“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
“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
“The first reason for people's slavery is our ignorance, and above all, our ignorance of ourselves.” PeopleFirstsReasonIgnoranceSlavery 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
“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
