Ouspensky Introduced Gurdjieff to the World

 

 

Ouspensky introduced Gurdjieff to the world, He started writing books on Gurdjieff. He wrote one of his greatest contributions, IN SEARCH OF THE MIRACULOUS, then he wrote THE FOURTHWAY. And these two books introduced Gurdjieff to the world; otherwise, he would have remained an absolutely unknown Master. Maybe a few people would have come in personal contact with him and would have been benefited, but Ouspensky made him available to millions.

 

But as those books spread all over the world and thousands of people started moving towards Gurdjieff, Ouspensky also became very egoistic – naturally, because he was the cause of the whole thing. In fact, he started thinking, ”Without me, what is Gurdjieff? Who is Gurdjieff without me? Who was he? When I met him he was just a refugee living in a refugee camp in Constantinople, almost starving. Nobody had ever heard about him. I have made him world famous; the whole credit goes to me.” This idea went to his head – it became too much for him – and in subtle ways he started to dominate the movement. And you cannot dominate a man like Gurdjieff, you cannot dictate to a man like Gurdjieff. They had to part.

 

In the last days of his life Ouspensky was so against Gurdjieff that he would not tolerate anybody mentioning Gurdjieff's name to him; in his presence Gurdjieff's name was not mentioned. Even in his books Gurdjieff's name was reduced to only "G"; the full name disappeared. After the break just "G" remained -- somebody anonymous, "'G' said...," not "Gurdjieff." And he made it clear, very clear: "We have parted and I have developed my own system." He started gathering his own followers. Those followers were not allowed to read Gurdjieff's books, those followers were not allowed to go and see Gurdjieff. While Ouspensky was alive he was very suspicious of anybody who wanted to go to Gurdjieff or who even wanted to study his books.

 

But Gurdjieff was aware that this was going to happen. Still, there was no other way; some head had to be used. Gurdjieff's work was such that he was absolutely crystallized in his heart; he could not move to the head.

 

-Osho, "Walking in Zen, Sitting in Zen, #8, Q1"

 

 

 

 

In the End Ouspensky Left Gurdjieff

 

 

I will tell a more recent incident. Ouspensky, the chief disciple of Gurdjieff, was working under Gurdjieff for ten years. It was very difficult to work under Gurdjieff. He was a man of infinite magnetism. Whosoever would come around him would be pulled.

 

With such people, either you are pulled or you become afraid and go against them, but you cannot remain indifferent. You are either for or against; you cannot be indifferent to such people. And that going against is just a safety measure. If you come around a person who is magnetic, either you will become a slave to him or, just to protect yourself, you will become an enemy, because that is a protection.

 

Ouspensky came to him, stayed with him, worked with him, and there was no theoretical knowledge to be imparted. He was a man of action. He would give techniques, and one had to work. Then Ouspensky achieved a certain crystallization. He became an integrated man; he was transformed. He was not fully enlightened yet, but he was not fast asleep as we are. He was in between, just on the verge.When you feel that the morning is near, when you start listening to the noises which indicate morning is near, you are asleep, but not totally asleep.

 

The sleep is just on the verge of going. You are not yet awake, you may again fall into a sleep. You are just on the surface, just near awakening. And when Ouspensky was just near awakening, he was thinking that now Gurdjieff will help him more because this was the moment. But suddenly Gurdjieff started behaving in such a strange way that Ouspensky had to leave. He started up in such strange ways with him, did such absurd things, contradictory, nonsensical – on the surface – that Ouspensky had to leave him on his own account.

 

Gurdjieff never told him to leave. On his own account he left him, went against him, said that he had gone mad. He started teaching, and he always said, ”I am teaching according to Gurdjieff, my teacher, but now he is mad.” He would say, ”According to the early Gurdjieff...” He would not talk about the later Gurdjieff. But the basic reason why Gurdjieff did this is deep compassion. That was the moment when Ouspensky had to be left alone; otherwise he would have become a constant dependent. The moment came when he had to be thrown out, and in such a way that he would never become aware that he had been thrown out consciously.

 

Such persons like Buddha or Gurdjieff will affect you without their conscious effort and you will be pulled toward them. But they will try in every way that you are not pulled in that way: that you are not attracted hypnotically, that you are not dominated by them. And they will help to make you masters, standing on your own feet.

 

Those who are trying to dominate others, their eyes will be tense, evilish. You will not feel any innocence in their eyes, you will not feel purity in their eyes. You will feel attraction, but the attraction will be like alcohol. You will feel a magnetic pull, but the pull will be not to free you but to enslave you.

 

Remember, never use any energy to dominate anyone. Because of this, Buddha, Mahavir, Jesus, they made it a point, and they went on hammering, that the moment you enter the spiritual search, be filled with love for everyone, even for your enemy – because if you are filled with love you will not be attracted to the inner violence which wants to dominate.

 

Only love can become an antidote. Otherwise when the energy comes to you and you are overfilled with it, you will start dominating. This happens every day. I have come across many, many people...

 

I start helping them, they will grow a little, and the moment they feel that a certain energy is coming to them they will start dominating others, they will try now to use it. Remember, never use spiritual energy to dominate. You are wasting your efforts. Sooner or later you will be empty again, and you will fall down suddenly. And this is pure wastage, but it is very difficult to control it because you become aware that now you can do certain things.

 

If you touch someone who was ill and he becomes okay, how can you resist touching others now? How can you resist?

 

If you cannot resist, you will waste your energy. Something has happened to you, but soon you will throw it away unnecessarily. And really, the mind is so cunning that you may be thinking that you are helping others by healing them. That may be just a cunning trick of the mind, because if you have no love, how can you be so concerned with others’ diseases, their illnesses, their health? You are not concerned. Really, now this is a power. If you can heal, you can dominate them.

 

You may say, ”I am just helping them,” but even in your help you are simply trying to dominate them. Your ego will be fulfilled. This will become a food for your ego. So all the old treatises say beware. They say beware because when the energy comes to you, you are at a dangerous point. You can waste it, you can throw it away. When you feel any energy, make it a secret; do not allow anyone to know about it.

-Osho, "Vigyan Bhairav Tantra, Vol 1, #22, Q2“