Struggle for Awakening: The Path to Self-Realization

The main takeaway is that in order to be born, one must first die, and to die, one must first awaken, which involves freeing oneself from attachments and realizing one's nothingness.

### The Fourth Way: Guidelines for Group Work According to Gurdjieff
* 👥 The Fourth Way group work is based on the principle of **mutual responsibility**, where all members are responsible for **one another's mistakes and failures**.
* 🎯 The aim of the work is to realize one's **nothingness**, which requires making **positive efforts and sacrifices**.
* 🤥 The first barrier to overcome is **lying, both to oneself and others**.
* ❌ Mistakes made after making efforts and sacrifices are not excused by **past merits**.
* 📖 The theoretical part of the work can help in verifying the **correctness of the practical part**.
* 🖐 The second barrier is often the conquest of fear, which is usually connected with the **lies a person lives among**.
* 🛡 Having surmounted a serious barrier, a person can no longer **return to ordinary sleep**.
* 📝 Individual tasks and the definition of **one's chief fault** are given by the teacher to each member.

### G's Teachings and Methods for Inner Work
* 🧠 G explains the importance of "**super efforts**" in awakening and connecting with the **large accumulator of energy** in the human machine.
* 🔄 The role of accumulators in the human machine is described, with **small accumulators connected to the centers** and the **large accumulator providing an enormous amount of energy**.
* 😂 Yawning is explained as a way to **pump energy into small accumulators**, while laughter is the **discarding of superfluous energy**.
* 👥 In midsummer 1916, G's teaching methods evolve into more intensive forms, with group members **sharing their life stories as a task**.
* 🤖 G emphasizes the need to "**learn from one another**," and the difficulty of observing oneself due to the **discomfort of moving out of one's repertoire of roles**.
* 🗣 G assigns a task for each group member to **lead conversations with friends and acquaintances** to share the **ideas of the system**.
* 🔮 G discusses the types of people who are able to approach the work, emphasizing the need for individuals to be **disappointed in ordinary ways**.
* ❓ G's teachings often revolve around the idea that "**everything must be found by oneself**," with G stating that the **48 Laws of types cannot be defined in ordinary language**.

### Gurdjieff's Teachings on Self-Transformation and the Miraculous
* 🧠 Gurdjieff emphasizes the importance of **striving for self-change today, in this life**, as the system has **no meaning without it**.
* 🔄 All laws can be seen in one life, and knowledge of the repetition of lives will add nothing if one does not **strive to escape repetition through self-change**.
* 💪 Gurdjieff asserts that if one changes something essential in oneself and attains something, it **cannot be lost**.
* 🚶 Gurdjieff teaches that the creation of a **permanent center of gravity**, guided by one's **attitude and valuation of the work**, is the starting point of **right work on oneself**.
* 🔒 Gurdjieff warns against the abuse of sex, which he defines as the **wrong work of centers in relation to sex**.
* 🌌 The sex center works with hydrogen 12 and can either work with its own energy, engage in **normal sexual life**, or undergo **transmutation**.
* 👁 Gurdjieff suggests that phenomena of a higher order, such as telepathy and clairvoyance, can only be observed and studied in a particular emotional state, **not through ordinary means**.
* 💡 A series of extraordinary experiences in Finland leads to a **deep inner intensity** in the work, the discovery of certain **changes in views and aspirations**, and the understanding of the **esoteric principle of the impossibility of violence**.

### Gurdjieff's Teachings: Self-Remembering, Chief Features, and the Symbolism of Objective Knowledge
* 🧘 Gurdjieff emphasized the importance of "**self-remembering**" and constant **self-work** to attain a **higher state of consciousness**.
* 🎭 People have "**chief features**," often hidden but visible to others, that define the **impressions they create**.
* 🔢 The "table of hydrogens" and the "law of octaves" are complex systems of symbols used to represent **objective knowledge and the laws of the universe**.
* 🔮 Objective knowledge, including the idea of the **unity of everything**, is difficult to express in ordinary language and is often transmitted through **myths, symbols, and verbal formulas**.
* 💬 Gurdjieff often used stories, jokes, and indirect methods to teach, as **direct understanding of symbols** requires a certain level of **inner development**.
* 🌌 The "Seal of Solomon" symbolizes the **harmonious development of the five centers in man**, leading to a connection with **higher centers and objective consciousness**.
* 🗣 Understanding symbolic speech requires the ability to **listen without immediately disputing or interpreting everything literally**.
* 🧠 Gurdjieff's teachings stress the importance of **self-awareness, self-transformation, and the integration of knowledge and being**.

### Gurdjieff's Teachings on Self-Knowledge, the Law of Octaves, and Religion
* 🧠 Gurdjieff emphasizes the importance of **self-knowledge** and the necessity of making **personal efforts** to attain **true knowledge**.
* 🎶 The law of octaves, illustrated by a circle divided into nine parts, **connects all processes of the universe** and provides a method for **understanding the essential nature of phenomena**.
* 🙏 Gurdjieff's teachings on religion stress that religion is a relative concept based on a man's level of being, and **true religion is manifested through one's actions**.
* 📜 The anagram, a universal symbol, can represent **all knowledge**, and the ability to use and understand it correctly gives **great power**.
* 💡 Objective art, which is based on **inner octaves**, is created consciously by the artist and has **definite psychological and physical effects**.
* 🍽 In the human organism, the three kinds of food must be mixed in specific proportions to create the substance that fills the **C-do interval** in the food octave.
* 🙏 Prayer, when done correctly and with understanding, can have **objective results**, and different types of prayers have **different effects**.
* 🏛 The Christian Church and its form of worship were taken from prehistoric Egypt, which was Christian in its essence, and the church's rituals and symbols represent a **course of repetition of the science of the universe and man**.

### Gurdjieff's Teachings on Esotericism, the Ray of Creation, and the Law of Three
* 🌌 Gurdjieff's teachings on esotericism center around the idea that there are **inner circles of humanity**, beyond the ordinary exoteric circle, that possess **higher levels of consciousness and knowledge**.
* 🌟 The "Ray of Creation" is a model that describes the hierarchical structure of the universe, with the **Absolute at the top** and the **Moon at the bottom**, representing the **end of the branch**.
* 🧠 According to Gurdjieff, the evolution of organic life on Earth is crucial for the **growth of the Moon** and the **Ray of Creation**.
* 💀 Humanity's evolution is at a standstill, and Gurdjieff warns that a standstill leads to **degeneration and downfall**.
* 🔮 Gurdjieff introduces the concept of "**Crossroads**" where real change can occur, emphasizing that only **conscious work at these points** can alter the course of events.
* 🎓 Gurdjieff's classification of beings according to their "**Cosmic traits of being**" (food, air, and medium) provides a framework for understanding the **intelligence and consciousness** of different creatures.
* 🍽 While food and air are fixed by Cosmic law, **Impressions can be improved**, and Gurdjieff suggests that the **quality of one's Impressions is key to inner development**.
* 🌱 The teachings also stress the importance of **self-initiation** and the necessity of **conscious effort for spiritual growth**.

### G's Esoteric Teachings and the Enigmatic Table of Time
* 📜 G introduced the concept of higher hydrogens, stating that "a man who makes **higher hydrogens the food for the upper story of his machine** will certainly differ from one who feeds on the **lower hydrogens**."
* 🌌 He described a unique system of classification based on food sources, illustrating that "**each class of creature feeds on a definite class of lower creature and is food for a definite class of higher creatures**".
* 🎨 G's ability to **change his appearance**, as witnessed at the railway station, hinted at **esoteric knowledge** related to the **art of plastics**.
* 💸 A journalist traveling with G mistook him for an "**oil king from Baku**," highlighting the **mysterious and dignified aura** surrounding G.
* 🇷🇺 Prior to the Russian Revolution, G's followers faced a dilemma about whether to **leave the country** due to the **impending chaos**.
* 🌐 The group frequently discussed G's diagrams, with the narrator feeling that "**there was a good deal left unsaid**" in these enigmatic teachings.
* ⏳ By correlating time with the period of breath, the narrator constructed a "**Table of Time in Different Cosmoses**," where each cosmos represented a **unique level of being**.
* 🌌 When applying the Minkowski formula to this table, the narrator discovered that each cosmos could be considered a "**fourth-dimensional world**" in itself.

### Gurdjieff's Teachings on Self-Development and the Stop Exercise
* 🏞 Gurdjieff and his followers lived in Alexandrapole, a town with an Armenian, Greek, and Tartar quarter, and G's family had an **old and peculiar culture**.
* 🚂 Gurdjieff believed that "events are not against us at all, they are merely **moving too quickly**," and that seemingly negative events could be **beneficial in the long run**.
* 🧘 Gurdjieff emphasized the necessity of self-development through "**super efforts**," as **ordinary efforts are not counted**.
* 💪 The three principal centers of man - the **thinking, emotional, and moving** - are connected and always work in unison, making **independent self-work** impossible.
* 🛑 The "**stop exercise**" was a crucial method in Gurdjieff's teaching, as it allowed individuals to **break free from the circle of automatism** and **develop self-remembering**.
* The exercise required individuals to **stop all movements and postures** at an agreed-upon signal, and it was considered **sacred** in Gurdjieff's schools.
* ♂ The exercise also served as a method for studying school discipline, as it required **unconditional obedience** and **constant alertness**.
* 💬 One of the chief difficulties for Gurdjieff's followers was the habit of talking, as no one could see this habit in themselves and it was often connected with **positive characteristics**.

### G's Teachings and Methods in the Fourth Way System
* 🏞 G moved his group to Essentuki in the Caucasus to establish a colony and **continue the work**.
* 📜 G's teachings emphasized the Fourth Way, a path of self-development that combines elements of the **fakir, monk, and yogi paths**.
* G introduced exercises, dances, and gymnastics to bring the **physical body under control**.
* 🔮 The study of "psychic tricks" was considered essential in Eastern schools to develop **special characteristics** and prepare for the study of **supernormal phenomena**.
* 💰 To support those without means, G organized a silk-winding business that **generated a regular income**.
* "In normal times, a colony like ours could not have existed in Essentuki or anywhere else in **Russia**."
* ❓ G's methods often involved practical tasks and exercises that required **keen observation and shrewdness**.
* 🤔 The text ends with the narrator reflecting on the **changing nature** of their personal position within G's work.

### Gurdjieff's Life and Work: A Journey of Learning and Transformation
* 🌍 Gurdjieff's teachings were based on the idea that people lived their lives in a state of **sleep and mechanical behavior**, and that through **self-awareness and conscious effort**, they could **awaken and develop their full potential**.
* 🏛 Gurdjieff's methods were **esoteric** and required **complete obedience to the teacher**. He believed that each teacher had their own **specialty**, and students had to find the right teacher whose methods suited them.
* 🏃 Gurdjieff's departure from Essentuki in 1918 marked a turning point for many of his students, who had to make the difficult decision to **continue working with him** or to **go their own way**.
* 📜 Gurdjieff's anagram, a key element of his teachings, contained hidden meanings related to the **three octaves of the human organism** and the **functioning of various systems in the body**.
* 💨 Gurdjieff emphasized the importance of breathing exercises in his teachings, and he taught that there were three types of breathing: **normal, inflation, and breathing through movements**.
* 🏰 In 1922, Gurdjieff established the Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man at the Château du Prieuré near Fontainebleau, France. The institute was dedicated to the **study of rhythm and movement**, and Gurdjieff's students lived and worked together in a **communal setting**.
* Gurdjieff's ballet, "The Struggle of the Magicians," was an integral part of his teaching method, incorporating **dervish dances and other sacred movements**.
* 🌎 Despite the challenges and controversies surrounding Gurdjieff's work, his teachings continued to attract a dedicated following, and his influence spread to different parts of the world, including **England, America, and Russia**.

In Search Of The Miraculous (Part 2 of 2) - P.D. Ouspensky - Gurdjieff, The Fourth Way Audiobook

Welcome to Altrusian Grace Media on YouTube. I’m Matthew Schmitz, audiobook narrator and musician.

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The Three Stages of Awakening According to Gurdjieff

Gurdjieff discusses the need for a man to die, awaken, and be born in order to achieve a new growth of essence and individuality.

He explains that to die, a man must free himself from attachments and realize his own nothingness, leading to the courage to renounce aspects of himself.

Gurdjieff also emphasizes the difficulty of awakening, the forces that keep man in a hypnotic state, and the necessity of organized group work with a teacher for self-study and self-observation.

Attempting to share personal interests with others often leads to frustration and misunderstanding.

Members of a group are required to be truthful and sincere, especially with the teacher, and to remember their purpose of learning and self-improvement.

The work in a group is aimed at struggling against each individual's chief fault, with the ultimate goal of realizing one's own nothingness.

The Principles of Group Work and Self-Development

Group members are mutually responsible for each other's mistakes and failures, with the common responsibility being a fundamental law within the group dynamic.

The success or failure of one member is shared by all, and a serious mistake by one person can lead to the dissolution of the entire group.

Efforts to awaken and grow require super efforts, and the ability to draw energy from the large accumulator, which can only be achieved through the emotional center.

The Challenge of Self-Deception and the Path to Inner Work

Self-deception leads to a state of discomfort and inaction, making it difficult for individuals to start or continue inner work.

The process of inner work requires individuals to be disappointed in their current beliefs and to be open to new ideas.

The recognition and understanding of different types of people is crucial in the journey of inner work, and it requires individuals to have a deep knowledge of their own lives and experiences.

Struggling to Tell the Story of Their Lives

People in a group tried to share their life stories but failed to do so effectively, as they either said too much or too little, or focused on the wrong aspects.

G pointed out that they didn't know how to separate personality from Essence, and that self-change is necessary.

G also conducted an experiment to show how personality and Essence can take over a person.

The Role of Sex Energy in Inner Transformation

Sex energy has a significant impact on inner transformation, playing a crucial role in the birth of the astral body and the process of transmutation.

The abuse of sex lies in the wrong work of centers, with the sex center often using energy that is not its own, leading to unpleasant feelings and sensations.

The creation of a permanent center of gravity is essential in struggling against the abuse of sex and is closely linked to a man's attitude towards the work and the school, as well as the valuation of the work.

The narrator experiences a profound inner turmoil and contradiction, leading to a clear understanding of the non-existence of his previously firm beliefs.

This is followed by a series of strange and intense experiences, including conversations with G and the observation of sleeping people.

These experiences lead to a significant shift in the narrator's views on violence, individualism, and the use of violent means.

G also initiates a period of intense self-reflection and decision-making among the group, leading to drastic changes in their attitudes and a split within the group.

The Challenges of Self-Remembering and Objective Knowledge Transmission

People struggle to maintain self-remembering and constantly work on themselves, leading to a lack of trust and acceptance of ideas.

G's method of instruction involved conveying the idea of the unity of everything as the basis of objective knowledge, emphasizing the difficulty of transmitting this idea without distortion or corruption.

The struggle to comprehend and transmit objective knowledge has been a central theme throughout the history of mankind, involving logical, philosophical, and religious attempts to convey this fundamental idea.

The Symbolism of Unity in Esoteric Knowledge

Objective knowledge of unity is challenging for subjective consciousness, leading to distorted perceptions and delusions.

The use of myths, symbols, and verbal formulas has been an attempt to express the idea of unity and transmit objective knowledge.

The understanding of symbols is crucial for the harmonious development of man, leading to the transformation of duality into Trinity and Quaternity.

The law of octaves and the symbolism of numbers, geometrical figures, letters, and words are all used as methods for transmitting the idea of unity, but a literal understanding of symbols can lead to delusion and must be approached with the ability to see them from different points of view.

The anagram symbolizes the law of octaves and the fundamental principles of the universe, representing a complete cycle and the unity of essential elements.

It also serves as a universal language, containing all knowledge and interpretations, and its understanding gives great power to man.

The anagram is not only a schematic diagram of perpetual motion but also a representation of objective art, where the artist creates with a definite impact on the audience, in contrast to subjective art, which is characterized by its indefiniteness and lack of control.

The Nature of Objective Art and the Principles of Religion

Objective art is not just a language but a means of evoking specific feelings and reactions, with music being a prime example of its power to produce psychological and even physical results.

G emphasizes the importance of principles in understanding objective art and the different levels of man's being required to grasp it.

He also discusses the relative nature of religion, the necessity of living it, and the inability of many to truly embody its precepts, highlighting the need for a deeper understanding and application of religious principles.

Additionally, he touches on the secret part of religion, which teaches how to carry out its precepts, and the significance of organic life in the universe, emphasizing its essential function and purpose.

The Evolution of Organic Life and Humanity

Organic life needs to evolve to meet the changing needs of the planets, Earth, and the moon, or it will wither, affecting the growth of the whole ray of creation.

The evolution of humanity is crucial for the evolution of organic life, and if humanity ceases to evolve, it may face destruction.

The existence of conscious groups within humanity is essential for its evolution, but currently, such groups are insufficient to influence the rest of humanity.

The Nature of Schools in the Fourth Way Philosophy

Schools of the Fourth Way are not standalone educational institutions but exist to serve the specific needs of the work being carried out in connection with a proposed undertaking.

The work of the schools takes on various forms and meanings within ordinary life conditions, aiming to provide conscious assistance and not mechanical help.

These schools continue to exist only as long as the work they are associated with is ongoing, and their fundamental aim is to create conscious assistance and inner growth.

The organism cannot improve its air or food, as doing so would be detrimental, but it can enhance its impressions.

There is a complex classification system based on the food of different creatures, showing the interconnectedness of all beings.

G's mysterious diagram and teachings left a lasting impact on the group, leading to deep contemplation on the nature of time and organic life.

The New Model of the Universe: A Table of Time in Different Cosmoses

The author creates a table based on a rule of three, suggesting the duration of life on Earth and in different cosmoses.

The table also explores the relationship between the periods of different cosmoses and their connection to the human body's centers.

The Minkovski formula is applied to show the fourth coordinate relation for each cosmos, indicating that each cosmos appears as a fourth-dimensional world.

G's Mysterious Journey and Esoteric Teachings

G embarks on a mysterious journey from Petersburg to the Caucasus, accompanied by a sense of uncertainty and a feeling of waiting for something.

He spends time in Alexandrapole, showing a remarkable capacity for adapting to any kind of work, while also expressing a desire to go abroad or to the Transcaucasian mountains.

G's time in Essentuki is filled with intense activity, where he unfolds the plan of the whole work to his companions, explaining many things during walks and housework, and superintending the kitchen while preparing Eastern dishes.

The period is described as incredibly filled, with G leading at a fast pace and not wasting a single minute.

During their stay in Essentuki, G provides the group with the beginnings of all the methods and ideas, as well as the plan of the whole work, despite many things remaining unclear to them and not being fully understood.

The Significance of Schools in the Work on Oneself

Schools are seen as imperative because they help individuals overcome their natural laziness and lack of intensity, providing the necessary supervision and observation for self-improvement.

The unison of the three principal centers - thinking, emotional, and moving - presents a major difficulty in the work on oneself, requiring external guidance to break the automaticity of these functions.

Relaxing the muscles and controlling unnecessary tension is emphasized as a crucial aspect of physical work on oneself, with specific exercises demonstrated to achieve this.

Additionally, the role of postures and movements in controlling thought and feeling is highlighted, with a special exercise designed to help individuals break free from their habitual postures and movements.

The Significance of the "Stop" Exercise in Self-Work

The "stop" exercise is a crucial method for self-observation and self-remembering, breaking the circle of old habits and allowing for new perspectives and ways of thinking and feeling.

It requires unconditional obedience and helps reveal one's attitude towards work, showing who is capable of serious work and who tries to evade it.

The exercise also plays a role in school discipline, requiring conscious effort and being more difficult than mechanical discipline, while also demonstrating the difficulty of the path of self-improvement.

G discusses the idea that people are divided into subjective and objective ways of life, with the subjective way including four specific paths.

He emphasizes the importance of being serious and the concept of the "obitel" in understanding real values and possibilities of the ways.

G also highlights the significance of sacrifice and determination in the journey of self-work and evolution.

G's Sudden Changes and the Decision to Leave

G unexpectedly dispersed the group and ceased all work, causing uncertainty and doubt among the members.

The group relocated multiple times, facing strange and challenging situations, while G's behavior towards the members became increasingly difficult.

The narrator gradually realized that G's leadership and direction no longer aligned with their own path, leading to the difficult decision to leave and continue the work independently.

G's Departure from Essentuki and Subsequent Events

G's departure from Essentuki marked a difficult time for the narrator, who later decided to leave as well.

The narrator's journey involved facing numerous challenges and difficult circumstances, including illness and the unstable political situation in Russia.

Despite the hardships, the narrator's confidence and understanding of G's teachings grew, leading to the establishment of a new group and the continuation of G's work in Constantinople.

G and the narrator struggled to continue their collaborative work, leading to the narrator's decision to cease visiting Constantinople and eventually work independently in London.

G's Institute faced financial challenges and eventually moved to Fontainebleau, where it attracted a diverse group of people.

Meanwhile, G focused on studying rhythm and plastics, developing new methods of studying and reproducing dervish dances and music in Europe.