Gurdjieff - Mysticism, Contemplation, and Exercises

The Armenian-born mystic, philosopher, and spiritual teacher G. I. Gurdjieff (c.1866-1949) is an enigmatic figure, the subject of a great deal of interest and speculation, but not easily fitting into any of the common categories of "esoteric," "occult," or "New Age." Scholars have for the most part passed over in silence the contemplative exercises presented in Gurdjieff's writings. Although Gurdjieff had intended them to be confidential, some of the most important exercises were published posthumously in 1950 and in 1975. Arguing that an understanding of these exercises is necessary to fully appreciate Gurdjieff's contribution to modern esotericism, Joseph Azize offers the first complete study of the exercises and their theoretical foundation.

Sommario

• Introduction by Professor Carole Cusack


• Acknowledgments


• Part I: Introductory


• Introduction


• Chapter 1: A Biographical Sketch of Gurdjieff


• Chapter 2: An Overview of Gurdjieff's Ideas


• Chapter 3: Gurdjieff and the Mystical Tradition


• Part II: Gurdjieff's Contemplative Exercises


• Chapter 4: The Russian Years


• Chapter 5: Gurdjieff to the Early 1930s


• Chapter 6: The First Series: Beelzebub's Tales to his Grandson


• Chapter 7: The Soil Preparing Exercise from the Third Series


• Chapter 8: The First Assisting Exercise from the Third Series


• Chapter 9: The Second Assisting Exercise from the Third Series


• Chapter 10: Gurdjieff in the late 1930s


• Chapter 11: Exercises from the Transcripts of 1941-1946


• Part III: Exercises from Gurdjieff's Pupils


• Chapter 12: The Reality of Being


• Chapter 13: The Four Ideals Exercise


• Chapter 14: The Lord Have Mercy " Exercises


• Chapter 15: The Color Spectrum Exercise


• Chapter 16: The Clear Impressions Exercise


• Chapter 17: The Preparation


• Chapter 18: Gurdjieff's Two Last Exercises


• Bibliography

Info autore

Joseph Azize is a priest in the Maronite Catholic Church, working chiefly in the Chancery. He is also an honorary associate at the University of Sydney. For twenty-three years, he was a practicing attorney for the Commonwealth of Australia, serving at one time as acting Senior Assistant Director of Publications. He has published academically in three areas: ancient history, litigation law, and now in religious studies, and has also written some music for use in the Maronite liturgy.

Riassunto

The Armenian-born mystic, philosopher, and spiritual teacher G. I. Gurdjieff (c.1866-1949) is an enigmatic figure, the subject of a great deal of interest and speculation, but not easily fitting into any of the common categories of "esoteric," "occult," or "New Age." Scholars have for the most part passed over in silence the contemplative exercises presented in Gurdjieff's writings. Although Gurdjieff had intended them to be confidential, some of the most important exercises were published posthumously in 1950 and in 1975.
Arguing that an understanding of these exercises is necessary to fully appreciate Gurdjieff's contribution to modern esotericism, Joseph Azize offers the first complete study of the exercises and their theoretical foundation. It shows the continuity in Gurdjieff's teaching, but also the development and change. His original contribution to Western Esotericism lay in his use of tasks, disciplines, and contemplation-like exercises to bring his pupils to a sense of their own presence which could to some extent be maintained in daily life in the social domain, and not only in the secluded conditions typical of meditation. Azize contends that Gurdjieff had initially intended not to use contemplation-like exercises, as he perceived dangers to be associated with these monastic methods, and the religious tradition to be in tension with the secular and supra-denominational guise in which he first couched his teaching. As Gurdjieff adapted the teaching he had found in Eastern monasteries to Western urban and post-religious culture, however, he found it necessary to introduce contemplation.

Testo aggiuntivo

This book is an important contribution to the scholarly study of Gurdjieff and his spiritual practices.

Dettagli sul prodotto

• Autori: Joseph Azize, Joseph (Honorary Associate Azize
• Editore: Oxford University Press
• Lingue: Inglese
• Formato: Copertina rigida
• Pubblicazione: 16.04.2020
• EAN: 9780190064075
• ISBN: 978-0-19-006407-5
• Pagine: 352
• Serie: Oxford Studies in Western Esotericism
• Categoria: Saggistica > Filosofia, religione > Religione: tematiche generali, opere di consultazione