That still, quiet place in the center of our being is the place I experience with Bennett’s Collected State exercise. He also called this a “non-emanating” state. The work of the exercise is to “let nothing enter, let nothing leave.” He also said it is one of the most difficult of all the exercises. In … Read more
Provenance, the place of origin, or earliest known history of something. When it comes to Gurdjieff’s (or JGB’s) transmission of an inner exercise, I have become aware of the importance of provenance. As younger students become the next teachers in what is called the Fourth Way, I believe provenance matters even more. History My most … Read more
Having a practice has become part of my lifestyle. But does that make me more conscious? I’m not sure it does, but then, I’m not sure it doesn’t. I found myself contemplating this the other day. What I mean is, does having a practice become an excuse for not really “working” at other times during … Read more
Who is my Work for? I found myself brought up short when that question confronted me this morning. Working in my Garden Having arisen before dawn, I went out to the garden to attend to a specific task. A bed on the side of the house that does not usually need much work, was becoming … Read more
Making room for others opens us to receive each other’s gifts. Yet this is hard work for me. Especially in transmitting the Work. I am so full of my own understanding and experiencing. For instance, it took me years of leading morning exercise to realize others did not necessarily experience it in the same way … Read more
Personal work. That is where the path starts. But first, we need to know ourselves. Our many selves. I’m going to be looking at that again, through the eyes of someone whom knowingly or not, has taken Gurdjieff’s teaching of “many i’s” and created the Internal Family Systems Model, or IFS. I love that G’s … Read more
Family, friends and place is what made Jack’s and my 50th Wedding Anniversary memorable. The place was Claymont. The friends— those who have woven in and out of our lives. Our children are part of that weave, our extended family is part of the fabric. So, when the decision was made to celebrate this milestone … Read more
What’s in a 50th anniversary? I’m giving this some thought since I’ve had a lot of those in my life lately. Last year I was part of a well-planned and executed 50th reunion of Sherborne Course II graduates on zoom. That was followed by a well-attended and meaningful 50th in-person celebration of the Claymont Society … Read more
Christ was talking about the unseen world when he told Pilot, “My kingdom does not belong to this world.” Bennett was also talking about the unseen world when he gave his talk, The Master Idea of the New Epoch. Unseen in the sense of energies and forces that are beyond our five physical senses, beyond … Read more
Submitted by Jack Chromey: The Sermon on the Mount is full of meaning right from the start. The first word is “And”! This shows that the Sermon is a continuation, whereas we look at it as a whole unto itself. “Seeing.” ‘There is more to seeing than meets the eye.’ In the New Testament there … Read more