Zen, Yoga, Gurdjieff- perspectives on inner work

Sunday, August 7, 2022

Announcement: The Zen, Yoga, Gurdjieff Blog is Moving!

Dear Readers:

Since November 2006, I've offered my readings and observations about the Gurdjieff work free of charge at blogspot.com.

I initially took this on as a responsibility towards the Gurdjieff work so that at least one of the traditionally reticent Gurdjieff Foundation's member's voices would be a regular presence amidst the relative cacophony of online exchanges about Gurdjieff.

I have done my best, good or bad, to serve in this regard. Readers who have followed the trajectory have participated in an enterprise that has generated nearly 1.5 million views over the course of its existence.

The enterprise has been demanding; and there are times when I have thought about giving it up.

I didn't. In the end it turns out the enterprise has legs of its own, and I merely supervise the activities.

Change, however, is in the air. Sixteen years is long enough in one place. I've recently decided to move the blog to substack. This will to some extent "modernize" it; and it will also transition the blog to a paid subscription model.

The new home is here:

https://zenyogagurdjieff.substack.com/p/zen-yoga-gurdjieff?sd=pf

The annual subscription is $60, or, conversely, $6.00 per month.

There may be those who object or complain; to them, I do not apologize, although I understand everyone's impulse to get things for free. There is a point at which you have to pay for what you get, modern world notwithstanding.

Substack posts will commence on Aug. 9.

Posts will continue at blogspot.com through the month of August, for free, but paid subscriptions will officially begin in September, after which no new posts will be appearing at Zen, Yoga, Gurdjieff.

You'll have the opportunity to read all the same posts for free during the month of August at substack, and, should interest, conscience, or a combination of the two prompt you to begin subscribing immediately, please feel free to do so.

Occasionally, some posts at substack will be free, but regular readers will be required to pay if they want to have access to the full content.

nb. Effective immediately. archives dating from 2006 through 2017 will no longer be available on line, but will be made available on request to paid subscribers only. This resource represents over 10 years of posts on a wide range of Gurdjieff and other topics. I think the $60 per year subscription is a fair enough price for it.

warmly,

Lee

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Recommendations and current reading list

Lee's current reading list (all recommended)

The Iceberg- Marion Coutts. This extraordinary book deserves to be read by every individual engaged in an inner search. The questions it raises about life, death, and relationship are framed by the authors responsibilities to her very young child and her dying husband. This is a book about real work in life, not esoteric theory.

Far From The Tree: Andrew Solomon. Parents, Children and the Search for Identity. Highly recommended.

Inner Yoga, Sri Anirvan—This extraordinary book is essential reading for any serious student of Gurdjieff or Yoga practice. Written at a level of both practical and philosophical discourse well above other contemporary work, Anirvan investigates the deep roots of Yoga practice, theory, and philosophy in a deeply sensitive series of insights. Of particular interest is the extraordinary and challenging piece on Buddhi and Buddhiyoga, which examines the questions of practice, life, and death with an acuity rarely encountered in other work of this nature.

Divine Love and Wisdom, Emmanuel Swedenborg. Swedenborg gives us a detailed report on Reality as received from higher sources, reflecting many Truths one would be wise to study carefully. Readers will be astounded by the extraordinary degree of correlation between Swedenborg and Ibn 'Arabi. Many fundamental principles introduced by Gurdjieff are also expounded on in fascinating detail by Swedenborg. All of Swedenborg's works are well worth reading.

The Divine Governance of the Human Kingdom, Ibn 'Arabi. Another real gem, this book ought to be read by every seeker on the spiritual path. If you can only find the time to read one book by Ibn 'Arabi, this ought to be the one. By turns lighthearted, serious, insightful, and ingenius, al 'Arabi introduces us to our inner government character by character, explains their relationships, and indicates how to bring them into a state of harmonious cooperation. Written with love, the book deftly manages to avoid being didactic, delivering instead a sensitive, poetic, and even romantic look at how to organize our inner Being.

The Bezels of Wisdom—Ibn al 'Arabi. A compendium of observations about the nature of "The Reality"—what al 'Arabi calls God— from a 13th century Sufi master. This towering work easily holds its own against—and is worthy of comparison to—13th century masterpieces from other major religious traditions such as Dogen's Shobogenzo and Meister Eckhart's sermons.

Also worthy: William C. Chittick's The Sufi Path of Knowledge, an extensive review of al Arabi's works.