Chinese Whispers

Reflections on the Challenge

Each time you go out through your front door, be aware of your legs and notice how you feel about going. Hold your intention in mind.
When you return, recall it, and consider whether it was fulfilled.

• Experiences

  L had remembered, on some occasions, his intention when leaving home and later reflected on whether it had been fulfilled. On other occasions he had remained aware of his legs while going out. The challenge had also helped him keep in mind Gurdjieff's idea of the octave, particularly the need to remain conscious both at the beginning of an undertaking and as it approached completion.

  N had set out with a clear intention for an afternoon excursion. He spent time browsing for books and enjoyed lunch before returning home. On the journey back he encountered large crowds of football supporters and became aware of his reactions to the atmosphere and behaviour of the crowd.

• Responses

  Responidng to L, N said that returning home could create a false sense of safety, leading to a loss of concentration when the final stage of a task still remained unfinished.

  T said that to painting, completion itself could become a difficulty.

  N added that he had become more aware of impulses that diverted him from completing tasks and had found it necessary either to consciously maintain direction or consciously set tasks aside for later completion.

Beelzebub’s Tales, Chapter 33

• Passage

  On the third morning, looking by chance out of the window of my lodging into the street I saw there quite an unusual commotion; everyone was cleaning, everywhere there was sweeping, many of what are called the ‘gendarmerie’ and ‘police’ were walking up and down.

  To my question as to what caused all this, our Ahoon explained to me that on that day, in our street, the arrival of a very important general of that community was expected.

  On this same day, in the afternoon, while I was sitting at home and talking with one of my new acquaintances, the concierge of the house came running in to me, agitated and bewildered, and stammering exclaimed: ‘Hi… s, his… Ex… Exce… ce… ce… lency!’ But he did not have time to finish before His Excellency himself entered. As soon as the unfortunate concierge saw him appear, he appeared as if struck dumb by lightning, and then, having pulled himself together, he hurriedly, as it is said there, ‘backed’ out of the room.

• Discussion

  T noted how dramatically the arrival of an authority figure affected the behaviour of everyone around them, observing how the servant seemed to make himself smaller in the presence of status.

  L connected the scene with thresholds and entrances, pointing out that the arrival itself involved a conscious crossing into a new situation.

  N suggested that powerful figures could evoke exaggerated responses because people projected significance onto them. He compared this with modern experiences of meeting famous or influential people, where reality often differed from expectation.

  Later, T suggested that authority figures often appeared larger than life because of what others projected onto them rather than because of their actual physical presence.

• Passage

  But His Noble Excellency himself, with a very friendly smile, although with a shade of what is called ‘hauteur’ ... came towards me, at the same time examining with great curiosity the ‘antiques’ which were in my room, and, shaking me in a special way by the wrist, sat down in my favorite armchair.

  ...Having said this, he suddenly stood up and approaching what is called a china figure of old Chinese workmanship which stood in a corner of my room, he exclaimed with impulsive rapture which thrilled his whole presence: ‘How charming!… Where did you get this marvel of ancient wisdom…?’

  And not ceasing to look at the said figure and giving himself up to the feeling of his rapture, or, more strictly speaking, with all his feelings coursing together through him, he further continued:

  ‘I myself am very much interested in all ancient art, but chiefly in Chinese, and that is why, of the five rooms given up to my collection, three are filled with productions of ancient Chinese work alone.’

• Discussion

  T observed that the official appeared as captivated by the Chinese artefacts as the servant had previously been captivated by him, suggesting a parallel between fascination with authority and fascination with objects.

  L noted the phrase describing “all his feelings coursing together through him,” seeing this as an unusually strong description of emotional involvement.

  N suggested that the attraction towards ancient Chinese art reflected a perception of wisdom and mystery associated with older traditions and cultures.

  T added that Chinese art seemed to possess a different quality of beauty, one which appeared to emerge from a different way of seeing the world.

• Passage

  During this conversation he suddenly and hastily took his watch from his pocket, automatically looked at it, stood up quickly and, once on his feet, said:

  "How vexing! I am obliged to interrupt our chat, interesting to the highest degree, as I must hurry home where doubtless the great friend of my youth and his charming wife are already waiting for me..."

  "And as regards the instructions I am required to give you, about which I had come to you, I will send my adjutant this very day, and he will explain everything to you, and no worse than I perhaps would."

  After this, with fussy self-importance, he left me.

  And indeed, on the evening of the very same day, as His Noble Excellency had promised me, one of his adjutants came to my house who was still, as is said there, a "young man" ... This adjutant of his who came had the very marked specific type of a terrestrial three-brained being whom in recent times among your favorites one has often come across, and who is very well defined by the words mama's and papa's darling.

  ... a little later it became clear to his being-rumination that I belonged neither to his own caste nor to a higher one, but appeared to be one of those beings who according to the abnormal understanding of the beings of that community are considered little higher than what are called ‘savages,’

• Discussion

  T questioned whether a genuine conversation had taken place at all, observing that the official seemed absorbed in his own concerns and barely acknowledged the person in front of him.

  T noted that the young adjutant appeared shaped more by privilege and upbringing than by experience, while N suggested that he seemed full of borrowed attitudes rather than anything genuinely his own.

  L observed that the passage presented successive layers of hierarchy: each level appeared subordinate to one authority while simultaneously acting superior towards another.

  Later, T suggested that these displays of importance functioned as a way of controlling others through expectation and social convention. N agreed, observing that many people appeared to live through inherited assumptions and roles rather than authentic experience.