Customer Reviews

Creating a Soul: Insights from a Fourth Way School

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Girard Haven's book opened a whole new dimension of Fourth Way ideas for me. I have been interested in the methods of George Gurdjieff and his followers for a long time, and have tried to use their techniques of being intentional with thoughts and movements in order to increase my awareness and to experience the present moment. What was new to me in this book was the idea that it is possible to be intentional with attitudes and beliefs as well. The author gives many practical examples of how this can be done. Before reading CREATING A SOUL I wasted a lot of energy trying to figure out whether or not a particular belief was true, or a particular attitude correct. Girard Haven's suggestion is that since we cannot know what objective truth is, we can choose our attitudes on the basis of what seems useful for our aim in a given situation--always keeping in mind that the ultimate aim is to become more conscious. I found it liberating to realize that I don't have to know for sure that something is true or correct in order to try it out. The essays in this book are very interesting and make intriguing reading.

Girard Haven clearly has a very deep understanding of the 4th Way teachings. He seems objective about his observations and also has an extremely positive attitude. I recommend this book because Girard Haven has apparently gone beyond just talking about Gurdjieff's ideas and has become them. He seems to have really separated his sense of Self from his 'machine'. If you want to know what the results are of one man's practical work on himself over many years then this book gives a very clear account of that. His understanding reminds me of Ouspensky himself.

This book is an invaluable addition to the existing canon of Fourth Way literature. Whilst remaining true to the origins of the Gurdjieff-Ouspensky System and the basic principles of self-remembering and the non-expression of negative emotions, Mr.Haven talks about how to work with these ideas on a practical, everyday basis - and the Fourth Way is designed to take place in life, not monastic retreats. He talks about how to deal with ever-pressing daily issues and how to transform them into something higher, presumably, as the title would suggest, the creation of a soul. For many this book will represent a bridge between Ouspensky's brilliant, but somewhat intellectual presentation of the Fourth Way, and an understanding of how practical spiritual work on oneself can actually take place.

Creating a Soul by Girard Haven is about the practical work of the Fourth Way. "Practical" in this context means something more than physical or mental exercises that the reader can attempt in the privacy of his or her own study. In these pages, Mr. Haven speaks about the difficult, day-to-day work to awaken from the sleep in which we are all immersed. "Practical", then, means both beginning to see things as they are and attempting to act from what one sees. "Practical" also means distinguishing between the efforts that one is capable of making by oneself and the line beyond which one cannot pass without outside assistance.

The Fourth Way is a teaching of spiritual development brought to the West in the early part of this century by George Gurdjieff and Peter Ouspensky. It can be said that the Fourth Way, more than any other system of knowledge known to us in modern times, stresses the importance of work on being. It is not enough to know the words, one must strive to be the words.

This book is a collection of articles, essays, and editorials from The Fellowship's newsletter. I came into this book with very little knowledge of Girard Haven, his Teacher, or the Fellowship of Friends school. While some things could have been explained in more detail up front such as references to the Jack of Spades and Queen of Hearts, as well as, the creation of an Ark being a school aim... the context eventually provided me with a decent understanding of things. Plus, there's a handy glossary at the back of the book for easy reference.

However, Creating a Soul really shines when it comes to dealing with the practicality and day-to-day struggles of Fourth Way Work. There are some moments which Gurdjieff and Ouspensky don't prepare you for. Haven's approach to teaching is attitude-based. With the right attitude, one can produce the right ingredients so Influence C can guide us through our perilous journey. It's clear to me that his understanding of what's required along all three lines of Work makes this an invaluable tome. A Teacher could have no better student than Girard Haven.

I shall re-visit this book again in a couple years, expecting to find even more gemstones. Meanwhile, my soul grows stronger, deeper, and ineffable. Highly recommended!

Awake!

Venger As'Nas Satanis

High Priest

Cult of Cthulhu

For those of us that follows the fourth way, very often we think that all that could be said about the "System" was already said, mainly by those great man, Mr Gurdjieff and Mr Ouspensky. Well, when I began reading Mr Haven book I confess I did not expect much, but to my surprise I was very wrong indeed. His style of writing is precise, choosing words with such mathematical objectivity that one cannot help but fell deep the meaning the author wants to convey. And this is another important point to comment about this book: The fact that (as was said by other reviewers) Mr Haven gives an impression of someone who speaks from his being, i.e., someone who has become the words. For that reason alone, I strongly recommend this book for anyone who follows the fourth way.

I picked up this book from a table somewhere and found it a truely interesting read! Written in a simple essay style, Mr. Haven outlines his own personal philosophy and that of his fourth way school in essays written over 20 years. I recommend this book to those interested on Fourth Way ideas or internal work on their souls!