“If you can serve a cup of tea right, you can do anything.” IfsSpiritualityCan DoCupsTeaCups Of Tea Author:G. I. Gurdjieff
“We must strive for freedom if we strive for self-knowledge. The task of self-knowledge and of further self-development is of such importance and seriousness, it demands such intensity of effort, that to attempt it any old way and amongst other things is impossible. The person who undertakes this task must put it first in his life, which is not so long that he can afford to squander it on trifles.” IfsWayFirstsPersonsLongSelfEffortImpossibleDevelopmentDemandTasksImportanceStriveIntensitySelf KnowledgeSelf DevelopmentSeriousnessTriflesOld Ways Author:G. I. Gurdjieff
“If you want to lose your faith, make friends with a priest.” IfsWantLosesPriests Author:G. I. Gurdjieff
“Every ceremony or rite has a value if it is performed without alteration. A ceremony is a book in which a great deal is written. Anyone who understands can read it. One rite often contains more than a hundred books.” IfsBookValuesDealsWrittenHundredCeremonyRiteAlterations Author:G. I. Gurdjieff
“Laughter relieves us of superfluous energy, which, if it remained unused, might become negative, that is, poison. Laughter is the antidote.” IfsMightHappinessJoyEnergyLaughterNegativePoisonAntidoteSuperfluous Author:G. I. Gurdjieff
“There do exist enquiring minds, which long for the truth of the heart, seek it, strive to solve the problems set by life, try to penetrate to the essence of things and phenomena and to penetrate into themselves. If a man reasons and thinks soundly, no matter which path he follows in solving these problems, he must inevitably arrive back at himself, and begin with the solution of the problem of what he is himself and what his place is in the world around him.” IfsThinkingMenWorldTryingMindHeartLongMatterReasonProblemPathSolutionsEssenceStriveSolvePenetrate Author:G. I. Gurdjieff
“Real love is a cosmic force which goes through us. If we crystallize it, it becomes the greatest power in the world.” IfsWorldRealForceLove IsCosmicReal Love Author:G. I. Gurdjieff
“Ancient art has a specific inner content. At one time, art possessed the same purpose that books do in our day, namely: to preserve and transmit knowledge. In olden days, people did not write books, they incorporated their knowledge into works of art. We would find a great many ideas in the works of ancient art passed down to us, if only we knew how to read them.” PeopleIfsWritingArtBookIdeasPurposeAncientPreservesGreat MenWorks Of ArtOne TimePossessedTransmitOlden DaysAncient Art Author:G. I. Gurdjieff
“If you help others, you will be helped, perhaps tomorrow, perhaps in one hundred years, but you will be helped. Nature must pay off the debt. It is a mathematical law and all life is mathematics.” IfsLifeYearsHelpingLawLife IsPayKindnessTomorrowHundredMathematicsDebtHelping OthersMathematical Author:G. I. Gurdjieff
“A considerable percentage of the people we meet on the street are people who are empty inside, that is, they are actually already dead. It is fortunate for us that we do not see and do not know it. If we knew what a number of people are actually dead and what a number of these dead people govern our lives, we should go mad with horror.” PeopleIfsKnowsShouldDeathPrayerNumbersOur LivesStreetsDyingHorrorEmptyIndependenceMadFortunatePercentagesMemorialDead PeopleSith Author:G. I. Gurdjieff
“If a sufficient number of people who wanted to stop war really did gather together, they would first of all begin by making war upon those who disagreed with them. And it is still more certain that they would make war on people who also want to stop wars but in another way.” PeopleIfsWayWantFirstsStillsWarWantedTogetherCertainNumbersSufficientAnother WayStop War Author:G. I. Gurdjieff
“Now everything that you do is written in red or black in Angel Gabriel's book. Not for everyone is this record kept, but only for those who have taken a position of responsibility. There is a Law of Sins, and if you do not fulfil all your obligations, you will pay.” IfsBookLawBlackSinPayResponsibilityTakenRecordsWrittenPositionAngelRedKarmaObligationGabriel Author:G. I. Gurdjieff
“Let us take some event in the life of humanity. For instance, war. There is a war going on at the present moment. What does it signify? It signifies that several millions of sleeping people are trying to destroy several millions of other sleeping people. They would not do this, of course, if they were to wake up. Everything that takes place is owing to this sleep.” PeopleIfsTryingDoeWarMomentsHumanityCoursesSleepMillionsEventsWake UpInstancePresent MomentOwing Author:G. I. Gurdjieff
“Try to understand what I am saying: everything is dependent on everything else, everything is connected, nothing is separate. Therefore everything is going in the only way it can go. If people were different everything would be different. They are what they are, so everything is as it is.” PeopleIfsWayTryingDifferentWould BeConnectedSeparationDependentDependenceInterconnectednessInterconnection Author:G. I. Gurdjieff
“If a man could understand all the horror of the lives of ordinary people who are turning around in a circle of insignificant interests and insignificant aims, if he could understand what they are losing, he would understand that there can only be one thing that is serious for him - to escape from the general law, to be free. What can be serious for a man in prison who is condemned to death? Only one thing: How to save himself, how to escape: nothing else is serious.” PeopleIfsMenLawInterestOne ThingSeriousHorrorLosingOrdinaryAimPrisonCirclesInsignificantOrdinary People Author:G. I. Gurdjieff
“If you meditate and the Devil comes, make the Devil meditate.” PeopleIfsDevilPeople Skills Author:G. I. Gurdjieff
