The Gurdjieff Society of Massachusetts
All events are open to the public.
| Wednesday October 19 7:30 pm |
Introduction to the Ideas and
Practice of the Gurdjieff Teaching Topic: The Thinking, Feeling, and Moving Centers How
could we look at the integration of our centers, as Gurdjieff called
them, the thinking, feeling, and body? Gurdjieff used the term "being
horizon"; it sounds like a vast vision of our full functioning. Indeed
a main tenet of Gurdjieff's thinking is that the modern human falls far
from his possible functioning as a whole organism and understanding the
work of the centers is key to our developing ourselves. Could there be
a "language" shared by the mind and the emotions, a real marriage of
reason and feeling? And what is the role of the house of these two
centers, the body? We will look at the wrong and right working of
these three main centers and their individual attributes.
Presented by experienced members of the Society, followed by questions and discussion. First
Parish Church, 3 Church St, Harvard Square, Cambridge [map]
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| Wednesday November 16 7:30 pm |
Introduction to the Ideas and
Practice of the Gurdjieff Teaching Topic: Is faith necessary? Many of us perceive a kind of chaos in our inner and outer life and in the world around us. And, faced at the same time with the wonders of the universe, we may be called to question whether there might be a sense and aim to human existence. Does such a thing exist? How could we know? Faced with such issues, many of us may feel the need to have faith in something, and sometimes faith is said to be the first thing that is necessary. The Gurdjieff teaching is reality-based, calling upon initial questioning rather than initial faith. What then can we rely on to help us in our search-- for an inner and outer life of meaning rather than chaos, and for an approach to the larger questions of the place of a human being in the world and universe? Presented by experienced members of the Society, followed by questions and discussion. First Parish Church, 3 Church St, Harvard Square, Cambridge [map]
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| Wednesday December 14 7:30 pm |
Introduction to the Ideas and
Practice of the Gurdjieff Teaching Topic: Judging -- How our automatic habits preclude our ability to experience reality We wish to see -- to truly experience the world around us. Brief glimpses of something new tantalize us but they continue to escape our grasp. It is almost as if there was a filter keeping out the light of the real world. We will look at a particular example of how our automatic habits get in our way: our continuous tendency to judge ourselves and others. Presented by experienced members of the Society, followed by questions and discussion. First Parish Church, 3 Church St, Harvard Square, Cambridge [map] |
| Wednesday January 25 7:30 pm |
Introduction to the Ideas and
Practice of the Gurdjieff Teaching Topic: The Body: Access to Ourselves
We are educated to gather, analyze, manipulate, and categorize information in order to "find out." When we use this method to discover ourselves, we are dissatisfied. The Gurdjieff teaching suggests a wiser first step in knowing ourselves: the observation of the body -- the emotions that live there, the tensions that seem stuck there, our uses and misuses of this miraculous instrument, and the natural knowledge that can be found there. When we begin to inhabit our bodies, we can develop a new kind of relaxation, a new kind of attention. We can observe our thoughts and emotions more objectively. We discover access to ourselves. And we can develop a strong, stable presence in our lives. But how? The Gurdjieff teaching provides us with the tools for this first step in knowing ourselves. Presented by experienced members of the Society, followed by questions and discussion. First Parish Church, 3 Church St, Harvard Square, Cambridge [map]
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| Wednesday February 15 7:30 pm |
Introduction to the Ideas and
Practice of the Gurdjieff Teaching Topic: Hearing the Call: The First Step
We are drawn outward by the needs of our lives. All of the energy, which is given to us, is completely expended in our daily activities. Ordinary life can be thought of as a current in which we must participate, but it does not require us to use all our energy in service of its needs. There is another current that needs our participation. It calls to us from within. Can we open to an inward movement, to a connection with an inner world? Opening to this call from above is the first step on the way to experiencing the purpose and transformation of our lives. Do I hear the Call from within? If I feel the need to respond to the Call, what is required of me? Presented by experienced members of the Society, followed by questions and discussion. First Parish Church, 3 Church St, Harvard Square, Cambridge [map] |
| Wednesday March 21 7:30 pm |
Introduction to the Ideas and
Practice of the Gurdjieff Teaching Topic: To Be Announced
Presented by experienced members of the Society, followed by questions and discussion. First Parish Church, 3 Church St, Harvard Square, Cambridge [map] |
| Wednesday April 18 7:30 pm |
Introduction to the Ideas and
Practice of the Gurdjieff Teaching Topic: To Be Announced
Presented by experienced members of the Society, followed by questions and discussion. First Parish Church, 3 Church St, Harvard Square, Cambridge [map] |
| Wednesday May 16 7:30 pm |
Introduction to the Ideas and
Practice of the Gurdjieff Teaching Topic: To Be
Announced
Presented by experienced members of the Society, followed by questions and discussion. First Parish Church, 3 Church St, Harvard Square, Cambridge [map] |
| Wednesday June 20 7:30 pm |
Introduction to the Ideas and
Practice of the Gurdjieff Teaching Topic: To Be
Announced
Presented by experienced members of the Society, followed by questions and discussion. First Parish Church, 3 Church St, Harvard Square, Cambridge [map] |