The Fundamentals

The single best introduction to Gurdjieff’s ideas and methods is P.D. Ouspensky’s In Search of the Miraculous, which he had undertaken to Gurdjieff he would write to help spread knowledge of Gurdjieff’s teaching. In 1949, Gurdjieff’s last year on earth, when a pupil was leaving and intending to start a group, he told her to read one page of that book each day, writing what struck her as the most important idea, and that way, she would learn the ideas.

Once the introduction has been made, should one wish to implement the ideas then one should obtain and study four books of Gurdjieff’s: Beelzebub’s Tales to his Grandson, Meetings with Remarkable Men, Life Is Real only then, when I AM, and Gurdjieff’s Early Talks 1914-1931, posthumously collected papers, notes, and transcripts. Of these pieces, “Reflexes of Truth,” the first is of great significance as it is a full-length statement in story form of how one approaches the Work. The idea for it came from Gurdjieff, and was written under his direction.

These five books complement each other: the emphasis of In Search of the Miraculous and Gurdjieff’s books are somewhat different. Ouspensky admirably produced an introduction and exposition of the ideas; indicating when certain ideas came from himself as he developed Gurdjieff’s concepts, and sketching life with the unforgettable master. But Gurdjieff’s three books, which he called his “three series,” are meant chiefly as a critique of the lives we lead, to help us feel a need for a more conscious life, and then to indicate something of the means to achieve this. While many of his ideas are included in these, especially in Beelzebub, some of the absolute key ideas, such as his teaching about “self-remembering,” are most fully explored in Ouspensky’s book. Gurdjieff’s own books aim to be unsettling and difficult: to make us work to grasp their meaning. Ouspensky, on the other hand, tries to be as clear as possible while being faithful to the task Gurdjieff had given him, and respecting the material he had been taught, without simplifying it.

The above suggestions are not only the basic books, they are also the most advanced. As we read them, time and again, over the years, we make discoveries so fresh and pertinent to us that we can hardly believe that when we had previously studied them, they had not leapt up at us from the page. This is an indicator of how our understanding grows as we follow the path. It must be stressed: Gurdjieff’s ideas and methods are meant to be applied.

Gurdjieff wanted his system to have an effect in life, to build a new and better world. For that, it has to be practised. Further, some of his most important ideas are expressed not in books but in the Movements or Sacred Dances, practices such as the Stop Exercise, and in his contemplative-exercises, which he called “Aiëssirittoorassnian-contemplation.” These need to help of an experienced teacher, to indicate which exercises one should use at which time, and to watch the student, ensuring that the student does not stray into fantasy and merely dream of waking up. Also, the groups are able to help in that what is said by or to another person may be of great relevance to the others in the group, but perhaps they had not seen the issues so clearly, had not thought to mention them, or even more, we often tense up when someone speaks directly to us, but when the group leader speaks to someone else, we may be able to hear more and to apply it to ourselves. As Gurdjieff said, in a real group, the work of one is the work of all.

So while the books are beyond valuable, Gurdjieff foresaw and intended that far-reaching and lasting changes would be made in our lives only within a group. One person working alone can find exciting new ideas which even change our lives, but the change of being which he hoped for cannot every result from simply reading: for this, a group is needed to help with practice.

n.b. The only English-language edition of Beelzebub’s Tales which Gurdjieff approved is the original 1950 edition, reissued by Two Rivers Press (illustrated). For those interested in the full story of the revisions, see my article  “Did Gurdjieff Write Scripture?” Postscripts, 12(2),  2022, 151-187.

 

Advanced

Only four books I know of can fairly be described as advanced:

G.I. Gurdjieff, Paris Meetings, 1943

G.I. Gurdjieff, Paris Meetings, 1944

Transcripts of Gurdjieff’s Meetings, 1941-1946

Jane Heap, Notes which has much overlap with Jane Heap/Notes

 

Supplementary

We now come to books which can provide supplementary assistance. We will, for the sake of convenience, note twelve only, and no more than one from each author, but there are many other excellent volumes. All these authors knew Gurdjieff, and often Ouspensky, personally. In alphabetical order:

George Adie, George Adie: A Gurdjieff Pupil in Australia

John G. Bennett, Witness

Solange Claustres, Becoming Conscious with Mr Gurdjieff

Thomas and Olga de Hartmann, Our Life with Mr Gurdjieff

Maurice Nicoll, Selection from Meetings in 1953

A.R. Orage, Gurdjieff’s Emissary in New York

P.D. Ouspensky, The Fourth Way

Jeanne de Salzmann, The Reality of Being

A.L. Staveley, The Plan Is Good

P.B. Taylor, G.I. Gurdjieff: A New Life

T. Tchekhovitch, Gurdjieff: A Master in Life

Jean Vaysse, Toward Awakening