> >The extremely robust esoteric system left by G.I. Gurdjieff in our own
> >century describes many of these "higher bodies" in much greater detail,
with
> >practical instruction on how to develop them. This is shocking and life
> >transforming material, the most powerful I have encountered.
Billy M. Williams wrote:
> Any idea on where to get this information?
Definitely! New age bookstores in major cities sometimes have an entire
shelf devoted to this subject.
Titles I would recommend (in descending order) are:
"In Search of the Miraculous" by P.D. Ouspensky, Gurdjieff's most prominent
pupil. (This is the most complete single book on the material.)
"Toward Awakening" by Jean Vaysse (a superior no-nonsense introduction)
Dr. Maurice Nicole's commentaries on the teachings of Gurdjieff, (in several
volumes)
"Views From the Real World" (early talks of Gurdjieff)
"Gurdjieff: Making a New World" and several other titles by J.G. Bennett
"The Fourth Way" by Ouspensky
Many other titles...
There is also "Meetings With Remarkable Men", a book by Gurdjieff, also a film
& video produced by DeSalzmann, sometimes available at video rentals. This
details exactly how Gurdjieff came into this knowledge.
Ironically, I would NOT recommend the larger part of Gurdjieff's "All and
Everything" series as any kind of introduction.
Also, the Rosicrucian Order has some very relevant information.
When truly understood, this knowledge is identical to the esoteric truths
behind every major religion. An initiate of eastern Sufi mysticism, Gurdjieff
nonetheless had a scientific mind, and he spelled out this knowledge in a
western context right here in the 20th century. There hasn't been much time
for the dogma to set in (to the literature at least), so it is a very "fresh"
system in that regard, presented in a manner appropriate to modern times.
I have independently found that practicing Chi Kung and studying Jean Vaysse's
book to be an extremely effective combination for inner transformation. One
could benefit dramatically by merely doing these two things with sincerity.
People in "The Work" as it is called, often practice a form of meditation
which is referred to as 'the sitting'. This is an extraordinarily effective
mind-body exercise, and is identical to Zen Vipassana meditation. If you
progress, you will want to learn this skill. This practice makes is possible
to have simultaneous conscious sensation of nearly every nerve in your body,
with deliberate relaxation and complete awareness of every thought and emotion
in your being, and more. I am not kidding. This state becomes key to rapid
development past a certain stage.
Once in this state, it is possible even to walk around like this interacting
with people. This is really our proper state. (FYI - I have seen many
parallels between this and the Silva mind method.) If you want to learn
Vipassana, a good idea would be to contact a local Zen Center, and ask if
there are any Vipassana groups in town or any workshops scheduled. In
Minneapolis, there are occasional weekend retreats and an annual week-long
retreat in southern MN. Both are aimed specifically at truly teaching this
technique to people of all philosophies. You could certainly learn this from
a Gurdjieff group, but your mileage may vary since not everyone in the Work
can actually do it correctly, and they do also teach their own variations.
There are networks of people in most cities who meet for discussions & serious
study of this material. The largest group in America is the Gurdjieff
Foundation, a national network headquartered in San Francisco with many
satellites. Fields bookstore in San Francisco could probably help you get in
touch with a group in a city near you. Very serious study is done in both San
Francisco and Paris. New York is also a hub. There are also many independent
groups. Beware of cults, because unfortunately there are also a few of
those. If dealing with a group remember that YOU are responsible for your own
development, and that many of the folks in groups might be worse off
spiritually than you are, regardless of their group standing.
Thus far in my message, I have not yet spoken about precisely what is in the
teaching or how it may be shocking. I am quite capable of communicating key
points of it using everyday terminology while also answering the nontrivial
question of why there has always been a war in the world, if anyone has
interest.
Sincerely,
Doug Renner
PS: Since my words venture into previously religious turf, I should point out
that I am not trying to "convert" anyone to anything, nor am I using this
forum as any kind of ideological soapbox. I am not selling anything - I am
merely offering to share what I have learned.