“For the growing number of people seeking to approach the ideas of Gurdjieff, Toward Awakening by Jean Vaysse offers reliable guidance, as well as evidence of the continuing vitality of this remarkable teaching. It may be counted as among the small handful of books that communicate something of what Gurdjieff brought.” PeopleWellsMayBookIdeasNumbersGrowingTeachingOffersApproachEvidenceSeekingCommunicateAwakeningGuidanceRemarkableContinuingVitalityHandful Author:Jacob Needleman
“Death is the great equalizer. I've seen that phenomenon many times. I've had people in my classes come to me, men and women over 50 years old, and they say, "I made it, I'm rich. But what the hell is my life for?"” PeopleMenYearsMadeClassHellRichMen And WomenMade ItPhenomenonOver 50Equalizer Author:Jacob Needleman
“Our modern world-view tragically misperceives and wrongly defines what it is to be human. We are conditioned by our society to believe happiness comes from pleasure, or from getting things or power over people or money or fame or even health and survival. None of these sometimes very good things can bring ultimate meaning to our lives. We are born to be deeply conscious, inwardly free and deeply capable of love. The longing for these things is the definition of what it means to be human.” PeopleBelieveMeanSometimesPleasureModernFameSurvivalCapableConsciousUltimateLongingGood ThingsVery Good Author:Jacob Needleman
“As to how I would guide someone who is confused about the idea of God, I would suggest that he or she begins identifying what one might called "philosophical friends," - people with whom one could seriously examine our thought about God through listening to each other, reading important and useful books together and trying to think for oneself while familiarizing oneself with the ideas of some of the world's great thinkers. Cultivate openness without gullibility and skepticism without cynicism.” PeopleThinkingTryingImportantBookTogetherReadingListeningPhilosophicalOneselfConfusedOpennessThinkerCynicismSkepticismGullibilityGreat Thinkers Author:Jacob Needleman
“Man must have results, real results, in his inner and outer life. I do not mean the results which modern people strive after in their attempts at self-development. These are not results, but only rearrangements of psychic material, a process the Buddhists call 'samsara' and which our Holy Bible calls 'dust'.” PeopleMenMeanRealSelfProcessResultsModernMaterialsDevelopmentHolyStriveDustBuddhistPsychicsSelf DevelopmentHoly BibleSamsara Author:Jacob Needleman
“What is most necessary for people and what is given us in great abundance, are experiences, especially experiences of the forces within us. This is our most essential food, our most essential wealth. If we consciously receive all this abundance, the universe will pour into us what is called life in Judaism, spirit in Christianity, light in Islam, power in Taoism.” PeopleIfsLightSpiritUniverseGivenForceWealthChristianityEssentialsExperienceIslamAbundanceTaoismJudaism Author:Jacob Needleman
