Ouspensky's book is usually touted as the best and clearest introduction to the Georgyi Ivanovitch Gurdjieff's system and philosophy for spiritual development of human beings. The book consists of about a dozen chapters covering roughly the years between 1916 and 1922, which were the most adventurous times of Gurdjieff's school in Moscow and St.Petersburg, since because of the Bolshevik revolution they had to relocate to the Caucasus, the familiar stomping grounds of Mr. Gurdjieff, and because of the war going on, the group had many adventures, including night treks over mountain roads. The book consists mainly of quotes by Mr. Gurdjieff, which Ouspensky memorized and thanks to his amazing memory, was able to write down verbatim many months and years afterwards, since the initial Russian pupils were forbidden to take any kinds of notes, both during and after the lectures and group meetings.
It starts fairly narrative-like, and most people read only through the first 2-4 chapters, which are mostly laid out as a story. However, the subsequent chapters expose very complex cosmology and what seems to be a finely developed system which is exposed through numerous tables and diagrams, almost with a scientific precision and attention to detail. The descriptions of the Ray of Creation, the Reciprocal Law of Feeding, the Laws of Three and the Laws of Seven, The Enneagram and especially the complicated hierarchy of Hydrogens and Carbons (and Nitrogens and Oxigens, which do not represent the actual chemical elements, but their spiritual equivalents) are some of the most detailed and involved hierarchical structures since Dr. John Dee started learning Enochian.
Although this book is the best explanation of the Gurdjieff system, Mr. G and Ouspensky broke off later in life, and Ouspensky was not part of the Prieure in Fontenbleau, nor he was part of the later Paris Years and meetings. When Ouspensky died in 1947, he denounced the system of Gurdjieff, even though he was teaching his own version of it, despite the break-up with Gurdjieff, since the mid 1920s. Ouspensky left orders for his wife, who was a devout student of Mr. G throughout her life, to destroy the manuscript of the "In Search of the Miracoulous" after his death and never even show it to Mr. Gurdjieff. Gurdjieff famously remarked that "Ouspensky died like a dog" when he heard of his death in 1947, which, within the system, means that Ouspensky did not built a vessel for his soul to continue to live after death, and thus his essence was dissipated and re-used like that of the common animals.
However, when Mr. G got a hold of the manuscript, which Mrs. Ouspensky promptly brought him upon Mr. Ouspensky's death, he is recorded as saying: "Until now I hate Ouspensky, but now I love Ouspensky. He wrote everything as I say!"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)