In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (Harvest Book)

published	September 2001 by Harvest/HBJ Book
binding	Paperback
isbn	0156007460 (isbn13: 9780156007467)
ebook
pages	399
description	A new edition of the groundbreaking spiritual treasure, with a foreword by bestselling author Marianne Williamson .Since its original publication in 1...more [close] A new edition of the groundbreaking spiritual treasure, with a foreword by bestselling author Marianne Williamson .Since its original publication in 1949, In Search of the Miraculous has been hailed as the most valuable and reliable documentation of G. I. Gurdjieff's thoughts and universal view. This historic and influential work is considered by many to be a primer of mystical thought as expressed through the Work, a combination of Eastern philosophies that had for centuries been passed on orally from teacher to student. Gurdjieff's goal, to introduce the Work to the West, attracted many students, among them Ouspensky, an established mathematician, journalist, and, with the publication of In Search of the Miraculous, an eloquent and persuasive proselyte.Ouspensky describes Gurdjieff's teachings in fascinating and accessible detail, providing what has proven to be a stellar introduction to the universal view of both student and teacher. It goes without saying that In Search of the Miraculous has inspired great thinkers and writers of ensuing spiritual movements, including Marianne Williamson, the highly acclaimed author of A Return to Love and Illuminata. In a new and never-before-published foreword, Williamson shares the influence of Ouspensky's book and Gurdjieff's teachings on the New Thought movement and her own life, providing a contemporary look at an already timeless classic. [close]
date added	04-02-07 edit book

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Brian rated it:

01/24/08

Read in January, 1991

recommends it for: Those who are interested in enlightenment as a real potential of the human mind

This is another book that totally changed the way I view the world. I read it over a period of 2 or 3 years. I would read a paragraph or two at a time, or sometimes a few pages, and then try to digest it. In this book, Ouspensky meets up with Gurdjieff, a self-professed esoteric teacher. There is a good deal of debate as to whether or not the latter was an authentic teacher or a charlatan. It seems he was some of both and Ouspensky broke with him in the end. It also seems that Gurdjieff go...more This is another book that totally changed the way I view the world. I read it over a period of 2 or 3 years. I would read a paragraph or two at a time, or sometimes a few pages, and then try to digest it. In this book, Ouspensky meets up with Gurdjieff, a self-professed esoteric teacher. There is a good deal of debate as to whether or not the latter was an authentic teacher or a charlatan. It seems he was some of both and Ouspensky broke with him in the end. It also seems that Gurdjieff got most of his teachings from the Sufis. Nonetheless, I find him and his teachings quite fascinating. One doesn't have to become a true believer to benefit from some of the amazing concepts put forth in The Fourth Way, the system of conscious evolution he espoused. There is also a book by the same name which is quite dense and dry, though also interesting.

Some of the concepts which have stuck with me are:

The formatory apparatus - the lowest level of logical thinking, which is essentially either/or thinking. Most people do not progress beyond this and it becomes a hindrance because it rarely applies.

Physical evolution only takes us so far and we must consciously evolve ourselves beyond this point. This way is "against god". In other words, we can all exist quite well without becoming truly conscious, just going about our lives in the ordinary way. We must go against much in our lives to become truly conscious. This latter property is not what most people mean when they use this word. Few people are actually truly conscious, which is something like being fully aware of ourselves at all times, not being lulled into stupors by our lives.

There are in fact many I's, not just one, as when we refer to ourselves in the first person. This is because our minds are split into many different factions based on our feelings. Essentially the unity we think we possess is an illusion supported by buffers between the different parts that prevent harsh collisions. In this sense we are not one person but many, which explains how we can react in ways seemingly contrary to our previous convictions.

There is no real basis for negative emotions and these drain us of the energy needed to become conscious. We actually require higher emotional energy to become conscious, and negative emotions drain us of this.

All-in-all this book is quite good because Ouspensky tells the story of his search for, meeting and breaking with this enigmatic character. He learns some intriguing things but still ends up confused in the end, without the final answers he longed for.
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In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching (Harvest Book)

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