Views From the Real World
…Passive man serves involution; and active man, evolution. You must choose… In both cases we are slaves, for in both cases we have a master… —New York, March 1, 1924 – God the Word
…Every thought, feeling, movement is a result of one or another influence. Everything we do, all our manifestations are what they are because something influences us from without… We are also under many influences which we share in common with animals. We may want to get free from one or two, but having got free of them we may acquire another ten. On the other hand we do have some choice, that is, we can keep some and free ourselves of others… —New York, February 24, 1924 – Man is subject to many influences
It’s Up to Ourselves, Dushka Howarth
Mme. Ouspensky: “Man has in his nature all things from God to devil. They all have their place and their ‘note;’ only which ones control is the question for us. ‘Not question of abolishing lower— have pig in oneself… (I)t isn’t a question of killing pig, but keeping it in backyard.’ —notes of Daphne Ripman Matchelajovic, who cared for Mme. during her last years
In Search of the Miraculous
(O.): …I remember that G. drew a small diagram and tried to explain what he called the “correlation of forces in different worlds”…in connection with the influences acting on humanity. The idea was roughly this: humanity…is acted upon simultaneously by influences proceeding from various sources and different worlds: …the planets… the moon… the sun… the stars. All these influences act simultaneously; one…predominates at one moment and another…at another moment. And for man there is a certain possibility of making a choice of influences…
(G.): “…At this moment I want you to understand one thing: it is impossible to become free from one influence without becoming subject to another. The whole thing, all work on oneself, consists in choosing the influence to which you wish to subject yourself, and actually falling under this influence…” —Chapter 1
Teachings of Gurdjieff, A Pupil’s Journal, Vol. 1, C.S. Nott
A man can be under the influences of the Sun or…of the Planets, or the Earth or the Moon. And for Man there is a certain possibility of making a choice of influences —in other words, of passing from one influence to another. For example, if a man begins to struggle with negative emotions, he begins to pass out of one of the influences of the Moon. If a man remembers himself, he begins to pass first, under Planetary influences, and eventually under the influences of the Sun. But he must learn to make an inner choice, and to do so he must know a great deal… The influence of the Sun reaches Higher Centres. But when a man lives in mechanical parts of centres he is under far lower influences… —Birdlip, February 21, 1942 – The Law Of Seven
Talks and Lectures with A.R. Orage 1924-1931
Gurdjieff’s Emissary in New York
Choice implies that you do one thing or another, and not that you do nothing… —Tuesday, 19 November 1929 – Good and Evil Continued
…(O)ur whole lives are a series of choices between two alternatives. We travel along a series of a continually forking roads…
…At each fork… there is choice between this or that… (A)t each of these points an atom of will exists.
The development of will is brought about by the repetition of choices. We imagine that once we have willed, the rest will follow of itself, forgetting that… (a) line is a series of points; and…each point equals a moment of choice between two possibilities…
…none of us is without a single particle of will, what we lack is enough to make a line… —Tuesday, 14 April 1931
This Fundamental Quest, Henriette Lannes
There is an enormous gap between the one who makes a decision and the one who carries it out. They are like two strangers…
Today, our level of being does not permit us to make truly essential decisions. We must first see why and how decisions are taken in us. We must see our choices, our motivations…
To take a concrete example often encountered: an important task lies ahead, but we are unwilling to take it on. We must reach a decision. One person in us feels obliged to fulfill the task, and another has no wish to face it. Can we look at this situation without judgment? —Decision
The Reality of Being
…In taking a decision, we must “take our measure”… To conduct a more conscious struggle, I need to know my capacity— what I am able, and what I am unable to do— and I need to anticipate the resistance… My passivity…will tell me that it cannot decide or carry out a decision… But something else can. I need to listen to that, and not to the doubt brought by my passivity. At the same time, I cannot today be present in just any circumstance. It is important to choose an activity that corresponds to my measure, to my capacity to be present… —44. The way down
In Search of the Miraculous
“…Each man’s repertoire is very limited…. to know one’s repertoire, particularly to know its limitedness, is to know a great deal… (O)utside his repertoire, a man feels very uncomfortable should something push him…out of…one of his usual roles… Only by experiencing this discomfort can a man really observe himself. …(H)e feels that he is undressed…and wants to run away from everybody. But the question arises: What does he want? A quiet life or to work on himself?… A man must make a choice… (V)ery often…(i)n words he chooses work, but in reality he does not want to lose his peace… –Chapter 12
Heart Without Measure, Ravi Ravindra
Michel (related) that Gurdjieff would often ask… “What would you choose: the devil who takes you to God, or the god who takes you to to the Devil?”