Customer Reviews

Basic Self-Knowledge

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is a good introduction to the basic terminology of the Fourth Way tradition. What is most essential to understand is the irreplacable and unavoidable necessity of objective self-observation; the ability to see ourselves as we really are, not as we THINK we are. Unfortunately, self-observation and self-remembering are grossly misunderstood these days and the Fourth Way is rapidly degenerating; but this text can be helpful for the serious student who is willing to genuinely seek self-knowledge, not mere book knowledge. We must be on guard moment to moment, in clear observation of the mind, the false sense of self, and be remembering ourselves, our consciousness, by being fully present, rather than being identified with thoughts, feelings and sensations. This text can help the reader understand what this means. For more information on how this is done, feel free to contact christianart@hotmail.com.

That title sounds like some hippy, new-age mumbo jumbo in some ways. It's not. I'm a pragmatic guy, but this book is great. Reducing "self-talk", the static that keeps our minds in turmoil all day, every day, is a great way to reduce suffering that is associated with painful mind-states. Read this book. It's profound.

For those on the path of Self discovery, this book will take you on a trip that will change your life even with a small degree of insight and understanding. We will see that we are not our Personality. It is only a character role we have taken on, a false identity for our ego and not who or what we think we are. To even consider that concept might take courage but it will be the first step toward liberation.
There are 21 short chapters but very long on content and, while esoteric (i.e. belonging to the select few who have knowledge or interest), is written in a very clear, straightforward manner. The mirror is held up for a full, complete viewing. It is all visible if you choose to look with the open eyes. Enjoy the journey.

This text is straight forward and easy to understand. It synthesises the work of Krishnamurti and Gurdjieff, towards the goal of consciousness and Presence in daily life. (Gurdjieff is considered to be an important contributor to core concepts of the Enneagram). The personality is seen to be the false self, a series of unconscious, automatic responses to the environment, and we are seen to identify with these responses, mistakenly considering them to be who we are, or as our "identity". The Work described in this book is directed towards providing conscious "shocks" to facilitate self-remembering and the conscious experience of Essence.
I find this book to be useful in both my personal growth and also as a professional resource in my counselling practice.

I found this book, along with others who have read and used it, to be a practical study manual that precipitated excercises that were remarkably revalatory. Truly, we are very much underutilizing our ability to view ourselves as a phenomenon and to reason and intuit from data thus discovered. The appendix on Eternality is the best treatment of the subject I've ever read, as it puts considerations about it on an actual cognizable footing.

The reviews which I have read of this book on the internet so far are sadly missing the main point which Dorothy Phillpotts makes. Though speaking about self remembering and self observation as very important, when she relates how J. G. Bennett, her teacher at the time, came back from Paris after meeting Gurdjieff there, whom they had thought was dead, but was not, Bennett explained that what he had learned from Gurdjieff was a new way of working on oneself involving having a different relationship with one's body.This is not explained in detail in the book, but followers of Gurdjieff know what it is, and how important it is. This new approach made it possible to remember oneself and observe much longer than any of them had been able to do under Ouspensky or Bennett. Unfortunately for him, Ouspemsky had parted company with Gurdjieff before he understood this different approach.