The meeting started with a reading from Ouspensky’s book "In Search of the Miraculous", Chapter 4, in which the relationship of knowledge and being are described. For the level of being to grow, it needs not only knowledge, but knowledge with the understanding that comes from personal experience. In Ouspensky's account, Gurdjieff tells us that “being or existence may be of very different levels and categories . . . the being of two people can differ from one another more than the being of a mineral and of an animal."
R referred the meeting to Chapter X of “Meetings with Remarkable Men”, in which Brother Giovanni (quoted by Gurdjieff) says “. . . knowledge and understanding are quite different. Only understanding can lead to being, whereas knowledge is but a passing presence in it. New knowledge displaces the old and the result is, as it were, a pouring from the empty into the void.”
(Read more on the above from the books - electronic versions of both books are available from the link on the right.)
In the ensuing discussion, R used the word “presence” to describe being. L mentioned the additional meaning of the word, as a “gift” intentionally given to the self at a conscious moment. M gave the example of the absent minded professor, as knowledge without being which is inapplicable to life. Knowledge, being and experience give a a more meaningful picture.
The issue of taking in knowledge above one’s comprehension was discussed, how much potential knowledge gives, and what knowledge can a sleeping man have? How can one change one’s being?
A recent BBC television program covering the history of the Rolls Royce company was mentioned, which some present had seen. L cited the case of the Wright Brothers, who had the knowledge to build the first aeroplane, but lacked the vision that there might be a big future for air transport, and it was William Boeing who had that conviction and carried the vision through to reality.
A said that an artist often needs a grounded business manager. A choreographer requires a producer and director and dancers. RS cited an example of a piano pupil who, despite limited knowledge, was able to play a particular song with a deeper interpretation than could he. L gave the example of autistic savants who play the piano with technical accuracy but cannot express emotion.
M read on, that being is aimless without knowledge. Knowledge outweighing being or being outweighing knowledge leaves a person as a weak yogi or a stupid saint who cannot develop further.
RS said he had taught a pupil to play piano using automatic behaviour. For being one needs a certain amount of knowledge. Being does not increase understanding.
L mentioned that in the case of the piano, and sports, knowledge is partly used by the Moving Centre – we need to consider how awareness of our own bodies relates to the process of waking up. T added that mechanical behaviour is a useful and necessary component for something to grow. L described the Greek concept of the Muses. There were nine different Muses for different kinds of art. An alternative way of being is to be open to external ideas.
T suggested the use of Venn diagrams using sets to illustrate the different areas and relationships between them. L suggested the possibility of each person at the Meetings having the enneagram diagram in front of them to help analyse the concepts under discussion.
M, continuing the reading, said that when the three centres meet together (intellectual, emotional and moving) there is understanding.
A gave an example where she was required to act a particular role, and because she had already personally experienced in real life what was scripted to happened to her on stage, she felt immobilised as it was too graphically real – a conscious shock.
RS recalled seeing a foreign language news item where he couldn’t understand any of the language. Many years before, as a child he had been taught a little Arabic by his father. He saw a woman embracing a man who had been shot, and heard her say, in Arabic, “My darling, my darling”. He immediately felt a wave of empathy and was very moved by the scene. This was knowledge and being coming together to wake him up.
M said one should ask what is one’s aim or purpose in life. Is one’s present activity in line with one’s higher purpose?
RM said one’s destination is about being present. L said that Gurdjieff’s concept of the law of fate meant that we are born with a predisposition for a certain kind of life and can act in that direction rather than let it pass us by. RM said that fate stops when you move into being.
R said that when you think you know you know, you’ve closed a door.
RM said that one can awaken by meditation - being with the void, the platform that everything else stands on - being the sea and not the waves. L asked how one could be sure that one was awake. R spoke of the importance of “being in question”.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Sunday, October 4, 2009
States of consciousness
The meeting started with a reading from Ouspensky’s book "In Search of the Miraculous", Chapter 8, in which the four states of consciousness possible for man are described.
The first and lowest state is the sleeping state. Ouspensky, quoting Gurdjieff, writes "This is an entirely subjective state of consciousness. A man is immersed in dreams, whether he remembers them or not does not matter." In this state we do not know the difference between dreams and reality.
The second is the waking state or waking/sleep state. This is the state in which we spend most of our time and have a little more conscious awareness than in the sleeping state. We are able to move around and participate in a world of common reality that we share with others. When a man is awake he can do more damage. There was a war on at the time of writing, the 1914-18, a war where several millions of "sleeping" people were trying to kill several million other people who were also "asleep". Only work that leads to awakening matters.
The third state of our consciousness is self-consciousness or "self-remembering", when one is objectively conscious of one’s own thoughts and beingness and can see our intentions and behaviour from a more enlightened point of view. A man cannot awaken by himself. Involuntary imitation begins in childhood. People can live in sleep and die in sleep. Gurdjieff says: "For most people, even for educated and thinking people, the chief obstacle in the way of acquiring self-consciousness consists in the fact that they think they possess it", but when one is living in the two lower states of consciousness one is not aware of the higher ones.
Gurdjieff calls the fourth state "the objective state" where "a man can see things as they are". At this level one can see other people’s viewpoints impartially and objectively without any trace of subjective prejudice.
(Read more on this from the book itself. An electronic version of this book is available from the link on the right.)
A discussion followed. M. suggested that a decision made when we are in a self-consciousness level of awareness was a time when one could possibly affect a future event and would also indicate the effectiveness of our power of will.
T said it was a paradox that people wake up on the battlefield.
On trying to reach the third state, Gurdjieff said a man needs the support of a group. There is a distinction between different types of group, discussion groups and practical groups in the Gurdjieff work. It was agreed that this is an introductory discussion group.
A. - who is part of a theatre group - gave an example from the theatre of mechanical talking.
D. - a playwright - gave us flyers for his new play which was about to be staged - a flash of inspiration to the group!
T. - a painter - related that Julia Cameron (author of "The Artists Way"), was told by someone not to be self-indulgent. But it is necessary to be alone and concentrated on your self. No art can be done without the person being on their own.
The first and lowest state is the sleeping state. Ouspensky, quoting Gurdjieff, writes "This is an entirely subjective state of consciousness. A man is immersed in dreams, whether he remembers them or not does not matter." In this state we do not know the difference between dreams and reality.
The second is the waking state or waking/sleep state. This is the state in which we spend most of our time and have a little more conscious awareness than in the sleeping state. We are able to move around and participate in a world of common reality that we share with others. When a man is awake he can do more damage. There was a war on at the time of writing, the 1914-18, a war where several millions of "sleeping" people were trying to kill several million other people who were also "asleep". Only work that leads to awakening matters.
The third state of our consciousness is self-consciousness or "self-remembering", when one is objectively conscious of one’s own thoughts and beingness and can see our intentions and behaviour from a more enlightened point of view. A man cannot awaken by himself. Involuntary imitation begins in childhood. People can live in sleep and die in sleep. Gurdjieff says: "For most people, even for educated and thinking people, the chief obstacle in the way of acquiring self-consciousness consists in the fact that they think they possess it", but when one is living in the two lower states of consciousness one is not aware of the higher ones.
Gurdjieff calls the fourth state "the objective state" where "a man can see things as they are". At this level one can see other people’s viewpoints impartially and objectively without any trace of subjective prejudice.
(Read more on this from the book itself. An electronic version of this book is available from the link on the right.)
A discussion followed. M. suggested that a decision made when we are in a self-consciousness level of awareness was a time when one could possibly affect a future event and would also indicate the effectiveness of our power of will.
T said it was a paradox that people wake up on the battlefield.
On trying to reach the third state, Gurdjieff said a man needs the support of a group. There is a distinction between different types of group, discussion groups and practical groups in the Gurdjieff work. It was agreed that this is an introductory discussion group.
A. - who is part of a theatre group - gave an example from the theatre of mechanical talking.
D. - a playwright - gave us flyers for his new play which was about to be staged - a flash of inspiration to the group!
T. - a painter - related that Julia Cameron (author of "The Artists Way"), was told by someone not to be self-indulgent. But it is necessary to be alone and concentrated on your self. No art can be done without the person being on their own.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
A B C Influences
The meeting started with a reading from Ouspensky’s ‘The Psychology of Man’s Possible Evolution’ followed by a discussion on how we can distinguish the differences between A, B, and C influences and the possible effect they can have on our conscious development.
In this reading, we are described as living under, Ouspensky says, "two kinds of influences". In the above book, in his third lecture, he explains further: "The first kind consists of interests and attractions created by life itself ...", whereas "...The second kind consists of interests of a different order, aroused by ideas which are not created in life but come originally from schools."
(Read more on this from the book itself. An electronic version of this book is available from the link on the right.)
In this reading, we are described as living under, Ouspensky says, "two kinds of influences". In the above book, in his third lecture, he explains further: "The first kind consists of interests and attractions created by life itself ...", whereas "...The second kind consists of interests of a different order, aroused by ideas which are not created in life but come originally from schools."
(Read more on this from the book itself. An electronic version of this book is available from the link on the right.)
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Intelligence of mind centres
The meeting started with a reading of the different kinds of intelligence of our mind centres, as described by Nicoll in his Psychological Commentaries, Volume 2, page 392.
Dr. Nicoll explains that all our mind centres can be described as functions that have much in common by having their own ‘centre of gravity’, but at the same time, each has its own peculiar characteristics and its own kind of intelligence.
We find when we observe ourselves that we have four separate mind centres that we can recognise in ourselves. We have an intellectual centre that directs our intellectual or thinking functions. An emotional centre that controls our emotions and feelings. A moving centre that controls all external body movements such as walking, writing and speaking. And an instinctive centre that includes all the metabolic activity of the body such as breathing, digestion and blood circulation.
Dr. Nicoll explains that all our mind centres can be described as functions that have much in common by having their own ‘centre of gravity’, but at the same time, each has its own peculiar characteristics and its own kind of intelligence.
We find when we observe ourselves that we have four separate mind centres that we can recognise in ourselves. We have an intellectual centre that directs our intellectual or thinking functions. An emotional centre that controls our emotions and feelings. A moving centre that controls all external body movements such as walking, writing and speaking. And an instinctive centre that includes all the metabolic activity of the body such as breathing, digestion and blood circulation.
However, Dr Nicoll writes: "When it is said in this system that each centre has its own intelligence, it does not mean that each centre has the same kind of intelligence. . . . They should be like 3 brothers who live in harmony, each one good at something, and each one capable of helping the others to a small extent."
(Read more on this from the book itself. An electronic version of this book is available from the link on the right.)
The reading was followed by a discussion on the right and wrong working of centres and the important part each ‘mind centre’ plays in our psychological anatomy.
(Read more on this from the book itself. An electronic version of this book is available from the link on the right.)
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Time, Recurrence and Events
The meeting started with a reading from Maurice Nicoll’s Psychological Commentaries, on The Idea of Time, Recurrence and Events, Vol. 2, p. 425
This was followed by a discussion of some of the questions discussed about the experiencing of events in time.
Most of us think of the events of the day as happenings in periods of ‘linear time’, that is; the events we experience appear to happen as moments in an extended time-line, divided into days, hours, minutes and seconds, with one moment following another.
However, many modern scientists, philosophers and esoteric teachers, tell us that time can also be composed of events that can recur in ‘psychological time’ and that we experience life in two dimensions. We have a personal world of our own thoughts and feelings and a world that we share with other people, who also have their own personal world.
When we view time from a psychological perspective, we can observe our day in ‘psychological time’ which is composed of many kind of events, some happy some depressing, and although some may be important, there are many that are trivial, and in fact are wasting our time if they succeed in gaining our attention.
Events cluster round our line of Time that we call a day and are constantly seeking our attention and intruding in our thoughts and feelings. However when we recall events in ‘psychological time’ we can expand the useful experiences of a positive event, and minimise or discard trivial events that are unimportant.
In the outer world of realities that we share with other people, we have very little control of most of the events that happen to us, events that may place us in an intolerable situation. But in our inner personal world, when we observe events objectively, we can do something to improve our situation.
In ‘psychological time’ we can make an event take more, or less, or all of our time. An event that may have occurred in a very short period of linear time can expand in psychological time and occupy your mind for a much longer period. We can then decide what events we are you going to ignore or minimise, and which events we are going to accept, identify with and maximise, the choice is ours.
This was followed by a discussion of some of the questions discussed about the experiencing of events in time.
Most of us think of the events of the day as happenings in periods of ‘linear time’, that is; the events we experience appear to happen as moments in an extended time-line, divided into days, hours, minutes and seconds, with one moment following another.
However, many modern scientists, philosophers and esoteric teachers, tell us that time can also be composed of events that can recur in ‘psychological time’ and that we experience life in two dimensions. We have a personal world of our own thoughts and feelings and a world that we share with other people, who also have their own personal world.
When we view time from a psychological perspective, we can observe our day in ‘psychological time’ which is composed of many kind of events, some happy some depressing, and although some may be important, there are many that are trivial, and in fact are wasting our time if they succeed in gaining our attention.
Events cluster round our line of Time that we call a day and are constantly seeking our attention and intruding in our thoughts and feelings. However when we recall events in ‘psychological time’ we can expand the useful experiences of a positive event, and minimise or discard trivial events that are unimportant.
In the outer world of realities that we share with other people, we have very little control of most of the events that happen to us, events that may place us in an intolerable situation. But in our inner personal world, when we observe events objectively, we can do something to improve our situation.
In ‘psychological time’ we can make an event take more, or less, or all of our time. An event that may have occurred in a very short period of linear time can expand in psychological time and occupy your mind for a much longer period. We can then decide what events we are you going to ignore or minimise, and which events we are going to accept, identify with and maximise, the choice is ours.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Knowledge and Being
The meeting commenced with a reading on ‘knowledge and being’ from ‘In search of the miraculous’ Chapter 4. p64. where Ouspensky explains the importance of understanding the relationship between knowledge and being. For the level of being to grow it needs not only knowledge, but knowledge with the understanding that comes with personal experience.
Ouspensky quotes Gurdjieff as saying: "In right evolution 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."
(Read more on this from the book itself. An electronic version of this book is available from the link on the right.)
For the level of being to grow it needs not only knowledge, but knowledge with the understanding that comes with personal experience.
Ouspensky quotes Gurdjieff as saying: "In right evolution 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."
(Read more on this from the book itself. An electronic version of this book is available from the link on the right.)
For the level of being to grow it needs not only knowledge, but knowledge with the understanding that comes with personal experience.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
More on the Enneagram
We began the session with a demonstration of how to draw the enneagram, which each person did. This helps internalise the symbol which is important as many of the concepts in the Work relate to it. The images below are from Maurice Nicoll's Commentaries, Volume 2.
The notes of the musical scale were placed around it, and this led to a discussion of some aspects of harmony.
The position of the first shock (point 3) may be associated with the return to the median "mi" from a suspended fourth "fa".
We also discussed the analogy from the seven days of creation in the Old Testament and the Koran, with the corresponding points of the evolution of consciousness in the enneagram.
The processing of experiences (self-observation) was compared with other shock points such as breathing and eating.
It was agreed that the diagrams would be brought back to future meetings for reference.
Five people attended the meeting.
The notes of the musical scale were placed around it, and this led to a discussion of some aspects of harmony.
The position of the first shock (point 3) may be associated with the return to the median "mi" from a suspended fourth "fa".
We also discussed the analogy from the seven days of creation in the Old Testament and the Koran, with the corresponding points of the evolution of consciousness in the enneagram.
The processing of experiences (self-observation) was compared with other shock points such as breathing and eating.
It was agreed that the diagrams would be brought back to future meetings for reference.
Five people attended the meeting.
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