Zen, Yoga, Gurdjieff- perspectives on inner work: A capacity for ordinary simplicity

Sunday, August 25, 2019

A capacity for ordinary simplicity

Speaking with a friend of mine from my group earlier today, I was discussing the idea that Gurdjieff’s teaching, first and above all, is meant to lead us to an understanding of what it actually means to be human — as opposed to all of my fantasies about it. It’s meant to lead us to an understanding of what real compassion is – of what real love is. In order to do so, it needs to produce in us a capacity for ordinary simplicity.

This exact capacity is what Brother Lawrence discusses in the practice of the presence of God; and I suspect I would find little argument among the theologians that Meister Eckhart points us in the same direction. We are filled with complexities of every kind; those selfsame desires that drive us into the future like juggernauts. Our complexity of desire renders us complicit in all the failings of our lives; as I become complex and demanding, greedy and desirous, I forget about others and think only of myself. If I were honest about it, I would admit that I have little compassion in me; I would admit that all of my desires are centered around having everything suit me. Instead of adapting to circumstances, I believe circumstances should be adapted to me.

The more I empty myself of this complexity and the more ordinary I become in simplicity, the easier it is to come to my life without preconditions. In every instance where this is possible, I see things a little more clearly.

Wishing the best for you on this day,

Lee

Lee van Laer is a Senior Editor at Parabola Magazine.

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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.