Kadloubovsky and Palmer open their selection, Writings from the Philokalia on Prayer of the Heart (1951) with a text by Nicephorus the Solitary known as “On Sobriety,” or, to provide […]
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From Ouspensky to the Philokalia
The Philokalia is really a miniature library. The manuscripts which comprise it were originally written in Greek. Although the texts are mostly far older, the present-day collection was compiled by […]
Read moreJacob of Sarug and the Work
When Orage said that “Jesus Christ” used this method (Gurdjieff’s Emissary in New York, 13), he was not defining or limiting Jesus: rather, he was drawing a connection between Gurdjieff’s […]
Read moreThe Odes of Solomon: Ode 4
The Fourth Ode of Solomon is enigmatic, and has been studied more than most of the others. I will not go into the history of the study of this Ode, […]
Read moreThe Odes of Solomon: Ode 3
The Text Having looked at Ode 1 of the Odes of Solomon, we now come to Ode 3, for Ode 2 is missing. It is not possible to know how […]
Read moreA Tale of Purgatory and Masses for the Dead
“The Troubled Spirit of Tintern Abbey” is an interesting story from Lord Halifax’s Ghost Book (1936, pp. 201-204), chiefly because it relates to Purgatory and the effectiveness of Masses for […]
Read moreThe Odes of Solomon, Ode 1
The Odes of Solomon are the oldest surviving hymnal from the early Christian world. They were probably written in ancient Syria, in the Syriac language, between 100 and 200 AD. […]
Read moreFormulations
Formulations play an enormous part in our lives. They are necessary: whenever we speak we use formulations: “Good morning”, “I am …”, “Would you like …”, “Can you tell me […]
Read moreFarwell, Keith Emerson, and may you find peace
The recent death by suicide of Keith Emerson on 10 March 2016 was an ugly tragedy. One of the greatest keyboard players to record in the last fifty years, a […]
Read moreThe Prayer of the Heart
Gurdjieff and the Prayer of the Heart Gurdjieff taught that techniques such as fasting, confession and prayer were not only valuable, but essential for any seeker. Gurdjieff gave few indications […]
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