March 24 - Gurdjieff Quotes

MARCH 24 — GEORGE GURDJIEFF QUOTES

I FELT AND SENSED WITH FULL CONVICTION THAT, THROUGH HIM, THE GRAIL WAS BEING KEPT ACCORDING TO LEGEND — GUARDED BY ANGELS IN THE AIR

“As Gurdjieff wrote intensively with pencil onto the thin French paper he liked to use, Dr. Stjoernval almost always sat with him. It was as if what poured into Mr. Gurdjieff, which he then put into words, was so strong that two people were required to receive it. Gurdjieff needed someone else to act as an antenna, and Dr. Stjoernval served him in that way. While Gurdjieff wrote, the waiters at the cafe in Fontainebleau or the Cafe de la Paix kept his cup filled with hot coffee, just as his nieces did at the Prieuré. Occasionally some Russians came, received something from him, kissed his hand devotedly, gratefully, and left.

“Sometimes Gurdjieff would tell me, "Come at such and such a time." When I arrived, he barely motioned me to sit down. He remained concentrated in his world, unaffected by the peripheral noise of chattering people and traffic on the street. Maybe in the beginning I said something, but I soon learned to wait until he turned to me and opened his "visor." Only then could I tell him what I had to report. It was the same for everyone. All of Gurdjieff's many visitors had to wait until he turned toward them, and that could take one, two, or three hours. Whoever came sat in his silent circle. In Mr. Gurdjieffs presence, people experienced the striking contrast between the noisy, hasty, deceptive outer world, and his quiet surety and inner, dense collectedness. I felt and sensed with full conviction that, through him, the Grail was being kept according to legend — guarded by angels in the air.”

~ Louise Goepfert March “The Gurdjieff Years”

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IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO WORK ALL THE TIME

Questioner: Sir, you have enlightened me greatly on the way in which one must accomplish one's task. To a certain degree, I'm succeeding. But in the course of the day, one's activities are sometimes very absorbing. One doesn't see the person whom one has chosen for one's task and afterward one sees that the day has been empty. How can one keep, in the absence of that person, the fire necessary for one's task? How can one put something in its place?

Gurdjieff: In general, it is a very important thing. You have chosen a task toward someone. But you are not always with that person. There must be pauses. It is impossible to work all the time, on an object; you haven't enough energy. For this reason, one half of your time should go to your task and half for the preparation of the task. It's a very good combination. You must use the time when you are not seeing the person to prepare yourself.

~ George Gurdjieff "Paris/Wartime Meetings"

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FREE WILL IS NOT AN ORDINARY PHENOMENON

Question: Are there no people who have free will?

Answer: I am speaking of the majority of men. Those who have will—have will. Anyway, free will is not an ordinary phenomenon. It cannot be had for the asking, cannot be bought in a shop.

~ George Gurdjieff "Views from the Real World"

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IF A MAN WORKS HE CAN BECOME OF USE EVEN TO GOD

“While at Vichy we had several talks, both during and between meals, that opened new and wonderful vistas so far as we could understand them. Once he spoke of the "Inner God" who can be the directive power in all our actions. He said: "If you learn to obey Inner God, this is a thousand times better than the Ten Commandments, which only tell us how to live, but cannot help a man to work." The same evening he spoke about immortality, saying: "Unmortal is very big thing, but is not all. If a man works he can become of use even to God." He pointed to me and added: "There are two kinds of unmortal. He now has already Kesdjan Body. This is unmortal, but not real unmortal. Real unmortal only comes with higher body. He have body for soul—but must also have body for "I."

“He then went on to speak of the difference between Paradise and what he called the Sun Absolute. "You can go to Paradise with Kesdjan body. But Paradise is only good for two or three days. Imagine what it would be if next year, year after, hundred years. Must not be satisfied with Paradise—must find way to Soleil Absolu.”

~ JG Bennett “Witness”