The Fourth Way

" One must do everything one can and then say 'God have Mercy!' "
-- G. I. Gurdjieff

The idea of the fourth way is strongly associated with Gurdjieff, who appear
s to have been the first to use this phrase. The bulk of his discussion of this
idea is to be found in Ouspensky's record of his teaching in Russia, In Search o
f the Miraculous. In his own writings, the idea is implicit but never mentioned
as such (this is similar to his teaching on the enneagram). In Russia, he referr
ed to three traditional ways:
Way of the Fakir, involving effort in the body
Way of the Monk, involving devotion and concentration of feeling
Way of the Yogi, involving largely mental attention.
In the fourth way, effort is made in all three: body, feeling and mind. This
is harmonious development, as in Gurdjieff's Institute for the Harmonious Devel
opment of Man. To some degree, his series of movements or 'sacred gymnastics' ep
itomised this approach (in the learning of them rather than their performance).
His inner exercises, insofar as these are reported, usually involved an act of m
ental concentration combined with physical effort; the feelings are also involve
d but spontaneously in the 'I am' state.
As with the other ways, the fourth requires its own kind of social organisat
ion. How this has been interpreted has varied from group to group. However, in c
ontrast with the traditional ways, the fourth does not require separation from c
onditions of ordinary life. Indeed, Gurdjieff often indicated that these conditi
ons were ideal, especially in times of turmoil, for the 'awakening' process that
he so strongly advocated and which is integral to the effectiveness of the four
th way. At the same time, work with others of like mind is essential.
Some of the reasons for this are:
(a) Different types of people see the same thing differently and thus a
group working together can get an all round understanding (this is only valid if
the 'work group' contains enough diversity, which is often not the case).
(b) Differences between people can lead to useful 'friction' providing e
nergy for inner work.
It should be noted here that the latter consideration has led to considerabl
e indulgence in negativity amongst Gurdjieff groups, and it must be remembered t
hat such friction, to be useful, must be entirely voluntarily entertained and in
telligent. Gurdjieff also said: 'In the fourth way there are many teachers'. Thi
s belongs to the same requirement for diversity of vision. In the fourth way her
e should not be adherence to ritual, blind obedience or pursuit of a single idea
, but understanding.
The fourth way is also the way of the sly man. Of him, Gurdjieff said that i
f he needs to obtain an inner result, he simply 'takes a pill'. To obtain the sa
me results the traditional ways would take days, weeks, months. The pill in ques
tion is probably not a psychotropic drug but a capsule of 'intentional suffering
'.
Why would the fourth way be introduced in this time and, is it something new
? To answer the last question first, it is probably not; but, every time it is i
ntroduced it has to take a new expression. To a large extent, Idries Shah claime
d that Sufism incorporated Gurdjieff's idea of the fourth way; but it is common
to find explanations for the sources of Gurdjieff's ideas from whatever traditio
n one upholds. However, the Sufi idea of 'being in the world but not of it' stri
kes a resonance with the fourth way. To answer why it was introduced at this tim
e is not easy. There are suggestions that, in this time of rapid transition and
exceeding turmoil, new impulses need to enter humanity and these cannot be trans
mitted fast enough through the traditional ways.
This is problematic. There are no clear cut indications from Gurdjieff about
the relation between 'fourth way people' and the rest of humanity. At the same
time, we assume that Gurdjieff being an intelligent man did not believe that his
ideas were the sole source of fourth way initiative in the world. One of the mo
dels for Gurdjieff's own endeavour is provided by Arnold Toynbee's concept of 'c
reative groups' that withdraw and concentrate and then re-enter their civilisati
ons with new ideas and impulses.
The practice of the fourth way seems to require a special very adaptable kno
w-how and cannot be followed by adherence to any set of standard procedures. Nee
dless to say, the form of the fourth way has become ossified in many groups whic
h have settled into a pattern of working together that has its roots in previous
experience. But, if understanding is crucial to this way, then it must be creat
ive and find ways of challenging itself. Understanding requires conditions of un
certainty, change, diversity and challenge. We believe that this understanding i
s not at all the same as seeking to understand what Mr Gurdjieff meant. In the l
iterature, reference is made to the critical transformative step called the 'sec
ond conscious shock'. It is said that this must always and in every case be uniq
ue.
This leads us to suppose that there is a whole class of approaches similar t
o the fourth way which exhibit various degrees of uniqueness and specificity. In
this context, we need to develop our own way in every moment.
The fourth way is associated with the term 'work', which had great appeal in
terms of the Protestant ethic. This term refers to conscious efforts by an indi
vidual to change herself and also the whole 'enabling means' that makes this pos
sible, sometimes called 'The Work'. The 'work' divides into three aspects: (1) w
ork for oneself; (2) work for the group; (3) work for the greater whole (the 'wo
rld', the 'Work', even 'God'). These three should be in balance. This scheme lea
ves itself open to a variety of interpretations, of various degrees of spiritual
orientation. For example, John Bennett came close to identifying The Work with
God. In this respect, one might easily find intense resonances with Gnostic teac
hings.
Bennett also gave rise to another scheme of the seven lines of work. Some of
these were 'active' (effort) and others 'receptive'. Over the years since Gurdj
ieff's death there had been a tendency to bring in more passive lines of work su
ch as is loosely called 'meditation'; but, perhaps more importantly, some began
to suspect the critical importance of being able to learn, which is a receptive
act. There was also one line neither active nor receptive, but 'reconciling'. In
this line, it is the Work that manifests through us.
Finally, what is the fourth way and/or the Work to achieve? In brief, to cea
se to be a slave of external and internal influences and be able to contribute c
onsciously towards the working of the whole.
References:
Bennett, J. G. : The Sevenfold Work
Gurdjieff, G. I.: Beelzebub's Tales [contains a richer and more religious ac
count of human salvation than in 'In Search']
Ouspensky, P. D.; In Search of the Miraculous
Shah, Idries: The Sufis
Toynbee, Arnold: A Study of History
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Guide to Practical Exercises
In offering this list of exercises, we serve as a guide who has previously trave
led the terrain. Know that these exercises all produce tangible results; if you
are not getting results, you are not 'doing' them. This one reason for a teacher
is to be sure you are working and not 'thinking'about working. To successfully
climb the staircase leading to the Way, it is necessary to find a teacher; for t
his you will need flair.
The 'breaks' between exercises indicate the level they are directed toward. With
out proper experience of lower exercises and the accompanying change in level of
Being, the higher exercises will be meaningless. Therefore it is safe to start
at the beginning.
Our work is based on three different lines; work on oneself, work with others an
d work for the Work itself. These exercises are primarily for first line, althou
gh they can be useful in your group as well. First line work also includes study
of the literature and reading aloud from All and Everything. The Fourth Way is
a powerful and fast way to higher levels of consciousness.
So if you have been saying you want to change, you now have the vehicle. Descrip
tions are minimal, reading the source material is recommended. Feel free to ask
for further explanations. I would like to extend special thanks to Larry, Rosema
ry, Leah and others for help in data entry on this project.
Ask Yourself
(From Gurdjieff's "Views from the Real World," pp. 56-59)

The more a man studies the obstacles and deceptions which lie in wait for him at
every step in this realm, the more convinced he becomes that it is impossible t
o travel the path of self-development on the chance instructions of chance peopl
e, or the kind of information culled from reading and casual talk.
At the same time he gradually sees more clearly--first a feeble glimmer, then th
e clear light of truth which has illumined mankind throughout the ages. The begi
nnings of initiation are lost in the darkness of time, where the long chain of e
pochs unfolds. Great cultures and civilizations loom up, dimly arising from cult
s and mysteries, ever changing, disappearing and reappearing.
The Great Knowledge is handed on in succession from age to age, from people to p
eople, from race to race. The great centers of initiation in India, Assyria, Egy
pt, Greece, illumine the world with a bright light. The revered names of the gre
at initiates, the living bearers of the truth, are handed on reverently from gen
eration to generation. Truth is fixed by means of symbolical writings and legend
s and is transmitted to the mass of people for preservation in the form of custo
ms and ceremonies, in oral traditions, in memorials, in sacred art through the i
nvisible quality in dance, music, sculpture and various rituals. It is communica
ted openly after a definite trial to those who seek it and is preserved by oral
transmission in the chain of those who know. After a certain time has elapsed, t
he centers of initiation die out one after another, and the ancient knowledge de
parts through underground channels into the deep, hiding from the eyes of the se
ekers.
The bearers of this knowledge also hide, becoming unknown to those around them,
but they do not cease to exist. From time to time separate streams break through
to the surface, showing that somewhere deep down in the interior, even in our d
ay, there flows the powerful ancient stream of true knowledge of being.
To break through to this stream, to find it--this is the task and the aim of the
search; for, having found it, a man can entrust himself boldly to the way by wh
ich he intends to go; then there only remains "to know" in order "to be" and 'to
do." On this way a man will not be entirely alone; at difficult moments he will
receive support and guidance, for all who follow this way are connected by an u
ninterrupted chain.
Perhaps the only positive result of all wanderings in the winding paths and trac
ks of occult research will be that, if a man preserves the capacity for sound ju
dgment and thought, he will evolve that special faculty of discrimination which
can be called flair. He will discard the ways of psychopathy and error and will
persistently search for true ways. And here, as in self-knowledge, the principle
which I have already quoted holds good: "In order to do, it is necessary to kno
w; but in order to know, it is necessary to find out how to know."
To a man who is searching with all his being, with all his inner self, comes the
unfailing conviction that to find out how to know in order to do is possible on
ly by finding a guide with experience and knowledge, who will take on his spirit
ual guidance and become his teacher.
And it is here that a man's flair is more important than anywhere else. He choos
es a guide for himself. It is of course an indispensable condition that he choos
e as a guide a man who knows, or else all meaning of choice is lost. Who can tel
l where a guide who does not know may lead a man?
Every seeker dreams of a guide who knows, dreams about him but seldom asks himse
lf objectively and sincerely--is he worthy of being guided? Is he ready to follo
w the way?
Go out one clear starlit night to some open space and look up at the sky, at tho
se millions of worlds over your head. Remember that perhaps on each one of them
swarm billions of beings, similar to you or perhaps superior to you in their org
anization. Look at the Milky Way. The earth cannot even be called a grain of san
d in this infinity. It dissolves and vanishes, and with it, you. Where are you?
And is what you want simply madness?
Before all these worlds ask yourself what are your aims and hopes, your intentio
ns and means of fulfilling them, the demands that may be made upon you and your
preparedness to meet them.
A long and difficult journey is before you; you are preparing for a strange and
unknown land. The way is infinitely long. You do not know if rest will be possib
le on the way nor where it will be possible. You should be prepared for the wors
t. Take all the necessities for the journey with you.
Try to forget nothing, for afterwards it will be too late and there will be no t
ime to go back for what has been forgotten, to rectify the mistake. Weigh up you
r strength. Is it sufficient for the whole journey? How soon can you start?
Remember that if you spend longer on the way you will need to carry proportionat
ely more supplies, and this will delay you further both on the way and in your p
reparations for it. Yet every minute is precious. Once having decided to go, the
re is no use wasting time.
Do not reckon on trying to come back. This experiment may cost you very dear. Th
e guide undertakes only to take you there and, if you wish to turn back, he is n
ot obliged to return with you. You will be left to yourself, and woe to you if y
ou weaken or forget the way--you will never get back. And even if you remember t
he way, the question still remains--will you return safe and sound? For many unp
leasantnesses await the lonely traveler who is not familiar with the way and the
customs which prevail there. Bear in mind that your sight has the property of p
resenting distant objects as though they were near. Beguiled by the nearness of
the aim toward which you strive, blinded by its beauty and ignorant of the measu
re of your own strength, you will not notice the obstacles on the way; you will
not see the numerous ditches across the path. In a green meadow covered with lux
uriant flowers, in the thick grass, a deep precipice is hidden. It is very easy
to stumble and fall over it if your eyes are not concentrated on the step you ar
e taking.
Do not forget to concentrate all your attention on the nearest sector of the way
--do not concern yourself about far aims if you do not wish to fall over the pre
cipice.
Yet do not forget your aim. Remember it the whole time and keep up in yourself a
n active endeavor toward it, so as not to lose the right direction. And once you
have started, be observant; what you have passed through remains behind and wil
l not appear again; so if you fail to notice it at the time, you never will noti
ce it.
Do not be overcurious nor waste time on things that attract your attention but a
re not worth it. Time is precious and should not be wasted on things which have
no direct relation to your aim.
Remember where you are and why you are here.
Do not protect yourselves and remember that no effort is made in vain.
And now you can set out on the way.
Relaxation
(From Nicoll's Commentaries, pp 1252 and 809)

We are taught to practise relaxation. In some situations it is the only thing we
can practise--just to relax and not think. Begin with the small muscles of the
face. Yes-- but to relax the muscles of the face it is necessary to become consc
ious that they are tightened or contracted. A muscle can tighten without visibly
contracting. It can be in a state of heightened tone which is unnecessary and w
astes force. When a person is said to be "keyed up" or some similar phrase, if y
ou examine him, you may find all his reflexes over-brisk, which may mean over-to
ne in the muscles which are being kept on the stretch unnecessarily and so are w
asting force. I will not argue about this point....
To return: as we are, directed attention practised, say, for five minutes, by pu
tting consciousness into every part of the body, beginning with the face-muscles
, will give definite results at any moment when it is done in order to prevent s
ome difficult period of being identified. Directing one's attention to the Intel
lectual or Emotional Centre demands internal attention. Internal attention begin
s with self-observation. Putting consciousness into the muscle-tension of the bo
dy is both internal and external attention. Begin by trying, say, to put your co
nsciousness into your right thumb--then shift it to your left.
Try therefore to study relaxation when you can. Notice how your face-muscles are
contracted and try by putting your internal attention into the face-muscles to
relax them. I advise you to begin with the muscles round about your eyes and the
n the muscles round about your nose (those muscles which sneer so easily) and th
en the small muscles all round your mouth and your cheeks; and then put your int
ernal attention into those muscles which are just under the chin and in the fron
t of the neck and then go round the back of your head and relax those muscles th
at make you stiff-necked, and then into the bigger muscles round your shoulders
and gradually descend through internal attention right down to your toes. Of cou
rse this takes a long time but it is a very good thing to try to do. I have left
out the muscles of the hands. I should have said: Pass from the shoulders down
the arms to the hands and begin with the wrist-muscles. Put your internal attent
ion into your wrist-muscles so that your wrists are quite flexible, quite droppe
d down, and then try to go into the small muscles of the fingers and relax them.
Everyone in going through the muscular tensions in their bodies in this way wil
l get to know for themselves certain groups of muscles which are not ordinarily
relax properly. remember above all that you cannot relax just by saying to yours
elf: "Relax." It is an actual exercise of internal attention. It is a directed e
ffort that has to be made comparatively consciously and even if you do it only o
nce a week you will get results.
Often people are kept awake at night because of a certain group of muscles being
in a these state. They may observe their Emotional Centre and their Intellectua
l Centre and try to relax--i.e. not identify with these two centres--but they do
not observe through internal attention the muscular contractions that exist in
their body. Now this paper is about muscular relaxation. It is about relaxing th
e Moving Centre. I will remind you again that the Work says that every centre ca
n hypnotize another centre. In the case of Moving Centre this means that certain
typical postures and typical expressions induce in you typical emotions and typ
ical thoughts. For example, a hurried person, who cannot stop rushing about, is
a person who has a Moving Centre that assumes certain positions or postures, or
rather, in this case, certain movements, which belong to the same idea, and ther
efore is always hypnotized by Moving Centre assuming these postures and movement
s. These hurried movements would induce hurried and anxious emotions and hurried
and anxious thoughts. This is where illness sometimes is so good. I can only sa
y that I have noticed it in myself very often. Illness quiets Moving Centre and
so often does a great deal of good by relaxing us. Perhaps some of you have noti
ced the same thing. I may not be emotionally anxious or have any reason to be, b
ut if I am accustomed to make hurried movements and apparently never have time f
or anything, my Moving Centre will hypnotize my Emotional Centre into feeling an
xiety and being harassed. Of course we must not think for a moment that we are a
ll going to begin to walk about majestically and slowly just to shew off how we
are relaxed. One has to be really relaxed through internal attention when one wi
shes to be and when one feels one needs to be relaxed. If you will start with th
e small muscles of your face and do this exercise quite sincerely you will be ve
ry surprised to find out how very often rather difficult and worrying thoughts c
ompletely cease. For example, stop frowning for a short time, I mean, don't just
stop frowning because you are told not to frown but through internal attention
really go into the muscles that are frowning, and lo and behold, all your frowni
ng thoughts will disappear. This means that they are kept going by the posture o
f your face. Again, people who stick out their jaws and clench their fists find
that it is quite remarkable if they can cease to do this--they feel quite alien
from themselves. But, since we all wish to remain mechanical and do not wish to
change at all, I fancy that these people will very soon stick out their jaws and
clench their fists and make chests as before.
Now in discussing this paper please remember that we start in the Work with rela
xing the muscles of the face and this takes a lot of practice in putting the con
sciousness into these muscles and relaxing them one by one, and remember especia
lly the small skin-muscles just underneath the chin and the muscles at the back
of the neck. In my personal experience I have found that relaxing the wrist-musc
les when I have no time to do anything else is extremely useful. Let your hands
drop because the hands so easily express violence.
Zen Imagery Exercises

These moving meditations are my favorite method of self care, and I offer them t
o you as a way to explore your bodymind potential on a daily basis. Please enjoy
them and let ideas of "getting it right" go for a few minutes that they take to
complete. Before you "know" it, you will be in a new relationship with yourself
.

For the "A" stretch, stand with the legs slightly wider than norm Keeping long i
n the front of your spine, lock thumbs behind you and lean forward as far as is
comfortable. While breathing slowly and deeply, notice the lines of tension that
form on the inhale, and release on exhale. These lines are the lung/large intes
tine meridians, related to the emotion of grief.
The "B" stretch is a problem for many people in our culture since we don't keep
our knee joints very flexible. It gets easier though, faster than you would thin
k. To start, just sit on your heels, and then sit between them. Lean back as far
as is comfortable without pushing it. You'll notice the lines along the front o
f the legs and body; these are the stomach/spleen meridians, related to compassi
on or peacefulness.
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The "C" stretch is for the heart/small intestine meridians, related to joy, and
is done sitting with the soles of the feet together, the hands grasping the toe
s, elbows out and leaning forward as comfort permits, again keeping the front of
the spine open. As you do the stretches you begin to notice which ones are easi
er. Do these stretches longer: the ease represents a lack of energy and focusing
attention brings energy to the depleted areas.
The bladder/kidney pair is engaged in the "D" stretch, running the entire length
of the back and legs. If you let your front stay long you can feel the stretch
along the front of the spine also (the front of the back). These energies have t
o do with fear, or if you prefer, respect.

One of the mysteries of five element theory is the triple heater/heart protector
meridian pair, which have no corresponding organs. Sit cross-legged and notice
which leg is on top. Cross your arms as well, and put the same arm on top. Grab
the knees as you relax forward. The "E" stretch is related to joy, or the fire e
lement. May be repeated with arms/legs switched.
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Our final stretch is "F," the liver/gallbladder, related to the powerful emotio
n of anger. Spread the legs as far as comfortable. Clasp your hands with pams fa
cing out and bend to the side. Do this stretch on both sides, feeling the inside
and outside of the legs and torso opening as you breathe.
This sequence of meridians is a flow that repeats every 24 hours, each meridian
having a two hour peak. The action of this meditation is a balancing of the meri
dian flow, which in turn creates health. This was designed for the average perso
n who could not afford regular massage/bodywork treatments, and are a powerful r
ecipe for vibrant health. Please try them for at least four days in a row to get
the best results, and remember, HAVE FUN!! You won't continue if it's not fun.
If this seems incomplete, it is. The book Zen Imagery Exercises was written by S
hizuto Masunaga and published by Japan Publications. It has been reprinted under
the title of Meridian Exercises by the same publisher and has several variation
s of each pose along with lots of great info on five element theory. For a video
companion, see The Bodyworker #50 "'Self' somaZen," or email me and I will send
you info on ordering a copy to play while you do this moving meditation.
Elder
(G, as quoted in Ouspensky's "In Search of the Miraculous," p. 203)

"It is impossible to recognize a wrong way without knowing the right way. This m
eans that it is of no use troubling oneself how to recognize a wrong way. One mu
st think of how to find the right way. This is what we are speaking about all th
e time. It cannot be said in two words. But from what I have said you can draw m
any useful conclusions if you remember everything that has been said and everyth
ing that follows from it. For example, you can see that the teacher always corre
sponds to the level of the pupil. The higher the pupil, the higher can be the te
acher. But a pupil of a level which is not particularly high cannot count on a t
eacher of a very high level. Actually a pupil can never see the level of the tea
cher. This is a law. No one can see higher than his own level. But usually peopl
e not only do not know this, but, on the contrary, the lower they are themselves
, the higher the teacher they demand. The right understanding of this point is a
lready a very considerable understanding. But it occurs very seldom. Usually the
man himself is not worth a brass farthing but he must have a teacher no other t
han Jesus Christ. To less he will not agree. And it never enters his head that e
ven if he were to meet such a teacher as Jesus Christ, taking him as he is descr
ibed in the Gospels, he would never be able to follow him because it would be ne
cessary to be on the level of an apostle in order to be a pupil of Jesus Christ.
Here is a definite law. The higher the teacher, the more difficult for the pupi
l. And if the difference in the levels of the teacher and pupil go beyond a cert
ain limit, then the difficulties in the path of the pupil become insuperable. It
is exactly in connection with this law that there occurs one of the fundamental
rules of the fourth way. On the fourth way there is not one teacher. Whoever is
the elder, he is the teacher. And as the teacher is indispensable to the pupil,
so also is the pupil indispensable to the teacher. The pupil cannot go on witho
ut the teacher, and the teacher cannot go on without the pupil or pupils. And th
is is not a general consideration but an indispensable and quite concrete rule o
n which is based the law of a man's ascending. As has been said before, no one c
an ascend onto a higher step until he places another man in his own place. What
a man is received he must immediately give back; only then can he receive more.
Otherwise from him will be taken even what he has already been given."
(G, as quoted in Ouspensky's "In Search of the Miraculous," p. 294)

"Speaking in general it must be understood that the enneagram is a universal sym
bol. All knowledge can be included in the enneagram and with the help of the enn
eagram it can be interpreted. And in this connection only what a man is able to
put into the enneagram does he actually know, that is, understand. What he canno
t put into the enneagram he does not understand. For the man who is able to make
use of it, the enneagram makes books and libraries entirely unnecessary. Everyt
hing can be included and read in the enneagram. A man may be quite alone in the
desert and he can trace the enneagram in the sand and in it read the eternal law
s of the universe. And every time he can learn something new, something he did n
ot know before.
"If two men who have been in different schools meet, they will draw the enneagra
m and with its help they will be able at once to establish which of them knows m
ore and which, consequently, stands upon which step, that is to say, which is th
e elder, which is the teacher and which the pupil. The enneagram is the fundamen
tal hieroglyph of a universal language which has as many different meanings as t
here are levels of men."
Limit Of Consciousness
(From Ouspensky's "Psychology of Man's Possible Evolution," pp. 19-20)

I shall try to explain how consciousness can be studied. Take a watch and look a
t the second hand, trying to be aware of yourself, and concentrating on the thou
ght, "I am Peter Ouspensky," "I am now here." Try not to think about anything el
se, simply follow the movements of the second hand and be aware of yourself, you
r name, your existence, and the place where you are. Keep all other thoughts awa
y.
You will, if you are persistent, be able to do this for two minutes. This is the
limit of your consciousness. And if you try to repeat the experiment soon after
, you will find it more difficult than the first time.
This experiment shows that a man, in his natural state, can with great effort be
conscious of one subject (himself) for two minutes or less.
The most important deduction one can make after making this experiment in the ri
ght way is that man is not conscious of himself. The illusion of his being consc
ious of himself is created by memory and thought processes.
One Thing You Can Do
(from Nicoll's Psychological Commentaries on the Teaching of Gurdjieff and Ouspen
sky, pp. 369-370)

One of the objects of self-observation is actually to observe something. Now I m
ust say here that to take the Work-phrase "Man cannot do" in such a way that one
makes no effort is a very good example of chaotic thinking in the Work. There i
s one thing that you are told you can do in regard to yourself and that is that
you can observe yourself, that you can observe the working of different centres
and that you can observe different 'I's in yourself, that you can observe when y
ou are internally considering, that you can observe when you are negative, that
you can observe when you are identifying, that you can observe when you are just
ifying yourself, and so on. This Work is to pull a person together, to brace him
, and to make him have a more distinct relationship to all that goes on inside h
im. For this reason, you are taught first of all to observe yourself, and then t
o observe yourself from certain well-defined angles. A man must get hold of hims
elf, he must steady himself, he must try to let light into himself in order to s
ee what is going on in him and so where he is going in himself. Also he must obs
erve where he is talking wrongly, where he is complaining and not working, where
he is saying things mechanically that should belong to self-observation.
The Work must be practised. In every wrong state it is absolutely necessary to r
eview oneself from what the Work teaches and try to see where one is. If you nev
er call upon the Work to help you it will not be able to help you. Your relation
ship to the Work is an internal matter that lies between you and the Work right
down, deep inside you. A person can talk as much as he likes about his difficult
ies with the Work. He can let the whole of the Work discharge itself into small
'I's. He can connect the Work with some feature in himself and turn it into a so
urce of perplexity and worry. A man can treat the Work in a thousand different w
ays. But it is important how one treats the Work. It can produce very great tens
ions within one. Its object is to do so. But it is necessary to keep the Work, a
s it were, inviolate, as something utterly pure that cannot be contradicted and
which at the same time is telling one something if one will only listen to what
it is saying, if one will only relate oneself to what it is teaching. It is quit
e easy to say that one does not understand the Work, but there is a right way of
saying this and a wrong way. It is quite useless to shrug one's shoulders menta
lly speaking and again it is quite useless to think that one should understand t
he Work after a few years' casual practicing of it. A great deal of patience is
necessary, and patience is the Mother of Will. We find ourselves in a crowd of p
eople within us and some of them say one thing and some say another. If there is
valuation and if in spite of all difficulties we can feel that here is somethin
g that can eventually lead us away from our present states, and if in spite of a
ll the failures this valuation persists, then a centre of gravity will be formed
, a point in the Work will be established, and when this is so it is a very bles
sed condition.
So do not complain too easily, because, as you all know, it takes a very long ti
me to learn anything in a real way in life. You remember how often it was said t
hat if you wish to learn Chinese thoroughly it will take you all your life. So d
o not have too short a view. Do not think that when you begin to observe yoursel
f and find a chaos within you you need be pessimistic. It is actually the first
step in the Work, the first step to realization. What then, a person may ask, mu
st I do? The answer is that you must begin to follow as sincerely as you can all
the practical things that the Work tells you to observe and separate from. The
intelligent scrutiny of oneself, the practice of a directed noticing of oneself,
the application of non-identifying with certain states of oneself, remembering
that certain 'I's weaken oneself and undermine everything one does--all this is
being led by the Work. All this is following the Work. People do not surrender t
o the Work for a long time. They keep on trying to do things by themselves accor
ding to their own lights instead of doing things according to the Work. They con
tinue to make the same life-efforts as before but they do not make Work-effort.
But all this it is necessary to pass through, and one must pass through this jun
gle, through this tangled forest, this kind of darkness, until one discerns the
Work and what it is saying. For a long time the last thing that we ever think of
doing is to work on ourselves in accordance with what the Work teaches. We wrig
gle about, as it were, like a fish on the end of a line and will not submit to t
he gentle pull of the line which will lift us into another atmosphere. We get in
to a bad state and we identify with it right away. Then we see everything throug
h the medium of this bad state but we do not think of practising non-identifying
with this bad state, of seeing that it is not 'I'. On the contrary, we say 'I'
to it, and we argue about everything from this bad state which is quite incapabl
e of leading us anywhere save into a worse state. We are like people standing in
the drenching rain complaining that they are catching cold and saying how miser
able they feel, when their own house is standing close beside them into which th
ey can go. Very often when we stand in this drenching rain and this bad inner st
ate, we think vaguely of trying to work on ourselves and separating ourselves fr
om it internally by an act of consciousness and Will, but some small 'I' pipes u
p and says: "Oh, the Work is too difficult for me."