Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Inner Octaves
Inner Octaves
Michel Conge
jb
DOLMEN MEADOW BDITIONS
Toronto
This book is a translation of
Sur le chemin de Voctave de l’Homme:
T6m.oign.age d ’un ütve de G.I. Gurdjieff
by Michel Gonge.
Copyright © Societe d’Etude des Traditions, Paris, 2004.
Inner Octaves
Published with the permission of the Societä d’Etude des Traditioi 1..
English text Copyright © Dolmen Meadow Editions, Toronto, 2007.
Fhotographs Copyright © Societe d’Etude des Traditions, Paris, 2011/.
Back-cover photograph; Michel and Gilles Conge at ‘Le Lesiau’,
isbn : 978-0-97806611 -6
D O LM EN M EADOW E D IT IO N S
283 Danforth Avenue, Suite 119
Toronto M4K in 2, Canada
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I 11 " 11' I W H A N G E S
N Mi*! ii ir ii | iii(lt-isiiMiding
1 I- I ■
I I Millllini)
I Io I J(lp i tl ' >i Luv .iihI Inlluences
I Ir 11■ il| M iUI
I 1H; I l|)l* ii tlrnl !s Our Bring
WHi* I In m , lii■i wcrii Worlds
................ mi| Mn luinicality
V' Ih I •
111 1 ih.nl Am ( lonsciousness?
K ln t i '
IRi 1 *Hi r I in in j ihr t Juivcrsc
Mm* I
w ! mi I l> ' ilnllH'
I (In Wml' 1'
HHilt i i imthiji.
) Mt i lii|t
Mllltl
*i ni11111 In (In W'i n Ii 111( ilir Soul
The Functions Enlisted to Serve 113
Our Tenured Professor o f Inner Work 117
Stubbornness and Will 120
The Devil - A Very, Very Important Character 123
Receiving a Fresh Impression o f Oneself 128
I Exist, I Am, I Flave Always Been 132
The Essence o f the Question 134
The Role o f Attention in Seif-Liberation 140
Attention - The Need o f Our Being 152
Prayer 154
Presence and Prayer 163
R E M IN IS C E N C E S
First Encounters with Mr. Gurdjieff 169
First Dinners 172
First Question 174
A Special Treat 175
The Trip to Vichy 181
Departure Delayed 182
ThePursuit 185
A Hotel Transformed 189
A Valiant Effort 191
An Early Rising 194
The Fraudulent Document 196
The Platter ofTrout 199
A Soul Laid Bare 201
A Shopping Spree 204
Money Matters 206
INNER OCTAVES
Notice to the Reader
XI
N O T IC E TO T H E R E A D E R
xii
N O T IC E TO T H E R E A D E R
Kdilors’ nute: All references to the Bibie are to thö King James Version
imless olherwise noted.
f Compare with the Bibie, Psalms, 8:5, "For thou hast made him a little
li>wei tlian ihe angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.”
xiii
TALKS AND E X C H A N G E S
A Hierarchy o f Understanding
1
I'AI.KS AND MXCUANGES
ii iin ei ir. iiiul d.il.i in a single look. That will help me discover
ili.il di vi. ii um hcj'i ns the moment I take a single idea or a
'iingli |'huiomenon for the whole. And yet, my very consti-
lnlinri obliges me to do just that, and when I turn toward
tlie longed-for truth with only one o f my functions, I devi-
ale immediately. A search supported by the head alone can
only lead me astray; a search based solely on feellng ieads to
equally meaningless notions.
Only by reaching a centre o f gravity in myself that is
capable o f reconciling my different aspects will 1 be able to
keep to a precise Iine without deviating.
Just as I lose myself because I surrender to whatever func-
tion is dominant, similarly, I lose myself if I think that my
vision o f things is the only right one.
M y centres must contribute to my search, without any of
them claiming to be the only one able to understand.
Euch one of us must draw closer to the others without
claiming to be the only one who understands. Just as one cen
tre will watch over another, so too will each o f us watch over
the other.
But that can never be enough. In Order not to deviate,
I must recognize in myself a hierarchy o f levels. Likewise,
among us we have to recognize a hierarchy o f understanding.
In this way, little by little, a relätjonship will be achieved.
2
The Idea o f Evolution
3
M l i . ANH I' X< :l LANGES
* Fragments, p. 70.
t Fragments, p. 58.
T H E ID E A OE EV O L U T IO N
5
Ml-, \ NI >i \CIIANCiES
11" i'.m 11 , ...............Live, <>| |]ic lateral octave, and o f the four
tmilii , nl M mH,
Protocosmos
Ayocosmos
Megalocosmos
Deuterocosmos
Mesocosmos
Tritocosmos
Microcosmos
6
T H E ID E A OF EV O L U T IO N
llu.’it, jumping two levels, the Deuterocosmos, that is, the sec-
...... cosmos (in spite o f its fourth position), is the Sun; and
Innlly, llie Tritocosmos, that is, the third cosmos (in spite o f its
‘.ulli position), is Man.
I'his summary highlights an essential point. The first cos-
mii'., or llie Absolute, immediately evokes what Mr. Gurdjieff
uills llie ‘Most Holy Sun Absolute’. For us, the second cosmos
is llie world, since the Sun is at one and the same time the rela-
Iivr oi igin, the centre, and the whole o f our human world. And
il one recalls how offen the Sun figures in many religions, one
enn, by comparing it wifh the Most Holy Sun Absolute, under-
■ il.md that it is the representative o f a greater.Sun from which it
.Icin.s and from which it derives its power. The third cosmos äs
Man, or Adam, the unique soul - o f whom it is said in the Old
II ■;l,iment, “ So God created man in his own i m a g e ln tradi-
lional leachingSjin Islam, for instance, man is frequently called
i In- Representativet - ‘for he has received a syntbetic nature.’
This hierarchy o f solar worlds, contained one within
•iiml her,* gives an intensely real character to the idea o f ‘the
irpresentative’, who derives his power entirely from his rela-
Iionship to a world greater than himself. This greater world
li.iiisinits to the Representative everything that is needed by
i lio.se linder his -care, and gives a glimpse o f the unity hidden
heneath the multiplicity.
7
T A L K S A N D EX .C H A N G E S
8
T H E ID E A O F E V O L U T IO N
9
TALKS AN D EXCH ANG ES
10
T H E ID liA OF EV O LU T IO N
in 'i Kivul misfortune, wlien one struggles with God, not to be defeated?”
' i i |'.r The analogy must always be deciphered at my ownlevel.
11
TALKS ANI>LXCHANGES
Iltis octave shows clearly that the place o f man is not on the
Ray o f Creation and that, although man’s feet are firmly plantet!
on the Earth, the higher functions o f being - which are his
birthright - belong to a lineage that is not o f the Planets-Earth
axis. It reveals that man appeared only secondarily in the vast
process o f Creation. Indeed this is why we cannot approach the
idea o f evolution from the limited perspective o f the evolution
of man. It overturns our subjective idcas about the relation-
ship o f authority and precedence with regard to the World and
to man. The World was not created for man, but man for the
World. Man corresponds to a cosmic need. He is born to serve.
And if we think that this idea contradicts the biblical account
in Genesis, it is because we don’t know how to think in relative
terms. If many things in organic iife exist apparently to serve
man, they alsoexist, among other reasons, to allow man to fulfil
the function for which he was created. ^
The Talmud says the sanie thing: “ The Torah was not cre
ated for man, but man for the Torah.” We also find an echo of
this Statement in an affirmation o f the Work that has possibly
disturbed us: ‘The Work is not made for us.’
The difficulty that now appears is the need to read the lat
eral octave alternatively in its descending movement and its
12
T H E I D E A OF E V O L U T IO N
13
T A L K S A N D EX CH A N G F.S
14
T H E I D E A OE E V O L U T IO N
' I hr liilile, The Song o f Solomon, 5:2,“! sleep, but my heart waketh.”
15
TALKS AND EXCHANGES
16
T H E ID E A O F EV O L U T IO N
17
I AI I A N I M \< UANi . l ' . S
18
T H E ID E A OF E V O L U T IO N
.....st be found. What does it matter to me that these higher influences - like
hu nuiuy energy fields - pass through me, if I am incapable of submitting
mysoll in tbem? What does it matter to meto learnth^t“I am the Buddha” if
l im incapable o f bearing witncss to that? Andyet it does matter, because
111 don’l learn this, and if I don’t realize at the same time to what extent I
um a il off (Vom it, nothing will vibrate in me to disturb my torpor.
19
TA I.K S AN D I3X.CHANGES
* Conge: Does not this Vision o f the Creation, which is at the heart o f the
contradiction, give an answer to the eternal debate befween finalism and
determinism? It is not a matter o f adhering to one theory rather than the
other, but of recognizing that there is a dual finality and a dual determin
ism; and also o f understanding that the directly experienced perception of
this quadruple aspect is the key to freedom.
f Conge: Was it hot Ouspensky’s failure to see this ciearly that led him to
refuse to con'sider man as the Tritocösnios? See Fragments, pp. 215-16.
I Conge: Similariv a Scale does not have to be a succession o f notes.
§ Conge: Consider the meaning of the Hindu cöncept o f lila,
20
T H E ID E A OF EV O L U T IO N
21
T A L K S A N D E X C H A N G ES
22
T H E ID E A OF E V O L U T IO N
' ( !imgc: This gives meaning to monastic forms of ceaseless prayer or chant.
23
TALKS AND EXCH ANGES
24
I'he Lateral Octave and Influences
25
T A LK S AN D EXCH ANG ES
26
T H E L A T E R A L O CT A V E A N D IN P L U E N C E S
' • 111« .illy above and below organic life, respectively. Regarding
ili« i <ailres, the proposed position is striking; and some Work
I' leas correspond to this fact in an astounding way.
The lateral octave gives us great hope. The hope is that
ih- Situation o f man - who, in the present state o f things,
l-'Tmgs inuch more to the Earth world and the Moon world
is wretched only because we allow things to follow their
.......sc. The scale is there; the way is indicated. Man, with
he. levels from one to seven, can come and go along a vast
|Mil lion o f the Ray o f Creation. And how could man be so
limited, considering that he receives foods corresponding
l" suc h a vast scale? Only by cowardice and ignorance. But
«iionnous possibilities are granted him. These ideas are not
wi i lear enough to you. You do not understand the double
duection o f ascent and descent in the lateral octave.
I am made as a three-storeyed beingcapable o f self-devel-
opment, but I lead a life that doesn’t correspond at all to the
latent possibilities in me.
As for this diagram o f a lateral scale with its very curious
shape which gives the impression o f a reflection in water -
ii is symmetrical in relation to la-sol-fa, like a mirror image.
Since the Ray o f Creation has an interval to be filled
belween fa and mi o f the great octave, the Sun sends out a
lüleral octave. But the further we go, the more we see that
m the universe nothing is done for one reason alone (and
llial was also the way Mr. Gurdjieff proceeded). The Sun
wouldn’t have taken so much trouble if there hadn’t been
oi her problems to solve, other interconnections. On the one
band, it is necessary that certain energies descend and reach
Ihe very tip o f the new growth, that is, the Moon; and the Sun
itself needs to receive energies. The octave is both ascending
and descending.
27
TALKS AN D EXCH ANG ES
28
N IE L A T E R A L O C T A V E A N D IN F L U E N C E S
29
I AI I S AND HXCIIANGIiS
30
T U E L A T E R A L O C T A V E A N D IN F L U E N C E S
l' ’ 1 1'■ .1 ic connected one with theother; they are ‘nested’ one
in iidi■ lho other.
Wr sec that a bridge is necessary: essence coming down
........ high above, influences coming from knowledge, and
lli« 111»ward thrust - many men, then fewer and fewer - and
>11 "l this connected in different ways.
I leie is an interesting idea for those who consider it an
iiilii .ine that only some men can work. Men who truly work
•' him iously act as a thread connecting the highest summit to
.........mity as a whole, and if they were to stop working - they
in i he salt o f the earth - all the rest o f humanity would die.
Ihr. corresponds to the interval filled by organic life, through
wliich the life o f the Earth and o f the Moon is made possible.
I vsence appears on Earth naked; there is no personality at
I'ii 111. ( ioming from another world to live an experience and be
("I, essence coats itself in something: physical form and per-
•.oii.ilily. Exchanges that nourish it will take place there. On its
•iwn, essence can do nothing. There must be a balance between
llir.e two organisms.* As the world is built for these exchanges,
wr lind the same interplay there. Among the infinite number of
essences that coat themselves with personalitics in this way, only
i lew lind a correct balance. Consider the image o f innumerable
•.nsIs, o f which only a few actually give birth to an organism.
The idea o f a bridge shows us why working on ourselves
r. so difficult, why all my attempts seem to fa il... but, some-
lhing crystallizes all the same.
■— ---------- . b
' ( lonsider the sto ry in Fragments ab o u t the m an w ith a w eak essence and
,i '.i rong personality, and the m an w h o had a w eak p erso n ality an d a stron g
essence, pp. 252-3.
31
I A I K S A N D I .X< 11A N <<I •’S
32
T U E L A T E R A L O C T A V E A N D IN F L U E N C E S
ii
33
The Scale o f Man
Excerpt from an exchange 011 the theme, “The Absolute” - Reims, Decem-
ber 1963.
34
T H E SC A LE OF M AN
35
T A I.K S A N D E X C H A N G E S
36
T H E S C A L E OF M A N
' 11ic Bible, Acts, 17:27-28 (Paul addressing the ^thenians), “That they
sliould seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him,
lliough he he not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move,
,iuil have our being.”
37
I ' A I . K S A N D I X « 11A N<; l!S
levels oflife at the same time without knowing it. This crawling
around on the surface o f the earth is what I call my life; bul
that’s only one aspect, the coarsest one. At the same time that
you crawl around, without knowing it you partake o f a life that
is extremely fine, extremely subtle.
lf a man awakens to that, if he succeeds in awakening to all
levels, he effectively fills this whole sphere in which he has his
being. But today, I’m not aware that my being is in some way
waiting for me. It is prefigured in this whole sphere. If a man
awakens to that, he truly accomplishes what is asked o f him.
First, he climbs back toward the origin, he returns. Someone
mentioned just now the basic prayer of Christianity: he returns
to his Father, to his origin. But he does not return by wanting
to escape the Earth; he returns by occupying all levels. By doing
that, in this much more limited sphere, he becomes - he is - the
All. That is what is asked o f man. He is in the image of God
- he must, in his own way, on a quite different scale, be the All.
But today, it’s only a small part; and it’s small because my mind
is blinkered, it is blind, it sees hardly anything. And I am com-
pletely identified with this mind. Everything my tiny intellect
thinks, I believe to be true, and I try to understand things from
there. But I don’t live those things and, without living them, I
understand nothing. I understand nothing o f the fullness that
is offered me. I live wretchedly.
What do certain Scriptures say? “ Man is the Son o f God.”
What is the significance o f the Christ? He shows the way to
come to this fullness.
T H E SO N ,
T H E O N E W H O IS T R U L Y F U L F I L M E N T ,
T H E F R U IT .
38
T H E S C A L E OF M AN
39
This Unknown that Is Our Being
40
T H IS U N K N O W N T H A T IS O U R B E IN G
41
To Be There, Between Worlds
42
TO B E T H E R E , B E T W E E N W O R LD S
43
I M . K N A N D I X C I I A N t J I- S
* Fragments, p. 321.
44
Consciousness and Mechanicality
45
I A I K S A N D I X« 11 A N l i l l S
46
C O N S C IO U S N E S S A N D M E C H A N IC A L IT Y
47
I AI I' * AND IM 11AN<. I■S
48
CO NSCIO USNESS AND M E C H A N IC A L IT Y
49
T A L K S AND EXCH ANGES
50
CO NSCIO USNESS A N D M E C H A N IC A L IT Y
51
IAI KS AND l'.XCIIANGES
52
C O N S C IO U S N E S S A N D M E C H A N IC A L IT Y
53
I A I I- '« A N D I \« 11A N <. I . s
i‘> nol me,ml .is .1 crilicism: when yon read certain passagc.s
in llie ( iospels you are Struck by the conciseness o f a parablr,
and if you search sincerely, you are not left in peace. Thcn
you read certain recent texts written by the Reverend X - .1
decent enough fellow to be sure - who thought it would bc
a good idea to explain everything and sweeten the pill. Bul
then it no longer makes an impression on you. The material
needs to be given in a particular form, and later, by working,
we try to understand, to assimilate.
If we had not received this idea as a slap in the face - ‘You
are a machine’ - we would have missed something. This idea
does not leave us in peace, and no matter what we say among
ourselves, it still does not leave us in peace. Do you find this
idea hard to digest as you try to work? So much the better!
Thanks to that, something gets through, and you think about
energy, about this transmission o f energy, about the special
influences that are not the influences o f everyday life.
54
What Evolves?
55
TA LKS AND EXCH ANG ES
56
W H A T EVO LVF.S?
57
T A L K S A N D E X C IIA N G E S
58
W H A T EV O L V ES?
59
I AI K S A N I M \( H A N O I S
60
W H A T EV O LV ES?
6i
Can I Recognize that I Am Consciousness?
62
' VN I R E C O G N IZ E T H A T I A M C O N S C IO U S N E S S ?
Mit hcl Gonge: The world was not created for me; human
!•• jngs were created to serve various purposes in nature.
I he re is an unconscious and mechanical way o f serving that
m.ikes us spend energies, which are absorbed by the world
•ii ound us; but there is another form o f serving, conscious in
11. nature, which is truly to serve what is on high - to honour
fhe l.ord. It is not an evolution for my ‘person. Conscious
i volution is something altogether different.
All along this chain o f beings, there is a concern that is
iin! present in mechanical man, a constant concern that this
movement o f h elp - a movement that is no longer mechanical
should reach fruition. And it is necessary for those who live
111is concern to instruct others who seem capable, so that they,
63
I M I I ANIM X< HANOI
i ln umhI.I 11. I|> ii', 1111«I« i -i.iihI heller what groups represenl,
. ' • m 11 1 11« \ i' |'i« '.« ul only n morc limited segment.
\ wlio is more awake is - at his level and accord
i i i . iii
ui)', Io 11is capability - a transmitter o f life. O f all those who
are called, a certain number will remain asleep; others will
receive and begin to come to life. This example can be Irans
posed to a larger scale. A man number live, who receives from
a man who is more evolved, both calls and transmits down
ward so that the movement o f evolution may be continu
ally preserved. And, at a given moment, one o f these sleeping
men understands what is required o f him and awakens to
the effort. He undertakes to serve, and in serving he receives
even more. Do you see that this man is the result o f a whole
confluence o f efforts that are far beyond him?
We say‘the product o f a schooP because schools are gath-
erings o f levels o f consciousness. There are schools o f differ
ent Orders, o f levels five, six, and seven. It is man number five
who acts on us. A man number six acts on a man number
five. Man number seven is so far beyond us that it’s out o f the
question to speak o f him.
We all have within us the possibility o f awakening to our
reality. That is what will make us men in the true sense of
the word. Man number four has not crossed a threshold. Our
goal is man number five, man who is no longer in a con-
tinually scattered state and who has passed from an active
and destructive multiplicity to an unchangeable unity. And
I cannot hope to reach that state without passing through
the state o f man number four - the state in which the cen-
tres are balanced. In that state, there is a centre o f gravity,
a centre o f equilibrium; but unity has not yet been accom-
plished. Man number five is already very high in relation to
64
( AN 1 R E C O G N IZ E T H A T I A M C O N S C IO U S N E S S ?
I hi, imiu-r: But how can the man who possesses the entirety
ei ihr. Knowledge lose it? And how can he lose it without los-
mi) In. heing?
Ah, hi'l ( 'ouge: Your question is not very clear. If a man does
.... all.iin the state o f man number seven, he has not com-
I'!' n <1 Ins evolutionary cycle and he must Start something
mm i again. The Great Knowledge is far beyond ordinary
Ihihi.in capacity. The man who has not reached total com-
l'K 11«>n is, in a sense, broken down again, returned to the
II in ible. I Ie has to live once again through a very long expe-
i lerne. I lis very being is returned to the different levels o f the
. i ' .mos, from which he received the necessary material.
We luive trouble coming to terms with this idea that we
will liave to be melted down again. Everything corresponds
im .i relationship between substances. Everything is in a state
mI Ilux, unless man arrives at this irreversible Chemical reac-
11« »n: man number seven. He is then permanently and forever
Ihr. I le is much closer to the Absolute, and he can be worthy
|m enter into relationship with higher levels. But as long as
.i nun is not completed in this way, he can only be melted
i lown again, because he is unusable.
We do not understand the idea o f Purgatory. A re-forging
r. necessary, except for those whose purification is so complete
ih.it they have nothing more to do with this cycle o f suffer-
mg humanity. They can be received into a different combina-
Ik »n. In the diagrams, man is not on the Ray o f Creation. Man’s
lower level and upper level are circumscribed. He is confined
65
TALKS AND EXCH ANGES
66
S N I K K C O G N IZ E T H A T I A M C O N S C IO U S N E S S ?
67
I \ I I . A N I» I \ < l|AN(ii:S
• •111• ni ' • i< •111111 111y i ul oll, th.il wouId be the end of us.
I vi>1111Ion i . .1 movement o f substances in transform.i
hon l ins is somcthing that must, one way or another, be
accomplished. What is important is this inner circulation
In a sense, life is entrusted to us. Below the initial movc
ment o f the Absolute, the Absolute no longer intervenes,
which means that responsible beings must appear. There
is a need for beings who become aware o f this and have
such a love for Creation and the Creator that, no matter
what trouble it causes them, they awaken to be the ones
through whom this accomplishment takes place. But it is
not for oneself in the petty sense; perhaps for the T , but nol
for the selfish ‘me’.
Questioner: What must be given to pay for this life that comes
toward us?
68
( AN I R ECO G N IZE TH AT I AM CO NSCIO USNESS?
69
What Is Man?
Questioner: One can ask oneself the question, ‘Was man cre-
ated to be conscious o f himself; and if so, why is he never
actually conscious o f himself?’
70
W H A T IS M A N ?
7i
I AI I '« A N H I X« I l ANCi US
72
W H A T IS M A N ?
73
I A I I- '1 A N I » I \< I I A N ( i H S
74
W H A T IS M A N ?
75
I AI I AMI > I \ ( 11 A N d l ' S
76
W H A T IS M A N ?
77
I AI I •» A N I » I X( 11AN( IHS
Questioner: But all the same, one can be tempted to ask why
man was made that way.
78
The One, Man, and the Universe
Nolcs selccted and edited by Michel Conge from the principal ideas devel-
nped by a team studying Fra gm en ts.
79
I MI ■ NN I • I S< 11A N ( . US
lilliii}', lli> /«/ mi inlciviil willi organic life. The idea ol lIn
in lei v.il evokes both the idea o f the suffering o f the Absolul.
as well as the hope offered to man.
* F ra g m e n ts, p. 310.
80
T H E ONE, M AN , AND T H E U N IV E R SE
Ili-, here that we see the relationship with work on oneself Only
. lloit allows the ideastobecome alive,becausethrougheffort
I discover their reality in myself.
Through the effort of attention, 1 begin to become aware
ili.il I have to find a place, not only in the outer world, but also
in the universe within me, a place o f which I am most often
111laware because I live at the lowest level. Then I begin to feel the
irality of a call, a new animating force, the presence o f different
8i
I A I KS A N D EX C H A N G ES
Who am I?
82
The Passage
83
I M I . A N H I \< I I A N C I S
84
T H E PA SSA G E
85
What Freedom?
86
W HAT FREEDOM?
87
I Al I ANI » I \< MAN«;I-S
88
WHAT FREEDOM?
89
What Is the Work?
Along with the problem o f the way, the idea o f liberation, and
the idea o f conscious effort, it seems that the life o f the Woi I-
can only be considered from the widest possible perspective,
in a complete break from our egocentric vision.
What is the Work? It is not one form or another in which
we participate. We must conceive of it as a whole, as a universe
within which these forms are but one expression among an
infinity of expressions. Even though these forms are essential,
they are nevertheless secondary; we need to be able to open
ourselves to the Whole. And although it’s impossible for us
to live the Whole, it is beneficial for us to try to approach it as
offen as possible and in whatever way we can. For, no matter
how limited and clumsy our effort may be, we always draw
from it an impetus, a vivifying breath.
I can always ask myself: ‘What is the Work?’
For years, we think we know, only to discover one day
that we know nothing about it! But why stop there?
One thing seems clear to me: if I don’t understand the
Work, it’s because I always look with a limited perspective,
always in relation to myself, in relation to this ‘me’ that wants
90
W H A T IS T H E W ORK?
9i
IM I SNI » I Si I I A N l . l
92
W H A T I S T H E W O R K?
93
I M I \ A N D I \< 11 A N<. I S
All this is only a sketch, but if we feel there is any truth in il,
how can we understand what is offered to us and what role
awaits us? How can we, one day, come to be in the Work? If I
look at myself in the light o f this perspective, I see that I am
like a body in total cellular anarchy, like a state searching foi
its political unity. If I recognize that the Work is not made foi
me but derives from cosmic necessities, I can no longer toler
ate my an-archy\ The need for a larger view and the urgency
o f finding a unity become imperative.
Among the ideas that are offered us, there is one that may
now help us approach the notion o f union and reintegra-
tion. It is the idea o f ‘three lines o f Work’ seen in the light of
the saying: ‘The way up and the way down are one and the
same.’
The first line, work on oneself, which we have all been
exploring for a long time, gradually broadens the vision with-
in my personal universe. This broadening vision slowly draws
closer to the source o f our life and gradually permeates the
world o f our manifestations, raising the question o f Connec
tions and therefore o f a union.
The second line, work with others and for others, will
teach us to recognize what brings us closer to one another
and what separates us: our common origin and the diversity
o f our manifestations.
94
W HAT IS T H E W ORK?
95
I AI I A N I M \< 11A N tiF'.S
96
Understanding
97
I'AI M AND I X< IIAN<;i S
Then there is the other aspect, which we’ll talk and talk aboul,
thousands o f times! When I move toward a more authentic atti
tude in myself and want to put it to the test o f an encounter in
life, and especially an encounter with another being... in a flash,
everything is destroyed! Nevertheless, that’s what we’ll have to
experience, little by little. What does it matter if I fail every time!
I have to come back to it, I must go toward it, I mustn’t let myself
be discouraged or stopped by the fact that it’s almost impossi-
ble. It will be almost impossible thousands o f times... then, sud-
denly, perhaps something will become possible. I don’t know on
what day, at what moment, or even why.
If I don’t attempt the experiment, I do not allow the condi
tion that is necessary for this latent possibility to be fulfilled. This
form of work is very painful... and yet, it’s impossible to escape.
I must go through that: put something to the test, expose it, risk
it. And risk it knowing that I will lose every time!
98
Obeying
99
I NI I 't A N I » I K< H A N O I S
100
O BEYIN G
101
I AI I A N U I Sl 11 A N <. I S
i ■<ml In inii'ii 11i.ik<- in lho ti niest lupse o f time. His ch.uu <• h
lleeling. The opportunity is so difficult to seize that, in o u l..
to make up for the obvious fact that almost everyone will ml»
it, nature multiplies these rough models o f conscious bc-inp.
providing quantity at the expense o f quality.
The man who discovers this secret and puts it into praclii.
plays the role that Christ played: he connects the Earth lo
the stars through his own organism. And the Gospels cleai l)
show this through the parable o f the centurion - the soldin
who understood discipline and knew how to use it as .in
example o f a process on a different scale.
102
O BEYIN G
m
VVlien Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said
lo ihem that followed, Verily I say unto you,
I luve not found so great faith, no, not in
Israel.*
(In glmkI (hat will flow fforn it for myself? I will not obey
ilm >ii)• 11 constraint or a sense o f duty, or because it looks good,
in in Improve my image. I will obey when I become aware of
i In n |ich ussions of my act. I am awaited, I am not forced.
Uul even when I am able to understand what is right
ui'I generous in the Situation I am offered, I don’t neces-
ii ily become immediately able to obey. Because I am afraid.
h .. .uise I am grasping. Because I am ruled by a belief in
ms .. II wliich is the counterpart o f my relative freedom to
•lliobey.
I do not want to give up anything. Even if knowledge
l'cnetrates me, I want to keep it and eat its fruit for myself.
Ilul lhis fruit is something I must not touch, since its vivify-
iii}', force is intended for the seed o f my real ‘I’ and not for
my ego.
II is from this knowledge, which falls on my essence - an
■ v.cnce that is still inert, but has feit the light touch o f awak-
i'iiiii}’ that the act o f obedience must arise, and not from
103
I A I I- ' • A N I » I HC 11A N <J1 S
* F ra g m e n ts , p p . 192-93.
t F ra g m e n ts , pp. 155,160, 218, 226.
104
Serving
105
I AI M ANI » I X< MAN« ; I - S
106
SERVING
107
I AI I i ANI > I X< H A N O I S
108
Nie Struggle in the World o f the Soul
110
I II I S T U U G G L E IN T H E W OR LD OF T H E SO U L
in
I A I I '* A N D l'X< :i l A N < i l J S
112
I'he Functions Enlisted to Serve
113
I M I i A N I M A « 11A N ( i l S
114
I'HE F U N C T I O N S E N L I S T E D TO S E R V E
115
I AI I ANII l'X< 11AN<iES
116
Our Tenured Professor o f Inner Work
II \«>ii w.mttodelveintothoseordinaryaspectsofyourselfthat
in always there, ready to reappear, you must really Step back to
|i,iiii soine perspective. Failing that, you will never understand
. 1.1 ly what is meant by an attitude. Either I adopt an abstract
iiilliule and cut myself off from the way I live or, on the con-
11.11 y, I sink so low, so very low, that I lose all connection with
Minething other’, and I drown in this pool.
I wonder if you have a sense o f the individual who takes
. Ii.u ge o f your work for you. Unwisely, we have all entrusted
..... inner work to a certain individual - for me, it’s Doctor
« <tilge - who, by the way, must also be a tenured ‘professor’ of
iiinri work. He is really something! A leading expert, in fact!
I )o you need this parasite? Do you really need this so-and-so
u li<) knows all about inner work? He’s taking you for a ride.
AIn hei Conge: Oh! If you’d really tried everything, the earth
would have split in two and you’d be free!
117
I AI I A N U I X( 11A N ( i I ; S
Michel Conge: But he’s the one telling you to take the plungt
and he even teils you how to go about it! We’ve been reall)
duped! And how! It’s been going on for ages!
This is what is meant by ‘liberation’, extricating myscll
from this extraordinarily clever trick. Ultimately, it’s not lil<
that is hard; it’s not life that corners us. Nor is nature unwill
ing ... well, it may be unwilling, but that’s nothing to worry
about! What is really alarming is this shady character in theiv;
I know it’s that con man watching m e... because sometimes I
catch him giving me ferocious looks.
118
«»DK T I- N U R E D P R O F E S S O R O F I N N E R W ORK
AIn hei Conge: It’s a game. You have to outwit him, be stronger,
more intelligent than he is. Just imagine, he holds all the
. .uds, and you have to win! He’s been dealt both hands, his
uul yours. It’s thrilling! Not even an Einstein could invent
•lu h a game!
119
Stubbornness and Will
120
ST U B B O R N N E S S AN D W ILL
*i ihr other extreme, you are not happy; that is not happiness
. nie i I lappiness would mean coming to a kind o f accord in
11*\ *11, this understanding that we so heartily wish to experi-
filii r, wilh others, but which we never quite experience.
An understanding, an accord with everything included,
..... l.iined, harmonized - that would be marvellous! I have to
h. )',iii with myself. I cannot be in accord with my neighbour
il I .mi not in accord with myself; it’s absolutely impossible.
'•o. little by little, I will try to work toward bringing about this
Ii i i c unification.
121
I AI I' '< ANH I X( 11A N<11 S
in uli . ,ii II, Iml llicic was .»hsoliilcly no way out. In the rinI
ili' V wcic liolli lol.illy exasperated. ’l'hcn the donkey foimd i
very simple solution. It lay down on the ground and play< d
dead. Seeing this, our good man said to himself, ‘I can’t le.iv*
it here. I’ve no other choice!’ So he put the donkey on his ovvn
back and went on his way. However, he made a miscalcul.i
tion. He said to himself, ‘I will walk until the end o f the day
But just ten minutes later, he had to stop anyway.
So, it’s better to foresee the stages. But you see, neverllii'
less, that at the end o f the day you will have to know how ln
shoulder the bürden yourself.
I'lic I )evil - A Very, Very Important Character
123
i ai i . amu i \( 11a N<>r:s
124
I 111 IDHVIL - A V ER Y , V E R Y I M P O R T A N T C H A R A C T E R
125
I A I l«S A N D l'X ( I I A N ( i l ' S
126
I III I lfiV IL — A V ER Y, V E R Y I M P O R T A N T C H A R A C T E R
127
Receiving a Fresh Impression o f Oneself
128
ItI ( 1H1V I N G A F R E S H I M P R E S S I O N OF ONESl-.I.F
129
I AI I '1 A N I » I x< i i a n <; i ; s
130
Kl C I IVINC t A F R E S H I M P R E S S I O N OF O N E S E L F
lu li! < 11ic soul that frees itself from the body only after the
l""l\ li.is hegun to rot. Don’t despise it, but don’t let yourself
|k liil eil in by it again. Try saying, ‘I am already an “other”.’ I
•lidn'i I now it, but it’s true! It is impossible to truly see one-
• Mllirough the old means, the ordinary means. It’s not pos-
iM.,l A n d there is something surprising in that: the perfect
. imniill.ige; it takes another being to see it.
I ri's lake a completely ordinary image as an example.
imii m'c certain personality traits in someone eise. That per-
mimlocsn’t see them. You see them because you are someone
• I ■' Similarly, in myself and in relation to myself, I must be
>>ili. i This can be confirmed: if traits show up in me, it is
I" • .mse i am other’. It’s really incredible, don’t you think?
I ><>n’t let yourself bewon overbyany sentimental niceties
i I h i i i I your old skin!
131
I Exist, I Am, I Have Always Been
132
I EX IST , I A M , I H A V E Al.WAYS HE EN
ti,. |*1 ilphery. I don’t understand that it’s not the events ol
mm lil* ilut are o f interest. What is important is that i a m . i
i i \' i \i w a y s b e e n . This impression is what’s missing, the
il> ii Impression that i a m . That would change everything
Mi mm lile.
Ii l.ikes daring. I dare to try letting myself be convinced
lllll I I KIST.
I he moment I dare, the impressions I receive ffom life
i li.mpe as well: they penetrate. But first, I must have the cour-
.i|i,. ln say i a m . We treat self-remembering as if it were an
m . ii i\c. It is not an exercise! Riding a bicycle is an exercise;
133
The Essence o f the Question
What is the world? What is this world in which we live? It’s .in
inquiry, a perennial question. One is tempted to say, it is IIn
question God asks Himself; it is His way o f thinking.
This w orld... I am in it and I am asleep! But I bear wilhin
me the possibility o f awakening to the question itself. I am
born o f this question and I am part o f it. To the extent thal
I open myself to this question, I come closer to primordi.il
Thought - call it divine, if you wish. But if I abandon t h e
fruits o f this effort to my intellect, I move away from a pos
sibility, and I become once again a series o f phenomena, .1
succession o f events. There is a possibility o f return in finally
realizing that I am part o f this inquiry, that I am part o f this
great question.
We must learn not to keep falling back into our ordinary
way - which is our downfall - our way o f receiving the ques
tion with the intellect. There is a great risk in that. Is your
intellect that important? Do you want to give it that much
room? There is hope as long as the question continues to be,
and always remains, a question. But take care that it does not
134
T H E E S S E N C E OF T H E Q U E S T I O N
■ hIi.-i possibility.
135
IAI KS ANI>I.XCIIANGES
136
T H E E S S E N C E O F T H E Q U E ST IO N
137
I A I K S A N D l'.XC I I A N G E S
138
T H E E S S E N C E O F T H E Q U E ST IO N
139
The Role o f Attention in Seif-Liberation
140
T H E H O LE OF A T T E N T IO N IN S E L F -I.I H ERATIO N
141
TALKS AND EXCH ANGES
* Greek: aggelos, oryyeAoi;, a messenger [of God], The Bible, Genesis, 32.
142
I III R O L E OF A T T E N T IO N IN S E I T - I .l B ER A T IO N
143
T A L K S AND EXCH A N G ES
144
I I III RO L E OF A T T E N T I O N IN S E L F - L I B E R A T I O N
I am attention.
Where attention is, there am I.
II the attention is weak, I am weak.
II the attention is mechanical, I am mechanical.
If it is free, I am free.
145
TAI KS A N D ß X C H A N G E S
146
N I E R O L E OF A T T E N T I O N IN S E I T - U li U R A T I O N
147
TALKS AND EXCHANGES
148
I in: R O L E O F A T T E N T I O N IN S E L F - L I B E R A T IO N
149
TALKS AND EXCH ANGES
150
I H K ROLF. OF A T T E N T I O N IN SKI I I llll'RATION
151
Attention - The Need o f Our Being
152
A T T E N T I O N - T H E N E E D OE O U K III IN«,
153
Prayer
154
PRAYER
155
TALKS ANI) EXCHANGES
156
P R A Y KR
157
TALKS AND EXCHANGES
158
PRAYER
Yrt. the Kingdom can only be attained through force, that is,
1111 <iugh strenuous effort. But it is equally true that we cannot
Io ne (irace. There is in fact an abyss between the world of
higher States o f consciousness and our world.
I leroism begins here. Never doubt, never despair. Yes, I
I iiow that I can demand nothing, but I come back again and
again. I remember myself, because, for the moment, it is my
only way to pray. I mobilize my vigilance. And, for that, I see
ih.it all my wants need to be converted.
Repent. Change your way o f thinking and feeling.
I fall back, and each fall is an opportunity to climb back
up again with more energy. I give up my grievances. I forgive
ollicrs. I no longer want to waste my energy on such useless
lliings. 1 give up my desire for happiness. Little by little, I give
159
TALKS AND EXCHANGES
160
PRAYKR
161
TALKS AND EXCHANGES
Who T ?
162
Presence and Prayer
'•i iicc you agree that a particle o f divine energy animates you,
\•»ii can understand that a contact, a direct perception o f this
ii« iilaling energy, must be possible. You can also understand
lli.il the key to the mystery o f consciousness resides in this
i .ipacity o f perception, which is not a mental act but the
iw.ikening o f a dormant property.
liverything is here.
If this living and divine energy-substance were not in us,
llin e would be no sense in trying anything at all.
We are separated from ourselves, and also, o f course, from
<iod, only through our forgetting or our ignorance.
Kemembering oneself means recognizing oneself in a
ivdiscovered and eternally present energy, free o f all form.
This rediscovery must not be the result o f thought or
■ lesire alone; the proof must be brought by our whole mass,
in oider that the contact becomes in fact a fusion with no gap
llirough which doubt might still slip in.
II is only the Absolute whose reality we are incapable of
knowing or touching, but this is not a permanent Separation.
I \< crpt (Vom ii letter to one of Michel Conge’s students - September 25,
TALKS AND EXCHANGES
Know the truth, and the truth will set you ffee.t
* The Bible, Matthew, 6 :3 3 , “ But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his
righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
t The Bible, John, 8:32, “And ye shall know the truth, and ihe truth shall
make you free.”
164
R E M IN IS C E N C E S
First Encounters with Mr. Gurdjieff
169
REMINISCENCES
170
FIRST ENCOUNTERS WITH MR. (IURUJIEFI
171
REMINIS GENCES
First Dinners
172
FIRST ENCOUNTERS WITH MR. GURDJIEFF
173
REMINISCENCES
First Question
174
FIRST ENCOUNTERS WITH MR. CJURD) 1111
A Special Treat
175
REM INISC EN CES
176
F IR S T E N C O U N T E R S W IT H M R . G U R D JIE F F
177
R E M IN IS C E N C E S
178
F IR S T E N C O U N T E R S W i l l i MR. <IU UI >111TI
179
R E M IN IS C E N C E S
180
The Trip to Vichy
181
R E M IN IS C E N C E S
Departure Delayed
182
TI 115 T R IP TO VICHY
183
R E M IN IS C E N C E S
184
THE TRIP TO VICHY
I hr Pursuit
185
REMINISCENCES
186
T I I H T U 11' i n VH IC.
187
R E M IN IS C E N C E S
188
t u h t u ii*t o v ic ii y
A Hotel Transformed
189
R E M IN IS C E N C E S
190
T H E T R I P IO VI« IIV
l'rom one end o f the corridor to the ollua, .r. 11 11 > • i • I•• . 1.1
daylight in a remote villa on a huge Galiloi man < .lat- hm
do you think any o f the guests woke up? Absolut- h um1
The night porter had fallen asleep again, as all 111}•.I»I |"u
lers do, and the manager did not show up. Nol imlil au Imin
later did he make a timid appearance. But the unbcln vable
scene he encountered made such a profound impression 011
Ihm that he left without a word. Believe me, this was a Inj1,
hotel with at least forty rooms and I think they were all o a 11
pied. I am sure no one had ever made such a racket there
before. Yet a spell was at work and all the guests remained
soundly and peacefully asleep.
/\ Valiant Effort
191
R E M IN IS C E N C E S
salad, the box o f chutneys and all the spices, but not the yd
low box. We’ve also got the raw cucumbers, the gherkins.”
I thought Mr. Gurdjieff would pretend to fly into a wild
rage, b u t... no. (Later it occurred to me that he was keeping
the big scene in reserve for Lisa on his return to Paris. Pool
Lisa who had let herseif be taken in and hadn’t known how
to assert herseif and get the box loaded.)
Very calmly he turned to me and said, “ That not impor
tant. Doctor and other doctor [that is, Dr. C.], you go now
town Moulins, knock at butcher’s, wake butcher, buy meat.”
“Very good, monsieur,” I said. “And what sort o f meat.
Lamb? Beef?”
“Not matter.” He could not have been more accommodating.
O ff we went, the two o f us, Dr. C. none too confidenl,
wondering if we’d wind up at the police Station for causing
a public disturbance, since in order to succeed, we’d clearly
have to make a good deal o f noise.
The town was strangely deserted. One empty Street, two
empty streets, no lighted Windows. At last a butcher’s shop,
a large butcher’s shop. All that could be heard was the hum
ming o f refrigerators. Nothing eise. The metal shutters wert*
lowered. Quite normal. A doorbell? But where?... Ah! There!
A discreet ring.
“ Louder!” I said. “Insist!”
Another very discreet ring from Dr. C. Then I took a
turn. “ Stop!” said Dr. C. “You’re going to annoy them.” No
fear o f that. We could have blown a hunting horn with still
no result. I banged vigorously on the shutter. The metal
responded loudly. 1 pounded on it, calling out, “ Butcher.
Buuutch-er!”
Do you think anybody in that house or any o f the houses
in that silent Street woke up? Nobody. It was as if the entire
192
INI' 11(11’ 1(1 NI« 11V
193
R E M IN IS C E N C E S
An Early Rising
Now in bed, I knew that the mixture o f vodka and raw onions
could be relied upon to give me a woolly tongue in the morn
ing. So, the prospect o f a good night’s sleep appealed to me. I
had used up too much nervous energy and needed to recover.
I had thought o f having a bath and a shave before going to
bed, but I was afraid o f waking up the hotel! What timidity!
After all, I had seen clearly that you couldn’t wake anyone up
194
1111 TUM' III VH IIV
' Hditors’ note: This is an allusion to the story of the Transcaucasian Kurd
,uul the noble red peppers in Beelzebub’s Tales, pp. 19-22.
1.95
REMINISCENCES
At the Hotel Albert Ier, a good hotel this time, Mr. Gurdjieff
had reserved a whole block o f rooms. But the manager, who
knew him and dreaded a scene (I had an inkling that some-
thing o f the sort must have occurred in the past), had care-
fully set aside rooms for him on the ground floor, a little
apart from the normal comings and goings o f the more con-
ventional guests. Our collection o f rooms was isolated, rather
like a leper colony. Furthermore, we were even allocated a
special dining-room for our meals, which was not so much
a courtesy as a precaution. We shared this room with some
Arab guests who must also have been judged undesirable.
196
i in i ini' in vn in
197
REMINISCENCES
much worse his ordeal would have been if he had known tha l,
several years later, I would hear about these fanciful entrics
on the hotel form ... and from none other than the Vichy
police.*
In the lobby o f the hotel, when I asked the manager wherc
my room was, he looked at me pityingly and let slip, “Ah!
Youre with that man!” He meant Mr. Gurdjieff.
“Yes,” I said. “ Do you know him?”
“ I certainly do. IVe known him for years, and I know all
about him, believe you me!”
“ To teil the truth,” I said, “ I don’t often have the opportu
nity to travel with him, but I too have known him for years.
He is an extraordinary man.”
With a condescending smile, he said, “ O f course, you’re
just like all the others. He has twisted you around his lil
tle finger, you poor hypnotized sheep, and he shears you
unscrupulously.”
“What do you mean? After all, he’s paying for our trip.”
“Well! Someone is paying for you.” Then he turned his
back on me without a word o f apology.
I was still reeling a little from this incident, wondering
whether I should have told this disagreeable individual off,
when I was approached timidly by the elevator boy, who had
heard everything. “ That man hates Monsieur Gurdjieff,” he
said. “ But I love him. How lucky you are to travel with him!”
This difference o f opinion was interesting, so I asked him,
“Why? Do you know him well?”
“ O f course! He comes here every year. He s a wonderful
man.”
* Editors’ note: Among Dr. Conge’s students in the Vichy group was a
police chief who, knowing that Mr. Gurdjieff had stayed in Vichy, had
looked up the record of his visit and found the famous registration form.
198
T H E T R I P TO V IC H Y
199
REMINISCENCES
200
IUI I IUI' 111 VH 11N
201
R E M IN IS C E N C E S
202
rin'. t u i i * t o vit 11y
man was relaxing wilhoul ony .ippoi• i»l |o < .ui < .r il I• <|•i ■.
to be able, finally, to relieve bis In.ul. ............... - In . *■. •I
nesses, his limitations, his good sidr. 11« " i . i ....... I .........
man, ill at ease in his role as .1 Ihmkry Ami In......... ln lih
life, he was able to unburden himsell and l<l }•,<»«• I 1 1 1 , ilnm
that weighed on his heart. There was not hing-ihm klnr, il.....1
this, no more shocking than the act ol a surgcon 1 riimvlni', 1
tumour that was jeopardizing the life o f a palienl. W« |•(11«. I
him, but it was not a judgmental pity. This pooi nun, hall
asleep, was sufferihg, and the conversation was doing him
good.
What Science! What art! Mr. Gurdjieff freed this man
from himself far more effectively than any psychoanalyst
could have done. And it all took place just as if you or I were
chatting about random things with someone we happened to
meet. But in our case, we would reminisce without revealing
anything o f ourselves, whereas here this man could finally
open up as if released from a spell.
“Ah! Sheep, bleating sheep,” he had said to me. If only he
could see with his inner eye what was taking place in him at
that moment. The conversation lasted at least a quarter o f an
hour; and at the end, Mr. Gurdjieff reached into his pocket
and gave him a big handful o f candies, “ For your children.”
I learned later that the children were over twenty, but at
that point, the man no longer even knew whether they were
still in nursery school or were on the verge o f starting their
careers. Mr. Gurdjieff finished with a few kind words for his
wife, and more compliments for him, adding how happy he
had been to have had this heart-to-heart conversation, man
to man. That day I clearly saw Mr. Gurdjieff’s power: he was
capable o f laying bare a man’s soul, making him transparent,
and doing so without hurting him in any way.
203
REMINISCENCES
A Shopping Spree
204
THE TRIP TO VICHY
205
REMINISCENCES
for all the women on the trip; then for “wife you” ; then for
those he would see on his return to Paris. Lipstick, powder,
compacts, little vials o f perfume, bottles o f eau de cologne,
that he would doubtless present as “ Special Eau de Cologne
Vichy, unique in world!” No one would be taken in; every-
body would be delighted. He was visibly happy, and I was
happy along with him. When he had finished and everything
was wrapped up, I had in my arms more parcels - and fragile
ones at that - than my four companions did when they left
the confectioner’s shop. But I had witnessed Mr. Gurdjieff
shopping, and nothing could replace that.
Money Matters
206
THE TRIP. TO VICHY
207
REMINISCENGES
208
THE TRIP TO VICHY
209
REMINISCENCES
210
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appointments started flooding in.
211