GURDJIEFF AND BLOCKAGES - CLICK HERE

GEORGE IVANOVITCH GURDJIEFF

Gurdjieff's Books

GURDJIEFF'S SYSTEM OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT: "THE WORK"

THE OBJECTIVE ART OF GURDJIEFF AND KUNDALINI ENERGY

Reciprocal Maintenance Meditation, Buffers or Energy Blockages, Mechanical people, Sub – Personalities and the Soul Personality or Essence, through the work of Gurdjieff Part 1 of 2

Reciprocal Maintenance Meditation, the Solution to the Problem of War, Increase of Life leading to Immortality through the work of Gurdjieff Part 2 of 2

Tapas IS the Conscious Suffering of Gurdjieff

 Gurdjieff say about Meditation, Orage, Egoism and the Enhancement of Energy
What did Gurdjieff say about Meditation, Orage, Egoism and the Enhancement of Energy? Pt 3 of 3   "The force and degree of a man's inner benevolence evokes in others a proportionate degree of...

What did Gurdjieff say about Meditation, Ouspensky, Egoism and the Enhancement of Energy
What did Gurdjieff say about Meditation, Ouspensky , Egoism and the Enhancement of Energy? Pt 2 of 3   "The force and degree of a man's inner benevolence evokes in others a proportionate degree...

What Did Gurdjieff Say about Meditation, Frank Lloyd Wright, Ego + Enhancement of Energy
What Did Gurdjieff Say about Meditation, Frank Lloyd Wright, Ego + Enhancement of Energy? Pt1 of 3     "The force and degree of a man's inner benevolence evokes in others a proportionate...

Much of Gurdjieff's teaching or "philosophy" was ostensibly an oral process of transmission, but after his accident he decided rather reluctantly to delineate its essence for mankind in the form of 3 written volumes. The First volume entitled "Beelzebub's Tales to His Grandson" is composed of three books or sections. The second volume was entitled "Meetings with Remarkable Men", and the third "Life is Only Real, Then when I am".

The following hypothesis is a review of the following literary works:
1. All & Everything or "Beelzebub's Tales to His Grandson".
2. Meetings with Remarkable Men.
3. The Self is Only Real, Then When I am.

One important factor relevant in understanding the sophistication of Gurdjieff's System was the language he employed to write these literary works. All of them were originally written in Armenian and contained numerous esoteric word ciphers which required a knowledge of the keys to the cryptic clues required for deciphering their real meaning. The Armenian language is derived and partly based on the Georgian Language which was in turn largely a combination of the Indo-Iranian and Caucasian languages. The Georgian language strangely enough is like the Greek in that numerically it is an isosephic tongue whereby all its' letters contain the number range from 1 to 1,000.

Two distinct writing styles developed within the Georgian alphabet - the "Khutsuri" or priestly letters which are somewhat square in shape and the more cursive "Mkhedruli" or warrior letters developed around 1,000 CE. As a direct result of the development of the more cursive script the Georgian language itself was reduced from 39 to 33 letters. This mathematically reflects the symmetry contained in the number 9 and the number 11 - these two numbers reoccur within Arabic and Sanskrit esoteric number symbolism (See 99 Names of God). Where for example 3x3 = 9, 3x9 = 27, and 3x11 = 33. The first three key numbers enumerated are 9 - the numer of the enneagram, 27 - the number of Lunar Asterisms, and 33 - the number of joints in the human spine. In Sanskrit cosmology they re-emerge as the 33 consonants of their alphabet which correspond with the 33 joints of the human spine, the sum total of 25 Varga letters & 8 Avarga letters symbolically represent the 33 Gods of Heaven (Surya) and the Goddess Kali herself. They can also be found within Cabalistic doctrines where the 33 degrees represent the entire range of Masonic levels of initiation.

As many students of the Gurdjieffian system are aware G.I. Gurdjieff was well travelled and studied the components of esoteric Arabic mathematics and the Greek "Soma Sophia". He no doubt aligned much of his work along the lines of the abstract numerical symbolism contained within these particular occult systems. It is therefore a subtle blend of Eastern Mysticism, Gnosticism or Esoteric Christianity.

It should be noted that the First Book or section contains 27 chapters which correspond to the 28 Lunar Mansions or "manzils" of Arabic astrology defined by al-Arabi's astrological scale. The major calendrical and cosmological systems of the world have corresponding asterisms each with various names or titles. These lunar asterisms usually contain an additional intercalary "month" thus bringing the final total to 28. Based again on the laws of the octave, there are 4 Palaces representing the four cardinal directions, each one containing 7 asterisms. The Chinese Compass Plates used in Divination and Feng Shui are also relevant to this form of geomantic division of the 360 degrees of the Celestial Sphere where conveniently 4 x 9 = 36.

The Chinese Lo Shu Magic Square and the talismanic seal of Saturn is composed of 9 cells arranged in a manner that contains a series of four numbers: 3, 9, 15 and 45. The first number (3) is the number of squares of any given side. The second number is 9 - the total number of cells which correspond to the nine points of the Enneagram. The third number is 15 - the sum total of any 3 cells read vertically, horizontally or diagonally. The fourth number 45 is the total sum of the entire nine numbers of the magic square. These 4 numbers therefore govern the symbolic arrangement of the Magic Square acting as metaphors. Before the discovery of the outer planets Uranus, Neptune and Pluto the planet Saturn was the "King" or ruler of the other six planets Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter.

The Second Book contains eleven chapters which accord with the 11 degrees of the Cosmic Ladder of Consciousness. See also Orphic Ladder.

Finally, the Third Book contains 8 chapters which accord with the Geomantic Ogdoad. The last is a subtle addition entitled "From the Author" and can be set aside from the entire three volumes thus totalling 45. "From the Author" contains a description of the automatic or mechanical nature of the human psyche analogously expressed as a Horse and Carriage.

Therefore each chapter of "Beelzebub's Tales to His Grandson" is symbolically and mystically linked to one of the 28 letters of the Arabic, Hebraic or Greek alphabets.

The Enneagram is an ancient symbol of spiritual development whose 9 points were arranged in such a way as to define both the nine basic human personality types in their relationship to the divine principles of Faith, Hope and Love. The study of this talisman was integral to many esoteric schools in the East and West whose teachings advocated both spiritual and dynamic psychological techniques to curb the destructive tendencies of human egocentric behaviour. Records of its' existence go back as far as 4,500 years from the theological sanskrit mathematicians of India, to the Tibetan Buddhist philosophers, the Sufi mystics of Persia and to the Gnostics of the early esoteric Christian church. Its' abstract number symbolism was well-known to the Greek Philosopher Pythagoras who travelled extensively in these regions compiling his own comparative study of the essence contained within all religious doctrines.

Ten years after his death Gurdjieff's pupils decided to publish the next in the series of written material. While Beelzebub's Tales was meant to destroy mercilessly erroneous beliefs and views held by mankind for centuries, his second volume entitled "Meetings with Remarkable Men", was intended to furnish fresh material required by his followers of a new world, throwing light on a fundamentally new perception of the self. This was written in the form of an autobiography relating events from his childhood to his years spent in search of the answers to religious and philosophical questions. The following is a quote from the foreword of "Meetings with Remarkable Men".

This literary material is arranged as ten chapters with a foreword and an additional section entitled The Material Question. Again this material is arranged so that it corresponds to the 11 Sephirotic Spheres of Cabalistic Cosmology. However, in this autobiographical work Gurdjieff features 9 characters in his life which correspond to the nine points of the Enneagram.

I. Introduction.
II. My Father
III. My First Tutor.
IV. Bogachevsky.
V. Mr. X or Captain Pogossian.
VI. Abram Yelov.
VII. Prince Yuri Lubovedsky.
VIII. Ekim Bey.
IX. Piotr Karpenko.
X. Professor Skridlov.
XI. The Material Question.

Alternatively, they may have arisen as symbolic elements in Beelzebub:
 

Letter	Virtue & Powers:	Elemental Fusion:	Value:	Dominions & Rulerships:	Links to Tarot Attribute:
B	Goodness	Fire of Fire	1	I Lord of the Lightning Staff.  Lord of Salamanders.	Knight §
C	Greatness	Air of Fire	2	II Prince of the Chariot of Fire.  Chief of Salamanders.	King §
D	Eternal	Water of Fire	3	III Queen of the Throne of Fire.  Queen of Salamanders.	Queen §
E	Powerful	Earth of Fire	4	IV Princess of the Brilliant Flame. Chieftess of Salamanders.	Page§
F	Wisdom	Fire of Air	5	V Lord of the Balmy Breezes.  Lord of Sylphs & Sylphides.	Knight ª
G	Will	Air of Air	6	VI Prince of the Chariot of Storms. Chief of Sylphs & Sylphides.	King ª
H	Virtue	Water of Air	7	VII Queen of the Throne of Truth. Queen of Sylphs & Sylphides.	Queen ª
I	Truth	Earth of Air	8	VIII Princess of the Flowing Lotus. Chieftess of Sylphs & Sylphides.	Page ª
K	Glory	Fire of Water	9	IX Lord of the Flowing Waters.  Lord of Nymphs & Undines.	Knight ©
L	Perfection	Air of Water	10	- Prince of the Chariot of Waters. Chief of Nymphs & Undines.	King ©
M	Equity	Water of Water	11	- Queen of the Throne of Waters. Queen of Nymphs & Undines.	Queen ©
N	Justice	Earth of Water	12	- Princess of the Grail Cup.  Chieftess of Nymphs & Undines.	Page ©
O	Mercy	Fire of Earth	13	- Lord of the Fertile Forests.  Lord of Gnomes	Knight ¨
P	Humility	Air of Earth	14	- Prince of the Chariot of Earth.  Chief of Gnomes.	King ¨
Q	Rulership	Water of Earth	15	- Queen of the Throne of Forms. Queen of Gnomes	Queen ¨
R	Evident	Earth of Earth	16	- Princess of the Verdant Valleys & Hills. Mistress of Gnomes	Page ¨

Lull's Latin or Christian Caballa also utilised an onomantic astrological system whereby he was able to categorise the characteristics of a natal chart from the name of a person, he summarised the whole of astrology by simply attributing the elemental order with four Latin letters as follows:
 

(A)Fire (Sanguine) - Tin/Jupiter *Gemini, Libra, Aquarius. (B)Air (Choleric) - Iron or Gold/Mars or Sun *Aries, Leo, Sagittarius. (C)Water (Melancholic) - Lead/Saturn *Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn. (D)Earth (Phlegmatic) - Copper or Silver/Venus or Moon *Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces. with (ABCD) representing all 4 elements Aether - Quicksilver/Mercury. *The Zodiac

He employed two basic cosmological tables commonly known as the "circular" which was composed of three interlocking wheels to produce 729 triadic letter combinations, and the "triangular" composed of 36 possible pairings of the 9 letters. The members of Gurdjieff's Russian Theosophical School (Ouspensky, Charkovsky, & Butovsky) improved on this computational system by dividing each of the 3 "wheels" into 36 divisions, thereby allowing for 4 sets of nine attributes for each wheel. This slightly more advanced system of classification meant that a grand total of 46,656 permutations could be created, examined or worked out.

Triangular Table of 36 Letter Pairs:
 

BC	CD	DE	EF	FG	GH	HI	IK
BD	CE	DF	EG	FH	GI	HK
BE	CF	DG	EH	FI	GK
BF	CG	DH	EI	FK
BG	CH	DI	EK
BH	CI	DK
BI	CK
BK

In the 16th century numerous other metaphysicians from Italy (Francesco Giorgio), England (John Dee) and Germany (Robert Fludd) went on to define further the nine-fold numerical system and its relationship to Tarot.
That being numerically composed of 9 x 3 + 1 whose total = 28 (where A¹is the zero value or number 1,000) which conveniently created a numerical matrix onto which they could then align the Greek, Hebrew and Arabic Alphabets.

No:	Value	Attribute:	World	Hebrew	Greek	Coptic	Arabic
1	1	Heavenly Abode	(Celestial World)	A	A	A	A
2	2	Seraphim		B	B	B	B
3	3	Cherubim		G	G	G	G
4	4	Thrones		D	D	D	D
5	5	Dominions		H	E	E	H
6	6	Virtues		V	St	So	W
7	7	Powers		Z	Z	Z	Z
8	8	Principalities		Ch	H	E	H
9	9	Archangels		T	Th	Th	T
10	10	(Angelic World)	Angels	I	I	I	Y
11	20	Zodiacal	1st Cause	K	K	K	K
12	30		Zodiac	L	L	L	L
13	40		Saturn	M	M	M	M
14	50		Jupiter	N	N	N	N
15	60		Mars	S	X	Ks	S
16	70		Sun	O	O	O	O
17	80		Venus	P	P	P	F
18	90		Mercury	Tz	Q	F	S
19	100	(Terrestrial World)	Moon Human	Q	R	R	Q
20	200	Organic	Animals	R	S	S	R
21	300		Fish Reptiles Insects Birds	Sh	T	T	Sh
22	400		Plants	Th	U	U	T
23	500	(Mineral World)	Metals	Kf	Ph	Ph	Th
24	600	Elemental	Aether	Mf	Ch	Ch	Kh
25	700		Fire	Nf	Ps	Ps	Dh
26	800		Water	Pf	O	O	D
27	900		Air	Tzf	S	S	Tz
28	1000		Earth	A	A	A	Gh

Sum of Numbers:
Square of Numbers:
Multiplication of Numbers:

Thus allowing the 24 letters of the Latin alphabet in terms of their numerical values to be linked to Caballisitc Lore.
In the mid-19th century Eliphas Levi used the French Numerical Code devised by J. Soubira and formerly attributed to no less than the expositions contained in the Emerald Tablets of Hermes Trismegistus to produce the 22 chapter headings for his "Dogme de Haute Magique". No doubt Gurdjieff might have been inspired by this approach to formulate the mnemonic structures contained in his own literary work.

The Pantacle of John Dee is composed of 4 geometric shapes - a pentagram, a heptagon, a heptagram, and another heptagon. The sum of the sides of this talisman is 26 (5+7+7+7 = 26) which conveniently aligns it with the 26 letter English alphabet.

The most holy word appears in the 39th verse of the 1st chapter as follows:

This Greek word QELHMAor Thelema like the divine word or Greek"LoGoS" numerically reduces to 93, the numerical mirror of 39 and is known in esoteric circles as the 93 Current or "Lightning Bolt" - this numbers the paths on the Tree of Life as follows:

The nine letters chosen were:
1. Aleph (Kether)
2. Daleth (Chokmah)
3. Gimel (Binah)
4. Teth (Chesed)
5. Lamed (Geburah)
6. Nun (Netzach)
7. Peh (Yod)
8. Resh (Tiphereth)
9. Tav (Yesod)

Aleister Crowley translated this reference or phrase to mean "Will" or "Love is the Law" that is, Human Will under the power or influence of Divine Love.

However, this phrase and its esoteric significance puzzled him for his entire life and in all his magikal workings and research he was never able to uncover its secret meaning (see The Book of the Law). Many occultists consider that the development and transliteration of his own English alphabet Cabala contains certain anomalies and has never been fully authenticated. As many people may be aware that during their lifetimes Crowley and Gurdjieff had met each other but did not entirely see eye to eye, and their relationship was further exacerbated due to an embarrassing incident when Crowley visited the Prieure in France. Crowley's intention was to discuss or compare various aspects of occult lore but while a guest there he became infatuated with one of Gurdjieff's family servants, and attempted to seduce him - apparently this circumstance deeply offended Gurdjieff's moral sensibilities. As a result of this story many people have subsequently and erroneously concluded that Gurdjieff, a committed family man and heterosexual was not in favour of those people with bisexual or homosexual tendencies. This accusation and similar ones which condemn him as a chauvinist is in my opinion quite false, for although Gurdjieff emanated from a traditional or orthodox upbringing he was nevertheless very liberal and open-minded with respect to sexuality. On this occasion Crowley's actions merely challenged the welfare and virtue of someone then under Gurdjieff's care.

1. Glimpses of Truth.
2. One-sided Development.
3. Energy-Sleep.
4. God the Word.
5. To all my Questions.
6. The Aphorisms of Gurdjieff.

Although not written by Gurdjieff, there does appear to be a subtle message in its overall assembly probably intended like the other literary works as a symbolic structure. Laying aside the 38 aphorisms which must equate with 38 letters of the Georgian alphabet, we are left with 5 sections. While this is pure speculation on my part of course, one is tempted to observe that the numerical components appear to reflect the Five Elements, or possibly the 5 sense impressions. My impression is that this work was probably intended as a primer or adjunct to the other more major works.

Much of what Gurdjieff communicated made sense, and much is of course very contradictory - due largely to the technical limitations he employed in its teaching and transmission. Sometimes he argued for astrology, at others he condemns it. This is a common factor in all philosophical and religious schools, so it does not surprise me that this phenomena existed amongst the renowned intelligentsia associated with Gurdjieff's School. The danger is often to take things out of context and hope that some common fusion will naturally take place.

As for instance in "the example of a day in the life of a Renowned and Respected Man," which occurs in the last chapter of Beelzebub as an addition yet appears in a different context again in "Views from the Real World".
In actual fact the impetus or topic of this original lecture was the striving for freedom, search for self-knowledge and development of will in mankind - Not an evalution or example of MECHANICALNESS.

Its location in Beelzebub as I have pointed out may have some significance to "mechanicalness", but is nevertheless taken out of context. As a work of literary art, Beelzebub's Tales would be a better book without it. It was supposedly a real-life example but it followed on from the following statement by Gurdjieff in answer to a specific question:

Question: "What is free will?"

Answer: "Ask yourselves are you free? Many are inclined to answer yes..(blah, blah)...But this freedom is only a question of external conditions. You have plenty of money, let us say. You live in luxury and enjoy general respect and self-esteem. The people who run your well-organised business are absolutely honest and devoted to you." Etc

It goes on to add:
"Tell me where is the freedom when people and things possess a man to such an extent that he forgets his mood, his business and himself?
- You understand better now that a man need not necessarily be what he appears to be, that the question is not one of external circumstances and facts but of inner structure of a man and his attitude toward these facts. But perhaps this is only true for his associations; with regard to the things he "knows" about, perhaps the situation is different."

"Addressing one of the people present, Gurdjieff said….." and just three pages later, when he was accused of over-dramatising or embellishing the truth, and in defence of this "story"........... he affirmed:
------ "No, it is a photographically exact snapshot, taken from life!"

This passage is a reaction to Gurdjieff's first reading of Ouspensky's manuscript for "In Search of the Miraculous". My understanding is that after Ouspensky's death in 1947, Gurdjieff was given the manuscript, read it, and said it was a "New Muddle of the Universe" yet still encouraged its publication. Gurdjieff was in effect drawing a satirical portrait of Ouspensky. When more surely, mechanical behaviour was aptly illustrated more formally by the Coach & Horse analogy highlighted previously. The need to extend this in the section which begins with the "Renowned and Respected Gentleman" is in my view subjective, and superfluous.

I am tempted again to remind students of Gurdjieff that the final test of any sculpture or work is not the experience or words of a man of great vision but on the contrary - the gut impressions of a blind man. That is why I feel compelled to point out that the section highlighted is without doubt an editorial insertion from a lecture or question and answer session by an anonymous individual who has inserted his personal "I" over that of Gurdjieff's into the text, but not his identity. At least that is how it reads in my version. This is tantamount to altering a clause in somebody's will after they have passed away, as when he wrote the chapter Gurdjieff was then seriously ill and attempting to conclude his "Opus".

One of the rooms of the Institute for the "Harmonious Development of Man" was decorated with the 38 letters of the Georgian alphabet. Each letter had a corresponding aphorism attached.

1. Like what it does not "like".
2. The highest that a man can attain is to be able to do.
3. The worse the conditions of life, the more productive the work, always provided you remember the work.
4. Remember yourself always and everywhere.
5. Remember you come here having already understood the necessity of struggling with yourself - only with yourself. Therefore thank everyone who gives you the opportunity.
6. Here we can only create conditions, but not help.
7. Know that this house can be useful only to those who have recognised their nothingness and who believe in the possibility of changing.
8. If you already know it is bad and do it, you commit a sin difficult to redress.
9. The chief means of happiness in this life is the ability to consider always, internally never.
10. Do not love art with your feelings.
11. A true sign of a good man is if he loves his father and mother.
12. Judge others by yourself and you will rarely be mistaken.
13. Only help him who is not an idler.
14. Respect every religion.
15. I love him who loves work.
16. We can only strive to become Christians.
17. Don't judge a man by the tales of others.
18. Consider what people think of you - not what they say.
19. Take the understanding of the East and the knowledge of the West - and then seek.
20. Only he who can take care of what belongs to others may have his own.
21. Only conscious suffering has any sense.
22. It is better to be temporarily an egotist than never to be just.
23. Practice Love first on animals, they are more sensitive.
24. By teaching others you will learn yourself.
25. Remember that here work is not for work's sake but is only a means.
26. Only he can be just who is able to put himself in the position of others.
27. If you have not by nature a critical mind your staying here is useless.
28. He who has freed himself of the disease "tomorrow" has a chance to attain what he came here for.
29. Blessed is he who has soul, blessed is he who has none, but woe and grief to him who has it in embryo.
30. Rest comes not from the quantity but from the quality of sleep.
31. Sleep little without regret.
32. The energy spent on active work is then and there transformed into a fresh supply, but that spent on passive work is lost forever.
33. One of the best means for arousing the wish to work on oneself is to realise that you may die at any moment. But first you must learn how to keep it in mind.
34. Conscious Love evokes the same in response. Emotional Love evokes the opposite, physical Love depends on type and polarity.
35. Conscious faith is freedom, emotional faith is slavery, mechanical faith is foolishness.
36. Hope when bold, is strength, hope without doubt is cowardice. Hope with fear is weakness.
37. Man is given a definite number of experiences - economising them, he prolongs his life.
38. Here there are neither Russians nor English, Jews nor Christians, but only those who pursue one aim - to be able to be.

GURDJIEFF AND BLOCKAGES - CLICK HERE

GEORGE IVANOVITCH GURDJIEFF

Gurdjieff's Books

GURDJIEFF'S SYSTEM OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT: "THE WORK"

THE OBJECTIVE ART OF GURDJIEFF AND KUNDALINI ENERGY

Reciprocal Maintenance Meditation, Buffers or Energy Blockages, Mechanical people, Sub – Personalities and the Soul Personality or Essence, through the work of Gurdjieff Part 1 of 2

Reciprocal Maintenance Meditation, the Solution to the Problem of War, Increase of Life leading to Immortality through the work of Gurdjieff Part 2 of 2

Tapas IS the Conscious Suffering of Gurdjieff

 Gurdjieff say about Meditation, Orage, Egoism and the Enhancement of Energy
What did Gurdjieff say about Meditation, Orage, Egoism and the Enhancement of Energy? Pt 3 of 3   "The force and degree of a man's inner benevolence evokes in others a proportionate degree of...

What did Gurdjieff say about Meditation, Ouspensky, Egoism and the Enhancement of Energy
What did Gurdjieff say about Meditation, Ouspensky , Egoism and the Enhancement of Energy? Pt 2 of 3   "The force and degree of a man's inner benevolence evokes in others a proportionate degree...

What Did Gurdjieff Say about Meditation, Frank Lloyd Wright, Ego + Enhancement of Energy
What Did Gurdjieff Say about Meditation, Frank Lloyd Wright, Ego + Enhancement of Energy? Pt1 of 3     "The force and degree of a man's inner benevolence evokes in others a proportionate...