THE MUSIC OF GURDJIEFF-HARMONIC DEVELOPMENT

'HARMONIC DEVELOPMENT' describes the 1948-1949 recordings of G.I.GURDJIEFF playing the Harmonium, a much forgotten and neglected instrument these days. Aside from his playing certain 'tunes', his actual voice is also heard during these special sessions that set up certain 'vibes' in their listeners...to give such a modern twist for contemporary persons who claim to like 'music'.... I spent all weekend listening to to these recordings,some similar ones selected from this group apparently but redone differently, and a CD, featuring a singer and a piano player, of GURDJIEFF'S HYMNS & PRAYERS. Hearing the voices of people now long dead can be an experience in itself.....different from watching old movies of long dead actors, however,unless we knew them personally. I sometimes listen to recorded phone calls with deceased friends and associates that I have when I have time and inclination).However, I wish these recordings had been available to be before now but, even so, they will, after long sessions listening to them,convey impresssions and focus vibrations which are part of the Science of Harmonics. Of particular interest to me were the 'thumpings' or'beats' Gurdjieff did or gave at teh end of some of the pieces on the wood of the Harmonium with his hand(s). These 'struck a chord' with me because the pattern, the rhythm, is one I tend to do when beating my palms or drumming on wood, tables, or other surfaces. This gave me pause to reflect on why I have done this since a child until now at certain times. Some claim that Gurdjieff is giving or was giving, as he is now dead, a message or a 'code' but I suspect it was done to wake up the listeneers, the group,the audience, those 'present',etc. from their 'journey' from the atmosphere created by him,etc. and to re-enforce the vibrations apart from the instrument-that the vibrations of this sort are not needed to create the rhythms or vibrations found in ourselves and in the Universe...that an instrument only serves to focus and channel them or make them audible and so on.....but that is my own speculation... GURDJIEFF'S LAUGHTER, and also that of those with him,and his voice give a different aspect to the teachings as read from the books he wrote or,for that matter, from that of books others have written in an attempt to explain, expound, or elucidate the Work in some way, even their personal accounts and reactions to such....... You sense that all these are present in Gurdjieff, that is, the teachings and wisdom he brought are all in him: experienced by him, are alive in him rather than imagined or fantasized like those of others.....but this is difficult to express or explain and has to be intuitively grasped when in the process of listening to his voice.....which makes one wish he had read ALL AND EVERYTHING himself and had it recorded with his own voice.....too bad there are not any hidden recordings of such somewhere.... When I thought of all this I had not as yet listened to the orchestral music of 1923-1924 called 'ORIENTAL SUITE' because I wished to let the Harmonium Musice make an impact on me,an impression/influence of some kind and to resonate in my centers in hopes that any of them will awaken and become aware even if only briefly......

JEANNE DE SALZMANN

JEANNE DE SALZMANN lived to be 100 years old,dying in Paris in 1990. She was one of the closest persons to the late Gurdjieff and was given the tasks on his death bed to continue and carry on THE WORK of THE FOURTH WAY, as it was also called by most. RECENTLY a compilation of her notebooks has been published,the title of which is: THE REALITY OF BEING, The Fourth Way of Gurdjieff,published by Shamballa, 2010. I obtained a copy of this and have begun reading it, along with listening to various music CD's of Gurdjieff's music,which is another important topic, little understood by most,especially those who know nothing of his abilities and even by some of his followers. Her son, Michael,said to be the son of Gurdjieff hasa also written or has under his name a book but which I have not yet obtained, as I wish to concentrate on Madame De Salzmann's work first. Despite a recent critical article on the book, which I shall discuss or comment on later, I find the book most interesting and informative as well as useful...her experiences and statements about such clarify a few things for me and will,no doubt, do the same for others who have sought to understand,learn, know, and feel more about the Teachings of Gurdjieff which await those who can really understand and follow his work,even though he is dead....something he thought possible and stated as much.....so there is hope that his mission,or at least one of them, TO UNITE THE WISDOM OF THE EAST WITH THE SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY OF THE WEST, will be accomplished, and signs are,in some places, it is being attempted despite some obvious setbacks. To date, there are four Gurdjieff Centers that she established: New York, Paris,London & Caracas,Venezuela which may still be operating and carrying on the Work, but as I do not have any contact with them(as yet) I do not know their exact status...but there are others who in groups or independently attempt to utilize the Teachings and methods in some way or what they consider to be such........

GURDJIEFF & SECRET TIBETAN TEACHINGS

Gurdjieff's travels in Central Asia and in particular to Tibet have a fascination for many and they often have problems in reconciling this BUDDHIST TRADTION with ESOTERIC CHRISTIANITY which G is supposed to have taught under both 'banners' so to speak......Again, I find some 'shamanistic' aspects or those of 'original' Taoism possibly in G's methods and teachings which will require some elaboration to make a bit clearer than merely stating this. For those who have read or heard about MADAME ALEXANDRA DAVID-NEEL and her travels to Tibet & China, I suggest you consult her book entitled,THE SECRET ORAL TEACHINGS IN TIBETAN BUDDHIST SECTS to see how what she states there references to some of Gurdjieff's teachings, at least along a certain line that will become evident to those who have delved a bit further in the such things.......

GURDJIEFF & TAOISM

In my recent readings and re-readings of both GURDJIEFF & TAOISM and also some other materials I have, the possible connections between G & TAO seem more likely than most might suppose.....Those who see Gurdjieff as a'dancing' teacher and ' Tibetan Buddist' and also as an 'Esoteric Christian'have all plastered. pasted, and tacked on those labels and G,in his usual ways that he made good use of, allowed them to do so, since they had to all determine their own 'aims' if they had any....that is, axes to grind, even if to lop off their own heads with his help... My sense & feeling arises in this matter from several things, one being G's interest in ancient dolmens, the Caves at Lascaux France, and various 'shamans' and similar things.....TAOISM is essentially derived from SHAMANISM found in Asia, Siberia,etc. and also in Tibet,etc.....I am quite sure that G. in his study of 'tibetan' musice, rites, medicine, etc. became most versed and familiar with this. Other indications or 'clues' about this come from the various 'dualities' he mentions and makes use of,etc. and their extensions....YES & NO, for instance, are the workings of YIN & YANG and the insistence of G on MASCULINE & FEMININE is also well-known...certain 'alchemical' operations and 'yoga' etc. also seem to be 'taoistic' in his and others discussions of the WORK although not openly stated......I hope to point out more specific things as I go along this path of TAOISM...though temptations to leave it and go to other topics come to mind and bubble up as I try to do this..... If I can find what I have written on TAOISM which I misplaced or 'hid' from myself, I will try to post it on my blogs....this will perhaps annoy and irk some practitioners of TAOISM and 'NEW AGE' devotees, no doubt....but the goals and aims of Shamans is often to change how we perceive 'reality', 'existence', 'life' etc. and to open up things for us that ordinary life keeps from us....

'THE HARMONIOUS CIRCLE'

'THE HARMONIOUS CIRCLE',The Lives & Work of G.I.GURDJIEFF, P.D. OUSPENSKY & Their Followers, by JAMES WEBB, 1980, is a fascinating book that I first read in 1987 and have re-read since them and more recently yesterday. My first reading of this book gave me some interesting information and clues and hints on things which any reader on GURDJIEFF can discover for himself or herself, depending on their 'aim(s)' in doing so. I only became somewhat recently aware of Webb's death, by suicide, and yesterday when I concluded the final chapter of the book, or section of it, realized that this chapter contains some clues as to why he took his own life.....though this is my own personal conjecture and observation..... The chapter is perhaps the most 'negative' one in the entire book because he attempts to consider GURDJIEFF from the point of view and by the criticisms and somewhat 'scandulous' tidbits surrounding the 'WORK' and discusses the 'disillusionment' and 'disappointment' some ended up with...which I think partly is projection/transference by him of his 'suicidal tendencies' that occultism sometimes brings into focus.....GURDJIEFF, himself, as mentioned in many works on him and by him, considered apparently at one time suicide..... Occultism can be a'dead-end' for many,especially those who seek some kind of 'power' or 'abilities' ion such realms and who want to obtain things for nothing and not pay for them....sometimes they have to pay with their lives, of course,sometimes by despair, futility, and other morbid senses and feelings, sometimes aroused and concentrated by the condition of their bodies and force of their emotions as well as sometimes some 'loony', 'misguided' ideas and theories....Gurdjieff warned of this sort of thing and pointed out how certain impressions and influences could affect one in all the ways he mentions in his writings. I do not have time to delve into this event of Webb's death but will say that considerations and fantasies on or about suicide are many....in seemingly 'normal' persons....however, those who 'attempt' suicide and who are not successful beyond a certain degree of injury and efforts, usually do not do so, but hold back at the last minute unless they make 'a serous mistake' in their attempts, which are, after all, a form of communication, an asking, a pleading for not only attention, but for love and consideration....as when a woman does so because her husband has numerous affairs and other things that threaten her status, her life, and her beliefs,etc. I was acquainted with a Filipino Movie Star who always made the newspapers with her 'unsuccessful' attempts at suicide and usually was hospitalized.....it was not, as some reporters at the time claimed, just for 'publicity purposes' or 'ego-trips' or to gain advertising for the films she was working on or to stimulate her fans sympathy...I do not know if she is still alive as I lost touch with her after some years.....that is, I do not know if she actually ended up committing suicide...if she did it was because she might have become frustrated by her efforts to receive the love and attention she so much craved...Suicide is often a substitute for murder, for anger, for rage, and focused on one's own body rather than others...it is not merely,though it can be, feeling sorry for oneself.

THE GURDJIEFFGOURMET-'EATING THE I'

'EATING THE I' by William Patrick Patterson is a a 'FOURTH WAY' account of remarkable honesty and 'self' revelation which still leaves one wondering about many things,possibly in one's own 'ordinary life in ordinary time' which has always to be placed in juxtaposition to ETERNITY. All of Patterson's efforts,particularly his literary and lecture/workshop ones,seemed focused on maintaining 'THE GURDJIEFF MAINSTREAM' which has a few major tributaries and many minor streams and rivulets flowing from it. The videos that have been produced by his efforts serve well as a great stimulus to possible students of the 'arcane,esoteric, occult and related 'ologies' but also keepthose with 'longings' & 'aims' for THE FOURTH WAY on whatever trail they find themseves in 'ordinary life and in ordinary time': Watching and Re-watching over periods of time one gets many 'impressions' on all levels and on different scales.

C.S NOTT Part I

Two books by C.S. NOTT are important reads for persons interested in GURDJIEFF and will appeal to certain individuals more than to others, as my discussion(s) of him and his writings may show more clearly as we proceed. The first,'TEACHINGS OF GURDJIEFF' 'THE JOURNAL OF A PUPIL','AN ACCOUNT OF SOME YEARS WITH G. I. GURDJIEFF AND A. R. ORAGE IN NEW YORK AND AT FONTAINEBLEAU-AVON' and the second,'JOURNEY THROUGH THIS WORLD' METINGS WITH GURDJIEFF,ORAGE & OUSPENSKY' contain information of a 'detailed' nature which I had read years ago, but being concerned with certain 'work ideas', had overlooked despite numerous readings and re-readings. For example, I now see some of the dance descriptions have actual names and places associated with them as regards to what NOTT claims to have witnessed when GURDJIEFF came to New York City and which he claims to have seen in his own 'pre-Gurdjieff' trips and travels in the Near East, China, India,etc. But I have not read of anyone verifying any of this,but why would they? How reliable is any dance of song or music from the East that Westerneers all lump together as 'ASIAN', 'EASTERN', RUSSIAN' CHINESE' GYPSY' 'PERSIAN' OR 'HINDU' OR 'JAPANESE' etc. when they hear 'THE EXOTIC STRAINS' OF NOTES AND CHORDS FOREIGN TO THEIR EARS? They also lack precise knowledge or one that is based on actual experience such as, dancing or playing or singing such things, though there are some very wonderfully rare exceptions to this state of affairs and have been over the centuries. There are academic studies and the like to be sure and these can help one at times, but the effort to do so, to experience such for any prolonged term is difficult, if not impossible to sustain for contemporary peoples of 'pop' culture usually. How can you remember 'foreign' names and titles and 'replay' such? That is from your memories of any such listening,hearing, playing, dancing,etc. in the ordinary way one does such? Can you recall any tunes or songs of 'native' bands or groups in far-flung lands and exotic cultures in any 'exact' way? Most of us can't and I am not real exception to this sad state of affairs and I can give many excuses and 'reasons' for such 'deriliction of duty'. I look at music that I can recall and name and of what does this consist? I cannot distinguish between 'ancient funeral dirges','Caucasian Waltzes' or 'Hindu' Ragas or 'Sufi'whirls to any great extent,if at all...My ignorance is overwhelming to me...on all of this....and some might well ask, why make any effort to know or find out or experience such? But one would ahve to SENSE, FEEL and UNDERGO the actual VIBRATIONAL RHYTHMS FROM ACTUAL PERFORMANCE(s). SUCH MUSIC IS NOT MERELY A 'SESSION' OR A 'PERFORMANCE' OR A 'CONCERT' but should be an EXPERIENCE THAT AFFECTS ALL OF THE CENTERS IN MAN.....OBJECTIVE MUSIC, ART, ETC. rather than merely 'subjective' as most of this stuff is in contemporary culture....which blends, indiscrimantly all musical forms and brands and vibrations etc. in a huge tub that anyone and everyone can take a bath......or shower....as the case may be