In Search of Being: The Fourth Way to Consciousness

I ordered my copy June 20, 2012, received it Friday, Jan. 11. Coming in late Friday I began the book Saturday morning and read up to page 41 before reading the first review, now up to page 67. OK, I've broken the first rule in writing, leave out the superfluous. I would normally finish a book before review, but that almost seems unnecessary here. If you are new to this teaching, the Work, the Fourth Way, you can buy the book. If you have read In Search of the Miraculous, this book doesn't seem to be necessary. There is only one reason to read the Forward and the Introduction, page xii states that "this book restates less than one-third of In Search" (of the Miraculous) "and even less of Views" (from the Real World), "leaving the original sources as required reading for a complete picture of the teaching". Continuing, "the text consists almost entirely of Gurdjieff's own words.....delivered at different times and on different occasions, hav(ing) been modified, mostly in style and voice, where necessary for a consistent presentation in a single book". pg xiii In other words, the editor and writer of the Forward, Stephen A. Grant has erased the broken English and familiar voice of Gurdjieff.My first impression upon reading that the book restated one-third of Ouspensky's In Search of and less of Views was that 'this' In Search of would contain additional supplementary material. Reading up to page 67, this so far seems not to be the case, therefore I don't understand the reason for this restatement of the two earlier mentioned books, in addition to portions of Ouspensky's excellent book about the ideas of this teaching, The Psychology of Man's Possible Evolution also being restated. (If I encounter new material upon further reading I will edit this review).If it not yet apparent, my suggestion would be to read In Search of the Miraculous, and The Psychology of Man's Possible Evolution previous to reading this book, and if further interested, Gurdjieff's own specifically crafted writings, in the order they were written.So, this review seems to have come to a sudden halt, except for two things. The teaching that came through Gurdjieff is extraordinary, unique, especially the inner teaching, not written (as indicated in Ouspensky's In Search of, page 201). The second thing might seem trivial but it really stuck out to me to such an extent I feel obligated to point out the error so that it can be corrected in subsequent editions of the book, or even right now, as the cost would be minimal. Gurdjieff introduced the symbol the enneagram, shown on the cover of the book, to the public. However, the picture on the cover is not an enneagram. I'm sure some person in graphics absentmindedly whipped up the cover. The top of page 235 gives information as to why the "enneagram" on the cover is not an enneagram. Did no one with The Gurdjieff Foundation get final approval of the cover art?stardustpilgrim

The book does challenge one to think deeply. As a student of all things spiritual, I recommend reading not just ideas in agreement with our current understanding, but also reading outside our present awareness.I agree that most people are walking their lives mostly in a trance induced by culture, home and various experiences. I agree it is difficult to get to the point of willingness to do the work required to get out of the hypnosis. I agree we must verify truth or fiction. I agree a good place to begin is self-observation.There are many good ideas that make this book worth reading. Sections are tedious or repeats of points made pages before, and some is not helpful. Gurdjieff was an unusual man with unusual methods and ideas.

Having long been interested in Gurdjieff's Fourth Way teachings, I was excited to see a new book by Gurdjieff had been published and I purchased the book. Much to my surprise and disappointment, while the cover claims G. I. Gurdjieff as the author, it is actually written by Stephen A. Grant, a member of the Gurdjieff Foundation. In his foreword, within all the verbiage, Grant admits the book "restates" portions of two seminal books, In Search of the Miraculous and Views of the Real World, from a new translation, and is a "reconstruction" of Gurdjieff's early teachings, and that it was "arranged and edited with a small group of followers of Gurdjieff and Madame de Saltzman."Dubious, I nevertheless read the book, hoping that this "new arrangement" would provide some insights or clarifications of what are extremely deep and challenging concepts. I was sorely disappointed. Rather than clarifying key components of the teaching, this "new translation" muddles the concepts and makes them even more difficult to comprehend. It also takes the vibrancy and life from Gurdjieff's own words! (One's words don't mean anything!) On rare occasions I did find passages that were elucidating, as in the chapters on the law of octaves and degrees of materiality. Otherwise, the reorganization and the paraphrasing of Gurdjieff's analogies dilute the teaching. The sixteen chapters in Part VII through Part IX, the "how-to" portion of the book, are actually a disservice to those who are new to the Fourth Way. And the idea that Gurdjieff and Ouspensky didn't actually break up but decided to divide the teaching, Gurdjieff with the esoteric, Ouspensky with the exoteric?! Oh yes, that is why Ouspensky came to America in the 1940s, he said if Gurdjieff came he would leave. And, yes, why didn't Ouspensky agree to meet when he returned in 1947 and Gurdjieff asked to meet? To top it off - not once does the book indicate the source of the paraphrasing. This means one is unable to check the text against the original source! Kinda slinky, huh? There is something fundamentally wrong here. How would you like it if some "learned being" took all your letters or writings and "reconstructed" them, and then published them under your own name and gave no references to the originals?

I agree with the previous Review.Having received this book, and started reading the first few chapters, it is clearly NOT in the voice of writings I have of Mr Gurdjieff.The only obscure reference to this books real origin is hidden in the forward written by Stephen A. Grant, who, it would seem is the real author of this book.In my opinion, this is a shameful masquerade to try and sell a book on the back of the Master.No where on the sleeve is there reference to its real authorship.Had this book been honest and published who the real author was, I may still have ordered it, but in view of the dubious marketing, and the poor representation of Mr G's writings, as I have experienced ( some in manuscript form - available from the Library of Congress) I returned my copy also.Having read some of it, it lacks depth and heart. It is like the real meaning of the work has been ripped out and what remains is an 'ego' version of the work.Interestingly, whatever else might be said of Mdme De Salzmann, her book, "The Reality of Being" published posthumously, does have heart and depth.Anyone wishing to taste a flavor of the real Gurdjieff, would be advised to by the books, actually written by him.

I've purchased this title, along with others, as a part of my research into Gurdjieff's work. The selection of material quoted in this book, while genuine, is wildly misleading as an overview of his "system".

Great book

Good!

Perfect