MEETINGS WITH REMARKABLE MEN

This book by GURDJIEFF is considered his 'second' work of note and many viewpoints of it or about it exist, of course. Most writers on Gurdjieff have not really tried to visit or study the areas that Gurdjieff mentions in this work or try to analyze some things G says. In future blogs I hope to point out these areas and what they might really mean and indicate, though I am hampered in doing this in many ways.

JAPANESE JU-JUTSU & HIVINTZIAN FIZ-LES-LOO

In MEETINGS WITH REMARKABLE MEN, Gurdjieff claims that in his youth he was 'enthusiastic' about Japanese Ju-jutsu(which in the book I have, spells the art correctly in English, as the more common form is usually spelled 'jiu'jitsu'. He mentions this on page 141, where he describes how he met SOLOVIEV by aiding him in a fight at a restaurant.

THE HAND IS QUICKER THAN THE EYE!

The old saying, which has many applications, that 'the hand is quicker than the eye' also means that ACTION IS FASTER THAN REACTION! As you know Gurdjieff from my blog made some contributions to martial arts which most writers on his life have largely ignored. In the book, MEETINGS WITH REMARKABLE MEN(which has been also made into a movie by Peter Brook) G(to which he is often referred by) on page 48(forty-eight) that book states: 'STRIKE-and you will not be struck. BUT if you do not strike-they will beat you to death..."

THE THREE LINES OF ENDEAVORS

There are three lines of endeavors that most people attempt to try. These can also be called three directions or three 'forces' and these have been mentioned before in other topics and blogs, perhaps. The point is that people start well and then lose the line of their efforts because of the 3 FORCES: A,B,& C!

GURDJIEFF & THE MARTIAL ARTS

GURDJIEFF makes some references to certain martial arts principles and the art of jiujitsu and other things that deserve study and analysis. This particular area of Gurdjieff and martial arts has been completely ignored by most writers on his life as they tend to focus on his teachings and life in general and are interested in other facets of his life. In future discussions I will try to point out his 'contributions',his understandings of the principles, and possibly where he learned a good deal of these things about martial arts. Here, I will only say, that he may well have learned some 'kungfu' being practiced by certain Islamic groups close to China,some of whom, have only of late become known to martial arts historians and scholars.

THE TRAVELS OF GUDJIEFF

Some writers on Gurdjieff have expressed the notion that many of the travels and experiences of Gurdjieff are 'imaginary',that is, contrived and constructed to give an elaborate, unverifiable history of himself, his ideas, his 'system', and so forth. These writers often rely on the sensational aspects of all his life, especially as reported in various newspapers and by those who are critics or hostile detractors. In much the same way the travels of Madame Blavatsky have also been treated or considered,depending on the writers and what they have said, of course. We could also include in this 'THE TRAVELS OF JESUS',since some theories, all of which are fascinating to be sure, but again based on somewhat conjecture, stretched points, and incomplete, intangible evidence. Indeed, the Travels of Marco Polo and a few others have also fallen into this area of not being credible or believble,but these are all for other discussions. We do know that Gurdjieff did travel in Russia and around his home area and also to Europe, namely Germany,France, and England and then to the US. He is buried in France. I shall examine his writings and other things to try and bring some sense to his travels,which,to me seem,without serious doubt, to have taken him to certain areas that only now are we coming to know, as the present wars and strife in them have brought us there for many reasons.

THE GREAT PROBLEM

In life we have a great problem that needs to be solved by each of us in some way or another. Most of us fail miserably at this, despite what we say or think or what others tell us. The problem seems rather simple and logical to most when they are confronted with it in its various forms, which take that of a sort of puzzle to be solved. It involves three things, actually, four. You as a human, a man or a woman, or whatever, and three other life forms: a cabbage or head of lettuce; a rabbit, and a wolf. No doubt, you may have encountered this problem in formal logic classes if you happened to have taken any. Ths problem is this: You have to cross a river in a small boat that will only allow you to carry one of the three things across so you have to leave two of the others on the shore and come back and go again and then do the same thing until all three,the wold,the rabbit, the cabbage are all on the same side of the river with you after the necessary crossings in the boat. This problem is somewhat related to the topic,FOOD FOR THE GODS, under GREAT NATURE,since all forms of life need other forms of life to exist and every form of life is a form of food for other forms in some ways, many not readily apparent. The wolf eats the rabbit; the rabbit eats the cabbage, Man seldom eats the wolf but he does eat the rabbit and the cabbage. BUT, the TASK is to get all of these things across the river in the small boat that only accomodates you, the rower, and one object,either rabbit, wolf or cabbage. Most persons who tackle this are able to figure out logically how to do this but I daresay few could actually perform the PHYSICAL aspects of this thing if they were forced to do so! Also, there is the important and neglected EMOTIONAL aspect to this. If you look at this problem from all three aspects it may show you something about yourself. Post your comments and solutions here and I will discuss this futher. Thank You.