The absence of unity in Man

The meeting started with a reading from Ouspensky’s book "In Search of the Miraculous", Chapter 3, in which Gurdjieff talks about the lack of unity in man’s mind.

Gurdjieff tells us one of man’s chief mistakes is his illusion in regard to his "I".

"A man is never the same for long. He is continually changing . . . You will be astonished when you realize what a multitude . . . live in one man. If you learn to observe them there is no need to go to a cinema."

He went on to talk of the difficulty of change: "Nature has made [Man] such as he is, and, in large masses, so far as we can see, such he will remain. Changes likely to violate the general requirements of nature can only take place in separate units."

D said he recently used will to take over in a difficult talk situation (on depression). A recounted a similar experience. "R" brought attention on how to make this mode of mind happen. D listens to birsdong to still and focus the mind. RM said the will to stay in the present requires a special type of energy or resource.

Gurdjieff goes on to say "The evolution of large masses of humanity is opposed to nature's purposes . . . There exist, therefore, special forces (of a planetary character) which oppose the evolution of large masses of humanity and keep it at the level it ought, to be."

(Read more on this from the book itself. An electronic version of this book is available from the link on the right.)

RM turned the discussion to the question of what is negative.

D brought up violence on the news (even in middle of Radio 3 broadcasting)

RM suggested it is anything that stops one from being awake.

L said there are internet radio stations which provide classical music without interruption for news bulletins.

(One example is last.fm).

RM said has news media on all the time. The emotional response of the listener is a choice. Fantasy is not being in the present.

"R" pointed out that this brought up the question of subjectivity and objectivity; where does one end and the other begin?

A recalled a play where people were ignoring disturbing news bulletins in background.

L said it can be important to be aware of and respond to what is happening, and referred to the siege of Sarajevo and Germany in World War 2.

R said it is best not be affected but to respond to negativity

D described a nurse who had to leave a room as she was too emotionally affected.

A recounted how, after being told about a friend's tumour, she asked her friend to desist.

L said the response to negativity can ultimately lead to conflict.

RM said the attraction of negative news is that it can make one feel superior.

M said most people are revolving rather than evolving.

RM asked if it matters whether people are evolving. Once you start waking up there's no going back

D read an extract from the autobiography of Colin Wilson (author of "The War Against Sleep"): "I received a letter from a medium who explained she was passing on to me a message from someone called Gurdjieff – she had no idea who this might be. And the message, in Gurdjieff’s fractured English, certainly sounded exactly like the Master . . . it was more-or-less an exhortation to keep on going in the same direction."

It was pointed out that going on holiday splits attention in two, as one is also remembering normal responsibilities.

N said it can be split in three if you have left someone in a third place. Four people can climb the same tree but be sitting on different branches and think the trees (realities) are different.

"R" said they can look for links between what they see.

RM said that the only way is to be aware of where we are now.

DM said it is important not to forger compassion - thoughts create fellings.

RM said one can avoid thinking of the past and the future, i.e. that one should not be stopped by fears

"R" said imagination is a very important faculty but sometimes people start asking "what if...?"

L asked if anyone else found Gurdjieff's view to be fatalistic.