Customer Reviews

Gurdjieff; making a new world

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Not a biography of Gurdjieff, but an elucidatory analysis on the development and significance of Gurdjieff's ideas and how they relate to the modern world. Bennett does his valiant best to wade through the obfuscation of Gurdjieff's teaching, to make it as clear as is humanly possible, without surrending his master's conviction that any struggle for insight can only come at a huge price both personally and spiritually. The book reveals volumes of obscure names, concepts and vocabulary, that will require intense study on the part of the reader, and sow the seeds of debate. Still I am not convinced that Gurdjieff was much more than a guy who read some esoteric books and had a bunch of unrelated bits of wisdom to proffer. For one thing, Bennett shows us that all of Gurdjieff's stories in Meetings With Remarkable Men were mere fables - fictional characters created by G. to get a point across. Learning this took a lot of the wind out my assumption that G. was some kind of well-travelled mystic seer. Nay, no real proof is ever given that G. ever studied with, or even visited the places inhabited by, those secret orders he professed to know about. Thus, the more I learn about him the less I trust anything which comes straight from his mouth, which is not the way to instill faith in a student. Bennett however is straightforward, his approach to teaching being more suited to how we in the West interpret our world. For that I can say that I learned a lot that I would never have gleaned from either G. or Ouspensky. Bennett fortunately gives us the meat and potatoes of the final "meaning of life" according to Gurdjieff, so to speak, probably the most valuable aspect of the book. In the end ironically, while G's philosophy has lost much of its charm (not because ignorance is bliss, but rather that the substance of his viewpoint is hard to swallow - and still leaves questions unanswered), Bennett's plight and search for insight have piqued my interest enough to want to explore his writing in more depth.

This book covers some theories about how Gurdjieff recieved his knowledge. Specifically from Naq'shabandi sufi orders, and Tibet.

My personal favourite from Bennett...as Bennett was chosen by Gurdjieff, as one of the few people who could realistically carry on the "work", and "initiate" others.

This book offers well-researched background information on Gurdjieff and his ideas. A previous review indicated that this book either proves or strongly suggests that Gurdjieff's adventures as a "seeker" in the "Meetings" book were mere fantasy or fable. This excellent book by Bennett does not suggest this at all. But it does point out inconsistencies in terms of the specifics and does not hide the fact that exaggeration may have been employed in the retelling of Gurdjieff's travels. Overall: this is a well-written and thought provoking presentation of G.'s ideas, as well as the man himself.

J. G. Bennett did a wonderful job of introductory biography and summarizing the main concepts attributed to Gurdjieff in this book. I found especially fascinating Bennett's discussion of Gurdjieff's relationship with the Sarmoun or Sarman Brotherhood. What is also quite interesting to me about Gurdjieff is that he seemed to attract a very high caliber of thinker. I know that many people believe Gurdjieff has a cult following. But this cult includes Ouspensky, Bennett, Nicoll, Orage, etc. All of these people are very competent independent thinkers. Bennett is certainly no slouch as a philosopher, since he wrote about many things besides Gurdjieff's system. Overall, I was quite impressed with this book and look forward to reading other books by John G. Bennett.

Although Gurdjieff never revealed his sources, he hinted at them over and over in his writings. Here we have Mr. Bennett, a renaissance man himself, who spoke dozens of languages, travelled extensively in these areas, had a personal relationship with G., and access to his family and friends. This is the ultimate Gurdjieff book about Gurdjieff that everyone who studies the Sufis, the Fourth Way, or Gurdjieff, must read, more than once.

Mr. Bennett also gives insider tips and hints and previously unreleased material.

J.G. Bennett's at his best. Together with "Masters of Wisdom" he
prooves that he understood Gurdjieff's mission and brought it many steps further and closer.

J.G. Bennett was an associate of Gurdjieff and writes of him with authority.

Bennett held many careers in his life a soldier, linguist, mystic and engineer.He was very much the stereotype of Englishman of his times. He presents himself as both level headed and a skeptic. How much of a skeptic he was I leave the reader to decide but in this volume Bennett tells the story of Gurdjieff's search for the truth and of his teachings. Those with even a passing interest in Gurdjieff will find this book fascinating.

The first half some might find a little difficult to slog through as Bennett mentions varous arcane philosophies and places in Central Asia with which most of us in the West are unfamiliar but

it is well worth the time invested. The second half of the book goes into Gurjieff's teaching methods and his philosophy.

As Gurdjieff encouraged skepticism: if you must, read it as a skeptic, but I believe the average reader will find Gurdjieff's travels and his philosophy fascinating.

I have known some to find his insights very useful in everyday life.

Both a good inroduction and overview to one of the most fascinating figures of the 20th century.

Highly recommended

Jim Connell "Hallstatt Prince"

the first two and last chapters were pretty much useless to me; however, there was a large middle area that had some good information. for instance, i didn't know that Gurdjieff was a lady's man (i.e. womanizer). although, i'm not surprised. he's as much a one-of-a-kind guru as Aleister Crowley.

yes, some really good insight. Bennett himself takes some of the Work in right hand path ways (union with God the ultimate prize, etc.), but otherwise the book was fruitful in my 4th way research.

Venger As'Nas Satanis
Cult of Cthulhu High Priest

J.G. Bennett had a Gurdjieff problem, and one has to wonder how someone could have sacrificed his many talents promoting the pack of lies promoted by this shadowy figure. Gurdjieff had a knack for mesmerizing smart mathematicians and landed two of them, to give some glitz to his bizarre and second rate 'system'.
In this work the dangerous nature of these ideas comes through, and we see the reactionary strategy: reinvent the great chain of being, complete with food chain (!) and man some pitiful sacrifice in that. Give me a break already!
Whence these notions? Not even esoteric sufis, needs to be super special hidden masters. This time the unsupported rumor about the 'Kwajagan masters', the real thing behind the real thing, we suppose. Has anyone ever documented any of these faiytales?
The very nature of the account suggests this are deviant traditions if they ever that, and in anything to do that wolf Gurdjieff we can easily figure the dishonest angle of what is really afoot here.

All this is typical of the whole mindset of the Gurdjieffians, and the vein of untruth that laces everything sadly corrupted Bennett to the point where nothing is believable.
Be wary of these people, you have a right to be skeptical. These people have absolutely no authority, whatever they say. They have a bad habit of making things up as they go along, and Gurdjieff, please note, finally admitted as much, that he just made these dangerous ideas up.