Beginning Again

2015-01-01

For over 40 years I’ve tried to understand, apply, and embody the results, of what we call “work on oneself” in the context of spiritual development in general and Gurdjieff’s 4^th Way in particular. It’s been a long 40 years, full of many teachers, companions, and experiences along the way.

I can report that many things have changed in me over those years and my gratitude to the 4^th Way, to my many teachers, to my fellow seekers, to those who have occasionally found it personally useful to listen to what I had to say, and to innumerable other sources of help grows daily. I can also report that I have a long way to go.

They say that longevity in the Work doesn’t really count for anything; that one can spend decades doing the same old thing and getting nowhere. Like most things that “They” say, this is both true and not true. One thing that I have seen is that no matter how much effort one is able to bring to bear, some things simply take time to ripen. Like a new baby or a cactus plant, they develop in their own time.

So at an age when most people look forward to retirement (I’ll be 66 in a few days) I find that I am once again starting over at the beginning.

However in this case I have some companions who wisely or foolishly wish to accompany me on this journey. From time to time we’ll send back some reports.