G. I. Gurdjieff (1866 - 1949) was a spiritual master of "the Fourth Way" emphasizing the transformation of being through awakening and self-knowledge. According to Jacob Needleman, editor of this volume in the PARABOLA Anthology Series, his fundamental aim was "to help human beings awaken to the meaning of our existence and to the efforts we must make to realize that meaning in the midst of the life we have been given." Many of the articles and interviews in this collection are by his students who tried to spread the word about his esoteric philosophy which encompassed science, psychology, music, and Eastern and Western religions.
The section heads tell a great deal about the emphases of the work:
• Man's Possibilities Are Very Great
• Remember Yourself Always and Everywhere
• To a Man Who Is Searching with All His Being
• That Day . . . the Truth Will Be Born
• Only He Will Be Called and Will Become the Son of God Who Acquires in Himself Conscience
• The Source of That Which Does Not Change
Gurdjieff wrote:
"A long and difficult journey is before you . . .
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."
Clarifying the journey are essays by Peter Brook, Henri Tracol, P. D. Ouspensky, William Segal, P. J. Travers, Michel de Salzmann, and many others. A special bonus feature of this book is a DVD of the full-length feature film based on Gurdjieff's book Meetings with Remarkable Men.
