To me in the 1950s, the Work represented ideas and effort. To the men and women who lived through that period as adults from 1912 to the 1950s, who were in daily and often intimate contact with Ouspensky and Gurdjieff, it was work and effort too, but it was also a lively time that was rich in character and personality, in idiots and toasts, in events and experiences that were seen to be teaching situations. There was the sprightliness of the Twenties and the literary and technological innovations of the interwar years generally – with inventions like the Theramin – which seemed outwards signs of inward change.
Self-observation is a powerful method not only of self-study but also of self-change. First introduced to the West by G. I. Gurdjieff, the remarkable teacher of psycho-spiritual transformation, as part of his overall system of work on oneself, self-observation is best approached not as a technique but rather as an entirely new relationship to oneself as a living, breathing being. Self-observation as described by Gurdjieff is an intimate pathway into one’s own mind, body, and spirit. It allows us to experience new levels of self-awareness, and by so doing to live more conscious, harmonious lives.
Gurdjieff & Identification
Gurdjieff believed that because of our conditioning and education most of us live our lives as unconscious automatons. Oblivious to our own real potential, our essence, we are totally “identified” with our personality, our self-image, and with whatever thoughts, feelings, images, daydreams, or sensations capture our attention at the moment. Because we so quickly and mechanically say “I” to each impulse as it arises, says Gurdjieff, especially those impulses that support our self-image, we believe we are masters of ourselves, seldom noticing our own inner fragmentation and our lack of will and choice as a result of this fragmentation. We lose ourselves at every moment in one or another aspect of our lives, out of touch with the remarkable wholeness that is our birthright.
Whether or not one agrees with Gurdjieff, his approach to self-observation and awareness—as described by P. D. Ouspensky in his book In Search of the Miraculous—has had a huge impact on many Western psycho-spiritual teachings, and provides an excellent starting point for anyone searching for a deeper understanding of herself or himself. What’s more, as Gurdjieff points out, since certain processes cannot take place in the full light of consciousness, self-observation is itself the beginning of real change.
My First Experiments with Self-Observation in the Gurdjieff Foundation
I first started trying to observe myself seriously in 1967 in a group under the direction of some of the leaders of the Gurdjieff Foundation. Our fundamental effort in various special conditions of the Gurdjieff Work, specially organized conditions of stillness, discussion, listening, movement, manual labor, and craftwork, 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, 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 to be scientists in relation to ourselves, with our own being as the object of our observation.
It soon became clear, to some of us at least, that to be more than mental or psychological note taking, self-observation as described by Gurdjieff must, as far as possible, embrace the actual processes and energies of our bodies. Through our own ongoing experimentation, we began to get glimpses of what Gurdjieff meant when he said that 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 were 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 at 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.
Gurdjieff, Self-Observation & Sittings
One of the foundations of the Gurdjieff Work in recent years is what is called “sittings,” a profound form of inner work that is passed down orally from teacher to student. Though the various exercises that Gurdjieff passed on to his students are not available to the general public, the basic approach has been described in some detail in Jean Vaysse’s excellent book on Gurdjieff’s teachings, called Toward Awakening. Though it is important, of course, eventually to learn how to observe oneself in any circumstance, it is helpful to begin by sitting quietly for at least 20 minutes at the beginning of each day with one’s eyes closed and one’s spine erect but supple. As one begins to relax more and more into this very simple posture, allowing one’s attention to gradually occupy the whole of one’s body, one will begin to experience a new, more comprehensive sensation of oneself. It is this sensation that makes it possible to see, hear, and “record” our thoughts, feelings, intuitions, postures, and so on, and how these various functions influence one another in this complex “machine” that one calls oneself.
Self-Observation & Levels of Sensation
Though it wasn’t until many years after I left the Gurdjieff Foundation that I understood and formulated much of what follows, it is helpful to realize from the very beginning of self-observation that “sensation” can be experienced at many different levels, depending on one’s degree of relaxation and attention. Though Gurdjieff himself does not define these levels of sensation, at least not in any of his published works, they become quite clear in a deep, sustained work of self-observation. These levels include the automatic sensation of aches and pains; the deeper sensation of muscular tensions and contractions; the more subtle sensation of temperature and movement: the uniform “prickly” sensation of one’s skin; the living, breathing sensation of one’s internal organs, bones, tissues, and fluids; and the integrative sensation of the body’s energy circuits, connecting all the organs and functions of one’s being.
Those who continue the work of conscious relaxation through a deepening contact with their own bodies may eventually come to one more level of sensation: the profound, all-encompassing sensation of space and silence that lies at the heart of our somatic being. Though this was seldom discussed in the Gurdjieff work, it is, based on my own experience, an important stage in the work of self-observation. It is only through the experience of sensation as both space and silence that our awareness can embrace and welcome the whole of ourselves. It is this embrace, this welcoming, that is the beginning of self-transformation.
For many who undertake the inner work of self-observation, however, observation of their bodies seldom goes beyond a mental “projection” of sensation. For others, it involves only the sensation of their skin or their most superficial tensions. This is understandable, since to go deeper into our organism means to open ourselves to the contradictions and confusions of our inner life, to the real forces, the “animals,” as Gurdjieff has said, that move us. These forces include not only our deepest aspirations and desires, but also the traumas, fears, anxieties, worries, and other emotions buried in the complex interrelationships of brain, nervous system, skeleton, muscles, and viscera that we call our body.
Though Gurdjieff’s method of self-observation is a powerful tool of self-study, learning to open ourselves to ourselves in this way takes far more than the application of exercises and techniques. It also takes great knowledge, sincerity, and sensitivity. We have little direct awareness of the operations of our brain and nervous system except as they are reflected in the tissues, structures, and movements of our bodies. What’s more, in actual practice our attention, which is generally rather weak, can seldom reach beneath the most superficial layers of tissues, organs, and muscles conditioned by years of unconsciousness, negativity, and misuse. Based on my work on myself and with others both within and outside the Gurdjieff Work, it is clear to me that our bodies, especially our viscera, have gradually become storage vaults for undigested experiences and impressions too charged or painful to confront. In the name of homeostasis and survival, our nervous system closed the doors to these experiences through a kind of organic amnesia. But keeping the doors to the vault locked consumes an enormous amount of energy and creates disharmony at the very deepest levels of our being.
The Work of Self-Sensing & Listening
In practicing self-observation, it is important to see where one’s attention seems to stop—where it can go no further. This is possible through what I call “self-sensing,” a kind of inner organic seeing and listening in which one starts with the sensation and receptivity of one’s eyes and ears—including the impressions they receive—and allows this sensation and receptivity to expand gradually throughout the entire body. This expansion must include our voluntary muscles and skeleton, as well as our heart, lungs, diaphragm, digestive organs, genitals, and other organs. For it is in these locations that the deepest patterns of our energies—the real springs of our behavior—are maintained. And it is usually in these locations that the physical manifestations (especially the unnecessary tensions and contractions that Gurdjieff says consumes the energy we need for inner work) of our own individual barriers to wholeness are most clearly reflected. Through sensing these manifestations, opening them up, as it were, to the reach of our attention, we can begin to see and transform those experiences and impressions—whether from the past or present—that are locked out of our awareness.
In undertaking this work of self-sensing it is important to approach ourselves with both gentleness and compassion. It has taken many years for us to become what we are today, and it is virtually impossible to either see or break through our barriers (what Gurdjieff calls “buffers”) to wholeness by effort or willpower alone. Nor is it advisable, cautions Gurdjieff, since getting rid of these barriers or buffers all at once would be an intolerably painful experience (for we would have to see ourselves as we actually are) that could easily throw our lives into chaos. What is required instead is openness without force to what we can see at any moment, a deep inner movement of welcoming whatever appears. It is my experience that at the moment it seems impossible to go any further in our awareness of a barrier, we can back off a bit and allow our sensation of this barrier to deepen. When we bring our attention back to a previous sensation of ease, the sympathetic nervous system can relax its vice-like grip and some of our tensions can begin to dissolve seemingly on their own. We can also try letting our attention move to parts of ourselves that are freer and more relaxed. Then we simply allow that sensation of ease and comfort to expand into the parts of our bodies that are more tense. As some of the more superficial tensions begin to dissolve, it is possible to observe deeper organic levels of tension within ourselves and to sense the emotions and experiences associated with them.
Those of us who undertake this work of self-sensing in a serious way will eventually see that the real key to both self-knowledge and self-transformation lies in our feelings and emotions. Gurdjieff makes clear that our feelings and emotions are the horses that drive the carriage of our body. And it is our feelings and emotions that most clearly shape and reflect our relationship, our attitudes, to ourselves and the world. As we continue the work of self-sensing, for example, we will see that certain kinds of feelings open us, allowing our awareness to move freely throughout our organism, while other kinds close us, locking awareness and impressions out. We will also become convinced that the real observation and study of emotions is not a mental or psychological process, but rather a physical one.
Self-Observation & Breathing
As we are called from our own inner being toward a deepening of the work of self-observation, we will begin to see, as Gurdjieff points out, just how difficult it is to observe emotions—especially those that we have long practice in avoiding, that we have never thoroughly digested. Fortunately, however, our body gives us a direct entry into our emotional life. Though this is not discussed by Gurdjieff, at least not in any writings I have seen, this entry, I have found, is our breathing. Our breathing not only connects us with the outer world, but it also connects our body, mind, emotions, and spirit, and will always show us, if we can be receptive to it, the various forces acting at the moment. Our breathing can even help show us where the experiences and impressions that we are unable to face are resonating in our bodies.
Gurdjieff warns us, quite rightly, that any attempt to manipulate or change our breathing without sufficient knowledge of our organism can over time cause many problems. It is crucial, therefore, especially at the beginning of the work of self-observation, to learn to sense, to follow, our breathing without attempting to change it in any way. To my knowledge, Gurdjieff does not discuss this in his writings, but the actual practice of following the breath is an important part of the sittings as they were handed down by Gurdjieff. The reasons for this are many, but two are paramount as far as I can see: first, by following our breathing we actually stabilize and strengthen our inner attention; second, our breathing as it takes place at any particular moment reflects everything else that is occurring in and around the organism and thus provides a powerful tool of self-observation.
In my own approach to working with breathing, an approach which has developed not just through my experiences in the Gurdjieff Work, but also in various other traditions, one starts by simply follow the air going in and out of one’s nose. Later one can follow the actual movement of the air into and out of one’s lungs. One can also sense where one’s breathing seems to take place in one’s body. Does it take place in the shoulders, the chest, or the lower abdomen? Do my shoulders go up when I inhale? Does my belly go out or in? Do I feel my breathing in my ribs, my back, my pelvis? As I sense my breathing, do my inhalations and exhalations take place evenly and harmoniously, or do they seem to pull in one direction or another? What tensions do I feel? What does my breathing “sound” like? As I sense the location of my breathing, do I feel peaceful, agitated, angry, joyful, sad, bored, willful? Am I being stubborn or rigid in my thinking? What am I feeling and thinking? And at the more advanced levels of this work with breathing, one can even sense a certain quality of energy that seems to enter with each breath, and one can follow the movement of this energy in one’s body. The purpose here is simply to observe–not to analyze, judge, or manipulate. As we said earlier, without sufficient awareness and self-knowledge, any effort to change our breathing can, as Gurdjieff warns, cause many problems.
Those working with following their breath in this way over a period of time will begin to have many fascinating and revealing impressions of themselves. And, perhaps just as important, they will begin, as I said earlier, to develop a stronger, more stable attention, one that is not so quickly dissipated through emotional reactions. But the key is to keep observing, using our breathing as a pathway into experiencing the entire organism. One may observe, for example, as I have on numerous occasions, how in moments of willfulness, of strong identification (as Gurdjieff would say) with one’s sense of “I,” one’s breathing seems to go noisily up into one’s raised shoulders, one’s muscles contract, and one’s entire abdominal cavity is drawn upward. Or one may see, as I have, how in moments of quiet receptivity the breath centers itself silently behind the navel, the Hara or Lower Tan Tien, and the entire body seems to relax and breathe.
An Intimate Approach: The Need for Help
This approach to self-observation is a very intimate one, since it gives each of us an opportunity to learn more about ourselves in the most direct way possible. What’s more, it begins to alter our very being: the light of consciousness begins to penetrate into the dark recesses of our being, relax our somatic structures and tissues, and gradually allow the energy to flow more harmoniously and lawfully. Nevertheless, for self-observation to bring the ultimate self-knowledge and transformation that is possible, most of us will eventually need the help not only of an outside teacher or group such as one finds in the Gurdjieff work, but also of a somatic practitioner.
As Gurdjieff has made clear, authentic outside teachers or groups are needed to bring the new ideas, perspectives, and special conditions necessary to help us free ourselves from our own narrow attitudes and to observe ourselves in a more honest way. Under the direction of a teacher or working with others who are seriously exploring their own nature, we are bound to receive shocks that will help us wake up more often from our own wishful thinking and to see ourselves more clearly. During my own 18 years both as a student and group leader in the special conditions of the Gurdjieff Work, I was able to observe sides of myself that were nearly impossible to observe in the ordinary conditions of daily life. Though these observations, especially those involving my lack of unity, my false sense of pride, and my deep sense of insecurity, were seldom pleasant, they were absolutely necessary to my own growing understanding and awareness.
Even in the special conditions of the Gurdjieff Work, however, self-observation does not always bring to light some of the deepest springs of our behavior and being. Because of our extensive conditioning by family, friends, education, and society, and the powerful interrelationships that exist between somatic structure, breathing, and emotions, there are almost always deep contractions, tensions, and disharmonies in our muscles, viscera, and nervous system that cannot be sensed except through a deep, direct work with the body and breathing. In many cases, this will require a skilled somatic practitioner, or a spiritual teacher who utilizes somatic work, who can work with us individually to help us experience the ways in which our bodies are not only reflecting but also maintaining powerful emotional attitudes that we are unable to observe on our own, no matter how hard we try or how sensitive we are. In many cases, this work cannot be done only through words, movement, and meditation. It may also require the art and science of someone else’s physical touch to awaken and guide our deeper organic energy and awareness through the deep tensions, contractions, and sensory disharmonies of our being.
In my own work of self-observation, I have greatly benefited not only from the extraordinary conditions of the Gurdjieff Work (conditions that make it possible to see ourselves more impartially), but also from intensive somatic exploration with several somatic practitioners and spiritual teachers, including practitioners of the Feldenkrais structural integration work, as well as of an extraordinary form of Taoist abdominal massage and breath work called Chi Nei Tsang. In both approaches–but especially in Chi Nei Tsang–I was able to experience in only a couple of years many of the deep interrelationships between mind, body, and emotions that had eluded me for many years. It is quite clear to me, however, that without my long training in self-observation through the Gurdjieff work, without learning how to turn my attention toward my own inner being in almost any circumstance of life, my experiences with these teachers and practitioners would not have gone beyond some very important health benefits and interesting psychological footnotes.
If Gurdjieff’s method of self-observation is to be an intimate pathway into our being, it can only do so if we are willing to truly expose ourselves to ourselves. What is needed, says Gurdjieff, is “inner sincerity.” But this willingness to be exposed, to be present to ourselves from top to bottom and from outside to inside, needs the support of special conditions and people that can help us return to our own real home on this earth–our bodies–and to occupy every floor and room in this home. It is not enough to learn about our home by shining a powerful spotlight from the top floor or our favorite room. What is needed is to open the door to every room, including the basement, and to actually enter the rooms and illuminate them. This is not easy, but it is possible–especially for those who remember that it is only through the living, breathing sensation of the whole of ourselves that we can live conscious, harmonious lives. This sensation, unrestricted by unconscious emotional attitudes working through our muscles and organs, is the sensation of life itself, and of the miraculous space and silence that lies at its heart.
Copyright 1993-2010 by Dennis Lewis. This is a revised version of my article that originally appeared in the Fall 1993 issue of Gnosis Magazine.
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The FOURTH WAY Gurdjieff Ouspensky NYC Teacher's Blurbs
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The FOURTH WAY - NEW YORK, NYC
Regarding P.D. Ouspensky's book titled 'The Fourth Way'
In his early lectures G.I. Gurdjieff described his approach to self-development as the 'Fourth Way'. In contrast to the three eastern teaching routes that emphasize development of the body, mind, or the emotions ...separately, George Gurdjieff worked on all three aspects simultaenously WITHOUT students retiring from the 'world' at large; they worked internally on their psychology IN THE ORDINARY CONDITIONS OF LIFE. Gurdjieff's teaching elucidation is sometimes referred to as "The Gurdjieff Work", "Work on oneself" or simply the "Work". Although Gurdjieff never put major emphasis on the term "Fourth Way" and never used the phrase in his writings, his pupil Peter (P.D.) Ouspensky made the term central to his writings and his own teaching of the Gurdjieff 'system'. After Ouspensky's passing, his students published a book with that name, THE FOURTH WAY.
Gurdjieff's teaching system addresses mankind's place in the universe, possibilities for inner psychic/spiritual development. He declared people live each day in a mechanical momentum ...of a psychological dream-world, a self-delusional "waking sleep," but that higher levels of consciousness, higher bodies, and various inner abilities are possible to work toward and attain.
Gurdjieff taught how to increase and focus attention and energy in various ways, how to dissolve daydreaming and absentmindedness. This teaching is the beginning of a process of change, to transform a person into what Gurdjieff taught "one ought to be".
Comment..
It seems that the world is moving towards chaos. With the upsurge in revolutions in the middle east this last while, prices going up, taxes and cutbacks.
We who are interested in the work, are perhaps in the most important space
on this planet at this time in history.
Remember what Gurdjieff told Ouspensky?
To be continued.
February 06th, 2011A Special Sufi Teaching from Kabir Edmund Helminski
“At one point in my journey, my teacher’s teacher, an eighty-year-old man, had been in a serious car accident that had bought him near death. For months the master’s condition was uncertain, causing all those who loved him to become acutely aware of what his living flesh-and-blood friendship meant to them. Eventually he would recover and live many more years. When he was well enough to barely walk, he phoned my teacher to tell him that he would have a special lesson if he could come to his apartment on a certain night. Since this was the first opportunity for the two of them to be together in months, my teacher was full of expectation.
They took a walk that evening, so slow and deliberate that it emphasized the attention required for each painful step. They walked as far as one of the most elegant drinking establishments of that great city. My teacher’s teacher opened the door of that tavern and they entered. It was as if they were perfectly invisible, while the patrons, the most fashionable men and women, continued in their loud, intoxicated conversations.
“See?” he simply said.”
"The evolution of man is the evolution of his consciousness, and "consciousness" cannot evolve unconsciously. The evolution of man is the evolution of his will, and "will" cannot evolve involuntarily. The evolution of man is the evolution of his power of doing, and "doing" cannot be the result of things which "happen."
-- G. I. Gurdjieff
Mr Gurdjieff had the ability to boil the deepest wisdom down to simple statements that encapsulated the concept he was teaching his students in a pure and understandable form.
CDs are now in StockNEW!!! Previews and online downloads now available on the Music Store at Real Music Store
padTHE MUSIC OF GURDJIEFF/de HARTMANN is the result of an extraordinary collaboration between G.I.Gurdjieff and the Russian composer, Thomas de Hartmann. Gurdjieff traveled for twenty years in the Middle East and Central Asia to discover and develop the teaching which now bears his name. In the 1920's he and de Hartmann worked together on the music included in this collection. These are the only recordings available of Thomas de Hartmann himself playing the music he composed with Gurdjieff
pad
Gurdjieff
G.I. Gurdjieff & the Hidden History of the Sufis By Victoria LePage
Quotes re Gurdjieff
There is an important link between Gurdjieff, mind-control, MPD, etc. but the subject is big and needs to be further investigated. Co-author Fritz has been investigating this link, including talking with leaders of the most successful Gurdjieff commune. As with so many groups, what you see, is not what you get. The Illuminati Formula 11. Internal ControlsCranial Osteopath Ronald R. McCatty’s book Craniosacral Osteopathy discusses the pineal body and pituitary gland from pp. 78 to 86. A discussion of the techniques to influence these bodies is beyond the scope of this chapter, but there are procedures. McCatty is very skilled, but he still has a ways to go to match the skills of the inner group that does mind-control. His page 25 also discusses a direct adjustment on the Pineal body via arm rotations and breathing. The occult world’s physical manipulation of this third eye area can enhance a person’s sensitivity. (It works off of straightforward body/brain mechanics, not the spirit world). It makes the subject feel that he is more telepathic. This is one of their big secrets. This secret was passed on the Gurdjieff, who went to Tibet to learn their secrets. Gurdjieff's communities, which this author has been investigating have a very good appearance to them, but there are lots of dark secrets within these communities, which indicate that drug use and mind-control are going on amongst them. 8: THE SCIENCE OF BODY MANIPULATION & PROGRAMMING Deeper Insights into the Illuminati Formula
When the inner core of cranial manipulation has travelled to learn from other cultures, China has been the primary focus. While in China, the inner core of cranial manipulation, who use it for mind-control, have met with their Chinese counterparts to negotiate occult relationships. Top level Theosophists have accompanied the inner core on their trips to China. In 1950, Gurdjieff came out with Beelzebub’s Tales to His Grandson Vol. 1-3. IDHHB Inc. published in 1978 some of the secret talks that Gurdjieff had with a special group of disciples. The point is simply that Gurdjieff was willing to go to the occult world of black magicians to get some of his enlightenment, and one of the techniques he learned was the manipulation of the mind via physical manipulation of the "third eye area". One of Gurdjieff’s big disciples in New England passed on to the cranial osteopaths manipulation secrets that Gurdjieff learned in Tibet. Gurdjieff is even more mysterious, when one realizes that he an asset of Russian and British intelligence. 8: THE SCIENCE OF BODY MANIPULATION & PROGRAMMING Deeper Insights into the Illuminati Formula
Lord Kitchener and Stalin were both trained by Gurdjieff as Martinist Freemasons. Stalin went on to rule a third of the world and Kitchener colonised the world through his special brand of Freemasonry – incestuous paedophilia and sadistic “order out of chaos”. Britain was the training ground for immigrant revolutionaries to destroy their own foreign countries. This saved the colonising British army from doing it. Misinformation was always on the breakfast menu for the City of London and Metropolitan Police who regularly sabotaged each other’s interrogations giving foreign terrorists any and every advantage. Stalin's British Training by Greg Hallett
"In March 1980, the month in which these lines were transmitted, I was presented (under the usual dusty backroom circumstances) a volume purporting to be the long-awaited Fourth Secret Teaching of Gurdjieff. For the past twenty years, we Gurdjieff fans had been titillated by rumors of this Fourth Book, which supposedly listed secret techniques and practical methods for attaining the whimsical, post-terrestrial levels obviously inhabited by the jolly Sufi Master. We had always assumed, naturally, that the secret methods involved drugs. So it was a matter of amused satisfaction to read in this newly issued text that not only were brain-activating drugs the keys to Gurdjieffs wonderful, whirling wisdom, but also that the reason for keeping the alkaloids secret was to avoid exactly the penal incarceration which I was enjoying when the following essay was penned."--Tim Leary (Changing my mind among others p192/3)
The Gurdjieff Work
G. I. Gurdjief
G.I. Gurdjieff: Opener of the Way
Georges Ivanovich Gurdjieff was born approximately 1872 (some sources say 1866) in Alexandropol, the Caucasus region of what is now Russia. His father was Greek, while his mother was of Armenian descent. His father was an Ashokh, a lineage of bard priests. As a part of his training, his father had memorized the entire Gilgamesh epic poem, which was transmitted to him in its entirety orally. The young Gurdjieff listened to his father recite portions of this epic throughout his growing years. Tutored by the dean of the Russian military cathedral in academic studies, Gurdjieff prepared for the vocations of physician and priest. None of these studies gave him the answers to questions that burned within his heart. In addition, he had witnessed marvels for which he could not rationally explain.
Around this time Babylon was first being excavated by archaeologists. Cuneiform tablets carved with the epic poem of Gilgamesh, dated around 2,000 BC, were found among the ruins. Gurdjieff read excerpts from the translation published in a local newspaper and was astonished to realize that, word-for-word, it was nearly identical to what his father had recited to him as a child. For over 4,000 years this epic had been preserved intact through the oral tradition of these bard priests (who, incidentally, are no longer to be found). What was the truth behind the myth? What civilization gave birth to this great legend? Gurdjieff's thirst to understand the origins and meaning of life and humanity's place in the scheme of the universe drove him to leave his homeland in search of hidden knowledge.
Gudjieff's Search
Gurdjieff knew that in remote regions of Asia there were monasteries of different orders reputed to preserve the knowledge he was seeking. Reasoning that Babylon, known for its ancient ruins, might be the birthplace of civilization, Gurdjieff set out in that direction. Along the way, through a series of events more fully described in his book, Meetings with Remarkable Men, Gurdjieff happened upon an Armenian priest who produced before his amazed eyes a well-preserved parchment showing a map of “pre-sand Egypt”, a time when the region was dotted with bodies of water and covered with lush vegetation. On that map of pre-sand Egypt was the distinct image of the Sphinx. To fully appreciate Gurdjieff's amazement, consider that the last time Egypt had that much water was, at the earliest, 7500 BC! This lead Gurdjieff to believe that the origins of civilization must be in Egypt rather than Babylon, and so he immediately changed course.
Gurdjieff and a few comrades lived among the ruins from Giza to Thebes and Edfu, learning to decipher some of the hieroglyphs they found on the walls of ruins. One story told of the “7 sages” that came to ancient Egypt and founded the society that built the great temples. The sages had arrived on a solar barq from the sunken continent of Atlantis. In the Gilgamesh epic, there are similar stories of the arrival of emmissaries of an ancient spiritual culture. There is considerable corroborating evidence that Egyptian civilization, among others, was "seeded" in this way, rather than "evolving" as academia claims. However, Egypt suffered from years of Islamic and Christian invasions, so that eventually Egyptian language and the inner meaning of its sprituality ceased to be practiced. Having derived all he could from the ruins, Gurdjieff returned to the Middle East to continue his search.
For a time Gurdjieff traveled throughout Eurasia in the capacity of a Russian spy. The early 1900s were a time of great political upheaval, so this occupation afforded him both income and passage through borders that would otherwise have been impossible. It also cost him three near-death encounters with “stray bullets”. Eventually he made his way to Tibet, where he studied with the Rinpoches of Tibetan Buddhism. During this period he says he acquired the ability to "accumulate life force sufficient to kill a yak at a distance.” Later he would use this ability to channel life force for healing human ailments.
For many years Gurdjieff received training from several orders of Dervishes, where he learned craftsmanship and submission to the Higher. He eventually merited to be discovered by a secret brotherhood, and was taken -- blindfolded through the mountain passes -- to a hidden monastery in the Hindu Kush. There he endured intensive, specially arranged conditions for the purpose of transforming the ego from enemy to ally.
Establishing His Mission
In 1915 Gurdjieff launched his mission to teach in Russia, at first holding lectures and instructing pupils in Sacred Dance. He was forced to flee to France to escape the Bolshevik revolution. In 1922 he founded the Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man in Fontainbleu, which he operated until 1933. At the institute he incorporated the intensive methods he had learned in the monasteries, but adapted for Europeans.
Upon arriving at the institute, all pupils understood that they were there for one purpose: to free themselves from the slavery of egotism. They voluntarily agreed to the intensive conditions, which included hard physical labor by day, long hours of lectures and practicing the Sacred Dances by night. Time alotted for sleep was a bare minimum. Through these labors one learned to make "super efforts", how to tap hidden reserves of energy and thereby also to access higher states of consciousness. Gurdjieff's institute attracted many of the intelligensia of the times. Several prominent people gave up their prestigious careers to live at the Institute and work on their inner being.
In 1924 Gurdjieff visited America, giving lectures and demonstrations of his Sacred Dances in New York, hoping to establish a branch of his institute there. But in 1925 he was involved in a near-fatal automobile collision, from which his physicians did not expect him to recover. The nature of his teaching entirely changed after that event. His recuperation was long and never complete. During that period he closed the Institute and instead dedicated himself to writing and rewriting his books. In between periods of writing, he taught solely over the dinner table, establishing elaborate teaching rituals including a "Toast to the Idiots" (a true "idiot" is one who knows that he does not know.) He died in 1949, shortly after his own epic myth, All & Everything: Beelzebub's Tales to His Grandson, was set for publication.
For more information about Gurdjieff, visit The Gurdjieff International Review. To learn more about the Gurdjieff Movements and Sacred Dance, visit the World Forum for Gurdjieff Movements
G.I. Gurdjieff (1872 - 1949) Georges Ivanovich Gurdjieff was a Greek-Armenian mystic and spiritual teacher. In his early days, he gained public recognition as a teacher of sacred dance. Later, he established a school for spiritual development called the Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man. He was seen by many as a spiritual master, a human being fully awake or enlightened. The Gurdjieff’ tradition is commonly referred to as “The Work”. It describes people’s lives as mechanical and his intent was to waken people to themselves. The various methods are intended to integrate a person physically, emotionally, and intellectually into a fourth way of consciousness. Gurdjieff said of his teaching, “I teach people how to listen to themselves. Being present requires work over time.” During his life, he wrote a number of books, but he is probably best known through the published work of his pupils. His teachings today are continued by various groups, under the supervision of the Gurdjieff Foundation which has regional offices in New York, London, and Paris.
Date of Birth: 13 Jan, 1872
Location: France
State: Paris
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George Ivanovitch Gurdjieff took a special oath in 1911 in which he would devote 21 years to introduce and establish the teaching of the Fourth Way in the West. Gurdjieff's idea was to establish an institute to train helper-instructors to disseminate the teaching. He began in Russia in 1912, but the Russian Revolution a few years later made his stay there impossible. Subsequent attempts to establish the institute in Constantinople, Germany and England failed. Finally, in 1922, Gurdjieff established The Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man in Fontainbleau, France, about 40 miles from Paris. Shortly afterwards, he made his initial trip to America.
Less than two years after opening the Institute, Gurdjieff was involved in a near fatal car crash. This shock brought the realization that there was not enough time to train his helper-instructors. Six weeks later he closed the Institute.
Saturday, 19 June 2010
Morning Preparation on the First Anniversary of Mme de Salzmann's Death.
One exercise that all group members were asked to do every day was 'morning preparation' which involved sitting quietly in a straight-backed chair first thing every morning for about 10 minutes and trying to 'sense'. I remember one member asking why we didn't call this meditation, to which Dorothy replied, "meditation is really quite advanced. Today a lot of things are called meditation which aren't really meditation." Thinking of this reminds me of a remarkable experience I had on the anniversary of Mme Jeanne de Salzmann's death (Mme de Salzmann, who died in 1990 aged 101, was the person most responsible for preserving Mr Gurdjieff's work). It was Saturday 25th May and there was a Work day arranged at Wincanton on that day. Before leaving we were asked to do try to do the 'morning preparation' for a full half-hour in honour of Mme De Salzmann's memory. I struggled sometimes to do the exercise for 10 minutes and worried that a full half-hour would be beyond me. Nevertheless, I managed it. What astonished me was the observation that Jim (who was responsible for leading our design class in Bristol) made at the meeting that was held at Wincanton later that day - "when we were told to do the 'morning preparation' for half an hour I thought, oh here we go, this is going to be a struggle. I'm never going to manage it. But the longer I stayed with the exercise the more I became sensitive to the fact that I was being helped - there was an energy from outside that was coming in and enabling me to do the exercise in a way that I never imagined would be possible." I cannot replicate every word he said from memory but I can remember sitting there feeling astonished because everything he said was exactly as I had experienced the exercise myself. George Phillpotts replied, "well, when you consider that there were people in all parts of Europe trying to do the exercise at precisely the same time" to which Dorothy added, "and I think that's a good point on which to the end the meeting."
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Artikel VIII
Thoughts and reflections about beginning Gurdjieff’s Morning Exercises.
An anonymous author.
Klik hier voor een printbare versie
Written by an anonymous author, 2004.
First private publication, november 2004.
All 12 copies were given for free.
Second private edition, only one copy for a very good friend.
Third private edition, december 2004, 20 copies.
All copies are hand bound and printed at home.
This small manuscript was made due to several remarks in different groups, working on “Gurdjieff’s crumbles on his idea-table”.
It is not widley understood that relaxation is a basic start for Gurdjieff exercises. Therefore the unknown author collected some articles from different sources without mentioning the source.
This writing is ment as a publication, to study, to grasp, where all these sources are pointing at, namely the start for Gurdjieff exercises. I would like to suggest to the reader to take this as a very serious starting point, chew on it, as the unknown author did.
The unknown author has to apologize to the authors, that he did not ask them for permission. But if they read it, they understand why.
The anonymous author.
1)
EXERCISE BY MR GURDJIEFF From hand-written note 1939
Fifteen minutes relax. Break tempo of ordinary life before doing e xcercise.
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2)
NOTE: This preparation comes from: Gurdjieff—>Jane Heap— >Annie Lou Staveley
There have been several inquiries as to exactly what the phrase "prepare as usual" means regarding sittings:
General Instructions Regarding Sittings: It is best to do them in the morning, although one may do them both in the morning and in the evening. 10 a.m. is ideal, but for most people this is a difficult time to arrange.
_______________________________
3)
Introductie:
Aan de samensteller van deze publicatie werd meerdere malen gewezen op het feit dat voor dat men begint aan de ontspannings oefening, "the preparation excersise", men moet zoeken naar het “idee achter deze ‘ excersise’ “.
“Accept to be here. Accept that you are starting to do an excercise. Look for your wish to do this exercise”.
Een andere variant hierop was:
2
“First pray to your parents.
“Secondly pray for everybody in this work, not only to people in the Gurdjieff work, but to all the people on this Earth and in our universe who are looking for transformation”.
“Thirdly, ask a Higher Ideal, a Higher source, to help you in your exercise,
Amen”.
The actual source of the following is unknown, but included for diversity. Subject: Sittings:
The inner exercises described are intended to be done in the order given, with at least a month dedicated to each one. Everything eventually wears out, then it is time to go onto the next exercise. Later, you can return to one which you have done in the past and renew it.
Van de samensteller: Dit geld ook voor de relaxation exercise. Men moet deze van tijd tot tijd wijzigen.
____________________________
3
Do not eat for two hours prior to a sitting, as it takes energy to digest food. A cup of tea or coffee, if needed, is permissible.
Try to choose a time when you will not be disturbed. Unplug your telephone, turn off your beeper. Do not attempt an exercise with another person present (unless they too are doing the same exercise), or have a pet wandering about.
Shower, brush your teeth, try to be as fresh as possible. No not just roll out of bed and sit.
4
Do not have on tight fitting clothing, glasses or a wrist watch. Remove jewellery.
Unless it is very cold or noisy outside, have the window open.
Do not have any furniture within three feet of you, as your "atmosphere" extends out at least that far.
Try to be seated in a manner that is most comfortable to you. Some people can manage a full or half lotus position, others have difficulty with this, or sitting directly upon the floor, or even on a cushion. If you do sit on a chair instead, make sure you do not rest your back against it. Sit upright. It is very important to maintain a straight spine and neck- energies flow in straight lines.
Rest the palms of your hands on your knees. Do not fold them together in your lap, or place them opposing each other, as those positions are more appropriate for prayer.
It is best not to close your eyes. Keep the lids half open. Gently focus your eyes on the tip of your nose. You are not actually trying to focus on the tip of your nose, but are trying to look inward. Look at the traditional statues of the meditating Buddha.
Leave your everyday cares and worries outside the room, they will be there waiting for you when you are done.
Find out where the tensions are. They are usually in the neck, the jaw, around the eyes, in the upper and lower back and in the lower abdomen. Allow your attention to rest in these areas and "let go" -- You cannot force relaxation.
Van de samensteller: Hierna volgt een kleine “ sensing exercise”.
Tot zover uit deze uitgave. We hebben deze in de lijst opgenomen omdat deze aansluit bij het gedachtegoed van G.I .Gurdjieff. Het is een mooi werkje en zijn de " anonymous author" dan ook dankbaar dat hij ons dit boekje deed toekomen. Een must voor mensen die in het Gurdjieff-werk aan het snuffelen zijn!
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How much time should be spended at the beginning Working on ourselves each day? This answer is given by Gurdjieff during one of his meetings:
Gurdjieff:…You must set aside a special time each day for the work. Not all the time, the Work is a serious thing. You cannot work interiorly all day. You must make a special time and increase it little by little. To this work you give a half hour of the 24 hours. During this half hour forget all the rest, put all the rest aside. It’s a little thing. You sacrifice to this time all your occupations, all the work of your exterior functions. Sacrifice everything for your interior work and afterward you can put it aside for the things of ordinary life. You cannot do this work all day.
Q: I think so. That becomes mechanical: I am, I wish to be.
Gurdjieff: You mix, you must not. Don’t mix this work with ordinary work. We have two kinds of waking state. For this work, you should have one active waking state. But a half hour of this waking state is enough for the rest of the day, which you live as you have the habit of doing. You can do this? And if you can’t do a half hour, even ten minutes is rich for him who work ten minutes. You must give and sacrifice to this work a special time. You cannot give all your time. Life is one thing, the work another. The substantiality of each one is different: for this work you must be more active. I’ve said this many times. When you begin your work, your task, it is your work. You should, even before beginning relax yourself, prepare yourself, collecting yourself. Afterward, with all your being, you accomplish your task. It is a very complicated thing. You cannot do it for a long time. You are soon tired. It takes all your strength; if you do it five minutes too much, you are drained of all strength. It’s for that reason that I say you must increase the time little by little, until you are used to it: five minutes, six minutes, ten minutes. Only this system will always give you a good beginning to prepare you for acquiring the state that is becoming to a real man. And if you work a long time, that proves that you do not work with all your being – you are working only with your mind. But as to that, you can do it for a thousand years without gaining anything; it is worth nothing. Work a short time, but work well. Here it isn’t the quantity but the quality that counts. Life is one thing. Do not mix it with other things. Five minutes of good work is worth more than 24 hours of another kind. If you haven’t much time, work 5 minutes. Let ordinary life continue automatically according to habit the rest of the time. What you say does not concern the work. Our life is one thing, the work another thing. Otherwise you will become a psychopath. You remember yourself with your mind – it is worthless; remember yourself with all your being. You can’t do it for long, you drain yourself. Do it for 5 minutes, but forget everything else. Be an absolute egoist, forget everything, your God, your husband, your children, money – remember only the work. Short, but substantial.(Meeting Notes, Paris, Thursday, July 1, 1943)
So, we suggest to taking care of dividing your daily practice in seven segments with an exercise for each (if you find some questions or problems in organizing your daily exercises ”routine”, feel free to post your questions on the FAQ page or mail to the administrator)
Come up with an affirmation for each day from Monday to Saturday, and use her every moment when during the day you have nothing to do or are annoyed.
Note: First of allIt is necessary to say that everything that comes from this point on is not to be believed.The greatest error we humans make is to believe blindly what some authority proposes. Many of us, for instance, blindly believe almost anything that is published in print. It is equally imperative to not disbelieve anything that is proposed. Cynicism is as damaging to the human psyche as naivete. A third alternative is this: to hold what is given in a neutral place within, neither believing nor disbelieving. This then leaves a space for verification. Verify everything and believe nothing but what has been verified. When this precept is followed, the ideas verified become ours, we own them. No one can take them from us. Be open to all possibilities and growth will accelerate.
WE ARE INCOMPLETE
The path leading to the discovery of who we truly are is unknown and unknowable. Who we truly are is the unknown aspect of our journey. We move along this path by revealing to ourselves who we are not. “The illusion is not external, but internal. Our task is similar to that of the sculptor faced with a block of raw marble. The inspiration within him, the miraculous within him, knows that within that block of stone lies a magnificent work of art. His job is simple. He must remove from the block of marble that which is not the statue. Gradually, bit by bit, the figure within will reveal itself. Our task as seekers is identical. We must remove from our inner world that which is not higher consciousness. As we do so bit by bit, the miraculous beings that we are emerge. It will not be what we expected, for how can we form an expectation about something that is unknown to us?
Thus we begin identifying the internal illusion. We must determine where we are and build a foundation that is firm and
solid. We would not expect to successfully erect a tall, strong building that would stretch up to the clouds by beginning our construction at the tenth floor. We must first dig a firm foundation deep in the earth. So initially we get our hands dirty. We dig down into the earth and we find that we have certain beliefs about ourselves that are not true. These are the illusions we hold about ourselves. They are not unique to us as individuals, but are generally held by most people who have not yet awakened.
The first illusion to be confronted is that we are complete, whole as we are. To believe this is to believe that there is nothing beyond our present experience of ourselves,that who we are today is who we will be the rest of our lives.
We all know, from examples around us and from throughout history, that some individuals have managed to find something different for themselves. Certain people have learned to transform themselves in some way, have overcome limitations imposed upon them by circumstances, have broken free. These individuals were able to access some hidden talent within themselves and develop it. Each one of us in our heart of hearts wishes for something similar to “happen” to us. We may think, however, that such potential doesn’t exist, or that such individuals were just lucky.
Most human beings walking the planet have brought with them some gift or gifts.We all can be more than we are now presently manifesting. We each can be greater than we presently are, both from an outer world point of view and, especially, from an inner world perspective. There exist potential functions, abilities, and powers within us that can only be developed through our own efforts. They will not “happen” to us!
How do we find them, especially when we haven’t a clue as to what they are? This is part of the journey into the unknown. The first step on the path has to be the experiential acknowledgement that what we are now is not the totality, that there is indeed a greater potential lying hidden within that conventional methods cannot tap into. We must discover that as we are now we are incomplete. This cannot come just as an idea. It must be felt as an emotional experience, so that you, whoever you are now, scanning these words, can feel,somewhere within the depths of your being, the truth of this expression. You must realize that you’ve known it for some time, and that reading it here causes something to resonate within you.
It is not the mind, nor even the heart that has this knowingness, but rather, the soul. This is true verification. We all have intuitive powers. We all are telepathic. We all have the potential capacity to see beneath the surface of people and events. Yet as we are now in our present state of awareness, or consciousness, these capacities remain dormant, and can only be awakened through the raising of our internal vibratory rate. Only by focusing our internal energies and creating a peaceful inner environment can we become complete.
WE ARE NOT UNIFIED
To accomplish this requires the penetration of yet another illusion; the illusion that our inner world contains but a single entity. In fact, we contain a multitude. Science is fond of saying that we only use a small percentage of our potential capacity. This implies that the remainder is somehow locked away in some hidden vault and will only be made available to us in some science fictional future through genetic engineering, or some other technological revelation. It is more the case that our energies are divided. Prior to consciously working to create an orderly inner world, our inner world is a chaotic place inhabited by a gang of disorderly people, each of whom has his or her own wants, needs and desires, all in competition with each other. This situation is not too dissimilar to the appearance of our outer world, our society.
The illusion is that we tend to deny this is the case. We pretend that we are unified beings, that we are in control, that we know what we want and who we are. Each time a voice speaks within us, we pretend that that voice speaks for the whole, as if the mayor of Los Angeles when he speaks, is speaking for the entire nation. Politically we know that we’d be in trouble, and not a little dysfunctional, if we were to believe this. Yet, when some small part of an internal function speaks within us, we believe that a unified “I” who is our totality has spoken. Spiritually, this is as dysfunctional as believing the mayor of Los Angeles spoke for the nation.
THE OBSERVER/MANY ‘I’S
It is right here, at this point, that we must establish an important tool. Now is the time to create the Observer. This is where practical work begins. The Observer is the beginning of a connection to who we truly are. It is a neutral entity within us who is detached from what swirls around it. It remains awake and watchful.
When our attention is located within the Observer, we can’t help but notice that we are indeed inhabited by multitudes. We can see that our inner world is peopled by a wide variety of characters all of whom have separate interests. Since each one of these entities calls itself “I”, we simply say that we are inhabited by many ‘I’s, each of whom has a different voice.
When we place our attention and our potential identity into the Observer, we can begin to experience that not any single “I” within this multitude of “I”s is really who we are. Once we can establish as a perception that none of this multitude is our true self, we can move toward having more choices in our life. We can now evaluate each inner character as being separate from who we are and can then choose whether or not this character is worth expressing. Such ability to choose, however, can only begin with the creation of an Observer within, who is not involved in the wants, needs, desires and demands of the other beings who inhabit us. In the beginning the Observer has no powers and can only watch helplessly.
It can make no changes initially and is simply there to learn about our internal workings. The power to choose comes later when the Observer is more mature and has acquired some practical tools.
We all have some resistance to this idea. It is hard to come to grips with the concept that we contain a competing multitude. We can note, however, that we will act upon some “I”, such as an “I” to buy something in the department store and charge it. At a time later, some other “I” will have to pay the bill and will be irritated with the “I” who spent the money. It was the case, then, that some part of us made the purchase, and some other part of us was confronted with the bill. For conceptual purposes, we can see these were two different people.
We can also observe that these “Many I’s” gather together in groups having similar interests. Thus we may have a group of “I’s” interested in sports, or in parenting. In fact, these groups of “I’s” comprise the roles we play in our outer world existence. We play the role of parent, child, employer, employee, brother, sister,husband, wife, customer, driver, homeowner…the list goes on and on. In each role we are called by the same name. Each role expresses itself by saying “I”, yet we don’t experience the often conflicting values that exist between the roles. We don’t acknowledge our own internal contradictions, or even notice them. We can’t see how one moment we are one person, the next moment another, because there is nothing permanent in us. The creation of the Observer is the beginning of something permanent.
RUNNING ON AUTOPILOT
So how do these “Many I’s” relate? What is it that creates order among the multitude? Once we are up and running as adults, we have all or most of our programing in place. We have established our roles. We have a job or a career, we’re married and have started a family, we have a place to live, and a daily routine. The groups of “I”s that relate to these various roles all know their places and are activated by external stimulation. Thus, more or less efficiently, everybody knows their job and when they are scheduled to appear on stage. This is true to such a degree that our lives, when well established, can almost run themselves without our paying a whole lot of attention. The courses have been set, the direction determined, the players chosen, the schedule established. Now, we can simply set the autopilot and just check in occasionally to make sure everything is running smoothly.
A well-oiled machine has been established that can literally run itself, all on the basis of a stimulus-response mechanism. Thus our output becomes determined by whatever the input is, plus how that input interfaces with our programing. Our lives run automatically, being disturbed from time to time by some accidental intrusion or catastrophe. When these interruptions come, we scurry about, diligently reassembling the machine so it will again run smoothly, automatically.
EVERYTHING HAPPENS
We’re now beginning to get a picture of a being that is incomplete, but doesn’t realize or acknowledge it. A being who’s energies are scattered, or disunified, and has an inner world inhabited by a competing multitude pretending to be a single entity. Its organization is determined by externally imposed programing set to run automatically.
Such a being has few choices. When the programing is set to respond automatically to external stimulation, life simply happens. It is not controlled by the will of the being, but by the accidental influences of external stimulation. Such a being has only the little wills of the “Many I’s”. Since there is no central unifying force, there is no real Will. What may appear to be a will that can accomplish something is more often externally applied pressure. The being does not “Do” anything. Everything is done for it. It cannot use the winds of life to consciously set a course, it can only be blown helplessly about by each gust that comes along. There is no purpose, no aim, no direction.
SUMMATION
To conceive of ordinary life in such a way will be provocative to many who read this. There is no judgement in this view, simply a perception of what is. If we wish nothing further from life than what we already have, then these perceptions are of little value. If, however, there burns within a desire to penetrate deeper into the meaning of existence, if there is a sincere longing to connect to a greater purpose, to become greater than we are, then we need to take an accurate assessment of our present circumstances. The realization and verification of the above picture can be empowering. It offers the opportunity to appraise our life more objectively. If we have the courage to do this, then more is possible. There is a way out of this apparent dilemma, a practical way to begin the journey toward a more Enlightened way of living.
Sensing Exercises
Sensing Exercises are the basics to begin a work such as Gurdjieff suggested.
What is sensing? Sensing refers to the ability to take in Impressions generated in and by our Physical Center. These include the sensations of touch, pressure, heat, cold, position and balance of our physical Being. Modern science has identified about 21 different types of nerve receptors that relay consciously perceivable information to our Instinctive brain. Learning to Sense our body is an essential and basic task of the Work. All of the Work exercises require Sensing the body all of the time. Sensing is the quintessential exercise for including the physical center in all three centered exercises. Get to know it well and strive to include it in all your Work on Self Remembering.
Basic Sensing Exercise
Take a comfortable position and become aware of your feet. Imagine that you are being filled with a warm, thick, honey like liquid and that it is slowly filling your body, starting from the feet and moving up to your legs, then pelvis, then torso, then arms, then chest, then head. Be aware of the sense of gravity pulling your body towards the ground. Be aware of the position of your limbs. Try to maintain an awareness of Sensing in the whole body. This requires your whole Attention.
Self Observation
How to begin the self observation?
“When walking, the practitioner is aware, ‘I am walking’; when standing, is aware, ‘I am standing’; when sitting, is aware, ‘I am sitting’; when lying down, is aware, ‘I am lying down.’ In whatever position one’s body happens to be, one is aware of the position of the body. When one is going forward or backward, one applies one’s full awareness to one’s going forward or backward. When one looks in front or looks behind, bends down or stands up, one also applies full awareness to what one is doing. One applies full awareness to wearing the robe or carrying the alms bowl. When one eats or drinks, chews or savors the food, one applies full awareness to all this. When passing excrement or urinating, one applies full awareness to this. When one walks, stands, lies down, sleeps or wakes up, speaks or is silent, one shines his awareness on all this.”
So said the Buddha.
This means that when we walk, we sense our body in motion, when we sit we perceive it in sitting posture and so on. So, sensing is the key to begin our self Observation practice. This practice has to be done several times during one day for short moments. We’ll achieve the best results if we’ll do this practice in different daily situations. This practice gives us the possibility to develop the ability of self-remembering or remember ourselves- this is a global envelope of consciousness that encompasses all things.
Attention
The practice of self observation requires attention and in the course of doing the exercises, the attention and concentration are developed as a matter of course. In the beginning, before ones tries to develop the self observation, it is good to practice focusing all of ones attention on one thing. As one gets more proficient, one needs to work on developing divided or global attention. The following are only some suggested starting practicies.
- One of the classic attention exercises is to watch the flame of a candle.
- Ouspensky suggested watching the second hand of a clock.
- One can pay attention to the sensations in one part of the body.
- One can attend to a particular sight, sound, taste or smell.
- One can attend to ones thoughts, or emotions.
- One can attend to ones breath
Reminders
Reminders are little tricks and triggers, such as people, places, events or things, that we use to remind ourselves to Stop and observe our inner state and remember ourselves. Each Reminder should be accompanied by explicit three centered Inner Work and a Sensing exercise. One should change Reminders often, as they tend to become mechanical otherwise.
The following are only some suggested starting practicies.
Suggested Inner Work
Always include a Sensing of your whole body, a part of the body or parts of the body in a sequence.
- Observe ones thought, emotions and sensations.
- Observe tension in the body.
- Observe ones posture.
- Observe ones breathing.
- Remember yourself by bringing Attention to all three centers.
- Remember yourself by doing the I AM exercise.
- Quite the intellectual center by stopping thoughts.
- Intone a Repetition or Prayer, verbally or silently.
- Perform a ritual, such as making the sign of the Cross or take a particular posture or a Movements position.
Suggested Reminders
- On awakening in the morning.
- Feet touching the floor in the morning.
- While washing in the morning.
- While eliminating waste water and solids.
- Beginning of a meal.
- Opening the refrigerator
- Answering the telephone.
- Walking through a doorway.
- Opening the car door.
- Whenever a certain time is shown on a clock.
- Turning on your computer.
- Switching on a light.
- Whenever you say “I”, or some other word.
- Whenever someone else says “I”, or some other word.
- When a certain sound occurs, such as car horn, dog barking, bird singing.
- Meeting a certain person.
- Entering a certain building or store.
- Whenever a commercial comes on TV.
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