BASIC PRINCIPLES FOR ANYBODY WHO SEEKS MENTAL PEACE
(Series of short and simple advice by Gurdjieff)
After traveling through Africa and Asia, G.I. Gurdjieff arrived in Russia in the year 1912, bringing with him teachings that were neither a religion nor a philosophy, but practical lessons that had to be experienced. And since this was not the path of the fakir, the monk or the yogi, he named his teachings the “Fourth Way”.
The following is a list of advice he wrote for his daughter Duska Howard. However, anyone who wishes to awake his consciousness and develop a more integral and satisfactory life, will appreciate it. This list is also, and above all, a cluster of concise recommendations that could help us to lucidly transcend daily situations, reminding us that integrity is far easier than we think. Gurdjieff’s councils allude to hard work, nourishment, human passions and emotions, cynicism and generosity, and together they comprise a sort of manifesto, one which would be wise to read every morning.
PART-1
1. Fix your attention on yourself, be aware at every moment of what you think, feel, want and do.
2. Always finish what you started.
3. Do what you are doing as best as possible.
4. Do not be chained to anything that in the long run can destroy you.
5. Develop your generosity without witnesses.
6. Treat every person as a close relative.
7. You must order what is disordered.
8. Learn to receive and be grateful for each gift.
9. Stop defining yourself.
10. Do not lie, do not steal, for if you do, you lie and steal from yourself.
11. Help your neighbor without doing making them depend on you.
12. Do not wish to be imitated.
13. Make plans and see them through.
14. Do not take up too much space.
15. Do not make unnecessary noises or gestures.
16. If you do not have faith, act as if you do.
17. Do not be impressed by strong personalities.
18. Do not appropriate anything or anyone.
19. Distributed equally.
20. Do not seduce.
21. You must only eat and sleep as much as is necessary.
22. Do not discuss your personal problems.
23. Do not pass judgments or criticize when you do not know all the facts.
24. Do not have useless friendships.
25. Do not follow fads.
26. Do not sell yourself.
27. Respect the contracts you have signed
28. Be punctual.
29. Do not envy others’ property or goods.
30. Speak only what is necessary.
31. Do not think of the benefits that your work will bring.
32. Never threaten.
33. Follow through with your promises.
34. In an argument, put yourself in the place of the other.
35. Accept when someone is better than you.
36. Do not eliminate, transform.
37. Defeat your fears; each one of them is a desire that is camouflaged.
38. Help the other help themselves.
39. Put an end to your antipathy and get closer to people that you want to reject.
40. Do not react when they speak well or ill of you.
To be continued.....
Vivek
Infinite love
Infinite wisdom
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