Etc. In short, everything that can be useful to a person in his daily life, if you look at it from a pragmatic point of view. But, you must admit, intellectual and physical development is not all that makes up a person's life, because, in addition to this, he must develop spiritually - enrich his inner world, perhaps seek, find ways to cognize something higher.

And, rather significantly departing from the topics familiar to our resource, we want to tell you about a very unusual teaching, which is one of the spiritual ways of awakening human consciousness called "The Fourth Way". We sincerely believe that material of this kind will find its reader among our highly respected audience.

And, of course, the story about "The Fourth Way" cannot begin with anything else than with a small idea for you of the personality of this truly unusual and wonderful person - George Gurdjieff. But let's say right away that we will not delve into all the details of his biography, but will indicate only its main points.

Who is George Ivanovich Gurdjieff?

George Ivanovich Gurdjieff can be called one of the most unusual, amazing and mysterious people of the 20th century. This man was, a composer, esotericist, mystic philosopher, hypnotist, magician, spiritual mentor, dance teacher and founder of the "Fourth Way". Even during his lifetime, the personality of this person, as well as his life path and activities, were covered with a fog of mysteries, secrets and legends.

Gurdjieff was born in the Russian Empire, in the second largest city in Armenia - Alexandropol (now the city of Gyumri), which is located near the border with Turkey. His father was Greek and his mother was Armenian. And the first riddles begin right here: according to some sources, Gurdjieff was born on January 14, 1866, according to others - on January 14, 1874, according to the third - on January 13, 1877, and according to the fourth - on December 28, 1872.

Father George Gurdjieff - Ivan Ivanovich Gurdjieff was seriously interested in religious issues, and was in close friendly relations with the diocesan bishop and abbot of one of the Christian churches of Alexandropol - Borsh. It was Borsh who became the spiritual father of George Gurdjieff, and began to engage in his education, deciding to train him as a priest, as well as a doctor, because, according to Borsh, these were two parts of a single whole.

But, having reached adolescence, Gurdjieff for some reason abruptly left his studies and founded the "Society of Truth Seekers", and also became its head. Subsequently, almost all of his youthful years he spent wandering around the countries of Africa and Asia, among which were Turkestan, Turkey, Afghanistan, Egypt, Greece and others. All his travels, which were often accompanied by archaeological excavations, were devoted to the search for the most ancient world religion.

According to one of the versions of his biography, Gurdjieff spent about ten years in Tibet, being a Russian secret agent and adviser to the Dalai Lama, but it is not possible to confirm this. But, be that as it may, having accumulated a certain store of knowledge and gained a certain experience, Gurdjieff came to Moscow and opened his own school called "The Fourth Way", where he began to teach his system to interested people. A similar school was also opened in St. Petersburg.

After the revolution in Russia, a teacher with a small number of students goes first to Georgia, then to Turkey, then to Germany and Great Britain with the aim of founding the "Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man", but for a number of various reasons he does not have to do this in any of these countries. happened. In the end, the "Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man" was founded in France, near Paris, in the Prieure estate. And to a large extent this was facilitated by one of Gurdjieff's closest associates - Peter Demyanovich Uspensky - Russian theosophist, esotericist and philosopher, who wrote such books as "The Fourth Dimension", "In Search of the Miraculous", "The Fourth Way" and many others. This man contributed to the spread of Gurdjieff's teachings in the West, and also supported him in purchasing the castle in Prieure, where the "Institute" was founded.

Gurzhiev's entire life was filled with a host of interesting and unusual events. But with this we will bring to an end the story of his life, tk. on this topic, you can write several voluminous books, and within the framework of one article it will be inappropriate to go into the details of this person's life path, and we will proceed to presenting the main ideas of his teaching - "The Fourth Way".

"The Fourth Way" by Georgy Gurdjieff

The "Fourth Way" is a unique practice of inner development, which includes everything that George Gurdjieff achieved in his spiritual quest and acquaintance with esoteric teachings during his travels. The "Fourth Way" includes elements of Eastern Christianity, Buddhism, Sufism, fragments of ancient knowledge, as well as dance and music components.

Man is a machine

The basis of the Gurdjieff system is the concept that a person is a mechanical machine that responds in a formulaic way to any external influence. A person's awareness of this idea is the foundation on which a person's work on himself should be based.

Everything that a person does in his daily life, all his actions, deeds, opinions, beliefs, views, thoughts, feelings, words, and so on - all this is the result of external influence and impressions received from outside. A person is not able to produce or do anything that would come from his gut. Everything that makes up a person's life just happens to him, happens automatically.

To determine this for yourself, to understand, realize and be convinced of this is getting rid of the illusion about a person, and that he is able to independently influence his life, organize it, etc. In reality, none of this exists - all this just happens, up to global phenomena such as wars, revolutions, strikes, presidential changes, etc. And all this happens in the same way as events and processes such as birth, creativity, activity, death take place in people's lives. Even desires, love and hate are what happens to people.

However, no one will ever believe our words if we tell someone that he is not able to change anything. This will become one of the most unpleasant insults for a person. And it will become so for the simple reason that it is the truth, and no one wants to know the truth. But the main problem lies in the fact that this must not only be understood intellectually, but realized with all of your human being.

"Doing"

Another very important point of the "Fourth Way" is the issue of the so-called "doing".

People always think that someone else is doing something wrong, doing things the wrong way. Anyone is sure that they could do it much better. And people do not understand, and do not even strive to understand that everything that is being done in general, and even more so that that has already been done, cannot be done in any way, and nothing could have been done in any other way. If people were not what they are, then the whole world would not be what it is. Therefore, everything always remains in place.

Human evolution

The process of human evolution can be understood as a process of development in its essence of those forces and those possibilities that in no case can be developed independently, mechanically. It is the conscious, purposeful development of a person that is an indicator that a person is growing and evolving.

Humanity itself stands still, i.e. there is no progress or evolution. What everyone considers to be moving forward is only a partial modification, counterbalanced by an analogous modification of a different direction.

When starting a conversation about evolution, it is required from the outset to realize that there can be no mechanical evolution. Human evolution is the evolution of consciousness, but this very consciousness can only progress consciously. Human evolution is also the development of his ability to "do", and it is precisely this "doing" that will never be the result of what simply happens to a person.

Development of human consciousness

According to Gurdjieff's "Fourth Way" system, all known ways of developing human consciousness are divided into three categories, which are:

• The path of the fakir
• The Monk's Way
• The Yogi's Way

And this is where the conversation begins about the Fourth Way, which is capable of integrating and transforming all human functions. The Fourth Way does not imply any asceticism, solitude in the wilderness, abandonment of everything "worldly". But a person must be prepared for this Path, and this training can be obtained only in ordinary everyday life, moreover, it must be as serious as possible and include all possible aspects of human existence.

The main difference between the Fourth Way and any other is understanding, i.e. a person must refuse to do anything that he does not understand. And the deeper a person's understanding of what he is doing, the more effective all his efforts will be. This is the guiding principle of the Fourth Way.

The results of the work performed by a person depend on how consciously he performs it. It is also interesting that the Fourth Way does not require any kind of faith, because it is opposed to him. Among other things, the work of a person on the Fourth Way can be individualized, in other words: anyone can do what he needs and not do what is useless.

It is for this reason that the Fourth Way is often called the Way of the Cunning Man, because the cunning man knows the secret that is unknown to the yogi, fakir or monk.

• Sleep state
• State of wakefulness
• Self-remembering state
• State of Objective Consciousness

According to Gurdjieff, the human mechanism is always in oblivion, which is the state of sleep or everyday wakefulness, for which reason he is not able to achieve the state of self-remembering, because to achieve it requires very serious and painstaking work on himself. But it is in the state of self-remembering that a person reveals his inner I and comprehends the ability to "do".

And a little about practice

The methods by which a person can reach the third and fourth states of consciousness, suggest that practitioners perform strenuous work in various conditions and circumstances, which can cause all kinds of "friction" both on an individual - personal level, and on a collective level.

The conditions in which Gurdjieff's students worked and are working today have always reminded and remind a person that he is a machine. But it is precisely these conditions that are capable of freeing his consciousness from everything that was accumulated by him in the past.

Gurdjieff's many exercises are based on the effort that a person needs to make in order to. The mentor said that if there is no internal struggle in a person's life, if everything that happens to him is accepted by him without any resistance, if he is in the power of the "wind" that throws him here and there, then this person will never Will not change.

Hence it follows that the Fourth Path is a hard Path and serious efforts. But this Path is aimed at a person's awareness of his mechanism, thanks to which he will be able to come to the disclosure of the true potential of his being and achieve the transformation of his consciousness. Always and everywhere you need to remember yourself. Always and everywhere one must remember that the energy that is spent on conscious labor is an investment in one's own development, and the energy that is spent on mechanical actions is lost by a person forever.

Conclusion

After George Ivanovich Gurdjieff died on October 29, 1949 in the French commune of Neuilly-sur-Seine in France, his students continued the practice of the "Fourth Way". Active working groups began to form in Europe and the United States. And today there are cultural centers of the "Fourth Way" in France, Great Britain, USA, Canada, Mexico, South Africa, Brazil, India, Australia and Russia.

And finally, we give one of the quotes by George Gurdjieff, which has a huge meaning:

“The soul is a luxury. Nobody has ever been born with a fully developed soul. "

George Gurdjieff- a mystic and magician, occultist, whose mystery can be compared with Cagliostro, and Carlos Castaneda. It is known that Gurdjieff studied at the seminary simultaneously with Joseph Dzhugashvili, and later actively communicated with both Stalin and his opponents in Nazi Germany.

During the Second World War, Gurdjieff, in an incomprehensible way, completely unhindered, crossed the front lines. Today I watched a rehearsal of the play according to my own script, sitting next to Comrade Stalin, and literally a week later I attended the Nazi parade in France and noted an extravagant trick, running up to one of his “students” in the uniform of a high-ranking SS man and shouting “Recollection, recollection!”

By the way, the magic practice under the incomprehensible name "recollection", which in translation into Russian can mean "recapitulation or recollection", was actively recommended by the mystic of a later period - Carlos Castaneda, who, unlike Gurdjieff, studied not with the Sufis of the Middle East, and the Mexican shamans.

So, what is the notorious and did this magical technique really exist? After all, George Gurdjieff is known not only as a famous occultist, but also as a great hoaxer.

As the characters of the Soviet cartoon sang: "It is terribly interesting, everything that is unknown, terribly unknown, everything that is interesting."

One of the students and ardent propagandists of Georgy Gurdjieff and his teachings was the famous Russian writer Pyotr Uspensky. It was largely thanks to Ouspensky's superbly, captivatingly written books that Gurdjieff's fame and popularity arose.

But let's take everything in order. As a matter of fact, it was only in Ouspensky's books that Gurdjieff's doctrine received a harmonious, almost academically convincing form. Gurdjieff's own treatises are replete with allegories, parables and do not contribute to rational understanding.

But Ouspensky managed to bring Gurdjieff's obscure metaphors to a more or less harmonious sound. Although Ouspensky's books look like an account of real training from the great magician and wizard, they are written completely in the spirit of adventure fantasy, and therefore have attracted such great attention from readers, lovers of everything mystical and mysterious.

Peter Uspensky studied first-hand, as one of his favorite students. However, Ouspensky subsequently refused to follow the path of Gurdjieff.

After that, as is traditionally accepted in the magical sphere, the teacher deleted the former student who had “shown weakness” from his memory and stopped paying any attention to the promising young occultist.

George Gurdjieff adhered to a very strict rule regarding disciples and followers - complete renunciation of personality and absolute faith in the teachings and the guru himself.

This approach turned out to be unacceptable for Ouspensky, brought up in the traditions of the “civilized world based on democracy and personal freedom”. Also, later, Gurdjieff founded a kind of "occult commune" in France. Pupils talked about the most severe discipline and "transformation of man into a superman by means of hard physical labor."

In fact, the basic postulates that it contains do not contain anything new, in addition to what has already been stated many times in traditional religions and alternative mystical teachings.

• An "ordinary" person lives in a state of unconsciousness, like a recurring dream. All reactions, thoughts and steps have long been firmly fixed in the "inner conversation", habits and way of thinking. And there are some barriers, like the iron curtain in the mind, that prevent the average person from reaching "higher states of awareness."
• First of all, an “ordinary” person must realize his unconscious, semi-animal, mechanistic existence, devoid of true goals worthy of the Son of God. The declared goals of human life in society are nothing more than the tricks of professional exploiters to keep people forever in a hopeless slave state.
• To break out of the overwhelming unconsciousness, it is necessary to learn to continuously be aware of your every action, every thought and every slightest feeling.

But then something innovative begins. Gurdjieff, although a man of Eastern origin, was brought up unambiguously in the traditions of European civilization. He adored high-speed driving in sports cars and gambling, theater and wrote plays himself.

Spiritual experiments are an attempt to adapt Eastern mystical teachings and practices to the mentality of a European "civilized" person.

And it seems that in view of the extremely tough and hard shell of the European mentality, Gurdjieff saw the primary task of destroying this "civilizational shell".

• To strike a blow at European individualism with collectivism and a complete rejection of the individual.
• Destroy the idea of ​​the European priority of reason and intellect by hard physical labor.
• To declare dancing to be an effective mystical practice, while in society dancing has always been considered nothing more than entertainment or sports.

The hazy parables and mysterious quotes contained in the treatises of George Gurdjieff should probably work as a kind of catalyst for the ossified "civilized" mind of the European public.

In this light, it becomes quite clear why Peter Ouspensky could not “steadfastly endure all the hardships and hardships” of the Fourth Way. The thing is that, as a deeply thinking person who adored the pleasure of rational thinking, Ouspensky could not bear the concept of rejection of individuality and immersion in hard physical labor.

And nowadays it attracts huge attention of people who subconsciously feel that something is wrong in this "Danish Kingdom" and are desperately trying to find a way out of the vicious circle of hypertrophied "rationality and civilization."

George Ivanovich Gurdjieff - this name is familiar to many spiritual seekers not only in Russia, but throughout the world in general. During his lifetime to this day, he remains one of the greatest mystical philosophers, spiritual mentors, composers and travelers of the first half of the 20th century. Many facts of his life are shrouded in mystery., for example, date of birth: according to one source, he was born January 14, 1866, on others - 1874 or even 1877, on the third - December 28, 1872; as well as the place where he was born: some sources say that this is an Armenian city Gyumri and others - city Kars in the east of Turkey. However, the date and place of his death are known for certain - Gurdjieff died on October 29, 1949 in France in Neuilly-sur-Seine - a commune on the western outskirts of Paris.

Origin of the surname

If we talk about the surname, then it can be interpreted as Gruzinov or Gruzinsky, after all, it was the word "Gurji" ("Gurdzhi") that the Persians used to call Georgians earlier, and today they continue to call practically all residents of Islamic countries. Also, the surname Gyurdjian or Gurdjiev is borne by many Greeks who once moved to the territory of Armenia from Georgia and other neighboring countries. For example, even today in the area of ​​the Georgian lake Tsalka there is a rather large colony of Greeks.

The rise of Gurdjieff

According to Georgy Ivanovich himself, it was his own father, together with his spiritual father, who was at that time the rector of the cathedral, who awakened in him a craving for knowledge of the life process taking place on our planet and, mainly, for knowledge of the meaning of human existence. All his work and life were devoted to such processes as human self-development, the growth of his awareness and being in ordinary daily life. In addition, Gurdjieff paid great influence to the physical development of a person. For this reason, he was called (and in the last years of his life he called himself so) "the dance teacher." For some period of time, Gurdjieff called his teaching "esoteric Christianity."

Georgy Ivanovich very early began to travel the world, in particular, in the countries of Africa and Asia, where he tried with all his might to find answers to the questions that interested him. The countries he visited include Afghanistan, Turkey, Egypt, some areas of the Middle East and Turkistan, as well as the famous city of Mecca.

Gurdjieff's travels, among other things, were very similar to the expeditions that he undertook with his like-minded people from the society he himself created called the Seekers of Truth.

Gurdjieff devoted his wanderings to the study of all kinds of spiritual traditions and even folklore, the collection of fragments of ancient knowledge, and sometimes to archaeological excavations.

Gurdjieff's "fourth way"

More in 1912-1913 Gurdjieff "came to Moscow continuing his career as "Teacher of Theosophy". In Moscow, he very quickly was able to gather around him students, whom he began to teach. Already in 1915, he met the Russian philosopher, journalist, traveler, mystic and esotericist Pyotr Demianovich Uspensky, who at that time was 37 years old. They combined their efforts and created a common group in St. Petersburg.

Later, the so-called sorting and systematization of the very diverse experience of Grudzhiev began, which was greatly facilitated by both Ouspensky himself and his like-minded people, who not only became interested in the ideas of Georgy Ivanovich, but also constantly asked new questions and polemized with him on those of interest to them. themes.

In addition, Ouspensky, who already had solid experience in working with esoteric teachings, was able to isolate and comprehend new ideas of Eastern schools, which were often manifested in the presentation of Gurdjieff himself, and was also able to adapt them to the European mentality - he translated them into a language that was understandable to the psychological culture of the West. Thanks to this cooperation, a new complex of certain concepts and practices was formed - it was called the "Teachings of Gurdjieff-Uspensky", but later it was called the "Fourth Way".

Institute for Harmonious Human Development

In general, attempts to found the "Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man" were undertaken by Gurdjieff several times. The first time this happened in 1919 in Tiflis, then in 1920 in Constantinople. Then a similar attempt was carried out in Germany, but it failed because of conflicts with the authorities.

Having moved to Great Britain after Ouspensky, Gurdjieff tried to create an "Institute" there, but he again faced failure, because his students were not allowed into the country.

AND only after that the great teacher was able to create the "Institute"... It happened in 1922 near Fontainebleau near Paris in the Prieure estate - there Gurdjieff bought a castle with funds collected by the English students of Ouspensky. At the Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man, Gurdjieff taught not only the complex principles of the Fourth Way, but also the simplified, albeit exotic, ideas of Aida Yoga.

In the castle in Prieure, Gurdjieff often organized demonstration performances of the Sacred movements which were special exercises and dances. Gurdjieff himself developed them, taking as a basis the temple and folk dances, which he managed to perfectly learn, traveling through the countries of Asia.

These performances were known to a huge number of people, both in France and abroad, for example in the USA, where he visited from time to time with his students to give lectures and organize performances of the Sacred movements.

A separate material on Gurdjieff's Sacred Movements is presented.

Break with P. D. Uspensky

In January 1924, a significant event happened - the break between Gurdjieff and Ouspensky... For this reason, some students of Georgy Ivanovich began to consider Uspensky just an ordinary student, and especially zealous ones even an apostate. Although, in reality, the situation was completely different.

In fact, Peter Demyanovich can be called one of the few companions of Gurdjieff who could go against the will of the Teacher in order to defend the right to independent work of his English group.

The rest of the groups, led by the other three main assistants and disciples of Gurdjieff, were reformed, after which they could not continue to function properly.

By the way, already in July 1924, just six months after breaking up with Ouspensky, Georgy Ivanovich miraculously escaped after a terrible car accident... As a result, Priere becomes an almost inaccessible abode, but the closest disciples of Gurdjieff remain there, while others systematically visit their mentor.

Labor "Everything and everyone"

It was during this period that Gurdjieff began the main work of his whole life - a series of books "Everything and Everything", which will include three books "Beelzebub's Tales to His Grandson", "Meetings with Remarkable People" (based on this book in 1979, director Peter Brook will shoot the film of the same name) and "Life is real only when I am." At the same time, together with the composer Thomas de Hartmann, Gurdjieff creates about 150 small pieces of music for the piano, many of which are based on Asian motives, and music specifically for the performance of the Sacred Movements.

In 1932, the "Institute" was closed, and Gurdjieff moved to Paris, from where he began to visit the United States from time to time. In the States (Chicago and New York), the groups of Gurdjieff's disciples were mainly led by a man named Orage, who was once the owner of New Age magazine. Gurdjieff, on the other hand, continued to work with his students at home or in a cafe, where he arranged his meetings.

It is impossible not to mention that during the Second World War, and even during the occupation of Paris by the troops of Nazi Germany, Georgy Ivanovich did not stop his activities, although, of course, its intensity began to decline.

After World War II

When World War II ended, in Paris, Gurdjieff brought together disciples from various groups, including disciples of the then late Ouspensky. Among them, the mathematician and philosopher John Bennett deserves special attention, who wrote The Dramatic Universe, a work in which an attempt is made to adapt Gurdjieff's ideas to European philosophy.

1949 - the last year of the life of Georgy Ivanovich- was marked by the fact that the Teacher gave instructions to the students about the publication of two of his works, as well as Ouspensky's manuscript, which turned out to be in his possession, entitled "In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching." This work was perceived by Gurdjieff as a very peculiar presentation of his lectures, which he read in Russia in 1915-1917.

After the death of Gurdjieff

George Ivanovich Gurdjieff died on October 29, 1949 years in the American hospital in Neuilly-sur-Seine... After his death His closest colleague Jeanne de Salzman tried to unite the students- it was to her that the Master entrusted the spread of his Teachings. The activities of Ms de Salzmann served as the basis for the creation The Gurdjieff Foundation, main in New York in 1953.

In addition, the aforementioned John Bennett and some of Ouspensky's students: Lord Pantland, Rodney Collin, Maurice Nikkol and others, actively disseminated Gurdjieff's ideas. And Lord Pantland was appointed President of the Gurdjieff Foundation, a post he held until his death in 1984.

Among other famous students of Gurdjieff one can name the American publisher Jane Heep and the American artist Paul Reynard, the English writer Catherine Mansfield, the French poet Rene Domal, and the English writer Pamela Travers, familiar to many from the children's book about Mary Poppins. Later, the famous musicians Robert Fripp and Keith Jarrett were trained by Gurdjieff's students.

Today, separate Gurdjieff groups operate in different cities around the world. and recruit followers into their ranks. The Fourth Way itself is often compared with many traditional teachings, such as, for example, the eastern branches of Christianity, Sufism, Tibetan Buddhism, Zen Buddhism, Tantrism, yoga, as well as the mystical traditions of Egypt and Mesopotamia.

The Teacher himself always said that it is completely impossible to understand his teaching.... But the essence of the main idea is that a person should wake up from a "dream in reality", stop degrading and act mechanically, like a machine.

However, Gurdjieff nevertheless took the main secrets of his doctrine with him, as he predicted in his unfinished work "Life is real only when I am."

Bibliography of Gurdjieff

• Views from the real world
• Questions and answers
• Eight meetings in Paris
• Beelzebub's Tales to His Grandson
• Meeting wonderful people
• Life is only real when I am
• Man is a polysyllabic creature

The century has come, which has broken the familiar world.

The age of big machines, steam locomotives, steamboats, automobiles and airplanes ... civilization made a huge leap forward, and people were surrounded by machines and mechanisms.

Where did this mysterious person come from, this George Gurdjieff, whose name was pronounced in a whisper, whose students or listeners were almost ALL famous figures of that time, including Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler, Sergei Yesenin, Mayakovsky, Blok and many others?

What is the secret of this man who called himself "just a dance teacher"? Did he really have some kind of secret knowledge, or was he just a charismatic charlatan?

Did you give any secret knowledge to these people?

Maybe he correctly calculated that right now people want new knowledge about their nature, because it was at that time that thousands of discoveries, inventions, new theories were rapidly changing their lives. It was breathtaking from pride for humanity, from the grandeur opportunities. And out of fear for the future.

New features give an advantage to whoever applies them first. And this competition cannot end peacefully.

Convenience and comfort came at a price: machines not only made life easier, but also killed more efficiently.

The deadly machine of the First World War was already rumbled, but in Russia no one could have imagined that very soon everything would mix up where it seemed everything was comfortable, familiar and calm. Although calm - hardly. It was anxious and hectic.

However, the idea that everything would collapse seemed so fantastic that the darkest skeptics did not hear the voice of the roaring disaster. It was at this time that someone was actively acting, some forces performed their work, some people sacrificed themselves in order for other active people to prepare a place for themselves in this new world.

The situation seemed unreal, temporary, and this illusion killed many.

It was at this time that a painful, passionate interest in the capabilities of the person himself as to the reserve, as to the factors of survival in this world arises among people. Theosophical and esoteric societies, attempts to expand the field of knowledge about human nature and the nature of the world, for this seems to be an essential factor in survival - all this has acquired enormous proportions.

How was this strange Gurdjieff different from other gurus?

He was different. He compared a man to a machine that must be learned to operate. He said: a man is a machine, he lives in a dream: look, this is actually so. Only by understanding the properties of this machine, you can get huge benefits, and become more than a machine.

The laws of the universe are similar to the laws of music harmony. You can make the machine work correctly - in resonance with this harmony. And then you can learn to manage not only your life ...

He founded more than one school or group of students, in which he tried in various ways, as he said, to awaken a person. He did this not only by lecturing or giving dynamic meditation lessons. Gurdjieff undoubtedly possessed abilities that can be unambiguously called supernormal.

His explanations of the structure of the world may seem strange, but surprisingly consonant with the most modern theories in physics and astronomy.

He studied his students and honed his teaching method on them.

Many do not even believe that he died, according to the official version, in a car accident. Some suggest that he still teaches. What and to whom?

He was always in sight and always alone. In fact, no one knew anything about him.

Return from India. - War and "the search for the miraculous." - Old thoughts. - The question of schools. - Plans for further travel. - East and Europe. - A note in a Moscow newspaper. - Lectures on India. - Meeting with Gurdjieff. - "Disguised". - First conversation. - Gurdjieff's opinion on schools. - Gurdjieff's group. - "Glimpses of Truth." - Further meetings and conversations. - Organization of the Moscow group of Gurdjieff. - The question of wages and funds for work. - The question of secrecy; commitments made by students. - Conversation about the East. - "Philosophy", "theory" and "practice". - How was this system found? - Ideas of Gurdjieff. - “Man is a machine”, controlled by external influences. - "Everything happens." - Nobody "does" anything. - To “do”, you need to “be”. - A person is responsible for his actions, but a machine is not. - Do you need psychology to study a car? - The promise of "facts". - Is it possible to end the wars? - Conversation: planets and the Moon as living beings. - "Mind" of the Sun and the Earth. - "Subjective" and "objective" art.

I returned to Russia after a fairly long journey through Egypt, Ceylon and India. This happened in November 1914, that is, at the beginning of the First World War, which found me in Colombo. I returned from there via England.

Leaving St. Petersburg at the beginning of the trip, I said that I was going to "look for the miraculous." It is very difficult to establish what “miraculous” is, but for me this word had a very definite meaning. Long ago I came to the conclusion that there is no other way out of the labyrinth of contradictions in which we live, except for a completely new path, unlike any of those that were known to us and which we used.

But where this new or forgotten path began - this I could not say. Then I already knew the undoubted fact that behind the thin shell of false reality there is another reality, from which, for some reason, something separates us. The "miraculous" is the penetration into this unknown reality. It seemed to me that the path to the unknown can be found in the East. Why exactly in the East? This is difficult to answer. Perhaps there was something of romance in this idea; and perhaps there was a conviction that in Europe, in any case, it was impossible to find anything.

On the way back, during the few weeks that I spent in London, all my thoughts about the results of the search came into complete disarray under the influence of the insane absurdity of the war and the emotions associated with it that filled the atmosphere, conversations and newspapers and against my will often captured and me.

But when I returned to Russia and relived the thoughts with which I left it, I felt that my searches and everything connected with them are more important than any things that happen and can happen in the world of “obvious absurdities”. I told myself that war should be looked at as one of those catastrophic living conditions in which one has to live, work and seek answers to one's questions and doubts. This war, the great European war, in the possibility of which I did not want to believe and the reality of which I did not want to admit for a long time, became a fact. We found ourselves immersed in a war and I saw that it must be considered a great memento mori, showing that one must hurry, that one cannot believe in "life" leading to nothing.

By the way, about the expression "obvious absurdities." It refers to a book I had as a child. The book was called “Obvious absurdities”, belonged to the Stupa “library” and consisted of such, for example, pictures as images of a man with a house on his back, carriages with square wheels and the like. At that time, the book made a very strong impression on me - there were many pictures in it, about which I could not understand what was absurd in them.

They looked exactly like ordinary things. And later I began to think that the book actually gave pictures from real life, because as I got older I became more and more convinced that all life consists of "obvious absurdities", and my subsequent experiences only strengthened this conviction.

The war could not touch me personally, at least until the final catastrophe, which, as it seemed to me, would inevitably break out in Russia, and perhaps in all of Europe; but the near future did not promise her yet. Although, of course, at that time this approaching catastrophe looked only temporary, and no one could imagine all that internal and external decay and destruction that we would have to endure.

Fourth way Is practice internal development created by G.I. Gurdjieff... This direction of self-development includes the results spiritual search Gurdjieff, his acquaintance with various esoteric practices, which he learned while traveling in Asia and Africa. Gurdjieff's main merit is that he did accessible for the European civilization the most ancient knowledge of the East.

George Ivanovich Gurdjieff was born on January 9, 1872 in the south of the Russian Empire in the city of Alexandropol. He went down in history as philosopher, mystic, composer and traveler. In his expeditions, together with members of the Seekers of Truth society founded by him, Georgy Ivanovich studied the spiritual traditions of various cultures. The result of these studies was the creation of the "Fourth Way" practice, which reflected Sufism, Buddhism, Eastern Christianity, as well as folklore- dancing and music.

In 1915, Gurdjieff's fateful meeting with the philosopher took place P.D. Uspensky... Ouspensky's merit is that he adapted the teachings of Gurdjieff to European mentality, translated it into a language understandable to Western psychological culture.

After Gurdjieff's death in 1949, the practice of the Fourth Way was continued by his disciples. In America and Europe, working groups consisting of adherents of the doctrine were actively established. Currently, there are several large centers of the Fourth Way in the world, including in Russia.

What is the essence of the Fourth Way? Ouspensky said that it was esoteric school which answers the question how what should be done according to religions must to be done. Purpose of work - transformation of human consciousness, achieving harmony and liberation, the state of enlightenment. Unlike other traditional ways of self-knowledge - the path of a fakir, a monk, yoga - Gurdjieff's teachings do not require a person to withdraw from the world. On the contrary, all inner work must go into constant interaction with other people, animals, property, ideas.

The practice of the Fourth Way includes a wide range of techniques, including the famous practice Gurdjieff's movements(sacred dances). But the basis is " self-remembering", which sets the goal to achieve awareness, to break free from the fetters of automatism.

One of the main tenets of the Fourth Way is the statement that modern man is like a robot... He has been acting almost all his life unconsciously, automatically, through reflexes. If you insult him, he takes offense, if you praise him, he rejoices. Such a life like a dream... A person is unable to see the objective state of affairs, he is dominated by egoism and passions - fear, excitement, anger, pursuit of pleasure. These passions lead to suffering. One of Gurdjieff's disciples gives this explanation: “We are imprisoned in our mind, and no matter how we expand and embellish it, we still remain locked up within the walls. are, and at the same time seeing what we really are, and not what we would like to be. This can be achieved by maintaining a state of passive awareness ... ".

The path to freedom lies through constant deliberate division of attention so that part of it is directed back to itself. As they say " one eye looks outward, the other inward". Gradually it becomes a habit and among the multitude of impermanent rushing human" I "arises." I am the observer"or" Witness. "At first, this practice is very difficult - the beginner now and then forgets about his intention to self-observation, falls under the influence of the currently dominant" I. " change this situation. Ouspensky writes about this experience: " observe yourself very carefully, and then you will see that it is notyou, notyour self, and some "it"speaks within you; moves and feels, laughs and cries inside you; just as it rains, then it clears up, and then it rains again. Everything happens in you, and your main task is to follow and observe what is happening. ". Another exercise that allows you to achieve a state of awareness (self-remembering) is concentration on any one aspect of behavior throughout the day, for example, hand movements, facial expressions. A person should be in this state for as long as possible, performing his daily affairs, communicating with people, etc.

The result of such practices is the achievement of the state " Here and now", as well as objectivity of perception the surrounding world and yourself. Objective Consciousness Is the culmination of self-remembering. A person's inner dialogue becomes silent, a transformation of consciousness takes place.

Gurdjieff has repeatedly emphasized that a person cannot independently develop according to the Fourth Way system. To step out into the light need a teacher, who from the outside should guide the student, because the person himself is still blind. " You are not aware of your own situation. You are in jail. All you can desire, if you are an intelligent person, is to run away. But how? No one can escape from prison without the help of those who escaped before them. Organization needed"The second factor is group work." Man alone can do nothing"A group in which joint work is going on (this term denotes the practice of the Fourth Way), can exist in the form of a community, in the form of people who periodically meet at joint meetings, and even simply - in the form of a family.

It is necessary to dwell separately on practice Gurdjieff movements as an integral part of the Fourth Way. If the theory of Gurdjieff's teaching is difficult to understand and diverse, then practice - available to everyone seeking truth. So are the Movements - outwardly they are similar to dance... There are no difficult elements in them - even an untrained person can easily reproduce them, but it's all about coordination and awareness. A student, learning a dance, in a short period of time (for example, forty minutes), goes from a complete misunderstanding of the sequence of movements and internal chaos to an awareness of the harmony of movement and the perception of oneself in it. Dance includes not only physical movement, but work intellectual and spiritual centers person. Only after reaching a certain state of concentration and harmony is it possible to accurately reproduce the sequence of movements. At the same time, a person is completely absorbed in the process, realizing himself here and now, living every moment as fully as possible. But dance is a means, not an end. Having learned this state in the practice of movements, it is easier for the student to return to it in ordinary life, in the midst of everyday routine.

The fourth way, or " the way of the sly man", as Gurdjieff called him, is valuable precisely because it makes it possible to develop modern people keeping the external routine of life without losing socialization. Supporters of the Fourth Way repeatedly emphasize that this practice is for strong and independent people. A person who has not been able to establish himself in life, for example, to provide himself financially, is not yet ready to follow the Fourth Way.

At the end, I would like to quote the words of Gurdjieff, which can help all seekers of truth " I ask you not to believe anything that you cannot verify for yourself.".