Return Chapter#17

Chapter#18


Inner struggle and a decision. The decision to separate. The decision to continue work in London independently.
Final Version #1

Main ideas in this chapter:Although there are many ideas still being introduced in this final chapter, for me the most important thing is Ouspensky's low-key description of his strugle to separate himself from Gurdjieff. The relations strains between student and master.

Quotes from Richard Liebow:Toward the end Richard was loosing his students, but Vincent was hangign on. I myself separated from him too. He suggested to read "Dr.Zhivago" by Boris Pasternak, and the "Glassbead Game" by Herman Hessa.
Objectives(Celok):"Know thyself" a definite devine order. But how do you know yourself? One way is through self observation.
Archival material: Ouspensky’s experimental efforts to enter higher states of consciousness proved to him that an entirely new mode of thought was needed by modern man, qualitatively different from the two modes (classical and positivistic) that have dominated Western civilization for 2000 years. A new topic of dicussion. What does it mean to separate? As for me Sometimes one cannot end a difficult relationship and instead has to let it deteriorate to the extent of a betrayal. I wasn't prepared to end a certain relationship back in 1967, even though the situation was very painful. As a mater of fact this was the most difficult thing in my life. But, one night the end came and the pain was delivered right into the center of my heart and I knew it immediately, that it could be fatal if I didn't watch out. I also knew, that from this kind of wound I could never recover totally. But, if I could just survive a couple of months, I would probably still live. The couple of month turned out to be several years, but in a couple of months I knew that it was really over. The end of a relationship is like death and one has to go through a grieving process .

Outline Points
    1. Petersburg: October1917.
    2. Bolshevik revolution.
    3. Return to G. in the Caucasus.
    4. G’s. attitude to one of his pupils.
    5. A small company with G. at Essentuki
    6. More people arrive.
    7. Resumption of work.

    8. Exercises are more difficult and varied than before.
    9. Mental and physical exercises, dervish dances, study of psychic "tricks."
    10. Selling silk.
    11. Inner struggle and a decission.
    12. The choice of gurus.
    13. The decision to separate.
    14. G. goes to Sochi.

    15. A difficult time: warfare and epidemics
    16. Further study of the enneagram.
    17. "Events" and the necessity of leaving Russia
    18. London the final aim.
    19. Practical results of work on oneself feeling a new I, "a strange confidence."
    20. Collecting a group in Rostov and expaunding G’s system.
    21. G., opens his Institute in Tiflis.

    22. Journey to Constantinople.
    23. Collecting people.
    24. G. arrives.
    25. New group introduced to G.
    26. Translating a dervish song.
    27. G. the artist and poet.
    28. The Institute started in Constantinople.

    29. G. authorises the writing and publishing of a book.
    30. G. goes to Germany.
    31. Decision to continue Constantinople work in London, 1921.
    32. G . organizes his institute at Fountainbleau.
    33. Work at the Chateau de la Prieure.
    34. A talk with Katherine Mansfield.
    35. G. speaks of different kinds of breathing.

    36. "Breathing through movements". ( See the Glassery)
    37. Demonstrations at the Theatre des Champs Elyssees, Paris.
    38. G.’s departure for America, 1924.
    39. Decision to continue work in London independently.

Notes:
Johann Gottlieb Fichte (1762–1814)Inspired by his reading of Kant, developed during the final decade of the eighteenth century a radically revised and rigorously systematic version of transcendental idealism, which he called Wissenschaftslehre of “Doctrine of Scientific Knowledge.” Perhaps the most characteristic, as well as most controversial, feature of the Wissenschaftslehre (at least in its earlier and most influential version) is Fichte's effort to ground his entire system upon the bare concept of subjectivity, or, as Fichte expressed it, the “pure I.” During his career at the University of Jena (1794-1799) Fichte erected upon this foundation an elaborate transcendental system that embraced the philosophy of science, ethics, philosophy of law or “right.” and philosophy of religion.

Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel:(1770-1831) Along with J. G. Fichte and F. W. J. von Schelling, Hegel belongs to the period of “German idealism” in the decades following Kant. The most systematic of the post-Kantian idealists, Hegel attempted, throughout his published writings as well as in his lectures, to elaborate a comprehensive and systematic ontology from a “logical” starting point. He is perhaps most well-known for his teleological account of history, an account which was later taken over by Marx and “inverted” into a materialist theory of an historical development culminating in communism. For most of the twentieth century, the “logical” side of Hegel's thought had been largely forgotten, but his political and social philosophy continued to find interest and support. However, since the 1970s, a degree of more general philosophical interest in Hegel's systematic thought has also been revived. Born in 1770 in Stuttgart, Hegel spent the years 1788-1793 as a theology student in nearby Tübingen, forming friendships there with fellow students, the future great romantic poet Friedrich Hölderlin (1770-1843) and Friedrich W. J. von Schelling (1775-1854), who, like Hegel, would become one of the major figures of the German philosophical scene in the first half of the nineteenth century. These friendships clearly had a major influence on Hegel's philosophical development, and for a while the intellectual lives of the three were closely intertwined. After graduation Hegel worked as a tutor for families in Bern and then Frankfurt, where he was reunited with Hölderlin. Until around 1800, Hegel devoted himself to developing his ideas on religious and social themes, and seemed to have envisaged a future for himself as a type of modernising and reforming educator, in the image of figures of the German Enlightenment such as Lessing and Schiller. Around the turn of the century, however, possibly under the influence of Hölderlin, his interests turned more to the issues in the “critical” philosophy of Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) that had enthused Hölderlin, Schelling, and many others, and in 1801 he moved to the University of Jena to join Schelling. In the 1790s Jena had become a centre of both “Kantian” philosophy and the early romantic movement and by the time of Hegel's arrival Schelling had already become an established figure, taking the approach of J. G. Fichte (1762-1814), the most important of the new Kantian-styled philosophers, in novel directions. In late 1801, Hegel published his first philosophical work, The Difference between Fichte's and Schelling's System of Philosophy, and up until 1803 worked closely with Schelling, with whom he edited the Critical Journal of Philosophy. In his “Difference” essay Hegel had argued that Schelling's approach succeeded where Fichte's failed in the project of systematising and thereby completing Kant's transcendental idealism, and on the basis of this type of advocacy was dogged for many years by the reputation of being a “mere” follower of Schelling (who was five years his junior). By late 1806 Hegel had completed his first major work, the Phenomenology of Spirit (published 1807), which showed a divergence from his earlier, seemingly more Schellingian, approach. Schelling, who had left Jena in 1803, interpreted a barbed criticism in the Phenomenology's preface as aimed at him, and their friendship abruptly ended. The occupation of Jena by Napoleon's troops as Hegel was completing the manuscript closed the university and Hegel left the town. Now without a university appointment he worked for a short time, apparently very successfully, as an editor of a newspaper in Bamberg, and then from 1808-1815 as the headmaster and philosophy teacher at a “gymnasium” in Nuremberg. During his time at Nuremberg he married and started a family, and wrote and published his Science of Logic. In 1816 he managed to return to his university career by being appointed to a chair in philosophy at the University of Heidelberg. Then in 1818, he was offered and took up the chair of philosophy at the University of Berlin, the most prestigious position in the German philosophical world. While in Heidelberg he published the Encyclopaedia of the Philosophical Sciences, a systematic work in which an abbreviated version of the earlier Science of Logic (the “Encyclopaedia Logic” or “Lesser Logic”) was followed by the application of its principles to the Philosophy of Nature and the Philosophy of Spirit. In 1821 in Berlin Hegel published his major work in political philosophy, Elements of the Philosophy of Right, based on lectures given at Heidelberg but ultimately grounded in the section of the Encyclopaedia Philosophy of Spirit dealing with “objective spirit.” During the following ten years up to his death in 1831 Hegel enjoyed celebrity at Berlin, and published subsequent versions of the Encyclopaedia. After his death versions of his lectures on philosophy of history, philosophy of religion, aesthetics, and the history of philosophy were published.

Friedrich Nietzsche(1844-1900) German philosopher who, together with Soren Kierkegaard, shares the distinction of being a precursor of Existentialism. He studied classics at the universities of Bonn and Leipzig, receiving his doctorate from the latter in 1869. Because he had already published some philological articles, he was offered the chair of classical philology at the University of Basel in Switzerland before the doctorate was officially conferred on him. In his first book, The Birth of Tragedy (1872; Eng. trans., 1968), Nietzsche presented a theory of Greek drama and of the foundations of art that has had profound effects on both literary theory and philosophy. In this book he introduced his famous distinction between the Apollonian, or rational, element in human nature and the Dionysian, or passionate, element, as exemplified in the Greek gods Apollo and Dionysus. When the two principles are blended, either in art or in life, humanity achieves a momentary harmony with the Primordial Mystery. This work, like his later ones, shows the strong influence of the German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, as well as Nietzsche's affinity for the music of his close friend Richard Wagner. What Nietzsche presented in this work was a pagan mythology for those who could accept neither the traditional values of Christianity nor those of Social Darwinism.After resigning (1879) from his teaching position because of ill health, Nietzsche lived in Switzerland, Italy, and Germany for the next two decades, writing extensively. In Thus Spake Zarathustra (1883-85; Eng. trans., 1954), his most celebrated book, he introduced in eloquent poetic prose the concepts of the death of God, the superman, and the will to power. Vigorously attacking Christianity and democracy as moralities for the "weak herd," he argued for the "natural aristocracy" of the superman who, driven by the "will to power," celebrates life on earth rather than sanctifying it for some heavenly reward. Such a heroic man of merit has the courage to "live dangerously" and thus rise above the masses, developing his natural capacity for the creative use of passion. Although these ideas were distorted by the Nazis in order to justify their conception of the master race, to regard Nietzsche's philosophy as a prototype of nazism is erroneous. His criticism of the mediocrity and smugness of German culture led to a disintegration of his friendship with Richard Wagner as well as to a disassociation from his beloved Germany. To correct any misconceptions concerning the superman, Nietzsche published Beyond Good and Evil (1886; Eng. trans., 1967) and On the Genealogy of Morals (1887; Eng. trans., 1968). Nietzsche became increasingly deranged in his later years. In 1889 he suffered a severe breakdown, from which he never recovered. His later writings are particularly strident; although more forceful than his earlier essays and books, they retain clear continuity with his earlier ideas. In the collection of essays published posthumously under the title The Will to Power (1901; Eng. trans., 1967), Nietzsche further developed his ideas of the superman and the will to power, asserting that humans must learn to live without their gods or any other metaphysical consolations. Like Goethe's Faust, humans must incorporate their devil and evolve "beyond good and evil." -- by Thomas E. Wren
Glossary:
Guru: A spiritual teacher, guide, or confessor among the Hindus.
Whirling Dervish (wurl-ing dur-vish) n. 1. A mystical dancer who stands between the material and cosmic worlds. His dance is part of a sacred ceremony in which the dervish rotates in a precise rhythm. He represents the earth revolving on its axis while orbiting the sun. The purpose of the ritual whirling is for the dervish to empty himself of all distracting thoughts, placing him in trance; released from his body he conquers dizziness.
Gregangelo's Whirling Circus Dervish. n. 1. A circus version of the sacred dance combining ancient, contemporary, and futuristic media. The dance depicts the creation of the Universe through a spinning series of fantastic formations, metamorphoses, elaborate costumes, and rhythmic dance. 2. A figure of speech used in reference to one who exhibits vigorous energy
Psychic tricks: It's an interesting component of the human condition that we want so much to believe that someone can help us to make sense out of an often senseless world, to gain control over that which is beyond our control, and to give us certainty in the face of the unknown and unknowable. Recognizing these facts, and realizing that we're all subject to the same wishes and needs, it behooves us to be particularly vigilant about believing that which we most desperately want to believe, especially when that belief flies in the face of logic and the laws of science. When examining so-called psychic phenomena; or, for that matter, any supernatural claim, we should apply Occam's Razor, a test for validity named for William of Ockam, a philosopher of the fourteenth century. Occam's Razor, in the original Latin, states, 'Won sunt multiplicanda entia praeternecessitatem." or, "Things must not be multiplied beyond necessity." Another way to state this principle is, "The simplest explanation for a phenomenon is likely to be the correct explanation." In other words, when something occurs, don't assume that it's caused by an extraordinary phenomenon that defies the laws of science if a simpler explanation also fits. If I pull a hard-boiled egg from behind your ear, there are at least two explanations - either I'm able to defy laws of physics and produce something out of thin air, or I had concealed the egg somewhere and through deft sleight of hand was able to make it appear to materialize behind your ear. By applying Occam's Razor, we can pretty safely assume that the most likely explanation for the appearance of the egg is the latter.
Essentuki
Caucasses:The Caucasus, also referred to as Caucasia, is a geopolitical, mountain-barrier region located between the two continents of Europe and Asia, or Eurasia, with various altitude highlands and lowlands. The Caucasus comprises Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and southern parts of Russia and includes the disputed territories of Abkhazia, Chechnya, South Ossetia and Nagorno-Karabakh.
PetersburgSt. Petersburg also known as Leningrad founded in 1733 by Peter the Great. Endured a 900 day seige in World War II.
Tiflis>Tbilisi is the capitol of Georgia. It's on the Silk RoadThe railway runs from Tuapse to Abhazta. Lately there are some instability there.
Sochi A Russian city on the Black Sea.
Rostov
 One of the oldest town in Russia not far from Moskow
London
 The city of Wesminister Abbey. London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its founding by the Romans, who called it Londinium.
Constantinople is now called Istambul in Turkey. Gurdjieff brought his group here around 1918. Ouspensky also lived here for a couple years. The Queen of cities for eleven centuries. one of most brilliant city in the middle ages. At the southern extremity of the Bosphorus stands a promontory just out from Europe toward Asia, with the Sea of Marmara to the south and a long harbor the Keratia, known as the Golden Horn to the north. On this peninsula stood the ancient Greek city of Byzantium, which Constantine the Great enlarged considerably and formally christened "New Rome" in A.D. 330. A 1000 years later the Turks captured it and made Hagi Sophia a mosqe.
Breath through movements: Here Ouspensky probably refers to the sacred dances, but breathing is also important. Movements can be a help for self-observation and enhancing one's level of awareness. Practising Movements can lead to a better understanding of body, mind and emotions and it can generate a form of energy difficult to find elsewhere.. One has to experience the Movements in one's own body. How then to describe Gurdjieff's Movements, their ritual gestures, their precision and quietness? The bodies of the dancers are shaped in powerful geometrical abstractions that suspend any individuality and thus create a collectivity capable of generating energy of a high quality. At least 250 Movements have been preserved, mainly through the efforts of Mme. Jeanne de Salzmann, founder of the Institute Gurdjieff in Paris, and Mrs. Jessmin Howarth, a choreographer at the Paris Opera before she joined forces with Gurdjieff. The dances called 'Movements' are essential in G.I. Gurdjieff´s teaching, further consisting of orally transmitted ideas, books and musical works. Rather than the individual´s subjective personality these Movements express objective, mathematical laws governing a possible psychological evolution and, basically, life as a whole as well.
Katherine Mansfield: Mansfied and Murray became closely associated with D.H. Lawrence and his wife Frieda. When Murray had an affair with the Princess Bibesco (née Asquith), Mansfield objected not to the affair but to her letters to Murray: "I am afraid you must stop writing these love letters to my husband while he and I live together. It is one of the things which is not done in our world." (from a letter to Princess Bibesco, 1921). In her last years Katherina Mansfield lived much of her time in southern France and in Switzerland, seeking relief from tuberculosis. As a part of her treatment in 1922 at an institute (institute, sminstitute that is the Gurdjiffian stuff), Mansfield had to spend a few hours every day on a platform suspended over a cow manger. She breathed odors emanating from below but the treatment did no good. (how could it? it's plain quackery) Without the company of her literary friends, family, or her husband, she wrote much about her own roots and her childhood. Mansfield died of a pulmonary hemorrhage on January 9, 1923, at the Gurdjieff Institute, near Fontainebleau, France. Her last words were: "I love the rain. I want the feeling of it on my face." I saw her grave in the Avon cemetery. A lot of people blame Gurdjieff for her death. (I don't because, at one point or at a certain age we become responsible for our own death.)

Additional Notes:
This probably will be moved from here MIHALY CSIKSZENTMIHALYI Email address: miska@ccp.uchicago.edu My interests include the study of creativity, especially in art; socialization; the evolution of social and cultural systems; and the study of intrinsically rewarding behavior in work and play settings. All of these topics are connected by a conceptual approach based on systems theory. I am currently involved in the following projects: (1) Follow-up on the longitudinal study of artists initiated in 1963. Now in their 40's, these artists are coming to terms with their complex and fascinating lives. (2) Study of the aesthetic experience among people deeply involved in art (e.g. museum curators, art collectors), with application to the building of a new art museum. (3) Working on a theoretical model of attention as psychic energy that will unify some of the fields I've been working in (i.e. social evolution, socialization, intrinsic rewards, etc.) (4) Continuation of a four-year study of talented high school students, focusing on the development of "life themes" in adolescence, and using the Experimental Sampling Method. (5) Establishing an international network of researchers who use the Experience Sampling Method. Colleagues in Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, and Italy are combining their data with ours, and we replicate each other's studies of the quality of experience in everyday life. (Human Development, Mental Health) Publications: 1. M. Csikszentmihalyi (1990) Flow=The Psychology of Optimal Experience. New York: Harper and Row.
Joseph John Campbell (1904 – 1987) was an American professor, writer, and orator best known for his work in the fields of comparative mythology and comparative religion. The hero's Journey outline