Another form of identification, which prevents self-remembering, is termed by Gurdjieff as ‘Inner Considering’. It means identification with oneself or with what one took to be oneself i.e. one’s image. This leads to an intense preoccupation with the impression that we make on others. There is inner consideration as regards the physical body evoked by one’s notion of his / her body. This leads to tremendous pre-occupation with the body, becoming more sensitive to the body, almost becoming obsessed with the body. Further, there is inner considering as regards one’s short-comings or weaknesses, oversensitivity towards deficiencies in character and one’s past. Gurdjieff says that inner considering is caused by our weakness, fear and general
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This is exactly the opposite of and in fact an anti-dote to inner-considering. It is a pre-occupation with the welfare of the other instead of our own. External considering demands great deal of knowledge and self-control. It therefore approaches a state approaching self-remembering! It necessitates the abandonment of the last shred of self-identification.
According to Gurdjieff, ‘lying’ is one of the causes of ‘waking-sleep’. ‘Lying’ means talking about things as if we knew all about them, when in actual fact, we knew little or nothing about them. Therefore, lying leads to mechanical activity.
Another reason which prevents self-remembering is in ‘unnecessary talking’. We talk out of habit and not out of necessity. Incessant talking consumes tremendous energy. Interestingly, when not vocalizing our talk, we tend to do mental talking – continuous chattering of the mind.
Like unnecessary talking, we also tend to give free reins to our mind to indulge in all sorts of imagination (mind-wandering). Here, there is involuntary imagination. Gurdjieff is quick to point out that creative imagination (of the artist, etc) is different from aimless and involuntary …show more content…
The first step that we need to take is to first acknowledge and realize that we are asleep. This is absolutely true. When we talk of awareness even to educated people, they look amused and resist understanding. It is almost indispensible if we have to evolve to the levels of awareness that that we first realize that we have been ‘sleeping’. This is not easy. This forebodes the risk of giving up of our normal living style and adopting the ‘unknown’. We are so comfortable in our lifestyle (with all its sufferings and miseries!) and hence it is daunting to try to adopt a different way. Thus, the first step is to accept that we have been actually sleeping even if we term ourselves as conscious and responsible human beings. Secondly, we require a jerk or a shake, almost a shock. This can only come from a higher source, from one who has already transcended the lower states of consciousness and has moved up to awareness. We should be fortunate to receive help, a lift, from one who has already reached the higher levels of awareness (the 3rd and the 4th states). The Upanishads when describing the qualities / characteristics of a Guru, do mention that only a Self-realized person can actually / really help another on the path of Self-realization. This rising up to ‘Self-remembering’, and thence to ‘Objective Consciousness’, is not an attainment of intellectual knowledge. It is not
This is exactly the opposite of and in fact an anti-dote to inner-considering. It is a pre-occupation with the welfare of the other instead of our own. External considering demands great deal of knowledge and self-control. It therefore approaches a state approaching self-remembering! It necessitates the abandonment of the last shred of self-identification.
According to Gurdjieff, ‘lying’ is one of the causes of ‘waking-sleep’. ‘Lying’ means talking about things as if we knew all about them, when in actual fact, we knew little or nothing about them. Therefore, lying leads to mechanical activity.
Another reason which prevents self-remembering is in ‘unnecessary talking’. We talk out of habit and not out of necessity. Incessant talking consumes tremendous energy. Interestingly, when not vocalizing our talk, we tend to do mental talking – continuous chattering of the mind.
Like unnecessary talking, we also tend to give free reins to our mind to indulge in all sorts of imagination (mind-wandering). Here, there is involuntary imagination. Gurdjieff is quick to point out that creative imagination (of the artist, etc) is different from aimless and involuntary …show more content…
The first step that we need to take is to first acknowledge and realize that we are asleep. This is absolutely true. When we talk of awareness even to educated people, they look amused and resist understanding. It is almost indispensible if we have to evolve to the levels of awareness that that we first realize that we have been ‘sleeping’. This is not easy. This forebodes the risk of giving up of our normal living style and adopting the ‘unknown’. We are so comfortable in our lifestyle (with all its sufferings and miseries!) and hence it is daunting to try to adopt a different way. Thus, the first step is to accept that we have been actually sleeping even if we term ourselves as conscious and responsible human beings. Secondly, we require a jerk or a shake, almost a shock. This can only come from a higher source, from one who has already transcended the lower states of consciousness and has moved up to awareness. We should be fortunate to receive help, a lift, from one who has already reached the higher levels of awareness (the 3rd and the 4th states). The Upanishads when describing the qualities / characteristics of a Guru, do mention that only a Self-realized person can actually / really help another on the path of Self-realization. This rising up to ‘Self-remembering’, and thence to ‘Objective Consciousness’, is not an attainment of intellectual knowledge. It is not