to draw a lower limit for consciousness, while neurophysiologists talk of “spinal consciousness” in lower animals and bio12

logists speak of the “protoplasmic consciousness” of protists, which are single-celled creatures without a nervous system. Exobiology suggests the probability (approaching absolute certainty) of other life forms in the universe. Since there are stellar systems significantly older than ours, it is likely that some life forms are more highly evolved than Homo sapiens, and thus possess higher consciousness . . . Some religious and philosophical traditions hold that all creation, even so-called inorganic matter, have a primal form of sentience or awareness. From their points of view, consciousness is everywhere and is the foundation of all existence – the organizing principle behind the physical universe. (19) Physicist David Bohm, a colleague of Einstein, has questioned the traditional clear distinction between inanimate matter and life by positing “a single ground common to both.” This primal, universal flux or ‘holomovement’ is an undivided wholeness or totality, which is ultimately undefinable and immeasurable. “In its totality, the holomovement includes the principle of life itself. Indeed, the holomovement which is ‘life implicit’ is the ground of both ‘life explicit’ and of inanimate matter. This ground is what is primary, self-existent and universal.” In W holeness and t he Implicat e Order , he writes: Let us begin by considering the growth of a living plant. This growth starts from a seed, but the seed contributes little or nothing to the actual material substance of the plant or to the energy needed to make it grow. This latter comes almost entirely from the soil, the water, the air and the sunlight. According to modern theories the seed contains informat ion , in the form of DNA, and thus information somehow ‘directs’ the environment to form a corresponding plant. In terms of the implicate order, we may say that even inanimate matter maintains itself in a continual process similar to the growth of plants . . . We may compare this to a forest, constituted of trees that are continually dying and being replaced by new ones. If it is considered on a long time-scale, this forest may be regarded likewise as a continuously existent but slowly-changing entity. So when understood through the implicate order, inanimate matter and living beings are seen to be, in certain key respects, basically similar to their modes of existence . . . As the plant is formed, maintained and dissolved by the exchange of matter and energy with its environment, at which point can we say that there is a sharp distinction between what is alive and what is not? Clearly, a molecule of carbon dioxide that crosses a cell boundary into a leaf dos not suddenly ‘come alive’ nor does a molecule of oxygen suddenly ‘die’ when it is released to the atmosphere. Rather, life itself has to be regarded as belonging in some sense to a totality, including plant and environment. (20) In The Holographic Universe, Michael Talbot elaborates on Bohm’s thesis that consciousness and matter are inseparable, and it is meaningless to speak of consciousness and matter as inter-acting in some physical sense:

13

In fact, Bohm believes that consciousness is a more subtle form of matter, and the basis for any relationship between the two lies not in our own level of reality, but deep in the implicate order. Consciousness is present in varying degrees of enfoldment and unfoldment in all matter, which is perhaps why plasma possesses some of the traits of living things. As Bohm puts it, “The ability of form to be active is the most characteristic feature of mind, and we have something that is mindlike already with the electron.” Similarly, he believes that dividing the universe up into living and nonliving things also has no meaning. Animate and inanimate matter are inseparably interwoven, and life, too, is enfolded throughout the totality of the universe. Even a rock is in some way alive, says Bohm, for life and intelligence are present not only in all of matter, but in “energy,” “space,” “time,” “the fabric of the entire universe,” and everything else we abstract out of the holomovement and mistakenly view as separate things. The idea that consciousness and life (and indeed, all things) are ensembles enfolded throughout the universe has an equally dazzling flip side. Just as every portion of a hologram contains the image of the whole, every portion of the universe enfolds the whole . . . In principle the whole past and implications for the whole future are also enfolded in each small region of space and time. Every cell in our body enfolds the entire cosmos. So does every leaf, every raindrop, and every dust mote, which gives new meaning to William Blake’s famous poem: To see a W orld in a grain of sand And a Heaven in a w ild flow er, Hold Infinit y in t he palm of your hand And Et ernit y in an hour. (21)

Evolution of Consciousness

Almost all contemporary cosmologists subscribe to the so-called ‘standard model’ of the evolution of the universe, which describes the origins and development of the cosmos in strictly physical terms: According to the standard model in physical cosmology, a single event created the world, a nonrecurring and unexplained singularity known as the Big Bang. The universe is said to have originated in that explosive instability 13.75 billion years ago. A region of cosmic pre-space had exploded, creating a fireball of staggering heat and density. In the first few milliseconds it synthesized all the matter that populates space and time. The particle-antiparticle pairs that emerged from the cosmic pre-space collided with and annihilated each other; the one-billionth of the originally created particles that survived the collisions (the tiny excess of particles over antiparticles) constitutes what we call matter in the universe. After about four hundred thousand years photons decoupled

14

from the radiation field of the primordial fireball: space became transparent and clumps of matter established themselves as distinct entities. Due to gravitational attraction these clumps condensed into stars and stellar systems and created gigantic swirls that, after about a billion years, became galaxies. (22) However, other theorists with a more spiritual bent have included consciousness as a crucial variable in the evolution of the cosmos. The evolutionary unfolding of the universe has been mapped in seven sequential stages by professor of philosophy Christian de Quincey. Following the Big Bang, matter began to organize itself into increasingly complex structures from photons to galaxies. At some point in the evolutionary journey, complex forms developed the ability to reproduce, thus giving birth to biological systems, heralding the emergence of life and eventually the capacity for self-awareness: We could summarize the seven stages of evolution as follows: • •

•

• • • •

First : The plenum void of the unmanifest Metauniverse. Second : The Metauniverse instantaneously comes into physical manifestation

in the Big Bang, creating time, space, and light. At this cosmic flaring forth, the randomness and chaos of this universe carries within it the “seeds” or templates of information from prior universes. Third : Using the information-templates, the new universe self-organizes amidst the surrounding chaos. From initial mass-less, charge-less photons, this universe begins to create its elementary particles, the building blocks of matter and of all the material forms to come later. Fourt h : Matter eventually develops the ability to reproduce itself, and life is born. Fift h : Some life forms further develop the ability to represent themselves and other objects symbolically – thus mind and language are born. Sixt h : Just moments ago in cosmic time, our species became aware of the process of evolution – and at that moment evolution became reflexively aware of itself. Sevent h : Being self-aware, evolution can now choose its evolutionary path and goal, although the options available remain constrained within the inevitable cyclical birth-and-death of the universe. In time, the universe, including all its conscious creations, will return to its source, falling back into the womb of the Metaverse. (23)

The evolution and day-to-day functioning of our planet Earth provides an example of how increasingly complex, integrated systems of forms, processes and energies emerge over time, suggestive of a living, dynamic organism. Ervin Laszlo: “The world is more like a living organism than a machine. It evolves from the present toward the future on the basis of its evolution from the past to the present. Its logic is the logic of life itself: evolution toward coherence and wholeness, through interconnection and interaction.”

15

In The M usic of t he Spheres, visionary author Guy Murchie presents a poetic view of the Earth as a planet in evolution, “slowly developing an organ of consciousness, and just now arriving at the stage where it is capable of seeing and understanding itself.” He writes: Our home sphere, the earth, is constantly changing. In a very real sense it is alive. Like an animal it stirs in its sleep, it “breathes” air, it grows, its wounds heal, its juices circulate, its skin metabolizes, its nerves crackle quietly with vital messages. It even rumbles with internal gas and dreams and itches a little and (through its inhabitants) feels self-conscious. This living aspect of the earth is something you don’t hear much about in geography classes, but it is hard to miss from my new space-eye view. Besides the obvious rhythms of the swirling waves of weather folding over and over each other, the steady advance of the soft twilight edge of night and the ever-changing atmospheric colors, the solid flesh of earth itself where visible seems to blush and glow with the hours. The great Western plains of wheat reflect light differently after a wide shift of wind. The green of shallow seas deepens toward blue with the rise of tides. The Gulf Stream and the jet stream change courses in the heat of an afternoon. Looking at large mountain chains, one can even sense the slow lateral movement of continents steadily pinching the loose skin of the planet. (24) According to Ervin Laszlo, the evolutionary process is governed by a vast cosmic intelligence. “Consciousness is a fundamental element of the universe. The energy that gave birth to the universe is a cosmic intelligence that is manifest in all phenomena.” In The Int elligence of t he Cosmos, he writes: It is very clear that during the billions of years of the evolution of life on planet Earth there has been a gradual trend to create ever more complex and coherent forms of life. And thanks to the work of brilliant scientific minds it can now be shown that this could not have come about by chance. Mathematical physicist Fred Hoyle said that the probability that new species could emerge through a chance mutation of their genes is comparable to the probability of a hurricane blowing through a scrapyard would assemble a working airplane. And so we must accept that there is an Intelligence driving the process, that the universe and life on Earth are inspired and in-formed by an unknown and unknowable Creator, a Supreme Being, a Great Spiritual Power – or the Intelligence that is Intrinsic to the cosmos. (25) In the new cosmology, consciousness is viewed as a universal phenomenon and an integral part of reality. Consciousness and matter co-evolve to create greater and greater levels of complexity, perception, and awareness – all attributes of life. Such a living, conscious cosmos expresses itself as a vast Intelligence with the ability to organize, self-create and evolve. Deepak Chopra and professor of physics Menas Kafatos argue that consciousness has been present as an essential feature of the universe since the beginning of time and that we live in a 16

conscious universe: “Life has always existed as pure consciousness. Every property that has emerged in living things has its source as unmanifest potential, primary intelligence, creativity, and the evolutionary impulse. Being nonlocal, the field of infinite possibilities has no beginning. Therefore, life has no beginning either.” They present their case in You Are t he Universe, writing: Quest ion : Do we live in a conscious universe? Answ er : Yes. But this won’t make any sense if your notion of a conscious universe

is filled with thoughts, sensations, images, and feelings. Those are the contents of the mind. Remove the contents and what remains is pure consciousness, which is silent, unmoving, beyond time and space, yet filled with creative potential. Pure consciousness gives rise to everything, including the human mind. In that sense, we don’t live in a conscious universe the way renters occupy a rental property. We participate in the same consciousness that is the universe. (26) Nobel prize-winning physicist Max Planck understood the primacy of consciousness and Cosmic mind in the creation and maintenance of the physical world: “All matter originates and exists only by virtue of a force. We must assume that behind this force is the existence of a conscious and intelligent Mind. This Mind is the matrix of all matter.” Consciousness cannot be fabricated, which makes it possible to reinvent the universe, not as a place where consciousness somehow got cobbled together on lucky planet Earth two-thirds of the way out from the center of a galaxy called the Milky Way, but as a place where consciousness is everywhere. Many will concede that nature acts in mind-like ways, but they cannot swallow the proposition that the universe behaves exact ly like a mind. Schrödinger had accepted this impasse almost a century ago, when he declared that it makes no sense to subdivide consciousness. If it exists at all, it exists everywhere, and, we would add, at all times . . . The brain is doing nothing special that isn’t happening throughout the universe. Why is the human mind creative? Because the cosmos is creative. Why did the human mind evolve? Because evolution is built into the fabric of reality itself. Why do our lives have meaning? Because nature proceeds with a drive toward purpose and truth . . . reality is trying to tell us something new. It’s saying that the cosmos needs to be redefined. All the taboo words rejected by physicalism – creat ivit y, int elligence, purpose, meaning – have gained a new lease on life. In fact, we have shown that they are the cornerstone of a conscious universe expressly created for the evolution of the human mind. (27) By understanding the nature of cosmic evolution, we can place humanity in the great scheme of things as manifestations and co-creators of universal order, harmony and purpose. According to Jude Currivan, author of The Cosmic Hologram , human beings are microcosms of the infinite and eternal intelligence of the Cosmic Mind:

17

Each of us is a microcosmic and unique expression playing our own co-creative role in the unfolding self-awareness of the consciousness of our finite Universe and ultimately of the infinite Cosmos. While this has historically been seen solely as a religious, or more correctly, a spiritual perception, this limitation is no longer the case. Instead, the emergent viewpoint of the cosmic hologram that scientific discoveries are increasingly revealing arrives at this same conclusion. God isn’t “out there,” a creator of the Universe and its creations. Instead, the greatest breakthrough we may make as human beings in the twenty-first century is to recognize that we and everything that we call reality in all dimensions and realms of existence are God, or whatever term we choose for the infinity of cosmic mind, and that we are microcosmic co-creators of the ineffable reality. (28)

References

(1) Ervin Laszlo Science and t he Akashic Field (Rochester, Vermont: Inner Traditions, 2007), pp. 81-82. (2) Ervin Laszlo Science and t he Reenchant ment of t he Cosmos (Rochester, Vermont: Inner Traditions, 2006), p. 85. (3) Steve Taylor The Leap: The Psychology of Spirit ual Aw akening (Novato, California: New World Library, 2017), p. 17. (4) Ervin Laszlo Science and t he Reenchant ment of t he Cosmos ((Rochester, Vermont: Inner Traditions, 2006), pp. 151-152. (5) J.E. Lovelock Gaia (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1979), p. vii. (6) Steve Taylor The Leap: The Psychology of Spirit ual Aw akening (Novato, California: New World Library, 2017), p. 1. (7) Ervin Laszlo Science and t he Akashic Field (Rochester, Vermont: Inner Traditions, 2007), pp. 103-104. (8) John Tarrant The Light Inside t he Dark (New York: Harper, 1999), pp. 12-13. (9) Steve Taylor The Leap: The Psychology of Spirit ual Aw akening (Novato, California: New World Library, 2017), pp. 50-51. (10) Steve Taylor The Leap: The Psychology of Spirit ual Aw akening (Novato, California: New World Library, 2017), pp. 57-58. (11) John Tarrant The Light Inside t he Dark (New York: Harper, 1999), pp. 236-237. (12) Michael Pollan How t o Change Your M ind (New York: Penguin Press, 2018), pp, 412-413. (13) Jacob Needleman A Sense of t he Cosmos (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1975), p. 17. (14) Christian Wertenbaker “The Miracle of Consciousness” Parabola Summer 2018, pp. 51-52. (15) Maurice Nicoll Living Time (London: Stuart & Watkins, 1971), pp. 25-26. (16) Jeff Foster The W onder of Being (Oakland: Non-duality Press, 2010), p. 78. (17) Lynne McTaggart The Field (New York: Harper Perennial, 2003), p. xiii. (18) Jeffrey Eisen Oneness Perceived (St. Paul: Paragon House, 2003), pp. 83-84. (19) John White The M eet ing of Science and Spirit (New York: Paragon House, 1990), pp. 128-129. 18

(20) David Bohm W holeness and t he Implicat e Order (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1980), pp. 193-194. (21) Michael Talbot The Holographic Universe (New York: Harper Perennial, 2011), p. 50. (22) Ervin Laszlo The Self-Act ualizing Cosmos (Rochester, Vermont: Inner Traditions, 2014, pp. 133-134. (23) Christian de Quincey ”The Metaverse Story: Where Science Meets Spirit” in Ervin Laszlo Science and t he Reenchant ment of t he Cosmos (Rochester, Vermont: Inner Traditions, 2006), pp. 111-112. (24) Guy Murchie The M usic of t he Spheres (New York: Dover Publications, 1967), p. 7. (25) Ervin Laszlo The Int elligence of t he Cosmos (Rochester, Vermont: Inner Traditions, 2017), p. 3. (26) Deepak Chopra and Menas Kafatos You Are t he Universe (New York: Harmony Books, 2017), p. 243. (27) Deepak Chopra and Menas Kafatos You Are t he Universe (New York: Harmony Books, 2017), pp. 198-199. (28) Jude Currivan The Cosmic Hologram (Rochester, Vermont: Inner Traditions, 2017), pp. 191-193.

19

THE ONE AND THE M ANY

‘See all t hings, not in process of becoming, but in being and see t hemselves in t he ot her. Each being contains in it self t he w hole int elligible w orld. Therefore, All is t ruly everyw here. Each is t heir All, and All is each.’ Plot inus

Unity and M ultiplicity

Throughout the ages and across cultures various terms have been employed to describe the Ultimate Reality or First Principle underlying the phenomenal world: •

Great Spirit, God, Ein Sof, Brahman, Tao, Buddha Nature

•

Absolute, All and Everything, Timeless Existence

•

Source, Noumenon, Ground of Being, Womb of Life

•

Void, Unmanifest, Emptiness, Nothingness, Stillness, Silence

•

Being, Self, Presence, Pure Awareness, Nondual Consciousness, Suchness, Isness

The essential meaning of ‘the One and the Many’ has also been expressed and defined in more comprehensive conceptual terms: •

Gurdjieff: “Under the surface of things is hidden the oneness of all that exists. The phenomenal world changes according to time and place, but unity, oneness, is eternal and unchanging.”

•

Indian sage Ramana Maharshi: “The many change and pass away, whereas the One always endures.”

•

Transpersonal psychologist Jeffrey Eisen: “Oneness is the potential from which all things emerge, to which all things return, which all things eternally are.”

•

Philosopher Ananda Coomaraswamy: “There is an incessant multiplication of the inexhaustible One and unification of the indefinitely Many. Such are the beginnings and endings of worlds and of individual beings expanded from a point without position or dimensions and a now without date or duration.”

1

Ultimately, Oneness is the one immutable reality, bridging all dimensions of the universe. Jeffrey Eisen: “Oneness and duality, reality and illusion unify such fundamental concepts as consciousness, perception, evolution, time, space, and being.” Oneness is the great inferential. In one sense we know it is there, it must be there, yet there is no way of getting primary information about it, no way of knowing it. Sometimes the idea that there is only Oneness and everything is connected seems improbable, a mystical construct. Other times it seems self-evident, a palpable reality, a truism so real that it shines out every place one looks. What is this level on which all things are connected, on which all things are one? Call it the level of being . No matter how extensive the differences between things are, everything exists, everything is in a state of being. Existence, being, forms a continuum, inhabits a common dimension, saturates all possible dimensions, is all-inclusive, universal. (1) M onism , derived from the Greek monos (which means one, alone or unique), is a school of

philosophy which regards everything in existence as a unified whole. It asserts that Oneness, not separation and distinction, is the basis of reality. Unity is the opposite of duality. The attributes of Oneness (ineffable, unknowable, undifferentiated, all-encompassing, aperceptual, timeless) contrast with the qualities of duality (experienced, knowable, differentiated, localized, perceptual, time-bound). In fact, there is no wholeness without the appearance of diversity. Wholeness expresses itself as the amazing diversity and multiplicity of life. Unity and duality co-exist, similar to a perceptual illusion in which two possible images can be alternately perceived depending on the perceptual viewpoint. Examples are a cube which can be simultaneously perceived from above or below and the silhouette of a face that can be viewed either as a young girl or an elderly woman: The relationship between Oneness and duality is wholly a matter of perception. Whenever there is perception, Oneness divides into a perceiver and a perceived, a subject and an object. In other words, Oneness becomes dual. Oneness and duality are the same thing from different points of view; as are reality and illusion. More precisely, duality and illusion arise from any and all points of view, whereas Oneness and reality exist only from no point of view. A point of view is a necessary condition for perception. Perception without a point of view is as contradictory as and meaningless as perception without a perceiver. If reality exists only from no point of view, it is by definition unknowable (i.e. not perceivable). In that case, what can reality mean? The dualism engendered by the sheer act of perception is an unbreachable wall, an irreducible fact, an impenetrable illusion that limits the human condition and, in fact, the condition of all bounded entities. (2)

2

Scientists and mystics both recognize the existence of an underlying unity supporting the myriad phenomena of the universe. In No Boundary, Ken Wilber speaks to the confluence of Western and Eastern ideas: When the physicist or Eastern sage says that all things are void, or all things are non-dual, or all things are interpenetrating, he does not mean to deny differences, to overlook individuality, to see the world as homogeneous. The world contains all types of features and surfaces and lines, but they are all interwoven into a seamless field. Look at it this way; your hand is surely different from your head, and your head is different from your feet, and your feet are different from your ears. But we have no difficulty at all recognizing that they are all members of one body, and likewise, your one body expresses itself in all its various parts. All-inone and one-in-All. All things and events are equally members of one body, the Dharmakaya, the mystical body of Christ, the universal field of Brahman, the organic pattern of the Tao. Any physicist will tell you that all objects in the cosmos are simply various forms of a single Energy. (3)

M ystical Experience of Oneness

During the Apollo 14 space mission in 1971, astronaut Ed Mitchell experienced a deeply profound mystical experience in which he perceived the all-encompassing unity of all that exists: It was then, while staring out of the window, that Ed experienced the strangest feeling he would ever have: a feeling of connect edness, as if all the planets and all the people of all times were attached by some invisible web. He could hardly breathe from the majesty of the moment . . . There seemed to be an enormous force field here, connecting all people, their intentions and thoughts, and every animate and inanimate form of matter for all time. Anything he did or thought would influence the rest of the cosmos, and every occurrence in the cosmos would have a similar effect on him. Time was just an artificial construct. Everything he had been taught about the universe and the separateness of people and things felt wrong. There were no accidents or individual intentions. The natural intelligence that had gone on for billions of years, that had forged the very molecules of his being, was also responsible for his own present journey. This was an overwhelming visceral feeling, as though he was physically extending out of the window to the very furthest reaches of the cosmos. It felt like a blinding epiphany of meaning – what the Eastern religions often term an ‘ecstasy of unity.’ (4) A century earlier, two progressive American thinkers and writers – Ralph Waldo Emerson and Walt Whitman – eloquently captured in words the sense of a unified whole permeating all 3

of creation. In his important essay “The Over-soul,” Emerson places each human being within the context of an all-encompassing unity: We live in succession, in division, in parts, in particles. In the meantime, within man is the soul of the whole: the wise silence, the universal beauty, to which every part and particle is equally related, the eternal ONE. And this deep power in which we exist and whose beatitude is all accessible to us, is not only selfsufficing and perfect in every hour, but the act of seeing and the thing seen, the seer and the spectacle, the subject and the object, are one. We see the world piece by piece, as the sun, the moon, the animal, the tree; but the whole, of which these are shining parts, is the soul. (5) The sense of unity and wholeness underlying the phenomenal world was also expressed in poetic form by Walt Whitman: A vast similitude interlocks all . . . All souls, all living bodies, though they be ever so different . . . All identities that have existed or may exist on this globe, or any other globe, All lives, and deaths, all of the past, present, future, This vast similitude spans them, and always has spanned, And shall forever span them and compactly hold and enclose them. (6) Ultimately, oneness cannot be described conceptually; it can only be experienced: the eye cannot see itself. Oneness can be directly experienced as pure, nondual consciousness. Throughout the ages, shamans, psychics and other ‘sensitives’ have entered altered states of consciousness, which allowed them to directly perceive unity and wholeness: Mystics and psychics say that when one is being in the world of the One, the Unity, one does not judge, one only observes and is. Since – from this viewpoint – everything flows into everything else, one observes and is a part of the total harmony of the All, the cosmos, and in this great harmony, nothing is superfluous or disharmonious. If a single event or entity did not exist, the total harmony would be destroyed. It is only by including everything that the total being is possible. The Italian playwright Ugo Betti put it: “If there were one drop of water less in the universe, the whole world would thirst.” The total, from this viewpoint, is a dynamic, complete harmony that if one comprehends, one does not desire to change. (7) A common theme of the mystical experience is the sense of many interconnected worlds within the One Reality. Those who undergo such an experience perceive an overall unity in all that exists – unity in multiplicity. One such report was documented by Canadian physician Richard Maurice Bucke in his seminal book Cosmic Consciousness:

4

Now came a period of rapture so intense that the universe stood still, as if amazed at the unutterable majesty of the spectacle. Only one in all the infinite universe! The All-loving, the Perfect One . . . In that same wonderful moment of what might be called supernal bliss, came illumination. I saw with intense inward vision the atoms, or molecules, of which seemingly the universe is composed – I know not whether material or spiritual – rearranging themselves, as the cosmos (in its continuous, everlasting life) passes from order t o order . What joy when I saw that there was no break in the chain – not a link left out – everything in its place and time. Worlds, systems, all blended into one harmonious whole. Universal life, synonymous with universal love! (8) Mystical experiences also occur in the lives of ordinary people without a spiritual leaning. In The Deepest Acceptance, Jeff Foster relates the profound experience of a scientist and atheist during the birth of her child: As she talked about her experience of her daughter’s birth, her words were not those of an atheist; they were religious words, spiritual words, words pregnant with awe and wonder and the overwhelming miracle of creation. She talked about the miracle of life itself – the mystery of birth and of death, the cosmic miracle that permeates all things. She told me that as she held her newborn daughter for the first time, all self-centered thoughts fell away, past and future dissolved, and suddenly there was only this – only life itself, present, alive, mysterious. There was only this precious moment, here and now, and nothing more . . . She told me how amazed she was that something so mysterious and alive could have emerged from her, how something could have come out of nothing, how life could produce life out of itself, how the same life that was present at the Big Bang was somehow also here, in the form of this beautiful creature. She was suddenly consumed with an unconditional love – for her daughter, for all babies and mothers everywhere, for all existence. It as a love she had no words for . . . For a moment, she had touched the wholeness of life, the wordless mystery that permeates all creation. For a moment, she had fallen in love with existence; the separation between her and life had fallen away, to reveal a love with no name. (9)

Spirituality and the Absolute

The world’s spiritual traditions affirm the principle of ‘unity in diversity’ as the foundation of their cosmological teachings. In the words of Ramana Maharshi: “That which IS, is only one. It is omnipresent and universal. We say, here is a table, there is a bird. There is thus a difference in name and form only, but That which Is, is present everywhere and at all times.”

5

•

In Mahayana Buddhism, the essence of the universe is succinctly described as: “One in One, One in Many, Many in Many, and Many in One.”

•

Forms appear from nowhere and then disappear into the unknown Void. Underlying the incessant flux of phenomenal existence is an enduring substratum, the Source of All. The Bhagavad Git a describes it as “the Eternal, the All-pervasive, the Immutable, the Unmanifest beyond all thought and yet capable of being realized as This.”

•

Gurdjieff: “The law of unity is all-embracing. Everything in the Universe is one, the difference is only in the scale; in the infinitely small we shall find the same laws as in the infinitely great.”

•

Ramana Maharshi: “There is diversity in the world. A unity runs through the diversity. The Self is the same in All. There is no difference in spirit. All the differences are external and superficial.”

•

Sri Anirvan: “The Void manifests in an infinite plenitude of forms and modes; aspects of the one and the same Real whose content can never be exhausted.”

•

Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj: “The whole is real, the part comes and goes. The particular is born and reborn, changing name and shape. But it is the changeless Reality which makes the changeful possible.”

•

Sri Aurobindo: “What then was the commencement of the whole matter? Existence that multiplied itself for the sheer delight of being and plunged into numberless trillions of forms so that it might find itself innumerably.”

•

Zen master Seng Ts’an: “One is no other than all; all no other than one.” And, ”If the mind makes no discrimination, the ten thousand things are as they are, of single essence.”

The concept of an underlying unity in the universe forms the basis of many philosophical and spiritual systems. They assert that behind the manifest world of diversity there lies a unity beyond form or appearance. An associated corollary is that each form has relative value but no absolute inherent nature, similar to the Buddhist teaching that no thing of the world has any independent self-nature. The idea of ‘the One and the Many’ has also been expressed in other metaphysical forms; appearing, for instance, in Hindu mythology: There is a Hindu myth about the Self of the universe that perceives all of the existence as a form of play. However, since the Self is what there is, and is all that there is, it has no one separate to play with. Thus, according to the Hindu tradition, it plays a cosmic game of hide-and-seek with itself. It assumes a 6

kaleidoscope of faces and facades – a dazzling infinity of masks and forms until it has become the living substance of the entire universe. In this game of hideand-seek it can experience ten billion lifetimes, see through ten billion eyes, live and die ten billion times. Eventually, however, the Self awakens from its many dreams and remembers its true identity. It is the one and eternal Self of the cosmos. (10) Advaita Vedanta teaches that the world of phenomena emerges from a silent, timeless background of pure Being. Forms appear and disappear, but the unmanifested ground of existence, prior to and beyond appearances, remains eternally present. Jean Klein, a Western teacher from this tradition, sometimes employs the analogies of sparks thrown out by a fire or the web of a spider to describe the fragmentation of the One or All into the multiplicity of forms and objects. In Be W ho You Are, he writes: “The everlasting present is completely unrelated to time and space. Therefore, it has no link with the past, the future, or any given place. In its very essence it is reality (here and now).” Since this reality lies outside any mental framework, it cannot be expressed, communicated or known by any means but by pure experience alone. From this background, thought, and with it the world of multiplicity, arises and then back to it returns. When the mind is in any way active, this background is consciousness as witness, absolutely non-involved. When mental activity ceases, it is pure objectless consciousness. This background is our true nature and can only be revealed spontaneously, i.e., in an attitude devoid of any striving, of any premeditation, any intention. This reality, being formless, escapes any qualification whatsoever. However, the traditional words peace and bliss are nearest to expressing it. This background can be perceived in each interval that occurs between two thoughts or two perceptions. In such intervals one may come upon the timeless moment, in other words, the timeless present . . . As long as we are unable to conceive being in any aspect other than form, the presence of the formless (the background) gives us a false impression of emptiness which we immediately strive to fill with forms (objects). In this way we bypass a marvelous chance of being. (11) Sufis distinguish the relative (phenomena, the world of myriad forms) from the Absolute (the realm of emptiness, underlying principle). The relative and the Absolute depend on each other: the Absolute is expressed in the relative through mutual interdependency. This relationship is expressed poetically by the Sufi Akhlaq-i-Muhsini: “The bird which knows not of sweet water, has his beak in salt water all the year.” This salt water, in the mind of the Sufi, is what is otherwise called ‘The World.’ The ordinary person imagines that that which he more instantly perceives, like material objects and obvious (to him) thoughts, must logically be what is more real. But the Sufi says that so-called concrete things are not experienced but inferred. You infer fire from smoke, and smoke may appear to be real, but its 7

underlying reality is the fire. When this habit of assuming that instantly perceptible things are more important than more subtle ones goes, the latter become perceptible. It is for this reason that the great Sufi Sheikh Abdul-Karim Jili says: “Truth, reality [al-Haqq ] is felt, perceived: the world is inferred [ma’qulun ].” As long as one regards what are in fact secondary things (including one’s secondary, conditioned self) as primary, the subtler but more real primary element – Reality and the Essence of the individual – will not be perceived. (12) In classical Sufism, Ultimate Reality is sometimes described as “a hidden treasure.” By transcending the attributes of the phenomenal world, the mystic can directly experience the Unity lying behind appearances. In the M at hnaw i, Jalaluddin Rumi speaks of ‘the One and the Many’: Rumi is uncompromising in his belief in Divine Unity. He postulates a universal Being which may be regarded as the essence of phenomena. This Being is all that exists; there is nothing else. The multitudinous forms of phenomena produced by the manifestation of various attributes of the One Real Being are compared to shadows which owe their existence to sunlight falling on a wall. Demolish the wall of illusion and all phantoms disappear; and you see nothing but the Sun of Unity. The many are nothing but modes and aspects of the One whence all numbers originate. (13) Ultimately, the perceived duality between unity and multiplicity disappears in pure awareness and being. Jean Klein: “Generally we think that an object exists outside ourselves, that it has an independent existence, but that is only a belief. It is not based on experience or fact. The so-called object outside of us needs consciousness to be perceived. Consciousness and its object are one, so you create, you project the world from moment to moment.” On the level of the body-mind there is multiplicity, but on the level of being there is only oneness. All living beings are one. On the level of the body-mind there are variations but only variations in quantity. The quality is everywhere the same. It is a question of degree, not a question of quality. All beings have the same quality, virtually, and some of them actually. Some have actualized it, but virtually, potentially, the same quality is in every human being. So when you have realized your real nature, there are no others; there is only oneness. (14) The concept of ‘the One and the Many’ has also been expressed metaphorically in certain Eastern teachings in terms of a drop of water from a limitless sea. Haji Bahaudin, Dervish of Bokhara, extends the metaphor to the universal human longing for spiritual completion and enlightenment: “Exercises of remembering present and recent experiences are designed to provide us with the capacity for remembering farther back; remembering that which is in suspension or abeyance, and that for which we long, even though we do not know it.”

8

When we say: ‘You are a drop of water from an illimitable Sea,’ we refer both to your present individuality, as a drop, to all your past individualities, as successive drops and waves, and also to the greater bond which unites all these phases with all other drops, as well as with the greater Whole. When viewing this Whole, if we do it from the point of view of the grandeur of a Whole Sea, we shall briefly glimpse something of the greatness of the drop in its possible function as a conscious part of that Sea. In order to know the relationship between the drop and the Sea, we have to cease thinking of what we take to be the interests of the drop. We can only do this by forgetting what we take ourselves to be, and remembering what we have been in the past, and also remembering what we are at the moment, what we really are; for the relationship with the Sea is only in suspension, it is not severed. It is the suspension which causes us to make strange makeshift assumptions about ourselves, and also to blind us to true reality. (15)

Science and W holeness

Many scientists and philosophers are also in accord with the teachings of the world’s great spiritual traditions that all the disparate objects and events of the phenomenal world arise from an underlying essential Unity that transcends time and space: •

Italian philosopher Giordano Bruno: “Out of this world we cannot fall.”

•

Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius: “Constantly picture the universe as a single living organism.”

•

Physicist Erwin Schrödinger: “Multiplicity is only apparent; in truth there is only one Mind.”

•

British philosopher W.T. Stace: “The whole multiplicity of things which comprise the universe are identical with one another and therefore constitute only one thing, a pure unity. The Unity, the One, is the central experience and concept of all mysticism.”

•

Physicist David Bohm: “The whole is present in each part, in each level of existence. The living reality, which is total and unbroken and undivided, is in everything.”

•

Psychologist Lawrence LeShan: “There is a central unity to all things. The most important aspect of a ‘thing’ is its relationships, its part in the whole. Its individuality and separateness are secondary and/or illusory.”

•

Transpersonal psychologist Jeffrey Eisen: “That which knows existence is identical to the existence it is knowing. This is the underlying unity.” 9

The classical Greek philosophers believed that the ever-changing phenomena appearing to our senses could be traced back to one all-embracing principle. For instance, Plato conceived the universe as “an organic whole in which every entity influences and is influenced by every other entity within a framework of varying scales of structure, purpose and time.” Scientists now realize that ‘unity in diversity’ and ‘mutual interdependency’ are the basic principles governing the life and evolution of the myriad organisms and species inhabiting the natural world. “The interactive and interconnected processes of the manifest world play out through all scales of existence. They enable the whole-world to be expressed through the diversity of its many expressions.” When we look at the amazing diversity of Nature, we see cooperation far more than we see competition. And while there are hierarchies throughout the food chains of biological life, even between predators and prey there are mutual benefits among the species involved. From the very beginning of life on Earth, cooperation within and between species – rather than competition – has been paramount. In fact, many single-cell organisms, including the primitive archaea, which were the first life-forms on Earth, swap genes to an amazing degree. So prevalent is their cooperation that biologists are unable to identify clear boundaries and so establish different species. The extraordinary diversity of species in ecosystems is far greater than if it were driven primarily by competitive factors. Rich ecosystems have an incredible range of creatures, both plant and animal, that depend on each other in myriad ways and exploit often extremely narrow niches in their environment to collectively produce abundant displays of life. (16) According to physicist David Bohm, the information of the entire universe is contained in each of its parts. In W holeness and t he Implicat e Order , he writes: “The entire universe has to be thought of as an unbroken whole. In this whole, each element that we can abstract in thought shows basic properties that depend on its overall environment. Ultimately, the entire universe has to be understood as a single undivided whole, in which analysis into separately and independently existent parts has no fundamental status.” Examples from the natural world abundantly illustrate this idea: a giant oak tree is able to produce an acorn that contains all the information to replicate itself, and the pattern of each human being is written into the genes of each sperm cell and ovum – concentrated information encased in the part, yet sufficient to reconstitute the whole. The findings of modern science support the principle of ‘the part reflecting the whole.’ In A Sense of t he Cosmos, professor of philosophy Jacob Needleman speaks of ‘life within life’ in the natural world: Almost every great discovery of modern biology, every breakthrough to a new scale of size and time, reveals that life exists within life, and worlds exist within worlds. Every structure and process have shown themselves to be involved with the whole of life, from the digestion of food to the exchange of neuronal energies, to the patterns of insect communication, bird migration or 10

biological rhythms. Whenever we have looked to a part for the sake of understanding the whole, we have eventually found that the part is a living component of the whole. In a universe without a visible center, biology presents a reality in which the existence of a center is everywhere implied. (17) The overall unity of the cosmos extends from the smallest sub-atomic particles to the immensity of galaxies. Human beings reflect all scales of the universe. In Space, Time & M edicine, Larry Dossey writes: “Our everyday experience, even down to the smallest details, seems to be so closely integrated to the grand-scale features that it is well-nigh impossible to contemplate the two being separate. We seem to be part of a basic oneness with the universe, not only considering the origins of our constituent elements, the chemicals that comprise our bodies, but also with regard to the physical laws that govern us.” From the level of the electron to that of stars and galaxies, modern physics points to a unity of matter and its environment. This interaction is so intimate that matter and its surrounding environment cannot any longer be considered separate entities. Man, in his in-between world, situated in size between the electrons and the galaxies, also cannot be considered separate from his environment. Our oneness with the universe is manifested in the bio-dance, the endless flow of chemical elements between the human body and its environment . . . Furthermore, the quantum physical descriptions of the smallest level, the subatomic realm, have destroyed the idea of any separation of matter into distinct and separate particles, and have led to the conclusion that all “particles” are fundamentally connected to all other particles in the universe. From electrons to human bodies to galaxies – parts form wholes with the environment. (18) Scientists now realize that the universe is a seamless whole which only appears to be composed of separate, independent parts: “Dividing reality up into parts and then naming these parts is always arbitrary, a product of convention, because everything in the universe is no more separate from one another than different patterns in an ornate carpet.” However, things can be part of an undivided whole yet still possess their own unique qualities. An analogy is the eddies and whirlpools that often form in a river. Each appears, for a time, as a separate thing possessing characteristics such as size, duration, and direction of rotation. But ultimately, it is impossible to determine where a given whirlpool ends and the river begins. Transpersonal psychologist Jeffrey Eisen asserts that, on the perceptual level, the things of the universe have their own individual nature: “Everything has its ow n nat ure, own properties, own ways of interacting. Every emergent phenomenon has an emergent nature. On this level, the stuff of the universe is as infinitely varied as the individual natures of everything. There is no one stuff because everything does not show one nature. A dog has dog nature, a quark has quark nature. However, on the aperceptual level, existence or Oneness forms the unified field of all that is.”

11

There exist two realms of existence, the realm of Oneness and the “perceptual” realm of separate things. The realm of Oneness is unperceived, unkowable (in the perceptual sense), and does not follow the Newtonian laws of physics that govern the realm of separate things. The realm of separate things is knowable, tangible, quantitative, and is governed by the Newtonian laws of physics, yet it is in some profound sense illusory. All of its qualities are created by perception, either self-perception or perception by others. Everything exists and functions simultaneously in both of these realms . . . In perception, there always exists two levels of existence, Oneness and duality. To be adequate, every explanation has to take both levels of existence into account simultaneously, the aperceptual realm of Oneness and the dual realm of perception. Everything is a separate thing, when and to the degree to which, it perceives or conceives itself as separate. Separation is fundamentally a matter of self-perception and identity! This principle of self-perceived identity holds equally for almost all levels of existence, from the atomic level to the “I concept” of you and I. In fact, it is the key to enlightenment! (19) Physicist Erwin Schrödinger, who received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1933, was strongly influenced by the writings of acclaimed philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, who believed that “everything in the universe is interrelated and mutually attuned.” Schrödinger extended this idea to encompass the concept of a single mind or consciousness. In M ind and M att er , he wrote that this One Mind was “universal, transpersonal, collective, infinite in time and space, and immortal and eternal.” The evolution of the universe cannot be understood by isolating seemingly independent parts as they are not really separate – rather they are separate percept ions (from different viewpoints) of the same thing. Jeffrey Eisen: “In a whole, which is what any ecological system is, aspects or perceptible parts of the whole are always precisely attuned to one another, for they co-evolve that way.” Our universe did not occur as the sum of different unrelated probabilities. Rather, it evolved in a complex lockstep where every “next step” of the whole in all of its infinite complexity and diversity could only have eventuated from its preceding conditions. Indeed, if you take the system as a whole, the next step has to eventuate from the preceding steps. Evolution is not something that occurs only to an organism in relationship to its immediate environment. It is something that happens simultaneously to the universe as a whole. The identification of separate, individual parts is a perceptual illusion, as is the narrowing of focus down to an individual organism or species and its immediate niche. Every part is really a simultaneously coevolving aspect of the whole. The universe is an evolving whole, an infinitely complex ecology in which every aspect from the weak nuclear force to life itself is a complementary part. (20)

12

The Holographic Universe

The mathematical theory underpinning the hologram was developed in the 1940s by the Nobel-winning physicist Dennis Gabor. However, it was not until the 1960s, with the invention of the laser, that holograms could actually be constructed. Essentially, a holographic image is created when two interfering wave patterns of coherent light from a laser impinge on a photographic plate. This produces a three-dimensional “picture” of an object in which each portion of the hologram reflects the total object. The holographic principle was applied by Dutch theoretical physicist Gerard ’t Hooft in 1993 to the entire cosmos. He proposed that all the information contained in a region of three-dimensional space could be represented as a hologram of the information existing on its two-dimensional boundary. In M yst icism and t he New Physics, Michael Talbot points out that “the universe cannot be understood as an assemblage of independent parts like the daubs of paint in an impressionistic painting. It is a hologram, a dynamic web of interrelated events in which each part of the web determines the structure of the whole.” The basic principles underlying the hologram are relatively simple: Holograms are a type of transparent picture, created with the aid of a laser, in which the image contained is not two-dimensional like normal photographs, but three-dimensional. If you have a hologram of an apple you can tilt the plate a little to one side and actually see behind the apple. The most intriguing thing about a hologram is that if you cut it in half you will have two complete images – each containing the entire apple. If the cutting is repeated you will get four apples, eight, etc., because each portion of a holographic transparency contains the entire image. The property of being “holographic” or having every part contained in the whole is remarkable because it indicates that the organization of the information contained in a hologram is much different from the organization of information in normal pictures. A hologram cannot be divided up into fragments. Because each apparent bit of a holographic image can only be understood as it relates to the collective bits of the entire picture, we may speak of it as possessing certain “field” properties . . . The same holographic/field relationship also appears to govern the structure of life and, indeed, the structure of our thinking processes as well. (21) The concept of a holistic network in which each individual object is not merely itself, but also reflects every other object, also occurs in traditional spiritual teachings: The hologram is strikingly similar to the metaphor of Indra’s net, developed in the 3rd century by the Mahayana school of Buddhism. When Indra fashioned the world, he made it as a net or web, in which there is a glimmering jewel at every knot. The net is infinite in dimension; therefore, the jewels are infinite in number. In the glittering surface of every jewel is reflected the image of all the other jewels in the net – an infinite mirroring process, symbolizing the 13

interpenetration, interconnectedness, and simultaneous mutual identity of all phenomena in the universe. (22) There is convincing scientific evidence that many natural phenomena are based on the holographic principle. “Self-similar patterns, suggesting that they may be projections of holographic codes, are discovered in field after field of investigation, from the spacing of galaxies, to the frequency and energy of earthquakes, even to the cycles that describe changes in the planet’s orbital eccentricity, axial tilt, and precessional wobbles.” In CosM os, Ervin Laszlo and Jude Currivan discuss the basic parameters of the holographic universe and the extent to which the holographic principle underlies many natural systems at all levels of reality: “The latest discoveries across all scientific disciplines are revealing a radical new vision of the nature of the physical world as being imbued with and in-formed by a holographic field; thus, it is innately interrelated, coherent, and harmonic at all scales of existence. The evidence is showing that not only natural systems, such as weather patterns, are holographic, but that biological organisms, ecosystems, and man-made phenomena – including the incidence of conflicts, economic and social systems, and even the World Wide Web – are too.” We are beginning to see the entire universe as a holographically interlinked network of energy and information, organically whole and self-referential at all scales of its existence. We, and all things in the universe, are nonlocally connected with each other and with all other things in ways that are unfettered by the hitherto known limitations of space and time. The insight now emerging is that ours is an inclusive whole-world linked beyond space and time, matter and energy, by a primordial field of information: the Akashic field, named after the Sanskrit concept of Akasha , meaning all-pervasive, all-including space. It is the holographic information-field, the field that in-forms the present with the past and paves the way to the future. The Akashic field is an element of the cosmic plenum – the womb from which everything emanates, in which everything is manifested, and to which all things ultimately return. From it arises all that is, has ever been, and will be. (23) Some scientists are beginning to recognize that not only is physical reality expressed as a cosmic hologram, but each of us is essentially a holographic microcosm. Larry Dossey proposes that the hologram is a useful metaphor to illustrate the relationship between individual minds and the One Mind: “The brain has an incredible capacity to store information and only a holographic model of consciousness can possess such a capacity. Some 10 billion bits of information have been successfully stored holographically in a cubic centimeter.” The holographic model has been applied to both the quantum world and the functioning of the human brain: There are many striking similarities between the quantum potential and the interconnections of the human brain. Both deal with levels of organization in 14

which the behavior of discrete entities, synapses or hypothetical particles, seem to be governed by the collective. Both involve the carrying and transference of a signal and an apparent exchange of information. In both, the discrete entities behave as if they are interconnected, but no interconnection – chemical, electrochemical, electromagnetic, or any other known process, can be found. Is there, then, some chance that the two respective processes are related? The major obstacle in creating a model of consciousness involves a misconception basic to both neurophysiology and quantum physics. It concerns the shift in the scientific worldview from “causality” to a more holographic or “teleological” approach. Webster’s defines “teleology” as “a belief that natural phenomena are determined not only by mechanical causes but by an overall design in nature.” (24) In his ground-breaking work W holeness and t he Implicat e Order , English physicist David Bohm employed the language of a “holographic universe” to develop a theory of quantum physics which views the totality of existence, including matter and consciousness, as an unbroken whole: Bohm’s work in subatomic physics and the “quantum potential” led him to the conclusion that physical entities which seemed to be separate and discrete in space and time were actually linked or unified in an implicit or underlying fashion. In Bohm’s terminology, under the explicat e realm of separate things and events is an implicat e realm of undivided wholeness, and this implicate whole is simultaneously available to each explicate part. In other words, the physical universe itself seemed to be a gigantic hologram, with each part being in the whole and the whole being in each part. In the explicate or manifest realm of space and time, things and events are indeed separate and discrete. But beneath the surface, as it were, in the implicate realm, all things and events are one and undivided. (25) In a similar vein, neuropsychologist Karl Pribram has put forth a holographic model of the brain based on the finding that the storage of information is not localized in specific areas of the brain but instead is distributed quite widely. A new perspective on brain functioning emerged from his research, infused with the holographic paradigm: Holographic information is not only decodable by the brain; the brain may actually operate on the basis of such information. The cerebral mechanisms for the decoding of holographic signals has been outlined by Karl Pribram. According to Pribram’s “holonomic brain theory,” dendrites attached to neurons in the brain branch in complex patterns and form the dendritic arbor. Information is encoded in the interference patterns of waves throughout the synapto-dendritic web. This is distributed information, where every part of the dendritic arbor processes all the information captured by the system as a whole. Initially Pribram advanced the holonomic brain theory to account for holographically coded information originating in Bohm’s explicate order, 15

but in collaboration with Bohm he then explored the possibility that the holographic information received by the brain originates in the implicate order – the deep dimension of the cosmos. (26) Although initially working independently, both Bohm and Pribram recognized the importance of the holographic paradigm in explaining a number of previously inexplicable phenomena, including near-death experiences, lucid dreams, synchronicities, and archetypal experiences: After arriving at their views, Bohm and Pribram quickly realized that the holographic model explained a number of other mysteries as well, including the apparent inability of any theory, no matter how comprehensive, ever to account for all the phenomena encountered in nature; the ability of individuals with hearing in only one ear to determine the direction from which a sound originates; and our ability to recognize the face of someone we have not seen for many years even if that person has changed considerably in the interim. But the most staggering thing about the holographic model was that it suddenly made sense of a wide range of phenomena so elusive they generally have been categorized outside the province of scientific understanding. These include telepathy, precognition, mystical feelings of oneness with the universe, and even psychokinesis, or the ability of the mind to move physical objects without anyone touching them. Indeed, it quickly became apparent to the ever-growing number of scientists who came to embrace the holographic model that it helped explain virtually all paranormal and mystical experiences. (27) There is abundant evidence that the universe is indeed a cosmic hologram. Attributes such as harmonic order and self-similar patterns of information appear to underlie virtually every type of natural phenomenon at all scales of existence. “The cosmic hologram is being revealed across many different fields of scientific research, from the tiniest physical level of the Planck scale to the largest scale of our entire universe and at every level in between – including the reality of our everyday lives.” Viewing the universe as a cosmic hologram explains how spacetime manifested and evolved from its simplest to its most complex forms: The fundamental attributes of the cosmic hologram that is the physical reality of our Universe are all innate in the information that is universally expressed as conserved energy-matter and entropically expressed as space-time. Such information makes up the exquisite order and fine-tuning of its instructions, the wonderfully elegant simplicity of its initial conditions, the amazing versatility of energy-matter that constitutes its single ingredient, the incredible exactness of the recipe that defines all interactions and processes, and the ideal nature of its holographic and pixelated container. From its nonphysical foundations, the cosmic hologram encodes informational fractal patterns of potentiality that manifest throughout space-time at all scales of existence and that dynamically 16

guide the template of evolution. For ourselves, perhaps most important is its essential nature that enables our Universe to exist and evolve as a nonlocally coherent and unified entity from its first moment until its last, empowering the advancement throughout its lifetime of ever-greater levels of complexity and the emergence of self-aware intelligence like us. (28) The information contained in a hologram guides the development of each constituent part in relation to the whole: “In the hologram, each part contains the information of the whole. If we are each part of a larger whole, in effect, holograms within the larger hologram of the universe, then we potentially have access to all the information of the universe.” The concept of the hologram has been extended to encompass the evolution of human consciousness and life itself: The whole of man’s evolutionary history is impregnated in the consciousness of every atom, cell, molecule, organism. The creation of a proton from a supernova explosion is imprinted in the self-image of that proton. The holograms of proton, cell, molecule, human, star, supernova, are replications created by the intersecting of light beams in standing waves, of the original image projected into the light of consciousness by consciousness itself. Therefore, all images of creation are reflections at different angles of the original image. The many is in the One and the One in the many. Thus, the universe is truly contained in the “grain of sand” and the origins of life are present in every brain cell. Every part contains the whole hologram, every drop of water contains the whole ocean. The experience of cosmic consciousness is reliving and re-creating the play of consciousness, the creation of billions of stars and supernovas from time immemorial and the realization of the total evolutionary potential of man’s consciousness. (29)

References

(1) Jeffrey Eisen Oneness Perceived (St. Paul, Minnesota: Paragon House, 2003), p. 4. (2) Jeffrey Eisen Oneness Perceived (St. Paul, Minnesota: Paragon House, 2003), pp. 6-7. (3) Ken Wilber No Boundary (Boulder: Shambhala, 1981), p. 42. (4) Lynne McTaggart The Field (New York: Harper Perennial, 2003), pp. 6-7. (5) Ralph Waldo Emerson Essays: First Series (Seattle: CreateSpace, 2011), p. 96. (6) Walt Whitman The Complet e Poems (New York: Penguin Classics, 2004), pp. 288-289. (7) Lawrence LeShan The M edium, t he M yst ic, and t he Physicist (New York: Ballantine Books, 1975), pp. 49-50. (8) Richard Maurice Bucke Cosmic Consciousness (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1969), p. 326-327. (9) Jeff Foster The Deepest Accept ance (Boulder: Sounds True, 2017), pp. 3-4. (10) Michael Talbot M yst icism and t he New Physics (New York: Bantam Books, 1981), p. 160. (11) Jean Klein Be W ho You Are (Dorset, England: Element Books, 1989), pp. 43-44. (12) Idries Shah Learning How t o Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 124. 17

(13) Afzal Iqbal The Life and W ork of Jalaluddin Rumi (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 250-251. (14) Jean Klein Transmission of t he Flame (Santa Barbara: third Millennium Publications, 1990), pp. 73-74. (15) Idries Shah The W ay of t he Sufi (London: Octagon Press, 1984), pp. 261-262. (16) Ervin Laszlo and Jude Currivan CosM os (Carlsbad, California: Hay House, 2008), pp. 174-175. (17) Jacob Needleman A Sense of t he Cosmos (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1975), pp. 63-64. (18) Larry Dossey Space, Time & M edicine (Boulder: Shambhala, 1982), p. 80. (19) Jeffrey Eisen Oneness Perceived (St. Paul, Minnesota: Paragon House, 2003), pp. 69-70. (20) Jeffrey Eisen Oneness Perceived (St. Paul, Minnesota: Paragon House, 2003), pp. 72-73. (21) Michael Talbot M yst icism and t he New Physics (New York: Bantam Books, 1981), pp. 44-45. (22) Larry Dossey One M ind (Carlsbad, California: Hay House, 2013), p. 32. (23) Ervin Laszlo and Jude Currivan CosM os (Carlsbad, California: Hay House, 2008), pp. xiii-xiv. (24) Michael Talbot M yst icism and t he New Physics (New York: Bantam Books, 1981), p. 50. (25) Ken Wilber, ed. The Holographic Paradigm (Boulder: Shambhala, 1982), pp. 2-3. (26) Ervin Laszlo W hat is Realit y? (New York: Select Books, 2016), p. 26. (27) Michael Talbot The Holographic Universe (New York: Harper Perennial, 2011), p. 2. (28) Jude Currivan The Cosmic Hologram (Rochester, Vermont: Inner Traditions, 2017), p. 119. (29) Christopher Hills Nuclear Evolut ion (Boulder Creek, California: University of the Trees Press, 1977), p. 148.

18

THE INTERCONNECTED UNIVERSE

‘Causes and result s are infinit e in number and variet y. Everyt hing affect s everyt hing. In t his universe, w hen one t hing changes, everyt hing changes.’ Sri Nisargadat t a M aharaj

Spiritual Teachings and Interdependence

Both science and spiritual and metaphysical teachings recognize that all things and events are interconnected, and part of a greater Whole. Every part of the universe is directly or indirectly related to every other part, and the description of any one part is inseparable from the description of the whole. Sufi teacher Murat Yagan: “Interdependence is a state of mutual support for the greater good of the Whole.” The concept of an interconnected universe appears throughout history, in philosophical and spiritual writings: •

Egyptian magus Hermes Trismegistus: “The without is like the within of things; the small is like the large.”

•

Greek philosopher Empedocles: “The nature of God is a circle of which the centre is everywhere and the circumference is nowhere.”

•

Hindu Avatamsaka Sutra: “Each object in the world is not merely itself, but involves every other object and, in fact, is everything else.”

•

Buddhist Fa-Tsang: “Suspending a candle in the middle of a room full of mirrors represents the relationship of the One to the Many; placing a polished crystal in the centre of the room so that it reflects everything around it, shows the relationship of the Many to the One.”

•

Oglala Sioux medicine man Black Elk: “Anywhere is the centre of the world.” And, he reported in a vision “seeing in a sacred manner the shapes of all things in the Spirit, and the shapes of all shapes as they must live together as one being.”

The world-view of traditional Eastern spiritual teachings is based on the underlying unity of all that exists and the interdependent relationship of all phenomena. In The Tao of Physics, physicist Fritjof Capra describes this connected and interactive universe: “The most important characteristic of the Eastern worldview is the awareness of the unity and mutual interrelation of all things and events, the experience of all phenomena in the world as manifestations of a basic oneness. All things are seen as interdependent and inseparable parts of this cosmic whole; of different manifestations of the same indivisible ultimate reality.”

1

Although the various schools of Eastern mysticism differ in many details, they all emphasize the basic unity of the universe which is the central feature of their teachings. The highest aim for their followers – whether they are Hindus, Buddhists or Taoists – is to become aware of the unity and mutual interrelation of all things, to transcend the notion of an isolated individual self and to identify themselves with the ultimate reality . . . In the Eastern view, then, the division of nature into separate objects is not fundamental and any such objects have a fluid and ever-changing character. The Eastern worldview is therefore instrinsically dynamic and contains time and change as essential features. The cosmos is seen as one inseparable reality – forever in motion, alive, organic; spiritual and material at the same time. (1) One of the fundamental principles of Buddhism is the ‘interdependent nature of all things.’ This takes the form of an infinite network of interrelationships among all forms of existence. Zen roshi Philip Kapleau: “Everything is connected and interrelated; all things are mutually dependent for their existence. All things in the universe depend upon one another, the influence of each mutually permeating and thereby making a universal symphony of harmonious totality.” In Zen Keys, Vietnamese Zen teacher Thich Nhat Hanh writes: The expression “the interdependent relational nature” of things is tied directly to the concept of non-identity. To see things in their interdependent relational nature is to perceive their nature of non-identity. Put another way, it is to recognize their existence, even when they are not present. Let us look, for example, at a table. It exists at this very moment. We recognize its existence only when the interdependent conditions, upon which its presence is grounded, converge; but we cannot recognize its existence before these conditions are brought together. Nevertheless, the table existed before being there; it existed formerly through the play of interdependent factors such as the wood, the saw, the nails, the carpenter, and the multitude of other elements directly or indirectly connected with its existence. If one can see the existence of the table through these interdependent conditions, one can also see it in unlimited space and infinite time. (2) The Dalai Lama articulates the traditional Tibetan Buddhist understanding of the interdependence of all phenomena in The New Physics and Cosmology: Dialogues w it h t he Dalai Lama : “[Interdependence] does not entail that these interacting events or facts have some kind of intrinsic, objective reality in and of themselves, but rather that this absence, or emptiness, of independent existence is at the heart of their existence. Their existence and reality can make sense only within the context of interrelationships and interconnectedness.” This accords with the core teachings of Mahayana Buddhism which describes the world as “a perfect network of mutual relations where all things and events interact with each other in an infinitely complicated way.” Buddhist scholar Lama Anagarika Govinda:

2

The Buddhist does not believe in an independent or separately existing external world, into whose dynamic forces he could insert himself. The external world and his internal world are for him only two sides of the same fabric, in which the threads of all forces and of all events, of all forms of consciousness and of their objects, are woven into an inseparable net of endless, mutually conditioned relations. (3) An interconnected universe in which all parts are, at some level, related to all other parts is at odds with simple cause and effect models of reality. In fact, no event occurs in isolation, as multiple interdependent causes may be involved. “Everything is interlinked, and therefore everything has numerous causes. The entire universe contributes to the least thing. A thing is as it is, because the world is as it is.” Sufi author and teacher Idries Shah argues that cause and effect is a “primitive short-term rule of thumb.” For example, we tend to look at events one-sidedly. We also assume, without any justification, that an event happens as it were in a vacuum. In actual fact, all events are associated with all other events. It is only when we are ready to experience our interrelation with the organism of life that we can appreciate mystical experience. If you look at any action which you do, or which anyone else does, you will find that it was prompted by one of many possible stimuli; and also that it is never an isolated action – it has consequences, many of them ones which you would never expect, certainly which you could not have planned. (4) Other spiritual traditions agree with this contention. According to Advaita Vedanta, the principle of cause and effect is only a conceptual category. Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj: “It is the illusion of time that makes you talk of causality. When the past and the future are seen in the timeless now , as parts of a common pattern, the idea of cause-effect loses its validity and creative freedom takes its place.” Like everything mental, the so-called law of causation contradicts itself. No thing in existence has a particular cause; the entire universe contributes to the existence of even the smallest thing; nothing could be as it is without the universe being what it is. When the source and ground of everything is the only cause of everything, to speak of causality as a universal law is wrong. The universe is not bound by its content, because its potentialities are infinite; besides it is a manifestation, or expression of a principle fundamentally and totally free . . . For everything there are innumerable causal factors. But the source of all that is, is the Infinite possibility, the Supreme Reality, which is in you and which throws its power and light and love on every experience. But, this source is not a cause and no cause is a source. Because of that, everything is uncaused. You may try to trace how a thing happens, but you cannot find out why a thing is as it is. A thing is as it is, because the universe is as it is. (5) 3

Gurdjieff and ‘Reciprocal M aintenance’

One of the cornerstones of Gurdjieff’s Fourth Way cosmological teachings is the concept of ‘reciprocal maintenance’ or ‘reciprocal feeding.’ In his magnum opus Beelzebub’s Tales t o His Grandson , he termed this process as Trogoautoegocrat (“I keep myself by feeding”), and described it as a universal principle which interrelates all levels of the universe and results in the reciprocal maintenance or feeding of “All and Everything.” In Gurdjieff: M aking a New W orld , John G. Bennett succinctly outlines the main features of this cosmic process: “The transformation of energies depends on the relationship of entities, whereby each maintains the existence of others in a kind of universal mutual support system. Each order of beings is endowed with a form of energy that enables it to play its part in the cosmic process.” Reciprocal maintenance in its special sense connotes that the universe has a built-in structure or pattern whereby every class of existing things produces energies or substances that are required for maintaining the existence of other classes. Gurdjieff uses the terms involution and evolution to describe the process. Involution is the transformation process in which a high level of energy acts on lower energies through an apparatus which provides the necessary environment and conditions. The human body is such an apparatus and so is any other living organism. The earth also provides an environment for high level energy – such as solar radiation – to act upon the more passive elements of the earth’s crust and atmosphere. Involution is entropic, that is to say the overall level of energy is always lowered in all involutionary changes. Evolution is the reverse process. It is the production of high level energy from a lower level source. This also requires an apparatus, but of a different kind, for the ‘up-grading’ of energy is improbable and cannot occur at all unless some high level energy is present. Life is an evolutionary process that goes against the direction of probability. The work by which man is transformed is evolutionary. It goes against the stream of life. (6) In a talk to his students in 1918, Gurdjieff presented the theoretical basis of the principle of reciprocal maintenance: the transformation of matter and energy as a universal process of descent (involution) and ascent (evolution): Everything in the world is material and – in accordance with universal law – everything is in motion and is constantly being transformed. The direction of this transformation is from the finest matter to the coarsest, and vice versa. Between these two limits there are many degrees of density of matter. At some points in the development there are, as it were, stops or transmitting stations. These stations are everything that can be called organisms in the broadest sense of the word – the sun, the earth, man and microbe. These stations are commutators which transform matter both in its ascending movement, when it becomes finer, and in its descending movement, toward greater 4

density . . . This transformation of substances in two directions, which is called evolution and involution, proceeds not only along the main line from the absolutely fine to the absolutely coarse and vice versa, but at all intermediate stations, on all levels, it branches aside. A substance needed by some entity may be taken by it and absorbed, thus serving the evolution or involution of that entity. Everything absorbs, that is, eats something else, and also serves as food. This is what reciprocal exchange means. This reciprocal exchange takes place in everything, in both organic and inorganic matter. (7) According to Gurdjieff, the universe was created as an unending chain of systems bound by universal interdependence. In this cosmic process of ‘exchange of substances’ everything that exists is dependent on and connected to everything else; nothing is separate: The principle of universal interdependence is certainly not found only in the teaching of Gurdjieff. It appears in many traditional teachings. But his convincing exposition of it is indisputably original. A generalized non-separability characterizes the universe of Gurdjieff. Systems on different scales have their own autonomy, for according to the terminology of Gurdjieff, the Absolute only intervenes directly at the creation of the first cosmos. The other cosmoses formed themselves freely by self-organizing principles – always, however, in submission to the law of three and the law of seven. In this way the diversity of the universe is assured. On the other hand, the interaction of the different cosmoses by means of the universal exchange of energy-substances assures unity in diversity. Life itself appears not as an accident, but as a necessity in this universe of universal interdependence . . . Gurdjieff’s universe is not a static universe, but a universe in perpetual movement and change, not only on the physical plane, but also on the biological and psychic planes. Evolution and involution are always at work in the different worlds. And when we consider the important number of different matters characterized by different degrees of materiality, we can understand the essential role of the universal exchange of substances in evolution and involution. (8) Gurdjieff emphasized the importance of reciprocal maintenance in the overall organization and functioning of the cosmos. Reciprocal maintenance shows how existing forms interact with other forms in a symbiotic relationship of mutual support. Functionally, higher levels of reality “spiritualize” lower levels of existence by organizing and then transforming them, under the direction of fundamental cosmic laws, into “higher patterns of meaning and value.” John G. Bennett: “Our customary way of thinking and talking about the world is in terms of objects and events, both of which are abstractions. Gurdjieff saw the world as the universal process of the transformation of energies, regulated by two fundamental laws (the law of three and the law of seven) and various ‘second-grade’ laws arising from their interaction. The two basic realities are relat ions and t ransformat ions.”

5

The world was brought into existence because ‘being’ and ‘time’ are mutually destructive. Everything separate and closed within itself must perish for lack of a principle of renewal. There is partial renewal by borrowing energy from outside, but this is not enough. Full renewal requires full mutuality. It is by Universal giving and receiving of energies that Cosmic Harmony is maintained. This, in turn, requires an organized structure which is given by the interaction of the different classes and levels of reality. (9) Some contemporary physicists have noted a correspondence between Gurdjieff’s idea of reciprocal maintenance and the ‘bootstrap’ principle of modern physics. The bootstrap concept implies that at every level of nature there is an underlying unity which is maintained by a dynamic intelligence in permanent evolution. Such a universe is capable of self-creation and self-organization, without any other external intervention of other energies and forces. In the words of physicist Paul Davies: “The universe fills itself exclusively from within its own physical nature with all the energy necessary to create animate matter.” Physicist Basarab Nicolescu expresses a similar idea: “It seems evident that self-creation and self-organization only have meaning in a universe which is made up of an infinite chain of systems regulated by universal interdependence. Unity in diversity and diversity through unity are the conditions for selfcreation and self-organization. Otherwise there is nothing but the law of accident that can act.” The trogoautoegocratic process of Gurdjieff presents a remarkable correspondence to the ‘bootstrap’ principle formulated in physics around 1960 by American physicist Geoffrey Chew. This word “bootstrap” also implies “to pull yourself up by your own bootstraps.” The closest equivalence in the scientific context would be ‘self-consistency.’ In the bootstrap theory, the part appears at the same time as the whole. What is put in question in bootstrap theory is the very notion of a particle’s identity: it substitutes instead the notion of the relationship between “events.” It is the relations between events which are responsible for the appearance of what we call a particle. There is no object in itself possessing its own identity, that we could define in a separate or distinct manner from other particles. A particle is what it is because all other particles exist at the same time: the attributes of a determined physical entity are the results of interactions with all the other particles. According to bootstrap, there really is a “law of reciprocal maintenance” of all quantum particles. Also, as in the trogoautoegocratic process, a system is what it is because all other systems exist at the same time. The role of self-consistency in the construction of reality should be emphasized – a selfconsistency which assures the coherence of the All. (10)

Science and Interrelationship

Science has revealed that a pattern of mutual relationships occurs at all levels of the universe, from the minute quantum world of sub-atomic physics to the inconceivably vast realm of stars, nebulae, supernovas, quasars, black holes and galaxies studied by modern 6

astronomy. The relationships between the different elements and levels of the natural world can take a variety of forms: equivalent, symmetrical, mutually supportive, hierarchical, or asymmetric. The fundamental laws of physics are universal and apply throughout the universe. They reveal that an intrinsic interconnectivity pervades the entire universe at all levels of reality, linking disparate phenomena in a harmonious, indivisible whole. In The Tao of Physics, Fritjof Capra writes: “The universe is seen as a dynamic web of interrelated events. None of the properties of any part of this web is fundamental; they all follow from the properties of other parts, and the overall consistency of their mutual interrelations determines the structure of the entire web.” The concept of the hologram has been applied to describe a universe in which everything is interrelated and part of a greater whole, and supposed dualities are recast as complementary polarities. This ‘unity in diversity’ is one of the hallmarks of the new vision of the cosmos enunciated by leading thinkers and scientists. In this paradigm, all things in the phenomenal world are intrinsic elements in an integral whole: “The holographic nature of the manifest world enables the coherent oneness, the integral wholeness of the universe, to be expressed through the many facets of cosmic order at all scales of existence. It is the means by which every aspect of the cosmos can relate to and interface with every other aspect as well as the whole.” For much of human history, the visible universe was conceived as a “machine” composed of separate, independent objects. The discoveries of quantum physics in the early 20th century changed this prevailing paradigm and ushered in a completely new world-view characterized by energy fields, subatomic particles, probability, complementarity, uncertainty, and dynamic relationship. Physicist Max Planck: “In quantum mechanics it is impossible to obtain an adequate version of the laws for which we are looking, unless the physical system is regarded as a w hole. According to field theory, each individual particle of the system, in a certain sense, at any one time, exists simultaneously in every part of the space occupied by the system.” Modern physics now recognizes the unbroken wholeness of a reality in which the universe is seen not as a collection of discrete physical objects, but rather as a vast nexus of relationships between the various parts of a unified whole. Quantum theory supports the notion of a basic interconnectedness of all the constituent parts of the universe. Physicist David Bohm: “We say that inseparable quantum interconnectedness of the whole universe is the fundamental reality, and that relatively independently behaving parts are merely particular and contingent forms within this whole.” Our work brings out in an intuitive way just how and why a quantum manybody system cannot properly be analyzed into independently existent parts, with fixed and determinate dynamical relationships between each of the parts. Rather, the “parts” are seen to be in immediate connection, in which their dynamical relationships depend, in an irreducible way, on the state of the whole 7

system (and indeed on that of broader systems in which they are contained, extending ultimately and in principle to the entire universe). Thus, one is led to a new notion of unbroken wholeness which denies the classical idea of analyzability of the world into separately and independently existent parts. We now find that the relationships between any two particles depend on something going beyond what can be described in terms of these particles alone. Indeed, more generally, this relationship may depend on the quantum state of even larger systems, within which the system in question is contained, ultimately going on to the universe as a whole. (11) Interconnectivity also operates at the human physiological level. For instance, the human body is constantly renewing itself as it interacts with the surrounding environment – a process sometimes called a “biodance” or the “dance of life.” Dr. Larry Dossey: “Each body structure has its own rate of reformation: the lining of the stomach renews itself in a week; the skin is entirely replaced in a month; the liver is regenerated in six weeks. Some tissue is relatively resistant to the constant turnover, such as the supporting tissue called collagen and the iron in the blood’s hemoglobin molecules. But even though these rates of replacement differ, after five years one can presume that the entire body is renewed even to the very last atom.” Biodance – the endless exchange of the elements of living things with the earth

itself – proceeds silently, giving us no hint that it is happening. It is a dervish dance, animated and purposeful and disciplined; and it is a dance in which every living organism participates. These observations simply defy any definition of a static and fixed body. Even our genes, our claim to biologic individuality, constantly dissolve and are renewed. We are in a persistent equilibrium with the earth. Yet the boundary of our body has to be extended even farther than the earth itself. We know that certain elements in our body, such as the phosphorus in our bones, were formed at an earlier stage in the evolution of our galaxy. Like many elements in the earth’s crust, it was cycled through the lifetime of several stars before appearing terrestrially, eventually finding its way into our body. A strictly bounded body does not exist. The concept of a physical I that is fixed in space and that endures in time is at odds with our knowledge that living structures are richly connected with the world around them. Our roots go deep; we are anchored in the stars. (12) Humanity has a deep spiritual responsibility for the welfare of the mineral, plant and animal kingdoms, and a recognition of the primacy of Great Nature, for which we depend for so many of our needs. One of the consequences of the fact of universal interdependency is to awaken a respect for all forms of life. Fourth Way author Keith Buzzell: “We live in one continuous and harmonious cosmos. Studies in many diverse fields of science reveal a cosmos of such grandeur and subtlety, of such tightly interwoven and interdependent energies, that past myth, imagery and analogy pale in their ability to convey its real dimensions.”

8

Everything, every state of matter or energy, every idea, feeling and motion in our entire Cosmos is interconnected (webbed and woofed) into one great moving w hole. This interconnectedness is not an abstract, indifferent, mechanical process but is, rather, an endless, multi-layered feeding – sustaining – nurturing. Since everything is essential and has its roles to fulfill within the whole, everything is to be valued in balanced proportion. The balanced proportion can only be approached if man’s third brain is constantly alerted to and reminded of the real hazard of egoism and enabled to explore and create new and more harmonious personal (first brain) and social (second brain) images . . . If so, then we can only encourage you to consider with care and sobriety, the world inside and outside of us. Consider the uncountable wars and the unremitting weight of suffering of the mothers and children of this world. Consider what we have done to this beautiful, fragile planet. Is this what we wish for our children and for all children to come? (13)

Systems Theory

A useful approach to understanding the interrelationship of all things is the framework known as systems theory, sometimes called “general systems theory.” The systems view of life studies the world in terms of patterns and relationships. A system is defined as an integrated whole whose properties cannot be reduced to those of its parts. Psychologist Lawrence LeShan: “Primarily, objects and events are part of a pattern which itself is part of a larger pattern, and so on until all is included in the grand plan and pattern of the universe. Individual objects and events exist, but their individuality is distinctly secondary to their being part of the unity of the pattern.” Fritjof Capra: Natural systems are wholes whose specific structures arise from the interactions and interdependence of their parts. Systemic properties are destroyed when a system is dissected, either physically or theoretically, into isolated elements. Although we can discern individual parts in any system, the nature of the whole is always different from the mere sum of its parts. Systems are intrinsically dynamic. Their forms are not rigid structures but are flexible yet stable manifestations of underlying processes . . . Living systems tend to form multi-leveled structures of systems within systems. For example, the human body contains organ systems composed of several organs, each organ being made up of tissues, and each tissue made up of cells. All these are living organisms or living systems which consist of smaller parts and, at the same time, act as parts of larger wholes. Living systems, then, exhibit a stratified order, and there are interconnections and interdependencies between all systems levels, each level interacting and communicating with its total environment. (14) The natural world offers many examples of the collective action of individual members of a species creating larger, more complex systems embodying a group mind or intelligence. 9

Patterns of such collective coordination can be seen in highly integrated insect communities: “Extreme examples are the social insects – bees, wasps, ants, termites, and others – that form colonies whose members are so interdependent and in such close contact that the whole system resembles a large multi-creatured organism. Bees and ants are unable to survive in isolation, but in great numbers they act almost like the cells of a complex organism with a collective intelligence and capabilities for adaptation far superior to those of its individual members.” Examples of systems abound in nature. Every organism – from the smallest bacterium through the wide range of plants and animals to humans – is an integrated whole and thus a living system. Cells are living systems, and so are the various tissues and organs of the body, the human brain being the most complex example. But systems are not confined to individual organisms and their parts. The same aspects of wholeness are exhibited by social systems – such as an anthill, a beehive, or a human family – and by ecosystems that consist of a variety of organisms and inanimate matter in mutual interaction. What is preserved in a wilderness area is not individual trees or organisms but the complex web of relationships between them. (15) Systems theorists have identified some of the principal laws of nature exhibited by systems: •

Coherence: Complex systems are organized in such a way that each of its parts is linked

with every other part. Coherence can exist both within the components of a given system (internal viability) and between other systems (external adaptation). •

Int eract ion : New forms and functions emerge as diverse elements interact. Interaction

creates interconnection, which produces coherence. “The hallmark of a system of such coherence is that its parts are correlated in such a way that what happens to one part also happens to the other parts – hence it happens to the system as a whole.” •

Complement arit y: Polarity is a basic characteristic of living systems. Opposites balance each other in a state of equilibrium (e.g., yin/yang).

•

Recursion : The parts and elements of the whole have similar patterns which repeat each

other at successively deeper levels. “Coherent systems are inevitably complex. A higher form of organization in a complex system does not just repeat the structure on the lower levels, but adds novelty, while repeating key patterns that remain invariant.” •

Inst abilit y: There are limits to the growth of a coherent system – beyond a critical point,

systems become unstable and break down into their individual components. •

Evolut ion : The evolution of natural systems is towards higher levels of coherence and

complexity. “There is a progression from level to level of structure and complexity in 10

nature: from the atomic to the molecular, from the molecular to the multimolecular, from the multimolecular to the cellular and multicellular, and from there to the ecological and bio-spherical.” Through the action of the above, and other related laws, complexity emerges in the universe as evolution creates more and more complex and coherent atomic, molecular, biological and psychosocial structures and systems. The self-organization of systems is a recurring feature at all levels of the universe: “The recursive system of self-organization, where every layer curves back on itself to monitor another layer, pervades physics and biology. Self-organization is embedded in the fabric of the cosmos, acting like an invisible, offstage choreographer to drive evolution.” In You Are t he Universe, Deepak Chopra and Menas Kafatos discuss this important concept: In a self-organizing system, each new layer of creation must regulate the prior layer. So, the generation of every layer in the universe, from particle to star to galaxy to black hole, cannot be considered random, given that it was created from a pre-existing layer that in turn was regulating the layer that produced it. The same holds true throughout nature, including the workings of the human body. Cells form tissues, which in turn form organs, the organs form systems, and finally, the entire body has been created. Each layer emerges from the same DNA, but they stack up, as it were, until the pinnacle of achievement, the human brain, crowns it all . . . Whether we are speaking of genes and the brain or solar systems and galaxies, self-organization is present. Existence requires balance, which demands feedback. By monitoring itself, a system can correct imbalances automatically. Every new bit of the universe, however minuscule, must create a feedback loop with what gave rise to it. Otherwise it wouldn’t be connected to the whole. (16) The building blocks of most systems are based on the principle of hierarchy, which determines the levels of organization and the nature and structure of the interconnections. Each living component possesses its own self-organization and a limited degree of autonomy within the larger system. These systems exist in a hierarchy in which higher levels subsume and regulate lower levels. “Every system does its job, being more or less responsible for its own survival and reproduction (within its niche in the whole organism), at the same time being controlled by one or more superordinate regulatory systems.” Many systems, both natural and manmade, are organized in a hierarchical structure: Nature appears to be structured as levels of organization or complexity. Elementary particles give rise to atoms, atomic structures form molecules, which in turn form macromolecules such as proteins and DNA, which are the basis for living organelles and cells, which congregate and cooperate to form the profusion of living organisms populating the planet. Evolution, as a progressive complexification of matter and psycho-biotic systems, is 11

ostensibly a dynamic process of ever-increasing levels of complexity and organization. In the sense of nested systems within systems, hierarchy is an accurate and appropriate description of nature . . . If we picture nature’s nested systems as circles within circles within circles, where the boundaries of all the circles are permeable, then hierarchy permits the flow of information and energy both up and down, and laterally, between systems at all levels. Hierarchy involves the communication of information and energy through “upward causation,” from lower-level (meaning less complex) systems to higher level (meaning more complex and organized) systems, and “downward causation,” from higher-level systems to their component parts; as well as horizontal causation (laterally between systems on the same level). In this systems view of hierarchy, power resides in the cooperative relationships between the various systems and their parts. (17) In summary, the systems view of the universe is essentially holistic and integrative; it looks at the world in terms of interrelatedness and interdependency, linking all levels of existence in a unified whole. “Living systems are organized in such a way that they form multi-leveled structures, each level consisting of subsections which are wholes in regard to their parts, and parts with respect to the larger wholes. All entities – from molecules to human beings – can be regarded as wholes in the sense of being integrated structures, and also as parts of larger wholes at higher levels of complexity.”

Information and Inter-Communication

Science has traditionally held that matter and energy are the foundations of physical reality. But an emerging viewpoint posits that a more subtle, but equally fundamental, factor is also important: informat ion . In Science and t he Akashic Field , Ervin Laszlo stresses the importance of information for the interdependent functioning of the cosmos: “Information links all things in the universe, atoms as well as galaxies, organisms and minds. This discovery transforms the fragmented world-concept of the mainstream sciences into an integral, holistic worldview.” In order to account for the presence of a significant number of particles in the universe, and for the ongoing evolution of the existing things, we need to recognize the presence of a factor that is neither matter nor energy. The importance of this factor is now acknowledged not only in the human and the social sciences, but also in the physical and the life sciences. It is informat ion – information as a real and effective factor setting the parameters of the universe at its birth, and thereafter governing the evolution of its basic elements into complex systems. Information is an inherent aspect of both physical and biological nature . . . Information is not a human artefact, not something we produce by writing, calculating, speaking, and messaging. As ancient sages knew, and as scientists are now rediscovering, information is present in the world independent of human volition and action and is a 12

decisive factor in the evolution of the things that furnish the real world. The basis for creating a genuine “theory of everything” is the recognition that “information” is a fundamental factor in nature. (18) Laszlo provides a useful operational definition of information (or “in-formation”): “Information is the subtle, quasi-instant, non-evanescent and non-energetic connection between things at different locations in space and events at different points in time. Such connections are termed “nonlocal” in the natural sciences and “transpersonal” in consciousness research. In-formation links things (particles, atoms, molecules, organisms, ecologies, solar systems, entire galaxies, as well as the mind and consciousness associated with some of these things), regardless of how far they are from each other and how much time has passed since connections were created between them.” A number of scientists have suggested that some of the quandaries of current cosmological theories can be resolved through the concept of information. “A common theme among researchers trying to look beyond general relativity and quantum theory to a more unified understanding of nature is that something else lies at the root of all things: information.” The discoveries of quantum physicists in the early 20th century had tremendous implications for understanding the nature of reality. In The Field , Lynne McTaggart stresses the importance of their findings: “They realized that the very underpinnings of our universe is a heaving sea of energy – one vast quantum field. If this were true, everything would be connected to everything else like some invisible web.” They also discovered that we were made of the same basic material. On our most fundamental level, living beings, including human beings, were packets of quantum energy constantly exchanging information with this inexhaustible energy sea. Information about all aspects of life, from cellular communication to the vast array of controls of DNA, was relayed through an information exchange on the quantum level. Even our minds operated according to quantum processes. Thinking, feeling – every higher cognitive function – had to do with quantum information pulsing simultaneously through our brain and body. Human perception occurred because of interaction between the subatomic particles of our brains and the quantum energy sea. We literally resonated with our world. In a stroke, they had challenged many of the most basic laws of biology and physics. What they may have uncovered was no less than the key to all information processing and exchange in our world, from the communication between cells to perception of the world at large. More fundamentally, they had provided evidence that all of us connect with each other and the world at the very undercoat of our being. (19) One of the strangest features of quantum physics is the phenomenon of “nonlocality” or “entanglement.” Physicists discovered that some pairs of sub-atomic particles or atoms are ent angled or correlated, and remain instantly connected over time: “Their nonlocality respects 13

neither time nor space: it exists whether the distance that separates the particles and the atoms is measured in millimeters or in light-years, and whether the time that separates them consists of seconds or millions of years.” As Niels Bohr, a Nobel prize-winning pioneer of quantum physics, discovered, once subatomic particles such as electrons or photons are in contact, they remain forever influenced by each other instantaneously and for no apparent reason, over any time or any distance. When particles are entangled, the actions of one will always influence the other in the same or the opposite direction, no matter how far they are separated. They act like a pair of starcrossed lovers who are forced to separate and live independently forever, but who continue not only to know each other’s moves but also to imitate the other’s every activity for the rest of their days. Albert Einstein had refused to accept nonlocality, disparaging the theory as “spooky action at a distance.” Einstein claimed this type of instantaneous connection couldn’t occur because it would require information traveling faster than the speed of light, which he considered the absolute outer boundary of how quickly one thing can affect something else. Even subatomic particles were not supposed to be able to affect other particles faster than the time it would take the first to travel to the second at the speed of light. (20) In 1972, physicist John Bell proposed a possible test of the validity of nonlocality – taking measurements on a pair of quantum particles which were initially in contact but later separated. A decade later in Paris, physicist Alain Aspect and his team conducted an actual experiment which confirmed Bell’s theory. In The Holographic Universe, Michael Talbot describes the results: “Aspect’s real-life experiment showed that when two photons were fired off from a single atom, the measurement of one photon affected the position of the second photon. Whatever happened to one was identical to, or the very opposite of, what happened to the other. A comparison of the measurements showed that both were the same. Some invisible wire appeared to be connecting these two quantum particles across space, to make them follow each other forever.” The phenomenon of nonlocality and the transmission of information across levels of the universe appears in fields as diverse as cosmology, evolutionary biology, ecology and consciousness research: It is clear that nonlocal coherence has important implications. It signals that there is not only matter and energy in the universe, but also a more subtle yet real element: an element that connects, and which produces the observed quasi-instant forms of coherence. Identifying this connecting element could solve the puzzle at the forefront of scientific research and point the way toward a more fertile paradigm. We can take the first step toward this goal by affirming that information is present, and has a decisive role, in all principal domains of nature. Of course, this information that is present in nature is not 14

the everyday form of information but a special kind: it is “in-formation” – the active, physically effective variety that “forms” the recipient, whether it is a quantum, a galaxy, or a human being. (21) Although nonlocality or entanglement was first discovered at the quantum level, it is not limited to this domain, and also surfaces at macroscopic scales in the universe, such as electromagnetic and other fields. Ervin Laszlo proposes that the structures and processes of the manifest physical world are determined by interacting waves or patterns of energy and information embedded in the “Akashic field.” A world where connection, coherence, and coevolution are fundamental features is not a fragmented and fragmentable world, but an integral one. In this world nonlocality is a fundamental factor: things that occur at one place and time also occur at other places and times – in some sense, they occur at all places and times . . . There is an urgent need for a paradigm in which nonlocality is a basic feature – the paradigm of a world that is intrinsically nonlocal. Such a paradigm is now emerging at the leading edge of scientific inquiry. It is based on a new understanding of how parts interact within wholes; ultimately how the parts we know as quanta and the macroscale entities built as coordinated sequences of quanta interact within the larger whole we call “cosmos.” The basic concept that can convey scientific meaning and legitimacy to this understanding is field . Fields are bona fide elements of the physical world, although they are not in themselves observable. They are like fishing nets so fine that their strands cannot be seen. The fields themselves are not visible, but they produce observable effects. Fields connect phenomena. Local fields connect things within a particular region of space and time, but there are also universal fields that connect things throughout space and time. Quanta, and the things constituted of quanta, interact through fields, and they interact universally. (22) Scientists are becoming aware of the primary role of information in describing the laws and workings of physical reality. “Information really is physical and it literally in-forms our Universe, while at the same time transforming our view of what we actually mean by the term physical.” The laws of motion and thermodynamics that define how matter and energy move and how they interact are basically laws of information. The concept of information content and flow is starting to be used powerfully to describe physical phenomena at deeper and more all-encompassing levels. The two twentieth century pillars of science, the quantum and relativity theories, are also being re-evaluated as informational theories, a development that is being seen as having the potential to finally bring together these as yet unreconciled perspectives of our Universe. This is just the first step to a much more encompassing perception, one that not only aims to understand the

15

completeness of the physical world but also proposes a cosmology that encompasses all aspects of existence and experience and seeks answers to the deeper question of not only how reality is as it is but also why. (23) Information exchange seems to occur at all levels of reality. For instance, an electron is much more than a simple structureless point. The active use of information by electrons, and indeed by all sub-atomic particles, indicates that the ability to respond to meaning is an innate characteristic not only of consciousness but of all matter. There is also evidence that at the smallest atomic scale, space-time is pixellated, suggesting that this is the foundational level for information and holographic reality. The content and flow of information creates patterns and relationships between and within all scales of existence. The events and processes at each level of reality are not random or based on chance – rather, they are dependent on the information they embody. In The Cosmic Hologram , Jude Currivan writes: “Our Universe is fundamentally interconnected as a unified entity that is underpinned and permeated by information. The universal speed limit exhibited by light ensures that information is transferred at a constant and finite limit within space-time, maintaining causality and enabling our universe to experience and evolve.” Information literally in-forms all that we call physical reality, and from the innate instructions, conditions, ingredients, recipe, and container, of the information that make up the cosmic hologram, enables the outcome of a universe that nurtures the evolution of complexity and ever more self-aware consciousness – makes a universe that is perfect for us. To understand the essential wholeness of reality requires that the principles and laws of physics be restated in informational terms. At every scale from the most minute up to its entirety, the reality of our Universe is indeed being restated in this way, revealing itself as being constituted of holographically expressed information, which is more fundamental than space-time and energy-matter . . . There’s no fundamental difference between quantum and macroscopic scales. They only appear different owing to the difficulty of informationally isolating larger entities from their surroundings. This shows that our Universe is innately coherent and nonlocally unified, where everything is fundamentally interconnected and informational in nature. (24) The fundamental flow of information is integral to the ordering and evolution of the universe and the development of individual biological entities. Ervin Laszlo: “The network of information applies to all scales, from the genesis and evolution of the universe itself to the development and increase in complexity and ordering of matter – leading all the way to the emergence of the order defining biological organisms and systems expressing self-awareness, by which the universe is ultimately aware of itself.” Information exchange is the key to understanding the evolution of the universe. The laws and processes of the flow of information provide a deeper understanding of the nature of 16

physical reality as well as integrating quantum theory (which describes universally conserved energy-matter) and relativity theory (universally entropic space-time). “The origin of our universe, in an extraordinarily ordered state, embodied its minimum informational entropy that ever since has increased inexorably, causing the arrow of time to flow and the principle of causality within space-time to be inviolate.” In The Cosmic Hologram , Jude Currivan explores the significance of information in the evolution of the universe: From its birth, [the universe] encoded the complete information and algorithmic instructions that ensured that all laws of physics pertaining to the behavior of energy-matter and that are described by quantum theory prevail universally and so enable it to exist as a unified entity. Such encoding and coherence also empowered the creation of elementary particles and the fundamental processes and interactions that progressively gave rise to stars, galaxies, and the evolution of ever-greater complexity and diversity. Information expressed as energy-matter, visible and dark, is both conserved and balances exactly to zero throughout its entire lifetime. Such conservation of information expressed as energy-matter on a universal basis is a statement of the first law of information. As such, t he first law of informat ion is essent ially also t he generalized expression of quant um t heory . . . The continually increasing entropic flow of information within space-time, rising to a maximum at the end of the lifetime of our Universe, has enabled the development of ever-higher levels of consciousness and self-awareness to be expressed, embodied, and experienced. The nature of time itself can even be considered as being the accumulated flow of informational entropy, ever increasing from past to present to future. Indeed, just as t he first law of informat ion is an expression of quant um t heory, so the second law of informat ion is t hat for relat ivit y t heory. The first law of informat ion enables our Universe t o exist ; t he second law enables it t o evolve. (25)

References

(1) Fritjof Capra The Tao of Physics (Boulder: Shambhala, 1975), p. 24. (2) Thich Nhat Hanh Zen Keys (New York: Anchor Books, 1974), pp. 88-89. (3) Lama Anagarika Govinda Foundat ions of Tibet an M yst icism (New York: Samuel Weiser, (1974), p. 93. (4) Idries Shah The Sufis (London: Octagon Press, 1984), pp. 71-72. (5) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: The Acorn Press, 2005), pp. 9-11. (6) John G. Bennett Gurdjieff: M aking a New W orld (New York: Harper & Row, 1973), pp. 189-190. (7) G.I. Gurdjieff View s from t he Real W orld: Early Talks of Gurdjieff (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1973), pp. 209-210. 17

(8) Basarab Nicolescu “Gurdjieff’s Philosophy of Nature” in Jacob Needleman and George Baker, eds. Gurdjieff: Essays and Reflect ions on t he M an and His Teaching (New York: Continuum, 1996), pp. 48-49. (9) John G. Bennett Gurdjieff: M aking a New W orld (New York: Harper & Row, 1973), p. 206. (10) Basarab Nicolescu “Gurdjieff’s Philosophy of Nature” in Jacob Needleman and George Baker, eds. Gurdjieff: Essays and Reflect ions on t he M an and His Teaching (New York: Continuum, 1996), pp. 49-50. (11) Bob Toben Space-Time and Beyond (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1975), p. 135. (12) Larry Dossey Space, Time & M edicine (Boulder: Shambhala, 1982), pp.74-75. (13) Keith Buzzell M an – A Three-Brained Being (Salt Lake City: Fifth Press, 2007). pp. 58-59. (14) Fritjof Capra “The New Vision of Reality: Towards a Synthesis of Eastern Wisdom and Western Science” in Stanislav Grof, ed. Ancient W isdom and M odern Science (Albany: State University of New York, 1984), pp. 139-140. (15) Fritjof Capra The Turning Point (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1982), pp. 266-267. (16) Deepak Chopra and Menas Kafatos You Are t he Universe (New York: Harmony Books, 2017), pp. 71-72. (17) Ervin Laszlo Science and t he Reenchant ment of t he Cosmos (Rochester, Vermont: Inner Traditions, 2006), pp. 118-119. (18) Ervin Laszlo Science and t he Akashic Field (Rochester, Vermont: Inner Traditions, 2007), p. 13. (19) Lynne McTaggart The Field (New York: Harper Perennial, 2003), pp. xvii-xviii. (20) Michael Talbot The Holographic Universe (New York: Harper Perennial, 2011), pp. xiii-xiv. (21) Ervin Laszlo Science and t he Akashic Field (Rochester, Vermont: Inner Traditions, 2007), pp. 60-61. (22) Ervin Laszlo The Self-Act ualizing Cosmos Rochester, Vermont: Inner Traditions, 2014), pp. 8-9. (23) Jude Currivan The Cosmic Hologram (Rochester, Vermont: Inner Traditions, 2017), pp. 2-3. (24) Jude Currivan The Cosmic Hologram (Rochester, Vermont: Inner Traditions, 2017), pp. 112-113. (25) Jude Currivan The Cosmic Hologram (Rochester, Vermont: Inner Traditions, 2017), pp. 113-115.

18

AS ABOVE, SO BELOW ‘That w hich is below is like t hat w hich is above. That w hich is above is like t hat w hich is below .’ Hermes Trismegist us

M acrocosm – M icrocosm

One of the fundamental tenets of esoteric cosmology is the symbiotic relationship between the macrocosm (the greater universe) and the microcosm (the human psycho-physical organism). In this sense each human being is potentially a miniature universe which contains “all knowledge, measure and number.” Professor Jacob Needleman: “In this form, the idea tells us that the same laws and substances that govern and constitute the stars also govern and constitute the human organism.” In his visionary book The M eet ing of Science and Spirit , educator and author John White articulates the profound spiritual implications of awakening to the place of humanity in the cosmic order: It is said in metaphysics that the human being is the center of the universe. This is not meant egocentrically or astro-physically but rather that each of us is a point of confluence for higher and lower worlds, the visible and the invisible, the mundane and the sublime. Through a mysterious process the universe infolds upon itself to produce the human species that, although finite, is aware of infinity . . . is imperfect but inspires to perfection. The macrocosm produces the microcosm; as above, so below. Each of us is thus a meeting point of the mental and material, consciousness and cosmos, inner and outer space. Every plane of reality, every level of being is contained within us. At the same time, paradoxically, we are contained within them . . . Humanity is involved in a mighty evolutionary drama of awakening to God, to the Creator, to the Great Mystery. A two-way process is at work/play behind that selfdiscovery in which the lower world reaches upward while the higher world reaches downward to encourage the lower to keep reaching. (1) Throughout history, human beings have drawn correspondences between the macrocosm and the microcosm, following the Hermetic axiom ‘as above, so below.’ The patterns of human form and structure and of the architecture of the psyche are said to be analogies of cosmic patterns and events: “The objects of the senses are not only symbols of the divine archetypes but are also the manifest bodies of those inner realities. Every element has its source from a higher form, and all things have their common origin from the Word (logos), the Holy Spirit. God is at once both the matter and the form of the universe. His substance is the foundation of all, and all things bear His imprint and are symbols of His Intelligence.”

1

There is no part of man, as there is no part of the cosmos, which has not emerged from the unitary source. Within us and around us we experience nothing but aspects of divine consciousness; but, if we wish to arrive at a knowledge of the source of all things, we have to search in the one place where we can have knowledge at first hand, and that is within ourselves. Around us is the macrocosm, within us is the microcosm; each in its own way gives us knowledge of the other in that divine interplay of subject and object which is the source of all knowing and all being. (2) The concept of ‘the microcosm reflecting the macrocosm’ appears throughout history in many religious, spiritual and metaphysical traditions: • • • • • • • • • •

Indigenous traditions of Africa and the Americas The monotheistic religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam (‘Man is made in the image of God’) Greek philosophers Pythagoras, Heraclitus, Plato and Anaximenes of Miletus Chinese Taoism (‘The Tao gives birth to infinite worlds’) Hindu Tantra (‘What is here is everywhere’) Buddhism (‘The One in the many’) Gnosticism (‘The Cosmic Man’) Sufism (Jafar Sidiq: ‘Man is the microcosm, creation is the macrocosm, the unity. All comes from One.’) Kabbalah (‘Adam Kadmon’) Medieval alchemists of the West and East

A similar concept has also been expressed in the works of a number of modern Western writers and philosophers, notably William Blake (“To see a world in a grain of sand”): Each of us is identical with the entire universe – not in terms of what can be weighed and measured, but because we have the potential to experientially identify with any of its parts. Thus, in the monadology of the great German mathematician and philosopher Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, the universe consists of monads, essential forms of being that are eternal and indestructible. Each of them contains the information about all the others and reflects the entire universe in a pre-established harmony. According to Alfred North Whitehead the universe is made up of momentary events of experience rather than enduring material substance. Each of these moments (“actual events” or “actual occasions”) contains the entire history of the universe and is internally related to all the others. (3) The ‘macrocosm-microcosm’ concept has also been expressed symbolically in certain metaphysical teachings; the human being is described as “a droplet in the cosmic ocean” or as “a

2

spark of the divine fire.” And the same principle has been pictorially represented as two interpenetrating triangles in the images of Tantric yantras (mystical diagrams) and the Star of David. In traditional cosmological teachings a correspondence is posited between the forces manifested in the cosmos and the subtle organs of the human body. Mircea Eliade: “In the Tantric conception, the cosmos appears as a vast fabric of magical forces; and the same forces can be awakened or organized in the human body, through the techniques of mystical physiology.” The belief that a human being is a ‘microcosm of the macrocosm’ has also taken practical form in the teachings and practices of many traditional spiritual systems. For example, in Tai Chi and qi gong specific movements and breathing exercises are employed to enhance the flow of chi (vital life force) throughout the body. These practices were also evident in the Vedic culture of ancient India and form the basis of the path of Yoga, which strives to attain an essential harmony between the human body-mind and the energy of the greater cosmos. There are also indications that modern science recognizes a potential common ground with traditional metaphysical teachings in the concept of ‘inner and outer realms of existence.’ In Ast rophysics and Creat ion: Perceiving t he Universe Through Science and Part icipat ion , Dr. Arnold Benz, while acknowledging that the fields of science and metaphysics are based on fundamentally different approaches and principles, also asserts that they can mutually support each other by providing a bridge between the “outer” and “inner” worlds of human experience, reflecting the ancient dictum ‘as above, so below’: “As above, so below; as below, so above” was the motto of an old Egyptian mythology. It claimed a correspondence between the divine and the earthly. The spatial concepts identified with “above” and “below” have changed, however, in our modern worldview. Today astronomers find that molecules in space radiate in the same way that they do in terrestrial laboratories. The physical laws in the universe and on Earth are not just analogous, but identical. Yet today we still perceive reality on different planes. They no longer have the former attributes of “above” and “below,” but of “interior” and “exterior.” Science explores the exterior reality by objective measurements and observations. Reality confronts us, however, also through participatory perceptions. Thus, fundamentally different perceptions are the basis of science, on the one hand, and religion and art, on the other. These distinct perceptions likewise span different planes of language and methodology. Even if science and those existential experiences upon which religion and art are based have different sources of perception, they can still relate to each other. An analogy in the form of “as interior, so exterior” may be invoked to describe certain parallel experiences in science and in human life. (4) Other leading-edge scientists have also affirmed a central connection between human beings (microcosm) and the greater cosmos (macrocosm) based on the findings of quantum physics. Nobel laureate Frank Wilczek: “The most daring hopes of Pythagoras and Plato to find 3

conceptual purity, order, and harmony at the heart of creation have been far exceeded by reality. There really is a Music of the Spheres embodied in atoms and the modern Void.” In A Beaut iful Quest ion: Finding Nat ure’s Deep Design , he writes: The leading interpretation of this picture draws marvelous connections between microcosmos and macrocosmos. The microwave sky is a snapshot of conditions early in the history of the Universe, roughly thirteen billion years ago, and about one hundred thousand years after the Big Bang. Light radiated then is arriving here now, having traveled a very long way. This is the message it brings. Thirteen billion years ago the Universe was almost, but not quite, perfectly uniform. It contained parts-in-ten-thousand deviations from perfect uniformity. Those deviations from uniformity grew by gravitational instability (denser regions attract matter away from surrounding less dense regions, and the contrast grows). Eventually they gave birth to galaxies, stars, and planets as we know them today. This is all fairly straightforward astrophysics, once one has the seeds. So the big question becomes: How did those seeds arise in the first place? We need more evidence to be certain, but it seems likely, based on the evidence so far, that they started as quantum fluctuations. In present day conditions quantum fluctuations are significant only at very small distances, but an episode of very, very rapid expansion during the early history of the Universe, through the process known as cosmic inflation, can stretch them to universal proportions. We humans are poised between Microcosm and Macrocosm, containing one, sensing the other, comprehending both. (5) The discoveries of modern science have also revealed the tremendous scale of the many levels of the universe and the place of humanity in this vast, complex cosmic schema. On a cosmic scale, human beings are minuscule. Yet the brain is a microcosm of the macrocosm: it is capable of forming more possible thoughts than there are atoms in the universe. “Underlying the complexity of the physical world at all scales of existence, from the most minute subatomic particles to the vast regions of space, is a fundamental harmony and coherent order. Human beings literally stand midway in scale between these two realms.” Humans can seem minuscule at astronomical levels; they can seem ephemeral on evolutionary scales. But another perspective is possible: on the natural scale the human world stands about midway between the infinitesimal and the immense. The mass of a human being is the geometric mean of the mass of the earth and the mass of a proton. A person contains about 10 ² atoms, more atoms than there are stars in the universe. In astronomical nature and micro-nature, at both ends of the spectrum of size, nature lacks the complexity that it demonstrates at the mesolevels, found in our native ranges on Earth. We humans do not live at the range of the infinitely small, nor at that of the infinitely large, but we may well live at the range of the infinitely complex. (6)

4

In his Fourth Way teachings, Gurdjieff stressed the importance of unity and oneness as an all-embracing principle: “Everything in the universe is one, the difference is only of scale; in the infinitely small we shall find the same laws as in the infinitely great. As above, so below.” The same fundamental laws occur in both the universe and within each human being: “We have in us the sun, the moon, and the planets, only on a very small scale.” These laws can be studied simultaneously in both worlds. However, Gurdjieff taught that, in general, it is easier to begin with self-study: The ancient formula ‘As above, so below ’ from the ‘Emerald Tablet of Hermes Trismegistus’ stated that all the laws of the cosmos could be found in the atom or in any other phenomenon which exists as something completed according to certain laws. This same meaning was contained in the analogy drawn between the microcosm – man, and the macrocosm – the universe. The fundamental laws of triads and octaves penetrate everything and should be studied simultaneously both in the world and in man. But in relation to himself man is a nearer and more accessible object of study and knowledge than the world of phenomena outside him. Therefore, in striving towards a knowledge of the universe, man should begin with a study of himself and with the realization of the fundamental laws within him . . . The study of the world and the study of man will assist one another. In studying the world and its laws a man studies himself, and in studying himself he studies the world. (7) A number of other modern concepts resonate with the principle of scale in the macrocosmmicrocosm continuum. Scientists describe a holographic “self-similar” mirroring of the physical world at all scales of existence. Dr. Jude Currivan: “The cosmic hologram reveals the unity of consciousness and its macrocosmic expression as our Universe, all-pervasive and essentially unified while being played out on all levels and scales of existence and myriad levels of awareness. We, individually as unique microcosms and collectively as meso-cosmic intelligence, contribute to the co-creative experience of our Universe.” The universe also appears to be organized as a system of ‘nested hierarchies’ within an overall unity. In M an in t he Cosmos, Dr. Christian Wertenbaker writes: Each relatively independent entity can be regarded as a cosmos. We are familiar with the idea of the macrocosmos (the universe), and the microcosmos (man). In the traditional view, human beings are considered to be miniature replicas of the whole, each an organism in its own right: the universe, the galaxy, the solar system, the planet, the animal, the cell. In this view, the universe consists of a nested series of interacting, interdependent organisms, and this is its basic organizational pattern. Each cosmos maintains its identity, its life, for a time, by virtue of its self-generated selective relationship in the outside world, and also serves the purposes of the larger entities it is a part of. While we take for granted that such hierarchical arrangements of nested entities are the norm in the human realm – countries, states, municipalities, organizations, homes – we do not generally perceive the whole universe to be organized in this way. G.I. Gurdjieff 5

said: “Knowledge begins with the teaching of the cosmoses,” emphasizing the importance of this organizational principle. (8)

Universal Patterns and Law s in Nature

Many ancient teachings hold that God or Spirit created the universe as a ‘divine pattern or idea’ which functioned as a template, resulting in increasingly dense levels of cosmic energy which eventually coalesced into the physical universe. The realization by ancient Egyptian sages and Greek philosophers that geometric relationships form the underlying patterns of physical reality has been confirmed by modern science. Computer simulations have shown that “holographic fractal geometries” underpin and pervade the entirety of our universe. The description of physical reality advanced by quantum theory in the early 20th century resonated with certain symbols associated with spirituality. For instance, physicist Niels Bohr suggested that there were strong parallels between the concept of ‘complementarity’ in physics and the unified duality of the ancient Chinese yin/yang symbol: “In this formulation, yin (matter) and yang (force) appear on an equal footing; each instructs the other. This hints that their apparent duality might resolve into a deeper unity.” Some scientists have employed music as an analogy of the harmony and beauty of the subatomic world. Frank Wilczek remarks on the “handful of elegant designs supporting Nature’s exuberant constructions,” noting that the same mathematical concepts and equations for atoms and light also govern musical instruments and tones: Our meditation on quantum reality has revealed that the world of everyday matter, when properly understood, embodies concepts of extraordinary beauty. Indeed, ordinary matter is built up from atoms that are, in a rich and precise sense, tiny musical instruments. In their interplay with light, they realize a mathematical Music of the Spheres that surpasses the visions of Pythagoras, Plato and Kepler. In molecules and ordered materials, those atomic instruments play together as harmonious ensembles and synchronized orchestras. (9) In physics, the standard or “Core” theory shows how the strong, weak, electromagnetic and gravitational forces of nature embody the principles of quantum theory and local symmetry. Their precise and elegant equations form the foundation of many of the sciences, from chemistry to cosmology: The Core provides a complete, and now battle-tested, mathematical explanation of how subatomic particles combine to make atoms, atoms combine to make molecules, and molecules combine to make materials, and how all those things interact with light and radiation. Its equations are comprehensive, yet economical; symmetrical, yet spiced with interesting detail; austere, 6

yet strangely beautiful. The core provides a secure foundation for astrophysics, materials science, chemistry and physical biology . . . The world, insofar as we speak of the world of chemistry, biology, astrophysics, engineering and everyday life, does embody beautiful ideas. The Core, which governs these domains, is profoundly rooted in concepts of symmetry and geometry. And it works its will, in quantum theory, through music-like rules. Symmetry really does determine structure. A pure and perfect Music of the Spheres really does animate the soul of reality. Plato and Pythagoras: We salute you! (10) Although some scientists deny the possibility of a ‘grand design’ or purpose to the universe, there are numerous examples of mathematical patterns and designs in the various phenomena of nature. The mathematical language with which science analyzes the natural world has been characterized by scientists themselves as orderly, balanced, harmonious, and even beautiful. And some scientists point to mathematical design as theoretical support for the notion that the cosmos has a meaningful structure and form: Despite their belief in randomness, scientists regularly refer to the structure of the atom. Spiral nebulae form a recognizable pattern that one can harmlessly call a design, and with this in mind, the whole messy issue of designpattern-form-structure can be clarified as follows. The universe owes its existence to the emergence of order from chaos. The wrestling match between form and formless is still with us throughout the universe. Modern physics is based on random processes devoid of purpose and meaning. And yet human life, including the pursuit of science, has purpose and meaning. Where did these come from? Without doubt, the language of mathematics exhibits every quality of design: balance, harmony, symmetry, and some would say beauty. In Chinese calligraphy, the ability to draw a perfect circle with one stroke of the brush is the mark of a master, and art connoisseurs see beauty in the achievement. Electrons, at least for the lowest orbits, travel in a perfect circle around the nucleus of an atom. Isn’t that a beautiful design too? The following are all examples of helixes, or spirals, in nature: the shell of a chambered nautilus, the pattern of seeds in a sunflower, and the structure of DNA. Which one qualifies as a design – some, all, or none? A science that depends totally on randomness to explain the universe falls far short. Inside the rational activity of science there is still much to argue over, because intelligence and design are tangled in the same ball of yarn that makes the universe so mysterious. (11) One of the primary goals of both science and metaphysics is the discovery of an ‘ontological order’ in the phenomena of nature. In Quant um Quest ions, Ken Wilber writes: “The goal is to succeed in penetrating further into the knowledge of natural harmonies, to come to have a glimpse of a reflection of the order which rules in the universe, some portion of the deep and hidden realities which constitute it.” In a sense, science is a celebration of the principles of order, regularity, pattern, design, harmony and beauty. In Science and the Sacred , professor of comparative religion Ravi Ravindra eloquently captures this thought: “It is hard to imagine a 7

scientist who does not see order in the universe, a harmony of the various forces that permit the continued existence of the world, and a pattern involving regularity of phenomena and a generality of laws. The more we know about the universe, the more elegantly and wonderfully well ordered it appears.” Mathematical patterns are universal throughout the natural world, with the same archetypal patterns occurring in many different contexts: “Innumerable patterns in nature have the same explanation: the underlying physical laws are symmetric, and some – though not necessarily all – of those symmetries appear in the pattern. For example, parallel lines of sand dunes in the desert and the stripes on a tiger both arise from the same symmetry-breaking process: one in sand and the other in chemical pigments.” Ian Stewart writes in The Beaut y of Numbers in Nat ure: I want to understand all the patterns of nature – not just snowflakes. There are many other puzzles in the natural world: the spiral of a snail shell; the waves that run along the legs of a moving millipede; the serried cells of a honeycomb or a wasp’s nest; the multicolored arc of a rainbow; the stripes of a tiger; the jagged slopes of a mountain range; the blue-white sphere of the Earth seen from space; the celestial river of the Milky Way, 400 billion stars of which our Sun is but one; the ghostly cortex of the Andromeda galaxy; the form of the universe itself, and the bizarre physics of the particles from which it is made. Where do nature’s patterns come from? What makes them? (12) Symmetry is pervasive in nature, creating order and beauty and a sense of wonder. Physicist Stephen Weinberg, speaking of the atomic level, writes: “Although symmetries are hidden from us, we can sense that they are latent in nature, governing everything about us. That’s the most exciting idea I know: that nature is much simpler than it looks.” There is abundant evidence in the natural world to support the proposition that the universe is based on order, design and pattern rather than accident and randomness. Astrophysicist Alan Lightman points to the many symmetries in nature as examples of this remarkable feature: “Snowflakes exhibit perfect six-sided symmetry: each fragile branch is identical to the others. Starfish have five equally spaced arms, each like the rest. Jellyfish divide into four identical sectors. The yellow iris has three petals and perfect three-sided symmetry: rotate the flower by one-third of a circle and it comes back to itself. Cut an apple in two, and you will find that its five seeds are arranged in a pentagonal pattern.” He then asks a deeper question: Why does nature embody so much symmetry? We do not know the full answer to this question. However, we have some partial answers. Symmetry leads to economy and nature, like human beings, seems to prefer economy. If we think of nature as a vast ongoing experiment, constantly trying out different possibilities of design, then those designs that cost the least energy or that require the fewest different parts to come together at the right time will take precedence . . . On the 8

other hand, as far as we know, the symmetries of the electroweak theory and relativity and chromodynamics did not evolve from ongoing experiments with different designs. Rather, they were apparently both in at the origin of the universe, by whatever processes and principles determined the fundamental laws of physics. Some symmetries in nature derive from mathematical theorems and truths. And it is hard to imagine any universe without the order of mathematics and logic. (13) The findings of science support the notion of an underlying cosmic unity linking life on earth with the greater universe. One of the great themes that runs through the history of science is how it reveals the unity linking human-scale events on earth with cosmic-scale events in the heavens: Life on earth would not exist but for the features of the distant universe. The elements which compose our bodies were hewn in the stars. The process of evolution is dependent on being fueled by a certain frequency of mutations, which are caused in large measure by the bombardment of life forms by cosmic rays from outer space. Were it not for this invisible, silent rain, life as we know it on earth would not exist. We would not be here now, nor could we continue without the universe around us. Not only are we materially and morphologically tied to the ecology of the universe, the physical behavior of our bodies and all about us is contingent on its large-scale features . . . The physical laws governing each step we take, even the blinking of an eye, are determined by the composition of the cosmos. (14) In a sense, the interactions between different levels of reality are analogous to the functioning of any biological organism. Dr. Christian Wertenbaker: “An organism is a highly organized, relatively independent entity, in dynamic relationship with its environment. It maintains its form, its life, by selectively taking in the materials it needs and transforming them into its constituents, and excreting things it does not need, or exchanging them for those it does.” To grasp the power of the idea of the microcosm governed by the same laws and principles evident in the larger universe, we can study the various levels and cosmic expressions of the natural world. Jacob Needleman captures this in vivid word-pictures: One thinks of both the long, slow formation of the continents and the instantaneous eruption of a volcano; the birth and death of species that inhabit the earth for millions of years compared with the minute life span of a single-celled organism; the constant movement everywhere of the winds and the stillness of rock and ice. There is the internal harmony of the ecosystem which is yet composed of conflict, mutual killing, fire and storm; there is gradual, subtle growth constantly in process in all things and the sudden destruction brought by earthquake, climatic change and disease; there are all possible movements upward and downward, collisions of fate everywhere at every moment. But more than that, there are the laws that govern all those processes, the intel9

ligence that adapts, reacts, creates and destroys within ever larger and more fundamental scales of intelligence and law. Is this intelligence, this all-penetrating hierarchy of purposeful law, something that is only on the earth? Or does it not pervade the whole of reality? (15) Not only does the natural world and human realm reflect the greater cosmos, but the microscopic level of reality reveled by quantum physics also interacts with the life of humanity. In Space, Time & M edicine, Dr. Larry Dossey argues that the apparent omnidirectional flow of information in the universe implies that the activity of subatomic particles is tied to human behaviour: “We are willing to entertain bidirectional interactions between man and the largescale features of the cosmos; we are willing to examine how man’s consciousness may even shape events in the subatomic world. Are we to refuse to speculate that our day-to-day experience might also bear correlations with what occurs in the subatomic realm?” Dossey expands on this seminal idea: Is our ‘shaping’ of the universe directed toward the large-scale aspects of the cosmos, or towards the microscopic realms which we cannot directly perceive? It is likely that our influence extends in both directions. Bell’s theorem suggests that conscious human activity influences the behavior of subatomic particles in actual laboratory experiments. But we may shape the mighty events in the universe as well. The implication that human consciousness is a factor in determining the features of the “real” world is affirmed by physicist H.S. Stapp. [He] contends that Bell’s theorem is the most important result in the history of science, and that it demonstrates the effect of human consciousness at t he level of t he macroscopic. The impact of our consciousness lies both in the direction of the very small and the very large. The sword of consciousness cuts both towards the galaxy and the atom. In the flowing connectedness that exists across all levels of organization in the cosmos, in which consciousness affects and is affected by events in the universe, it appears as might a mysterious sword in a Zen koan – in the act of cutting, it cuts and is cut at the same time. (16)

Fields, Fractals and Cosmological Constants

Science has come to recognize that each entity and structure in the universe is part of a greater unity, with each part reflecting and interacting with the larger whole: “Each pattern, whether it is a crystal, an organism, a community, a solar system, or a spiral nebula, possesses its own internal order, so that the Universe is recognized as a System of systems, a Grand Pattern of patterns.” Biologist Rupert Sheldrake has proposed that the development of all forms and patterns in the universe have their own organizing fields which are derived from an all-encompassing primal unified field:

10

This process, the energetic flux of the universe, underlies time, change, and becoming, and it seems to possess inherent indeterminism. The energetic flow is organized into forms by fields. Matter is now thought of as energy bound within fields – the quantum matter fields and the fields of molecules and so on. I think there are many of these organizing fields that I call the morphic fields, and that they exist at all levels of complexity. These fields somehow organize the ongoing flux of energy that is always associated with chaotic qualities. Even organized systems of a high level of complexity, such as human brains, have this probabilistic quality. The fields that organize this energy giving rise to material and physical forms are themselves probabilistic. Chaos is never eliminated. There is always an indeterminism or spontaneity at all levels of organization. There are two principles: a formative principle, which is the fields, and an energetic principle. Energy is the principle of change, and pure change would be chaos. One way of thinking of these two principles is in terms of the Indian Tantric notion of Shakt i as energy and Shiva as the formative principle working together to create the world we know. (17) Sheldrake has also proposed a theory of ‘morphic shape-defining fields’ or influences which govern the development of various life forms. In A New Science of Life, he postulated “an invisible matrix or organizing field which regulates the structure, growth, and behavior of all kinds of things. These fields are causative, serving as blueprints or guiding patterns for form and behaviour of entities across time. This capacity is called morphic resonance.” Physicist J.A. Perry places Sheldrake’s concept within the purview of the traditional ‘Great Chain of Being’ description of the universe: “In the holistic context, Sheldrake sees morphic fields as interrelating and coordinating units or holons, which are quasi-autonomous at any particular level but which are part of the greater whole. These entities are hierarchically nested in which fields exist within larger ones, just as domains of being in the Great Chain exist within more embracing ones.” Perry elaborates: The core principle of morphic fields and morphic resonance is that all forms derive guidance in their growth and development by resonating with the shapedefining fields of their predecessors, the collective archetypal patterns of the species. The evolutionary nature of the fields is implicit in this theory, whereby the current state of development of the species is constantly feeding back into the morphic field. It is an open system of exchange, each constantly influencing the other, and yet despite this, definite and highly particular forms emerge through reinforcement of the fields. In other words, the more often a form takes on a particular shape, the more that shape and field becomes strengthened and entrenched . . . Sheldrake’s fields represent a development in human thought depicting the interaction between the realms of the transcendent and space and time. (18)

11

Scientists have shown that certain archetypal patterns occur in both simple and complex systems throughout the natural world. The concept of a ‘holographic universe’ based on archetypal geometric forms confirms the teachings of many ancient schools of philosophical thought: The ancient sages would have no doubt embraced the concept of a holographIcally in-formed universe and an underlying order, purpose, and meaning to the Cosmos. In the metaphysical teachings of ancient Egypt and in the Hermetic dictum “as above, so below,” they described the holographic “self-similar” mirroring of the manifest world at all scales of existence. And their perception of the One expressed through the diversity of the many is a perfect correlation to the patterns of Nature we are now rediscovering. As the first to reveal these cosmic insights outside the sacred confines of the ancient temples, the Greek sages over two and a half millennia ago intuited deep truths about the universe in numbers and the geometric forms that embody the idealized harmony of the Cosmos. They realized that geometric relationships are universal . . . It has taken a further 2,500 years and the advent of computers to rediscover how profound was the ancient understanding of universal geometric relationships, for the analytic power of computers is now enabling us to see the deceptively simple geometric patterns that underlie the diversity of complex systems. The self-similarity and scale invariance of their fragmented geometric patterns – so-called fractals – are also the basis of holograms. And fractals – the signature of the holographic principle – are being revealed as the basic patterns, the fundamental structures that underlie the appearance of the entire manifest world. (19) One of the most intriguing scientific developments in the 20th century was the work of mathematician Benoit Mandelbrot, who uncovered universal geometric patterns underlying physical reality. He discovered that ‘fractal patterns’ are pervasive throughout the universe and reveal the innate harmonic order of the universe. These self-similar patterns are repeated at both small and large scales: “What the repetition of fractal patterning from the smallest to the largest scales show us is that the informational patterns that underlie our Universe embody the minimum information and simplest instructions at all scales to enable manifestation of the maximum diversity and the development and evolution of the greatest complexity.” The revolutionary importance of Mandelbrot’s discoveries is aptly described in Jude Currivan’s The Cosmic Hologram : Unlike many mathematicians, Mandelbrot was fascinated by real-world shapes and had a prodigious ability to perceive the geometric relationships of things and a powerful sense of their underlying order and patterns. In the 1960s and 1970s, by harnessing the power of the early generations of computers to enable the analysis of huge amounts of data, he pioneered the investigation of complex and apparently chaotic systems to discover what lies beneath. After a decade-long study of apparently dissimilar phenomena such as the shapes of coastlines and fluctuations in stock market prices, he was able to discern what 12

no one had done before him . . . He also discovered that underlying the appearance of such complex objects are simple and self-similar geometric patterns that replicate themselves logarithmically on smaller and larger scales. In 1975 he gave a name to these patterns of reality that he’d revealed: fractals. Fractal geometries embrace and far exceed those of classical forms. Mandelbrot’s ground-breaking work, though, showed that beneath the apparent chaos and diversity of complex system there is, as the ancient sages intuited, profound and universal harmonic order. Even more powerful computer analysis is discovering that such underlying fractals pervade our Universe at all scales, and crucially encode their presence not only in “natural” phenomena but throughout man-made systems. Their self-similarity and scaling up and down in logarithmic ratio is also an innate feature of holography and a further signature of the cosmic hologram. (20) Fractal patterns appear in a myriad of natural phenomena, ranging from microscopic life forms to immense galaxies. “Looking at patterns like trees, for instance, we see fractals of the brain and the circulatory system. Seashells are fractally related to the whorl pattern in flowers, to the ear, to the heart, to the DNA spiral, to the labyrinth, to our galaxy.” In One M ind , Dr. Larry Dossey highlights the amazing range of phenomena that exhibit fractal patterns: Fractals have been used to describe partially random or chaotic phenomena such as crystal growth, fluid turbulence, and galaxy formation. Fractal patterns have been found at all levels of nature, such as in clouds, coastlines, snowflakes, crystals, blood vessel networks, ocean waves, DNA, heart rhythms, various vegetables such as cauliflower and broccoli, mountain ranges, river networks, and fault lines. Fractal art is now commonplace, as stunningly beautiful patterns are generated on computers by mathematicians and fractal artists. (21) Scientists now understand that the features of physical reality are expressions of an underlying cosmic order operating at different scales to guide the development of complexity and diversity in the natural world. Philosopher of science Ervin Laszlo: “Everything is patterned after the universe to which it is connected. The fractal dimensions in nature comprehend both outer and inner natures. Thus, the fractal repetitions of our lives with certain types of events repeating variations of themselves across time.” In his recent book W hat is Realit y?, he writes: With the understanding of the ways in which fractal resonance informs the whole, with increased observation of these patterns in both microcosmic and macrocosmic worlds as well as culture, we appreciate the ways in which ancient and indigenous people actually saw this and created symbolic structures that mediated and wove these together in Mandalas, myths, and philosophies. “As above, so below. As within, so without.” We have to consider that we are the stuff of photons and other subatomic matter, which compose the most basic properties of information. Our minds and the universe are mirrored realities. Just as matter and space evolved from a tiny dot to a universe of stag13

gering proportions that seem to encompass body, soul, and mind, we too emerged from a pin-size dot of the fertilized egg into an immensely complex system that encompassed body, soul, and mind. Laws of form and emergence govern the genesis of ourselves and the universe: these include order and disorder, growth and entropy, determination and differentiation, and, above all, continuity. These laws are part of the matrix which we call consciousness. (22) Among the most intriguing findings of modern astrophysics is the mathematical relationship between many of the basic parameters or ‘cosmological constants’ of the universe. One of the most amazing discoveries is the incredible precision and harmonious unfolding which the initial conditions of the early universe exhibited as it arose from the primordial Big Bang explosion: “The initial conditions of the physical world from the very beginning of space and time, were exquisitely harmonized to enable the evolution of complexity and the creation of life.” Leading physicist Lee Smolin has estimated that from its inception, had the primary forces and physical attributes of our universe varied by more than an unimaginably precise one part in 10² – that’s one part in a thousand trillion trillion! – our complex universe of chemistry, galaxies, and biological life could not have evolved. The exquisite harmony of these cosmic relationships include the fundamental ratios between the electrical and nuclear forces that bind atoms and molecules and the vaster weaker force of gravity. Their precisely balanced energies and the exact yet varied nature of their interrelationships, from the moment our universe was born, have enabled the formation and interaction of chemical elements; the birth of stars, galaxies, and planets; and the evolution of biological organisms and ecologies. Without their incredible level of finely tuned precision from the very beginning of space-time, the complex universe we experience could not exist. (23) Scientists have confirmed that the basic parameters of the universe reflect specific recurring harmonic ratios, suggesting a fundamental coherence. For example, any slight change in the strength of the four primary forces of the universe (electromagnetism, gravity, weak and strong nuclear) would mean that atoms and molecules (including water, oxygen and carbon) as well as amino acids (the building blocks of life) would not form or remain stable. More than thirty variables (both microcosmic and macrocosmic) are involved in the finetuning of the basic parameters of the universe: “Astronomical phenomena such as the formation of galaxies, stars, and planets depend critically on the microphysical phenomena. In turn, those midrange scales, where the known complexity mostly lies, depend on the interacting microscopic and astronomical ranges.” Some of the most important cosmological constants are: • • •

Age of the universe = 13.8 billion years Diameter of the universe R = 10² meters Speed of light c = 299,792 kilometers/second 14

• • • • • •

Gravitational constant G = 6.67 x 10 ¹¹ Nm²/s² Planck constant h = 6.62606957 x 10 ³ seconds Ratio of strength of electromagnetism to strength of gravity = 10³ Ratio of the size of the universe to the size of elementary particles = 10 Size of the electron ro = 6.10 ¹ meters Number of nucleons in the universe = 2 x 10

An example of the “astounding coincidences” discovered in the harmonic ratios between certain of the universal parameters is shown by the longest wavelength (ë) of the microwave background radiation – the remnant of the Big Bang. ë divided by the speed of light (ë/c) is equal to the age of the universe. And when ë is squared and divided by the speed of light (ë²/c), it is equal to the acceleration in the expansion of galaxies. The fact that the physical laws and cosmological constants governing the evolution of the universe are remarkably precise, suggests a high level of coherence and unification at all levels of reality: Perhaps the most remarkable evidence for the coherence of the cosmos is the observed “fine-tuning” of its physical constants. The basic parameters of the universe have precisely the value that allows complex structure to arise. The fine-tuning in question involves upward of thirty factors and considerable accuracy. For example, if the expansion rate of the early universe had been one-billionth less than it was, the universe would have re-collapsed almost immediately; and if it had been one-billionth more, it would have flown apart so fast that it could produce only dilute, cold gases. A similarly small difference in the strength of the electromagnetic field relative to the gravitational field would have prevented the existence of hot and stable stars like the Sun, and hence the evolution of life on planets associated with these stars. Moreover, if the difference between the mass of the neutron and the proton was not precisely twice the mass of the electron, no substantial chemical reactions could take place, and if the electric charge of electrons and protons did not balance precisely, all configurations of matter would be unstable and the universe would consist of nothing more than radiation and a relatively uniform mixture of gases. (24) Because the universe as a whole is a complex, coherent system and its parameters are harmoniously related, the evolution of living systems, ranging from cells to galaxies, is actually possible. In The Int elligence of t he Cosmos, Ervin Laszlo explores the implications of this fact: The coherence of the parameters of the universe is extremely precise: variations on the order of one-billionth of the value of some constants (such as the mass of elementary particles, the speed of light, the rate of expansion of galaxies, and some two dozen others) would not have produced stable atoms and stable interaction among the atoms. Already a minute variation of some of the physical constants would have precluded the evolution of the coherent

15

systems we call living. The fact is that living systems are astonishingly coherent. In our body, molecules, cells, and organ systems resonate at the same or at compatible frequencies and interact at various speeds . . . The interactions are precisely correlated, involving quantum-type “entanglements” in addition to classical physical-biological interactions. The universe is highly coherent in itself, and it has brought forth highly coherent systems. Many systems possess a remarkable measure of intrinsic as well as extrinsic coherence. “Intrinsic coherence” means that the parts that make up the system are finely tuned together, so that every element is responsive to every other element. “Extrinsic coherence” in turn means that the systems are coherently connected to other systems around them. Evolution in the universe exhibits a drive or tendency toward creating intrinsically as well as extrinsically coherent systems. (25)

Archetypes and Higher W orlds

The concept of a higher realm that is the repository of universal archetypes embodying pure forms or patterns can be traced to ancient Greek philosophers. Pythagoras discovered a fundamental relationship between numbers, geometric shapes and beauty which he called the “Music of the Spheres.” Parmenides envisioned a changeless, deeper reality which is eternal and unchanging, and provides the source of all phenomena. Plato believed that everyday life was a pale reflection or shadow of a perfect, absolute reality: “There is an eternal, timeless world of Ideas, Beauty and Truth, which exists prior to and independent of any necessarily imperfect, physical embodiment of them. A restless, artistic Intelligence – the Artisan – molds his creations from ideas, using them as templates.” The intuitions of Pythagoras and Plato that nature has a beautiful simplicity of order is given poetic expression by author Guy Murchie in his M usic of t he Spheres: “The world is made of abstraction with sinews of perspective – and music. Its waves gather knowledge and instruct the universe. Its melody is more than notes, its poetry more than words. Its stars are as much seeds of distance as earthly acorns are seeds of time.” The concept of the five ‘Platonic Solids’ is a cornerstone of Plato’s visionary philosophy: Plato, who was tutored by Socrates and himself trained Aristotle, taught in the fourth century BCE that the material world is underlain by nonphysical and abstract forms – transcendent archetypes. In the five three-dimensional solids named after him, such idealized templates were deemed to find physical expression. The five Platonic solids – tetrahedron, cube, octahedron, dodecahedron, and icosahedron – are the only three-dimensional solids possible whose sides, faces, and inner angles are the same. So, for example, the four faces of a tetrahedron are made up of four same-size equilateral triangles, the six faces of a cube by six same-size squares, and so on. All five solids can nest within each other and with their vertices all touching a single encompassing sphere. Rota16

ting them through different angles and seeing them from different viewpoints creates a further wealth of transformations and reveals additional harmonic relationships between these fundamental forms. Perfect indeed. (26) The Platonic Solids embody the Golden Proportion ( ) and reflect the relationship between humanity and the greater universe: “The rectangles, triangles, arcs, and spirals inherent in the proportions and volumetric forms of the Platonic Solids provide all the design elements to bring harmony and resonance to human life.” The Golden Proportion is closely tied to the Platonic solids, so named from their appearance in the famous dialogue Timaeus, in which Plato employed these geometric shapes to describe the fundamental laws of the universe. The Platonic solids are defined geometrically as solid figures which divide the surface of a circumscribed sphere into like and equal parts. By this definition, it proves impossible to divide the surface of a sphere into more than these five solids. The clearest relationship between the Golden Proportion and the Platonic solids are manifested in the dodecahedron. With its 12 faces, 20 vertices (points of converging lines) and 30 edges, the dodecahedron is constructed of pentagons, the five-sided figure which displays in its construction the relationship upon which the Golden Proportion is based. Further, the beauty of the relationships among the solids, with their Golden Proportion ratios, is most awesomely revealed when the five solids are placed one inside the other in a maze-like construction. The maze illustrates the symbolism of unity inherent in the solids. All the points, all the vertices, and all of the corresponding faces reveal each solid’s connection to the others. In the seeming confusion of the lines and points, the unity emerges in a complex harmony illustrative of the harmony which is possible in the multiplicity of creation. (27) Plato related the five Platonic Solids to humanity’s striving for perfection and unity with the cosmos: “The symbolism of the five solids points to the idea that there is within the human being the spark of divinity which forms our intimate link with the laws of the universe.” We are not separate from natural phenomena, only from our own nature when we deny this inner relation and harmony. Eastern traditions associate the icosahedron with Brahman, the cause; and the dodecahedron with the manifest universe, or the effect. These rays or emanations give birth to the octahedron, symbolic of the essence or consciousness, which in turn gives birth to the interlacing tetrahedron, which is symbolic of man’s place in the order of the universe. Finally, the cube represents the entire manifest universe, including humanity. (28) In the Middle Ages, the Italian polymath Galileo was inspired by the beauty of the physical world which he believed reflected God’s splendour and magnificence: “The greatness and the glory of God shine forth marvellously in all His works, and is to be read above all in the open 17

book of the heavens.” His contemporary, Johannes Kepler, also felt a great communion with nature and believed that number and geometry were the underlying archetypes of the beauty of the world. One of the major tenets of the Western esoteric tradition, articulated by both William Blake and Emanuel Swedenborg, is that what is truly infinite and eternal is not out side but w it hin the human psyche. And more recently, philosopher Henry Corbin speaks of the creative energy of the cosmos as the mundis imaginalis – a world of archetypes, forms, images and intelligences that are perceptible to human beings in higher states of consciousness. Scholar Seyyed Hossein Nasr agrees: “There is within man a reality which itself is the archetype of the cosmos. In every tradition which has preserved its inner, esoteric teachings there is an allusion to this.” Archet ypes are universal, collective images, symbols and themes which occur in dreams,

fantasies, art, literature and mythology. Carl Jung believed that they are derived from the accumulated, collective experience of humanity over the span of thousands of years. “An archetype is a nonspatial, nontemporal repository of a certain basic human experience. The totality of thought-fields, or archetypes, constitute an ‘atmosphere’ of thought energy which extends through our planet’s physical atmosphere but goes beyond it and can be understood as what Jung called the collective unconscious.” Jungian psychologist Ira Progoff situates archetypes in the context of a higher Self which is simultaneously immanent and transcendent: The Self is the archetype of all the archetypes that the psyche contains, for it comprehends within itself the quintessential purpose behind the impersonal archetypes and the archetypal process by which the ego and consciousness emerge. The Self may be understood as the essence and aim and living process by which the psyche lives out its inner nature. As such the Self can never be contained by the ego or by any of the specific archetypes. Rather, it contains them in a way that is not limited by space or time . . . It involves something that can be spoken of as a nonphysical continuum by means of which the correspondences within the cosmos, the microcosm and the macrocosm, can come together to form patterns, at once transcendent and immanent, and constellating situations that draw physical as well as psychological phenomena into their field. (29) Jung also proposed that a higher or deeper reality (the unus mundi) underpinned both body and mind and connected human minds with each other as well as the natural world. By examining the world’s legends, myths, and folktales he found underlying common elements, which he termed humanity’s “collective unconscious.” He stressed the importance of this in the collective experience and destiny of humanity: The collective unconscious has both a historical aspect and an archetypal aspect. The historical aspect consists of experiences accumulated by human 18

beings throughout history: these experiences have entered, and are conserved in, the collective unconscious of humankind. Archetypes are the dynamic principles that organize their manifold elements. They are irrepresentable in themselves, but have the effects that make visualizations possible. Archetypal ideas do not merely repose in the historical dimension of the collective unconscious, but can become part of the waking consciousness of individuals. The collective unconscious, the same as other transpersonal phenomena, is evidence that our mind is not an isolated entity but is constantly in touch with other minds as well as with the world around us. We are never entirely detached from the outside world; never entirely enclosed within our skin. Our mind and body resonate with the world, and when we do not repress the intuitions that link us with other people and with nature, we can become aware of our oneness with the universe. (30) In Advent ures in Afghanist an traveller Louis Palmer describes his contact with a Sufi community whose operation included the production of various carpets, artefacts and works of art, “whose size, shape, colour and design served an unspecified but allegedly highly important and recognizable spiritual cause. Each one was planned, had a spiritual use and could cause an effect unsuspected by anyone who was not sensitive to it.” The crucial factor in the efficacy of these objects is their design or pattern which mirrors a larger cosmic design. In a sense, they ‘unveil’ something already existing on another plane of reality: These people were convinced of the existence and active operation of what I can only call a series of underlying, cosmic patterns, influencing both life and inanimate objects. Something, they believed, exists for our perceptions only as a local manifestation of an outside force which has called it into being. Things, therefore, as well as thoughts, exist only because they have, somewhere, transcendental archetypes . . .The theory is that there is a realm where most of the things we know are existent in the form of a design. This manifests itself in the world. Some people can make it manifest more concretely. They can also go beyond the design, and find out what planted it in the first place . . . Beyond the design hides the True Reality. (31) Throughout history, philosophers and mystics have spoken of a dimension of reality which is “hidden” from direct observation: “Ever since the beginning of human thought, peoples from across the world have considered themselves immersed in invisible realms which played an important, active, and often crucial part in their day to day affairs.” This deep dimension is eternal and unchanging, beyond time and space, yet supporting the world of phenomena that we perceive with our senses. From this perspective, the world of created things is only a reflection of an invisible higher world. Pythagoras called it the “Kosmos” and described it as a trans-physical ground from which matter and mind emerge. To Plotinus it was the “One.” In Indian philosophy, the Lankavat ara Sut ra speaks of a “causal dimension”

19

that gives rise to physical reality. In North America, the Iroquois believed that everything on earth has an “elder brother in the sky realm.” In Sufism there is a saying that “the Relative is a channel to the Real,” suggesting that the phenomenal world of objects and processes is a secondary, relative and incomplete manifestation of the Absolute: “Crude, terrestrial things have subtle, refined ‘celestial equivalents.’ True Reality exists in other dimensions than our own, but its local form, an approximation, leading us to it, is manifested everywhere.” According to Sufi teachings, objects and events have both an outward significance and an inner meaning. Nothing is truly accidental or isolated. However, most people, lacking inner spiritual sensitivity, only perceive the outward appearance and function of things. “Everything on Earth exists because it has an origin in another dimension, where that thing is perfect, where the multiplicity of forms is perceived and understood as a unity.” There is an ‘other dimension’ which co-exists with the phenomenal world we perceive with our senses: “Beyond the world of time and space, there is a ‘higher realm,’ which is the world of Real Being. What we call terrestrial happenings are similitudes of ‘real events’ which belong to the higher world.” In Tales of t he Dervishes, Sufi author and teacher Idries Shah writes: The Sufis believe that the ‘invisible world’ is at all times, at various places, interpenetrating ordinary reality. Things which we take to be inexplicable are in fact due to this intervention. Furthermore, people do not recognize the participation of this ‘world’ in our own, because they believe that they know the real cause of events. They do not. It is only when they can hold in their mind the possibility of another dimension sometimes impinging upon the ordinary experiences that this dimension can become available to them. (32) A corollary of this concept is that certain inexplicable events – such as a long succession of coincidental and favorable (or unfavorable) happenings involving a human being or even a community or nation – may have their origin in a ‘hidden dimension.’ Shah alludes to this in W orld Tales: “People and events do not exist in isolation. There is the stream of destiny, which has its own plans, which themselves interlock with the fate of others. Things turn out well when the opposite is expected and vice-versa; the results of actions cannot be predicted only from expectation.” Certain events in the world cannot be logically explained, only experienced . Some spiritually developed individuals can enter and operate in another, extra-dimensional, reality or world by harmonizing with ‘divine intention.’ “There is another ‘world’ or system which can cause changes in this dimension which are utterly inexplicable in ordinary terms. There are also explicit rules connected with such phenomena which have to be observed.” One of the purposes of an authentic spiritual teaching is to develop an awareness of the hidden dimensions and concealed patterns operating in life. Idries Shah presents a Sufi parable which illustrates this principle: 20

Our teaching speaks of, and exists partly in, ‘another world,’ a ‘higher realm,’ a ‘different dimension.’ Here is a parallel of what this means, in one significant way, and what the object of the Teaching is: THE UNKNOWN CEILING Suppose we have a house with walls, ceilings, floors, and we are inside that house. Let us say that through long-established custom, people can touch and deal with only the floors and walls. If someone were to walk in and say: ‘Look at the ceiling,’ the people would be incapable of doing so – rather like a child which often cannot see something, certainly cannot observe it, unless it has been demonstrated to it. Suppose further, that the custom of generations was to hang things on walls and not to have anything on the ceiling. Objects on the ceiling might then be ‘invisible’ to the people at large. So it is with our teaching. We frequently and abundantly assert that people do not think things through, that they make assumptions (such as ‘there is no ceiling’) which they do not attempt to verify. But, like the intelligent person who would be trying to point out the existence of the ceilings, we do more than constantly draw attention back to the theoretical postulate (‘there may be ceilings’). We provide, in instructional courses, meetings, contact with teachers, observation materials, exercises, call them what you like, the practical means to establish and maintain for the community which is being addressed the experience of the existence of ‘ceilings.’ (33)

References

(1) John White The M eet ing of Science and Spirit (New York: Paragon House, 1990), p. xiii. (2) Sri Krishna Prem and Sri Madhava Ashish M an, The M easure of All Things (Wheaton, Illinois: Theosophical Publishing House, 1969), p. 34. (3) Ervin Laszlo W hat is Realit y? (New York: Select Books, 2016). pp. xxxvi-xxxvii. (4) Arnold Benz Ast rophysics and Creat ion: Perceiving t he Universe Through Science and Part icipat ion (United States: Crossroad Publishing, 2016), pp. 104-105. (5) Frank Wilczek A Beaut iful Quest ion: Finding Nat ure’s Deep Design (New York: Penguin Books, 2015), p. 323. (6) Holmes Rolston III “In the Zone of Complexity” Parabola Spring 2005, pp. 47-48. (7) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of t he M iraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2002), p. 280. (8) Christian Wertenbaker M an in t he Cosmos (United States: Codhill Press, 2012), p. 96. (9) Frank Wilczek A Beaut iful Quest ion: Finding Nat ure’s Deep Design (New York: Penguin Books, 2015), p. 225. (10) Frank Wilczek A Beaut iful Quest ion: Finding Nat ure’s Deep Design (New York: Penguin Books, 2015), p. 276. (11) Deepak Chopra and Menas Kafatos You Are t he Universe (New York: Harmony Books, 2017), pp. 115-116. 21

(12) Ian Stewart The Beaut y of Numbers in Nat ure (Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press, 2017), p. 13. (13) Alan Lightman The Accident al Universe (New York: Vintage Books, 2013), pp. 74-75. (14) Larry Dossey Space, Time & M edicine (Boulder: Shambhala, 1982), p. 131. (15) Jacob Needleman A Sense of t he Cosmos (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1976), pp. 23-24. (16) Larry Dossey Space, Time & M edicine (Boulder: Shambhala, 1982), p. 132. (17) Rupert Sheldrake, Terence McKenna and Ralph Abraham Chaos, Creat ivit y, and Cosmic Consciousness (Rochester, Vermont: Park Street Press, 2001), p. 26. (18) J.A. Perry “Evolution and the Stratified Order” The Quest Winter 1989, p. 72. (19) Ervin Laszlo and Jude Currivan CosM os (New York: Hay House, 2008), pp. 22-23. (20) Jude Currivan The Cosmic Hologram (Rochester, Vermont: Inner Traditions, 2017), pp. 101-102. (21) Larry Dossey One M ind (New York: Hay House, 2013), p. 33. (22) Ervin Laszlo W hat is Realit y? (New York: Select Books, 2016). Pp. 173-175. (23) Ervin Laszlo and Jude Currivan CosM os (New York: Hay House, 2008), pp. 20-21. (24) Ervin Laszlo Science and t he Akashic Field (Rochester, Vermont: Inner Traditions, 2007), p. 144. (25) Ervin Laszlo The Int elligence of t he Cosmos (Rochester, Vermont: Inner Traditions, 2017), p. 31. (26) Jude Currivan The Cosmic Hologram (Rochester, Vermont: Inner Traditions, 2017), pp. 99-100. (27) Astrid Fitzgerald “Harmony by Design” Parabola Winter 1991, p. 40. (28) Astrid Fitzgerald “Harmony by Design” Parabola Winter 1991, pp. 40-41. (29) Ira Progoff Jung, Synchronicit y, and Human Dest iny (New York: Julian Press, 1973), pp. 91-92. (30) Ervin Laszlo Science and t he Reenchant ment of t he Cosmos (Rochester, Vermont: Inner Traditions, 2006), p. 22. (31) Louis Palmer Advent ures in Afghanist an (London: Octagon Press, 1990), pp. 83-85. (32) Idries Shah Tales of t he Dervishes (London: Octagon Press, 1984), p. 157. (33) Idries Shah Learning How t o Learn (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 41.

22

HUM AN PURPOSE AND DESTINY ‘There is a divinit y t hat shapes our ends, rough-hew t hem how w e w ill.’ Shakespeare

The Cosmic Plan and Humanity

Since the dawn of recorded history, human beings have pondered the most fundamental questions of life: Who am I?, Why am I here?, What is life all about? Throughout the ages, philosophers, scientists, mystics and ordinary people have contemplated these great questions and wondered about the origin and nature of the universe, the meaning and purpose of human life on earth, and the place of humanity in the great scheme of things. Professor of philosophy Jacob Needleman explores these timeless questions and their relevance to our own individual lives: The universe? From where did it come? How? When? By what energies did what we see only in tiny glimpses come into being? – the universe containing infinities of organized, living worlds, earths, suns, galaxies – cells, organic life, atmosphere – purpose, directions, and lawful order, fundamental forces at work everywhere and in everything – all of which emerged out of what? By what greater mind? By what intelligence did it all appear, an intelligence that embraces even the automatisms of Darwinian evolution on the ground of which everything from a mosquito to a Buddha appears on this earth? In such a case, self-knowledge and experience would not be a passive recording for manipulation of impressions from without, but a seminal generation of realities within realities – just as in any organism the t elos or purpose of the whole generates the elements and organs and instrumentalities that maintain the inner world of the organism. And man? Of all creatures we know of on Earth, the intelligent self-regulating and self-creating force would have the added attribute that completes the structure of the universe we know – and that added attribute is conscious intelligence, consciousness as a force of nature, a universal energy. Who, looking at “the starry sky above and the moral law within” can really maintain that it all “just happened”? (1) Traditional spiritual teachings assert that the purpose of humanity is evolutionary – to create a “bridge” along with the rest of creation and to understand the origin and purpose of the human race. Spiritual development creates the capacity to know directly (and not through the senses or intellect) both the meaning of human life and the inner significance of ordinary events. Psychiatrist Arthur Deikman: “Only with the knowledge that perceptual development brings can human beings know the meaning of human existence, both in terms of the particular events of a person’s life and the destiny of the human race.”

1

Innovative thinkers such as Ervin Laszlo have also speculated on the existential meaning of humanity in the cosmic drama: “The ultimate purpose of human existence is to consciously foster and further the transmission of the underlying and all-encompassing intelligence of the cosmos into the universe.” And, scientific researcher Christopher Hills opines: “The purpose of life is to evolve consciousness until it becomes one with the light which created it.” The search for our true identity as human beings and the nature of ultimate reality is at the heart of the discovery of our purpose and destiny on earth. “As a plant grows toward the light, so does humanity yearn for Spirit and greater awareness, because, like a plant’s inherent capacity to receive and respond to light, there is a teleological design at work in us from the start.” There is a core truth to which we can penetrate – an Ultimate Answer which alone gives purpose, meaning, and direction to our lives and our search. That truth is accessible to each of us on the basis of direct experience, without need for intermediaries. In order to attain that truth, we must ascend in consciousness; we must personally evolve through our own efforts. And, finally, if many individuals evolve, the result could well be a collective change of society, a transformation of the species, a radical change in human nature. (2) In The M eet ing of Science and Spirit , educator and author John White describes a two-way cosmic process in which Spirit manifests the physical universe and humanity reaches for Spirit in order to actualize its divine birthright through self-realization or enlightenment: Humanity is involved in a mighty evolutionary drama of awakening to God, to the Creator, to the Great Mystery. A two-way process is at work/play behind that self-discovery in which the lower world reaches upward while the higher world reaches downward to encourage the lower to keep reaching. On the one hand, we recognize something beyond ourselves, something mysterious which gestures to us, calls us to attain deeper understanding, a greater scope of action, the possibility of becoming more than we are . . . On the other hand, that mysterious something reaches to us from what has traditionally been perceived as “on high.” It descends in its majesty and power to beckon us toward it by revealing itself in ever-greater degrees through visions, dreams, imagination, and inspired moments of discovery and creativity. Its traditional name is Spirit. That involuntary evolutionary process is the mystery at the heart of creation. (3) The meaning and purpose of human life on Earth has also been placed in an evolutionary perspective in which the sense of a personal ego is transcended for a higher state of being. Human history, both individually and collectively, is a process of ascent to a higher level of consciousness and being: “Humanity is proceeding from a pre-personal state of simple animal consciousness through the personalized state of self-reflective, egoic consciousness to the transpersonal state of self-transcendence or consciousness beyond ego.” John White: 2

The long evolutionary ascent of the human species can be described thus far as a journey from a state of unconscious ignorance to conscious knowing. At this point in our history humanity is characterized by a state of consciousness called ego. But if evolution is still going on, what might come next in our journey? From a spiritual perspective the answer is clear: The purpose of the human journey is to regain heaven, our lost estate. Heaven is union with God. Its opposite is the illusion of separateness. The self to be transcended is ego. What is ego? It is essentially bound consciousness. It is the notion of separate selfhood, personal autonomy, independence from the nurturing matrix of society and environment which supports individualized life. It is limited identity. It is self-conceived as being apart from God or ultimate Reality or Cosmic Wholeness. (4) Gurdjieff taught that human beings, through self-study and conscious inner work, could develop to a level where they were a complete reflection of the spiritual dimensions of the greater cosmos: “Man is an image of the world. He was created by the same laws which created the whole of the world. By knowing and understanding himself, he will know and understand the whole world, all the laws that create and govern the world. And at the same time by studying the world and the laws that govern the world he will learn and understand the laws that govern him.” By simultaneously studying the fundamental laws that govern both the universe and human physiological and psychological functioning, a comprehensive understanding of the different planes of reality and our relationship to them, can be developed: “The laws are the same everywhere and on all planes. But the very same laws manifesting themselves in different worlds, that is, under different conditions, produce different phenomena.” A fully developed human being reflects the structure of the universe in both a material and metaphysical sense: All the matter of the world that surrounds us, the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe, our own bodies – everything is permeated by all the matters that exist in the universe. There is no need to study and investigate the Sun in order to discover the matter of the solar world: this matter exists in ourselves and is the result of the division of our atoms. In the same way we have in us the matter of all other worlds. Man is, in the full sense of the term, a ‘miniature universe’; in him are all the matters of which the universe consists; the same forces, the same laws that govern the life of the universe, operate in him; therefore, in studying man we can study the whole world, just as in studying the world we can study man. But a complete parallel between man and the world can only be drawn if we take ‘man’ in the full sense of the word, that is, a man whose inherent powers are developed. An undeveloped man, a man who has not completed the course of his evolution, cannot be taken as a complete picture or plan of the universe – he is an unfinished world. (5) 3

In his thought-provoking book The People of t he Secret , Ernest Scott proposes that human evolution and history are directed by the efforts of an Intelligence which is in harmony with and responsible for the implementation of a ‘cosmic plan.’ The mandate of this Cosmic Intelligence is to raise the level of consciousness of humanity in general, and of suitable individuals specifically. Far from being random, the evolution of life on earth represents the unfolding of a vast, panoramic plan for humanity and the natural world, with cosmic goals stretching across millions of years. These evolutionary gains are in harmony with corresponding growth on a planetary and galactic scale beyond the earth. Conscious ‘interventions’ designed to inject a developmental impulse into the historical process are discontinuous. “These ‘occasions’ relate to the fortuitous presence of energies on a much vaster scale and perhaps from outside the planet. It is as if a solar wind blows on the earth at intervals.” Scott further elaborates: History is not the equilibrant of chance and hazard. It does not just happen. The script for the long human story was written by intelligences much greater than our own. Certain gains and goals for mankind – and for the biosphere of earth – must be attained within certain intervals of Earth time. These gains are essential for the balance and growth of the solar system of which the Earth is a part. The solar system may itself be subject to a similar pressure in the interest of the galaxy of which it is a part. The direction, speed and end of this process is “the Will of God.” The Will of God is the aspiration of Divinity that the universal process shall proceed in a certain way to a certain end while leaving open the possibility that it may elect to proceed quite otherwise to quite else. Very high intelligences direct the evolution of the universe in an attempt to ensure that the Divine aspiration shall be realized. These intelligences are coercive in proportion as their material is unconscious. They are persuasive in proportion as their material is conscious. (6) Scott presents a picture of a universe in which free will and determinism coexist. “The life of humanity is subject to direction by an Energy or Intelligence above – but not infinitely above – the level of humanity itself. Such direction is implemented at the level of life by human agents: that is, by exceptional men and women attuned to and partly identified with the level above.” These specially selected individuals participate in a cosmic process that has been called the “Magnum Opus” or “Great Work.” This spiritual effort is equivalent to a vertical ascent to a higher level of consciousness as opposed to a gradual rise with the evolutionary tide: The universe is a gradient of consciousness and on this gradient the earth occupies a low level. Its highest raw material is mankind. Mankind is collectively unconscious of the evolutionary process of which he is a part and he is subject therefore to a determinism approaching one hundred percent. Even so, the direction imposed on mankind is only relatively coercive. Because of the high energies which are potential in him, man may not be compulsively 4

directed. Means have to be employed which do not outrage the integrity of his potential nature. This is achieved by arranging a bias in favour of those situations which contain developmental possibilities and by limiting man’s opport unit ies for making involuntary choices. About this line there may be marginal interplay of determinism and free will . . . Responsibility for this process on Earth lies with an Intelligence which has been called the Hidden Directorate. No grounds exist for an opinion as to whether this Intelligence is, in any sense, comprehensible to man, a single or composite Intelligence, or whether it is discarnate or corporeal. Below this level, certain members of ordinary humanity, whom qualitative changes have taken place, are in touch with the Directorate and may at intervals share its consciousness. This group of advanced human individuals is the reality behind all legends of “masters” and “initiates” from earliest historical times to the present. (7) Certain spiritual teachings propose that there is a holographic design or pattern in life and the natural environment which is imperceptible to most people. However, it is possible to sense and, to some extent, harmonize and work with this archetypal pattern. “The Design, of its very nature, excludes indoctrination or forcible direction of any kind. Man is not compelled to evolve; he may only be shown the evolutionary road and assisted along it when, of his own volition, he takes this option. When he rejects it, the overseeing power can only work to mitigate the consequences – sometimes over centuries – and to amplify the effects of a right choice whenever this is made.” In Journeys w it h a Sufi M ast er , H.B.M. Dervish suggests that humanity is an integral part and conscious instrument of a ‘cosmic plan’: Sufis claim that there is an evolutionary plan for the planet Earth and that history, seemingly haphazard and random, is not the blind, accidental process it seems. The evolution of organic life was supervised, and in the same way, the human race continues to be guided, encouraged or restrained into alignment with a universal plan. The Sufis, who have been known by different names in different ages, are said to be agents of this Supervision and, to the extent which is necessary for their ministry, they are given access to the plan. The plan is known as the Naqsh , the design . . . Sufi influence on history has never been by physical or mental duress, and is almost always indirect, little seen and tangential. Promising laymen (known as Receivers) may be influenced to start an organization and may do so under the impression that the idea was their own. Sufi experiences indicate a huge number of movements for human welfare have been unobtrusively guided in this way. Sometimes notable figures in such organizations have suspected that certain sympathizers, advisers – sometimes philanthropists – have been in some way ‘not ordinary.’ Historically, for example, the Saracen armies which came through North Africa to invade Spain in 711 A.D. were accompanied by a Sufi presence and it was this which, through the cultural centres of Fez, Cordoba, Seville, Granada and elsewhere helped arrange for the renewal of learning in a Europe which was emerging from the Dark Ages. The migration from Europe to the New World was similarly ‘accompanied.’ (8) 5

Self-Know ledge and Inner Development

The world’s great spiritual traditions, teachings and teachers provide a path to a higher state of consciousness and being that reflect the next stage of human evolution and development: Through their experience of higher consciousness, our mystics, saints, sages, and spiritual geniuses were able to foresee across the centuries the vast sweep of human destiny – a climb from darkness to illumination, from savagery to a godlike condition, from blindness to “the light which lights the world.” They were able to see the human race poised midway between the apes and the angels, ready to become fully the gods-in-hiding we are now . . . We have the necessary operating instructions and technical manuals to do it in the form of sacred scriptures and spiritual teachings of holy men and women throughout history who have discovered the sparkle of Spirit within themselves, this evolutionary potential, and recognized it as a gift from the Creator. Those teachings and those examples have at their center the development of a new and higher state of consciousness – God-consciousness, the “peace which passeth understanding,” the direct experience of divinity dwelling in us, now and forever, creating us, preserving us, urging us to ever higher states of being. (9) Gurdjieff taught that each human being is potentially a complete cosmos with the possibility of developing and transforming himself to a higher level of existence through a process of ‘inner transmutation.’ By conscious inner work on oneself (‘conscious labour and intentional suffering’) one can learn how to serve a higher purpose, rather than remaining only as an unconscious mechanism for the transfer of energy for the use of other domains of the natural world. Higher knowledge of our place in the cosmos is transmitted to humanity through authentic spiritual teachings. This practical knowledge of human transformation develops self-knowledge and harmony with the spiritual dimensions of existence through conscious effort and the awakening of higher levels of consciousness. Jacob Needleman: Higher knowledge exists. Not only does it bring us facts of an entirely different nature and scale than can be brought by external empiricism, external experience, but such knowledge also is and can become a force of self-creation by which worlds are born and live and die – and among such worlds are we human beings, such as we are meant to be. We need a new language, or perhaps the old language carrying the current of being, in order to begin to understand the experiences that are granted to us as human beings, experiences that need to be cultivated, intentionally and precisely, in order to serve as a force not only for self-knowledge but for self-transformation. We know there are experiences that transform us in a moment – moments that are then forgotten or that

6

depend on infrequent accident. But what if we could become more available to such experiences, live in a way that could invite them more into our lives? What if we could, in Gurdjieff’s words, remember ourselves always and everywhere. The question remains: There exist in our lives experiences of oneself that need to be understood as a call. But a call . . . to what? And a call from w hat ? (10) The foundation of all spiritual teachings is self-knowledge, sometimes termed ‘inner empiricism.’ Basic human experience, rather than scientific empiricism, is the raw material or ore that needs to be refined in the alchemical process of spiritual development. “Through inner empiricism, knowledge about the universe and man is obtained of a kind and with a content that is inaccessible to modern science.” In the vast realm of the inner world of man there exists, in miniature as it were, the entire great world around and above us, the entire universal order. The dominance of the school of external empiricism is based on the assumption that man is only a tiny fragment of the whole of nature and the universal world. But what if it were otherwise? What if human beings were in some real sense unique creations containing in their essential being all the laws and elements, all the forces and energies – from the most conscious to the most inert – that are at play in the great universe? If that were so, then self-knowledge would be – could be – far, far more than information about our psychological moods, emotions, memories, thoughts and behavior. Self-knowledge would be far more than the results of looking at ourselves from “outside,” as it were – that is, from our everyday conceptual mind by which we try to organize the world as it is received by our senses. If a human being were really as it was understood in very ancient times, a microcosm, a miniature universe, then self-knowledge not only would be the knowledge of reality so longed for in the hopes and dreams of science, but also could be a means itself of inner self-creation – inner self-creation parallel in its way to the creation of worlds that takes place in the universe itself. (11) A fully developed and realized human being has the possibility and capacity to embody the higher levels of cosmic energy inherent in the universe: “As human beings we can know that a single creative energy connects everything and that we are integral to it. We are one with the Whole.” At the highest level of human development, according to Indian philosophy, the light of consciousness can be expressed through the balance or equilibrium of the three creative gunas (primary qualities or modes of nature): rajas (energy), t amas (inertia) and sat t va (intelligence). When these are balanced and in harmony an individual can creatively manifest himself in all aspects of life: “Such a being is the enjoyer of all the worlds, from the earthly experience of good food, material beauty, sex, etc., to the highest octaves of spiritual consciousness.

7

To such a one the whole creation is the body of God, and matter and spirit become one cosmic vibration of AUM.” The concept of a ‘human being as a microcosm’ refers to a person who has fully developed and harmonized all aspects of himself – physical, emotional, mental and spiritual – through the refinement of consciousness. In The Third St riving Keith Buzzell, a student of Gurdjieff’s Fourth Way teaching, writes: “Man becomes truly an image of the Megalocosmos if he evolves to the level of having a Real I with a triune ‘nature’ of higher intellect (third brain), emotional being (second brain) and physical body (first brain) in a true harmonious relationship.” Human beings have a special role, by virtue of our capacity for consciousness, but we do not necessarily fulfill it. While the body is a well-functioning cosmos, at least for a time, the psyche generally is not. Our inner lives are buffeted here and there by random associations and reactions to external stimuli. We start out with a particular purpose, and wind up creating the opposite effect of what we intended. A perceived criticism changes our mood for the day. We tend to live in an inner chaos of daydreams, partially digested notions, and half formulated plans. But the possibility exists for the development of attention, awareness, and intentionality, for the growth of presence . . . In the end a finer body of attention, of presence, can exist within the physical body. It has all the characteristics of another cosmos: it is relatively independent, self-contained, and selectively permeable to the outside. While the nature of the materiality of this entity is unclear, for some this is the soul, which can exist independently of the body if it is sufficiently formed. This body of attention and awareness may play a different role from the physical body in the larger cosmoses of which it is a part. The physical body is part of the ecology of the earth, transforming biochemical substances; the soul is part of the ecology of consciousness, transforming perceptions. The real meaning of coming home to God may be the establishment of a home in oneself, which permits one to share in, and contribute to, the universal consciousness. (12) It is important to emphasize that the idea of ‘man as a microcosm’ only refers to those human beings who are fully developed and conscious in terms of spiritual knowledge and qualities; to those who have travelled and completed the path of inner transformation in the fullest sense. Jacob Needleman offers a sober reflection on this important point: What does it mean that [the universe] is in man? And not only in man as separate processes in all their variety, but as a cosmos, an ordered whole under the rule of a ladder of governing, lawful intelligence? The response seems clear: In whatever sense and whatever way all this is in man, it is not in my life or in my awareness. I, this individual person, pursue my life nowhere near an awareness in myself of this incredible spectrum of time, force and structure, not to mention the intelligence that governs it from without and within. This realization is the key to the idea of the microcosm. And it is precisely this key that is missing or 8

unemphasized in almost every account of it that we may come upon. Man is a microcosm, but I am not t hat man . (13)

Conscious Attention, Presence and Action

The transformation of a human being to a higher state of consciousness and the creation of a stable inner unity requires the production of a finer psychic energy, through inner work and the development of conscious attention: There is something about the body that is absolutely essential to the development of man’s possibilities, of why we are here on earth. If we are on earth for a reason, for a purpose, then the body must be there to serve that purpose. Here we are faced with the age-old drama of human freedom. Man is free, which means there is a certain freedom that makes it possible to become what we are meant to be. It has to do with the possible freedom of our attention, which is perhaps the only free element in human beings. Such as we are, the possibility of human freedom exists in the attention, and that can carry an influence down into our bodies and into the life of the earth. We become instruments of God. And in the process, we become truly human. (14) Spiritual teachings throughout the world stress that human beings have a unique role and purpose in the universal order which is dependent on the development of a refined quality of conscious attention and awareness: “The universe is ordered and aligned in the mysteriously perfect intelligibility that is given to the human mind to know and the human soul to incarnate in its freely chosen act of attention.” Jacob Needleman: Wherever the process of cosmic creation is taking place, there is, and must be, a specifically human energy, filling as it were, the stages and steps in the descent and manifestation of what it is that originally emanates from the Source. It is at these everywhere-appearing junctures in the cosmic and planetary world that Man is created and needed as the microcosmic God, the “image and likeness of God,” whose work it is to “make straight the ways of the Lord.” Man must choose; that power and gift is his essence. And the instrument, the principal instrument of his choice is his uniquely human attention. But as he is now, man on earth is a being without Attention. His body, the cells and tissues of his body obey only the attention of the animal or the plant or the mineral within him. Man’s being, as he is now, cannot obey his mind; it is his mind that obeys his body . . . One of the names of God is Attention, the Attention that fills the world and the universe and that Man is created to incarnate in himself so that he can freely obey and be as God in the created world of his own body and therefore manifest toward man and nature what is needed from him. This means that it is the essence of Man to incarnate the highest energy of the universe. (15)

9

In many of the world’s spiritual traditions, the state of consciousness characterized by awareness and presence is said to be the master key to unlocking our latent human potential; the point demarcating the intersection between the phenomenal and spiritual worlds: “This presence is like a passport to greater life. Presence is our connection to that greater Being to which we belong, but which is often buried beneath mundane concerns, bodily desires, emotional disturbances, and mental distractions. Through knowledge, practice and understanding, this presence can be awakened.” In Living Presence, Kabir Helminski speaks to the importance of presence in spiritual development: Presence signifies the quality of consciously being here. It is the activation of a higher level of awareness that allows all our other human functions – such as thought, feeling, and action – to be known, developed and harmonized. This presence is the way in which we occupy space, as well as how we flow and move. Presence shapes our self-image and emotional tone. Presence determines the degree of our alertness, openness and warmth. Presence decides whether we leak and scatter our energy or embody and direct it. Presence is the human selfawareness that is the end result of the evolution of life on this planet. Human presence is not merely quantitatively different from other forms of life; humanity represents a new form of life, of concentrated spiritual energy sufficient to produce will. With will, the power of conscious choice, human beings can formulate intentions, transcend their instincts and desires, educate themselves, and steward the natural world. (16) Higher levels of consciousness enhance the quality of attention and presence, thereby opening up the possibility of connecting with deeper levels of reality. Spiritual voyager James George: “Only when I am fully present is it possible for a human being to be united with the Source of All, and be the vehicle for the action of a higher force in our world.” And in M arkings, Dag Hammarskjöld writes: “Consciousness emptied of all content, In restful harmony – This happiness is here and now, In the eternal cosmic moment, A happiness in you – but not yours.” With a developed level of consciousness, it is possible to control and direct one’s attention, being aware of what attracts and moves it moment by moment. Kabir Helminski: “It is not until we come to true consciousness that we find a capacity that allows a wide field of awareness and thus a global comprehensiveness to our perception and state of being. True consciousness opens us to wholeness, allowing a total experience of body, thought and emotion.” Self-realization leads to a transformation of one’s total being – both inner awareness and outer behaviour – and a commitment to devoted service to the world. Sri Aurobindo, the great 20th century Indian sage, believed that individual spiritual development foreshadows the evo10

lutionary future of the human race, as expressed by higher qualities such as unconditional love, compassion, empathy, insight and mystical states of consciousness. John White highlights the importance of humility and selfless service as concomitants of self-realization: The true response to self-realization is humility. The true response is also selfless service – the behavioral reflection of unconditional love. When you realize your true Self, you automatically respond to the call of humanity. Thus, the enlightened are more involved in human society than any other group is, even though they may live retiringly or reclusively, because they alone see the truth, beauty, and love at the heart of existence. They alone live in accord with that perception to help others change consciousness and thereby discover the essential perfection of all things. Purpose, meaning, direction in life, understanding, happiness are what all people are searching for, however ignorantly. And that is what the enlightened seek to help others find, patiently, humbly, lovingly, without concern for reward or recognition, status or power (all of which imply an “other”) because ultimately it is all being done for oneself. “By their fruits ye shall know them.” (17) One of the most significant consequences of inner development is an enhanced social awareness and full engagement with all aspects of life. The importance of a holistic, integral vision of life is stressed by Allan Combs in The Radiance of Being : “We are compelled to broaden our notions of what it is to live an integral life, to include our personal relationships with others as well as our styles of participating in the social and natural worlds around us. We can no longer live spiritual lives that are detached from the human and natural worlds in which we move. Nor can we engage in wise political action without the inner compass that comes only with spiritual development and insight.” Human beings, both individually and collectively, have the possibility of transformation and expansion of consciousness through conscious evolution, leading to self-transcendence and an enlightened state of being which regards humanity as one organic whole. Such an evolutionary advance has the potential of creating a new world culture, based on the perennial wisdom articulated by spiritual traditions throughout the ages. It would embody life-affirming values such as equality, peace, harmony, freedom, tolerance and compassionate action and service. “Changing consciousness changes thought; changing thought changes behaviour; and changing behaviour changes society. Personal evolution becomes social evolution. By changing yourself, you help to change the world.” Only a transformation of consciousness will allow humanity to discover the knowledge, practices and wisdom to meet the many challenges facing the world. Some contemporary thinkers believe that the evolutionary process is now developing a new stage in the human journey. John White: “A new global society will be created, a civilization founded on love and the perennial wisdom of sacred traditions. The change of consciousness underlying this passage involves the transcendence of ego and the recognition of the unity of life in all its kingdoms – mineral, plant, animal, human and spirit.” As one’s own spiritual life

11

matures and deepens it is realized on every plane of reality. White presents a useful schematic map of these levels of reality (18): • • • • • • •

In physical terms, spirituality is recognizing the miraculous nature of matter and the creative source behind the mystery of matter. In biological terms, spirituality is realizing that a divine intelligence underlies all lifechange and that such change is evolving all creation to ever greater degrees of wholeness in order to perfectly express itself. In psychological terms, spirituality is discovering within yourself the ultimate source of meaning and happiness, which is love. In sociological terms, spirituality is giving selfless service to others, regardless of race, creed, color, gender, caste, or nationality. In ecological terms, spirituality is showing respect for all the kingdoms in the community of life – mineral, vegetable, animal, human, spirit, and angelic. In cosmological terms, spirituality is being at one with the universe, in tune with the infinite, flowing with the Tao. In t heological terms, spirituality is seeing God in all things, all events, and all circumstances, indwelling as infinite light and unconditional love, and seeing all things, events, and circumstances in God as the matrix or infinite ocean in which the universe occurs.

A spiritually-developed consciousness recognizes the interdependence of humanity with the cosmos – both are co-creators of a mutually supporting destiny. “The grand theme of history is the evolution of consciousness: a story of ever-more-complex forms of life coming into physical being in order to express more fully the consciousness behind existence itself.”: Our primary task as citizens of Earth is to attune ourselves spiritually with Life – with the processes of the planet and the cosmos – and thereby understand that, if we are at the end of a cycle, we are being given an occasion to grow, to evolve, to transform ourselves on the basis of deeper understanding and wider vision . . . To the awakened mind, every experience is a blessing, even situations commonly labelled misfortunate or even tragedy, disaster, catastrophe, cataclysm. The attuned consciousness will receive all it needs, and more, from a loving universe whose whole purpose is to nurture the evolution of organisms like us to a higher state of being. (19) Human beings can consciously participate in the evolution of consciousness within the universe. By embracing values and qualities such as unity, empathy, compassion and service, we can be part of a universal co-evolving process which gives meaning and purpose to human existence: “Our essential nature is identical to the essential nature of the cosmos – pure consciousness, or love, or spirit. We are here to access, embody, and transmit this divine consciousness into the word until material reality is made sacred.” In The Int elligence of t he Cosmos, Ervin Laszlo writes:

12

The sacredness of being human is that we each have a role in bringing the unfinished material reality into greater coherence, and thus completion. If enough localized consciousnesses awake on this planet we can catalyze a localized planetary field into conscious awareness. That is, a planetary matrix is sufficiently prepared to receive, “bring in,” the greater consciousness pervasive in the cosmos . . . In this case we are each a conscious agent of cosmic realization and immanence. We each have an obligation in our existence on this planet to raise our individual, localized expressions of consciousness. In doing so, we both infect and inspire others in our lives to raise theirs, as well as reflecting back our conscious contribution into the source That Is. In this way, we can act as both citizens of the cosmos as well as caretakers for the sacred cosmic order. This sacred cosmic order informs us that our reality is not a static state but an active, fluid realm that makes demands on us. We are on a path of completion – of conscious completion and communion – that is the eternal path of the sacred. Through this sacred journey of completion, we connect and commune with everything else in our reality matrix – and beyond . We can achieve this through our small acts of conscious participation, and regain our communion with the cosmos. (20)

Expanded Consciousness

Both Eastern and Western thinkers have described the evolution of human consciousness as passing through a sequence of stages from the more primitive (archaic, magical, mythical) to more subtle (intuitive, archetypal, holistic), culminating in the highest state of consciousness termed ‘superconsciousness’ (Sri Aurobindo), ‘integral consciousness’ (Jean Gebser) or ‘ultimate consciousness’ (Ken Wilber). In Science and t he Akashic Field , Ervin Laszlo speculates about the next evolution of human consciousness: Consciousness evolution is from the ego-bound to the transpersonal form. If this is so, it is a source of great hope. Transpersonal consciousness is open to more of the information that reaches our brain than the consciousness still dominant today. This could have momentous consequences. It could produce greater empathy among people, greater sensitivity to animals and plants, and to the entire biosphere. It could create subtle contact with the rest of the cosmos. When a critical mass of humans evolves to the transpersonal level of consciousness a higher civilization is likely to emerge, with deeper solidarity and a higher sense of justice and responsibility. Will such a consciousness-evolution actually come about? This we cannot say: evolution is never fully predictable. But if humankind does not destroy its life-supporting environment and decimate its numbers, the dominant consciousness of a critical mass will evolve from the ego-bound to the transpersonal stage. And this quantum leap in the evolution of consciousness will catalyze a quantum leap in the evolution of civilization as well. (21) 13

Albert Einstein recognized that the future of the human race lay in the transformation from the sense of an isolated self to a deeper, expanded level of awareness that encompasses all living beings: A human being is part of the whole, called by us “Universe,” a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest – a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. (22) Both modern science and traditional spiritual teaching support a new, comprehensive vision of reality that encompasses an expanded awareness of the nature of consciousness and the meaning and purpose of human existence on earth. This expanded viewpoint is accomplished by a process of conscious co-creation and co-evolution between humanity and the cosmos. In their thought-provoking book CosM os, Ervin Laszlo and Jude Currivan write: “In the new vision of the nature of integral reality, human existence is not an accidental by-product, nor the outcome of the blind play of genetic mutation and natural selection. Our existence has meaning and a human, a planetary, and even a cosmic purpose.” We are the co-creators as well as the creation of the world. Our human mission is to facilitate and empower the dynamic journey of exploration and evolution of the universe: toward the coherence of each with all, and of all with each. Our consciousness is the key to fulfilling our human mission. Our consciousness is far deeper and wider than most of us had hitherto thought. Until quite recently, scientists had generally considered that our consciousness is confined within our bodies and our sense of self within our personalities. But if this were so, then our skin-enclosed brain and ego-bound consciousness would set the ultimate limit of our awareness and our ability to comprehend the world. But if our awareness, as scientific research is now revealing and as the mystics of all traditions have discerned, transcends our physical form and is more – much more – than our human persona, then we have the innate ability to envisage, understand, and experience the Cosmos at levels far beyond the limitations of our ego-selves . . . Our awareness is rapidly expanding beyond the limitations of the past. In this unfolding Shift of consciousness – a shift in our individual consciousnesses as well as in the global mind our nearly seven billion consciousnesses are now constituting – we are gaining deeper insights into the nature and purpose of the whole-world than ever before. (23) The development of consciousness and being is accompanied by a movement away from the grosser laws of physical existence to the more subtle laws of spiritual reality. In Science and t he Sacred , professor of comparative religion Ravi Ravindra writes: “The spiritual and the natural

14

realms may be distinguished by different sorts of laws, but they are not separated by an abundant lawfulness in one realm and an absence in the other. There may in fact be more of a continuity in practice between these realms than suspected.” He further elaborates: At the level where most of us live, practically all our behavior and everything else about us is completely determined by ordinary laws. At higher levels of spiritual development, one develops increasingly those aspects of being that are free of the lower laws and subject to the higher laws. Whether we follow the essentialist metaphor, as used in most religions, and say that we can discover our deepest spiritual Self or God which is already in us, or whether we follow the existentialist metaphor so that a person has to create this spiritual part, the important point is that some purposeful action, an intentional undertaking, is required from human beings . . . However, not everything in a developed human being becomes free of the usual laws of birth, change, and decay. The physical body still obeys the laws of its own level; but one discovers or creates and progressively lives from a more subtle part of oneself that itself is relatively freer of the laws to which the body is subject. Only at the highest possible inner development of a person could one say that the most spiritual part – God, the Absolute, Brahman – is beyond all laws and is therefore completely and absolutely free. (24) Spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle places pure consciousness or being at the centre of his teaching of human development and transformation: “Being points to the essence of who you are as timeless, formless, and unconditioned consciousness. Human and being , form and essence, are ultimately not separate, in the same way that a wave or ripple on the surface of the ocean is not separate from the ocean or from any other wave or ripple, although it may appear to be so.” He speaks to this from an evolutionary perspective: Being, or pure consciousness, emanates from the Universal Source of all life – God – as light emanates from the sun. Unlike the sun, however, the Source does not exist in space and time. It is unmanifested and therefore inconceivable, so there is nothing you can say about it. However, your consciousness emanates from the Source, so you can never be separate from it, just as a ray of sunlight cannot be separate from the sun but always remains connected to it. The Source emanation pervades the entire cosmos – which is to say, our dimension of space and time – and it is the intelligence underlying and guiding the evolution of what we perceive as the physical universe. So the universe, including human beings, was not just created in the distant past but is still in the process of being created . . . There is direction and purpose behind the evolutionary process. Where it is going, however, is beyond all imagination. What we can say is that the evolutionary impulse behind the process is the growth of consciousness. The universe wants to become more conscious, and the main life purpose for all human beings is to come into alignment with that universal purpose. Entering into conscious alignment with universal purpose is an amazing evolutionary leap. (25) 15

It is becoming increasingly clear that humanity is now at a critical stage of its evolution and is undergoing a profound shift in consciousness, both on the individual and collective level. Each human being is an integral part of an intelligent, evolving universe in which all parts are interrelated to form an integral co-evolving whole. “We participate in its structure and order, we access its intrinsic and constantly accumulating intelligence, and we contribute to the growth of its consciousness. Our life, our existence, then, cannot be without purpose and meaning. In the simplest terms, humanit y’s mission is t o advance t he evolut ion of t he Cosmos.” One of the functions of the inner world of human consciousness, according to Gurdjieff’s teachings, is to “reunite, on many levels, what has been separated and dispersed.” In this way, the smaller, individual consciousness joins with the universal consciousness to impart order and harmony to the larger world, thus preventing its decay over time: “A human being’s perceptual capacities, if harmonized and honed, allow a merging of each individual consciousness with the consciousness of the universe. Consciousness needs first to be separate for this joining to be meaningful. The higher nature needs the lower, and individuation precedes transcendence. When properly harmonized and developed, human capacities can complete the cosmic cycle.” Every human being has the possibility and potentiality of becoming a conscious agent of evolutionary unfolding and cosmic realization. Such an individual evolutionary purpose is said to be “woven into the fabric of nature” in order to help the universe fulfill it s purpose and destiny“ Ervin Laszlo: “We each have an obligation in our existence on this planet to raise our individual, localized expressions of consciousness. In doing so, we inspire others in our lives to raise theirs, as well as reflecting back our conscious contribution into the source THAT IS. The hidden treasure that is at the very core of our existence wishes to be known – for us to be known – by our individual journeys of self-realization.” Shamik Desai provides an eloquent perspective on this Great Work: All the great wisdom traditions agree that every “thing” is a manifestation of a larger Oneness. They hint regarding the meaning of existence: the One Source yearns deeply to know and love Itself. Hence, it has manifested in a material form (at a higher level of vibration) with the intention of realizing itself through a process of re-spiritualization. This process unfolds as each sentient being in the universe “opens the spiritual eye” and perceives the universe through the lens of Oneness, and then turns its super-perceptions into reality through loving, mindful engagement . . . The meaning and purpose of existence is to align and harmonize our relations with the unseen order, the Ultimate Reality, as individuals – and those among us with an evolved consciousness are to seek such alignment also at the societal and planetary levels. (26)

16

References

(1) Jacob Needleman W hat is God? (New York: Penguin Books, 2009), pp. 144-145. (2) John White The M eet ing of Science and Spirit (New York: Paragon House, 1990), p. 63. (3) John White The M eet ing of Science and Spirit (New York: Paragon House, 1990), pp. xiii-xiv. (4) John White The M eet ing of Science and Spirit (New York: Paragon House, 1990), p. 4. (5) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of t he M iraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2002), p. 88. (6) Ernest Scott The People of t he Secret (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 250-251. (7) Ernest Scott The People of t he Secret (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 251-252. (8) H.B.M. Dervish Journeys w it h a Sufi M ast er (London: Octagon Press, 1982), pp. 147-148. (9) John White The M eet ing of Science and Spirit (New York: Paragon House, 1990), pp. 166-167. (10) Jacob Needleman W hat is God? (New York: Penguin Books, 2009), pp. 145-146. (11) Jacob Needleman W hat is God? (New York: Penguin Books, 2009), pp. 143-144. (12) Christian Wertenbaker M an in t he Cosmos (United States: Codhill Press, 2012), pp. 96-97. (13) Jacob Needleman A Sense of t he Cosmos (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1975), p. 24. (14) Jacob Needleman “The True Human Body” in Jacob Needleman (ed.) The Inner Journey: View s from t he Gurdjieff W ork (Sandpoint, Idaho: Morning Light Press, 2008), p. 343. (15) Jacob Needleman W hat is God? (New York: Penguin Books, 2009), pp. 278-280. (16) Kabir Helminski Living Presence (New York: Jeremy P. Tarcher, 1992), pp. viii-ix. (17) John White The M eet ing of Science and Spirit (New York: Paragon House, 1990), pp. 209-210. (18) John White The M eet ing of Science and Spirit (New York: Paragon House, 1990), pp. 239-240. (19) John White The M eet ing of Science and Spirit (New York: Paragon House, 1990), p. 46. (20) Ervin Laszlo The Int elligence of t he Cosmos (Rochester, Vermont: Inner Traditions, 2017), pp. 61-62. (21) Ervin Laszlo Science and t he Akashic Field (Rochester, Vermont: Inner Traditions, 2007), pp. 117-118. (22) Walt Martin and Magda Ott (eds.) The Cosmic View of Albert Einst ein (New York: Sterling, 2013), p. 3. (23) Ervin Laszlo and Jude Currivan CosM os (Carlsbad, California: Hay House, 2008), pp. xiv-xv. (24) Ravi Ravindra Science and t he Sacred (Wheaton, Illinois: Quest Books, 2002), pp. 132-133. (25) Eckhart Tolle “Foreword” in Steve Taylor The Leap: The Psychology of Spirit ual Aw akening (Novato, California: New World Library, 2017), pp. ix-x. (26) Shamik Desai “Meaning and Purpose in the New Map of Reality and in the Wisdom Traditions” in Ervin Laszlo W hat is Realit y? (New York: Select Books, 2016), pp. 265-267.

17

TYPES OF SUPERNATURAL PHENOM ENA

‘Every moment is a miracle w hen you look at it w it h your real eye. There are no special miracles.’ Jean Klein

Levels of W onders and M iracles

Almost all civilizations and cultures, both historical and contemporary, have recorded occurrences of apparent supernatural or extra-dimensional phenomena: Since primeval times, people have spoken of strange and sometimes profoundly meaningful personal experiences. Such experiences have been reported by the majority of the world’s population and across all cultures. In modern times, they are still reported by most people. These experiences, called “psychic” or “psi,” suggest the presence of deep, invisible interconnections among people, and between objects and people. The most curious aspect of psi experiences is that they seem to transcend the usual boundaries of space and time. (1) So-called miraculous or supernatural happenings are of many different types, qualities and levels. They range from outright deception to actual ‘wonders’ and ‘miracles’ which appear to violate our currently understood laws of nature. The most commonly reported psychic phenomena are telepathy, clairvoyance, psychokinesis and precognition. In certain systems of thought seemingly extraordinary events are classified into three broad categories: • • •

Sleight of hand and deliberate perceptual and cognitive deception Apparent wonders whose real mechanism of action and effect is not understood True miracles which occur due to the operation of higher-dimensional interventions in the natural order

Different types of so-called miraculous happenings are, in a certain sense, analogous to the awakening of various states of consciousness and perception. The Sufis distinguish a number of levels or degrees of significance for such events and then “work with them in accordance with certain scales of value.” First of these are those appearances which are due to works of deception, such as conjurors use; works of stealth, technically termed Ist idraj, ‘successive things.’ Second come amazing things done by people without their knowing exactly how they do them, through the help of certain entities and influences. These works are called M a’aw anat , ‘aids.’ This is the lowest form of activities which appear to violate the natural order. Concentration on these things prevents higher human development. The energy going into them cannot be focused properly, and the

1

enterprise usually degenerates into charlatanry or remains a hit-or-miss occultism. Third we have wonder-working (Karamat ), which literally means something generously bestowed. They are apparent variations in physical laws (actually using unfamiliar ones), carried out in the course of the Sufi’s role as someone endowed with special functions. This ability evaporates if not employed operationally. Operationally means: ‘only in accordance with the harmony of the whole Sufi phenomenon.’ Fourth, and finally, are what are termed real miracles – the word for them is M u’ajizat . These are true violations of natural events, carried out before witnesses by deliberate intent, by prophets, who are further defined as lawgivers. The purpose is evidentiary, as in the case of the miracles in the Old and New Testaments. The kinds of operation correspond to the degree of significance and role of the human agent in question. Sleight of hand, of course, is for performers and charlatans. Assistances come to worthy people, but carry with them the probability that such undeveloped individuals will ascribe them to wild and unlikely sources. There are considerable risks of self-deception in pursuing this kind of thing. Sufi wonder-working comes about to help the Sufi in his work. It is his duty, in general, to conceal these happenings; and it is traditional also that his fellow-workers and disciples should also conceal them, if they know about their ever having happened. Miracles as such only take place when there is a need to demonstrate a person’s importance before a mass of people, or a variety of people, of all kinds, so that they will listen to the message which he has for them relating to religious organization. They have never been, and are not now any part of Sufic activity. (2)

Transcending Space and Time

In certain higher states of consciousness, time, as normally understood, has no meaning. The annihilation or elimination of time is one of the salient characteristics of mystical experience. In the ecstatic state the mystic is “able to overcome all barriers of time and space.” Esoteric evolutionary theory also holds that the development of new ‘organs of perception’ in human beings is connected with the transcending of space and time. Many spiritual teachings claim that time is not absolute but relative, as alluded to in the classical story of Sufi master Shahab-el-Din and the Sultan of Egypt: Sheikh Shahab el-Din was able to induce, it is said, the appearance of fruits, people and objects absolutely at will. It is related of him that he once asked the Sultan of Egypt to place his head in a vessel of water. Instantly the Sultan found himself transformed into a shipwrecked mariner, cast ashore in some totally unknown land. He was rescued by woodmen, entered the nearest town (vowing revenge against the Sheikh whose magic had placed him in this plight) and started work there as a slave. After a number of years he gained his free-

2

dom, started a business, married and settled down. Eventually, becoming impoverished again, he became a freelance porter, in an attempt to support his wife and seven children. One day, chancing to be by the seashore again, he dived into the water for a bathe. Immediately he found himself back in the palace at Cairo, again the King, surrounded by courtiers, with the grave-faced Sheikh before him. The whole experience, though it had seemed like years, had taken only a few seconds. (3) Certain miracles which involve the transcending of time and space dimensions may be based on an intuitive perception of the immediate needs and requirements of a situation: “When a Friend perceives that a wrong is to be righted, he will seek guidance as to the method and permission as to the propriety in a state of contemplation; then the necessary effect will follow instantly and continuously or subsequently and appropriately.” In Among t he Dervishes, O.M. Burke discussed the nature of inexplicable events which seem to transcend the boundaries of conventional time and space with a contemporary Sufi teacher: ‘Sheikh Abdul Kadir of Gilan,’ I said, ‘according to witnesses, once threw his slippers into the air during a Sufi meeting. Three days later a caravan arrived at his residence, and its members claimed that on that very day a pair of slippers, which they had with them, struck two bandits who were at that very moment robbing them, and this happening was so supernatural that it put the robbers to flight. Did this actually happen, or is the interpretation figurative, or is the whole story a fabrication?’ Arifa threw back her head and laughed. ‘The answer is really none of these things. But, to use your terms, the nearest we can get is to say that this thing could easily have happened. How it happened, and why, is something you understand through experience. And experience does not mean thinking out and explaining in words; but having these things happen to you. If you only knew it, such things are happening all the time to you. What you take as coincidence, or accident, very often is action: action taking place on a plane which is invisible to you. This does not mean that the illuminated Sufi sees and knows all: he or she only knows as much as is necessary for the time and the place.’ (4) Some spiritual traditions claim that an extra-sensory link exists between adepts past, present and future. This enables a spiritual teacher to communicate with fellow teachers and students at long distances and across time. Traditional belief also credits spiritual masters with powers such as instantaneous transportation from one location to another and the ability to see vast distances. Adepts are said to “be able to appear and disappear, cast their words and ideas for countless miles and survey the earth from great heights.” One of the wonders attributed to certain mystical masters is the ability to travel through space and fly enormous distances in view of witnesses on the ground. According to tradition, the Naqshbandi Sufi teacher Sayed Amam Ali Shah was reputed to appear at different places before different groups of people at the same time. Similar events are recounted in Taoist and Tibetan Buddhist teachings: 3

In addition to the non-existence of time, space plays little part in preventing the Sufi adept from travelling where he will. Transportation of many of the most famous Sufi teachers is said to have been a common event. Sufis have been seen at the same time in places many thousands of miles apart. Sheikh Abdul-Qadir – one of the most celebrated saints of Sufism – was believed to have travelled thousands of miles ‘in a flash,’ in order to be present at the funeral of some fellow adept. (5)

Alteration of Physical Reality

The reputed control of physical phenomena by spiritual adepts includes a wide range of abilities and manifestations: •

One of the consequences of inner development and spiritual illumination is said to be the ability “to move bodies outside their own mass and to penetrate physical objects under paradoxical circumstances.”

•

Reports of telekinesis (defined as movement in a body seemingly independent of action from any physical cause) are frequent in the esoteric literature and oral traditions.

•

Accounts of spiritual masters transforming one element or object into another and melting metals without heat also exist. Eastern esoteric tradition holds that the transmutation of metals was performed mentally by “the concentrative ability of a suitably ripe mystical intellect.”

•

The ability to dematerialize objects or project them over immense distances is another supernatural phenomenon reported in the mystical literature of many traditions.

•

Certain adepts were said to glow with a greenish light. The name of the Sufi master Hadrat Nuri means ‘light’ because it was reported that while teaching he shone in the dark.

•

Some spiritual masters reputedly were able to walk upon the surface of water. The most famous of these, of course, was Jesus. There are also accounts of Qadiri dervishes having been observed walking on water and the disciples of the Sufi master Pir Turki were supposedly able to make heavy objects float on water.

An unusual wonder attributed to the female Sufi Rabia occurred when a string of onions suddenly fell from the sky after she mentioned that she had no vegetables in the house: A large number of other miracles are reported of the best-known woman Sufi, Rabia al-Adawiya, in the eighth century. Using the formula La-illaha-illa-allah

4

(‘There is no God save Allah, the One’), she is reputed to have made fires without wood, obtained food without leaving her house, and been supernaturally supplied with sufficient gold for her needs. She was sold as a slave early in her life. One day her master said that he once noticed that a lamp seemed suspended above her, yet without support of any kind. This experience so troubled him that he immediately set her free, without saying anything to anyone. (6) There are also accounts of spiritual teachers changing their physical appearance: “There are innumerable reports of teachers appearing taller, shorter, fatter, thinner, with or without beards – in fact, like completely different people – from one moment or one person to the next. Two or more people will be found, again and again, saying that a certain master looked like this, while others who saw him at the same time will give conflicting descriptions.” The Russian philosopher P.D. Ouspensky recounts an event of “transfiguration” in which his teacher Gurdjieff appeared to alter his physical appearance in front of a number of his students: A very interesting event took place in connection with his departure. This happened at the railway station. We were all seeing him off at the station. G. was standing talking to us on the platform by the carriage. He was the usual G. we had always known. After the second bell he went into the carriage – his compartment was next to the door – and came to the window. He was different! In the window we saw another man, not the one who had gone into the train. He had changed during those few seconds. It is very difficult to describe what the difference was, but on the platform he had been an ordinary man like anyone else, and from the carriage a man of quite a different order was looking at us, with a quite exceptional importance and dignity in every look and movement, as though he had suddenly become a ruling prince or a statesman of some unknown kingdom to which he was travelling and to which we were seeing him off. Some of our party could not at the time clearly realize what was happening but they felt and experienced in an emotional way something that was outside the ordinary run of phenomena. All this lasted only a few seconds . . . G. had explained to us earlier that if one mastered the art of plastics one could completely alter one’s appearance. He had once said that one could become beautiful or hideous, one could compel people to notice one or one could become act ually invisible. (7)

Telepathy

In ancient times, so-called simple or primitive people, such as the Australian aborigines, the Lapps of Finland and North and South American Indian tribes, would regularly communicate with each other telepathically at a great distance. Tradition also holds that many initiates of inner esoteric teachings can recognize each other by direct perception and communicate across time and space.

5

Refined abilities such as telepathy are said to work with the ‘finer qualities’ of existence by contacting the ‘essence’ of a person or situation. The need produces the result. Sporadic and occasional manifestations of telepathic ability are regarded as the initial stirrings of new, evolutionary ‘organs of perception.’ It has been hypothesized that there is a relationship between telepathy, hypnotism and magnetism, although their action may exist on different levels or scales and modes of transmission. Gurdjieff explored this possibility in talks with his students: Magnetism, hypnosis and telepathy are phenomena of the same order. The action of magnetism is direct; the action of hypnotism is at a short distance through the atmosphere; telepathy is action at a greater distance. Telepathy is analogous to the telephone or telegraph. In these, the connections are metal wires, but in telepathy they are the trail of particles left by man. A man who has the gift of telepathy can fill this trail with his own matter and thus establish a connection, forming as it were a cable through which he can act on a man’s mind. If he possesses some object belonging to a man, then, having thus established a connection, he fashions round this object an image and, acting upon it, thus acts on the man himself. (8) Many spiritual teachers develop unusual telepathic powers enabling them to read minds and gain knowledge at a distance. Some are believed “to maintain a telepathic contact with ‘past, present and future’ teachers, and giving them the means to project their message, through his teachings.” Individuals with telepathic ability are sometimes called ‘heart spies.’ The Sufi Nuri was called ‘Spy of the Heart’ because of his capacity to read the minds and thoughts of others. An interesting first-hand account of the occurrence of telepathic communication is reported by Ouspensky in an unusual event involving Gurdjieff: And with this the miracle began. I can say with complete assurance that G. did not use any kind of external methods, that is, he gave me no narcotics nor did he hypnotize me by any of the known methods. It all started with my beginning to hear his t hought s . . . I noticed that among the words which he was saying to us there were “thoughts” which were intended for me. I caught one of these thoughts and replied to it, speaking aloud in the ordinary way. G. nodded to me and stopped speaking. There was a fairly long pause. He sat still saying nothing. After a while I heard his voice inside me as it were in the chest near the heart. He put a definite question to me. I looked at him; he was sitting and smiling. His question provoked in me a very strong emotion. But I answered him in the affirmative. “Why did he say that?” asked G., looking in turn at Z. and Dr. S. “Did I ask him anything?” And he at once put another still more difficult question to me in the same way as before. And I again answered it in a natural voice. Z. and S. were visibly astonished at what was taking place, especially Z. This conversation, if it can be called a conversation, proceeded in this fashion for not less than half an hour. (9)

6

In certain spiritual communities subtle transformative energies and refined teachings may be directly transmitted to a receptive group by means of telepathic communication: Exercises and studies help to develop finer organs of perception. This is the first part of study. The second part is to be in circumstances in which that which is to be perceived is more richly present . . . The third part is equally important. It consists of the direct transmission and reception, from one body to another, of communications which are too fine to be perceived by the ordinary methods . . . Direct transmission can be called a telepathic communication from an individual or a group, acting as an amplifier for a certain original Truth, capable of transmitting to a less-developed individual or group. This is one of the functions of a teaching individual or teaching group. Such people or groups are ultimately dependent upon the existence of a correctly aligned and harmonized ‘receiving group’ for their operation to be successful. In addition to ‘projecting’ upon such groups, they can, however, affect people and groups which have a certain harmony but may be unaware of the source of their ‘inspiration.’ (10) The process of mind-reading or telepathy cannot be forced or artificially induced. In fact, these psychological postures actually impede mind-to-mind transmission. One seeker describes his experience with this phenomenon in a contemporary spiritual community: I am in no doubt that a large degree of extra-sensory perception is in operation. People anticipate one’s questions and even one’s actions. For instance, several times when I wanted a glass of water, someone brought me one; when I wanted to post a letter, stamps were brought; when I was thinking of a book, it was produced for me. But there is one striking factor which cannot be categorized in the present state of knowledge: people w ho ‘read one’s mind’ only did so w hen one w as not expect ing it . Again and again, if I thought of something deliberately, to see whether it would communicate to someone else in the community, this simply did not work. But, as soon as I stopped trying, especially if I had ‘real thoughts’ (as distinct from thoughts only designed to test ESP) – the ‘mind reading’ would commence again. (11) There are also suggestions that mental energy possessing ‘finer’ qualities may be projected by accomplished initiates to subtly influence the larger human community: “Human thought in certain ranges passes directly, without vocalization, from individuals and groups into the whole human race. The effect may be all the more effective for its being frequently unperceived by the ordinary perceptions.” It has been suggested that telepathy is used not only as a communication method, but is also employed to influence people and events by stimulating or inhibiting certain human activity: Sufi telepathic powers are used on a world-wide scale in such a way as t o discredit t he idea t hat t elepat hy is possible. We became convinced that controlled telepathy is possible and is used, in fact, as a practical communication system 7

between individual Sufis and their group leader and also between different Sufi groups. It is also used to obtain information from people and places which it is impracticable to contact in any other way. Telepathy is within the range of existing human mental powers, but for reasons concerned with the overall evolutionary situation of mankind, it is vital that this should not be realized at the present time – or indeed within the foreseeable future. Among Sufis, telepathy is invaluable as a means of communicating certain kinds of knowledge more efficiently than is possible by any other means . . . The Sufis hold that a form of telepathy can influence plants, minerals and inanimate objects in such a way as to help or hinder projects which would be advantageous or otherwise to mankind from the standpoint of the Sufi mandate. We were told categorically that telepathic powers are currently used, and have been used through the whole of historical time, to influence human cultures in such a way that a tension and rivalry is maintained. This offsets natural inertia and ensures that cultures attain their norm of productivity over an historical period. (12)

Clairvoyance and Prescience

Clairvoyance, sometimes called ‘clear sight’ or ‘second sight,’ is the ability to receive information from a distance, beyond the reach of the ordinary senses. Prescience or precognition is defined as foreknowledge perceived about future events, where the information could not be inferred by ordinary means. These abilities are widely credited to spiritual adepts from many traditions, although they are considered as secondary by-products of inner development. O.M. Burke, who travelled extensively in the East, recounts his experience with one teacher: Going with him several times on long walks, which he embarked upon without any prior notice whatsoever, I realized that he spent a great deal of his time in silent communion and commemoration (called Zikr ) and that this had become almost second nature to him. He often showed small signs of a sense of perception which is repeatedly mentioned in Sufi writings as a sign of ‘saintship,’ but which could not have been noted except by an attentive disciple or someone else very close to him. One day, for instance, he picked up a cooking-pot and took it on a walk on which I accompanied him. Stopping at a poor small house he saluted the occupant and handed her the pot. The old woman was amazed. She said that she had just broken the earthen dish in which she cooked. Again, he handed me a box of matches when I had come out without any, in spite of the fact that I could not be sure that he realized that I had left them at home. It should be mentioned that he could not have observed that I brought some with me, for I had met him in his garden, on the way from my quarters to his. I mentioned these small indications to him. But he would not discuss them, merely saying, “Would you make me a saint, and rob me of the power of becoming ?” (13)

8

One of the more unusual cases of clairvoyance reported in the literature of Zen initiates involves the ability to read and speak foreign languages which are entirely unknown to the person performing the feat: A Japanese sennin (“yogi”) called Tomekichi found himself in the company of a foreign missionary in Tokyo. Neither spoke the other’s language and pantomime having failed to convey much abstract conversation, the sennin closed his eyes for a moment and then proceeded to expound his viewpoint in fluent English. The missionary was dumbfounded and, it appeared, so was the sennin , for he was totally ignorant of English and “on coming out of his temporary trance could not speak or understand a word. Nor had he any memory of the speech he had just made.” [In another case] an educated modern Japanese called Kaneda who earns his living as a schoolteacher is in the habit of acting as interpreter at scientific conferences where papers have been submitted by foreign scientists in their own language. Though quite ignorant of the language involved, Kaneda gives an immediate translation of the content. (14) The clairvoyant and prescient abilities ascribed to certain spiritual teachers often play an important role in their teaching function. The correct use of these faculties enables them to make skilful use of the possibilities which lie ahead: “This is why so many good people and saints in so many cultures are credited with this power of prescience. They can see what is going to happen. That is why they do not do destructive things. That is why they can do things which are likely to be good. Knowledge of the future makes man good. The most important step in this direction is to develop the capacity for prescience.” One of the traditional procedures used by Sufis of all branches, involves obtaining information of things past, present and future by a form of divination. This capacity continually influences the behaviour of a Sufi teacher and explains some of the apparent “rationality” with which Sufi leaders are taxed. When he acts in a way which appears to be unrelated to the problem at hand, it may be because he has, by instant perception, seen the matter in added dimensions. He sees the past of the incident and by looking into the future sees the effect which would be produced by various alternative actions on his part. The Sufi master is able to achieve the end result instantaneously and even while carrying on an ordinary conversation. (15) Certain esoteric schools sometimes make use of simple methods or ‘tests’ which can ascertain an individual’s potential for precognitive ability: During the Delhi meetings, we were given what were described as ‘a useful tool’ for measuring potential in this respect. The technique involves asking someone apparently innocent questions, to which one knows the answers, to test whether he or she has perceptive capacity. It may even be developed through constant practice. As an example, you may ask someone, as if you did not know, “Which of these eggs do you imagine is fresher?” or “Has Smith ever played tennis?”, and so 9

on. I was present when a test like this was made and I discovered an interesting fact. Some people did in fact score higher and higher in such ‘guesses,’ but if I found myself becoming excited, the performance of the person being tested would rapidly drop. (16) The ability to know or predict the future is very much dependent upon a person’s current psychological condition and state of inner development. Gurdjieff provides a useful perspective on this matter: In order to know the future it is necessary first to know the present in all its details, as well as to know the past. Today is what it is because yesterday was what it is. And if today is like yesterday, tomorrow will be like today. If you want tomorrow to be different, you must make today different. If today is simply a consequence of yesterday, tomorrow will be a consequence of today in exactly the same way . . . In practice, in order to study the future one must learn to notice and to remember the moments when we really know the future and when we act in accordance with this knowledge. Then judging by results, it will be possible to demonstrate that we really do know the future. This happens in a simple way in business, for instance. Every good commercial businessman knows the future. If he does not know the future his business goes smash. In work on oneself one must be a good businessman, a good merchant. And knowing the future is worthwhile only when a man can be his own master. (17)

Unusual M ental Phenomena

Spiritual illumination often confers new mental powers enabling an individual to learn more quickly and act more effectively in the world than a normal person. One of the concomitants of the attainment of higher states of consciousness is the capacity to acquire, through insight and direct awareness, knowledge which otherwise could be attained only through intensive and prolonged work. This is sometimes called “instant learning through holistic methods.” Certain spiritual masters are said to be capable of influencing events and happenings, and even the minds of others, in a totally inexplicable manner. People reported that the Sufi teacher Sayed Imam Ali Shah appeared to them in dreams, giving them important knowledge concerning their physical and spiritual well-being. According to tradition, some spiritual masters are able to make people come to them merely through an effort of will. Power over plants, trees, birds, animals and other natural phenomena have been attributed to certain realized beings, including St. Francis of Assisi. The great Sufi mystic Najmuddin Kubra was reputed to exercise an uncanny influence on animals by means of thought projection.

10

It is possible to induce an individual to externalize their inner thoughts and feelings by the application of certain concentration techniques, in order to reveal their character and the operation of the secondary, conditioned self: If there is in fact a capacity to project images directly into another person’s mind, this may account for the ability of Sufis, again witnessed countless times, to alter people’s behaviour. This is sometimes called ‘bringing out the real character’ of the individual. It may show you what this person is really like. It may be better or worse than the image which you have of an individual. It is said to be used for teaching purposes, and is as if the Sufi can interrupt or disturb, and replace the working of the mind, as an electromagnetic wave might interfere with the sound from a radio or the picture from a television. (18) There is an unusual mental capacity called ‘direct reading,’ which can be developed through training. “This is the process of adopting many of the muscular characteristics of someone else, and then checking what thoughts go through the mind when one has assumed the musculature of the other person.” A related phenomenon, referred to as ‘direct perception,’ involves obtaining knowledge of a higher order directly, without the necessity of a traditional approach or study: What is called direct perception is one of the possible powers of developed man, but, unlike, for example, clairvoyance and telepathy, it is not known in the West in the form practised by Sufis and the literature of Western occultism does not offer a convenient label. It involves making mental contact with another “whole,” material or otherwise, and “reading” it so as to obtain knowledge of its nature, past, present, or future. This knowledge is called “direction” by Sufis and is “read” in a form that accords with the cultural images and idioms of the percipient, not the subject. One major use of the procedure is to verify the truth and relevance of traditional Sufi teaching material so that the process of Sufic influences on man is kept continuously renewed, active and effective. Direct perception, it is claimed, cannot be significantly developed in a pupil below a certain level of capacity and cannot be developed in an individual who has aspects of his nature which makes him unworthy to serve humanity. (19) A form of advanced mental activity exists in which a sensitive person can pick up the pattern of an individual’s thinking by using a third party as a channel or intermediary. For example, “with unconscious mind reading, when you have a conversation with someone, it is possible – and it often happens – that the choice of events dealt with corresponds with a pattern in someone else’s mind. This ability is sometimes of great value in diagnosing someone’s mental condition and hence prescribing treatment for a condition which blocks the learning process.” Then there is the matter of ‘using other people’s conversations’ for sending and especially for receiving, messages and information. The method derives from the 11

contention that virtually everyone has telepathic and presciental faculties which enables them to discuss matters and to answer questions without being consciously aware that this is what they are doing. In this ‘unconscious mediumism’ people may have been ostensibly discussing, say, football, but the structure of the conversation (known technically as its ‘equivalence’) may be dealing with, say, international affairs. (20) One form of thought transference is based on the ability to switch attention. “One can identify with and detach from another person so completely as to feel and see as if one does it by means of, or through the other individual.” Q: May I have an example of one such technique? A: One of the most useful is the fact that you may ‘pick up’ from another person, without his being aware that you are doing so, or that he can do it, information which is being received by his mind. To clarify: there may be a subject of mutual interest in which someone is asking you questions, and you may get the answer because you can register his awareness of the answer, while he cannot himself do so. Q: Is this something like ‘mediumship’? A: Only very slightly like it, because in the case of ‘mediumship’ generally investigated in the West, there is a great deal of belief that messages are coming from the dead, and also too much inefficiency; for example, the ‘messages’ are more often than not completely banal and serve only social purposes. Q: Do you mean that there is a great deal of information ‘in the air’ and that this can be obtained through meetings of people, and that people are almost always unaware of this? A: Yes. Q: What prevents people making use of this technique? A: The same thing that prevents people from understanding and using ‘mediumistic’ procedures. In the first place, they are emotionally attracted and are taking social satisfactions from the situation, which prevents it working accurately; in the second they cannot detach their ‘greed’ and self-centeredness from it, so they only want things which they desire. They do not want information or experience for its own sake. So people should approach this matter more sincerely and genuinely. (21)

12

Early or Primitive M agic

Anthropological and other research suggests that some form of magical thinking and practice has been present in most of the world’s cultures since the dawn of recorded history and, most likely, far pre-dating that period. “The capacity to look beyond the tangible world, to seek out invisible connections and relationships between things and to spot the essential quality that unified them quickly bore fruit. Early man soon developed a system of ‘magical’ thinking and sought to apply it to improve his lot. Thus, at the very birth of human history, magic and technology went hand in hand.” Magic attempts to break through the normal physical limitations of the world in order to connect the power of the human mind with higher forces and energies. The emotional state and level of concentration of the practitioner’s mind forms part of the magical operation. “Magic implicitly accepts that there is a special power of the mind, heightened under emotionally charged conditions, which may be harnessed.” The laws of magic are based on the principle that a ‘bridge’ or ‘conduit’ may be created between objects or actions which are similar to each other through the application of human will and intention (sympathetic magic). One of the fundamental rules of magic is that ‘like may influence like’: A belief in magic may be said to be a belief that there is an invisible force, or forces, which govern nature and which obey a series of rules. Magic resembles science, in that the magician assumes he can make use of these forces in a set manner, irrespective of whether he intends to exert them for good or for evil. So, rather like the force of, say, electricity, magic will react constantly under given conditions . . . The fundamental assumptions of magic – that there may be more to the world than we can immediately perceive and that mankind may harness even what he cannot see – form part of the bedrock of our civilisation today. Indeed, modern science owes an enormous debt to the efforts of the magical pioneers, who sought to find out more about the world around them, through what amounted to a series of experiments. The principles upon which magic is said to operate have remained remarkably stable since prehistoric man first daubed the walls of his cave with depictions of the prey he wished to kill. The most basic form, often known as sympat het ic magic, looks for associations between things. One factor that emerges again and again is the idea that objects we see around us are linked by a kind of invisible network of connections, which may in turn have links to other unseen dimensions. When such a connection is established or recognised, an immense power lies in the hands of the magical practitioner: he may exert an influence on one object or action by means of another. These may be two things that can be made or seen to resemble one another: like the outline of the prey on the wall of the cave which mimics the animals themselves. (22)

13

The assumption by most scientists that magic simply can’t work is being re-evaluated by those who are more open-minded and willing to entertain the possibility that human beings and the world around us can be influenced by the power of our minds to a greater extent than commonly believed: “What would happen if we began with the idea that these beliefs and practices must have worked in some sense; if we indicated that we can no longer accept the notion that those who hold to them are irrational?” It is important to approach so-called ‘primitive magic’ with fresh eyes in order to understand the phenomenon more clearly. “Science today may need to be more scientific; to examine what it has shied away from examining, to discover, as far as possible with scientific methods, what may or may not lie behind patterns of thought which on some level or other, are shared by almost everyone on the globe.” From the most convoluted magical ritual, to the stream of magical thinking which survives in our own lives, all follow the same underlying current. That current has flowed unbroken from the days our stone-age ancestors first daubed their cave walls with the images of the animals they wished to catch. Magic offers advantages and benefits on many levels. Without hazarding any opinion on the validity of its tenets, at its crudest magical thinking opens the mind to the possibility of factors beyond the everyday world. Importantly, it also introduces the idea that we may do something about that which we do not wholly understand, to break through barriers, to ‘find out.’ As such, it is a valuable precursor to science. However, with all patterns of human thought, there is a point at which what began as a survival advantage may outlive its usefulness. If one is in the grip of constant superstition, or fear of unseen ‘magical’ forces, or witchcraft or malignant spells, one will no longer be able to operate at an optimum level . . . Today, most of us use magical thinking at some time or other – even if we call it only the power of ‘positive thinking,’ ‘willpower’ and suchlike. Many superstitions, whatever their outward form, owe their durability and attractiveness to the fact that they tap into the current of magical thinking; touching wood, for example, implies that there are forces which may both influence and be influenced by actions on our part. The emotional content of such magical residue makes it addictive and difficult to unseat. Magical thinking may influence our everyday lives much more than we are willing to recognize and admit. If we – just as much as the overt practitioners of magic – could spot the mechanism at work, we could better judge how much of it is useful and productive and how much is not. (23)

Healing

The power of certain adepts to control physiological processes in a seemingly ‘supernatural’ manner has been recorded in many different cultures throughout history. There are accounts of shamans who could render themselves insensitive to pain and control the flow of blood. Tibetan Buddhist lamas have been observed generating an ‘inner heat’ that defies explanation: 14

“They can sit in the intense cold with only a sheet to cover them and even if the cloth is soaked in water they can make it evaporate.” Observers have noted that incisions made in the flesh by Rifai dervishes stopped bleeding with inexplicable rapidity and that wounds healed without any scars in a very short period of time. In virtually every spiritual tradition there are reports of teachers relieving pain, healing wounds and curing disease. The ability of mystics to heal is held to be a secondary by-product of inner development and not the primary manifestation of their knowledge and being: “In traditional mysticism, saints did not become saints because they were healers; they became healers because they were saints.” Healing may involve the laying-on of hands, visualizations, the use of sound and colour, the repetition of sacred words or phrases or the application of spiritual force (Baraka ). A vivid account of healing through the transmission of subtle energy from one person to another is provided by Fritz Peters, a pupil of Gurdjieff: I remember being slumped over the table when I began to feel a strange uprising of energy within myself – I stared at Gurdjieff, automatically straightened up, and it was as if a violent, electric blue light emanated from him and entered into me. As this happened, I could feel the tiredness drain out of me, but at the same time his body slumped and his face turned grey as if it was being drained of life. I looked at him, amazed, and when he saw me sitting erect, smiling and full of energy, he said quickly: “You all right now – I must go” . . . I was convinced then that he knew how to transmit energy from himself to others; I was also convinced that it could only be done at great cost to himself. It also became obvious within the next few minutes that he knew how to renew his energy quickly, for I was equally amazed. when he returned to the kitchen to see the change in him; he looked like a young man again, alert, smiling, full of good spirits. (24) The ability of certain individuals to influence the minds and bodies of others through inexplicable means is a mystery to modern science. The power of the mind to heal is sometimes allegorized as the ‘Philosopher’s Stone’ in the ancient teachings of spiritual alchemy. “The function of the Philosopher’s Stone is to act as a universal medicine or elixir. When the mind of the healer is concentrated and transformed in a certain way (salt, mercury and sulphur combined), the result is the Stone (power or force). This Stone, which is the source and essence of life itself, is now projected upon the patient, who recovers.” One of the common ingredients of many spiritual healing practices is the use of concentration techniques and inner preparation before the process of healing commences in order to develop and project the power of baraka (blessing, grace). These and other exercises such as the repetition of words (mant ras or dhikrs) are applied to ‘clear’ the individuality and enhance the interaction of minds during the healing process:

15

Dhikrs are usually said during the hours of darkness. When a supernatural result is desired, the dhikr must dwell upon some facet of the Divine power allied to the

effect to be accomplished. Thus, when a Sufi wishes to cure illness, he prepares himself by repeating a dhikr consisting of the Name of God which denotes healing. By this means the Sufi intends to collect in his mind a tremendous potential of mental force associated with healing. This he projects toward the object of his attention, at the same time concentrating upon the desired result. (25) The use of sound and colour in spiritual healing has long been accepted in many cultures. Certain sounds and colours, when perceived or visualized, have an effect not only on the physical body but also on the emotional and spiritual planes. Each colour and sound has its own vibration and frequency and affects specific organs of the body. “Each organ in our body is a vibration. All the organs in our body are like a symphony of sounds. When the organ loses its precise vibration, then it is ill.” Spiritual healing is based on the premise that the human body has a natural ability to heal itself. This organic process is aptly illustrated by an analogy: “When the lion is sick, he eats of a certain shrub and cures himself. He does this because the illness has an affinity for a certain plant, or for the essence of it. The cure is always known to the disease.” The healer understands that the body is intrinsically healthy and uses developed intuition to prescribe a ‘treatment’ to restore the body-mind to its original state of balance, harmony and health. Physician and spiritual teacher Jean Klein: Let the body be the body. The body has an organic memory of health. You have the proof of this in the fact that when you cut your finger, it heals within a week. The body evidently knows precisely how to heal itself. Q: Then the natural state of the body is pure health? A: Yes. There may be some momentary disturbances, but the fundamental state of the body is health. The true physician embodies total health because he is health. He helps health heal the body by going with it. Many modern medical techniques or medicines oppose health in viewing the body as an enemy. There must not be any violence. It is important for you to regard your body as a friend who knows perfect health. (26) The power of consciousness acts as a catalyst to assist healing, through pure awareness acting as a ‘solvent’ which purifies and transforms the body-mind: Q: Can I cure myself of a serious illness by merely taking cognizance of it? A: Take cognizance of the whole of it, not only of the outer symptoms. All illness begins in the mind. Take care of the mind first, by tracing and eliminating 16

all wrong ideas and emotions. Then live and work disregarding illness and think no more of it. With the removal of causes the effect is bound to depart. Man becomes what he believes himself to be. Abandon all ideas about yourself and you will find yourself to be the pure witness, beyond all that can happen to the body or the mind. (27) True health can only exist when we realize our real nature and a feeling of unity with the whole: “Life and death, health and illness are one. The true face of the universe includes all things in it – good, bad, life, death, health, illness – all of it. Healers do not heal us. The healing is already there in the wholeness. And the real goal of healing is to help the person in need of healing to be aware of this.” The wish to purify the body really reflects a subconscious longing for Self-fulfillment. But many get bogged down in physical health and it becomes an end in itself; they never go beyond a concern with the body to achieve true spiritual emancipation. Awakening implies the dropping of body and mind . . . The spiritually healthy person is one who has seen into the true nature of things, and is able to creatively adapt to his environment – that is, to respond freely and fully to changing circumstances without anxiety. Ultimately, behind all chronic illness lies spiritual dis-ease. The gnawing sense of unfulfillment sickens the body, and a sick body makes a perturbed mind sicker. (28) The relationship between the healer and patient is crucial in the process of healing. Jean Klein: “A real doctor can see more or less immediately where the illness arises, but he questions his patients as if he didn’t know. He asks a lot of questions because he knows that the patient, in order to answer the questions, must look at his illness objectively, and in this there is some distance from the illness. It is this distancing which is the beginning of healing.” Physical illness is often created by psychological problems which produce physical reactions. The structure of the conditioned personality acts as a barrier to the natural flow of life within us. The result of this opposition and disharmony is illness and malfunction. “Every illness is a reaction, so it is important for the patient to first accept the illness, not as a concept but as a percept. In accepting it you don’t feed the illness any more. Functionally accepting and living with it is the only way to healing.” The very word, the idea of illness already predisposes you to being ill, creates it even. As soon as we classify our sensations into categories so as to name them, our imagination, charged with emotion, already very vivid in this field, feeds what we could call a malfunction. You should never name this malfunction, for this only feeds the imagination and confirms your illness. This in itself prolongs the malfunction. In my view malfunction is a signpost. The best way to bring a malfunction to an end on either the physical or psychological plane is not to refuse the sensation, the perception. You must accept it but this does not mean accepting it orally or psychologically both of which are a kind of fatalism. Accept it to17

tally, actively. Acceptance is lucid, watchful awareness in which all the facts are seen. It is this acceptance of the facts of the situation that brings about the cure. When you live in acceptance, illness no longer has any substance, and you have then the greatest possible chance of getting better. Non-acceptance prevents all possibility of a cure being brought about. So the first thing a doctor must do is instill in the patient the correct attitude so that he can live with himself. Clear seeing of all the elements of the situation comes when there is no involvement in the perception, when it is seen objectively. This un-involvement is the first step toward freeing ourselves. It is only when all the facts have been seen that creative action occurs. In acceptance intelligence and right action appear. Acceptance liberates all potential. (29)

References

(1) Dean Radin The Conscious Universe (New York: HarperCollins, 1997), p. 3. (2) Idries Shah A Perfumed Scorpion (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 91-92. (3) Idries Shah Orient al M agic (New York: Arkana Books, 1993), pp. 61-62. (4) O.M. Burke Among t he Dervishes (London: Octagon Press, 1984), p. 63. (5) Idries Shah Orient al M agic (New York: Arkana Books, 1993), p. 74. (6) Idries Shah Orient al M agic (New York: Arkana Books, 1993), p. 82. (7) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of t he M iraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), pp. 324-325. (8) G.I Gurdjieff View s from t he Real W orld: Early Talks of Gurdjieff (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1973), pp. 212-213. (9) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of t he M iraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), p. 262. (10) Idries Shah Know ing How t o Know (London: Octagon Press, 1998), pp. 73-74. (11) Hoda Azizian “Observation of a Sufi School” in Idries Shah (ed.) Sufi Thought and Act ion (London: Octagon Press, 1990), p. 130. (12) Ernest Scott The People of t he Secret (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 202-204. (13) O.M. Burke Among t he Dervishes (London: Octagon Press, 1984), p. 176. (14) Ernest Scott The People of t he Secret (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 211-212. (15) Ernest Scott The People of t he Secret (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 205-206. (16) H.B.M. Dervish Journey W it h a Sufi M ast er (London: Octagon Press, 1982), p. 128. (17) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of t he M iraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), pp. 100-101. (18) Franz Heidelberger “Time Spent Among Sufis” in Idries Shah (ed.) Sufi Thought and Act ion (London: Octagon Press, 1990), p. 104. (19) Ernest Scott The People of t he Secret (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 216. (20) H.B.M. Dervish Journey W it h a Sufi M ast er (London: Octagon Press, 1982), pp. 194-195. (21) Idries Shah Evenings w it h Idries Shah (London: Designist Communications, 1981), pp. 12-14. (22) “The Use of Omens, Magic and Sorcery for Power and Hunting” (Tunbridge Wells, England: The Institute for Cultural Research, 1998), pp. 4-5.

18

(23) “The Use of Omens, Magic and Sorcery for Power and Hunting” (Tunbridge Wells, England: The Institute for Cultural Research, 1998), pp. 20-21. (24) Fritz Peters Gurdjieff Remembered (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1971), p. 82. (25) Idries Shah Orient al M agic (New York: Arkana Books, 1993), p. 83. (26) Jean Klein The Ease of Being (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1986), p. 22. (27) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), p. 226. (28) Philip Kapleau Zen Daw n in t he W est (New York: Anchor Press, 1979), pp. 22-24. (29) Jean Klein I Am (Santa Barbara: Third Millennium Publications, 1989), pp. 129-130.

19

NATURE OF SUPERNATURAL PHENOM ENA

‘Your magic t alisman is pow erful, but are you a Solomon t o make it w ork?’ Proverb

Deception, Fraud and Deceit

There are many instances, both past and present, of bogus “spiritual masters” and others deceiving their audiences and playing upon the gullibility of the masses. Many apparent supernatural occurrences are actually due to works of deception, stealth and deceit. The accuracy of reports by observers of these so-called miraculous happenings may be compromised by such factors as fraud, misreporting, poor memory and imaginative elaboration. The first step in any assessment of supposed supernatural phenomena should be the elimination of the possibility of deception, trickery or cheating: Clearly one (or more) stage magicians are a helpful adjunct in exposing those frauds, and Randi, in a special report “Tests and Investigations of Three Psychics” shows how either the supposed psychics were actively involved in cheating, or else were unable to perform when conditions were really closely controlled. Of course this doesn’t prove that fraud is present in every such case, but the widespread exposure of so very many cases leads to the supposition that it would be prudent if it were to be anticipated at all. It is a sort of psychological version of Gresham’s law – an excess of fraudulent ‘psychics’ discredits any (presumptive) genuine ones. In fact the point of view may well be taken that if the outcome of a psychic performance can be replicated by a stage magician, or others, using ‘ordinary’ methods, then it should be presumed to be the result of trickery, even if actual cheating was not detected. And it is only a small step to take this a little further and claim that even if you don’t know how it is done, it should still be presumed to be by some sort of trickery. After all, how many, including other magicians, know how a particular stage trick is performed? And most scientists are unaware of the ingenious procedures of the professional trickster, and so can be easily caught out, particularly if they are one of those who subconsciously w ant to believe. (1) What may appear as a wonder or miracle may really be due to faulty assumptions, observation or misunderstanding. The result is an incorrect interpretation of events. Sufi teacher Idries Shah sounds a cautionary note when attempting to interpret a seemingly miraculous event or happening without a complete picture of the facts: Q: Why should we not accept that that miracles do occur, especially when we have the testimony of many reputable people that they have happened?

1

A: I am not denying that miracles occur. What you have to do is to be very sure that something is a miracle, and not the product of an imposture or a misunderstanding. (2) There are a number of descriptions in the spiritual literature detailing how “tricks” are performed which mimic actual supernatural abilities and can easily fool unaware audiences and observers. Gurdjieff trained his students to perform some of these “extraordinary” feats as a way of understanding the different levels of non-ordinary phenomena: We shall now present some of the so-called ‘supernatural phenomena’ studied at the Institute. Mr. Gurdjieff puts all such phenomena into three categories: tricks, semi-tricks, and real supernatural phenomena. As an example, let us take the well known one of finding a hidden object. Something is hidden without the knowledge of a person, who, though blindfolded, finds it, through holding the hand of a member of the audience. The audience believes that the finder reads the thoughts of the other person. It is deceived. A phenomenon really takes place without any trick on the part of the performer, but it has nothing in common with the transmission of thought. It is done through the reflection on our muscular system of our emotional experiences. Since there is a muscular reaction to every small vibration of the physical body, either by relaxation or contraction, it is possible with much practice to sense the most feeble vibrations, and these occur in the most stolid, even when the person is specially trying to subdue them. The hand which the blindfolded person holds responds unconsciously to the owner’s knowledge of the hiding place; its slight, almost imperceptible changes are a language which the medium interprets – consciously if he is versed in the secret, instinctively if he is ignorant of the law – and which leads him to guess where the object is hidden. Similar phenomena, produced through laws different from those to which they are ascribed and at the same time are not artificial in their essence, Gurdjieff calls semi-tricks. The third class of phenomena comprises those having as the basis of their manifestation laws unexplained by official science: real supernatural phenomena. (3)

False Experiences and Self-Deception

People who have partial or imagined paranormal experiences often falsely believe that they are genuine and meaningful. Other individuals are caught up in self-deception when they misinterpret certain events or influences in their lives which may originate from a higher level of reality: “Assistances come to worthy people, but carry with them the probability that such undeveloped individuals will ascribe them to wild and unlikely sources.” Magical exercises and procedures which are designed to elicit supernatural experiences are generally fragments, taken out of context, of an originally comprehensive system of inner development. When used for lower, subjective purposes they represent a deterioration of a real and effective spiritual teaching: 2

The magician who seeks to develop powers in order to profit by certain extraphysical forces is following a fragment of a system. Because of this, the warnings against the terrible dangers in magical dabbling or obsession are frequent, almost invariable. It is too often assumed that the practitioners imposed a ban on casual magic because they wanted to preserve a monopoly. From the longterm viewpoint it is far more evident that the practitioners themselves have an imperfect knowledge of the whole of the phenomena, some of whose parts they use. The “terrible dangers” of electricity are not dangers at all to the man who works continuously with electricity, and has a good technical knowledge. (4) When extrasensory abilities such as telepathy, telekinesis and clairvoyance are learned and exercised without a proper preparation and suitable context, the ability can actually turn against the practitioner and result in mental, emotional and physical problems. Scholar Ernest Scott, writing in The People of t he Secret , observed that “individuals and communities exist – generally unknown to the public – who possess telepathic and paranormal functions and use them for selfish ends. Although they have limited success temporarily, these people in the end destroy themselves and the destructive influence extends to their associates in proportion as they have been attracted by similar motivation.” It is possible to produce visions, hallucinations and other unusual experiences in certain people through changes in physiological functioning as a result of fasting, rhythmic breathing or intense physical movements. These experiences are invariably interpreted as spiritual in nature rather than the product of physiological modification and manipulation. Throughout history and across cultures human beings have reported various altered states of consciousness. In some cases these are genuine mystical experiences, and in certain instances may be accompanied by unusual states of an extra-dimensional nature, transcending time and space. But more often than not they are false or illusory. In The Sufis, Idries Shah describes an unusual phenomenon known as t ajalli , which is a form of emanation or ‘irradiation’ transmitted from one person to others: “Tajalli influences and affects everyone, though it is perceptible only to a few. A person, for instance, may find he is “in luck” or “does just the right thing,” or that he “cannot put a foot wrong.” This may be a consequence of accidental t ajalli.” The false t ajalli experienced by those who do not carry their development along in a balanced way may give rise to the conviction that it is a true mystical state, especially when it is found that supra-normal faculties seem to be activated in this condition. Sufis discriminate between this experience and the true one in two ways. Firstly, the teacher will at once identify the counterfeit state. Secondly, as a matter of self-investigation, it can always be discerned that the gains of perception are of no exact value. There may be, for instance, an access of intuition. One may know something about someone – thought reading is an example. But the actual function, the value of the ability to read thoughts, is nil. The person suffering from the false t ajalli will be able to report some fact or series of facts about someone else, indicating breakthrough of the limitations of time and 3

space. The test of the t ajalli to anyone who cannot instantly recognize that it is genuine is whether the “supernatural” perception is accompanied by a permanent increase in intuitive knowledge – the seeing of things as a whole, for instance; or the knowledge of the course which one’s self-development will take; or the course of that of another; or performing “wonders.” (5)

Emotionality and Sensation-Seeking

A common human tendency is to be fascinated by the miraculous and the supernatural. Wonders and miracles tend to impress those who are seeking excitement and sensational experiences. Individuals who concentrate on amazing things divert energy from higher human development to lower-level preoccupations: “A person who is attracted to a thing because of its sensation value is probably not ready for enlightenment.” Emotionality and excitement interfere with the subtle workings of supernatural forces and energies. As well, greed, feelings of self-importance and hypocrisy defeat the manifestations of paranormal capacities and abilities. Wonders and miracles are useless as instruments of inner development if they only impress emotionally or stimulate the imagination. “If a miracle acts only on the imagination, as with the crude mind, it will stimulate uncritical credulity or emotional excitement, or a thirst for more miracles, or a desire to understand miracles, or a onesided attachment to, even fear of, the person who is apparently responsible for the miracle.” One of the greatest barriers to the operation of extra-sensory abilities is emotional tension, often produced by strongly wanting something: Q: Why is it so often reported that people at times of emotional tension gain paranormal insights, and why do scientists, who are detached, not get results? A: People at times of emotional tension never have paranormal insights. They only get them (if they do under these circumstances) when they have worn out their emotional state, by over-running their emotions. At this point, they are temporarily without desires, and get flashes of perception. As for scientists, they get few or no results precisely because they are not detached: they want to produce results. This is important to them. And so they inhibit the appearance of the function, and disturb it in others. Their experimental subjects, too, are similarly in states of emotion which have the same effect. The process is described in the last book of Rumi’s M asnavi, where he speaks of man’s mind as a canal filled with rubbish, preventing him from reading thoughts. When the water has been cleansed, the reflection of what is beyond appears in it. ‘Indulgence,’ he says, ‘is the simile of the pouring of defilements into the water.’ These include fantasies and delusions, occupy the mind and prevent it from working properly. (6)

4

A student’s reactions to extra-dimensional phenomena are often observed in esoteric schools to see if their responses are emotion-based rather than calm, balanced and objective: Incidentally, these ‘powers’ are said to be used by the Sufis also to test the stability and condition of the student. People who are subjected to such experiences, either on themselves or seeing them happen to others, are observed by the Sufi, in order to ascertain if they are emotionally moved by the experience. If they are, the training stops until it is found that they can observe rather than be impressed. This technique is, of course, the reverse of that of the charlatan, who would use it if he could to impress, not to test and select those who did not respond. Many Sufi techniques are, be it noted, based on the conception of a ‘lack of response is better’ theme: a direct reversal of our customary way of looking at things. (7)

Science and the Supernatural

It is difficult to account for supernatural phenomena at the present stage of scientific knowledge. The preoccupation of the scientist or skeptic is to explain (or discredit) unusual or paranormal events in terms of existing scientific knowledge. The general scientific belief is that if something cannot be readily measured and understood from the viewpoint of conventional beliefs and ‘facts’ it not real or true. In order for scientific research on paranormal phenomena to yield valid results certain fundamental considerations and requirements must be met: “Under what conditions might these unusual experiences occur? To whom? Can people be trained to increase their perceptions? Are there more subtle research measures which might more consistently index these functions? Are there measures which might increase the yield?” The scientific study of parapsychology has been with us for over a century, without making any impression on the mainstream of psychology or physics. There are several reasons for this. Many orthodox scientists in psychology and related areas, as a function of their dominant paradigm, have consistently refused to consider any outside evidence. The great nineteenth century German physiologist Hermann Von Helmholz, for instance, wrote that “Neither the evidence of my own senses, nor the testimony of all of the Fellows of the Royal Society” would convince him of the truth of parapsychologic data . . . This inherent conservatism in human perception is at its peak in the scientific study of phenomena which are by definition unusual and challenging. Indeed, the claims of parapsychology are a distinct challenge to our contemporary psychological and physical world-views. If some people can perceive events before they “happen” (or at least before the remainder of us perceive them), if there are modes of interpersonal communication unknown to many, if people can influence actions or events at a distance greater than the range of normal influence, then perhaps we should revise our conception of hu-

5

man abilities, of seriality, of space and time, and of our conception of how events become manifest. Since the burden of documentation is on those who claim that these capacities exist, their contentions on the nature of the mind and the physical world should be accepted only after much evidence has been accumulated. (8) Reliance upon logic, rationality and the ordinary senses may be inadequate to properly evaluate and explain higher order experiences. “The more you try, the less you will understand because the way of understanding things used by the conventional mind cannot encompass this kind of thing at all.” The scientific understanding of the supernatural requires a certain flexibility of approach on the part of the scientific investigator: Q: Do you think that researchers will one day explain the physical basis of ESP, or do you think it will always elude them? A: If I say it will elude the scientists, it will annoy the people who are able to get enormous grants for research into ESP. But I think, yes, a great deal more can be discovered, providing the scientists are prepared to be good scientists. And by that I mean that they are prepared to structure their experiments successively in accordance with their discoveries. They must be ready to follow anomalies and not hew doggedly to their original working hypothesis. And they will certainly have to give up their concept of the observer being outside of the experiment, which has been their dearest pet for many years. (9) There are a number of preconditions or prerequisites involved in any approach or study of the supernatural. These include proper preparation, the understanding of certain ideas, and being in a suitable psychological state. The meaningful investigation of higher-order phenomena calls for an approach characterized by a “capacity for a critical observation indispensible to the study of real phenomena, which requires a perfectly impartial attitude and a judgment not burdened by pre-established beliefs.” The state of consciousness and level of being of the investigator are also of paramount importance: One thing I understood even then with undoubted clarity, was that no phenomena of a higher order, that is, transcending the category of ordinary things, observable every day, or phenomena which are sometimes called “metaphysical” can be observed or investigated by ordinary means in an ordinary state of consciousness, like physical phenomena. It is a complete absurdity to think that it is possible to study phenomena of a higher order like “telepathy,” “clairvoyance,” foreseeing the future, mediumistic phenomena, and so on, in the same way as electrical, chemical, or meteorological phenomena are studied. There is something in phenomena of a higher order which requires a particular emotional state for t heir observat ion and st udy. And this excludes any possibility of “properly conducted” laboratory experiments and observations. (10) 6

One of the most important considerations in the scientific study of paranormal phenomena is the mental attitude and psychological condition of bot h the subject and the experimenter. “If the experimenter is, say, too eager or excited, this could conceivably distract the subject in the experiment. We need to consider the character and mental attitudes of the subject and the experimenter as possibly essent ial elements in the enquiry. And unless they are known and controlled we cannot, in any case, claim that conditions for an experiment can be properly replicated.” It has been suggested that a certain degree of objectivity and disinterest is necessary to properly approach the study of supernatural phenomena: “People who are likely to be able to understand and develop capacities for ESP are more likely to be found among people who are not interested in the subject.” Certain psychological states and conditions (demand for attention, expectations and imagination) actually prevent the appearance and perception of supernatural occurrences: If we suppose that extra-sensory perception might be of the nature of a universal human potentiality, then it might be that the threshold for awareness is impossibly high in “noisy” persons, people so full of themselves that their attention is fully absorbed in themselves to the exclusion of other possible low level inputs. “Mental quietness” then becomes a prerequisite for ESP to operate. It can then be seen as a matter of access: if the brain is too busy, weak signals just don’t get through to our attention. (11) In order to properly understand the supernatural, the external observer needs to develop perceptions of a more refined nature rather than seek “explanations” in familiar terms. “The outside observer, especially if he is what is generally considered to be objective or educated, is heavily hampered when approaching this problem. His pressing need is to explain the phenomena in terms understood by him. He has no sense of duty to extend his own perceptions into the phenomena which he is investigating.” A man may think that he sees something which is not in fact there. He may also see something other than what is really there. How he sees it and what he sees will depend upon his own capacity of understanding. I am not now talking about deliberate deceit and conjuring tricks. To assume, just because a thing can be explained in rational terms, that this is the only explanation for it is not an absurdity in ordinary experience. But it is incorrect if one is living on a level where several different explanations are actually seen to be possible, in accordance with the quality of the percipient to profit by them. Modern science has not yet acquired this special refinement of differentiation – its dimensions are not sufficient for this purpose. (12) One of the most significant prerequisites for evaluating and understanding the supernatural is proper prior training and inner development of potential investigators: “The greatest barrier 7

preventing the objective study of the supernatural is the lack of scientists prepared to undergo the rigorous training necessary to become adepts.” The method which most people seem to adopt in their search for the answers to the questions implied in [supernatural phenomena] has usually been the same. This method is to seek out things which seem to indicate the supernatural. Then the phenomena are studied and attempts are made to create or duplicate these phenomena. Alternatively, people who seem to control or to be controlled by these phenomena, to whatever degree, are sought and followed. One moment’s thought would show the weakness of this method of approaching the supernatural phenomena. Ask yourself what method you have established that you are competent to judge either theories or so-called proofs. This has never been established. The method which you are using is to try to understand something by means of something which is not objective: your ordinary, or even abnormal mind . . . Few people in their right minds would attempt to discuss, or evaluate, nuclear physics without preparation for the task. Yet almost every human being feels that he can have a reasonable opinion about the supernatural. He asks for information, it is true, for phenomena, for tales and demonstrations. But he does not ask for basic training to enable him to understand. This is like the child who goes to school for the first time and expects to be taught a foreign language at an advanced level, without having any basic knowledge about the language, and what makes it up. (13) Scientific experiments which seek to verify the existence of extra-sensory phenomena are often designed a priori in such a way as to mitigate the possibility of obtaining meaningful results. The investigators invariably lack experiential knowledge of the practical workings of such phenomena: “The person who already knows how and why these things work will not attempt to structure the experiment in the way which is adopted by the ordinary experimentter.” The scientific requirements for ‘repeatable experiments’ and ‘controlled conditions’ may actually prevent the appearance and understanding of paranormal phenomena: “There are those who insist on repeatable experiments. But supposing another pitfall is that those who try for repeatable experiments are relying on a mechanism which itself frustrates the manifestation of what they are trying to produce? It is by no means unknown among members of authentic mystical schools that trying to force something is the best way to stop it happening.” It is certainly easier to investigate something if it can be repeated in a handleable form in the laboratory: but lack of such replication surely doesn’t remove it from the realm of legitimate investigation. Ball lightning is accepted as a valid phenomenon though we know little about it, and it certainly can’t be (yet) produced in the laboratory. The same can be said for falling meteorites, which appear on the scene at unpredictable intervals, not when we choose to call on them. It may be

8

that at some future time genuine ESP can be demonstrated reliably in a controlled setting, but if this can’t be done now that is surely no reason for discounting it. (14)

Unknow n Law s of Nature

Most scientists reject the possibility of paranormal experiences such as telepathy because there is no credible physical explanation which would account for them: Quite apart from being put off by widespread fraud, there is another reason why most scientists are unwilling to give credence to ESP – they don’t see “how it can work.” From one point of view this is almost a priori reasoning against ESP. It used to be the case that a scientist would investigate a new phenomenon and only later discover the mechanism operating therein. To ask for the mechanism first is like putting the cart before the horse . . . Einstein, for instance, while willing to be persuaded by adequate evidence, had reservations about ESP because, among other things, of the apparent invariance of the effect with distance. Physical forces with which we are familiar decay with distance, but ESP apparently does not. I think it might be constructive to note that a proper distinction can be made between the physical principle on which a phenomenon operates, and the effect produced . For example, I can transmit intelligence by talking, but those at the back of the room can understand me just as well as those in the front, even though the sound of my voice is much weaker at the back. I can make a trans-Atlantic telephone call just as effectively as one across town. So long as the net effect at the receiver is sufficiently above t he noise t hreshold the intelligence gets through no matter what the weakening with distance of the transmitted forces. (15) Extra-sensory or supernatural phenomena cannot be explained through conventional logic or currently understood laws of nature. Yet the possibility exists that future research may discover the ‘mechanism’ underlying these happenings: “If it is indeed true that, as knowledge grows, the frontier shifts between what is scientifically verifiable and what is assigned to the world of the spiritual or paranormal. Whether telepathy is regarded as more miraculous than television depends on the culture within which the observer is operating.” Supernatural events and actions may be explained by laws of nature that have not been identified and/or correctly understood by modern science. “Many so-called supernatural powers are in fact reflections of hitherto little understood forces, which may very possibly be harvested to individual and collective advantage.” Esoteric tradition avers that certain laws of nature which are responsible for supernatural and magical phenomena have been known to initiates of higher knowledge for many millennia:

9

These universal laws were known in very ancient times. We can come to this conclusion on the basis of historical events which could not have taken place if in the remote past men had not possessed this knowledge. From the most ancient times people knew how to use and control these laws of Nature. This directing of mechanical laws by man is magic and includes not only transformation of substances in the desired direction but also resistance or opposition to certain mechanical influences based on the same laws. People who knew these universal laws and how to use them are magicians. There is white and black magic. White magic uses knowledge for good, black magic uses knowledge for evil, for its own selfish purposes. Like Great knowledge, magic, which has existed from the most ancient times, has never been lost, and knowledge is always the same. Only the form in which this knowledge was expressed and transmitted changed, depending on the place and the epoch. (16) Although supernatural faculties may appear strange or unbelievable to most people, in fact they are but one aspect of a higher stage of inner development and being. What seems to be a miracle to one person is commonplace to an individual possessing greater knowledge and perception. In reality, miracles happen all the time, but most people are unaware of them. Ramana Maharshi: “People see things which are far more miraculous than the so-called siddhis [spiritual powers], yet do not wonder at them simply because they occur every day.” A Mulla Nasrudin story, taken from the Sufi tradition, provides an analogy which illustrates how supposedly supernatural powers may be the reflections of natural, ordinary abilities: A great many things are instantly obvious to the Sufi, which cannot be arrived at by the average man. An allegory is used to explain some of the amazing acts of Sufi initiates, based upon super-sensory powers. To the Sufi, these are no more miraculous than any of the ordinary senses are to the layman. Just how they work cannot be described, but a rough analogy can be drawn. “Mankind is asleep,” said Nasrudin, when he had been accused of falling asleep at court one day. “The sleep of the sage is powerful, and the ‘wakefulness’ of the average man is almost useless to anyone.” The King was annoyed. The next day, after a heavy meal, Nasrudin fell asleep, and the King had him carried into an adjoining room. When the court was about to rise, Nasrudin, still slumbering, was brought back to the audience chamber. “You have been asleep again,” said the King. “I have been as awake as I needed to be.” “Very well, then, tell me what happened while you were out of the room.” To everyone’s astonishment, the Mulla repeated a long and involved story that the King had been reciting. “How did you do it, Nasrudin?” “Simple,” said the Mulla; “I could tell by the expression on the face of the King that he was about to tell that old story again. That is why I went to sleep for its duration.” (17)

10

The average person is unequipped to understand the spiritual principles lying behind the manifestation of ‘supernatural’ events and actions. The inter-relationship between different levels of reality is generally hidden: There were miracles in continuous operation which humanity did not perceive through the senses, because they were undramatic. An example was a process whereby, against all probability, a man might gain or lose moral or material things in frequent succession. Sometimes these are called coincidences. All miracles were in fact coincidences – a series of things happening in a certain relationship to one another . . . All miracles have thus such a multifarious action on humanity that they cannot be performed except when needed, and generally develop as incidental happenings, and they cannot be diagnosed or defined because of the complexity of their nature. The nature of a miracle cannot be detached from its effect, because it would not be of any importance if a human being were not involved. (18) Miraculous powers which interact with physical reality are derived from a higher plane in which they are coherent and meaningful. What appears to the uninitiated as supernatural happenings may be the result of actions taking place on a higher, invisible level of reality: “All paranormal capacities, not understood by observers, are normal. They are simply working in a sphere which is not understood by those observers. This is because you have to be in it to know it.” The manifestations of the laws of one cosmos in another cosmos constitutes what we call a miracle. There can be no other kind of miracle. A miracle is not a breaking of laws, nor is it a phenomenon outside laws. It is a phenomenon which takes place according to the laws of another cosmos. These laws are incomprehensible and unknown to us, and are therefore miraculous. (19)

Functional and Instrumental Effects

Wonders and miracles have an active, developmental function that apply for a certain time and place, upon certain people. Different individuals will have different reactions to a supernatural event, ranging from excitement or confusion to calm acceptance and intuitive understanding: What is important is the function of miracles. Miracles may be destined to supply a part of the food which is an extra food, and may act upon the mind and even the body in a certain way. When this happens, the experience of the miracle will perform its due and proper function on the mind. This made the miracle something which could not be explained satisfactorily, because of the many different trains of thought which it prompted, different in every mind, and the many chains of effect

11

it caused, different in everybody . . . Miracles have a function, and that function operates whether they are understood or not. They have a true (objective) function. Hence miracles will in some people produce confusion, in others scepticism, in others fear, in others excitement, and so on. It is the function of the miracle to provoke reactions and supply nutriment; nutriment in this case which varies with the personality acted upon. In all cases the miracle is an instrument of both influence and assessment of the people acted upon. (20) The psychic powers which underlie the manifestation of supernatural phenomena are used with great care and only in certain circumstances by those who have attained Self-realization. Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj provides an informed perspective: Q: We are told that various Yogic powers arise spontaneously in a man who has realized his own true being. What is your experience in these matters? A: Man’s fivefold body (physical, etc.) has potential powers beyond our wildest dreams. Not only is the entire universe reflected in man, but also the power to control the universe is waiting to be used by him. The wise man is not anxious to use such powers, except when the situation calls for them. He finds the abilities and skills of the human personality quite adequate for the business of daily living. Some of the powers can be developed by specialized training, but the man who flaunts such powers is still in bondage. The wise man counts nothing as his own. When at some time and place some miracle is attributed to some person, he will not establish any causal link between events and people, nor will he allow any conclusions to be drawn. All happened as it happened because it had to happen; everything happens as it does, because the universe is as it is. (21) When spiritual powers are employed in a teaching situation they must be applied skilfully so as not to ensnare the student in secondary preoccupations and fixations: Zen practice is not about cultivating magic or special powers. Zen means attaining everyday mind; it is not about cultivating special practices. Yet there are stories about Zen masters sometimes using this special energy to hit their students’ minds and wake them up . . . Keen-eyed teachers seldom resort to this style of teaching unless they absolutely have to. And if they do use this kind of candy to open their student’s mind, they quickly take the candy away once the teaching has had its effect. A true teacher never lets his students become attached to the candy. A true master seldom, if ever, resorts to displays of magic and special energy. Students become easily attached to these qualities. If you often deal with a realm of magic, you are only a magic man and not a true teacher. This is because true teaching is about showing people how to take away their karma and help other beings, and not confusing people with magic and miracles. (22)

12

A person’s stage of spiritual development largely determines the instrumental effect and degree of ‘nourishment’ provided by a supernatural event or phenomenon: Miracles make you feel conviction about a thing. Be sure that whatever they make you feel, this is not their actual effect, nor the end of their effect. This functional attitude towards miracles underlies, even for the outside observer, deeper possibilities of inexplicable happenings. If we start from the lowest level of miracles we can see that an action or happening which is familiar and explicable to us might be puzzling or conclusive “magical” evidence to a more ignorant person. Hence, a savage seeing fire made by chemical means might consider the happening miraculous. At his stage of development, this event might produce in him the degree of religious awe necessary to make him venerate the performer or obey his injunctions. In any case there would be a physical and mental effect on him. At the other end of the scale, happenings which cannot be explained by current physical science will influence even the most sophisticated modern . . . A miracle is therefore accepted calmly in the Sufi perspective as the workings of a mechanism which will influence a man or woman to the extent to which he or she is attuned with it . . . The evidential miracle as interpreted in conventional religion may be of multiple value, according to the Sufis. That is to say, it may convey one impression to a man at one stage of development, and a form of food to someone more advanced. (23) Supernatural happenings play an important role in the spiritual development and evolution of both individuals and groups: Miracles are now seen as a part of the developmental pattern of human life. This attitude removes them from the preoccupation of theologians, who seek to justify them on the lower level; and from the sceptic, who seeks to explain them in terms of scientific theory. They have a significant function on their own. In communities where the “age of miracles is past,” the miracle phenomenon therefore continues to operate. One might say that, although the volcano is no longer a dragon belching fire, it is still in existence as a volcano . . . This approach to miracles means that, however attractive a recital of wonders performed by anyone may be, such a rehearsal will not have the same function as the actual event which is being reported. This is the explanation of the Sufi teaching, ”Let the miracle act.” The Sufis, however, do not lose sight of the attendant belief that, if the seeming miracle is of importance in the development of a group, it is more likely to occur in a progressing group, in order to make the progress of the group faster or more solid. “The miracle,” says the Sufi Kamaluddin, “is the foretaste of the power of the group, which is developing organs capable of attaining miracles. Two things are developing simultaneously – the right attitude toward miracles and the harmonious yoking of the Seeker with the miracle factor.” Again looking at the question in an evolutionary light, it might be said that the man who is lost in crude wonder at the marvels of a motorcar, a miracle of a thing, will be slow to step into his proper function, which is to use that car, or to be transported by it. (24) 13

It is very difficult, if not impossible, to describe supernatural experiences in terms of ordinary language and conventional terminology. Certain aspects of reality can only be understood by experiencing them. “We do not say anything about these things; when it is possible, we experience them. To ask about these things is simply to ask for something that has no answer in words. It is experienced. This is the only valid knowledge of certain things.”

By-product of Spiritual Development

Individuals who experience ‘intuitive insights’ or familiarity with certain extra-dimensional occurrences may be manifesting signs or indications of higher developmental potential: “They are encouragements that show that the recipient has a real chance of developing his ‘gifts.’ They are signs that the time has come for self-work.” Many extra-sensory abilities do not need to be developed in human beings because they exist already, although possibly in latent or embryonic form. Such abilities and experiences may be far more common than we suppose, forming a natural part of the human endowment: I have had many experiences of sensing things at a distance, and of foreknowledge of things which actually did happen; so have people of my acquaintance. Unfortunately, spoiled as we are by education and upbringing, these experiences of the sixth sense commonly come in a very general way and we are usually unable to profit by them. It is often difficult, moreover, to distinguish between what is set going by the imagination and what is really sensed and felt. In any case, the real experiences have little or nothing to do with the mind: they come from the moving-instinctive and feeling centres. When Gurdjieff said, “We do not aim to construct something new, but to receive what is lost,” it applies, from one aspect, to the vanishing sixth sense. Before I met him I regarded these experiences as accidents. A great many ‘simple’ people possess this extra sense – fishermen and farmers for instance. Officials, ‘intellectuals,’ and ‘experts’ are almost devoid of it, which is probably why they are almost always wrong. Human beings, besides being machines for transforming substances, are also instruments for receiving and transmitting vibrations. It is also possible for them to make use of the apparatus for their own benefit. (25) There are also suggestions that the occurrence of supernatural powers and abilities may be an expression of an evolutionary impetus related to the future of the human race: “ESP phenomena, as we experience them now, are the first stirrings of a human organ in development; a burgeoning capacity of the human community, which is seen as an organism, a whole.” It is possible to develop paranormal abilities by certain practices and exercises, as well as through self-discipline and personal sacrifice. Traditionally, prayer and recitation of sacred words or phrases (mant ras and dhikrs) have been employed as a gateway to spiritual power by

14

inducing a concentration of mind which enables supernatural phenomena of many types to be produced. Certain supernatural powers involving the transcending of time and space boundaries can be developed through concentration, contemplation and meditation. “The dichotomy between ‘us and them,’ or ‘you and me’ is mainly caused by training and conditioning and is the bedrock of many human institutions. At the same time there is also a certain universal interest in the ideas of ‘breaking down barriers,’ and ‘sharing experiences,’ and so on.” Rumi and many others constantly speak of the value, the need even, for breaking down the barriers between people (“all humanity are essentially one”) and even the barriers between “now” and “then,” between life and death, between man and the beyond. The exercises which Sufis use for this purpose lead to the capacity to dissolve the distinctions between one and many, between past, present and future. Such experiences, involving the state of being concurrently at different places or in various times, even of being a whole and also parts of it, have been referred to by mystics and even magicians but seldom specifically. This condition of merging is brought about by “removing the veil” where even the distinction between the perceiver and the perceived disappears. That this can take place means that there is an objective reality which the Sufis call Truth where there are none of the distinctions into which our familiar senses split perception. By concentration, contemplation, meditation and so on, in planned and guided steps, the Sufi enters into that comprehensive Reality. The consequence of this is that he can enter the “future,” because the future is in fact there all the time. He can even adjust happenings, because they are all part of a whole with which he is concerned, not parts, which could only be affected locally. (26) Throughout history various systems of magic have worked with the emotional energy generated by certain magical procedures in order to produce supernatural phenomena. “Magic not only assumes that it is possible to cause certain effects by means of specific techniques; it also schools the individual in those techniques.” Magic is worked through the heightening of emotion. No magical phenomenon takes place in the cool atmosphere of the laboratory. When the emotion is heightened to a certain extent, a spark (as it were) jumps the gap, and what appears to be supernatural happenings are experienced . . . When the magician is trying, shall we say, to move a person or an object, or influence a mind in a certain direction, he has to go through a procedure (more or less complicated, more or less lengthy) to arouse and concentrate emotional force. Because certain emotions are more easily aroused than others, magic tends to center around personal power, love and hatred. It is these sensations, in the undeveloped individual, which provide the easiest fuel, emotion, “electricity” for the spark to jump the gap which will leap to join a more continuous current. When the present-day followers of the witchcraft tradition in Europe speak of their perambulation of a circle, seeking to raise a “cone of power,” they are following this part of the magical tradition. (27) 15

Although methods of developing paranormal abilities such as telepathy are well known by schools of higher development, they should not be sought after outside the context of a comprehensive, holistic program of studies and exercises. They should only be acquired and learned (if indicated for an individual student) under the guidance and direction of a genuine teacher. “The teacher not only contributes knowledge, but also a specific energy without which the process cannot be powered.” The higher powers latent in human beings can be legitimately developed only in individuals who are sincere, responsible and purified of self-will and ambition. “The invariable rule in the exercise of this (higher) faculty undoubtedly is: never try to use it for personal gain or advantage. There must be a definite purpose in using it as indicated by the Design.” From this follows an important injunction: ‘Addit ional facult ies and abilit ies produce added responsibilit ies.’ Thus the importance placed on right intention and the proper employment of paranormal powers for the benefit of humanity: Sufis can read minds, although they are not omniscient. Such powers are used only for the part of worldly life in which the Sufi is involved. The means to develop this so-called ’power’ is well understood and can be taught. If, however, it is learnt and exercised without the necessary other preparation, the ability turns against the practitioner, and the end result is that his or her life is made far more difficult than it ordinarily would be. All such efforts must be approached with the right attitude. (28) Genuine supernatural abilities seem to be associated with individuals of very high moral and psychological character, reflecting qualities such as humility, sincerity and altruism: Let us consider a sort of ‘hypothetical hypothesis’ along the following lines: “ESP can operate through those individuals characterized by their being in a ‘selfless’ condition.” The selfless condition could be either of a permanent character, or perhaps of a temporary nature brought on by unusual or pressing circumstances. The word ‘selfless’ is used to indicate an absence of such traits as hypocrisy, dishonesty, untrustworthiness, or a pathological need to seek publicity, self-esteem, or to draw attention to oneself. More positively, it would likely be characterized by such qualities as love, generosity and humility. Such an individual would probably be a doer of good deeds in the community (but a good-doer, not a do-gooder). Such a person is saint ly, not in the religious sense of canonization, but simply in the sense of being completely reliable, trustworthy and good. Such an individual would not cheat, would not be tempted to use ESP powers for personal gain or other improper purposes, and would exhibit an integrity of character. Most people would not fall into this selective category. Of course, there are such ‘good’ people, but they are probably few and far between, and perhaps not that much in the public eye. (29) Supernatural powers are considered to be secondary, largely incidental by-products of spiritual development and the transcending of normal perceptual boundaries. They are best viewed 16

as concomitants, but not ways to, spiritual knowledge, and may have a function linked to the service of humanity. “People are interested in miracles, when they would do better to be interested in Truth. Miracles are by-products or else part of the special extra-dimensional activity in which certain people are involved. This involvement is because they acquire added functions with every addition of knowledge or capacity.” When properly understood from a spiritual perspective, supernatural powers are seen as secondary derivatives of inner development, not to be pursued or extolled for their own sake. “Psychic abilities in one degree or another are natural by-products of persistent zazen and an awakened mind; as such they are not regarded in Zen as exceptional or wonderful. Zen masters never make a vain display of psychic powers. They are in fact looked upon as makyo [delusion] – a subtle variety, but still makyo – which is to say, something other than enlightenment.” Zen never boasts about its achievements, not does it extol supernatural powers to glorify its teachings. On the contrary, the tradition of Zen has shown unmistakably its scornful attitude toward miracle working. Zen does not court or care about miraculous powers of any sort. What is does care about is the understanding and realization of that w onder of all w onders – the indescribable Dharmakaya – which can be found in all places and at all times. This was clearly demonstrated in the words of Pang Wen when he said, “To fetch water and carry wood are both miraculous acts.” (30) Genuine spiritual teachings downplay the pursuit of extra-sensory powers and emphasize the real task of awakening: The liberation proposed by Zen, realized by arriving at the source of mind, is not only liberation from unnecessary limitation and suffering, but liberation of a vast reserve of power inherent in reality . . . It is customary for Zen masters to refrain from discussing the higher powers latent in the human mind (although they are described at length in certain Buddhist texts), and to avoid making a display of such powers. This custom is observed to discourage people from seeking Zen for reasons of personal ambition. (31) Authentic spiritual masters will seldom discuss or comment upon supernatural powers to the uninitiated. Adepts who perform wonders and miracles often have to conceal them from outsiders and the inquisitive to prevent people from craving the unusual or becoming emotionally attached to the teacher. “When miracles appear, no capital may be made of them. They happen in order to create a beneficial effect, not to act upon credulity.” Although the full and complete development of the human being may include the possession of extraordinary powers, including psychic and other supra-normal abilities, these are used exclusively in the service of humanity. “When completion takes place, the aspirant is known as an Enlightened One. He or she develops, almost as by-products, telepathic and intuitive powers

17

which enable him or her to discharge their mission: which is, firstly, to perfect themselves, and secondly, to benefit all mankind.” Like all things of the world, spiritual powers are transient and dependent on the Reality from which they emerge. Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj: “There is no greater miracle than ‘I’ experiencing the world.” There is no end to the miracles that can happen in the world, but they are still of the manifest. There have been many powerful minds and powerful beings, who, by their penance or strength of mind, have acquired powers and performed miracles. What has happened to them? The same thing that happens to everyone. If they have had the experience of their true Self, such people would not be trying to acquire powers. (32)

References

(1) Leonard Lewin Science and t he Paranormal (Tunbridge Wells, Kent: The Institute for Cultural Research, 1979), p. 12. (2) Idries Shah The Commanding Self (London: Octagon Press, 1994), p. 269. (3) C.S. Nott Teachings of Gurdjieff: The Journal of a Pupil (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1974), pp. 15-16. (4) Idries Shah The Sufis (London: Octagon Press, 1984), p. 337. (5) Idries Shah The Sufis (London: Octagon Press, 1984), p. 298. (6) Idries Shah The Commanding Self (London: Octagon Press, 1994), pp. 296-297. (7) Franz Heidelberger “Time Spent Among Sufis” in Idries Shah (ed.) Sufi Thought and Act ion (London: Octagon Press, 1990), p. 105. (8) Robert Ornstein The M ind Field (New York: Pocket Books, 1978), pp. 84-86. (9) Elizabeth Hall “A Conversation with Idries Shah” Psychology Today July, 1975, p. 57. (10) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of t he M iraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), pp. 265-266. (11) Leonard Lewin Science and t he Paranormal (Tunbridge Wells, Kent: The Institute for Cultural Research, 1979), p. 14. (12) Idries Shah The Sufis (London: Octagon Press, 1984), pp. 331-332. (13) O.M. Burke Among t he Dervishes (London: Octagon Press, 1984), pp. 145-146. (14) Leonard Lewin Science and t he Paranormal (Tunbridge Wells, Kent: The Institute for Cultural Research, 1979), p. 11. (15) Leonard Lewin Science and t he Paranormal (Tunbridge Wells, Kent: The Institute for Cultural Research, 1979), p. 14. (16) G.I Gurdjieff View s From t he Real W orld: Early Talks of Gurdjieff (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1973), p. 210. (17) Idries Shah The Sufis (London: Octagon Press, 1984), pp. 84-85. (18) Idries Shah The Sufis (London: Octagon Press, 1984), p. 327. (19) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of t he M iraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), pp. 207-208.

18

(20) Idries Shah The Sufis (London: Octagon Press, 1984), pp. 326-327. (21) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj I Am That (Durham, North Carolina: Acorn Press, 1982), pp. 269270. (22) Seung Sahn The Compass of Zen (Boston: Shambhala, 1997), pp. 296-297. (23) Idries Shah The Sufis (London: Octagon Press, 1984), pp. 329-330. (24) Idries Shah The Sufis (London: Octagon Press, 1984), pp. 332-333. (25) C.S. Nott Teachings of Gurdjieff: The Journal of a Pupil (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1974), pp. 73-74. (26) H.B.M. Dervish Journeys w it h a Sufi M ast er (London: Octagon Press, 1982), pp. 92-93. (27) Idries Shah The Sufis (London: Octagon Press, 1984), p. 337. (28) H.B.M. Dervish Journeys w it h a Sufi M ast er (London: Octagon Press, 1982), p. 24. (29) Leonard Lewin Science and t he Paranormal (Tunbridge Wells, Kent: The Institute for Cultural Research, 1979), p. 13. (30) Garma C.C. Chang The Pract ice of Zen (New York: Harper & Row, 1970), p. 58. (31) Thomas Cleary Zen Essence (Boston: Shambhala, 1989), p. 108. (32) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj Seeds of Consciousness (New York: Grove Press, 1982), p. 174.

19

SPIRIT AND M ATTER

‘Everyt hing emerges from t he One in order t o ret urn t o t he One.’ M ichel Conge

Philosophical Perspectives

Throughout history, human beings have pondered the apparent dual nature of phenomenal reality and human experience, recognizing that both have a material aspect and a spiritual component. This cosmic perspective has been expressed in myths, symbols, fables, teaching stories, art and architecture, and passed on from generation to generation. The Hermetic philosophical tradition is associated with the quasi-mythical Egyptian magus Hermes Trismegistus. He taught his followers that humanity has a dual nature, living in two worlds simultaneously: “Man is, according to Hermes, a creature of the natural world, of the body and the senses, and as such is subject to all the laws and limitations that come with ‘living in the material world.’ But he is also an inhabitant of another world, that of mind, spirit, the soul, consciousness, which, in essence, is free from the limitations of his other nature.” When Asclepius asked Hermes Trismegistus why man has a dual nature – one of matter and one of spirit – Hermes explains that it is so that he can ‘raise his sight to heaven while he takes care of the earth,’ and so he can ‘love those things that are below him’ while he is ‘beloved by the things above.’ Asclepius himself, when asked about man’s need for a body, explains that it is necessary so that we can take care of creation. Asclepius tells his listeners that Nous [Mind] gave man a ‘corporeal dwelling place’ and ‘mixed and blended our two natures into one,’ doing justice to our twofold origin, so that we can ‘wonder at and adore the celestial, while caring for and managing the things on earth.’ For Hermes, man finds himself on earth because he has a particular mission to accomplish here. But this was not in order to escape from creation, but in order to take our rightful place within it: to embrace the obligations and responsibilities that come with being ‘caretakers’ of the cosmos. (1) In more recent times, German philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770-1831) argued that human consciousness develops through a progression of stages culminating in increasingly higher forms of expression. In The Phenomenology of t he Spirit (1807), he writes: “The human being contains, infolded and enshrouded within, the spirit of the Absolute. This indwelling spirit, emanating as consciousness, comes to know itself as infinite only by assuming the limitations of finite existence and triumphing over them. In other words, the human is the vehicle by which God, the infinite spirit, comes to self-recognition.”

1

A century later, French paleontologist and philosopher Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (1881-1955) proposed that the evolution of complexity in the physical world was paralleled by the evolution of conscious experience at all levels of creation, from atoms to humans. In his seminal work The Phenomenon of M an , he explored this theme in depth: Teilhard de Chardin believed that the cosmos presents us with two faces. One is the exterior, material reality of conventional science, and the other is an interior reality, or consciousness. He thought this to be true of all levels of material existence, from the single atom through complex chemical structures and simple living organisms such as bacteria, on up to highly complex organisms, leading in a direct line to humankind. “The exterior world,” he wrote, “must inevitably be lined at every point with an interior one.” Thus, a progression is established in the exterior world running from the simple to the vastly complex and simultaneously in the interior world of consciousness, from the separate and elemental to that which is large and rich in quality. Such notions, while contrary to the conventions of materialistic science, are not unknown to many of today’s physicists and biologists, as well as certain philosophers. For instance, the prominent philosopher Karl Popper observes that “Dead matter seems to have more potentialities than merely to produce dead matter.” Likewise, Thomas Nagel, a philosopher who has spent many years considering the problem of how a physical system like the brain can give rise to conscious awareness, concludes that matter must contain some kind of “proto-mental” properties. He further suggests that matter and mind are essentially two sides of the same coin. This understanding would “have the advantage of explaining how there could be necessary causal connections in either direction, between mental and physical phenomena.” (2) According to the philosophical school of panpsychism , both matter (physis) and mind (psyche) were present even at the birth of the universe. Psyche, then, is the essence of consciousness and is a universal presence in the world. “All things in the world – quanta and galaxies, molecules, cells, and organisms – have ‘materiality’ as well as ‘interiority.’ Matter and mind are not separate, distinct realities; they are complementary aspects of the reality of the cosmos.” Philosopher Alfred North Whitehead reached the same conclusion: everything in the world has both a physical and a mental “pole.” Similarly, Nobel laureate biologist George Wald felt that mind existed since the universe began, rather than emerging at some point during the evolution of life. Some theorists draw a distinction between the level of consciousness or mind in entities at different gradations of reality. They hold that consciousness is not limited to human beings, but is present in some degree throughout nature, from atoms to molecules, to organic life, to ecological systems. Ervin Laszlo makes this point in Science and t he Akashic Field : “In the great chain of evolution, there is nowhere we can draw the line, nowhere we could say: below this there is no consciousness, and above there is.”

2

The view from the in-formed universe goes beyond the classical panpsychist view by adding an evolutionary dimension. Psyche is indeed present throughout the universe, but it is not present everywhere in the same way, at the same level of development. Psyche evolves, the same as matter. In the living organisms of this planet they both are relatively highly evolved, and in our species they are the most highly evolved of all. In we human beings psyche is highly articulated: it is our personal consciousness. Evolutionary panpsychism does not reduce all of reality to structures made up of in-themselves inert and insentient material building blocks (as in materialism), nor does it assimilate all of reality to a qualitative nonmaterial mind (as in idealism). It takes both matter and mind as fundamental elements of reality, but (unlike dualism) does not claim that they are radically separate; they are different aspects of the same reality. What we call “matter” is the aspect we apprehend when we look at a person, a plant, or a molecule from t he out side, “mind” is the aspect we obtain when we look at the same thing from t he inside. (3) Contemporary consciousness theorist Ken Wilber has developed a model of consciousness which forms a spectrum linking the gross and subtle levels of reality through involutionary and evolutionary processes: “All levels of phenomena form a continuum of matter and energy in which the material and the subtle realms are but two opposite extremes of the spectrum.” Wilber notes that involution, as well as evolution, can be understood in at least two senses. In the first instance, it can mean the descent of the spirit into matter, creating the manifest universe. This means that forms are constantly created in the most subtle realms of being and flow downward, as it were, into the manifest cosmos, giving shape and forms to the lower realms. This idea reminds one of the Neoplatonic realm of nous, the source of universal archetypes that pass down as manifest patterns, for example in the psychic, mental, and gross realms. Thus, the most subtle realms of being are the great creative wellsprings of creation. Wilber stresses that this fount of creativity, cascading down through the realms of being, is not limited to the habits of the physical world but applies to human experience as well . . . Wilber’s new understanding of cosmic creativity, flowing from the deep subtle springs of being, offers boundless creativity; and it is not in conflict with the seemingly obvious facts of evolutionary research in biology, cosmology, and psychology. In other words, it recognizes and understands that the cosmos is an unending and rich source of continuing creation. In this cosmos, evolution becomes the movement of the spirit back towards its origin, a reaching of the lower realms, especially in the form of life itself and human life in particular, back toward the spirit. But the form that path back will actually take is always open to the creative outflow of the very wells of creation. (4)

3

Scientific Paradigms

The so-called ‘body-mind problem’ has challenged philosophers and scientists for countless centuries. The quandary of the distinction between matter and mind is neatly summed up by a double-meaning aphorism: “What is matter? Never mind! What is mind? No matter!” In The Sphinx and t he Rainbow , Professor David Loye expands on this perennial dilemma: On the one hand is this thing of no known substance, that cannot be seen or felt or smelled or weighed – the wholly invisible but obviously very powerful entity that we call our consciousness, our awareness, our mind. On the other hand is this thing of very well-known substance, that can be seen, felt, smelled, weighed – this wholly visible and also powerful entity that we call our body. But what is the connection between the two? How does the visible give rise to the invisible – or vice versa? How does body cross the gulf to mind – or mind cross the chasm to body? To resolve this contradiction, it has been argued that everything is body, or matter – that mind is simply an illusion, a by-product of the physical. This is the materialist position that has dominated all Western science. It has also been argued that everything is mind, or spirit – that body and matter are simply illusions, Maya, a by-product of the mental. This is the spiritual position that has dominated Eastern metaphysics. It has been argued (by William James and Bertrand Russell, among others) that both mind and body are different aspects of the same thing and thus there is no real gulf between the two. (5) The concept of different levels or degrees of materiality, ranging from the very coarse to the very fine, finds expression throughout the natural world. For example, matter of different densities can interpenetrate one another – a solid can be saturated with liquid and a liquid, in turn, with a gas: The states of matter known to us – solid, liquid, gaseous, plasma, radiant energy certainly correspond to different kinds of materiality and obey different laws, have different degrees of freedom. The law of gravity may apply to everything, but a rock, a stream, a wind, and the light from the sun are not affected by it in the same way. Were a rock to move almost instantaneously from one place to another, as light does, this would constitute a miracle. An ordinary man cannot walk on water, but the wind can. Many of the classic miracles consist of substances undergoing transformations which are ordinarily forbidden to them, but are not forbidden to substances of a different materiality. Loaves and fishes cannot multiply rapidly, but shadows can if we turn on more lights, and sounds can if there are sufficient echoing surfaces. We cannot see through suitcases or flesh, but x-rays do, providing one of the miracles of modern science. (6)

4

The same principle of levels of materiality also extends to the human realm: In us, many levels of materiality exist. Our solid skeletons, subject to mechanical forces, move about the joints, pulled by muscles which require nutrients dissolved in our bodily fluids. Oxygen, also carried in those fluids, and available because of the interaction of sunlight with plants, provides energy for the muscles and other organs. The energy of life is fundamentally electric in nature, made of potential differences across cellular membranes, and stored in molecules which release their energy by assuming less energetic configurations of their electrons in relation to their atomic nuclei. The nervous system operates by means of electromagnetic signals. Our thoughts are not restricted in space and time in the same way our bodies are. And beyond that, somehow consciousness arises, in relation to complex electromagnetic patterns. It is miraculous that life can animate our flesh, and that consciousness can illuminate our life. (7) Traditionally, science has taken a materialistic perspective, asserting that the universe is primarily physical in nature and that all phenomena can be explained in terms of physical processes. But this quant it at ive approach disregards the presence of qualit y, such as intention, purpose and consciousness. In You Are t he Universe, Deepak Chopra and Menas Kafatos provide a useful metaphor to illuminate the importance of including both physical and metaphysical aspects of reality in fully describing any external forms in the universe: Consider a cathedral in place of the universe. Studying the materials that the great Cathedral of Notre Dame is made of, such as stone, metals, and stained glass, can give hints about the building’s construction methods and the historical times during which it was built; but by no means is Notre Dame merely the sum of these parts. It was created by conscious beings and reveals an alive presence that “dead” physical objects cannot account for. Stone, metal, and stained glass are the materials of architecture but not its art. So, when it comes to describing Notre Dame, the parts tell us about the quantity of “stuff” that a cathedral is made from; the architecture tells us about the qualia of the building, including its beauty and religious significance. Closing this gap between quantity and qualia would get us to step two of discovering the “real” reality of the universe. (8) Modern physics has discovered that the apparent “solid” forms and objects that constitute the phenomenal world are, at a more fundamental level, patterns of energy and vibration of a more ethereal, less material reality. Systems theorist Ervin Laszlo: “Material forms are actually vibrations of a more subtle and invisible energy that our senses perceive as solid, physical forms. Both the material forms and the energy of which they are constituted are themselves perceptible, measurable vibrations of the more subtle and universal Akashic field, in-formed by consciousness.”

5

Physicist David Bohm has developed a theoretical model to describe the “undivided wholeness of all things.” His starting thesis is that the world is ultimately a whole or unity, which he termed ‘the implicate order.’ From this primal order the forms of the manifest universe emerge as ‘the explicate order.’ In W holeness and t he Implicat e Order , he writes: “Everything in the cosmos is made out of the seamless holographic fabric of the implicate order. It is as meaningless to view the universe as composed of ‘parts’ as it is to view the different geysers in a fountain as separate from the water out of which they flow.” Instead of a fragmented universe, Bohm proposes a dynamic, interconnected cosmos of “relatively independent sub-totalities.” Each material form in the universe is part of an undivided whole while retaining its own unique qualities: “Despite the apparent separateness of things at the explicate order, everything is a seamless extension of everything else and part of a continuum. Ultimately, even the implicate and explicate orders blend into each other.” One of Bohm’s most startling assertions is that the tangible reality of our everyday lives is really a kind of illusion, like a holographic image. Underlying it is a deeper order of existence, a vast and more primary level of reality that gives birth to all the objects and appearances of our physical world in much the same way that a piece of holographic film gives birth to a hologram. Bohm calls this deeper level of reality the implicat e (which means “enfolded”) order, and he refers to our own level of existence as the explicat e, or unfolded, order. He uses these terms because he sees the manifestation of all forms in the universe as a result of countless enfoldings and unfoldings between these two orders. For example, Bohm believes an electron is not one thing but a totality or ensemble enfolded throughout the whole of space . . . Put another way, electrons and all particles are no more substantive and permanent than the form of a geyser of water takes as it gushes out of a fountain. They are sustained by a constant influx from the implicate order, and when a particle appears to be destroyed, it is not lost. It has merely enfolded back into the deeper order from which it sprang. (9) Some scientists and researchers in the field of neurophysiology, who study the nature of mind and consciousness, are proposing a holistic, integrative model to understanding how we experience reality. They recognize that our body, mind and emotions need to be considered as a w hole, rather than distinct and separate entities: In 1995, philosopher of consciousness David Chalmers posed two questions. The first, which he defined as the “easy” question, asks how the material brain operates and how it binds together the plethora of sensory data to form our coherent perception of the world. The second “difficult” question is: How can the material brain “generate” immaterial mind and the reality of our experience? Chalmers’ questions sum up the approach of a materialistic science that sees consciousness merely as the result of random evolutionary processes . . . However, the emerging vision of integral reality offers a comprehensive worldview 6

and points the way to answering both the “easy” and “difficult” questions posed by David Chalmers. For instead of perceiving “materiality” as separate from “immateriality,” and mind from matter, it recognizes that all that we term realit y is an integrated tapestry of co-evolving and co-creative processes. (10) Wolfgang Pauli, who received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1945, believed that in the science of the future, “reality will neither be ‘psychic’ nor ‘physical’ but somehow both and somehow neither.” This suggests that the apparent mind-matter dualism may be resolved through a higher integrative perspective that allows for both to co-exist in the realm of consciousness: Mind and matter are considered so different from each other because that is our habit of thinking, but really, mind and matter are different states of the same thing: the field of consciousness. You can follow them as they morph from one to another by looking at the brain, where mental events create brain chemicals in one seamless motion. Thus, if a near collision on the highway causes you to be frightened, that mental event translates into molecules of adrenaline, which in turn translate into physical changes such as dry mouth, pounding heartbeat, and tight muscles. When you notice these changes, you are back in the realm of mind. Likewise, all kinds of signals travel on a journey of transformation from physical to mental that has no definite endpoint. Life is transformation itself. What happens in our bodies is also happening in the universe, where any event belongs to the constant transformation of consciousness into either mind or matter. (11) The apparent split between material and nonmaterial reality may not be truly real. In The Caret akers of t he Cosmos, Gary Lachman suggests that we live in a “participatory universe” in which human consciousness bridges the phenomenal and spiritual worlds: “Our own minds are involved in actually creating the world we experience and subsequently care for.” From a variety of different perspectives – quantum physics, neuroscience, phenomenology, the philosophy of language – it is becoming more and more clear that the universe we live in is a ‘participatory’ one, in which mind and matter, the inner world and the outer one, are not, as our commonsense view suggests, radically different and opposed realities, closed off from each other, but are different aspects of a single shared reality. It seems increasingly clear that that the barriers to these two worlds are not as impermeable as we have believed. Our inner worlds, it seems, are not isolated islands of consciousness, floating on the surface of a dead, material world that is oblivious of them, and on which they have no effect. In some strange, still inexplicable way, our inner worlds part icipat e in the world outside us, something less modern, more ‘primitive’ people still experience . . . At an earlier stage in our evolution, human consciousness was much more ‘embedded’ in nature, and we did not experience then, as we do now, separate outer and inner worlds, but a free flowing movement between the two. (12) 7

Spiritual Traditions

There is only one eternal Being or Absolute which is ultimately unknowable and ineffable, independent and encompassing all that exists. Michel Conge, a student of Gurdjieff, gives eloquent expression to this seminal fact in his book Inner Octaves: “Life is sacred. Everything is animated by the One and contained in it. Everything is maintained reciprocally and is connected by life. All that exists serves Creation and has its place in the order of the Universe. Creat ion is love.” In the Upanishads, the physical universe is described as the external body of the Divine Being: “A transcendent, indefinable, timeless and spaceless Being alone renders time and space possible.” And in The Life Divine, Sri Aurobindo writes: “An omnipotent Reality is the truth of all life and existence whether absolute or relative, whether corporeal or incorporeal, whether animate or inanimate, whether intelligent or unintelligent; and in all its infinitely varying and even constantly opposed self-expressions. From That all variations begin and all variations return.” According to Vedanta, the Absolute is the creative source of all forms and worlds for the purpose of self-expression and self-delight. Spirit needs form or matter to express itself, and matter needs Spirit to give it meaning. Sri Aurobindo: “If it be asked why the One Existence should take delight in such movement, the answer lies in the fact that all possibilities are inherent in its infinity and that the delight of existence lies precisely in the realization of all possibilities.” The self of things is an infinite indivisible existence; of that existence the essential nature or power is an infinite imperishable force of self-conscious being; and of that self-consciousness the essential nature of knowledge of itself is, again, an infinite inalienable delight of being. In formlessness and in all forms, in the eternal awareness of infinite and indivisible being and in the multiform appearances of finite division this self-existence preserves perpetually its self-delight . . . This delight is its own delight, this self is its own self in all; but to our ordinary view of self and things which awake and move only upon surfaces, it remains hidden, profound, self-conscious. And as it is within all forms, so it is within all experiences whether pleasant, painful or neutral. (13) It is only through the unification of Spirit and matter that any cosmic development or evolution is possible. Gary Lachman: “What is real is the union of matter and spirit. In much the same way that for an idea or value to be actualized it must have form and be rooted in reality. For spirit to be perceived, it must be embodied. To the totality of all we perceive in nature there corresponds a unified being which we may assume is only immediately apparent to itself.”

8

According to the Samkhya tradition, Spirit (Purusha ) and matter (Prakrit i) are two different aspects of the same Ultimate Reality. When Purusha descends into Prakriti – the phenomenal world of ‘Great Nature’ – it begins to manifest in a mechanical manner, obeying cosmic laws or principles. In To Live W it hin , Samkhya master Sri Anirvân describes this process: “Purusha is outside of time and beyond our understanding, whereas prakriti exists in time. It is at once the aggregate of the three qualities (gunas) and the aggregate of the movements and impressions of all those qualities that make up our life. An exact relationship exists between Prakriti, which moves spontaneously, mechanically, always in circles, and Purusha, outside of time, which merely looks on at what is happening.” One cannot change the course of prakriti, which goes its way according to a determined plan in the order of universal things and according to immutable Laws that it does not know. It knows only its own law. It does its work excellently and faultlessly. The energies divide and subdivide up to the point of feeding the cells of our body. They penetrate the heart and penetrate every drop of blood. At this point the body is an expression of ‘That.’ So long as we are immersed in prakriti, in ourselves and in life, we are governed by it, by its movements, its sudden jumps and its cosmic rhythms. Without withdrawing into ourselves, we can have no control over our prakriti. (14) Sri Aurobindo taught that Spirit and matter are complementary aspects of the one allembracing Unity: “The real oneness is never abrogated, and, when we get back to the original and integral view of things, we see that it is never even truly diminished or impaired, not even in the grossest densities of Matter.” The sharp division which practical experience and long habit of mind have created between Spirit and Matter has no longer any fundamental reality. The world is a differentiated unity, a manifold oneness, not a constant attempt at compromise between eternal dissonances, not an everlasting struggle between irreconcilable opposites. An inalienable oneness generating infinite variety is its foundation and beginning. The two are one: Spirit is the soul and reality of that which we sense as Matter; Matter is a form and body of that which we realize as Spirit . . . Thus is created a series descending from Spirit through Mind to Matter and ascending again from Matter through Mind to Spirit. (15) Sufism also recognizes that all things emerge from ‘Divine Spirit’ and eventually return to it. Sufi teacher Inayat Khan describes this relationship through an analogy, comparing Spirit and matter to water and ice: Just as ice and water are two things and yet in their real nature they are one, so it is with spirit and matter. Water turns into ice for a certain time, and when this ice is melted it will again turn into water. Thus matter is a passing state of the spirit; only it does not melt immediately as ice melts into water, and therefore man doubts if matter, which takes a thousand forms, ever really turns into 9

spirit. In reality matter comes from spirit; matter in its true nature is spirit; matter is an action of spirit which has materialized and has become intelligible to our senses of perception, and has thus become a reality to our senses, hiding the spirit under it. (16) In one sense, there is no absolute difference between Spirit and matter; it is only a question of different degrees of density or materiality. For instance, when a piece of coal is heated white hot, it is impossible to describe whether it is burning matter or flames symbolizing the Spirit. Sri Anirvân: “The mystery of existence seems like a commingling of matter and spirit. They enter into each other and between the two poles of matter and spirit, or earth and heaven, infinite shades of co-existence occur in different degrees of densities.” Sri Aurobindo concurs: “Within the physical cosmos there is an ascending series in the scale of matter which leads us from the more to the less dense, from the less to the more subtle.” The various life forms in the universe are created, supported and reciprocally maintained by two fundamental cosmic processes: evolution and involution. These dynamic processes “build up forms, energizes them by a constant stream of stimulation and maintains them by an unceasing process of disintegration and renewal of their substances.” The Vedanta tradition describes the evolutionary and involutionary processes as originating from, and then returning to, a primal nonmaterial Source or Spirit: “An infinite universal consciousness conceals itself in apparently inanimate material forms which then progressively evolve to manifest the rising forms of life and consciousness we find in the universe.” Sri Aurobindo: We speak of the evolution of Life in Matter, the evolution of Mind in Matter; but evolution is a word which merely states the phenomenon without explaining it. For there seems to be no reason why Life should evolve out of material elements or Mind out of living form, unless we accept the Vedantic solution that Life is already involved in Matter and Mind in life because in essence Matter is a form of veiled Life, Life is a form of veiled consciousness. Mental consciousness may itself be only a form and a veil of higher states which are beyond Mind. In that case, the unconquerable impulse of Man towards God, Light, Bliss, Freedom, Immortality presents itself in its right place in the chain as simply the imperative impulse by which Nature is seeking to evolve beyond mind. (17) The involvement of Spirit in matter appears in evolved human beings as the realization of the divine within and without: “Perhaps our greatest spiritual achievement may lie in the total integration of the spiritual and the physical – in realizing that the spiritual and the physical are not two different aspects of ourselves, but rather, one unified whole.” In higher states of consciousness, there is a meeting point where matter is spiritualized and spirit is grounded in physical reality. Gary Lachman: “For innumerable mystics, the outer world is a reflection or symbol of an inner one. For them the real world is this higher, spiritual interior reality, and the lower, physical universe is a sign or language of the spiritual realm which we can learn to read.” 10

In traditional Eastern teachings such as Taoism and Buddhism, the three principles of ‘heaven, earth and man’ express the integration of humanity with the inherent order of the universe. In Shambhala: The Sacred Pat h of t he Warrior , Tibetan Buddhist master Chögyam Trungpa reflects on the basic wisdom embedded in the relationship between these three principles: “There is a natural order and harmony to this world, which we can discover. We have to feel it – in our bones, in our hearts, in our minds. We can reawaken that intimate connection to reality. We begin to view the universe as a sacred world.” Heaven, earth, and man can be seen literally as the sky above, the earth below, and human beings standing or sitting between the two. Traditionally, heaven is the realm of the gods, the most sacred space. So, symbolically, the principle of heaven represents any lofty ideal or experience of vastness and sacredness. The grandeur and vision of heaven are what inspire human greatness and creativity. Earth on the other hand, symbolizes practicality and receptivity. It is the ground which supports and promotes life. Earth may seem solid and stubborn, but earth can be penetrated and worked on. The proper relationship between heaven and earth is what makes the earth principle pliable. Warmth and love also come from heaven. Heaven is the source of the rain that falls on the earth, so heaven has a sympathetic connection with earth. When that connection is made, then the earth begins to yield. It becomes gentle and soft and pliable, so that greenery can grow on it, and man can cultivate it. Then there is the man principle, which is connected with simplicity, or living in harmony with heaven and earth. When human beings combine the freedom of heaven with the practicality of earth, they can live in peace and harmony with one another. (18)

Consciousness and Evolution

The ancient Egyptians believed that the universe is nothing but consciousness, and that the primary goal of life is to attain an ultimate union with pure consciousness. They held to the principle that matter is a field of existence which “is responsive to and capable of being transformed by spiritual influences brought about through the evolution of embodied and individualized consciousness.” According to the ‘sacred science’ of ancient Egypt, the purpose of human life is to achieve an integration of human consciousness with the universal consciousness, thereby realizing that all that exists proceeds from a limitless, timeless and incomprehensible source, a primal Unity. Egyptologist R.A. Schwaller de Lubicz: “The Universe is nothing but Consciousness, and in all its appearances reveals nothing but an evolution of Consciousness, from its origin to its end, which is a return to its cause.” Interestingly, modern science seems to validate the ancient Egyptian teachings regarding the nature of consciousness. In The Int elligence of t he Cosmos, Ervin Laszlo writes: “Consciousness 11

manifests as sensation, cognition, and self-awareness that emerges in the progressive evolution of the lower and higher forms of life, guided by an all-encompassing cosmic Intelligence.” Laszlo has proposed a theory of the evolution of consciousness which integrates findings from physics, biology, psychology and cosmology: The universe is a progressive manifestation of consciousness that is evolving toward super-coherence. Evolution is a double movement. Externally, it expresses in the evolution of physical and biological forms studied by science. Internally, the evolution of these forms is driven by and expresses an evolution of consciousness that seeks higher forms through which to more fully express its inherent powers. The evolution of coherent systems and the evolution of consciousness are complementary aspects of a unitary evolutionary process. Physics charts the physical evolution from infinitesimal atoms and molecules to the solar systems, galaxies, and other bodies that populate the known universe. Biology charts the biological evolution from infinitesimal, unicellular life-forms to the most complex, adaptive human species. We also see clear evidence of the evolutionary progression of mental capacities from the subconscient sensitivity and responsiveness of plants to the instinctive behaviors prevalent in the animal kingdom to the selfconscious awareness of human beings, with our capacity for complex language, abstract thinking and self-reflection. Cosmic evolution proceeds toward higher levels of organization, complexity, adaptability, and knowledge of self and the world. (19) According to Samkhya teachings, conscious evolution starts from a state of darkness (t amas), passes through “the red-hot glow of active impulse” (rajas) before reaching the wholeness of awakened consciousness (sat t va ). In the full cosmic process, the descent of Purusha (Spirit) into Prakrit i (matter) is then followed by an evolutionary ascent upwards to return to Spirit: “Thus, we have to raise ourselves up step by step from the plane of gross matter to the plane of awakened consciousness, and then come back to heavy matter, retaining in ourselves the light of illumination.” An impulse pushes us to follow the way of the spirit, Purusha. It is there so we may follow the ideal and constantly make it grow. This impulse has to be cultivated because it belongs to the ascending Law. Opposing this, prakriti holds us fast in the wheels of her perfect machinery. One can be satisfied there and sleep in peace. Prakriti asks no more of us. She has a very strong power of gravitation, and drags back to herself beings who were ready to escape. She brings them back very skillfully for she needs our lives for her own purposes, she needs humus composed of the constantly renewed heavy and fine matter which our lives bring to her . . . Creation starts in darkness. Out of nothing comes the force of shakti. Let yourself be carried by the stream; do not struggle. Not that you will reach the shore; your destination is to become the ocean itself. (20)

12

According to Gurdjieff, humanity is connected to and penetrated by many different levels of energies and influences. This makes it possible for individuals to move between these planes of reality through conscious activity. In Inner Oct aves, Gurdjieff’s student Michel Conge expands on this concept: “Man has been sown on Earth in order to transmit influences mechanically, in order to be a ‘link’ in this passage of energies. But man must evolve because, although the descending current is assured by his creation, only his conscious effort can allow an ascending current to appear. Without man’s voluntary effort, there would not be any exchange of energy. Consequently, man has two roles to fulfill, a mechanical one and a conscious one.” Gurdjieff taught that it is necessary for the maintenance of the universe, at all levels from atoms to galaxies, that there be a circulation of energies. Such a circulation involves a return which connects downward involution with upward evolution. Humanity has an important role to play in this cosmic process: “Because his feet are on the ground – in an earthly body corresponding to ‘dust’ – and his head is at the level of the stars – the level of spirit, the center of gravity of man’s consciousness is not fixed. He is at liberty to move along the full length of the octave of organic life.” For there to be a return, I have to wake up to my situation and consent to participate in this returning, upward movement of energies, or influences. We may come to understand that there really are currents of energies that pass from one cosmic level to another. In certain passages the flow is only possible if organisms are placed there. In the downward direction, the movement happens by itself. In the upward direction it will not happen unless there are men and women who become aware of their condition as seeds and acknowledge that they are placed there to enable the energies to return and thereby receive a new possibility. If I enable this return of energies, I am transformed. But I must understand that the higher levels have just as great a need of that as the lower levels do. In a single whole, everything has need of everything. (21) According to Sri Aurobindo, the realization of Spirit and the manifestation of the Divine within is the highest aim possible for a human being: “The ascent of the divine life is the human journey, the ‘Work of works.’ This alone is our real purpose in the world and the justification of our existence.” In The Life Divine, he further writes: When we withdraw our gaze from its egoistic preoccupation with limited and fleeting interests and look upon the world with dispassionate and curious eyes that search only for the Truth, our first result is the perception of boundless energy of infinite existence, infinite movement, infinite activity pouring itself out in limitless space, in eternal Time, and existence that surpasses infinitely our ego . . . When we begin to see, we perceive that it exists for itself, not for us. It has its own majestic aims, its own vast desire or delight that it seeks to fulfill. And let us not form too strongly an idea of our own insignificance. That too would be an act of ignorance and shutting our eyes to the great facts of the universe. For this boundless Movement does not regard us as unimportant. (22) 13

The integration of spirit and matter is psychologically expressed as a feeling of relaxation and expansion, and a sense of “serene poise in the Void.” This creates a movement of energy between the fine and dense levels of reality. Sri Anirvân elaborates: “The illumination of the highest realization of the seeker imperceptibly contains the dark matrix of nature, just as the dark matrix contains in itself luminous possibilities of spiritual evolution. To realize the two movements simultaneously in a single flash of awareness is to realize the Void of the life within.” Then all densities disappear and spirit and matter become one, being really the bi-une aspects of one total reality. However, the point of fusion between black and white is missed when the ego automatically divides the whole experience into subject and object. But when, in a spiritual experience, the two are fused, the self appears as the Void, embracing all. There is a feeling of boundless expansion, which covers all things and yet allows them to maintain their distinct individualities, and which are again an infinite number of points, each containing the matrix of another universe. This is Prakriti’s attribute as a creative and executive force. It can be likened to an acorn which, with its innumerable tiny seeds, contains a whole oak-forest! (23) Gurdjieff taught that humanity exists to fulfill a specific purpose in the cosmic scheme. This involves ‘conscious service’ by awakening to the higher dimensions of reality. Michel Conge: “If I am able to experience this, I will find myself in much fuller communication and communion with my fellow man and with the universe. To serve means acting as a passageway for the sake of evolution.” In order to evolve spiritually, we must sacrifice and transcend our ‘subjective I’ in order to reach a ‘greater Self’ which reflects the will of the Absolute: Evolution is a movement of substances in transformation. This is something that must, one way or another, be accomplished. What is important is this inner circulation. In a sense, life is entrusted to us. Below the initial movement of the Absolute, the Absolute no longer intervenes, which means that responsible beings must appear. There is a need for beings who become aware of this and have such a love for Creation and the Creator that, no matter what trouble it causes them, they awaken to be the ones through whom this accomplishment takes place. But it is not for oneself in the petty sense; perhaps for the ‘I’, but not for the selfish ‘me.’ (24) Certain spiritual teachings claim that humanity originated from the stars and has descended through a progression of stages to the level of the Earth. Michel Conge: “All the traditions, in one way or another, give us to understand that man is truly the son of a king, that he came down for a certain purpose, that on the way he was assailed by a strange sleep, an invincible sleep, that he has completely forgotten the reason for his journey; and yet that he can emerge from his amnesia, realize that he is wandering about like a poverty-stricken beggar, and then set forth on the return to his origin.” 14

M an has a possible dest iny. Man occupies a unique and privileged place at the

heart of Creation. Man’s structure is analogous to that of the universe. Man has the possibility of a more rapid evolution. He is an unfinished world, representing a universe in a state of promise, like a tree within a seed, and he will reach fulfilment only as the whole Man in the image of God. Man is a living symbol. Only he stands upright, vertical, has the gift of speech, is a three-brained being, and can choose influences (whereas other beings are strictly conditioned). The dignity of man’s state is that it allows Heaven and Earth to meet in him and the Glory of God to manifest in him. (25)

References

(1) Gary Lachman The Caret akers of t he Cosmos (Edinburgh: Floris Books, 2013), p. 16. (2) Allan Combs The Radiance of Being (St. Paul, Minnesota: Paragon House, 2002), p. 72. (3) Ervin Laszlo Science and t he Akashic Field (Rochester, Vermont: Inner Traditions, 2007), p. 111. (4) Allan Combs The Radiance of Being (St. Paul, Minnesota: Paragon House, 2002), pp. 155-157. (5) David Loye The Sphinx and t he Rainbow (Boulder: Shambhala, 1983), p. 134. (6) Christian Wertenbaker M an in t he Cosmos (United States: Codhill Press, 2012), p. 122. (7) Christian Wertenbaker M an in t he Cosmos (United States: Codhill Press, 2012), pp. 124-125. (8) Deepak Chopra and Menas Kafatos You Are t he Universe (New York: Harmony Books, 2017), p.238. (9) Michael Talbot The Holographic Universe (New York: Harper Perennial, 2011), pp. 46-47. (10) Ervin Laszlo and Jude Currivan CosM os (Carlsbad, California: Hay House, 2008), pp. 131-132. (11) Deepak Chopra and Menas Kafatos You Are t he Universe (New York: Harmony Books, 2017), p. 232. (12) Gary Lachman The Caret akers of t he Cosmos (Edinburgh: Floris Books, 2013), pp. 26-27. (13) Sri Aurobindo The Life Divine (Pondicherry: All India Press, 1973), pp. 100-101. (14) Lizelle Reymond and Sri Anirvân To Live W it hin (Sandpoint, Idaho: Morning Light Press, 2007), p. 86. (15) Sri Aurobindo The Life Divine (Pondicherry: All India Press, 1973), pp. 240-241. (16) Hazrat Inayat Khan The Sufi M essage (New York: Omega Publications, 1990), p. 136. (17) Sri Aurobindo The Life Divine (Pondicherry: All India Press, 1973), p. 3. (18) Chögyam Trungpa Shambhala: The Sacred Pat h of t he W arrior (Boston: Shambhala, 1988), pp. 129-130. (19) Ervin Laszlo The Int elligence of t he Cosmos (Rochester, Vermont: Inner Traditions, 2017), pp. 149-150. (20) Lizelle Reymond and Sri Anirvân To Live W it hin (Sandpoint, Idaho: Morning Light Press, 2007), pp. 95-96. 15

(21) Michel Conge Inner Oct aves (Toronto: Dolmen Meadows Editions, 2013), pp. 71-72. (22) Sri Aurobindo The Life Divine (Pondicherry: All India Press, 1973), p. 71. (23) Lizelle Reymond and Sri Anirvân To Live W it hin (Sandpoint, Idaho: Morning Light Press, 2007), p. 202. (24) Michel Conge Inner Oct aves (Toronto: Dolmen Meadows Editions, 2013), p. 68. (25) Michel Conge Inner Oct aves (Toronto: Dolmen Meadows Editions, 2013), p. 80.

16

ENERGY

‘Energy is t he inherent effort of every mult iplicit y t o become unit y.’ M ax Planck

Energy and Physics

Energy, not matter, is the fundamental reality of the universe. Nikola Tesla: “If you want to find the secrets of the universe think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.” In scientific terms, energy is the dynamic quality of matter. Although matter appears solid, it does not have an independent existence of its own: “Matter is energy bound in quantized wave-packets and these packets are further bound together to create the vast and harmonious architecture that makes up the world.” As physicality is being progressively shown to be immaterial and information to be physical, their congruence is leading to an increased awareness that to understand the essential wholeness of reality requires restating the principles and laws of physics in informational terms. Two of the most fundamental laws are the First and the Second Law of Thermodynamics, which describe the conservation of energy and the flow of entropy, respectively. The emerging insight is that information is expressed both as universally conserved energy and as embodying entropy. From the first moment of spacetime, the incredibly fine-tuned information underpinning the totality of energy-matter and the interactions of the fundamental forces from which physical reality is manifest, is universally conserved. By also being encoded entropically, from its minimum level at the beginning of our universe, it is inexorably increasing through time. (1) In his famous formula E=mc², Einstein related energy with mass and the speed of light, thereby revealing the incredible amount of energy contained in even a small amount of matter: Einstein’s work showed that concepts such as space and time, which had previously seemed to be separate and absolute, are actually interwoven and relative. Einstein went on to show that other physical properties of the world are unexpectedly interwoven as well. His most famous equation provides one of the most important examples. In it, Einstein asserted that the energy (E) of an object and its mass (m) are not independent concepts; we can determine the energy from knowledge of the mass (by multiplying the latter twice by the speed of light, c²) or we can determine the mass from knowledge of the energy (by dividing the latter twice by the speed of light). In other words, energy and mass – like dollars and francs – are convertible currencies. Unlike money, however, the exchange rate given by two factors of the speed of light is always and forever fixed. Since the exchange-rate factor is so large (c² is a big number), a

1

little mass goes an extremely long way in producing energy. The world grasped the devastating destructive power arising from the conversion of less than one percent of two pounds of uranium into energy at Hiroshima; one day, through fusion power plants, we may productively use Einstein’s formula to meet the energy demands of the whole world with our endless supply of seawater. (2) One of the most significant findings of quantum physics is that space is not an empty vacuum or void of ‘nothingness,’ but, rather, a giant reservoir of energy. Subatomic particles are never completely at rest, but are in constant motion due to a ground-state field of energy (sometimes called the “Zero-point Field”) constantly interacting with all subatomic matter. In the quantum domain, this ‘virtual state’ is invisible and intangible. It is from this nonphysical domain that subatomic particles emerge: “The virtual state lies outside the manifest creation. When a wave turns into a particle, which is the basic step that brings photons, electrons, and other subatomic particles into the world of our experience, the virtual state is left behind. The virtual state is also why physics computes that every cubic centimeter of empty space isn’t actually empty. At the quantum level, it contains a huge amount of virtual energy.” The basic substructure of the universe is a sea of quantum fields. What we believe to be our stable, static universe is in fact a seething maelstrom of subatomic particles fleetingly popping in and out of existence . . . All elementary particles interact with each other by exchanging energy through other quantum particles, which are believed to appear out of nowhere, combining and annihilating each other in less than an instant, causing random fluctuations of energy without any apparent cause. The fleeting particles generated during this brief moment are known as ‘virtual particles.’ They differ from real particles because they only exist during this exchange. This subatomic tango, however brief, when added across the universe, gives rise to enormous energy, more than is contained in all the matter in all the world. (3) Physicist David Bohm has proposed a model of the universe in which the phenomenal realm of existence (the ‘explicate order’) emerges from a deeper, underlying ‘implicate order.’ This hidden order is enfolded in “the warp and weft of our reality” and possesses an infinite ocean of potential energy. In The Holographic Universe, Michael Talbot writes: “According to our current understanding of physics, every region of space is awash with different kinds of fields composed of waves of varying lengths. Each wave always has at least some energy. When physicists calculate the minimum amount of energy a wave can possess, they find that every cubic cent imeter of empt y space cont ains more energy t han t he t ot al energy of all t he mat t er in t he know n universe.”

Space is not empty. It is full, a plenum as opposed to a vacuum, and is the ground for the existence of everything, including ourselves. The universe is not separate from this cosmic sea of energy, it is a ripple on its surface, a comparatively small “pattern of excitation” in the midst of a unimaginably vast ocean. This excitation pattern is relatively autonomous and gives rise to approximately recurrent, stable 2

and separable projections into a three-dimensional explicate order of manifestation. In other words, despite its apparent materiality and enormous size, the universe does not exist in and of itself, but is the stepchild of something far vaster and more ineffable . . . This infinite sea of energy is not all that is enfolded in the implicate order. Because the implicate order is the foundation that has given birth to everything in our universe, it also contains every subatomic particle that has ever been or will be; every configuration of matter, energy, life, and consciousness that is possible, from quasars to the brain of Shakespeare, from the double helix, to the forces that control the sizes and shapes of galaxies. And even this is not all it may contain. Bohm concedes that there is no reason to believe the implicate order is the end of things. There may be other undreamed of orders beyond it, infinite stages of further development. (4)

Energy and Number Symbolism

Many philosophical and metaphysical teachings have employed number symbolism to describe the nature of the energies which create phenomenal reality from the primary Oneness to complex differentiation. Numbers have both a quantitative aspect and a qualitative dimension which is symbolic and archetypal. Each number possesses its own unique properties and spiritual reality, as well as correspondences and relationships with other numbers. The science of numbers is a way of comprehending ‘the One and the Many,’ as each number is a reflection of a principle contained within Unity. Pythagoras: “All things are numbers.” According to G.I. Gurdjieff, numbers convey the essence of the basic first-order laws of the universe: “The number of fundamental laws which govern all processes both in the world and in man is very small. Different numerical combinations of a few elementary forces create all the seeming variety of phenomena. In order to understand the mechanics of the universe it is necessary to resolve complex phenomena into these elementary forces.” The original Unity is designated by the number 1. The successive numbers 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 represent the emergence of the physical universe from the unmanifest, undifferentiated potentiality of the Absolute or One. On another level, the numbers 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 indicate the sequence of the inner development of a human being and show the different stages on the path of self-realization and growth of Being. Each number also has an associated geometric shape or symbol:

3

An undifferentiated unity underlies the phenomenal world perceived by our senses. In esoteric cosmology, the number 1 represents the cosmos prior to the fundamental creative moment when duality emerged from primal unity: “What we experience – sound, forms, colors, thoughts – cannot exist without a background. But this background cannot be perceived by our senses. It remains unseen. The forms and the reality are parts of a single whole, but they exist in different dimensions.” Metaphysically, the number 1 is expressed as a single point without dimension. It is the source and origin of all succeeding numbers. The number 2 represents duality, through which the natural world is organized and scaled by complementary opposites. Duality expresses the principle of differentiation and diversity – “the eternal dance of opposites.” The ancient yin/yang symbol is an archetypal image of the duality of existence, combining the principles of division and synthesis. Pictorially, duality is shown as two points which define a line of one dimension. Division by two creates the symmetries and dualities that pervade the natural world: • • • • • • • • •

Spirit - matter Macrocosm - microcosm Involution - evolution Day - night Positive - negative Clockwise - counter-clockwise spin Left - right Male - female Life - death

Human psychology and behaviour also reflect the principle of duality. In talks with his students, Gurdjieff discussed the role of dualities in the life of humanity: Man, in his normal state natural to him, is taken as a duality. He consists entirely of dualities, or ‘pairs of opposites.’ All man’s sensations, impressions, feelings, thoughts, are divided into positive and negative, useful and harmful, necessary and unnecessary, good and bad, pleasant and unpleasant. The work of centers proceeds under the sign of this division. Thoughts oppose feelings. Moving impulses oppose instinctive craving for quiet. This is the duality in which proceed all the perceptions, all the reactions, the whole life of man. Any man who observes himself, however little, can see this duality in himself. But this duality would seem to alternate; what is victor today if the vanquished tomorrow; what guides us today becomes secondary and subordinate tomorrow. Everything is equally mechanical, equally independent of will, and leads equally to no aim of any kind. The understanding of duality in oneself begins with the realization of mechanicalness and the realization of the difference between what is mechanical and what is conscious. (5)

4

In Pythagorean teachings, the number 3 represents harmony and balance – the union of unity (1) and diversity (2). Geometrically, three points form a triangle and the surface of a plane of two dimensions. The concept of a Trinity occurs in many of the world’s religions: in Hinduism: Brahma-VishnuShiva and in Christianity: Father-Son-Holy Spirit. The three modes or qualities also appear in astrology (cardinal, fixed and mutable), as well as established social systems such as law (plaintiff, defendant and judge/jury). The principle of three energies or gunas is a fundamental tenet of the ancient Samkhya tradition of India. The manifestation of the gunas creates our experiential reality, both on the physical and psychological planes. The three gunas are conceptualized as basic “constituents” of the natural world. In The Int egrit y of t he Yoga Darœana , Ian Whicher writes: “The gunas encompass the entire personality structure including the affective and cognitive dimensions involving various qualities and states such as pleasure, pain, intelligence, passion, dullness, and so on. The gunas also function like cosmological proto-elements, as generative/creative factors involved in and responsible for the evolution of life forms.” In the Yoga-Sut ras, Patanjali conceives of the gunas as functional qualities or forms of force and energy whose existence can be inferred from the manifest patterns of nature. The three gunas are rajas (activity), t amas (inertia) and sat t va (harmony). The gunas are interdependent and combine to generate the phenomenal universe through their dynamic, energetic and transformative nature: Sat t va tends toward luminosity; rajas towards action; t amas towards fixity. Though distinct, these gunas mutually affect each other. They change, they

have the properties of conjunction and disjunction, they assume forms created by their mutual cooperation. Distinct from each other, they are identifiable even when their powers are conjoined. They deploy their respective powers, whether of similar or dissimilar kind. When one is predominant, the presence of the others is inferred as existing within the predominant one from the very fact of its operation as a guna . They are effective as engaged in carrying out the purpose of the purusha [Spirit]. (6) The gunas guide the transition from matter to spirit and vice versa. They are the three fundamental aspects of life: creation, preservation and destruction. “These modifications are everywhere and in all planes of existence. Energy (rajas) is the element of fermentation. If matter becomes spirit, spirit likewise must return to matter.” The ‘Law of Three’ contains in itself the whole of life. In the beginning there was the One, Purusha. From its inner vibration, the One projected its opposite, as light casts a shadow, which is its substratum. In this moment, spirit-matter, bound by the energy which belongs equally to the one and the other, can become percep5

tible. This can be demonstrated in the following manner: One is the ‘I’-subject manifested by light – sattva Two is the ‘I’-object manifested by shadow – tamas Between the two aspects of ‘I’-subject and ‘I’-object the perpetual movement of life develops, that is, all forms of manifestation in the lower plane of life. This perpetual movement of energy is rajas. Thus life, through the energy of rajas, is a development of movements acting between the two poles of sattva-tamas. From the plane of rajas, which is ours, a certain state of consciousness can exist in which it is possible to perceive what is above (sattva) and what is below (tamas). What is above can be known by sudden intuition or glimpsed through imagination, but it is impossible to reach it without a shock provoked by the vision itself. A thorough discipline of the mind is the indispensable preparation for this. What is below is the weight of ignorance, the inertia of the primitive prakriti. It is also the field of individual work. Before discovering the stages leading toward sattva, one must become familiar with the opposition of heavy matter. (7) The process of inner work described in the Samkhya teachings is similar to Gurdjieff’s sequence of transformative stages from duality to trinity. The three forces occur in our inner, psychological world in the form of developmental energies and forces: “The possibility of unity depends on a confrontation between the ‘yes’ and the ‘no,’ and the appearance of a third reconciling force that can relate the two. The third force is a property of the real world – ‘w hat is’ and what ‘I am ’.” When self-deceit is destroyed and a man begins to see the difference between the mechanical and the conscious in himself, there begins a struggle for the realization of consciousness in life and for the subordination of the mechanical to the conscious. For this purpose, a man begins with endeavours to set a definite decision, coming from conscious motives, against mechanical processes proceeding according to the laws of duality. The creation of a permanent third principle is for man the t ransformat ion of t he dualit y int o t he t rinit y. (8) In Hinduism, shakt i is conscious cosmic energy emanating from the Absolute, which creates, maintains and dissolves the myriad forms of the phenomenal world. It manifests itself from the Void or ‘living silence’ through the primal vibration or Sacred Sound, echoing the Gospel of John 1:1 – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Shakti predates physical existence and has an infinite capacity to create forms and balance, harmonize and unite opposites. “Shakti has neither a beginning nor an end; it constantly renews itself in its two movements – that which goes toward the exterior, creating new forms without ceasing, and that which goes toward the interior, inhaling all life and leading it back to its source.”

6

In the Samkhya conception, the creation of the universe from the energy of shakti is governed by the three gunas. As the gunas subdivide they create more and more worlds or levels of reality. The greater the subdivision, the greater the density of the world and the further its distance from the primordial Spirit. In To Live W it hin , Samkhya master Sri Anirvân describes this process: “From one world to the next, the number of gunas is multiplied by two, whether the worlds are taken as in the cosmic order or as worlds interiorized in man. The number represents the subdivision of the Law of three which becomes heavier the further it moves from primordial prakriti [nature]. Three gunas are added in each world to the sum of gunas from the proceeding world.” The figure below diagrammatically represents this cosmic process:

7

The above diagram is very similar to Gurdjieff’s ‘Ray of Creation’ which represents the seven worlds or levels of reality from the Absolute to the Moon. The number of laws governing each world is dependent on the Law of Three (equivalent to the three gunas). Each level of the Ray contributes three forces or laws of its own which are added to the laws of previous levels: World 1 World 3 World 6 World 12 World 24 World 48 World 96

Absolute All Galaxies Milky Way Sun Solar System Earth Moon

1 [Unity] 3 Laws 6 Laws (3 + 3) 12 Laws (3 + 6 + 3) 24 Laws (3 + 6 + 12 +3) 48 Laws (3 + 6 + 12 + 24 + 3) 96 Laws (3 + 6 + 12 +24 + 48 + 3)

Gurdjieff considered the Law of Three to be one of the fundamental principles governing the creation and maintenance of the phenomenal world. He taught that three forces or energies affirming, denying and reconciling – are needed for any phenomenon to exist, on whatever scale, from molecular to cosmic, in each of the seven Worlds of the Ray of Creation. “Examples of the action of the three forces, and the moments of entry of the third force, may be clearly discovered in all manifestations of our psychic life, in all phenomena of the life of human communities and of humanity as a whole, and in all the phenomena of nature around us.” We must examine the fundamental law that creates all phenomena in all the diversity or unity of all universes. This is the ‘Law of Three’ or the law of the three principles or the three forces. It consists of the fact that every phenomenon, on whatever scale and in whatever world it may take place, is the result of the combination or the meeting of three different or opposing forces. Contemporary thought realizes the existence of two forces and the necessity of these two forces for the production of a phenomenon: force and resistance, positive and negative magnetism, positive and negative electricity, male and female cells, and so on. But it does not observe even these two forces always and everywhere. No question has ever been raised as to the third, or if it has been raised it has scarcely been heard. According to real, exact knowledge, one force, or two forces, can never produce a phenomenon. The presence of a third force is necessary, for it is only with the help of a third force that the first two can produce what may be called a phenomenon, no matter in what sphere. (9) Gurdjieff also stressed that the qualities of the three forces or energies – active, passive and neutralizing – only occur at their ‘meeting points’ at a given moment. At other times, the three forces may change their places, as the active force becomes passive or reconciling in certain circumstances:

8

The order of the three forces as expressed in triads is important and determines the outcomes of events or actions. For example, the triad 1,2,3 (in which the first/active force is followed by the second/passive force) is reconciled by the third force in an involutionary way. This is the order in which the forces descend from the Absolute in the Ray of Creation. However, when the order of the triad is changed to 2,1,3 (in which the second force is followed by the first force), the reconciling action of the third force makes for an evolutionary outcome . . . John Bennett defines the six possible expressions of the three forces as the ‘triad of involution’ (1,2,3), the ‘triad of interaction’ (1,3,2), the ‘triad of evolution’ (2,1,3), the ‘triad of identity’ (2,3,1), the ‘triad of universal order’ (3,1,2) and the ‘triad of the spirit’ (3,2,1). These distinctions may go some way towards clarifying the differing expressions of the Law of Three. In one case, the third force is the result of the action of the other two forces: e.g. the sperm unites with the ovum to create the embryo. In another formulation, the third force is the agent of change that yields a result: e.g. flour and water become bread only when bonded by fire. The matter resulting from the process of the three forces can be defined as ‘higher’ for the preceding ‘lower’ (i.e. bread is ‘higher’ than flour and water), but ‘lower’ than the preceding ‘higher’ (i.e. bread is ‘lower’ than fire). (10) The number 4 represents matter and the physical world and symbolizes order, stability and solidity. Four points create a square and define a solid of three dimensions (cube). Many of the phenomena of nature are based on the number 4: • • • • • • •

Four elements (fire, air, water, earth) Four seasons (spring, summer, autumn, winter) Four cardinal directions (east, north, west, south) Four phases of the moon (new, first quarter, full, third quarter) Four periods of the day (morning, afternoon, evening, night) Four forces of physics (gravity, electromagnetic, strong and weak nuclear) Four stages of life (childhood, adolescence, adulthood, old age)

In Gurdjieff’s cosmological system, four qualities or states of ‘matter’ are identified, based on their cosmic properties in relation to the three forces or energies: Carbon = matter in which the active force is manifesting Oxygen = matter manifesting the passive force Nitrogen = matter manifesting the neutralizing force Hydrogen = matter taken without regard to force or in which no force is manifesting In astrology, the three energetic qualities (cardinal, fixed, mutable) manifest through each of the four elements to create the 12 signs of the zodiac. The four elements signify different levels or degrees of materiality, ranging from the most rarefied (fire) to the most dense (earth):

9

Fire signs: Aries = cardinal, Leo = fixed, Sagittarius = mutable Air signs: Libra = cardinal, Aquarius = fixed, Gemini = mutable Water signs: Cancer = cardinal, Scorpio = fixed, Pisces = mutable Earth signs: Capricorn = cardinal, Taurus = fixed, Virgo = mutable The elements provide a template for the process of inner transformation in which a developed human being becomes a ‘microcosm of the macrocosm.’ In Inner Yoga , Sri Anirvân uses an analogy from science to represent this process by equating earth = solids, water = liquids, air = gases and fire = heat: Physical science speaks of three states of matter: solid, liquid, and gaseous. In the solid state of substance, the molecules remain dense and compacted. With the application of heat, they begin to break apart and their rate of vibration increases; at this stage solid matter is changed into liquid form. With the application of still more heat, the rate of vibration further increases, and at the same time the volume of substance expands considerably; as a result, even a small quantity of gaseous substance is able to occupy the space of the vessel containing it. In this description we find four of the five physical qualities: the solidity of earth, the fluidity of water, the heat of fire, and the expansiveness of air. Heat is the fundamental energy of change and transformation. As long as the body-consciousness is there, these four qualities will be active; when the body becomes empty, so to speak, the fifth quality, the void appears. (11) In traditional cosmologies, the four elements represent the elemental states of material energy as well as corresponding psychological states. In the Hindu Upanishads they are expressed as natural physical qualities, and supra-natural mystic manifestations: The quality of the Earth element is solidity; its corresponding yogic quality is the feeling of calm, steadfast wellbeing. The quality of the Water element is fluidity; its yogic quality is relaxation, as if upon this stable feeling of wellbeing waves of gracefulness were flowing; the body then feels like that of a little child brimming with happiness. The quality of the Air element is pervasiveness, movement everywhere; its yogic counterpart is infinite expansion; it gives the feeling that the body is not solid; there seems to be no gulf between the inner and the outer: the whole body seems to spread out like gas on all sides. When to these three feelings, the feeling developed by pranayama [breath control] is added, the yogic quality of the element Fire begins to manifest within. Its characteristic is radiance, radiating heat and light. It brings to the human instrument, the “vessel” of mind, life and body a marvelous feeling of radiant warmth and clarity. (12)

10

The elements also correspond to the five primary senses of sight, sound, touch, taste and smell. In the teachings of Samkhya, each of the senses has a higher mystic quality: sight (beauty), sound (music), touch (love-touch), taste (flavour) and smell (fragrance): To realize the Void or pure spirit, you have to enter into the domain of mystic sensations behind the elemental sensations. Smell is a primitive sensation common to all with which life starts. It is either good, bad, soft or pungent, etc. Its mystic quality is a fragrance which arouses an ecstatic condition in you, hence the incense burning in temples. The common sensory taste is sweet, bitter, etc. Its mystic counterpart is flavor. The vision of mystic light is usual for all spiritual aspirants. On the ordinary level it is beauty. The mystic quality of touch is revealed in the love-touch. And the mystic quality of sound is revealed through music, which plays such an important role in religions. We have to train our ordinary sensations to rise, to expand and also to dive into mystic sensations. Then we will see and feel that all existences are shot through and through with spirit and energy which evolve matter out of their ethereal bodies. As one rises in the ascending scale of rarefaction when passing through the different gradations of the elements, one notices how an intense light between the eyebrows expands into the Void of pure Existence, which holds the unlimited universe in its ambit and remains calm and serene, full of the peace, joy and love that are the essence of all beings. There the Creator and the created are one. One is then the very stuff of reality. (13) The number 5 symbolizes peace and harmony, the relationship between humanity and spirit. In Pythagorean teachings, five is the marriage between Heaven and Earth. In astrology, five divides a circle into 72 segments (quintile) and denotes a creative flow of energy. It also appears in a famous drawing by Leonardo da Vinci in which he depicts a human form with four outstretched limbs and a head. Geometrically, five points define a solid moving through the fourth dimension of time. Five is associated with the pentagram or five-pointed star. This shape often appears in classical art and architecture as well as in nature (e.g. a starfish). Like the circle, the pentagram is endless and represents perfection and wholeness. It is a symbol of renewal, regeneration and transformation. Interestingly, the lines joining the five points of the pentagram divide each other in the ratio known as the golden mean or golden proportion ( ). Gurdjieff placed great importance on the symbolism of the number 5 as it applied to human transformation and self-realization: The development of the human machine and the enrichment of being begins with a new and unaccustomed functioning of this machine. We know that a man has five centers: the thinking, the emotional, the moving, the instinctive, and the sex. The predominant development of any one center at the expense of the others produces an extremely one-sided type of man, incapable of 11

further development. But if a man brings the work of the five centers within him into harmonious accord, he then ‘locks the pentagram within him’ and becomes a finished type of the physically perfect man. The full and proper functioning of the five centers brings them into union with the higher centers which introduce the missing principle and put man into direct and permanent connection with objective consciousness and objective knowledge. (14) The number 6 symbolizes movement and support. In astrology, dividing a circle by 6 produces the 60 sextile, which reflects opportunity and cooperation. The number 6 is also reflected in the six lines of the I Ching. Geometrically, 6 is associated with the hexagon or sixpointed star. The hexagon occurs in the pattern of snowflakes and is a common shape found in mineral crystals, and the honeycomb. The ‘Seal of Solomon’ is a dynamic hexagon which symbolizes various complementary aspects of creation. The image is strongly associated with Jewish mysticism and appears as the Star of David on the flag of Israel. The Seal of Solomon consists of two interlocking equilateral triangles forming a six-pointed star. Together the two triangles represent the evolutionary tendencies of all forms of existence and the actions of the four elements. The upward pointing triangle meets the downward pointing triangle, and the two then merge in perfect harmony as two interlocking triangles. The upward pointing triangle is active toward heaven and passive toward earth, while the triangle pointing downward is passive toward heaven and active toward earth. Through inner work a person can develop a permanent line of struggle with one’s lower, mechanical nature on the path to self-knowledge and self-realization. In the symbolic transition from 5 to 6, an individual becomes the six-pointed star. Gurdjieff: “By becoming locked within a circle of life independent and complete in himself, man becomes isolated from external influences or accidental shocks; he embodies in himself the Seal of Solomon . In this way he will introduce the line of w ill first into the circle of time and afterwards into the cycle of eternity.” Speaking from the Samkhya tradition, Sri Anirvân describes the process of self-realization using the Seal of Solomon diagram as an analogy:

12

The seeker stands between two triangles. He who devotes his life to spiritual search, thanks to his inner discipline, absorbs the shakti of the triangle of the infinite ideal which is above him. Below him the downward pointing triangle contains all possible forms of manifestation. Perfect yoga in the heart of life is represented by the two integrated triangles with a single center. A Master is one who voluntarily enters into the manifested prakriti. His disciples and pupils are so many reflections of himself which he recognizes without being attached to them. He stands in the center of the two triangles. (15)

Higher Spiritual Energy

According to many traditional spiritual teachings, everything in the universe, including mind and matter, is reducible to energy. This primal energy is called pneuma in Greek philosophy, prana in Hindu cosmology and qi (or chi ) in Chinese Taoism. It is said to be a subtle energy or life force which permeates all levels of reality. In The Tao of Physics, Fritjof Capra suggests that there is a parallel with the findings of quantum physics which posits that the flow and interplay of this energy connects everything in the universe and allows the exchange of information between the myriad forms of phenomenal existence – a vast cosmic dance of energy: The exploration of the subatomic world in the twentieth century has revealed the intrinsically dynamic nature of matter. It has shown that the constituents of atoms, the subatomic particles, are dynamic patterns which do not exist as isolated entities, but as integral parts of an inseparable network of interactions. These interactions involve a ceaseless flow of energy manifesting itself as the exchange of particles: a dynamic interplay in which particles are created and destroyed without end in a continual variation of energy patterns. The particle interactions give rise to the stable structures which build up the material world, which again do not remain static, but oscillate in rhythmic movements. The whole universe is thus engaged in endless motion and activity; in a continual cosmic dance of energy. (16) Gurdjieff indicated that there are different degrees or levels of energy in the universe, which are manifested in a fully developed human being (“As above, so below”). He taught that there is a subtle energy within each person which can connect with a higher cosmic energy. When a higher energy or force enters and unites with a physical body, there is a new quality of being. Jeanne de Salzmann, a senior student of Gurdjieff, captures the essence of this new vibration in The Realit y of Being : “A feeling appears, a new energy is produced which penetrates my whole body. I am touched by the quality of this energy. It has an intensity and intelligence, a vision which I do not know in my usual state.”

13

Only when a person is whole, balanced and consciously aware can he or she touch a higher source of energy. The higher force is always present and available, but most individuals are not able to receive it since a sustained effort is needed to create the required intensity in the body, mind and emotions. “This brings a special energy, which allows the action of a finer, more subtle nature. The energy has the power to call and to irresistibly attract.” The universe consists of energies that pass through us. Each movement inside and outside us is a passage of energy. The energy goes where it is called. We cannot prevent it. We are subject to the forces that surround us. Either we are related to an energy that is a little higher, or we are taken by an energy that is lower. We are not a unity, we are not one. Our energy needs to be contained in a closed circuit, in which it could be transformed. This would allow it to enter into contact with energies of the same quality to form a new circuit, a new current. So long as a current of higher energy is not established in me, I have no freedom. There is an energy that comes from a higher part of the mind. But we are not open to it. It is a conscious force. The attention is part of this force that must be developed. (17) Human beings have the capacity to contact spiritual energy from a higher level of reality through certain traditional practices such as prayer, contemplation and meditation. When the mind is quiet and the body relaxed, a more refined current of energy can appear as living Presence. Jeanne de Salzmann: “For a moment I am no longer the same. My freed attention, my consciousness, then knows what I am essentially. This is the death of my ordinary ‘I’. Returning to the source, I become conscious of that which arises not to fall back, that which is not born and does not die – the eternal Self.” Each person has an ideal, an aspiration for something higher. It takes one form or another, but what matters is the call to this ideal, the call of one’s being. Listening to the call is the state of prayer. While in this state, a person produces an energy, a special emanation, which religious feeling alone can bring. These emanations concentrate in the atmosphere just above the place where they are produced. The air everywhere contains them. The question is how to enter into contact with these emanations. By our call we can create a connection, like a telegraph wire, which links us, and take in this material in order to let it accumulate and crystallize in us. We then have the possibility to manifest its quality and help others understand – that is, to give it back. True prayer is establishing this contact and being nourished by it, nourished by this special energy, which is called Grace. As an exercise for this, we breathe in air, thinking of Christ or Buddha or Mohammed, and keep the active elements which have been accumulated. (18) In Inner Oct aves, Michel Conge, a student of Gurdjieff, speaks of a ‘divine spark’ which animates our inner being: “That is what destiny really is – rediscovering what I am and, in fact, what I have never ceased to be: a spark that is never extinguished, a spark which creates.”

14

If you agree that a particle of divine energy animates you, you can understand that a contact, a direct perception of this circulating energy, must be possible. You can also understand that the key to the mystery of consciousness resides in this capacity of perception, which is not a mental act but the awakening of a dormant property. Everything is here. If this living and divine energy-substance were not in us, there would be no sense in trying anything at all. We are separated from ourselves, and also, of course, from God, only through our forgetting or our ignorance. Remembering oneself means recognizing oneself in a rediscovered and eternally present energy, free from all form. This rediscovery must not be the result of thought or desire alone: the proof must be brought by our whole being, in order that the contact becomes in fact a fusion with no gap through which doubt may still slip in. It is only the Absolute whose reality we are presently incapable of knowing or touching, but this is not a permanent separation . . . I need to recognize that I AM. And from this rediscovered fact, Faith, Love, and Hope are born, very naturally without any subjective distortion. (19) The meaning and purpose of existence and the destiny of humanity can only be understood when a certain cosmic relationship is established between a receptive human being and influences emanating from higher levels of reality. Inner transformation occurs when we become sensitive to this finer energy. “The whole being is changed. A pure feeling is born, an uncontaminated energy that is absolutely necessary for me to go further. Without it I will never know what is true, never enter a world entirely new.” We need to understand the idea of a cosmic scale, that there is a link connecting humanity with a higher influence. Our lives, the purpose of being alive, can only be understood in relation to forces whose scale and grandeur go beyond ourselves. I am here to obey, to obey an authority that I recognize as greater because I am a particle of it. It calls to be recognized, to be served and to shine through me. There is a need to put myself under this higher influence and a need to relate to it in submitting to its service. I do not realize at the outset that my wish to be is a cosmic wish and that my being needs to situate itself and find its place in a world of forces. I consider it my subjective property, something I can make use of for personal profit. My search is organized on the scale of this subjectivity in which everything is measured from a subjective point of view – me and God. Yet at a certain point I must realize that the origin of the need I feel is not in me alone. There is a cosmic need for the new being that I could become. Humanity – a certain portion of humanity – needs it. And I also have a need, with their help, to capture the influence that is just above me. We feel that without this relation with a higher energy, life has not much meaning. (20) The great Indian sage Ramana Maharshi often taught through silence in which he transmitted spiritual energy without any words or actions. Stabilized in the Self, he emanated a 15

profound spiritual current which passed directly to the hearts of his followers. “Silence is eternal eloquence and the highest form of Grace. Silence is the ocean in which all the rivers of all the religions discharge themselves.” The Samkhya tradition teaches that the ordinary person lives in dualities, while the liberated one lives beyond dualities. The energy of shakti is only perceptible to someone who has developed a refined consciousness which can receive this subtle energy in his or her innermost being. Sri Anirvân: “The silence of shakti is a Void, full and whole, a perfect harmony. It is toward this silence that we must work, gradually emptying ourselves until the power of shakti has the space to move within ourselves and become manifest . . . When we discover within ourselves the vibration of shakti, we rediscover the kingdom of Heaven, the beatitude of all eternity.” This state of consciousness is reflected by a harmonization of the three gunas to create an impenetrable inner peace and stability. When the three gunas are in perfect balance, they can be represented by an equilateral triangle with a central point (bindu ) which “contains everything in itself.” Shakti can also gather itself together at the central point: “This signifies – in a perfect action or in a perfect meditative state – the union of shakti and purusha (Spirit), a state of perfect awakened consciousness.” In Shakt i: A Spirit ual Experience, Lizelle Reymond writes: All the great spiritual beings have entered the Void, the inner circle of Shakti. That which in them remains a mystery for us is the ultimate unknown which they reflect. It is their secret. Their desire to reveal their experience to us stops at the very moment when we can no longer absorb what they have to transmit. It is for us to become worthy of the light that comes to meet us. What we wish to ignore as long as possible is that their sacrifice stands between them and us. This sacrifice is to remain on our level, to be with us. We do not have the courage to face it even though we wish to derive all possible benefits from it. This sacrifice is expiation in many forms and under many different names. It is the vanishing of dualities on all levels, the oneness of Purusha-Prakriti. It is the One beyond spirit and matter . . . It is beyond what is dual, it is the Absolute. The stillness of this Absolute is creative silence. Therein a “new movement” is being born, the essence of life. (21) When the universe is viewed as sacred, then every aspect of the phenomenal world is perceived as sacred and magical: “Gold can be formed into different shapes – both beautiful and grotesque – but it still remains gold.” When we are connected to the spiritual energy of the universe our lives are transformed and renewed. “The sacred world is great because of its primordial quality. Experiencing the greatness of the sacred world is recognizing the existence of that vast and primordial wisdom, which is reflected throughout phenomena.” In Shambhala: The Sacred Pat h of t he W arrior , Tibetan Buddhist master Chögyam Trungpa invokes the archetypal figure of the sacred warrior to describe the potential for enlightened

16

and wise behaviour that exists within every human being. By mastering the challenges of life, we can live a meaningful life based on respect for the natural world and service to others: The challenge of warriorship is to live fully in the world as it is and to find within this world, with all its paradoxes, the essence of nowness. If we open our eyes, if we open our minds, if we open our hearts, we will find that this world is a magical place . . . The world is filled with power and wisdom, which we can have, so to speak. In some sense we have them already. We have possibilities of experiencing the sacred world, a world which has self-existing richness and brilliance – and beyond that, possibilities of natural hierarchy, natural order. That order includes all the aspects of life – including those that are ugly and bitter and sad. But even those qualities are part of the rich fabric of existence that can be woven into our being. In fact, we are woven already into that fabric – whether we like it or not. Recognizing that link is both powerful and auspicious. It allows us to stop complaining about and fighting with our world. Instead, we can begin to celebrate and promote the sacredness of the world. By following the way of the warrior, it is possible to expand our vision and give fearlessly to others. In that way, we have possibilities of effecting fundamental change. We cannot change the way the world is, but by opening ourselves to the world as it is, we may find that gentleness, decency, and bravery are available – not only to us, but to all human beings. (22)

References

(1) Ervin Laszlo W hat is Realit y? (New York: SelectBooks, 2016), pp. 115-116. (2) Brian Greene The Elegant Universe (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2003), p. 51. (3) Lynne McTaggart The Field (New York: Harper Perennial, 2002), p. 19. (4) Michael Talbot The Holographic Universe (New York: Harper Perennial, 2002), pp. 51-52. (5) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of t he M iraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), pp. 281-282. (6) Ian Whicher The Int egrit y of t he Yoga Darœana (New York: State University of New York Press, 1998), p. 63. (7) Lizelle Reymond and Sri Anirvân To Live W it hin (Sandpoint, Idaho: Morning Light Press, 2007), pp. 106-107. (8) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of t he M iraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), p. 282. (9) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of t he M iraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), p. 77. (10) Sophia Wellbeloved Gurdjieff: The Key Concept s (New York: Routledge, 2003), pp. 123-124. (11) Sri Anirvân Inner Yoga (Sandpoint, Idaho: Morning Light Press, 2007), pp. 27-28. (12) Sri Anirvân Inner Yoga (Sandpoint, Idaho: Morning Light Press, 2007), p. 8. (13) Lizelle Reymond and Sri Anirvân To Live W it hin (Sandpoint, Idaho: Morning Light Press, 2007), pp. 205-206. (14) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of t he M iraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001, p.282.

17

(15) Lizelle Reymond and Sri Anirvân To Live W it hin (Sandpoint, Idaho: Morning Light Press, 2007), p. 111. (16) Fritjof Capra The Tao of Physics (Boulder: Shambhala, 1975), p. 225. (17) Jeanne de Salzmann The Realit y of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), pp. 122-123. (18) Jeanne de Salzmann The Realit y of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), pp. 198-199. (19) Michel Conge Inner Oct aves (Toronto: Dolmen Meadow Editions, 2013), pp. 163-164. (20) Jeanne de Salzmann The Realit y of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), p. 199. (21) Lizelle Reymond Shakt i: A Spirit ual Experience (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1974), pp. 40-41. (22) Chögyam Trungpa Shambhala: The Sacred Pat h of t he W arrior (Boston: Shambhala, 1988), pp. 132-133.

18

VIBRATION

‘There is geomet ry in t he humming of t he st rings, t here is music in t he spacing of t he spheres.’ Pyt hagoras

Science and Vibration

Scientists have determined that all the forms in the universe are, at their most fundamental level, patterns of vibration. Every structure of phenomenal reality, from atoms to the human body to galaxies, are clusters of vibrations emerging from an underlying field of energy. In his visionary book Nuclear Evolut ion , Christopher Hills writes: “If we look deeply into all life, we will find that it consists of vibration; even atoms are not material in that sense. They are only energy forms which are patterns vibrating in a certain way so that they interact with our senses, and we feel something solid. But it is only solid to us because we are vibrating in that same band of frequencies.” Even the electrons in atoms are described mathematically as vibrations. However, unlike the vibration of a violin string, they are not the vibrations of a material entity, but rather vibrations of ‘probability amplitudes’ existing in three-dimensional space. Throughout the natural world, patterns of vibration create simple and complex phenomena which, like the instruments of an orchestra, create intricate rhythms and melodies. “The many competing theories that seek to describe the fundamentals of the physical universe all tend to describe its manifest nature in terms of vibrational excitations, which are essentially waveforms. And it is the multitude of such waveforms and their continual and dynamic interaction through which the information that underlies and pervades the world is embedded and expressed.” In M usic of t he Spheres, Guy Murchie eloquently describes this amazing ‘dance of nature’: The evidence is indeed overwhelming that every atom is somehow made of durable waves that vibrate continuously in hierarchies of energy – neat terraces of binding resonance between ø frequencies. All atoms, from the simplest (hydrogen) to the most complex, have comparable wave patterns, and the bigger, heavier ones could be likened to complex musical instruments or even whole orchestras on which many notes are being played simultaneously as chords from the contrabass levels to the outermost shell’s altissimo. And of course, atoms vibrate as a whole also, and complete molecules generate their own cohesive wave systems, as do entire crystal lattices in beautiful interweaving integrated regularities, and all larger objects and organisms – including human beings, stars and, for all we know, the universe. It is in these and comparable ways, as we are becoming increasingly aware, that all matter tends toward its natural rhythms, ranging from the simple mechanical oscillation of pendulums and springs and falling drops of spray to the ups and downs of weather to the rhythms of the heart to ecological fluctuations and the population patterns of insects, birds and animals. (1)

1

For centuries, scientists believed that matter was the fundamental building block of the universe. But, in the early twentieth century, physicists presented a new understanding of the nature of the universe which challenged pre-existing beliefs. Nobel-prize winning physicist Max Planck spoke about these new developments in his 1944 lecture “The Nature of Matter”: “There is no matter as such. All matter originates and exists by virtue of a force which brings the particles of an atom to vibration and holds this most minute solar system of the atom together. We must assume behind this force the existence of a conscious and intelligent Mind. This Mind is the matrix of all matter.” The findings of quantum physics revealed that the objects of the material world were primarily vibratory, not an ensemble of bits and pieces of matter. In The Int elligence of t he Cosmos, Ervin Laszlo writes: “The vibrations that make up the world we observe are not random but highly ordered: they are coherent . Their order and coherence tell us that they are not the result of mere chance. The vibrations are ‘in-formed.’ In the last count, we are informed clusters of vibrations in space and time, interacting and coevolving with other clusters both locally, here and now, and nonlocally, throughout the universe.” In quantum physics, observations and calculations reveal that at the ultra-small dimension, space is not empty and smooth. It is “grainy,” filled with waves and vibrations. When physicists descend to the ultra-small dimension, they do not find anything that could be called matter. What they find are waves and clusters of standing or propagating vibrations. Previously, scientists had assumed that it is matter that vibrates. There is a ground substance that vibrates, and that substance consists of matter particles and assemblies of matter particles. The world is material, and vibration is the way matter behaves. But the contrary turned out to be the case. There is no ground substance. The world is a set of variously integrated clusters of vibration, and matter is just the way the vibrations appear to observers. (2) Laszlo proposes that the phenomenal world of space and time is the product of coordinated patterns of clusters of vibration in-formed by an underlying cosmic intelligence. In W hat is Realit y?, he writes: “In its ground state, the cosmos is a coherent sea of vibration; a pure potential. The waves that emerge in its excited state are the actualization of the potential, and they convey the vibration of the ground state. Consequentially, the clusters that constitute the manifest entities of the universe are in-formed by the vibration of the cosmic ground state.” In the new map of the cosmos there is no such thing as “matter.” There is only “matter-like” entities constituted of clusters of coordinated vibration. The material things we consider elements of the real world are bits and clusters of vibration, oscillating standing waves at various scales of size and complexity. Plancksize bits configure into clusters of coordinated vibration and their interaction creates the manifest world. The clusters, superclusters, and hyperclusters compose the particles, atoms and molecules; the organisms and ecologies; and the 2

stars, stellar systems, and galaxies that are the furnishings of the world. They constitute individually distinguishable but not categorically separate entities. They are intrinsic elements of the field of vibration in which they appear. The vibrations that furnish the world appear in the “excited” (as contrasted with the “ground”) state of the cosmos. Our universe can be defined as a coherent domain in the general wave field of the excited state of the cosmos. All things in it are clusters of coordinated vibration . . . The vibration of the ground state is eternal and immutable, but is capable of excitation. Its excitation produces the manifest universe. The cosmic ground state appears to have been last excited 13.8 billion years ago with the influx of energies liberated by the singularity we know as the Big Bang. The cosmos entered the excited state where it is a universal field of vibration producing waves of diverse amplitude, phase, and frequency. The interaction of the waves creates patterns of interference, of which the clusters and higher-order superclusters are the matter-like entities of the universe. (3) Quantum physicists discovered that the universe is a “sea of motion,” since the energy levels of subatomic particles are constantly fluctuating. No subatomic particle is ever completely at rest as they always possess a tiny residual movement. In The Field , Lynne McTaggart offers a useful analogy to describe this process: “Imagine taking a charged subatomic particle and attaching it to a little frictionless spring. It should bounce up and down for a while and then, at a temperature of absolute zero, stop moving. What physicists have found is that the energy in the Zero Point Field keeps acting on the particle so that it never comes to rest but always keeps moving on the string.” In the quantum world, quantum fields are not mediated by forces but by exchange of energy, which is constantly redistributed in a dynamic pattern. This constant exchange is an intrinsic property of particles, so that even ‘real’ particles are nothing more than a little knot of energy which briefly emerges and disappears back into the underlying field. According to quantum field theory, the individual entity is transient and insubstantial. Particles cannot be separated from the empty space around them. Einstein himself recognized that matter itself was ‘extremely intense’ – a disturbance, in a sense, of perfect randomness – and that the only fundamental reality was the underlying entity – the field itself. Fluctuations in the atomic world amount to a ceaseless passing back and forth of energy like a ball in a game of pingpong. This energy exchange is analogous to loaning someone a penny; you are a penny poorer, he is a penny richer, until he returns the penny and the roles reverse. This sort of emission and reabsorption of virtual particles occurs not only among photons and electrons, but with all the quantum particles in the universe. The Zero Point Field is a repository of all fields and all ground energy states and all virtual particles – a field of fields. (4)

3

String Theory

Theoretical physicists have always endeavored to explain physical phenomena in a logically consistent form. Much of their work was an attempt to unify relativity theory and quantum mechanics into a coherent “theory of everything” without, however, much success. More recently, the development of st ring t heory has opened up more hopeful avenues for a unification of the laws governing the microscopic world of subatomic particles and the macroscopic world of galaxies, stars and planets: A different approach has been adopted today by the majority of theoretical physicists: they take quanta – the discontinuous aspects of physical reality – as basic. But the physical nature of quanta is reinterpreted – they are no longer discrete energy-matter particles but rather vibrating one-dimensional filaments: “strings” and “superstrings.” Physicists try to link all the laws of physics as the vibration of superstrings in a higher-dimensional space. They see each particle as a string that makes its own “music” together with all other particles. Cosmically, entire stars and galaxies vibrate together, as, in the final analysis, does the whole universe. The physicists’ challenge is to come up with an equation that shows how one vibration relates to another, so that they can all be expressed consistently in a single super-equation. This equation could decode the encompassing music that is the vastest and most fundamental harmony of the cosmos. (5) String theory was developed to explain some of the unresolved issues of quantum physics, including the puzzle of how elementary particles like photons and electrons can act like both particles and waves. String theory replaces the concept of fixed subatomic particles with vibrating strings: “Strings vibrate at different frequencies, and each frequency defines a corresponding kind of particle: one “note” on the string makes for an electron, another for a neutron, still others make for bosons and gravitons, the particles that carry the forces of nature.” String theory attempts to reconcile the particle/wave dilemma through the common attribute of vibration. “String theory considers waves to be the vibration of an invisible string, with particles being the specific “notes” that appear in space-time. The analogy to music is a powerful one, in that subatomic “harmonies” (vibrations which resonate with each other) are thought to determine how quarks, boson-like photons and gravitons, and other specific particles relate to one another and build up complex structures.” The permutations of a number of vibrating strings may underlie the proliferation of subatomic particles discovered in high-speed particle accelerators. As string theory developed, more advanced models were proposed such as ‘superstring theory’ and ‘M-theory,’ which were based on complex mathematical equations:

4

The ancient philosophers described the Cosmos in musical terms, intuitively appreciating its harmonic nature. With the advent of superstring theory, the idea that subatomic particles could be considered as vibrating strings reflects the ancient insight that the world is innately harmonious. The theory continued to evolve; the latest version is termed M-theory. A fundamental requirement for string theories is that the strings vibrate not within our familiar four-dimensional space-time but in multiple dimensions – in the case of M-theory, a total of 11. But in addition to perceiving the physical world as innately harmonic and the need for extra dimensions to understand it, Mtheory has a further attribute that is revolutionary. Unexpectedly, but arising out of the mathematics of the theory, are a series of surfaces called membranes. These are multidimensional objects that may form the framework within which strings oscillate and to which they are energetically linked. (6)

Vibration and the Human Brain

Brain waves are produced by synchronized electrical pulses from masses of neurons communicating with each other. In a certain sense, brain waves are like musical notes – low frequencies are similar to a low-pitched drum beat while higher frequency brain waves are like the high pitch of a flute. Neurophysiologists distinguish a number of types of brain waves based on their frequency and amplitude. As well, each type is associated with different psychological states of consciousness: • • • •

Delta (0.5 - 3 Hertz): deep dreamless sleep Theta (3 - 8 Hertz): intuition, reverie, deep meditation Beta (13 - 38 Hertz): alertness, mental activity, thought processing Alpha (8 - 13 Hertz): calm relaxed awareness, present in the ‘now’

The right and left brain hemispheres are activated differently depending on the cognitive tasks being performed, as shown by the EEG brain wave patterns below:

5

The above brain wave patterns were recorded in a study conducted by psychologists Robert Ornstein and David Galin in which a subject was asked to perform a verbal task (writing a letter) and a spatial task (arranging a set of coloured blocks to match a given pattern): The findings were immediate and very striking: while writing (presumably a lefthemisphere task) he produced high-amplitude EEG alpha waves over the right hemisphere and much less amplitude over the left hemisphere. This pattern reversed while he was arranging blocks, with the alpha rhythm dominant over the left hemisphere and less visible over the right hemisphere. The alpha rhythm is generally taken to indicate a diminution of information processing in the area involved. The left hemisphere “quieted down” while our subject was arranging the blocks; the right hemisphere quieted down while he was writing. With new subjects we found similar results: their EEGs showed (for each task) that the area of the brain not being used was relatively “turned off.” (7) The activity of the brain is governed by vibrations of different frequencies and amplitudes and their interrelationship. Also included are the vibrations of ‘probability amplitudes’ that occur in the quantum world. Vibrations of different frequencies interact, creating constantly changing patterns of brain activity: Increasingly, it is thought that the functioning of the brain also relies on vibrations, or oscillations, the preferred term of neuroscientists. These vibrations consist of relatively synchronized fluctuations of the membrane potentials of many cells and are reflected in the brain waves recorded by electroencephalography. One of the features of these vibrations is that they are “nested” one within another, or ‘phase amplitude coupled.’ This means that a slower rhythm will “contain” a number of vibrations of a faster rhythm, and the amplitude of the faster waves will fluctuate with the phase of the slower ones – at the peak of the slower rhythm, the faster waves might have their greatest amplitude, and at the trough of the slower rhythm, the faster waves their lowest amplitude. (8) The figure below shows the amplitude variations of these slow and fast brain waves:

6

The work of neurophysiologist Karl Pribram sheds light on how the human brain acts as a hologram by ‘translating’ the vibratory frequencies of the external world into the perceptual reality that we experience in our lives: Our brains mathematically construct objective reality by interpreting frequencies that are ultimately projections from another dimension, a deeper order of existence that is beyond both space and time. The brain is a hologram enfolded in a holographic universe. For Pribram, this synthesis made him realize that the objective world does not exist, at least in the way we are accustomed to believing. What is “out there” is a vast ocean of waves and frequencies, and reality looks concrete to us only because our brains are able to take this holographic blur and convert it into the sticks and stones and other familiar objects that make up our world. How is the brain (which itself is composed of frequencies of matter) able to take something as insubstantial as a blur of frequencies and make it seem solid to the touch? According to Pribram this does not mean there aren’t china cups ands grains of beach sand out there. It simply means that a china cup has two very different aspects to its reality. When it is filtered through the lens of our brain it manifests as a cup. But if we could get rid of our lenses, we’d experience it as an interference pattern. Which one is real and which is illusion? “Both are real to me,” says Pribram, “or, if you want to say, neither of them are real.” (9) Some theorists have posited that the human brain can access information beyond that received by our five sensory organs. They believe that it is possible to gain “the holographically embedded information in the quantum zero-point energy field” through a form of non-sensory perception. The cerebral functions of the brain generate equivalent waveforms which convey information in the form of complex holograms. Ervin Laszlo: How do the body and brain make “waves”? Physicists discovered that all things in the universe are constantly oscillating at different frequencies. These oscillations generate wavefields that radiate from the objects that produce them. When the wavefield emanating from one object encounters another object, a part of it is reflected from that object, and a part is absorbed by it. The object becomes energized and creates another wavefield that moves back towards the object that emitted the initial wavefield. The interference of the initial and the response wavefields create an overall pattern, and this pattern is effectively a hologram. It carries information on the objects that created the wavefields. (10) The human brain is able to decode the vibrational information that pervades both material existence and the immaterial world of consciousness. “Both consciousness and body are informed by the ground state of the cosmos. The body and the brain and the organism as a whole receive and resonate with the intelligence that permeates the universe.” In W hat Is Realit y?, Ervin Laszlo explores the possibilities for a new map of the cosmos and consciousness based on the vibratory nature of the universe:

7

There is no such thing as color or sound in the universe, any more than there is matter. All that exists is vibration, clustering into patterns producing matter-like and mind-like Gestalts. Some clusters are received by sensory organs and are conveyed as electrical impulses to the brain, where they are decoded and give rise to the sensation of color, sound, texture, odor, and taste. In regard to sound, for example, waves in the air bring to vibration thousands of cilia (thin hairs) according to their frequency. The vibrations are compressed and amplified and then conveyed to the cochlea in the inner ear where the Corti organ transforms them into neural signals. The human ear decodes frequencies spanning about ten octaves. The human eye, in turn, responds to a smaller but likewise specific range of vibrations in the electromagnetic spectrum. The cornea acts as a convex lens that conveys streams of photons to the retina, where optical cells convert them into electrical impulses . . . The vibrations that give us the sights and sounds of the everyday world are of a relatively high frequency. There are, however, vibrations also of a lower frequency. Their decoding offers glimpses of a nonphysical but equally real world: the deep-dimensional world of mind or consciousness. These vibrations are not processed by specialized sensory organs but reach the organism through quantum-level resonance in a whole array of sub-neuronal networks. They do not produce Gestalts of physical objects, but forms and elements of consciousness. They are elements of the “transcendental awareness” that comes to light above all in NDEs [near death experiences], OBEs [out of body experiences], after-death experiences, and in meditative and other non-ordinary states of consciousness. (11)

The Ray of Creation

G.I. Gurdjieff held that everything in the universe is material, though of different degrees of density based on its frequency of vibration: “It is necessary to regard the universe as consisting of vibrations. These vibrations proceed in all kinds, aspects, and densities of the matter which constitutes the universe; they issue from various sources and proceed in various directions, crossing one another, colliding, strengthening, weakening, arresting one another, and so on.” He famously said that everything is material, even God, but that materiality had many different degrees of fineness. This is obvious even on an ordinary level: metal is denser than wood. When we go to even more dramatic differences in materiality, comparing, for instance, solids, liquids, and gases, we are not just speaking of differences in density, but of changes in behavior, even dimensionality, as well. For instance, a solid tends to stay together as an entity as it moves about, whereas liquids change shape as they flow along surfaces, and gases disperse in three dimensions. Beyond these levels, fire is also material, a plasma. Light and other electromagnetic vibrations, like heat, radio waves, x-rays and cosmic rays, are also properly considered as material. Physics has shown that phenomena once considered to be exclusively vibrations also 8

require a description as particles: electromagnetic vibrations are one aspect of light, photons another. The reverse holds true as well: atoms and elementary particles, the building blocks of matter, can also be described as vibrations. (12) In Gurdjieff’s cosmological conception of the Ray of Creation, there is an increasing density (and corresponding decrease in the rate of vibration) in the progression from higher worlds to lower worlds: “The matter of each World (from the Absolute down) contains the higher World within it, but is constrained by a particular bonding and, thereby, is held in a denser arrangement; this increasing density progressively limits the allowable motions of atoms and decreases its rate of vibration.” The diagram below conveys this pattern (13):

9

In M an in t he Cosmos, Christian Wertenbaker relates vibrational frequencies to the structure of the universe: Everything vibrates, from electrons and photons, to atoms, molecules, cells, bodies, planets and stars. These entities vibrate in many frequency ranges, and interact by means of vibrations, most prominently electromagnetic vibrations. To interact, things must be tuned to each other in some way. There are patterns, harmonic relationships, of all kinds. And ultimately, when science probes the smallest constituents of matter, nothing is left except equations describing vibrations. Vibrations are essentially regularities in time. If there was no regularity in time, there could be no enduring entities. The basic structure of the world, with discrete objects and living beings in it, maintaining their integrity for a certain duration, depends on regularity in time. But the regularity is not fixed, or nothing could happen, or change. So there is a constantly changing, developing, interacting pattern of vibrations. (14) From this perspective, the Ray of Creation is the fundamental cosmic octave, describing the process of the descent of energy and vibration from the Absolute to lower levels of reality, as well as the evolution of lower-order forms to increasing complexity, coherence and intelligence. In The Int elligent Enneagram , Anthony Blake writes: “The general idea we find in Gurdjieff’s scheme is that some primordial will sets up a hierarchy, so that a movement from below is made possible which can progress back up the various organizational levels, though in unpredictable ways. The movement from below is temporal and successive: in relation to this the structure of the various levels from above to below is ‘eternal.’ The octave of the Ray of Creation is therefore a peculiar marriage of the t emporal and the et ernal, which two sides must always be kept in mind.” The ray of creation, or cosmic octave, has a twofold meaning. First, we have the creation of the various levels. Second, we have the prospect of a transmission down, t hrough them. The transmission of influences requires something more than the bare creation of the various levels. At this point we can draw on the concepts of matter, energy, and information. The first order of creation produces different levels of material organization by a progression of separation. There is another order concerned with the transmission of influence, or informat ion . Information and matter are then linked in the general exchange of energy. Gurdjieff’s cosmic octave reaches from the Absolute down through various stages, or worlds or systems, such as galaxies and stars, including our own sun, to reach a state of black inertia. Gurdjieff explains this chain of worlds as having certain critical transitions in its structure. The chain is not an unbroken continuum but exhibits structural discontinuities (a change in the workings of the fundamental law of seven). Local features of the universe, such as our own solar system, also form their own chains and have their own critical points. (15)

10

Along the Ray of Creation, the transformation of matter and energy proceeds in two directions: involut ion or descending movement from fine to coarse (greater density), and evolut ion or ascending movement from coarse to fine (lower density). According to Gurdjieff, the Law of Seven (or Law of Octaves) governs process, change and transformation at each level of the Ray. The law is based on the musical scale and contains two ‘intervals’ or ‘shocks’ which change the direction of the flow of energies throughout the universe, as shown in the figure below:

When an external force or energy enters a process between either notes mi and fa or between notes si and do , it enables the process to proceed to either a higher level (evolution) or a lower state (involution). In the descending cosmic octave of the Ray of Creation, the first interval between do (Absolute) and si (All Worlds) is filled by the “will of the Absolute.” The second interval between fa (Solar System) and mi (Earth) is filled by organic life on earth, which functions as a medium or “transmitting station” of influences from a higher level (planetary) to the Earth.

The Law of Seven

In Gurdjieff’s cosmological system, the Law of Three and the Law of Seven constitute the two fundamental principles governing the functioning of the universe. The Law of Seven describes the cosmos in terms of vibrations (such as light, heat, electromagnetic and chemical vibrations), which proceed and act through various levels and densities of matter (the Ray of Creation). The Law of Seven manifests in many different forms: the seven colours of the visible spectrum, the ratio of distances between the seven known planets of antiquity, and the structure of the periodic table of the elements. It is even expressed in the sevenfold physiological hierarchy of the human body: (1) individual, (2) organ system, (3) organ, (4) tissue, (5) cell, (6) organelle and (7) molecule.

11

The Law of Seven is sometimes referred to as the Law of Octaves, based on the notes of the musical scale: do, re, me, fa, sol, la, si, do which link one octave to the next. There is a lawful discontinuity inherent in the musical scale whereby the relative vibration of successive notes has two unequal steps (or half-tones) between mi - fa and si - do. “The Law of Seven governs successions of events and states that whenever any manifestation evolves, it does so nonlinearly. There is an orderly discontinuity in every progression of things, at whatever scale. This lawful discontinuity is preserved in our musical scale, which is composed of unequal steps.” This relationship between successive notes is shown in the figure below:

The Law of Seven represents the organization and structuring of processes and events through a definite sequence of stages. Anthony Blake: “Seven quite different qualities or states have to be gone through to complete an action. This encompasses both steps in succession, in time and space, and steps in level of being or quality, either up or down a scale.” In the transition from one octave to another, the rate of vibration doubles, a ratio of 2:1. Pythagoras discovered that certain other ratios such as 3:2, 4:3 and 5:4 also produce harmonious tones as perceived by the human ear. Gurdjieff made a distinction between fundamental and subordinate octaves, using the analogy of the growth of a tree: In the study of the law of octaves it must be remembered that octaves in relation to each other are divided into fundament al and subordinat e. The fundamental octave can be likened to the trunk of a tree giving off branches of lateral octaves. The seven fundamental notes of the octave and the two ‘intervals,’ t he bearer of new direct ions, give altogether nine links of a chain, three groups of three links each. The fundamental octaves are connected with the secondary or subordinate octaves in a certain definite way. Out of the subordinate octaves of the first-order come the subordinate octaves of the second order, and so on. The construction of octaves can be compared with the construction of a tree. From the straight basic trunk there come out boughs on all sides which divide

12

in their turn and pass into branches, becoming smaller and smaller, and finally are covered with leaves. The same process goes on in the construction of the leaves, in the formation of the veins, the serrations, and so on. (16) Gurdjieff also introduced the idea of ‘inner octaves,’ by which each level of the universe is pervaded by the vibrations of higher worlds. As well, any given note of the octave, when viewed from another scale, contains a whole octave of its own: “Each note of an octave may at the same time be any note of any other octave passing through it. Just as each level of vibration is penetrated by all other levels of energy, so each note contains a complete inner octave and each note of the inner octave also contains an inner octave, much like a series of smaller and smaller Russian dolls embedded within a larger doll.” In order to better understand the significance of the law of octaves it is necessary to have a clear idea of another property of vibration, namely the so-called ‘inner vibrations.’ This means that within vibrations other vibrations proceed, and that every octave can be resolved into a great number of inner octaves. Each note of any octave can be regarded as an octave on another plane. Each note of these inner octaves again contains a whole octave and so on, for some considerable way, but not ad infinit um , because there is a definite limit to the development of inner octaves. These inner vibrations proceed simultaneously in ‘media’ of different densities, interpenetrating one another; they are reflected in one another, give rise to one another, stop, impel, or change one another . . . Each note of the vibrations of a coarser substance contains a whole octave of the vibrations of a finer substance. If we begin with vibrations of world 48 [earth], we can say that one note of the vibrations in this world contains an octave of seven notes of the vibrations of the planetary world. Each note of the vibrations of the planetary world contains seven notes of the vibrations of the world of the sun. Each vibration of the world of the sun will contain seven notes of the vibrations of the starry world, and so on. The study of inner octaves, the study of their relation to outer octaves and the possible influence of the former upon the latter, constitute a very important part of the study of the world and of man. (17) The chief characteristic of the Law of Seven is the discontinuity of vibrations and the deviation of forces. Octaves can interrupt each other; either intersect and reinforce or divert another octave from its original direction. Gurdjieff: “Nothing in the world stays in the same place, or remains what it was, everything moves, everything is going somewhere, is changing, and inevitably either develops or goes down, weakens or degenerates, that is to say, it moves along either an ascending or descending line of octaves. In the actual development of both ascending and descending octaves, fluctuations, rises and falls are constantly taking place.” Whatever sphere of life we take we can see that nothing can ever remain level and constant; everywhere and in everything proceeds the swinging of the pendulum, everywhere and in everything the waves rise and fall. Our energy in one or another direction which suddenly increases and afterwards just as suddenly 13

weakens; our moods which ‘become better’ or ‘become worse’ without any visible reason; our feelings, our desires, our intentions, our decisions – all from time to time pass through periods of ascent or descent, become stronger or weaker. And there are perhaps a hundred pendulums moving here and there in man. These ascents and descents, these wave-like fluctuations of moods, thought, feelings, energy, determination, are periods of the development of forces between ‘intervals’ in the octaves as well as the ‘intervals’ themselves. Upon the law of octaves in its three principal manifestations depend many phenomena both of a psychic nature as well as those immediately connected with our life. Upon the law of octaves depends the imperfection and the incompleteness of our knowledge in all spheres without exception, chiefly because we always begin in one direction and afterwards without noticing it proceed in another. (18) In Gurdjieff’s formulation of the Law of Seven, vibrations are discontinuous, at times speeding up or slowing down: “The rate of vibrations doubles between the Do of one octave and the Do of the next higher octave. But the rate of increase is not constant from note to note through-out the octave. At two places in the octave, where the semi-tone is missing, the rate of increase is slowed.” This discontinuity in the octave has remarkable consequences. The ‘broken symmetry’ of the Law of Seven enables the universe to exist in the way it does. Anthony Blake elaborates: “It makes processes in the universe interdependent in that any given process requires ‘outside help’ to develop properly. The partial breaking of symmetry results in a cornucopia of new phenomena and leads to our world, perched precariously between the two extremes, of perfectly symmetrical absolutely empty and eventless spacetime, and completely asymmetric and irregular total chaos.” The two points in the octave that contain the ‘intervals’ where the increase in the rate of vibration between notes slows down are of great significance in the functioning of both the external world of phenomena and the inner world of human psychology. They explains why, in any developmental process, there is a deviation from the original course unless an additional impulse is provided at these critical points to maintain the original momentum: The law shows why straight lines never occur in nature, or in our activities. Why, having begun to do one thing, we in fact constantly do something entirely different, often the opposite of the first, although we do not notice this and continue to think that we are doing the same thing that we began to do. All this and many other things can only be explained with the help of the law of octaves together with an understanding of the role and significance of ‘intervals’ which cause the line of development of force constantly to change, to go in a broken line, to turn round, to become its ‘own opposite’ and so on. Such a course of things, that is, a change of direction, we can observe in everything. After a certain period of energetic activity or strong emotion or a right understanding a reaction comes, work becomes tedious and tiring; moments of fatigue and indifference enter 14

into feeling; instead of right thinking a search for compromise begins; suppression, evasion of difficult problems. But the line continues to develop though now not in the same direction as at the beginning . . . The same thing happens in all spheres of human activity. In literature, science, art, philosophy, religion, in individual and above all in social and political life, we can observe how the line of development of forces deviates from its original direction and goes, after a certain time, in a diametrically opposite direction, st ill preserving it s former name. A study of history from this point of view shows the most astonishing facts which mechanical humanity is far from desiring to notice. Perhaps the most interesting examples of such change of direction can be found in the history of religion, particularly in the history of Christianity if it is studied dispassionately. Think how many turns the line of development of forces must have taken to come from the Gospel preaching of love to the Inquisition; or to go from the ascetics of the earlier centuries studying esot eric Christianity to the scholastics who calculated how many angels could be placed on the point of a needle. (19)

Spiritual Traditions and Vibration

The vibratory nature of the universe has been a primary teaching of many of the world’s spiritual and religious traditions. The Bible describes the creation of the world in these terms: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1). Other ancient traditions speak in similar terms of a primary vibration or ripple which, through a process of differentiation, creates the manifest phenomenal world. In Hindu cosmology, AUM (or OM) is the Sanskrit sound of the divine energy at creation: “When creation began, the divine, all-encompassing consciousness took the form of the first and original vibration manifesting as the sound ‘OM.’ Before creation, there was the Void in which everything existed in a latent state of potentiality.” Sound vibrations are called nadas in Sanskrit, and through their hidden energy they are believed to connect the outer world with the inner world. In ancient Greece, Pythagoras of Samos was fascinated with the mystical symbolism of numbers and their relationship with planetary motion, which he called “the music of the spheres.” According to tradition, he played a seven-string harp made of tortoise shell and experimented mathematically with harmonies of the vibrating strings. He discovered the remarkable similarity between musical intervals and the spacing of the planets. His contemporary Hippolytus wrote: “Pythagoras maintained that the universe sings and is constructed in accordance with harmony; and he was the first to reduce the motion of the seven heavenly bodies to rhythm and song.” Pythagoras also discovered the harmonic mean which expresses a pitch ratio between neighboring musical notes. He understood that the musical quality of a string derives from its free vibration pattern matching its natural harmonies so perfectly in frequency that when its 15

fundamental tone is struck, its harmonies respond as well. He envisioned a harmonic order of creation based on vibration and sympathetic harmonic resonance: It was the fortune of the harmonic mean that it came to appear to Pythagoras as one of the most divine endowments of nature, not only in music and the heavens but in flowers and hills, in moving animals and waves of the sea. Even the abstract cube was held sacred because its eight corners form the harmonic mean between its six faces and twelve edges. And other known means and proportions and harmonies all had their special significance as symbols of the integral order in the universe – a concept that was almost wholly intuitive, since no one in those days knew how to analyze a flower or measure a moving wave or count the wingbeats of a sparrow or the musical vibrations of the lyre. (20) Contact with a higher spiritual energy is an integral part of the process of inner development and transformation that Gurdjieff transmitted to his students. He taught that every human being experiences both an outer world and an inner world. The role of attention and presence is to connect the two worlds through a harmonizing of their vibratory energies and qualities. Jeanne de Salzmann, a senior student of Gurdjieff, relates her experience of contacting an energy of a higher cosmic order in The Realit y of Being : “My sensation becomes more and more subtle as the attention purifies and concentrates, penetrating the body and permeating everything that surrounds me. There is a sensation of very special energy which I feel is life itself. I am a particle of the highest.” I wish to become conscious of my existence. If my attention is as usual, dispersed, I feel myself as a form, as matter, a person. When my attention becomes finer and my perception keener, I feel myself as a mass of energy in movement, a body of energy. Currents of moving particles pass through me, whose movement does not stop. I sense myself no longer as matter with a solid form, but as energy animated by vibrations that never cease . . . For finer energy to penetrate and be absorbed, a kind of space must appear in which reactions do not arise, a zone of silence that allows this Presence, this second body, to expand with its subtle vibration. I need a circulation of energy that is free, that is stopped nowhere. I do not intervene. The energy is distributed according to an order beyond my understanding. This free circulation takes place through the breathing, which nourishes this Presence by the air bringing active elements we are not aware of. This breathing is a participation in the forces of the universe. But it is not just any kind of breathing. It is very light and subtle – as if this Presence were breathing. (21) Gurdjieff stressed the importance of distinguishing two currents of vibration, one on a lower level and the other on a higher, more subtle level. Each has different influence on our being: “Through the breathing, by opening voluntarily to a mysterious life-giving force, I can become conscious of this finer current, which opens me to possibilities latent in myself.” Opposing this is the lower vibration of inertia which reflects ordinary thoughts, emotions and sensations which usually define our normal sense of self.” 16

In order to open to Presence, a person must pass from a lower to a higher state of vibrations. This requires a deep letting go to create a void or place free of tension which transcends our ordinary sense of ‘I’ or self. De Salzmann: “I feel the fineness of this sensation in a state of immobility where there is no tension in my body, and I feel the fineness of the psyche when the thought becomes passive, simply a witness that registers what happens without reaction or comment.” My intelligence has to understand the meaning of my tensions, and something in me needs to leave more and more space – not out of obligation but from necessity, a necessity of my being. I seek to understand this state without tension which brings me closer to the void, to my essence. I become aware of a world of finer vibrations. I feel them, I have the sensation of them, as if certain parts of me were irrigated, vivified, spiritualized, by them. Yet I am still not entirely under the influence of these vibrations. I realize this. But I feel an ever greater need not to resist them. My usual “I” has lost its authority and, as another authority makes itself felt, I see that my life has meaning only if I am attuned to it. In working for this accord, I feel as though situated in a closed circuit and that, if I could remain here long enough, the miracle of my transformation would take place. (22) A state of stillness and tranquility attracts a higher quality of vibrations which awaken a pure, free energy. This is a deep process of spiritualization in which spirit penetrates matter and transforms it. “When I come to a quiet state, free of all tension, I discover a very fine vibration, a reality I could not perceive before. It comes from another level to which I am usually closed. I can be related to the highest energy if I accept voluntarily opening to it. Then a force from above can act and my state is transformed.” Gurdjieff taught his students a number of exercises designed to create a quiet relaxed state which facilitates contact with higher vibratory energies. In Inner Oct aves, his student Michel Conge describes the purpose and effect of these exercises: The sitting exercise, deep relaxation, and the silence we find should allow us to make contact with very fine and much more conscious impressions, only so that, afterward, we may descend once again into the life of manifestation with a new intelligence, an intelligence enlightened by this contact. The sitting exercise is not intended to produce any extraordinary state. Even though this may occur, that is not its purpose. The aim is to enable us to live an ordinary life consciously. Our ultimate task is, by a transformation of our being and the appearance of a Presence (as yet virtual), to allow higher forces to pass through us at last and to illumine the darkness of our lower nature . . . Feel this emptiness, taste it, and you will finally discover that it is alive. In this emptiness reside the most real, but also the most subtle, aspects of your being – mind , real feeling , and conscious int elligence. Once you have recognized this, if only for a second, you will no longer be afraid, and you will understand that you have to relax in order to perceive it more 17

deeply, every day more deeply, to receive help from it for going about your ordinary life – but in a new way. Open to silence, to the fertile emptiness of reality. Then go out into life and start seeing how you understand your functions, all your actions. (23) A highly sensitive quality of attention is required to resonate with the higher order vibration of the universe and sustain a contact with it. This spiritualized energy or vibration has a very special quality – love. When touched and sensed with all aspects of our being – body, feelings and mind – we can achieve a state of completion which is in harmony with the spiritual essence of the universe. Jeanne de Salzmann: A call from the depths of oneself is always here. It becomes more and more insistent, as if a different energy were wanting to be heard, seeking a relation. In a state of immobility, in stillness, the relation can be better established, but this requires opening to a different inner density, to another quality of vibration. Sensation is the perception of this new quality. I need to feel the Presence of the spiritual in me. The spirit penetrates matter and transforms it. I need this act itself, to be spiritualized. The creative action of the life force appears only where there is no tension, that is, only in the void. If I wish to develop my being, I must come to this point of no tension, which I feel as a void, as unknown. It is void of my ego, but is open to my essence – my real being. I perceive emptiness because the fineness of vibrations is beyond the density in myself that I usually know. At this moment I touch on the wish to be, the will to be what I am beyond form and time. (24) The importance of energy and vibration in the growth and evolution of humanity and the universe is also a fundamental tenet of Sufism. In The Teachings of Kebzeh , Sufi teacher Murat Yagan writes: The Life in this Universe came to existence as a reflection of a creative power which is the source of everything, and which exists without beginning and without end. This power is electromagnetic in nature with an intelligence and will of its own. Because it is electromagnetic in nature it manifests itself in vibrations. Every single thing or form of life in existence, exists as an entity of vibration peculiar in frequency and length of wave to this thing or form of life; and this particular vibration makes its determination in Cosmic Mind and manifestation in the material Universe at the same time simultaneously and remains constant. This creative power, electromagnetic in nature, establishes its connection and relationships with all existing entities through a phenomenon electrochemical in nature (DNA). Once an entity comes to existence with a vibration peculiar to potential manifestation of self it enters the World of Creation and starts its cycle of evolution. Every entity which came to existence in creation evolves until ultimately the end of its evolution comes to be One with the very thing it originated from – the Eternal Self. (25) 18

References

(1) Guy Murchie M usic of t he Spheres (New York: Dover Publications, 1967), p. 411. (2) Ervin Laszlo The Int elligence of t he Cosmos (Rochester, Vermont: Inner Traditions, 2017), p. 12. (3) Ervin Laszlo W hat is Realit y? (New York: SelectBooks, 2016), pp. 8-10. (4) Lynne McTaggart The Field (New York: Harper Perennial, 2002), p. 23. (5) Ervin Laszlo Science and t he Akashic Field (Rochester, Vermont: Inner Traditions, 2007), p. 9. (6) Ervin Laszlo and Jude Currivan CosM os (Carlsbad, California: Hay House, 2008), p. 13. (7) Robert Ornstein and Richard F. Thompson The Amazing Brain (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1984), p. 160. (8) Christian Wertenbaker The Enneagram of G.I. Gurdjieff (New York: Codhill Press, 2017), p. 120. (9) Michael Talbot The Holographic Universe (New York: Harper Perennial, 2011), pp. 54-55. (10) Ervin Laszlo Science and t he Akashic Field (Rochester, Vermont: Inner Traditions, 2007), p. 114. (11) Ervin Laszlo W hat is Realit y? (New York: SelectBooks, 2016), pp. 42-43. (12) Christian Wertenbaker M an in t he Cosmos (New York: Codhill Press, 2012), p. 45. (13) Keith Buzzell M an – A Three-Brained Being (Salt Lake City: Fifth Press, 2007), p. 18. (14) Christian Wertenbaker M an in t he Cosmos (New York: Codhill Press, 2012), pp. 45-46. (15) A.G.E. Blake The Int elligent Enneagram (Boston: Shambhala, 1996), p. 245. (16) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of t he M iraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), pp. 134-135. (17) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of t he M iraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), pp. 136-137. (18) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of t he M iraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), p. 130. (19) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of t he M iraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), pp. 128-129. (20) Guy Murchie M usic of t he Spheres (New York: Dover Publications, 1967), p. 362. (21) Jeanne de Salzmann The Realit y of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), pp. 234-235. (22) Jeanne de Salzmann The Realit y of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), p. 215. (23) Michel Conge Inner Oct aves (Toronto: Dolmen Meadow Editions, 2013), pp. 109-111. (24) Jeanne de Salzmann The Realit y of Being (Boston: Shambhala, 2010), p. 67. (25) Murat Yagan The Teachings of Kebzeh (Vernon, British Columbia: Kebzeh Publications, 1995), pp. xx.

19

HIGHER ENERGIES AND INFLUENCES

‘To gain ‘Baraka’ (blessing, benedict ion), you must give unst int ingly of w hat you have before you can receive. If you have already given – give again, and in t his spirit .’ Sheikh Shamsudin Siw asi

M agnetism and Hypnosis

A number of theories have postulated a relationship between hypnosis, magnetism and electricity which may explain certain aspects of healing and unusual psychic phenomena. According to this perspective the human body is capable of producing and storing a negative electrical charge which may account for many instances of hypnosis, altered states of consciousness and healing by touch: “Natural healers seem to be those who have abnormally dry skins, which encourage the accumulation of subcutaneous electricity, a negative charge. In normal persons, this charge is constantly being given off; surplus electricity not needed for running the nervous system simply ‘leaks’ away.” A related concept of a primal ‘life-force’ is found in many spiritual and esoteric teachings. In Yoga this energy is called akasha , a Sanskrit word referring to “the all-encompassing and unifying spirit and energy of all living things” which can be stored up in the body and mind and then discharged into an object or person in order to exert a favourable influence or effect. A parallel concept is the Hawaiian and Polynesian idea of m ana – a form of spiritual energy and healing power which exists in certain places, objects and persons. In many esoteric systems the concept of magnetism is related to the transformation of finer substances and the presence on an ‘atmosphere’ that surrounds every human being: Q: What is magnetism? A: Man has two substances in him, the substance of active elements of the physical body, and the substance made up of the active elements of astral matter. These two form a third substance by mixing. This mixed substance gathers in certain parts of man and also forms an atmosphere around him, like the atmosphere surrounding a planet . . . In ancient times priests were able to cure disease by blessing. Some priests had to lay their hands on the sick person. Some could cure at a short distance, some at a great distance. A ‘priest’ was a man who had mixed substances and could cure others. A priest was a magnetizer. Sick persons have not enough mixed substances, not enough magnetism, not enough “life.” This “mixed substance” can be seen if it is concentrated. An aura or halo was a real thing and can sometimes be seen at holy places such as churches. Mesmer re-

1

discovered the use of this substance. To be able to use this substance, you must first acquire it. It is the same with attention. It is gained only through conscious labour and intentional suffering, through doing small things voluntarily. Make small things your God, and you will be going toward acquiring magnetism. Like electricity, magnetism can be concentrated and made to flow. (1) According to Gurdjieff hypnosis works with higher or finer energies, as yet undiscovered by modern science, which produce altered states of consciousness and perception: Gurdjieff spoke about levels of experience in relation to hypnosis. He began by defining various substances or energies, the existence of which, he said, could be demonstrated, but which natural science has not yet discovered. There were yet other substances so fine as to be beyond detection by any physical means. Every possible action depended upon these substances. For example, if we are to think, we must use the substance of thought. If we are to have any kind of supra-normal experiences, this will be possible only in so far as the appropriate substance is available. There are ways of separating and controlling the finer substances. One of these ways is what we call hypnosis. There are many varieties of hypnosis, differing according to the substances that are brought into action . . . Each substance has a definite psychic property. As a subject is brought into a state of deep hypnotic trance, the different substances begin to separate -- like iron and brass filings under the action of a magnet. In this condition, the subject can respond to the influences of substances to which he is usually insensitive. (2) In order to maximize the effectiveness of hypnosis the practitioner requires extra capacities in addition to the techniques which are utilized to induce hypnotic trance. Certain Eastern hypnotic methods use concentration and preparation beforehand to develop, amplify and project spiritual force or baraka : “If you hypnotize a person, as you can surely do, without being in contact with the real experience of hypnosis, you are adversely affecting the balance of the power. It is like a man using fire to heat his kettle, and then not noticing that it can also burn the carpet, or his hand.” Did the Sheikh mean that straightforward use of hypnosis was dangerous? “Absolutely. Not in the way that people think it is, you see. If you merely hypnotize someone in order to cure something, and you do not also exert your conscious baraka upon that person, all sorts of things might happen. You have removed, say, the stammer that your patient was suffering from. But you get other symptoms instead. This much is understood by some hypnotists, so they get around that – and it is quite possible. What they do not know is that unless they obtain a complete baraka relationship with their patient, they will influence his evolutionary powers adversely.” (3)

2

Sounds and Vibrations

Certain sounds have a special vibratory effect on the human body and mind which can enhance and elevate consciousness. The power of sounds and words is said to be “based on the universe’s hidden currents of meaning.” Language in particular has functions other than the overt meaning of the words. In many spiritual traditions mystical words, phrases and formulae are chanted in order to produce ecstatic states. When certain words and sounds are combined with a precise intention and focus, it may be possible to project a power which is capable of influencing people and events: Both Arab cabbalists and Sufis believe that every sound contains power: the repetition of certain sounds with certain intentions causes a focus to be attained. The result of that focus is to cause the human mind to project power, in accordance with the meaning of the sound. This is not thought of as a form of magic, because the relationship between the thing desired and the word is believed to be a causeand-effect one. If you believe in anything strongly enough, in other words, it will happen. (4) For words and sounds to be effective as a force or influence in the world, a number of factors and conditions must be taken into account. The magic power of words is described by the 9th century Arab writer Alkindi: The imagination can form ideas and then emit rays which will affect outside objects, just as would the thing itself whose image the mind has conceived. If words are uttered in exact accordance with imagination and intention, and with faith, they are capable of exceeding potency, and this effect is heightened if they are uttered under favorable astrological conditions. Some magical utterances are most potent when uttered under the influence of certain planets. Some voices affect fire, some especially stir trees, some are even capable of making images to appear in mirrors or to produce flames and lightning. (5) The vibrational quality of music can influence human beings physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. Many legends throughout the world testify to the powerful effect of certain types of music on plants, animals, and people. Gurdjieff believed that this kind of music was a form of “objective art.” Objective music is all based on ‘inner octaves.’ It can obtain not only definite psychological results but definite physical results. There can be such music as would freeze water. There can be such music as would kill a man instantaneously. The biblical legend of the destruction of the walls of Jericho by music is precisely a legend of objective music. Plain music, no matter of what kind, will not destroy walls, but objective music indeed can do so. And not only can it destroy but it can

3

also build up. In the legend of Orpheus there are hints of objective music, for Orpheus used to impart knowledge through music. (6)

‘Baraka’

The term baraka has its root and derivation in Arabic, which provides the following associated meanings: “to stand firm or dwell,” “to be exalted,” “to bode well” and “abundance.” In English, baraka is often rendered as “special grace,” “virtue,” “blessing” or “benediction.” Baraka is often described as an intangible emanation or elusive impact which adheres to

certain people, objects, holy places, spiritual rituals and exercises, and positively-intentioned deeds. There are also suggestions that it is associated with creativity, inner transformation and healing. “Baraka has many ‘magical’ qualities – although it is essentially a unity and the fuel as well as the substance of objective reality. One of these qualities is that anyone who is endowed with it, or any object with which it is associated, retains a quota of it, no matter how much it may be altered by contact with other people.” Unlike some forms of refined spiritual energy, baraka does not decay over time. It is given to worthy individuals who can use it wisely to benefit themselves and others: The Baraka is a factor, an impalpable force. It is also translated by the word “blessing” or “presence” and also “joy” or “happiness.” A person who receives the baraka keeps it within themselves for a matter of years. We say that it is ‘typed’ for that person. That person receives it, takes it in, and it benefits, improves and aids them over a term of years. There isn’t a decay factor, it doesn’t become less and less beneficial or powerful: it remains at a constant level . . . If, in the estimation of the person who has given it out, it is being used well for the benefit of that person and for their development, it is not then removed, but increased in quality and quantity. (7) The psychological and spiritual condition of potential recipients of baraka has a large effect upon their ability to properly use its spiritual force and power. Baraka has an elusive quality that prevents its reception and assimilation by those who are unprepared or lack virtue. It does not operate in the presence of greed, desire or self-preoccupation. “Baraka is an impalpable quality or force that one receives or absorbs when one is worthy, responsible and ready. It is related to grace and is a gift or bestowal.” Like luck, baraka is very elusive. People who could receive baraka or even have received it, can put themselves out of its range by their attitude – usually by wanting things which are unnecessary. When this happens, baraka simply ceases to operate. Baraka may be thought of as similar to the force which has been reported in primitive cultures and which anthropologists have called M ana . But it has extra

4

dimensions. It is lent to people who feel the need to align themselves with truth – not all such people, but some. If they are engaged in material pursuits, they acquire prosperity. If not, the gift increases their moral stature and force. But this spiritual energy is like fairy gold and its reliability continues only so long as they are faithful to the truth. If they become personally greedy beyond a certain point (known technically as ‘the point of tolerance’) the baraka leaks away. Many undertakings have floundered because of this. (8) In Sufism the baraka of all the teachers and masters extends throughout the whole dervish community, including the founders of the major Sufi Orders. Sufis claim that it is possible to contact the baraka of previous saints and masters through visits to the tombs and shrines. The spiritual power of baraka is passed from teacher to disciple and from one generation of Sufis to another. Contemporary Sufis claim that they are the recipients of the baraka accumulated by previous generations of teachers, who are their spiritual ancestors. According to Sufi tradition, certain individuals, called ‘intermediaries,’ who are chosen to prepare the ground for the introduction of advanced spiritual ideas and practices, are temporarily or permanently endowed with a certain amount of baraka in order to complete their mission: Baraka is the name given to a special energy from within Sufism. The word is

sometimes translated as “blessing” or “impalpable grace.” The Jewish tradition involves a very similar concept, that of Baruch or “blessing.” The Sufi conception differs from many others, in that Baraka is held to be transmitted from individual to individual, generally from teacher to student, if the student is sufficiently advanced in his practice to receive it. On this concept is based the medieval tradition, still current in the Middle East, of the master and his apprentices, who learn from the master in the ordinary way and are also said to pick up “something else” from his presence. (9) It is widely believed that the spiritual power of baraka confers certain supernatural abilities. Baraka is a vehicle for healing and the laying on of hands and can also be projected across any distance to aid those in need. The actions of someone endowed with baraka are often based on intuition rather than formal reasoning: “The sixth sense also gives the possessor of baraka the means to create certain happenings in the world which benefit the whole of humanity.” Whereas all human beings might want to perform good actions, it was often impossible to foresee whether an action carried out in good faith would produce a good result. What was the way out of this dilemma? Through the baraka (spiritual force) of the Sufi Order its members acquired a power known as yakina , which was the inner certainty that this or that action was for the real and ultimate good of mankind. (10)

5

A further application of baraka is generally unknown and unsuspected by the majority of humankind. There are a number of Eastern legends pointing to the possibility that the special endowments and abilities of some historical figures were due to the baraka that was imparted to them shortly after they were born: The presence shortly after their birth, at the bedside of certain important people, in the form of “fairies,” “fairy-godmothers,” “Kings” and “wise-men,” has long been considered a pleasant myth. The fact, however, is that this is the sentimental way of describing a factual truth. When certain individuals came into this world, they were given spiritual support shortly after the mother’s confinement. The baraka thus imparted usually lasts for life. This legend is at the root of all the widespread appearances of mysterious or other-worldly figures at the cradle of people marked out for special functions. (11)

Sacred Objects and Artefacts

Throughout history human beings have fashioned objects and artefacts and imbued them with special meaning. Many spiritual traditions hold that specially constructed objects may be infused with ‘magical power’ by individuals possessing higher knowledge and abilities. When a sacred object is properly crafted it is permeated with the energy, love and rapport with the medium employed by the artisan: There is evidence that the use of amulets and talismans in some form is as old as humanity itself. Stone-age ‘amulets’ have been found carved on bone. They are naturalistic representations of specific animals, sometimes pierced, as though they were worn. Since it seems unlikely that experienced hunters would need ‘reminding’ of what their prey looked like, the carvings appear to be linked to magical beliefs aimed at improving the hunt. The stone-age ‘amulets’ are uncannily similar to this description of the Tungu people of Siberia: “The Tungus used to carve a figure of the animal they wished to kill and take it with them on hunting trips, on the principle that if the pictorial soul is in the hunter’s possession, the animal itself will soon follow.” From these humble beginnings, virtually everybody has or understands some form of amulet: from the Muslim ‘Hand of Fatima’ to the Christian ‘St. Christopher’ to the ‘lucky shirt’ of the football player. So powerful is the faith that certain types of object can ward off harm or promote good, that overtly religious symbols – such as the crucifix – have been co-opted into the fray and used as talismans. (12) Many objects and artefacts produced by skilled craftsmen of the East and West are very beautiful because of their harmonious shape, geometry and proportion. “In the steel-making guilds of Spain, when an exceptionally good piece of steel was made, it was held to have ‘Kaif’: the real content of a thing, which made it perfect. No steel could effectively be made without

6

Baraka : ‘blessing,’ a certain virtue which resided in the object as long as it lasted, and each guild had the Baraka of the founder of the mystical order whose secrets of workmanship they

practised.” According to both the Jewish and Arabian cabbalistic traditions, letters, words and numbers are charged with magical power. These are often used to decorate certain objects and artefacts in order to enhance their function: “Magical boxes are made of metal, usually three metals – brass, silver and copper – and generally engraved with numbers or words. As with other metal objects collected by magicians (like Aladdin’s lamp), the box or other object (sometimes they are trays, sometimes metal pendants) has to be charged with baraka , by ‘blessing’ it with magical or higher power.” One common property of objects and artefacts employed for spiritual purposes is that they are constructed from natural substances such as wood, stone, metal or ivory. Omar Ali-Shah discusses this usage in the context of the Sufi tradition: Whether they be the tasbee, kashkul, sticks or cloaks as well as things like candlesticks, bowls and boxes, all the objects which are made have one thing in common. Their common denominator is not only due to their antiquity, since it also applies to objects made by craftsmen in this century who were either in or associated with the Tradition. The one thing they all have in common is that the materials they are made from are all natural. If you look at the function of these objects, you can immediately see why natural materials are used. Be it stone, wood, or other materials like horn, ivory, teeth or what have you, a natural material has the capacity to hold, absorb and give out energy which is used in human contexts. Since most human beings are themselves natural, it is therefore logical to suppose that they relate to natural materials, not only in a tactile or visual sense, but also in other senses. (13) The particular design and construction of sacred objects is based on a higher knowledge or ‘technology’ relating matter and spirit. In his travels through Afghanistan, spiritual seeker and explorer Louis Palmer learned about the inner quality of some of these artefacts: Not all kinds of carpets and rugs were made here: only those whose size, shape, colour and design served an unspecified but allegedly highly important and recognized spiritual cause. The same went for works of art and artefacts. Each one was planned, had a special use, and could cause an effect unsuspected by anyone who was not sensitive to it . . . After a great deal of questioning, I found that these people were convinced of the existence and active operation of what I can only call a series of underlying cosmic patterns, influencing both life and inanimate objects. Something, they believed, exists for our perceptions only as a local manifestation of an outside force which has called it into being. Things, therefore, as well as thoughts, exist only because they have, somewhere, transcendental archetypes. (14)

7

Consciously constructed objects, artefacts, even exercises and ideas, may be tested and evaluated for effectiveness of functioning before being introduced into the world on a large scale: One of the most intriguing concepts I found at Abshar is that of the ‘testing’ of artefacts, of ideas, of almost anything, as undertaken by the Sufis. This derives from the idea that things introduced into ‘the world’ from a higher dimensional level are immediately exposed to hostile influences. So every object, idea, ritual, exercise, even a group of people or a relationship, must go through a testing period to see whether it is, so to speak, watertight. This explains the Sufi practice in which ideas are picked up and put down and then left alone, to be reclaimed later. Why buildings may be left unused for years (the same applies to rooms and containers) before they are deemed fit to be used. The assertion is that adverse influences have, in the interval, dissipated themselves. (15) Objects and artefacts of spiritual importance produce effects which act upon the inner consciousness of sensitive human beings. In a sense they are precise technical devices, calibrated and tuned to perform specific functions: People often talk about magical objects, in fairy tales and folklore. These are not magical, but they belong to anot her realm of human action and thought. If you use a certain colour, and certain textures, to decorate your room, your living space, they may have a certain effect upon you. This is well known to modern psychology. Again, if you have a certain kind of temperament, you will tend to surround yourself with certain objects which correspond to it. But there is another range of environmental effects. The ancients knew them. This tapestry is not only the product of a certain kind of thought, but it is a pat t ern of it. It could communicate with the equivalent in your mind. The same holds with the other objects. (16) Objects and artefacts have many different qualities, functions and purposes: •

Although charged with spiritual energy, they may appear perfectly ordinary or disguised as something functional. In this way they may be given, lent or carried by people on their inner journey of development without attracting any attention.

•

Properly designed and constructed objects receive, hold and transmit refined energy. In some cases stones or gems are ‘charged’ by spiritual masters and subsequently act as a storehouse of energy, much like a battery.

•

They may function at different times and on different levels simultaneously. “You don’t necessarily have to possess an object or even see it for the energy it contains to be transmitted to you.”

•

Sacred objects may be widely shared and distributed. They may be designed to release energy at a given time in the future – days, months, years or centuries later. 8

•

Certain designs, patterns, emblems and symbols imbued with mystical meaning may be attached to or associated with particular objects and artefacts.

•

The environmental impact of a room, structure or space may be modified by removing or adding specific objects, colours or designs, thus creating a certain harmony, ambience and influence.

•

Certain objects are designed and constructed in such a fashion as to enhance the transfer of spiritual energy from one person to another. “The technique used in transferring and receiving energy can take many forms and can be usefully implemented in almost any circumstance, relationship or social structure.”

•

The area or extent of influence – a particular place or segment of the community – will vary from object to object, depending on their design, construction and intention.

•

Some objects have a time-release function. The time-frame for the release of energy from an artefact may be immediate, short-term or long-term. “There may be a date or particular time at which it will start giving off energy in its immediate surroundings, or in a more cosmic sense, over a larger area. It can then ‘broadcast’ for a particular period, and then switch off or on again, according to the way it is programmed.”

•

The energy of certain objects and artefacts can become exhausted but then charged up and reconstituted again at a later date.

One of the more unusual functional uses of objects is their employment to establish a metaphysical link between people by using certain personal objects as an intermediary or bridge. Gurdjieff discussed this belief in talks with his students: People who have an ‘astral body’ can communicate with one another at a distance without having recourse to ordinary physical means. But for such communication to be possible they must establish some ‘connection’ between them. For this purpose, when going to different places or different countries people sometimes take with them something belonging to another, especially things that have been in contact with the body and are permeated with his emanations. In the same way, in order to maintain a connection with a dead person, his friends used to keep objects which had belonged to him. These things leave, as it were, a t race behind them, something like invisible wires or threads which remain stretched out through space. These threads connect a given object with the person, living or in certain cases dead, to whom the object belonged. Men have known this from the remotest antiquity and have made various uses of this knowledge. (17) According to traditional sources, certain precautions must be observed in the possession and use of certain objects and artefacts of a spiritual nature.

9

Some of the metalwork, especially that made with three metals (usually silver, copper and tin), was employed to ‘imprison’ what we in the West would call psychic powers. These abilities could confer seemingly magical powers upon people who knew how to use them. But if the ‘magical boxes,’ for instance, fell into the hands of the wrong people, or those who had certain defects of character, they would be seriously harmed by the forces which the artefacts contained. It was even believed that such objects should never be in the hands of disciples or learners, beginners on the Way. If they were, the minimum effect that could be caused would be lack of success, and perhaps illness. (18)

Places and Structures of Spiritual Pow er

According to esoteric tradition certain places on earth, both natural and those constructed by human beings, have a special spiritual quality that can enrich the process of inner development. Such places have often been ‘energized’ by the accumulated activities of past spiritual masters and their students, and this energy can be transmitted to and acquired by suitably prepared individuals who visit these sites: “It is possible to collect and store the spiritual force which resides in certain centres, deposited there by the saints and teachers who had lived and taught and often died there.” In many cases shrines, temples, churches and other buildings have been constructed at these ‘power spots’ in order to communicate a subtle energy to the inner being of a person. The Gothic cathedrals of Europe have an indelible presence that touches those who enter their interior spaces surrounded by magnificent stained glass windows. The Rustem Pasa Mosque in Turkey is said to transmit spiritual energy through the ‘waves’ from the decorative tiles and their arrangement inside the sanctuary. And in Northern China there is a temple which deeply affects the consciousness of visitors: “As I approached, the various roofs of differently coloured tiles changed places, formed designs, melted into one another. The effect of the perspective, the changing shapes, made an extraordinary impression on me – it was as if they, not I, were moving; they conveyed an impression of light and colour, of emotional and mental freedom, a harmonious whole, a sense of perfection that something in me longed for.” Great care is taken when buildings are constructed at specific sites where spiritual energy is especially concentrated: “It is a highly scientific process. Such places are constructed with a definite intent, along with a sensitivity to the magnetic and other fluxes which occur there when certain types of material are put together to cause this energy to flow and increase the value of the ambience of the place.” There is an invisible atmosphere or quality surrounding these places and the positive, subtle energy connects with the inner being of a person and acts as a harmonizing force which purifies and heals. Many sacred buildings of the past were intricate works of inspired artistic creation, containing a depth within depth of meaning. “The symbols and decorative art were designed to main-

10

tain, in visible form, certain eternal truths believed to summarize the human soul in search of, and in progress toward, final harmony and integration with all of creation.” The mathematical and geometric principles underlying the design and construction of sacred structures were known and practised by esoteric initiates of many traditions. For instance, the Gothic cathedrals of Europe, the Buddhist temples of Asia, the pyramids of Central America and the mosques of the Middle East were all based on precise mathematical design. “The architectural measurements chosen for the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, as for the Kaaba in Mecca, were numerical equivalents of certain Arabic roots conveying holy messages, every part of the building being related to every other in definite proportion.” Real art is based on mathematics. It is a kind of script with an inner and outer meaning. In early times, conscious men – who understood the principles of mathematics – composed music, designed statues and images, painted pictures and constructed buildings – all of which were such that they had a definite effect on people who came in contact with them: on their feelings and senses. There is a room in a monastery in Persia, for example, the proportion and volumes of which are such that everyone who goes into that room begins to weep. The early Gothic cathedrals were designed by men who understood the principles of mathematics, and how these principles could be applied. The proportions, the volume of the interior, the air pressure, the acoustics, the effect of light filtering through the stained glass, the music – the effect of these on people were mathematically calculated so that, unconsciously, people were raised to a higher plane. In such a state some could receive high ideas. (19) The particular design and architectural structure of buildings can influence human consciousness on many levels. These places reflect the esoteric knowledge of the builders on how to create specific effects on those who enter their sacred space: “With these architectural combinations, the mathematically calculated vibrations in the building could not produce any other effect. We are under certain laws and cannot withstand external influences. Because the architect of this building had a different understanding and built mathematically, the result was always the same.” The employment of spatial form, the special province of the right hemisphere, plays a large role in esoteric psychology. Often a room or an entire structure will be built in order to affect the mode of consciousness directly in a certain manner. One surviving example is the Alhambra, the famous Moorish temple, in Spain. It is intended to have an effect that is spatial, experiential, and difficult to encompass linearly. More familiarly, we can note the perceptual effects of Gothic cathedrals and churches, and of certain rooms whose structural patterns produce an effect on us. (20) Throughout the world there are examples of works of ‘objective architecture’ which are the products of esoteric schools: 11

The cathedrals of Notre Dame de Paris and Chartres are products of a Christian esoteric school, the Taj Mahal of a Sufi esoteric school. Dukes and counts and even kings, as well as trades-people and peasants, considered it a privilege to be allowed to help in the building of the early cathedrals, hauling the stone and mixing the mortar. In England too – Ely, St. Albans, York Cathedrals are also, perhaps, objective works of art. It can be said that all great works of art proceed from esoteric schools. In China, too, there are examples. The Temple of Heaven has three circular tiers or platforms; that nearest the ground is the largest, the middle one is smaller; the top one is the smallest, and on this the Emperor worshipped alone. (21) Ancient monuments, temples and sacred buildings had multiple functions and were designed on the basis of an exact esoteric knowledge of the developmental needs of humanity and our place in the universe. Most people do not suspect this higher inner level and perceive only the external form or else invent imaginative theories regarding their origin and purpose: Temples and monuments – of China, Greece, Egypt, South America – had many functions. The least of these was to impress, to create ‘atmosphere,’ to play upon the emotions. Because these places were used for certain purposes, they acquired a quality which in some cases still remains with them. Only those who understand the Work can make use of this substance, which is sometimes called Baraka . . . The dimensions and siting of certain buildings is another matter. A building is sited in a certain way for many reasons, of which the aesthetic effect may be considered to be the least important for our viewpoint. Again, the dynamic function in our sense of a building may have been discharged, as in the case of most Greek buildings, many centuries ago. It has been superseded by something else, elsewhere, suited to another time. What remains is the shell, which provides the emotional, intellectual, mathematical or other stimuli which misled the refined barbarian into thinking of it as a wonder. It may, however, now have no meaningful function for the Work and as far as Wisdom is concerned. (22) In certain spiritual traditions there are precise requirements for the design and construction of chambers and meeting-rooms for group activities in order to concentrate and maximize the effect of the subtle energy of baraka. In Sufism these ‘places of assembly and power’ are called Tekkias: “A building which is designed and built to extremely precise measurements with specific materials is the best and classically correct form of t ekkia . A t ekkia receives, stores and uses energy. It influences a person on several different levels.” The configuration of a room or other place is designed to attract and to concentrate a certain subtle force (baraka ) which is collected and disseminated among those who attend meetings . . . As might be expected with such an ‘instrument,’ the size, shape and siting of the place, together with the materials employed, are thought to be most important. The dimensions, siting, interior décor and appurtenancies are all subject to the most careful arrangement and calculation. As an instance, brass and wood join ceramics and wool (sheepskins) as important in the 12

collecting and reflecting of the baraka . How they are placed and when and where and even by whom is given the most careful consideration. (23) Gardens have been constructed and utilized for spiritual purposes by adepts from many traditions throughout the world. They symbolize, often in disguised form, certain spiritual laws and esoteric truths. They also influence the inner consciousness of human beings in subtle ways through the multiple interlocking patterns and colours of their design. “Certain kinds of flowers correspond with environmental factors. People generally think about the aesthetic value of flowers or their curative effect. Yet these are secondary: a flower is also a factory, like any herb, with a spiritual content and effect.” I was building a garden and in that way scattering what knowledge was necessary for the needs of that time and circumstance. Do not think that the sole language of flowers is the accepted one of visual impact or the heady wine of their perfume. Flowers change their meaning and their effect depending on their position relative to each other, in what quantity they are planted, which colours are used: all of these are part of the true language of flowers . . . Their function is on several levels. Some, that you can appreciate, are patterns of differing blooms, entertaining the senses. Other effects are to produce a micro-climate in a particular place for Travellers of the Path to rest, refresh themselves, or use in any of a hundred different ways. The flowers tell him who is in the area and what is his degree of initiation. The effect that they have is not restricted to those who are conscious of their meaning – some of the effect “spills over” into their consciousness and produces in them certain ideas and thoughts that are useless unless they view them in a certain context under the guidance of a teacher. (24) In many spiritual traditions, such as Taoism, Hinduism, Tibetan Buddhism and indigenous teachings, certain mountains are considered ‘holy’ and auspicious sites for rituals, initiations, and healing ceremonies: Mountains that come to be known as holy are centers of cosmic energies, forces with the power to evoke awe and reverence. More than that, the energy of these mountains turns one inward and activates the subtlest vibrations within oneself. To respond fully to this high energy requires openness and a purified body-mind. Spiritually oriented persons come to a holy or sacred mountain with what might be called a measure of grace – that is, purity – and are uplifted by the invisible forces of the mountain and their own reverence and awe. Through religious rites and ceremonies the self is transcended and the gap between the devotee and the mountain disappears. Then the mountain is no longer a mountain, it is a twolegged individual looking remarkably like oneself yet so much grander! One holy mountain I have experienced is in Mexico. At first encounter this mountain seemed to be a city of temples built into rock. That sight was so moving that I found myself crying in a kind of dazed joy. Unlike the Alps and the Rockies, which are towering and remote in their majesty, this mountain is more man-sized, drawing 13

one toward it with its very accessibility and intimacy. One has the same feeling about Arunachala, Sri Ramana Maharshi’s holy mountain in India. With two of my senior students I did zazen in a large cave in the bowels of this Mexican holy mountain. It was obvious that extensive religious ceremonies had been held there, for the vibrations of such rites could still be felt. Later we learned that in ancient times Mayans, Toltecs, and Aztecs had come long distances to participate in these rites. (25)

Human Centres of Perception

The concept of subtle energy centres or chakras is an integral component of the teachings of Hinduism and Buddhism. They are described as an ascending series of centres of spiritual energy localized at certain sites in the human body, each representing a different function and level of consciousness: These ‘organs,’ which collect, transform, and distribute the forces flowing through them, are called chakras, or centers of force. From them radiate secondary streams of psychic forces, comparable to the spokes of a wheel, the ribs of an umbrella, or the petals of a lotus. In other words, these chakras are the points in which psychic forces and bodily functions merge into each other or penetrate each other. They are the focal points in which cosmic and psychic energies crystallize into bodily qualities, and in which bodily qualities are dissolved or transmuted again into psychic forces. (26) The chakras are subtle in nature, beyond normal perception and the product of three integrated streams of spiritual energy. Ida and pingala are ascending and descending channels of energy while susumna is the central channel of energy through the spinal cord: The human body is a miniature universe in itself. The solar and lunar energy is said to flow through the two main nadis, Pingala and Ida , which start from the right and the left nostrils respectively and move down to the base of the spine. Pingala is the nadi of the sun, while the Ida is the nadi of the moon. In between them is the Susumna , the nadi of fire. This is the main channel for the flow of nervous energy, and it is situated inside the spinal column. Pingala and Ida intersect each other and also Susumna at various places. These junctions are called chakras or wheels and regulate the body mechanism as fly-wheels regulate an engine. (27) Traditionally seven chakras have been identified. In Yoga each is assigned a name and a bodily location:

14

1. M ûlâdhâra - located at the base of the spine between the anus and the genitals. It is associated with instinct and survival and is said to be the seat of kundalini energy. 2. Svâdhist hâna - located in the lumbar region above the sexual organs. It is associated with sexual energy and reproduction. 3. M anipûraka - located at the solar plexus and associated with action and mastery. 4. Anâhat a - located in the heart region and associated with love and compassion. 5. Visuddha - located in the throat and associated with language and creativity. 6. Ajnâ - located between the eyebrows (the ‘third eye’) in the midbrain and represented by the thalamus, the centre of individual consciousness. It is associated with deep intuition. 7. Sahasrâra - located in the cerebral cortex and sometimes called “the thousand petalled lotus.” When completely opened it is associated with full enlightenment. The chakras also play an important role in the awakening of kundalini energy (divine cosmic force), which is symbolized by a coiled and sleeping serpent lying dormant at the base of the spinal column. Through yogic practices this latent energy can be awakened so that it rises up the spine to the brain through the Susumna nadi. In this journey the kundalini energy passes through all the lower chakras until it reaches the Sahasrâra (thousand petalled lotus) in the head and unites with the ‘Supreme Soul.’ Certain spiritual traditions place more emphasis on certain of the centres. In Zen Buddhism the hara refers to both the physical centre of the body and to the locus of spiritual power in the lower abdomen. On the physical plane the hara denotes the functions of digestion, absorption and elimination connected with the stomach and abdomen. On the spiritual level it embraces the second and third chakras and is a wellspring of vital psychic energies: The Zen novice is instructed to focus his mind constantly at the bottom of his hara (specifically, between the navel and pelvis) and to radiate all mental and bodily activities from that region. With the body-mind’s equilibrium centered on the hara, gradually a seat of consciousness, a focus of vital energy, is established there which influences the entire organism . . . An enhanced vitality and new sense of freedom are experienced throughout the body and mind, which are felt more and more to be a unity . . . The figure of the Buddha seated on his lotus throne – serene, stable, all-knowing and all-encompassing, radiating boundless light and compassion – is the foremost example of hara expressed through perfect enlightenment. (28) The heart centre is given great importance in the teachings of Advaita Vedanta. It is the middle chakra and acts as a bridge and harmonizing influence between the lower three chakras and 15

the upper three. It is believed that from the heart centre vitality and light radiate to the brain, enabling it to function optimally. Ramana Maharshi: “The spiritual heart-centre is quite different from the blood-propelling, muscular organ known by the same name. The spiritual heart centre is not an organ of the body. All that you can say of the heart is that it is the core of your being.” And, “The entire universe is contained in the body, and the entire body in the Heart. Thus the Heart is the nucleus of the whole Universe.” In Sufism, the Qalb refers to “the heart or subtle organ of knowledge synonymous with the inner spirit.” The purification of this centre though spiritual practice leads to the removal of ‘veiling’ or ‘forgetfulness’ which characterizes the lower conditioned self: The word qalb (heart) may be considered an anatomical localization of the organ which has to be awakened. Its position is where the pulsation of the physical heart is normally to be determined on the left breast. In Sufi belief and action, this organ is considered to be the seat of the main, initial inner perceptiveness involved in the ‘search’ or ‘work.’ The total illumination of this and certain other organs precedes major saintship, which is the goal of the Sufi and which corresponds, in other systems, with illumination. (29) According to Ramana Maharshi, the heart centre is the final destination of the spiritual journey: “Samadhi energy starts from the solar plexus, rises through the spinal cord to the brain, and from there bends down and ends in the heart. When the yogi has reached the heart, the Samadhi becomes permanent.” Q: When Bhagavan says that the Heart is the supreme centre of the Spirit or the Self, does that imply that it is not one of the yogic centres (chakras)? A: The yogic centres, counting from the bottom upward, are a series of centres in the nervous system. They represent various stages, each having its own kind of power or knowledge, leading to the Sahasrâra , the thousand-petalled lotus in the brain, where is seated the Supreme Shakt i (power). But the Self that supports the whole movement of the Shakt i is not located there but supports it from the heartcentre. Q: Then is it different from the manifestations of Shakt i? A: Really there is no manifestation of Shakt i apart from the Self. The Self became all these shakt is. When the yogi attains the highest state of spiritual awareness (Samadhi) it is the Self in the Heart that supports him in that state whether he is aware of it or not. But if his awareness is centred in the heart, he realizes that, whatever centres or states he may be in, he is always the same truth, the same heart, the one Self, the spirit that is present throughout, eternal and immutable. (30)

16

When the Self is realized through the spiritual opening of the Heart, the true nature of existence is revealed. In the words of Ramana Maharshi: “Truly speaking, pure Consciousness is indivisible; it is without parts. It has no form or shape, no within or without. There is no right or left. Pure Consciousness – which is the Heart – includes all; and nothing is outside or apart from it. That is the ultimate truth.” Pure consciousness wholly unrelated to the physical body and transcending the mind is a matter of direct experience. Sages know their bodiless, eternal existence, just as an unrealized man knows his bodily existence. But the experience of Consciousness can be with bodily awareness as well as without it. In the bodiless experience of Pure Consciousness the Sage is beyond time and space, and no question about the position of the Heart can arise at all. Since, however, the physical body cannot subsist (with life) apart from consciousness, bodily awareness has to be sustained by Pure Consciousness. The former, by nature, is limited and can never be co-existent with the latter which is Infinite and Eternal. Body-consciousness is merely a miniature reflection of the Pure consciousness with which the Sage has realized his identity. For him, therefore, body-consciousness is only a reflected ray, as it were, of the Self-effulgent, infinite consciousness which is himself. It is in this sense alone that the Sage is aware of his bodily existence. (31) In Sufism Lat aif (singular: Lat ifa ) is the technical term referring to certain centres of perception in the human body. The activation of these inner spiritual centres is the basis of higher development and evolution, capable of producing the completed or perfect human being. The Lat aif are sometimes called the ‘five points of illumination,’ the ‘five subtleties” or the ‘five purity spots’ and represent certain points in the human body which are especially sensitive to the influence of baraka . Although they are conceived as having physical locations in the human body, the Lat aif do not necessarily exist literally: “They are located in the body because the posture of extending attention to these areas are held to orientate the mind towards higher understanding and illumination.” In approaching the cultivation of deeper awareness, the Sufis have postulated and employed sequences of experiences based on the ever-deeper and successively superseded ranges of understanding . . . There are said to be five centres of spiritual perception, corresponding to these ranges of experience. The secondary or ‘Commanding Self’ – which rules the personality most of the time and which provides the barrier against extra-dimensional perception – is not one of these Subtle organs, but has a ‘location,’ in the area of the navel. Concentration on this spot may be said to be connected with the attempt to transform this Self. The higher faculties are named as follows: 1. MIND, on the left side, whose ‘field’ is approximately where the heart is. Called QALB = the Heart centre; 2. SPIRIT, on the right side opposite MIND. This is known as ROUH, sometimes translated as the Soul centre; 17

3. SECRET, the first stage of higher consciousness, located between the first two, in the solar plexus. The original term is SIRR, which has been called ‘inner consciousness’; 4. MYSTERIOUS, in the forehead between the eyes, but just above them. Its name is KHAFI, which carries the connotation of deep secrecy; 5. THE DEEPLY HIDDEN, which is resident in the brain and whose ‘field of operation’ may move between the brain and the centre of the chest. Its technical name is AKHFA, which stands for the ‘most hidden.’ The organ of stimulation of the Five Centres is the transformed consciousness, the personality originally found in the form of the Commanding Self, when it has been through its refining process. The concentration upon certain colours helps to awaken them: MIND is equated with yellow, SPIRIT with red, SECRET with white, MYSTERIOUS with black and DEEPLY HIDDEN with green. (32) The concept of the activation of higher centres of perception occurs in a number of esoteric teachings, although there are differences in emphasis and formulation: The activation of the special Organs of Perception (lat aif ) is part of Sufi methodology analogous to, and often confused with, the chakra system of the Yogis. There are some important differences. In yoga, the chakras or padmas are conceived as physically located centres in the body, linked by invisible nerves or channels. Yogis generally do not know that these centres are merely concentration points, convenient formulations whose activation is part of a theoretical working hypothesis. Both Sufism and Christianity of an esoteric sort preserve a similar theory, combining it with certain exercises. The succession of colours seen by the alchemists in the Western literature can be seen as referring to concentration upon certain physical locations if we compare it with the Sufi literature on exercises . . . Among the Christian alchemists the succession black-white-yellow-red is very common. It will at once be noted that this succession transposed into physical equivalents, forms the sign of the Cross. The alchemical exercises therefore aim at activating colours (location = lat aif ) in the form of crossing oneself. (33) The development of higher states of consciousness proceeds through an ordered sequence in which successively more subtle centres of perception are awakened. Within the Sufi system there is a precise process and methodology for activating the ‘five subtleties.’ When the disciple has been accepted for a training course under a master, he has to be prepared for the experiences which his unaltered mind is incapable of perceiving. The process, which follows the dissipating of conditioning or automatic thinking, is termed the “activation of the subtleties.” In order to activate this element it is assigned a theoretical physical situation in the body, generally considered to be the centre where its force or baraka is most strongly evidenced. The lat ifa is theoretically considered to be “an incipient organ of spiritual perception” . . . 18

The disciple has to awaken five lat aif , receive illumination through five of the seven subtle centres of communication. The method, presided over by the instructor (Sheikh), is to concentrate the consciousness upon certain areas of the body and head, each area being linked with the lat ifa faculties. As each lat ifa is activated through exercises, the consciousness of the disciple changes to accommodate the greater potentialities of his mind. He is breaking through the blindness which makes the ordinary man captive to life and being as it ordinarily seems to be. In more than one sense, therefore, the activation of the centres is producing a new man . . . We must note that the activation of the lat aif is only a part of a very comprehensive development, and cannot be carried out as an individual study . . . The actual meanings of these locations is something which comes as a special realization of the Sufi when the lat ifa in question is being activated. It is only at the outset of the study that they are given these locations. (34) Following the activation and awakening of the lat aif there is an array of experiences involving the inner senses: The five inner senses begin to function as the inner life of the individual is awakened. The impalpable food starts to exercise a nutritious effect. The inner senses resemble in a way the physical ones, but “they are to them as copper to gold.” As individuals all vary in their capacities, the Sufis at this stage are developed in some ways and not in others. It is usual for a number of inner faculties and special abilities to develop concurrently and harmoniously. Changes in mood may occur, but they are not at all like the changes in mood which undeveloped people feel. Mood becomes a part of real personality, and the crudeness of ordinary moods is replaced by the alternation and interaction of higher moods, of which the lower ones are considered to be reflections. The Sufi’s conception of wisdom and ignorance undergoes a change. Rumi puts it like this: “If a man were entirely wise, and had no ignorance, he would be destroyed by it. Therefore ignorance is laudable, because it means continued existence. Ignorance is the collaborator of wisdom, in the sense of alternation, as night and day complement one another.” (35) There are significant dangers in opening subtle centres of perception without proper preparation or guidance by an experienced teacher. Random experimentation can cause irreparable harm both physically, psychologically and spiritually: The illumination or activation of one or more of the centers may take place partially or accidentally. When this happens, the individual may gain for a time a deepening in intuitive knowledge corresponding with the lat ifa involved. But if this is not a part of comprehensive development, the mind will try, vainly, to equilibrate itself around this hypertrophy, an impossible task. The consequences can be very dangerous, and include, like all one-sided mental phenomena, exaggerated ideas of self-importance, the surfacing of undesirable qualities, or a deterioration 19

of consciousness following an access of ability . . . The non-balanced development produces people who may have the illusion that they are seers or sages. Due to the inherent power of the lat ifa , such an individual may appear to the world at large to be worthy of following. In Sufi diagnosis, this type of personality accounts for a great number of false metaphysical teachers. They may, of course, themselves be convinced that they are genuine. This is because the habit of self-deception or of deceiving others has not been transmuted. Rather it has been supported and magnified by the awakening but still undirected new organ, the lat ifa . (36)

References

(1) G.I. Gurdjieff View s From t he Real W orld: Early Talks of Gurdjieff (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1973), pp. 92-93. (2) J.G. Bennett W it ness: The Aut obiography of John G. Bennet t (Tucson: Omen Press, 1974), pp. 56-57. (3) O.M. Burke Among t he Dervishes (London: Octagon Press, 1984), p. 141. (4) Arkon Daraul Secret Societ ies (London: Octagon Press, 1983), p. 65. (5) Hatim Janubi “Arab Occult Writers: Their Effect on Europe” in Tabir Shah (ed.) The M iddle East Bedside Book (London: Octagon Press, 1991), pp. 120-121. (6) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of t he M iraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), p. 297. (7) Omar Ali-Shah The Sufi Tradit ion in t he W est (New York: Alif Publishing, 1994), p. 98. (8) H.B.M. Dervish Journey W it h a Sufi M ast er (London: Octagon Press, 1982), p. 82. (9) Robert Ornstein The Psychology of Consciousness (New York: Viking Press, 1972), p. 153. (10) O.M. Burke Among t he Dervishes (London: Octagon Press, 1984), p. 48. (11) H.B.M. Dervish Journey W it h a Sufi M ast er (London: Octagon Press, 1982), p. 136. (12) “The Use of Omens, Magic and Sorcery for Power and Hunting” (Tunbridge Wells, England: The Institute for Cultural Research, 1998), pp. 16-17. (13) Omar Ali-Shah The Sufi Tradit ion in t he W est (New York: Alif Publishing, 1994), p. 147. (14) Louis Palmer Advent ures in Afghanist an (London: Octagon Press, 1991), p. 83. (15) H.B.M. Dervish Journey W it h a Sufi M ast er (London: Octagon Press, 1982), p. 194. (16) O.M. Burke Among t he Dervishes (London: Octagon Press, 1984), p. 157. (17) P.D. Ouspensky In Search of t he M iraculous (New York: Harcourt, 2001), p. 97. (18) Louis Palmer Advent ures in Afghanist an (London: Octagon Press, 1991), pp. 142-143. (19) C.S. Nott The Teachings of Gurdjieff: Journal of a Pupil (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1962), pp. 67-68. (20) Robert Ornstein The Psychology of Consciousness (New York: Viking Press, 1972), pp. 163164. (21) C.S. Nott The Teachings of Gurdjieff: Journal of a Pupil (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1962), p. 68. (22) Idries Shah The Commanding Self (London: Octagon Press, 1994), pp. 283-284. (23) Ferrucio Amadeo “Peculiarities and Use of the Sufi Meeting-Place” in Idries Shah (ed.) Sufi Thought and Act ion (London: Octagon Press, 1990), pp. 62-63.

20

(24) Rafael Lefort The Teachers of Gurdjieff (London: Victor Gollancz, 1973), pp. 79-80. (25) Philip Kapleau Zen Daw n in t he W est (New York: Anchor Books, 1979), pp. 43-44. (26) Lama Govinda The Foundat ions of Tibet an Buddhism (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1969), p. 135. (27) B.K.S. Iyengar Light on Yoga (New York: Schocken Books, 1973), p. 244. (28) Philip Kapleau The Three Pillars of Zen (New York: Anchor Books, 1989), pp. 15-16. (29) Idries Shah The Sufis (London: Octagon Press, 1984), pp. 302-303. (30) Arthur Osborne (ed.) The Teachings of Ramana M aharshi (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1978), p. 129. (31) Arthur Osborne (ed.) The Teachings of Ramana M aharshi (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1978), pp. 150-151. (32) Idries Shah A Perfumed Scorpion (London: Octagon Press, 1983), pp. 89-90. (33) Idries Shah The Sufis (London: Octagon Press, 1984), pp. 379-380. (34) Idries Shah The Sufis (London: Octagon Press, 1984), pp. 295-297. (35) Idries Shah The Sufis (London: Octagon Press, 1984), pp. 125-126. (36) Idries Shah The Sufis (London: Octagon Press, 1984), p. 296.

21

COSM OLOGY AND SCIENCE

‘W ho has not felt a sense of aw e w hen looking deep int o t he skies lit w it h count less st ars on a clear night ? W ho has failed t o w onder w het her t here is an int elligence behind t he cosmos? W ho has not quest ioned if ours is t he only planet t o support living creat ures?’ Dalai Lama

The Scientific View of the Universe

Throughout human history, human beings have marvelled at the grandeur and mystery of the cosmos and wondered what place they have in it. In the words of scientist and philosopher Ravi Ravindra: “Something in us can only be satisfied by returning to some form of inquiry about our own nature and our relationship with others and the cosmos. Who am I? Why am I here?” Every human being sometimes wonders about the universe in which we live, about its vastness, about the variety of manifestations in it, about the endless transformations of substances and energies, and the intricate laws by which all this is regulated. That the universe exists is a wonder! And that it works and continues to exist is even a greater wonder. Each one of us is thus some sort of a scientist. We may not undertake investigations of the cosmos and the forces and laws governing it rigorously or in any systematic manner. But we can hardly be uninterested in the place where we have our being, where the Spirit manifests itself, where all the aesthetic possibilities are realized, and where precise intellectual formulations find their concrete expression. Moreover, not to wonder about one’s own existence – its meaning, function and purpose – is that possible? One could hardly be oblivious either to the mystery of one’s own existence, or to the mystery of the cosmos. Both mysteries exist, perhaps parts of one larger mystery. In the vastness of the universe, I am a small particle! But, equally true, I am the center of my cosmos. What is myself? (1) The scientific study of the physical universe has revealed a cosmos of vast dimensions of space and time, and inherent complexity of both matter and energy. “What the modern sciences have brought, in terms of the understanding of physical mechanisms, is a great treasure. One is rightfully awed by the astronomical views made possible by the Hubble space telescope and by the pattern of DNA that forms the genetic underpinning of all life. To ponder the mathematical unraveling of our Cosmos’ material unfolding, or to trace the gradual development of man’s three brains in evolutionary biology – each of these are pursuits to be greatly valued.”

1

The scale of the universe is awesome. Our sun, which is more than a million times greater in volume than the earth, is only a tiny speck in the unimaginable vastness of the Milky Way. Hundreds of billions of such suns make up this galaxy, most of them far greater in size than our own. And the galaxy itself is but a tiny speck among countless billions of galaxies that occupy the cosmos that science perceives. Each sun is an ocean of energy, one tiny fraction of which is enough to animate the life of our earth and everything that exists upon it. Every second there pours forth from the Sun an amount of energy equal to four million tons of what we call matter. Since the planets of suns capture so little of this energy, all of outer space is in reality a plenum of force that is largely invisible to us, yet life-giving. To set our minds reeling, it is enough to contemplate the bare distances that astronomy has measured. Light traveling at 186,000 miles a second takes 800,000 years from the galaxy Andromeda to reach us. Yet this galaxy is now considered a member of what is called the local cluster of galaxies, beyond which lie countless stars and groupings of stars thousands of times more distant from us than Andromeda. As with size, energy and distance, so with the reaches of time. Astronomers say the earth is some five billion years old, which means that the entire history of mankind, as we record it, is but a fraction of a second in the time scale of the earth. It is no exaggeration to say that in this picture of the universe man is crushed. Within cosmic time he is less than the blinking of an eye. In size he is not even a speck. And his continued existence is solely at the mercy of such colossal dimensions of force that the most minor momentary change in these forces would be enough to obliterate instantly the very memory of human life. (2) Most astronomers believe that the physical universe emerged from an infinitesimal point of incredibly concentrated energy in the form of a “Big Bang” some 13.7 billion years ago. As the universe began to expand in the first few seconds, the intensely hot temperature diminished rapidly, allowing reactions to occur which created the nuclei of the lighter elements such as hydrogen and helium, from which subsequently all the matter in the universe came into existence. It was only after elementary particles of matter began to form that the four primary forces of nature – gravity, electromagnetism, and the strong and weak nuclear forces – appeared and began functioning. Gravity is the force of attraction between bodies; electromagnetism is the force between electrically charged particles; the strong nuclear force binds the particles in atomic nuclei together; and the weak force is responsible for the phenomenon of radioactive decay. Dr. Keith Buzzell describes the point at which the universe emerged as “a transition from a state of absolute not hingness to a state of nearly infinite energy, which bursts forth in the creative impulse of the Initial Moment. Laws, as modern physics defines them, appear to emerge at precisely the Initial Moment, with no indication that the laws could exist prior to that time.”

2

The creation of elementary subatomic particles and the four primary forces set the stage for subsequent developments: The simple elements were formed out of this soup of hot primordial particles. Hydrogen and helium atoms were formed. These produced huge clouds, or nebulae, which started breaking up into smaller units. These, in turn, started condensing due to their own gravitational pull, thus forming the basis for the evolving galaxies. The clouds of matter within these nebulae became more and more compact, which caused a rise in temperature of their centers. The first protostars appeared in the form of blobs of glowing hydrogen gas. In time, very high temperatures were reached inside their cores. These temperatures kept rising until nuclear reactions were eventually achieved. The nuclear reactions produced much heat and light; thus, the first heavenly bodies, similar to our sun, were born. In the core of these stars, heavier elements were being cooked, and eventually a variety of elements that make up our present physical bodies were synthesized in the stars. (3) The accidental discovery by astronomers in the 1960s of background microwave radiation throughout the universe was widely interpreted as evidence of an “echo or afterglow of the events of the Big Bang” and seemed to confirm the validity of the emerging theoretical models of the origins of the universe. Physicist Stephen Hawking: “Fluctuations in the cosmic microwave background radiation are the fingerprints of creation, tiny irregularities in the otherwise smooth and uniform early universe that later grew into galaxies, stars, and all the structures we see around us.” Despite the apparent sophistication of current theories of the creation of the universe, scientists are unable to answer certain fundamental questions: What existed before the Big Bang? Where did the Big Bang come from and what caused it? Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn reflects on these compelling questions: “We are still faced with something coming out of nothing, space coming out of ‘before space’ and time beginning at a certain point, before which there was none, and all matter coming out of nowhere as infinite pure energy.” For almost a century physicists have pondered this quandary: If space-time did not exist before the Big Bang, how could something appear from nothing? A number of physicists, including Stephen Hawking, have proposed that our universe spontaneously came into being through a “quantum fluctuation in a pre-existent vacuum.” However, this hypothesis does not truly resolve the great paradox of a ‘birth out of nothingness’ and seems to produce more questions than answers. Our ability to understand the earliest stages of the expansion of the universe through observations made by powerful telescopes is limited by the speed of light. Physicist Alan Lightman: “No matter how big our telescopes, we cannot see beyond the distance light has traveled since the Big Bang beginning of the universe. There simply hasn’t been enough time since the birth of the universe for light to get from there to here. The maximum distance we can see is only the observable universe. But the universe could extend far beyond that.”

3

With our largest telescopes, we can see very deep into space, but we must bear in mind that in doing so we are simultaneously seeing back in time. The light that reaches our eyes has traveled for a long time – up to several billion years. We can only infer the current state of affairs in the distant reaches of the universe because our direct astronomical observations are always of events long past. However, from a careful analysis of these observations, we can construct a likely story of how our galaxy and, indeed, the whole universe formed and what it is like even in those sectors currently unseen by us. (4) For most of the 20th century astronomers believed that the expansion of the universe would eventually slow due to the influence of gravity. But near the end of the century, observations of very distant supernovae from the highly sensitive Hubble telescope indicated that, in fact, the expansion of the universe has been accelerat ing for the last 7.5 billion years. Figure 1. Expansion of t he Universe since t he Big Bang

Many scientists now theorize that the faster rate of expansion may be due to an unperceived ‘dark energy’ that is pushing galaxies apart. It is believed that 68% of the universe is ‘dark energy,’ 27% is ‘dark matter’ and only 5% is visible matter and detectable energy. This mysterious ‘dark energy’ has sometimes been described as a dynamic vibratory field of energy similar to the ancient Greek fifth element aet her or ‘quintessence,’ or the akasha of Hindu philosophy. Physicist David Bohm argues that the presence of ‘dark energy’ and ‘dark matter’ in the universe challenges certain premises of the concept of the Big Bang theory of creation:

4

Reality contains immensely more than science may happen to know, at this moment, about the universe. For example, the universe may involve laws that go far beyond those on which the current theory of the big bang is based. Therefore it is quite possible that the big bang is only incidental in a totality that is immeasurably more than anyone could ever hope to grasp as a whole. Current quantum field theory implies that what appears to be empty space contains an immense “zero point energy,” coming from all the quantum fields that are contained in this space. Matter is then a relatively small wave or disturbance on top of this “ocean” of energy. Using reasonable assumptions, the energy of one cubic centimeter of space is far greater than would be available from the nuclear disintegration of all the matter in the whole universe! Matter is therefore a “small ripple” on this ocean of energy. But since we, too, are constituted of this matter, we no more see the “ocean” than probably does a fish swimming in the ocean see the water. What appears from our point of view to be a big bang is thus, from the perspective of the ocean, just a rather small ripple. (5)

Limitations of the Scientific Approach

The scientific discoveries about the nature of the universe are based on two general methods: induction and deduction. In the process of induction phenomena are studied in order to infer underlying laws and principles. With deduction, the perception or discovery of general principles leads to the application of these laws in specific circumstances. For instance, the theory of relativity emerged from “thought experiments” conducted by Einstein (principles) which were later confirmed by actual experiments and celestial observations (facts). The philosopher F.S.C. Northrop described the mutual relationship between the two approaches: “Any empirical science in its normal healthy development begins with a more purely inductive emphasis and then comes to maturity with deductively formulated theory in which formal logic and mathematics play a most significant part.” Classical physics was built on the foundation of the Cartesian method of analyzing the world into discrete parts and structuring those parts according to causal laws. The resulting deterministic picture of the universe was similar to the image of nature as a clockwork mechanism. Stanislav Grof: “The various scientific disciplines based on the mechanistic model have created an image of the universe as an infinitely complex assembly of passive, inert and unconscious matter, developing without any participation of creative intelligence. From the Big Bang through the initial expansion of the galaxies to the creation of the solar system and Earth, the cosmic processes were allegedly governed by blind mechanical forces.” The principal feature of this order is that the world is regarded as constituted of entities which are out side of each ot her , in the sense that they exist independently in different regions of space (and time) and interact through forces that do not bring about any changes in their essential natures. The machine gives 5

a typical illustration of such a system of order. Each part is formed (e.g. by stamping or casting) independently of the others, and interacts with the other parts only through some kind of external contact. By contrast, in a living organism, for example, each part grows in the context of the whole, so that it does not exist independently, nor can it be said that it merely ‘interacts’ with the others, without itself being essentially affected in this relationship. Physics has become almost totally committed to the notion that the order of the universe is basically mechanistic. The most common form of this notion is that the world is assumed to be constituted of a set of separately existent, indivisible and unchangeable ‘elementary particles,’ which are the fundamental ‘building blocks’ of the entire universe. (6) The prevailing world view of modern science is essentially mat erialist ic and reduct ionist ic, producing a subject-object split which emphasizes the study of the object (phenomenon) while disregarding or downplaying the subject (mind, consciousness). Professor Jacob Needleman explores this ontological position: Science since Galileo can be understood as a mode of approaching the world in which one aspect of the phenomenal world is given the privileged position of primitive, irreducible fact: the aspect of pure corporeality. The notion of pure corporeality as the reality to which science attends and to which all phenomena are to be reduced is the concomitant of a dictate to the perceiver that he remove himself from the world in order to gain knowledge of what he perceives. The roots of this dictate can be seen most strikingly in the thought of Descartes, whose isolation of the realm of consciousness from that of the body and the perceived world leads to this remarkable notion of a pure corporeality which, while devoid of consciousness, is accessible to mathematical knowledge. If we wish to speak of a basic substance to which all phenomena coming within the sphere of scientific explanation are reduced, it would be this pure corporeality. At the same time, it is important to keep in mind that this concept of pure corporeality is the product of a frame of mind, or attitude, or methodological dictate: namely, to keep the self out of its world as it investigates its world. (7) The language of science (and everyday life) tends to divide things into seemingly separate entities which appear fixed and static in their nature. In this way the unity and wholeness of reality is divided into differences and distinctions, leading to the illusion that the world is actually constituted of distinct, independent fragments. David Bohm: “In scientific research fragmentation is continually being brought about by the almost universal habit of taking the content of our thoughts for ‘a description of the world as it is.’ In this habit, our thought is regarded as in direct correspondence with objective reality.” Bohm proposes that scientific theories should be provisional and flexible, able to adapt to new ‘facts’ which emerge from experimental and other studies. “Our theories are not

6

‘descriptions of reality as it is’ but, rather, ever-changing forms of insight, which can point to or indicate a reality that is implicit and not describable in its totality.” Instead of supposing that older theories are falsified at a certain point in time, we merely say that man is continually developing new forms of insight, which are clear up to a point and then tend to become unclear. In this activity, there is evidently no reason to suppose that there is or will be a final form of insight (corresponding to absolute truth) or even a steady series of approximations to this. Rather, one may expect the unending development of new forms of insight (which will, however, assimilate certain key features of the older forms as simplifications, in the way that relativity theory does with Newtonian theory). However, this means that our theories are to be regarded primarily as ways of looking at the world as a whole (i.e. world views) rather than as ‘absolutely true knowledge of how things are.’ (8) Universal human experience and the philosophical study of the underlying assumptions and worldview of science itself affirm that there are significant aspects of reality which can only be partially understood by the perspectives and methods of scientific investigation: Science can never tell us why a sunset or a string quartet is beautiful. This is no argument against science, merely an acknowledgment of its limits. It can analyze the sunset into wavelengths of light and the effect of refraction on them as they pass through the earth’s atmosphere, just as it can analyze Beethoven’s music into vibrations in the air, which is what music is. But it will never arrive at how these purely physical phenomena can produce in a sensitive consciousness a mystical feeling of beauty and awe. (Indeed, in neuroscience, this is known as the problem of qualia , how ‘qualitative’ phenomena – colour, sound, beauty, awe – can arise from quantitative ones – neurons or molecules.) (9) The scientific understanding of nature is based on measurement and quantity, and disregards the more subtle, metaphysical dimensions of quality, value, purpose and meaning. Physicist Max Planck once famously said: “That which cannot be measured is not real.” The scientific method itself has fundamental limits, and many important areas lie outside those limits. Science can’t deal with values, ethics, aesthetics, or metaphysics, and these limits of science follow from the very nature of the scientific enterprise and its methods. When science studies the nature of cosmology, for example, it does so on the basis of the specific laws of physics that apply in the unique Universe we inhabit. It can interrogate the nature of those laws, but not the reason for their existence, nor why they take the particular form they do. Neither can science examine the reason for the existence of the Universe. These are metaphysical issues, whose examination lies beyond the competence of science per se . . . Neither can science investigate the issue of whether or not there is an underlying purpose or meaning to physical existence, 7

for these are non-scientific categories. However these issues are of significance to us; in particular they underlie the existence of humanity. (10) The pre-scientific view of the cosmos of traditional cultures included intelligence, purpose and meaning as integral components of the universe. Jacob Needleman: “There is a great difference between contemplating a universe which exceeds me in size alone or in intricacy alone, and one which exceeds me in depth of purpose and intelligence. A universe of merely unimaginable size excludes man and crushes him. But a universe that is a manifestation of great consciousness and order places man, and therefore calls to him.” Ancient man’s scale of the universe is awesome, too, but in an entirely different way, and with entirely different consequences for the mind that contemplates it. Here man stands before a universe which exceeds him in quality as well as quantity. The spheres which encompass the earth in the cosmological schemes of antiquity and the Middle Ages represent levels of conscious energy and purpose which “surround” the earth much as the physiological function of an organ such as the heart “surrounds” or permeates each of the separate tissues which comprise it, or as the captain’s destination “encompasses” or “pervades” the life and activity of every crewman on his ship. In this understanding, the earth is inextricably enmeshed in a network of purposes, a ladder or hierarchy of intentions. To the ancient mind, this is the very meaning of the concept of organization and order. A cosmos – and, of course, t he cosmos – is an organism, not in the sense of an unusually complicated industrial machine, but in the sense of a hierarchy of purposeful energies. (11)

Albert Einstein and Relativity

At the beginning of the 20th century Albert Einstein published two extraordinary papers which formed the foundation of a new understanding of the physical universe and led to a number of important experiments by other researchers that changed the face of science. “This exploration of the atomic and subatomic world brought scientists in contact with a strange and unexpected reality that shattered the assumptions of their worldview and forced them to think in entirely new ways.” Einstein strongly believed in nature’s inherent harmony, and throughout his scientific life his deepest concern was to find a unified foundation of physics. He began to move towards this goal by constructing a common framework for electrodynamics and mechanics, the two separate theories of classical physics. This framework is known as the special theory of relativity. It unified and completed the structure of classical physics, but at the same time it involved radical changes in the traditional concepts of space and time and thus undermined one of the foundations of the Newtonian world view. Ten years later Einstein proposed his general theory of relativity, in which the framework of the 8

special theory is extended to include gravity. This is achieved by further drastic modifications of the concepts of space and time. (12) It is widely acknowledged that Einstein was one of the most influential scientists in human history, whose ground-breaking work in the early decades of the 20th century forever reshaped our understanding of the nature of the universe: His fame rests on the two published theories and the astronomical observations of physical phenomena which confirm them. He overthrew a view of the universe that had endured for three centuries. In its place he constructed a new one: a profoundly strange and beautiful universe, where time is another dimension and where there is no standard of reference. A meter stick is only a meter while it is at rest. Move it and it becomes shorter, and the faster it is moved the shorter it becomes. Time is also relative in this Alice in Wonderland-like universe, time is no longer an unalterable absolute measure. In motion, each body has its own time which elapses more slowly as the body moves more rapidly. The ultimate barrier is the speed of light. No material object can go as fast; for as speed increases so does mass until – at the speed of light – mass become infinite and time stands still. Space-time itself is warped by matter in Einstein’s universe. This warping or curving of space-time is gravity, and it can become so powerful that it crushes matter into a black hole, out of which nothing, not even light, can escape. (13) Einstein’s theories and discoveries were truly impressive and challenged the traditional scientific understanding of the nature of the universe. “The great edifice of classical physics developed by Isaac Newton, James Maxwell and so many others, which provided such seemingly effective explanations for the perceived realities of the world and fitted so well with common sense, was undermined by the discovery of relativity.” Einstein postulated that the speed of light was constant, that energy and matter are related by the formula E=mc², that space and time are not separate and independent but rather coexist as a four-dimensional continuum of “space-time,” and that the primary laws of physics are exactly the same for all observers in relative motion. And, in a famous “thought experiment,” he theorized that if one twin flew to a star 30 light-years away at close to the speed of light he would find that when he returned to earth his twin would be 30 years older than he was. Dr. Christian Wertenbaker explores the implications of these findings in the development of our current scientific understanding of reality: Relativity theory overturned the Newtonian picture of an unchanging background framework of the world, consisting of three perpendicular spatial dimensions, and an independent single dimension of time, flowing steadily from past to future, in which all events took place without affecting the structure of the framework. Special relativity dictated that space and time were interrelated, and that both were affected by relative motion, so that every moving object has its own spatiotemporal coordinates, length in the direction of motion being shortened in pro9

portion to the speed of motion, and time being expanded, as viewed by an outside observer . . . The results are astounding, and amply confirmed nothing can travel faster than light, because if an object were to travel at light-speed, its thickness would be zero and its mass infinite. Energy and mass are convertible one into the other, because the energy provided to make an object move faster is reflected in an increase in its mass proportional to its velocity. And for light neither space nor time as we perceive them exist. This certainly suggests that light lives in a different dimension. General relativity further undermined the Newtonian framework by making the shape of space dependent on the masses within it, the distortion of space being the cause of gravitational effects. (14) Physicist Fritjof Capra suggests that there are certain parallels between Einstein’s theory of relativity and traditional Eastern spiritual teachings: In relativity theory, one of the most important developments has been the unification of space and time. Einstein recognized that space and time are not separate, that they are connected intimately and inseparably to form a fourdimensional continuum: space/time. A direct consequence of this recognition is the equivalence of mass and energy and the intrinsically dynamic nature of all subatomic phenomena. The fact that space and time are related so intimately implies that subatomic particles are dynamic patterns, that they are events rather than objects. So the role of space and time and the dynamic nature of the object studied are very closely related. In Buddhism, you discover exactly the same thing. In the Mahayana school, they have a notion of interpenetration of space and time, and they also say that objects are really events. (15) Einstein’s general theory of relativity, which describes the force of gravity and the largescale space-time structure of the universe, is widely regarded as one of the greatest intellectual achievements in the history of science: Before 1915, space and time were thought of as a fixed arena in which events took place, but which was not affected by what happened in it. This was true even with the special theory of relativity. Bodies moved, forces attracted and repelled, but time and space simply continued, unaffected. It was natural to think that space and time went on forever. The situation, however, is quite different in the general theory of relativity. Space and time are now dynamic qualities: when a body moves, or forces act, it affects the curvature of space and time – and in turn the structure of space-time affects the way in which bodies move and forces act. Space and time not only affect but also are affected by everything that happens in the universe. Just as one cannot talk about events in the universe without the notions of space and time, so in general relativity it became meaningless to talk about space and time outside the limits of the universe. In the following decades this new understanding of space and time was to revolutionize our view of the universe. The old idea of an essentially unchanging 10

universe that could have existed, and could continue to exist, forever was replaced by the notion of a dynamic, expanding universe that seemed to have begun a finite time ago, and that might end at a finite time in the future. (16)

Quantum Theory

Quantum theory was formulated in the first three decades of the 20th century by an international group of outstanding physicists, many of whom were recognized for their seminal work by being awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics. The list of visionary physicists included such luminaries as Albert Einstein, Max Planck, Niels Bohr, Erwin Schrödinger, Werner Heisenberg, Paul Dirac, Louis de Broglie and Wolfgang Pauli: Even after the mathematical formulation of quantum theory was completed, its conceptual framework was by no means easy to accept. Its effect on the physicists’ view of reality was truly shattering. The new physics necessitated profound changes in the concepts of space, time, matter, object, and cause and effect; and because these concepts are so fundamental to our way of experiencing the world, their transformation came as a great shock. To quote Heisenberg: “The violent reaction to the recent development of modern physics can only be understood when one realizes that here the foundations of physics have started moving; and that this motion has caused the feeling that the ground would be cut from science.” In contrast to the mechanistic Cartesian view of the world, the world view emerging from quantum physics can be characterized by words like organic, holistic and ecological. It might also be called a systems view, in the sense of general systems theory. The universe is no longer seen as a machine, made up of a multitude of objects, but has to be pictured as one indivisible, dynamic whole whose parts are essentially interrelated and can be understood only as patterns of a cosmic process. (17) The findings of quantum physics (also called quantum mechanics) revealed an underlying reality that is virtually incomprehensible, as it is in direct conflict with our common understanding of the world based on our normal sensory perceptions. Fritjof Capra: “Exploration of the atomic and subatomic world brought physicists at the beginning of the 20th century in contact with a strange and unexpected reality. In their struggle to grasp this new reality, scientists became painfully aware that their basic concepts, their language, and their whole way of thinking were inadequate to describe atomic phenomena.” Four fundamental principles of quantum theory emerged in the early decades of the last century from both theoretical and experimental research in the field of subatomic physics: discrete quanta, particle/wave duality, uncertainty and probability, and non-local relationship of particles. In 1900 German physicist Max Planck suggested that light, x-rays and other waves were not emitted at an arbitrary rate, but only in packets of specific energy levels or ‘quant a .’ As well, he 11

determined that each quantum had an amount of energy that was proportional to the frequency of the wave – the higher the wave frequency the higher the energy. It became apparent that the movement of elementary particles is discont inuous, so that a particle such as an electron can go from one state to another without passing through intermediate states. Rather than a continuous movement from point A to point B, quantum objects move in a discrete “jump” or quantum from A to B without travelling through the intervening space. “Quantum physics challenges the concept of a deterministic trajectory of motion and causal continuity. If initial conditions do not forever determine an object’s motion, if instead every time we observe there is a new beginning, then the world is creative at a fundamental level.” A second important discovery by the quantum physicists was that subatomic particles can exhibit several different properties (particle, wave or something in between) depending on the specific environment within which they exist and are subject to observation: Perhaps the most startling discovery of a reality beyond sensory perception is that all matter behaves both like particles and like waves. A particle, such as a grain of sand, occupies only one location at each moment of time. By contrast, a wave, such as a water wave, is spread out; it occupies many locations at once. All of our sensory experience with the world tells us that a material thing must be either a particle or a wave, but not both. However, experiments in the first half of the twentieth century conclusively showed that all matter has a “waveparticle duality,” sometimes acting as a particle and sometimes acting as a wave. Evidently, our impression that solid matter can be localized, that it occupies only one position at a time, is erroneous. The reason that we have not noticed the “wavy” behavior of matter is because such behavior is pronounced only at the small sizes of atoms. At the relatively large sizes of our bodies and other objects that we can see and touch, the wavy behaviour of particles is only a tiny effect. But if we were subatomic in size, we would realize that we and all other objects do not exist at one place at a time but instead are spread out as a haze of simultaneous existences at many places at once. (18) The intriguing finding of the apparent duality of the fundamental constituents of matter as both particles and waves (objects and processes) had significant implications for our understanding of nature: “Every cell, every molecule, every atom, every electromagnetic wave form is constantly changing. We perceive reality as a const ant st at e of exist ence. Each apparent solid body is a coming together of billions and billions of atoms. Each atom (or electron, proton, etc.) has both wave and particle attributes, the particle attribute only showing itself when an actual measurement is made.” The particle/wave duality lies at the heart of quantum mechanics. When investigators of the quanta of light demonstrated definitively the part icleness of this phenomenon, it presented a great paradox (for a human mind’s perspective on 12

reality) that became clear over the opening decades of the 20th century, and led to the observation that the elementary particles of matter (photons, electrons, protons and neutrons) were, simultaneously in their nature, both particle-like and wavelike. Countless experiments have confirmed that, at an at omic level, our massbased, external world of bodies, tables, mountains, planets and suns is composed of substances that are both particle-like and wave-like in their nature. Which aspect it is (particle or wave), appears to be dependent on the way questions and experiments are formulated relative to the atomic world. (19) In 1927 Werner Heisenberg discovered that the observation of a subatomic particle such as an electron will influence and disturb the experimental situation and produce an uncert aint y or imprecision in the results. For instance, the more accurately the experimenter tries to measure the position of a particle, the less accurately its momentum can be measured, and vice versa: “One can know at any one time where an electron is but not what it is doing, or what it is doing but not where it is.” Heisenberg’s uncert aint y principle undermines the classical notion of a strict determinism in nature. Louis de Broglie emphasized the implications of this radical idea: “We have had to abandon the traditional idea that phenomena, even elementary ones, are rigorously determined and exactly predictable, and to substitute for the rigid determinism of classical physics a more flexible conception, admitting that there exists at each instant in the evolution of elementary phenomena verifiable by us different eventualities concerning which it is only possible to estimate the relative probabilities.” In this sense the laws of quantum physics are essentially st at ist ical , and do not uniquely or precisely determine future events. Stephen Hawking stresses that uncertainty is a fundamental, inescapable property of the world: The uncertainty principle has profound implications for the way in which we view the world. Even after more than seventy years they have not been appreciated by many philosophers, and are still the subject of much controversy. The uncertainty principle signaled an end to a model of the universe that would be completely deterministic: one certainly cannot predict future events exactly if one cannot even measure the present state of the universe precisely! In general, quantum mechanics does not predict a single result for an observation. Instead it predicts a number of different possible outcomes and tells us how likely each of these is . . . Quantum mechanics therefore introduces an unavoidable element of unpredictability or randomness into science. Einstein objected to this very strongly, despite the important role he had played in the development of these ideas. Einstein never accepted that the universe was governed by chance; his feelings were summed up in his famous statement: “God does not play dice.” (20) Quantum theory also proposes that there is a connection between subatomic particles that transcends the ordinary limitations of space-time. A famous thought experiment by Albert Einstein, Boris Podolsky and Nathan Rosen in 1935 suggested that two entities, such as electrons, which combine to form a molecule and later separate, maintain a “non-local relation13

ship” independent of distance. The term ent anglement is sometimes used to describe this noncausal connection whereby under certain circumstances two particles remain one system even when separated by long distances. Another aspect of quantum theory that suggests other-dimensionality is seen in the non-local correlations between elementary particles. Elementary particles, including light, which have interacted at some point become “entangled”; their possibility wave-functions are combined, so that when they travel away from each other and are later detected, their properties are correlated. But, in the strange world of quantum logic, one cannot say that the particles had these specific correlated properties during their travels; only on measurement of one of them is a given property defined, and this measurement instantly results in a corresponding property being defined in the distant companion, at faster than light speed. Since the predecessors of all the particles in the universe were once interacting at the beginning of time, or the “big bang,” all particles are connected in this way. Thus, in a sense, each part reflects the whole. (21)

The Implicate and Explicate Orders

Physicist David Bohm has proposed an intriguing model of the universe which challenges the traditional scientific view of reality: Bohm has elucidated the concept of the implicate order, an unseen totality underlying the external world of things and events (which he refers to as the explicate order). According to Bohm, all things are grounded in the implicate realm. This realm is in a deep sense inscrutable – for although it may be “intuitively” apprehended, it cannot be comprehended by the discursive mind . . . Implicit in Bohm’s idea of the implicate order is the concept of flowing movement. All is flux and motion, says Bohm. This holomovement , this dynamism, is primary. It is only in the explicate order of our ordinary sensory experience that we divide this motion, sundering its purity into what eventually appears to be separate parts. These apparent divisions are illusory, however, since the implicate wholeness remains fundamental and indivisible. The entire function of the explicate order is to divide this world of oneness into apparent parts. It is our common-sense way of imposing order on the world. (22) Bohm’s presentation of the concept of an underlying implicate order essentially describes an undivided wholeness, flowing timelessly without borders, in which the totality of existence is enfolded within each region of space and time. “Whatever part or element we may abstract in thought, this still enfolds the whole and is therefore intrinsically related to the totality from which it has been abstracted. Thus, wholeness permeates all that is.”

14

The explicate realm is the order of the world spread out or unfolded before us, while the implicate order is hidden or enfolded within the explicate domain. Thus the implicate order is more basic and primary and is the plenum that generates the explicate order. “The things that appear to our senses are derivative forms and their true meaning can be seen only when we consider the plenum in which they are generated and sustained, and into which they must ultimately vanish.” Bohm offers an analogy to describe the conceptual relationship between the explicate and implicate orders. In a television broadcast, a visual image is translated into the unseen or implicate medium as an electronic signal, which is then unfolded or decoded into the explicate order in the form of a corresponding image received by the television receiver. The concept of an implicate order differs radically from the mechanistic model of classical physics, in which the emphasis is on separate components which produce a whole through the interaction of the distinct parts. Bohm elaborates: “When one works in terms of the implicate order, one begins with the undivided wholeness of the universe, and the task of science is to derive the parts through abstraction from the whole, explaining them as approximately separable, stable and recurrent, but externally related elements making up relatively autonomous sub-totalities, which are to be described in terms of an explicate order.” What is primary, independently existent, and universal has to be expressed in terms of the implicate order. It is the implicate order that is autonomously active while the explicate order flows out of a law of the implicate order, so that it is secondary, derivative, and appropriate only in certain limited contexts . . . What, then, is the meaning of the appearance of the apparently independent selfexistent ‘manifest world’ in the explicate order? Essentially, what is manifest is what can be held with a hand – something solid, tangible and visibly stable. The implicate order has its ground in the holomovement which is vast, rich, and in a state of unending flux of enfoldment and unfoldment, with laws most of which are only vaguely known, and which may even be ultimately unknowable in their totality. Thus it cannot be grasped as something solid, tangible and stable to the senses (or to our instruments). (23) The concept of an implicate order also implies a multi-dimensional aspect to reality beyond the conventional space-time structure revealed by our senses. “Basically the implicate order has to be considered as a process of enfoldment and unfoldment in a higher-dimensional space. Only under certain conditions can this be simplified as a process of enfoldment and unfoldment in three dimensions.” Quite generally, then, the implicate order has to be extended into a higherdimensional reality. In principle this reality is one unbroken whole, including the entire universe with all its ‘fields’ and ‘particles.’ Thus we have to say that the holomovement enfolds and unfolds in a multidimensional order, the dimensionality of which is effectively infinite. However, relatively independent 15

sub-totalities can generally be abstracted, which may be approximated as autonomous. Thus the principle of relative autonomy of sub-totalities is now seen to extend to the multidimensional order of reality. (24) Bohm also proposes that the key to a fuller comprehension of the fundamental structures and dimensions of the universe, such as space and time, lies in the phenomenon of light. “To understand light we will have to understand the structure underlying time and space more deeply. You can see that these issues are related in the sense that light transcends the present structure of time and space and we will never understand it properly in that present structure.” As an object approaches the speed of light, according to relativity, its internal space and time change, so that the clocks slow down relative to other objects, and the distance is shortened. You would find that the two ends of the light ray would have no time between them and no distance, so they would represent immediate contact. You could also say that from this point of view of present field theory, the fundamental fields are those of very high energy in which mass can be neglected, which would essentially be moving at the speed of light. Mass is a phenomenon of connecting light rays which go back and forth, sort of freezing them into a pattern. So matter, as it were, is condensed or frozen light. Light is not merely electromagnetic waves but in a general sense other kinds of waves that go at that speed. Therefore, all matter is a condensation of light into patterns moving back and forth at average speeds which are less than the speed of light. You could say that when we come to light we are coming to the fundamental activity in which existence has its ground, or at least coming close to it. (25)

Contemporary Cosmology

The concepts and experimental findings of relativity and quantum theory revolutionized the world of physics and completely altered our understanding of the nature of the universe. In the decades that followed, many of the initial cosmological ideas were confirmed, refined and in some cases significantly modified to fit new experimental evidence. Today there are exciting new ideas, theories and mathematical models which attempt to explain new research findings from universities and laboratories throughout the world. An Invisible World Beyond Human Perception Human beings are able to perceive only a very narrow band of the electromagnetic spectrum and are “blind” to a greater world beyond the limitations of sensory perception. The human eye can only detect a colour range from red light to violet light. But sophisticated instruments have detected radiation with wavelengths several t rillion times longer than what the eye can see (ultra-long radio waves) and wavelengths t en t housand t rillion times shorter than what the

16

eye can perceive (ultra-high-energy gamma rays). “Modern science has certainly revealed a hidden cosmos not visible to our senses. For example, we now know that the universe is awash in ‘colours’ of light that cannot be seen with the eye: radio waves and x-rays and more. We were astonished to discover a whole zoo of astronomical objects previously invisible and unknown.” More and more of what we know about the universe is undetected and undetectable by our bodies. What we see with our eyes, what we hear with our ears, what we feel with our fingertips, is only a tiny sliver of reality. Little by little, using artificial devices, we have uncovered a hidden reality. It is often a reality that violates common sense. It is often a reality that forces us to re-examine our most basic concepts of how the world works. And it is a reality that discounts the present moment and our immediate experience of the world. The most literal discovery of a world beyond human sensory perception was the finding that there is a vast amount of light not visible to the eye . . . The proportion of the full electromagnetic spectrum visible to the human eye is minuscule. All of these other wavelengths of light are constantly careening through space, flying past our bodies, and presenting strange pictures of the objects that made them – the glow of a warm desert at night, the radio emission of electrons spiraling in the Earth’s magnetic field, the X-rays from magnetic storms on the sun. All phenomena invisible to our eyes. But our instruments can see them. (26) Because of the fundamental limitations of our sensory apparatus we are also unable to perceive the rapidly changing nature of the apparently solid, stable forms of the physical world. “How can we relate, in a truly resonant way, to the quite incredible range and diversity of forms and energies in the universe? A human being is sensitive, via his body, to a very small portion of what is in motion all around us and through us. We are, materially and individually, not hing by comparison with the great Universe.” In the macroscopic world, which we inhabit, there are trillions of measurements (interactions which move from potentiality to existence) every second. This could be the reason why we perceive the world around us as having persist ence in its part icleness (solidity). It is not that the quantum particle/wave duality has disappeared, but that the change from pot entialit y to exist ence is so rapid, occurring so many times per second, that it is well beyond our perceptual capacity . . . This is not difficult to imagine when we consider that the electron, while orbiting an atomic nucleus, is calculated as completing an orbit 40 million times per second! Speeds in the sub-atomic world are totally out of proportion to our perceptual abilities. The movement from potentiality to existence (from wave to particle) occurs so rapidly that the particleness or solidity persists in our macro-perception. (27)

17

Dark Energy and Dark Matter Dark energy is a hypothetical form of mysterious energy that is believed to permeate all of space and constitutes 68% of the universe. Astronomers postulate that dark energy is responsible for the acceleration of the rate of expansion of the universe. Although space appears to be empty, in fact it is not. Stephen Hawking: “What we think of as ‘empty’ space cannot be completely empty because that would mean that all the fields, such as the gravitational and electro-magnetic fields, would have to be exactly zero. There must be a certain minimum amount of uncertainty or quantum fluctuations, in the value of the field.” Theoretical physicists have several hypotheses for the identity of dark energy. It may be the energy of ghostly subatomic particles that can briefly appear out of nothing before annihilating and slipping back into the vacuum. According to quantum physics, empty space is a pandemonium of subatomic particles rushing about and then vanishing before they can be seen. Dark energy may also be associated with an hypothesized but as-yet-unobserved force field called the Higgs field, which is sometimes invoked to explain why certain kinds of matter have mass . . . On one thing most physicists agree. If the amount of dark energy in our universe were only a little bit different than what it actually is, then life could never have emerged. A little larger, and the universe would have accelerated so rapidly that matter in the young universe could never have pulled itself together to form stars and hence complex atoms made in stars. And, going into negative values of dark energy, a little smaller and the universe would have decelerated so rapidly that it would have re-collapsed before there was time to form even the simplest atoms. Here we have a fine example of fine-tuning: out of all the possible amounts of dark energy that our universe might have, the actual amount lies in the tiny sliver of the range that allows life. (28) Dark matter composes some 27% of the universe. While dark energy repels, dark matter attracts. Dark matter releases no detectable energy but exerts a gravitational pull on all the visible matter in the universe. Astronomers have discovered that a vast “halo” of dark matter surrounds our Milky Way galaxy, confirming the reality of this invisible substance. Black Holes Albert Einstein first predicted the existence of black holes in 1916 with his general theory of relativity, but they were not discovered until 1971. Black holes are dark “voids” in space from which light cannot escape due to the overpowering force of gravity. A black hole is formed when a star becomes so hot that it uses up its fuel (usually hydrogen and helium), then begins to cool, contract and eventually collapse. Stephen Hawking describes how black holes come into existence and function: As the star contracts, the gravitational field at its surface gets stronger and the light cones get bent inward more. This makes it more difficult for light from the 18

star to escape, and the light appears dimmer and redder to an observer at a distance. Eventually, when the star has shrunk to a certain critical radius, the gravitational field at the surface becomes so strong that the light cones are bent inward so much that light can no longer escape. According to the theory of relativity, nothing can travel faster than the speed of light. Thus, if light cannot escape, neither can anything else; everything is dragged back by the gravitational field. So one has a set of events, a region of space-time, from which it is not possible to escape to reach a distant observer. This region is what we now call a black hole. Its boundary is called the event horizon and it coincides with the paths of light rays that just fail to escape from the black hole. (29) Because light cannot escape black holes they cannot be directly observed, but only inferred from their effects such as gravitational force. They are extremely dense and may range in size from relatively small to super-massive. Black holes “consume” gas and dust from the galaxy around them as they pull matter and energy into themselves and grow in size. Astronomers believe that the number of black holes in the universe is incalculable as they appear to be present in every observable galaxy throughout the universe. There is evidence that there is an enormous black hole with a mass of about a hundred thousand times that of the Sun, at the centre of our Milky Way galaxy. Black holes are an invisible, mysterious presence in the cosmos and a source of great speculation. Some have suggested that they are portals or “wormholes” to other dimensions in our universe or even alternative universes. String Theory String theory was first developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s. According to this theory, the basic objects of the universe are not particles occupying a single point in space, but entities that have a length but no other dimension, analogous to an infinitely thin piece of string. What were previously conceived as particles are now pictured as waves travelling along a string, much like waves on a vibrating kite string. String theory is compatible with the concepts of both dark energy and dimensions beyond our conventional space-time matrix. It explains how extra dimensions can become enfolded or compressed into a size so much smaller than atoms that we do not detect them. The theory also supports the possibility of multiple universes. Alan Lightman: “String theory does not predict a unique universe, but a vast number of possible universes with different properties. It has been estimated that the ‘string landscape’ contains an almost infinite number of possible universes.” String theory, too, predicts the possibility of the multiuniverse. Originally conceived in the late 1960s as a theory of the strong nuclear force but soon enlarged far beyond that ambition, string theory postulates that the smallest constituents of matter are not subatomic particles, like the electron, but extremely tiny onedimensional “strings” of energy. These elementary strings can vibrate at different frequencies, like the strings of a violin, and the different modes of vibration cor19

respond to different fundamental particles and forces. String theories typically require seven dimensions of space in addition to the usual three, which are compacted down to such small sizes that we never experience them, like a threedimensional garden hose that appears as a one-dimensional line when seen from a great distance. There are, in fact, a vast number of ways that the extra dimensions in string theory can be folded up, a little like the many ways that a piece of paper can be folded up, and each of the different ways corresponds to a different universe with different physical properties. (30) Oscillating Universe Some physicists and astronomers have posited that the ‘Big Bang’ creation of the universe will eventually be followed by the opposite process, which they have termed the ‘Big Crunch.’ In this scenario, the eventual fate of the universe will be a reversal of the expansion, in which all matter falls back or rebounds on itself – analogous to a rubber band stretched to its limit and then re-leased. “The expansion of the universe started by the Big Bang will eventually slow down, and the gravitational pull of its matter will start the reverse process, with one possibility being that all the objects in the universe will collapse on themselves and create a single black hole – or ‘singularity’ – although what it will be a black hole in is unclear. Some scientists believe that this may then restart the cycle, with another bang and another universe.” There are parallels to this idea in Eastern spiritual teachings. For instance, traditional Buddhist cosmology describes an oscillating universe which evolves out of the emptiness of space and then eventually dissolves back into space. The whole cycle then repeats again and again. A similar concept appears in the cosmological teachings of Hinduism. Einstein’s theory of relativity allows for a model of the universe that is infinitely oscillating – a Big Bang, expansion and a Big Crunch – repeating endlessly: Einstein tells us what sort of evidence would answer the question of whether the universe will continue expanding or collapse and then expand again. It depends on how much matter there is in the universe. If there is more than a certain critical amount of matter, the universe will oscillate. If there is less than that amount of matter, then a single expansion will persist forever. If we try to measure how much matter there is in the universe, we get embroiled in a fascinating complicating factor. There seems too much, much more matter than we can see with our telescopes. We detect this dark matter through its gravitational attraction. We can detect how much gravitation there is in our region of the universe, and there is much more gravitation than you can account for with all the stars, all the galaxies, all the planets . . . The question is whether we now have evidence of enough dark matter to make the universe oscillate. The answer is no, not quite. But there is so much uncertainty as to how much dark matter there is, that there might possibly be enough. This is one of the most exciting areas of research today. (31) 20

Stephen Hawking discusses the origin and fate of the universe in the light of scientific discoveries about the Big Bang and the Big Crunch, and examines some of the fundamental questions arising from these findings: Einstein’s general theory of relativity, on its own, predicted that space-time began at the big bang singularity and would come to an end either at the big crunch singularity (if the whole universe recollapsed), or at a singularity inside a black hole (if a local region, such as a star, were to collapse). Any matter that fell into the hole would be destroyed at the singularity, and only the gravitational effect of its mass would continue to be felt outside. On the other hand, when quantum effects were taken into account, it seemed that the mass or energy of the matter would eventually be returned to the rest of the universe, and that the black hole, along with any singularity inside it, would evaporate away and finally disappear. Could quantum mechanics have an equally dramatic effect on the big bang and big crunch singularities? What really happened during the very early or late stages of the universe, when gravitational fields are so strong that quantum effects cannot be ignored? Does the universe in fact have a beginning or an end? And if so, what are they like? (32) Multiple Universes Some scientists have hypothesized that there may be multiple universes, multiple space-time continua containing more than three dimensions: “The same fundamental principles from which the laws of nature derive, lead to many different self-consistent universes, with many different properties. Evidently the fundamental laws of nature do not pin down a single or unique universe. We may be living in one of a vast number of universes.” This possibility led the Nobel-winning physicist Steven Weinberg to comment: “If the multi-universe idea is correct, the style of fundamental physics will be radically changed.” Dramatic developments in cosmological findings and thought have led some of the world’s premier physicists to propose that our universe is only one of an enormous number of universes, with wildly varying properties, and that some of the most basic features of our particular universe are mere accidents – random throws of the cosmic dice. In which case, there is no hope of ever explaining these features in terms of fundamental causes and principles. It is perhaps impossible to say how far apart different universes may be, or whether they exist simultaneously in time. But, as predicted by new theories in physics, the many different universes almost certainly have very different properties. Some may have stars and galaxies like ours. Some may not. Some may be finite in size. Some may have five dimensions, or seventeen. (33) The possibility of multiple universes is supported by certain modern theories of physics, such as ‘string theory’ and ‘eternal inflation.’ For instance, one of the consequences of eternal inflation is that the original expanding universe spawns a multitude of new universes, in a never21

ending process. And the underlying principles of string theory are also compatible with multiple universes. Unification of Relativity and Quantum Theory One of the great challenges of modern physics has been the effort to construct a complete unified theory of everything in the universe. Such a theory would have to include a unification or reconciliation of the four primary forces of nature: gravity, the weak and strong nuclear forces, and electromagnetism. “The main difficulty in finding a theory that unifies gravity with the other forces is that general relativity is a ‘classical’ theory; that is, it does not incorporate the uncertainty principle of quantum mechanics. A necessary first step, therefore, is to combine general relativity with the uncertainty principle.” We have made progress by finding partial theories that describe a limited range of happenings and by neglecting other effects or approximating them by certain numbers. Ultimately, however, one would hope to find a complete, consistent, unified theory that would include all these partial theories as approximations, and that did not need to be adjusted to fit the facts by picking the values of certain arbitrary numbers in the theory. The quest for such a theory is known as “the unification of physics.” Einstein spent most of his later years unsuccessfully searching for a unified theory, but the time was not ripe: there were partial theories for gravity and the electromagnetic force, but very little was known about the nuclear forces. Moreover, Einstein refused to believe in the reality of quantum mechanics, despite the important role he had played in its development. Yet it seems that the uncertainty principle is a fundamental feature of the universe we live in. A successful unified theory must, therefore, necessarily incorporate this principle. (34) There is a vigorous debate within the scientific community as to whether a complete unified theory will ever be achieved. One school of thought argues that such a theory will eventually be discovered, while others believe that there is no ultimate theory of the universe, only a progression of more and more accurate theories. Finally, there are those who hold that a complete theory is impossible since events cannot be predicted beyond a certain point, as they can occur in a random and arbitrary manner. Stephen Hawking reflects on this issue: “What would it mean if we actually did discover the ultimate theory of the universe? We could never be quite sure that we had indeed found the correct theory, since theories can’t be proved. But if the theory was mathematically consistent and always gave predictions that agreed with observations, we could be reasonably confident that it was the right one.” He also emphasizes that a complete, consistent unified theory is only the first step: “Our goal is a complete underst anding of the events around us, and of our own existence.” Hawking proposes that a series of overlapping theories may be the most successful approach in understanding the nature of the universe:

22

I believe there may not be any single formulation of the fundamental theory, any more than, as Gödel showed, one could formulate arithmetic in terms of a single set of axioms. Instead it may be like maps – you can’t use a single map to describe the surface of the earth: you need at least two maps to cover every point. Each map is valid only in a limited region, but different maps will have a region of overlap. The collection of maps provides a complete description of the surface. Similarly, in physics it may be necessary to use different formulations in different situations, but two different formulations would agree in situations where they can both be applied. The whole collection of different formulations could be regarded a complete unified theory, though one that could not be expressed in terms of a single set of postulates. (35)

References

(1) Ravi Ravindra Science and t he Sacred (Wheaton, Illinois: Quest Books, 2002), pp. 159-160. (2) Jacob Needleman A Sense of t he Cosmos (New York: E.P. Dutton & Co., 1975), pp. 16-17. (3) Itzhak Bentov St alking t he W ild Pendulum: On t he M echanics of Consciousness (New York: Bantam Books, 1981), pp. 156-157. (4) Arthur Zajonc (ed.) The New Physics and Cosmology: Dialogues w it h t he Dalai Lama (New York: Oxford University Press, 2004), p. 176. (5) David Bohm and F. David Peat Science, Order and Creat ivit y (New York: Bantam Books, 1987), p. 199. (6) David Bohm W holeness and t he Implicat e Order (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1980), p. 173. (7) Jacob Needleman The Indest ruct ible Quest ion (London: Arkana, 1994), p. 24. (8) David Bohm W holeness and t he Implicat e Order (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1980), p. 5. (9) Gary Lachman The Caret akers of t he Cosmos (Edinburgh: Floris Books, 2013), p. 87. (10) George Ellis “Are There Limitations to Science?” Parabola , Summer 2005, p. 64. (11) Jacob Needleman A Sense of t he Cosmos (New York: E.P. Dutton & Co., 1975), p. 17. (12) Fritjof Capra The Turning Point (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1982), p. 75. (13) Walt Martin and Magda Ott (eds.) The Cosmic View of Albert Einst ein (New York: Sterling, 2013), pp. xix-xx. (14) Christian Wertenbaker M an in t he Cosmos (United States of America: Codhill Press, 2012), pp. 104-105. (15) Fritjof Capra “The Tao of Physics Revisited” in Ken Wilber (ed.) The Holographic Paradigm and Ot her Paradoxes (Boulder: Shambhala, 1982), p. 219. (16) Stephen Hawking A Brief Hist ory of Time (New York: Bantam Books, 1998), pp. 34-35. (17) Fritjof Capra The Turning Point (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1982), pp. 77-78. (18) Alan Lightman The Accident al Universe (New York: Vintage Books, 2013), pp. 134-135. (19) Keith Buzzell Reflect ions on Gurdjieff’s W him (Salt Lake City: Fifth Press, 2012), p. 238. (20) Stephen Hawking A Brief Hist ory of Time (New York: Bantam Books, 1998), pp. 57-58.

23

(21) Christian Wertenbaker M an in t he Cosmos (United States of America: Codhill Press, 2012), p. 54. (22) Larry Dossey “Space, Time & Medicine” ReVISION, Vol. 5 No. 2, 1982, p. 59. (23) David Bohm W holeness and t he Implicat e Order (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1980), pp. 185-186. (24) David Bohm W holeness and t he Implicat e Order (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1980), p. 189. (25) David Bohm “Of Matter and Meaning: The Super-Implicate Order” ReVISION, Vol. 6 No. 1, 1983. p. 36. (26) Alan Lightman The Accident al Universe (New York: Vintage Books, 2013), pp. 128-132. (27) Keith Buzzell Reflect ions on Gurdjieff’s W him (Salt Lake City: Fifth Press, 2012), p. 249. (28) Alan Lightman The Accident al Universe (New York: Vintage Books, 2013), pp. 16-18. (29) Stephen Hawking A Brief Hist ory of Time (New York: Bantam Books, 1998), p. 88. (30) Alan Lightman The Accident al Universe (New York: Vintage Books, 2013), pp. 19-20. (31) Arthur Zajonc (ed.) The New Physics and Cosmology: Dialogues w it h t he Dalai Lama (New York: Oxford University Press, 2004), p. 181. (32) Stephen Hawking A Brief Hist ory of Time (New York: Bantam Books, 1998), p. 181. (33) Alan Lightman The Accident al Universe (New York: Vintage Books, 2013), pp. 4-5. (34) Stephen Hawking A Brief Hist ory of Time (New York: Bantam Books, 1998), pp. 171-172. (35) Stephen Hawking A Brief Hist ory of Time (New York: Bantam Books, 1998), pp. 182-183.

24

COSM OLOGY, SPIRITUALITY AND SCIENCE ‘One cannot help but be in aw e w hen one cont emplat es t he great myst eries of et ernit y, of life, of t he marvelous st ruct ure of realit y.’ Albert Einst ein

A New W orldview

The scientific understanding of the universe underwent a profound revolution during the 20 century. New methods of inquiry, the emergence of novel ideas, theories and cosmological models, and the advent of advanced technology and sophisticated experiments, revealed a world unlike anything imagined before, one which differed profoundly from that conceived by earlier generations of scientists. “The new physics and cosmology of the twentieth century are replete with understandings that challenge nearly every classical scientific notion of the past.” th

With the opening of the twentieth century, the theories of quantum mechanics and relativity would make incomparable demands on our conception of the universe. We are still struggling to grasp their full implications. They challenge the simple mechanistic accounts of matter and the cosmos we inherited from earlier centuries, replacing them with accounts that shun such pictures. In addition, both quantum theory and relativity grant a new prominence to the observer. It is hard to overestimate the significance of these developments. The ramifications of twentieth-century discoveries for physics and cosmology have been enormous, changing our very notions of space and time, the ultimate nature of matter, and the evolution of the universe. They have also begun to affect philosophical discussions in significant ways. (1) The radically new concepts and findings of relativity and quantum theory created a new scientific paradigm and worldview. “The theories of relativity and the quantum theory enabled tremendous advances in the ability of physics to explain phenomena, but in the process the concepts of space and time, matter and energy, and their relationships, became completely different from those we develop naturally as a result of our ordinary interactions with the world.” Physicist Fritjof Capra describes the groundbreaking impact of this new paradigm: The new concepts in physics have brought about a profound change in our world view; from the mechanistic conception of Descartes and Newton to a holistic and ecological view, a view which I have found to be similar to the views of mystics of all ages and traditions. The new view of the physical universe was by no means easy for scientists at the beginning of the 20th century to accept. The exploration of the atomic and subatomic worlds brought them in contact with a strange and unexpected reality that seemed to defy any coherent description. In their struggle to grasp this new reality, scientists became painfully aware that their basic concepts, their language, and their whole way of thinking were inadequate to describe 1

atomic phenomena. Their problems were not merely intellectual but amounted to an intense emotional and, one could say, even existential crisis. It took them a long time to overcome this crisis, but in the end they were rewarded with deep insights into the nature of matter and its relation to the human mind. (2) The new worldview of subatomic physics replaced the seemingly solid, mechanistic and deterministic model of classical physics. Concepts such as dynamic process, non-causality, interdependency, uncertainty, mind and consciousness soon became part of the new vocabulary of physics: Developments in twentieth century physics have questioned and transcended every postulate of the Newtonian-Cartesian model. Astonishing explorations of both the macro-world and the micro-world have created an image of reality which is entirely different from the earlier model used by mechanistic science. The myth of solid and indestructible matter, its central dogma, disintegrated under the impact of experimental and theoretical evidence that the fundamental building blocks of the universe – the atoms – were essentially empty. Subatomic particles showed the same paradoxical nature as light, manifesting either particle properties or wave properties depending on the arrangement of the experiment. The world of substance was replaced by that of process, event, and relation. In subatomic analysis, solid Newtonian matter disappeared. What remained were activity, form, abstract order, and pattern . . . In new physics, the objective world cannot be separated from the observer, and linear causality is not the only connecting principle in the cosmos. The universe of modern physics is not the gigantic mechanical clockwork of Newton, but a unified network of events and relations. Many prominent scientists believe that mind, intelligence, and possibly consciousness are integral parts of existence rather than insignificant products of matter. (3) Modern physics points to the unity and oneness of the universe. Matter, rather than consisting of independent building blocks, appears as a complicated ‘web of relationships’ among the various parts of a unified whole. In the words of Nobel physicist Werner Heisenberg: “The world thus appears as a complicated tissue of events, in which connections of different kinds alternate or overlap or combine and therefore determine the texture of the whole.” Physicists discovered that reality is not a mechanical system of separate objects and events, of isolated entities, but a network of interconnected and interwoven dynamic events or processes. In the quantum world matter is not passive and inert; it is in continuous, vibrating motion whose rhythmic patterns are determined by the molecular, atomic and nuclear structure in nature. “There is stability, but this stability is one of dynamic balance.” These processes in the subatomic realm have sometimes been metaphorically described as a “cosmic dance”: Physicists and mystics agree that what we call “objects” are really patterns in an inseparable cosmic process, and they also agree that these patterns are intrinsically dynamic. In subatomic physics, mass is no longer associated with a material 2

substance but is recognized as a form of energy. Energy, however, is associated with activity, with processes; it is a measure of activity. Subatomic particles are dynamic patterns, processes rather than objects – a continuous dance of energy. The metaphor of the dance naturally comes to mind when one studies the dynamic web of relationships that constitutes the subatomic world. Since mystics have a dynamic worldview similar to that of modern physicists, it is not surprising that they, too, have used the image of the dance to convey their intuition of nature. The metaphor of the cosmic dance has found its most beautiful expression in the image of Shiva Nataraja, the Lord of Dancers. For the modern physicist, the dance of Shiva is the dance of subatomic matter. As in Hindu mythology, it is a continual dance of creation and destruction involving the whole cosmos – the basis of all existence and of all natural phenomena. (4) One of the consequences of the new paradigm is the realization that processes in nature never occur in isolation, since a multiplicity of influences enter into any event. Chaos theory reflects this complexity and unpredictability. One example is the “Butterfly Effect,” whereby a cumulatively large effect can be produced over a period of time by a very small initial force. In the natural world this principle can be observed in the long-term development of weather patterns from the influence of seemingly insignificant factors. Physicist Arthur Zajonc: “How can the extremely small effects of quantum mechanics make a difference at the macroscopic level? The study of nonlinear dynamic systems shows that under certain circumstances small influences can be magnified dramatically, even exponentially. This is called sensitive dependence on initial conditions, or the ‘butterfly effect’.” Incredible as it seems, scientists discovered that the tiny turbulence created by a butterfly flapping its wings in Tokyo can eventually amplify into a tornado in Kansas. And a person slamming a car door in Iowa can therefore influence the weather in Brazil. Everything is connected on a deeper level of reality. Weather only appears random to meteorologists because they are unable to perceive and measure all the millions of influences that contribute to a stormy day – such as flapping butterflies and slamming doors. (5)

The Observer in Science

One of the assumptions of the classical scientific method is that the experimenter or observer is independent of that which is observed, so that the observation and interpretation of an event, pro- cess or object does not depend on any particular person. In this way the outcome of an experiment can be generalized, with the assumption that other experimenters can obtain the same result with a similarly designed experiment at another time and place. It was not until the beginning of the 20th century that scientists began to realize that the experimenter was an integral component in the perception and interpretation of scientific studies and experiments. Quantum theory challenged the prevailing scientific worldview which mini3

mized the importance of the role of the experimenter. The objects of the world were no longer seen as having pre-existing properties which can be discovered by passive observation. Quantum physics acknowledged that the process of observation is essential to the determination of the property. Physicist Niels Bohr once famously said: “No phenomenon is a phenomenon until it is an observed phenomenon.” Quantum physics differs sharply from classical physics in terms of the emphasis placed on the importance of human consciousness in the process of observation and interpretation of phenomena. “Quantum mechanics destroyed the materialistic scientist’s ideal of complete objectivity, of removing himself from the subject of investigation. Observation – some would say consciousness – plays an inescapable role in determining the apparent nature of phenomena.” The most astonishing transformation of world view that the new physics has undertaken is this – the recognition that consciousness does play a role in t he so-called physical universe. Since the time of Newton, physics has always tried to maintain a strictly empirical approach. It was a trusted myth that the laws of the physical world did not change; given the proper tools and instruction any physicist could duplicate the experiments and observations of any other physicist. The role of empiricism in science has always demanded a dispassionate observer and concentrated upon objective reality as a single, observable “something” a priori to the consciousness. It doesn’t matter which physicist or which mind makes the observation. It’s the “same” universe and that’s what counts. But the new physics, the physics of quantum theory has found it does mat t er . Given the proper tools and instructions a physicist will not necessarily duplicate the experiments and observations of another physicist. The outcome of any particular experiment no longer seems to depend only upon the “laws” of the physical world, but also on the consciousness of the observer . . . The recognition of the role of consciousness in the processes of the physical universe is a radical departure from classical physics. (6) One of the implications of quantum theory is the essential unity of subject and object, observer and observed. The notion of an “objective,” neutral, value-free scientist was no longer tenable. Erwin Schrödinger: “The world of science lacks, or is deprived of, everything that has a meaning only in relation to the consciously contemplating, perceiving and feeling subject. I mean, in the first place, the ethereal and aesthetic values, everything related to the meaning and scope of the whole display. The show that is going on obviously acquires a meaning only with regard to the mind that contemplates it.” We now know in physics, since Heisenberg, that the classical ideal of scientific objectivity can no longer be maintained. Scientific research involves the observer as a participant and this involves the consciousness of the human observer. Hence, there are no objective properties of nature, independent of the human observer. Now this insight, which is one of the main parallels to mystical knowledge, implies that science can never be value free. The detailed research, for 4

instance knowing the mass of a proton or the interactions between particles, will not depend on my values, my political beliefs, and so on. However, this research is pursued within the context of a certain paradigm, a broader vision of reality, which involves not only concepts but also values. And therefore science is always implicitly subscribing to a set of values, and scientists are not only intellectually responsible for their research but also morally responsible. There is no way of escaping this responsibility. (7)

M ind and Consciousness

One of the implications of Einstein’s theory of relativity was the critical importance of the observer in any attempt to measure natural phenomena. Einstein demonstrated that the flow of time depends on the frame of reference of the observer. There is no such thing as absolute time, independent of the act of measurement. This accords with traditional spiritual teachings on the nature of mind and consciousness. Professor Jacob Needleman: “According to the ancient idea of universal relat ivit y, all things in the universe exist only in relationship to a mind which perceives them or a purposive consciousness which creates them.” In a series of conversations on the interface between science and spirituality with leading scientists, the Dalai Lama stressed the largely unacknowledged role of mind and consciousness in the scientific effort to understand reality: “Scientific materialism upholds a belief in the objective world, independent of the contingency of its observers. It assumes that the data being analyzed within an experiment are independent of the preconceptions, perceptions and experiences of the scientist studying them.” Science deals with that aspect of reality and human experience that lends itself to a particular method of inquiry susceptible to empirical observation, quantification and measurement, repeatability, and inter-subjective verification – more than one person has to be able to say, “Yes, I saw the same thing. I got the same results.” So legitimate scientific study is limited to the physical world, including the human body, astronomical bodies, measurable energy, and how structures work. The empirical findings generated in this way form the basis for further experimentation and for generalizations that can be incorporated into the wider body of scientific knowledge. This is effectively the current paradigm of what constitutes science. Clearly, this paradigm does not and cannot exhaust all aspects of reality, in particular the nature of human existence. In addition to the objective world of matter, which science is masterful at exploring, there exist the subjective world of feelings, emotions, thoughts, and the values and spiritual aspirations based on them. If we treat this realm as though it had no constitutive role in our understanding of reality, we lose the richness of our own existence and our understanding cannot be comprehensive. Reality, including our own existence, is so much more complex than objective scientific materialism allows. (8)

5

A number of perceptive physicists and cosmologists have argued that the significance of the mind and consciousness of the experimenter is ignored by most scientists. Erwin Schrödinger: “Without being aware of it and without being rigorously systematic about it, we exclude the subject of cognizance from the domain of nature that we endeavour to understand.” Sir Arthur Eddington also recognized that mind is the most primary and direct thing we experience and that “the substratum of everything is essentially mental in character.” The entities of physics can from their very nature form only a partial aspect of the reality. How are we to deal with the other parts? It cannot be said that that other part concerns us less than the physical entities. Feelings, purpose, values, make up our consciousness as much as sense impressions. We follow up the sense impressions and find that they lead into an external world discussed by science; we follow up the other elements of our being and find that they lead not into a world of space and time, but surely somewhere . . . Consciousness as a whole is greater than those quasi-metrical aspects of it which are abstracted to compose the physical brain. We have then to deal with those parts of our being unamenable to metrical specification, that do not make contact into space and time. (9) Leading-edge physicist David Bohm proposed a holistic model of the universe which incorporates all aspects of reality, including mind and consciousness. He held that the sense of an “undivided wholeness in flowing movement” is implied in the modern developments in physics, notably relativity theory and quantum theory: “Each relatively autonomous and stable structure (e.g., an atomic particle) is to be understood not as something independently and permanently existent but rather as a product that has been formed in the whole flowing movement and that will ultimately dissolve back into this movement. How it forms and maintains itself, then, depends on its place and function in the whole.” Relativity and quantum theory agree, in that they both imply the need to look on the world as an undivided w hole, in which all parts of the universe, including the observer and his instruments, merge and unite in one totality. In this totality, the atomistic form of insight is a simplification and an abstraction, valid only in some limited context. This new form of insight can perhaps best be called Undivided W holeness in Flow ing M ovement . This view implies that flow is, in some sense, prior to that of the ‘things’ that can be seen to form and dissolve in this flow. One can perhaps illustrate what is meant here by considering the ‘stream of consciousness.’ This flux of awareness is not precisely definable, and yet it is evidently prior to the definable forms of thoughts and ideas which can be seen to form and dissolve in the flux, like ripples, waves and vortices in a flowing stream . . . In this flow, mind and matter are not separate substances. Rather, they are different aspects of one whole and unbroken movement. In this way, we are able to look on all aspects of existence as not divided from each other, and thus we can bring to an end the fragmentation implicit in the current attitude toward the atomic point of view, which leads us to divide everything from everything in a thoroughgoing way. (10)

6

The internal and subjective experience of consciousness is difficult to describe from a strictly scientific perspective. “Western philosophy and science have, on the whole, attempted to understand consciousness solely in terms of the functions of the brain. This approach effectively grounds the nature and existence of the mind in matter, in an ontologically reductionistic manner.” For instance, no current scientific description of the neural mechanisms in the brain of colour discrimination can convey the actual subjective experience of perceiving the colour of green or blue. In the words of the Dalai Lama: The joy of meeting someone you love, the sadness of losing a close friend, the richness of a vivid dream, the serenity of a walk through a garden on a spring day, the total absorption of a deep meditative state – these things and others like them, constitute the reality of our experience of consciousness. Regardless of the content of any one of these experiences, no one in his or her right mind would doubt their reality. Any experience of consciousness – from the most mundane to the most elevated – has a certain coherence and, at the same time, a high degree of privacy, which means that it always exists from a particular point of view. The experience of consciousness is entirely subjective. The paradox, however, is that despite the indubitable reality of our subjectivity and thousands of years of philosophical examination, there is little consensus on what consciousness is. Science, with its characteristic third-person method – the objective perspective from outside – has made strikingly little headway in this understanding. There is, however, a growing recognition that the study of consciousness is becoming a most exciting area of scientific investigation. At the same time, there is a growing acknowledgment that modern science does not yet possess a fully developed methodology to investigate the phenomenon of consciousness. (11) It is only through the human mind and consciousness that we can have a direct experience of an intelligent universe and our place in it. One meaning of the ancient dictum ‘as above, so below’ is that “Man is in the Universe and the Universe is in Man.” What our scientists have discovered about ourselves and the Universe is so unfathomably complex and interconnected, both transcendent and immanent, that it is sufficient as proof of an unimaginable intelligence behind the pattern. The pattern follows Principles or Laws. The Laws must precede the pattern. As the manifestation of the greatest organizing intelligence, the Laws point to their origin as the ‘space’ beyond what exists – the place of No-thing. In the world outside, science has led us to the edge of the No-thing, just beyond the moment of creation at the limit of the known Universe. Inside it has led us to the place where ongoing creation comes from No-thing, currently called the “quantum foam,” out of which appear and disappear “particles” of energy which ultimately bind together to form all and everything that is. Most likely, these two frontiers are the same ‘place.’ In the middle is Consciousness, the place of recept ion and int erpret at ion . As we seem to be consciousness itself, we are thus part of the mystery inside the 7

No-thing. To explore the Laws emanating from the realm of No-thing, we must also go inside ourselves. (12)

Cosmology and Spirituality

For much of human history the universe was regarded as conscious and alive, a vibrant web of interrelated energies and spiritual possibilities. In his A Sense of t he Cosmos, Jacob Needleman describes this ancient conception of a living cosmos: “We are speaking of a conscious, living universe. Everything that lives transforms disorder into order. Everything that dies moves from order to disorder. This movement between order and disorder, between unity and dispersion, between energy and manifestation – movement in both directions – is precisely the sense and meaning of a living universe, what the ancient Hindus called a ‘breathing cosmos’.” This traditional worldview is in sharp contrast to the scientific conception of the universe grounded in materialism and empirical fact. In the words of Dr. Christian Wertenbaker: “The sense of meaning, of the nature and purpose of life, the sense of communion with a living, conscious universe, has gone out of the enterprise.” One meaning of the word “mystical” is “hidden.” The great mystical knowledge which has existed since very ancient times has always been, in part, contrary to ordinary common sense and inaccessible to the ordinary mind. Not that modern science and mysticism are the same thing. Their methods are very different. Science regards knowledge as external, in a sense: it has to be demonstrable by manipulations of the external world. Mysticism regards true knowledge as graspable from within, by a specially trained, more inclusive, higher consciousness. This presupposes that we humans can be in tune with the essence of the cosmos. For many scientists this is an unproved fantasy, and certainly people can claim all kinds of revelations which are demonstrably hallucinatory. So scientists demand external verification. But, in both cases, special training is needed, and when you get right down to it, faith in logic and observation also presupposes a kind of being in tune with the universe. In my more optimistic moments, I think that science came about in its present form in order to bring a different kind of rigor to mystical knowledge, and that the two kinds of knowing are destined to join together . . . I think the real difference between modern science and true mysticism is that the scientist deliberately tries to ignore the role of the subject in understanding the world. But no understanding exists except within a conscious being; the understanding does not exist on paper, in the formulas and diagrams. Science also does not consider differing capacities for understanding, dependent not just on intellectual training but on an even more rigorous development of a higher capacity for consciousness – the aim of the mystical teachings. (13)

8

In many traditional spiritual teachings consciousness is seen as the unconditional, formless ground of existence prior to and supporting the manifestation of the world of matter and sentient beings. At the heart of these teachings is the thesis that consciousness is the primary experience of every human being: “The mystical truth that there is nothing but consciousness must be personally experienced in order to be truly understood.” We must consider that consciousness is present in the universe in some way from the beginning. The mathematical order in the structure of the atom, for instance, is a sign of an intelligence at work in matter. In the ancient world, Aristotle and the Arabian philosophers considered that the stars were intelligences, an idea with which the teachings of Sri Aurobindo is related. Responsible for introducing the theory of evolution into Vedantic philosophy, Sri Aurobindo maintained with all Vedantic philosophers that Ultimate Reality is also pure consciousness. It is sat chit ananda , or absolute Being (sat ) in pure consciousness (chit ) which is experienced as perfect bliss (ananda ). This is the ideal state of being according to all Vedantic philosophy, the state of being in pure consciousness. But according to Aurobindo, the Absolute Being becomes “involved” in matter. It withdraws its consciousness and allows matter to appear as being, without consciousness. As matter evolves through the shakt i, the energy inherent in it, and develops more complex organisms, the divine consciousness manifests itself as life. (14) Physicist Amit Goswami, who is conversant in the fields of both science and spirituality, presents the concept of ‘monistic idealism’ which posits that matter is secondary to consciousness, which itself is the foundation of all being. “In materialistic philosophy, consciousness is an epiphenomenon of matter. According to monistic idealism, objects are already in consciousness as primordial, transcendent archetypal possibility forms.” In the idealist philosophy, consciousness is fundamental; thus our spiritual experiences are acknowledged and validated as meaningful. This philosophy accommodates many of the interpretations of human spiritual experience that have sparked the various world religions. From this vantage point we see that some of the concepts of various religious traditions become as logical, elegant, and satisfying as the interpretation of experiments of quantum physics. ‘Know thyself.’ This was the advice through the ages of philosophers who were quite aware that our self is what organizes the world and gives it meaning; to know the self along with nature was their comprehensive objective. Modern science’s embracing of material realism changed all that; instead of being united with nature, consciousness became separate from nature, leading to a psychology separate from physics. (15) At the heart of traditional Eastern spiritual teachings is a ‘perennial philosophy’ that recognizes consciousness and creative intelligence as the primary attributes of existence, including both the phenomenal and transcendental realms of reality. The Dalai Lama: “According to Buddhism, a deep philosophical analysis of reality reveals its ultimate emptiness. Reality is 9

considered to be a series of momentary phenomenal events. Moreover, these phenomenal events do not originate purely from the side of the external world alone but rather are contingent on a complex causal nexus that includes the mind.” Although the various schools of Eastern mysticism differ in many details, they all emphasize the basic unity of the universe which is the central feature of their teachings. The highest aim for their followers – whether they are Hindus, Buddhists or Taoists – is to become aware of the unity and mutual interrelation of all things, to transcend the notion of an isolated individual self and to identify themselves with the ultimate reality. The emergence of this awareness, known as ‘enlightenment,’ is not only an intellectual act but is an experience which involves the whole person and is religious in its ultimate nature. In the Eastern view, then, the division of nature into separate objects is not fundamental and any such objects have a fluid and ever-changing character. The Eastern worldview is therefore intrinsically dynamic and contains time and change as essential features. The cosmos is seen as one inseparable reality – forever in motion, alive, organic; spiritual and material at the same time. (16) Throughout human history, traditional conceptions of the universe were expressed in a wide variety of allegorical and symbolic terms designed to resonate with higher human capacities and perceptions. In The Theory of Celest ial Influence, Rodney Collin describes how symbols can serve as a language which reaches the higher emotional and intellectual functions in order to convey spiritual truths: “Symbols are based on an understanding of true analogies between a greater cosmos and a smaller, a form or function or law in one cosmos being used to hint at the corresponding forms, functions and laws in other cosmoses. This understanding belongs exclusively to higher or potential functions in man, and must always produce a sense of bafflement and even frustration when approached by ordinary functions, such as that of logical thought.” The most astonishing thing about these ancient ‘models of the universe’ arising in widely separated ages, continents and cultures, is precisely their similarity. So much so that a good case can be made out for the idea that higher consciousness alw ays reveals t he same t rut h , solely on the basis of a comparative study of certain existing models of the universe which seem to derive therefrom – for example, the Cathedral of Chartres, the Great Sphinx, the New Testament, and the Divine Comedy . . . The more complete ‘models of the universe’ created by schools in the past aimed at combining formulations of what they wished to express in many languages, so as to appeal to several or all functions at once. In the cathedral, for example, the language of poetry, posture, ritual, music, scent, art and architecture were successfully combined; and something similar appears to have been done in the dramatic representations of the Eleusinian mysteries. Again, in certain cases, for instance in the Great Pyramid, the language of architecture seems to have been used not only for the symbolism of its form, but in order to create in a person passing through the building in a certain way, a quite definite series of emotional impressions and shocks, which had a definite 10

meaning in themselves, and which were calculated to reveal the very nature of the person exposed to them. (17) To fully comprehend the higher dimensions of reality one needs to develop a more evolved level of spiritual knowledge and understanding. Traditional spiritual teachings affirm that selfknowledge and self-cultivation are the keys that open the door to a more expanded and inclusive understanding of both the inner and outer worlds of man. The Dalai Lama: “There are modes of experience or phenomena that emerge through the power of a contemplative’s own transformed mind, and they don’t exist without that. If you empower your mind by various contemplative practices, a certain realm of reality arises through the maturation of your contemplative insight.” The primary concern of virtually all spiritual traditions, Eastern and Western, and in particular the Buddhist tradition, is self-knowledge: understanding and realization of the self through the science of spiritual exercises and the art of self-cultivation. In this sense, philosophy is a way of life, consisting of spiritual exercises to explore the inner landscape. The focus of science is to explore nature, the outer landscape. (18)

Harmonization of Spirituality and Science

Science has revolutionized our understanding of the external world of sensory phenomena and fundamentally changed human civilization through rapid technological advances. It has also contributed valid approaches to illuminate the inner world of human consciousness and experience. Both the scientific method and the timeless principles underlying the world’s spiritual traditions embody an impartial, objective approach and perspective based on observation, exploration and experiment. Dr. Keith Buzzell proposes a complementary relationship between these two methods of understanding our inner and outer worlds: “If there is to be a reconciling impulse appropriate to and sufficient for the present age in the life of humankind, it must contain a level of understanding, and a potency that can incorporate scientific principles and all of the core values and purposes of the Great Traditions.” During the past four centuries, one singular perspective on reality has been dominant above all others. The entry of the scientific method into Western Europe in the 16th Century represents the most powerful two-edged blade ever to enter the life of man. Science, in all its branches and with all of its technological by-products, has transformed the physical world of man and all other life. It has opened multiple doors into man’s inner worlds as well, bringing into question the underpinnings of each and all of the forms, values and functional manifestations of every spiritual teaching. How profound and far reaching the influence of science has been and will be, and even in the 21st Century, is only barely perceived. For the most part, 11

humankind, individually and collectively, is still in a reactionary state characterized by denial, opposition, opportunism, redefinition or dismissiveness. Each of these reactions has failed to digest t he spirit ualizing potential of the scientific perspective. What science has brought, in its methods, its relative objectivity and its verifiability, is a treasure of infinite value. What humanity has learned concerning the laws that underpin our physical world is more than astonishing, it is a seeing that is the realization of one of the highest capacities; the ability to image cosmic or higher law in the physical world. With the progressive levels of seeing into the nature of physical law has come the application of that knowledge to all of humanity’s activities. (19) A number of scientists have recognized that a comprehensive understanding of the universe must include a spiritual dimension as well as a material dimension. For instance, Fritjof Capra argues that “mystical thought provides a consistent and relevant philosophical background to the theories of contemporary science, a conception of the world in which scientific discoveries can be in perfect harmony with spiritual aims and religious beliefs.” Science can expand its horizons by incorporating the insights of traditional spiritual teachings. Princeton professor of Astrophysics Piet Hut: “We can have knowledge of a much broader range of phenomena than science has traditionally allowed. This includes knowledge based on lived human experience, both of the outer world, accessible to the senses, and the inner world, opened by reflection and contemplation. In other words the scope of science can indeed become more encompassing and vaster in a way that is neither reductionistic nor strictly quantitative, and yet it can remain true to the essential values of scientific inquiry.” There is a strange and wonderful mat hemat ical order in physical phenomena, and this has moved the minds of some of the most thoughtful modern physicists away from the crude materialism which ruled their science in the nineteenth century, and has made them aware of a transcendental reality. Even when traditional religion, which ascribed to God “the kingdom, the power, and the glory,” remained unacceptable to them, they could not fail to recognize supreme mathematical talent somewhere in the construction and management of the Universe. Thus there has been, from the scientific side, a significant movement toward closing the infinitely harmful rift between natural science and religion. Some of the most advanced modern physicists would even agree with René Guénon’s claim that “the whole of nature amounts to no more than a symbol of transcendent realities.” (20)

The Scientist as M ystic

Many of the world’s leading physicists and scientists have expressed a sense of profound spiritual connection with the universe. In their writings they reveal a deep understanding of life that transcends mere physical existence and touches the mystical dimensions of reality:

12

God reveals himself in the harmony of all that exists. Albert Einst ein

Man stands on this diminutive earth, gazes at the myriad stars and upon billowing oceans and tossing trees and wonders. What does it all mean? How did it come about? Albert Einst ein

For me, there is room for both a spiritual universe and a physical universe, just as there is room for both religion and science. Each has its own beauty, wonder and mystery. Alan Light man

The scientist as such must recognize the value of religion as such, no matter what may be its forms, so long as it does not make the mistake of opposing its own dogmas to the fundamental laws upon which scientific research is based. M ax Planck

I believe that our physical universe is somehow wrapped within a broader and deeper spiritual universe, in which miracles can occur. The scientific picture of the world is an important one. But it does not apply to all events. Ow en Gingerich

Mysticism, which is equally at home in both East and West, endeavors to experience the unity of things, in that it seeks to penetrate beyond multiplicity, which it treats as an illusion. At the endpoint of the mystical experience the soul is entirely divorced from all objects and united with the divine. W olfgang Pauli

A spirit is manifest in the laws of the universe, a spirit vastly superior to that of man, and one in the face of which we with our modest powers must feel humble. In this way the pursuit of science leads to a religious feeling of a special sort. Albert Einst ein

In my scientific and philosophical work, my main concern has been with understanding the nature of reality in general and consciousness in particular as a coherent whole which is never static or complete, but which is in an unending process of movement and manifestation. David Bohm

13

What is the ultimate truth about ourselves? There is one elementary unescapable answer. W e are t hat w hich asks t he quest ion . Whatever else there may be in our nature, responsibility towards truth is one of its attributes. This side of our nature is aloof from the scrutiny of physics. Art hur Eddingt on

The scientific worldview contains of itself no ethical values, not a word about our own ultimate scope or destination, and no God, if you please. Whence came I, wither go I? Science cannot tell us a word about why music delights us, and why and how an old song can move us to tears. Erw in Schrödinger

My religious feeling takes the form of a rapturous amazement at the harmony of natural law, which reveals an intelligence of such superiority that, compared with it, all the systematic thinking and acting of human beings is an utterly insignificant reflection. Albert Einst ein

The root of truth is love. Andrei Sakharov

A critical level of confusion permeates the world today. Our faith in the spiritual components of life – in the vital reality of consciousness, of values, and of God – is eroding under the relentless attack of scientific materialism. On the one hand, we welcome the benefits derived from a science that assumes the materialistic worldview. On the other hand, this prevailing worldview fails to satisfy our intuitions about the meaningfulness of life . . . We have come to accept materialism dogmatically, despite its failure to account for the most familiar experiences of our daily lives. In short, we have an inconsistent worldview. Our predicament has fueled the demand for a new paradigm – a unifying worldview that will integrate mind and spirit into science. (21) Amit Gosw ami

* There can never really be any real opposition between religion and science. Every serious and reflective person realizes, I think, that the religious element in his nature must be recognized and cultivated if all the powers of the human soul are to act together in perfect balance and harmony. And, indeed, it was not by any accident that the greatest thinkers of all ages were also deeply religious souls, even though they made no public show of their religious feeling. It is from the cooperation of the understanding with the will that the finest fruit of philosophy has arisen, namely, the ethical fruit. Science enhances the moral values of life because it furthers a love of truth and reverence – love of 14

truth displaying itself in the constant endeavor to arrive at a more exact knowledge of the world of mind and matter around us, and reverence, because every advance in knowledge brings us face to face with the mystery of our own being. (22) M ax Planck

* I would be the first to challenge any belief that contradicts the findings of science. But there are things we believe in that do not submit to the methods and reductions of science. Furthermore, faith and the passion for the transcendent that often goes with it have been the impulse for so many exquisite creations of humankind. Consider the verses of the Git a , the M essiah , the mosque of the Alhambra , the paintings on the ceiling of the Sistine chapel. Faith, in its broadest sense, is about far more than belief in the existence of God or the disregard of scientific evidence. Faith is the willingness to give ourselves over, at times, to things we do not fully understand. Faith is the belief in things larger than ourselves. Faith is the ability to honor stillness at some moments and at others to ride the passion and exuberance that is the artistic impulse, the flight of the imagination, the full engagement with this strange and shimmering world. (23) Alan Light man

* You can throw yourself flat on the ground, stretched out upon Mother Earth, with the certain conviction that you are one with her and she with you. You are as firmly established, as invulnerable as she, indeed, a thousand times firmer and more invulnerable. As surely as she will engulf you tomorrow, so surely will she bring you forth anew to new striving and suffering. And not merely ‘some day’: now, today, every day she is bringing you forth, not once but thousands of times, just as everyday she engulfs you a thousand times over. For eternally and always there is only now , one and the same now; the present Is the only thing that has no end. (24) Erw in Schrödinger

* We all know that there are regions of the human spirit untrammeled by the world of physics. In the mystic sense of the creation around us, in the expression of art, in a yearning towards God, the soul grows upward and finds the fulfillment of something implanted in its nature. The sanction for this development is within us, a striving born with our consciousness or an Inner Light proceeding from a greater power than ours. Science can scarcely question this sanction, for 15

the power of science springs from a striving which the mind is impelled to follow, a questioning that will not be suppressed. Whether in the intellectual pursuits of science or in the mystical pursuits of the spirit, the light beckons ahead and the purpose surging in our nature responds. (25) Art hur Eddingt on

* Science cannot solve the ultimate mystery of nature. And that is because, in the last analysis, we ourselves are part of nature and, therefore, part of the mystery that we are trying to solve. Music and art are, to an extent, also attempts to solve or at least to express the mystery. But to my mind, the more we progress with either, the more we are brought into harmony with all nature itself. And that is one of the great services of science to the world. Goethe once said that the highest achievement to which the human mind can attain is an attitude of wonder before the elemental phenomena of nature. (26) M ax Planck

* The most beautiful and most profound emotion we can experience is the sensation of the mystical. It is the sower of all true science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead. To know what is impenetrable to us really exists, manifesting itself as the highest wisdom and the most radiant beauty which our dull faculties can comprehend only in their most primitive forms – this knowledge, this feeling is at the center of true religiousness. (27) Albert Einst ein

References

(1) Arthur Zajonc (ed.) The New Physics and Cosmology: Dialogues w it h t he Dalai Lama (New York: Oxford University Press, 2004), p. 5. (2) Fritjof Capra The Turning Point (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1982), p. 15. (3) Stanislav Grof (ed.) Ancient W isdom and M odern Science (Albany: State University of New York Press, 1984), pp. 10-11. (4) Fritjof Capra “The New Vision of Reality” in Stanislav Grof (ed.) Ancient W isdom and M odern Science (Albany: State University of New York Press, 1984), pp. 138-139. (5) Yehuda Berg The Pow er of Kabbalah (New York: Kabbalah Publishing, 2004), p. 17. (6) Michael Talbot M yst icism and t he New Physics (New York: Bantam Books, 1981), pp. 4-5. (7) Fritjof Capra “The Tao of Physics Revisited” in Ken Wilber (ed.) The Holographic Paradigm and Ot her Paradoxes (Bolder: Shambhala, 1982), p. 228. (8) Dalai Lama The Universe in a Single At om (New York: Harmony Books, 2006), pp. 38-39. 16

(9) Arthur Eddington “Defense of Mysticism” in Ken Wilber (ed.) Quant um Quest ions: M yst ical W rit ings of t he W orld’s Great est Physicist s (Boulder: Shambhala, 2001), p. 209. (10) David Bohm W holeness and t he Implicat e Order (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1980), p. 11. (11) Dalai Lama The Universe in a Single At om (New York: Harmony Books, 2006), pp. 119-120. (12) Keith Buzzell The Third St riving (Salt Lake City: Fifth Press, 2014), p. iii. (13) Christian Wertenbaker M an in t he Cosmos (United States of America: Codhill Press, 2012), pp. 15-16. (14) Father Bede Griffiths “Science Today and the New Creation” in Stanislav Grof (ed.) Ancient W isdom and M odern Science (Albany: State University of New York Press, 1984), p. 52. (15) Amit Goswami The Self-Aw are Universe (New York: Jeremy P. Tarcher, 1995), p. 11. (16) Fritjof Capra The Tao of Physics (Boulder: Shambhala, 1975), p. 24. (17) Rodney Collin The Theory of Celest ial Influence (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1973), pp. xii-xiii. (18) Arthur Zajonc (ed.) The New Physics and Cosmology: Dialogues w it h t he Dalai Lama (New York: Oxford University Press, 2004), p. 122. (19) Keith Buzzell Explorat ions in Act ive M ent at ion (Salt Lake City: Fifth Press, 2006), pp. 4-5. (20) E.F. Schumacher A Guide for t he Perplexed (New York: Harper Perennial, 2004), p. 105. (21) Amit Goswami The Self-Aw are Universe (New York: Jeremy P. Tarcher, 1995), p. 1. (22) Max Planck “The Mystery of Our Being” in Ken Wilber (ed.) Quant um Quest ions: M yst ical W rit ings of t he W orld’s Great est Physicist s (Boston: Shambhala, 2001), pp. 161-162. (23) Alan Lightman The Accident al Universe (New York: Vintage Books, 2013), pp. 51-52. (24) Ken Wilber No Boundary (Boulder: Shambhala, 1981), 59. (25) Arthur Eddington “Defense of Mysticism” in Ken Wilber (ed.) Quant um Quest ions: M yst ical W rit ings of t he W orld’s Great est Physicist s (Boulder: Shambhala, 2001), p. 212. (26) Max Planck “The Mystery of Our Being” in Ken Wilber (ed.) Quant um Quest ions: M yst ical W rit ings of t he W orld’s Great est Physicist s (Boston: Shambhala, 2001), pp. 163-164. (27) Walt Martin and Magda Ott (eds.) The Cosmic View of Albert Einst ein (New York: Sterling Publishing, 2013), p.3.

17

A SPIRITUAL SCIENCE ‘Science w it hout religion is lame, religion w it hout science is blind.’ Albert Einst ein

Quantitative and Qualitative Reality

Science divides reality into discrete parts or components abstracted from the whole and then analyzes these seemingly independent constituent elements quantitatively. Scientists then construct mathematical models of the world on the basis of measurement, quantification, and the statistical analysis of numbers. But such a process ignores the fact that reality is a unified whole and can never be completely understood by dualistic quantitative analysis. In Oneness Perceived , transpersonal psychologist Jeffrey Eisen writes: “The essence of a thing cannot be abstracted from its being without losing its reality. There is but one undistorted reality and that is Oneness, Isness itself.” This same insight was also expressed by Lao-Tzu in the Tao Te Ching : “The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao; the name that can be named is not the eternal Name.” The history of science is largely a movement away from subjectivity and belief to objectivity and empiricism. Ervin Laszlo discusses this important conceptual shift in The Int elligence of t he Cosmos: “Science gradually morphed into the assertion that only the objective, external world is fully real and all else is subjective interpretation or distortion of reality. Positivism asserted that only that which can be observed materially and studied as an external object is real. All else is not merely subject to preference and prejudice but nonexistent or merely a derivative from material phenomena.” The insistence on pursuing a purely materialistic explanation for life and consciousness is a consequence of the phenomenal success of early science in discovering the processes of material nature. A long, wandering detour over several centuries from the dawn of the Enlightenment to the present day has led us to deny the essence of our own most intimate human experiences. In their first turn away from the sanctity of religious dogma, the thinkers of the enlightenment sought for an external, objective means to determine truths about the external material world in which they lived. They relied on acute observation, repetitive verification, measurement, and mathematics as instruments well suited for the study of objective physical phenomena. They sought to eliminate the intrusion of corrupting influences such as personal preference, prejudice, religious belief, and prevailing social conceptions. As a result, they developed an impartial, impersonal objective scientific method that proved highly effective for the study of external material objects. The method was objective in the sense that it dealt with objects and related phenomena that could be observed and measured through objective means externally. Enlightenment thinkers such as Newton and Descartes did not believe or assume that

1

all aspects of reality could be studied through the scientific method or ultimately be reduced to a purely material basis. In devising a method to minimize the intrusion of personal preference, they never intended to deny the existence or validity of subjective dimensions of reality and self-experience or to assert that these nonmaterial realms could be adequately studied and explained in purely physical terms. (1) Descriptive theories and explanations of reality are incomplete unless they include elements of both quantity and quality. This is clearly evident, for example, in the domain of aesthetics: “Beauty is not measurable or provable. You experience it when you let it speak to you. Beauty is neither an assumption nor a statement, but rather an overwhelming experience.” One can deduce several things about the soul of the world. One is that it contains qualities as well as quantities. The world we actually experience is full of colors, sounds, smells, and other qualities known to us through our senses. The procedure of science since the seventeenth century has been to ignore sensory qualities and to consider only what were called the primary qualities of substances, namely, their weight, position, momentum, and so on. These could be assigned numbers and treated mathematically. Reality was treated as colorless, tasteless, soundless, and odorless. It was abstract, objective, and mathematical. Qualities known through our senses had no objective existence outside of the mind of the subjective observer. It seems to me that the imagination of the world soul is going to work, not just in terms of numbers and mathematics, but also in terms of qualities. It’s likely to contain all possible tastes, smells, colors, and other qualities that exist in the world, as well as the experience and imagination of these qualities. (2) Science attempts to explain qualitative phenomena such as thoughts, ideas, feelings and values in terms of quantitative factors – molecules, neurons and nerve cells. This reduction of the immaterial is an attempt to explain higher-order phenomena (such as the inner experience of the colour red) by strictly physical constructs (a specific wavelength of electromagnetic radiation). The same problem arises with the study of consciousness and its relationship with the brain. Neuroscientist Wolf Singer: “We encounter extreme difficulties when we attempt to explain how exactly the qualia of our subjective experiences actually emerges from neuronal interaction”: One important feature of any scientific description is that it attempts to be quantitative. Most of the major scientists contributing to the scientific revolution appear to have been self-consciously opposed to the earlier, more qualitative, science . . . Yet even the most apparently quantitative of all mathematical entities, namely numbers, cannot be considered without quality. Unity, duality, and trinity have qualitative aspects that are not exhausted by numerical manipulations. Nevertheless, in general, mathematization in sciences has meant quantification. According to the fathers of modern science, quantity is 2

the fundamental feature of things, prior to other categories; in the realm of knowledge, quantity is the sole feature of reality. Qualities, except insofar as they can be quantified, do not belong to what is real and cannot be avenues to truth . . . One cannot escape the impression that the prevalent general leveling down of quality and the pernicious reign of quantity – which has been passionately described, is intrinsically connected with the scientific assumption that reality is primarily quantitative. Whatever functions painting, music, and dance may serve, when it comes to the serious business of truth and knowledge as understood by modern natural philosophers, they are essentially frivolous. This is the seed of fragmentation of our sensibilities. (3) Some contemporary scientists recognize that reality has both quantitative and qualitative dimensions. In Ast rophysics and Creat ion , professor of astronomy Arnold Benz writes: Sometimes I observe stars in a way quite distinct from that which utilizes hightech instruments and in a way that does not seek to understand them in a scientific sense. On a clear night in the mountains or in the desert the starry heavens are simply overwhelming. The American poet Walt Whitman (18191892) described this alternative way of observing stars in the following poem: W hen I, sit t ing, heard t he ast ronomer, w here he lect ured w it h much applause in t he lect ure-room, How soon, unaccount able, I became t ired and sick; Till rising and gliding out , I w andered off by myself, In t he myst ical moist night -air, and from t ime t o t ime, Looked up in perfect silence at t he st ars.

Here Whitman refers to two kinds of human experience regarding stars: first the objective, scientific observations and measurements of the astronomer and then the poetic transcendental, or mystical, experience. The latter kind of observation does not permit a person to remain in a passive role. Instead it requires the person himself or herself to become the instrument of observation. Whitman was directly involved in this second type of observation of the stars. He was personally affected by it, and, figuratively speaking, he came into resonance with the universe . . . Even as a professional astronomer, dutybound to conduct objective science, I have experienced moments as described by Whitman. They are unforgettable moments in which time seems to stand still. They may be life’s milestones when all becomes tranquil or where everything changes. Thus, they have a concrete and real effect, and must be considered as part of the reality in our life . . . When emotion meets reason, a direct encounter with the universe is possible in the way that Whitman so vividly described. This conjunction suggests that the sphere of human experience is larger than the realm of science. The perception of “silence” is not a scientific observation. The silence of the stars cannot be explained through 3

astronomy, and shouldn’t have to be. It is not part of astronomy and lies beyond the boundary of science. (4) The concept of ‘quantity-quality’ has a direct correspondence to the outer and inner worlds of human experience. Every human being experiences an outer world of physical phenomena common to all (the quantitative dimension) and a private, personal world of thoughts, feelings and perceptions invisible to others (the qualitative dimension). In Philosophy of M at hemat ics and Nat ural science, professor Hermann Weyl writes: “Scientists would be wrong to ignore that theoretical construction is not the only approach to the phenomena of life; another way, that of understanding from within is open to us . . . Of my own acts of perception, thought, volition, feeling and doing, I have a direct knowledge entirely different from the theoretical knowledge that represents the ‘parallel’ cerebral processes in symbols.” Maurice Nicoll discusses this dual human experience in Living Time: A part of the total WORLD is outside us, the remainder inside us. Where the visible WORLD leaves off, man invisible begins. Where the manifest WORLD, common t o us all as immediate sensory experience, leaves off, the unmanifested WORLD begins – individually for each of us. And at the meeting-point in every man of these two aspects of the total WORLD the phenomenon of passing-time enters. The higher invisible degrees of the WORLD are in us; and outside us, in experiences we share with others, are its lower visible degrees. Outside us is outer truth; within us, inner truth, and both make up All – the WORLD. And as inner truth – supposing that I experience some degree of it – it is seen and demonstrated w it hin me, individually. I cannot show it or prove it to others – whatever I may discern of it in my spirit – for it is w it hin . (5) Science deals with measurable quantities and seeks to discover the basic principles of the universe by studying the outer phenomenal world where objects and events are observed, measured and applied to mathematical analysis. Yet human beings are also composed of qualities which do not easily lend themselves to measurement. Pre-scientific thought was primarily concerned with qualities rather than measurable quantities. Nicoll laments this changing focus: “With the increasing predominance of ‘external’ over ‘internal’ truth, all that truly belongs to man came to be looked upon as secondary and unreal, and the primary and real field for investigation was held to be that which existed independently of man’s mind in the external world.” Contrasted with naturalism is the older standpoint which puts man in a creat ed universe, part visible and part invisible, part in time and part out side time. The universe as we see it is only one aspect of total reality. Man, as a creature of sense, knows only appearances and only studies appearances. The universe is not only sensory experience, but inner experience as well, i.e. there is inner truth as well as outer truth. The universe is both visible and invisible. On the visible side stands the world of facts. On the invisible side stands the world of ideas. Man himself stands between the visible and invisible sides of the universe, 4

related to one through the senses and to the other through his inner nature. At a certain point, the external, visible side of the universe leaves off, as it were, and passes into man as internal experience . . . Man has inner necessities. His emotional life is not satisfied by outer things. His organization is not only to be explained in terms of adapt at ion to outer life. He needs ideas to give meaning to his existence. There is that in him that can grow and develop – some further state of himself – not lying in ‘tomorrow’ but above him. There is a kind of knowledge that can change him, a knowledge of quite a different quality from that which concerns itself with facts relating to the phenomenal world, a knowledge that changes his attitudes and understanding, that can work on him internally and bring the discordant elements of his nature into harmony. In many of the ancient philosophies this is taken as man’s chief task – his real task. Through inner growth man finds the real solution of his difficulties. It is necessary to understand that the direction of this growth is not outwards, in business, in science or in external activities, but inwards, in the direction of knowledge of himself, through which there comes a change of consciousness. As long as man is turned only outwards, as long as his beliefs turn him towards sense as the sole criterion of the ‘real,’ as long as he believes only in appearances, he cannot change in himself. (6) In his teachings of inner development, Gurdjieff spoke of harmonizing our inner and outer worlds. He taught that the outer world, the dimensions of time and space, was an involutionary descending movement of material creation and the transformation of matter. The inner life of mind and consciousness involves the dimension of intention and possibility. A developed inner life is expressed by conscious choice and action, guided from higher levels of reality. This ascending upward movement is in the direction of greater consciousness and evolution. In The Enneagram of G.I. Gurdjieff , Christian Wertenbaker elaborates: The outer and inner worlds are reciprocals of each other. From the point of view of the outer world, I, like any individual person, am nothing, a tiny speck on a tiny planet in a remote solar system, one of billions in a galaxy, which itself is one of billions. But from the point of view of the inner world, I am everything: everything I am aware of, perceive, know or remember – others, the immediate environment, the planet, solar system, galaxy, and universe – are in me, contained in my inner life. The brain is w ider t han t he sky For – put t hem side by side The one t he ot her w ill cont ain W it h ease – and You – beside. Emily Dickinson

The reciprocal of the abundant profligacy of the creation of the outer world is the gathering back of all into a universal consciousness . . . Similarly, man’s role 5

in the universe is to unite the outer and inner worlds to form the ‘third world of man’ (Gurdjieff, Life Is Real Only Then, W hen “ I Am” ), which is the world of unity in multiplicity, symbolized by the number 1 and by the triangle of the enneagram. This involves a growth in the emotional part, which must evolve from self-concern to true consciousness and conscience, from isolation to participation, ultimately, according to Gurdjieff, resulting in the development of a soul that can participate in maintaining the consciousness of the universe. (7)

The Nature of Science

The term ‘science’ is derived from the Latin scire, meaning “to know.” Its essence is the scient ific met hod , which is an extremely powerful tool for investigating phenomenal reality: Science has been defined as “accumulated knowledge systematized and formulated with reference to the discovery of general truths or operational laws, especially when such knowledge relates to the physical world.” This is not a complete definition, however. The essence of science is its method, not its data. The accumulated knowledge of science is obtained through trained observation and is empirically verifiable. Scientific method requires that research be presented for validation by the scientific community. A clear description of the techniques and materials used is necessary in the presentation. Then the procedures are carefully repeated by others. If the same results are obtained, the findings become scientific “fact.” This definition follows Aristotle’s division of all knowledge into science and metaphysics (which deals with those aspects of reality “beyond” the physical). (8) In a sense, there is no such thing as the one scientific method, as different sciences employ different technical methodologies appropriate for their discipline. And even within the same scientific field, there are different theoretical and conceptual underpinnings and approaches to scientific research. The power of the scientific method is also determined by the vision, depth of curiosity, intuitive ability, and level of consciousness of the experimenter. At its best, science provides reliable and pragmatic information about physical reality. In the words of Ervin Laszlo: “We trust science because it possesses the tools to explore, measure, and explain happenings in the physical world – the world of things we need for surviving and thriving. We have very good reason for putting a lot of epistemological weight in what we learn and know through our senses. Science makes sense because it is based on what the senses reveal, and it is tested by rigorous experimentation.” What is it about science that enables it to produce such pragmatic and practical knowledge – knowledge that empowers us to change our world (for good or ill)? Well the most distinctive mark of science is not merely that it tests its theories, but that it tests by measurement . Science works because it uses a methodology 6

that extracts information from the world by measuring it. And measurement removes guesswork. If done with precision and accuracy, it yields repeatable, reliable, reusable knowledge. What does it mean to measure something? Basically, it is a process of assigning numbers to physical quantities by using a standard for comparison (for example, a ruler, or a scale). Science is a method for quantifying and measuring physical reality; equipped with such data we are empowered to manipulate the world, to adapt it to our needs and desires. In short: we trust and value science because it works. (9) One of the cornerstones of the scientific method is the repeatability of experimental results. “The methodology of science begins with the practice of measuring or observing a certain phenomenon. The measurement must be made in a way that can be repeated by anyone at any time. Such a result is said to be objective.” The customary method of validating any research outcome is for several researchers to replicate it by following the same experimental protocol. Science is based upon certain underlying philosophical assumptions and a worldview which are often unrecognized and unacknowledged by scientists. It is important to identify and understand the limitations of both the methodology of science and the body of scientific knowledge, which is always being updated and modified by new discoveries. Arnold Benz: “For scientific study, only phenomena that can be measured objectively may qualify. Reducing the field of investigation to objectively measurable perceptions limits science quite critically at its outset.” The limits of any branch of science are defined at the beginning by its methodology, assumptions, and procedures. Measurements are made and observations are selected according to these rules. Given these constraints, it is not possible to judge scientifically the existence or character of any reality beyond a given field of science. Only human perception and experience, not scientific theory and method, can access the full range of reality open to humanity. Perceptions are externally related influences that have become part of our consciousness. They include but are not restricted to scientific measurements and observations. Different kinds of perceptions together constitute our window onto reality. Forms of perceptual reality beyond the limits of a given branch of science must not, however, be denied on principle. Refusing on narrow methodological grounds to consider the full scope of reality threatens, ironically enough, to subvert the scientific ideals of the Age of Enlightenment. After all, a major virtue of the modern scientific method is its unbiased perception of the world. (10) Renowned physicist Sir Arthur Eddington recognized that science has its limits in terms of understanding reality, noting that “what is found beyond its limits is in no way less real or important just because science has little or nothing to contribute to our understanding.” John Spencer, a specialist in the philosophical foundations of quantum physics, concurs: “The totality of all known objective scientific facts does not constitute the limit of reality. The totality of all 7

reality will forever remain beyond the potential for complete and final scientific elucidation, which is precisely what makes it possible for our scientific understanding and knowledge to increase.” In The Et ernal Law , he elaborates: Any logical system is forever limited by its own starting assumptions and, therefore, cannot be of much help once we begin to seek something deeper than those assumptions. We can never allow ourselves to forgo the importance of logical reasoning and scientific methodology but, equally, we must not allow ourselves to be fooled into believing that the limits of logic and science are the limits of reality. Scientific knowledge is capable of growing precisely because our current knowledge is always limited. Just as there is no logical starting point with which to begin logic, so too is there no scientific method with which to begin science. Both logic and science are ultimately dependent upon insight, intuition, or direct knowing or understanding, coupled with a tremendous amount of hard work. We need to have faith in logic and use logic to understand faith. (11) The scientific process itself imposes certain restrictions on how much knowledge we can gain about reality through the experimental methods underlying science. John Spencer: “The very nature of theorizing and the constantly dynamic changing universe, coupled with our cognitive and perceptual limitations, necessarily implies that we are limited in our ability to represent physical reality with absolute accuracy.” The experimenter imposes the distinctions, limitations, and boundary conditions for the practical purposes of the experiment. However, they are not logically defensible demarcations, because there is no logically necessary reason to exclude any potential variable in any experimental situation. Given the holistic nature of reality, every part of the universe must necessarily be considered as part of every experiment. In practice, we obviously have to limit our variables to the few that are most immediately relevant to our purposes, but there is still no logical necessity to such limitations. Many philosophers and scientists have believed that reality could be known with absolute objectivity by an impartial experimenter, which is a false metaphysical assumption. Quantum theory has emphatically shown that physicists, in their capacity as physicists, cannot know physical reality with absolute objectivity, not if such objectivity implies that the discovered aspects of reality have absolutely no relation whatsoever to the experimenter. (12) The scientific worldview has been characterized as materialistic and reductionistic. At its extreme, science seems to describe a universe that is impersonal and devoid of any meaning and purpose: “The universe is assumed to consist only of physical matter. It has no ‘spirit,’ no principle of vitality beyond the physical. All phenomena are finally reduced to an explanation in terms of fundamental energies (electromagnetism, gravity, the weak and strong nuclear forces)

8

and physico-chemical mechanisms acting in random fashion without purpose, meaning, or direction from any higher intelligence.” Science generally disregards any phenomena or evidence that suggest the idea of a spiritual dimension to the universe. For instance, most scientists have difficulty accepting the possibility of psychic or paranormal experiences, despite their widespread acceptance in many traditional cultures. Futurist Willis Harman: “Why don’t we assume that any class of experiences or phenomena that have been reported, through the ages and across cultures, has a face validity that cannot be denied?” Another feature that must be part of the restructuring of science is a broadening of the definition of what constitutes scientific evidence. Psychic and spiritual phenomena have played a significant role in human history and have helped shape some of the most fundamental aspects of our culture. But because they are not easy to rope in and scrutinize in a laboratory setting, science has tended to ignore them. Even worse, when they are studied, it is often the least important aspects of the phenomena that are isolated and catalogued . . . But when vast numbers of people start reporting the same experiences, their anecdotal accounts should also be viewed as important evidence. They should not be dismissed merely because they cannot be documented as rigorously as other and often less significant features as the same phenomenon can be documented. As Ian Stevenson states, “I believe it is better to learn what is probable about important matters than to be certain about trivial ones.” (13)

The Role of the Scientist

Science is not only an epistemological methodology and a body of empirical knowledge, but also a human activity. The truly amazing discoveries of scientists over the last few centuries is a testament to the power of the scientific process, and the determined labour and creative insights of scientists themselves. Modern science has conferred a vast, ever-growing body of knowledge of the natural world and has been the wellspring of unprecedented technological advances in our modern world: Science in its best form is a powerful means of probing the universe and testing the nature of reality. That in turn feeds back into the processes by which we humans seek to know ourselves and the world, thereby clarifying our understanding and refining our awareness. As we examine our existence ever more deeply, gaining knowledge and power, the scientific process helps take us beyond ourselves – our limited egoic selves. Rightly understood, then, science is part of the process by which Spirit is shaping humanity and helping it ascend to godhood. Science is both an expression of evolution and a means for furthering the evolutionary process. That process has now reached a point where, for the first time, humanity has the power to begin directing it . . . Science can buffer nature’s 9

influence on evolution while enhancing our own capabilities and choices. Yet science is a mixed blessing. It offers tremendous potential for human betterment but is not consistently used for that purpose. As always, it is consciousness which is of primary influence. If the consciousness of scientists and those who apply science were expanded beyond ego, the world situation would change radically. The power of science would remain, but its use would be purified. (14) Science strives to be objective and value-free in its mission to discover the true nature of reality. However, scientists themselves may sometimes be narrow-minded, dogmatic, and arrogant: Psychologist Hans Eysenck: “Scientists, especially when they leave the particular field in which they have specialized, are just as ordinary, pig-headed and unreasonable as anybody else, and their typically high intelligence makes their prejudices all the more dangerous.” Some may even hold extreme positions that reflect an underlying ignorance and hubris. For instance, noted atheist and evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins even claims that religious faith is “a kind of mental illness.” Philosophers of science acknowledge that science cannot provide a unified, comprehensive picture of reality: “We cannot really know or understand or even explain anything, simply through the method of science – all our explanations are nothing but descriptions of processes that remain a mystery.” The worldview of scientists is shaped by the underlying assumptions and tenets of science. “Even though there is a popular misconception that science deals with incontrovertible facts, many scientists know that science does not and cannot reveal absolute truth because any and all of scientific theory is capable of an infinite number of applications throughout the universe and no theory can be proven in all possible situations. Thus, all science and its theories are only provisionally “true” until a violation of the theory can be demonstrated. In this sense the theories of Newton and Einstein raised as many new fundamental problems as they solved.” According to the paradigm of modern materialistic science, matter is the only reality, and all phenomena can be explained in terms of the actions and interactions of matter. Consciousness can be explained in terms of brain activity (or as a cognitive illusion), evolution can be explained in terms of random mutations and natural selection, and all human behavior can be explained in terms of genetics and neuroscience. The world is a fundamentally inanimate place, and we’re nothing more than biological machines. It’s impossible to conceive of any form of life after death because our seeming identity and consciousness are just products of brain activity. When the brain dies, our consciousness disappears into nothingness. This worldview is a philosophical projection of the sleep state. And inevitably, when people make value judgments based on this worldview, these tend to be very bleak – for example, that the universe is fundamentally without purpose or direction, that life is fundamentally meaningless, that human beings are essentially selfish, and so on. (15) 10

It is crucial for the future development of science that scientists recognize the role that basic assumptions play in science by delineating the limitations inherent in the scientific method, as well as acknowledging the crucial factor of human consciousness and experience: Many scientists feel no discomfort in the fact that science by its own rules is a self-limiting epistemology. It is a philosophical system with a particular method of validating evidence which does not include the quality of the scientist’s own being, his consciousness, or his wisdom, in any of the results and therefore can only be applied to a limited part of human experience. If we are to take scientific research any further than bare phenomena and try to include the depths of creation as well as its surface, we must invent or extend the method or rules to create a new science or at least show where these new rules overlap with proven consensus opinion. (16) Materialistic science believes that the rational mind and scientific methodology are capable of attaining a complete knowledge of the laws and nature of physical reality. But, such a comprehensive knowledge may require the presence of a higher quality of consciousness on the part of the scientist in order to acquire such an understanding: Is the sole mode of experiencing or understanding life by way of the method of science? Is not science merely one mode of experience? And are we to believe that the quality of our ordinary consciousness is so fine that further states of consciousness are inconceivable? Are not further states of consciousness most likely to be the key to the understanding of the complexities and contradictions that have arisen in the realm of physics? The synthetic power belonging to our ordinary consciousness may well be of such a kind that it is unable to assimilate into a w hole the various separate findings of scientific research. If we argue in this way, it would mean that scientific materialism is limiting to the psychological development of man simply because it takes the consciousness of man for granted and therefore does not concern itself with problems as to how man can reach a higher state of development in himself – by what methods, by what kind of knowledge, work, ideas, efforts and attitudes . . . M an cannot underst and more because he is in a st at e of inner disorganizat ion . The quality of his consciousness is too separative and coarse. Yet he starts out in his investigations of the universe without any idea that he will be unable to penetrate beyond a certain point because he himself is an unsuitable instrument for this purpose. He thinks only that he is limited by a lack of scientific instruments of sufficient precision, or by a lack of data. (17) Jeffrey Eisen argues that the realization that unity or oneness is the first principle from which secondary phenomena arise will lead to a new form of scientific thought which transcends the dualistic perspective which conceives of the universe as composed of discrete, independent entities and energies. “If, instead of consisting of numerous things, existence consists of one 11

thing ever changing in the eternal present, all seemingly independent variables are really aspects of one thing. Every isolated thing or event is just an isolated perception of a transient phase of Oneness. The misconception that reality consists of independent variables corresponds to the perceptual dualization of Oneness into separate things and separate events occurring in separate moments of time.” We need to become open to the non-dual, nonlinear, nonquantitative nature of reality. We should not only know ourselves and the universe in perceptual terms, we should also try to envision reality directly, both the inner and outer realities, and then figure out how they are translated into appearance by perception. This entails breaking our addiction to the scientific method, overcoming our epistemological materialism and going back to investigating reality through know ing itself. It requires rigorous introspection, impeccable inference, intuition, concentration, and meditation. We need, in fact, to develop a new wisdom tradition. Previous wisdom traditions were prescientific and not only devoid of means for establishing the validity of hypotheses, they were not even aware of the concept of validating hypotheses. The next wisdom tradition will be post-scientific. While throwing off the mesmerisation of modern science with illusion, it will retain its emphasis on validation. In fact, it will reinforce the validation process by rigorously incorporating the philosophy of science into the doing of science and the validation process into metaphysics. (18)

Consciousness and the Human Observer

Scientists are beginning to realize that in experimental situations the experimenter is an integral part of the outcome of the experiment and not a neutral detached observer. In The Holographic Universe, Michael Talbot stresses the importance of this fact: “A shift from objectivity to participation will also most assuredly affect the role of the scientist. As it becomes increasingly apparent that it is the experience of observing that is important, and not just the act of observation, it is logical to assume that scientists in turn will see themselves less and less as observers and more and more as experiencers.” Most crucial of all, science must replace its enamorment with objectivity – the idea that the best way to study nature is to be detached, analytical and dispassionately objective – with a more participatory approach. The importance of this shift has been stressed by numerous researchers. In a universe in which the consciousness of a physicist affects the reality of a subatomic particle, the attitude of a doctor affects whether or not a placebo works, the mind of an experimenter affects the way a machine operates, and the imaginal can spill over into physical reality, we can no longer pretend that we are separate from that which we are studying. In a holographic universe, a universe in which all things are part of a seamless continuum, strict objectivity ceases to be possible. (19) 12

The role of the observer in scientific endeavors has generally been downplayed by most scientists, and even characterized as “anti-scientific and therefore meaningless.” But not all scientists agree with this stance. John Spencer writes in The Et ernal Law that “if empirical evidence is essential to the sciences, then observation is also essential, which places the observer – the one who perceives, interprets, and understands the empirical evidence – in the spotlight.” Without the experimenter/observer there is no experiment, since the experimenter is integrally involved in postulating the hypotheses, designing the experiment, taking the measurements, analyzing the data, and interpreting the results. The experimenter is the central focus of the interconnected relationships among all aspects of the relevant phenomena being studied: It is quite astonishing that we have been able to pretend that we – the observers, experimenters, and theoreticians – can be excluded from the scientific enterprise, while simultaneously believing that we are being objective and giving as full an account as possible of whatever aspect of reality we are investigating. It is true, nonetheless, that we can still produce theoretical and practical feats while ignoring ourselves (or pretending to be able to do so), as if we had no role to play and were merely mindless automatons following some program. But as soon as we begin to analyze rationally what is really happening in any experiment, we cannot help but include that we are center stage in the entire scientific enterprise. To the degree that we ignore this fact, we are not being logically or rationally consistent. (20) The ‘observer effect’ was discovered by the quantum physics pioneers of the early twentieth century. In The Field , Lynne McTaggart offers a succinct definition of the observer effect: “One of the fundamental Laws of quantum physics says that an event in the subatomic world exists in all possible states until the act of observing or measuring it ‘freezes’ it, or pins it down, to a single state.” This implies that certain aspects of the quantum world can only be determined at the precise moment of observation. The quantum reality was a realm of pure potential and immense possibilities until the appearance of an observer and the involvement of human consciousness. In other words, the so-called phenomenal world of objects and events only emerged in the presence of a human observer: Perhaps the most essential ingredient of this interconnected universe was the living consciousness that observed it. In classical physics, the experimenter was considered a separate entity, a silent observer behind glass, attempting to understand a universe that carried on, whether he or she was observing it or not. In quantum physics, however, it was discovered, the state of all possibilities of any quantum particle collapsed into a set entity as soon as it was observed or a measurement taken. To explain these strange events, quantum physicists had postulated that a participatory relationship existed between observer and obser13

ved – these particles could only be considered as ‘probably’ existing in space and time until they were ‘perturbed,’ and the act of observing and measuring them forced them into a set state – an act akin to solidifying Jell-O. This astounding observation also had shattering implications about the nature of reality. It suggested that the consciousness of the observer brought the observed object into being. Nothing in the universe existed as an actual ‘thing’ independently of our perception of it. Every minute of every day we were creating our world. (21) The implications of the ‘observer effect’ discovered by the pioneers of quantum physics were profound, and revolutionized our understanding of the world by affirming that the external universe did not exist independent of human consciousness: According to the most widely held interpretation of quantum mechanics, human consciousness participates in the edition of reality that meets our eye. In fact, without an observer the concept of “reality” simply has no currency. For at the level of individual subatomic events, because of their inherent random, statistical, and probabilistic nature, several outcomes for each event are always theoretically possible. It is the act of actually observing that causes these possibilities to cohere into what we perceive as a single event in the world. Without the participation of an observer, what we refer to as reality simply does not unfold. Thus, the strictly objective status of the physical world has been transcended in the new view, and is replaced by a version of reality which attributes central importance to human consciousness. (22) Science has generally viewed consciousness as an epiphenomenon which can be explained through materialism and reductionism. The immaterial and intangible quality of consciousness cannot be accounted for by classical science: Until very recently, science concerned itself with defining the universe’s attributes as objective processes. Little attempt was made to consider subjective processes as they are. As we near the end of the twentieth century, science is again attempting to define consciousness as a phenomenon emerging from simpler physical processes. The greatest effort seems to be aimed at answering what I consider to be the foundation of all the wrong questions, namely, how does the self-aware entity emerge from deeper and more elementary physical processes? The answer is that it doesn’t, and that is very difficult to deal with in today’s reductionistic science . . . Present science, based on models generated from Aristotle’s vision and later developed with the aid of Newtonian mechanics, led us on the wrong reductionistic and materialistic path. It incorrectly reduced the soul and consciousness to purely physical and mechanical energy. At best the soul appeared as an epiphenomenon generated by material processes. When we bring quantum physics into the mix, the error becomes apparent (23)

14

Some scientists have recognized the importance of consciousness in any description of reality. For instance, Nobel prize-winning physicist Wolfgang Pauli believed that “a new conception of reality had to include spirit and matter as complementary aspects of one totality.” And, physicist John Wheeler argued that it was a fallacy that there is an objective universe existing independently from a conscious observer. He suggested that the word “participator” replace “observer.” He wrote: “In some strange sense the universe is a participatory universe. Nature is not objective because we are not separate from it.” Larry Dossey, in Space, Time & M edicine, concurs: “The ordinary idea of an objective world unaffected by consciousness lies in opposition not only to quantum theory but to facts established by experiment. What we consider the objective world depends, in some measure, on our own conscious processes. There is no fixed external reality.” In a famous dialogue in 1930, Albert Einstein and the great Indian philosopher and poet Rabindranath Tagore shared their worldviews about the nature of reality. Einstein held that the objective world is real and exists independent of human beings – the cornerstone of science. Tagore disagreed: “The infinite personality of man comprehends the universe. There cannot be anything that cannot be subsumed by the human personality. The truth of the universe is human truth. The entire universe is linked up with us, as individuals. It is a human universe.” Einstein: There are two different conceptions about the nature of the universe – the world as a unity dependent on humanity, and the world as a reality independent of the human factor. Tagore renounced this either/or proposition. Tagore: When our universe is in harmony with man the eternal, we know it as Truth, we feel it as beauty. Einstein: This is the purely human conception of the universe. Tagore: There can be no other conception. This world is a human world. The world apart from us does not exist. It is a relative world, depending for its reality upon our consciousness. (24) Many of the pioneers in the development of quantum theory and their successors stressed the importance of consciousness as a “hidden variable” in any description of physical reality: •

Max Planck (1858-1947): “I regard consciousness as fundamental. I regard matter as derivative from consciousness. Everything that we talk about, everything that we regard as existing, postulates consciousness.” (W here is Science Going )

•

Sir James Jeans (1877-1946): “All those bodies that compose the mighty frame of the world, have not any substance without the mind. So long as they are not actually perceived by me, or do not exist in my mind, they must either have no existence at all, or else subsist in the mind of some Eternal Being.” (The M yst erious Universe)

•

Sir Arthur Eddington (1882-1944): “It is difficult for the matter-of-fact physicist to accept the view that the substratum of everything is of mental character. But no one can deny 15

that mind is the first and most direct thing in our experience.” (Science and t he Unseen W orld ) •

Erwin Schrödinger (1887-1961): “All our scientific investigations are silent toward our questions concerning the meaning and scope of the whole display. The show that is going on obviously acquires a meaning only with regard to the mind that contemplates it.” (M ind and M att er )

•

Eugene Wigner (1902-1995) proposed that consciousness itself is the hidden variable which decides which outcome of a wave function event actually occurs. The decisive outcome occurs at the point of the experiment when human observation intervenes. He concluded that it is impossible to give a description of quantum processes without “explicit reference to consciousness.” (Symmet ries and Reflect ions)

•

John Wheeler (1911-2008): “May the universe in some strange sense be ‘brought into being’ by the participation of those who participate? The vital act is the act of participation.” (Gravit at ion )

•

Menas Kafatos (1945- ): “Consciousness makes all experience possible. Attempts to exclude it from ‘objective’ experiments cannot elude this fact. Consciousness is fundamental and without cause. It is the ground state of existence. As conscious beings, humans cannot experience, measure, or conceive of a reality devoid of consciousness.” (You Are t he Universe)

These perspectives are strikingly similar to the assertions of mystics throughout the ages that matter and consciousness are intrinsically related: “A pristine purity of consciousness allowed the ancient Vedic seers to see reality as a whole; and in the scale of matter, force, and spirit they could discern only a process of gradual illumination occurring in some ineffable Being of universal extension and infinite potentiality. It is this integral vision wherein matter was as easily spiritualized as spirit was materialized.” The views of physicists are changing. It has been more than fifty years since Heisenberg delivered his monumental statements concerning observations; slowly, the tremendous mass of the scientific establishment begins to feel the first tremors of a radical and awesome new age. For centuries the mystic has asserted that matter and consciousness are different aspects of the same somet hing . For all those who have spent their lives trying to penetrate the secrets of matter, the new physics has a message, not a new one, but one that may well turn out to be the most important rediscovery humankind has ever made . . . The message of the new physics is that we are part icipat ors in a universe of ever-increasing wonder. We have penetrated matter and found a glimpse of ourselves. (25)

16

The Integration of Science and Spirituality

The founders of modern science, Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler and Newton, had a spiritual sensitivity that was the foundation of their scientific work. For instance, Kepler’s “faith in the existence of the eternal laws of creation” allowed him to recognize the inherent order of his astronomical observations of the sun and planets. Many of the twentieth century pioneers of quantum physics were strongly influenced by both Western philosophy and Eastern spiritual teachings: Niels Bohr (Taoism and Chinese philosophy), Erwin Schrödinger (Vedanta), Wolfgang Pauli (Jungian archetypes and the Kabbalah) and Werner Heisenberg (Platonic philosophy). These eminent physicists emphasized the role of faith, intuition and creative imagination in revealing and understanding the underlying order of the phenomenal world. “It required a direct personal experience (the flash of understanding, a direct perception) transcending simple discursive reasoning in order for Heisenberg to understand Plato’s notion of unifying order and nonphysical geometric forms as the basis of physical reality. This he knew with ‘utter certainty.’ Moreover, it was this experience that profoundly affected his later thoughts, deeply influencing his way of understanding quantum theory.” Other scientists have described their personal mystical experiences of the ultimate nature of reality and the self. The fruits of their experience is the attainment of a fully developed and coherent heuristic viewpoint where mystical insight is integrated with scientific empiricism: Deep metaphysical reflections and mystical experiences do not usually get discussed in scientific journals. But even if 99% of all scientists never have such experiences, it is still a fact that some do, and these experiences and metaphysical ways of thinking have shaped or informed their understanding of, and approach to, science. This fact is enough to provide scientific and logical justification for further inquiry into these domains. By ignoring such facts, we are left assuming that every aspect of scientific methodology can be reduced to nothing more than to postulating and experimentally testing a hypothesis, a misleading image to which many scientists cling as well . . . This mystical aspect of pioneering foundational physics is not at odds with empirical evidence or logical analysis, for we must always aim for logical coherence and rely upon empirical data so far as possible, but mysticism does underpin both logic and our data. The creative and intuitive aspects of the scientific enterprise cannot be ignored without forsaking genuinely novel scientific advancement. (26) Both science and spirituality seek to understand the true nature of reality. One approach is based on empirical data and logic, and the other on intuition and mystical experience. Science employs instruments to measure the physical aspects of reality, while spirituality uses human consciousness to penetrate the subtle levels of existence. Some spiritual teachers recognize the common ground uniting science and spirituality. In Inner Yoga , Sri Anirvan writes: “If the root impulses are taken into consideration, science and

17

religion do not seem to vary much in their objectives. The methods of obtaining their aim will be fundamentally related to the same spirit of enquiry, powers of reasoning, and utilitarian motive common to the human mind, but they will be worked out in apparently different fields with different assumptions.” However, the common pursuit of truth must be qualified with the recognition that there are fundamental differences in their approach: In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in recognizing, or at least understanding, the relationship between science and spirituality. Neuroscientists are tackling the question of the neural correlate of consciousness, after avoiding the subject for a long time. Philosophers are seriously studying the sciences. Physicists find themselves pondering the relationship between their theories and age-old spiritual questions. Understanding the nature of the world and our place in it has always been the goal of both the study of the external world and the inner search for meaning, but in modern times these two approaches became artificially separated, almost as if to give the powerful methodology of science a chance to develop. Now, however, it seems time for attempts at reunification. This has by no means been achieved . . . Science is an outer pursuit, dependent on objectively verified experiments on the material world, while spirituality is an inner pursuit, consciousness being inherently subjective. Science is not concerned with meaning, or values, or even the question “why?” These variations are all related, and reflect the difficulty of finding the intersection of spirit and matter, of the inner and outer worlds. Science regards everything as being on the same level, made of the same stuff and subject to the same laws, whereas spirituality recognizes a hierarchy of levels, from the fine to the coarse, from spirit to matter, from God to humankind. (27) Many of the perceived differences between science and spirituality are based on incorrect beliefs, false assumptions and misunderstandings: At present, many of the discussions surrounding the relations between science and religion are full of historical misrepresentations, philosophical errors and scientific misunderstandings. We all need to slow down and take a long, hard look at our own assumptions. Not everything we believe to be true is actually true, and at least some of what our opponents believe to be true is probably true, so let us learn from one another . . . If we want to discover truth, we have to be prepared to question our own assumptions and abandon them when we realize that they are false. For example, if you are an atheist, you will need to admit that many of the most important pioneering theoretical physicists in the last several centuries have believed in God or a supreme unifying power. You will also have to acknowledge those metaphysical beliefs that both science and religion share. If you are religious, however, you are going to have to relinquish those beliefs that are no longer amenable to contemporary knowledge. (28)

18

The interplay between rationality and intuition energizes scientific discovery, while logic is inherent in some intuitive knowledge. “Genuine insight is attained beyond the limits of reason and empirical data. This mystical moment of insight is not just for artists and spiritual aspirants, but is also fundamental to create progress in the sciences. Rational mysticism reveals the foundation of science.” The fundamental motivation of both science and spirituality is to understand reality, to know w hat is. Scientists are increasingly concerned with questions that have belonged to the domain of spirituality: What is the nature of the universe and the place of humanity in the cosmos? Is there a meaning and purpose to existence? Swami Kriyananda: “The aim of spiritual research is to withdraw to the center of one’s being, at the heart of one’s own energy and consciousness, and there to discover one’s Self as the heart of all reality. From one’s own center it is possible to reach out and understand the meaning of existence itself.” Spirituality is based on timeless intuitions about the deeper or higher spheres of reality and it is essentially unchanged over the ages. Science, however, is – or should be – essentially an open enterprise. At its best it is not only a collection of abstract formulas, and not just a wellspring of technology; it is a source of insight into w hat there is in the world, and how things are in the world. By this token science is a part of the perennial human quest for meaning and understanding. It is capable of change and renewal, and indeed it has changed fundamentally in the course of the twentieth century. In the first decade of the twenty-first century it is giving birth to an integral worldview. It is reenchanting the cosmos. (29) Science and spirituality approach reality from different perspectives and ask different questions. The former addresses questions of function and form, while the latter poses questions of intention and purpose. The difference between them is not in the end they seek, but in the way they seek it. Ervin Laszlo: “The investigation of the spiritual dimension of reality is also within the scope of science, because – just like reality’s physical dimension – it, too, reposes on the testimony of human experience. The experiential evidence for reality’s spiritual dimension is our own consciousness.” The difference between science’s concept of physical reality and explorations of spiritual reality is not in the conceptual superstructure through which we seek to comprehend the world, but in the starting point. Science’s concept of physical reality takes off from the content and reference of sensory perception; it takes the world we perceive as a physically real domain situated beyond our perception of it. Explorations of spiritual reality, on the other hand, take off not from the content and reference of perception, but from the very fact of percaption. We take off from the givenness of conscious experience – in one word, from consciousness. (30) A new perspective is emerging in which the spirit of science is leading to a true science of the spirit. In The M eet ing of Science and Spirit , educator John White proposes that consciousness is 19

“the meeting ground for inner and outer – the common denominator of objective scientific knowledge and subjective religio-spiritual experience. The world’s major religious and spiritual traditions have an aspect which is indeed scientific. That aspect is entirely empirical and centers around consciousness-altering disciplines, techniques, and procedures aimed at giving the practitioner direct spiritual experience. Sacred traditions display an intriguing ability to integrate scientific and religio-spiritual experiences in order to objectively demonstrate the super-sensible aspects of the universe which has been described and mapped by centuries of spiritual explorers.” Important thinkers such as Goethe, Rudolph Steiner and Pierre Teilhard de Chardin recognize that science and spirituality are complementary and not antagonistic. “When the human species is conscious of matter and spirit as differing aspects of the Whole, of Ultimate Reality, rather than seeing them as opposites, we will have arrived at a crucial