Source Text
If I allow myself weak, idle thoughts, I shall become a weak, idle man. If I allow myself thoughts which are egoistic, jealous, self-centered, I shall become an egoistic, jealous, self-centered man. Every meanness, every self-indulgence and every violent impulse that takes root in my inner world, will, sooner or later, find expression in my outer manifestations. Unfortunately, the converse is not true. I do not find that if I think noble thoughts or entertain fine projects in my mind, they have a corresponding effect on my behavior.
Gurdjieff taught that man is a being with two destinies, one unavoidable, the other which it is in his power to have, but only if he himself earns it. And this second destiny, both as regards this life and any possibilities of another life, is incomparably more valuable than the first. As things are in the world at the present time, a very small proportion of people are doing anything effective for the attainment of the second destiny. This has certain very bad consequences, because the amount of this energy or matter which has to be produced in the life of man is determined not by himself, but by general influences. Suppose that we had a flock of sheep and required so much wool. If the sheep began to produce less wool, we should have to increase our flock. The population of the world is increased in very much the same way as the number of sheep that have to be kept as the wool deteriorates in quality and quantity and this carries with it very unsatisfactory consequences for mankind. If what I have been saying is right, if it is, in fact, important to us individually and important to our race as a whole and to higher purposes also, that a sufficiently large number of people should struggle for the attainment of the second destiny, for living in the second world, then how is the necessity for this to be more widely felt? If it can be more widely felt, then future generations will enter into a new world. If not, they will not even keep the old world that we have known. It is about the answer to that question that I am going to speak in the next three lectures.
If a New World is to come, we must first create it in ourselves. You may ask how the work of a few people can change the world. It has always been so. Ideas are powerful, not organizations. Nothing can be done by outward force—everything can be done by inner strength. Let me try to give you a picture of how such changes can come. Some of you no doubt are cooks and have had to make sauces. Suppose I am making some sauce, like a hollandaise, which is liable to demulsify—that is, the butter separates from the egg. This can be a terrifying experience if you are making a sauce for sixty or seventy people with pounds of butter and dozens of eggs. An inexperienced cook loses his head and beats the sauce violently—but only makes things worse. A good cook pours a little water at one edge of the bowl and stirs quietly until it turns back again, and then it spreads through the whole mass until the sauce is right again. The first time you do this, it seems almost miraculous. It is the same with the world. Everywhere people are stirring violently to get oil and water to mix. This cannot happen. The part of wisdom is to establish, here and there, centers in which right relationships can exist by the power of a common understanding of what is ultimately important. From such centers there can spread throughout the world—perhaps far more quickly than you might imagine possible—the seeds of a new world.
AI Summary
Lectures on Gurdjieff by J.G. Bennett presents key insights from the Gurdjieff tradition. The 3 passages above capture the essential teachings.
Core Themes:
- [To be expanded]
Key Passages: Highlights above are particularly representative.
This entry was generated from Readwise highlights. Expand with additional context as appropriate.