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This journal contains my current understanding of Gurdjieff's Fourth Way. I will sometimes quote him or refer to the many books I read about his life and teachings, but some snippets (like the first one) will be based on anecdotes. It will be a hyper-personal, subjective view that is quite different from the common understanding of his legacy. Enjoy the ride and feel free to drop comments whenever you like.
1. Friction
A few years ago I visited my uncle's farm ("farm" actually being an outdated word to describe his huge agricultural enterprise). My uncle is a hard worker known (and feared) for his sharp tongue. He will never hesitate to crack a joke at the cost of someone present, if it means to "raise the spirits". "See for instance my cousin over there," he remarked, nodding at me, "see how he keeps his hands in his pockets. That's how you recognize city people." Everyone burst out laughing and yes, I laughed along, despite obvious feelings of shame and embarrasment.
I have visited this scene often in my memories and now realize that my uncle did what Gurdjieff often did with his pupils: raising awareness by causing so-called "friction". Friction can be caused by an outburst of (functional) anger, by an otherwordly remark, an unexpected instruction, or mostly by a special joke. For it to work, the timing must be impeccable. What happened (in the theory of Gurdjieff) was this: the "friction" made certain emotions within me arise, and placed me for a choice: will you "identify" with those feelings or not? (Will they make you spiteful or will you move on?) He also forced me into "self-observation". My posture had indeed been fully "mechanical". I had not been present, but now, I was awake. And how! Through the laughter that followed, I "switched centers". And not only me, I am sure, but everyone present.
At the moment, none of the theory above (friction, identification, self-observation, mechanical, switching centers) would have made any sense to me, and it may not make sense to you either. But it makes much sense to me now. I am starting to realize, with more and more clarity, how Gurdjieff's teachings, his "Fourth Way", is a path that leads (or loops back?) to ordinary life. Not in the sense of defeat, but in the sense of liberation. It is true magic of the Great Return. His eccentric dance movements, outlandish musical food diagrams, and weird work of fiction "Beelzebub's Tales to His Grandson" are a masterful distraction that enables his followers to transfuse the understanding into their soul.
1. Friction
A few years ago I visited my uncle's farm ("farm" actually being an outdated word to describe his huge agricultural enterprise). My uncle is a hard worker known (and feared) for his sharp tongue. He will never hesitate to crack a joke at the cost of someone present, if it means to "raise the spirits". "See for instance my cousin over there," he remarked, nodding at me, "see how he keeps his hands in his pockets. That's how you recognize city people." Everyone burst out laughing and yes, I laughed along, despite obvious feelings of shame and embarrasment.
I have visited this scene often in my memories and now realize that my uncle did what Gurdjieff often did with his pupils: raising awareness by causing so-called "friction". Friction can be caused by an outburst of (functional) anger, by an otherwordly remark, an unexpected instruction, or mostly by a special joke. For it to work, the timing must be impeccable. What happened (in the theory of Gurdjieff) was this: the "friction" made certain emotions within me arise, and placed me for a choice: will you "identify" with those feelings or not? (Will they make you spiteful or will you move on?) He also forced me into "self-observation". My posture had indeed been fully "mechanical". I had not been present, but now, I was awake. And how! Through the laughter that followed, I "switched centers". And not only me, I am sure, but everyone present.
At the moment, none of the theory above (friction, identification, self-observation, mechanical, switching centers) would have made any sense to me, and it may not make sense to you either. But it makes much sense to me now. I am starting to realize, with more and more clarity, how Gurdjieff's teachings, his "Fourth Way", is a path that leads (or loops back?) to ordinary life. Not in the sense of defeat, but in the sense of liberation. It is true magic of the Great Return. His eccentric dance movements, outlandish musical food diagrams, and weird work of fiction "Beelzebub's Tales to His Grandson" are a masterful distraction that enables his followers to transfuse the understanding into their soul.