Realizing Nothingness

We used much of our meeting last evening to share observations and impressions from our recent intensive work weekend. For those who weren't able to join, we gathered Friday night through Sunday afternoon with a full schedule of sittings, discussion of themes, physical work on the property and preparing meals, eating meals, readings, and Gurdjieff Movements. 

The energy of inner and outer work allowed the group to produce and concentrate a fine energy that is conducive to observing and remembering ourselves. It also afforded a sense of harmony with one another as we worked with a common aim, without any sense of coercion, and from our own wish to Be. The intensive work together led one person to say "this is really living!"

The work of the weekend raises the question of how to make use of the energy brought by the event in our inner work in daily life. One aspect is conserving and assimilating the fine energy, being mindful of unnecessary tension, reactions, and "blowing off steam". Instead we work at allowing the force generated in our work to beget yet more energy, and to settle in our being to become a more substantial basis of consciousness and remembering. 

Gurdjieff uses a particular language to show an approach to concentrating our energy for Being. He speaks of the separation of "I" and "me". In a general sense I is that which observes, and more than that, I is rooted in essence and being. Me is the personality, all the associations, habits, reactions, and learned "stuff"--in other words our "nothingness". 

In this direction we agreed to try a practice of a half hour of intensive work during the day. From noon to 12:30 we will watch our associations, watch the train of thoughts in the mind as though watching images on a screen, separate I and me, realizing our nothingness. To support this we can try to keep attention grounded in sensation, for instance in the hands or even fingertips of one hand. 

The point with this exercise is not to study what we are thinking and feeling, but simply to observe and substantiate a separation between a conscious observer and the automatic contents of the mind and emotions. 

We are working with the Bread Exercise that we learned over the weekend for our morning practice and in an abbreviated form at regular intervals during the day. This is an important exercise that deepens and develops over time. 

With best wishes for your inner work,