JUNE 2008
New York group
Registration
Sacred Dances Teacher
The Teaching
Gurdjieff taught that his method of spiritul development called the Fourth Way, does not require a person to give up his statio in life. But actually that the conditions and situation a person finds himself in are exactly what he needs to begin his self-observation.
Furthermore, according to Gurdjieff, there are three ways of enlightenment:
- the way of the Fakir
- the way of the Monk
- the way of the Yogi
Gurdjieff's Fourth Way is the alternative to these three known ways. The teaching that is put forth from a Fourth Way school that is led by one who is enlightened, the teaching is focused on how the student may reach the full potential of his human evolutionary possibilities. He is taught to free himself from the effects of the mind and it's attraction to sleep and security. This teaching is called "to remember yourself," or "self-remembering."
Gurdjieff's basic teaching is that human life is lived in waking sleep. His view is that people may look awake, but that they go through their life without awareness, like a robot, with a quality of automatism in their thinking, actions, emotions. To live in a state of awareness and wakefullness, requires requires inner work (Gurdjieff's work is also known as "The Work"), which is carried on both in private structures or meditations, and in the middle of life in the marketplace. This leads to deeper levels of awareness. His method also states that energy above the normal output in everyday life is required to break through this sleep state. He put people often in situations which woke this paranormal state of energy up in them, and then directed them how to use the extra energy to become aware and start living and moving from a different reality.
Many people feel Gurdjieff's real work is still little known. There is some validity to that, as to read his writings, it is possible to attain an intellectual understanding of it, but as is the case with many masters, the reality of the understanding contained in the writings requires a kinesthetic experience of it.
"Some feel that the Way of Gurdjieff is an oral tradition. The understanding of his work can only be received by direct contact between teacher and pupil, and by the work of pupils together in organised groups. Under conditions of a special atmosphere of trust that can exist in such a group, people working together learn to face their own inner poverty and confusion. Working in this way, conscience is awakened along with consciousness. Consciousness, Conscience, and Sensation form the tripod upon which an integrated development of human potential must be based."
Basically, the work needs an experience in a structure situation like a workshop or class with an experienced teacher.
Amiyo Devienne writes about the teaching contained in the Sacred Movements:
Even in the midst of deep agitation, there exists a center where stillness is. In this peaceful, still spot is our real existence.
Paradoxically Gurdjieff dances or movements can be a path towards stillness.
If a wheel is motionless, it is difficult to know the still point. If the wheel is in motion, it is easy to distinguish the axle because it will not move when the wheel is moving. As the moving goes on , the wheel spins faster and faster, and the center point appears in its utter stillness. This still point is the center of all movements.
Watching the body move, the watcher remains untouched . And by and by , the watcher steps aside in favour of the center, an empty, motionless space, yet so full!
The body is the earth, consciousness is the sky and between the two, a great exchange of giving and taking can happen. But often this flowing transaction gets lost somewhere in the desert of the world. The river never reaches to the ocean.