Although it is grossly ill-advised to approach the ideas of Mr. Gurdjieff out of nothing more than a mere intellectual interest in sound properties, it may nevertheless compel some to begin exploring his ideas and discover more than they had bargained for. And, citing how even the impulse of curiosity can lead to a desire for knowldege, leading in turn to a "closer understanding of the essence of any object," Gurdjieff himself wrote in his introductory chapter:
"...I am even willing, with pleasure, to satisfy this curiosity which has arisen in you at the present moment." (26-7)
Within Gurdjieff's Colossal Tome are to be found not just chapters on experiments into the nature of sound itself, but a description of the seven aspects of universal phenomena in general, developed within a breathtaking cosmology that in sheer scope and relative scale defies description in ordinary language. Still, to satisfy one's curiosity and thirst for knowledge will not come easily in Gurdjieff's Book: the answers are not given, but must be found. While the Book's title implies that All and Everything is indeed in store for the reader, to come to it requires the reader to search far and wide and (somewhat akin to Gurdjieff's own Search) to reassemble the fragments into a meaningful and integrated whole. For those up to such a challenge, they are wished a hearty and indefatigable appetite:
Mr. Gurdjieff's First Series can be purchased by visiting the Gurdjieff Books website.
Where's the color?
Posted by: LT | February 12, 2008 at 10:06 PM